The Drive with Daedalus Howell

Dallin Cooper grew up on a Wyoming sheep ranch, studied marketing and  in China, and somewhere between the pasture and the Pacific Rim, figured out that leadership isn’t about titles—it’s about moments. The kind that kick, buck, and demand you hang on with one hand while making ethical decisions with the other. His book Get On The Bull turns rodeo wisdom into boardroom guidance, and his core message is as simple as it is radical: the people you think are crazy might just be misunderstood—by you.

First up: Matt Tory, filmmaker turned road warrior, who visited all 50 states and turned the journey into Go See America—a guidebook-meets-travel diary packed with laughs and life lessons.

Then: Dr. Margaret Press, forensic genealogist and co-founder of the DNA Doe Project, who’s helped identify over 100 unknown victims—and she’ll be speaking in Santa Rosa this Saturday about the cutting-edge science behind it all.

And finally: Nicole Scuderi, the art world’s backstage boss. She runs OCS Art Services out of Brooklyn, where priceless works are moved with care, grit, and a cordless drill.

Today, we’re joined by Nicki Baber — a ghost hunter, host of the Make You Scream podcast and a creator with 7.3-million–plus followers — whom I presume are among the living.  Nicki is also the founder of The Banshee Society, a haven for haunted girls to feel seen and turn fear into something beautiful. 

Known for her chilling blend of horror storytelling and theatrical flair, Nicki takes her audience deep into ghost lore, phobias, and urban legends. Her work feels like stepping into a good thriller — one you can’t put down, even when you want to. But you don't really want to. Or do we? Nicki?

Today on The Daedalus Howell Show, we're joined by a man who went from launching missiles to launching memes—and both hit their target. Jon Wellington, aka The Dadbod Veteran, is a Navy vet, father of five, corporate escapee, and surprise digital comedy star with over 5 million followers hanging on his every dad joke.

After nearly a decade aboard aircraft carriers and another in a necktie, Jon found himself in the quiet aftermath of an empty nest—then promptly filled it with a camera, a sense of humor, and a lot of shirtless takes on parenting, masculinity, and middle age. Now, he's touring the country with The GenX Takeover—a comedy-meets-culture live event designed for those of us who remember cassette singles and still have opinions about who really won the Cola Wars.

We’re joined by Michele Y. Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture—better known as MOPOP—where fandom in all its forms is the future of humanity.

At MOPOP, Michele is helping reframe pop culture not just as entertainment, but as a transformative force—one that shapes identity, drives equity, and brings communities together through music, film, gaming, style, and so much more.

Today, she’s here to talk about creative power, cultural equity, and what it means to lead one of the most dynamic museums in the world—by putting people at the center of the story.

We’re joined by Jaime French—actress, comedian, singer, and internet personality with a rarified ability in outing the absurdities of this algorithmic life. 

Jaime delivers pitch-perfect parody, chaotic comedy, and brilliant commentary to her millions of fans online.

She jokes that she’s “just a beige Becky creating garbage content for the masses”—but make no mistake: this is top-shelf "trash," crafted with razor-sharp timing and sometimes a parrot.

Today’s guest is Viveca Chow — a Broadway and Hollywood actor who's added NYC lifestyle expert to resumé with a storyteller’s eye and a content strategist’s instincts. With over 100 million views and an audience north of 340,000, she’s helped amplify small businesses across New York, while bridging the worlds of performance and social media. Viveca’s here to talk about the creative crossroads where acting, influence, and empathy meet — and how to navigate it all without losing your mind (or your soul).

Stephanie Yuhas, comedy writer and creative nomad, who turned heartbreak and a teal suitcase into a global storytelling life—and a new mission to help others do the same.

Today, we’re joined by Dr. Jay Zigmont—Certified Financial Planner, PhD in Adult Learning, and founder of Childfree Wealth®. Jay’s not your typical finance guy—he’s someone who made his first million by 21… and spent it all by 25. That hard-earned lesson turned into a mission: helping people, especially the childfree, build lives of meaning, not just money.

In this episode, we go behind the scenes with Dr. Bryan Quoc Le who blends science, creativity, and design thinking to help entrepreneurs, startups, and legacy brands bring bold food ideas to life. He's also the author of 150 Food Science Questions Answered: Cook Smarter, Cook Better . I ask all of the dumb food questions to which you're dying to know the answers.

 Elizabeth Fournier is an eco-mortician popularly known as The Green Reaper. She's the author of the Green Burial Guidebook which helps people have a more earth-friendly "post-deathing" experience.

Today's guest, Michele Lando, is a certified professional resume writer and founder of Write Styles (writestylesonline.com)‚ where she helps people in transition tell better stories through personal branding. We're talking about finding career clarity in this ever shifting job market (also — my secret plan is to get help with my own personal branding.).