The Zac Clark Show

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Renowned NYU Professor Created a Test That Teaches You Who You Are | Suzy Welch on Becoming You Oct 14, 2025

Show notes

What if there was a test that could actually tell you who you are – or even better, who you’re meant to become?

In this episode, Zac and Jay explore Becoming You: The Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career, the groundbreaking philosophy and curriculum developed by Suzy Welch – New York Times bestselling author, award-winning NYU professor, podcaster, innovator, and trusted mentor helping individuals and organizations pursue lives of meaning and flourishing.

Suzy’s Becoming You course became NYU’s most popular business school class ever, sparking a worldwide movement among Gen Z and professionals alike to find what they crave most: purpose. After losing her husband, legendary GE CEO Jack Welch, Suzy rebuilt her life by creating a rigorous, research-backed framework that helps people uncover their deepest values and design a life aligned with them.

At the center of that framework is The Values Bridge – a scientifically validated assessment that reveals your 16 core human values, measures your Authenticity Gap, and maps your Values DNA. It doesn’t just tell you who you are; it shows you where your life and values are in harmony – or in conflict – and what changes can move you toward a more authentic, fulfilling existence.

Zac and Jay take the conversation beyond the classroom, reflecting on their own journeys of self-discovery, loss, and purpose – and how tools like The Values Bridge can illuminate the path forward for anyone trying to live a life that actually feels like theirs.

Take Suzy Welch’s renowned values test – The Values Bridge – here: https://thevaluesbridge.com/

Learn more about Suzy’s best-selling book, Becoming You: The Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career: https://www.suzywelch.com/books/becoming-you-the-proven-method-for-crafting-your-authentic-life-and-career/

Connect with Zac

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:

(914) 588-6564

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Teen Addiction, Mental Health & Healing Families: Mike Giresi, Chief Clinical Officer, Family First Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

Mike Giresi was an All-American high school football player with a bright future, until crippling anxiety and panic attacks after graduation led him to alcohol. What began as self-medication spiraled into heroin addiction, multiple overdoses, and rehab.

In this episode, Mike shares his journey through the darkest chapters of addiction and his hard-fought recovery. His transformation became a calling: helping others heal. He began working with adults facing trauma and PTSD before focusing on adolescents, even traveling to India to study yoga and meditation to integrate mind-body approaches into his work.

Today, Mike is a Florida Certified Addiction Counselor, Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Certified Trauma Professional, and NARM® Practitioner. As Chief Clinical Officer at Family First Adolescent Services in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, he leads with the belief that “the entire family is our client,” addressing the deeper wounds that drive destructive behaviors.

A national speaker and educator on trauma, addiction, and adolescent mental health, Mike is an expert in helping teens and their families recover and find lasting healing.

Connect with Zac

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:

(914) 588-6564

@releaserecovery

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NFL QB to Healthcare CEO: BJ Coleman on Sports, Leadership, and Life’s Toughest Pivots Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Zac sits down with BJ Coleman – former NFL quarterback, author of The Pivot, and CEO of Pivotal Health Partners – for a powerful conversation about resilience, leadership, and life after the game.

BJ traces his journey from being a highly recruited high school quarterback to playing at the University of Tennessee, then transferring to the struggling program at UT Chattanooga – where he reinvented his career, leading to being drafted by the Green Bay Packers. His quarterback odyssey laid the seeds for life after football, learning valuable lessons about building teams, the essence of leadership and learning to “control the controllables.”

Now an executive and turnaround specialist in behavioral healthcare, BJ is known for walking into broken systems and rebuilding them from the inside out. He and Zac dive into the lessons sports instilled in him – culture, accountability, and leadership – and how those same principles drive his work today. His book, The Pivot, captures this spirit: setbacks aren’t roadblocks, but essential opportunities to reinvent, rebuild, and learn how to succeed.

This is an honest, motivational episode that will resonate with athletes, entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking tools to lead under pressure, bounce back from loss, and chart a new path forward.

For more information on BJ's book, The Pivot, please click here: https://bjcoleman.com/the-book/

Connect with Zac

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:

(914) 588-6564

@releaserecovery

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Skateboarding, Mental Health & the Berlin Marathon 2025 | KJ Dillard & Release’s Soo Saxton Sep 17, 2025

Show notes

New York City brings people together in unexpected ways. In this episode of The Zac Clark Show, Zac sits down with KJ Dillard -- an influencer, model, and skater just days away from running the 2025 Berlin Marathon to raise money for the Release Recovery Foundation -- and Soo-Hwan ‘Soo’ Saxton, an accomplished skater and Release Recovery team member whose recovery story is deeply rooted in skateboarding and mental health advocacy.

They share how skateboarding became a lifeline during struggles with addiction, anxiety, depression, and ADHD, why the skate community still carries stigma around mental health, and how a powerful moment of reclaiming identity helped Soo take his life back. KJ opens up about being a Black skateboarder growing up in Kansas City, finding brotherhood through skating, and why he’s running to support kids who can’t afford treatment.

This conversation is about skate culture, recovery, resilience, and the power of friendship – a reminder that it’s not just about talking about mental health, it’s about doing something about it.

Learn more about the Release Recovery Foundation, which provides scholarships to help individuals struggling with substance use disorders access treatment: https://www.releaserecoveryfoundation.org/

Connect with Zac

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:

(914) 588-6564

@releaserecovery

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The Shadow of 9/11: Matthew Bocchi on Sobriety, Survival, and Inspiring Others Sep 09, 2025

Show notes

At 9 years old, Matthew Bocchi lost his father in the North Tower on 9/11. At 23, he got sober. In between were years of grief, addiction, and a secret he carried alone – sexual abuse by a family member. In this raw conversation, Matthew and Zac trace the line from trauma to addiction to recovery, and how speaking the truth can save lives. Matthew shares the call that changed everything, the moment of clarity that led him to treatment, holding his abuser accountable, and the work he does now – speaking to schools across the country, offering kids language and hope. It’s a story about resilience, community, and choosing to live.

Matthew is the author of SWAY and recently celebrated 10 years sober.

Content note: This episode discusses 9/11, addiction, and sexual abuse.

Connect with Zac

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:

(914) 588-6564