The State I Am In

After a coworker jokingly called me an “influencer,” I found myself reflecting on why that word makes me cringe—and why influence still matters. 

In this solo episode, I unpack the difference between chasing attention and leading with intention. Using John Maxwell’s idea that leadership is influence, nothing more and nothing less, I walk through the five levels of leadership and how they show up in everyday life—as parents, coaches,...

In this episode of The State I Am In, I sit down with an Alaska artist and respected indigenous voice, Nikki Corbett, the creator behind Sew Yup’ik. 

Nikki grew up in Bethel, Alaska, in a childhood marked by both deep cultural roots and real personal hardship. She opens up about navigating family trauma, finding safe spaces in school and community, and how those early experiences shaped the way she sees the world today. 

We talk abou...

Sexual addiction is often discussed in whispers—or not at all. In this episode, Logan Hufford shares what it’s actually like to live inside it, and what it takes to begin climbing out.

Logan grew up in Anchorage and spent years living a double life marked by secrecy, escalating behaviors, and the slow erosion of trust at home. Rather than focusing on shock value, this conversation explores the mechanics of addiction: how it hijacks ...

What happens when the responsibility to care for animals collides with gaps in the law?

In this episode of The State I Am In, Manny sits down with Megan Merritt, founder of Homebound Farm & Rescue in Sterling, Alaska. A lifelong Alaskan and the self-described “machine” behind the rescue, Megan works daily with animals that have been abandoned, neglected, or left in conditions where help should exist—but often doesn’t.

The convers...

This is the final episode of 2025 — it’s just me.

In this solo episode, I reflect on the first nine months of The State I Am In: what started as a simple “what if” has grown into real conversations with remarkable Alaskans, unexpected lessons about creation and consistency, and a deeper understanding of what this place — and its people — truly represent.

I talk about the transition from podcast listener to creator, the challenges of ...

In Part Two of this wide-ranging conversation, Manny finishes his conversation with Tyler Johnson for a story that takes an unexpected and unforgettable turn.

After surviving a life-or-death grizzly bear attack, Tyler shares another wild moment from his life in the Alaska wilderness—this time on the remote Aleutian Island of Adak. What began as a demanding caribou hunt with his father turned into an emergency when an injury left the...

Tyler Johnson grew up in Sterling, Alaska, raised in the outdoors alongside his dad, a longtime game warden. Hunting, fishing, hiking, and navigating wild places weren’t just pastimes — they were normal to life on the Kenai Peninsula.

In this episode, Tyler recounts his sudden encounter with a grizzly bear in August 2024 at Resurrection Pass in gripping detail. What happened in those moments, what went right, what went wrong, and ho...

In this episode, Manny sits down with David Bayes, a lifelong Alaskan fisherman, charter captain, and one of the most visible leaders in the movement to reform Alaska’s trawl bycatch system. David grew up in Homer, spent more than two decades working on the water, and now helps lead the statewide conversation through the rapidly growing Stop Alaskan Trawler Bycatch Facebook group.

Manny and David break down what trawling actually is...

My guest today is Chad Hufford; Financial planner, founder of Veritas Wealth Management in Anchorage, author of Forging Financial Freedom, and host of The Blue Collar Millionaire Show. Chad is a lifelong Alaskan whose approach to money is shaped by the realities so many of us face in the Last Frontier: high cost of living, seasonal work, opportunity-rich industries, and a lifestyle full of both challenges and rewards. 

In this episo...

In this episode I sit down with Ben Adams, owner and operator of 4T% Ranch in Soldotna, Alaska, to talk about the work, the cost, and the conviction behind one of the wildest modern ranching stories I have ever heard. 
Ben grew up poor in Canada with a legally blind father, learned responsibility early, and eventually "fluked" his way into a career as a criminal defense attorney. Years later, he walked away from the c...

In this episode, I sit down with Jordan Kontra, 3rd degree black belt, owner of Holdfast Grappling in Homer, AK, and co-owner of Southside Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Anchorage. Jordan shares his journey from early influences in wrestling to becoming a respected instructor and voice in Alaska’s Jiu-Jitsu community.

We explore how Jiu-Jitsu offers real-world self-defense skills, not just for athletes, but for everyday people—including healt...

 Alaska Day marks the moment the American flag replaced the Russian one in Sitka — a turning point in our state’s story. But over 150 years later, what does that really mean for those of us who call this place home? In this bonus episode, Manny looks back at the handoff between empires, the people who were here long before it, and how Alaska continues to define itself today. From the debate over Indigenous Peoples Day to jokes abou...

 In this episode, Manny reflects on what it means to live and think in the middle — that quiet space between red and blue where real conversation still has a chance. 

After watching local elections play out across Alaska, Manny shares how social media and modern politics have made genuine dialogue harder than ever. The algorithm rewards outrage, the headlines crave reactions, and too often we arrive at every conversation already dec...

In this episode of The State I Am In, I sit down with Alaskan author, veteran, and homesteader Bob Stark. Bob’s story takes us from the wide-open beaches of Nome, to life in Eagle River and Seward, to the battlefields of Iraq as an airborne infantry soldier, and finally to his family homestead in Happy Valley. Along the way, he shares how identity, family, and faith were shaped through experiences of hardship, loss, and resilience....

In this solo episode of The State I Am In, I dive into the meaning behind a phrase I’ve recently started using to close out every show: Keep North. At first, it seemed like the perfect tagline for an Alaska-based podcast, but the more I sat with it, the more layers of meaning it revealed.

Keep North is about honoring Alaska’s past while protecting its future — from preserving its culture and resources, to standing firm in our values...

In this episode of The State I Am In, I sit down with Bridgett Watkins — Alaskan musher, ER nurse, wife, mother, and author of Marker to Marker. Bridgett takes us deep into her journey from childhood races in Fairbanks to surviving a brutal moose attack just weeks before her first Iditarod. We talk about grit, faith, and family — how she balanced chasing dreams with the realities of motherhood, and how failure 50 miles from the fin...

In this episode of The State I Am In, I talk with Dr. Bretwood “Hig” Higman—geologist, lifelong Alaskan, and founder of Ground Truth Alaska—about life, land, and the very real risks facing our coastal communities. 

We explore Hig’s life in Seldovia and his adventures with wife Erin McKittrick, author of A Long Trek Home. Together, they’ve traveled thousands of miles across Alaska by foot and packraft, raising their kids along the wa...

In this eye-opening episode of The State I Am In, I’m joined by Ryan Astalos and Jackie Boyer from SalmonState to break down one of the most urgent issues facing Alaska today: industrial trawling and the devastating impact of bycatch. We unpack what trawling actually is, who profits from it, and who pays the price—especially the Alaskan communities relying on the return of wild salmon. 

Why do Seattle-based factory trawlers get a pa...

In this special virtual episode of The State I Am In, I sit down with Amanda Bowles, the driving force behind Landmark Collective—a powerful community of women entrepreneurs based in the Mat-Su Valley. We dive into how these women are shaping the business landscape in Palmer, Wasilla, and beyond through collaboration, creativity, and a deep commitment to their communities. 

Amanda shares insight into the unique challenges women face...