In this heartfelt and inspiring episode of Ask Dr. Louise, Dr. Louise sits down with acclaimed costume designer Ernesto Martinez for an intimate conversation about creativity, courage, recovery, and living a life fueled by gratitude. From designing costumes for films and hit television series like Song Sung Blue, Physical, and Veep, to discovering the healing power of horses and the life-changing lessons of 12-step recovery, Ernesto shares the deeply personal experiences that shaped both his career and his character.

Together, they reflect on their unforgettable friendship that began during the early SoulCycle days in Los Angeles, the collaborative magic behind bringing characters to life on screen, and the importance of remaining teachable no matter where life takes you. Ernesto opens up about caring for his mother during her final years, overcoming fear and self-doubt, and why listening may be the greatest superpower of all.

This episode is a moving reminder that it’s never too late to pursue your dreams, walk through fear, and create a meaningful life filled with purpose, creativity, and connection.

Connect with Ernesto: https://www.instagram.com/ernestito1/

Connect with Dr. Louise:

Website: https://www.allaboutinterventions.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allaboutinterventions/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlouisestanger/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drlouisestanger

In today's episode of Ask Dr. Louise podcast, Dr. Louise interviews Jack Vaughn, COO of Youth Prevention Mentors (YPM), about how he entered youth mentoring and case-support work. Jack describes struggling as a rebellious student, later pursuing self-understanding and psychology, and how caring for his father during a serious cancer battle and learning from his mother’s recovery coaching prepared him for high-acuity support roles. He recounts his first major YPM case—joining a barricaded young man using an invitational approach and motivational interviewing, ultimately accompanying him to a distant behavioral health treatment center—and how that work led to ongoing collaboration with Dr. Louise and Max. Jack also discusses a later case involving addiction recovery, traumatic loss, and academic collapse, which prompted him to develop an executive-functioning curriculum focused on initiation, follow-through, grit, and self-control. He shares plans to expand this work through Launch Go, a separate virtual coaching service paired with a productivity platform (currently soft-launched in beta) designed to support clients at the “point of performance,” and he provides a phone number for families seeking help.

Connect with Jack:

Website: https://www.youthpreventionmentors.com/

Connect with Dr. Louise:

Website: https://www.allaboutinterventions.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allaboutinterventions/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlouisestanger/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drlouisestanger

Cheryl “She Fox” on Storytelling Through Photography, A Few Good Women, and Creative Joy

Dr. Louise Stanger hosts her first podcast with photographer and storyteller Cheryl “She Fox,” recalling how they met through a photoshoot with Louise’s daughter Sydney and later collaborated at the Sunset Marquis, where their session led to Louise’s book Reflections on Aging and a signing at Morrison Hotel Gallery. Cheryl discusses her career path from a Hampton University suspension to studying sociology, learning photography in a darkroom, and training at the School of Visual Arts as a mother of two. She describes entering the fine art world with behind-the-scenes hip hop images and working with artists like Pharrell, Snoop Dogg, and Rihanna, while managing difficult sets by removing “outside noise.” Cheryl addresses being underestimated as a woman of color, her “happy heart,” advice to stretch imagination, and plans for A Few Good Women as a second edition and docuseries plus brand partnerships. She also shares illustrating her son Jamani’s children’s books using AI and collaborating with Louise on a “Trauma is your superpower” comic concept.

• 00:00 Meet Cheryl Fox
• 00:48 How We Met
• 02:59 Reflections on Aging
• 03:58 A Few Good Women
• 06:45 Finding Her Lens
• 09:46 From Hobby to Pro
• 11:15 Hip Hop Fine Art
• 15:09 Seeing Beyond Surface
• 18:15 Favorite Celebrity Shoots
• 19:35 Handling Set Drama
• 20:55 Breaking Into Galleries
• 24:13 Morrison Gallery Memories
• 25:00 Sunset Marquis Home Base
• 26:52 Underestimated Photographer
• 28:46 Finding Joy Daily
• 30:53 Creative Storytelling Advice
• 32:11 A Few Good Women Next
• 36:14 AI Kids Books Breakthrough
• 38:12 Trauma Superpower Comic
• 40:01 Closing Thanks Sponsors

Connect with Cheryl:

Website: https://www.cherylfoxphotography.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cfoxmorethanaphotographer/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cfoxphotography/

X: https://x.com/cfoxphotog

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@cfoxmorethanaphotographer

Connect with Dr. Louise:

Website: https://www.allaboutinterventions.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allaboutinterventions/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlouisestanger/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drlouisestanger

Resilience, Adventure, and Reinvention with Shelby Stanger

On Ask Dr. Louise, Louise interviews her youngest daughter, journalist and podcaster Shelby Stanger Arthur (Will to Wild; Wild Ideas Worth Living), about launching a podcast and building a business from a women’s entrepreneurship accelerator after an Outside Magazine story about Wim Hof was cut; Shelby later sold the show to REI Co-op in 2020. They discuss how Louise taught Shelby curiosity, asking questions, and finding goodness in people, and how family trauma shaped their lives, including the sudden infant death of Shelby’s brother Eric and the sudden death of Shelby’s father at 46. Shelby reflects on anxiety, how water and Mission Bay Aquatics helped her heal, and choosing Emory for journalism mentorship (including Nathan McCall) and a reporting trip to South Africa. Shelby shares top “adventures,” advice on awe in nature, and the importance of reinventing yourself.

Connect with Shelby:

Website: https://shelbystanger.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelbystanger/

Connect with Dr. Louise:

Website: https://www.allaboutinterventions.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allaboutinterventions/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlouisestanger/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drlouisestanger

Dr. Louise interviews interventionist and recovery entrepreneur Gino Galofaro, recounting how they connected through the late Ian DePuy and later met at a networking event after Ian’s death. Gino describes getting sober in 1999, opening Rancho Coast sober livings in 2005 near Pathfinders, and building programs including Hope Interventions, Windansea Recovery (PHP/IOP in La Jolla), Grotta House/Grotta Ranch (detox/residential), House of Hope in Logan Heights for Medi-Cal clients, and a new Hope and Recovery Foundation to support housing and recovery for people coming from homelessness or incarceration. He explains his Johnson Model intervention training and preference for high-intensity, high-risk interventions, sharing a recent Texas case involving severe nitrous use. They discuss how insurance and fentanyl have changed treatment and why families must set boundaries while keeping hope. Gino provides websites for his services.

• 00:00 Welcome and Introductions
• 00:18 How We Met Through Ian
• 04:08 Building Sober Living Homes
• 06:07 Why Interventions Matter
• 09:13 High Risk Intervention Story
• 11:45 Trust and Staying Calm
• 12:50 Celebrating 27 Years Sober
• 14:29 Addiction Landscape and Insurance
• 16:17 Fentanyl and Rock Bottom Rethink
• 17:39 Family Boundaries and Tough Love
• 19:58 New Projects and Nonprofit Plans
• 23:43 Hope Message and Where to Find Gino
• 25:43 Closing Thanks and Next Episode

Connect with Gino:

Website: https://windansearecovery.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Windansea-Recovery-61568664017820/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/windansea.recovery/

Connect with Dr. Louise:

Website: https://www.allaboutinterventions.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allaboutinterventions/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlouisestanger/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drlouisestanger