From Sex, Drugs & Rock ’n’ Roll to Mindfulness and Matcha: My Podcast Journey

By Ralph Sutton

When I first started The SDR Show — short for Sex, Drugs & Rock ’n’ Roll — the goal was simple: I knew my time in radio was coming to an end. It was 2014. My rock show, The Tour Bus, had once aired on over 100 stations, but by then it was down to about 50 — and radio itself was fading.

A comedian friend asked me to start a podcast while I was hosting the rock cruise ShipRocked. I told him podcasting was for people who couldn’t do radio. A year later — on that same cruise — I took him up on it, and The SDR Show was born.

It all began in the second bedroom of my apartment. My first co-host was comedian Big Jay Oakerson, and neither of us had any idea this little side project would take off the way it did. We just wanted to create something fun — the kind of show we’d actually like to listen to.

Over the years, The SDR Show has featured everyone from Gene Simmons to Neil deGrasse Tyson, DMC, and Mark Cuban, to adult film icons (and sometimes both in the same week). We’ve played absurd games, shared confessions that would make a therapist quit, and always kept the tone light and funny.

After 10 years, I switched co-hosts — these days, it’s the hilarious Aaron Berg. Listeners come for the chaos, but they stay because it’s genuine. There’s no script, no filter — just real people telling real stories, usually while playing a ridiculous game, and occasionally while wearing very little clothing. I’m also known for doing an absurd amount of research, which keeps guests on their toes.

As SDR grew, so did the vision. I wanted other creators to have the same freedom — to make content that couldn’t survive in a restrictive environment but would thrive with audiences. That’s how GaS Digital Network was born. I met my business partner, Luis J. Gomez, who at the time co-hosted a show with Big Jay, and together we built the network from scratch. What started in my spare room turned into a full-scale operation with over 20 shows, millions of listeners, and one of the most loyal fanbases in podcasting.

At GaS, creators can be exactly who they are — no filters, no corporate oversight. I’d never tell a show who to book or what they can and can’t say. That’s the point.

Then there’s GoodSugar — my other show, and the complete opposite of SDR. After years of living a lifestyle that could best be described as “aggressively unsustainable,” I teamed up with Marcus Antebi, founder of Juice Press, to explore mindfulness, health, and self-improvement — without pretending to be a guru. It’s the same sarcastic tone, just fewer hangovers and more kombucha. I’ve lost over 100 pounds, run 30 miles a week, and feel better mentally than I have in years. Plus, we have a store in NYC on 3rd Ave/E 69th St.

Between The SDR Show, GaS Digital, and GoodSugar, I’ve somehow created a weirdly balanced ecosystem — one part chaos, one part calm — and somehow it all works.

If you love wild stories and a show you probably shouldn’t play at work, you’ll love The SDR Show. If you’re building your own thing, check out GaS Digital Network. And if you’re trying to stay sane through it all, GoodSugar might actually help.

At the end of the day, I’m just a guy with a mic, a second bedroom that got way out of hand — and somehow, that turned into a career. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Follow me at @iamralphsutton

Connect With Ralph

IG: @iamralphsutton