Out of the Blue - The Podcast: Finding the Way Forward

A silent white light hangs over olive trees in a tiny village in Portugal then drifts away without a sound. Antonio Alves remembers it like it happened yesterday. That one night became the starting line for missing time, prophetic-feeling dreams, bouts of paralysis, and an intense inner “call” that pulls him toward places where he feels something is waiting. We talk with Antonio about the long roa...

Firefighters spend their lives answering alarms, but the hardest part often starts after the sirens stop. We’re joined by Jeff Dill, a veteran firefighter, battalion chief, licensed counselor, and founder of the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, to talk candidly about first responder mental health, suicide prevention, and the quiet weight that builds up call by call. Jeff shares how Hurrican...

Podcaster Ryan Patrick Kennedy grew up around chaos, instability, and deep isolation, and he carried that pain into adulthood as social anxiety and a constant need to feel okay in his own skin. When drinking finally delivered relief, it didn’t just loosen him up, it felt like the answer. Addiction doesn’t stay the same. It grows, quietly at first, then all at once.  We talk through the hard milest...

Tim Pierce is one of Los Angeles’s most respected session guitarists. You’ve probably heard his music and just didn't know it. Here he discusses the mechanics of a lasting music career: getting the call, delivering fast, and why success in the studio can outlive any tour. We start with the roots: Albuquerque, the magic of 1960's Top 40 radio, guitar heroes, and the moment Tim decides to...

Composer and producer Tony Shimkin grew up surrounded by songwriting and record production, and built his own path through studio sessions and high-level creative work. But the part that almost took him out wasn’t a bad deal – it was addiction, secrecy, and the slow drift away from truth. We talk with Tony about the “book cover” problem: the outside looks successful, the inside is falling apart. H...

A casual suggestion can change everything if you’re willing to act on it. We sit down with Dr. Michelle Nemec, a keynote speaker, author, educator, and solicitor from Sydney, Australia, to to learn what she's learned from six degrees, multiple career reinventions, and a life built on courage and curiosity. Michelle breaks down emotional intelligence in plain terms: how we regulate emotions, r...

Dave Mason’s songs didn’t just chart, they attached themselves to people’s lives. Musician and longtime collaborator Steve Thoma returns to the podcast for a heartfelt, sometimes hilarious, always honest remembrance of a classic icon whose fingerprints stretch from English rock band Traffic to generations of radio staples. Steve takes us into the real world behind the legend: stories of the walk f...

Dr. Janine Ambrose grew up learning from nature’s rhythms, then found herself pulled into intuitive counseling shaped by experiences that blended faith, spirit, and a steady desire to help people heal. What unfolds is a grounded but expansive talk about how transformation can arrive without warning and how we respond when it does. We discuss sound healing and frequency therapy, including music des...

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 D...

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...

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 worl...

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 musician...

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 everythin...

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...

Dr. George Ackerman lost his mother to Parkinson’s disease and refused to let her story end there. His promise became Together For Sharon, a family-driven platform for Parkinson’s awareness, caregiver support, and education that now reaches thousands of people searching for answers and community. Advocacy is not optional when research depends on funding. George shares what it’s like to go to the C...

Our conversation with Ashshahid Muhammad continues. One moment he’s describing the shock of walking into art college, the next he’s explaining why he refuses to “sugarcoat” what addiction, homelessness, rehab, and relapse actually feel like. We follow the path that takes him from learning graphic design to turning his life story into comic books, with room to carry the stories of people who never...

Ashshahid Muhammad lost his eye from a bullet, which also ripped away the life he thought he understood. Surrounded by crime and addiction, he built an identity in the streets, then watched it collapse into homelessness, relapse, and pain. His comeback story is not polished, but real. We talk about addiction recovery, the humiliating loop of rehabs and shelters, and the sneaky danger of relapsing...

Consciousness, comedy, and AI collide in a way we didn’t expect. The conversation continues with Wendy Liebman as we discuss the future of intelligence, from quantum consciousness theories and microtubules as memory storage to the provocative idea of the universe as a kind of eternal information system. That spiritual curiosity quickly meets real-world stories and raises a common question: where d...

Wendy Liebman returns to help kick off season two of Out Of The Blue, and the conversation moves from punchlines to lifelines – how care, coincidence, and commitment can rewire a creative life. Wendy opens up about a sudden loss that pulled a community closer, reflecting on how grief rearranges our priorities and reconnects us to people who speak our language. We also wander through Boston comedy...

On the day her grandson was born, Donna Skora received a single text message that would end all contact and bring years of quiet grief. From that rupture, Donna created Surrogate Grandparents USA, a nationwide community where elders and families build trusted, intergenerational bonds.  We unpack the human cost of grandparent alienation, why silence teaches the wrong lessons to kids, and how contro...

Give up medicine, stay a junkie. A freeing thought followed by the shock of conscience changed everything for Dr. Nicole Labor. Nicole takes us inside the real mechanics of addiction and recovery, from the double life of a high-achieving medical student using drugs to the slow, steady rebuild that turned a bottom into a calling. Together we walk through the moments most people skip: how unprocesse...

Christopher "Life" Willars, author of "144: Prison, Pain, and the Pathway to Freedom", discusses how he rose from a 144-year prison sentence to becoming a national voice for redemption and justice system reform. His story reveals how systems harden people, how mentors and faith can redirect a life, and why real public safety starts with real rehabilitation. Chris brings us insi...

A song can change a life, and sometimes it waits decades to do it. Sal Baglio, the lead vocalist and guitarist behind Boston legends The Stompers, traces his creative path shaped by family, grief, grit, and a Hollywood surprise that rewired his future. Sal opens up about the way songs “hover” before landing, why he never writes by formula, and how honoring the mystery keeps the music honest. He sh...

A man sits on a curb after three nights in the woods, ready to surrender. Then a familiar face appears and everything changes. That’s the spark that propels Rusty Nosser, “The Walking Man,” from rock bottom to a life driven by purpose, faith, and relentless motion. We talk through the moments that shaped him: the hunting accident at 23 that left him blind in one eye, the bleeding ulcer that nearly...

A teenager gets dragged off the couch to volunteer, and a lifelong purpose begins. That’s the heartbeat of our conversation with Tom Rossignoll, a home-care physical therapist assistant with over 30 years of experience and a city councilor who leads with empathy, candor, and common sense.  We dive into the unexpected origins of service, starting with a young Special Olympics athlete whose love for...