The Zac Clark Show

Dad Gang founders Bart Szaniewski and Grant Eastey join Zac for a conversation about fatherhood, men's mental health, entrepreneurship and building a community where dads don't have to figure everything out alone. They open up about how becoming a father changed them, navigating miscarriage and infertility, why so many new dads struggle in silence, and what it means to let your kids see you ask for help, make mistakes and keep going. They also tell the unlikely story behind Dad Gang — from three friends making their first 100 hats to building an eight-figure brand, showing up on social media every single day for more than four years, and eventually bringing Gary Vee into the company as a partner. Behind it all, Dad Gang was never supposed to be just another hat company. It's about giving fathers a community, challenging outdated ideas about masculinity and reminding dads that their kids are watching how they live. Connect with Dad Gang Dad Gang (@dadgang.co) Bart Szaniewski (@theszef) Ejay O'Donnell (@ejayodonnell) Grant Eastey (@geastey) Learn More About Dad Gang https://www.dadgang.co/ Connect with Zac https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 https://twitter.com/zacwclark If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Benton McClintock built an online following by being loud, outrageous, funny – and often completely fucked up. Behind the characters and viral videos, though, his relationship with drugs and alcohol was getting harder to control. In his early 20s, Benton was waiting tables in New York City while trying to build a career online. Drinking became part of the job, drugs were readily available, and eventually he says he couldn't go to work without drinking. At the same time, the wild persona he created while using was beginning to attract an audience. Then, at 27, Benton met the man who would eventually become his husband. When he learned that he was sober, something clicked. Benton decided he wasn't going to drink anymore – and he hasn't since. Benton joins Zac to talk about growing up with depression and a chaotic family life, using alcohol and drugs to quiet his mind, getting sober without a traditional rock-bottom moment, and the fear that sobriety would make him less funny and creative. He also opens up about finding his own path in recovery, his complicated relationship with AA, marriage, acting, social media, and realizing that getting sober doesn't necessarily mean you're finished confronting addictive behavior. Two years into sobriety, Benton says plainly that his life today wouldn't exist without it. Connect with Benton https://www.instagram.com/bentonmcclintock/ https://www.tiktok.com/@bentonmcclintock Connect with Zac https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 https://twitter.com/zacwclark If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tony and Grammy-nominated performer Lena Hall joins Zac for an honest conversation about addiction, sobriety and the side of success people rarely see. A Broadway veteran who won a Tony for Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Lena has built a career spanning theater, music, film and television, including her current role on Apple TV’s Your Friends & Neighbors. Lena opens up about how wanting to fit in eventually became a cycle of drinking and using to the point of blackout – even as her career was reaching new heights. She shares how debilitating panic and anxiety finally led her to question her relationship with substances, and how curiosity helped carry her into sobriety. Now 10 years sober, Lena reflects on childhood pain, AA and Al-Anon, mental health, her experience with ayahuasca and the complicated question of what “sober” actually means – along with creativity, Broadway and why she continues to share her recovery publicly. Connect with Lena https://www.instagram.com/lenarockerhall/ https://www.instagram.com/labiahead_band/ Watch Lena on Your Friends & Neighbors https://tv.apple.com/us/episode/this-is-what-happens/umc.cmc.36i6dji213wclhgotvqb214b8?showId=umc.cmc.74o37kzay0yuuub8iumddjsg&action=playSmartEpisode Connect with Zac https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 https://twitter.com/zacwclark If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At 20, David Millar's life revolved around getting high. His cocaine use had progressed to crack, drug-induced psychosis and a point where he says he was completely okay with dying. Seven years later, David is sober, in medical school and running ultramarathons. In this episode, David tells Zac how addiction took him out of college, why the treatment he experienced in early recovery ultimately helped inspire his path into medicine, and how getting sober allowed him to discover an academic ability he never believed he had. He also opens up about growing up with an alcoholic father, getting sober at 20, rebuilding his life through structured sober living, and later watching the roles reverse when his father arrived at the ER where David was working in severe alcohol withdrawal. David and Zac also talk about running, discipline, spirituality, the complicated relationship between addiction and mental health, and David's mission to show young people that sobriety isn't the end of your life – it can be the beginning of one you never imagined. Follow David Millar Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david.millar.mindset/ Connect with Zac https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 https://twitter.com/zacwclark If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tyler Jackowski has built an audience of millions by making people laugh, but his path to becoming a full-time content creator was anything but planned. Before social media, Tyler was a teacher – an experience that continues to shape his life and his mission to give back to educators. In this episode, Tyler sits down with Zac for a funny and open conversation about going from the classroom to becoming a successful creator, while navigating the anxiety and imposter syndrome that came along with it. Tyler opens up about the period when he would leave social situations smiling and joking with everyone, only to go home and cry alone; the panic attack that sent his heart rate to 210 BPM; and how therapy, medication and learning to prioritize his own mental health changed his life. They also talk about Tyler’s years as a teacher, what social media gets wrong, his relationship with success, and his work giving back to educators through America’s Heroes. A conversation about what can exist behind the version of ourselves everyone else sees — even when millions of people are watching. Follow Tyler Jackowski Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tylerjackowskiofficial/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fishin4clout More about Tyler’s company – America’s Heroes Contest: https://www.instagram.com/americasheroescontests/ https://americasheroescontest.com/ Connect with Zac https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 https://twitter.com/zacwclark If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian, former Saturday Night Live writer, and author Rosebud Baker joins Zac for an honest conversation about addiction, grief, motherhood, divorce, and what long-term recovery actually looks like. Rosebud reflects on losing her seven-year-old sister, getting sober at 22, writing her memoir Fully Baked: A Messy Memoir, working at SNL while raising a newborn, and navigating divorce -- and how recovery isn't about becoming someone new, but about getting to the truth of who you already are. One of the most powerful moments comes when she explains why losing her sister and giving birth to her daughter felt strangely similar -- both shattered the life she thought she knew and forced her to see how fragile, and precious, all of it is. This is a conversation about what happens after the drinking stops: emotional suppression, family patterns, burnout, and the deeper work of staying present for your whole life without escaping yourself. Learn more about Rosebud Baker’s memoir here:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/1668016222?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback Follow Rosebud Baker:: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosebudbaker/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rosebudbakerstandup Connect with Zac: https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 https://twitter.com/zacwclark If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Neva Coleman looked like she was thriving. She was a bright college student at Tulane, surrounded by friends, succeeding academically, and living what many would consider the "normal" college experience. But behind the scenes, alcohol had become far more than a way to have fun. In this conversation, Neva shares how grief after losing her father on 9/11, perfectionism, anxiety, and an escalating relationship with alcohol led to blackouts, withdrawals, a call to the suicide hotline, and years of believing she simply needed more willpower. Zac and Neva discuss why so many young women don't recognize themselves in the stereotype of alcoholism, the shame that keeps people silent, and how recovery gave her a completely new way to live. Recovery is changing. A new generation is making sobriety more visible, more honest, and more hopeful than ever before. Neva is one of the voices leading that shift – not by pretending to be perfect, but by showing that a full, joyful, connected life is possible without alcohol.  This is a great conversation that explores grief, identity, alcoholism, and the hope that recovery offers – no matter how old you are.  Follow Neva Coleman: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neva__coleman/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@neva__coleman Connect with Zac https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 https://twitter.com/zacwclark If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bravo's Southern Hospitality star Maddi Reese joins The Zac Clark Show to share her awesome recovery journey – from drinking at 12 and multiple trips to treatment, to getting sober at 16 and building a successful career as a DJ, reality television personality, and advocate for recovery. In this conversation, Maddi opens up about anxiety, treatment, AA, sponsorship, dating in recovery, performing in nightlife while sober, navigating reality TV, and why community has been the foundation of her sobriety. She also shares what she'd tell every young person who believes recovery means giving up the best years of their life. In this episode: Getting sober at 16 years old Drinking and addiction as a teenager Multiple trips to treatment AA, sponsorship, and long-term recovery Performing as a sober DJ Reality TV and sobriety Anxiety, mental health, and purpose Family recovery and Al-Anon Building confidence without alcohol Why recovery gave her a bigger life – not a smaller one This conversation is a powerful reminder that sobriety isn't the end of your story – it can be the beginning of your best one. Follow Maddi Reese: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddireese/ Connect with Zac: https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 https://twitter.com/zacwclark If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Allio and Jade Chapman join me for a powerful conversation about grief, addiction, recovery, and the unexpected path that brought them together. Michael is a former contestant on The Bachelorette, author of the children's book Where the Wild Heart Grows, and co-founder of St. James Therapeutics, a company focused on advancing cancer treatment and care. He opens up about losing his wife, Laura, to cancer, raising his son as a single father, and the dependence on painkillers he developed in the aftermath of her death. Jade is a beauty entrepreneur, educator, and content creator whose work has inspired millions. She shares her journey with alcohol, the impact her sister's decade-long heroin addiction had on her family, and what finally led her to embrace recovery. Together, they discuss what it means to love someone through struggle, how recovery transformed their relationship, and why honesty, service, and community have become the foundation of their lives. In this episode, we discuss: Michael's experience with grief after losing his wife, Laura The opioid addiction he developed following her death Jade's journey with alcohol and recovery Her sister's battle with heroin addiction and long-term recovery Supporting a partner through sobriety Love, second chances, and starting over Raising children through loss, healing, and change Finding purpose through service and helping others Whether you've experienced addiction, loss, recovery, or simply the challenges of loving another person through difficult seasons, this conversation is a reminder that our past doesn't disqualify us from love – it often prepares us for it. Follow Michael Allio: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/michael_alliol4/⁠ ⁠https://thewildheartgrows.com/⁠ ⁠https://www.stjamestherapeutics.com/⁠ Follow Jade Chapman:⁠https://www.instagram.com/jadeywadey180/⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jadecomplexions/⁠ Connect with Zac ⁠https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/⁠ ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark⁠ ⁠https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/zacwclark⁠ If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does it take to keep going when a doctor tells you your son has less than a 10% chance of survival? Vince Benevento is the founder of Causeway Collaborative – a counseling and mentorship organization that has helped over 2,500 young men between the ages of 14 and 30 – and the author of Boys Will Be Men: 8 Lessons for the Lost American Male. Last July, his 12-year-old son Leo was diagnosed with aplastic anemia — a rare, potentially fatal blood disease. What followed was 150 days in the hospital, emergency surgeries, experimental treatments, and two doctors telling Vince to prepare for the worst. Leo is now back in school and back on the lacrosse field. Against every odd. In this conversation, Vince opens up about what those 150 days actually looked like – the fear, the sleepless nights, the moments his marriage buckled under the weight of it. He talks about his own bipolar disorder diagnosis, his struggles with addiction and alcohol, and how the mess of his own life became the foundation of his life's work helping young men find their way. This is one of the most honest conversations we've had on this show. If you're a father, a son, or someone who has ever had to find a reason to keep going – this one is for you. Connect with Zac https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553https://twitter.com/zacwclark If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com@releaserecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What If Guys Just Said It Out Loud? Zac Clark goes solo this week and gets honest – uncomfortably, refreshingly honest. It starts with something small: he's losing his hair, and he's embarrassed about it. But that admission opens the door to something much bigger. If a guy in recovery, with years of hard-won self-awareness, can barely say that out loud – what hope is there for the man who hasn't yet found words for his anxiety, his depression, or his darkest thoughts? Zac connects the dots between the small silences men keep and the devastating ones, and makes the case that permission to be vulnerable starts earlier than we think. He also reflects on the wave of DMs he received after speaking out about The Bachelorette, the surprising power of Theo Von and Pete Davidson modeling sobriety to millions of young men who don't even realize they're being influenced, and why saying something out loud – even on a microphone, even to strangers – is sometimes the fastest way to take its power away. Raw, real, and a little bit of a therapy session. The best kind of episode. Connect with Zac: https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclarkhttps://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553https://twitter.com/zacwclark If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is kratom safe – or is it quietly becoming the next opioid crisis? In this quick-hit episode, Zac sits down with recurring medical contributor Dr. Michael McCormick, Chief Medical Officer at Release Recovery, to clear the air on one of the most polarizing substances in America right now: kratom. Marketed as a natural herbal supplement and sold openly at gas stations and smoke shops, kratom is used by millions for energy, focus, pain relief – and even to help curb opioid withdrawal. But inside treatment centers, doctors are seeing something very different. In this episode, we break down: What kratom actually is (and how it works in the brain) Why low doses act like a stimulant — and high doses act like an opioid Whether kratom withdrawal requires medical detox Why it’s showing up more and more in addiction treatment The truth about “legal” substances and who is most at risk Why some experts believe it should not be sold over the counter We’re not here to attack people who use it responsibly. We’re here to speak to the 10–15% of people predisposed to substance use disorder – the ones who may not know the risk until it’s too late. If you or someone you love is using kratom, this conversation could change how you think about it. Connect with Zachttps://www.instagram.com/zwclark/https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclarkhttps://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553https://twitter.com/zacwclark If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:(914) 588-6564http://releaserecovery.com@‌releaserecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Seven years ago, Zac Clark walked into a treatment center to speak at a Tuesday night meeting – and met a guy in pajama pants wearing a “Grateful Dead” tee who had no idea if he was going to make it. That guy was Blake Porter. In this episode, Zac and Jay sit down with Blake – now Vice President of Business Development at Release Recovery – to trace the full arc: growing up in a small town in upstate New York, the fear and insecurity that shadowed his talent, the slow slide from booze and cocaine into opioids and heroin, and the moment his dad found a needle and the truth finally had nowhere to hide. Blake opens up about what early sobriety actually looked like: structure, accountability, humility, and the near-relapse that still scares him to remember – five months sober, back home, texting a dealer from a hotel bathroom… right up until something intervened and he chose honesty instead. Topics include: The AA meeting in treatment that changed everything Small-town upbringing, big fear, and the need to escape Addiction, grief, and the cost of avoiding pain The truth-telling moment with Blake’s dad Why Release Recovery felt like “home” A near-relapse story that shows how real the obsession can be Building a life (and career) rooted in service If you’re trying to get sober right now, Blake’s message is simple – and it might save your life: be honest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices