Jesse Michels sponsors and ad reads

Today's episode is sponsored by my favorite headphones, Raycon. Raycon's been supporting the show for a while now, and they have some really cool new technology that I'm very impressed by. These are not your run-of-the-mill headphones. In fact, they're called bone conduction headphones, and they're absolutely wild. Bone conduction means the headphones don't go in your ears at all. This is actually the same technology that Beethoven, who is deaf, used to hear back in the day, and Raycon has perfected it. With these headphones, sound travels through your cheekbones directly, and you feel the difference immediately. No alien implants necessary. I've been using these pretty much every day, calls, podcasts, out filming. They're also IP68 waterproof and dustproof. They have 13 hours of battery life, so I'm not thinking about charging them all the time. And what I love most about this company is that Raycon gives you premium performance without the premium price tag. The bone conduction headphones are a game changer. Click the link in our description or go to buyraycon.com slash Jesse Michaels with no A, M-I-C-H-E-L-S-B-C to get 20% off. Thanks to Raycon for sponsoring today's episode.

In my 20s, I loved the ritual of drinking coffee, but then my sleep started to suffer. Energy would peak and then it would drop. It felt like I was just taking credit out on my future energy. That's when I decided I was going to maintain the ritual, but switch to a much calmer, better, and just healthier alternative. That alternative is today's sponsor, Mudwater. It's a coffee alternative made with functional mushrooms and adaptogens, lion's mane, chaga, cacao, chai, with about a seventh of the caffeine of coffee. So you get a steady, cleaner energy without the spike and the spiral that so many people experience. So if you've been looking for a calmer alternative to your morning coffee routine and are curious about trying Mudwater, the starter kit is the move. Right now you get up to 43% off free shipping and a free rechargeable frother when you use code JESSE at mudwater.com. That's M-U-D-W-T-R dot com. Now back to today's show.

I was checking my points balance in the Hilton Honors app the other day, and I've got about a billion, which feels excessive even for me. Just kidding. You can never have too many Hilton Honors points. I want to do something iconic this summer, so I'm giving away all my Paris points. Just find somewhere you've always wanted to stay, then go to my socials and tell me about it. Just make sure you're a Hilton Honors member, and I might be sending you Paris points. Because when you want points that make your summer even hotter, it matters where you stay.

Hi. I'm Tom Shane, third generation owner at Shane Company. As a family jeweler for almost a hundred years, we're known for doing right by our customers. Our legacy of integrity depends on it. We stand behind our engagement rings with our all inclusive free lifetime warranty. We handpick the most beautiful diamonds then negotiate for the best price. At Shane Company, we put you first because a friend always has your back. Shane Company, your friend and jeweler.

You can live your life. I've definitely had a few late nights reading about magnetic pole shifts. But with this mask, I look like I actually slept. Did I? That's debatable. It's warm, wireless, convenient, and makes your skin feel super soft. And iRestore is kicking off their summer savings with some very big discounts. Right now, you can get the Elite plus alumina face mask bundle at an exclusive deal when you use code JESSE at irestore.com. That's J.E.S.S.E at irestore.com. Please support our show and tell them we sent you. When you need to build up your team to handle the growing chaos at work, use Indeed sponsored jobs. It gives your job post the boost it needs to be seen and helps reach people with the right skills, certifications, and more. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit at indeed.com/podcast. That's indeed.com/podcast.

When you need to build up your team to handle the growing chaos at work, use Indeed Sponsored Jobs. It gives your job post the boost it needs to be seen and helps reach people with the right skills, certifications, and more. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit at indeed.com/podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need a hiring hero? This is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs.

Wishing you could be there live for the big game, soaking up the atmosphere in a crowd. But too often, life gets busy or the price holds you back. Priceline is here to help you make it happen. With millions of deals on flights, hotels, and rental cars, you can go see the game live. Don't just dream about the trip. Book it with Priceline. Download the Priceline app or visit priceline.com. Actual prices may vary. Limited time offer.

If you want to access our episodes twenty four hours early and watch them completely ad free, please consider supporting the show by joining our YouTube membership. Just click the link in the description to join today. Your support helps us so much, and it allows us to keep making the show and go deeper into the kinds of stories we care most about. Early access and no ads — a pretty cool perk. So join today.

Heat up your Fourth of July at The Home Depot with our wide variety of grills under $300 and make every gathering one to remember. Give your outdoor space a glow up, whatever your budget is, with savings on seasonal plants starting at $5. With the grill fired up and your backyard set to perfection, you'll be able to invite friends and family over to kick off the party. Start celebrating with low prices guaranteed at The Home Depot. Prices may vary by store. See homedepot.com/pricematch for details.

Something I've noticed doing this show for the last few years is that the biggest ideas usually hinge on one strange specific detail. A Green Beret casually mentioning a mundane office plaque for off-world technologies mounted on the wall of a Navy basement. A presidential advisor revealing that the military casually referred to UFOs that tracked Cold War nuclear tests as tagalongs. These are the kinds of details that suddenly change the entire story. And if you're not capturing those details, they're gone. That's why I've continued using this little device called PLOD. Plod isn't just a voice recorder or a note-taking device. It's more like a searchable memory system. It helps turn meetings, calls, conversations, and ideas into a searchable archive that you can always come back to later. The NotePin S is great for on-the-go capture. Quick thoughts, in-person conversations, lectures, or moments when an idea comes up and you want to save it. The Note Pro is better for more deliberate recordings, meetings, interviews, phone calls, and professional conversations you know you'll want to return to later. And with Askplod, you can easily search across everything you've captured instead of digging through old voice memos. And with Plod Desktop, it can cover your online meetings, in-person conversations, calls, and everything in between. So go to plaud.ai slash alchemy to learn more. That's P-L-A-U-D dot A-I slash alchemy and use code ALCHEMY10 at checkout. Thank you so much to Plaud for sponsoring today's episode.

I want to take a moment to thank one of my favorite new products in today's sponsor, Cape. Cape is America's privacy-first mobile carrier. It offers the same reliable quality cell service you'd expect from any other carrier, but built from the ground up with privacy as the actual priority rather than an afterthought. The tech here is actually pretty wild and innovative. Cape automatically rotates your subscriber identity every twenty-four hours, so you look like a different user to the network every day. Your call and text metadata get completely deleted after twenty-four hours. Cape also gives you two additional numbers included in your plan so you don't have to give out your primary number when you don't want to. Cape is normally $99 a month. But right now, they're offering early adopter pricing at just $70 a month for anyone who signs up this year, and that price is locked in forever. On top of that, if you use code American Alchemy at cape.co/americanalchemy, you get 33% off your first six months. Get 33% off an already discounted price today and protect your communications. Thank you so much to Cape for sponsoring today's episode.

Better for more deliberate recordings, meetings, interviews, phone calls, and professional conversations you know you'll want to return to later. With AskPlaud, you can easily search across everything you've captured instead of digging through old voice memos. With Plaud Desktop, it can cover your online meetings, in-person conversations, calls, and everything in between. Go to plaud.ai/alchemy to learn more, and use code alchemy10 at checkout. Thank you so much to Plaud for sponsoring today's episode.

This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome? That's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50 page restoration blog, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses. Setup required. Compatibility and availability varies. 18 plus.

I was hiking solo. New year, no phone, no gear. I was just trying to find myself. That's when I saw it. Something glowing, silent, descending through the trees. A UFO. And stepping out from it wasn't an alien or an android. It was me, but better. Same face, same great hair, but something was different. This guy had perfect posture. He was wearing the perfect jean. And they start at just $79. Six fits, sizes for every thigh on this timeline and beyond. Now, 2026 me wears the perfect jeans. They don't crush my thighs or my dreams. They're soft but dangerous. For a limited time, our listeners get 15% off their first order plus free shipping at theperfectgene.nyc or just Google the Perfect Gene and use code JESSIE15 for 15% off. That's 15% off for new customers at theperfectgene.nyc with promo code JESSIE15. After you purchase, they'll ask you where you heard about them. Please support our show and tell them we sent you your khakis and get the perfect gene.