Eric Devendorf  isn’t just a former basketball standout—he’s a living testament to how one’s love for the game can evolve into a mission. From scoring 1,680 points at Syracuse University and playing professionally to coaching, broadcasting, and launching a foundation in Central New York, Eric blends passion, resilience, and relentless commitment into everything he does.

In this heartfelt conversation on The Dr. Melissa Show: The Stories That Shape Us, Eric opens up about his early years in Michigan—how his daily practice, high school struggles, and ability to brush aside negativity forged his competitive edge and mental toughness. He reflects on Syracuse and the transition to professional basketball, the internal pressure of unmet expectations, and the complex emotional terrain when goals shift or fall short.

But this episode goes deeper than sports. Eric shares how community and family provided emotional armor; how peer support and mentorship helped him navigate depression and identity beyond the court; and how giving back through Ed 23 Hoops and Ed 23 Foundation became not just a purpose, but a form of healing and legacy.

What You’ll Hear:
*How childhood routines, parental support, and inner fire shaped self-motivation
*Thriving in adversity: the role of criticism, expectation, and perseverance
*The emotional cost of unmet dreams—and finding purpose through philanthropy
*How to plant seeds that might not sprout now, but live on later
*Coaching and mentorship with depth, authenticity, and heart

This episode is for anyone who’s ever wondered what to do after the dream fades—or how to turn passion into purpose that outlasts the game. Eric’s journey is a roadmap for embracing growth, even when life pivots you in unexpected directions.

Connect with Eric and ED23 Hoops:
🌐 www.ed23hoops.com
In August 2019 Eric decided it was time to return “home” and give back to the Syracuse community that has embraced him. Eric started what is now known as “ED23HOOPS.” With a focus on basketball skills on the court and life skills off the court, ED23Hoops offers basketball camps, clinics, one-on-one training and AAU leagues. 

⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional counseling or mental health treatment. Listening to this podcast does not constitute a therapeutic relationship. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please reach out to a licensed professional.
🔹 Brought to you by CNY Mental Health Counseling, PLLC
We proudly serve individuals, couples, and families across New York State and partner with schools, nonprofits, and corporate teams to support mental wellness and resilience.
🌐 Learn more: www.cnymhc.com
📍 Please note: Due to state licensure laws, services are only available to residents of New York State.
💼 Looking for executive or performance coaching support?
Explore Dr. Carman’s work with global leaders, entrepreneurs, and high-performing teams:
🌐 www.drmelissacarman.com
👍 Like, Subscribe & Share
If this conversation moved you, helped you feel seen, or inspired you to reflect more deeply on your own story—please subscribe, leave a comment, and share it with someone who needs it.

Want to be a guest on the show? Email: [email protected]

This is what we explore in depth inside my private executive coaching practice. If you're a high-performer or leading a team navigating growth, identity, or burnout—let’s talk.

When everything changes in an instant, what do you hold onto? For Dianne Vitkus, the answer is resilience, determination, and a new way forward as she works to transform trauma into purpose. 

In this episode, Dr. Melissa sits down with Dianne Vitkus—former Division I athlete, surgical PA, and current disability advocate—to explore what it really means to rebuild a life after trauma. After a spinal cord injury left her paralyzed from the chest down, Dianne’s story didn’t end. It transformed.

Together, Dr. Melissa and Dianne dive into the emotional layers of grief, guilt, resilience, and reinvention. From ICU panic attacks to surfing in a wheelchair, Dianne shares how she redefined what strength, identity, and freedom looks like. They also reflect on their real-life therapeutic relationship, revealing raw truths about healing, holding space, and the beauty of being human, even when life doesn’t go to plan.

If you’ve ever had to start over or wondered “who am I now?”—this conversation will stay with you long after the episode ends.

In this conversation you'll hear about:
*How trauma reshapes identity and relationships
*The power of adaptive sports and community connection
*Why emotional support matters just as much as physical recovery
*The therapist’s perspective on showing up during crisis
*The mindset it takes to move through darkness and reclaim purpose

For More on Dianne, follow: @vittysvoyage

⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional counseling or mental health treatment. Listening to this podcast does not constitute a therapeutic relationship. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please reach out to a licensed professional.
🔹 Brought to you by CNY Mental Health Counseling, PLLC
We proudly serve individuals, couples, and families across New York State and partner with schools, nonprofits, and corporate teams to support mental wellness and resilience.
🌐 Learn more: www.cnymhc.com
📍 Please note: Due to state licensure laws, services are only available to residents of New York State.
💼 Looking for executive or performance coaching support?
Dr. Melissa’s proprietary framework, The Iceberg Approach™ for Leaders and Executive Teams, helps high-performing professionals uncover what lies beneath the surface to create lasting, integrated change. 
🌐 Learn more: www.drmelissacarman.com

👍 Like, Subscribe & Share
If this conversation moved you, helped you feel seen, or inspired you to reflect more deeply on your own story—please subscribe, leave a comment, and share it with someone who needs it.

Want to be a guest on the show? Email: [email protected]

This is what we explore in depth inside my private executive coaching practice. If you're a high-performer or leading a team navigating growth, identity, or burnout—let’s talk.

When Carlos Tearney walks into a room, he brings more than world championship titles and a fifth-degree black belt. For those of us lucky enough to know him, we know he brings his mega-watt smile, but he also brings depth.  Carlos' story was shaped by the streets of Syracuse, forged through loss, transformation, and an unshakable commitment to helping others rise.

In this episode of The Dr. Melissa Show, we go far beyond martial arts. Carlos opens up about the night his sister was attacked—and how that moment became the catalyst for a lifetime of teaching others how to defend not just their bodies, but their sense of worth, safety, and self.

We talk about identity, fatherhood, the quiet weight of trauma, and what it really means to “read the room” when survival is a skill you learn young. Carlos shares how he rewired his own mindset through years of training, built an empire of empowerment in his community, and why he believes confidence isn’t taught—it’s remembered.

This conversation is raw, powerful, and deeply human.

You’ll hear:
*How self-defense becomes self-trust
*Why men struggle with vulnerability—and what can shift that
*The “fight” that happens off the mat
*How trauma teaches hyper-vigilance—and how healing rewires it
*What it takes to change your story (and why some never do)
*The legacy Carlos is building with every student he trains

This one’s personal. For Carlos. For Dr. Melissa. For anyone who’s ever had to get back up.

Connect with Carlos:
🌐 https://ctchampionsma.com
Carlos is currently the owner and head instructor of Champions Martial Arts and Fitness which offers training in multiple forms of martial arts as well as summer camps, combative self-defense and kickboxing based fitness training. 

⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional counseling or mental health treatment. Listening to this podcast does not constitute a therapeutic relationship. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please reach out to a licensed professional.
🔹 Brought to you by CNY Mental Health Counseling, PLLC
We proudly serve individuals, couples, and families across New York State and partner with schools, nonprofits, and corporate teams to support mental wellness and resilience.
🌐 Learn more: www.cnymhc.com
📍 Please note: Due to state licensure laws, services are only available to residents of New York State.
💼 Looking for executive or performance coaching support?
Explore Dr. Carman’s work with global leaders, entrepreneurs, and high-performing teams:
🌐 www.drmelissacarman.com
👍 Like, Subscribe & Share
If this conversation moved you, helped you feel seen, or inspired you to reflect more deeply on your own story—please subscribe, leave a comment, and share it with someone who needs it.

Want to be a guest on the show? Email: [email protected]

This is what we explore in depth inside my private executive coaching practice. If you're a high-performer or leading a team navigating growth, identity, or burnout—let’s talk.

What if the moments that nearly break us are the ones that reveal us?

In this episode of The Dr. Melissa Show, Dr. Kaushal “K-Daddy”  Nanavati shares the hidden layers of his journey—from an immigrant childhood and academic collapse to becoming a physician, author, and Assistant Dean of Wellness. Through laughter, love, and honesty, he reveals how self-trust, family roots, and daily mindset shifts build a foundation for true peace.

Dr. Melissa holds space for a conversation that unearths the emotional truths we often overlook—the quiet resilience behind high achievement, the connection between contentment and detachment, and the generational stories that shape our sense of self.

Inside this episode:
A powerful reframe on failure, identity, and belonging | “One-degree” shifts that change your emotional trajectory | Parenting from intention, not expectation | Dr. Nanavati’s unforgettable “wiggle wiggle, shake shake” for when you feel stuck | A fresh take on success: peace without stagnation, ambition without anxiety

This is a story not just about where you end up—but about who you become along the way.

To connect with Dr. Nanavati: [email protected]

⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional counseling or mental health treatment. Listening to this podcast does not constitute a therapeutic relationship. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please reach out to a licensed professional.
🔹 Brought to you by CNY Mental Health Counseling, PLLC
Where healing is personalized, inclusive, and rooted in compassionate care. We proudly serve individuals, couples, and families across New York State and partner with schools, nonprofits, and corporate teams to support mental wellness and resilience.
🌐 Learn more: www.cnymhc.com
📍 Please note: Due to state licensure laws, services are only available to residents of New York State.
💼 Looking for executive or performance coaching support?
Using The Iceberg Approach with high achievers and leadership teams to identify the deeper emotional patterns beneath your decisions, relationships, leadership, and organizational culture. 
🌐 www.drmelissacarman.com
👍 Like, Subscribe & Share
If this conversation moved you, helped you feel seen, or inspired you to reflect more deeply on your own story—please subscribe, leave a comment, and share it with someone who needs it.

Want to be a guest on the show? Email: [email protected]

This is what we explore in depth inside my private executive coaching practice. If you're a high-performer or leading a team navigating growth, identity, or burnout—let’s talk.

As a business founder, nothing is more exciting than scaling . . . but are you scaling and growing in a way that is sustainable? 

In this episode, Dr. Melissa sits down with Christen Belcher, founder of Tre Cani Consulting and the woman behind some extremely successful operational turnarounds. With over two decades of experience building systems that scale, Christen has a gift for seeing what most founders can’t: the gaps in your structure, the blind spots in your team, and the processes that aren’t keeping up. 

They dive into the stories that shaped Christen’s sharp instincts—from building software for massive data centers to managing multimillion-dollar growth inside startups. She shares how operational chaos sneaks in, what most founders get wrong about hiring, and how to build without burning out. Along the way, they unpack identity, grief, leadership, and what it means to define success on your own terms.

If you're growing fast and flying by instinct—this episode is your pause-and-clarify moment. 

In this conversation you'll hear about:
*How systems make or break your ability to scale
*What operational strategy really looks like
*The personal cost of chasing growth without intention
*Emotional intelligence as a business superpower
*What to do when your business is outgrowing you

Connect with Christen:
🌐 www.trecaniconsulting.com
At Tre Cani Consulting, Christen helps entrepreneurs turn ambition into action by building the mindset, team, and infrastructure needed for real, sustainable growth. Her multi-step solution aligns vision, develops leadership mindset, optimizes operations, and strengthens teams—creating a business that can truly scale from the inside out.

⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional counseling or mental health treatment. Listening to this podcast does not constitute a therapeutic relationship. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please reach out to a licensed professional.
🔹 Brought to you by CNY Mental Health Counseling, PLLC
We proudly serve individuals, couples, and families across New York State and partner with schools, nonprofits, and corporate teams to support mental wellness and resilience.
🌐 Learn more: www.cnymhc.com
📍 Please note: Due to state licensure laws, services are only available to residents of New York State.
💼 Looking for executive or performance coaching support?
Explore Dr. Carman’s work with global leaders, entrepreneurs, and high-performing teams:
🌐 www.drmelissacarman.com
👍 Like, Subscribe & Share
If this conversation moved you, helped you feel seen, or inspired you to reflect more deeply on your own story—please subscribe, leave a comment, and share it with someone who needs it.

Want to be a guest on the show? Email: [email protected]

This is what we explore in depth inside my private executive coaching practice. If you're a high-performer or leading a team navigating growth, identity, or burnout—let’s talk.

 Episode 4: All In. Jeff Knauss on Legacy, Leadership, and the People Who Shape Us

In this episode of The Dr. Melissa Show, serial entrepreneur Jeff Knauss (Digital Hyve, Opin, Arcovo AI) shares how poverty fueled his hustle, why he made every employee an owner before selling his company in a multi-million-dollar deal, and how family remains the compass behind every decision he makes.

Some people talk about leadership. Jeff lives it—with heart, vision, and an unwavering commitment to lifting others up.

I’ve seen it firsthand. Jeff has been one of my greatest hype men and a trusted friend who pushed me to come into my own as a leader. This very podcast—and my decision to launch Dr. Melissa Coaching—exists in part because he believed in me before I fully did.

A serial entrepreneur, investor, and AI strategist, Jeff built and scaled one of the fastest-growing marketing agencies in the country. As co-founder and former CEO of Digital Hyve, he not only led the company to national acclaim, but also structured an ESOP so that every employee became an owner—before its eventual sale.

Today, as CEO of Arcovo AI, he’s reshaping the future of work through ethical innovation. He also continues to invest in the next generation as co-founder of Opin, a platform that empowers high school and college entrepreneurs.

But behind the accolades is a man defined by integrity, loyalty, and love. In this powerful conversation, Jeff opens up about:

• The roots of hustle, identity, and the “poverty monster” that shaped him
• What it means to go all in—on business, mentorship, and marriage
• Why his wife Heta and their children remain the center of every life decision
• And how success shifts when you stop chasing outcomes—and start living with purpose

If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to lead with both fire and heart, this episode will stay with you

🎧 Featured Resources from This Episode:

• https://arcovo.ai/ – Arcovo AI designs, deploys, and manages AI-powered digital employees—helping businesses scale smarter, work faster, and thrive
• https://www.jeffknauss.com/– To connect with Jeff 

⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional counseling or mental health treatment. Listening to this podcast does not constitute a therapeutic relationship. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please reach out to a licensed professional.

🔹 Brought to you by CNY Mental Health Counseling, PLLC
We proudly serve individuals, couples, and families across New York State and partner with schools, nonprofits, and corporate teams to support mental wellness and resilience.
🌐 Learn more: www.cnymhc.com
📍 Please note: Due to state licensure laws, services are only available to residents of New York State.

 Looking for executive or performance coaching support?
Explore Dr. Carman’s work with global leaders, entrepreneurs, and high-performing teams:
🌐 www.drmelissacarman.com

👍 Like, Subscribe & Share
If this conversation moved you, helped you feel seen, or inspired you to reflect more deeply on your own story—please subscribe, leave a comment, and share it with someone who needs it.

This is what we explore in depth inside my private executive coaching practice. If you're a high-performer or leading a team navigating growth, identity, or burnout—let’s talk.

In this episode of The Dr. Melissa Show: The Stories That Shape Us, Dr. Melissa Carman—licensed therapist, executive coach, and founder of CNY Mental Health Counseling—sits down with Kate Houck, Executive Director of David’s Refuge and founder of Brave CNY.

Kate is a seasoned nonprofit leader, speaker, and culture-builder who shares what it really takes to lead with intention, build trust, and hold yourself accountable in both professional and personal spaces. She opens up about the feedback that changed her leadership style, how emotional regulation shaped her impact, and the honest work of staying aligned with your values while managing the invisible weight many leaders carry.

This conversation is raw, reflective, and rich with tools you can use.

Together, Dr. Melissa and Kate explore:

• How feedback transformed Kate’s leadership—and her team
• The shift from defensiveness to ownership in high-stakes roles
• “Exit energy,” and how to leave people better than you found them
• Building trust cultures at work and emotional safety at home
• Emotional regulation as a leadership superpower
• The relationship between identity, integrity, and influence
• Making leadership decisions that reflect who you want to be—beyond titles or outcomes

Whether you're an executive, a caregiver, or a high-performing professional navigating identity and growth, this episode will give you something real to hold onto.

🎧 Featured Resources from This Episode:

• www.davidsrefuge.org – Respite, community, and wellness support for caregivers of children with special needs or life-threatening conditions
• www.bravecny.com – Executive coaching and leadership consulting for high-impact individuals and organizations

⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional counseling or mental health treatment. Listening to this podcast does not constitute a therapeutic relationship. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please reach out to a licensed professional.

🔹 Brought to you by CNY Mental Health Counseling, PLLC
We proudly serve individuals, couples, and families across New York State and partner with schools, nonprofits, and corporate teams to support mental wellness and resilience.
🌐 Learn more: www.cnymhc.com
📍 Please note: Due to state licensure laws, services are only available to residents of New York State.

 Looking for executive or performance coaching support?
Explore Dr. Carman’s work with global leaders, entrepreneurs, and high-performing teams:
🌐 www.drmelissacarman.com

👍 Like, Subscribe & Share
If this conversation moved you, helped you feel seen, or inspired you to reflect more deeply on your own story—please subscribe, leave a comment, and share it with someone who needs it.

This is what we explore in depth inside my private executive coaching practice. If you're a high-performer or leading a team navigating growth, identity, or burnout—let’s talk.

In this episode of The Dr. Melissa Show: The Stories That Shape Us, Dr. Melissa Carman—licensed therapist, executive coach, and founder of CNY Mental Health Counseling—sits down with Arel Moodie, award-winning speaker and founder of Talkadot, a software platform helping speakers, educators, and coaches collect powerful audience feedback to grow their impact and credibility.

Arel’s story spans from growing up in public housing in Brooklyn to building an internationally recognized speaking career, being featured in a Disney+ documentary (Own the Room), and hosting a top-ranked podcast. But in this conversation, he shares the quieter truths behind those accolades: the emotional burden of being a “success story,” the armor of likability, and the moment he realized his drive for achievement was rooted in pain.

This episode is a vulnerable and deeply insightful exploration of what it really means to grow—and to rewrite the story you’ve told yourself for years.

🎙️ Dr. Melissa and Arel explore:

• How Arel’s childhood shaped his hunger for success—and the deeper story behind it
• What happens when your life is built on proving you’re “not nothing”
• Why likability became his emotional armor—and how he learned to feel safe without it
• The quiet pressure of being “the one who made it” and the grief that follows
• Why he built Talkadot—and how it helps people turn real impact into proof
• What it looks like to shift from performance to presence in leadership and life

🎧 Featured Resources from This Episode:

• www.talkadot.com – Real-time feedback and credibility tools for speakers, coaches, and educators
• Arel Moodie’s Website – Speaking, media, and personal story
• Disney+ “Own the Room” – Arel’s featured documentary
• Art of Likability Podcast (Legacy) – Arel’s previous podcast on relationships and personal growth

⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional counseling or mental health treatment. Listening to this podcast does not constitute a therapeutic relationship. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please reach out to a licensed professional.

🔹 Brought to you by CNY Mental Health Counseling, PLLC
We proudly serve individuals, couples, and families across New York State and partner with schools, nonprofits, and corporate teams to support mental wellness and resilience.
🌐 Learn more: www.cnymhc.com
📍 Please note: Due to state licensure laws, services are only available to residents of New York State.

💼 Looking for executive or performance coaching support?
Explore Dr. Carman’s work with global leaders, entrepreneurs, and high-performing teams:
🌐 www.drmelissacarman.com

👍 Like, Subscribe & Share
If this conversation moved you, helped you feel seen, or inspired you to reflect more deeply on your own story—please subscribe, leave a comment, and share it with someone who needs it.

This is what we explore in depth inside my private executive coaching practice. If you're a high-performer or leading a team navigating growth, identity, or burnout—let’s talk.

Welcome to the first episode of The Dr. Melissa Show: The Stories That Shape Us—a podcast exploring the quiet, defining moments of identity, growth, and transformation that often unfold behind closed doors.

In this powerful premiere episode, Dr. Melissa Carman—licensed therapist, executive coach, and founder of CNY Mental Health Counseling—sits down with Christine Phillips, a former educator turned Practice & Partnership Manager at CNYMHC—and a fierce advocate and rare disease mom.

With honesty, heart, and deep reflection, Christine shares what it’s been like to navigate a life she never expected: parenting a child with a CASK gene mutation, advocating in the unknown, balancing the demands of a working mom, and learning how to hold space for both of her daughters to be fully seen.

This conversation is tender, courageous, and filled with wisdom—for anyone navigating uncertainty, identity shifts, or a life they didn’t plan for.

🎙️ Dr. Melissa and Christine explore:

• The moment that changed everything—and how Christine found her way through it
• The emotional load of rare disease parenting
• The sibling dynamic between Emmy and Andi, and the tenderness of being seen
• The evolution of marriage, identity, and purpose under pressure
• What Christine has learned about joy, advocacy, and showing up for herself
• The stories we carry, the ones we rewrite, and the power of being honest about both

🎧 Featured Resources from This Episode:

• www.davidsrefuge.org – Respite, community, and support for caregivers of children with special needs or life-threatening conditions
• www.webelieveinacure.org – Global nonprofit working to cure FOXG1 syndrome and supporting the rare disease community
• www.caskgene.org – Advancing research and resources for families impacted by CASK-related disorders

⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional counseling or mental health treatment. Listening to this podcast does not constitute a therapeutic relationship. If you are experiencing a mental health concern, please reach out to a licensed professional.

🔹 Brought to you by CNY Mental Health Counseling, PLLC
We proudly serve individuals, couples, and families across New York State and partner with schools, nonprofits, and corporate teams to support mental wellness and resilience.
🌐 Learn more: www.cnymhc.com
📍 Please note: Due to state licensure laws, services are only available to residents of New York State.

💼 Looking for executive or performance coaching support?
Explore Dr. Carman’s work with global leaders, entrepreneurs, and high-performing teams:
🌐 www.drmelissacarman.com

👍 Like, Subscribe & Share
If this conversation moved you, helped you feel seen, or inspired you to reflect more deeply on your own story—please subscribe, leave a comment, and share it with someone who needs it.

This is what we explore in depth inside my private executive coaching practice. If you're a high-performer or leading a team navigating growth, identity, or burnout—let’s talk.