Splitting Hairs with Tab Salsman

Few figures in modern medicine have generated as much controversy as Dr. Andrew Wakefield. A former physician and researcher who published more than 150 scientific papers, Wakefield lost his career, fellowships, and medical license while pursuing questions surrounding childhood vaccines, intestinal inflammation, and neurological injury in children. In this episode, Wakefield shares how parents fir...

spotify summary Dr. Hilary Fritsch is a biological and airway dentist who shares how modern orthodontics, mouth breathing, poor jaw development, and sleep-disordered breathing are affecting millions of children and adults. After struggling with childhood sleep apnea and later developing an autoimmune disease that affected her vision and mobility, her work shifted toward airway development, nasal b...

Anthony Lolli is an entrepreneur, filmmaker, real estate mogul, and the founder of Biohack Yourself Media. After losing more than 125 pounds and rebuilding his health, his focus shifted from real estate into documentaries centered around biohacking, longevity, biological dentistry, and preventative wellness. In this episode, Anthony talks about transformation, accountability, and the systems that...

Arslan Chaudhary is an immigration attorney with over 16 years of experience, working across family-based cases, work visas, and earlier in his career, asylum and deportation. In this episode, he breaks down what the U.S. immigration system actually looks like beyond headlines, including why the process is so complex, how policy and reality often don’t match, and what happens when the system start...

Zach Shallcross is a former Bachelor (Season 27) returning for a second conversation, now a few years removed from the show and settling into married life in Austin. In this episode, Zach shares what it’s been like transitioning out of the spotlight, building a relationship in real life, and how things have shifted since his first appearance. The conversation moves through marriage, advice he’s pi...

Shawn Johnson is a Texas native and former Navy SEAL who served multiple deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq before stepping away after eight years and returning home to build a new life. In this episode, Shawn shares what that experience actually looked like, from the realities of deployment and training to the challenges of coming home without structure, direction, or a clear path forward. The c...

Tyler Engle, known as bassforge.us, is a creator and researcher exploring ancient civilizations, sacred geometry, and the deeper patterns connecting history, myth, and consciousness. What started in music production evolved into a platform focused on breaking down complex, often overlooked ideas about the ancient world. In this episode, Tyler shares how his work shifted from bass music into studyi...

Del Bigtree is the host of The HighWire and CEO of the nonprofit Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN), an organization known for pursuing legal action to obtain government health data. Through lawsuits and public records requests, ICAN has pushed federal agencies to release documents related to pharmaceutical oversight and regulatory decision-making. In this episode we talk about medical transpa...

Celebrity esthetician Candace Marino, known as The LA Facialist, sits down for a haircut and a real conversation about skin, longevity, entrepreneurship, and friendship. Candace and I grew up in the same small town. Long before the Met Gala, before Hollywood clients and A-list recognition, she was helping me with makeup on model shoots while I was building my career behind the chair. Our friendshi...

Jessie Contour sits down for a haircut and a wide ranging conversation about games, arcades, and why physical spaces still matter in an increasingly digital world. Jessie is a creative technologist, game designer, educator, and gym owner whose work spans AAA games, museums, immersive media, and community driven experiences. We talk about growing up with arcades, Dungeons and Dragons, and early vid...

Mike Catherwood returns for a second conversation to talk about his new book,  A Meathead’s Guide to Salvation , and the thinking behind it. Known to many as Psycho Mike from Loveline, the iconic radio show he co hosted with  Dr. Drew Pinsky , Mike reflects on recovery, fitness, discipline, and what it actually takes to build a sustainable life. The conversation moves through nutrition without dog...

Alex Novicki, known on Instagram as @alexfascia, joins me behind the chair to talk posture, neck pain, and why the nervous system may be shaping more of your body than you realize. We break down fascia in plain language, how stress and fight or flight show up physically, and why so many people feel tight even when they stretch, train, or get adjusted. A grounded conversation about body mechanics,...

Ricky Hoover’s roots in heavy music go back to his years fronting Suffokate, one of the early forces in deathcore, and he later returned to the spotlight as the vocalist of Ov Sulfur. Two eras, two bands, and a career shaped by a voice that helped push heavy music forward. Outside of metal, he built a second life in Las Vegas as a father, a husband, and the owner of Requiem, a barbershop that carr...

Jeremy Jackson rose to fame as Hobie Buchannon on Baywatch , the most-watched show in the world. But behind the fame was a young actor fighting addiction, pressure, and the illusion of success. When it all fell apart, Jeremy faced his biggest role yet—finding out who he really was without the spotlight. In this episode, he opens up about his rise and fall in Hollywood, the dark side of early fame,...

Rob Perelman has spent more than two decades studying human behavior—through cards, chips, and everything in between. As a professional poker player and former tour manager for major bands like Yellowcard and The Format, he’s learned that life’s biggest reads don’t just happen at the table. In this conversation, Rob opens up about the psychology behind risk, the rush of a $160K televised win, and...

Brittan Morris is ranked among the top 10 ice cross athletes in the world — a sport so wild most people don’t even know it exists. Imagine hockey players on skates, flying down an ice track at 50+ mph, navigating jumps, hairpin turns, and sheer chaos. That’s ice cross. And Brittan has dedicated his life to mastering it. In this episode, Brittan opens up about his journey from Austin kid mesmerized...

Dr. Rob Vasquez has spent his career challenging the way we think about health and wellness. From his early struggles with migraines and weight to his discovery of chiropractic care and functional medicine, Rob’s journey has been about more than symptoms — it’s been about uncovering the root causes that keep people trapped in cycles of illness. In this episode, Rob opens up about his personal heal...

Rachel Varkey has built a reputation for asking the hard questions — of herself and of others. As the host of It’s Fine with Rachel Varkey, she explores the messy middle of life, and in this episode, she opens up about the same tension between survival mode and self-discovery, and why so many of us settle for saying “it’s fine” when life feels anything but. We talk about the power of change — from...

Dr. Randy Johns has dedicated his career to reimagining what true health means. After walking through his own late-stage cancer diagnosis, he developed a deeper understanding of disease vs. dis-ease and why treating root causes matters more than masking symptoms. In this episode, Randy shares how functional medicine, holistic health practices, and the mind-body connection can help restore balance...

Joe Sib has fronted punk bands, founded a record label, and shared stages with comedy giants—but he didn’t always plan to become a stand-up comedian. In this episode, we talk about identity, reinvention, and what it means to start over (again and again). From long-haired punk rocker to clean-cut dad doing tight 5s, Joe reflects on how his past shaped his voice—and how comedy gave him a new way to...

What if the most common approach to healing trauma—talk therapy—wasn’t the most effective? Dr. Richard Blake is a licensed therapist and trauma expert who conducted the largest randomized controlled study comparingconscious connected breathwork and anxiety. His findings? Breathwork not only goes deeper—it works faster. In this episode, we dive into the science behind healing, the neurological road...

Joe Begley (@bigjoebegs) is a standup comedian who left the tech industry to chase the comedy grind full-time. On this episode, Joe shares what it’s really like to walk away from a stable job in tech, move to Austin, and dive headfirst into the standup comedy scene while living with ADHD. We talk about the realities of the comedy hustle, the mental health challenges that come with performing, and...

Dr. Vijay Pendakur has advised CEOs, served as the Dean of Students at Cornell University, and led diversity efforts at some of the most prominent institutions in the country, but he didn’t come from a life of privilege. In this episode, we talk about how growing up in a working-class immigrant family shaped Dr. Vijay Pendakur’s approach to DEI—one that goes beyond surface-level gestures and focus...

Before founding Two Hives Honey, Tara Chapman spent a decade working for the CIA—flying between D.C., Afghanistan, and Pakistan, balancing national intelligence with a deep longing for something more grounded. What started as a Groupon beekeeping class in Austin turned into a full-blown pivot from covert ops to colony management. In this conversation, Tara opens up about walking away from power, s...

Andrew McMahon has fronted three bands, survived cancer in his twenties, and is now leading a movement to fight back against scalpers and put concert tickets back in the hands of real fans. In this episode, we talk about how his music has evolved across Something Corporate, Jack’s Mannequin, and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness—plus what it means to still love playing after all these years. Andrew...