S2E9: The Gift of Desperation and Finding Your Purpose with Misty Gomel

S2E9: The Gift of Desperation and Finding Your Purpose with Misty Gomel

What does it take to finally surrender after 22 years of addiction? In this episode of The Shield, Nichole sits down with the fierce and inspiring Misty Gomel. Misty is a Career and Life Coach at Hope Inspired Ministries (partnering with The Foundry) and the host of "The Fixed Fight" podcast. Misty shares her incredible journey from spending over two decades in active addiction to now helping others discover their hidden talents, build sparkling resumes, and step into their true purpose. We also tackle some of the hardest conversations in the recovery space: the reality of "hitting bottom," breaking codependency, and why we should focus on "choosing yourself today" rather than just counting the years. In this episode, we cover: * Work Ready: How Hope Inspired Ministries helps people in recovery dream big again. * The Turning Point: The two words a life coach said that changed Misty's life forever. * Family Dynamics: Why you cannot force your loved one to hit rock bottom. * The 3 F's of Recovery: Faith, Focus, and Fellowship. * The Fixed Fight: Why we need to stop fighting and start surrendering. Thank you to our Season 2 sponsor: The Children's Trust Fund of Alabama. 🔗 Resources Mentioned: * Listen to Misty on The Fixed Fight podcast (Live Thursdays at 5:30 PM on TV Studios). * Learn more about Hope Inspired Ministries & The Foundry: https://hopeinspiredministries.org/ For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube! https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/ [https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/] https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

S2E8: Emotional Sobriety, Creative Compass, and Life After Addiction with Heidi Moos

What happens after you get sober? Quitting the substance is just the beginning; building a life you actually want to live is the next step. Welcome back to Season 2 of The Shield! Today, Nichole sits down with Heidi Moos, the founder of Creative Compass and a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist. Heidi shares her incredible journey from being a middle school teacher for the "quiet kids" to helping adults navigate life after addiction. We dive deep into the concept of "emotional sobriety," how to regulate your nervous system through creative play, and why Heidi launched "Art Lab"—a wildly popular, free community art class for people in recovery and their friends. (Spoiler: You don't have to be "good at art" to attend! ) In this episode, we cover: * Emotional Sobriety: How to self-soothe and level up once the substance is gone. * The "Whole Student": Why good teachers change lives, and why Heidi created a "Fan Club" for the middle school misfits. * The Evolution of Recovery: Moving away from "fixing losers" to treating the whole human. * Art Lab: Why process matters more than the finished product, and how to join. * A Hack for Anger: Heidi’s personal art technique for clearing the mind. Thank you to our Season 2 sponsor: The Children's Trust Fund of Alabama. For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube! https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/ [https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/] https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

S2E7: Harm Reduction, Heavy Bass, and Safe Spaces with Slinger Entertainment

Electronic music, heavy bass, and... Narcan? In this episode of The Shield, Nichole sits down with Anthony Phillips, Sam, and Parker—the team behind Birmingham’s own Slinger Entertainment. Slinger isn't just throwing immersive EDM and bass music events; they are actively working to keep their community alive and safe. We discuss how Slinger partnered with APC to distribute over 600 Narcan cases to concertgoers. The guys also open up about navigating the entertainment industry's party culture, Parker's inspiring 6-year sobriety journey, and why harm reduction is the ultimate form of community building. In this episode, we cover: * Why Slinger views Narcan like a "fire extinguisher". * How Parker navigates the EDM scene while being 6 years sober. * The genius behind "Fat Stack" events for local DJs. * The secret to mixing a live band versus electronic music. * Finding your community in Birmingham's Avondale and Woodlawn scenes. Thank you to our Season 2 sponsor: The Children's Trust Fund of Alabama. 🔗 Resources Mentioned: * Follow Slinger Entertainment on Instagram for upcoming shows (like May 30th at Saturn!). For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube! https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/ [https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/] https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

S2E6: Aging, Caregiver Burnout, and Grandparents Raising Grandkids with Morgan Rhodes

How does the addiction crisis affect our oldest generations? You might be surprised. Welcome back to Season 2 of The Shield! In this episode, Nicole sits down with Morgan Rhodes, a program coordinator at the Area Agency on Aging (based out of the United Way of Central Alabama). Morgan pulls back the curtain on the unique mental health challenges older adults face and the incredible, free resources available to them and their families. We dive deep into the emotional toll of caregiving, the rising trend of grandparents raising grandchildren due to the opioid crisis, and how a new influx of opioid settlement dollars is providing a lifeline to these families. Plus, Morgan shares expert advice on how to protect seniors from rampant Medicare fraud and modern digital scams. In this episode, we cover: * The transition from being a full-time caregiver to finding a new identity. * How to have the difficult "giving up the car keys" conversation. * The Older Relative Caregiver Program for those impacted by substance use. * Why seniors are heavily targeted by Medicare and phishing scams. * The upcoming free Fraud Summit on May 12th in Hoover. Thank you to our Season 2 sponsor: The Children's Trust Fund of Alabama. For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube! https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/ [https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/] https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition

S2E5: The Final Walk: Celebrating 10 Years of Impact with Alabama

10 years ago, the End Addiction Walk was born out of a desperate need to take to the streets and let Birmingham know that help was available. Today, as we celebrate our 10th anniversary, we are preparing for our most impactful event yet—and our final one. Nicole and board member Alabama Cole (The Q 103.7) discuss the evolution of the walk, the new resources available this year (including HIV/Hep C screenings and peer support rows), and why it’s time for APC to graduate into a new chapter. Register now to join us for this historic event on April 25th, 2026. https://secure.swell.gives/ENDADDICTIONBHAM/tickets/#/ticket For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube! https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/ [https://www.instagram.com/addictionpreventioncoalition/] https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition