Free Game With Crack Podcast
A Michigan entrepreneur unpacks the mindset, strategy, and lessons behind the journeys of fellow creators and business owners.
This is a workshop in the form of a podcast. A Michigan entrepreneur uses his own journey from music to video production as a framework to interview other local creators, unpacking their shared struggles with identity, growth, and balancing art with commerce.
“The host's vulnerability and willingness to share his own failures and growth journey creates an unusually intimate and collaborative interview, feeling more like a peer-to-peer coaching session than a traditional podcast.”
Who hosts this show
Free Game with Crack is a podcast where the host, known as Crack, sits down with creators, entrepreneurs, and leaders to discuss their paths to success. Having transitioned from music to video production and entrepreneurship himself, he uses his own experiences to connect with guests. The show, based out of Lansing, Michigan, focuses on real stories and actionable lessons ("free game") without the fluff.
Credentials & credits
- Owner of Crack House Studios, a multimedia studio in Lansing, MI
- 20+ years of industry experience (as per his coaching bio)
- Videographer & Producer
- Former musical artist
Other ventures
- Crack House Studios (Multimedia Production)
- Coach Crack (1-on-1 Business Coaching)
- Royal Legacy Clothing (affiliated lifestyle brand)
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01music is something that has always made me happyJun 27, 2026 · 47s
- 02some people are here to remind you what it looks like if you don't growJun 26, 2026 · 37s
- 03what is our space?Jun 26, 2026 · 28s
- 04how comfort is killing your confidenceJun 25, 2026 · 47s
- 05the hard truth about self improvementJun 25, 2026 · 46s
- 06are you trying to fit in or stand outJun 24, 2026 · 45s
- 07The Enemy Is Being Normal ft. Desko Martin | Free Game Ep. 42Jun 20, 2026 · 1h 30m
- 08Why We Both Quit Music ft. Brian Foster | Free Game Ep. 41Jun 12, 2026 · 2h 16m
Notable episodes
- 01The Enemy Is Being Normal ft. Desko Martin | Free Game Ep. 42
A clear example of the show's core theme: defining a brand and life by what you're not. The host and guest bond over rejecting 'normalcy' as their path.
- 02Why We Both Quit Music ft. Brian Foster | Free Game Ep. 41
This episode epitomizes the host's style, drawing direct parallels between his own journey (quitting music for business) and his guest's, creating a highly relatable and collaborative conversation.
- 03How To Make Money Coaching ft. Kyle Hein | Free Game Ep. 37
Demonstrates the 'free game' concept literally, as the host and a guest coach break down the business of coaching, overcoming imposter syndrome, and charging for knowledge.
What you'll be asked on this show
Crack's interviews are deeply personal and collaborative. He often opens by expressing admiration for the guest or sharing a parallel experience from his own life, immediately establishing a peer relationship. He probes with questions born from his own struggles, like "Does self-improvement make it harder to relate to people?" and uses his own story—quitting music, overcoming introversion—as a bridge for the guest to share their own vulnerabilities. He actively reframes guest experiences in a positive light, such as turning "quitting" into "retiring" a pursuit. There's no standard closing, as the conversation flows organically to its end.
The host, Crack, uses a conversational, relational style, often opening with personal anecdotes to build rapport. The format is a long-form interview that feels like a collaborative therapy session for entrepreneurs, focusing on the 'why' behind their career moves.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
10 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
origin
4- Q.01
“Humbly introduce yourself and what you do.”
This is his standard opening move to let the guest frame their own identity.
- Q.02
“How long have you been doing this work?”
Used early in the conversation to establish a professional timeline for the guest's craft.
- Q.03
“What made you stop your previous career, like rapping?”
As a former musician, he often asks this to connect with guests who have also made a major career pivot.
- Q.04
“How and when did you figure out what you actually want in life?”
A broad, philosophical question he asks after discussing specific career twists and turns.
personal
1- Q.01
“When people ask what you do, what's your answer?”
He asks this to explore the gap between a person's many projects and their core professional identity.
mindset
3- Q.01
“Do you force yourself into uncomfortable situations to grow?”
The host often shares his own story of forcing himself to sell CDs to overcome introversion before asking this.
- Q.02
“Does self-improvement make it harder to relate to people from your past?”
A key question that reveals the host's preoccupation with the social cost of personal growth.
- Q.03
“Why do you still feel the itch to create, even when it's not the main business?”
He asks this to understand the intrinsic, often non-financial, motivation behind a creator's passion.
craft
1- Q.01
“When did you realize your brand's 'enemy' was being 'normal'?”
This question gets at the guest's core business philosophy by asking them to define what they stand against.
process
1- Q.01
“Is making your art therapeutic for you?”
A follow-up question used to dig into the specific emotional or psychological benefits of the creative process.
Signature segments
- · Welcome back to the Free Game with Crack podcast
- · Defining a brand's 'enemy'
- · Host shares personal stories of growth/failure
- · Host promotes his own businesses (Crack House Studios, Coach Crack)
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show books fellow Michigan-based entrepreneurs and creators, often people the host has admired or whose journey parallels his own, particularly those who have pivoted from one creative field to another.
- Desco Martinon The Enemy Is Being Normal ft. Desko Martin | Free Game Ep. 42
- Brian Fosteron Why We Both Quit Music ft. Brian Foster | Free Game Ep. 41
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
Sponsors are a mix of local Lansing, Michigan businesses (e.g., Jerry's Automotive) and the host's own ventures, like his production studio and coaching services. The target audience is likely Michigan-based and interested in entrepreneurship and self-improvement.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- What is the host's real name?
- The host, known as 'Crack', is named Malik.
- What is the podcast's format?
- It's a long-form interview show where the host has in-depth, conversational discussions with one guest per episode.
- What is Crack House Studios?
- It is the host's multimedia production studio in Lansing, Michigan, which serves as the recording location for the podcast.
- Is the podcast still active?
- Yes, the podcast releases new full-length episodes and shorter clips on a near-daily basis.
- Who are the typical guests?
- Guests are typically entrepreneurs, creators, and leaders, often from the Michigan area, whose journey involves personal growth and business development.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
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