Rise2Recovery

CLTIVATE is a project Zack started in 2016, not really knowing what it would become. “My heart beats to help others find freedom from drug addiction and alcoholism – because I’ve been there,” Zack said. “Just following God one day at a time as I work to write curriculum and build a wilderness therapy program […]

  Lara Frazier is a healer and truth-teller, a sobriety warrior, a speaker and a writer. She is a FIERCE believer in the power of owning our stories and is a strong advocate for addiction recovery. Lara shares a story of healing: in sobriety, through addiction, in life and love, and in all the other big […]

  The Rise 2 Recovery podcast is back with a very special guest! Nadine Machkovech is an educator through story-telling and certified recovery coach in long-term recovery. As a scholar of addiction recovery, she helps to improve the recovery landscape for adolescents, especially young women, across the country. She is the Program Manager at RISE […]

Episode 17 of the Rise2Recovery podcast features Wayne and Kit Nix sharing an emotional story about addiction, loss and the many challenges involved. Wayne and Kit have experienced the unfathomable damage that addiction causes as they lost both of their sons over the past eight months. They now hope that their story will help others […]

  Shannon Egan is an author, an international recovery advocate, an award-winning grant writer, and a marketing and development consultant for addiction recovery organizations world-wide. Despite training as a journalist on humanitarian issues for the United Nations, Shannon prefers sharing her personal stories of addiction and recovery to infuse hope in those still struggling.

Kevin Curtis grew up in Santa Clarita, California. He struggled with the disease of addiction for many years before getting sober on December 12, 2011 and founding Sober Movement. Now, he loves volunteering and hosting sober events on the weekends for a youth recovery group in his hometown. Kevin also gives back through SoberMovement.com, a […]

  In 1983, the pain of Alan Charles’ dysfunctional upbringing caught up with him. Seeking relief from his lifelong feelings of anxiety and loneliness, he became addicted to cocaine, which ultimately caused him to lose it all including every relationship he ever had. Over a period of 24 years, Alan struggled with his addiction eventually […]

  An authority on body dysmorphic disorder, male eating disorders and addiction, Brian Cuban is the author of the best-selling book, Shattered Image: My Triumph Over Body Dysmorphic Disorder. It chronicles his first-hand experiences living with, and recovering from, twenty-seven years of eating disorders, alcoholism, drug addiction and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).   Cuban has appeared […]

Tammy lives in the Pacific Northwest with her partner and best friend of ten years. She has two amazing cats and spends everyday trying to be a caped crusader against the crazy. Mask and costume optional. She counts Brian among her close friends.

Gloria Englund, founder of Recovering U, breaks new ground in the field of addiction recovery and support. As an ally of the recovery community, she honors all pathways of recovery. She is a psychotherapist, who holds a Master of Arts degree in Human Development. As a certified Recovery Coach, she works with individuals and families […]

Jenny Reese Clark, a multiple felon of various drug charges including Unlawful Manufacturing of Methamphetamines, is no stranger to breaking the rules or suffering their consequences. In April of 2010, Jenny’s life hit an all-time low as she turned her back on the home burning behind her. As a result of a chemical interaction, the […]

Paul Schmitz is the author of Everyone Leads: Building Leadership from the Community Up (Jossey-Bass); CEO of Leading Inside Out; Senior Advisor to The Collective Impact Forum; and a fellow at Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Innovation and Impact. Schmitz outlined what he learned about leadership from addiction recovery here, for the Huffington Post.

Justin Luke Riley is 28 years old, and has been in long term recovery since 2007. He is President & CEO of Young People in Recovery (YPR), and a founding member. Justin has done organizational development consulting for different industries. He was a Youth & Community Engagement Pastor as well as a private Life Coach. […]

Rose McKinney, aka Midwestern Mama, is the founder of Our Young Addicts an online community of parents and professionals sharing experiences, resources and hopes on the spectrum of addiction, treatment and recovery. Rose took some time to chat with Brian about her son’s story of drug addiction and his journey to recovery and sobriety, as […]

Episode 6 features Erin Bahadur, a recovering addict, NASM certified personal trainer, fitness instructor, and blogger. Her goal is to help everyone realize that true wellness comes from within (and sometimes through desserts). Brian and Erin discuss her story and how it is so powerful and relatable. Erin offers insight into addiction and recovery through personal […]

Crystal Oertle is a survivor of a 12-year heroin addiction and a recovery advocate working to Erase The Shame™. As her site proclaims, “Erase the shame  is not just a slogan. It’s a way of life. For those struggling with drug addiction, the will and desire to seek help is often stifled by the judgement […]

Drew Billeter recently celebrated seven years of sobriety and is having the best day of his life. His organization, Plus P Productions believes that living on the Plus side is a state of mind where being happy is our choice. Plus P Productions advocates for those in recovery and seeks to support them, their families and […]

Our guest for Episode 3 is Shane Ramer. Shane is nearly 3 years sober and the host and founder of That Sober Guy Podcast. He started experimenting with drugs and alcohol in High School. When he realized that he had completely lost control of his life, he admitted to his wife that he needed help […]

Our guest for Episode 2 is Justin Phillips. Justin is a mother of three children, two boys and a girl. She lost one of her sons, Aaron age 20,  due to an overdose of heroin in October 2013. Justin has spent her career in the nonprofit and public sector educating parents and caregivers on the […]

It’s the debut episode of the Rise2Recovery Podcast! This episode, Brian talks with Sober Nation Co-Founder and owner, Tim Stoddart about his road to recovery, Sober Nation, Stodzy Internet Marketing and more. Thanks so much for listening to our podcast. To find out more about Ascent, visit ascent.org and if you would like to be […]