A Media Memoir of Faith, Fracture, and the Fight for Truth
Chapter 9: The Cultural Reset
The one-and-a-half-hour drive between home and Austin gave me time to think about important things, just as I had done during the long drives in 2020 between H-E-Bs. My son’s gaming YouTube channel and homeschooling were going well. We had found medical specialists who helped our needs outside the conventional systems.
Contracts were good. I was able to take on bigger roles that provided higher invoices and choose one contract over another without burning the contractor. Contracting with the Studios at Fischer for debris cleanup after another winter ice storm even provided funds for my own property maintenance tools.
On the last drop off of debris, I had a panic attack, feeling closed in by the surrounding vehicles at the local recycle yard. I chucked wood as fast and deliberately as I could, took a few breaths, and apologized to my coworker. It was a reminder that the past wasn’t as far behind me as I thought. Nothing was said. I just moved differently. I couldn’t remember the last time it happened, but I remembered exactly what it felt like.
A change was coming, and yet it had already begun. The contract ended and I was off to look for new clients. It turned out I wasn’t the only one.
Tucker Carlson was abruptly fired from FOX News, and within weeks, he reemerged on X, posting full length monologues and interviews. His first episodes drew tens of millions of views, proving the audience would follow an honest voice, not the institution.
At the same time, artificial intelligence broke into everyday life as ChatGPT became a mainstream tool for writing, research, planning, and problem solving. What had once been niche technology suddenly became part of schoolwork, business workflows, and daily conversations, reshaping how people created, learned, and communicated. Deepfakes and potential job losses caused concern, as politicians called for regulations in the emerging markets.
Fresh off his contract with Glenn Beck’s The Blaze, Steven Crowder released phone conversations with Daily Wire CEO Jeremy Boreing regarding the term sheet sent to acquire Crowder’s show. Using the phrase “Big Con,” Crowder blasted Boreing for referring to initial contracts as “wage slaves,” urging those entering the podcasting space to stay away from them.
I wondered if it was a publicity stunt for his solo outing on Rumble. Boreing explained the term sheet in detail, and I didn’t find it unreasonable as an opening offer, open to negotiation. Any newcomer might have signed it without a second thought.
The topic was now open for debate, and shows had caught my attention on Rumble. Dan Bongino, Awaken with JP, The Quartering, TimCastIRL, PragerU and Glenn Beck were windows into hot topics and current events. The Rubin Report announced that Rumble would be the exclusive Republican debate streaming service. Louder with Crowder would grow rapidly through Rumble Exclusives, as Crowder was suspended from YouTube while simultaneously dealing with a public divorce by the summer of 2023.
Watching these creators build their own ecosystems, I began to wonder, “What if I put myself back in front of the camera.” A friendly, unwitting comment from a potential contract made something click for me. Both humbling and inspiring, my sporadic contracts did not make me a “seasoned” camera operator capable of working a large concert. I had spent years participating in the parallel economy in a supporter‑observer role, but now it felt like an opportunity to venture out on my own again.
It was time to relaunch Quinn’s Next Step, and in honor of my mother, I chose her birthday on August 15th. I paused contracting work and would remain off the circuit through April 2024, giving myself the time and space to build something of my own. I spread the project across every platform I could manage, each one a different audience.
My first video wasn’t political or cultural commentary. It was a cooking video, a homemade Crunchwrap Supreme pulled straight from The Rubin Report Locals Community Cookbook. It felt fitting. I had been a Rubin Report subscriber for years, part of that early community of independent voices.
It wasn’t about going viral and I wasn’t rushing in. It was about taking ownership of my God-given purpose, gifts, and talents, one step at a time..
Quinn's Next Step 