The Middle
Episodes
The Story vs. The Stats: Breaking Down NFL Analytics
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Sports data tells a story, but are most of us reading it wrong? On this episode, we sit down with Cynthia Frelund, NFL Network’s analytics expert, t...
Inside the Leadville 100: What It Really Takes to Run or Bike the Toughest Race in the Rockies
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
At 10,152 feet in the Colorado Rockies, the legendary Leadville Race Series looks like a dream for endurance athletes chasing the Leadville Trail 100 ...
The Weight of #1: The Mental Side of Professional Football
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What really happens when you sign a professional football contract in the United Kingdom? Former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Paddy Gamble shares the ...
Cancel Culture vs. Comeback Stories: How Athletes Really Survive Scandals
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Why do some athletes and coaches vanish forever after a scandal, while others return to a standing ovation? It’s not luck. It’s formulaic.In our f...
Athletes, Influencers, and the Death of the Sports Section
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Washington Post laid off its sports department. Athletes and coaches break news on Instagram. Fans get headlines from TikTok. Is the golden age of...
Redefining Fitness, Strength, and Body Confidence
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Fitness instructor Roz Mays is challenging everything the fitness industry gets wrong. Growing up plus-size in a cardio-obsessed sports world, Roz sha...
Behind the Scenes at the Super Bowl
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In our season opener, Matt Taylor takes us behind the scenes on the intense preparation that goes into the Super Bowl, the emotional weight of the eve...
Season Two Trailer
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We've got a new look, a new focus and a lot of new stories to tell. Join us this season as we talk to athletes, coaches and industry insiders abou...
A Look Back at Season One
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In our season finale, we share the evolution of the podcast and how it's grown over the last several months. Megan shares some behind the scenes o...
The Olympian in the Middle: Shannon Abeda
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In November 2024 alpine skier Shannon Abeda was three days away from the start of his season in hopes of qualifying for his third Olympic games. He as...
The Environmental Scientist in the Middle: Dr. Mara Ranville
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, sustainability expert and environmental scientist Dr. Mara Ranville shares how her career moved from a small town in Michigan to geol...
ENCORE: The Recruiter in the Middle: Steve Lavner
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the U.S. pauses to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, we're bringing you an encore of our episode with executive recruiter Steve Lavner. Since...
The Music Producer in the Middle: Rick Morales
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rick Morales spent nearly a decade helping build Apple Music Radio from the ground up, producing shows with global icons like Bad Bunny and Travis Sco...
The Tech Investor in the Middle: Kevin Rice
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Kevin Rice sold the company he built in a garage, it should have been the moment he’d been working toward his whole life. But instead of fulfil...
Leading from the Middle of the Storm: A Conversation with Dr. William T. Lewis, Sr.
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In September 2010, Dr. William T. Lewis, Sr. stepped into what he believed was his dream role: vice president for Diversity and Inclusion at Virginia ...
The Chief of Staff in the Middle: David Nebinski
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In July 2025, David Nebinski embarked on an experiment: call one new person every day for a month. No scripts, no agenda, no calendar invite. Just pic...
The Recruiter in the Middle: Steve Lavner
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After more than 20 years in executive recruiting, Steve Lavner has seen it all, and he’s pulling back the curtain on what really happens in the hiri...
The Author in the Middle: Fabi Preslar
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At just 17 years old, Fabi Preslar left home with no money, no car, and no safety net. That leap of survival set the stage for a career and a life tha...
The Energy Practitioner in the Middle: Candice Van Dertholen
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Candice Van Dertholen didn’t set out to be an energy healer, but her own battles with mental health and a chance encounter at a yoga studio led her ...
The Social Guru in the Middle: J T. Ramsay
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When J T. Ramsay was laid off after nearly 20 years in comms and marketing, he thought his network and experience would carry him through. Instead, he...
The Chief Communications Officer in the Middle: Jenn Whitlow
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After over 25 years in corporate America, including two executive positions at Lockheed Martin and UnitedHealthcare, Jenn Whitlow faced a decision: ta...
The Founder in the Middle: Tahseen Taj
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tahseen Taj spent years trying to break into Salesforce, so when she was offered a manager role in 2019, she planned on being there for decades. Inste...
The Working Mom in the Middle: Courtney Cecil Anderson
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After 16 years at the company she loved, Courtney Cecil Anderson found herself laid off and sitting in her pantry, crying on the phone with HR. That m...
The Engineer in the Middle: Ehsan Fereyduni
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From teaching chemistry and mathematics in rural Iran to engineering chips at Intel, the last decade of Dr. Ehsan Fereyduni’s life has been full of ...
The Musician in the Middle: Craig Whitaker
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After more than seven months of looking, Craig Whitaker still doesn’t have a job. It’s not for lack of trying; he’s submitted over 150 applicati...
The Storyteller in the Middle: Eric Payne
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when everything falls apart in just a few months - your marriage, your job, your sense of self - and you’re left sitting in a turbochar...
The Salesman in the Middle: Wade Lee
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Three layoffs in five years. Wade Lee has rebuilt his career time and again, and in this conversation gives a behind-the-scenes look at the tech sales...
The VP in the Middle: Gab Ferree
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when you land your dream job, only to realize it’s not enough? In this candid conversation, communications leader Gab Ferree shares wha...
Trailer
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to The Middle, a podcast about people in the thick of job loss, layoffs, new ventures, career pivots, and life transitions. These aren't t...