Originally from New Jersey, Matthew Dykes has called San Diego home since 2011. He ventured out from the Garden State when he joined the Navy.
“I was stationed out in Camp Pendleton, went to Afghanistan, and worked as a military corpsman until 2014,” Dykes says. His experience as a Navy medic led him to his full-time job today in medical sales.
Craving authenticity and diversity, Dykes started his podcast “Hangin’ With Matty D” in November 2017. He had listened to several podcasts in the past and thought he should give it a go, plus he loves talking with people and is a natural conversationalist.
“I think one of my biggest motives [for this podcast] is that it’s a stress reliever for me to talk to people. I feel like with everyone constantly on their phones, the power of conversation has diminished and people don’t realize that just talking with someone for an hour is powerful,” Dykes says. “The power of conversation has done so much for me.” Since starting to record out of his studio, which is fully equipped with microphones, headsets, and a fridge full of La Croix, Dykes has hosted a variety of guests from different backgrounds and industries.
“I didn’t want to cater to a certain crowd,” Dykes says. “If I don’t have a certain demographic I’m trying to hit, then it isn’t keeping me in a corner.”
Dykes points out that his diverse range of guests are encouraged to share their life lessons, trials and errors, and various experiences they’ve had while navigating their careers and personal lives. “People listen to my podcasts to hear normal, real, but unpredictable stuff,” Dykes says.
“I have had nonprofits, comedians, psychologists, local business owners, radio personalities, artists, authors, restaurant owners, and the list goes on,” he says.
“One of my favorite podcasts I’ve done was with Chris Waters, founder and owner of Constructed Adventures,” Dykes says. Waters’ company creates a day completely customized for the player(s) filled with puzzles, riddles, and surprises… basically a giant-scale scavenger hunt.”
Waters was working in a “soul-crushing, corporate” environment, and needed a change. A week before quitting his miserable job, his business venture idea was featured on Reddit and blew up. Some other guests he has interviewed include Tabitha Lipkin of Fox 5 San Diego, Bryce Smith (professional basketball player and Crossfit coach), PJ Busalacchi (owner of Little Italy’s Sicilian restaurant Barbusa), and Samantha Louise (wedding planner turned self-taught abstract artist).
Dykes also co-hosts a weekly podcast with Beach & Bay Press editor Thomas Melville, which airs live on Facebook and is featured on the San Diego Community Newspaper Group’s YouTube page. Catch weekly episodes of “Hangin’ With Matty D” on iTunes, GooglePlay, or YouTube. Info: hanginwithmattyd.org, youtube.com/channel/UCn2rXwZuN_pyEACiv_hGY9g.
Facebook: @hanginwithmattyd.
Instagram: @hanginwithmattyd.
