Podcaster Ryan Patrick Kennedy grew up around chaos, instability, and deep isolation, and he carried that pain into adulthood as social anxiety and a constant need to feel okay in his own skin. When drinking finally delivered relief, it didn’t just loosen him up, it felt like the answer. Addiction doesn’t stay the same. It grows, quietly at first, then all at once. 

We talk through the hard milestones: secret drinking and withdrawal, arrests, hospital stays, and the way consequences can pile up without producing change. Ryan also opens up about losing his sister to a fentanyl overdose and how grief can get frozen when alcohol becomes the only tool you trust. When he quit a steady job, the lack of structure and the ease of alcohol delivery pushed his alcoholism into daily isolation and dangerous territory. 

Then the brutal turning point: a fall down concrete stairs, a relapse, hallucinations, and a seizure that finally broke the bargaining. In the hospital, a surprising connection helped spark the surrender that led Ryan to rehab and his breakthrough in grief, honesty, and healing. Here's what keeps sobriety strong: the 12 steps, community, boundaries, routines, and learning to love the small moments. 

Also listen to Ryan's podcast "Rock Bottom With Ryan".

Support the show

Out Of The Blue:

Exclusive content: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog

Tim Pierce is one of Los Angeles’s most respected session guitarists. You’ve probably heard his music and just didn't know it. Here he discusses the mechanics of a lasting music career: getting the call, delivering fast, and why success in the studio can outlive any tour.

We start with the roots: Albuquerque, the magic of 1960's Top 40 radio, guitar heroes, and the moment Tim decides to pour everything into the instrument. He shares what touring taught him during years with Rick Springfield and why he ultimately chooses the studio “laboratory” instead. Tim explains the mindset of a first-call studio musician, including the hard choice to stay home and be available when the life-changing phone call comes.

Then we talk about today’s music industry: streaming royalties, unfair record deals, and why ownership matters more than ever. Tim lays out the direct-to-fan path and what it really takes to build an audience that supports your work. He then tells the story of recording with Phil Collins and connects it all to discipline, sobriety, consistency, and delayed gratification.

Support the show

Out Of The Blue:

Exclusive content: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog

Composer and producer Tony Shimkin grew up surrounded by songwriting and record production, and built his own path through studio sessions and high-level creative work. But the part that almost took him out wasn’t a bad deal – it was addiction, secrecy, and the slow drift away from truth.

We talk with Tony about the “book cover” problem: the outside looks successful, the inside is falling apart. He walks us through his early sobriety followed by the intense relapse later in life. The turning point hits hard – his son discovers what’s been hidden, and the family draws a line. Tony then goes into what surrender actually looks like day to day.

Then the story widens into purpose. Tony becomes a certified recovery peer advocate, a responder to non-fatal overdoses with the NYC Department of Health, and even goes back to school for social work. We also dig into the neuroscience of addiction and why a simple mantra like “you are worthy of love and respect” can start rewiring a life.

Support the show

Out Of The Blue:

Exclusive content: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog

A casual suggestion can change everything if you’re willing to act on it. We sit down with Dr. Michelle Nemec, a keynote speaker, author, educator, and solicitor from Sydney, Australia, to to learn what she's learned from six degrees, multiple career reinventions, and a life built on courage and curiosity.

Michelle breaks down emotional intelligence in plain terms: how we regulate emotions, read the room, build resilience, and protect our well-being. We talk about why teacher well-being matters as much as curriculum and why "positive education” works best when it’s lived from leadership all the way down.

We also move into the courtroom side of her life, including her experience across multiple areas of law and what she’s seen in community legal work. That segues into conversation about justice systems, incarceration cycles, and the overrepresentation of Indigenous Australians in detention. Michelle also shares stories of endurance, which connects with Vernon’s experience as a leukemia survivor.

Support the show

Out Of The Blue:

Exclusive content: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog

Dave Mason’s songs didn’t just chart, they attached themselves to people’s lives. Musician and longtime collaborator Steve Thoma returns to the podcast for a heartfelt, sometimes hilarious, always honest remembrance of a classic icon whose fingerprints stretch from English rock band Traffic to generations of radio staples.

Steve takes us into the real world behind the legend: stories of the walk from the stage to the tour bus where fans would share their admiration, and Dave’s surprisingly human struggle to answer that kind of love. We also get deep into the craft of music, from four piece bands and playing with dynamics and taste, to how a pair of New York City shows turned into “The 40,000 Headmen Tour: Live” album with zero studio polish.

Then we discuss the music business. We talk independent labels, classic rock radio, and the kind of record deal that felt rare at the time until a major label changed the math. The result is a portrait of an artist full of charm, contradictions, and commitment. Steve Thoma misses playing with Dave more than anyone else.

Support the show

Out Of The Blue:

Exclusive content: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog

Dr. Janine Ambrose grew up learning from nature’s rhythms, then found herself pulled into intuitive counseling shaped by experiences that blended faith, spirit, and a steady desire to help people heal. What unfolds is a grounded but expansive talk about how transformation can arrive without warning and how we respond when it does.

We discuss sound healing and frequency therapy, including music designed to support chakra alignment and even sinus relief. We trade ideas about the future of holistic health and integrative medicine. Dr. Ambrose's method is care that treats the whole person through sound, light, breath, nature, and a spiritual component that helps reclaim meaning after illness or crisis.

Dr. Ambrose also shares her yogi-led awakening and the kind of spirit encounter that can change your definition of “self” forever, plus vivid moments of manifestation, communication with animals, and even the slowing of time. We connect the dots between trauma healing and laughter, and why joy can be a real tool for resilience.

Follow Dr. Janine Ambrose:

@janinemealhow

Support the show

Out Of The Blue:

Exclusive content: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog

Seizures that strike in your sleep change the way you think about tomorrow. Music artist Kidd Griffey sits down with us to tell the story of what happened when his life took an unexpected turn at 21, how fear and uncertainty reshaped his priorities, and why music became a dream and then a lifeline. 

We talk about the “out of the blue” moments that defined his path, including a disruptive move to Detroit during high school, the isolation of being forced to learn independently, and the slow rebuild that followed years of health battles. Griffey explains what it’s like to create while you’re still healing and how faith helped him shift from constant stress to a steadier mindset. Along the way, we discuss songwriting choices: uplifting records versus sad songs, how harmony and vibration feel physical, and why live music can feel like church. 

Griffey describes his transition from hip hop into country music and his decision to pull his catalog from streaming platforms. If you care about resilience, spiritual growth, and independent artists, this conversation is for you.

Follow Kidd Griffey: @iamkiddgriffey

Support the show

Out Of The Blue:

Exclusive content: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog

Dave Loiterstein's recovery story starts earlier than most, with a quiet belief he carried as a kid: if his own mother didn’t want him, nobody ever would. Alcohol and drugs showed up fast, and the “off switch” never really existed. Together we talk honestly about what craving feels like, why some brains chase blackout instead of “just one,” and the disease model of addiction.

Then we get into the part most people avoid saying out loud: relapse. Dave doesn’t glamorize it or call it inevitable, but he also refuses to let shame be a life sentence. He shares what it meant to have 21 years of continuous sobriety followed by relapse. We dig into the pressure of the sobriety number and the daily reprieve that keeps recovery alive.

Dave’s journey stretches far beyond survival: a music-driven life, a career as a Hollywood makeup artist, and a pivot into substance abuse counseling and rehab admissions, taking crisis calls from families who need help immediately. Structure, routine, creativity, and parenting with boundaries are part of this discussion, because stability can feel unfamiliar after years of chaos.

Support the show

Out Of The Blue:

Exclusive content: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog

We pick up part two of our conversation with Steve Thoma and get honest about what happens when a musician finally lands the dream gig and decides it is time to “relax” with alcohol and drugs. Steve traces the arc from steady ambition to “using with great purpose,” and why the post-show rush can become the most seductive drug of all.

We also get into the nuts and bolts of recovery in the real world: getting sober while still surrounded by touring life, the anxiety of being searched, and the quiet code of “Friend of Bill.” Steve talks about how sponsorship, meetings, and service keep people grounded. The spiritual side comes up too, including the tension many feel around higher power and how some people choose to stay anyway and keep moving forward.

Steve Thoma concludes the episode with a message that applies to both recovery and artistry: dreams are not granted by hype or competition, they are earned through preparation, listening, and practice.

Support the show

Out Of The Blue:

Exclusive content: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog

At six years old, playing piano duets with his grandmother was the first step toward the music industry, Hollywood, and even Frank Sinatra for musician Steve Thoma. From Detroit roots to a life as a classically trained pianist, arranger, composer, and conductor, Steve serendipitously found himself in “right place, right skill, right attitude” moments you can’t plan.

Steve breaks down what musicianship really is when the lights come on: paying attention, listening harder than you play, and learning how to support other people. We talk about Catholic school training and the high school scholarship that changed everything by turning Steve into the go-to accompanist for choirs and productions.

We also get into the professional world that shaped his standards; truly just the tip of the iceberg. Steve shares why ambition needs boundaries and why humility is the hidden engine behind long-term creative excellence.

Stay tuned for Part Two.

Support the show

Out Of The Blue:

Exclusive content: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog