Staying Alive with Jon Gabrus & Adam Pally

Episode: "Staps & Cems" (w/ Angela Trimbur)

Release Date: September 11, 2025
Guest: Angela Trimbur
Theme: How life changes—sometimes forcibly—and how to find identity, joy, and health through transitions, self-invention, dancing, and honest self-care.

Overview

This episode features a lively and deeply honest conversation between hosts Jon Gabrus and Adam Pally, and their friend, actor, dancer, and cancer survivor, Angela Trimbur. Oscillating between laughter and raw vulnerability, the discussion centers on personal transformation, making deliberate choices around health and identity, living with intention after hardship, and the very real pursuit of happiness (plus a liberal dose of dance-floor philosophy).

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. From Messy Nights to Mindful Living

Timestamp: 00:01–02:55

• Hosts open up about feeling hungover and caught in an endless social drinking cycle, recognizing old, unhealthy habits.
• Adam admits, "I'm on day seven in a row of at least two whiskeys at my house." (02:43)
• They express a desire for healthier routines but also acknowledge stress-driven choices: "It is Pavlovian. I find myself getting a negative phone call and walking downstairs and seeing my whiskey cabinet and being like, Japanese? Yes." (02:58–03:13)

2. Angela’s “Every Two Years” Life Philosophy

Timestamp: 03:29–06:23

• Angela reveals she sets a major personal goal every two years, a practice inspired by her cancer journey and its shadow of uncertainty.
  • "What if I just live like I only have two years left?... it's not like a five-year plan. And it’s not like bucket list, like six month plan. Two years is reasonable. There's breathing room." (04:13–05:02)
• Moving to NYC and becoming a dance instructor was one such goal.
  • "I want to be able to say that I was a dancer in New York City. So that’s why I moved to New York." (05:08–05:41)
• Gabrus and Pally reflect on how easy it is for people to say “this is the year I’ll change” without action.

3. Identity and Reinvention

Timestamp: 07:31–09:01

• The group discusses the challenge and value in embracing multiple senses of self—comedian, dancer, actor.
  • Angela: "Now my two-year plan is like, I want to direct something… That’s my new thing, man." (06:09–06:21)
• Struggles with being boxed in by others’ expectations are addressed: “How much of myself am I committing to? Because I don’t want anyone to see me as just that.” (07:41–08:05 – Adam)

4. Dance as Medicine: Smashing the ‘Cool’ Barrier

Timestamp: 10:38–16:41

• Angela’s teaching style focuses on rejecting the pressure to look "cool or sexy" and instead reconnecting to inner child playfulness.
  • "My ethos is not trying to be cool or sexy as a dancer, but leaning into the childhood, bad-news… through not trying, you will be." (11:16–11:35)
• They discuss widespread embarrassment around dance, despite its proven mental health benefits.
  • “Dance is the number one scientifically thing to make you happy. And so many people think it’s not theirs because they’re not gonna look like Beyoncé’s backup dancer.” (14:11–14:21 – Angela)
• Adam connects dance and acting: “So many times when you’re acting... you gotta get out of your head that people are watching you.”

Notable Quote

“Everybody has this block around dance…but you’ll play basketball and not be Kobe, why can’t you just dance?”
— Angela Trimbur (13:35)

5. Social Pressures, Self-Consciousness, and Letting Go

Timestamp: 15:40–18:59

• The discussion expands to public vulnerability: weddings, learning to dance, acting goofy, parents and kids picking up accents.
• “Nobody’s ever sitting down watching someone go for it and thinking, like, ‘They should not be doing that’. That’s an old frame of mind.” (18:13–18:20 – Angela)

6. Dealing with Stress after Cancer

Timestamp: 21:01–23:55

• Angela credits her post-cancer perspective—and therapy—for emphasizing stress reduction as essential to survival and happiness.
  • “I’m trying to stay as stress-free as possible. That was just something that I adopted…stress, you have to really regulate.” (21:04–21:33)
• Saying ‘no’ is cited as a mature self-care act, and the hosts share tricks to avoid overcommitting.
  • “If someone asks you to do something, in your head say, would you say yes if it was this Tuesday?” (22:44–23:23 – Gabrus, referencing Tim Ferriss)

Notable Quote

“Sometimes you have to say no because you know it'll stress you out. That’s some grown up shit right there.”
— Jon Gabrus (22:14)

7. Finding Exercise that Feeds the Soul

Timestamp: 24:14–26:32

• Angela describes “TrimBurn”, her dance-based aerobics class—and asserts teaching dance is her physical activity. No need for extra workouts.
  • “When I feel like I need to work out, I’ll just do a class because it makes me work out harder when I have to infect other people.” (24:29–24:43)
• Discusses her love for vintage leotards, shoes for dancing, and practical fashion choices post-cancer treatment.

8. Cancer, Survival, and Ongoing Impact on Identity

Timestamp: 28:38–34:12

• Angela speaks frankly about the permanent reminders of breast cancer—bodily changes, early menopause, impacts on dating and self-image.
  • “Now I’m trying to date...I have to tell a person about what you know, and that there’s all these things that happen from it.” (29:35)
• Describes “Angela 2.0”: “I do really like Angela 2.0...a little softer...more about storytelling than becoming famous. It's a new perspective.” (30:49)
• Gabrus shares that his mother’s own cancer journey helped her conquer lifelong fears and try new things.

9. The Four Agreements, Dating, and Emotional Hygiene

Timestamp: 38:50–43:43

• Angela swears by “The Four Agreements” (Don Miguel Ruiz) as her “bible”:
  • Always do your best
  • Don’t take things personally
  • Never gossip (about yourself or others)
  • Be as clear as possible in communication
• She confesses “not taking things personal” is the toughest.
  • “That’s the hardest one…especially for an actor.” (39:08–39:10)
• The trio analyzes self-deprecation in comedy, the social function (and toxicity) of gossip, and the challenges of navigating friendships in showbiz and life.

Notable Quote

“Not taking things personal is the hardest one. That’s so hard. Really good for an actor.”
— Angela Trimbur (39:09–39:10)
“Sometimes you start to listen to yourself [with self-deprecation], and when a part comes along that's not self-deprecating, you can't get there.”
— Adam Pally (42:29)

10. Dating, Humor, and Compatibility

Timestamp: 45:04–48:51

• Angela emphasizes needing a partner who appreciates humor: “I want to laugh all the time...that’s really what I’m looking for.” (47:21–47:27)
• Light-hearted riffing about dating profiles, astrology, and the unique challenges for creative people.

11. Communication, Balance, and Chilling Out

Timestamp: 49:01–51:27

• Struggles with direct communication versus burying feelings in the name of “being chill,” and the emotional boomerang effect.
• Adam draws a parallel between Angela’s dance grace and her life’s search for emotional balance.

12. Mushrooms, Psychedelics, and Therapy

Timestamp: 51:28–54:47

• Angela discusses using psilocybin (mushrooms) therapeutically, encouraged by her therapist.
  • Recalls a transformative trip: “It was kicking in, and I...saw myself in this ice castle, and there was this spider who wore a pearl as a crown, beckoning me...” (52:25–53:51)
• Hosts ask for her therapist’s info; laughs abound.

13. Surgeries, Accepting Change, and Finding Peace

Timestamp: 54:58–56:32

• Multiple reconstructive procedures post-cancer led Angela to new perspectives.
  • She describes going under anesthesia as “the ultimate surrender...it's peaceful as hell.” (54:59–55:06)
• Shares the oddly comforting ritual of having doctors talk about lunch as she’s put under.

14. Creativity, Teaching, and Joy in Dance

Timestamp: 57:02–57:48

• Angela invites the hosts to her “TrimBurn” and “ballet recital” classes, blending performance, inner-child energy, and zero-pressure ballet—all in character.
  • “It’s a ballet class I teach in character… my goal is that you feel like you’re in the world of ballet, but there’s no technique...just doing fun choreo.” (57:29–57:48)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Intention:
  “Don’t get caught up by the fact that I’m cool and sexy. That’s a you problem. In here, we’re all going to be silly.” — Adam Pally (12:00–12:06)
• On Vulnerability:
  "Dance is the number one, like, therapeutic, endorphin, happiness thing... but so many people think it’s not theirs." — Angela Trimbur (14:11–14:21)
• On Survival:
  “I do really like Angela 2.0. She’s softer. It’s more about storytelling than becoming famous or making money.” — Angela Trimbur (30:49)
• On Growth:
  “Not taking things personal is the hardest one.” — Angela Trimbur (39:08)
  “Iron forges iron, right?” — Jon Gabrus (48:51)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Drinking & Habit Change: 00:01–02:55
• Angela’s Two-Year Life Plan: 03:29–06:23
• Dance Philosophy, Social Anxiety & Embarrassment: 10:38–18:20
• Cancer, Survival & Identity: 28:38–34:12
• The Four Agreements in Practice: 38:50–43:43
• Dating & Humor: 45:04–48:51
• Mushrooms & Psychedelic Therapy: 51:28–54:47

Episode Tone & Style

The tone is candid, irreverently funny, sometimes crude, but always caring and deeply human. Angela’s sincerity is scaffolded by Gabrus and Pally’s cheerful, self-mocking humor and occasional serious reflection. The trio trade stories, vulnerably discuss past pain, and underscore the possibility of true personal change.

For New Listeners: Takeaways

• Set intentional, tangible life periods—even two years at a time—to pursue goals
• After hardship, you might craft a stronger, gentler, and more honest version of yourself
• Dance isn’t about looking cool—it’s about access to joy, play, and physical therapy
• Learn when to say ‘no’ for your own health
• Direct communication and emotional balance make everything better
• A sense of humor and the willingness to try (and fail) are essential
• Living life post-trauma is forever changed—and that’s not all bad

Closing Thoughts

This episode is a moving, relatable, and hilarious exploration of what staying alive really means when health, identity, and the urge to dance collide. Angela Trimbur shines as the embodiment of self-reinvention, offering wisdom drawn from hard-fought battles. Whether you’re looking for tools for self-care, reasons to brave the dance floor, or just need assurance that you’re not alone, this conversation delivers—heart, truth, and serious laughs.

Hosts: Jon Gabrus & Adam Pally
Guest: Angela Trimbur
Podcast: Staying Alive (SmartLess Media, SiriusXM)
Original Air Date: September 11, 2025