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Enjoy early access to Episode 37 with Kidd Griffey! Seizures that strike in your sleep change the way you think about tomorrow. Music artist Kidd Griffey sits down with us to tell the story of what happened when his life took an unexpected turn at 21, how fear and uncertainty reshaped his priorities, and why music became a dream and then a lifeline. We talk about the “out of the blue” moments that defined his path, including a disruptive move to Detroit during high school, th

Enjoy early access to Episode 36 with Dave Loiterstein! Dave Loiterstein's recovery story starts earlier than most, with a quiet belief he carried as a kid: if his own mother didn’t want him, nobody ever would. Alcohol and drugs showed up fast, and the “off switch” never really existed. Together we talk honestly about what craving feels like, why some brains chase blackout instead of “just one,” and the disease model of addiction. Then we get into the part most people avoid s

Enjoy early access to Episode 35 with Steve Thoma! We pick up part two of our conversation with Steve Thoma and get honest about what happens when a musician finally lands the dream gig and decides it is time to “relax” with alcohol and drugs. Steve traces the arc from steady ambition to “using with great purpose,” and why the post-show rush can become the most seductive drug of all. We also get into the nuts and bolts of recovery in the real world: getting sober while still

Enjoy early access to Episode 34 with Steve Thoma! At six years old, playing piano duets with his grandmother was the first step toward the music industry, Hollywood, and even Frank Sinatra for musician Steve Thoma. From Detroit roots to a life as a classically trained pianist, arranger, composer, and conductor, Steve serendipitously found himself in “right place, right skill, right attitude” moments you can’t plan. Steve breaks down what musicianship really is when the light

Enjoy early access to Episode 33 with Dr. Nicole Labor! In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Nicole Labor, we discuss practical healing from trauma and why the "survive, strive, arrive, and thrive" model can work for anybody, not just those who are recovering from addiction. We get concrete about nervous system support: movement, breath work, cold exposure, and the “smallest possible win” approach when depression or shutdown makes everything feel impossible. Then we zoom ou

Enjoy early access to Episode 32 with Dr. Nicole Labor! Dr. Nicole Labor returns to Out Of The Blue The Podcast to talk about what “reconstruction” really means after addiction and why recovery is about building a life that can hold happiness, connection, and purpose. Dr. Labor breaks down addiction neuroscience in plain language, including her unforgettable dopamine baseball field analogy that explains tolerance, anhedonia, and why “normal” pleasures stop working. From there