BLOG

Steve Thoma recounts how his many connections in the music industry led him to a job conducting an orchestra, even though he had no experience in that.

In case you missed it, watch our live Q&A with Dave Loiterstein! Listen to Dave Loiterstein's episode

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

In case you missed it, watch our second live Q&A with Steve Thoma! Listen to Steve Thoma's episode (Part 1) Listen to Steve Thoma's episode (Part 2)

In case you missed it, watch our live Q&A with Steve Thoma! Listen to Steve Thoma's episode (Part 1)

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

During the podcast recording, a technical difficulty prompted us to finish the episode at a later time. Dr. Nicole Labor came up with a brilliant way to stitch the two pieces together!

For a long time, humans believed that serious thinking was a uniquely human trait. We assumed animals acted mostly on instinct, without deeper thought or understanding. But as science and observation have advanced, this belief no longer holds up. Animals show remarkable intelligence in many ways, revealing that thinking is not exclusive to humans. This discovery challenges how we see the world and our place in it. A crow uses a stick to retrieve food from a narrow container,

In case you missed it, watch our second live Q&A with Dr. Nicole Labor from Season 2! For more on Dr. Nicole Labor: Laborhood Change Project, Inc.

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

Addiction recovery is often misunderstood as simply stopping substance use. Yet, the real challenge lies in rebuilding a meaningful life after addiction. Dr. Nicole Labor, a physician, educator, and addiction advocate in Ohio, brings clinical insight and compassion to this complex process. Her work across detox, residential treatment, and outpatient care reveals that recovery is about more than abstinence—it is about healing trauma, overcoming stigma, and rediscovering joy. T

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