Cool Hand Dross

What happens when the life you planned suddenly becomes the life you never expected? On Episode 43 of Cool Hand Dross , we sit down with Siobhan Cleveland , entrepreneur, restaurateur, former New York fashion executive, and owner of Naples institution The Real Macaw . Siobhan built her career in the New York fashion world, eventually serving as Director of Wholesale for Roller Rabbit, before retur...

Grief, anticipatory grief, fatherhood, and the bittersweet reality of watching your children grow up. In Episode 42, Cool Hand Dross reflects on the passing of his mother-in-law, Stella, the emotional exhaustion of loss, and the complicated grieving process. From sadness and relief to finding moments of happiness during difficult times, CHD explores why grief doesn't follow a predictable timel...

Hospice care, anticipatory grief, caregiving, mortality, family, and end-of-life dignity take center stage in one of Cool Hand Dross’s most personal episodes yet. As his family navigates home hospice and end-of-life care for a loved one , Cool Hand Dross steps away from the usual format for a brief, unscripted reflection on what it means to accompany someone through the final stage of life. He dis...

Blood Meridian Deep Dive: Cormac McCarthy, Judge Holden & International Stomach Issues Former Green Beret and entrepreneur Eli returns to Cool Hand Dross for a deep dive into Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian , Judge Holden, violence, philosophy, McCarthy’s language, and why the novel remains so disturbing and difficult to shake. Eli experienced the Blood Meridian audiobook for the first time, whil...

Episode 39 is raw, unfiltered, and completely improvised. This week, CHD talks about the strange reality of telling true stories while protecting the people inside them, his first impressions of Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita, upcoming doctor appointments and the reminder that the body rarely lets us ignore what matters, and one unexpected realization as schools reopen across the country: CHD does not...

This week, Michelle and I dropped our son Dalton off at college and suddenly eighteen years of parenting came down to one difficult, beautiful moment: trusting that we gave him the tools to step into adulthood on his own. In this episode of Cool Hand Dross , I reflect on the bittersweet reality of college move-in day, the fear and freedom that come with letting go, and one unavoidable truth: the o...

What keeps us moving when the world around us or the world inside us starts to feel unbearable? In Episode 37 of Cool Hand Dross , Scott explores two seemingly different stories that wrestle with the same question: HBO’s The Sopranos and Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Road . We look at Tony Soprano’s depression, anxiety, panic attacks, therapy, and emotional isolation , and why...

A bachelor party in Manhattan. A steakhouse inside a strip club. A mandatory blazer. What could possibly go wrong? In Episode 36 of Cool Hand Dross, we open the Mason Jar for one of the most ridiculous true stories yet. Years ago, Sean’s bachelor party brought Team Rash into New York City for a night at Hustler Gentlemen’s Club, a strip club that somehow also claimed to have a high-end steakhouse,...

After five weeks on the road, CHD returns home and begins the slow process of rebuilding his routines, reconnecting with family, and settling back into the daily practices that support his mental and physical health. In this episode of Cool Hand Dross , we explore the powerful connection between anxiety, hypochondria, thought loops, and physical sensations and share how simple practices such as ex...

Can books change the course of a life? For Marina Aris, they already have. In this powerful and deeply candid episode of Cool Hand Dross he sits down with author, entrepreneur, publisher, and Founder & CEO of Book Biz Hub, the company behind the award-winning Brooklyn Writers Press and AVANTHAM—the first hybrid publishing press dedicated entirely to teen authors. Growing up in and out of the New Y...

No guest this week—just an honest conversation. While traveling through New Jersey, New York City, and Boston, Scott reflects on the strange reality that joy and anxiety can exist at the very same time. This has been one of the happiest trips he's taken in years—reconnecting with lifelong friends and family, revisiting the neighborhoods that shaped him, and even meeting listeners of Cool Hand Dros...

What does it really mean to be strong? In this episode of Cool Hand Dross we sit down with former Green Beret Eli Capel to explore the intersection of physical fitness, mental health, resilience, leadership, and personal growth. After serving as both a military engineer and Special Forces Operator, Eli transitioned into entrepreneurship, building multiple fitness facilities while raising a family...

Over the past month, four different people reached out to ask CHD about ketamine therapy. Their questions became the starting point for one of the most personal conversations he has shared on the podcast. In Episode 31, CHD reflects on his experience with depression, anxiety, and ketamine-assisted therapy, not as medical advice, but as one person's journey toward healing. We explore how real r...

Life lessons. Leadership lessons. Wrestling lessons. In Episode 30 of Cool Hand Dross, Scott sits down with veteran wrestling coach, educator, and author Michael Blanchard for a conversation about leadership, resilience, gratitude, failure, purpose, and the people who shape our lives. A five-time Coach of the Year and contributor to Wrestling USA Magazine, Michael has spent more than 25 years help...

How many summers do you have left? In Episode 29 CHD reflects on summer as a season of curiosity, community, and personal renewal. After stepping away from nearly two decades in the classroom, he shares why Summer 2026 feels different and why now may be the perfect time to reconnect with the younger version of yourself. Topics include: ​ The launch of Be the Book Club ​ Summer reading recommendati...

Welcome back to the quiet little corner of the podcasting universe where we're building a little shelter from the storm. In Episode 28, CHD sits down with Vincent DeGennaro, a veteran FDNY firefighter with nearly 17 years of service at Lower Manhattan's Engine 10. Born and raised in the Bronx, Vincent has dedicated his life to serving others while also building a life as a craftsman, chef, entrepr...

What do surfing, Simon Sinek, purpose, dolphins, and a major life transition have in common? More than you might think. In Episode 27 of Cool Hand Dross, Scott reflects on one of life's biggest questions: What is your why? Drawing inspiration from Simon Sinek's Start With Why , legendary surfer Rob Machado, and a memorable encounter with a pod of dolphins during a Long Beach Island surf session, S...

Cool Hand Dross hits Episode 26 — halfway to the original 52-episode promise. This week,CHD reflects on consistency, reinvention, Simon Sinek’s Start With Why , and the strange clarity that comes from simply doing the work. How do you know if you’re a painter? Paint. A writer? Write. A podcaster? Show up every week. As another school year ends and a new life chapter begins, this episode explores f...

In this episode of Cool Hand Dross , we talk about transitions, grief, growth, and the strange emotional weather that comes with major life changes. Dalton graduates high school. The empty nest era begins. The classroom chapter may be ending. And somewhere in the middle of all of it is the realization that you never really “get over” anything, not heartbreak, anxiety, regret, childhood wounds, or...

TAKE 2 sorry about the double upload. first take was just not good :( Brooklyn in the early 2000s was still dangerous, electric, unfiltered, and alive. In this true tale from The Mason Jar, Col Hand Dross recounts one of the wildest painting jobs of his life: a luxury Brooklyn penthouse owned by a charming Colombian man named Pablo. He was surrounded by silent bodyguards, mysterious visitors, jazz...

This week, we explore the uncomfortable truth that time is the real currency of life, not money, status, productivity hacks, or followers. We reflect on aging, mortality, literature, mental health, and the stories we tell ourselves while navigating modern life in 2026. On the Mental Health Front, we dive deep into the slow, difficult process of weaning off Xanax and Ativan, discussing benzodiazepi...

What do Viking warriors, modern anxiety medication, and building something from scratch have in common? More than you think. In this episode of Cool Hand Dross, we dive into the brutal, strategic, and deeply spiritual world of Vikings, from Ragnar and Rollo to Floki, the obsessive boat builder who made exploration possible. We break down real historical moments the show gets right, including the r...

There are countries I’ve never stepped foot in, but they live inside me. In Episode 21 of Cool Hand Dross , we explore how identity isn’t just shaped by where you go but by where you come from and what comes through you. From the Philippines, where love, resilience, and family rebuilt my life, to Vietnam, where my father’s war didn’t stay overseas, and to Ireland, where something in the DNA still...

Welcome back to Cool Hand Dross, a podcast about mental health, storytelling, and navigating life when everything falls apart and somehow finding humor in the wreckage. Episode 20: Dude, There Is Mustard Everywhere This is a True Tale from the Mason Jar, and it’s exactly what it sounds like and is nothing like you would expect. In this episode: Recovering from a compound leg fracture that nearly c...

What if the reason you feel stuck isn’t a lack of discipline but a lack of compassion? In this episode of Cool Hand Dross , we break down a powerful mindset shift for anyone trying to rebuild their life, improve mental health, or finally follow through: Compassionate Consistency, Time, Self-Awareness equals Real, Lasting Change. No hype. No shortcuts. No “overnight success.” Just the truth about w...