Actress and musician Allie Gonino (The Lying Game, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Stunners) sits down with Shawn Livingston for a raw and unfiltered conversation on I Am Redemption. From growing up in the entertainment industry to navigating the highs and lows of Hollywood, NYC, and Nashville—Allie shares her truth.

We dive deep into the mental health battles that come with chasing a dream, her struggles with substance use, and the ripple effect of addiction in her family. Allie also opens up about her evolving faith, her connection to God, and what it means to seek redemption in a world that often doesn’t offer grace.

This is a powerful, soul-searching episode that proves even under the spotlight, healing is still an inside job.

🎧 Available now on all platforms. Subscribe and share.

0:00 Intro

1:30 Life in Hollywood and the pressure of performance

7:50 NYC, Nashville, and the grind of chasing music

15:10 Mental health struggles behind the scenes

22:45 Substance use and family trauma

33:00 Faith, God, and spiritual awakening

44:50 What redemption means today

52:10 Final message to anyone struggling

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The second I Am Cricchi stepped into the I Am Redemption studio, he dropped a beat and started rapping! Raw, real, and unrehearsed. In this powerful conversation, Cricchi shares his story of survival: from the streets of Baltimore to battling addiction to crack and opiates, surviving shootouts, homelessness, and time in youth detention.

Through it all, the mic never left his hand. What started as freestyling in locked cells has become a message of hope, healing, and hard truth. Today, Cricchi is living sober, a proud husband and father, and using his voice to inspire others through music and message.

00:00 – Cold Open: Cricchi Drops a Beat in Studio

02:12 – Growing Up in Baltimore: Survival & Struggle

07:48 – Early Addiction: Opiates, Crack, and First Rock Bottom

13:36 – Shootouts, Near Death, and Living in the Streets

18:24 – Juvenile Detention & Discovering His Voice

23:17 – Why Writing and Rapping Became His Lifeline

28:59 – Battling Demons While Chasing the Mic

34:06 – Turning Point: Finding Sobriety & Purpose

39:45 – Marriage, Fatherhood, and Building a Life He’s Proud Of

46:32 – How His Music Now Inspires Others in Recovery

52:41 – Reflections on Pain, Redemption, and Why He’s Still Here

59:12 – Closing Freestyle & Final Message to the Audience

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In this episode of I Am Redemption, Shawn Livingston sits down with Jackie Chan and Alex Charles, founders of the Austin-based movement brand Pro Friction, for a powerful conversation about purpose, perseverance, and using fitness to transform lives.

We dive into their personal history, how their bond formed, and the mission that led to the creation of Pro Friction. They share the wild story of trekking across the Gobi Desert, their preparation to return, and what that grueling journey taught them about mindset and resilience.

We also break down how our connection sparked the creation of the first-ever I Am Redemption Games, a fusion of fitness, community, and redemption-driven purpose. This episode is packed with raw insight, brotherhood, and the kind of drive that fuels real change.

If you're into elite endurance, purpose-driven movement, or just building something real from the ground up, this one’s for you.

🔴 Hit Subscribe and become part of the Redemption movement.

💬 Drop a comment if you’re joining the next Games.

🔥 Tag a friend who needs this energy.

00:00 - Intro

01:15 - How Jackie & Alex met

05:40 - The birth of Pro Friction

11:20 - Purpose behind the brand

15:35 - Gobi Desert: the first trek

23:45 - Prepping for round 2

30:10 Linking up with I Am Redemption

35:30 - The first Redemption Games

41:50 - Community as a tool for healing

49:00 - Final thoughts: what's next

🔗 Connect with Us:

📲 Follow Pro Friction: @profriction_

📲 Follow I Am Redemption: @iam.redemption

🎙️ Hosted by Shawn Livingston

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Claire Bays returns to I Am Redemption with a powerful update on her life, health, and purpose. She opens up about becoming one of the official MCs in CrossFit, her battle with autoimmune symptoms caused by mold exposure, and how recovery continues to shape her identity.

Claire also talks about her relationship with fiancé Jimmy House—world-renowned hybrid athlete, jiu-jitsu black belt, powerlifting champion, and rising professional wrestler. Together, they represent a new chapter built on strength, purpose, and resilience.

🎧 Hosted by Shawn Livingston

🎥 Subscribe:    / @iam.redemption  

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro

01:15 – Becoming a CrossFit MC

07:40 – Mold exposure and autoimmune health struggles

14:55 – Claire’s recovery journey and sobriety mindset

23:30 – Meeting Jimmy House and their relationship story

30:45 – How she balances fitness, public life, and healing

38:20 – Lessons for others in recovery and chronic illness

45:10 – What’s next for Claire Bays

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Rachel Slocum is back! This one’s pure chaos in the best way. We talk about how busy and beautiful life has gotten, especially for two people who came from the wreckage of addiction. From wild rock bottom moments to raw laughs and real growth, this episode brings it all.

🎮 Rachel drops a hilarious review of the new Minecraft movie and makes a bold claim: Jason Momoa has never looked better.

📱 She delivers her signature phone and social media PSA, opens up about the realities of parenting in recovery, and reflects on how she’s building community with a close-knit group of women creators making waves in the recovery space.

🎬 Rachel and Shawn talk about the upcoming feature film based on Shawn’s life, and how surreal it is to go from addiction to having your story hit the big screen. Real life. Real laughs. Real redemption.

👇 Drop a comment if you’re building your comeback story too. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to help push this message further.

🟦 I Am Redemption is hosted by Shawn Livingston. We platform the unbreakable. Subscribe + follow the movement: @iam.redemption IG | TikTok | YouTube | Spotify | Apple

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Dane Shaw has stacked up IRONMANs, conquered Leadville 100, and paced marathons with ease, but this episode dives deeper. In his first public conversation about a life-long condition, Dane brings the laughs, the heart, and the realest side of what endurance looks like off the course.

He talks mental health, rediscovering meaning, getting married, and the hilarious stories that come with finally embracing all parts of himself. If you've ever felt like the miles were the easy part compared to life, this one’s for you.

⏱ Timestamps:

0:00 – Intro

2:11 – Dane’s life in Austin & race resume

7:38 – Mental health, burnout & bouncing back

11:04 – Leadville 100: the battle and the breakthrough

16:45 – Marriage, mindset shifts & running with purpose

21:17 – Finally talking about that one thing (with laughs)

28:40 – How we reconnected & what’s next

35:02 – Message to anyone running their own race

🔵 I Am Redemption is hosted by Shawn Livingston — a veteran, ultra-runner, and the man behind the documentary 100 Miles to Redemption. Every week, we bring you raw conversations with people who turned pain into purpose.

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & all major platforms

📲 Follow the movement: @iam.redemption

👟 Run with the Redemption Crew every Saturday in Austin

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Claire Valera’s story is not your typical recovery tale. From years trapped in the cycle of eating disorders, food addiction, and alcohol abuse, Claire’s journey is a testament to resilience, self-discovery, and building community.

In this episode of I Am Redemption, host Shawn Livingston dives deep with Claire (@soberclairity) as they unpack the real, raw experiences that shaped her life, including the now-infamous “naked in a ditch” trailer story from her drinking days. We talk about the dark side of food and alcohol abuse, the emotional toll of culture and religion, and how Claire found her place in the world by creating safe, inclusive spaces for others walking the sober path. Claire’s story is proof that redemption comes in many forms.

Today, she’s a recognized Culture Ambassador, a Dear Dry Drinkery leader, and a Sans Bar Academy Awards finalist, using her platform to change the conversation around sober living.

🎯 Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro: Claire Valera’s personal journey

03:12 - Food addiction, eating disorders & mental health

10:45 - Alcohol abuse & the trailer park “ditch” story

18:30 - Traveling the world & reclaiming self-worth

24:15 - Religion, culture & their impact on recovery

31:40 - Building Austin’s vibrant non-alcoholic scene

40:20 - Dear Dry Drinkery & fostering sober community

47:50 - Social media, influence & sober advocacy

54:00 - Claire’s message to those still struggling

About Shawn Livingston & I Am Redemption: Shawn Livingston is the creator and host of I Am Redemption, a podcast dedicated to raw, unfiltered stories of recovery, resilience, and turning pain into purpose. From addiction to ultra-running, from prison to podiums, we spotlight the underdogs who built something better.

📲 Follow @iam.redemption on Instagram for more.

👉 Connect with Claire: @soberclairity

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I Am Not 9 Years Sober.

At the end of every I Am Redemption episode, guests declare an “I Am” statement. But this time, I was the guest… and I proudly declared: “I Am 9 Years Sober.”

Turns out… I’m only 8 years sober.

😅 The best part? I said it all day, I said it on the podcast, and we never corrected it until now.

In this special episode, Jason Martinez from TXi Studios flips the script and interviews me about everything going on with I Am Redemption—while I confidently talk like I’m 9 years sober the entire time.

Here’s what we cover:

How I built the I Am Redemption Podcast and the Redemption Crew Launching the first-ever I Am Redemption Games

Hosting SoberBy SXSW, our first sober event at South By Southwest

Behind-the-scenes stories filming the podcast

Reflections on favorite guests like Rachel Slocum, Frank Parisi, and Julia Rene

Life at home with my wife and dogs

How my documentary “100 Miles to Redemption” is being adapted into the film “My Brother’s Keeper”

This is the most personal, raw, and funny episode I’ve ever done. I talk sobriety, recovery, building a movement, and what it really takes to keep showing up. Even if I got the number wrong. Whether you’re sober curious, in recovery, or just love hearing real stories of overcoming adversity, this one’s for you.

Subscribe, drop a comment, and join the crew.

#IAmRedemption #ShawnLivingston #RedemptionCrew #RedemptionGames #RecoveryPodcast #AddictionRecovery #SoberPodcast #MentalHealthPodcast #FitnessPodcast #MyBrothersKeeper #100MilesToRedemption #JasonMartinez #TXiStudios #SoberBySXSW #RachelSlocum #FrankParisi #JuliaRene #SobrietyJourney #SoberLife #TransformationStories #RecoveryStories #InspirationPodcast

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Manny Pelaez—San Antonio mayoral candidate and city councilman—joins Shawn Livingston on the I Am Redemption podcast for a real, no-holds-barred conversation.

They tackle the fentanyl epidemic in schools, addiction, mental health struggles, the controversial approach to panhandling, and why local politics matter now more than ever. Manny also shares his plan to partner with Shawn to fight back against the crises hitting San Antonio.

👀 Don’t miss: Fighting fentanyl in schools Mental health and addiction The panhandling controversy Why Americans must get involved locally How redemption plays into leadership

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He nearly died from alcohol. Then he picked up a paintbrush. In this raw and unfiltered episode of I Am Redemption, Austin muralist and speaker Jon McKenzie shares the brutally honest truth about hitting rock bottom, blacking out in alleys, and waking up with his heart giving out. From near death to live art shows and massive murals, Jon’s story proves that recovery is messy, powerful—and f***ing beautiful.

We talk addiction, health scares, hilarious stories from his darkest days, and how creating art became the heartbeat of his comeback. This is redemption, with grit.

👉 If you’re in recovery, love street art, or want to hear one of the realest comeback stories out there—this one’s for you.

💥 Hit like, drop a comment, and subscribe to help us spread real stories that matter.

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