1
00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:01,720
Hey friends, welcome to 
Meatball. 

2
00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:03,280
To Meatball. 
This isn't going to be a long 

3
00:00:03,280 --> 00:00:07,120
episode, but it's going to be a 
real one because I've been 

4
00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:10,240
thinking a lot about the kind of
energy we bring into the spaces 

5
00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:12,560
that we share, especially our 
board game spaces. 

6
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:15,560
You know, those nights around 
the table when the world, 

7
00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:17,840
terrible as it may be, just kind
of fades away. 

8
00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:20,520
It's just us dice, cardboards 
and laughs. 

9
00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:24,320
Rules that we all agree on and 
the people at the table. 

10
00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:26,800
That's shared experience that 
we're building. 

11
00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:32,640
I'm starting a new series where 
I chat with a diverse group of 

12
00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:36,080
content creators across the 
board game community and across 

13
00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:38,880
the globe. 
Each week I'm going to chat with

14
00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:41,280
one of these content creators 
and we're going to talk about 

15
00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:44,640
how they got into the hobby 
content creation, and they're 

16
00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:47,520
going to share their thoughts on
what the community gets right 

17
00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:48,920
and what the community gets 
wrong. 

18
00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:51,600
And lately, I've been feeling 
like we have some work to do. 

19
00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:55,160
If I'm being honest, there were 
times when I saw it and I didn't

20
00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:57,040
say anything. 
I told myself that it wasn't my 

21
00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:59,080
place. 
But the truth is, if we're not 

22
00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:02,200
creating spaces where everyone 
feels welcome, we've already 

23
00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:04,400
lost. 
And if I'm also honest, I've 

24
00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:06,920
made promises to people and I've
failed to keep them. 

25
00:01:06,960 --> 00:01:10,640
There have been times where I've
been harsh when all I had to do 

26
00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,160
was just be kind and exercised a
bit of patience. 

27
00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:18,000
Community isn't just showing up,
it's how we show up. 

28
00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,240
And today I just want to talk 
about the vibes that we need to 

29
00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,680
be projecting and the ones we 
need to be spreading. 

30
00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:27,760
We need welcoming vibes, the 
kind that say I'm glad you're 

31
00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:32,680
here with body language, tone 
and particularly with your eyes.

32
00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:37,480
And I don't always succeed, but 
we have a really welcoming 

33
00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:39,040
community. 
You're going to hear that 

34
00:01:39,320 --> 00:01:41,720
throughout this series. 
Every content creator talks 

35
00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:44,680
about, they really talk about 
how welcoming this community is.

36
00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:50,080
However, in order for us to have
of unity, we have to embrace 

37
00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:54,800
diversity, cannot ignore one and
have the other, despite what 

38
00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,240
some people might want you to 
believe. 

39
00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:00,640
But together, our board games 
are better, our laughs are 

40
00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:03,960
louder, and our shared 
experiences are that much more 

41
00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:07,720
passionate and overwhelming. 
Many curious vibes, the kind 

42
00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,880
that asks questions instead of 
making assumptions, that 

43
00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:15,040
celebrate new people, new 
players, new cultures, and, like

44
00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:18,720
one content creator says in the 
series, shared stories that 

45
00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:21,560
bring us together. 
It's what this podcast is all 

46
00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:23,960
about, uniting players around 
the world. 

47
00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,000
That's always been the tagline 
from the very beginning. 

48
00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:32,680
We need accountable vibes. 
We learn, we listen, we change, 

49
00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:38,360
and by facing these weaknesses, 
we're stronger and united as we 

50
00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:40,680
embrace diversity. 
Lives that don't demand 

51
00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:45,120
perfection but offer patience, 
particularly with the rules 

52
00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:48,520
lawyer at the table. 
Because we can learn a lot from 

53
00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:52,440
each other and we carry things 
around that you don't always 

54
00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:54,200
see. 
But I believe in this community.

55
00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,080
I really do. 
It's why I do this podcast. 

56
00:02:57,240 --> 00:02:59,280
There's so much good here. 
There's so much joy and 

57
00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:01,360
connection. 
I've been doing this for over 

58
00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:03,800
three years now. 
This is why I'm here. 

59
00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:07,320
So we have to ask ourselves, are
we creating spaces where people 

60
00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:09,840
feel seen? 
Are we honoring the full 

61
00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:12,520
humanity of the people sitting 
across from us? 

62
00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,040
Not just tolerating them, not 
just including them, but 

63
00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:18,800
actually valuing them? 
I've thought about that a lot 

64
00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:20,200
lately. 
I'm going to strive to do 

65
00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:21,520
better. 
I hope you do too. 

66
00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,280
I mean, that's what community 
really is, right? 

67
00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:26,400
It's not just a word that we 
throw around, but it is 

68
00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:31,200
something that we build, right? 
We open a rule book, we unbox a 

69
00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,160
game, and we have these shared 
experiences. 

70
00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:38,120
We use our energy with 
intention, curiosity, and 

71
00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:40,600
gratitude. 
So thanks for taking time to 

72
00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:44,480
listen and enjoy this ride that 
we're about to be on. 

73
00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:48,080
This is an amazing journey. 
I have met some amazing content 

74
00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:50,960
creators, grateful people. 
I'm grateful to all of you who 

75
00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:53,200
have joined. 
And it's probably going to be a 

76
00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:55,440
permanent feature of this 
podcast going forward. 

77
00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:59,240
And I'm so glad that you are 
joining me on this journey. 

78
00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,920
Thanks for watching and always 
be kind to each other and let's 

79
00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:04,080
play more games.