Emotional Intelligence and Drive with Dr. Michelle Nemec

Emotional Intelligence and Drive with Dr. Michelle Nemec

A casual suggestion can change everything if you’re willing to act on it. We sit down with Dr. Michelle Nemec, a keynote speaker, author, educator, and solicitor from Sydney, Australia, to to learn what she's learned from six degrees, multiple career reinventions, and a life built on courage and curiosity. Michelle breaks down emotional intelligence in plain terms: how we regulate emotions, read the room, build resilience, and protect our well-being. We talk about why teacher well-being matters as much as curriculum and why "positive education” works best when it’s lived from leadership all the way down. We also move into the courtroom side of her life, including her experience across multiple areas of law and what she’s seen in community legal work. That segues into conversation about justice systems, incarceration cycles, and the overrepresentation of Indigenous Australians in detention. Michelle also shares stories of endurance, which connects with Vernon’s experience as a leukemia survivor. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/podcastOOTB] Out Of The Blue: Exclusive content: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog [https://www.outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog]

Music That Made Us Feel Alright: Remembering Dave Mason with Steve Thoma

Dave Mason’s songs didn’t just chart, they attached themselves to people’s lives. Musician and longtime collaborator Steve Thoma returns to the podcast for a heartfelt, sometimes hilarious, always honest remembrance of a classic icon whose fingerprints stretch from English rock band Traffic to generations of radio staples. Steve takes us into the real world behind the legend: stories of the walk from the stage to the tour bus where fans would share their admiration, and Dave’s surprisingly human struggle to answer that kind of love. We also get deep into the craft of music, from four piece bands and playing with dynamics and taste, to how a pair of New York City shows turned into “The 40,000 Headmen Tour: Live” album with zero studio polish. Then we discuss the music business. We talk independent labels, classic rock radio, and the kind of record deal that felt rare at the time until a major label changed the math. The result is a portrait of an artist full of charm, contradictions, and commitment. Steve Thoma misses playing with Dave more than anyone else. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/podcastOOTB] Out Of The Blue: Exclusive content: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog [https://www.outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog]

Sound Healing and A New Vision for Care with Dr. Janine Ambrose

Dr. Janine Ambrose grew up learning from nature’s rhythms, then found herself pulled into intuitive counseling shaped by experiences that blended faith, spirit, and a steady desire to help people heal. What unfolds is a grounded but expansive talk about how transformation can arrive without warning and how we respond when it does. We discuss sound healing and frequency therapy, including music designed to support chakra alignment and even sinus relief. We trade ideas about the future of holistic health and integrative medicine. Dr. Ambrose's method is care that treats the whole person through sound, light, breath, nature, and a spiritual component that helps reclaim meaning after illness or crisis. Dr. Ambrose also shares her yogi-led awakening and the kind of spirit encounter that can change your definition of “self” forever, plus vivid moments of manifestation, communication with animals, and even the slowing of time. We connect the dots between trauma healing and laughter, and why joy can be a real tool for resilience. Follow Dr. Janine Ambrose: @janinemealhow [https://www.instagram.com/janinemealhow/] Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/podcastOOTB] Out Of The Blue: Exclusive content: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog [https://www.outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog]

Healing Through Vibration and Harmony with Kidd Griffey

Seizures that strike in your sleep change the way you think about tomorrow. Music artist Kidd Griffey sits down with us to tell the story of what happened when his life took an unexpected turn at 21, how fear and uncertainty reshaped his priorities, and why music became a dream and then a lifeline.  We talk about the “out of the blue” moments that defined his path, including a disruptive move to Detroit during high school, the isolation of being forced to learn independently, and the slow rebuild that followed years of health battles. Griffey explains what it’s like to create while you’re still healing and how faith helped him shift from constant stress to a steadier mindset. Along the way, we discuss songwriting choices: uplifting records versus sad songs, how harmony and vibration feel physical, and why live music can feel like church.  Griffey describes his transition from hip hop into country music and his decision to pull his catalog from streaming platforms. If you care about resilience, spiritual growth, and independent artists, this conversation is for you. Follow Kidd Griffey: @iamkiddgriffey [https://www.instagram.com/iamkiddgriffey/] Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/podcastOOTB] Out Of The Blue: Exclusive content: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog [https://www.outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog]

Resilience Is A Daily Practice with Dave Loiterstein

Dave Loiterstein's recovery story starts earlier than most, with a quiet belief he carried as a kid: if his own mother didn’t want him, nobody ever would. Alcohol and drugs showed up fast, and the “off switch” never really existed. Together we talk honestly about what craving feels like, why some brains chase blackout instead of “just one,” and the disease model of addiction. Then we get into the part most people avoid saying out loud: relapse. Dave doesn’t glamorize it or call it inevitable, but he also refuses to let shame be a life sentence. He shares what it meant to have 21 years of continuous sobriety followed by relapse. We dig into the pressure of the sobriety number and the daily reprieve that keeps recovery alive. Dave’s journey stretches far beyond survival: a music-driven life, a career as a Hollywood makeup artist, and a pivot into substance abuse counseling and rehab admissions, taking crisis calls from families who need help immediately. Structure, routine, creativity, and parenting with boundaries are part of this discussion, because stability can feel unfamiliar after years of chaos. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/podcastOOTB] Out Of The Blue: Exclusive content: outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog [https://www.outoftheblue-thepodcast.org/blog]