Light Hustler: Making Your Mess Into Your Message

Comedian Jake Fogelnest was more successful at 14 than many of us will ever be: his public access TV show, Squirt TV, had a cult following that included The Beastie Boys, the guys from They Might Be Giants and many more; within a few weeks, he was fielding calls from superstars who were declaring themselves fans. While Squirt TV went to MTV and Fogelnest has gone on to have a busy career that includes multiple Sirius radio shows, a podcast (The Fogelnest Files), TV writing gigs and much more, he also became addicted young and struggled to find sobriety. Here, he and AfterPartyChat's Anna David discuss how finding success at a young age can contribute to addiction, his amazing Twitter joke about Banksy and the most important topic of all: cats.

Actor and director Josh Leonard (though he'd introduce himself to you as Joshua) launched into the spotlight as one of the stars of The Blair Witch Project. After a bit of a wayward youth (getting in trouble for having alcohol and Playboys at school, time spent in a boys home and legal emancipation) followed by a bit of a wayward next-phase-in-life (culminating in heroin addiction), Leonard was only a few months into sobriety when the indie movie he'd made in two weeks became the Next Big Thing. In the years since, he's done time on many a TV series (including Hung and The United States of Tara) before 2009's Humpday put him back in the indie spotlight. Also a successful director, Leonard has done both music videos (Morcheeba, Fitz and the Tantrums) as well as feature films (2011's The Lie). He's also maintained not only his sobriety but also his humility, which wasn't so easy in the beginning (stick around for the white limo story, which comes hear the end). Here he and AfterPartyChat's Anna David talk about

Author Carrie White has lived many lives. The first female hairdresser to the stars, White tended to the tresses of everyone from Ann Margaret and Elvis to Sharon Tate and Elizabeth Taylor. And she did it all on rollerskates (it was the 70s, people). But her high-flying life—which included three husbands and five children—was masking a crippling drug addiction which eventually left her curled up in the fetal position outside her dealer's door. Now sober for multiple decades, White built her hairdressing business back up and published a best-selling memoir, Upper Cut, about the entire thing. Here she talks to AfterPartyChat's Anna David about bottoming out, coming back, and how getting sober but continuing to smoke is like switching seats on the Titanic. 

Actress and reality star Jennifer Gimenez first worked as a teenage model before acting alongside Johnny Depp in Blow and Cameron Diaz in The Sweetest Thing. But many first came to know her when she was the house manager on Sober House—a job she got after she went from being one of Dr. Drew's nightmare clients to one of his miracles. Here she and AfterPartyChat's Anna David talk about the drug dealer they used to share, how they first got sober together back in the early 2000s and whether or not Gimenez would use her real name if she was a drug dealer.

Comedian Danielle Stewart will say anything any time, anywhere. And so her conversation with AfterPartyChat's Anna David covered addiction, yes, but also jealousy, hope, Facebook, sex addiction and more. Arguably NSFW or the conservative.

Writer and editor John DeVore was a great drunk, as AfterPartyChat's Anna David well knows, since she logged many (sober) hours with him while he was still boozing and the two were living in New York. Now sober over three years and settled in Los Angeles, he and David discussed the difference between drunks and alcoholics, how he once saw how bored she looked at a party and what a really famous architect had to say about LA—among many other glorious topics. Follow John Devore on Twitter here.

Comedian and Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast host Paul Gilmartin is, to some, the affable longtime co-host of TBS' Dinner and a Movie. But to others, all that he's done in comedy (which includes Comedy Central specials and spots on Politically Incorrect and The Craig Ferguson Show) pales in comparison to the amazing feat he's accomplished in getting his guests to address distressing issues like depression, addiction and abuse on his much-lauded podcast. He talks to AfterPartyChat's Anna David here about addiction, abuse and the relationship between the two. Check out the site for The Mental Illness Happy Hour here.

Prolific television producer and former actress Claudia Lonow has been the force behind Rude Awakening, How To Live With Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) and more. She's also 28 years sober and met with AfterPartyChat's Anna David back when David wanted to be a TV writer and had cocaine drip going down the back of her throat. The two discuss that meeting, David's potentially disturbing obsession with her, losing everything in sobriety, why even one night can set off a relapse and much more. Follow Claudia on Twitter here.

Actor and meditation teacher Jeff Kober has been in every TV show you've ever seen (China Beach, Star Trek, Law and Order, Sons of Anarchy and trust us, that's only the beginning) and is one of LA's most revered meditation teachers. Here he talks to AfterPartyChat's Anna David about huffing ether, detoxing in a San Diego hotel room and realizing the big movie role wasn't going to change anything. Sign up for Kober's Meditation Thought For The Day on his site.

Best-selling author of Tweak, staff writer for The Killing and the beautiful boy of his father David Sheff's best-selling book, Nic Sheff has written and spoken openly about his struggles with meth addiciton and where that took him: to homelessness, sex work, near arm amputation and, finally, a meth-induced psychosis that ultimately led him to sobriety. Here he talks to AfterPartyChat's Anna David about those experiences and they also discuss working together and their plan to speak at colleges about addiction and sobriety. Follow Nic on Twitter here.  

Comedian Craig Shoemaker talks to AfterPartyChat's Anna David about his 20+ years of sobriety, forgiveness, his penchant for being nude and the healing energy work he does. Spoiler alert: they almost have a fight!

Writer Sam Lansky has managed to pack seven rehabs, five years of sobriety and thousands of brilliant words into his 24 years and here he tells AfterPartyChat's Anna David all about it.

Bling Ring member (Emma Watson played her in the Sofia Coppola movie) and reality TV star Alexis Neiers talks to AfterPartyChat's Anna David about getting sober, getting married, having a baby and becoming a sober advocate and role model.

Comedian, best-selling author, musician and Walking The Room podcast co-host Greg Behrendt talks to AfterPartyChat's Anna David about addiction, relapse and how sobriety helps you give relationship advice.

Comedian and Never Not Funny host Jimmy Pardo talks to Anna David about drinking too much, gossiping about other people and the would-be spin-off show they never had.

Radio and TV personality, sportscaster, author and sober alcoholic Pat O'Brien talks to AfterPartyChat's Anna David about the bottles of wine that got him to change his ways, whether or not cocaine addiction can cause tinting in the whites of your eyes and his plans to go back to school to get certified to become a drug and alcohol counselor.

Comedian Carlos Herrera joins AfterPartyChat's Anna David and Laura House to discuss addiction, quitting smoking, whether or not Favoriting someone's tweets is manipulative and much more.  

In this episode of Recover Girl, Ian Harvie joined me on my couch to talk about his childhood in rural Maine, his journey to discovering his true gender identity, his recovery from alcoholism, and his new life in sobriety as a trans comic.