Wham Bam Thank You Pam

Pam welcomes fashion legend Steve Madden for a deeply personal conversation about ambition, addiction, creativity, and second chances. From sweeping the basement of a Long Island shoe store to running a global brand, Steve shares the pivotal moments that shaped him—including getting sober, serving time in prison, building his company back stronger, and raising three kids later in life. This episode is real, vulnerable, unexpectedly funny, and packed with insight on what it actually takes to start from the bottom, rebuild after failure, and stay grounded through success.@pam_gaslow

Pam’s guest this week is Sonny Gurule, an animal behaviorist and founder of Clever Canine Academy, who’s gone from training dolphins in Singapore to pampered Miami pups — including Pam’s very own furry madman, Luigi.The two share a hilarious, eye-opening chat about how dolphins inspired Sonny’s approach to dog training, why crate training isn’t cruel, and how most dog problems are actually people problems.Pam also reveals her completely unqualified approach to picking pets (“I choose them like I choose men — he’s cute, let’s go home”) and reads from her Huffington Post essay Living With a Con Artist, about her hyperactive Havanese who once wore her underwear as a necklace and ate her weed.Together, they break down everything you shouldn’t do when getting a dog (basically, everything Pam did) — and what to do instead.@[email protected]

This week on Wham Bam Thank You Pam, Pam sits down with stand-up comedian, director, and producer Patrick Holbert, who’s celebrating 17 years sober. Patrick opens up about discovering alcohol in college, the “fun guy” persona that spiraled into arrests and wild stunts (yes, there’s a cockpit story), and the moment a relationship ultimatum finally pushed him toward change. He shares how recovery tools fueled his return to comedy, what it’s like doing raw, honest sets for college audiences, and why vulnerability is the secret weapon for turning dark material into big laughs. Plus: Patrick’s special “Qualification” (Amazon/Apple TV), his podcast “We Hired a Sitter for This,” and the new doc he edited, “Tom Dustin: Portrait of a Comedian,” directed by Joe List. Honest, funny, and zero small talk.@itspatrickholbert@pam_gaslowYouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/@whambampampodcast

Pam sits down with Erica Jackowitz—former attorney turned co-founder of Roman & Erica and Rêve Travel Club—to unpack what real luxury travel means when your scarcest asset is time. Born from a botched Cabo booking, Erica’s model acts like a personal assistant to your leisure, rejecting cookie-cutter itineraries in favor of five-sense memories: e-biking through Florence instead of riding in an S-Class, turning Rome’s Trevi Fountain into a hands-on family moment, and scouting the globe so clients always land in the right place at the right time. She and Pam swap candid stories (camel rides, observation decks, kids in museums), explore how travel can humble and expand empathy, and reflect on working with her husband Roman while designing trips that feel singular, not generic. If you crave experiences over checklists, this episode is your compass.YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/@whambampampodcast@pam_gaslow@revetravelclub

In this candid, funny, and refreshingly honest conversation, Pam reconnects with longtime acquaintance Jenny Hutt—lawyer, podcaster, author, entrepreneur, and self-proclaimed “expert connector.” They swap stories about their days in a wild NYC building, the myths and realities of weight loss, learning to love exercise for mental health, and why sharing personal struggles can be a lifeline for others. Jenny opens up about her journey from media to family law, the pivotal moments that led to her transformation, and why she chose to be completely transparent about getting a facelift. From navigating grief and marriage changes to building a career she loves, Jenny proves that reinvention has no age limit.YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/@whambampampodcast@pam_gaslow@justjennyhutt

In this solo episode, Pam reflects on nearly three decades without a drink—minus the math error, plus a few weed-fueled detours that landed her in rehab. Twice. From drinking her way through college to vaping into oblivion in Miami, Pam gets brutally honest about losing herself, finding herself, and doing it all over again.There are bad decisions, one-night stands turned spiritual messengers, AA pamphlets shoved across therapist desks, and plenty of “WTF am I doing?” moments. It’s funny, messy, painful, and real.YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/@whambampampodcast@pam_gaslow

This week on Wham Bam Thank You Pam, I sit down with Carla Ondrasik—former music publishing exec turned creative mentor and author of the upcoming book Stop Trying! Carla spent decades helping artists like Barbra Streisand, Mariah Carey, Cher, and her husband (Five for Fighting's John Ondrasik) climb the charts. Now, she’s helping the rest of us ditch the word “try” and start doing. We talk fear, procrastination, how to eat the frog, and what happens when you stop waiting and start acting. Plus, how a random hot tub encounter led to Mel Robbins endorsing her book.YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/@whambampampodcast@pam_gaslow@carlaondrasik

Pam sits down with Israeli activist, comedian, and viral content creator Uri Cohen—who proves that fighting antisemitism can be funny, chaotic, and wildly effective. From his start as a hilariously bad IDF medic to launching JewUri (his matchmaking page that’s made actual Jewish babies), Uri shares the outrageous story behind his rise as a digital disruptor. They dive into his controversial clothing brand “Sexual Zionism,” his experience getting shadow banned by Meta, and why he’s leading a new generation of loud-and-proud Jews—on Instagram, at rallies, and even on pub crawls. Plus: cannabis-themed Shabbat dinners, creepy DMs, Israeli men with dad bods, and Pam volunteering as tribute for the dating pool.YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/@whambampampodcast@pam_gaslow@uricohn

Today’s guest has defused bombs in war zones, served undercover for the NYPD, and—most impressive of all—dated me. I sit down with Mark DeSimone, a decorated vet and former cop with a jaw-dropping resume and a history of chaos, courage, and second chances. We talk serving in Iraq, addiction, 9/11, naked arrests (yes, really), and what it’s like to be on both sides of the law. From Mad Dog 2020 to Homeland Security, this episode is as intense as it is unexpectedly hilarious.YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/@whambampampodcast@pam_gaslow

In this episode of Wham Bam Thank You Pam, Pam sits down with modern abstract artist Julian Castro—who ditched a six-figure engineering gig designing ocean-floor oil systems to paint shirtless in a Miami studio. They talk imposter syndrome, quitting the corporate world, selling your soul (or your painting), and why art might actually be a necessity. From Snoopy closets to cow tipping, it’s an honest, hilarious, and inspiring conversation about choosing creativity over convention—and figuring it out as you go. Oh, and yes, they cover eggs.YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/@whambampampodcast@[email protected]