Steel City Round Table Podcast

Three years sober and everyday is an adventure. When I started my sobriety journey all I was concerned with was ending my self imposed prison. I wanted to find a way out of the miserable existence I had shaped for myself. I did not know what to do, I just knew something had to change. The further along my journey I went, the more I evolved as a person internally. My decisions, action, thoughts and...

Give me a big truck, a mic and a thousand miles and I am content. It's a long throw from when I was in active addiction. I could not stand to be alone with myself, my thoughts, and my emotions. Every mile was a struggle to keep my sh*t together. Hangovers and poor decisions plagued my days and nights. Getting sober gave me the opportunity to turn my struggles into words. I get to share my thou...

Ever wonder why your decision-making skills resemble a squirrel on espresso? Do we really have control over our choices when we're in the throes of addiction? And what's the deal with those mental roadblocks? I might not have all the answers, but I've got a PhD in making questionable life choices. My past was a series of drunken decisions and their delightful consequences. Sobriety did...

Poor decisions and a bad attitude, that's what I lived. Repeatedly I made emotional decisions and destroyed everything I touched. Alcoholism and poor mental health gone unaddressed led me to dark places and bad choices. It all finally came to a head and I was forced too make a choice. Keep living the life I had created, or take a chance that there was a better reason to start living. I chose t...

Coming up on 3 years sober and it's been a good ride.  I've been working on myself and improving my mental health and life without the booze.  Just when I thought I was ready for anything I got kicked in the teeth by LIFE!  We fight these battles hoping we are preparing ourselves for the next rough day or difficult decision.  Life becomes more "normal" as we do the work, and we s...

Recent events in Minnesota raise a ton of questions related to ICE/CPB use of force application enforcing the Immigration policies. Use of force is probably the most difficult aspect of law enforcement to exercise. Case law such as Tennessee V Garner and Graham V Connor lay it out fairly clearly. The cases set the basis for reasonable and objective use of force and when deadly force is lawful. In...

In this episode I sit down with a former LEO Joe Swanson. Joe served as an LEO in California for 8 years before leaving the field. He now dedicates his efforts to helping LEO's deal with stress and the daily struggles of doing the job. Joe created The Tactical Resilience Training system. Joe formulated this system as a way to train officers to handle the day to day stresses and return to their...

Two young guns making their dreams come true. Wade and Jim of Wolfgang Hauling and Demolition are two young bucks in their early twenties. Through their lives they found that they wanted more than the 9 to 5 punching the clock for some self entitled rich goons. Both have joined the cutthroat world of blue collar business ownership. A twist of fate put them in the same place at the same time. Now t...

My guest this episode is Jeff Jones who is a man on a mission. The Family Recovery Solution is a new way of attacking addiction focusing on the families rather than the person in recovery. In this conversation, we discuss the complexities of addiction recovery, focusing on the role of family dynamics, nutrition, and the importance of a supportive environment. Jeff shares insights from his experien...

In this conversation, Mark Kneebone and Natalie Snyder discuss the critical issues surrounding mental health in the legal profession and among first responders. They explore the stigma associated with discussing mental health openly, the challenges faced by attorneys in maintaining their credibility while addressing personal struggles, and the importance of support systems. The conversation emphas...

My little nugget Kelly has made it 2 years clean and sober. She and I started our sobriety journeys together and also the podcast. She was my cohost in the beginning. We shared a lot of great moments doing this show together. Like all great things there came a time for us to go around and do our own shit. Some time has passed and our lives and journeys have continued on. I am very grateful that Ke...

In this episode, Mark Kneebone discusses the importance of mental health awareness, particularly for first responders, and shares insights on relapse and triggers in recovery. He emphasizes the significance of self-awareness and having a solid plan to combat addiction, while also addressing the complexities of triggers that can lead to relapse. Mark encourages listeners to be proactive in their re...

Who struggles with pushing forward in the recovery besides me? Patience and consistency are essential pillars in overcoming our struggles no matter what it is. Ironically, I have learned that consistency can be negative as well as positive. Negative patterns from my past were consistent, consistently bad!! I also lack patience at times when triggering events creep up. Quick to lose my mind and rev...

In this conversation, Todd Hollis and I discuss the complexities of law enforcement, civil rights, and the challenges faced by police officers. Todd shares his journey from being a public defender to a civil rights attorney, emphasizing the importance of accountability and proper training in policing. We explore the need for de-escalation techniques, the implications of qualified immunity, and the...

In this heartfelt episode of the Steel City Roundtable, Mark Kneebone opens up about the unexpected challenges and profound reflections encountered during his early sobriety journey. As he approaches 28 months sober, Mark shares personal stories of battling old habits, confronting emotional triggers, and the relentless pursuit of self-awareness. Join Mark as he candidly discusses the importance of...

Another warrior found his way to the Round Table. Chris Cerci is a veteran fireman, addict and alcoholic. Chris and I met through Facebook recently and immediately connected on several levels. Our experience in public service, addiction and mental health struggles just being a couple ways. We also share a history of self destructive behavior leading us to burn bridges everywhere we went. The most...

Natalie’s back home at the SCRT! In this episode, I’m a bit riled up about a post I saw recently. It really bugs me when smart people say really stupid things. It’s even worse when they’re criticizing law enforcement as a whole. Making sweeping generalizations is a sign of closed-mindedness and the inability to think through the problem logically. Do you want to be a follower or a leader? Do the w...

In this episode, Mark Kneebone and Drew Moore discuss the differences in recovery culture between the East and West Coasts of the United States. They explore the importance of community, the 12 steps of recovery, and the significance of self-awareness and finding a personal higher power in the journey of sobriety. The conversation emphasizes that true recovery comes from within and that the ripple...

Tom Kaminsky is a successful business man in Hollywood California, but this is not how his story began.  From his East coast roots to his West coast success a lot of shit happened in between.  I met Tom through TikTok, one of the few times the algorithm actually worked.  Tom is a recovering addict with 10,000 days of sobriety under his belt.  This wasn't handed to him it was earned through har...

In this episode Natalie and I go head to head discussing cops and attorneys.  We all choose our path through this world.  Cops and attorneys are no different.  The difference is that not all careers put you in front of the public eye.  When working in the criminal justice system privacy goes out the window.  Everything you do is criticized, second guessed and picked apart piece by piece.  Does thi...

Life places people in your lives for a reason. Throughout our lives we meet so many people that have the potential to affect us both positively and negatively. Matt Brooks is one of those people for me. I met Matt in rehab down in Delray Beach Florida in May of 2023. He was the first "client" I met when I got there and we later became roommates. Late night bitch sessions, deep conversati...

Welcome back to my partner in crime Natalie Snyder. She is back in the mix after taking some personal time....unapporved by her boss of course!! So glad your back kid!! I expected her to be back sooner......that brings us to the topic for this episode unreasonable expectations. What are they and why do we set ourselves up for failure! Throughout my recovery journey I have had to come to terms with...

Bart Heaney is an emergency services dispatcher in the Pittsburgh area. He was previously a EMT and also hosts the Weight We Carry Podcast. I've known Bart for a long time and he is one hell of a human. He has dedicated his life to serving his community and the first responders that work within these communities. Bart also has a a really heart hitting story of recovery. Bart struggles with PTSD li...

Tony Moreno is a retired LEO and current Mayoral candidate in Pittsburgh PA.  I met Tony back in 2007 when he taught my LEO academy class.  Throughout the years we formed a working as well as personal relationship.  Between the two of us we have seen some down right horrible officers and supervisors.  In this episode Tony and I rip into the inadequacies and straight up corruption in law enforcemen...

Scottie G. is a functional aging specialist and the host of Just Be with Scottie G. What is a functional aging specialist? I had no clue until I met Scottie. Do you want to live a fuller life and be present for those around you or do you want to be an isolated, crotchety miserable old person? Most of us dread getting older because we only see the negatives. Scottie is a visionary who shows us how...