Most people think tour security means being big, intimidating, and ready to throw someone out. Mehdi Rabii has spent 22 years proving that the real job looks nothing like that. It is logistics, empathy, advanced planning, and the kind of situational awareness that never really turns off, not at a show, not at a school recital, not anywhere.

In this episode of Shady Characters, Tim and Evan reconnect with Tim’s longtime friend to pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to keep a world-class touring act safe. Mehdi has worked with some of the biggest names in music, including Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Queens of the Stone Age, Ozzy Osbourne, Paramore, The Offspring, Swedish House Mafia, and Twenty One Pilots, and he walks through everything from building out security perimeters for arena shows to navigating real Al-Qaeda threat assessments, managing rogue drones in RF-heavy environments, and carrying a 90-pound client on his back for a mile after a rough afternoon in Cancun. He also opens up about the personal cost of being gone, two broken relationships and a lifestyle that most people flame out of fast, and why he is finally starting to slow down, water his garden in the morning, and enjoy the honey from the bees in his backyard.

The best night on tour? No paper. Not a single incident report.

When Bare Bones Tattoo opened its doors in San Juan Capistrano, it became the first tattoo shop in a city that just celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Mission. Alex Blackwell and Zane Leibowitz did not stumble into this craft lightly. Between them, they have over 30 years of experience, hard-earned apprenticeships, and enough war stories to fill a flash book.

In this episode of Shady Characters, Alex and Zane get into all of it: the unglamorous reality of sweeping shop floors and scrubbing tubes before ever picking up a machine, the surprising learning curve between putting something on paper and putting it on skin, and the unwritten rules that separate a good tattoo from one that holds up 20 years later. They also talk about what makes a street shop different from a gallery shop, how AI is starting to creep into their world, and why tattooing under anesthesia misses the whole point.

Equal parts candid, funny, and genuinely insightful, this one is for anyone who has ever sat in the chair or wondered what it takes to earn a place behind it.

“You get what you give.”

Beneath the Surface: Storytelling, Conservation, and the Power of the Ocean

Katie Thompson has spent her career building brands, but her true impact lives far below the surface. As Executive Director of the PADI AWARE Foundation, she is helping mobilize a global community of divers to protect and restore the ocean through data, conservation, and storytelling.

In this episode, Katie sits down with Tim and Evan to trace her path from Oakley to PADI, and how the principles of emotional storytelling shaped her approach to conservation. What began as a passion for adventure evolved into a mission to create meaningful change, using diving as a gateway to connection, awareness, and action.

The conversation explores the transformative power of the underwater world, from personal stories of resilience and recovery to the technical challenges of capturing those moments on camera. Katie shares how diving can reconnect people to themselves and to nature, often becoming a catalyst for profound personal change.

They also unpack the scale of PADI AWARE’s work, including global programs focused on marine debris, habitat restoration, vulnerable species protection, and marine protected areas. With millions of divers worldwide contributing data and participating in conservation efforts, the organization is turning exploration into measurable impact.

At its core, this episode is about perspective. It is about what happens when you look beyond the surface, challenge conventional thinking, and choose to build something that matters.

Water Project: Finding Your Lens on Life

Seth Willingham didn’t set out to become one of Southern California’s most recognizable drone photographers. He grew up splitting time between Hawaii and Laguna Beach, fell in love with the ocean through GoPros and free dives, and stumbled into drone flying when a friend basically handed him a Phantom and said to just try it. Ten years later, that borrowed drone has taken him to Australia, Alaska, French Polynesia, and everywhere in between, and it all started with the right people refusing to gate keep.

In this episode of Shady Characters, Seth sits down with Tim and Evan to talk about the grind behind the gorgeous: waking up before sunrise not knowing if the sky will cooperate, flying off the bow of a boat hoping the battery holds, and the discipline of always going after the best initial shot rather than fixing it in post. He also opens up about selling his supplement franchise right before COVID, navigating the transition to full-time creative work, and what legacy really means when you’re raising a six-year-old who’d rather be cliff diving in Hawaii than doing just about anything else.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Follow Seth at @waterproject.

She Didn’t Follow the Market. She Built Her Own.

Nicole Bowyer did not start with a polished brand or a clear roadmap. She started with a vision, a small budget, and a willingness to figure things out as she went. In this episode, the founder of Coco on the Go breaks down what it actually looks like to build a brand from the ground up, long before the wins start showing up.

From hand labeling her first pieces at home to traveling internationally in search of the right fabrics, Nicole shares the messy and unfiltered early days of entrepreneurship. What began as a passion for design and a desire to empower women through confident and versatile clothing evolved into a premium athleisure brand now found in luxury spas, resorts, and fitness clubs across the country.

We get into the real decisions behind the brand. Why she chose quality over margin early on. How she differentiated in a crowded athleisure market. What it takes to stay consistent when growth is slow and uncertain. She also talks about navigating partnerships, breaking into major retail, and balancing her own brand while taking on private label opportunities.

Beyond business, Nicole opens up about the reality of juggling motherhood and entrepreneurship, staying organized under pressure, and maintaining the discipline it takes to keep moving forward.

This is a candid conversation about resilience, brand building, and playing the long game to create something meaningful and make it last.

Short-Lived Blast: The Story Before Korn… and After

Before Korn, there was LAPD. Before the tours, the fame, and the legacy, there were a group of kids from Bakersfield trying to figure it out as they went.

In this episode of Shady Characters, Fieldy and Richard Morrill take us back to the beginning. They share how they met, the early bands they played in, and the chaotic journey from local shows to getting signed just months after moving to Hollywood. It is a story filled with cramped apartments, relentless gigs, and the kind of blind confidence that only comes with being young and all in.

But this is not just a story about what happened. It is also about what almost happened.

Richard opens up about the moment he chose to leave the band and join the military, walking away from a path that could have led to global success. What follows is an honest reflection on identity, timing, and redefining what success actually means. While Fieldy’s path led to decades on stage, Richard’s took a different route grounded in family, reinvention, and perspective.

Throughout the conversation, they revisit the evolution of LAPD, the transition that eventually became Korn, and the reality that bands, like people, grow and change. They talk about ego, mistakes, and what it means to look back on those early years with clarity instead of nostalgia.

What makes this episode hit is the contrast. One path leads to arenas and global recognition. The other leads to something quieter, but no less meaningful. Both are honest. Both are real.

At its core, this episode is about friendship that lasts decades, the unpredictable nature of success, and the idea that sometimes the biggest wins in life have nothing to do with fame at all.

Ana Gallego’s career did not start with a clear title. It started with curiosity, hustle, and a willingness to say yes to whatever got her in the room.

In this episode of Shady Characters, Ana shares her path from working in restaurants to finding her footing in the agency world, moving through roles across creative, production, and account services. What makes her perspective so interesting is that she refuses to be boxed in. She challenges the idea that creativity belongs to one department, and instead shows how it can live in problem-solving, systems, communication, and the way people work together.

We talk about the tension between structure and creativity, the realities of big agencies versus boutique environments, and how AI is changing the way creative people think, work, and produce. Ana also opens up about the downside of always being the one who says yes, and how learning to balance ambition with boundaries is part of growing into your role without losing yourself in the process.

At its core, this episode is about identity. It is about figuring out where you fit, staying hungry enough to keep learning, and building a career that reflects more than just the title on your business card.

The Legend and Legacy of Hank the Crank

In this episode of Shady Characters, Kaikea Wilinski shares the deeply personal story behind a project that connects generations through speed, craftsmanship, and legacy. What began as a simple project car slowly became something far more meaningful when Kai started uncovering the true impact of his grandfather, Hank the Crank, a pioneering crankshaft builder whose innovations influenced everything from NASCAR to high performance engine building.

Kai reflects on growing up around motorsports without fully understanding the significance of his grandfather’s work, only to discover later just how respected and influential he was within the racing world. Through old articles, archived magazine mentions, family stories, and long forgotten parts, Kai began piecing together a legacy that had been hiding in plain sight.

That discovery led to the build he is now creating, a tribute 1965 Mustang powered by a crankshaft tied directly to his grandfather’s history and designed to honor both his craftsmanship and his place in motorsports culture. Along the way, Kai opens up about grief, family, identity, and the emotional weight of carrying someone’s story forward through your own hands.

This episode is about more than cars. It is about preserving history, rediscovering where you come from, and building something that gives the past a future.