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What happens when you achieve your dream—and discover that happiness doesn’t automatically come with it?   WWE alumna Melina Perez joins Josh Edlow on The Edlow Podcast for an honest conversation about the dream, the pain, and the woman behind the WWE spotlight.   From training at Jesse Hernandez’s School of Hard Knocks in San Bernardino to being cut from WWE Tough Enough and eventually earning a WWE contract, Melina shares the determination that brought her to the biggest stage in professional wrestling.   She also opens up about what audiences couldn’t see: the rumors, the bullying she says she experienced, and the nights she spent crying in her hotel room while trying to appear unaffected. Behind the confident, glamorous character was a sensitive, goofy person navigating the pressures of being a woman in WWE during that era.   In a deeply personal discussion, Melina talks about depression, surviving a suicide attempt, and her ongoing journey toward finding hope and recognizing beauty in life.   We also explore her close-knit family, the pride she takes in representing the Latina community, and why her most meaningful successes are the relationships and connections she has made along the way.   A conversation about identity, belonging, resilience, and learning to value yourself beyond other people’s opinions.   🎙️ Subscribe to The Edlow Podcast for more conversations about the lives behind the names. People are more alike than different.   💬 What part of Melina’s story resonated with you? Share your thoughts in the comments.   Content note: This episode includes discussion of bullying, depression, and a suicide attempt.

Sometimes the people who seem to be holding everything together are carrying more than anyone realizes.   In Just Me #30, I’m answering your questions about parenting through heartbreak, navigating co-parenting, learning to trust after divorce, and moving forward in faith when life looks nothing like you expected.   We talk about sustaining religious leaders when we have questions, setting boundaries without losing compassion, and making sure someone else’s hurtful choices don’t determine who we become. How do we find joy while we’re still healing—and stop putting our peace on hold until everything works out?   And because it’s still me, there’s plenty of laughter along the way: childhood memories, wrestling, The Greatest Showman, Halloween candy, traditional dating roles, and why hiking is wildly overrated.   Honest questions. Personal experiences. A little humor. And a reminder I need as much as anyone: We don’t always get to choose what happens to us. We do get a say in who we become.   Available on YouTube, Apple Podcast and Spotify

How do the friendships we form and the childhoods we experience shape the parents we become?   In this episode of The Edlow Podcast, I sit down with my longtime friend from high school, Jim Bales, for a conversation about growing up in the ’90s, raising children today, and figuring out what matters most. Jim shares how being a child of divorce has influenced his approach to fatherhood, raising a blended family, and navigating relationships with co-parents.   We revisit our favorite high school memories and reflect on the importance of having a good group of friends during those formative years.   As a high school basketball coach, Jim also offers his perspective on bullying and the pressures teenagers face today, including the risks of sharing private images and having that trust exploited.   We discuss his support for Donald Trump, what that support means to him, and finding his political identity when neither “Republican” nor “Democrat” feels like the right fit.   Along the way, we talk about his time in beautiful Alaska and our mutual friend Luke Altapeter, an Alaska State Trooper. At the heart of it all is fatherhood—and what Jim has learned about material possessions, time with family, and the life he wants to build.   What’s a lesson from your upbringing that you’ve carried into parenting? Share it in the comments.   Subscribe to The Edlow Podcast for more conversations about the experiences that shape us—and remind us that people are more alike than different.

WWE legend The Warlord joins The Edlow Podcast for an unforgettable conversation about professional wrestling, the Powers of Pain, missed opportunities, friendship, faith, family, injuries and the life behind one of wrestling’s most imposing physiques.   The Warlord takes us back to the beginning — meeting Road Warrior Animal at a gym in Minnesota, learning how to train for professional wrestling and eventually getting the call from Dusty Rhodes to join Jim Crockett Promotions.   After a difficult stint in Kansas City, where crowds were small and times were tough, an opportunity in Japan helped change everything. The Warlord talks about learning how to truly wrestle overseas before eventually returning to Charlotte and getting another opportunity with Jim Crockett Promotions.   That opportunity led to his partnership with The Barbarian and the creation of the legendary Powers of Pain.   e shares how the Road Warriors gave the team their blessing and helped them get over, the Powers of Pain signing with WWE, their rivalry with Demolition, and the lifelong friendships he developed with Bill Eadie and Barry Darsow.   We also dive into the breakup of the Powers of Pain and The Warlord’s singles run — including his regrets about how that run unfolded, why he never understood why WWE didn’t push him further, and the program with Hulk Hogan that he wishes he had been given the opportunity to have.   The Warlord talks candidly about life after WWE, wrestling on the independent scene, and the advice he gives young wrestlers today: learn how to wrestle.   But this episode goes far beyond what happened inside the ring.   We discuss the physical price of professional wrestling, his history of injuries and concussions, the surgeries he believes he still needs, and what decades in the business have done to his body.   The Warlord also opens up about traveling to the Holy Land, visiting the Wailing Wall, his Catholic faith and spiritual outlook, his family and children, and why he has told his kids that professional wrestling may not be the right path for them when they would inevitably have to live in their father’s shadow.   He reflects on what he considers his greatest success, the career outside wrestling he wishes he could have pursued as a police officer, and whether he has any regrets after a lifetime in the wrestling business.   Finally, we talk about something much bigger than wrestling:   When it’s all over, what does The Warlord hope people say about him at his eulogy?   This is The Warlord: Power, Pain & the Life Behind the Muscle.   Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

What does it actually mean to become someone new—and how do you know when God is speaking to you versus when you’re simply hearing what you want to hear?   On this episode of The Edlow Podcast: Just Me, I’m answering your questions about faith, fatherhood, relationships, personal revelation, single adults in the Church, finding meaning, starting over…and, because it’s Just Me, wrestling, 80s and 90s movies, Easy Cheese, questionable music choices, and teaching someone how to burp.   We get into some deeper questions:   How do you tell the difference between having faith that something will work out and having faith that you’ll be okay even if it doesn’t?   Is that feeling the Holy Ghost—or is it just you?   What has fatherhood taught me about Heavenly Father?   What can the Church—and more importantly, what can we as members—do better for single parents and single adults who are faithfully trying to stay on the covenant path?   Why do I fill my life with so many different things, and how do I get it all done? What’s the difference between starting over and actually becoming someone new? And when it comes to dating, maybe the answer isn’t desperately searching for “the one.” Maybe it’s becoming the best version of yourself—and learning to recognize the person who doesn’t want something from you, but simply wants you.   We also talk about the end of the Brother Brigham undefeated streak—or maybe we don’t, because I’m not smartening you up. This episode ultimately comes back to one idea: You are the greatest project you will ever work on. You are more than the negative thoughts in your head. You’re allowed to change direction. You’re allowed to grow. You’re allowed to begin again. Restart when you need to. Refocus as many times as you need to.

In this episode of The Edlow Podcast, I sit down with my longtime friend Spencer Jones, for an open and deeply personal conversation about faith, mistakes, fatherhood, marriage, and finding your way home.   Spencer and I served together in the Indiana Mission when we were young missionaries with a lot of life still ahead of us. His journey after the mission, however, took some unexpected turns.   After being offended by an interaction with a bishop, Spencer eventually stepped away from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What followed were 14 years away from the Church — years filled with choices, consequences, lessons, and experiences that would ultimately change the way he looked at faith, family, and his relationship with God.   Spencer talks candidly about what it was like to know what having the Spirit felt like — and then experience life without that same spiritual connection. We discuss the opportunities for spiritual growth he believes he lost during those years, the lessons he had to learn the hard way, and what eventually led him back.   We also talk about how the death of his mother affected him spiritually and changed his perspective on life and eternity.   But this conversation isn’t only about leaving and returning to the Church. It’s about what Spencer has done with everything he’s learned.   We talk about fatherhood, becoming the kind of dad his children can rely on, being a better husband, and how past mistakes can become powerful teachers when we’re willing to learn from them rather than be defined by them.   Spencer also shares what he has learned about following the prophet, listening to spiritual promptings, and why he now believes life becomes much simpler when we stop fighting against the direction God is trying to give us.   This is a conversation about learning the hard way.   About losing something before understanding its value.   About becoming a better husband and father because of the mistakes you’ve made.   And ultimately, about discovering that no matter how long the road has been, there can still be a road home.   🎙️ The Edlow Podcast   Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

Hollywood screenwriter Neal Gumpel has lived a life that sounds like it could have been one of his own movies.   In this deeply personal episode of The Edlow Podcast, Neal shares the remarkable journey that took him from childhood trauma and a crisis of faith to the excesses of Hollywood—and eventually to sobriety, reflection, and a very different understanding of the life he lived.   Neal opens up about being molested by a Jesuit priest as a teenager, an experience that profoundly affected his relationship with religion and led him to reject college and become an atheist. He later married his high school sweetheart, became an Elder in the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and ultimately found himself divorced and disfellowshipped from the faith.   His life would take another dramatic turn when he moved to New York, married a fashion model, struggled with drug addiction, and divorced again. But it was that same woman—whom he would eventually remarry—who encouraged Neal to sit down and write his first story.   That story changed everything.   After a Hollywood writer discovered his work and helped turn it into a movie, Neal suddenly found himself immersed in the entertainment industry—crossing paths with stars including Kevin Bacon, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci and learning firsthand the enormous difference between having a screenplay optioned and actually getting a movie made.   Neal talks candidly about making nearly every mistake a person could make in Hollywood, attending wild and sometimes seedy parties, visiting Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion parties, and witnessing a side of the entertainment industry most people never see.   We also discuss Neal’s perspective on Hollywood’s connections to the occult, his experiences and observations surrounding the era of Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby, and the relationship he sees between trauma and many of the people who become performers.   But beneath the Hollywood stories is something much deeper.   Neal reflects on finally getting clean from drugs, the guilt he still carries from parts of his Hollywood years, the lessons he learned from decades of extraordinary highs and devastating lows, and what he would do differently if he could live it all again.   We also talk about where Neal is today and his new pilot, Fish Therapy.   Trauma. Religion. Addiction. Marriage. Divorce. Hollywood. Fame. Excess. Sobriety. Guilt. And redemption. This is Neal Gumpel’s story.

WWE veteran Barry Horowitz joins The Edlow Podcast for a conversation about the craft, discipline, and responsibility of being a professional wrestler.   Barry talks about his early training and why finding the right wrestling school matters, the importance of becoming a technically sound performer, and what it really means to understand your role inside the ring.   For Barry, professional wrestling was never simply about wins and losses. He viewed his job as being a starmaker — using his experience, ability, and understanding of the business to help make his opponents look like they belonged on the biggest stage possible.   We discuss what separates someone who knows wrestling moves from someone who truly understands professional wrestling, some of Barry’s favorite opponents throughout his career, and the pride he took in doing his job the right way.   Barry also takes us behind the scenes of life on the road, including traveling alone, maintaining his workouts, watching his nutrition, and staying physically prepared through the demanding schedule of professional wrestling.   It’s a conversation about an often-overlooked side of the wrestling business: mastering your craft, understanding your role, and sometimes making yourself invaluable by helping create the next star.   🎙️ Barry Horowitz: The Art of Making a Star — Wrestling, Work Ethic & Life on the Road   Available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

In Just Me #28, I’m answering your questions—and this one goes everywhere.   We talk about faith when God feels distant, and the example of Job: what does it mean to trust God not simply because of what He gives us, but because of who He is?   We also get into gossip and what to do when the noise and opinions of other people become overwhelming.   Sometimes the answer is found in Nehemiah’s words: “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down.”   Plus:   • Are people who have been broken often the most compassionate?   • Should you ever settle in dating—or risk waiting for what you truly want?   • Prenups, second marriages, and LDS temple sealings   • What happens when one person cancels a previous sealing and the other doesn’t?   • How do you keep moving forward in faith when you don’t even feel like praying?   • Am I excited about the new Rocky biopic?   • And how do I feel about LeBron leaving the Lakers?   Faith. Relationships. Gossip. Heartbreak. Marriage. Sports. Movies. And a little bit of everything in between.   Because sometimes faith isn’t about trusting God because everything is going right.   Sometimes it’s simply:   “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” — Job 13:15   🎙️ Just Me #28: Yet Will I Trust — Your Questions on Faith, Love, Gossip & Life   Subscribe to The Edlow Podcast for more conversations about faith, family, relationships, culture, and the things that make us human.

What does it mean to have a Holy Rebellion in a world where conversations about faith can quickly become contentious?   In this episode of The Edlow Podcast, I sit down with Christian Williams, creator of The Holy Rebellion, for a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation about Christianity, changing doctrine, the Trinity, fatherhood, prayer, and why social media may be one of the most important missionary fields of our generation.   Christian shares why he created The Holy Rebellion and why he intentionally engages in faith-based conversations with people from different religious traditions. We also get into some challenging theological territory—including how Christian doctrine has developed over time and whether the traditional doctrine of the Trinity is explicitly taught in the Bible.   But theology is only part of the conversation.   Christian opens up about the challenges of fatherhood, keeping prayer sincere, dealing with antagonistic voices online, and learning how to engage people who disagree with you without losing sight of why you’re having the conversation in the first place.   In this episode, we discuss:   • Why Christian created The Holy Rebellion   • Why he has conversations with people of different faiths   • Whether Christian doctrine has changed over time   • The development of the doctrine of the Trinity   • The question: Is the traditional Trinity explicitly biblical?   • How historical Christianity shaped doctrines many Christians accept today   • Sharing faith without being afraid of difficult questions   • Dealing with antagonists, critics, and contentious conversations online   • How Christians can disagree without treating each other as enemies   • Christian’s experiences and struggles with fatherhood   • How becoming a father affects the way we understand faith and responsibility   • Keeping prayer sincere instead of allowing it to become repetitive or routine   • Why social media can become a modern missionary field   • What ordinary believers can do to share their faith online   • Christian’s love of jiu-jitsu   • What it really means to join The Holy Rebellion   This isn’t a conversation about having every answer. It’s about being willing to ask difficult questions, listen to people who see the world differently, and still have the courage to talk openly about faith.   Maybe being a missionary today doesn’t always mean knocking on someone’s door. Sometimes it means being willing to start a conversation.

Before he became one of the most recognizable tag team wrestlers in the world, Bushwhacker Luke was a young man in New Zealand who didn’t even know what professional wrestling was.   In this fascinating conversation, WWE Hall of Famer Bushwhacker Luke takes us through his incredible journey from wrestling novice to international superstar. Luke shares how he broke into the business, met his lifelong tag team partner Butch, and found himself working alongside legends such as Andre the Giant, Roddy Piper, and Rick Martel.   We discuss the brutal days of The Sheepherders, their reputation for hardcore wrestling long before it became mainstream, their time in the Carolinas under Jim Crockett Jr., and the decision to leave for Puerto Rico. Luke also reveals how The Bushwhackers were born, the surprising origin of the famous Bushwhacker March, why they started licking fans’ heads, and what nearly became a WWE Tag Team Championship run before a devastating neck injury changed everything.   This episode is packed with wrestling history, behind-the-scenes stories, and firsthand accounts from one of the most beloved personalities the business has ever produced.

Rachel Evers is preparing to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but her journey to that decision didn’t happen overnight.   In this inspiring conversation, Rachel shares how a challenge to sincerely read the Book of Mormon during middle school transformed her testimony and ultimately gave her the desire to share the gospel with the world. She opens up about the role her parents, Kevin and Debbie Evers, played in her faith, the lessons she learned at BYU–Idaho, and why choosing God first has shaped every major decision in her life.   We also discuss dating while preparing for a mission, her relationship with a boyfriend who is currently serving, the principles of eternal marriage, learning patience through life’s setbacks, discovering a passion for sales and marketing, and balancing future career aspirations with the hope of one day raising a family.   Whether you’re preparing for a mission, strengthening your testimony, navigating young adulthood, or simply looking for hope and purpose, Rachel’s story is a powerful reminder that when you know the gospel is true, you naturally want to share it.   In this episode:   * Why Rachel chose to serve a mission   * How reading the Book of Mormon changed her life   * Building a testimony as a teenager   * Lessons from BYU–Idaho   * Dating, missions, and God’s timing   * Eternal marriage and choosing God first   * Learning through hardship and failure   * Finding purpose, patience, and future career goals   If this episode inspired you, please like, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a comment letting us know what strengthened your testimony.

What do you do when life keeps knocking you down? How do you keep your faith when God feels silent? Why are dating and relationships so difficult today?   In this episode of Just Me, I answer your questions on some of life’s biggest challenges—from faith during difficult seasons to modern dating, divorce, fatherhood, purpose, wrestling, and finding hope when everything feels uncertain.   We dive into:   * Keeping your faith when life feels like one setback after another   * Why dating after 40 can feel so difficult   * Men, women, relationships, and the importance of self-reflection   * Divorce, 50/50 laws, alimony, and why resentment can develop   * The greatest joy I’ve found in being a father   * What wives should know about their husbands   * How I balance law, podcasting, wrestling, church, and family (or at least try to)   * Whether people can truly change after betrayal   * The advice that’s changed how I see people   * Finding your purpose when you don’t know which path to take   * My thoughts on today’s wrestling, Vince McMahon, LeBron rumors, He-Man, and more   * A message for anyone who feels like they’re at the end of their rope   If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, questioned your purpose, struggled in relationships, or wondered where God is in the middle of your trials, I hope this conversation reminds you that you’re not alone.   “You always end up exactly where you’re supposed to be. The trick is surviving the road to get there.”   If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, leave a comment, and share it with someone who needs a little hope today.

Rob Van Dam is one of the most innovative and influential professional wrestlers of all time, but this conversation goes far beyond championships and unforgettable matches.   In this episode of The Edlow Podcast, RVD reflects on his groundbreaking rise through ECW, the criticism he faced from old-school wrestlers for introducing a high-flying style that would eventually change the industry, and the challenge of adapting from the extreme environment of ECW to WWE.   He opens up about the disappointment of missing the first ECW One Night Stand, why his victory over John Cena at ECW One Night Stand 2006 remains the pinnacle of his career, and the backlash he received after saying that missing the original One Night Stand hurt more than missing WrestleMania.   Rob also shares the difficult story behind his WWE Championship reign being cut short following a 30-day Wellness Policy suspension after a cannabis-related arrest, and why he believes he was years ahead of his time in advocating for the legalization and medical use of marijuana. Today, he discusses his passion for cannabis education and why he continues to champion its benefits.   The conversation then turns deeply personal as Rob discusses the depression and heartbreak he experienced during his divorce, what he learned from being married to the wrong person, and how meeting his current wife transformed his life. He explains why he is happier than he has ever been, how becoming a father changed his perspective forever, and why real success has nothing to do with championships.   This is an honest, thoughtful conversation about innovation, resilience, redemption, family, happiness, and one of wrestling’s most unique careers.   Topics include:   * The evolution of ECW and becoming a “hardcore” wrestler * Revolutionizing wrestling with a new in-ring style * Adjusting from ECW to WWE * ECW One Night Stand and defeating John Cena * The WWE Championship and Wellness Policy suspension * Cannabis advocacy and changing public opinion * Divorce, depression, and finding love again * Fatherhood and personal growth * Life after wrestling and lasting happiness

On this episode of The Edlow Podcast, I sit down with Autumn Dickson of AutumnDickson.com and one of the most influential voices behind LDS Come Follow Me content on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms.   Autumn shares how a simple desire to help others better understand the scriptures grew into a ministry that reaches thousands of people every week. We discuss practical ways to make scripture study more meaningful, why Gospel Doctrine classes should focus less on simply getting through the lesson and more on helping people have a personal experience with Jesus Christ, and how to teach the same gospel principles in ways that connect with different learners.   We also go behind the scenes of her life as a wife, mother, and content creator. Autumn opens up about the challenges of balancing a growing online platform with raising her family, the fear that her children might one day feel burdened by her public work, and how she ultimately came to see that living her faith publicly can be a powerful example for them.   In a candid and inspiring conversation, we also discuss:   * How daily scripture study transforms our relationship with God. * Lessons she learned while serving as a missionary. * The importance of repentance and embracing personal growth. * Her gratitude for her husband and the principles that have strengthened their marriage. * Her love of music and the surprising story of her pursuit of becoming a pop singer. * Using social media as a force for faith in an increasingly noisy world. * Why authentic discipleship matters more than perfection.   hether you’re a Gospel Doctrine teacher, a Come Follow Me student, or simply someone striving to strengthen your relationship with Jesus Christ, this conversation is filled with practical insights, encouragement, and hope.   If this episode encourages you, please like, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Your support helps us continue sharing conversations that remind us we’re all more alike than different.   You can subscribe to the Edlow Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcast and Spotify. You can follow the Edlow Podcast on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok