A song can change a life, and sometimes it waits decades to do it. Sal Baglio, the lead vocalist and guitarist behind Boston legends The Stompers, traces his creative path shaped by family, grief, grit, and a Hollywood surprise that rewired his future.

Sal opens up about the way songs “hover” before landing, why he never writes by formula, and how honoring the mystery keeps the music honest. He shows how instinct, not industry, has always been his compass.

The conversation opens up further as Sal shares his battle with depression, the toll of medication, and the season he quit performing to work in addiction recovery. Out of nowhere a call from Hollywood changed everything: Adam Sandler wanted to put his song “American Fun” in a movie. That out-of-the-blue sync revived his sense of purpose.

The episode also talks about community and competition in the Boston music scene – how bands sharpened each other, how humility grows with time, and why being a “good hang” matters as much as chops. Sal tells hard-won stories of opening for giants, getting booed by the wrong crowd, and returning stronger. The most moving moment arrives with his mother’s final days: a mutual exchange of forgiveness that closes the circle. It’s a reminder that music isn’t just performance; it’s presence.

For more on Sal:

https://theamplifierheads.com

Out Of The Blue:

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A man sits on a curb after three nights in the woods, ready to surrender. Then a familiar face appears and everything changes. That’s the spark that propels Rusty Nosser, “The Walking Man,” from rock bottom to a life driven by purpose, faith, and relentless motion.

We talk through the moments that shaped him: the hunting accident at 23 that left him blind in one eye, the bleeding ulcer that nearly ended his life, and a years-long family estate battle that taught him to let go of vengeance and hold tight to discipline. Rusty shares the blunt question from his mother — "Are you going to beat this or is it going to beat you?" — that became his daily compass. He breaks down how power-walking became his craft and calling, touching on his experience training the mind to “tolerate the hurt” when the bear jumps on your back in a marathon.

From the Oxford, Mississippi town square to races in Dallas and Eugene, from local headlines to USA Today, from a self-written book to a feature film in development, Rusty’s journey shows how consistent action and a clear mantra can rewrite a life. He’s logged more than 76,000 miles — three trips around the Earth at the equator — waving to drivers, pointing back in thanks, and reminding us that progress is built one step at a time. 

If you need a blueprint for resilience, you’ll find it here: faith in a higher power, three achievable tasks a day, strong boundaries with compassion, and a body cared for like the only home you have.

For more on Rusty: https://rustythewalkingman.com/

Out Of The Blue:

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A teenager gets dragged off the couch to volunteer, and a lifelong purpose begins. That’s the heartbeat of our conversation with Tom Rossignoll, a home-care physical therapist assistant with over 30 years of experience and a city councilor who leads with empathy, candor, and common sense. 

We dive into the unexpected origins of service, starting with a young Special Olympics athlete whose love for basketball flipped Tom’s view of people, labels, and the power of simply showing up. From there, we step into the intimate world of home care. Tom shares patient victories that stick and the mindset that separates progress from plateau: therapists provide the map; patients bring the drive. We also explore how purpose passes through families.

The episode widens into a frank, down-to-earth look at local politics. Tom explains why serving neighbors demands the same habits that make great care possible: listening, clarity, and decisions rooted in values rather than party or money. We touch on term limits, civic decency, and practical compromise. Threaded through it all are stories of resilience, including a Division I shortstop who turned a life-altering stroke into a platform for hope, and an 18-year-old who found light again after losing both legs.

If you’re craving a reminder that purpose is discovered in small acts and sustained by honest work, this one’s for you.

Out Of The Blue:

For more: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org

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A single moment at fifteen – an apology followed by a tragic loss – sent JJ Winston on a course that would reshape her life. We sit down with the award-winning author, licensed social worker, attorney, and post-degree magistrate to trace how one grief-forged decision became a lifelong mission: defend the voiceless, dismantle stigma, and turn hard-earned insight into fiction that heals.

Across a candid, story-rich conversation, JJ Winston explains how stigma keeps professionals whispering for help, why documentation can unlock treatment when denial closes doors, and what safe conflict looks like in families trying to rebuild trust. We unpack cultural barriers—especially within Black communities—where taking on a mental health label can feel like shouldering a second weight. JJ’s core message lands with clarity: behavioral health is health, and untreated stress will write itself into the body.

JJ also opens up about her family’s deep connection to sickle cell disease and the “invisible until it’s not” pain that mirrors mental illness. Then we widen the lens on human trafficking, coerced work in adult homes, and the fear that keeps survivors silent. These lived truths power her novel series – "The Anniversary," "The Commemoration," and "The Revelation".

If you care about mental health advocacy, client rights, sickle cell awareness, or smart fiction that changes minds, this conversation rings like a bell—clear, resonant, and impossible to ignore.

JJ Winston: 

novelistjjwinston.com

Out Of The Blue:

For more: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org

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Cenobio Rayos II, known in the music world as "The Hare Trigga," reveals his extraordinary journey of resilience that reads like a Hollywood screenplay. Cenobio's path took him through addiction, homelessness, and profound loss before a moment of terrifying clarity changed everything. Unable to stop using even with police lights shining directly on him, he realized he'd completely lost control. "I no longer had power over my own body," he shares with raw honesty.

This turning point, combined with his mother's own recovery journey and memories of his father's struggles with heroin, propelled Cenobio toward rehabilitation. He chose the difficult path of detoxing without medication. "Sometimes we have to walk back through the flames when we were welcomed through them the first time," he explains, capturing the paradoxical nature of healing.

Throughout his darkest moments, music remained his constant. From childhood poetry to freestyle battles, Cenobio learned that he had natural talent and transformed rap from a casual interest into his lifeline and salvation. Today, with 19 years of sobriety and collaborations with hip-hop industry veterans, Cenobio uses his platform to inspire others facing similar struggles. His new album "Journey of my Darkness" represents both his personal odyssey and his mission to reach those still fighting their own battles.

This episode offers a powerful reminder that no matter how far you fall, redemption is always within reach. As Cenobio puts it with quiet confidence: "God isn't finished with me yet."

The Hare Trigga:

Apple Music

YouTube

Bandcamp

Out Of The Blue:

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What happens when life knocks you down — literally — and leaves you bleeding and immobile on your kitchen floor? For Betsy Hammer, it became a profound lesson in composure, resilience, and gratitude. Betsy's fall from a stepladder could have ended tragically. Yet instead of panic, she exhibited remarkable presence of mind — reaching for her phone through sheer determination, coordinating her rescue, and even ensuring her dog's safety from broken glass. This composure was so striking that hospital staff initially underestimated her injury's severity until x-rays revealed her hip "hanging by a thread."

Beyond this recent trauma, Betsy shares several transformative spiritual experiences that have shaped her outlook — from childhood visions of what she believed was a soul, to powerful divine encounters that left her with unshakable faith. As a professional actress who has worked with Adam Sandler and performed on Broadway, Betsy's creative journey has been marked by these "out of the blue" moments that confirmed her path.

The accident has changed Betsy in unexpected ways — slowing her physically while expanding her capacity for empathy and gratitude. She introduces listeners to her practice of "gratitude hums," a technique combining vocal vibrations with gratitude meditation that anyone can use to cultivate positivity. Most touchingly, she shares her belief that we all possess "angelic souls" that flourish when nourished with kindness and positivity.

Betsy's story reminds us that life's unexpected challenges often reveal our true strength. By approaching difficulties with grace and presence, we might discover profound gifts waiting on the other side of adversity.

For more on Betsy Hammer: https://betsyhammer.com/

Out Of The Blue:

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Joseph Bonanno was minutes away from death the morning of September 11, 2001. As a New York City firefighter and cookbook author, he had just wrapped up filming a segment for television at Ladder 3 in Manhattan when fate intervened—a car service arrived early to take him home. The firefighters he'd just been with immediately responded to the World Trade Center attacks. None survived.

That brush with mortality transformed Bonanno's life forever. A second-generation firefighter who followed his father's footsteps, Joe had already found unexpected success as an author after being discovered in a casual writing class. But 9/11 reshaped his understanding of purpose and pain in ways no one could anticipate. With heartbreaking candor, he recounts not only the horrors of Ground Zero but also the profound grief of losing his brother, also a firefighter, to suicide years later.

What emerges is a powerful testament to resilience and the healing power of service. Today, Bonanno uses his experiences to counsel fellow first responders dealing with PTSD and suicidal thoughts. His insights into recognizing warning signs—particularly when someone loses their sense of humor—provide vital guidance for supporting those in crisis.

"We're all going to leave this life sooner or later anyway," Bonanno reflects. "What's the rush?" This simple yet profound philosophy encapsulates his approach to both personal healing and helping others find their way through darkness.

American Firehouse Cuisine: https://americanfirehousecuisine.com

Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance: https://www.ffbha.org

Out Of The Blue:

For more: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org

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What if the anxiety, irritability, or sleepless nights you're experiencing aren't just "normal stress," but signs of trauma you're carrying? In this profound conversation with trauma expert Dr. Marti Loring, we uncover how trauma shapes our lives in ways most people never recognize.

Dr. Loring, a pioneering voice in trauma research and author of "Emotional Abuse: The Trauma and Treatment," shatters common misconceptions about trauma, revealing it's not just for war veterans or disaster survivors—it's something we all experience to varying degrees. "Trauma has often been called a normal reaction to an abnormal situation," she explains, offering listeners permission to recognize their struggles without shame.

The discussion takes unexpected turns as we explore how trauma manifests through hyper-vigilance, emotional numbing, avoidance, and even physical symptoms. Dr. Loring addresses how today's non-stop news cycle and pandemic experiences have created collective trauma, leaving many feeling helpless and disconnected from themselves. But rather than leaving listeners in despair, she offers practical, actionable strategies for reclaiming power: selectively engaging with causes that matter to you, finding community through in-person connections, and taking meaningful action.

Perhaps most touching is Dr. Loring's emphasis on self-kindness as the foundation for healing. "Be kind to yourself," becomes the mantra of our conversation—a simple yet profound reminder that healing begins with compassion for our own struggles. She provides listeners with a practical self-assessment checklist and encourages professional support through therapy or counseling.

Whether you're grappling with anxiety, feeling overwhelmed by world events, or simply seeking to understand yourself better, this episode offers both validation and hope. Finding meaning through helping others can transform trauma into purpose, and connection—to ourselves and each other—might be our most powerful medicine in troubled times.

Trauma Self-Assessment Checklist:

1. How anxious are you and how often?
2. How are you getting along with other people?
3. Are you irritable or distrustful?
4. Do you find yourself having trouble sleeping? 
5. Do you tend to react in an anxious way to other things? 
6. Are you feeling depressed and hopeless and helpless? 
7. Do you have so little energy? 
8. Do you have flashbacks to things in the past?
9. Do thoughts and images intrude into your thinking so it’s hard to concentrate?
10. Do you forget or ‘tune out’ on parts of your life, unable to remember?

Contact Dr. Marti Loring: [email protected]

Out Of The Blue:

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What if the universe is trying to become aware of itself through your experiences? What if your most devastating loss could become the doorway to profound transformation?

Louis Dorian's story will stop you in your tracks. After his partner's accidental opioid overdose, Louis spiraled into grief and heavy drinking. But something unexpected emerged from this darkness – insights that would transform his understanding of consciousness, trauma, and healing.

This conversation goes far beyond typical discussions of psychedelics and mental health. Louis shares how he developed his "eight root fundamentals" of growth after discovering that many of our deepest struggles stem not from our thoughts, but from the automated beliefs anchoring those thoughts. He challenges our society's obsession with thinking, explaining how our Default Mind Network (DMN) operates like computer software – often with contradictory programming that creates suffering.

"True love never seeks reciprocation," Louis explains, describing how his relationship with his partner taught him that love is maintained regardless of how the other person responds. This perspective asks us to take radical responsibility for our reactions rather than blaming others for our pain.

Whether you're curious about psychedelics, struggling with grief, or simply seeking a deeper understanding of consciousness, this episode offers a roadmap for transforming pain into wisdom. Louis's journey reminds us that sometimes our most profound growth emerges from what seemingly destroys us.

Out Of The Blue:

For more: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org

For exclusive content: patreon.com/podcastOOTB

When Brian Rizzo denied entry to an unstable man at a Portland strip club where he worked as a bouncer, he couldn't have known those seconds would forever divide his life into before and after. Moments later, that same man returned with a pistol and shot Brian in the head at point-blank range.

What followed defies medical explanation. Given less than a 1% chance of survival, Brian not only lived but emerged from a 31-day coma to begin a remarkable journey of recovery. The bullet had missed his brainstem by "the width of a hair," a margin so impossibly small it challenges our understanding of luck, fate, or divine intervention.

In this raw and powerful conversation, Brian takes us through his transformation from a man who once dealt drugs and steroids to someone who found profound purpose through faith. He describes the humbling reality of relearning basic functions, losing his independence, being denied disability benefits despite clear brain trauma, and eventually finding himself homeless and living in his truck during the pandemic.

Yet what resonates most is Brian's perspective on suffering. "God puts a mountain in front of everyone," he explains. "This is the mountain that was set in front of them. It's the one that He knows they can climb." He rejects the comparison of traumas, insisting that claiming "my mountain is harder than your mountain" helps no one. Instead, Brian now dedicates his life to inspiring others facing PTSD, traumatic brain injury, or depression—showing them they're not alone on their climb.

Whether you're struggling with your own seemingly impossible mountain or simply seeking perspective, Brian's extraordinary journey reminds us that sometimes our deepest purpose emerges from our darkest moments.

Follow Brian on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/brizzo995

Out Of The Blue:

For more: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org

For exclusive content: patreon.com/podcastOOTB