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Steven Ray Morris — podcast producer, host, and audio engineer behind the true crime comedy phenomenon My Favorite Murder — shares his journey from film school dropout to OG podcaster who helped shape an industry. From being told he had to go to a "good college" to discovering his creative playground at UC Santa Barbara, to seven years building one of the biggest podcasts in the world, to going solo and following his lifelong passion for Jurassic Park and dinosaurs, Steven reveals what it means to create without waiting for permission, stay authentic despite algorithm changes, and build community through joy.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

  • Why college became Steven's creative playground

  • The power of creating without waiting for permission

  • How My Favorite Murder became a phenomenon

  • Why leaving a successful partnership can be healthy growth

  • How following your bliss creates unexpected opportunities

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Get new episodes every Thursday

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March 20, 2025

Steven Ray Morris

Following Your Bliss: Murderinos, Dinosaurs, and Okapis

Following Your Bliss: Murderinos, Dinosaurs, and Okapis
00:00 / 01:04
Transcript

"I don't want to convince anybody to give me permission. I just want to go make the thing."

TIMESTAMPS

  • 00:04:08 – The early days of podcasting

  • 00:06:26 – Georgia Hardstark's advocacy and mentorship

  • 00:13:45 – College as a creative playground

  • 00:16:32 – Creating without permission

  • 00:28:04 – Joy is a fire that spreads

  • 00:31:33 – Authenticity despite algorithm changes

  • 00:45:20 – Reframing failure and choosing to leave

  • 00:48:10 – Life after My Favorite Murder

  • 01:01:24 – Following your bliss as a masterclass

  • 01:02:19 – The okapi: the giraffe's goth cousin

SHOW NOTES

Dr. Dan interviews podcast legend STEVEN RAY MORRIS, the “Steven” millions of fans of the My Favorite Murder podcast yell loudly to when they see him IRL.


Steven Ray Morris is a podcast producer, host, and audio engineer/editor. Steven shares his personal story and journey - from growing up in an over-achieving family to discovering dinosaurs, murderinos, okapis, and more. Steven follows his bliss – and the powerful takeaway for listeners is the same: following our bliss brings us to the next right thing.

LINKS & RESOURCES

Steven Ray Morris

  • See Jurassic Right — podcast about movies, science, and curiosity (not just about Jurassic Park)

  • Kenan and Lakin Give You Deja Vu — rewatch podcast with Christine Lakin and Stacey Kenan

  • My Favorite Murder — true crime comedy podcast (2016-2023)

  • The Purrcast — podcast about creatives and their cats


Conservation

  • Okapi Conservation Project — okapi.org

  • World Okapi Day — October 18th

  • San Diego Zoo — conservation and rehabilitation work

GUEST BIO

Steven Ray Morris is a podcast producer, host, and audio engineer. He spent seven years working on the true crime comedy podcast phenomenon My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, in addition to co-hosting The Purrcast, a podcast about creatives and their cats. Going solo in 2023, he now hosts See Jurassic Right, a podcast about movies, science, and curiosity, and produces the step-by-step rewatch podcast Kenan and Lakin Give You Deja Vu with former TGIF stars Christine Lakin and Stacey Kenan.

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