This week I’m talking with Colleen Saldana, a therapist at a recovery center who somehow manages to be both deeply wise and extremely relatable. Colleen got sober at 21, relapsed at 38, and tells the whole “I’ll just have one margarita” story in a way that will make you laugh… and also clutch your water bottle tighter. We get into growing up around alcohol, anxiety, an eating disorder, the way addiction plays the long game, and what finally helped (detox, sober living, sponsorship, and doing the actual program). It’s a big, hopeful, been-there conversation. 

Check out the show on YouTube and subscribe!

I love this episode because Danielle Mercier is basically a walking cautionary tale and a motivational poster at the same time. We get into her early “party girl” years, her brief era of thinking Las Vegas was a wholesome alternative to LA (amazing logic), and the moment her drinking finally caught up with her in the most dramatic way possible. From there, Danielle talks about getting sober, finding her people in 12-Step, and building a life so full she actually likes herself now—which is kind of the whole point, right? Also: cocaine on a soap opera set. You’re welcome.

We’re back with Margot Rose for Part Two where Margot takes us somewhere heartbreaking and profound—family, divorce, regret, and the kind of loss that changes the shape of your whole life. We talk about what sobriety looks like when the “easy button” doesn’t exist, how shame can shove people out of the rooms, and why sometimes you do what you have to do just to get through the day. And then—hope: the promise she made, the art she created, and what it means to keep showing up.

Find Margot on IG

Tickets to Unconditional

Watch the episode on YouTube

and please like and subscribe to YouTube or to this audio podcast!

I’m with Margot Rose this week, and let’s just say: if you’ve ever wanted a sobriety parade, you’re among friends. Margot and I go way back—16 years back—and we revisit the era when I was… not exactly a delight in sober spaces, and she was the rock-and-roll, sharp-edged voice I desperately needed. We talk Staten Island Ferry busking, the “white wine and coke” cocktail (please don’t), quitting cocaine but keeping the drinking going, and the extremely slippery slope of meds that are technically “as directed.” Also: we split her story—come back for Part Two. 


Find Margot on IG


Tickets to Unconditional

Watch the episode on YouTube

and please like and subscribe to YouTube or to this audio podcast!

Tamara Mello is back (again… third? fourth? who’s counting), and I’m thrilled because she just hit three years sober with a January 2 sobriety date — which makes this time of year feel extra real. We talk about why “just moderate” can feel like a full-time job, why taking drinking off the table can weirdly bring relief, and how the holidays can either break you… or show you what you’re made of. Plus: sober parties, social anxiety, accidentally sipping the wrong drink, and why drunk people get louder while everyone gets less interesting.

Find Tamara's Etsy shop here: HERE

Subscribe to Drunk-ish on YouTube

I'm taking one more week off for the holidays but next week I'll be back with all new episodes! This is a great interview with Kathleen Wilhoite — actress, musician, writer, teacher, and one of the most honest, hilarious, and compelling people I’ve met. We talked about getting fired from a movie before even filming (swizzle sticks in a jean jacket were involved), and finding herself again through songwriting, teaching, and recovery. We also get into what long-term sobriety actually looks like — spoiler: it’s not always serene yoga mornings and green juice. It’s messy, hard, beautiful, and sometimes involves yelling into the void (and then calling your sponsor). I can’t wait for you to hear it.

Please go here to watch on YouTube: 

To follow Kathleen on Insta: @RealKathleenW

My insta: @SWilderTaylor

Tamara Mello came back a few days later to get a little more into dealing with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder along with her sobriety. It was a great discussion and worth bringing back especially right now around the holidays.

We're going back to the beginning with a fan favorite, my friend, Tamara Mello. Tamara is an actress (She's All That, Popular etc.), a mom and a jewelry designer (Grey By Tamara Mello on Etsy) and she's getting real on coming up on 3 years sober.

This week I’m catching up with Tara Motter, and it really does feel like a girlfriend hang… except with microphones and considerably more accountability. We talk about the whole “cool wine mom” era (oops), the way drinking can turn into your entire personality, and Tara’s truly iconic alter ego, T-Rex. Tara also tells the story of the night she hit bottom—yes, there was a taxi situation, yes, there was jail—and how she rebuilt from there with meetings, honesty, and a plan that actually worked. Funny, real, and weirdly hopeful.  

You can find Tara on her TikTok,
Her IG @RecoveringFromSomething or her Substack which is Recovering From Something

You can watch this episode HERE

If you’ve ever wondered whether “drinking is just part of my personality” is a solid life plan, this episode is for you. I’m joined by the hilarious and brutally honest Sean Daniels, a theater director who managed to get fired from his dream job for day drinking, then turned his mess into an Off-Broadway play and a whole nonprofit, the Recovery Arts Project. We talk relapse (so much more common than people admit), brain chemistry, secret Mormon drinking, and why nobody brings you a casserole when you go to rehab. Come for the drunk stories, stay for the hope.