Only One In The Room

Imagine being a Navy SEAL and being deployed to Iraq to serve your country. Twenty-two-year combat veteran and Vital Warrior nonprofit founder and CEO, Mikal Vega, was set to deploy yet again when he was called to another type of duty, one that allowed him to be closer to his son.

But what would you do if that child you loved so much tragically died when he was a young adult? Would you numb yourself with chemicals and shut the world out? Or would you heal yourself through the power of different modalities and realize that your son’s death might actually be a gift from the infinite?

More From Mikal Vega:

Visit: https://www.vitalwarrior.org

Check out his course Vital Warrior (LIVE attendance possible if in L.A area)

Finding Mikal Vega:

Instagram: @mikalvega

Twitter: @mikalvega

Special thanks to our sponsors:

Best Fiends:

Join us and the millions of Americans who are already playing this game. Download Best Fiends for FREE on The Apple APP store or Google Play. That’s friends without the R, Best Fiends.

BetterHelp:

BetterHelp is a great, affordable option for professional counseling done securely online. As a listener, you'll get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/one  

Mercato:

Mercato is a grocery delivery service that supports local, independent merchants. Sign up for Mercato Green at https://www.mercato.com/ for unlimited free delivery and use the code THEONLYONE to get $20 off your first order! 

Join our Patreon:

Become an Only One In The Room patron by joining us on Patreon! Starting at only $5.00 per month, you’ll get bonus content, access to outtakes that the general public will NEVER see, extremely cool merch, and depending on what tier you get, monthly hang time with Scott and Laura. Join our Patreon today at https://www.patreon.com/theonlyonepodcast 

Be sure not to miss Scott Talks on Wednesdays, our Sunday release called Sunday Edition & our brand new series On My Nightstand releasing on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. 

Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more.

We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show!

All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please join us for our 2021 commencement, as we look back over the year and look forward to 2022. In this episode, Laura and Scott discuss a range of subjects, from how long it's actually been since Laura has been inside a grocery store, to Scott's very special thirteen-year sobriety anniversary. Please join us for this candid discussion of their relationship and how the events of this year have impacted them as a couple.

Laura Cathcart Robbins is an author, freelance culture writer, and host of the popular podcast, The Only One In The Room, living in Studio City, California. She has been active for many years as a speaker and school trustee and is credited for creating The Buckley School’s nationally recognized committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Her recent articles in Huffpo and The Temper on the subjects of race, recovery, and divorce have garnered her worldwide acclaim. She is a 2018 LA Moth StorySlam winner and currently sits on the advisory boards of the San Diego Writer’s Festival and the Outliers HQ podcast Festival. Laura is also a founding member of Moving Forewords, the first national memoirist collective of its kind. Find out more about her on her website, or you can look for her on Facebook, on Instagram, and follow her on Twitter.

Scott Slaughter is a producer, photographer, and traveler living in Studio City, California with his girlfriend, Laura Cathcart Robbins. He is also the co-host of the popular podcast, The Only One In The Room and the father of two daughters, Lily and Nora Slaughter. Scott is an avid outdoor enthusiast and surfer. Having traveled all over the United States and the world in pursuit of these endeavors, he has finally found his home in the City of Angels, where he has lived for the past 11 years. You can find his production and photography work at www.theonlyonepod.com and on Instagram.

Visit https://theonlyonepod.com/

Like this episode? Then you'll want to check out our 2019 Holiday Bonus episode where season one guest, Dr. Troy Byer interviews Scott and Laura about how they met in rehab and then, fell in love. Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-only-one-in-the-room/id1457399201?i=1000460640414

Special thanks to our sponsors:

BetterHelp:

BetterHelp is a great, affordable option for professional counseling done securely online. As a listener, you'll get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/one  

Mercato:

Mercato is a grocery delivery service that supports local, independent merchants. Sign up for Mercato Green at https://www.mercato.com/ for unlimited free delivery and use the code THEONLYONE to get $20 off your first order! 

Join our Patreon:

Become an Only One In The Room patron by joining us on Patreon! Starting at only $5.00 per month, you’ll get bonus content, access to outtakes that the general public will NEVER see, extremely cool merch, and depending on what tier you get, monthly hang time with Scott and Laura. Join our Patreon today at https://www.patreon.com/theonlyonepodcast

Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays and our brand new series On My Nightstand on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. 

Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more.

We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show!

All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Nick North right after the show.

Special thanks to our sponsors:

Mercato:

Mercato is a grocery delivery service that supports local, independent merchants. Sign up for Mercato Green at https://www.mercato.com/ for unlimited free delivery and use the code THEONLYONE to get $20 off your first order! 

Best Fiends:

Join us and the millions of Americans who are already playing this game. Download Best Fiends for FREE on The Apple APP store or Google Play. That’s friends without the R, Best Fiends.

BetterHelp:

BetterHelp is a great, affordable option for professional counseling done securely online. As a listener, you'll get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/one  

Join our Patreon:

Become an Only One In The Room patron by joining us on Patreon! Starting at only $5.00 per month, you’ll get bonus content, access to outtakes that the general public will NEVER see, extremely cool merch, and depending on what tier you get, monthly hang time with Scott and Laura. Join our Patreon today at https://www.patreon.com/theonlyonepodcast 

Don't miss our new Friday series On My Nightstand.

Be sure to join our Facebook Group for the most up-to-date info on guests, episodes and more.

You can also DM us on Instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website at www.theonlyonepod.com

Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like live events, appearances, featured articles and more.

We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine you were assigned female at birth, but nothing ever quite felt quite right. And you found yourself wondering over and over, why you couldn’t just be a boy like all the other boys?

Brand strategist, Nick North lived as a woman and married a man, giving birth to four beautiful children before meeting Catherine, the love of his life.

But what would you do if you came to understand that you weren’t gay, but trans, and it was something you could no longer ignore? Would you conceal your real identity and try to be the mom your kids had always known, or would you take the steps to live in your truth and share your journey with the world?

More from Nick North:

Visit: https://wethenorths.com

Finding Nick North:

Instagram: @wethenorths

Youtube: We the Norths

Facebook: @wethenorths

Special thanks to our sponsors:

Mercato:

Mercato is a grocery delivery service that supports local, independent merchants. Sign up for Mercato Green at https://www.mercato.com/ for unlimited free delivery and use the code THEONLYONE to get $20 off your first order! 

Best Fiends:

Join us and the millions of Americans who are already playing this game. Download Best Fiends for FREE on The Apple APP store or Google Play. That’s friends without the R, Best Fiends.

BetterHelp:

BetterHelp is a great, affordable option for professional counseling done securely online. As a listener, you'll get 10% off your first month by visiting betterhelp.com/one  

Join our Patreon:

Become an Only One In The Room patron by joining us on Patreon! Starting at only $5.00 per month, you’ll get bonus content, access to outtakes that the general public will NEVER see, extremely cool merch, and depending on what tier you get, monthly hang time with Scott and Laura. Join our Patreon today at https://www.patreon.com/theonlyonepodcast 

Be sure not to miss Scott Talks on Wednesdays, our Sunday release called Sunday Edition & our brand new series On My Nightstand releasing on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. 

Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more.

We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show!

All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can you imagine what it’d be like to watch the sunset, or a football game, or even take a picture, knowing that it would be the last time that you could see what was in front of you?

Author and inspirational speaker, Chad Foster, was just three years old when he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a disease that gradually robs you of your eyesight. Twenty years later, he was self-medicating with alcohol, riddled with embarrassment, depression and grief about going blind and thinking that his life was over.

But what would you do if you’d decided that feeling sorry for yourself wasn’t how you wanted to spend the next fifty or so years? Would you cower from a future that was too scary to imagine? Or would you transform yourself from “poor me” to a leader that inspires others to improve their vision?

More from Chad Foster:

Visit: https://chadefoster.com

Get his book Blind Ambition

Finding Chad Foster:

Instagram: @findchadefoster

LinkedIn: Chad E. Foster

Special thanks to our sponsors:

Best Fiends:

Join us and the millions of Americans who are already playing this game. Download Best Fiends for FREE on The Apple APP store or Google Play. That’s friends without the R, Best Fiends.

Mercato:

Mercato is a grocery delivery service that supports local, independent merchants. Sign up for Mercato Green at https://www.mercato.com/ for unlimited free delivery and use the code THEONLYONE to get $20 off your first order! 

Join our Patreon:

Become an Only One In The Room patron by joining us on Patreon! Starting at only $5.00 per month, you’ll get bonus content, access to outtakes that the general public will NEVER see, extremely cool merch, and depending on what tier you get, monthly hang time with Scott and Laura. Join our Patreon today at https://www.patreon.com/theonlyonepodcast 

Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays and our brand new series On My Nightstand on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. 

Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more.

We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show!

All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Wally Green right after the show.

Special thanks to our sponsors:

Best Fiends:

Join us and the millions of Americans who are already playing this game. Download Best Fiends for FREE on The Apple APP store or Google Play. That’s friends without the R, Best Fiends.

Mercato:

Mercato is a grocery delivery service that supports local, independent merchants. Sign up for Mercato Green at https://www.mercato.com/ for unlimited free delivery and use the code THEONLYONE to get $20 off your first order! 

Join our Patreon:

Become an Only One In The Room patron by joining us on Patreon! Starting at only $5.00 per month, you’ll get bonus content, access to outtakes that the general public will NEVER see, extremely cool merch, and depending on what tier you get, monthly hang time with Scott and Laura. Join our Patreon today at https://www.patreon.com/theonlyonepodcast 

Don't miss our new Friday series On My Nightstand.

Be sure to join our Facebook Group for the most up-to-date info on guests, episodes and more.

You can also DM us on Instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website at www.theonlyonepod.com

Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like live events, appearances, featured articles and more.

We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine that everyone you grew up with was destined for jail or an early death?

Celebrity Table Tennis pro and co-founder of SPIN, New York, Wally Green joined a gang while growing up in one of the most dangerous housing projects in Brooklyn and was constantly abused by his stepfather who told him repeatedly that he would never amount to anything.

But what would you do if someone noticed you and offered to pay you to go to Germany to play at an elite ping-pong school? Would you laugh in their face and continue to live a life filled with violence? Or would you take him up on his offer and leave the streets behind you?

More from Wally Green:

Visit: https://www.whoiswallygreen.com

If you're in NYC & want to learn ping pong visit: Spin NY

Finding Wally Green:

Instagram: @wallygreennyc

Twitter: @wallygreennyc

Special thanks to our sponsors:

Best Fiends:

Join us and the millions of Americans who are already playing this game. Download Best Fiends for FREE on The Apple APP store or Google Play. That’s friends without the R, Best Fiends.

Mercato:

Mercato is a grocery delivery service that supports local, independent merchants. Sign up for Mercato Green at https://www.mercato.com/ for unlimited free delivery and use the code THEONLYONE to get $20 off your first order! 

Join our Patreon:

Become an Only One In The Room patron by joining us on Patreon! Starting at only $5.00 per month, you’ll get bonus content, access to outtakes that the general public will NEVER see, extremely cool merch, and depending on what tier you get, monthly hang time with Scott and Laura. Join our Patreon today at https://www.patreon.com/theonlyonepodcast 

Be sure not to miss Scott Talks on Wednesdays, our Sunday release called Sunday Edition & our brand new series On My Nightstand releasing on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. 

Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more.

We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show!

All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jessica Frew is the co-host of the podcast Husband In Law. Along with her husband and ex-husband, they share their stories of love, marriage, coming out, infidelity, divorce, and co-parenting. Jessica and her ex-husband were married for just over a year when he came to terms with the fact he was gay. They then remained married for another seven years.  

Instagram: @husband_in_law

Join our Patreon:

Become an Only One In The Room patron by joining us on Patreon! Starting at only $5.00 per month, you’ll get bonus content, access to outtakes that the general public will NEVER see, extremely cool merch, and depending on what tier you get, monthly hang time with Scott and Laura. Join our Patreon today at https://www.patreon.com/theonlyonepodcast 

Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays and our brand new series On My Nightstand on Fridays by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Join our Only One In The Room Facebook Group if you'd like to ask a question of any of our upcoming guests for this series. 

Also visit the website www.theonlyonepod.com for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like featured articles and more.

We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show!

All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My friend Amy Bond, (episodes 25 and 54) sent me a screenshot of an article about Demi Lovato last month and then texted, “Oooh you could write about this.” Turns out she was right. I had a lot to say about California Sober vs Regular Sober.

Laura Cathcart Robbins is an author, freelance culture writer, and host of the popular podcast, The Only One In The Room, living in Studio City, California. She has been active for many years as a speaker and school trustee and is credited for creating The Buckley School’s nationally recognized committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Her recent articles in Huffpo and The Temper on the subjects of race, recovery, and divorce have garnered her worldwide acclaim. She is a 2018 LA Moth StorySlam winner and currently sits on the advisory board for the San Diego Writer’s Festival and the Outliers HQ podcast Festival. Laura is also a founding member of Moving Forewords, the first national memoirist collective of its kind. Find out more about her on her website, or you can look for her on Facebook, on Instagram, and follow her on Twitter.

I'm Regular Sober — Here's How I Feel About Demi Lovato Being 'California Sober'

Join our Patreon:

Become an Only One In The Room patron by joining us on Patreon! Starting at only $5.00 per month, you’ll get bonus content, access to outtakes that the general public will NEVER see, extremely cool merch, and depending on what tier you get, monthly hang time with Scott and Laura. Join our Patreon today at https://www.patreon.com/theonlyonepodcast 

Be sure not to miss our weekly full episodes on Tuesdays, Scott Talks on Wednesdays & Sunday Edition every Sunday by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts. 

We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show!

All of us at The Only One In The Room wish you safety and wellness during this challenging time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Slaughter co-host and producer of The Only One In The Room has a short and casual, yet deep conversation with our guest Robert Kabera right after the show.

Special thanks to our sponsors:

Join our Patreon:

Become an Only One In The Room patron by joining us on Patreon! Starting at only $5.00 per month, you’ll get bonus content, access to outtakes that the general public will NEVER see, extremely cool merch, and depending on what tier you get, monthly hang time with Scott and Laura. Join our Patreon today at https://www.patreon.com/theonlyonepodcast 

Don't miss our new Friday series On My Nightstand.

Be sure to join our Facebook Group for the most up-to-date info on guests, episodes and more.

You can also DM us on Instagram @theonlyoneintheroom or email us via the website at www.theonlyonepod.com

Also visit the website for the latest from our host Laura Cathcart Robbins like live events, appearances, featured articles and more.

We love hearing from you in the comments on iTunes and while you're there don't forget to rate us, subscribe and share the show!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices