No Matter What Club

Season finale!

Paulo and Anthony sit down with two Chicago recovery constants, John O and Alley B, for a conversation that's equal parts celebration and real talk. John and Alley share what it took to get sober during the Great Recession and actually build a life on the other side of it, including the wisdom of finishing the work on the inside before diving into dating.

They dig into leaning on the sober community when things get hard, and the idea that connection, not sobriety alone is the real opposite of addiction. It's a conversation about what becomes possible when we get sober: the ability to actually show up for life.

And in true No Matter What Club fashion, Paulo and Anthony get vulnerable too, sharing a painful twist in their own journey together and the lessons and light that came out of it. Watch and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

#RecoveryPodcast #SoberLife #RecoveryJourney #SobrietyMatters #OneDayAtATime #NoMatterWhatClub #RecoveryCommunity

Hosts:

Paulo Arranaga-GraysonCo-Founder, No Matter What Recovery

Anthony Arranaga-Grayson Co-Founder, No Matter What Recovery

Special Guests:

John O, Chicago

Alley B, Chicago

This week, Paulo, Anthony, and Mell sit down with Ross Mondschain at the Chicago Podcast Studio for a deep dive into chemsex recovery — both during treatment and long after.

They talk through doing parts work with Internal Family Systems, learning to settle back into the body in early treatment, and then settling into the mind for the harder work around chemsex itself. Ross shares why safety containers matter so much in those first few months of sobriety, and then we talk about what it actually looks like to come to No Matter What Recovery for chemsex-specific work, and how clients navigate the transition out of treatment — including the sexual recovery plan that helps set people up for lasting success.

New episode streaming now on all your favorite podcast platforms.

Host:

Paulo Arranaga-Grayson

Co-Founder, No Matter What Recovery

Anthony Arranaga-Grayson

Co-Founder, No Matter What Recovery

Mell McCracken

Director of Chemsex & LGBTQ+ Programs

Special Guest:

Ross Mondschain, LCPC CST

About Connection Counseling

In this episode of the No Matter What Club podcast, Paulo, Anthony, and Thomas sit down with Chicago Roundup Chair Melissa Young for a conversation that covers a lot of ground — sage advice from old-timers in recovery, the "hocus-pocus theory," the legend of local drag king icon Jackson Masters, and a shared love of Madonna and other muses. Melissa also takes us back to the beginnings of the Chicago Roundup and how it became a safe space for people living with HIV during the early days of the AIDS epidemic.

Host:

Paulo Arranaga-GraysonCo-Founder, No Matter What Recovery

Anthony Arranaga-GraysonCo-Founder, No Matter What Recovery

Thomas AllenProgram Director, No Matter What Recovery

ChicagoSpecial Guest:

Melissa YoungChair, Chicago Roundup

This week on the No Matter What Club, Paulo, Anthony, and Thomas sit down with a true Chicago legend — Edna D Mascara, a beloved fixture in the city's drag scene. Out of the wig and lashes, she's Andy Foxhoven, substance use counselor and proud member of the No Matter What Recovery team at our Chicago outpatient location.In this episode, Edna takes us back to where it all began — the origins of her drag journey and how it's been woven into her own personal recovery story. The group digs into how iconic Chicago institutions like the Miss Continental and Serenity pageants became so much more than competitions — they became community. They also get into the real talk around drag as a tool for dismantling internalized homophobia, the ongoing conversation around reclaiming and reframing the word queer, and — as always — how we stay sober today.It's a rich, joyful, and deeply honest conversation. Don't miss it — streaming now on all your favorite podcast platforms.Host:Paulo Arranaga-GraysonCo-Founder, No Matter What RecoveryAnthony Arranaga-GraysonCo-Founder, No Matter What RecoveryThomas AllenProgram Director, No Matter What Recovery ChicagoSpecial Guest:Edna D Mascara/Andy FoxhovenSubstance Use Counselor #NoMatterWhatClub #RecoveryPodcast #DragCommunity #ChicagoDrag #MissContinental #QueerRecovery #ReclaimingQueer #QueerAndSober #SoberPride #SoberLife #ChicagoRecovery #ChicagoLGBTQ

A new episode just dropped — and this one hits differently. 🎙️🏳️‍🌈Paulo, Anthony, and Mell are coming to you from the Chicago Podcast Studio with the incredible Howard Gelb, and this conversation does *not hold back.

Howard takes us inside what it was like living through the AIDS epidemic in the 80s and 90s — the loss, the survival, the drugs used to cope — and how out of all that grief, the circuit party was born. He also opens up about a deeply personal promise he made to his mom, and the early roots of recovery communities right here in Chicago.At the heart of it all? *Community builds resilience* - and in recovery, that's everything!This episode is for anyone who's ever needed their people to get through. 🤍🎧 Streaming now on all your favorite podcast platforms.Hashtags: #NoMatterWhatClub #SoberPodcast #PrideMonth #chicagopride #QueerHistory #AIDSHistory #mentalhealth #communityhealsHost:Paulo Arranaga-GraysonCo-Founder, No Matter What RecoveryAnthony Arranaga-GraysonCo-Founder, No Matter What RecoveryMell McCrackenNational Director of Chemsex and LGBTQ+ Programs, No Matter What RecoverySpecial Guest:Howard Gelb, LCSWPsychotherapist

What does hope sound like in early sobriety? This week, Paulo, Mell, and Thomas sit down with Chicago recovery coach Charlie Bray to find out. The conversation goes deep — covering chosen family, family systems, and the quiet miracle that happens when you change the way you see the world. The No Matter What Club Podcast is available on all your favorite streaming platforms.Hosts:Paulo Arranaga-GraysonCo-Founder, No Matter What RecoverySpecial Guest:Mell McCrackenNational Director of Chemsex and LGBTQ+ Programs, No Matter What RecoveryThomas AllenProgram Director, No Matter What Recovery Charlie BrayRecovery Coach

The depths of addiction, the friends we meet while using, dogs and non-profits, resiliency in ourselves and especially the LGBTQ community.This week, Paulo, Anthony, and Mell sit down with Dr. Robert Garofalo — and the conversation does not disappoint. From managing recovery as a working professional in the public eye, to the transformative power of resiliency, to the surprisingly profound impact dogs can have on the healing process, Rob brings wisdom, vulnerability, and heart. Season 3, Episode 3 is available now on all major streaming platforms.

Hosts: Paulo Arranaga-Grayson Co-Founder, No Matter What Recovery

Special Guest:Anthony Arranaga-GraysonCo-Founder, No Matter What Recovery

Mell McCrackenNational Director of Chemsex and LGBTQ+ Programs, No Matter What Recovery

Dr Robert GarofaloPhysician and AuthorDiscussion topics covered:

On the next episode of The No Matter What Club, hosts Paulo and Mell welcome Jessica Steinman, LMFT, CSAT, and David Fawcett, PhD, CST, CSAT, to the studio for a compelling conversation about chemsex addiction. They explore the history of chemsex, approaches to treatment, the potential benefits of pausing sexual activity during recovery, and the concept of arousal templates. David also shares details about his new workbook, a companion to his book Lust, Men and Meth.

Hosts:

Paulo Arranaga-Grayson

Co-Founder, No Matter What Recovery

Special Guest:

Mell McCracken

National Director of Chemsex and LGBTQ+ Programs, No Matter What Recovery

Jessica Steinman

Chief Clinical Officer, No Matter What Recovery

David Fawcett, PhD, CST, CSAT

Author

The No Matter What Club is a podcast for the LGBTQ+ community — and everyone who loves them. Hosted by Paulo Arranaga-Grayson and some very special guest hosts, we're here to talk openly and honestly about substance use, mental health, and what healing really looks like. Whether you're in the middle of your own struggle, supporting someone you love, or just trying to understand — you belong here. Through real stories and real voices, we connect our community with the resources, professionals, and hope that too often feel out of reach.

Hosts:

Paulo Arranaga-Grayson

Co-Founder, No Matter What Recovery

Anthony Arranaga-Grayson

Co-Founder, No Matter What Recovery

Special Guest:

Mell McCracken

National Director of Chemsex and LGBTQ+ Programs, No Matter What Recovery

Thomas Allen

Program Director, No Matter What Recovery - Chicago

Paulo and Mell share details about the new 90-day chemsex curriculum workbook that is being utilized at No Matter What Recovery. The workbook, authored by Mell, educates the reader on the effectsaffects of the combo of crystal meth and sex on our brain, healing from the fusion, relapse prevention strategies, and sexual health in recovery. 

Learn more:

No Matter What Recovery: www.nomatterwhatrecovery.com

No Matter What Club podcast: https://nomatterwhatrecovery.com/no-matter-what-club-podcast/

Tags: #mentalhealth #hope #chemsex #healing

Hosts:

Paulo Arranaga-Grayson

Co-Founder, No Matter What Recovery

Mell McCracken

Executive Director, No Matter What Recovery