We were lucky to catch up with Harte Pisani recently and have shared our conversation below.

Harte, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

In my podcast, the mission was to raise awareness of mental health issues in athletics. I wanted people to know that there are many issues out there, but also that a lot of progress is being made in that realm. In my writing, I mostly focus on satire because comedy as a means to point out our greatest flaws in thinking/ways of doing thing is both fun and rewarding for me.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a full-time sports reporter working on his first novel. I also released a six-part podcast miniseries last summer focused on mental health and athletics called When the Lights Go Out. I also have a Substack, From the Harte, where I write a variety of different pieces, mostly fiction. I began writing sports stories on a freelance basis in 2017 with the New Orleans Advocate and I’ve since written full-time in Northeast Colorado, the Alaskan Interior, Central Iowa, the Texas Panhandle and currently the Chicago suburbs. I first got the idea for When the Lights Go Out when i got sober in 2019. I have anxiety and OCD as well and my fascination for athletes with mental health disorders led to me putting together the podcast. It took me a year of putting together interviews, writing scripts and recording/editing material to make the podcast happen. I spoke with well know athletes from Todd Marinovich (USC, LA Raiders), Matt Bush (Texas Rangers), Val Whiting (Stanford, WNBA vet), Kyle Turley (New Orleans Saints, LA Rams) and others. Each episode focuses on a different aspect of mental health as it applies to athletics. In my Substack, I’m currently working on a satirical novel tentatively titled Big Boi about an obese high school student who gets roped into a snack dealing ring. It satirizes the childhood obesity epidemic in America, virtue signaling, all aspects of the political spectrum, and celebrates New Orleans and hip hop.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Just because you don’t think someone will respond doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. I reached out to a few athletes on social media that I thought would never respond and yet they ended up talking to me for the podcast.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Getting to create something that’s my own. While getting other people to listen, read, or watch my work is rewarding and great, the fact is when it’s just me an my two cats at home alone, I know that I can look back on the work I put in and be proud.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @huglife1234
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560860548737
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hart-pisani-ab87a6158/
• Twitter: @hpisani91
• Youtube: @hartpisani1361
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YoByLD3iOPpVlKgVmQzVx?si=Sd2xS2Z4RtOt_j2XNR3_xQ

Image Credits

Hart Pisani