The Mechanic

IN THIS EPISODE Just hearing my friend Don Sherwin's story - at an AA meeting in 2019 - gave me hope. Before he got sober forty years ago, Don was an alcoholic and was addicted to both crack and powdered coke. 40 years later (which include a long, successful marriage and a long, successful career as lawyer), Don is completely free of his former mental obsession (with drugs and alcohol). And, to be free of the obsession is to truly be free.SHOW NOTESIf you're enjoying this podcast, pleasel check out our other podcast at Costard & Touchstone. Your next podcast obsession is just a click away!

IN THIS EPISODE  I first met today's guest, Nick Wallace, when I was a resident at the Rancho Park Recovery (a sober living facility). Nick was the house manager. and h e and I instantly hit it off. Having grown up in show biz (Nick's dad was and is a prominent TV director/producer), Nick understood the lure. But he also understood twelve step programs on a granular level. More than anything, Nick was the role model I needed at that moment. SHOW NOTESIf you're enjoying this podcast, pleasel check out our other podcast at Costard & Touchstone. Your next podcast obsession is just a click away!

IN THIS EPISODE My buddy Craig Darian might as well go by the name "Mister Hollywood". He has his talented hands in many different places. His Occidental studios have a ton of stages and production facilities here in Los Angeles, his production company – Tricor – has made movies with people like De Niro, Anthony Hopkins and Kathy Bates. He’s also a movie distributor. Like I said, he works various sides of the business – and works them brilliantly. I first met Craig socially – early to mid 1990’s – through some mutual entertainment executives and we hit it off immediately. He’s smart, he knows everything about movies and his business acumen is through the roof and beyond. I think you’ll like him a lot – maybe even as much as I do. SHOW NOTESIf you're enjoying this podcast, pleasel check out our other podcast at Costard & Touchstone. Your next podcast obsession is just a click away!

THE BLURB: Owning and running restaurants has been my friend Michael Levine's family business going on three generations now. Over the course of my show biz career, I had hundreds of meals at Monty's, the Levine family's restaurant in the Westwood area of Los Angelels with clients and friends. Years of standing, greeting customers - and servicing their craziness with a smile - has made Michael unrelentingly positive. Bon appetit!SHOW NOTESIf you enjoy this podcast, please check out the rest of our lineup at Costard & Touchstone. Your next favorite podcast is only a click away!

THE BLURB: Addiction medicine didn’t always exist. The good news: not only does it now exist, but it’s got my friend Dr. Courtney Scott as one of its distinguished leaders. With over a decade of experience, Dr. Scott is the medical director for more than 25 detox, residential and outpatient substance use disorder – SUD – treatment centers across multiple states. His clinical approach seamlessly integrates addiction medicine with internal and emergency medicine to deliver comperehensive, trauma-informed and medically sound care. In real, practical terms – having been a patient in various emergency rooms while staggeringly intoxicated – what that means is quite simple: Dr. Scott cares deeply about his patients as human beings first and foremost. The individualized detox protocols he’s developed have saved lives. Mine included.SHOW NOTESIf you enjoy this podcast, please check out our other podcasts at Costard & Touchstone Productions!

THE BLURB: My friend Diane is something of a sober role model. She's been sober since June 1980 when a ife of alcohol abuse and transporting drugs suddenly crashed in on Diane. She landed in rehab – her first stint there. But, to her absolute surprise, she experienced something profoundly spiritual that completely changed her world.She discovered a completely new way to live. Sobriety. In this episode, Diane will share not only her story, but her deep passion for volunteering and helping others overcome their addictions and live their best possible lives.SHOW NOTESFor more great podcasts, please check out Costard & Touchstone.

THE BLURB: My friend John Kiriakou might just be the best known spy in the whole world. A former CIA officer, during america's war on terror, John led the counter-terrorism force that captured Abu Zubaydah, the man we thought was the Number 3 at Al Qaeda. When John learned later that we had tortured Abu Zubaydah, he ratted out the CIA's illegal torture program and spent 23 months in federal prison for having done the right thing. SHOW NOTESIf you enjoy this podcast, please check out our other podcasts at Costard & Touchstone Productions!

THE BLURB: Finding the right drug counselor or sober/therapeutic companion can make a huge difference in whether or not an addict conquers their addiction. My friend Phil Hamburger isn't merely a good substance abuse professional, he's a great one. You'll hear what makes him so special - how he helped Nick - and how his life experience and professional experience have made him the go-to guy when the NHL or MLS want to help players with substabnce abuse and their behavioral health.SHOW NOTESIf you enjoy this podcast, please check out our other podcasts at Costard & Touchstone Productions!