Harder to Breathe: Looking Back & Looking Ahead

On the season one finale of “Harder to Breathe'', host and founding drummer of “Maroon 5” Ryan Dusick is joined by co-host and actor Brian “Duck” Maillard for an honest conversation about the first season of the podcast, how things have gone so far, and how they hope things will go moving forward into season two.
Putting together honest, truthful and authentic interviews about mental health requires a certain level of vulnerability from the hosts themselves. Ryan and Duck take this opportunity at the end of the year to do just that: expressing their own emotions, struggles, victories, and much more.
In a bit of a shift from their usual “therapist-client” relationship, Ryan opens up to Duck at length, for the first time on air, about issues that he has faced over the past year. He speaks about his mother’s health issues, and how they have required him to take on the caregiver role. He also confides in the audience about his separation from his partner, and how it has felt to be properly alone for the first time in a long time.
The relationship between Duck and Ryan is the core of "The Harder to Breathe Podcast", and their vulnerability about not only their lives but the state of this podcast is admirable. They’re willing to talk about the difficulties that come along with trying to find an audience, but they also take the time to stop and thank YOU… our existing audience. So if you’re reading this, THANK YOU, from all of us at “Harder to Breathe”. If this has helped you in any way, please let us know! We look forward to hearing so much more from you in Season 2.
0:00:07 Introduction, Bow Ties, & Physical Comedy
0:03:06 Lessons Learned After One Season
0:06:40 Playing Bass vs. Being the Frontman
0:08:25 Ryan’s Perspective on the Podcast
0:11:45 Duck’s Perspective on the Podcast
0:16:30 The Existential Dilemma
0:22:30 Growing in the Craft & Embracing Social Media
0:29:15 Ryan Personal Life… Today
0:34:40 Logistical Stress vs. Emotional Stress
0:38:30 Drawing Lines & Setting Boundaries
0:41:05 Releasing Episodes Out of Order
0:44:30 Duck Appreciation Moment
0:46:25 Ryan’s Separation From His Partner
0:51:05 A Healthy Approach to Separation
0:56:40 Reflecting on the Year’s End
1:00:50 Making the Podcast Sustainable
1:04:23 Preparing for the Licensing Exam
1:10:30 THANK YOU to our Guests, and To YOU, the Listeners
1:12:00 Wrap Up & Conclusion
Ready to Dive Deeper?:
www.ryandusick...
BenBella Books Author Page - benbellabooks....
Amazon Book Page - www.amazon.com...
WWSG Speaker Page - wwsg.com/speak...
Psychology Today Therapist Profile - www.psychology...
Stay Up to Date on the Podcast: @hardertobreathepodcast
Follow Ryan on Social Media:
IG - @ryan_michael_dusick
LinkedIn - / ryan-dusick-ma-amft-26...
Facebook - / ryan.m.dusick
Facebook Author Page - / ryanmichaeldusick
X / Twitter - @DusickRyan
Follow Duck on Social Media:
IG - @Newyorkduck
X / Twitter - @DuckMaillard
#hardertobreathe #podcast #mentalhealth #maroon5 #drummer

[@gameszerax5636]

First of all, I would like to wish you both a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Secondly, I would like to thank you for the incredible and excellent work that both you, Ryan, and Duck have done on The Harder to Breathe Podcast in this first season. We have had several spectacular guests throughout the episodes of this season, and next year, we will have more spectacular guests for this second season. We have also had several funny moments, several interesting stories, very emotional stories and very good episodes, such as the episode with Sara Bareilles (which is my favorite episode) and the episode with Ryan's father. I feel that 2024 was a pretty average year because a lot of good things happened in my life because I met new people, made new friends, had a picnic with some friends and a barbecue, etc. But a lot of bad things also happened and one of those moments will be the first time I talk about it in the comments because it happened in June or July, which was the death of my uncle in a saturday morning and it took me but my entire family down on this day. I remember the atmosphere in the house being very busy, my mother felt sick during the funeral, that was a day that I will never ever forget. Thank you again, Ryan and Duck, for the excellent work you did in this first season, and now we can wait for the second season in January. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Brazil

[@RyanDusickOfficial]

@@gameszerax5636 Thank you so much for your support of the show. We really appreciate it so much, and I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed all of those moments! And I’m so sorry for the loss of your uncle. Thank you for sharing here vulnerably, as we encourage with our show. I hope that you find some peace this holiday season, and I hope that we can continue to provide a relatable show for you in the new year!

[@syndit2130]

Guys this is a journey that will take time to find your niche. I totally get it and understand about podcasts, and social media, it different, weird and uncomfortable especially when we did not grow up with every minute of the day being public. I agree that i feel 75%percent of the show is great. I have had moments where it was hard to pay attention, but that is me personally and professionally. Ryan, work in MH we have to be careful about our private life. Keeping that boundaries with clients is hard and even more when you’re in the public eye. Ryan, I’m glad you have people to go to as well. Your girlfriend is such a sweet soul, your parents are great. I’m so sorry about the medical issues with them. Please don’t think you owe anyone explanations. I see the show as you’re the therapist and Duck asks the public and private questions. I hope both of you and your families have a wonderful holiday and better 2025❤. Side note: Ryan, my daughter still talk about the time your parents spent with her when we met😂

[@RyanDusickOfficial]

Thanks for the feedback as usual, Syndi! Have a lovely holiday season as well!

[@Rossdd44]

Hey guys, just wanted to leave a comment to wrap up the season, as I've been consistently listening to you. I really understand your complaints, as they´re pretty familiar to what I feel. Anyway, I am a psychology student at 30 and was heavily influenced by Ryan's book to go back to school and get another degree. So thank you for that, although the grind of doing that while working a full time job gets to me as well haha. I also miss having a creative outlet. I really enjoy it when you let your personalities show and talk about personal stuff (and very relatable feelings). Honestly, it always amazes me how cordial Ryan is to everyone even when he disagrees, how ethically he talks about m5 when certainly there were difficult feelings there, apart from being funny, Duck has really good insight even though he's not a therapist and just a sweet guy overall. I really enjoy listening to the podcast and what you're going through, the jokes between you guys, more technical knowledge about psychology and also the entertainment side of it with different guests. It is also cool to think that when I was a huge maroon 5 fan as a teenager I'd never think my interests would grow in that direction, yet here we are, reunited in some (and different) way. So, thank you for helping me getting through my work day, wish you all the best and can't wait for season 2.

[@RyanDusickOfficial]

Man, you have no idea how much this comment made my day. Thank you so much for being so specific about the things you appreciate about the show. It really means a lot to hear when listeners are engaging with the content we're putting out and that it is making an impact.

[@Rossdd44]

@RyanDusickOfficial happy to help!!