What Could Be Bad

Benj interviews bestselling author and performance coach Adam Bornstein about overcoming severe health challenges, physical injuries, and personal adversity to build a life centered on resilience, longevity, and peak performance. The conversation explores health optimization, mental toughness, grief, community, and the mindset needed to thrive despite setbacks.

Cast – Adam Bornstein, Benj Gershman

Spoken word poet Demetri Manabat shares his journey from an expected traditional career path to finding purpose through poetry, reflecting on creativity, grief, family, and the profound impact of losing his father while discovering that love and connection are what help carry loss forward.

Cast – Demetri Manabat, Benj Gershman

Serial entrepreneur Eric Pullier shares his journey through startup success, legal battles, the creation of programmable NFTs, sovereign AI governance initiatives, and the importance of human connection, purpose, and resilience in an increasingly digital world.

Benj Gershman interviews former LAPD officer, attorney, and author Lita Abella about trauma, resilience, mental health, and the personal experiences that shaped her healing journey and advocacy work.

Cast – Benj Gershman, Lita Abella

Benj sits down with social entrepreneur John Wood to discuss how a chance encounter in Nepal led to founding Room to Read and later U-Go University, empowering thousands of young women worldwide through education, purpose-driven leadership, and global impact.

Cast – Benj Gershman, John Wood

Artist, MILCK, joins Benj Gershman for the premiere of Season Three of ⁠⁠What Could Be Bad⁠⁠ on the first day of Mental Health Awareness Month 2026. Stemming from Connie Lim’s (aka MILCK) Chinese heritage, the discussion moves from historical beginnings to a modern day lens maintaining personall and professionally as an artist within American Culture, while speaking to a global audience. Respect for and from both sides is evident throughout the heartfelt and honest discussion.

Cast – Benj Gershman, Connie Lim (MILCK)

Filmed on location at Walking Mountains in Avon, CO, in front of a live audience, host Benj Gershman speaks with Dr. Paige Baker-Braxton, PsyD of Vail Health Behavioral Health. The two discuss Paige’s personal history, challenges managing a demanding career while balancing life at home, and on the verge of adding to her busy schedule being an integral part of opening the new Precourt Healing Center in Edwards CO. A Q&A period followed the discussion with meaningful engagement by interested community members, including children.

Cast – Dr. Paige Baker-Braxton, Benj Gershman

Both originally from Montgomery County Maryland, Benj Gershman and Melissa Doman, connect at the Roots Music Project in Boulder, Colorado for an intimate and purposeful conversation. Discussing personal experiences in the mental health field, Mel discloses some of the most challenging circumstances she encountered as a former therapist and how it drove her work around workplace mental health. Looking forward, the two discuss their fireside interview, From the Stage to the Office, addressing Lessons on Mental Health at Work for businesses, conferences, and teams globally.

Cast – Melissa Doman, Benj Gershman

In this Season Two Finale, the incredibly talented Noelle Scaggs (Fitz & The Tantrums) joins Benj in Nashville, TN to catch up on things from the O.A.R. 2024 Summer Tour. Having gone through personal challenges during the run, a lot was left unspoken in the new friendship and speaking openly about it in this way proved to be a meaningful connection. Noelle shares candidly about how she managed her wellbeing before, during and after tour.

During the Mountains & Minds Mental Health Summit in Beaver Creek Colorado, Dr. Judith Landau sits down with Benj to share her story living through Apartheid in South Africa, creating her Community Resilience model, and working around the globe to be of service to others.

Skiier, ultra-runner, filmmaker, and mental health advocate Drew Petersen joins Benj onstage at the Vilar PAC in Beaver Creek Colorado, as part of Mountains & Minds – A Mental Health Summit to Strengthen Community. The two discuss Drew’s new film, Feel It All, while explaining a longtime battle with his own well-being, injuries and challenges growing up in Colorado being immersed in its seasonal outdoor culture. The two have a solid rapport deepening their new friendship and passion to elevate mental health conversations.

Chef Robert Irvine and Benj meet up in Beaver Creek Colorado at the incredible Vilar Performing Arts Center as part of Mountains & Minds: A Mental Health Summit to Strengthen Community. Also as part of the summit, Robert Irvine Foundation’s brought their Breaking Bread with Heroes program to Eagle County so that they could connect with first responders who are daily doing incredible work for the people of the county. Robert shares many personal stories highlighting how his mindset helped him to arrive where he is today, as well as how he chooses to lead his companies and teams.

Filmed within Vilar PAC in Beaver Creek Colorado, during the Mountains & Minds Mental Health Summit to Strengthen Community, the extremely talented Pat Milbery reconnects with new friend Benj Gershman. Discussing their personal connection, life mentors, experiences and trauma with suicide the conversation ebbs and flows through meaningful topics usually left unspoken.

Filmed at the Nailspring Ranch in Bonanza Oregon, the Becklin Family hosted the band O.A.R. while on tour during their Summer Tour ’24. Brady Watt, bass playing phenom, writer and producer talks candidly about how his career unfolded in the music industry, while sharing his regimented approach to battling testicular cancer. Likening his fight to how he approaches his everyday work in music, Brady’s steady and focused mind shares all through friendship in an amazing place during an amazing time.

Benj is joined by Victoria Arlen (ESPN Host, Author and Olympic Champion) in his happy place, the home his grandparents built decades ago in Connecticut. Chatting on the deck behind the house above a beautiful New England cove, the two share a conversation about their unique personal health challenges, the landscape of recovering both physically and mentally, and then moving forward with their lives. All through the lens of longstanding friendship and mutual respect.

In the What Could Be Bad Season One finale, Artist and Advocate Abby Wren, joins Benj Gershman for a conversation in Vail, Colorado. Wrenegade Media dynamic duo, Abby and her husband Wade Holland, are the Creative Directors and Hosts of GoPro Mountain Games CoLab Stage, which stands as a creative and collaborative space that brings many diverse performance elements together. Abby shares about her history and advocacy with Alopecia while Benj divulges his own experience with it. They touch on art, community, music and other topics, learning and listening to one another in a beautiful setting. Special thanks to Dave Dressman, Betty Ford Alpine Gardens and the Vail Valley Foundation for creating this opportunity.

Steph Johnson, CEO and Creative Director of Voices of Our City Choir, joins Benj Gershman to discuss her journey of using music as a force for social impact. They explore how the choir supports San Diego’s unsheltered homeless community through connection, dignity, and purpose, while reflecting on the personal challenges, sacrifices, and rewards that come with dedicating oneself to serving others.

Cast: Steph Johnson, Benj Gershman

Flavor Flav joins Benj Gershman for a candid conversation about his life, career, and the lessons he’s learned along the way. Reflecting on the early days of Public Enemy, his relationship with Chuck D, and the band’s groundbreaking rise through Def Jam, Flav shares personal stories, hard-earned wisdom, and heartfelt advice on perseverance, authenticity, and success.

Cast: Flavor Flav, Benj Gershman

Recorded in Nashville, TN, host Benj Gershman of rock band O.A.R. is joined by Make Wake Artists, Inc. Label Relations and Artist Management Executive, Alicia Mathews. The two share an honest conversation from both the perspective of artist and management, including personal stories from their careers within the music industry. Facing challenges early in her career and during the pandemic, Mathews reflects on the emotional toll that her work environment fostered through a lack of compassion for circumstances within and outside the scope of her employment. The toll affected her personal relationships and spilled over into the view of her immediate family, bringing up anxiety due to loss within her family. Tangents ensue as the two vivacious personalities enjoy one another’s company, holding a cathartic and relatable exchange showcasing unique experiences from both music business professionals.

Benj Gershman sits down with Musicians On Call CEO Pete Griffin for a heartfelt conversation about purpose, personal growth, and the healing power of music. Pete shares how early experiences with bullying shaped his career path, why he ultimately sought deeper meaning beyond industry success, and how Musicians On Call has positively impacted over one million lives through music-based patient care.

Cast: Pete Griffin, Benj Gershman

Ryan Dusick reflects on co-founding Maroon 5, the band’s breakthrough success with Songs About Jane, and the personal challenges that led to his departure as drummer. He shares insights from his memoir Harder to Breathe, discusses recovery from injury and alcoholism, and explains how his experiences ultimately led him to a fulfilling career as a mental health therapist.

Cast: Ryan Dusick, Benj Gershman

Stephen Kellogg joins Benj Gershman for an honest conversation about the realities of a life in entertainment, exploring touring, recording, family, creativity, personal struggles, and the sacrifices required to sustain a long and fulfilling artistic career.

Cast: Stephen Kellogg, Benj Gershman

Benj Gershman sits down with veteran advocate, author, and political analyst Paul Rieckhoff for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, national service, mental health, family challenges, global instability, and the unifying power of music in building resilience and community.

Cast – Paul Rieckhoff, Benj Gershman

Benj sits down with veteran Music Producer and Atmos Mixer, Matt Wallace, at Studio Delux in Van Nuys CA. The conversation stems from a deep yearning to balance one’s professional career with one’s personal life, and the two candidly discuss the realities they face in doing so. Matt shares about his challenges as a father raising a child with special needs, divorce, surviving prostate cancer and learning to love again. All while, maintaining significant new health practices to benefit himself, his partner, and profession.

Chris Calderon joins What Could Be Bad as our first guest and house cinematographer, sharing a conversation with host, Benj Gershman. Weaving through Chris’ long history in the entertainment business, he sheds light on the balance needed to continue through a myriad of challenges. His career encompasses early Motocross events, filming in Hollywood at music clubs and within the celebrity scene, Jackass and leading all the way to expanding his abilities into real estate photography in order to survive through the pandemic.