Co-hosts Julie and Peter step away from the guest format to mark two years of the Real Recovery Podcast. Peter reflects on his cancer diagnosis, 80-pound weight loss, and clear scans. Julie shares her parallel journey through job loss and a new beginning. Together they celebrate 104 episodes without missing a Friday, global listener reach, and the guests — 108 of them — who have shaped the show. They cast a vision for year three: round tables, community events, new guests, and a Fred Meyer-funded grant that could change everything.

• 00:02:00 Julie and Peter open from Studio H — no guest tonight, just the hosts (and Boots the cat).
• 00:05:00 Two full years: 104 episodes, every Friday, without missing one.
• 00:06:00 Peter’s cancer journey: sublingual carcinoma diagnosed March 2025, 80 lbs. lost during treatment, latest scans clear.
• 00:09:00 Post-diagnosis planning mode — wills, finances, zero camping trips (vs. 12 the year before).
• 00:11:00 Up to five recordings a week to bank episodes before treatment. Julie draws a parallel to guest Doyle Smith (EP 56), who fought a nearly identical cancer.
• 00:12:00 Julie’s parallel hardship: laid off, severance gone, interviewing as Peter started treatment.
• 00:13:00 Julie prayed for a sign — GTD – Go the Distance sponsor Izzy Alvarado walked into her building that same day.
• 00:16:00 Despite everything, the podcast flourished. A listener told Julie the show saved their life.
• 00:19:00 Global reach: #32 in Australia, listeners in Portugal and Italy. Childhood friend Felicia binged 70+ episodes.
• 00:21:00 Julie: “I’ve had 108 miracles in my life.” The show features only real, known stories — no pay-to-play.
• 00:26:00 Both hosts work full-time jobs. GTD became the podcast’s first-ever sponsor.
• 00:30:00 On overcoming shame: Julie hid her addiction; Peter once thought recovery was for “bums under the Burnside Bridge.”
• 00:32:00 Julie credits two male guests for helping her heal from trauma she held until age 55. Former guest Ebony is now on a full scholarship to Portland State University.
• 00:41:00 Year three preview: peer services round table, cancer recovery episode with Doyle Smith, new guests including Mordecai from True Colors Recovery.
• 00:43:00 Julie’s sponsor told her she’s his favorite person — the first time in her life she’d heard it unconditionally.
• 00:47:00 The mission: be “one voice for all recovery” — amplifying every resource, every organization, every path.
• 00:49:00 Oregon Humanities Grant (Fred Meyer-funded) submitted; decision expected June. Third year at Oregon Recovers Walk and GTD 5K coming in September.
• 00:51:00 Gratitude to guests, home groups, Lunch Bunch / Extended Family AA, and number one fan Leanne. Leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

• GTD – Go the Distance
• Skyler Ray
• 4D Recovery
• True Colors Recovery
• Another Chance Recovery
• Oregon Recovers
• Painted Horse Recovery
• Lunch Bunch / Extended Family AA Online
• Portland State University
• Real Recovery Podcast

Sober Enough to Say Yes: Recovery, Native Roots, and Finding Purpose Through Music

Brian R. is a Klamath tribal member, artist, and community radio DJ based in Portland, Oregon. In this episode, Brian shares a journey that spans decades of drinking — beginning in his teens, accelerating through his twenties and thirties, and quietly hollowing out his life through COVID-era isolation — until a second DUI, a court-ordered IOP program, and an AA community finally gave him the tools and accountability to build something new. That something new turned out to be Shady Pines Radio, where every Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. Brian hosts a show dedicated entirely to Native American artists and composers — voices he says are systematically overlooked by mainstream culture. Brian’s story is one of identity, generational patterns, the unexpected power of service work, and what becomes possible when sobriety makes room for a life you couldn’t say yes to before.

• 00:09:19 Court-ordered into AA — and the moment Brian realized it was working
• 00:13:03 Brian’s second DUI: the California stop in Beaverton at midnight, and the 14-years-364-days detail that still stings
• 00:16:34 First drink, first blackout, first note left for mom and dad — the origin story of a drinking career
• 00:24:11 Brian identifies as a Klamath tribal member — his biological parents were both alcoholics, and he reflects on generational patterns in his Native community
• 00:31:00 Teaching English in Korea at 23 — drinking soju laced with formaldehyde, losing dangerous amounts of weight, and boarding a plane home
• 00:52:34 The geographic cure: Seattle, Vermont, Atlanta, rural Georgia — and the moment he realized the same person got off every plane
• 01:09:45 COVID isolation, a bottle and a half of wine a night, and the second DUI that finally triggered IOP
• 01:18:07 The intake urine test: Brian told his IOP counselor he “barely drank.” His result came back at 33,000 parts — normal is up to 200
• 01:21:30 Sitting in a plastic chair at 52, telling his intake counselor he was actually looking forward to IOP this time — and meaning it for the first time
• 01:23:54 Losing his AA service commitment — and the relapse that followed almost immediately after
• 01:29:52 Brian’s founding of the Northwest Two-Spirit Society — raising visibility for Native American culture and identity
• 01:32:42 From AA to an open mic to Shady Pines Radio — how sobriety made room for Brian to say yes to the show he was born to host

“My sobriety has prepared me to say yes to things that before I would’ve had to say no.”

— Brian R.

• Shady Pines Radio — Community radio station; Brian hosts Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. featuring Native American artists
• Painted Horse Recovery — Native American-focused recovery organization based in Portland
• Real Recovery Podcast — Real stories of recovery, resilience, and redemption

#RealRecoveryPodcast #Recovery #SoberLife #NativeAmericanRecovery #AddictionRecovery #AA #TwelveSteps #ShadyPinesRadio #NativeMusic #IndigenousVoices #PodcastsAboutRecovery @RealRecoveryPodcast

Real Recovery Podcast Inc. — 501(c)(3) Nonprofit — EIN: 99-1347297

www.realrecoverypodcast.com

Episode 108

RRP 108 — Jerry B.

Flammable: What It Really Means to Be Sober Without Being in Recovery

Presenters:

Peter and Julie

Release Date:

April 3, 2026

Episode:

108

Runtime:

1:42:32

Episode Summary

Jerry B. grew up in a family shaped by recovery — his dad has 53 years in AA, his mom found sobriety when Jerry was young — yet still spent years addicted to crystal meth and alcohol. He earned a law degree at Lewis & Clark, lost a 17-year caregiving job to a drug test, completed two rounds of outpatient treatment, and then stayed completely sober for nearly a decade without ever being in recovery. He has a word for that: flammable. This episode covers isolation, atheism in AA, the difference between being dry and being free, and the night his mom died — the moment he had always been certain would make him drink.

Key Points

• 00:08:02Jerry’s dad has 53 years of sobriety; his mom got sober when Jerry was around 8 or 9.
• 00:09:39After mom returned from rehab, the unpredictability of his childhood nights disappeared — and so did his insomnia.
• 00:13:31Mom relapsed in high school, became addicted to cocaine, and disappeared for days. Jerry made excuses and couldn’t face it.
• 00:14:43During the relapse, his mom said “I hate you.” He never believed it — she’d spent his whole life showing him otherwise.
• 00:35:30First tried crystal meth during Christmas break of his first year at Lewis & Clark Law School. Immediately felt “things were right all of a sudden.”
• 00:44:12Graduated law school in 2001 fully addicted to meth. Failed the bar exam and never took it again.
• 01:05:14In 2007, without any dramatic bottom, decided enough was enough. Entered outpatient treatment and got clean from meth.
• 01:09:29Night he graduated treatment: stopped on the way home for two six-packs. Alcohol wasn’t his problem.
• 01:19:152011 DUI in Forest Grove — so impaired the officer thought he might have Lou Gehrig’s disease. Arrested; spent a day in jail.
• 01:25:35His boss offered him a path back instead of firing him. “He kind of saved my life.”
• 01:34:39Before his best friend’s wedding, chose to stop eating rather than stop drinking. Last drink: November 20, 2012.
• 01:39:34Told his sponsor he’d drink when his mom died. She passed in December 2013. He went to a meeting that night and never thought about drinking.
• 01:41:39Drifted from AA; spent 7–8 years sober but not in recovery — isolated, disengaged. He calls this being “flammable.”
• 01:42:16His 16-year-old dog died at the end of 2023. The loneliness brought him back to his home group.
• 01:48:39Completed 176 meetings in 90 days. “It was the best thing I’ve ever done.”
• 01:53:34For the first time heard similarities instead of differences. Found a sponsor, started step work, understood recovery as more than not drinking.

Guest Quote

“I was so dry by then, I was like flammable. I was exactly the same person as I had been when I was drinking — just without the alcohol.”

— Jerry B.

Listen & Connect

Websites Discussed

• Lewis & Clark Law School
• Smart Recovery
• Fora Health Treatment & Recovery
• Real Recovery Podcast

Hashtags & Mentions

#RealRecoveryPodcast #RecoveryPodcast #SoberLife #AARecovery #AlcoholicsAnonymous #DryDrunk #FlammableSober #SoberWithoutRecovery #MethRecovery #AddictionRecovery #AtheistInAA #SecularRecovery #SoberCommunity #RecoveryIsReal #RealRecovery @RealRecoveryPodcast

Real Recovery Podcast Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization — EIN: 99-1347297

Presenters: Julie P. Lewis & Peter B. Dowell

Episode Length: Approx. 1 hr 4 min

Release Date: March 27, 2026

James S. couldn’t finish a single lap around the track when he first got sober. Today, he’s run the Portland Marathon twice. James opens up about years of using alcohol to get out of his own head and fit in, the downward spiral that followed his divorce, and the recovery journey that began at Fora Health. Through Go the Distance (GTD), he found not just a running community but a reason to keep showing up — especially on the hard days. He talks honestly about being an introvert in recovery, rebuilding relationships with his kids, and a dream he’s quietly building to bring sobriety support to the construction industry.

• 00:03:20 How James connected with GTD through Fora Health and why movement became central to his recovery
• 00:06:23 His story: functioning alcoholic, divorce, downward spiral, reaching out for help
• 00:08:43 The mental health roots of his drinking — wanting to fit in and get out of his own head
• 00:11:48 “I have to wake up every day and put my recovery before anything else — before my job, before anyone.”
• 00:26:07 What sobriety really looks like on the hard days — honest talk about not throwing in the towel
• 00:32:02 Being an introvert in recovery: overthinking, communication challenges, showing up anyway
• 00:41:10 From one lap on the track to completing the Portland Marathon twice
• 00:43:29 Why GTD gave James more than motivation — belonging, accountability, and purpose
• 00:55:01 His dream: a life skills program for people in construction where addiction goes unspoken
• 01:00:45 Parting words: “Just keep showing up.”

• Fora Health Treatment & Recovery
• Go the Distance (GTD)
• 4D Recovery
• True Colors Recovery
• Another Chance Recovery
• Real Recovery Podcast

#RealRecoveryPodcast #JustKeepShowingUp #RecoveryIsPossible #SobrietyFirst #AddictionRecovery #FitnessInRecovery #GoTheDistance #ForaHealth #PortlandRecovery @RealRecoveryPodcast

The perspectives shared in this episode are for informational purposes only and may not reflect the views of the Real Recovery Podcast or its partners. This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you are in crisis, call the Recovery Crisis Line: 503-223-8569 (24/7).

Real Recovery Podcast Inc. — 501(c)(3) Nonprofit | EIN: 99-1347297 | www.realrecoverypodcast.com

Six Years Clean: Megan C.'s Journey from Homelessness and Heroin to Leading Others Home

Presenters: Peter and Julie  |  Release Date: March 20, 2026  |  Episode: 106

Peter and Julie welcome Megan C., a peer recovery mentor and program manager whose road to recovery wound through opiates, heroin, homelessness, domestic violence, and two near-death hospitalizations — including a nine-week ICU stay and coma after bacteria ate a hole through her lung the size of a baseball. Now with six years clean, Megan oversees nurses, caseworkers, and peer recovery mentors. She talks about Oxford House, medication-assisted treatment, breaking the cycle of trauma for her daughters, and why giving back keeps her sober.

• [00:01:23] Megan introduced via Lunch Bunch AA — connected through mutual friend Darrell (EP 53).
• [00:03:10] Episode records on the two-year anniversary of RRP — 104 episodes, every Friday.
• [00:18:08] Always feeling different; Adderall in middle school made her feel "normal" for the first time.
• [00:18:45] Cocaine in her early twenties — the first time something could grab hold of her.
• [00:19:42] Addiction escalated via a boyfriend: hydrocodone, then fentanyl patches and oxycodone.
• [00:20:44] Went through a sick woman's stockpile of 14 bottles of 480 oxycodone. First severe withdrawal.
• [00:25:11] Methadone for approximately six years — describes it as one of the biggest mistakes of her life.
• [00:26:37] Domestic violence: a man broke her jaw and eye. He went to prison for seven years.
• [00:27:25] Vowed never to touch heroin. Moved a heroin addict in. Within days, fully addicted.
• [00:28:00] Kicked off methadone after heroin showed in her system — which may have saved her life.
• [00:31:15] Homeless on Portland's streets in winter. Kicked heroin over 10 days on a stranger's floor.
• [00:33:30] Julie and Megan share candid parallel experiences in sex work — rarely discussed publicly.
• [00:45:10] Near-death: bacteria entered her lung, ate a hole the size of a baseball. Nine-week quarantine ICU. Went into a coma.
• [00:47:00] Woke on methadone, switched to Suboxone too soon — precipitated withdrawals. Also went septic in a separate stay.
• [00:48:20] Inpatient treatment, then Oxford House — a cornerstone of her recovery.
• [00:52:28] Clean date: checked into detox on her daughter's birthday. Six years clean as of last month.
• [00:53:00] Oxford House led to her career at Our House. Best friend from treatment called about the job.
• [01:08:45] Promoted to program manager last August — now oversees nurses, caseworkers, and peer recovery mentors.
• [01:13:33] Younger daughter now three. Asked father to leave so she would never witness what the older daughter saw.
• [01:14:07] Older daughter, now 18, rebuilding their relationship and talking about moving in.
• [01:21:07] At 40, Megan is entering the first chapter where she gets to choose everything.

#RealRecoveryPodcast #RecoveryPodcast #SoberLife #HeroinRecovery #OpiateRecovery #MedicationAssistedTreatment #MAT #Suboxone #OxfordHouse #CleanAndSoberLiving #SixYearsClean #BreakingTheCycle #PeerRecovery #RecoveryIsPossible #RealRecovery #TraumaRecovery #PortlandRecovery

Real Recovery Podcast Inc. | 501(c)(3) Nonprofit | EIN: 99-1347297

Episode 105  •  Season 3

RRP 105 — Mark S.

The Group Is My Higher Power: One Atheist’s Path Through Addiction and Back

Presenters:

Peter and Julie

Release Date:

March 13, 2026

Episode:

105

Runtime:

1:00:27

Episode Summary

In this episode, Peter and Julie welcome Mark S., a long-time member of Extended Family — the online AA community where he and Julie first met. Mark’s story spans more than five decades of addiction, survival, and hard-won sobriety. From a Pentecostal upbringing that condemned him for being gay, to the streets of Southern California in the 1970s, to a near-fatal suicide attempt that left him in a coma for three days, Mark’s journey is unflinching and deeply human. Now more than two years sober and homebound with COPD, Mark has found his footing through service work, a sponsor with 42 years of sobriety, and a higher power he defines entirely on his own terms: the group of Alcoholics Anonymous itself. This is Episode 105 — the first episode of Season 3.

Key Points

• 00:01:40First Zoom-recorded guest — a new format for the show.
• 00:03:21Episode 105 opens Season 3.
• 00:04:06First drink: 1968, a family wedding. Raised in a strict Pentecostal household; no alcohol.
• 00:05:00From a young age, Mark believed he was going to hell for being attracted to other boys — reinforced by his church and father.
• 00:07:00Junior high: bullying, a 1.4 GPA, early sexual activity driven by shame.
• 00:10:18At 16, his father discovered he was gay and kicked him out.
• 00:16:30First AA contact: ~1979–80, Laguna Beach. AA members came to his motel room, dumped his alcohol, took him to a meeting.
• 00:22:25Drunk, threw a TV through a window. Hit by a car on Laguna Canyon Road — hospitalized with partial paralysis.
• 00:28:43Moved to Oregon around 1984–85, fleeing the AIDS crisis. Met partner Greg; together 28 years.
• 00:33:31Suicide attempt: took all his medications, slashed his wrists. Coma for three days.
• 00:35:09One month in hospital; one month rehab at Cedar Hills, Beaverton, OR.
• 00:35:41Four years of sobriety — ended after smoking marijuana. Drank heavily until COVID.
• 00:36:06During COVID, a friend introduced Zoom AA. Found Extended Family / Lunch Bunch AA Online — where he met Julie.
• 00:37:39Final drink: June 14, 2023. Sobriety date: June 15, 2023. Now two years and eight months sober.
• 00:38:21Homebound with COPD, on disability. Hosts his own Zoom AA meeting; active in service work.
• 00:43:32Higher power: not a traditional God — the group of AA. “One person will let me down, but the group doesn’t.”
• 00:46:34Recent losses: father died November 5, 2024; mother died early March 2026, days before recording.
• 00:51:00Family of choice in sobriety and the LGBTQ+ community — parallels drawn by Peter, Julie, and Mark.
• 00:58:00Closing: Mark’s attitude toward death, service, and staying spiritually healthy in recovery.

Guest Quote

“My higher power is the group of Alcoholics Anonymous. Not one person — ‘cause one person will let me down — but the group of Alcoholics Anonymous. And the principles behind the group don’t let me down.”

— Mark S.

Listen & Connect

Websites Discussed

• Extended Family / Lunch Bunch AA Online
• Cedar Hills Hospital — Behavioral Health, Beaverton, OR
• Real Recovery Podcast

Hashtags & Mentions

#RealRecoveryPodcast #RecoveryPodcast #SoberLife #AARecovery #AlcoholicsAnonymous #AtheistRecovery #SecularRecovery #HigherPower #LGBTQRecovery #SoberCommunity #RecoveryIsReal #TwoYearsSober #ZoomAA #ExtendedFamily #RealRecovery

Real Recovery Podcast Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization — EIN: 99-1347297

Show Notes — Episode 104

From the Streets to Service: Finding Faith, Sobriety, and Purpose in Recovery

Justin Rye grew up in Fresno, California, where gang culture and early drug use shaped his world. He started smoking weed at nine, was sent to juvenile hall at 12, and cycled through 16 group homes. His mother was the first person he ever used meth with. Released from the California Youth Authority at 19 with nothing, he spent the next two decades in and out of prison.

After seven years in a van, Justin arrived in Portland in 2017 for the National Rainbow Gathering. A relapse at Skidmore Fountain led to five years living unhoused and using intravenous meth. A bank robbery — note only, no weapon — landed him two years in federal prison. Released to a halfway house on Killingsworth, he was found unresponsive from synthetic marijuana and kicked out. A fellow resident named Cilo handed him a phone number. That number was Rob Black’s. On July 3, 2023, Justin moved into sober living. The woman he had smoked spice with that same night died from it. He never touched it again.

Now nearly three years sober, Justin carries 12 clients at Adult and Teen Challenge in Estacada, Oregon, runs three groups a day, and is working toward his CADC certification.

“Real recovery takes time to build.”

• Adult and Teen Challenge
• Skyler Ray
• Real Recovery Podcast

#RealRecovery #RecoveryPodcast #AddictionRecovery #SoberLiving #FaithAndRecovery #AdultAndTeenChallenge #SubstanceAbuse #MethRecovery #PeerSupport #RecoveryIsPossible #StreetToService #RecoveryWorks
@RealRecoveryPodcast @SkylerRayOfficial

Real Recovery Podcast Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 99-1347297

www.realrecoverypodcast.com

Real Recovery Podcast — Episode 103

RRP 103 — Luciano N.

Don’t Stop Before the Miracle: One Man’s Journey Through Homelessness, Relapse, and Real Recovery

Presenters: Peter and Julie

Release Date: February 27, 2026

Episode Length: 1:40:20

Episode Summary

In this episode, hosts Julie and Peter welcome Luciano N., a Salem-raised, bicultural gay Latino man whose story winds through family upheaval, discovering his identity, competitive cheerleading, the Portland nightlife scene, and a decade-long struggle with alcohol and drugs. From sleeping on MAX trains and in parks downtown to finding his footing at Blanchet House and Another Chance treatment, Luciano’s road to recovery was anything but straight. Now nineteen months sober and serving as Director of Operations at Atlas Treatment Center, he shares what it finally meant to stop performing for everyone else and start showing up for himself.

Key Points

• 00:05:53Luciano grew up in Salem, Oregon with a bicultural background — his mother’s Americanized family and his father’s roots in Veracruz, Mexico. His father was incarcerated when Luciano was five, leaving his mother as the sole provider for four children. When Luciano was 13, his father was released from prison in Georgia and deported to Mexico.
• 00:16:27By his sophomore year of high school, Luciano was navigating his sexuality, exploring faith, and had his first drink at a family gathering — all at once. Sports, choir, cheerleading, and a natural gift for dancing gave him belonging, but alcohol was creeping in.
• 00:25:48Luciano moved to Portland for Portland State cheerleading, worked as a server and bartender, and became Mr. Junior Gay Portland No. 7. Drinking escalated from weekends to weekdays as anxiety, identity pressures, and people-pleasing intensified.
• 00:35:00A three-year relationship with a trans man who had three children pulled Luciano into a seven-year codependent dynamic. Drinking became daily. During the pandemic, he and a roommate drank from morning to night for months. He went through seven jobs in a single year.
• 00:41:49After losing housing and sleeping in parks and on MAX trains, Luciano ended up at the Portland Rescue Mission, then Blanchet House, where he worked in the kitchen serving meals as part of their 90-day program.
• 00:59:29A relapse led to ten days of bar-hopping and losing everything again. Collapsing at Laurel Hurst Park, unable to get up, Luciano crawled back to the hospital and then walked to The Peer Company (formerly MHAAO) — where peer support specialist Terry connected him to detox at Hooper and treatment at Another Chance.
• 01:11:58Luciano became house manager at a Sober Housing Oregon residence, learning to set boundaries for the first time. He experienced the death of a housemate to overdose — one of the most defining moments of his recovery.
• 01:21:43The day before his second treatment graduation, Luciano was offered a position at Atlas Treatment Center as Director of Operations. Now nineteen months sober, he describes his recovery as leaning into life rather than outrunning it.

Guest Quote

“Don’t give up on yourself in the journey. The journey is the miracle, the path that you lead every day.”

— Luciano N.

Websites Discussed

• Blanchet House
• Portland Rescue Mission
• Another Chance Recovery
• The Peer Company (formerly MHAAO)
• True Colors Recovery
• Sober Housing Oregon
• Atlas Treatment Center
• Real Recovery Podcast

Hashtags & Mentions

#RealRecoveryPodcast #AddictionRecovery #SoberLiving #RecoveryIsPossible #LGBTQRecovery #HomelessnessAndRecovery #MiraclesHappen #DontStopBeforeTheMiracle #PortlandRecovery #SoberCommunity @RealRecoveryPodcast

Real Recovery Podcast Inc. — A registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization — EIN: 99-1347297

Real stories lead to real recovery. realrecoverypodcast.com

RRP 102 — Lee Anne K.; Turning On the Light: Recovery, Resilience, and Radical Self-Acceptance

Presenters: Peter and Julie

Episode Length: 1 hour, 28 minutes

Release Date: February 20, 2026

Episode Summary

In this heartfelt episode, Julie and Peter welcome Lee Anne K. — a nearly nine-year member of the recovery community, proud straight ally, devoted letter-writer, and self-described number one fan of the Real Recovery Podcast. Hailing from Scappoose, Oregon, Lee Anne arrived at AA in May 2008 and holds a current sobriety date of March 12, 2017. Her story is one of remarkable honesty: a first marriage entered too young, a relapse after treatment, the slow climb back through step work, and the grace she found in service, connection, and radical reframing of life’s hardest moments.

Lee Anne shares how letter-writing became a cornerstone of her recovery, how self-care bingo cards and a 140-item “things to do instead” list keep her grounded, and why she chooses to love everyone “with a beating heart” — especially those in the LGBTQ+ community. Recorded on February 12, 2026 — the 20th anniversary of a traumatic assault — this episode is a testament to what is possible when you choose, day after day, to turn the light on.

Key Highlights

• 00:01:28 Julie and Peter introduce Lee Anne as the podcast’s “number one fan” — a title she lovingly concedes to Julie’s daughter Cassandra. Lee Anne recounts bingeing roughly 70 episodes after finding the podcast business card, then deciding to donate.
• 00:06:36 A significant and moving disclosure: the recording date is the 20th anniversary of Lee Anne’s rape. She arrived in the rooms 18 years ago — “it takes what it takes.”
• 00:29:32 The Simpsons moment: watching Homer accept Marge’s 30-day no-Duff-beer challenge, Lee Anne sat thinking her family must be thinking about her. The next day she texted them “I’m going to beat Homer Simpson” — they had no idea what she meant. She did 37 days, then relapsed when a neighbor offered a vodka orange juice.
• 00:30:57 At a women in IT meeting at Nike, a colleague stood up and shared 17 years of sobriety. Lee Anne turned around so fast she nearly broke her neck. After the meeting she couldn’t get words out — the woman simply handed over her name tag with her extension written on it. Fran became Lee Anne’s first sponsor.
• 00:35:43 A DUI led to required counseling, which led to an opening at Pathways in St. Helens — a treatment center across the street from a small park. Lee Anne reframed the experience as “summer camp” to make it bearable.
• 00:56:46 Lee Anne met her current husband two weeks after her last relapse — not recommended, she emphasizes — but she was upfront: “I’m new in recovery, my time will be limited.” He respected that. Her current sobriety date is March 12, 2017.
• 01:01:00 Her 140-item “things to do instead” list: send love texts, cook a meal for others, review the church prayer list and mail cards, read a comic book, dust picture frames. The list exists to break negative thinking and redirect energy.
• 01:02:37 Lee Anne distributes 10-minute coins to newcomers: one side reads “Unity, Service, Recovery — 10 Minutes,” the other side carries the Serenity Prayer. Her message: if you can wait 10 minutes, you might be okay.

“If you are in a dark place, turn the light on. There are light switches around, there are candles. You have a choice. You are responsible for your own happiness.”

— Lee Anne K.

Websites Discussed

• Lunch Bunch / Extended Family AA Online
• Alano Club of Portland
• GO THE DISTANCE — Recovery Through Physical Fitness
• Oregon Recovers
• Real Recovery Podcast

Listen & Read More

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© 2026 Real Recovery Podcast Inc. — A registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. EIN: 99-1347297

Presenters: Julie and PeterGuest: Austin ColeLength: 1 hour, 28 minutesRelease Date: 2/13

In this episode of the Real Recovery Podcast, Julie and Peter sit down with Austin Cole for a deeply reflective conversation about incarceration, recovery, identity, and growth. Austin shares how his time in prison became a period of education and self-examination rather than an endpoint, and how mentorship, community, and recovery principles helped shape his reentry. Together, they explore how recovery evolves over time, the importance of meeting emotional needs in healthy ways, and what it truly means to build a meaningful life after prison.

• [00:01:27 – 00:03:30] Austin meets Julie and Peter at the Oregon Recovery Walk and introduces himself, sharing his background, age, and early context for his story.
• [00:01:57 – 00:02:26] Austin talks about meeting Mike Covey while incarcerated at the Oregon State Penitentiary and how that relationship helped shape hope and direction for life after release.
• [00:24:07 – 00:25:00] Discussion about mentorship and friendship, including the role trusted relationships played during reentry and early recovery.
• [00:25:49 – 00:26:09] Austin reflects on the length of his incarceration and the circumstances surrounding his release, including health considerations and opportunities for education while incarcerated.
• [00:28:10 – 00:28:49] Conversation about changing values, developing self-love, and how recovery evolves as core beliefs shift over time.
• [00:29:32 – 00:30:04] Austin discusses meetings, recovery environments, and balancing personal recovery while working within recovery spaces.
• [01:03:52 – 01:06:00] Reflections on recovery philosophies, emotional needs, transcendence, and how wisdom develops through sustained self-work.
• [01:06:16 – 01:07:39] Exploration of unmet emotional needs, conflict, communication, and learning to de-escalate and respond with compassion in recovery and community settings.
• [01:27:18 – 01:28:29] Closing reflections on responsibility, service, and the impact of recovery work, including the idea that changing even one life has meaning.

“I’m doing this for myself and I’m doing this because I love myself.”— Austin Cole

• Austin’s Book – Chains to Changehttps://www.amazon.com/Chains-Change-Addiction-Incarceration-Becoming/dp/B0G3668Z2Q
• Cleanse Wellness Company:https://cleansewellnessco.org/
• Listen to the Real Recovery Podcast:https://mdcr1.com/listen
• Podcast Blog:https://mdcr1.com/blog
• Real Recovery Podcast Website:https://www.realrecoverypodcast.com/

Austin’s story illustrates that recovery is an ongoing process of growth, reflection, and accountability. His journey highlights the power of mentorship, the importance of community, and the work required to meet emotional needs in healthy ways while building a life after incarceration. This episode offers insight and hope for anyone navigating recovery, reentry, or personal transformation.

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