The Back 9 - Midlife, Best Life.

We kick off the new season with our Wellness episode. Joyce Feldman, the leader of South Florida's Big Children's Foundation, which focuses on teens in foster care.  Our discussion focuses on the importance of mentorship from men, and how early support, consistency, and real relationships matter more than quick fixes.  Joyce is also a long-time health and fitness expert, and she leans into that ex...

Kick off the new year with The Back 9  as we take you inside what's ahead in Season 11 to preview all our new elements of the show — including an updated format designed to help you quickly find the conversations that matter most to your  life during midlife. We are emphasizing the topics our beloved listeners ask for most: parenting, modern masculinity, health and wellness, friendship, purpose, a...

In this season and year-end wrap-up  of The Back 9 , we  reflect on the conversations, moments, and themes that defined Season 10. From a viral clip with Kerri Ballinger to powerful discussions on wellness, early detection, loss, and personal reinvention, this season delivered big moments of depth, honesty, and perspective at every turn. We share the insights from guests including Sean Springman,...

On this episode of The Back 9, we sit down with integrative wellness leader Judy Mackey to explore a smarter, whole-person approach to healing and cap a season devoted in large part to wellness. In facing her own health crisis, Judy discovered the power of Eastern medicine and integrative care — a journey that ultimately led her to help build StrataMed at Garden of the Gods. She explains how integ...

Okay, maybe not how to drink healthy, but how to drink healthiER! On this episode of The Back 9, we sit down with Chase Glick, founder of Chay Spirits, to talk about personal reinvention, massive weight loss, and building a better-for-you alcohol brand from scratch. After losing more than 150 pounds, Chase rethought his relationship with alcohol — and set out to create an alcohol brand  that actua...

We're celebrating two years of The Back 9 with our Second Anniversary Show, recorded live. We revisit the conversations that shaped our biggest episodes of the past year — from modern masculinity and leadership to healing, reinvention, and emotional resilience.   Kerri Ballinger returns to complete the story behind her viral clip, sharing what EXACTLY was in her bath, and the rest of her journey t...

We sit down with author and Adirondack 46er Sheryl Campbell, whose powerful back-nine journey includes surviving breast cancer, navigating divorce, and losing her business during COVID. Sheryl shares how a single winter hike in the Adirondacks sparked her mission to climb all 46 high peaks, helping her quiet the noise, reclaim her identity, and finally let go of the past. Her story — including how...

On this week's Back 9, we sit down with Jim Coghlin and Tricia Laursen, the leaders of Detect Together, a nonprofit teaching people how to recognize subtle health changes and act early. Jim shares the personal loss that inspired the mission, and Tricia explains t a simple way to know your baseline, spot persistent changes, and communicate clearly with your doctor. Together, they break down why hal...

This week on The Back 9, we sit down with entrepreneur Tom Kubiniec, a former touring guitarist whose life took a hard left turn after an injury ended his music career. What followed  was a masterclass in learning how to figure it out when life blows up your plan. Tom shares the story of landing his first major contract in an industry he barely understood, the lessons he learned while making money...

This week on The Back 9 , we sit down with Kerri Ballinger.  She's a practitioner of NAET, a holistic approach that uses energy balancing and muscle testing to reduce allergic reactions and restore wellness. Kerri shares her jaw-dropping story of overcoming a near-death chronic illness and helping her son heal from severe allergies through integrative methods. Together, we explore how Western medi...

This week on The Back 9, Dennis and Josh welcome high school basketball coach Ross Deutsch for a powerful and inspiring conversation about healing, resilience, and purpose after loss. Ross opens up about the unimaginable loss of his son Rory, and how that tragedy inspired the creation of the Rory David Deutsch Foundation, a beacon of hope for families facing pediatric cancer. He shares how his fam...

Dennis and Josh welcome entrepreneur Sean Springman into the studio to talk about how one can step around the corporate ceiling to find personal success.  Sean talks about the mindset and self-belief it takes to strike out on your own, start a business, and then scale a company from early scrappy deals to meaningful growth. Sean also opens up about how his personal life shapes that professional jo...

Ninety-nine episodes ago, the Back 9 started with two men in midlife, a couple of microphones, and a resolve to ask better, more pointed questions about the second half of life, with the belief that people out there needed the same kind of conversation. Turns out, a lot of you did. To mark the milestone of our 100th episode, our producer, Janine Stella, puts us in the hot seat. No prep. No polish....

It's toastin' time on The Back 9 with this season's 19th hole. We revisit the conversations that stuck with us most — the very best thoughts from the season about professional reinvention, leadership and how to gracefully come to grips with the end of things.  But the biggest takeaway from Season 9 is about the importance going straight to the source — and that leads to one of the spicier conversa...

We kick off fall with a little friendly South Florida smack talk, as we welcome the hilarious Rachel Sobel and Dale McLean from the Friends Without Benefits Podcast. Dale, the in-arena host for the Miami Heat, humorously shares his challenges finding steady relationships in his demographic, while Rachel, a much-published writer, offers all kinds of dating advice, and ranks her favorite husbands. ...

On this episode of The Back 9, Dennis and Josh catch up with three time All Star reliever and longtime MLB analyst Dan Plesac for a masterclass on how to fulfill your role — as a professional, a father and a man.  Dan discusses his evolution from ninth inning hammer to matchup specialist, and the difficulty he had accepting his new role in the bullpen pecking order.  He also shares his struggle wi...

In this episode of The Back 9 we catch up with Ray Collins, who spent his first career as a broadcaster before trading in the bright lights of morning TV for a second act in real estate and a richer personal life. Ray walks us through a career shaped by early mentors like Van Miller, the moment he realized it was time for him to leave the newsroom had changed, and how he successfully translated hi...

On this episode of the Back 9, baseball lifer Jeff Manto joins Dennis and Josh.  Jeff was a prodigious home run hitter who spent the front 9 of his career bouncing between the major leagues and the high minors, including championship runs in the Yankees and Indians organizations.  He shares what he learned about team culture, and how good winning culture creates winning outcomes.   Jeff also prese...

Chris "The Bulldog" Parker has been a colleague and friend of ours for over 30 years, and he joins the Back 9 for a conversation about how our perspective changes as we age.  Chris reflects on three decades behind the mic and how, when we become husbands and fathers, our attitude can change towards our jobs and how we approach what matters in life.  In particular, Chris' son Owen was an elite hock...

On this episode of The Back 9, Jamie Seh, Sports Director at the CBS affiliate in Orlando, reflects on her journey of breaking barriers as a woman in sports broadcasting.  She discusses the challenges and triumphs of a decades-long career, and how, as she reaches the Back 9, she has started to search for what's next. Spoiler alert: Jamie has found her path by embracing curiosity and taking a very...

This week on The Back 9, we sit down with our good friend Brian Shactman, the former MSNBC anchor, to talk about navigating the twists and turns of our career paths, the hard pivots that come when you don't get to choose your ending, and the lessons he learned along the way. From way too early mornings in radio to high-profile roles at ESPN, CNBC and MSNBC, Brian shares how he fought through setba...

Jeff Perera's story is a masterclass in reinvention.  He's the founder of Jeff's Bagel Run, one of the fastest growing brands in the country.  Jeff joins us to share how losing his corporate job at 42 led to a new passion, a thriving franchise, and a lesson in letting go of control. Jeff spreads his secret recipes for success that has led from a cottage industry in his kitchen to over 100 stores i...

This week on The Back 9 , we kick off a new season with a powerful conversation about leadership, culture, and the ripple effect of kindness. Guest Ryan Minton—author, keynote speaker, and former hospitality exec—joins us to share how a single front desk employee changed the way he leads forever. Ryan reminds us that creating a positive work culture starts with gratitude and the courage to uplift...

We kick off Season Nine by exploring what abundance really looks like at this stage of life.  We unpack how ambition shifts, why "more" isn't always better, and how quieter wins can make us feel wealthier than chasing it all. Of course, it's not all serious—we swap stories about getting locked out walking the dog, and the strange comfort we find in remembering our childhood landlines.  Remember th...

On this final stop in Season 8, we reflect on the real throughline of the entire season - self power. Whether it's setting boundaries, respecting the ones set for us, or knowing when to stop selling our perspective, this episode dives deep into the emotional shifts that come in our midlife relationships, including the one we have with ourselves. We revisit our time with some spectacular guests and...