Recovery Authors

This episode is a special recording from the nightly quarantine 12-step meeting. Listen to this episode and hear recovery stories from Lou, Nichole, Alissa, Nick, Randy, Scott and Jesse. In case you’re under any misconceptions that addicts and alcoholics don’t recover from incredible challenge, listen to these stories. Tales on this episode will boggle your mind, and they’re but a few of the hazards we often navigate. By sharing these misadventures, we seek to shatter the stigma and secrecy of our lives. Luckily, all the folks you’ll meet tonight are in recovery. No matter what you’ve been through, there are answers and there is a place where you can find support and healing, with us here at Recovery Authors. A video of this episode is available online.

Just a fleeting glance at Anthony Collova's smiling face will clue you in to this guy's stunning recovery story... Join us, in this wonderfully wide-ranging and purposefully intense conversation about this extraordinary man's life. Collova is an entrepreneur with a long resume of building incredible online businesses. Anthony Collova's "super-power" is for seeing trends in the marketplace. This is evident during his captivating story as the founder of IIFYM.com, where he built the world's first macro calculator, and built a wildly successful, multi-million dollar business, before he sold it for millions, as he's done numerous times over his illustrious career. You'll also hear about how he and his lovely wife just spent 16 weeks traveling the world, despite the Coronavirus scare. Highlights include his trip to Costa Rica, where he took part in a profoundly mind and life altering experience with Ayahuasca. It was immensely joyful to talk with Anthony, whom I've always know as a glimmering example of how successful people, playing at the highest level can be full of generosity, gratitude, kindness and humility. DISCLAIMER: Ayahuasca is discussed in this interview as a therapeutic method to achieve greater sobriety. In Anthony's own words, "it's not something to party on."

Lisa Smith embodies the very best definition of what’s possible in being a Recovery Author…   Unlike some of the “low-bottom drunks” whose misery is plain to see, Lisa’s intelligence enabled her to thrive in a high-pressure corporate legal career, despite heavy alcohol and cocaine use.   Her story is critical because it speaks to the “high-functioning” addicts and alcoholics out there who may be rationalizing their obsessive behaviors because they still have jobs, homes, cars, and have never been to jail or arrested.   Not only is Lisa celebrating her 16th year of sobriety (on this episode’s publish date of April 5th, 2020), she has gone on to craft an incredible life, immersed fully in recovery.   In this wonderfully candid episode, Lisa reveals how and why she wrote her book, “Girl Walks Out of a Bar” and delivers an inspiring report on how she’s parlayed her role from a C-Suite legal career into full-time endeavors, as a recovery advocate, podcast host, speaker and lawyer.   Lisa is a trailblazer and passionate about breaking the stigmas around addiction and mental health issues, especially within the legal community. Lisa can be reached at lisasmithadvisory@gmail.com, as well as on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook.

  Devin Ford is a professional athlete whose path led him to the Cross-fit World Championships.   Over a ten year stretch, Devin moved steadily toward the top 20 in the world. This rise took a massive toll on his mental health and family relationships. At the brink of achieving his goal, a video of his performance went viral and he was attacked, with death threats and online bullying, from virtually everyone in his sport. It was a horrific experience, and led to Devin simply quitting Cross-fit on the doorstep of achieving his ultimate goal. In the wake of disaster, Devin discovered redemption and recovery. In his new life, Devin is today living in service of others, enjoying a previously unknown joy and peace.

Particularly if you're a parent of an addict, on this episode, you'll hear some poignant advice and strategies for dealing with a loved one who's suffering with addiction. After Max divorced, and began shooting meth with his brother, things were going predictably bad. Given his family's penchant for becoming alcoholics addicts none of this, nor his constant returns to jail, were surprising... Through a gradual process of education, in-patient rehabilitation, sincere 12-step work and the efforts by his mother to exercise more healthy family dynamics ultimately led Max to trudge the road of Happy Destiny. Today, at more than 17 years clean and sober, Max has published a book, runs a counseling practice (with a focus on addiction therapy), and takes care of his family. Max Nijst is truly a Recovery Author.

Founder Jesse Moskel shares his vision for the future of the Recovery Authors Movement. If you'd like more information to author your own recovery, get tools, help and inspiration from RecoveryAuthors.org. 

Jen Elizabeth, author of "Shape Of A Woman," dives into the incredible stories of her addiction, incarceration and ultimate redemption on this powerful episode of Recovery Authors. Anyone who's grown up in a home where suicide, addiction, loss, sexual abuse, trauma or grief took place will find a voice in this episode of pure light, hope and inspiration. The recent events surrounding Jen's latest adventures in the courtroom will astound listeners. Find out why Jen went back in front of the judge who sent her to hell a decade previously. Connect with Jen Elizabeth, find out more about her book, and see her before and after photos at RecoveryAuthors.org.

In this episode of Recovery Authors, Jesse interviews a Living Miracle, Nick - a New Jersey native who is truly grateful and lucky to be alive... Listen as Nick and Jesse dive into the roots and causes of addictive behaviors, how Nick became an "Escape Artist" and what happened when pills derailed 20 years of sobriety. Near the end of this episode, Nick reveals exactly what he had to do to overcome an absolutely unbelievable mountain of difficulty, as he authors a most spectacular recovery from relapse.

In today's episode, Jesse talks with Chris C, a friend he made attending a 12 Step retreat in the mountains of North Carolina. During this episode, Chris shares some grisly tales of heroin addiction and his unlikely recovery from drugs and a marriage on the rocks. Today, Chris and his wife enjoy the fruits of surviving a harrowing life with addiction. Chris is truly a Recovery Author and his inspiring story should help you believe you too can overcome anything!

Today’s mini-episode is all about simple elements you can use to enhance and prolong your recovery. It’s a solo episode, with Jesse guiding you through a list of 14 things he’s using to stay off drugs and alcohol, TODAY. No matter where you are - using, abstaining, or even if you’re not sure you want to stop at all, Jesse brings an open attitude into the conversation with room for all beliefs and practices. We at Recovery Authors believe in an inclusive format, because what works for us might not work for you! Harm reduction is our goal, and some ultimately never achieve total abstinence, and that’s OK. We just want to help you manage your life and live it to the fullest - as you author your own recovery!

In this episode we’ll be covering: Cutting, Brutality, Rape, Child abuse, Infidelity, Divorce, Sex with strangers, violence, Suicide… addiction truly is a beast, and today’s guest, “Kristi” bravely talks about all this in the context of her horrific sex addiction and all it’s mind-bending consequences. Also, we discuss the horrible double standard men have when it comes to discussing sex. We applaud our own conquests, but call women “whores” and worse when they reflect our values. An amazing episode, with all these topics and more, are covered in this compelling discussion with “Kristi,” a sex addict who’s suffered the worst traumas and is still battling her addictive tendencies.

Listen as Jesse shares his experience getting arrested for drugs in Thailand. How he went from Death Row in Bangkok, to “escaping” by writing his way out, and some of the misadventures along the way. Podcast dedication to Jolie S. Moskel.