Beyond YOUR Bar Podcast

Hosted by Denisa Tova

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169

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Aug 2026

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About the show

The Beyond YOUR Bar Podcast is about the people behind the work. Host Denisa Tova sits down with actors, musicians, athletes, and the people who built something, for unhurried conversations that go past the headline and past the title. Not the highlight reel, the real story of how a life gets made. Guests have included Ice-T and Coco, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Michael Nouri. As featured on E! News. Self-funded, no sponsors, no agenda.

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60 recent

August 21, 2026Episode 2953 min

S5 E29: Poison's Rikki Rockett on Beating Cancer, Raising Hell & Building an Empire With Two Drumsticks

Rikki Rockett built an entire empire out of a pair of drumsticks, and he is the first to tell you he still can't believe it worked. As the drummer and co-founder of Poison, he helped define an era, sold tens of millions of records, and just landed in the Metal Hall of Fame. Now he is dropping a memoir that spares no one, including himself. Ghost Notes: My Life in Poison hits September 15th, and it is exactly as brutally honest, darkly funny and unfiltered as you would hope. In this one he gets into the stage 4 cancer battle he was never supposed to survive, the wild years, the self tanner emergencies, the ghost hunting, the jiu jitsu black belt, the house full of horror models, and the daughter who now gets more attention at conventions than the rock star dad standing next to her. He is funny, fearless and completely himself from the first second. Buckle up. Ghost Notes: My Life in Poison (out September 15): https://rarebirdlit.com/ghost-notes-my-life-in-poison-by-rikki-rockett/ Rikki Rockett: https://www.rikkirockett.com/ Rockett Mafia: https://rockettmafia.com/ Subscribe for new episodes every week. Until next time, stay curious and inspired. Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: https://beyondyourbarpodcast.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisatova LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisatova/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisatova Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: hypecats.com.

August 19, 2026Episode 2839 min

S5 E28: Days of Our Lives Star Patrika Darbo on Staying True to Yourself in Hollywood

Some people spend their whole lives asking permission. Patrika Darbo never did. At a Hollywood audition in 1968 she was told she had all the talent in the world and none of the look the business wanted. What she did next set the tone for the next 40 years, two Emmys, and one of the most respected character careers in the industry. You know her as Nancy Wesley on Days of Our Lives, and from In the Line of Fire, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and Roseanne. What you may not know is the woman underneath all of it. Sharp, unfiltered, endlessly funny, and completely unwilling to be anything other than exactly who she is. She sat down with Denisa to talk about the roles she will never take, the moment she walked away from a job that fell apart without her, the causes she would go to war for, and the love that has lasted more than half a century. Some of what she says will surprise you. All of it will stay with you. Come meet the real Patrika Darbo. All Roads Theater Company: https://allroadstheatreco.org/ Patrika Darbo: https://www.instagram.com/darbopatrika/?hl=en Subscribe for new episodes every week. Until next time, stay curious and inspired. Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: https://beyondyourbarpodcast.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisatova LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisatova/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisatova Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: hypecats.com.

August 14, 2026Episode 2727 min

S5 E27: From Legal Aid to Her Own Firm: 30 Years in Family Law

Early in her career, Debra Rubin gave clients bus fare out of her own pocket so they could make it to court. Today she runs her own firm and is one of the most recognized matrimonial attorneys on Long Island. How she got from one to the other is the real story. Host Denisa Tova sits down with Debra for a conversation that moves easily between the practical and the personal. Debra came up through Legal Aid, representing people with nothing on the line but everything at stake, and she carries that perspective into a very different world of high-conflict, high-asset divorce. She has strong opinions about the difference between fighting and winning, and a way of talking to clients that cuts through the noise fast. There's also the part of her life that has nothing to do with law: a marriage approaching three decades, a house full of dogs, a book club that's mostly wine, and a genuinely refreshing take on why the next generation of lawyers might be onto something their elders missed. If you've ever wondered what it actually takes to build a career on your own terms, and stay decent while doing it, this one's worth your time. Follow Beyond Your Bar for new episodes featuring voices across law, entertainment, and beyond. Learn more about Debra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debralrubin/ Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: https://beyondyourbarpodcast.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisatova LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisatova/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisatova Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: hypecats.com.

August 12, 2026Episode 2651 min

S5 E26: Caroline Stanbury & Sergio Carrallo on Marriage, Building an Empire & Never Giving Up

Caroline Stanbury and Sergio Carrallo run nine companies, raise three teenagers and live a life most people only see through a screen. You know them from Ladies of London and The Real Housewives of Dubai. What you do not know is what actually holds it all together. In this conversation they open up about the rule they live by that keeps their marriage steady, the setbacks that nearly took each of them down before they ever met, and the mindset that turned everything around. Caroline talks about the childhood that made her who she is and the darkest chapter of her career. Sergio shares the decision everyone told him not to make and why he would do it again. And together they explain what really keeps two people aligned when the whole world is watching and waiting for it to fall apart. There is a lot more here than the headlines. Come find out for yourself. Caroline Stanbury: https://www.instagram.com/carolinestanbury/?hl=en Stanbury Retreats: www.stanburyretreats.com/2-landing-page-2000-1 Sergio Carrallo: https://www.instagram.com/sergiocarrallo/?hl=en Izumi Hotels and Residences: https://www.instagram.com/izumihotels/ Subscribe for new episodes every week. Until next time, stay curious and inspired. Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: https://beyondyourbarpodcast.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisatova LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisatova/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisatova Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: hypecats.com.

August 7, 2026Episode 2532 min

S5 E25: Valerie Tocci on Justice, Family Law, and What Keeps Her Fighting

Valerie Tocci, Partner at Fox Rothschild LLP, could have stayed in the courtroom chasing high-stakes cases as a federal prosecutor. Instead, she walked into family law and never looked back. Eighteen years later, she's still fired up about it, and in this episode she's honest about why. She talks about the anger that still rises when she sees injustice, and why she thinks a good lawyer should feel it rather than bury it. She opens up about being a working mother of two, and how raising her own daughters quietly changed the advice she gives divorcing parents. And she shares the simple exercise she gives clients who can't picture life on the other side of a divorce, the one she promises will leave them happier. Along the way: the New Yorker who's never had a driver's license, the childhood dream she still hasn't ruled out, and the honest answer she gives young lawyers who ask if this work is worth it. Host Denisa Tova goes past the resume to the person underneath. Come for the career, stay for the honesty. This is one of those conversations that sneaks up on you. Follow Beyond Your Bar for new episodes featuring voices across law, entertainment, and beyond. Learn more about Valerie:https://www.foxrothschild.com/valerie-h-tocci Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: https://beyondyourbarpodcast.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisatova LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisatova/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisatova Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: hypecats.com.

August 5, 2026Episode 2446 min

S5 E24: Station 19's Barrett Doss on Broadway, Identity & Staying True to Yourself

Barrett Doss played Victoria Hughes on Station 19 for seven seasons. Before that she was a leading lady on Broadway, starring as Rita in Groundhog Day opposite Andy Karl and winning the Theatre World Award for her debut. Right now you can find her as Emily Henderson in Netflix's remake of Little House on the Prairie. She has her own rule for the industry: don't work for the business, make the business work for you. She explains what that means for anyone trying to break in without losing themselves along the way. We get into growing up with two attorneys as parents and a mom who was a professional athlete before law school, understudying three roles at once and performing with James Earl Jones at 25, the controversial off-Broadway play where they counted how many people walked out each night, navigating identity as a biracial actress in an industry that loves to put people in boxes, and how one audition after Groundhog Day closed changed her entire life. Follow Barrett Doss: instagram.com/dontgo_jasonwaterfalls Subscribe for new episodes every week. Until next time, stay curious and inspired. Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: beyondyourbarpodcast.com Instagram: instagram.com/denisatova LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/denisatova Facebook: facebook.com/denisatova Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: hypecats.com.

July 31, 2026Episode 2339 min

S5 E23: 30 Years in Divorce Court Taught Her to Play the Long Game

Heidi Harris, Partner at Mosberg Sharma Stambleck Gross LLP, has spent more than 30 years as a divorce attorney in New York City. Then she went through her own, after 25 years of marriage. What happened next is the part most people don't expect: the anger eventually subsided, and today she and her ex-husband are genuinely friends who travel together as a family for their kids. Heidi opens up about the daughter of a Polish immigrant builder who became a lawyer to honor her father, why she refused to litigate her own divorce, and the "long game" philosophy she brings to every client: think about the life you want after this is over, not the motion you can win today. She's honest about therapy, co-parenting without dragging kids into the middle, learning to enjoy her own company, and why "fair" is a concept she never promises anyone. A warm, refreshingly direct conversation about resilience, reinvention, and starting the next chapter as unscathed as possible. Follow Beyond Your Bar Podcast for new episodes featuring voices across law, entertainment, and beyond.Learn more about Heidi: www.mssglaw.com/bio/heidi-harris Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: beyondyourbarpodcast.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/denisatova Facebook: www.facebook.com/denisatova Instagram: www.instagram.com/denisatova Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: hypecats.com.

July 24, 2026Episode 2231 min

S5 E22: One Firm, One Path, No Detours: Molly Zamoiski on a Career She Never Doubted

For Molly Zamoiski, family law wasn't a winding path. It was in her blood. Her mother ran a nursery school, and her father, who passed away before she was born, was an attorney. She grew up drawn to law and to helping children, built her entire career at one firm, and became a matrimonial attorney who genuinely loves the work. Denisa Tova gets to know the person behind the title. Molly talks about why she'd rather settle a case than hand a family's fate to "a stranger in black robes," how she keeps her cool with difficult opposing counsel, and why the clients hunting for the "sharkiest of shark attorneys" usually just spend more money without getting anywhere. She also opens up about meeting her husband at a nearly empty pre-law-school happy hour, raising two little negotiators, her love of travel and Thailand, and the party-planner she'd be if she weren't a lawyer. A warm, honest conversation about knowing exactly who you are and doing the work with intention. Follow Beyond Your Bar Podcast for new episodes featuring voices across law, entertainment, and beyond. Connect with Molly: https://cmfb.com/attorneys/molly-zamoiski/ Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: beyondyourbarpodcast.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/denisatova Facebook: www.facebook.com/denisatova Instagram: www.instagram.com/denisatova/ Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: hypecats.com.

July 22, 2026Episode 2149 min

S5 E21: Victoria Rowell on Growing Up in Foster Care, Teaching Herself Ballet & Never Giving Up

Victoria Rowell was a foster child on a farm in Maine who taught herself ballet from a book. That turned into a scholarship to the American Ballet Theater, and eventually into one of the most recognizable careers in television. Drucilla Winters on The Young and the Restless, eight seasons on Diagnosis Murder with Dick Van Dyke, and Dumb and Dumber opposite Jim Carrey. She has her own rule for making it through: the alternative was never an option. She explains what that meant for a 17 year old living alone in New York City, hiding her foster care status from everyone around her, and being the only person of color in the room. We get into the women who raised her and why some people are meant to have many mothers, what Jim Carrey is actually like when the cameras roll, the movie she is determined to make about her life and who she wants to play her, why she started writing and directing her own material when the right doors would not open, and what has gotten better as she has gotten older. Learn more about Victoria: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriarowell/?hl=en The Women Who Raised Me: https://a.co/d/0a1vyTt7 Subscribe for new episodes every week. Until next time, stay curious and inspired. Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: beyondyourbarpodcast.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/denisatova Facebook: www.facebook.com/denisatova Instagram: www.instagram.com/denisatova/ Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: hypecats.com.

July 17, 2026Episode 2034 min

S5 E20: It Takes Four to Tango: Gregory Gilston on Family Law + Legal Tech

Gregory Gilston built a family law firm from scratch in the middle of the pandemic and ran the whole thing on technology from day one. That turned into a second company, TekStak Legal Consulting, where he helps other attorneys do the same. He has his own rule for family law: it takes four to tango. Both attorneys and both parties. He explains what that means for anyone stuck in a case that will not move. We get into the tech most firms pay for and never use, why a firm without a tech stack is worth almost nothing when it is time to sell, what he calls litigation land and how people end up there, the book he is co-writing on the hidden toll of family court, and the children's book he wrote for his daughter about a dolphin who plays golf. Gregory Gilston: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-gilston-56a90640 Gilston Legal: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gilston-legal/ TekStak Legal Consulting: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tekstak-legal-consulting/ Subscribe for new episodes every week. Until next time, stay curious and inspired. Watch more episodes and connect with Denisa here: beyondthebarpodcast.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisatova/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denisatova Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisatova Podcast Production by HypeCats.com, webinars, and podcasts: hypecats.com.