In this brutally honest episode of Beyond the Mud, I open up about something real—what it feels like to look at your life and see the echoes of your parents’ past… but decide to do it different. I’m a single dad, just like my father was. He drove a cab. I drive Uber. He survived. I’m trying to live. This episode dives into how I’m raising my kids with structure, emotional awareness, and love breaking cycles, building routines, and trying like hell to not let history repeat itself.

If you’ve ever caught yourself becoming your parents, wondered if you’re doing enough, or felt scared to change the script you need this one. This is for the cycle breakers. The parents trying to raise kids better. The ones healing trauma while still packing lunches.

We talk fear, family, mental health, growth, and why rewriting your story isn’t easy but it’s worth it.

In this raw, funny, and wildly relatable episode of Beyond The Mud, we dive into the art of communicating with difficult people — and not just strangers, but your kids, your ex, your boss, and that one person who always sends 10-paragraph texts. If you've ever found yourself shutting down, blowing up, or bottling it in, this episode is for you.

Mike gets honest about his own past struggles with emotional outbursts, the silent treatment, people-pleasing, and straight-up terrible communication, especially as a parent and partner. But this isn’t just a vent session — it’s a transformation.

Backed by science, psychology, and real-world tools, this episode gives you:

How to communicate with someone who shuts down

Why arguments escalate — and how to stop the cycle

The neuroscience of defensiveness and emotional hijacking

How emotional intelligence plays into every conversation

Real tools for active listening, de-escalation, and connection

Plus: the hilarious ways grown adults act like toddlers in conflict

You’ll leave this episode laughing, learning, and finally understanding how to break toxic patterns and actually connect with people you care about — without losing your mind.

Listen now, share with someone you care about, and let’s break the cycle — one conversation at a time.

📧 Contact: [email protected]

🎙️ Full episodes:

Spotify: Beyond The Mud

Apple Podcasts: Beyond The Mud

In this raw, unfiltered episode of Beyond the Mud, I dive into the real impact of holidays like the Fourth of July on adults—especially those of us dealing with loneliness, grief, addiction recovery, financial stress, or just the everyday burnout of being a parent.

From Walmart firework bundles to the unexpected sadness that creeps in on “happy” days, this journal entry is a mix of Bill Burr-style rants, Daniel Tosh-level humor, and the kind of emotional truth-telling you didn’t know you needed.

Whether you’re celebrating with family or sitting alone in silence, this episode is for anyone who’s ever felt like they’re just going through the motions. You’ll laugh, you’ll probably cry, and you’ll definitely feel seen.

If you’ve ever asked:

Why do holidays make me feel worse instead of better?

Am I the only one struggling with joy?

How do I heal while the world celebrates around me?

…then this one’s for you.

💥 Topics Covered:

The truth about adulting and holidays

What to do when you feel alone on the 4th of July

Addiction recovery during family-centered seasons

Why we need a national “Adult Day” just to breathe

Mental health, parenting, purpose, and raw reflection

📌 Listen now if you're looking for real talk, healing, humor, and a reminder that your story isn’t over yet.

I talk about the death of my favorite open mic (RIP Monday Night Comedy), how I’m dealing with performance anxiety, parenting two hilarious teenagers, and what it’s like trying to grow while you’re broke, busy, and tired as hell.

You’ll hear me roast myself, my kids, and life in general—because healing doesn’t always look pretty, but it damn sure can be funny. I also dive into some real-deal truth bombs about sobriety, growth fatigue, and what happens when you outgrow your comfort zone and have to start from scratch (again).

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or like you’re just barely holding it together… this episode is for you.

Let’s get real comparison is the silent killer of dreams. In this raw, hilarious, and soul punching episode of Beyond The Mud, Mike Siam unpacks the emotional landmines of comparing your life to others. Whether you're side eyeing strangers on Instagram or secretly resenting your friend’s glow-up, this one’s for you.

Mike opens up about his own struggle with jealousy—watching others succeed while he felt stuck, bitter, and convinced he was failing. Sound familiar? That’s because it’s more common than you think. But here’s the twist: comparison isn’t your enemy—it’s a tool. You’re just using it wrong.

🔥 Learn how to stop letting envy crush your confidence

💪 Discover how to flip the script and let comparison teach you

🧠 Get science-backed strategies on self-talk, jealousy, and rewiring your brain

😂 Laugh through brutally honest metaphors, savage comedy, and real-life stories

💔 And understand why men compare just as much as women—and how no one talks about it

Whether you’re in a relationship, chasing a dream, or just trying to survive another Monday, this episode will shift your mindset and give you practical tools to stop scrolling and start evolving.

👉 If you’ve ever looked at someone else’s success and felt like a failure—listen to this.

📩 Want to share your story or get in touch?

Email Mike at [email protected]

Follow & message him on Facebook: facebook.com/share/1B5caVPGzH

🎧 Hit play. Heal loud. Laugh louder.

Ever feel like you’re just a big kid in an adult body trying not to scream at your microwave when it beeps too loud? Yeah… same.

In this powerful, hilarious, and eye-opening episode of Beyond the Mud, Mike breaks down emotional intelligence in a way that finally makes sense. We’re talking about the real difference between emotional maturity and just reacting like a 5-year-old with a mortgage. From the silent treatment to full-blown emotional tantrums, Mike opens up about how unchecked childhood trauma kept him emotionally stuck — and how he finally started climbing out of it.

Expect laughs. Expect science. Expect to see yourself in this. Whether you’re a parent trying to raise emotionally intelligent kids, a partner tired of toxic patterns, or just a grown-ass human trying to stop acting like a walking red flag — this one’s for you.

🔥 We cover:

How men, women, and kids process emotions differently

Why kids need adult guidance to learn emotional regulation

How the silent treatment is actually emotional warfare

The real reason most adults never learned this stuff

And Mike’s raw, funny story about transforming from emotionally reactive to emotionally aware (finally).

🎯 Plus, you'll walk away with insights backed by psychology, neuroscience, and real-life reflection — all wrapped in Mike’s brutally honest, Bill Burr-meets-Daniel Tosh style.

📣 Wanna talk about it? Tell your story? Or just say this hit different?

Mike responds to EVERY message. Hit him up:

📧 Email: [email protected]

📱 Facebook Page: Beyond the Mud

🎧 Full Podcast:

→ Spotify

→ Apple Podcasts

In this bonus episode, I open up Journal Entry #33 and take you inside one of the most chaotic, powerful, and transformational weeks I’ve had in a long time. From dealing with panic and old habits creeping back in, to standing up for my daughter in a way I never thought I could—I’m laying it all out.

I talk about what it’s like to go from emotional shutdowns and substance abuse to making decisions that actually protect the people I love. This is real growth. Not the pretty kind—the kind that hurts, humbles you, and heals you at the same time.

If you've ever wondered how to turn your pain into strength, or how to show up when your past keeps trying to pull you back, this one’s for you. No script, no filter—just truth from the mud.

They don’t scream. They don’t hit. Hell, sometimes they even smile while they’re tearing you apart. This episode of Beyond The Mud dives headfirst into the world of covert narcissists—the wolves in sheep’s clothing who gaslight you so well, you start apologizing just for existing.

Whether it’s a partner, a parent, or that “nice” family member who always plays the victim—this episode unpacks how emotional abuse can go unseen for years and leave invisible scars that take even longer to heal. Backed by science, neuroscience, and psychology, and delivered with raw honesty and sharp humor, I’ll walk you through the red flags, the psychological patterns, and how I broke free from it—not just for me, but for my kids.

We’ll talk family, fake apologies, denial disguised as advice, and how to protect your peace like your life depends on it—because it does.

💥 If this episode hits home, share it with someone you care about. It might be awkward, but it might save a life.

📬 Want to tell your story? Or just need someone to talk to?

I read every message. Email me at: [email protected]

Or connect with me on Facebook: Beyond The Mud

You’re not crazy. You’re not overreacting. You’re waking up.

Sometimes healing isn’t pretty. Sometimes it means drawing a line in the sand—even if it’s the people who share your blood standing on the other side.

In this raw, unfiltered episode of Beyond The Mud, I’m laying it all out. I talk about how toxic family cycles nearly swallowed my kids and me whole… until I decided enough was enough.

We’re not sugarcoating shit today. This is for every parent who’s had to make the impossible decision to protect their kids from their own relatives. For every person who grew up around narcissists, manipulators, racists, and straight-up emotional terrorists wearing the mask of "family."

I’ll walk you through what happened, what changed, and how we’re rising now—stronger, healthier, and freer than ever before.

If you’ve ever struggled with guilt, generational dysfunction, or the lie that “family is everything,” this episode will hit hard. And it might just be the wake-up call you needed.

It’s time to heal. Even if that means cutting people off.

A year ago, I was journaling just to get financial aid. Today, I wake up at 5AM, meditate, hit the gym with my son, and write like my life depends on it — because it kinda does. In this episode, I walk you through how I went from emotionally unavailable and overwhelmed to present, sober, disciplined… and still human enough to occasionally lose it over a messy laundry room.

If you've ever felt stuck, lost, guilty as a parent, or like your past is too messy to start over — this one’s for you. I share the exact habits that rewired my brain, the science behind why they work, and the moment my daughter told me she trusts me now (which hit harder than any TED Talk ever could).

Yeah, there’s laughter. Yeah, I cuss. But there’s also hope — the gritty, hard-earned kind. Because rebuilding your life doesn’t start with a master plan. It starts with one small thing you do today.