Mike Boland’s story could easily sound like several different lives.
He was an award-winning newspaper reporter who walked away from journalism as alcohol increasingly took control. He found himself working in bars, watching his career and relationships deteriorate, before an unexpected suggestion from his mother led him to audition for a community theater production.
He had never acted before.
Within a few years, Mike was a professional actor. Eventually his career would take him to Broadway, national tours, television and film. But first, his drinking threatened to take that away, too.
In this conversation, Mike talks with Richard Taliaferro about addiction and recovery, the people who continued to see something in him when he couldn't see it himself, rebuilding relationships after getting sober, and why the darkest part of his story changed the way he experiences joy today.
They also explore Mike's deeply personal film Yo Andrea, a project he has spent nearly a decade writing, developing, financing and now directing — and the lesson from recovery that has carried him through the entire process:
Don't quit before the miracle.
It's a conversation about second chances, purpose, asking for help, and what can happen when the life you end up living looks nothing like the one you originally imagined.
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I’m Richard Taliaferro, a certified career coach, former journalist, and curious human. I talk with people navigating reinvention—founders, creatives, career changers, and purpose-driven professionals—about the work they’ve built, the lessons they’ve learned, and what it means to create a life that actually fits.
Not sure where you’re actually stuck? Take the 90-Second SPARK for a personalized read: https://spark-diagnostic.vercel.app/
Find out more at: https://www.richardtaliaferro.com
Host/Executive Producer: Richard Taliaferro
Co-Producer: Debra Chandler
#MikeBoland #YoAndrea #CareerReinvention #Recovery #Sobriety #AddictionRecovery #Broadway #ActorLife #Filmmaking #IndependentFilm #CareerChange #FindingPurpose #SecondAct #PersonalGrowth #TheRichardTaliaferroPodcast
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