The Way Out Podcast

In this rendition of The Way Out our steadfast recovery Co-Host Jason’s got a magnificent interview with person in long term recovery and Author, Timothy Clancy who shares with us his road to Sobriety. From rock bottom to ten years of continuous sobriety and counting, Timothy’s journey to and through recovery to this point has been difficult at times, yet exceedingly rewarding at the same time. As you’ll come to learn, Timothy lives with Epilepsy, which has meant he’s spent time in a coma and undergone two brain surgeries. Without question Timothy walks his talk, which in addition to writing his book The Road to Sobriety, is personified by his decision to leave a lucrative job in the financial industry at Goldman Sachs to become an Independent Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT counselor helping people who struggle with self-destructive behavior, substance abuse, eating disorders and more. Timothy talks about the sacrifices he has made in order to fulfill his purpose, helping others and giving back! For Tim

In this edition of The Way Out Recovery Coach, Entrepreneur, and person in long term recovery Kylie Butler comes to us from Bali to share her journey to and through recovery to this point with a sagacity and intuitiveness that is at once unmistakably authentic and enlightening. Her knock-down drag-out bout with alcoholism is rife with the hallmarks of a classic battle with addiction, not the least of which was trauma and a heavy dose of denial, which as most of us know, doesn’t FEEL like denial when we’re in it. Her recovery journey is rooted in the 12-Steps infused with a distinctly Buddhist set of principles and practices which very much focuses on living in a way that centers and prioritizes acceptance and letting go of that which causes us to struggle. For Kylie, recovery was first a process of addition by subtraction. Eliminate the alcohol, and then begin practices that allow her to continue to let go of the thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors that cause suffering while at the same time increasing serenit

This week our intrepid co-host Jason has an incredibly entertaining and indeed inspiring interview with Cincinnati radio DJ, host and creator of the wildly popular Tragedy to Triumph podcast, and person in long term recovery, Aaron Laine. Aaron shares openly about his struggle with alcoholism and addiction, subsequent recovery, and what life is like now flourishing in recovery as he uses his God given gifts to help spread the message that rewarding and enduring recovery is possible. To that end, to say that Aaron is active in the Recovery community would be a drastic understatement, from Radio to TV to event hosting – Aaron’s definitely making a difference for those who still suffer with addiction and alcoholism. Aaron’s been an inspiration Jason and to countless others, and you can now officially count me in the official/unofficial Aaron Laine Fan Club, and dare I predict you too may wind up a fan of Aaron’s after listening to what amounts to be an incredible discussion between to recovery powerhouses. Jason

In this rendition of The Way Out we’ve got a Way Out Podcast first with Jason A, who appeared on our very first episode way back in March of 2016 and is the only person we’ve interviewed more than once, and as you’ll learn for very good reason. Much has happened in the span of that 5 plus years and 250 episodes later in the evolution of this podcast as you’ll discover if you dare to venture back to our opening episode featuring Jason and compare it to our most recent offerings. His story is truly inspiring and also a work in progress, as is this podcast. Much has been learned since and indeed the same is true in Jason’s journey to and through recovery to this point. Jason shares candidly about his struggles with relapse which ultimately led to liver failure, and quite literally ending up accepting his condition was terminal and death was extremely near. In what would amount to be a miracle in getting approved for a transplant, Jason shares his transplant journey and what life is like today post-transplant thr

In this rendition of The Way Out we’ve got an incredibly inspiring and relatable interview with person in long term recovery, and the one and only Sober Yoga Girl, Alex McRobert AKA Alex McRobs for those of you who are social media inclined. Alex, a self-proclaimed and quintessential party girl since high school, shares her journey to and through sobriety to this point, which included addressing her mental health in addition to her true reckoning with her relationship alcohol, which over time turned from relatively harmless and consequence free partying to a progressive and indeed destructive force in her life. The instrumental move for Alex was joining one year no beer, a community of people who were actively working on eliminating alcohol from their lives.  This is where the magic happened, where Alex began to hear the recovery and sobriety journeys of those who have gone down the path before her and of those who were starting that journey alongside her. What started out as a 28-day sobriety goal, turn

In this edition of The Way Out our magnificent recovery co-host Jason has an outstanding interview with person in long term recovery, Katie Schwartz. Katie shares with us about her unresolved trauma and how it has hindered her attempts at recovery. No doubt many of us can identify with the pain and trauma caused as a result of the many forms that parental abandonment can take. The hit on our self-worth, and the often-subconscious obsession for validation from people can indeed set us on a crash course and headlong into addiction, alcoholism, and chaos. After multiple relapses Katie has never given up the fight for meaningful and enduring recovery, and when she was truly ready for help, help came to her in a big way. Doing whatever it took to recover for Katie meant treatment, working the 12-Steps and connecting to a Higher Power, and as a result Katie recently decided to start sharing her story and realized it has indeed activated her powers! So Listen Up as Katie Recovers Out Loud. Contact Katie at katie80sc

In this rendition of The way Out our beloved co-host Jason’s got a whopper of an interview with person in long term recovery Crystal Hill Hover, who is also a mother, wife, owner of 5 sober homes and a recovery wellness center and Gym and if that wasn’t enough, she just earned her Master’s Degree to boot. Crystal's story is extremely inspiring to say the least. She battled against a myriad of personal demons to achieve enduring sobriety and personal freedom - including addiction, an eating disorder, criminal thinking as well as an array of mental health issues. For Crystal it wasn’t until she landed in prison and subsequent boot camp and follow-on treatment that she was truly able to face her problems head on and ultimately find God, that true recovery began to take hold. Today she has an MBA and is doing amazing things to help and support the recovery community! You're definitely going to want to learn more, so listen up. Best piece of advice: See disruptions as opportunities Book Recommendations: Strengths

In this rendition of The Way Out we’ve got a superbly relatable and edifying interview with person in long term recovery and personal trainer turned transformational life coach who specializes in helping people overcome addiction and emotional trauma – Alex Bales. His mission? To help people effortlessly evolve to create a life they love again full of health and joy. Alex’s journey to and through recovery to this point is marked by painful experiences combined with a feeling of being different than everyone else in his early life, which set the stage for addiction and alcoholism to make their debut in early adulthood, a scenario oh so many of us know firsthand. Alex’s journey to recovery, like many of us, was not linear and indeed was marked by setbacks, yet what matters most is Alex truly surrendered and got honest about the reality of his addiction and alcoholism, and equally as important is he genuinely wanted and asked for help to start to truly recover. A recovery and wellness journey that brought about

I’m delighted to reassure The Way Out faithful that our beloved co-host Jason is back with a killer interview. It’s been a minute since we’ve heard from Jason, but rest assured Jason is still rocking his recovery. Fact is, Jason was on out on assignment, getting us some more powerful recovery stories such as this one with Author and person in long term recovery, Tommy Figlioli, otherwise known as Tommy Figs. Tommy shares his journey to and through recovery to this point including his life growing up in Brooklyn NY, and the "bumpy road" to recovery as he calls it. From a kid desperate to fit in and missing that all important male role model to near suicide and living the hard street life to finally surrendering, getting honest and finding meaningful and enduring recovery, Tommy’s story has it all. We also talk about his hardest challenge while living clean and what inspired him to write a memoir entitled That's What Junkies Do. There's a whole lot of heart and even more HOPE in this episode so listen up. Conta

In this edition of The Way Out we bring you an extraordinary interview I had the good fortune of having with The Recovery Guy, Robert Pardon, who just celebrated his 35th year of long-term recovery from alcoholism and addiction, and Hosts The Recovery Guy Podcast and is without question the genuine article. Roberts journey to and through recovery to this point is marked by profound feelings of inadequacy and not fitting in while in active addiction and alcoholism and using external substances and behaviors in an attempt to ameliorate this deep seeded pain, a feeling so many of us can deeply relate with. Robert’s recovery journey then, is consequently marked by meaningful connections to people in long term recovery who had something he desperately wanted – peace, serenity, and a level of contentment that demonstrates a recovery program well worked. There’s near limitless relatability to the internal and external adversity in Robert’s journey and the spiritual and recovery wisdom that emanates through his story

In this rendition of The Way Out we have an exceedingly revealing and illuminating discussion with renowned specialists and Authors on Love First Intervention, Jeff and Debra Jay. Both Jeff and Debra are in long term recovery in their own right, Jeff from addiction and alcoholism and Debra from the codependency and family side of recovery. Jeff’s owes his recovery and very life for that matter to a successful intervention, an experience that proved to be fateful indeed. Their experience in their own recovery journeys, combined with their subsequent professional experience in treating those with addiction and their families has culminated in a new model of addiction intervention that represents a true shift in what a traditional intervention looks like. A model that has been incredibly well laid in in the now Third Edition of their book Love First – A Family’s Guide to Intervention. I lieu of the often anger, threat, and ultimatum centric affair that aims to shame or scare the suffering addict or alcoholic int

In this rendition of The Way Out we’ve got a fascinating and indeed incredibly illuminating interview on the science of addiction with Neurosurgeon Dr. Paul Kaloostian. Dr. Kaloostian and I discuss the effects addictive substances have on our brain’s reward and memory centers, our physical wellness, and yes, even on our very genetic makeup which dovetails on what we already know about genetic predisposition to addiction. The known impact of addictive substances on our brain and body is quite profound, from the negative effect on our brain cells in response to these substances and behaviors, to the at times severe impact on our physical bodies. Equally or perhaps even more profound is the remarkably adaptive and healing properties of our brain cells and bodies to long-term abstinence and healthy behaviors that in many cases can completely reverse the damage initially caused by addictive substances or behaviors. We go on to explore the science behind how some of us are genetically predisposed to addictive subst

In this installment of The Way Out we’ve got an incredibly enlightening and supremely relevant interview with Author of the new book “The Weight of Air – A Story of the Lies About Addiction and the Truth about Recovery” and person in long term recovery, David Poses. David’s story is rooted in the all-too-common dual struggle of having a mental health disorder such as depression and addiction, which creates an often incredibly difficult and complex chicken or the egg, which is the problem and which is the symptom, kind of issue to address. Are the substances causing the mental health disorder or is the mental health disorder the root and the cause of the addiction? Certainly, there’s plenty of evidence to support the fact that drug and alcohol abuse and addiction can exacerbate mental health disorders, and indeed make difficult or impossible to effectively treat. Indeed, addiction can cause what might be best described as situational mental health issues like depression and anxiety and once the addiction is tr

In this edition of The Way Out Jason’s got an interview that’s sure to be an instant classic here at The Way Out Podcast with person in long term recovery and author of the new memoir Eternally Expecting: A Mom of Eight Gets Sober and Gives Birth to a New Life...Her Own, Amy Liz Harrison. Jason and Amy talk about the pressures that came from trying to keep up appearances, both inside and outside the home, which was tantamount to Amy leading a Jekyll and Hyde double life. From the all too familiar childhood sense of feeling different from everyone else, to feeling like our substance of choice was the answer to all our problems, to the nothing short of miraculous recovery born out of the ashes of her rock bottom – Amy’s journey to and through recovery to this point is incredibly relatable, enlightening, and indeed inspiring. The journey through all the heartache will truly give you hope when you hear what recovery has done for the lives of Amy and her family. This one is genuinely a must hear so listen up. Conn

In this installment of The Way Out we bring you a remarkable, incredibly useful, and yes desperately needed discussion on how couples can build healthy, meaningful relationships in Recovery. It was a true pleasure and honor to interview Author and Attorney Chantal Jauvin, whom, along with her husband Bill has navigated their own and collective recovery journeys for 13 years and counting. There are many resources for those with a substance use disorder, like alcoholism or addiction and likewise a plethora of resources for those whom identify as co-dependent, the all too common manifestation of the family disease that is addiction. What is lacking, until now, is a guide for couples to work through the complex and challenging issues that they are faced with when alcoholism or addiction surfaces. Chantal set out to fill this chasm in the recovery literature sphere, and quite frankly – she nailed it with Love Without Martinis How Couples Build Healthy Relationships in Recovery based on real stories. Unquestionably

In this rendition of The Way Out our tremendous co-host Jason interviews woman in long term recovery, Jennifer Leone. Jennifer is truly an open book as she shares how she came back from the ashes of addiction and childhood trauma to find herself, rebuild her relationships, develop a stellar career, and found a powerful voice that she uses to help others recover! Jason and Jennifer talk about trauma, parenting, and purpose. Her story is proof positive that we can indeed recover from addiction, trauma, and live a rewarding life of purpose in sobriety. The recovery and spiritual truths that emanate throughout Jennifer’s journey are both universal and incredibly relatable. Her story also reminds us recovery is an ongoing process, and some things need to be worked on repeatedly. All of this makes for one highly instructive and inspiring interview so listen up. The Edge Treatment Center on Facebook and online: https://www.facebook.com/1801725480077272/ www.theedgetreatment.com Jennifer's Live Talk Show- https://m.y

In this edition of the The Way Out we have an incredibly brave, honest and enlightening interview with someone that has recently begun their journey of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. When this interview was recorded, Hope Collaton had a collective 104 days clean and 69 days sober – and it’s important to stress they were not continuous, and that’s been an important part of her process as she continues to learn and apply the tools of SMART recovery in her daily life. Often we in the recovery community get very hung up on a clean and sober date; after which point we’ve remained completely abstinent – and should we slip, or relapse we start all over again with a new date – like we’ve lost all of that time in sobriety we just worked so hard to accumulate. Without question, one of the big recovery truths that comes out of Hope’s journey to and through recovery to this point is that every day that we’re clean and sober, counts and helps us as we navigate the often non-linear, rocky road to meaningful and

This week we’ve got a truly extraordinary interview for you with two brothers in long term recovery from alcoholism and addiction. We hear what it was like for these brothers to grow up in the same house, with a single Mom and Dads that were either barely there, or not there at all. That’s right folks, our exceptional co-host interviews his younger brother, Brandon Rudeen on his own journey to and through this point in his recovery and let me tell you right now folks, it’s one wild ride with a whole lot of spiritual and recovery truth layered in. This interview is a genuinely special one to Jason, as evidenced by the deep talks they get into about recovery and the evolution of their relationship over the years. They used to get high together, and now by the grace of God they do recovery together so listen up. Contact Info: Brandon.rudeen59@gmail.com Best piece of advice: Bring the body, the mind will follow Book recommendation: Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous Song that reminds Brandon of my recovery: Nice to

In this edition of The Way Out, we’ve got an incredibly special interview with a person in long term recovery from the Native American Indigenous Community. His Native American name is Wanbdi Gdeska, which translates to Spotted Eagle, and he’s otherwise known as Michael Oconnor. Michael’s journey through and to this point in his recovery is both strikingly similar to, and profoundly different to so many we’ve had the sacred opportunity to share. So many of us can relate to adverse childhood experiences, and the trauma that can haunt us. So many of us can relate to the allure and vicious and seemingly unbreakable spell alcohol, drugs, and addictive behaviors can have on us. Indeed many of us can relate to reaching spiritual and emotional bankruptcy, and the unmistakably awful feeling that accompanies it. The truly fortunate among us have had the experience immediately following of a profound and sincere surrender and a genuine willingness to truly change and do whatever it takes to get better. Not too many of

This week our magnificent co-host Jason has a genuinely instructive interview with person in long term recovery, Jesse Plumley.  Jesse’s story of overcoming his battle with drugs and alcohol reinforces truly universal truths about alcoholism, addiction and what it takes to achieve durable recovery. We must, as Jesse did, admit to and face the fact we have a problem and then, and this is so critical, we must reach out and seek help from those who have overcome similar problems. We must, as Jesse did, be willing to do whatever it takes to get better and recover and be willing to help others just as we were when we needed it most. We must, as Jesse did, make fundamental lifestyle changes and surround ourselves with others who’ve done and are doing the same. Jesse’s recovery is not rooted in any one particular program, yet his journey and lifestyle changes mirror many of the fundamental principles of any well-known recovery program! No doubt about it, there’s lots of great recovery insights in this episode s