Josh: 0:00

If you're in it for the bald jokes, you're in the right place. Because I try and take them from everyone before they actually use them on me. B ut anyhow, okay, so welcome to our thing.

Pamela: 0:14

Premeditated opinions. You're listening to premeditated opinions. Because yes, we thought about it, and then we said it anyway. I'm Pamela.

Josh: 0:33

And I'm Josh, and we are just two people who somehow share a brain and decided to weaponize our brains with microphones.

Pamela: 0:40

Each week we unpack the chaos from politics and religion to petty internet fights and existential dread, like it's our unpaid job.

Josh: 0:48

We are not experts, we are just way too confident. So, with all that being said, let's get started. Welcome to the podcast that I definitely know the name of. It's called Premeditated Opinions. No, we're thrilled to be here. So we wanted to take this this first episode and just level set a little bit. We'll tell you a tiny bit about who we are, some of our personal professional backgrounds, and then a little bit about why this podcast exists, how we got here, etc. And so, Pamela, why don't you tell us a little bit about your professional background and y eah, let the ladies and gentlemen know what you're into.

Pamela: 1:27

Okay, so professionally, well, you know, I graduated with my degree in finance two months after the banks collapsed. So yep, that was that was money well spent.

Josh: 1:44

Right. Right.

Pamela: 1:47

So I ended up getting an internship at a Fortune 100 health insurance company. oddly worked in accounting, which as Josh knows, I originally started out in accounting for my degree and then promptly exited that path and then found myself right back in it. so I yeah, I worked in accounts payable for a while, and then I finally got promoted to where I was barely making what my degree should be paying me. but basically my career started in corporate finance and pivoted a little bit within that to the project space and became what is now known as a business analyst, which at the time I literally thought they just made that title up. I was like, that is the most generic job role, and then it wasn't until my next my next role with another company that they actually sent me to training for business analysis. I was like, oh, this is like a thing, right? People do like there's like structure and like job descriptions and like oh okay. so yeah, I I ended up being a business analyst for about 12 years. I'm also certified. I kind of stay in the healthcare space. So, you know, I went from insurance to medical provider, worked for a large healthcare system back home, , which I guess I haven't even mentioned that. Like I'm from Louisville, Kentucky, , and currently based with Josh here in Dallas Fort Worth. But so I worked for a large healthcare system there and then went into pharmacy. So kind of a well-rounded look of the entire American healthcare system, which is why I'm not there anymore.

Josh: 3:59

Run like hell is what she did.

Pamela: 4:01

I will say it is a good place to start your career. Went through a couple of transitions, took a couple of breaks, got my master's degree, and most recently I worked for a Salesforce implementation partner, and now I do what I want.

Josh: 4:25

Perfect. Yeah. Yeah. So I came up in the production space. So really from the time I was 19, I was involved in anything that had to do with cameras or audio or live event production, video production, animation, things like that. And and I've largely stayed in that space most of my career , both as a freelancer, just essentially a a technician for hire. that I could be brought in as a specific role player in various different environments and do the job. And so I did a lot of that. I also spent some time in the church and nonprofit space for a little while, , which is part of why I don't really engage in churches anymore, but , that's down the road. The it was good to me though, in that it gave me some really good hands-on experience with just sort of week over week events. It's basically what churches are, and so it's a lot of the same kind of equipment that I was using in corporate event spaces and things like that, just packaged a little differently. So I worked in those spaces for a while. I'm also a working musician, and so that was a good fit for church spaces, and I so I cut my teeth on stage in church environments, and now I'm just also a musician for hire. And so I I play a lot of guitar, play some dr s, do some singing. and that's very much a side hustle, but it but I can't do it consistently enough to make it a primary hustle by any stretch. It that's very, very difficult to do when you are a grown-up with grown-up responsibilities and kids and things. And so overrated. Oh my god, it's so overrated. Look, if you're listening to me and you're under the age of 18, stop growing. Like it's just it, man, it's rough out here in these streets. , so yeah, I came up doing a lot of different production work and was a partner with a different production company for a handful of years out in the Fort Worth area of of Texas. And we all kind of went our own direction at one point, and I found myself starting a business, which I didn't think I would ever do. I was actually just trying to go back into the freelance world and I got a phone call from a previous client who really wanted to do a larger project, and that kind of launched me into being a business owner instead of just being a freelancer, and so that was a learning curve. , how to figure out how to make that j p between, you know, just a freelancer who has to worry about a lot less than a business owner, and so once I acclimated to what this role demands of me as a business owner, I really started to love it. And so at this point, you know, I've been in business for myself. This is my ninth year, it'll be 10 years next April, which is awesome. And it's been good to me. I I say often and loudly that I'm one of the most spoiled people I know. I I get to do things I love to do alongside people I enjoy with really cool toys. It's taken me around the world and I make a living. And I don't know what else there is. Like that's

Pamela: 7:38

The American dream. American dream right there.

Josh: 7:42

The American dream, which is also taking place in all the other countries that I've traveled to, but that's fine. , but you know, I I really I really enjoy what I do. , and then in my personal life, , I am married. I've got two kids, ages nine and eleven, and , you know, that part of my life keeps me busy. And it's also very enjoyable. I love being a dad. You'll hear plenty about kids on this podcast, you'll hear plenty about just marital culture and things like that. Like it's all it's it's all fair game in this space. But tell us a little bit about what your personal life looks like.

Pamela: 8:19

Yeah, so just like you, I well, I was gonna say just like you, I'm married to Josh. Right.

Speaker 2: 8:28

Yeah.

Pamela: 8:29

, you're not married to Josh, but I am married to another Josh. And we went to high school together. We were not high school sweethearts, but we went to school together back in Louisville, Kentucky. , we got married, been together almost 14 years now. made a horrible financial decision to uproot our family from Louisville to Dallas. in 2022 when you know everything was blowing up in the housing market. So now we're stuck here. we have two kiddos, similar in age, 12 and eight. I got two puppy dogs.

Josh: 9:17

Oh yeah. I didn't mention my dog.

Pamela: 9:19

Yeah, yeah. That's fine. I'll tell her later.

Josh: 9:23

She'll be too dumb to know. It's fine.

Pamela: 9:27

So yeah, and

Josh: 9:33

So one of the reasons that we wanted to do this was, you know, we we met a handful of months ago and we quickly figured out that we had no problem talking. that that came very easily to us, but then we realized that there was all this common ground that we shared because of some past experiences and our upbringings and things like that. And you know, we're both 40, we're both elder millennials.

Pamela: 10:00

Rude.

Josh: 10:00

Yeah, well, yeah, it is okay.

Pamela: 10:04

Honestly, I'm living for it.

Josh: 10:05

Yeah, I so honestly I am too. I'm not bothered in the slightest by being 40. It's it's fine. In fact, it's kind of liberating. It is, and also being in that age bracket means that we have had really unique perspectives on just how the world has changed in the last 40 years. And because we can remember a time before cell phones and social media, , and we know how to work computers better than our parents do still. So we we kind of occupy a really critical space. But when we started talking, we realized that we had a lot in common and that we also felt in some ways like outsiders within some of the culture we were in. Like, you know, we a term that we have used is even feeling a little bit spiritually homeless, and that's our spirituality is a big part of our lives, but it also isn't something that neatly fits into a category that would make other people super comfortable.

Pamela: 11:03

And so we're starting a cult.

Josh: 11:05

Right? Exactly. We're actually taking applications for a very sexual cult leader. Oh, okay.

Pamela: 11:14

Wow, we just went there. Well, it's fine.

Josh: 11:16

I'm preparing the ladies and gentlemen for what's to come. but yeah, we we wanted to create a space where people could feel like they related and and where we could try and put some language to some of the feelings that that a lot of folks in our age and demographic are experiencing. And this is gonna come by way of pop culture discussions, political discussions, , spiritual discussions. You know, we we have the benefit of some cool professional experiences that'll be informative for this. And I think we have a pretty good breadth of personal experiences and things like that. And so we really hope that you find a home here. That , you know, as as you're listening, this is something that you feel excited when it comes out and that you listen promptly and share it with the people around you. You know, we want to just make space for a lot of different perspectives and all of that. and if you disagree with us, that's fine. go listen to someplace. No, it's not there's plenty of other podcasts, so just find you one that if you're looking for Joe Rogan, this ain't it. but no, we we are really trying to create something that leaves space for a lot of people to feel at home. we definitely plan to practice authenticity here. , you know, we'll probably agree a lot. That's another piece of the puzzle for us, is we realize that a lot of our we have a lot of shared perspectives. We joke frequently that we have twin brains. and at the same time, we also hope to not be a total echo chamber. And so, you know, we'll I'm sure there will be pushback. I'm sure that there will be, you know, points that we're on opposite sides of, , and that you as a listener are on opposite sides of, and that's that's part of the point here. And so we are excited to get this thing off the ground. We barely know what we're doing. , but we have the equipment to do it.

Pamela: 13:22

Oh, that's that's yeah, that's yeah,

Josh: 13:25

Vulnerable.

Pamela: 13:25

That you're really setting the bar.

Josh: 13:28

I am, but we're cute, so it's fine. Like we're you you just stick around. It's it's going to work out. , yeah, there's that millennial optimism. It's all gonna be fine. this is fine. So we're thrilled that you're here. And , what else would you like to share with the ladies and gentlemen?

Pamela: 13:46

Welcome to the hot mess.

Josh: 13:48

Oh man.

Pamela: 13:48

The Hot Mess Express.

Josh: 13:50

It's gonna be great. So, anyway, thank you for joining us on this very brief introductory episode. And , yeah, we're gonna be right back in your ear holes once a week. And we'll probably do this in seasons, , like most podcasts do at this point. And yeah, we we hope to bring you good stuff that you laugh along with, and , and who knows, maybe we'll make you feel something too from time to time. That would be that would be cool and special. So thanks for j ping in with us and let's go figure this thing out.

Pamela: 14:20

Absolutely. Well, that's it for premeditated opinions where the thoughts were fully baked and only mildly regrettable.

Josh: 14:26

And if you enjoyed today's episode, congrats on having truly excellent taste in podcasts and also opinions.

Pamela: 14:32

Send this to someone who needs to feel seen, dragged, or both. We'll be back next week with more unsolicited insight and emotionally responsible spiraling.

Josh: 14:42

And until then, please stay hydrated and behave yourself in the comments.

Pamela: 14:47

But if you don't, share them with us.