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PODCAST

Treeforts and Mixtapes

Bret Nelson and Josh Brence

A fun and lively conversation between two guys that grew up across 4 decades through the analog phase of walk-talkie technology, climbing trees, playing outside, collecting trading cards and really cool action figure toys to today where they like to hang 10 on the wave of technology; now both are parents who now get to see the world through the eyes of our kids and love to reminisce about glory days of the world we grew up in… Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more

society & culture personal journals

All Episodes

00:40:24

#79 The retirement of a huge piece of Gen X culture

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/10/27

Josh is gearing up for a hunting trip, Bret just wrapped up 75 Hard, and somehow the conversation drifts into the death of MTV. From the glory days when music videos introduced us to every new band worth knowing, to the slow fade into The Real World and endless reality reruns, Bret and Josh unpack how a generation lost its soundtrack.It’s part nostalgia, part midlife update, and all classic TFMT — a mix of real life, ridiculous tangents, and a shared wish that MTV would just play one more music

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00:40:24

#79-I want my MTV

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/10/24

Josh is gearing up for a hunting trip, Bret just wrapped up 75 Hard, and somehow the conversation drifts into the death of MTV. From the glory days when music videos introduced us to every new band worth knowing, to the slow fade into The Real World and endless reality reruns, Bret and Josh unpack how a generation lost its soundtrack.It’s part nostalgia, part midlife update, and all classic TFMT — a mix of real life, ridiculous tangents, and a shared wish that MTV would just play one more music

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00:41:47

#78 The Dad Dilemma Game: Every Choice Hurts

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/10/21

This week, Bret and Josh face the impossible choices every dad knows too well. Would you rather assemble IKEA furniture or survive a family road trip? Fix the Wi-Fi or unclog the toilet? It’s a full episode of midlife dilemmas, questionable decisions, and laugh-out-loud “yep, been there” moments. Welcome to Dad Life — where the choices are tough, the stakes are low, and the laughs are real.

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00:42:21

#77 Back to Campus: Older, Wiser, and Definitely...

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/10/14

Bret and Josh head back to campus — one for Parents Weekend, one for Homecoming — and catch all the feels of returning to where it all started. From old dorm memories to football games, tailgates, and watching their kids (and nieces) live the moments they once did, it’s a nostalgic, full-circle ride through school spirit and growing up. And yes… Josh stayed up way past his bedtime.

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00:44:12

#76 No Way, Man! Wrestling, Cartoons, and Conspiracies

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/09/30

This week, Bret and Josh dive into some of the funniest “is it real or not?” debates from our childhood and beyond. From whether pro wrestling was legit to the true nature of Tom & Jerry’s friendship, we rewind to the things that had us guessing as kids. Then we crank it up with wild conspiracies: Birds Aren’t Real, Denver Airport’s Illuminati tunnels, Chuck E. Cheese’s recycled pizza, Disney’s hidden Easter eggs, and even AI taking over the world…and remember to be careful what you do when

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00:37:01

#75 Freedom Isn’t Free: Raising Kids Tougher Than...

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/09/24

The world feels darker than ever — from terror attacks and random violence to political shootings plastered across our screens. As parents, the question isn’t just how do we explain evil to our kids? It’s how do we prepare them to face it with courage?This week, Bret and Josh talk about raising kids who understand that freedom isn’t free — that evil will always hate it — and that their job is to be tougher than the darkness around them. From remembering 9/11 to unpacking the recent headlines, we

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00:43:05

#74 Everything I need to know about work…I learned in...

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/09/05

Forget corporate handbooks — the real rules of work were written on the classroom carpet back in kindergarten. This week, Bret and Josh break down how the basics still apply: share your toys (and credit), take turns (yes, even in meetings), clean up your mess (literally and figuratively), and say you’re sorry (without an HR investigation).We also hit the grown-up essentials: nap time = avoiding burnout, snack time = fueling your day (not just vending machine regret), and the hard truth that it’s not

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00:40:46

#73 Words That Stuck: The Best Advice We Ever Got

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/08/28

Some advice goes in one ear and out the other — but some lines stick for life. This week, Bret and Josh swap the best pieces of advice they ever got, from the timeless “nothing good happens after midnight” to the hard-won lessons about money, love, and growing up.Josh also shares how he survived dropping his son off at college — equal parts emotional, exhausting, and proud — and why moments like that remind us why the right words at the right time matter.Because sometimes the hardest goodbyes — and

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00:48:26

#72 Leaving the Nest: First Taste of Freedom (for...

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/08/22

This week, Bret and Josh rewind to one of life’s biggest milestones — leaving home for the first time. We share our own stories of shaky launches into independence, from questionable packing decisions to those unforgettable “oh crap” reality checks.Josh is on the verge of experiencing it from the other side, as he prepares to drop his son off at college for the first time. Together, we talk about what that moment means, why it’s both exciting and gut-wrenching, and whether today’s kids get the same

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00:43:55

#71: 8-Bit Morality: Life Lessons in Pixels-No Saves,...

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/08/11

Before cheat codes and save points, there was only one rule: don’t die. This week, Bret and Josh fire up the nostalgia with a trip back to the 8-bit era — when games like Contra, Zelda, TMNT, and even Pitfall taught us the art of patience, strategy, and persistence. Josh and Bret talk about blowing on cartridges, memorizing enemy patterns, stuffing towels in the door cracks so you could play at night, teaming up on the couch with friends, and celebrating those rare victories that came after dozens

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00:46:44

#70-Say It to My Face: Conflict, Closure, and the...

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/08/08

Once upon a time, if you had a problem with someone, you handled it. Face-to-face. No texts. No ghosting. Just words — awkward, angry, clumsy, honest words.This week, Bret and Josh get into the gritty life school of confrontation — what it taught us growing up Gen X, and what seems to be missing in today’s conflict-avoidant, GenZ Staring, emoji-coded culture. From hallway showdowns and forced apologies to the wild rise of “ghostlighting” and dry texting, this episode explores how avoiding tension

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00:50:13

#69-We really ate that?

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/07/28

#69 This week in the Treefort, Bret and Josh pull back the foil wrapper on the food we thought was fine — and somehow lived to talk about. From Pop-Tarts and bagel bites to ramen dinners and roller dogs that looked like wizard fingers, this is a love letter to the food crimes and the never-would-I-ever-eat-that food of our youth. The rant gets real as they tear into the scam that was the food pyramid, how nobody understood nutrition labels until their 30s, and Josh’s go-to ramen creation before a

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00:41:25

#68-The Movies that Raised Us: Rewinding the Some of...

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/07/11

In this new segment episode called Mixtape Rewind, we dive into the life lessons we picked up from the movies that raised us. From The Karate Kid’s reminder that the boring reps matter, to Dead Poets Society’s call to stand up even when your voice shakes, these films delivered more than entertainment — they gave us a code. We unpack timeless truths from The Sandlot, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Forrest Gump, and The NeverEnding Story, all backed by a soundtrack that hits hard with “You’re the Best” by

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00:40:45

#67-Freedom Requires Friction

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/07/04

We used to be the remote. Now, if something takes effort, we skip it. In this episode, Bret and Josh unpack how technology—while making life more convenient—might be robbing us of something essential: our edge.Physically, we move less. Mentally, we outsource thinking. Socially, we avoid discomfort. But the truth is: we need friction. Struggle builds strength. Challenge sharpens focus. Discomfort deepens connection.So this Fourth of July, as we celebrate independence, we’re flipping the question:Is

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00:36:53

#66-Are you a fun Dad?

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/07/02

This week, Bret and Josh wrestle with a key dad identity crisis: Are we fun dads… or just walking rulebooks with snacks? From letting your kids skip chores to realizing you sound exactly like your own father, they break down the tension between structure and spontaneity—and what “fun” even looks like in 2025 dad life.Spoiler: letting your kid stay up late while doing bedtime math in your head still counts.

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00:41:39

#65-Just chill, it will all work out: Troy Ita joins...

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/06/19

Troy Ita joins Bret and Josh in the Treefort to talk Florida roots, raising kids with patience, and embracing the Gen X art of chilling out. From sounding like his own dad when laying down life lessons, to helping his kids learn real social skills in a tech-heavy world, Troy brings laughs and laid-back wisdom. Plus, a Princess Bride moment reminds us all: parenting is mostly just trying not to lose your mind while staying mostly dead inside. Sort of.For more wisdom, laughs and awesomeness from Troy,

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00:44:51

#64 Is It Worth It… Or Are We Just Tired?

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/06/11

At what point did concerts, group dinners, and staying out past 9pm become a hard no? Bret and Josh explore the great midlife trade-off: doing less, and loving it.From avoiding plans that sound exhausting to skipping things we once lived for, this episode asks—are we actually getting wiser… or just chronically tired?If it doesn’t involve stretch pants, easy parking, or the ability to bail last-minute, we’re probably not interested. And honestly? That feels like growth.

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00:40:41

#63-Why Is Everyone in Their 20s a Life Coach?

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/06/04

Why is every 20-something with a ring light suddenly a life coach? Bret asks the question, and Josh—bitter, skeptical, and fully Gen X—has thoughts.This episode dives into the rise of young “experts,” the influencer-to-guru pipeline, and whether social media clout has replaced actual experience. Does experience really matter? YES!!!!But here’s the twist: did we help create this? By shielding kids from failure, did we accidentally build a generation convinced they’re ready to teach life… before

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00:40:20

#62 I’m Not Mad, I Just Have a Face Like This

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/05/29

Josh and Bret tackle the misunderstood art of Resting Dad Face—why Gen X always looks mildly annoyed, even when we’re just thinking about what to make for dinner.In a world where kids are encouraged to name every emotion, color-code their feelings, and express themselves constantly, we’re over here trying to teach emotional intelligence without turning every car ride into a therapy session.We talk about how we were raised to suppress, eye-roll, and “walk it off,” why we still flinch at the phrase

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00:51:09

#61 What does it even mean to be cool anymore?

Treeforts and Mixtapes ·

2025/05/23

Josh and Bret dig into a big question: What does it even mean to be cool anymore? Is it still a leather jacket and cool-dude attitude… or is it now a curated Instagram aesthetic and hipster energy?We’re talking about how Gen X defined cool--think Starter Jackets, Grunge Dr Marten, Track Suits (were they ever cool), and not trying too hard, and how the definition has totally shifted. Is “cool” now just algorithm-approved relatability? Do dads get to be cool—or are we just here to embarrass our kids

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80 results

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