The Ryan Pyle Podcast

Douglas Johnson of Entertainment Plus Productions on 25 years of large-scale live shows for Amazon, Disney and the Recording Academy.

Douglas Johnson is the visionary force behind Entertainment Plus Productions, an award-winning global powerhouse that has captivated audiences worldwide. With over 25 years in the entertainment industry, Doug has redefined large-scale productions, shaping unforgettable moments that unfold across the globe every single day. A true innovator, Doug is a one-stop creative mastermind whose expertise touches every aspect of production. Most recently, Doug crafted a jaw-dropping performance for Amazon's UPFRONTS, orchestrating a show-stopping production for their Fallout moment in New York with 20 performers. His relationships with clients extend beyond business; they're built on trust and longevity. Having collaborated with Disney for over a decade, he recently helped create an electrifying Deadpool/Wolverine feature at Comic-Con. His influence spans over 20 years with The MGM Corporation, 10 years with Royal Caribbean, and 15 years with the Recording Academy.

Doug's creative imprint is everywhere, from Sweet Home Alabama to hit TV shows like The Mentalist and That 70s Show, plus commercials for GAP, Macy's, and the Atlanta Braves. He has worked with global icons like Katy Perry, Gwen Stefani, Reese Witherspoon, and Jennifer Lopez.

To learn more about Douglas: http://www.eplusproductions.com

Chapters
0:00 Welcome Douglas Johnson
2:34 What Americans don't know about their own country
5:09 Huntsville, Alabama
7:44 Growing up poor and growing your own food
10:16 Macy's executive training in Atlanta
12:51 The head start of Hollywood's children
15:27 When performing felt like a hobby
18:04 From Alabama to Atlanta to California
20:39 Plucking chickens at four
23:17 New York at 14 and a first Broadway show
25:51 Losing the accent
30:52 Small-town school and the band
33:25 People can be harsh
35:56 Coming out
38:30 A first dance
41:05 Moving to LA
46:05 Hard questions about suffering
48:41 Personal assisting for the stars
51:14 Meeting Ken
53:46 Always a storyteller
56:22 Goat dressing and silly games
58:52 Floral work for famous clients
1:01:23 No sweets for the big kid
1:03:57 Searching the President's bedroom for a book
1:06:29 A Secret Service favour
1:09:04 Families with ten-thousand-dollar vases
1:11:38 Pig calling on the resume
1:16:38 Marketing a gay-owned business on AOL
1:19:14 Twenty-one years of MGM New Year's shows
1:21:47 Seeing stars as regular parents
1:24:18 Shows for Saudi royalty
1:26:54 Ryan's time in Saudi Arabia
1:29:24 Performing in Dubai
1:32:01 The car keys trick
1:34:35 Producing versus performing live
1:37:06 People who keep you real
1:39:41 Notes from Michael Jackson
1:42:12 Becoming the director he once admired
1:44:46 Not the right fit is not a no
1:47:16 If you're on time, you're late
1:49:47 Teaching Reese Witherspoon to two-step
1:52:19 Directing Mickey and Minnie
1:54:50 A $20 coffee
1:57:22 Coming up old school
1:59:55 Treat talent with respect
2:02:31 Legacy and a story about Cher

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Sam Kelly on his love of history, studying at Stanford, and telling true stories of famous people who used drugs.

Sam Kelly was born and raised in Los Angeles. He has been obsessed with history since he was very young. Sam is on the autism spectrum. When he's interested in something, he really digs into it. He is incapable of browsing casually, instead he develops an almost physical compulsion to know everything there is to know on a subject. As a result, he spends hours every day looking stuff up, going on tangents, and uncovering every last stubborn detail. He studied history at Stanford University, but that's putting it mildly. He gobbled up history courses like Pac-Man eats ghosts. By the time he graduated, he had lived in three foreign countries (England, Italy, and Germany) to better immerse himself in world history, and had studied under the tutelage of some of Stanford's most esteemed history scholars.

Determined to share his love of bizarre little-known historical facts, he started a TikTok. His account is @human_history_on_durgs, where his followers listen to him tell wild (but entirely true) stories about famous people in history who used drugs – aka the stuff you won't learn in school. He recently started cross-posting on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.

To learn more about Sam: https://www.instagram.com/human_history_on_drugs

Chapters
0:00 Welcome Sam Kelly
2:32 Studying history at Stanford
5:08 The limits of the school curriculum
7:39 Freud and cocaine
10:17 A family of readers
12:47 It really happened
15:19 Ryan's history classes in Toronto
17:54 Tuscan food
20:26 Has the internet made us lazy historians?
22:58 Medication and everyday life
25:32 Public figures and drug use
28:08 Alcohol's hidden toll
30:41 Drugs and exploitation
33:14 Teachers without a syllabus
35:46 Nietzsche writes his own prescriptions
38:23 Starting the book
40:54 Building a profile on TikTok
43:28 Why not a PhD
46:01 How the book is organised
48:37 Marcus Aurelius and opium
51:07 Chinese emperors chasing immortality
53:42 Collectors and alternative medicine
56:15 Pope Leo XIII and cocaine wine
58:49 How Coca-Cola began
1:01:19 From coca leaf to cocaine
1:03:53 Van Gogh and absinthe
1:06:24 Speculation about Elon Musk
1:08:56 A doctor's fatal experiment
1:11:33 Psychedelics and big ideas
1:14:07 How drugs function in society
1:16:44 Drugs as tools with safety catches
1:19:19 The Elvis chapter
1:21:54 Managers, doctors and Michael Jackson
1:24:25 A president under the influence
1:26:57 Living in the presidential bubble
1:29:28 A rich man's plane crash
1:32:03 Pain medication and reality
1:34:37 Drugs are not simply good or bad
1:37:11 You can't protect yourself from what you don't know
1:39:44 Reaching more readers
1:42:16 A gateway drug to learning

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

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Billy Mandarino returns to talk about Santa Barbara real estate, The NOW-IST, and his film For Now.

Billy Mandarino is a seasoned real estate professional and property manager with nearly two decades of experience as a trusted advisor in the industry. Known for his deep knowledge and intuitive understanding of the Santa Barbara real estate market, Billy has helped countless clients navigate the complexities of buying and selling homes, ensuring that each transaction is handled with the utmost care and expertise.

Beyond his real estate career, Billy is also a respected spiritual teacher, guiding individuals through the transformative principles of NOW-IST, a philosophy that emphasizes living in the present moment. His book, "THE NOW-IST," has touched and transformed many lives, offering insights and practices that encourage mindfulness and presence in daily life.

Billy's dual roles as a real estate expert and spiritual mentor allow him to connect with clients on a profound level, understanding their unique needs and aspirations. His approach is not just about finding a house but creating a home and a life that resonates with one's values, desires, and needs.

Currently his passion is to serve the world emerging from trauma. The mission and movie, FOR NOW, written by Billy and Michael Bowker, focuses on serving those with unresolved trauma.

To learn more about Billy: http://www.billymandarino.com

Chapters
0:00 Welcome back Billy Mandarino
2:31 Living with gratitude
7:31 Ego and the wars of the powerful
10:04 Your habits shape your outlook
15:06 When entertainment stopped educating
20:10 Interrupting the pattern
22:44 Living with symptoms without medication
25:17 Eating on the mountain
27:51 Twenty days off the grid
32:54 Breathing and meditation
37:59 Trauma and chronic illness
40:35 Psychedelics and PTSD
43:06 Rewiring the brain
45:44 Who protects existing industries
50:49 Food standards in the US and Europe
53:24 America and painkillers
58:25 Taking back your power
1:03:28 Teaching kids intuition
1:06:03 From trust to a trust vacuum
1:11:04 Leaving the military
1:13:40 A near-death experience
1:16:13 Coming home to a changed world
1:18:49 Hardship raises awareness
1:21:26 After the Second World War
1:26:30 Spirituality without escape
1:31:35 Visualise your day before you get up
1:34:09 Sharing this with others
1:36:47 The power of imagination
1:39:18 Knowing who you are and what you want
1:41:55 Taking time to think
1:47:00 Tools for everyone
1:49:33 Stuck in fight or flight
1:52:09 Our relationship with things
1:57:12 The happiest time offline
2:02:17 Habits are never finished
2:04:53 AI and taking back information
2:07:26 Research and instinct together
2:10:00 Living with AI
2:15:05 Earning a living in virtual worlds
2:20:06 Most people aren't happy where they are
2:22:40 Golf
2:27:41 Why adventure shows are hard to fund
2:32:47 The democratisation of storytelling
2:37:49 Where Ryan's shows will stream
2:40:20 Billy's movie and movement
2:42:55 Raising funds for the film
2:45:26 We came, we saw, we served

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

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Comedian Jesse Appell on bridging China and the West with comedy, Laowai Style, and studying Chinese xiangsheng comedy.

Jesse Appell is an independent creative, entrepreneur and intercultural comedian based in Beijing who uses comedy to bridge cultural divides between China and the West. Jesse has performed on television, radio, and live on various platforms in China, his intercultural comedic pieces have collected millions of views across various traditional and new media platforms. Jesse has become a trailblazer in the new and fantastically interesting field of intercultural comedy; this work has been featured on TEDx, PBS, NPR and PRI, as well as Chinese media such as CCTV, BTV, and CRI. Jesse was also listed as one of the "People of the Year" for 2012 by the Global Times for my viral video "Laowai Style,"​ which garnered two million views in China. In the English-speaking world, Jesse's "Great LOL Of China" tour, has performed Chinese comedy at over 30 schools, such as at Harvard, Yale SOM, University of Washington, Brandeis, Wesleyan, and UH Manoa.

Previously, as a Fulbright Research Fellow, Jesse conducted 14 months of research on Chinese traditional Xiangsheng comedy, studying Chinese humor through performance and became a disciple of master performer Ding Guangquan (丁广泉 ) and also perform bilingual improv comedy, Chinese language standup, and bilingual rap.

Lastly, Jesse is a hobbyist of Chinese tea culture, he enjoys writing sci-fi / fantasy novels, and he has a giant pet stuffed octopus named Copernicus.

To learn more about Jesse: https://www.instagram.com/whatxisaid

Chapters
0:00 Welcome Jesse Appell
5:03 Cycling in Xinjiang
7:36 Discovering improv
10:12 Comedy across cultures
15:18 A creative way forward online
17:54 Farmland and food security
22:58 Tea as part of life in China
25:30 When print publishing collapsed
28:07 Ancient tea trees and porcelain
30:39 Where tea is grown matters
35:39 How America talks about China
40:44 Hard to find good stories from China
45:47 Exchange programmes and the Fulbright
48:22 Learning from a crosstalk master
50:53 Filming in China then and now
53:29 You can still go to China
56:03 Give the microphone to people on the ground
58:37 Sensationalised reporting at home
1:01:11 A polluted media well
1:03:47 The early days of stand-up in China
1:06:24 Tea with the authorities
1:11:25 No fighting in the tea room
1:13:57 The economics of running a tea house
1:16:32 Too many eggs in one basket
1:19:04 Staying dynamic
1:24:07 Finding sponsorship
1:26:43 Real strength
1:31:46 Visas and immigration
1:34:22 Why cultural exchange stalls
1:39:24 A year in a monastery
1:41:58 Ryan's goals for the podcast
1:44:31 Unconventional products for travellers
1:47:05 Funding a show without notes
1:49:42 Make the first one good, then move on
1:52:20 The podcast as daily practice
1:54:51 Motorbikes in the mountains
1:57:26 Shanghai or Beijing
2:00:01 Humans crave stability
2:02:35 America's natural beauty
2:05:07 Getting things made in China
2:07:42 How modern advertising works
2:10:14 Where to find Jesse

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

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Dale Allen-Rowse returns to talk about automatic writing, dancing for Celine Dion, and his books on spirituality.

This is my second podcast with Dale Allen-Rowse. If you want to watch and listen to the first podcast, please go to Podcast #30. Dale is visionary storyteller, spiritual channel, and creative force who writes through a process known as Automatic Writing, a stream of consciousness he has honed as both art and sacred practice.

His queer and genre-bending books traverse memoir, metaphysical fiction, spiritual teaching, and sustainability, all with one goal: to help readers awaken to their truest selves. Formerly a principal dancer with several major ballet companies worldwide, then as a back-up dancer for Celine Dion's Las Vegas show A New Day, Dale spent three years performing under the direction of Franco Dragone, the Cirque du Soleil mastermind.

That experience ignited a lifelong devotion to mythic narrative and visual storytelling. After his stage career, Dale built a thriving real estate business and later emerged as a national voice in sustainable prefab housing through his platform, The Prefab Guy. Now a full-time author, spiritual educator and real estate professional, Dale has published two series: Journey of a Dark Shaman Trilogy and the novella series, The Language in Light. His first memoir Foreign To Me was a finalist at the 2024 International Book Awards. Dale's YouTube channel, Spiritual Disco (@daleallenrowse), explores the themes behind his writing; from shamanism and plant medicine to Christ-level manifestation and soul evolution.

To learn more about Dale: www.amazon.com/author/dale-allen-rowse

Chapters
0:00 Welcome back Dale Allen-Rowse
2:33 When yoga was seen as a cult
5:10 Called to a plant medicine retreat
7:45 Private and group retreats
12:48 The mushroom ceremony
15:18 Communicating in the astral
17:55 Why modern medicine wasn't enough
20:32 Vet your retreats
23:10 Nature that hasn't been sterilised
25:40 Opinions are too costly to the soul
28:20 Seeking presence, not pleasure
33:25 A character whose past and future are stuck
38:31 Only light extinguishes the dark
41:03 Respecting indigenous traditions
43:38 A documentary opportunity
46:12 The humanity in Ryan's show
48:44 Watching Ryan's travel series
53:49 When the words won't stop
56:24 Speaking in other languages
1:01:26 Ego death
1:04:00 A tipping point
1:06:37 Disconnecting himself from himself
1:09:14 Reading about gurus
1:11:49 A course and a support group
1:16:54 Digital echo chambers
1:19:27 Nothing you cannot grant yourself
1:22:00 His north star
1:24:34 A diagnosis can be a breakthrough
1:27:08 Losing trust in institutions
1:29:41 Looking for a literary agent
1:32:14 Land near Idyllwild and Big Bear
1:34:50 How prefab homes are built
1:37:21 Fire-resistant concrete homes
1:39:56 Dark skies and prefabrication
1:45:01 Connection with the earth
1:47:36 Fireproof homes on big lots
1:50:12 Small developers and prefab
1:55:17 From the Colosseum to the White House
1:57:50 From dancer to illness to recovery
2:00:27 High vibrations amid the chaos
2:03:03 Sovereign, not selfish
2:05:36 Where to find Dale

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

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Corey Dissin on 30 years leading media projects for Disney on Ice and Howard Stern, and his discipline-driven coaching.

Corey Dissin doesn't believe in shortcuts, and he sure as hell doesn't teach them. For nearly 30 years, Corey led high-stakes media projects for some of the biggest names in entertainment: Disney on Ice, The Howard Stern Show, Monster Jam, and the Philadelphia 76ers. He managed over 100,000 projects, delivered results under pressure, and built a reputation on discipline, execution, and leadership. But he didn't stop there. Corey then walked away from the corporate world to build something personal: Knockout Life and High-Performance Coaching, a no-fluff, discipline-driven system that helps entrepreneurs, creatives, and professionals get unstuck, reclaim their focus, and achieve real results. Over 200 clients have used his methods to replace chaos with clarity and excuses with execution. Corey doesn't coach from theory; he coaches from experience. He's built businesses from the ground up, sold a debt-free fitness studio to invest in his son's future, who went on to be drafted by the Phillies, and trains 5–6 days a week because he lives every word he teaches.

To learn more about Corey: www.coreydissin.com

Chapters
0:00 Welcome Corey Dissin
2:30 Growing up in 1980s Pennsylvania
5:05 LA people and New Orleans people
7:41 A first video shoot at 15
10:19 Philadelphia pride
12:56 Building a commercial production business
15:32 The kid running around the radio station
18:07 Working near Howard Stern
20:38 Arnold Schwarzenegger on social media
23:10 Bringing in a dozen new clients
25:44 Boxing pay-per-view and sports commercials
28:16 A struggling actor with a great voice
30:54 From tape to digital recording
33:26 Coaching voiceover talent
35:58 Mentors and showing others how
38:29 Moving but going nowhere
40:59 Letters after your name
43:37 Never missing his son's baseball
46:14 Becoming a coach
48:46 Building street cred and testimonials
51:22 Planning his escape from the job
53:57 Choosing college over the draft
56:28 Moving to Southern California for baseball
59:02 Western Kentucky University
1:01:37 Betting on himself and getting drafted
1:04:12 Following the minor league season
1:06:45 Worth every sacrifice
1:09:21 A supportive wife
1:11:53 Successful people have boring routines
1:14:25 Clients who graduate
1:17:03 Procrastination beyond business
1:19:33 You have to do the work
1:22:06 A brand that attracts and repels
1:24:43 Confidence as a coach
1:27:17 Fifteen clients at a time
1:29:54 Semi-retired life
1:32:24 Choosing less stress
1:34:57 A home for the long term
1:37:27 Building a life in a new place
1:40:02 Putting the plan together
1:42:39 A senior season cut short by Covid
1:45:17 Most Canadians live near the border
1:47:47 Mud, rivers and motorcycle adventures
1:50:22 Show up to play
1:52:56 Packaging and substance
1:55:32 The boring work that separates contenders
1:58:07 One foot at a time
2:00:44 Two hours that flew by

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

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Actress Kamala Lopez on Sesame Street, Yale, a long TV career, and her ten-year campaign for the Equal Rights Amendment.

After a ten-year hiatus to get the Equal Rights Amendment ratified to the U.S. Constitution Kamala Lopez is back in the business with new episodes of Tim Robinson's "I Think You Should Leave, and "Interior Chinatown" filmed this past season.

Over her long career, the award-winning bilingual actress has starred in over thirty-five feature films and seventy+ TV shows, across all genres (comedy/drama; film/TV). Born in New York City to a mother from Madras, India and a Venezuelan father, Lopez lived with her parents in Caracas until the age of fourteen, studying in British and American schools. While still in high school, and studying acting at Herbert Berghof Studio in Manhattan, Ms. Lopez was cast in CTW's "Sesame Street" as Mercedes, Maria's cousin, a role she portrayed for two seasons before she was accepted to Yale University where she majored in Theatre Studies and Philosophy. Some of the highlights of Ms. Lopez's extensive television career include: groundbreaking television like "It's Garry Shandling's Show", "Hill Street Blues" and the Amnesty International sponsored episode of "21 Jump St."; opposite Christine Lahti and Ruben Blades in "Crazy From The Heart"; opposite Glenn Close in Stones For Ibarra; hosting "Wired Science" with Chris Hardwicke for PBS. Recurring roles include on the hit NBC show "Medium" as attorney Kristine Romney; on Showtime's critically acclaimed series, "Resurrection Blvd." as artist Sulinda Serrano; as Lisa Vidal's sister, Connie, "The Division" as army nurse Susanna Lozada on "Tour of Duty" and as prostitute/informant Carlita the CBS series "The Handler." More than sixty episodic guest leads include "Hacks," "Mayans MC," "Black Jesus", "24", "Alias", "JAG," "Miami Vice" and "NYPD Blue" among many others.

The Equal Rights Amendment:
Kamala has been the Keynote or Featured Speaker in venues as disparate as the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery, the United Nations, The National Arts Club, at the YaleWomen Global Conference and Stanford Law School. Kamala has appeared as herself on multiple television, radio and cable networks including NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, BBC, CNN, PBS, Telemundo, Univision, NPR, KPFK, WBAI, KIIS and many more.

To learn more about Kamala: https://www.kamalalopez.com/

Chapters
0:00 Welcome Kamala Lopez
7:47 Family-run economies
18:09 Finding acting resources at 14
25:52 Back to film after college
36:08 Union rules abroad
41:15 Ryan's years in photojournalism
48:57 What counts as premium content
56:38 Brand and content conceived together
1:01:43 How TikTok pays creators
1:09:30 Writing feminist work in a misogynistic moment
1:14:41 Discovering women aren't equal under the law
1:22:20 Equal pay for work of equal value
1:27:30 Unleash everyone's ideas
1:32:42 How some Native American societies managed conflict
1:40:21 Older women on the streets
1:45:26 The Selective Service case
1:55:30 Trafficking and online exploitation
2:00:40 America's weapons economy
2:08:20 Finding guests through PR people
2:18:33 Hollywood and the administration
2:26:12 The DC fight goes on

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

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Cardiologist Dr. Dave Montgomery on preventive heart care, his media work, and using TV and social media to improve public health.

Dr. Dave Montgomery is a board-certified cardiologist and the founder of PREventClinic in Atlanta. Known as Dr. Dave, he is a sought-after TV personality and serves as the medical contributor for News Nation, America's source for fact-based, unbiased news. He has also made frequent appearances on CNN, HLN, and various national talk shows. Dr. Dave hosts The Health Mastery Café with Dr. Dave and the web series The Good Doctor TV. Recognized for his expertise, he was named one of Atlanta Magazine's Top Doctors in 2022 by his peers. He believes that mass media and social media are crucial in enhancing public health globally.

To learn more about Dr. Dave: https://www.instagram.com/thegooddrdave

Chapters
0:00 Welcome Dr. Dave Montgomery
2:38 Growing up on Chicago's South Side
5:12 Why he loves Chicago
7:45 Listening to emotions and choosing Morehouse
10:18 Wanting to be a doctor at eleven
12:50 It's okay to change your mind
15:20 Teaching his friends anatomy
17:58 Most heart disease is preventable
20:35 A PhD studying heart failure
23:09 Learning to practise medicine
25:39 Every step of the journey was necessary
28:10 Finding Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta
30:45 Learning video alongside medicine
33:15 Prevention and healing
35:48 Doctors who wanted to be violinists
38:20 Finding your zone of genius
40:55 Whole-istic medicine
43:26 From physiologist to cardiologist
45:58 Going deeper than the surface
48:34 Only half awake
51:10 Being present with patients
53:47 The vision of his own clinic
56:18 The clinic is not about him
58:52 A heart screen for everyone over 40
1:01:30 Practical, common-sense testing
1:04:03 If a natural remedy works, use it
1:06:36 Staying around for his daughters
1:09:11 Why family history matters
1:11:46 Visceral fat and insulin resistance
1:14:16 The male invincibility syndrome
1:16:52 Apps that score your food
1:19:22 Contaminants in our food
1:21:53 Giving up what you love
1:24:27 What our parents learned about food
1:27:04 Eating locally out of necessity
1:29:38 The next generation will change the food industry
1:32:14 From print to live radio
1:34:49 Learning television and Steve Harvey
1:37:24 Why doctors avoid the media
1:39:57 Managing patients, TV and talks
1:42:30 Hiring the right people
1:45:06 Using AI to plan your screenings
1:47:38 Get checked more than once
1:50:10 Show me the outcomes
1:52:43 Plant-based diets and their limits
1:55:17 Why people don't take the initiative
1:57:47 Asking AI to explain your lab results
2:00:21 Talking to young people about cholesterol
2:02:51 Plaque regression
2:05:29 Affordable heart testing
2:07:59 Altitude sickness on Kilimanjaro
2:10:33 Oxygen levels at altitude
2:13:08 Don't mask the symptoms
2:15:41 Rewiring habits
2:18:15 Advertising in the US and Switzerland
2:20:52 We're all in it together
2:23:23 Where to find Dr. Dave

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

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AMFM Healthcare CEO Ted Guastello on adolescent mental health, telehealth, and the true causes of addiction.

Having over a decade of experience in the adolescent behavioral health space gives Ted a unique perspective to understand the needed clinical foundation and qualities of what it takes to create a successful adolescent mental health program. Ted has a rare ability to harness individual strengths to work collectively creates a culture of trust which leads to stronger employee engagement and ultimately better treatment for our patients.

Since joining AMFM Healthcare in 2020 as our Chief Strategy Officer, now CEO, Ted has worked to bring our unique and innovative clinical model into new communities, including within Washington and Virginia, two states in critical need of mental health resources. Additionally, in 2020 due to the Covid 19 Pandemic when our industry needed to pivot, Ted saw the broader need and helped develop Mission Connection, our telehealth platform to help bridge the care gap and continue serving our clients during this critically important time.

Mission Connection now treats clients in California, Oregon, Washington and Texas with plans to continue expanding. Ted is passionate about creating dialogue about the true causes of maladaptive behaviors and addiction.

To learn more about Ted: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-guastello-0b77b9117

Chapters
0:00 Welcome Ted Guastello
2:32 Fighting stigma around mental health
5:06 Growing up in southeastern Michigan
7:39 Michigan drivers and black ice
10:12 A fresh start and a new purpose
12:47 A therapeutic lens on life
15:19 Struggling with self-medication
17:53 Keeping everyone at arm's length
20:25 Starting over in a new city
22:58 Playing basketball overseas
25:30 Getting things done on the ground in LA
28:06 Lost in the shuffle online
33:08 Insurance and getting treatment
35:43 What group therapy taught him
38:18 An unconventional life after treatment
43:21 Joining a non-judgmental teen programme
45:54 Stewarding the opportunities he was given
48:29 Therapy is like a personal trainer
51:03 Work, balance and burnout
53:37 Ryan's first trip to China
56:11 Ninety days across China
58:47 Cheap living in Shanghai
1:01:23 Seeing the world to compare your life
1:03:57 Our appetite for consumption
1:06:28 Role models and his father
1:09:00 Never data without context
1:11:33 Online therapy and smartphones
1:14:07 New treatments and the placebo effect
1:16:38 How little we know about the brain
1:19:11 Naloxone and overdose readiness
1:21:45 Movement, connection and belonging
1:24:20 Nature as a spiritual practice
1:26:55 Ryan's childhood in the Rockies
1:29:29 You are what you eat
1:32:04 Structured care for teens in crisis
1:34:38 Weeks away from a better life
1:37:15 What schools should teach
1:39:48 Being honest about what we need
1:42:21 Caring for yourself to care for others
1:44:57 Team therapists and performance stress
1:47:31 Purpose and the stress that comes with it
1:52:31 Feelings pass
1:55:05 Becoming the non-judgmental friend
1:57:40 Naming the podcast

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

Ryan's TV series are streaming around the world.

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YouTuber Amanda Golka on building Swell Entertainment to half a million followers, and writing screenplays and books.

Born and raised in Southern California, Amanda Golka has always had a sharp instinct for spotting emerging trends. In 2014 she decided to take her love for editing and filmmaking to YouTube, and thus Swell Entertainment was born. Since the conception of her online presence Amanda has garnered the trust of over half a million followers who take her recommendations as law. Covering an array of topics, Amanda provides valuable analysis and dialogue for just about anything that she deems worthy of discussion including pop culture, products, events, film and TV, sports, beauty/fashion, the internet, and everything in between. Beyond Swell Entertainment Amanda is now expanding her horizons to pursue her passion for writing screenplays, novels, and nonfiction books. When off-the-clock, Amanda is traveling the world attending motorsport events, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with friends and her adorable mini-Schnauzer, Hermes.

To learn more about Amanda: https://www.youtube.com/@SwellEntertainment

Chapters
0:00 Welcome Amanda Golka
2:30 A dad who encouraged creativity
5:08 Growing up alongside YouTube
7:41 School and dyslexia
10:15 One size fits all schooling
12:45 Where AI helps and where it doesn't
15:22 A talent scout and an audition
17:54 Driven friends and a lost chance
20:30 Coming back to YouTube in college
23:03 A student of content
25:34 Ryan in China during the 2008 crash
28:08 Not waiting for permission
30:43 What she posts about now
33:13 The unscripted Tony Awards
35:46 Finding a way into events
38:21 Hiring an editor from her audience
40:58 Don't waste people's time
43:32 The cliche first video
46:07 Always finding ways to make money
48:38 Moving to LA to act
51:13 Growing with her audience
53:48 Filming the adventure
56:20 Movie reviews and keeping cinemas open
58:53 Influencers who narrow their world
1:01:29 Leaving the coffee shop
1:03:59 Studio audience member
1:06:34 The video that launched the channel
1:09:06 Never niching down
1:11:42 Videos with a long tail
1:14:16 Drive to Survive and F1
1:16:52 Drifting and the love of cars
1:19:27 F1 Miami and a second channel
1:21:59 Women in motorsport
1:24:35 A driving school in Ohio
1:27:08 Go and do it alone
1:29:40 Balancing long-term projects
1:32:14 Hiking and time in nature
1:34:49 Catalina Island
1:37:22 Blacklisted by events
1:39:54 When events get it wrong
1:42:26 The most fun job in the world

The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle

Ryan's TV series are streaming around the world.

Follow the Podcast
X: https://x.com/RyanPylePodcast
Facebook: https://facebook.com/ryanpylepodcast

Follow Ryan Pyle
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ryanjpyle
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ryanpyle
X: https://x.com/RyanPyle
Facebook: https://facebook.com/ryanpyle

https://www.ryanpyle.com