The Edlow Podcast

Michael Gregson - Mental Health, Addiction, Recovery and Faith

Motivation speaker Mike Gregson comes on the Edlow Podcast to discuss his story. After a childhood of unfulfilled dreams and struggles in school, Depression and shame caused him to make bad decisions. Mike’s life changed when he found God.
Through living a faith based life, he began to realize that service to others provides peace and happiness. His desire to serve leads to a decision to serve a 2 year full time volunteer mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Although Mike’s mission was an incredible experience for him, he began to “lose footing.” After going through a divorce, he began drinking and using drugs again, which lead to full blown addiction.
On the edge, contemplating suicide, Mike shares the experience of once again turning back to God and which gave him the courage to, rise up, face the life he had created and change for the second time. Through this story, Mike and Josh discuss success, failure, helping kids through troubled times, Identity, depression, faith and views on where true happiness is derived.

Dr. Sahar Razavi and Professor Andrew Hertzoff - Mahsa Amini, Iranian Protest and Human Rights

Josh welcomes Sahar Razavi, Ph. D and Professor Andrew Hertzoff from California State University Sacramento to discuss the Iranian Protests sparked by the recent death of Mahsa Amini.
Amini, an Iranian Kurdish woman died after being detained by Iranian forces known as the “morality police.” Eye witness accounts suggest that she was brutally beaten while in custody. Her alleged crime? “Improper Hijab.”
Dr. Razavi and Professor Hertzoff join the Edlow podcast to discuss the allegations themselves, the history of human rights violations in Iran (particularly against women), issues stemming from the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the danger in Iran’s shutting down the internet, similarities to allegations of police brutality in America and how these protests differ from past protests.
Dr Razavi is the director of the Iranian and Middle Eastern studies at CSU Sacramento. Professor Hertzoff specializes in political theory, history of political thought, and religion and politics.

Alexis Darevko - The Wonderful World of Indy Wrestling

Alexis Darevko is an independent professional wrestler based in the Sacramento area. Over the course of his 20+ year career, Darevko has traveled the country wrestling and promoting wrestling events for crowds of all shapes and sizes. He has held multiple championships for multiple pro wrestling companies and is the current East Bay Pro Wrestling champion. He also promotes shows in the Sacramento area through his own promotion Action Coast Wrestling.
Josh welcomes him on the show to discuss his passion for wrestling, his influences, how he got started, and his journey training with multiple wrestling schools. He also discusses his assent from wrestler, to “booking” matches to eventually promoting his own show. He talks about the vigors of performing as an independent contractor in the cartoon world of pro wrestling, his decision to stay largely single without children in order to maintain this lifestyle and his desire to give back to younger wrestlers.

Jared Joyner - Mental Health, Record Collecting and Self-Acceptance

Jared Joyner is a 6 ft 8 former competitive basketball player who has developed a flourishing clientele as a hairdresser. Over his career he has developed a passion for the artistic expression he finds through his work. He is also an avid record collector with an eclectic music pallet.
Josh welcomes him to the podcast to discuss his passions, the unknown market for buying and selling records online in 2022, his late discovery of mental health issues and the advantages/disadvantages of being a 6 ft 8, straight, white male in a largely female dominated field. He also discusses the preconceived notions people have when meeting him, and his difficulties in maintaining fulfilling friendships that sometimes appear to come as a result of those misconceptions. Jared’s story is one that shows, not everyone fits into a box, and not only is that okay, it’s preferable.