Last Day | Podcast Guru

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This is a show about the moments that change us, fundamentally and forever. Each week, host Stephanie Wittels Wachs (Lemonada’s co-founder and award-winning queen of darkness and light) is sitting down with a new guest to explore happy/sad stories of survival, resilience and transformation. After three seasons of exploring the "last day" of people’s lives in an effort to understand mass epidemics, Steph was ready for a change herself. Some “last days” are hopeful. Some are tragic. But at the heart of every “last day” is also a new beginning. Laugh/cry with us.

Recent Episodes

Destigmatizing Drug Use

Stephen Murray wants to change how we view drug users. After overcoming his own substance use disorder in his early 20s, he went on to save countless lives from overdose as a paramedic. He's now the founder and Executive Director of SafeSpot, the only government-funded overdose prevention hotline in the United States. In this episode, Stephen joins Stephanie to walk through the moments that transformed how he sees recovery and what it actually takes to save more lives. Order Steph’s book Last Day: How to Stop Losing Our Loved Ones to the Opioid Crisis at https://bit.ly/LastDayBook, and the audiobook at https://bit.ly/3RW4WtF, or wherever books and audiobooks are sold. LAST DAY BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE Please join Steph on the road and RSVP at the links below! 📍 Houston, TX Thursday, September 17th, 7:00 PM at Blue Willow Bookshop. Reserve your spot → 📍 Summerland, CA Friday, September 25th at Godmother's Books, in conversation with Jennifer Rudolph Walsh. Reserve your spot → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

34 MIN

“I Have One Goal: Keep You Alive” (Steph guests on A Slight Change in Plans)

Stephanie Wittels Wachs and her younger brother Harris were best friends. So when he confided that he was struggling with opioid addiction, Steph believed they’d find a way through it together, like they always had. But Harris didn’t survive his addiction. Steph immersed herself in research on addiction to better understand what her family had been through. This week, Steph joins Maya to share what she’s learned about the disease and how we can help save more lives. Check out Steph’s new book “Last Day: How to Stop Losing Our Loved Ones to the Opioid Crisis” and find her podcast, “Last Day” wherever you like to listen. For more on addiction and healing, we recommend our conversation with singer-songwriter Jason Isbell, “Jason Isbell on Resisting the Mythos of Sobriety.” If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or if you’d like to learn more about the topic, resources are available at FindSupport.gov. Order Steph’s book Last Day: How to Stop Losing Our Loved Ones to the Opioid Crisis at ⁠https://bit.ly/LastDayBook⁠, and the audiobook at ⁠https://bit.ly/3RW4WtF⁠, or wherever books and audiobooks are sold. LAST DAY BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE Please join Steph on the road and RSVP at the links below! 📍 Carmel Valley, CA Saturday, September 12th, 7:00 PM at Olivia & Daisy Books.⁠ Reserve your spot →⁠ 📍 Houston, TX Thursday, September 17th, 7:00 PM at Blue Willow Bookshop.⁠ Reserve your spot →⁠ 📍 Summerland, CA Friday, September 25th at Godmother's Books, in conversation with Jennifer Rudolph Walsh. ⁠Reserve your spot →⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

59 MIN

When Life-Changing Experiences Bring People Together (Steph guests on Thanks for Asking)

Most friendships start because you have something in common: work, hobbies, fashion, books, sense of humor. But not all friendships are formed because of something wholesome in common. Sometimes, you share an experience so life-changing that you are drawn to each other. That is how, nine years ago, Nora and Steph Wittels Wachs became friends. Steph lost her brother, Harris, to an opioid overdose. Grievers can always find common ground: losing someone changes you. If you have lived this before, you’ll find it feeling familiar. If you haven’t, consider yourself lucky. Watching a family member suffer from opioid addiction is crushing. Losing them is debilitating. Watch us on YouTube here! Get this episode ad-free here! Listen to Geoffrey’s album on Spotify and Apple! You can buy Nora’s books on Bookshop or Amazon, or wherever you buy books. Nora is on IG, TikTok, Facebook and LinkedIn. Order Steph’s book Last Day: How to Stop Losing Our Loved Ones to the Opioid Crisis at https://bit.ly/LastDayBook, and the audiobook at https://bit.ly/3RW4WtF, or wherever books and audiobooks are sold. LAST DAY BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE Please join Steph on the road and RSVP at the links below! 📍 Carmel Valley, CA Saturday, September 12th, 7:00 PM at Olivia & Daisy Books. Reserve your spot → 📍 Houston, TX Thursday, September 17th, 7:00 PM at Blue Willow Bookshop. Reserve your spot → 📍 Summerland, CA Friday, September 25th at Godmother's Books, in conversation with Jennifer Rudolph Walsh. Reserve your spot → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

57 MIN

Talking to Kids About Drugs

How do we create smart drug education that actually makes an impact on the next generation? After losing their son Charlie to an accidental fentanyl overdose, Ed and Mary Ternan created Song for Charlie to educate young people and their parents about the risks of counterfeit prescription pills and other drugs. In this episode, Stephanie talks to Ed and Marcia Lee Taylor, strategy advisor for the organization, about Charlie's last day and how to have honest conversations with kids about drugs. This episode is made possible by Song for Charlie, the family led non-profit behind the New Drug Talk program—offering free, science-backed resources for parents and caregivers. To learn more visit thenewdrugtalk.org and songforcharlie.org and follow @thenewdrugtalk (Instagram & Facebook), @song4charlie (Instagram) @songforcharlie (TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube) Order Steph’s book Last Day: How to Stop Losing Our Loved Ones to the Opioid Crisis at https://bit.ly/LastDayBook, and the audiobook at https://bit.ly/3RW4WtF, or wherever books and audiobooks are sold. LAST DAY BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE Please join Steph on the road and RSVP at the links below! 📍 Carmel Valley, CA Saturday, September 12th, 7:00 PM at Olivia & Daisy Books. Reserve your spot → 📍 Houston, TX Thursday, September 17th, 7:00 PM at Blue Willow Bookshop. Reserve your spot → 📍 Summerland, CA Friday, September 25th at Godmother's Books, in conversation with Jennifer Rudolph Walsh. Reserve your spot → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

37 MIN

Loneliness is Curable

What role does connection play in helping us survive life's hardest moments? In this episode, Stephanie talks to Allison Gilbert, a journalist, speaker, and the creator of More Connected, a first-of-its-kind app helping people build deeper belonging and togetherness IRL. Together, they explore what’s behind the loneliness epidemic, how we can embrace the messiness of human connections, and why closeness is an upstream intervention for addiction. To learn more, check out ⁠BeingMoreConnected.com⁠, ⁠AllisonGilbert.com⁠ and ⁠Mental Health Storytelling Initiative⁠. You can follow Allison on Instagram: ⁠@itsallisongilbert⁠. Order Steph’s book Last Day: How to Stop Losing Our Loved Ones to the Opioid Crisis at ⁠https://bit.ly/LastDayBook⁠, and the audiobook at ⁠https://bit.ly/3RW4WtF⁠, or wherever books and audiobooks are sold. LAST DAY BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE Please join Steph on the road and RSVP at the links below! 📍 Carmel Valley, CA Saturday, September 12th, 7:00 PM at Olivia & Daisy Books.⁠ Reserve your spot →⁠ 📍 Houston, TX Thursday, September 17th, 7:00 PM at Blue Willow Bookshop.⁠ Reserve your spot →⁠ 📍 Summerland, CA Friday, September 25th at Godmother's Books, in conversation with Jennifer Rudolph Walsh. ⁠Reserve your spot →⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

42 MIN