The Edlow Podcast

What’s it like to put on the Cosmo Cougar suit and run out in front of a BYU crowd?

On this episode of The Edlow Podcast, Aaron McGavick shares what it meant to be BYU’s Cosmo the Cougar, how he went on to work as a mascot in the NBA and at the 2002 Winter Olympics, and what it was like to win a national medal in masters speedskating.

Aaron also talks about why he wants to spend more time in the scriptures. We dig into what Latter-day Saints believe about premortal life and the plan of salvation, and we wrestle with a question that brings agency into focus. Why did a third of the hosts of heaven choose to turn away?

What’s it like to put on the Cosmo Cougar suit and run out in front of a BYU crowd? On this episode of The Edlow Podcast, Aaron McGavick shares what it meant to be BYU’s Cosmo the Cougar, how he went on to work as a mascot in the NBA and at the 2002 Winter Olympics, and what it was like to win a national medal in masters speedskating.

Aaron also talks about why he wants to spend more time in the scriptures. We dig into what Latter-day Saints believe about premortal life and the plan of salvation, and we wrestle with a question that brings agency into focus. Why did a third of the hosts of heaven choose to turn away?

We also get honest about church callings that feel more logistical than spiritual. What does faithful service look like when most of your calling feels like coordinating schedules and taking care of details? And when life gets hard, how do you stay hopeful and decide what deserves your focus?

If something in this conversation resonates with you, tell us in the comments. What scripture has helped you through a difficult season?

What happens when the career you’ve dreamed of your entire life starts changing the person you want to be?

In this episode of The Edlow Podcast, my friend Jeremy Cleek—a local Latter-day Saint elders quorum president—shares why he walked away from the sheriff’s department after eight years, even as his career was moving forward.

Following in the footsteps of his father, who served for 40 years, Jeremy thought he had found his lifelong calling. But exposure to death, volatile situations, and people’s worst moments brought emotional strain and anger that followed him home. Eventually, he had to confront what the job was doing to him as a husband, father, and disciple of Christ. 

Jeremy opens up about the fear of submitting his resignation, worrying about disappointing his parents, and the unwavering support of his wife, Paige, that helped him take a leap of faith. We also discuss his transition into solar sales, the familiar patterns that resurfaced, and his ongoing effort to find balance while working as a healthcare administrator at a retirement facility.

At its heart, this is a conversation about identity, integrity, and how we define success. Jeremy wants his children to grow up knowing they came first—and to be known, above all, as someone who loves God and strives to follow Jesus Christ. An honest conversation about the cost of a dream, the courage to change direction, and choosing the people who matter most.

What happens when you achieve your dream—and discover that happiness doesn’t automatically come with it?

WWE alumna Melina Perez joins Josh Edlow on The Edlow Podcast for an honest conversation about the dream, the pain, and the woman behind the WWE spotlight.

From training at Jesse Hernandez’s School of Hard Knocks in San Bernardino to being cut from WWE Tough Enough and eventually earning a WWE contract, Melina shares the determination that brought her to the biggest stage in professional wrestling.

She also opens up about what audiences couldn’t see: the rumors, the bullying she says she experienced, and the nights she spent crying in her hotel room while trying to appear unaffected. Behind the confident, glamorous character was a sensitive, goofy person navigating the pressures of being a woman in WWE during that era.

In a deeply personal discussion, Melina talks about depression, surviving a suicide attempt, and her ongoing journey toward finding hope and recognizing beauty in life.

We also explore her close-knit family, the pride she takes in representing the Latina community, and why her most meaningful successes are the relationships and connections she has made along the way.

A conversation about identity, belonging, resilience, and learning to value yourself beyond other people’s opinions.

🎙️ Subscribe to The Edlow Podcast for more conversations about the lives behind the names. People are more alike than different.

💬 What part of Melina’s story resonated with you? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Content note: This episode includes discussion of bullying, depression, and a suicide attempt.

Sometimes the people who seem to be holding everything together are carrying more than anyone realizes.

In Just Me #30, I’m answering your questions about parenting through heartbreak, navigating co-parenting, learning to trust after divorce, and moving forward in faith when life looks nothing like you expected.

We talk about sustaining religious leaders when we have questions, setting boundaries without losing compassion, and making sure someone else’s hurtful choices don’t determine who we become. How do we find joy while we’re still healing—and stop putting our peace on hold until everything works out?

And because it’s still me, there’s plenty of laughter along the way: childhood memories, wrestling, The Greatest Showman, Halloween candy, traditional dating roles, and why hiking is wildly overrated.

Honest questions. Personal experiences. A little humor. And a reminder I need as much as anyone: We don’t always get to choose what happens to us. We do get a say in who we become.

Available on YouTube, Apple Podcast and Spotify

How do the friendships we form and the childhoods we experience shape the parents we become?

In this episode of The Edlow Podcast, I sit down with my longtime friend from high school, Jim Bales, for a conversation about growing up in the ’90s, raising children today, and figuring out what matters most. Jim shares how being a child of divorce has influenced his approach to fatherhood, raising a blended family, and navigating relationships with co-parents.

We revisit our favorite high school memories and reflect on the importance of having a good group of friends during those formative years.

As a high school basketball coach, Jim also offers his perspective on bullying and the pressures teenagers face today, including the risks of sharing private images and having that trust exploited.

We discuss his support for Donald Trump, what that support means to him, and finding his political identity when neither “Republican” nor “Democrat” feels like the right fit.

Along the way, we talk about his time in beautiful Alaska and our mutual friend Luke Altapeter, an Alaska State Trooper. At the heart of it all is fatherhood—and what Jim has learned about material possessions, time with family, and the life he wants to build.

What’s a lesson from your upbringing that you’ve carried into parenting? Share it in the comments.

Subscribe to The Edlow Podcast for more conversations about the experiences that shape us—and remind us that people are more alike than different. 

WWE legend The Warlord joins The Edlow Podcast for an unforgettable conversation about professional wrestling, the Powers of Pain, missed opportunities, friendship, faith, family, injuries and the life behind one of wrestling’s most imposing physiques.

The Warlord takes us back to the beginning — meeting Road Warrior Animal at a gym in Minnesota, learning how to train for professional wrestling and eventually getting the call from Dusty Rhodes to join Jim Crockett Promotions.

After a difficult stint in Kansas City, where crowds were small and times were tough, an opportunity in Japan helped change everything. The Warlord talks about learning how to truly wrestle overseas before eventually returning to Charlotte and getting another opportunity with Jim Crockett Promotions.

That opportunity led to his partnership with The Barbarian and the creation of the legendary Powers of Pain.

e shares how the Road Warriors gave the team their blessing and helped them get over, the Powers of Pain signing with WWE, their rivalry with Demolition, and the lifelong friendships he developed with Bill Eadie and Barry Darsow.

We also dive into the breakup of the Powers of Pain and The Warlord’s singles run — including his regrets about how that run unfolded, why he never understood why WWE didn’t push him further, and the program with Hulk Hogan that he wishes he had been given the opportunity to have.

The Warlord talks candidly about life after WWE, wrestling on the independent scene, and the advice he gives young wrestlers today: learn how to wrestle.

But this episode goes far beyond what happened inside the ring.

We discuss the physical price of professional wrestling, his history of injuries and concussions, the surgeries he believes he still needs, and what decades in the business have done to his body.

The Warlord also opens up about traveling to the Holy Land, visiting the Wailing Wall, his Catholic faith and spiritual outlook, his family and children, and why he has told his kids that professional wrestling may not be the right path for them when they would inevitably have to live in their father’s shadow.

He reflects on what he considers his greatest success, the career outside wrestling he wishes he could have pursued as a police officer, and whether he has any regrets after a lifetime in the wrestling business.

Finally, we talk about something much bigger than wrestling:

When it’s all over, what does The Warlord hope people say about him at his eulogy?

This is The Warlord: Power, Pain & the Life Behind the Muscle.

Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

What does it actually mean to become someone new—and how do you know when God is speaking to you versus when you’re simply hearing what you want to hear?

On this episode of The Edlow Podcast: Just Me, I’m answering your questions about faith, fatherhood, relationships, personal revelation, single adults in the Church, finding meaning, starting over…and, because it’s Just Me, wrestling, 80s and 90s movies, Easy Cheese, questionable music choices, and teaching someone how to burp.

We get into some deeper questions:

How do you tell the difference between having faith that something will work out and having faith that you’ll be okay even if it doesn’t?

Is that feeling the Holy Ghost—or is it just you?

What has fatherhood taught me about Heavenly Father?

What can the Church—and more importantly, what can we as members—do better for single parents and single adults who are faithfully trying to stay on the covenant path?

Why do I fill my life with so many different things, and how do I get it all done? What’s the difference between starting over and actually becoming someone new? And when it comes to dating, maybe the answer isn’t desperately searching for “the one.” Maybe it’s becoming the best version of yourself—and learning to recognize the person who doesn’t want something from you, but simply wants you.

We also talk about the end of the Brother Brigham undefeated streak—or maybe we don’t, because I’m not smartening you up. This episode ultimately comes back to one idea: You are the greatest project you will ever work on. You are more than the negative thoughts in your head. You’re allowed to change direction. You’re allowed to grow. You’re allowed to begin again. Restart when you need to. Refocus as many times as you need to.

In this episode of The Edlow Podcast, I sit down with my longtime friend Spencer Jones, for an open and deeply personal conversation about faith, mistakes, fatherhood, marriage, and finding your way home.

Spencer and I served together in the Indiana Mission when we were young missionaries with a lot of life still ahead of us. His journey after the mission, however, took some unexpected turns.

After being offended by an interaction with a bishop, Spencer eventually stepped away from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What followed were 14 years away from the Church — years filled with choices, consequences, lessons, and experiences that would ultimately change the way he looked at faith, family, and his relationship with God.

Spencer talks candidly about what it was like to know what having the Spirit felt like — and then experience life without that same spiritual connection. We discuss the opportunities for spiritual growth he believes he lost during those years, the lessons he had to learn the hard way, and what eventually led him back.

We also talk about how the death of his mother affected him spiritually and changed his perspective on life and eternity.

But this conversation isn’t only about leaving and returning to the Church. It’s about what Spencer has done with everything he’s learned.

We talk about fatherhood, becoming the kind of dad his children can rely on, being a better husband, and how past mistakes can become powerful teachers when we’re willing to learn from them rather than be defined by them.

Spencer also shares what he has learned about following the prophet, listening to spiritual promptings, and why he now believes life becomes much simpler when we stop fighting against the direction God is trying to give us.

This is a conversation about learning the hard way.

About losing something before understanding its value.

About becoming a better husband and father because of the mistakes you’ve made.

And ultimately, about discovering that no matter how long the road has been, there can still be a road home.

🎙️ The Edlow Podcast

Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

Hollywood screenwriter Neal Gumpel has lived a life that sounds like it could have been one of his own movies.

In this deeply personal episode of The Edlow Podcast, Neal shares the remarkable journey that took him from childhood trauma and a crisis of faith to the excesses of Hollywood—and eventually to sobriety, reflection, and a very different understanding of the life he lived.

Neal opens up about being molested by a Jesuit priest as a teenager, an experience that profoundly affected his relationship with religion and led him to reject college and become an atheist. He later married his high school sweetheart, became an Elder in the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and ultimately found himself divorced and disfellowshipped from the faith.

His life would take another dramatic turn when he moved to New York, married a fashion model, struggled with drug addiction, and divorced again. But it was that same woman—whom he would eventually remarry—who encouraged Neal to sit down and write his first story.

That story changed everything.

After a Hollywood writer discovered his work and helped turn it into a movie, Neal suddenly found himself immersed in the entertainment industry—crossing paths with stars including Kevin Bacon, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci and learning firsthand the enormous difference between having a screenplay optioned and actually getting a movie made.

Neal talks candidly about making nearly every mistake a person could make in Hollywood, attending wild and sometimes seedy parties, visiting Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion parties, and witnessing a side of the entertainment industry most people never see.

We also discuss Neal’s perspective on Hollywood’s connections to the occult, his experiences and observations surrounding the era of Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby, and the relationship he sees between trauma and many of the people who become performers.

But beneath the Hollywood stories is something much deeper.

Neal reflects on finally getting clean from drugs, the guilt he still carries from parts of his Hollywood years, the lessons he learned from decades of extraordinary highs and devastating lows, and what he would do differently if he could live it all again.

We also talk about where Neal is today and his new pilot, Fish Therapy.

Trauma. Religion. Addiction. Marriage. Divorce. Hollywood. Fame. Excess. Sobriety. Guilt. And redemption. This is Neal Gumpel’s story.

WWE veteran Barry Horowitz joins The Edlow Podcast for a conversation about the craft, discipline, and responsibility of being a professional wrestler.

Barry talks about his early training and why finding the right wrestling school matters, the importance of becoming a technically sound performer, and what it really means to understand your role inside the ring.

For Barry, professional wrestling was never simply about wins and losses. He viewed his job as being a starmaker — using his experience, ability, and understanding of the business to help make his opponents look like they belonged on the biggest stage possible.

We discuss what separates someone who knows wrestling moves from someone who truly understands professional wrestling, some of Barry’s favorite opponents throughout his career, and the pride he took in doing his job the right way.

Barry also takes us behind the scenes of life on the road, including traveling alone, maintaining his workouts, watching his nutrition, and staying physically prepared through the demanding schedule of professional wrestling.

It’s a conversation about an often-overlooked side of the wrestling business: mastering your craft, understanding your role, and sometimes making yourself invaluable by helping create the next star.

🎙️ Barry Horowitz: The Art of Making a Star — Wrestling, Work Ethic & Life on the Road

Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify.