What if giving up alcohol didn't mean giving up adventure?

Travel is supposed to expand our world. But what happens when the very places we travel to seem to revolve around drinking?

A hotel minibar. An airport bar. A champagne toast. A business conference where networking happens over cocktails. A cruise where drinks seem to follow you everywhere.

For travel writer Teresa Bergen, traveling alcohol-free isn't about living a smaller life. It's about finally being free to experience a bigger one.

In this conversation, Michael and Teresa explore the unexpected challenges of sober travel—and the freedom that comes from learning how to navigate the world on your own terms. Teresa shares what she's discovered through 15 years as a travel writer specializing in outdoor adventure, wellness, vegan and sober travel, and why she believes we didn't get sober to have little lives.

Her new book, Sober Travel Handbook, offers practical strategies for navigating airports, hotels, conferences, family gatherings, cruises, and unfamiliar cultures without alcohol becoming the center of the experience.

But this conversation goes deeper than travel tips.

It's about what happens when we stop allowing other people's expectations to define how we experience the world.

Because the goal isn't simply to travel without alcohol.

It's to discover how much more life there is to experience when you don't need it.

Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast

Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

What if a story buried in your family for more than a century suddenly asked you to tell it? Brigid Kennedy’s story begins with a real Irish treasure hunter, her great-grandfather Robert Patrick Kennedy, who crossed the Atlantic, married Eudocia Rodrigues in Arequipa, Peru, in 1910—and then disappeared into the Amazon.

The story survived in fragments until one night, when Brigid’s grandmother appeared to her in a dream and asked her to write the family story.

Brigid had never written a novel. She said yes.

The result is LOST — The Lost City of Incan Gold, a historical fantasy rooted in her Irish and Incan heritage.

In this remarkable conversation, Michael and Brigid explore family mysteries, ancestral places, the power of heritage, and what happens when we travel across the world to reconnect with the people who came before us.

From Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher and Galway to the monastery in Peru where her great-grandparents married, this is a story about the past refusing to stay buried—and one woman’s journey to bring it back to life.

Sometimes the story isn’t lost. It’s waiting to be remembered.

Takeaways:

• The story of Brigid Kennedy's great-grandfather, an Irish treasure hunter, is a profound tale that spans cultures and generations.
• Brigid's journey to write her family's history began with a dream from her grandmother, prompting her to uncover a long-buried legacy.
• The intertwining of Irish and Incan heritage in Brigid's novel serves as a testament to the power of ancestry and storytelling.
• Brigid's travels to Ireland and Peru allowed her to connect deeply with her roots, enriching her narrative with authenticity and emotion.
• The act of saying 'yes' to her grandmother's call led Brigid to rediscover her family's past and share it with the world through her writing.
• The conversation highlights the importance of reclaiming one's heritage and the stories that shape our identities across time and space.

Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast

Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

What if the places that carry humanity's deepest wounds also have the power to heal something within us?

In this episode of One More Thing Before You Go, Michael welcomes poet, author, photographer, and adventurer Briana Gervat for a deeply reflective conversation about history, solitude, resilience, and the unexpected ways travel transforms us.

In 2022, Briana set out alone on an extraordinary pilgrimage along the Western Front, walking hundreds of miles from the border of Switzerland and France, across the Vosges Mountains, and through the battle-scarred forests and villages where World War I forever changed the course of history. But this isn't simply a story about war. It's a story about what happens when we slow down enough to hear the whispers of the past—and our own hearts.

Together, Michael and Briana explore what it means to walk alone through landscapes marked by unimaginable loss, how nature quietly teaches resilience, why solitude can become one of life's greatest companions, and how simple moments—sharing a meal, meeting a stranger, or following an unfamiliar path—can reconnect us with what truly matters.

Whether you're drawn to history, travel, poetry, or the search for meaning, this conversation invites you to see the world—and perhaps yourself—with fresh eyes.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why walking through historic places changes the way we see ourselves

• How solitude can become a source of strength instead of loneliness

• What the landscapes of the Western Front still have to teach us today

• The surprising connection between nature, memory, and healing

• How travel can become a journey inward, not just across the world

Sometimes the longest journey isn't measured in miles.

It's measured in perspective.

Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast

Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

What if the greatest lesson from Hollywood wasn’t about making blockbuster movies—but about living a more focused, creative, and meaningful life?

In this episode of One More Thing Before You Go, Michael welcomes Steven Puri, former EVP at DreamWorks and VP at 20th Century Fox, whose career helped shape iconic films including Transformers, Star Trek, Die Hard, and Independence Day. Yet the most compelling story isn’t what happened behind the camera—it’s what happened within.

Steven shares an extraordinary journey from television news anchor to software engineer, from Oscar-winning visual effects producer to Hollywood executive, entrepreneur, and founder. Along the way, he opens up about selling his first company at 28, enduring the disappointment of failed startups, and discovering that success without purpose is never enough.

Together, Michael and Steven explore why flow—that rare state where focus, creativity, and performance align—may be one of the most valuable skills we can cultivate in an age of constant distraction. They discuss how setbacks reshape identity, why failure often becomes our greatest teacher, and how purpose emerges when we stop chasing achievement and start pursuing what truly matters.

Whether you’re a creator, entrepreneur, leader, or simply searching for greater clarity and fulfillment, this conversation offers practical insights into unlocking your best work—and perhaps your best self.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why flow states unlock peak creativity and performance
• The surprising lessons Hollywood taught about storytelling and human nature
• How failure can become the catalyst for reinvention
• Why focus is becoming one of the world’s rarest—and most valuable—skills
• Practical ways to create the conditions for deeper work, creativity, and fulfillment

Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs don’t happen on a movie set. They happen within us.

Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast

Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

What if the greatest challenges of your life were preparing you for your greatest purpose?Resilience isn’t something we’re born with—it is built through adversity, difficult choices, and the moments that quietly redefine who we become. In this cinematic conversation, Michael sits down with Jim Paulk to explore how life’s unexpected setbacks can become the foundation for purpose, personal growth, and lasting strength.

Jim shares the defining moments that tested his character, the lessons he learned when life refused to follow the script, and why resilience is less about surviving hardship than discovering who you become because of it. Together, Michael and Jim explore what it means to live intentionally, embrace uncertainty, and find meaning even in life’s most difficult seasons.

If you’ve ever questioned your direction, struggled through adversity, or wondered whether your hardest chapter has a greater purpose, this conversation offers hope, perspective, and practical wisdom you’ll carry long after it ends.

This episode explores resilience, purpose, overcoming adversity, personal growth, mindset, intentional living, and the courage to keep moving forward—even when the path isn’t clear.

One More Thing Before You Go is a cinematic interview podcast where every conversation begins with curiosity, deepens through presence, and reveals the stories that shape who we become.

Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast

Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcas

What happens when a man chooses to honor his late mother and grandmother by opening a restaurant run entirely by grandmothers?

That question sparked one of our most beloved conversations — and inspired Nonna’s, the heartwarming new film starring Vince Vaughn, Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, and Brenda Vaccaro.

In this special Over the Teacup Sunday replay, Michael and Diane — joined by guest co‑host Nicole — revisit the extraordinary true story of Joe Scaravella, founder of Staten Island’s iconic Enoteca Maria, where grandmothers from around the world cook the dishes of their heritage, one night at a time.

This episode explores:

Joe Scaravella’s journey — how grief, love, and legacy led to a restaurant unlike any other

Vince Vaughn’s connection to the role and why he was the perfect choice

The all‑star cast and the emotional weight each actor brings to this Italian‑American story

The cultural power of food — and why Nonna’s is more than a movie; it’s a celebration of identity, memory, and the women who keep tradition alive

Whether you’re discovering this story for the first time or revisiting it with us, this episode is filled with culture, heart, history, and the kind of warmth only a grandmother’s kitchen can create.

Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast

Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

What if the future isn't something we're trying to predict... but something we're trying to understand about ourselves?

The stories we tell about tomorrow often reveal more about today than we realize.

In this thoughtful conversation, Michael sits down with author and cultural thinker Amy Bernstein to explore why speculative fiction has become one of the most powerful ways to make sense of an uncertain world. Together, they examine how imagination helps us process fear, hope, identity, and the questions that refuse to leave us alone.

Their conversation moves beyond books into something deeply human—why creativity matters when the world feels unsettled, what art can say that facts alone never can, and how the stories we create often become the mirrors that help us recognize ourselves.

Along the way, they explore:

• Why speculative fiction is having a cultural moment.

• How imagined futures help us navigate real-world uncertainty.

• The courage it takes to keep creating when doubt is loud.

• Why artists often challenge the stories society tells us to accept.

• What fiction reveals about identity, belonging, and the future we're quietly building together.

If you've ever wondered why certain stories stay with you long after you've closed the book, this conversation offers an answer—and perhaps a few new questions worth carrying with you.

Because sometimes the most revealing stories aren't about the future at all.

They're about who we're becoming.

Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast

Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

In this episode, Diane and Michael take a deep dive into Elle, the new prequel series that reimagines Elle Woods’ early life. With their personal connection to Karen McCullah Lutz, the screenwriter behind the original Legally Blonde, they bring a fresh, intimate perspective to the conversation.

They discuss:

• The show’s premise

• Cast, producers & creative team

• The 1990s Seattle setting

• Themes of identity, belonging & early empowerment

• Mixed reviews & audience reactions

• Why this prequel matters today

A cinematic, heartfelt exploration of Elle Woods before she became Elle Woods.

Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast

Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

Some lives force us to ask uncomfortable questions: Who decides who we become? What happens when the identities we’ve built our lives around suddenly disappear? And how do we begin again without pretending the past never happened?

In this thoughtful, unhurried conversation, Michael sits down with Hakeem Bourne McFarlane, founder of the Choose Yourself movement, to explore identity, belonging, resilience, and the quiet work of becoming whole.

Growing up mixed-race in a home marked by addiction and silence, Hakeem learned early to earn acceptance instead of expecting it. Athletics became his purpose. Achievement became his language. But after five knee surgeries, chronic pain, addiction, and ultimately incarceration, the life he’d built around performance came undone.

What followed wasn’t a dramatic overnight transformation—it was something far more difficult: radical honesty.

Together, Michael and Hakeem explore how identity is shaped by family, culture, trauma, and expectation; why discipline can become a pathway to freedom; and what it truly means to choose yourself—not as a slogan, but as a daily practice.

A cinematic, deeply human conversation about belonging, self-worth, and the stories we inherit—and the ones we decide to write for ourselves.

Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast

Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts

Welcome to Part Two of our special two‑part conversation with Leah Renee — the only ex‑Mormon housewife turned stand‑up comedian she’s ever met.

In Part One, we explored the life she lived before everything changed: her Mormon upbringing, the early cracks in her identity, the pressure of motherhood, and the moment she realized the life she was living wasn’t truly hers.

Now, in Part Two, we step directly into the transformation itself — the unraveling, the rebuilding, and the wild, hilarious, deeply human reinvention that followed.

In this episode, Leah shares:

• The moment she knew she had to leave Mormonism

• How her entire identity unraveled — and why that was necessary

• Giving birth to a ten‑pound baby in her kitchen

• Losing 90 pounds and reclaiming her body

• Living nomadically across the UK & USA

• Becoming a four‑time Edinburgh Fringe performer

• How comedy became her lifeline, her voice, and her freedom

• The creation of her sold‑out show Best Cult Ever

• What she wants people to understand about belief, belonging, and starting over

This is the part of her story where everything shifts — the courage, the chaos, the comedy, and the rebirth.

Find us on Apple, Spotify or your favorite listening platform; visit us on our YouTube channel Find everything "One More Thing" here: https://taplink.cc/beforeyougopodcast

Want to be a guest on One More Thing Before You Go? Send Michael Herst a message on PodMatch, here: PODMATCH Proud member of the Podmatch Network of Top Rated- Podcasts