You know, every once in a while I see folks online saying, “Jack’s just the guy who hauls dirt and gets excited over rusty nails.”

You’re right about one thing: I DO get excited over rusty nails. Because on Oak Island, a “rusty nail” might be a data point in a 200‑year mystery.

But here’s what most of you don’t see.

When the cameras stop rolling, I’m still working. I sit in story meetings, argue for more time in the swamp, push to re‑scan areas others think are “played out,” and fight to get real research and real risks into each season. I review maps, cross‑check old company records, and help decide which of the dozen leads we chase with limited time, money, and gear. That’s producing.

So if you’re cheering in your living room when we pull something cool out of the muck, just know: I probably spent weeks behind the scenes pushing to dig that exact spot.

To the fans who’ve had my back all these years: I hear you, I appreciate you, and I promise I’m going to keep shouting for the long shots and the crazy theories in those meetings.

And to the critics who think I’m just “the guy in the mud” or that I somehow “ruin the show” from behind the scenes…

Good!

That means you’re paying attention.

Because if you knew how hard we actually work to keep this hunt alive, how many times we say “no” to easy TV and “yes” to expensive, risky digs that might turn up nothing, you’d realize this: my job isn’t to make everybody comfortable. It’s to help this team get closer to the truth buried under that island—whether you clap, complain, or rage‑comment about it.

I’m not here to be perfect.

I’m here to move dirt, move the story, and maybe—just maybe—help move us one step closer to the treasure.

Now… who’s ready to get dirty?