Seven years ago, Zac Clark walked into a treatment center to speak at a Tuesday night meeting – and met a guy in pajama pants wearing a “Grateful Dead” tee who had no idea if he was going to make it.

That guy was Blake Porter.

In this episode, Zac and Jay sit down with Blake – now Vice President of Business Development at Release Recovery – to trace the full arc: growing up in a small town in upstate New York, the fear and insecurity that shadowed his talent, the slow slide from booze and cocaine into opioids and heroin, and the moment his dad found a needle and the truth finally had nowhere to hide.

Blake opens up about what early sobriety actually looked like: structure, accountability, humility, and the near-relapse that still scares him to remember – five months sober, back home, texting a dealer from a hotel bathroom… right up until something intervened and he chose honesty instead.

Topics include:

• The AA meeting in treatment that changed everything

• Small-town upbringing, big fear, and the need to escape

• Addiction, grief, and the cost of avoiding pain

• The truth-telling moment with Blake’s dad

• Why Release Recovery felt like “home”

• A near-relapse story that shows how real the obsession can be

• Building a life (and career) rooted in service

If you’re trying to get sober right now, Blake’s message is simple – and it might save your life: be honest.

Corey Davis is 15 years sober – and he left a high-paying corporate career to build Soba Golf, a fast-growing community at the intersection of sobriety, wellness, and golf.

Corey joins Zac and Jay to share how golf became more than a hobby: a daily practice in presence, humility, discipline, and emotional regulation – the same muscles recovery demands. He tells the origin story: during COVID, living with his in-laws on a golf course, buying clubs on eBay, and dropping his handicap from 30 to 3 in four years.

They also unpack the “sober lifestyle” boom – what’s real vs. performative – and why Soba Golf is different. Corey reflects on back-to-back PGA Tour wins by sober players Chris Kirk and Grayson Murray, and how Murray’s tragic death later deepened the urgency behind his mission.

Soba Golf now includes a digital community to find sober playing partners, weekly Thursday night meetings, and upcoming retreats designed to reimagine golf culture – with breath work, mindset coaching, meditation, and real connection.

Plus: rapid-fire on shame, early sobriety, accepting help, and what “freedom” means on the other side.

Connect with Zac

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If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:(914) 588-6564releaserecovery.com@releaserecovery

In this episode, Zac and Jay sit down with Rivkah Reyes – actor, musician, and the bass player from School of Rock – for a candid, nuanced conversation about growing up in the spotlight, addiction at a young age, and finding sobriety.

Together, they walk through Rivkah’s journey from child stardom into substance use, the role drugs and alcohol played in coping with pressure and identity, and how getting sober transformed her relationship with herself, her emotions, and her life.

Rivkah opens up about the realities of addiction behind the scenes, and reflects on the stigma, shame, and courage involved in getting sober while still figuring out who you are – including coming out and embracing her sexuality.

This is an honest, grounded exploration of what it means to heal, grow, and build a life in recovery.

Connect with Zac:

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If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564releaserecovery.com@releaserecovery

In this episode, Zac sits down with Release Recovery’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Michael McCormick, for a candid, nuanced conversation about one of the most controversial questions in recovery: can drugs ever help sobriety?

Together, they break down three major categories of medications – benzodiazepines, stimulants, and opioid medications like Suboxone, methadone, and Vivitrol – and explain how each works in the brain, why they can be both lifesaving and dangerous, and how clinicians decide, case by case, when medication is part of recovery and when it becomes a risk.

Dr. McCormick challenges black-and-white thinking about “being sober,” addresses the stigma many people face in the rooms of recovery, and shares how careful monitoring, individualized care, and real behavioral change are essential if medication is used at all.

This is not a pro-drug or anti-drug episode – it’s an honest, clinically grounded exploration of the gray area where medicine, addiction, and recovery meet.

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If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:(914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com@releaserecovery

In this Ask Me Anything episode, Zac kicks off 2026 by answering real questions from the community about sobriety, recovery, and mental health.

Zac shares honest, grounded insight on topics people are often afraid to ask about – including California sober, medication-assisted treatment like Suboxone, dry January, cravings, acceptance, and whether a relationship with alcohol can ever truly change. He breaks down why recovery isn’t one-size-fits-all, why community and purpose matter more than labels, and how autonomy plays a critical role in lasting change.

The conversation also speaks directly to partners and loved ones: how to support someone in sobriety, how to recognize when drinking may be a problem, and why taking care of yourself is essential when someone you love is struggling.

If you’re sober, curious about sobriety, supporting someone else, or just trying to make sense of it all, please give his episode a listen.

If you’re struggling, you don’t have to do it alone.

Connect with Zac https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 https://twitter.com/zacwclark

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery

On this episode of The Zac Clark Show, Grace Adams joins Zac and Jay for an honest and funny conversation about what early sobriety actually looks like. 

They start with a hot topic that brings all sorts of opinions: dating in sobriety. Is “don’t date for a year” real wisdom… or an arbitrary rule people cling to? Zac and Jay break down why recovery can’t be one-size-fits-all – and how the wrong guidance can push people into obsession, fear, or dependency on personalities rather than recovery-building principles. 

Then Grace opens up about her story: a disciplined performing arts kid who hit college freedom like a hurricane, the moment the police found her blacked out in her dorm, and the brutal truth that shame didn’t make her stop drinking. She shares what it looked like to “control” drinking — switching alcohols, counting glasses, and even going to a restaurant with a journal to write about her relationship with alcohol… while getting drunk.

The conversation gets real about the hidden danger for young women: blackout culture, risky situations, sexual trauma, and the isolating belief that you should be able to fix it alone. Zac, Jay, and Grace land on the thing that keeps showing up: peer-to-peer recovery — one person sharing their story with another so shame breaks, hope shows up, and life becomes possible again.

If you’re newly sober, thinking about getting sober, or love someone who is – this is a great conversation for you.

If you’re struggling, you don’t have to do it alone.

Connect with Zac https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 https://twitter.com/zacwclark

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery

Jared “Flash” Gordon is a UFC veteran known for his grit, longevity in the sport, and a career that defied the odds — not just in the cage, but in life. Before he became a professional fighter, Jared survived 13 treatment centers, 8 arrests,  and a felony case in Florida where he was facing 25-to-life. In 2015, he overdosed and woke up in a hospital bed, finally ready to change his life forever. 

Now, nearly a decade into a successful UFC career and 10 years sober, Jared talks to Zac about the fight that didn’t stop when the drugs did. They explore emotional sobriety, identity pressure in professional sports, and the exhausting cycle of comparison — especially when no amount of wins or recognition ever feels like enough.

The episode also covers the grounding force of community and meetings, and the shift in priorities that came with becoming a father. They talk about Jared's continued work to face childhood trauma and how healing is a lifelong journey. 

Through it all, Jared remains committed to recovery — the only thing that has ever given him stability, connection, and a chance at freedom of mind.

This is an honest, human conversation about ambition, self-worth, fatherhood, trauma, and staying committed when the world keeps moving the goalpost.

Connect with Zac https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 https://twitter.com/zacwclark

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery

Kratom is everywhere – in gas stations, bodegas, vape shops, and even pharmacies. But most people don’t actually know what it is.

In this episode of The Zac Clark Show, Zac and Jay break down the truth about kratom: what it is, how it works in the brain, and why treatment centers across the country are seeing a sharp rise in kratom-related addiction and relapse.

This is not a PSA and it’s not an attack on people who say kratom has helped them. It’s an honest conversation grounded in real-world experience from the recovery and behavioral health space – including why kratom often goes undetected on drug tests, how it can act as both a stimulant and an opioid, and why it can be especially dangerous for people with a history of substance use.

They also unpack the phenomenon of craving, the misconception that kratom doesn’t require detox, and the growing concern around stronger kratom products now being sold over the counter.

If you or someone you love is sober, in recovery, or simply trying to understand what’s being sold so casually in everyday places, this episode is worth your time.

Connect with Zac https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 https://twitter.com/zacwclark

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery

What is neuropsychology? What does a psychological test actually measure? And what if it were possible to understand how we learn, think, and behave in a totally non-judgmental, deeply informative way?

This week on The Zac Clark Show, we sit down with Dr. David Rowe, Director of Neuropsychology at United Assessment, to demystify the entire world of psychoeducational testing. Dr. Rowe explains how these assessments uncover the real story behind attention issues, learning differences, and emotional struggles — and why missed diagnoses often push people toward anxiety, shame, and even drugs and alcohol as a way to cope.

We talk about how the brain actually works, why so many kids (and adults) fall through the cracks, and what happens when someone finally gets clarity on challenges they’ve been carrying their whole life.

Fast, fascinating, and surprisingly hopeful — this episode might change how you see yourself, your kid, or your past.

Learn more about United Assessment: https://www.unitedassessment.com/psychoeducational-assessments

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If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564

Thanksgiving can be beautiful – and brutal – especially in early sobriety. In this special Thanksgiving Sober Edition, Zac and Jay bring in guests Grace Adams (Release Marketing Director & former client), Dave Megenis (VP of Outreach & Continuing Care at Wellbridge, a leading addiction treatment and recovery center), and Michael Ahearn (Wellbridge Addiction Treatment & Research) to talk about:

• Going home in early sobriety

• Navigating family dynamics during the holidays

• Embarrassing Thanksgiving stories

• Gratitude that actually feels real

• Staying grounded through holiday stress

If you’re sober, sober-curious, or simply trying to have a healthier holiday, this episode is for you.

Connect with Zac

https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 https://twitter.com/zacwclark

If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery:

(914) 588-6564/ releaserecovery.com/ @releaserecovery