Jim Ellermeyer

Classic Fishing Without Bait 452: Is Social Media Real Life?

September 1st, 2026  |  19 mins 21 secs

pittsburgh, podcast

With social media, young users, and online safety back in the headlines as a new school year begins, we're revisiting a Fishing Without Bait conversation that feels even more relevant today.

Jim Ellermeyer talks with University of Pittsburgh professor and former professional wrestler Chris Maverick about storytelling, identity, online personas, and the filtered reality we see on social media. How much of what we see online is actually real—and what happens when we compare our lives to someone else's performance?

Just Pro Wrestling News: Penta Gets Roman Reigns, OTM Destroys The Usos & Dragon Lee Earns Gold Shot

September 1st, 2026  |  1 min 55 secs

pittsburgh, podcast

Just Pro Wrestling News: Will Ospreay Wins AEW Gold, New Level Debuts & Mercedes Moné Makes History

August 31st, 2026  |  2 mins 6 secs

pittsburgh, podcast

Just Pro Wrestling News: Moxley vs. McGuinness Set, WWE Settlement Moves Forward & TNA Makes History

August 27th, 2026  |  1 min 53 secs

pittsburgh, podcast

Just Pro Wrestling News: NXT Heatwave Shakeup, AEW All In Week Hits Glasgow & WWE Leaves ABEMA | JPWN 8/26/26

August 26th, 2026  |  2 mins

pittsburgh, podcast

Fishing Without Bait 529: A Reintroduction to Fishing Without Bait

August 25th, 2026  |  20 mins 11 secs

12 step recovery, acceptance, awareness, compassion, creating yourself, difficult conversations, emotional honesty, emotional regulation, expectations, full impact mindfulness, healthy communication, impermanence, intentional living, intentions, jim ellermeyer, letting go, living in the moment, mental health, michael sorg, mindfulness, mindfulness podcast, non attachment, paying attention on purpose, personal growth, personal responsibility, present moment, producer mike, recovery, recovery podcast, relationships, resilience, responding versus reacting, self awareness, self reflection, serenity, spirituality, wellness, wellness podcast

In Fishing Without Bait 529, Jim Ellermeyer and Producer Mike return to the heart of the show: living with intention instead of being trapped by expectations. They discuss emotional honesty, the courage to face uncomfortable truths, responding instead of reacting, and remembering that ultimately “we live by moments.”

Fishing Without Bait 528: Born Broken? Reclaiming Worth Beyond Original Sin

August 18th, 2026  |  26 mins 7 secs

pittsburgh, podcast

Fishing Without Bait 527: Be More Awake: Lessons From the Buddha

August 11th, 2026  |  26 mins 16 secs

12 step recovery, acceptance, being awake, boundaries, buddhism, buddhist philosophy, compassion, compassion with boundaries, emotional regulation, emotional wellness, expectations, healthy habits, intentional living, jim ellermeyer, letting go, living in the present, meditation, mental health, mental wellness, michael sorg, mindfulness, mindfulness podcast, non attachment, personal growth, positive habits, producer mike, recovery, recovery podcast, self awareness, self improvement, spirituality, wellness, wise mind

What does it actually mean to “be like the Buddha”? Jim Ellermeyer and Producer Mike explore how being more awake, compassionate, intentional, and less attached to outcomes can help us participate more fully in the life happening right now.

Fishing Without Bait 526: Vic Costik’s Love Letter to Pittsburgh

August 3rd, 2026  |  35 mins 50 secs

12-step recovery, accepting flaws, accountability, authentic living, authenticity, belonging, community building, compassion, emotional wellness, empathy, healthy boundaries, jim ellermeyer, kindness, lgbtq community, lgbtq inclusion, local podcasts, love letter to pittsburgh, making amends, mental wellness, mind of awareness, mindfulness, mindfulness podcast, neutral inquiry, new rust pittsburgh, new rust pittsburgh podcast, overcoming fear, people-pleasing, perfectionism, personal growth, pittsburgh artists, pittsburgh community, pittsburgh culture, pittsburgh makers, pittsburgh podcast, pittsburgh small businesses, pittsburgh weird, privilege, queer pittsburgh, recovery, self-acceptance, social awareness, toxic relationships, trans visibility, transgender community, transgender safety, vic costik, wellness podcast

In Part 2 of our conversation with Vic Costik of the New Rust Pittsburgh Podcast, we explore community-building, LGBTQ+ belonging, authentic living and the importance of approaching unfamiliar experiences with curiosity instead of contempt. Vic also shares how Pittsburgh’s artists, makers, local businesses and unexpected corners inspired a podcast that serves as a love letter to the city.

Subscribe to Fishing Without Bait in your favorite podcast player, support ad-free episodes at https://www.patreon.com/c/fishingwithoutbait, and pick up “Learn to Fish Without Bait: A 365-Day Mindfulness Journal and Adult Coloring Book” at https://www.lulu.com/shop/james-ellermeyer-lpc-ma-ncc-lpc/learn-to-fish-without-bait/paperback/product-6n9rd8.html?page=1&pageSize=4.

Fishing Without Bait 525: Vic’s Story: Identity, Transition & Finding Community

July 28th, 2026  |  18 mins 20 secs

pittsburgh, podcast

Fishing Without Bait welcomes Vic Costik, creator of the New Rust podcast, for the first part of a conversation about Pittsburgh, community, identity, and finding the freedom to live authentically. Vic shares how moving from New York City to Pittsburgh helped him discover found family, embrace his community, and ultimately begin meeting himself for the first time.

Fishing Without Bait 524: Political Differences Without Losing Each Other

July 21st, 2026  |  26 mins 6 secs

pittsburgh, podcast

In the third and final part of their conversation, Jim Ellermeyer and Missy Sorg explore how active listening, critical thinking and a mindful pause before reacting can help people move beyond political labels and social-media echo chambers. Missy shares a personal story about revealing her political affiliation to a longtime friend and explains how their disagreement became a conversation rather than the end of their friendship. The episode closes with a challenge to become more open, informed and willing to understand people across the political aisle.

Fishing Without Bait 523: Beyond the Party Line

July 14th, 2026  |  23 mins 54 secs

abortion discussion, accountability, adoption, bipartisan conversation, civic engagement, communication, community, compassion, critical thinking, difficult conversations, emotional intelligence, family support, forgiveness, foster care, infertility, jim ellermeyer, lifelong caregiving, listening to learn, mental health, mindful living, mindfulness, mr. rogers, personal responsibility, political dialogue, political representation, producer mike, recovery, representative democracy, republican perspective, respect, respectful disagreement, social media echo chambers, special needs care, teenage pregnancy, voter education, wellness, wise mind

In Part 2 of our conversation with Missy Sorg, we explore difficult questions surrounding abortion, adoption, foster care, family support, voter education, and personal responsibility. Missy and Jim Ellermeyer also examine how political labels and social media echo chambers interfere with our ability to listen, learn, and treat one another with respect.

Fishing Without Bait 522: Respect Across Political Lines

July 7th, 2026  |  26 mins 28 secs

abortion discussion, birth control, common ground, contempt prior to investigation, difficult conversations, emotional wellness, fertility treatments, friendship, full impact mindfulness, jim ellermeyer, mental health, mindfulness, mindfulness podcast, missy sorg, patriotism, personal growth, podcast, polarization, political differences, recovery, recovery podcast, respectful disagreement, social media, wellness, women’s health

In Fishing Without Bait 522, Jim Ellermeyer welcomes Missy Sorg for Part 1 of a thoughtful conversation about political differences, friendship, respect, and the search for common ground. Together, they discuss how people can move beyond labels, assumptions, and anger to have more honest conversations about difficult topics.

Fishing Without Bait 521: Fighting Ideas, Not People with Eamon and Merlin

June 30th, 2026  |  22 mins 38 secs

pittsburgh, podcast

In Fishing Without Bait 521, we conclude our four-part conversation with returning guests Eamon and Merlin, hosts of A Gay and His Enby. Jim, Eamon, and Merlin explore faith, identity, queer history, community, personal freedom, and the importance of finding your voice.

AwesomeCast 784: SteamOS, Shokz Headphones, Retro Phones, Sports Tech & a T-Pain Social Media Fail

June 23rd, 2026  |  59 mins 35 secs

ai coding, amd gpu, automation, baja sae, bazzite, bone conduction headphones, chachi says, claude guillemot, commodore phone, dave podnar, digital twins, doordash, dumbphone, formula sae, gadgets, gaming, gta 6, jon maddog hall, lgbtq tech history, linux gaming, linux history, michael sorg, mlb, nex playground, open ear headphones, open source, pc gaming, pittsburgh podcast, pixel art baseball, podcast, pride month, proton, referee technology, retro phone, retro tech, ribbie, running headphones, sailfish os, shokz openrun pro 2, social media fail, sorg, sports technology, steam deck, steam machine, steamos, t-pain, tech podcast, technology podcast, ubisoft, valve, var, vibe coding, video game news, world cup

Fishing Without Bait 520: Eamon & Merlin on Faith, Curiosity, and Healing

June 23rd, 2026  |  26 mins 48 secs

a gay and his enby, authentic conversations, compassion, curiosity, deconstruction, eamon, emotional wellness, faith, forgiveness, healing, hope, identity, jim ellermeyer, meditation, mental health, merlin, mindfulness, mindfulness podcast, personal growth, recovery, resilience, self awareness, self reflection, sorgatron media, spirituality, trauma recovery, wellness

In Part 3 of our conversation, Eamon and Merlin explore the power of curiosity, challenging deeply held beliefs, and finding healing through honest self-reflection. They share personal experiences around faith, identity, trauma, and spiritual growth while encouraging listeners to embrace compassion—for themselves and others.