While President Barack Obama was in office, he gave a speech shouting out army veteran Jason Kander as “the future of the Democratic party”. The events that followed were shocking. Jason started making his rounds as a presidential hopeful in 2018, before dropping out of politics altogether after facing the repercussions of his PTSD from the war in Afghanistan. Today, his work is dedicated to stop veteran homelessness and curb suicide rates with his work as the President of National Expansion...

Ricki Lake is a true show business OG. After getting her big break as the lead role in Hairspray, she would host her very own daytime talk show, The Ricki Lake Show, that became part of pop culture fabric of the 1990s. She also produced The Business of Being Born, which takes a critical look at how the American healthcare system approaches childbirth. However, she endured private battles that only became known by the public in recent years. Through that process, she gained self-acceptance and...

Ali Landry is the founder of Reshape, the lifestyle brand that aims to live life to the fullest regardless of where you are in life. With a long career of being under the public eye, Ali thought she was living a healthy life until she experienced brain fog while on live television. She was told that it was a natural part of aging, but she didn’t want to accept that. Now she’s on a mission to share with women that they don’t have to settle as they get older.  Ali’s new book, Reshape Your...

When it comes to harnessing power, Ginni Rometty uses it for positive change. She has been named one of 50 Most Powerful Women in Business and led IBM to thriving technological areas such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing. In this episode, Ginni talks about the vulnerable process of writing her memoir where she talks about her father leaving the family, starting her career at IBM, and dealing with imposter syndrome.  Ginni’s memoir, Good Power: Leading Positive Change in Our...

As one of the most beloved and recognizable personalities on television, Wayne Brady talks about his upbringing and how it led him to pursue a life as a performer. Over the years, he would prove to be a talent that was undeniable…but it also came with a cost. Dealing with the pressures of the public image he developed, Wayne had a mental breakdown at the age of 42. It wasn’t until his ex-wife convinced him to seek professional help was he able to have a much more holistic and fulfilling lens...

Born with birth defects from the Chernobyl disaster, Oksana Masters was abused during her time at 3 different orphanages in Ukraine. When her adoptive mother was finally able to bring Oksana to America, she soon discovered rowing and tapped into her competitive spirit. Through trials and tribulations, she would become an elite-level athlete, eventually winning her first gold medal at the Paralympic Winter Games in 2018.  Oksana tells her whole story in a new memoir called The Hard Parts: A...

This week we’re re-broadcasting a really powerful episode of Imposters—our conversation with Howie Mandel. You probably know Howie best as the host of Deal or No Deal, or perhaps you know him for his earlier standup success. But another really pivotal moment in Howie’s career was the accidental reveal of his struggles with OCD on the Howard Stern Show—a traumatic moment for Howie that we discuss in depth in this episode. Listen to hear Howie tell Alex about his early life dealing with OCD...

Lo Bosworth rose to fame at just 16 years old when she starred in the hit reality TV series, Laguna Beach. And while she’s quick to acknowledge the advantages that fame has given her, she’s also realistic about the drawbacks. In this episode of Imposters, hear Lo tell Alex about learning to cope with public criticism, and the mental and physical health journey that led her to her current business, Love Wellness. Lo’s new book is called Love Yourself Well: An Empowering Wellness Guide to...

Denise Woodard, founder and CEO of Partake Foods, fought hard to get her allergy-friendly food company off the ground. From maxing out multiple credit cards to even cashing out her 401K, she invested everything she had because she believed in her company’s mission. And after receiving 86 rejections from potential investors, she finally received a $1 million dollar investment from Marcy Venture Partners. In this Mental Health Toolkit episode of Imposters, hear Denise tell Alex about what it...

Andy Dunn believes that he is bigger than his diagnosis. In 2017, Andy Dunn sold the company he co-founded and ran to Wal-Mart for $310 million dollars. But while that company, Bonobos, was prospering, Andy’s mental health was at an all time low. He was suffering from bipolar disorder which gave him depressive symptoms where he couldn’t get out of bed, mixed with manic and violent episodes of energy. In this episode, Andy speaks to his experiences and the lessons he’s learned while running a...

What if, instead of running away from or suppressing difficult emotions, we learned how to observe, embrace, and utilize them to aid in our personal development? Such is the mission of Susan David—an award-winning Harvard Medical School Psychologist, and author of the bestseller Emotional Agility. In this episode, Susan tells Alex about what inspired her to go into emotions research, the danger of avoiding negative emotions, and what emotional agility is, and how we can implement it in our...

Many professional athletes retire from their sport at a relatively young age. The question is, what do they do after that? For Olympic speed skater Apolo Ohno, this question posed a challenge he was unprepared for at 28. Apolo tells Alex about diving into a new career after a life-long dedication to sport and navigating the imposter syndrome and identity crisis that came with it. You can watch this and all of our episodes on our Imposters YouTube channel:...

Shortly after obtaining a degree in business, Jay Shetty decided to become a monk. Not only was this an unusual move, but it was met with strong disapproval from both family and friends. Still, Jay felt compelled to follow this calling, and today Jay is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, hosts a leading health podcast, and is lauded as a mindfulness leader by millions of people around the world. In this episode, Jay tells Alex about feeling completely lost at multiple times in his...

Jillian Michaels is one of the most well-known names in fitness. She made her name starring in 11 seasons of The Biggest Loser, as well as writing 8 New York Times bestselling books, and creating some of the most popular home workout videos of all time. And though Jillian is known for her tough and confident attitude, she also has a long history of battling with depression. In this final episode of the year, Jillian tells Alex about her rollercoaster journey with depression, how she’s learned...

Alyson Stoner started acting and performing in Hollywood at just 7 years old, eventually starring in Missy Elliott’s “Work It” music video, and movies like Cheaper by the Dozen, Step Up, and Camp Rock. But as one might expect, the pressures of the entertainment industry had a troubling impact on Alyson and her mental health. In this episode, Alyson tells Alex about the effect fame had on her psychological well being growing up, her low point of going to rehab for an eating disorder, and how...

Cheryl Burke was a fan favorite on Dancing With The Stars for 26 seasons. After winning two championships, opening her own dance studios, and starting her own clothing line, it seemed like she was on top of the world. But behind closed doors, Cheryl was struggling in the spotlight. She found alcohol as an effective tool to combat her social anxiety, and soon found herself dependent on the substance 7-days a week. In this episode, Cheryl tells Alex about how she operated as a functioning...

In her 17 years at Goldman Sachs, Jamie Fiore Higgins rose the ranks to become a managing director—a prestigious title that was not only extremely difficult to achieve, but also incredibly rare for a woman to attain. In this episode, Jamie tells Alex of how she survived the toxic culture of misogyny that she experienced at Goldman Sachs, and how her career there caused her to forget her values and feel imprisoned by her paycheck.  Jamie’s new book is called Bully Market: My Story of Money...

Singer-songwriter Jewel learned what emotional pain was early in life—her mother abandoned the family when she was only 8, and she was raised by an abusive father until she finally left home at just 15 years old. Because of these tumultuous early life experiences, Jewel learned to cultivate mindfulness and mental health practices that have helped protect her happiness throughout her life. In this episode, Jewel tells Alex about learning to cope with her anxiety and panic attacks, and how...

Chef Duff Goldman started his career baking cakes for order in his apartment kitchen. Today, he’s the owner of the famous Charm City Cakes bakery, the star of multiple of Food Network’s most-watched shows, and a New York Times bestselling cookbook author. In this Mental Health Toolkit episode, Duff tells Alex how he grew his incredible career from scratch, and what he does to manage the self-doubt that creeps in despite all of his success.  You can watch this and all of our episodes on our...

Actress Andrea Savage knows a thing or two about curveballs. After two years of writing, producing, and starring in her very own TV show, I’m Sorry, she was suddenly and unexpectedly faced with having to tell her entire cast and crew that the show was canceled. In this Mental Health Toolkit episode, Andrea tells Alex about how she dealt with the emotional loss, and how it led her to a surprising new chapter of her career. You can watch this and all of our episodes on our Imposters YouTube...

Tom Gozney is the founder of Gozney pizza ovens and inventor of the Roccbox personal pizza oven. But before his business was a $120 million dollar success story, Tom was a troubled youth in the throws of addiction. In this episode, Tom tells Alex about how he went from a teen struggling with substance abuse on the brink of death, to building his revolutionary pizza oven business from the ground up—and all without even so much as a degree.  You can watch this and all of our episodes on our...

Larry Miller is the man behind the $5 billion dollar business of Nike’s highly coveted Air Jordan. But before Larry was a huge success in the apparel world, he was a troubled youth constantly in and out of prison. In this episode, Larry tells Alex about the intensity of keeping his criminal history a secret as he rose through the corporate ranks, and why he’s finally decided to come forward about it now in his book, Jump: My Secret Journey from the Streets to the Boardroom. Learn more about...

Sakara Life co-founders Whitney Tingle and Danielle DuBoise know the grit it takes to build a successful business. When starting their meal delivery service in 2012, they were hand delivering their homemade meals by bike. Today, their business brings in over $150 million in revenue, and they have their tenacity and each other to thank. In this episode, hear how Danielle and Whitney’s unique relationship has served them in growing their business, and their mental health toolkits that keep them...

What if, instead of running away from or suppressing difficult emotions, we learned how to observe, embrace, and utilize them to aid in our personal development? Such is the mission of Susan David—an award-winning Harvard Medical School Psychologist, and author of the bestseller Emotional Agility. In this episode, Susan tells Alex about what inspired her to go into emotions research, the danger of avoiding negative emotions, and what emotional agility is and how we can implement it in our own...