Michele Lee UNFILTERED: Knots Landing, Broadway & Mental Health | Harder To Breathe Podcast
Release Date: 06/03/2025
School Shooting Survivor: Trauma, EMDR & Redemption feat. Ellie Wyse | Harder to Breathe Podcast
The Harder to Breathe Podcast
On May 7, 2019, Ellie Wyse was a high school freshman with an hour left in her day when a routine drill turned into an active shooter situation. In this powerful and essential conversation, Ellie bravely recounts her experience surviving the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting and the complex realization that one of the perpetrators was a peer. She shares the aftermath of the trauma, the unexpected loneliness of the subsequent COVID-19 lockdown (which she says was harder to process than the shooting itself), and her path to healing through EMDR therapy. Now a psychology major, Ellie is...
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AI & Loneliness: How to Find REAL Connection in the Algorithm Age | Harder to Breathe Podcast
The Harder to Breathe Podcast
This is not a conspiracy theory; itās a mental health crisis. Returning guest Hillary Spiritos joins the hosts for a crucial discussion on the challenges facing young people in the age of AI and pervasive social media. We explore the profound effects of the algorithmāa system so isolating it mirrors the environment of a cult or a totalitarian stateāand how itās fueling a loneliness epidemic and widespread cynicism. Hillary offers guidance on how parents and peers can foster critical thinking and authentic connection to help young people push back against the constant...
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Musician Davis Rowan: Rehab, Ultra-Marathons, & Finding Purpose | Harder to Breathe Podcast
The Harder to Breathe Podcast
This is an unvarnished look at the path to recovery. Ryan reconnects with his old friend, musician Davis Rowan, whom he met at the Betty Ford Center. Davis shares his powerful story of how alcohol, which once felt like a "solution" to social anxiety, became a destructive force, culminating in a terrifying diagnosis of Guillain-BarrƩ syndrome (GBS) during a severe bender. This conversation goes beyond mere sobriety to explore the deeper rewards of recovery: finding genuine community, cultivating new passions (like ultra-marathoning), and using lived experience to fuel a new purpose as a music...
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Porn Addiction: Sobriety vs. Recovery, Shame, Suicide Prev. w/ C. Morley | Harder to Breathe Podcast
The Harder to Breathe Podcast
This episode goes beyond the surface to the heart of addiction. We sit down with former tech entrepreneur Curtis Morley, whose life's purpose shifted after the tragic loss of his best friend to suicide. Curtis believes his friend didn't understand the difference between sobriety and recovery, a lesson Curtis now uses to help men combat the epidemic of pornography addiction. Curtis bravely shares his own experience and the core principles of his "Counterfeit Emotions" program, arguing that most men aren't addicted to pornāthey're addicted to shame. Key Takeaways from the Conversation: ...
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Toxic Masculinity & Stillness: Finding Balance with Steve Braun | Harder to Breathe Podcast
The Harder to Breathe Podcast
In this vital episode, we sit down with Steve Braun, a master mental performance coach and communication consultant (and co-founder of BGB Studios). Drawing on his martial arts discipleship, Steve explains that the core of our modern mental health and societal conflict is a deep imbalance between masculine (Yang) and feminine (Yin) energies. This conversation offers a profound perspective on how to achieve peak performance and inner peace not through action, but through stillness and radical self-acceptance. Key Takeaways from the Conversation: The Power of Stillness (Yin):...
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The Fear, the Freedom, and the Mid-Life Career Change | Harder to Breathe Podcast
The Harder to Breathe Podcast
"How do you make a total left turn from the music industry to the mental health field?" Ryan Dusick often fields this question, but the reality is that starting over is rarely a clean breakāitās usually a long, messy process of grief and self-discovery. In this one-on-one episode, Ryan and Duck dive into the core challenges of major life transitions, from leaving a band at the peak of success to finding new purpose in your 40s. Ryan shares his journey from losing his identity as a musician to embracing his calling as a therapist, explaining that his change was driven by a commitment to...
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Perfectionism vs. Excellence: How to Stop Stagnating and Start Growing |Harder to Breathe Podcast
The Harder to Breathe Podcast
This week, hosts Ryan Dusick and Brian āDuckā Maillard tackle the ultimate double-edged sword: perfectionism. Ryan shares his incredibly vulnerable journey of realizing that his quest for perfection ultimately led to stagnationāa "rock bottom" in his professional life after leaving Maroon 5. Perfectionism, often mistaken for a strength, is revealed as a self-defeating mindset that blocks progress by holding you to an unattainable ideal. The solution? A crucial shift to the pursuit of excellence, which accepts the necessity of setbacks, learning, and growth as part of the process. This...
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"Put the Shovel Down": Helping a Loved One with Addiction w/ Amber Hollingsworth | Harder to Breathe
The Harder to Breathe Podcast
Your natural instinct is to fix it, but what if your efforts are making the problem worse? We sit down with Addiction Expert Amber Hollingsworth, founder of the huge "Put the Shovel Down" community, who offers a revolutionary approach to family addiction recovery. Amber specializes in teaching family members how to stop enabling and break the cycle of blame that fuels addiction. This is essential listening for anyone who loves someone struggling with substance abuse. In this powerful episode, you'll learn: The "Villain" Role: Why the person with addiction often needs a family member to play...
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Surviving Suicide: Sarah Gilman on Self-Harm, Healing & Hope | Harder to Breathe Podcast
The Harder to Breathe Podcast
In one of our most powerful episodes yet, actress and mental health advocate Sarah Gilman opens up about her deeply personal journeyāself-harm, a suicide attempt in college, and the remarkable path that led her to become a voice for suicide prevention. She explains why suicide isnāt about wanting to die, but about wanting to escape an intolerable pain. This is a raw and honest conversation that will leave you feeling seen, understood, and inspired. Hereās what youāll learn: āØ The misunderstood functions of self-harm ā Sarah shares the three core reasons people self-harm: as a...
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Mental Health Is Sexy: Trauma, Humor & Healing w/ Aleksei Archer | Harder to Breathe Podcast
The Harder to Breathe Podcast
This episode is for anyone who has ever felt alone in their struggle. We sit down with the incredible Aleksei Archerācomedian, actor, and mental health advocateāwho has transformed personal tragedy into a powerful force for healing. Aleksei shares her deeply personal story of losing her father to suicide, and how she uses humor and radical honesty to create safe spaces for grief, connection, and resilience. š” In this raw and vulnerable conversation, youāll discover: The unexpected power of community: Why finding your "tribe" can be the most critical step in overcoming trauma and...
info_outlinešļø Iām beyond excited to share this deeply personal and incredibly special episode of The Harder To Breathe Podcast ā featuring none other than my amazing aunt, the legendary Michele Lee!
You know her from Knots Landing, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Broadway, and a 50+ year career that's nothing short of iconic. But in this conversation, we go way beyond the headlines.
It was an honor to sit down with Aunt Michele and my co-host Brian āDuckā Maillard for a raw, real, and heartfelt chat. We covered everything ā from superstardom to family complexities (especially her relationship with my dad, Kenny!), to healing from grief and discovering self-acceptance later in life.
She opened up about navigating imposter syndrome (yes, even at the top of her game), shared stories from her early Broadway days and The Love Bug, and teased her brand-new podcast with her Knots Landing co-stars. And yes... we get that Bill Clinton story. š³
I also share my surreal experience giving the commencement speech at Pepperdine University and reflect on how it all ties back to Mental Health Awareness Month and my own recovery journey.
This episode is packed with vulnerability, laughter, wisdom, and a few surprises.
š§ In this episode, we cover:
[00:00:30] - Michele Leeās incredible legacy
[00:02:30] - My Pepperdine commencement moment
[00:09:30] - Mental Health Awareness & the work of NAMI
[00:16:25] - The heart of our family story: control, codependence & healing
[00:34:30] - Grace, reflection & Michelleās take on aging
[01:06:30] - Knots Landing reunion podcast: Weāre Not Done Yet
[01:14:15] - The Bill Clinton moment, hypnosis for stage fright, Barbra Streisand & more!
This one meant a lot to me ā I hope it resonates with you too. Drop a comment and let me know what stood out the most.š
ā”ļø And be sure to follow Micheleās new show: Knot Done Yet!