The Back 9 - Midlife, Best Life.

We sit down with author and Adirondack 46er Sheryl Campbell, whose powerful back-nine journey includes surviving breast cancer, navigating divorce, and losing her business during COVID. Sheryl shares how a single winter hike in the Adirondacks sparked her mission to climb all 46 high peaks, helping her quiet the noise, reclaim her identity, and finally let go of the past. Her story — including how losing a treasured ob...

On this week's Back 9, we sit down with Jim Coghlin and Tricia Laursen, the leaders of Detect Together, a nonprofit teaching people how to recognize subtle health changes and act early. Jim shares the personal loss that inspired the mission, and Tricia explains t a simple way to know your baseline, spot persistent changes, and communicate clearly with your doctor.

Together, they break down why half of all ...

This week on The Back 9, we sit down with entrepreneur Tom Kubiniec, a former touring guitarist whose life took a hard left turn after an injury ended his music career. What followed  was a masterclass in learning how to figure it out when life blows up your plan.

Tom shares the story of landing his first major contract in an industry he barely understood, the lessons he learned while making money, losing ...

This week on The Back 9, we sit down with Kerri Ballinger.  She's a practitioner of NAET, a holistic approach that uses energy balancing and muscle testing to reduce allergic reactions and restore wellness.

Kerri shares her jaw-dropping story of overcoming a near-death chronic illness and helping her son heal from severe allergies through integrative methods. Together, we explore how Western medicine and holistic healing can work i...

This week on The Back 9, Dennis and Josh welcome high school basketball coach Ross Deutsch for a powerful and inspiring conversation about healing, resilience, and purpose after loss.

Ross opens up about the unimaginable loss of his son Rory, and how that tragedy inspired the creation of the Rory David Deutsch Foundation, a beacon of hope for families facing pediatric cancer. He shares how his family — wif...

Dennis and Josh welcome entrepreneur Sean Springman into the studio to talk about how one can step around the corporate ceiling to find personal success.  Sean talks about the mindset and self-belief it takes to strike out on your own, start a business, and then scale a company from early scrappy deals to meaningful growth. Sean also opens up about how his personal life shapes that professional journey;  he's a guy par...

Ninety-nine episodes ago, the Back 9 started with two men in midlife, a couple of microphones, and a resolve to ask better, more pointed questions about the second half of life, with the belief that people out there needed the same kind of conversation. Turns out, a lot of you did.

To mark the milestone of our 100th episode, our producer, Janine Stella, puts us in the hot seat. No prep. No polish. Just an ...

It's toastin' time on The Back 9 with this season's 19th hole. We revisit the conversations that stuck with us most — the very best thoughts from the season about professional reinvention, leadership and how to gracefully come to grips with the end of things.  But the biggest takeaway from Season 9 is about the importance going straight to the source — and that leads to one of the spicier conversations ever on the Podc...

We kick off fall with a little friendly South Florida smack talk, as we welcome the hilarious Rachel Sobel and Dale McLean from the Friends Without Benefits Podcast. Dale, the in-arena host for the Miami Heat, humorously shares his challenges finding steady relationships in his demographic, while Rachel, a much-published writer, offers all kinds of dating advice, and ranks her favorite husbands.  In short, we dig deep ...

On this episode of The Back 9, Dennis and Josh catch up with three time All Star reliever and longtime MLB analyst Dan Plesac for a masterclass on how to fulfill your role — as a professional, a father and a man.  Dan discusses his evolution from ninth inning hammer to matchup specialist, and the difficulty he had accepting his new role in the bullpen pecking order.  He also shares his struggle with reintegrating into ...

In this episode of The Back 9 we catch up with Ray Collins, who spent his first career as a broadcaster before trading in the bright lights of morning TV for a second act in real estate and a richer personal life. Ray walks us through a career shaped by early mentors like Van Miller, the moment he realized it was time for him to leave the newsroom had changed, and how he successfully translated his name recognition and people skill...

On this episode of the Back 9, baseball lifer Jeff Manto joins Dennis and Josh.  Jeff was a prodigious home run hitter who spent the front 9 of his career bouncing between the major leagues and the high minors, including championship runs in the Yankees and Indians organizations.  He shares what he learned about team culture, and how good winning culture creates winning outcomes.  

Jeff also presents a unique perspective on how he ...

Chris "The Bulldog" Parker has been a colleague and friend of ours for over 30 years, and he joins the Back 9 for a conversation about how our perspective changes as we age.  Chris reflects on three decades behind the mic and how, when we become husbands and fathers, our attitude can change towards our jobs and how we approach what matters in life.  In particular, Chris' son Owen was an elite hockey player, and Chris shares both th...

On this episode of The Back 9, Jamie Seh, Sports Director at the CBS affiliate in Orlando, reflects on her journey of breaking barriers as a woman in sports broadcasting.  She discusses the challenges and triumphs of a decades-long career, and how, as she reaches the Back 9, she has started to search for what's next.

Spoiler alert: Jamie has found her path by embracing curiosity and taking a very interesting leap of faith, leading ...

This week on The Back 9, we sit down with our good friend Brian Shactman, the former MSNBC anchor, to talk about navigating the twists and turns of our career paths, the hard pivots that come when you don't get to choose your ending, and the lessons he learned along the way. From way too early mornings in radio to high-profile roles at ESPN, CNBC and MSNBC, Brian shares how he fought through setbacks, protected his family time, and...

Jeff Perera's story is a masterclass in reinvention.  He's the founder of Jeff's Bagel Run, one of the fastest growing brands in the country.  Jeff joins us to share how losing his corporate job at 42 led to a new passion, a thriving franchise, and a lesson in letting go of control. Jeff spreads his secret recipes for success that has led from a cottage industry in his kitchen to over 100 stores in development, and why those secret...

This week on The Back 9, we kick off a new season with a powerful conversation about leadership, culture, and the ripple effect of kindness. Guest Ryan Minton—author, keynote speaker, and former hospitality exec—joins us to share how a single front desk employee changed the way he leads forever.

Ryan reminds us that creating a positive work culture starts with gratitude and the courage to uplift one person at a time. He shares the ...