The Mechanic

IN THIS EPISODE Nick talks to Rabbi Jay Siegel. The Rabbi is senior rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom of Santa Clarita in Southern California and a former associate rabbi at Beth Teshuva Recovery. That’s where his path crossed mine. Rabbi Jay was my spiritual advisor. He connected me to my spirituality and that helped connect me to my higher power. I hope you're ready to be uplifted!SHOW NOTESIf you enjoy this podcast, please check out the rest of what we do at Costard & Touchstone Productions. Your next podcast binge is just a click away!

IN THIS EPISODE Movie and TV writer/producer (and producer of this podcast) Alan Katz goes back thirty plus years with Nick - as client, friend, fellow drug-taker and, these days, partners in various podcasts including this one. Alan and Nick do a deep dive into their joint story - the good, the bad and the ugly.SHOW NOTESIf you're enjoying this podcast, please visit Costard & Touchstone to check out some of our other podcasts. Who knows? Your next great podcast obsession might be just a click away!

IN THIS EPISODE My friend Sean Kanan first made a name for himself playing villain Mike Barnes in The Karate Kid III. These days, he's still working that world as part of Cobra Kai. Sean's also a regular on The Bold And The Beautiful. Sean's also a recovering alcoholic who inspires people on screen and beyond with his incredible message of hope. SHOW NOTESIf you enjoy this podcast, please check out the rest of our podcast lineup at Costard & Touchstone. Your next podcast obsession might be just a click away.

IN THIS EPISODE: My friend Phil Reeves is an actor, a writer, a playwright, a former police officer and, currently, a patrol chaplain with the LA County Sheriff’s Department. Bet you didn't even know such a job exists. It does. And, with Phil in the role, it's an example of perfect casting! SHOW NOTESIf you enjoy this podcast, please check out some of the other podcasts we make at Costard & Touchstone. Your next podcast obsession is just a click away!

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: 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!