How To! with Mike Pesca
Peach Fish Projects
You've got questions. We find answers.
We all need advice, but it's not always clear who to ask. Each week, Mike Pesca invites a listener on the show to tackle a real problem, like protecting our elderly loved ones from scammers, emigrating as a throuple, and speaking without saying "um" - all with help from world-class experts: attorneys, doctors, entrepreneurs, authors, researchers - who actually know what they're talking about. Think of it as eavesdropping on someone else's therapy session, without the co-pay or awkward silence.
We all need advice, but it's not always clear who to ask. Each week, Mike Pesca invites a listener on the show to tackle a real problem, like protecting our elderly loved ones from scammers, emigrating as a throuple, and speaking without saying "um" - all with help from world-class experts: attorneys, doctors, entrepreneurs, authors, researchers - who actually know what they're talking about. Think of it as eavesdropping on someone else's therapy session, without the co-pay or awkward silence.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 24, 2026 • 41min
How To Protect The Elderly From Scammers
Amy Nofziger, AARP senior fraud expert with 20+ years protecting older adults, and Nancy Rommelmann, journalist who lived through her mother’s scams, discuss protecting seniors from evolving fraud. They cover phone and romance scams, crypto “pig butchering,” call blockers, credit freezes, power of attorney, and team-based admin nights to keep loved ones safe.
20 snips
Mar 17, 2026 • 40min
How To Take Psychedelics for Your Mental Health with Dr. Will Van Derveer
Myq Kaplan, stand-up comedian and philosopher exploring his own anxiety. Dr. Will Van Derveer, veteran psychiatrist and author specializing in psychedelic therapy. They discuss using ketamine, psilocybin, and MDMA to loosen rigid brain patterns. They compare rapid ketamine effects with psilocybin’s promise, weigh risks and preparation, and stress therapy and integration over casual use.
Mar 10, 2026 • 40min
How To Make A How To Podcast
Mike Danforth, NPR producer and comic problem-solver. Ian Chillag, podcaster known for perpendicular, funny fixes. They coach Mike Pesca on crafting how-to shows. They trade stories about launching a show, choosing surprising yet repeatable solutions, balancing help with entertainment, and the infamous refrigerator with Jesse Eisenberg anecdote.
Mar 3, 2026 • 45min
How To Ghostbust The Old Fashioned Way
Dr. Irving Finkel, a British Museum Assyriologist and author, explains ancient Mesopotamian views on ghosts and precise ritual language. Enid Baxter Ryce, artist and professor living on decommissioned Fort Ord, shares murals, eerie discoveries, and apparent hauntings there. They discuss practical approaches to confronting spirits, ancient exorcism techniques, theatrical ritual comfort, and comparing modern ghost-hunting tools with old methods.
Feb 24, 2026 • 40min
How to Emigrate as a Throuple
Charley Nieuwesteeg, a Dutch immigration lawyer who knows the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty, and Dan Savage, a writer and longtime relationship columnist exploring relocation with his polyamorous throuple. They discuss using DAFT to establish residency, how partners can sponsor one another, daisy-chain migration limits, business and residency timelines, and using the Netherlands as a base for travel in Europe.
Feb 17, 2026 • 41min
How To Be a DJ, Not a Playlist with Tom Nash
Stuart, a Montreal lawyer turned aspiring club DJ, seeks to move from playlists to live nights. Tom Nash, former top Sydney club DJ who spins with prosthetic hooks, offers hands-on advice. They talk about reading crowds, creating context, launching themed nights, branding, and choosing experience over fear.
Feb 13, 2026 • 56sec
Announcing: How To! with Mike Pesca
A revived advice show with a new voice and comedic edge. Listeners bring real dilemmas and experts weigh in on topics like protecting elders from scammers, emigrating in unconventional relationships, and speaking without filler words. Short, curious segments promise practical answers and lively conversation.
Feb 10, 2026 • 34min
ENCORE How To Start Writing (w/ Anna Quindlen & John Dickerson)
Anna Quindlen, bestselling novelist and former NYT reporter who champions journaling. John Dickerson, political reporter and longtime journaler with practical routines. They discuss why ordinary people should write, simple habits to start and sustain journaling, systems like pocket notebooks and ritual, and clever tricks to make returning to the page effortless.
Feb 3, 2026 • 30min
ENCORE Now Is the Time to Escape Your Bad Relationship. Here's How.
Logan Ury, behavioral scientist and dating coach at Hinge and author of How to Not Die Alone, helps a lonely woman navigate breaking off a friends-with-benefits relationship. She gets practical prep for the breakup, a step-by-step accountability plan, and post-breakup self-care. Logan also explores building community, making friends as 'other significant others,' and treating dating like an experiment.
10 snips
Jan 27, 2026 • 31min
ENCORE How To Rob a Bank
Joe Loya, a former bank robber turned memoirist, recounts robbing dozens of banks and his path to rehabilitation. He talks practical tradecraft like getaway choices and blending in. He describes the role of terror, why robbing seems glamorous, and the heavy regret and harm that followed.
