Cidiot
Learning to live and love life in the Hudson Valley. A story in progress. Thanks for listening. Come visit.
What the press says
“[A] candid and practical guide for others moving up from the city, choosing a town, making friends, and integrating yourself and your life into the beautiful Hudson Valley.” — Hudson Valley Magazine
"One of Six Hudson Valley Podcasts You Should Be Listening To" — Chronogram Arts Magazine, October 2018
Listed among "8 Hudson Valley Podcasts Perfect for All-Day Listening" — Hudson Valley Magazine, July 2019
A combination of the words city and idiot – [Mat] tells stories of what’s happened to him, and gives advice on making friends or setting up your new home.
Zucker wanted to document and process the transition, and he wound up launching a podcast, Cidiot.
Winner of Best Regional Podcast, 2021 Chronogrammies
About the show
Learning to live and love life in the Hudson Valley. Hosted by Mat Zucker. Have you fantasized about living in the country? Curious what the transition is like? Or are you a local and want to see a different side of the folks who've invaded your land? The award-winning podcast Cidiot has been featured in The Albany Times-Union, Chronogram, Country Living, Hudson Valley Magazine, The Poughkeepsie Journal, NBC's Today.com, and more. For updates visit cidiot.com and follow @cidiot.hv on Instagram and @cidiot_hv on Twitter. Email: goats@cidiot.com
What fans say about the podcast
Country living made easy!!
Part how-to, part humor, Cidiot is the podcast you need if you are visiting or moving to the country from the city. Filled with stories that make you smile, and advice learned the hard way, Mat is a joy to listen to. Almost wants to make this city girl head for the hills!
— Asappi
Wit and Wisdom
I love Cidiot. Cautionary tales and investigative journalism from someone who loves his neighbors. Listen and learn. Also, laugh. Thanks, Mat!
— Majorhissyfit
Country Gentlemen
Thoroughly enjoying Mat's tales of life in the Hudson Valley. Each episode is perfectly bite-sized...packed with relevant facts AND humorous stories!
— Travelguy11
Delicious Stories About the Hudson Valley
It has taught us so much about life in this gorgeous part of the world, such as the mysteries of firewood delivery, how to break into local friendship circles, and why the color red just seems to work up here.
— tjuws
A great resource for upstate explorers
A great resource for those exploring a life outside the city upstate, or just the occasional escape. Lots of great tips, stories, and anecdotes!
— sb-nyc
Really Nice Commentary on the Hudson Valley
I've lived here for almost 30 years, and I've been taking it for granted. I may actually do some of the activities you suggest. Thank you, Your Uber Driver
— AmmalalewisAbout the Host
Mat Zucker
Host
Mat is a partner at a global growth consultancy and former agency chief creative officer. A writer of memoirs and essays, he is author of Bronze Seeks Silver: Lessons from A Creative Career in Marketing, available through Amazon and several local bookstores. His work has also appeared in The Bark, Chelsea Now, New York Press, Contently, The Forward, Streetlight, MarketingProfs as well as Forbes.com. Mat speaks widely at industry conferences and has been on stage doing Cidiot storytelling at Hudson Valley's "The Porch." Mat also co-hosts "Rising," a podcast about marketing careers and has been a guest on other shows, including The BeanCast, The Content Experience Show and Let's Talk Marketing. Mat and his husband Brian live in New York's Hudson Valley with their dog Nora Ephron and tweets regularly. You can read all his Forbes.com articles here and get a sense of him in this interview.
Start with these episodes
1. Are you a Cidiot?
Hello and welcome to debut episode of the Cidiot podcast, a guide to living and loving life in the beautiful, rural Hudson Valley, New York. With …
2. Finding Your Town
Our guide to moving to the country begins with where exactly to start. From summer rentals in Ghent, Spencertown and Rhinebeck to our 10-3-1 rule for …
44. Chicken Run
Season 4 was promised to be a new level. In this episode, Mat investigates the popularity of chickens. He talks first to a colleague Ryan Detwiler, …
How you can listen to this podcast
You can listen to episodes right here on the website, or if you prefer, in a podcast app. Listening in an app makes it easier to keep track of what you’ve already heard, listen without using your data plan and many other conveniences.
