The David Magee Show

The David Magee Show

Are you seeking deeper connection at home—and real-life wisdom for the hard parts? I’m David Magee, bestselling author and speaker. Each week I host raw, hopeful conversations with family, friends, and remarkable guests about the things we all face: parenting and marriage, addiction and recovery, mental health, grief, and growth. You’re not the only messy family on the block. Together we’ll explore life’s big questions and small joys—and share practical steps that help you feel less alone and move toward progress. Years ago, I lost everything. Rebuilding taught me how to find meaning again—and I’m passionate about helping others do the same. Though I became a husband and father young, I didn’t truly begin to flourish until my mid-40s. At 59, I’m still learning—and I invite you to grow with me. If you’re ready for honest conversation, vulnerability, and resilient hope, this show is for you. Let’s walk it together—one episode at a time.

Episodes

Essay on Life: Save Me

October 9, 2025 • 10 mins
One night after my son William died, I sat on his couch. I was alone. I was cold. I was afraid. I whispered two words, “Save me,” and something shifted. What I saw, what I felt in that quiet moment, showed me where my life was headed if I didn’t change—and where it could go if I did. That night taught me that prayer isn’t some practiced speech from a pulpit. Sometimes it’s just a whisper in the dark, a desperate pleading that’s ...
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Owning Your Story, Taking Charge of Your Life | Ep 35

October 7, 2025 • 20 mins
I talk about what it means to take charge of your own story. Too often, we move through life feeling like characters in someone else’s script—reacting instead of writing. But when we stop and decide to name our current chapter, to rewrite what came before and imagine what comes next, we begin to heal and take back control of the narrative. I share how I’m living in my “Second Chances” chapter right now, and how even my son Willi...
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Essay on Life: A Family's Last Photograph

October 2, 2025 • 11 mins
I share the story of the last photograph our family of five ever took together. What felt like a moment of survival and reunion—a rare weekend of laughter, hope, and grace—would later become a reminder of how fragile and fleeting life really is. Looking back, that picture wasn’t about victory over storms, but about grace in the middle of them. It’s a reminder that every dinner, every laugh, every moment with the people we love i...
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Overwhelmed Motherhood Gifts: Life With Four Under Six | Ep 34

September 30, 2025 • 40 mins
I sit down with my daughter, Mary Halley, a mom of four children six-and-under, to talk about the daily hard parts and simple gifts of family life. From bedtime battles and school drop-offs to sweating through chores and learning to let go of perfection, she shares what it’s really like to juggle and celebrate motherhood in the thick of it. We also look back on the harder seasons—hospital nights, anxiety, and old wounds that sti...
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Essay on Life: The Hymn I Didn't Understand

September 25, 2025 • 10 mins
When I was a child, Sundays meant dragging my feet to church, fumbling with my shirt buttons, and mostly daydreaming about what was for lunch. I didn’t understand faith, and honestly, I thought the whole thing seemed a little crazy. Still, the hymns, the pews, even the orange juice and saltines—somehow they stayed with me. Years later, when I struggled with loss and addiction, those same sounds I once ignored came back as a life...
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The Lie That Keeps You Unhappy

September 23, 2025 • 35 mins
We all fall for it—the idea that if we can just reach the next milestone, land the job, buy the house, raise the kids, then we’ll finally feel happy. But the truth is, “arrival” never comes. In this episode, Kent and I talk about how it’s easy for couples to get caught up in that myth, what it did to our family, and what we’ve learned now about finding joy in the present instead of chasing the next thing to fix it. We also get ...
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Essay on Life: When the Man at the Bar Becomes a Mirror

September 18, 2025 • 11 mins
Grace rarely comes gift-wrapped. Sometimes it comes as a jolt — a voice, a vision, a man at the bar whose scarred face forces you to see your own future. Today, I take you back to the night that set my recovery in motion. David Magee's Newsletter ⁠https://davidmagee.substack.com/⁠ Follow on Instagram ⁠https://www.instagram.com/davidmageeshow/⁠ Watch on YouTube ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@davidmageeshow Learn more about...
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Men and Finding Faith and Purpose; the Fears, Stigma and Ego that Keep Us Away

September 16, 2025 • 45 mins
David and his pastor, Rev. Chris McAlilly, open up about the pressure men feel to “carry it all,” and how ego and stigma can keep us from faith. David shares his own story of doubt, family, and the impact fathers have when they choose honesty and vulnerability. Together, they explore grief, trauma, and the power of community. From answering the hard questions our children ask to finding recovery in the church, this episode remin...
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Essays on Life: Healing Conversations with Loved Ones We’ve Lost

September 11, 2025 • 10 mins
What does it mean to keep talking with someone dear you’ve lost — to feel their story still shaping yours? For me, it means listening to and writing with William, my son. His absence changed everything, but his presence still guides my words -- and shapes my life. In this essay, I share how loss, memory, and love intertwine — and how conversation, even with those who are gone, can become a form of healing. David Magee's New...
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How a Dog Carried Us Through Grief

September 9, 2025 • 48 mins
Sometimes the help we need most comes from the most unexpected places—a stranger, a friend, even a pet. For our family, it was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Lady. After we lost William, there were few reasons to get out of bed in the morning. One of them was Lady, who insisted on her daily walks. Step by step, those early mornings became small but steady moments of healing as she pulled us along. In this episode, my ...
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Essays on Life: Dancing with Wilder

September 4, 2025 • 11 mins
A grandfather and grandson connect through vulnerability—reminding us of the joy and strength found in generational bonds. And how to achieve those bonds. David Magee's Newsletter https://davidmagee.substack.com/ Follow on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/davidmageeshow/ Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@davidmageeshow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Finding Purpose After Loss: How Yoga Helped Kent Move Forward

September 2, 2025 • 50 mins
What do you do when everything you’ve worked for unravels on the very day your world collapses? In this episode, David’s wife, Kent Magee, shares the heartbreaking story of losing her son, William, just as she was discovering one of her true callings: teaching yoga. Her story is raw, unflinching, and deeply relatable for anyone walking through grief. Kent explains how, in the middle of unimaginable loss, her yoga community li...
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Welcome to The David Magee Show

August 26, 2025 • 1 min
 It's time for another season of the podcast, but this time there's a new twist. It's the David Magee Show. I'm David Magee. I'm a bestselling author, a speaker, but I'm also a husband, a father, and a grandfather. 13 years ago, I had lost it all. We had lost it all. But through faith and better connections with one another we found that we can have the joy that we all want and deserve. That's what this podcast is about. Living...
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Season 1 Finale! Let's Discuss What's Next for David and Phoebe and the Show! | E29

March 25, 2025 • 54 mins
In the season finale of A Little Crazy with David Magee, David and Phoebe talk about how much they have changed since the first episode. David explains some upcoming changes to the show, and the irony in the saying “Never say never.” He also shares insights into his writing career, and gives a few hints about new projects coming up. Phoebe talks about what’s next for her, including a big move away from Oxford, and David gives her ...
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Eating Disorder Recovery and Smashing the Stigma with McCall Dempsey | E28

March 18, 2025 • 55 mins
Phoebe is joined by McCall Dempsey. McCall saved David’s daughter Mary Halley from her battle with an eating disorder, as she’s saved many young men and women throughout the country. She’s a strong-voiced national expert, and she’s on the board of the William Magee Center at Ole Miss named after David’s late son and a dear friend in this journey to help those in need. They discuss the impact of eating disorders, mental health, an...
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The #1 Thing Parents Should Know: Talking w/ Your Child About Anxiety, Depression, Drinking & Drugs | E27

March 11, 2025 • 20 mins
Today, David and Phoebe discuss how parents can best talk to teens and college students about sensitive topics such as anxiety, depression, drinking, and drugs. From asking open-ended questions to creating a comfortable space for conversation, this episode emphasizes the importance of listening over lecturing. Learn how to let go of control and give your child the space they need to share what's really going on in their lives. PL...
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Are You a SmartPhone Addict? Battling smartphone & social media addiction with Phoebe | E26

March 4, 2025 • 45 mins
Phoebe opens up about her journey to disconnect from social media and smartphone addiction. From the epiphany she had in January to the first few days of withdrawal, Phoebe shares her experience and the mental clarity she gained. The discussion dives into the impact of phones on attention spans, self-identity, and how constant connection has affected the way we live. They explore staggering statistics on phone usage, the growing an...
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The Youth Mental Health Crisis and What Parents and Teens Can Do About It: How Social Media, Sleep, and Substances Are Affecting Our Teens | E25

February 25, 2025 • 55 mins
From my years of work with students, parents and in schools and communities throughout the country, this is a deep look into what students face today and what can be done about it. From the overwhelming impact of social media to the alarming rise in substance misuse, we’re taking a hard look at how things have changed for the younger generation and what we can do to help. We'll explore why youth mental health is at an all-time l...
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Overcoming Family Trauma and Loss with Lauren Sisler, ESPN reporter | E24

February 18, 2025 • 43 mins
In today’s episode of A Little Crazy, David Magee is joined by ESPN reporter and friend Lauren Sisler. Lauren opens up about losing both of her parents to overdose only hours apart from each other when she was just 18. She shares the deep shame, anger, and grief she faced, and how faith, patience, and vulnerability played a key role in her healing journey. They both discuss the challenges of sharing their stories, the stigma surrou...
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Stressed About Money? From Broke to Financial Flourishing | E23

February 11, 2025 • 48 mins
This week, David and Phoebe discuss the impact of money on mental health. David shares his personal journey from being broke 14 years ago to achieving financial stability, and they explore how financial stress can affect our well-being. They talk about taking responsibility, ditching shame, and shifting the way we view money to protect our mental health. PLUS: David's journey from broke to stable How addiction and money troubles...
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