Sober Disclosure

This week, we sit down with Sarah — who will celebrate five years sober this March — and whose story is a powerful reminder that sometimes it’s not the hundredth attempt that saves us… it’s the first honest one.
Sarah had collected plenty of 30-, 60-, and 90-day chips over the years — but none of them were real. She wasn’t staying sober, she was just resetting the clock. Then, something changed. When she finally made it to an honest 90 days, it “just stuck” — and it became the foundation for the life she’s living today.
Her drinking began at USC, where she even circled a concern about alcohol on a medical form. That simple moment led to conversations about therapy, psychiatry, and the rooms — but at the time, Sarah wasn’t looking for help. She openly admits she wanted to die an alcoholic death. That sounded easier than living.
Before getting sober, Sarah was living in a Motel 6, bouncing between chaos and isolation. She ended up moving in with a man 26 years older than her — someone she’d met in the rooms — who was sober himself. But living there came with no consequences. She could relapse freely, and she did. Eventually, she realized she needed accountability to survive, so she moved in with a woman in recovery — a decision she now says saved her life. She lived with her for three and a half years while working her get-well job at Home Depot and slowly learning how to be a person again.
Sarah shares what it was like to experience feelings for the first time in sobriety — including having a crush on a coworker — and how strange, vulnerable, and terrifying it was to navigate emotions without numbing them.
Her alcoholism took her to brutal physical and emotional lows. She had multiple DUIs, a medical hold on her license, pancreatitis, and hospital stays so frequent they became routine. She’d text her mom, “I’m going into the hospital today,” and her mom would reply, “Okay sweetie, see you in five days.” With no car, she rode a bike everywhere — eventually upgrading to an e-bike — even pedaling through the rain to her corporate job, determined to keep showing up.
In her twenties, Sarah had no friends — not one. She got sober at 31 and was suddenly surrounded by people who cared about her, showed up for her, and loved her. On her first sober birthday, more than 100 people came to celebrate her — something she never imagined would be possible.
Sarah’s episode is about loneliness turning into belonging, fake recovery becoming real, and how a single honest 90 days can change everything.
It’s a story of grit, grace, and the miracle that happens when you finally stop running — and stay. 💛

In this episode, we sit down with Amanda — whose recovery journey began not in a meeting room, but under the brightest spotlight imaginable.

After leaving her hometown in New Jersey in the depths of addiction, Amanda found herself on Dr. Phil alongside her two sisters. What followed was an experience few people can even imagine: being flown out with her family, walking onto a stage, and seeing her parents sitting there — then having to watch herself and her sisters use drugs on national television in front of millions of people.

Amanda walks us through what happened behind the scenes — how the show decided where each of them would go for treatment, and how being separated into different programs for different lengths of time deeply impacted each of their recovery paths. While Amanda was incredibly fortunate to receive a much longer stay in treatment, her sisters’ journeys looked very different. Though they didn’t stay sober immediately after, they are now sober today — and Amanda reflects honestly on the survivor’s guilt, gratitude, and complexity that comes with that.

She also shares how she learned to rebuild from the ground up — starting with a get-well job at The Latest Thing, learning how to show up consistently, and slowly creating a life that didn’t revolve around chaos or crisis.

Amanda opens up about dating her now-husband during her first year of sobriety, navigating his relapse, and how they managed to grow through it instead of apart. Her story highlights the reality that recovery doesn’t happen in isolation — it unfolds in relationships, in work, in disappointment, in forgiveness, and in the daily choice to keep going.

This episode is about visibility, family, and the long road from being exposed to truly being free. It’s a powerful reminder that even the most public rock bottoms don’t guarantee sobriety — but they can become the starting point for a life built on humility, accountability, and grace.

(And yes — we did mess up the camera for the last 15 minutes, so you’ll mostly be looking at our faces… but trust us, the story is worth it.) 😅

🎧 Tune in for a raw, unforgettable conversation about fame, family, and finding real recovery after the cameras turn off.

This week, we sit down with Kelly — whose story is raw, honest, and deeply relatable for anyone who’s ever tried to get sober before they were truly ready. With a sobriety date of 2/16/21, Kelly shares what changed between her first attempt at recovery at 26 and the version of sobriety she’s living today.

Kelly’s early substance use leaned more toward drugs than alcohol. Growing up in a family marked by alcoholism, she thought drinking was “yucky” — until a relapse led her straight into it. In her early 20s, she was living in LA when a car accident forced her to move back home. Feeling like the odd one out, she found drugs, lost stability, and eventually found herself kicked out of her parents’ house and living in her car. She shares darkly funny — and painfully honest — stories about experiencing psychosis, constantly believing people were talking about her, and how those thoughts still echo in her life today.

This time around, sobriety looked different because her attitude was different. Kelly came in with acceptance — a willingness to do whatever was suggested. Detox. Residential. Sober living. Sponsor. No shortcuts. She talks about a moment in South Florida, deep in chaos, when she called her stepdad and said, “I know I won’t feel like this in an hour or a week — but you need to come get me. I’m unwell.” That moment of clarity saved her life.

After returning to California with about 70 days sober, Kelly relapsed — but instead of disappearing, she reached back out to the sober living she’d previously been in, despite having reservations. A relapse involving a substance she believed was something else — later discovered to be laced with fentanyl — gave her a healthy fear that ultimately anchored her recovery. She returned to the program, stayed in sober living for over a year, became a house manager with just four months sober, and made the intentional decision not to date in her first year.

Kelly shares how working out became a crucial tool in her sobriety — not as an escape, but as a way to stay present through discomfort. She opens up about gaining weight in recovery, feeling uncomfortable in her own skin, and learning how to move through that discomfort instead of using over it. She reflects on her relationships with other women, how men once felt safer, and why today she prioritizes women’s meetings, strong female connections, and remaining single — by choice.

Now, Kelly is living the promises. She’s found purpose, stability, and self-trust — even working as a voice recorder in the court system. Most importantly, she shares that this is the most okay she’s ever been being single.

Kelly’s message to the newcomer is simple and powerful: give yourself a year. Lock in. Do the work. And see what happens.
This episode is a reminder that recovery doesn’t require perfection — just willingness, honesty, and the courage to stay.

In this episode, we sit down with Paul — a member of Jimmy’s home group who is approaching seven years sober and living proof that real change often begins with a single boundary you can’t talk your way around.

Just two weeks before Paul got sober, his brother passed away from complications related to HIV. While he didn’t die directly from drugs or alcohol, he was in active addiction and not taking care of himself — and he was also the person who first introduced Paul to Alcoholics Anonymous. Despite the timing, Paul shares honestly that his brother’s death wasn’t the reason he finally surrendered. Grief alone wasn’t enough to keep him sober — something deeper had to change.

That change came when his longtime partner, Nikki — who had just reached one year sober — drew a line in the sand: get sober, or leave me alone. They had been together since 2014 and had survived countless relapses side by side. But this time, Nikki meant it. And for the first time, Paul listened.

At the time, Paul was living in a sober living that didn’t hold him accountable — one where he knew he could continue getting high if he wanted to. Instead of staying comfortable, he chose discomfort and moved into a different sober living where he knew he’d be held to a higher standard. He admits he originally stayed sober for Nikki — and even jokes that she appointed his sponsor for him (not exactly how it’s supposed to work). But somehow, it worked. That sponsor finally broke the Big Book down in a way Paul could understand, helping him see his own life reflected in every page.

Paul also opens up about identity and honesty — including what it was like to be in a relationship with a transgender partner while still hiding parts of himself. It wasn’t until this stretch of sobriety that he fully owned who he was, stopped keeping secrets, and allowed himself to live openly and authentically.

Nikki required Paul to stay in sober living for a full year before they moved in together — another boundary that helped build a foundation rooted in trust, accountability, and growth. Paul shares how far he was willing to go to stay sober, including riding bikes to meetings when he had no other way to get there — something he still does today.

We also dive into Paul’s family dynamics. With two brothers who still drink and smoke, Paul has had to learn how to set and maintain boundaries — even when they see how much better his life has become and still ask him to join in. His story highlights the quiet strength it takes to choose yourself, even when the people you love don’t fully understand your choices.

Paul’s episode is about honesty, accountability, identity, and the power of boundaries — not as punishment, but as protection. It’s a reminder that sobriety doesn’t come from ultimatums alone… it comes from finally deciding that the life you’re building is worth defending.

🎧 Tune in for a grounded, heartfelt conversation about choosing discomfort over destruction — and what happens when you finally stop running from who you are.

We open Season 2 with Courtney — a woman whose story reminds us that sobriety doesn’t click because we try harder… it clicks because we finally become willing. Approaching two years sober on February 24, Courtney shares what changed between her first attempt at recovery and the one that finally transformed her life. Courtney was first introduced to the rooms after a DUI in 2015, but for years, she stayed on the outside looking in. She always felt different — separate — convinced the program was great for them, just not for her. She didn’t believe she drank like other people, and she certainly didn’t believe she needed what the program offered. It took being told — clearly and honestly — that she would never be able to drink like a normal person for something to finally land. The biggest difference this time around? A willingness to seek a relationship with a Higher Power. Instead of just attending meetings, Courtney was told to work the steps and find the spirit — and she did. With the help of a spiritual advisor, she began to understand that God wasn’t something external or distant, confined to a church or a place, but something already within her. What once felt unreachable became constant. Courtney shares how she now understands her life was unmanageable not because God was absent, but because she wasn’t listening. That guiding force had been with her since day one — she just wasn’t aware of it yet. Today, she fully believes her life is unfolding according to a divine plan. She also opens up about the physical toll addiction took on her body. From pancreatitis to alopecia, Courtney entered recovery as a woman losing her hair — an emotionally devastating experience that challenged her self-worth and identity. Throughout her sobriety, she’s worn hair pieces to cover bald spots, but as she’s cared for her body and stayed sober, her hair has begun to grow back — a visible symbol of healing. Courtney reflects on a difficult relationship during her first year sober and how painful — yet necessary — that experience was. Though she wasn’t drinking, she could see her addictive behaviors still running the show, which at times felt even worse. Through that clarity, she learned perspective, accountability, and how deeply sobriety requires change beyond substances. With the same sponsor guiding her through both stints — and helping get her into detox — Courtney shares one clear message for the newcomer: 99.9% won’t work. You have to be all in. You can’t serve two Gods — your Higher Power and yourself. This episode sets the tone for Season 2 — a conversation about surrender, spiritual connection, healing the body and soul, and the courage it takes to return and do it differently the second time around. 

This week, it’s just Jimmy and Breezy — and we’re introducing a brand-new recurring feature we’re calling No Shots, Just Thoughts. These episodes are exactly what they sound like: honest conversations, no guest, no filter, and no agenda other than answering the questions you keep asking. And as long as you keep sending them in, we’ll keep showing up.

For our very first No Shots, Just Thoughts episode, we tackle one of the most common (and quietly painful) topics in early recovery: Is the program cliquey? How do you navigate group dynamics? How do you find your people? And what is actually your responsibility versus what you’re projecting?

Jimmy and Breezy talk candidly about the newcomer mindset — that overwhelming feeling that everyone in the room is watching you, judging you, or secretly doesn’t like you. They break down why that’s almost never true, how ego and fear can distort perception, and why most people in the room are far more focused on their own stuff than on yours.

This episode is part reassurance, part reality check, and part invitation to exhale. It’s about learning how to stay, how to show up without trying to perform or belong too quickly, and how connection often comes naturally when we stop chasing it.

If you’ve ever walked into a meeting and felt invisible, awkward, or convinced you didn’t fit — this episode is for you. No shots. Just thoughts. And a whole lot of truth.

This week, we sit down with Hunter — a military kid who grew up learning how to blend in anywhere, yet spent years feeling like he didn’t belong anywhere at all. Now approaching two years sober, Hunter’s story is one of ego, honesty, spiritual awakening, and the powerful shift that happens when you stop performing recovery… and actually start living it.

Growing up constantly on the move, Hunter perfected the art of being a chameleon. His dad was a heavy drinker, and the first time Hunter drank — at just ten years old — he got completely hammered. What he remembers most is the relief: for the first time, he was finally out of his own head. But that temporary escape turned quickly into quicksand, pulling him deeper into hopelessness as the years went on.

He cycled through treatment centers, learning the language of recovery but never the meaning. He could repeat everything he heard — quote the literature, talk the talk — but none of it reached his heart. It was all manipulation, survival, and performance. His parents eventually did their own work, set firm boundaries, and stopped enabling him. His mom sent an email saying they wouldn’t help him again until he was truly ready to get sober — a turning point that shook him.

His first real attempt at recovery came when his military family insurance sent him to treatment in Costa Mesa. Even then, it took a full year of detox-after-detox before anything stuck. When he finally got a year sober, life got big — too big. He brought his parents out to see him take his chip… and then realized the hilltop he had been chasing didn’t deliver the peace he expected. Without a relationship with a Higher Power, his foundation crumbled. His relapse lasted two weeks before he reached out for help, walked into a meeting, and started again — this time with humility.

Hunter’s episode dives into the ego traps in the rooms — how easy it is to share just to sound good. He jokes, “I used to think my name was ‘Would anyone like to share?’ because I’d jump up the second they said it,” admitting he loved hearing his own voice more than he loved surrender. What changed everything was finding a sponsor who doesn’t just talk the talk, but walks it — someone calm, grounded, and spiritually aligned.

Today, Hunter is building a life rooted in genuine recovery. His relationship with God has completely transformed him — not in a performative way, but in how he shows up with patience, love, tolerance, and presence. He’s learned that real fulfillment isn’t at the top of some imagined hill… it’s in the simple, consistent actions that build inner peace.

Hunter’s story is a reminder that recovery isn’t about sounding good — it’s about becoming whole. It’s about letting go of ego, finding a Power greater than yourself, and living the principles in quiet, steady ways that no one sees.

This week, we sit down with Miss Erica — our first trans guest on the podcast — whose story is one of courage, survival, and the relentless pursuit of a life worth living. She has 11 years sober, relapsed, and now celebrates 9 years sober, and her journey shows that even after a decade in recovery, the disease of addiction can still strike — and still be overcome.

Erica’s first stint in sobriety lasted three years before she stopped working a program. Remarkably, she held onto her sobriety all the way to year 11, even as life got big — she got married, grew her family, and began finding excuses to skip meetings. When her husband relapsed, she fought the temptation to use alongside him for an extended period, but life’s pressures — needing income and a place to live — led her back into old patterns. Returning to work for her old drug dealer, she thought she could control it, but within five minutes, she picked up and started using.

Her relapse was devastating. Erica ended up in sex work, endured abusive fights with her husband, and even set their house on fire while he was asleep — a stark manifestation of the disease that had taken over. Her family stepped in to help, and her husband eventually reached out, wanting things to change. Hitting rock bottom, Erica finally accepted help once more and entered Geary House, where she found exactly what she needed to reclaim her life.

Now, she attributes her sobriety to doing the next right thing even when she doesn’t want to. She shares the story of asking a man to sponsor her — someone she initially found a little annoying — and learning the power of consistency, guidance, and spiritual example. Her relationship with her Higher Power is now the cornerstone of her life, and she will never stop sponsoring others, sharing hope, and giving back to the fellowship that saved her.

Miss Erica’s story is a profound reminder that there is always a solution, even when life feels darkest — and that recovery is not about perfection, but persistence, humility, and faith.

This week, we sit down with Brett — a man whose story shows that sobriety isn’t built on self-knowledge or “doing recovery perfectly,” but on brutal honesty, spiritual awakening, and the willingness to try again after the fall.

Brett will celebrate 8 years sober this January, but his journey wasn’t a straight line. Before this chapter of long-term recovery, he had 22 months sober, doing all the “right things” on paper — meetings, program work, connection. And yet, a single unguarded thought — a mental blank spot — led him into a sudden three-day relapse that changed everything.

He talks about how he’s always known he was an addict. Self-knowledge was never the issue. He knew drugs and alcohol would eventually destroy him… and still, he relapsed over and over. The true struggle was his relationship with a Higher Power — a theme that shows up at every turn in his story. He was drawn to his first sponsor because the man was agnostic, which allowed Brett to question, explore, and slowly form his own understanding of something greater than himself. Looking back, every relapse was tied to a spiritual disconnect, dishonesty with himself, and the people he surrounded himself with.

Brett opens up about going to his first treatment center knowing he could never safely use again, yet still being unable to stay sober. He contrasts that with his 22-month relapse: a moment where, despite doing the work, he picked up — and immediately realized that the drugs no longer numbed anything. For the first time, he wanted sobriety more than the high.

When his girlfriend at the time — now his wife, Samantha — found the heroin, she confronted him head-on and took him straight to detox. When he got out, she told him: We’re doing 90 meetings in 90 days. And she did it with him.

Brett reflects deeply on how the Salvation Army’s six-month program cracked him open spiritually in a way nothing else had. It was uncomfortable, structured, and challenging — but it’s where he finally found a Higher Power that made sense to him. After leaving the program, through his sponsor, he met Samantha. Everyone said they’d take each other out… and instead, they built a family grounded in recovery, honesty, and spiritual growth. Today they are married, raising two beautiful daughters, and living the kind of life Brett once thought was impossible for him.

Brett’s story is a powerful reminder that relapse doesn’t disqualify anyone from long-term sobriety — and that the real miracle happens when the ego breaks, the heart opens, and a Higher Power finally fits.

In this week’s episode, we sit down with Marcus — who recently celebrated eight years clean and sober on October 29th. Standing 6'7" with a quiet strength and deep insight, Marcus shares how his path from chaos and paranoia to inner peace has reshaped how he sees sobriety, self-compassion, and spirituality.

Before recovery, Marcus was driving a beat-up van with expired tags, working hospice while high, and numbing his pain through constant escape. It wasn’t until his sober father called him out that Marcus finally got honest. He walked into an AA meeting with his dad’s contacts — terrified but willing — and started doing everything his sponsor told him to do: 90 meetings in 90 days, daily calls, full surrender.

But early sobriety wasn’t easy. Marcus describes feeling psychotic and suicidal, closing his eyes on the freeway just to feel silence. He was haunted by shame, guilt, paranoia, and hallucinations until his parents intervened and got him psychiatric help. Medication helped stabilize him, but the stigma he faced in recovery made him feel even more isolated. When COVID cut off access to his meds, he turned to veganism, meditation, and spiritual practice — finding healing in mindfulness and compassion.

Now working at The Hoffman Process, an experiential retreat that helps people rewire trauma and cultivate forgiveness, Marcus uses what he’s learned to help others connect with presence and self-acceptance. While he doesn’t sponsor others, he honors his boundaries, protects his peace, and lives by the same mantra that got him through the hardest days:
“One day at a time.”