This week on The Shield, Nichole sits down with Micah Andrews, Executive Director of The Foundry, as they celebrate 55 years of helping people rebuild their lives.

From its beginnings as a rescue mission to becoming a faith-based residential recovery program, The Foundry has evolved to meet people where they are. Micah opens up about his personal journey, the role faith has played in shaping his leadership, and what it takes to build and sustain a $10 million nonprofit. He also dives into how The Foundry helps people through counseling, education, employment readiness, and aftercare.

Tune in for honest stories about second chances, repairing burned bridges, and the hope that comes from a place like The Foundry.

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For today’s episode, Nichole sits down with Gaines Johnson, president and creator of The World Baseball League. Inspired by conversations with friends, family, and colleagues, Gaines developed the league as a way to combine baseball and entertainment at an affordable price. He shares his passion for the sport, his vision for creating a community-centered experience, and how he hopes to make the game more accessible and exciting for families.

Gaines also opens up about his diverse career paths and personal life experiences, including his decision to stop drinking for a clearer mind. He discusses the role alcohol plays in baseball culture, how he’s examined his own relationship with it, and how The World Baseball League is designed to be family-friendly while promoting a sober lifestyle.

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In this episode of The Shield, Nichole has a no-holds-barred conversation with Brandon Baez, founder of Active Recovery Outreach. Brandon Baez prides his work on recognizing that recovery is more than just abstaining from substances but fostering community support. He created Lets Go Do Sh!t, a social group for those in recovery or recovery curious.

This group emphasizes living in the moment and that a life of sobriety goes beyond the walls of a recovery meeting. The group focuses on engaging with life - from paint ball to bowling. No matter the steps you follow, or your path to recovery, Active Recovery Outreach reduces stigma, fosters connection, and most importantly has fun! Together, Brandon and Nichole discuss his personal path to recovery, building relationships, and bringing the excitement to life without substance use.

Check out Active Recovery Outreach or join the Lets Go Do Sh!t Facebook page to learn more, and listen to this episode of The Shield!

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In this episode of The Shield, Nichole sits down with Katelyn Whitmore, Front of House Manager at Birmingham’s iconic Bottega. Although Katelyn graduated with a degree in education, she found her true passion in the hospitality industry—a fast-paced world where connection and experience come together through food and service.

Katelyn opens up about the joys and challenges of working in restaurants, sharing how the pressures of the industry contributed to her struggle with substance use disorder. Thanks to a strong support system and the love of her family, she found a path to recovery and transformed her experience into a mission to help others.

She co-founded PreShift, a support group designed for hospitality workers who are sober-curious, in recovery, or simply seeking a safe space to talk about the unique stresses of the industry.

Join us for this inspiring and honest conversation about resilience, healing, and the power of community in an often demanding world.

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Join us for a special episode as Nichole sits down with two inspiring students from Woodlawn High School to talk about the WOW Forum—which stands for Wisdom of Woodlawn. This youth-centered platform amplifies young voices through podcast episodes, creative workshops, and honest community dialogue. WOW explores personal and collective growth while celebrating the wisdom already present in our neighborhoods.

In this meaningful conversation, Jacques and Brent open up about the challenges of being high school students today, their hopes for the future, and the importance of building stronger community connections. And in a fun twist, they turn the mic around and interview Nichole—putting her in the hot seat!

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In this episode, we sit down with Alabama, syndicated radio personality and host of The Alabama Show on 103.7 The Q. Alabama shares how a simple email to APC turned into a meaningful partnership rooted in her personal experience—the overdose loss of her mother. She opens up about how this tragedy impacted her and how she uses her platform to amplify her mother's story, creating space for families and individuals affected by substance use disorder.

Alabama also reflects on her path into radio and how making key mindset shifts has helped her grow—personally and professionally. These changes have shaped how she shows up in the world and deepened her ability to connect with others. She also shares what life looks like outside of the studio, including her love for animals. Tune in for an honest, powerful conversation about healing, purpose, and using your voice to build community.

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On this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Emma Kay, Associate Professor at UAB’s School of Nursing and someone who's doing incredible work at the intersection of HIV care, substance use, and harm reduction. She’s all about building real, lasting connections between healthcare providers and the people they serve—especially those facing stigma and barriers to care. From her roles at the UAB Center for AIDS Research and the Center for Addiction and Pain Prevention and Intervention, Dr. Kay is helping shift how the medical world supports people with HIV and substance use disorders.

In our conversation, Dr. Kay breaks down what relational harm reduction really means—and how it can completely reshape healthcare. We talk about how her early experiences during an undergrad internship opened her eyes to the deep-rooted stigma around HIV, and how that pushed her toward work focused on empathy, trust, and patient-provider relationships. She shares how creating space for real, honest communication isn’t just ideal—it’s essential for better outcomes, especially for those often left out of the system.

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Join us for a meaningful conversation with Jamella Stroud, a somatic yoga therapist and founder of Sacred Soma Yoga and Therapy. Jamella takes a calm, grounded approach to helping people heal, especially those dealing with trauma, mental health challenges, or growing up around Substance Use Disorder. Her work is all about reconnecting with the body and finding peace through movement and breath.

We talk about her Exhale to Excel Yoga Program for students, her healing retreats in Bali, and what it means to truly listen to your body. Jamella reminds us that even in the chaos, there’s power in slowing down—and that sometimes, healing starts with simply remembering to breathe.

For more content, make sure to check us out on Instagram and YouTube!

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https://www.youtube.com/@AddictionCoalition