Cool Hand Dross

Cool Hand Dross
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

Cool Hand Dross is a candid podcast about mental health, books, and the stories we carry—especially the ones we avoid until life forces us to listen. The show blends raw monologues, personal storytelling, and cultural reflections to explore anxiety, recovery, identity, creativity, and the pursuit of a more genuine life. Each episode weaves together: 📚 Books & Writing 🧠 Mental Health 🫙 True Tales from the Mason Jar 🎭 Culture Call Outs This podcast is for readers, writers, and deep thinkers who feel restless, reflective, or slightly out of step with the current world—and still believe stories heal, words save lives, and change is possible.

  1. 1d ago

    The Path We Take, Leadership, and the People Who Shape Us | Conversation with Michael Blanchard | Episode 30

    Life lessons. Leadership lessons. Wrestling lessons. In Episode 30 of Cool Hand Dross, Scott sits down with veteran wrestling coach, educator, and author Michael Blanchard for a conversation about leadership, resilience, gratitude, failure, purpose, and the people who shape our lives. A five-time Coach of the Year and contributor to Wrestling USA Magazine, Michael has spent more than 25 years helping young athletes and students develop not only as competitors, but as leaders. His book, The Path We Take, explores the lessons learned through adversity, mentorship, family, coaching, and the lifelong pursuit of becoming a better version of ourselves. Together, Scott and Michael discuss: • The life lessons hidden inside the sport of wrestling• How failure often becomes our greatest teacher• The coaches, mentors, and family members who shape us• Leadership, humility, and service• Gratitude, perspective, and personal growth• Why the path forward is rarely a straight line Whether you've stepped onto a wrestling mat or not, this conversation is ultimately about the universal experiences that challenge us, strengthen us, and help define who we become. The path we take is rarely straight, and none of us get there alone. About Michael Blanchard Michael Blanchard is a veteran wrestling coach, educator, and author with more than 25 years of coaching experience. A five-time Coach of the Year and published contributor to Wrestling USA Magazine, he has dedicated his career to helping young people develop leadership, resilience, teamwork, and character through sport. He is the author of The Path We Take and lives in New Jersey with his wife, Tricia, and their three sons. Connect with Michael Blanchard To learn more about Michael, his coaching philosophy, and his book The Path We Take, connect with him here: • Website: https://thepathwetake23.com/• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mblanchard23/ Be the ocean, not the wave. You are the sun, not your clouds. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review, and share the show with someone who might benefit from the conversation.

    1h 38m

  2. Jun 23

    How Many Summers Do You Have Left? | Books, The World Cup & A Summer Reboot | Episode 29

    How many summers do you have left? In Episode 29 CHD reflects on summer as a season of curiosity, community, and personal renewal. After stepping away from nearly two decades in the classroom, he shares why Summer 2026 feels different and why now may be the perfect time to reconnect with the younger version of yourself. Topics include: ​ The launch of Be the Book Club​ Summer reading recommendations and four featured novels: Angel Down Lolita Blood Meridian The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao ​ Building community through reading​ The youthfulness and global connection of the World Cup​ Why summer is a reboot, not a reinvention​ Putting down our phones and reconnecting with what matters Whether you're reading a great book, watching a football match, walking on the beach, or simply slowing down long enough to enjoy a summer rainstorm, this episode is an invitation to make the most of the season. Read the book. Watch the match. Call the friend. Enjoy the summer. Be kind to yourselves and to others. Be the ocean, not the waves. 🌊📚⚽️

    21 min

  3. Jun 16

    Always in Service | A Conversation with FDNY Firefighter Vincent DeGennaro | Episode 28

    Welcome back to the quiet little corner of the podcasting universe where we're building a little shelter from the storm. In Episode 28, CHD sits down with Vincent DeGennaro, a veteran FDNY firefighter with nearly 17 years of service at Lower Manhattan's Engine 10. Born and raised in the Bronx, Vincent has dedicated his life to serving others while also building a life as a craftsman, chef, entrepreneur, husband, and father. Together, they discuss life in the FDNY, growing up in New York City, entrepreneurship, fatherhood, purpose, and the lessons that come from a life of service. Topics include:​ Life at FDNY Engine 10 (Ten House) Growing up in New York City Culinary school and hospitality Entrepreneurship and craftsmanship Marriage, fatherhood, and purpose Leadership, contribution, and service This conversation also marks the first interview on Cool Hand Dross Podcast and the beginning of a new chapter for the show. Special thanks to Vincent for joining us and sharing his story. If you enjoy the episode, please subscribe, rate the show, and share it with a friend. Help us resist and multiply. Connect with Vincent… Instagram: @vin_e_deeInstagram @onebrickmedia

    1h 2m

  4. Jun 9

    The Surfer, Big Waves, Team Rash and Finding Your Why | Episode 27

    What do surfing, Simon Sinek, purpose, dolphins, and a major life transition have in common? More than you might think. In Episode 27 of Cool Hand Dross, Scott reflects on one of life's biggest questions: What is your why? Drawing inspiration from Simon Sinek's Start With Why, legendary surfer Rob Machado, and a memorable encounter with a pod of dolphins during a Long Beach Island surf session, Scott explores purpose, resilience, freedom, and the courage required to begin a new chapter. In this episode: 🌊 The mental health lesson hidden inside the phrase "Be the ocean, not the waves" 📚 A practical exercise to help you discover your own Why Statement 💰 Why purpose still needs a plan and how to fund your why 🏄 Lessons from surfer Rob Machado and his decision to redefine success 🐬 A True Tale from the Mason Jar: Team Rash and the unforgettable Dolphin Story 🎙️ Reflections on career change, creativity, freedom, and life's next chapter Whether you're changing careers, starting a business, pursuing a creative project, or simply feeling called toward something new, this conversation will encourage you to stop waiting for perfect conditions and start paddling out because the waves aren’t getting any smaller. Cool Hand Dross is a weekly podcast exploring mental health, books, culture, creativity, and the stories that shape our lives. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and share the show with a friend. #FindingYourWhy #SimonSinek #RobMachado #PersonalGrowth #MentalHealth #LifeTransitions #Purpose #Surfing #Storytelling #Podcast #CoolHandDross #Creativity #Freedom #TeamRash

    27 min

  5. Jun 2

    What Is Your Why? | 26 is half of 52 | Episode 26

    Cool Hand Dross hits Episode 26 — halfway to the original 52-episode promise. This week,CHD reflects on consistency, reinvention, Simon Sinek’s Start With Why, and the strange clarity that comes from simply doing the work. How do you know if you’re a painter? Paint. A writer? Write. A podcaster? Show up every week. As another school year ends and a new life chapter begins, this episode explores fear, purpose, empty nesting, creativity, living abroad, writing books, learning Spanish, and finally honoring the dreams that refuse to leave you alone. This is a conversation about why certainty comes after action, not before it. Topics include:Simon Sinek’s Start With Why, creative confidence, personal reinvention, teaching burnout, empty nesting, podcast growth, living abroad, writing a novel, and choosing action over fear. Cool Hand Dross Podcast Candid. Compassionate. Comical.

    18 min

  6. May 26

    You Never Get Over It, Graduation, Summer Book Club & New Beginnings | Episode 25

    In this episode of Cool Hand Dross, we talk about transitions, grief, growth, and the strange emotional weather that comes with major life changes. Dalton graduates high school. The empty nest era begins. The classroom chapter may be ending. And somewhere in the middle of all of it is the realization that you never really “get over” anything, not heartbreak, anxiety, regret, childhood wounds, or even joy. You just learn how to carry it differently. This week’s conversation moves through: Mental health and emotional transitions Graduation and identity shifts Empty nesting and becoming a digital nomad Why pain never fully disappears Learning to live with more awareness and compassion Summer reading season and the unofficial Cool Hand Dross Book Club Books discussed: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov Angel Down Culture Call Out: Kneecap Vikings Bjorn Ironside Ivar the Boneless Plus:Updates on upcoming “True Tales from the Mason Jar” guest episodes and why storytelling still matters in an increasingly distracted world. If you’ve been standing on the bridge between an old version of yourself and whatever comes next… this episode is for you.

    31 min

  7. May 20

    I Painted for Pablo Escobar? | Brooklyn Crime Story? | Episode 24

    TAKE 2 sorry about the double upload. first take was just not good :( Brooklyn in the early 2000s was still dangerous, electric, unfiltered, and alive. In this true tale from The Mason Jar, Col Hand Dross recounts one of the wildest painting jobs of his life: a luxury Brooklyn penthouse owned by a charming Colombian man named Pablo. He was surrounded by silent bodyguards, mysterious visitors, jazz records, Colombian breakfasts, and one forbidden room nobody talked about. What begins as a simple blue-collar painting contract slowly transforms into something far stranger. Over long days of labor, Colombian coffee, James Brown, and deep conversations about John Coltrane and A Love Supreme, CHD and his crew begin piecing together who Pablo really might be. Then, on the final day of the job, a door swings open for just a moment and everything changes. This episode explores: Early 2000s Brooklyn before full gentrification Blue-collar life and painting culture in NYC Colombian culture, immigration, and survival Jazz, spirituality, and working class artistry Fear, intuition, masculinity, and risk The strange intimacy of working inside other people’s lives And the moment Cool Hand Dross realized he may have painted for a real-life narco If you enjoy long form storytelling, NYC tales, working-class memoirs, jazz culture, immigrant stories, and raw reflective podcasting, this episode is for you. Please follow, rate, and share the show. The digital love is much appreciated.

    33 min

  8. May 12

    Mental Health Month, Xanax, Kneecap, and the Commodity of Time

    This week, we explore the uncomfortable truth that time is the real currency of life, not money, status, productivity hacks, or followers. We reflect on aging, mortality, literature, mental health, and the stories we tell ourselves while navigating modern life in 2026. On the Mental Health Front, we dive deep into the slow, difficult process of weaning off Xanax and Ativan, discussing benzodiazepine dependency, prescription culture in America, pill cutters, withdrawal, brain chemistry, and the strange reality of “taking pills to stop taking pills.” On the Books Front, we travel through haunted literary landscapes with 2666 by Roberto Bolaño, the philosophical science fiction of Ted Chiang and Stories of Your Life and Others, plus reflections on the El Mozote massacre, U.S. influence in Latin America, censorship, memory, and the stories history chooses to hide. Culture Call Out focuses on Kneecap, the Belfast-based Irish-language hip hop trio blending rebellion, language revival, politics, and raw authenticity. Think 8 Mile meets In the Name of the Father with Gaeilge, anti-colonial politics, and questions about who gets to write the narrative of a people. This episode is about: • Time and mortality • Mental health and benzodiazepines • Literature, language, and memory • Latin American history and political violence • Identity, storytelling, and reclaiming authorship over your own life • Why authenticity still matters in a synthetic world

    40 min
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5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Cool Hand Dross is a candid podcast about mental health, books, and the stories we carry—especially the ones we avoid until life forces us to listen. The show blends raw monologues, personal storytelling, and cultural reflections to explore anxiety, recovery, identity, creativity, and the pursuit of a more genuine life. Each episode weaves together: 📚 Books & Writing 🧠 Mental Health 🫙 True Tales from the Mason Jar 🎭 Culture Call Outs This podcast is for readers, writers, and deep thinkers who feel restless, reflective, or slightly out of step with the current world—and still believe stories heal, words save lives, and change is possible.

Information

  • Creator
    Cool Hand Dross
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Cool Hand Dross
  • Show Website
    Cool Hand Dross

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