Garet Mclendon spent years living a life most people couldn’t imagine.

He dropped out of school young, ran the streets, battled serious addiction, lost his teeth, destroyed relationships, and spent years caught in the revolving door of jail and prison. Eventually, that life became all he knew.

Then everything changed.

After getting sober in 2013, Garet had to learn how to live completely differently. Not just how to stop getting loaded, but how to become a father, rebuild relationships, develop faith, show up for other people, and create a life with some actual purpose behind it.

In this episode, Garet gets into the parts of recovery people usually leave out: addiction, the streets, prison, violence, ego, family, faith, fatherhood, service, and what it really takes to rebuild your life from the ground up.

Today, he shares his story for the person who feels hopeless, stuck, or convinced they’re too far gone to ever come back.

Garet’s story isn’t pretty. That’s exactly why people need to hear it.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation and follow Recovery Refined for more real stories about addiction, mental health, recovery, and what comes next.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, alcoholism, or mental health challenges, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

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Refine Recovery
Helping individuals and families navigate addiction, mental health, and the road to long-term recovery.

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Jack Geren has spent his career telling stories through film, photography, and creative expression. As an actor, director, photographer, and creative, he's dedicated his life to exploring what it means to be fully present, live with intention, and create work that reflects something deeper than surface-level success.

What makes Jack's perspective so compelling is that his journey isn't just about creativity. It's about transformation. Through recovery, spirituality, and years of personal growth, he's developed a way of looking at life that's rooted in presence, purpose, and peace. He speaks openly about grief, fear, ego, and the practices that have helped him build a life he no longer needs to escape from.

In this episode, Jack shares the lessons that have shaped his life, from the power of living in the present moment to finding freedom through service, creativity, and spiritual growth. It's an honest conversation about recovery, purpose, and discovering that true peace often comes from changing the way we experience the world, not the world itself.

👇 We'd love to hear your biggest takeaway from this conversation. Hit us with a follow and a comment!

🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations about addiction, recovery, mental health, creativity, purpose, and personal growth.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, alcoholism, or mental health challenges, you don't have to go through it alone. Reach out to Refine Recovery today and speak with someone who understands. Recovery is possible, and help is just a phone call away.

🎙️ Sponsors

• Refine Recovery — If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, alcoholism, or mental health challenges, reach out today.
📞 (424) 392-6424

• ESEMDE — Our official clothing and graphic design sponsor.
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Jenna Foster has dedicated her life to helping people find recovery and a way out when things feel hopeless. Through her work with Ethos Recovery and Casa Bella Recovery, she has helped countless individuals and families navigate addiction, mental health challenges, and the often difficult process of asking for help.What makes Jenna so impactful is that her passion for recovery isn't just professional. It's personal. Having walked her own path through addiction and recovery, she brings a level of honesty, compassion, and understanding that can only come from lived experience. She knows what it's like to feel stuck, and she knows what's possible on the other side.In this episode, Jenna shares her story, the lessons she's learned along the way, and what recovery has taught her about resilience, purpose, and building a life that's bigger than the things that once held her back. From overcoming adversity to helping others find hope, Jenna's journey is a powerful reminder that recovery is possible and that no one has to do it alone.

What happens when the Hollywood dream turns into addiction?

In this episode of Recovery Refined, Aris shares her journey through addiction, recovery, modeling, acting, Hollywood nightlife, mental health struggles, and ultimately finding sobriety.

From living in modeling apartments and partying her way through Los Angeles to sleeping in her bathtub during the darkest moments of addiction, Aris opens up about the reality behind a lifestyle that looked glamorous from the outside.

We also dive into:
✅ Addiction and alcoholism
✅ Recovery and sobriety
✅ Hollywood culture
✅ Modeling and acting
✅ Trauma and mental health
✅ Xanax and substance abuse
✅ Finding purpose after addiction
✅ Building a life worth staying sober for

This conversation is honest, funny, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful.

👇 What part of Aris' story resonated with you the most? Let us know in the comments.

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations about addiction, recovery, mental health, and personal transformation.

🎙️ Sponsors

• Refine Recovery — If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, alcoholism, or mental health challenges, reach out today.

📞 (424) 392-6424

• ESEMDE — Our official clothing and graphic design sponsor.
🌐 esemde.com

#AddictionRecovery #Sobriety #MentalHealth #RecoveryPodcast #Alcoholism #RecoveryRefined

Colin “Scummy” Morrison is a pioneering American freestyle motocross (FMX) rider, X Games bronze medalist, and original member of the notorious Metal Mulisha. Born on May 16, 1982, in Moorpark, California, he became known for his fearless riding style, massive jumps, and the wild punk rock lifestyle that helped define an era of freestyle motocross. As one of the sport’s early personalities, Scummy built a reputation both on and off the bike through the chaos, adrenaline, and culture surrounding the rise of FMX.

After years of battling severe addiction and living through the darker side of that lifestyle, Scummy ultimately got sober and changed the direction of his life. Today, he is a dedicated advocate for sobriety and uses his story to show that recovery and transformation are possible, no matter how far someone has gone. On this episode of Recovery Refined, Scummy opens up about freestyle motocross, addiction, survival, and what it really took to rebuild his life.

John Nettles is the host of Recovery Refined, but this time he’s stepping into the guest seat to tell his own story.

Raised in St. Louis, John was adopted at birth and always felt there was more to his story. He began struggling with addiction at 14, long before he understood what it would eventually take from him. In his mid twenties, he found and met his birth mother, a moment that brought both clarity and complexity to a life that was already moving fast.

Music became an early outlet. He immersed himself in the EDM scene as a  DJ and, alongside a few close friends, started a promotion company called Unknown Frequency. It became more than just throwing shows. It gave him identity, community, and a sense of purpose.

That path eventually led him to Chico, CA. He went there chasing the idea of starting over, building something new, and getting into growing weed. But addiction followed him. What started as ambition and escape turned into legal trouble, instability, and a cycle he could not break.

Over the years, he went through multiple treatment programs. Each one brought him closer, but nothing fully stuck.

At 29, everything changed. John came to Refine Recovery and for the first time, something clicked. It was not just about getting sober, it was about learning how to actually live. That experience became the foundation for everything that followed.

Now approaching three years sober, he works as the Director of Alumni Relations at Refine Recovery, where he built the alumni program from the ground up. His focus is on connection, accountability, and creating a community that supports people long after they leave treatment, where the real work truly begins.

Through Recovery Refined, John brings honesty, humor, and lived experience into conversations about recovery, identity, and what it actually takes to change. His story is not about getting it right the first time. It is about refusing to stay stuck.

Marcus Smith II is a former first-round NFL draft pick, devoted father and husband, and the founder of The Circle of M Foundation. Born and raised in Columbus, Georgia, Marcus built a standout football career as an All-American at the University of Louisville before being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Behind the success, Marcus was quietly battling anxiety and depression, struggles that became the toughest opponents of his life. While living out his dream on the field, he was fighting a much deeper battle off of it, one that ultimately reshaped his purpose.

Grounded in faith and driven by a commitment to help others, Marcus has continued evolving beyond football. He is currently pursuing a path in social work and has recently completed his journey to become a minister, further deepening his ability to serve and support others.

Today, Marcus is a powerful voice for mental health awareness, particularly within professional sports. Through The Circle of M Foundation, he is dedicated to breaking stigma, encouraging vulnerability, and creating pathways for individuals to prioritize their mental well-being.

Marcus’s mission is simple but urgent. He uses his platform to reach those who are struggling, remind them they are not alone, and be the lifeline that once saved him.

This podcast is sponsored by *Refine Recovery*

-If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse or mental health issues, give them a call at 424-392-6424!

RJ Elizarraz is the Founder and CEO of Oak Forest Recovery, a Southern California recovery community built around structure, accountability, and long-term sobriety. After experiencing addiction and periods of homelessness himself, RJ found recovery through the 12-step process and committed to rebuilding his life with discipline, fitness, and community at the center.

Drawing from his own experiences navigating treatment and early sobriety, RJ went on to create Oak Forest Recovery with the goal of giving others the structure and support that helped change his life. Today he works directly with people in recovery, helping them build routines, develop accountability, and establish the foundation for sustainable sobriety.

RJ is also a co-host of the Against All Odds podcast, a show centered on stories of resilience and strength that prove transformation is possible even when life feels impossible.

This podcast is sponsored by *Refine Recovery*-If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse or mental health issues, give them a call at 424-392-6424!

Chris Howard is the founder and owner of Ethos Sober Living in Los Angeles. Sober since 2009 after more than a decade of addiction, Chris rebuilt his life and committed it to helping others do the same. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from UCLA and is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor III (CADC-III) and a Master Certified Case Manager Interventionist (CCMI-M) who has assisted families in crisis for over a decade.

His work focuses on what is happening in the here and now, helping individuals and families confront disruptive attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that undermine relationships and quality of life. Known for being direct and action-oriented, Chris works to identify root issues, challenge a lack of coping skills or personal responsibility, and develop practical plans for sustainable change. His philosophy is simple: the problem and the long-term solution often lie within you.

*This podcast is sponsored by Refine Recovery*

-If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse or mental health issues give us a call at 424-392-6424!

Yeshaia Blakeney is an addiction and mental health leader, entrepreneur, spiritual counselor, and rapper with over 20 years of experience in the treatment field. Sober since his early twenties, he brings both professional expertise and lived experience to helping others build meaningful, lasting recovery. Happily married with four children, his life today reflects the stability and purpose he encourages in the people he serves.

As co-founder and CEO of Recover Integrity and the Antedote wholeness initiative, Yeshaia is known for blending psychology, trauma-informed care, and spirituality into innovative approaches to healing. A speaker and thought leader, he continues to challenge traditional recovery models while guiding people toward deeper connection, growth, and purpose.