Into The Mud Podcast

How do you learn to trust yourself — especially when your brain won’t sit still? This week on Into the Mud , comedian Emma Willmann gets muddy about learning to trust yourself — and maybe starting an underground peptide ring? Emma’s hysterical tangents take Drew and Alex on a wild ride, but between the black-market schemes and nonstop laughs, there’s some real wisdom about listening to your gut an...

Time to get muddy with another “Drew and Alex” episode—no guests, no distractions, just two people avoiding conflict by… talking about conflict avoidance. Do you ghost instead of confront? Apologize when you’re not sorry? Pretend everything’s fine while your eye twitches? Same, same. This week, Drew and Alex are diving into why we do this, how it messes us up, and maybe—just maybe—how to do better...

What happens when you call off a long-term engagement, abandon your comforts and have to start all over again? That's right; this week we're getting muddy about breakups with stand-up comedian, Caitlin Peluffo. Join us as we talk about the messy, uncomfortable, and oddly invigorating experience of embracing singlehood post-partnership.  Bio: Originally hailing from San Francisco, Caitlin...

Dating in your 30s and 40s: a battleground where red flags wave like carnival banners, self-love battles with self-sabotage, and the phrase ‘I know what I want’ gets tested daily. Now, imagine navigating all of that while grieving the loss of your mother. This week, we’re diving into the wild, heartfelt, and sometimes deeply chaotic world of love, loss, and gooning (yes, we go there) with comedian...

This week, comedian Casey Balsham wades into the existential muck of morality, asking the age-old question: Am I a good person? Spoiler alert: the answer is as messy, hilarious, and debatable as you'd expect. Bio: Casey Balsham is a stand-up comedian living and breathing in New York City. You’ve seen her at various clubs all over the country and as a regular at New York Comedy Club and Gotham...

This week on Into the Mud , we dive into the messy intersection of creativity and commercial art with accomplished Broadway performer, Khori Michelle Petinaud. While questioning the industry’s grip on her artistry and creativity, Khori finds a way to beautifully navigate the tension between financial stability and genuine creative fulfillment. We are thrilled to have this conversation with Khori a...

This week, we’re getting muddy about the next four years—because, let’s be real, the political forecast is looking pretty swampy. As “hippy dippy socially conscious NYC” Democrats, we’re grappling with what a second Trump term could mean and how to stay engaged without losing our minds. Grab your boots—it’s about to get messy. Bio: Alex is a New York based comedian by way of Chicago and Boston who...

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 39.9 million people worldwide are currently living with HIV and a rough estimate of 1.5 million new cases are reported each year. With such high numbers , how is there still so much stigma and misinformation surrounding the topic of HIV and AIDS? On this week’s episode, queer nightlife and portrait photographer, John Lagucki, shares th...

Imagine waking up one morning, looking at yourself in the mirror, and suddenly noticing that one side of your face is paralyzed. Is it a stroke? Is this permanent? Why do I not look like myself? How terrifying and shocking.  This is the exact circumstance that has fallen on Broadway actress, Mamie Parris, and unfortunately, this is not her first rodeo with the medical phenomenon known as Bell’s pa...

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night, frozen in place, and wondering why there's a shadowy figure hiding in the corner like it pays rent? On this week’s episode, comedian Carmen Lagala dives into the bizarre, creepy, and oddly theatrical world of sleep paralysis demons. Are they real? Or are they just a bad dream pretending to be a roommate? Tune in to find out! Bio: Carmen is a...

Disclaimer : This episode contains sensitive discussions about sexual assault and trauma, which may be triggering for some listeners—please take care while listening. Acclaimed physician and writer, Gabor Maté, has a dedicated career in working with survivors of trauma. He says, “Trauma splits us from our true selves and disconnects us from our emotions…What happened to you can never have un-happe...

Do you ever feel like you're "falling short" in a certain area of your life, no matter how much work or effort you put in? Does your inner monologue occasionally gravitate toward the "I'm never enough" narrative? If so, you're not alone. Dating, career, family, finances, health; many factors poke at our self-esteem and self-worth on a daily basis. On this week&ap...

For many, big life changes tend to follow chapters of euphoria and hyperbolic proclamations such as "my life changed forever and I've never been happier". But, what happens when that isn't the case? On this week's episode, lifelong butcher and comedian, Mike Timlin, dives into the messy process of recalibrating expectations after transformative life changes (i.e. getting s...

As careers evolve, the concept of home and community can shift, shaped by new opportunities and changing priorities. Redefining these foundations can be challenging, and this territory is not unfamiliar to stand-up comedian and successful television writer, Alison Leiby. An east coast woman at heart, Alison grapples with the pros and cons of building a home in different cities and trying to unders...

The journey of a creative performer is a rollercoaster of triumphs matched with challenges, where moments of applause and recognition often intertwine with periods of doubt and reinvention. Success can feel fleeting, while rejection sharpens resilience and fuels growth. It's a path of constant evolution, and on this week’s episode, Broadway actor Kyle Taylor Parker beautifully discusses the u...

Career transitions are painful, scary, confusing and disorienting, especially if it’s not your choice; dancers face many challenges as they age into their careers, and permanent injury is potentially one of them. This is exactly what Broadway performer and television choreographer, Sarah Jenkins, was forced to confront after a herniated disk led to three major surgeries in 5 months. So much of our...

Formally known as “cherophobia”, this lesser-known phobia (the fear of happiness) tends to coincide with OCD and depression; and these accompanying symptoms are no stranger to accomplished Canadian-American basketball player and comedian, Henry Sir. On this week’s episode, Henry beautifully opens up about his “fear of happiness”, his challenges with mental health, and grief from the recent passing...

Regardless of age, career or degrees of therapization, rejection is a deeply uncomfortable experience. Sure, as we grow and evolve, we build armor and coping mechanisms that help us navigate the sting more gracefully; but, sometimes, it simply burns like hell. This week, Drew and Alex get muddy about their complicated relationships with rejection, the tools that help mitigate emotional pain, and t...

Social media is a double-edged sword, offering creators a platform to celebrate creativity, build community, and connect with audiences in meaningful ways. However, it also opens the door to privacy violations and unchecked access, blurring the lines between personal and public life. French-American creator, Cécilia Jourdan, knows about this experience intimately. Rapidly rising to social media fa...

Tick-tock, tick-tock. As time slips by, have you ever wondered if you’re “too late”? Do you worry about wasted time, elusive life milestones, deadlines, struggles with time management? If so, this episode is for you. This week, comedian and actress Julia Shiplett gets muddy about the fear of wasted time.  Bio: Julia Shiplett is a comedian, writer, and actor in New York by way of Chicago. Since fin...

As we grow older, friendship dynamics can shift in many different and unexpected ways. Making new friends becomes more difficult, and often, old friends are lost along the way. On today’s episode, actress and Brooklyn native, Kristin Dodson, gets muddy about the complexities of adult friendships—the ones we choose to keep, and the ones we learn to say goodbye to.  Bio: Kristin is a Brooklyn native...

What happens when a medical crisis puts your life on hold and forces you to stop? For busybodies and doers, this is a brutal challenge; the root of which is a deep identity crisis. On this week’s episode, Broadway’s Donnie Kehr gets muddy about the multiple times his health has compromised his independence and forced him to slow down and “smell the roses”. Bio: Donnie Kehr is an American actor, mu...

Alcohol consumption is deeply embedded in the fabric of our daily lives: dates, social gatherings, birthdays, bad days, good days, pandemic hobbies. Many people have a healthy relationship with alcohol. And, many do not. According to the NIAA (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism), a reported 15 million Americans struggle with alcohol consumption on a regular basis. It is a deeply mu...

Conversations on addiction and recovery are not new to "Into the Mud", and this week's episode is not to be missed. Podcast host, comedian and corporate American "Daddy" Judson Morrow dives headfirst into the mud with Drew and Alex to discuss his dark and life-threatening history with crystal methamphetamine. Dark humored, intellectual, and admirably self-aware, Judson lay...

Bessel van der Kolk's popular book, "The Body Keeps the Score", tackles the heavy repercussions that emotional trauma and stress leave on the physical body. Actress Vasthy Mompoint is no stranger to this phenomenon. Battling a crippling divorce, an ADHD diagnosis, lifesaving fibroid surgery, and even early menopause, Vasthy and her body have been to hell and back again the last eigh...