Self-Improvement Episodes

Diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis as a child, author and 2020 Bush Fellow Jenna Udenberg turned lifelong challenges into a mission: make accessibility the norm, not the exception. She shares how “Within My Spokes” captures resilience, why “committed over compliant” changes everything, and how her nonprofit Above & Beyond With U helps businesses and communities design with disabled people from the start. Expect practical truths on housing, travel, education, and what true inclusion really requires. Sponsored by Real Life Prosthetics

Allison Heiderman, Volunteer & Events Coordinator at SARC (Sexual Assault/Spouse Abuse Resource Center), joins Rich to unpack the full scope of SARC’s free services—24/7 helpline, counseling for adults and children, legal aid, a 40-bed confidential safehouse, and even an on-site pet kennel. They also cover community partnerships, volunteer pathways, and signature fundraisers like Walk a Mile in Their Shoes, Paws for a Cause, and Bubbles, Bourbon & Barrels. It’s a practical guide to getting and giving help in Harford County.  Sponsored by Your Pet AuPair

Horror author and editor Taryn Womack joins Rich and co-host Kayla Deickman to talk ghost hunting in Gettysburg, haunted dolls, and her short-story collection Down a Dark Road. She opens up about writing vs. editing, the reality of self-publishing and marketing, and why campfire-style micro-stories can still deliver big chills. You’ll also hear actionable ideas for audiobook production, gift-shop placement, and turning local legends into page-turners.  Sponsored by Harford County Living

Business leader and mentor Irina Alexander joins Rich to unpack a neuroscience-rooted framework for staying regulated under pressure—especially in high-stress fields like first response and frontline leadership. She explains her C.A.R.E.S.™ approach (Communication, Awareness, Resilience, Emotional literacy, Self-mastery), why “knowing isn’t enough,” and how resilience is the byproduct of daily practices. Irina also shares candid stories of burnout, recovery, and the practical tools that help people shift from reactivity to regulation.  Sponsored by Maryland Pickers

Rich sits down with award-winning author and nationally recognized financial educator Matt Paradise to explore “whole-health wealth”—the blend of practical money skills, mindset, and healing. Matt shares his path from homelessness and addiction to 20 years in nonprofit credit counseling, his battle with cholangiocarcinoma, and the tools anyone can use to lower anxiety, get out of debt, and build a purposeful life. Listeners walk away with real-world frameworks for budgeting, credit repair, and changing the money stories that keep them stuck.  Sponsored by Elite Power Washing

Rich talks with recovery advocate Katie Lain about The Sinclair Method (TSM), a medication-assisted, science-based approach that helps people reduce or end problem drinking without the all-or-nothing pressure to stay abstinent. Katie shares her decade-long struggle with binge drinking, how naltrexone changed her brain’s reward loop, and why TSM can be a discreet, at-home path to control for millions. Listeners will learn how cravings fade, why relapse rates differ from traditional models, and how to combine medication with real-life coping skills.  Sponsored by Serenity Salt Spa

Madison shares a raw, hopeful journey from early mental-health struggles and a fast-progressing opioid addiction to a total life turnaround—sparked by accountability, treatment, and the Harford County Drug Court. Now clean since March 5, 2021, she leads at Pyramid Healthcare and pours her energy into helping others recover. This conversation shows why recovery is possible—and why purpose and community matter.  Sponsored by Rage Against Addiction

Elizabeth Kipp spent 40 years in chronic pain and 31 years on prescribed opioids and benzodiazepines—including fentanyl—until a pain-management track at the Betty Ford Center in 2013 catalyzed a complete turnaround. In this conversation, she unpacks the mind-body nature of chronic pain, the practical role of 12-Step recovery, yoga, breathwork, prayer/ancestral clearing, and the simple relapse-prevention principle that changed everything: staying in personal integrity. Listeners get a hopeful blueprint that blends science and spirituality with concrete next steps.  Sponsored by Rage Against Addiction

In this powerful “12 Days of Hope” conversation, Mallory traces her journey from early family turmoil and teen substance use to a heroin “aha” moment, intimate partner violence, and the hard climb back—culminating in nearly 12 years of sobriety (since Nov 23, 2013). Now working in behavioral health and deeply involved with local nonprofits, she shares the decisions, resources, and support that helped her become the mother and community advocate she is today. Listeners will hear raw honesty, practical hope, and the reminder that recovery is possible.  Sponsored by Rage Against Addiction

Karen, a self-described “not-the-typical addict,” shares how a neck injury and prescribed opioids spiraled into secrecy, debt, and withdrawal—until she chose help, called her doctor, and walked into her first NA meeting. She explains how control, trauma, sponsors, and step work shaped 21 years pill-free, the detour into alcohol, and the moment she finally said out loud, “I’m an alcoholic.” It’s a candid, practical blueprint for anyone wondering what recovery programs actually do—and why they save lives.  Sponsored by Rage Against Addiction

Sarah opens up about starting opioids at 20, a rapid slide to heroin, pregnancy on methadone, jail, and the drug court program that helped her turn it around. After a later Xanax relapse during COVID, she did the work—therapy, structure, and service—and is now certified and working as a counselor at a maintenance clinic. This candid conversation with Wendy Beck and Rich Bennett shows what sustainable recovery really looks like—and why hope matters.  Sponsored by Rage Against Addiction

Shelby shares a raw, unfiltered recovery story—how workaholism, untreated mental health, and an old pain-pill pathway led to relapse after four clean years, and how community and structure helped her rebuild. She walks us through Daughters House, intense anxiety, and eventually stepping up to help other women as a 3.1 house manager. It’s a powerful listen about grief, grace, and the practical tools that keep recovery going one day at a time.  Sponsored by Rage Against Addiction

In this Podathon for Recovery episode, Rich and co-host Wendy Beck talk with Kat Leonard Scott—a Harford County native, mom of two, and treatment professional—about her winding path through early success, trauma, addiction, a brief relapse after eight years clean, and the hard reset that followed. Kat shares how jail, community support, and a renewed focus on “safety” helped her rebuild life, motherhood, and purpose. Listeners will hear candid lessons on accountability, boundaries, and why joy is possible in recovery.  Sponsored by Rage Against Addiction

In this Podathon For Recovery episode, Evie shares an extraordinary 44-year sobriety story—beginning with childhood trauma in post-war Austria, prescription drug misuse after a 1973 car accident, and the moment a newspaper listing led her to AA and a new life. She later sought help for sex addiction, moved to Los Angeles in 1982 for deeper recovery, and now helps clients as a coach and hypnotherapist. It’s a candid, hopeful conversation about breaking cycles, choosing healing, and why support programs still save lives.  Sponsored by Rage Against Addiction

Kayla shares a raw, resilient journey from childhood trauma and early addiction to a terrifying DUI wake-up call—and the decision to fight for her life and for her daughter. With support from Rage Against Addiction’s Sister’s House and Daughters’ House, she embraced meetings, structure, and service, eventually becoming a house manager and now helping other women enter recovery. This conversation shows how community, accountability, and motherhood can fuel lasting change.  Sponsored by Rage Against Addiction

In this Podathon for Recovery episode, co-hosted with Wendy Beck, Kayla G shares how an emotional plea—“try harder”—and a brutal bottom pushed her to choose recovery, detox at home during COVID, and rebuild her life through Narcotics Anonymous. Now five years clean, a mom and a certified peer recovery specialist, Kayla advocates for mothers in Baltimore City navigating CPS and the courts, bringing empathy, accountability, and hope to families in crisis. It’s a raw, honest look at what it really takes to get clean and stay clean.  Sponsored by Rage Against Addiction

In this National Recovery Month special, co-host Wendy Beck and program director Rachel share how Rage Against Addiction (RAA) went from a mother’s mission to a three-home sober living program for women, emphasizing that “healing begins with safe housing.” They walk through RAA’s structure—from 30-day acclimation to workshops across the Eight Dimensions of Wellness—and the powerful alumni network that proves long-term recovery is possible. Listeners hear how monthly giving fuels essentials like drug testing, linens, and even emergency appliances—practical support that protects women’s dignity and safety.  Sponsored by Rage Against Addiction

In this kickoff to the 12 Days of Hope Podathon, Rich Bennett sits down with Wendy Beck, founder and executive director of Rage Against Addiction. Wendy shares the deeply personal story behind starting the nonprofit and how it now operates three sober-living homes for women, providing safe housing, structure, and long-term recovery support. This episode highlights the real challenges, victories, and why community support is critical in breaking the cycle of addiction.  Sponsored by Rage Against Addiction

On Overdose Awareness Day, Rich Bennett and co-host Wendy Beck sit down with Mandolyne Eleazar for a courageous conversation about the life and loss of her 18-year-old son, Jovanni, to fentanyl toxicity. Mandolyne shares what helped, what didn’t, and why harm reduction, family therapy, and speaking our loved ones’ names matter. It’s a raw, hopeful listen for anyone navigating grief, stigma, or the realities of teen addiction.  Sponsored by Rage Against Addiction

Licensed mental health counselor and certified digital addiction specialist Mary Catherine Liscinski joins Rich to unpack how excessive screen time rewires our brains, fuels anxiety and depression, and strains families—and what we can do to reverse it. She breaks down the neuroscience (limbic system vs. prefrontal cortex), the dopamine loop in gaming and social media, and a practical path back to focus, sleep, and strong relationships. A must-listen for parents, professionals, and anyone feeling foggy, fried, or pulled into the scroll.  Sponsored by Living Well Healthcare

Rich sits down with Greg Derwart, Chris Coleman, and Robyn Burke to unpack what a true mastermind is—and what it isn’t. Using Napoleon Hill, Ben Franklin’s Junto, and real community examples, they show how purpose, harmony, and structure turn brainstorming into outcomes for businesses, nonprofits, and families. It’s a grounded conversation about building something that matters, online and off. Sponsored by Four Seasons Landscape & Construction Services

Speech‑language pathologist James Burden, founder of Stuttering Blueprint, shares a compassionate, research‑backed path to speaking with confidence—whether or not fluency is the outcome. He explains why techniques like the Camperdown Method must be paired with Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness, and “melting the iceberg” of fear and stigma. If you’ve ever felt your voice held back, this conversation reframes stuttering and shows practical ways to reclaim presence, purpose, and power.  Sponsored by Tar Heel Construction Group

ENT surgeon Dr. Brett Cordes shares his extraordinary arc from surviving Non‑Hodgkin lymphoma at 19 to building a thriving surgical career—then spiraling into a hidden opioid addiction that cost him everything. He opens up about rehab during COVID, the true causes of physician burnout, and how he rebuilt his life as “The Burnout Doc,” a coach helping doctors find fulfillment without losing their identity. A powerful listen on turning pain into purpose and asking for help before it’s too late.  Sponsored by Harford County Health Department

In this episode of Conversations with Rich Bennett, angel medium and intuitive healer Laurie Parente shares her transformative journey of rediscovering her spiritual gifts in her 40s. Laurie reveals how she overcame chronic illness, connected deeply with the angelic realm, and began guiding others toward self-discovery, healing, and empowerment. This conversation offers inspiring stories, practical techniques for connecting with your angels, and a reminder that it’s never too late to align with your true purpose.  Sponsored by Freedom Federal Credit Union