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What I Didn't Know: Building the Life You Recovered For
In 2018—after years of checking boxes and chasing approval instead of truth—I found myself on a kitchen floor for the first time, finally facing everything in my life that wasn’t working.
That moment didn’t end the struggle; it started the rebuild.
Welcome to What I Didn’t Know: Building the Life You Recovered For—a podcast for the recovering soul who’s ready to move beyond surviving and into thriving. This is a space for getting better together and healing out loud.
We’re here for those who’ve built a foundation of recovery—whether from addiction, trauma, or a painful past—and are now ready to create a meaningful, aligned life on the other side. Using the principles of healing and growth, we intentionally rebuild and redesign every part of life.
Each episode explores the real-world challenges and breakthroughs of becoming your truest self, including:
• Purpose & Direction — building a future you genuinely desire
• Mindset & Patterns — rewriting limiting beliefs and old stories
• Conscious Relationships — boundaries, connection, and self-trust
• Creative Fulfillment — reclaiming passion and expression
This is a space for honest conversations—about letting go, courage, resilience, and the ongoing journey of becoming.
It’s my passion to share what I’ve learned so you can build the life you recovered for.
If you’re ready to thrive—not just survive—subscribe and share with someone who needs this.
Episodes
40 episodes
EP39: Breaking the Silence | Building a New Legacy by Design with Frankie Seeney
"Give yourself the opportunity to get it wrong."In this episode, I sit down with Frankie Seeney for an unfiltered look at growing up in the "School of Hard Knocks" and what it actually takes to rebuild a life from the ground up. We dive ...
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EP38: The Art of Rebirth | Surrender, Bravery, and the Power of Choosing Yourself with Savannah Kirkland
“My first drug of choice was validation.”In this episode, I sit down with Savannah Kirkland for a soul-baring conversation about the beautiful reality of the "Second Chance." We talk about how our first birth is handed to us, but ...
EP37: From the Heart | On the Day Before: Trusting the Invisible Process
What if today is just the 'Day Before' everything changes?Have you ever felt like you’re doing all the work, making the changes, and showing up—but nothing is actually moving? No phone call, no new door opening, just… silence?...
EP36: Brick by Brick | The Bravery of Vulnerability with Mike White
What does it actually mean to be vulnerable? In this episode, I sit down with Mike White to discuss the messy, courageous "practice" of becoming new again. From navigating the dating world after decades of marriage to dismantling de...
EP35: The Next Divine Stitch | Persistence, Humility, and the Healing Power of Joy with Marty Quinn
What if the goal isn't to get it all right, but simply to find the courage to make the next divine stitch?In this episode, I’m joined by Nashville comedian Marty Quinn for a conversation that explores the magic of long-term recovery. Aft...
EP34: Pattern Withdrawal | Choosing Connection Over the Isolationship Bunker with Joe Singer
What happens when your "independence" starts to look more like a bunker? This week, we’re pulling back the curtain on the "squirrely" reality of growth, the weight of carrying grief for others, and why choosing a life of reco...
EP33: The Practice of Gratitude | Meeting Yourself Where You Actually Are with Chuck Shanlever
"Gratitude makes what I have enough.”In this episode, I sit down with Chuck Shanlever, a recovery veteran and student of the human experience with over 38 years of sobriety. Together, we strip away the image management of daily life to e...
EP32: The Permission Myth | Realizing Nothing Changes Until You Do with Lily Petersen
"I realized that my comfort was becoming a cage."Whether you’ve hit every milestone on a high-achiever’s list or you’ve simply been playing it safe on autopilot—have you ever looked at the life you’ve built and realized you’ve lost th...
EP31: Do It Scared | Navigating Perfectionism and Finding Your People with Isabel Serafin
This week, I sat down with the incredible Isabel Serafin, and we explored the notion that the "perfectionist" mindset is actually a one-way ticket to the loneliness epidemic. We often treat perfectionism like a personality quirk, but in this co...
EP30: Eyes Wide Open | Shadow Work, Projections, and the Architecture of Conscious Love with Jeff Browning
I’ve spent years realizing that I wasn’t always in a relationship with the person in front of me—I was often in a relationship with a blueprint from my past. I’m so excited to be joined again by my first repeat guest, Jeff ...
EP29: Recovery A La Carte | Trauma, Joy, and the Art of Radical Honesty with Michael Harrell
You are an expert in your own experience. In this raw, soul-stirring conversation, I sit down with Michael Harrell to pull back the curtain on the non-linear path of healing. From our first "deep dive" meeting on a couch to Michael’...
EP28: The Discipline of Self-Reclamation | Your Future is What You Speak with Rad Marshall
In today's conversation with Rad Marshall, we dive deep into the art of self-reclamation and the powerful discipline of growth. We explore the messy process of breaking old patterns and what it actually takes to stop "self-abandoning" fo...
EP27: Gold in the Shadow | A Masterclass in Duality with Wes Hamil
In this soul-stirring and expansive conversation, I sit down with professional songwriter and recovery veteran Wes Hamil. With 34 years of sobriety and a deep-rooted apprenticeship in Native spiritual traditions, Wes provides a profound ...
EP26: Brave in the Process | Finding Strength in the Messiness of Becoming with Mark Martin
In this episode, I sit down with Mark Martin, who is currently nine months into a deep process of personal transformation and recovery. We dive into the raw, honest reality of what it looks like to dismantle an old life and the vulnerability of...
EP25: From the Heart | When Things Don't Go The Way You Think They Should: A Lesson in Perfectionism
Today’s Tuesday episode is a little different. No guest this week—just a raw, honest conversation about what happens when things don't go according to plan. I’m opening up about a technical glitch that forced a choice: scramble to m...
EP24: The Habit of Suffering | From Empathy Fatigue to Embodied Compassion with Angela Melzer
Are You Carrying the Weight of the World? We often use the term "compassion fatigue" to describe the exhaustion of caring, but counselor Angela Melzer suggests a profound shift in perspective: compassion itself is an infinite...
EP23: Learning to Listen | Exhaustion of the Lie and the Purpose of Staying Teachable with Joe Singer
“The biggest fight I’ve ever fought in my life was with myself.” When Joe Singer texted his boss at a beer distribution company to admit he was an alcoholic, he expected to lose his livelihood. Instead, he was met with a simp...
EP22: Stronger at the Break | Reinforcing Your Life for a Great Adventure with Russ Pollard
What happens when the life you dreamed of finally arrives, but you’re too "broken" to actually live it?This week, I’m talking with Russ Pollard, a professional musician and DJ who has lived the full arc—from touring the world on a...
EP21: The Survivalist Brain | Why Addiction is an Ancient Power in a Modern World with Casey Hyatt
Is addiction a genetic defect, or a survival superpower trapped in the wrong century?In this episode, I sit down with Casey Hyatt, a Master’s level clinician with over 15 years of experience, to look beyond the clinical labels of ...
EP20: Resiliency, Reclaimed | The Fire and the Joy of a New Life with Haven Thomas
"We want what you guys are on!" That’s what a young couple told today’s guest Haven Thomas while she was dancing sober at a club with her partner. Their secret? No "magic potions"—just recovery, better company, and a reclaimed ...
EP19: The Anchor Effect | Reparenting, Risk, and the Power of Regulation with Talmadge Lowe
"She’s not giving me a hard time; she’s having a hard time." We often think of leadership and parenting as acts of control. But the greatest tool you have isn’t your ability to "fix" a situation—it’s your ability to stay steady
EP18: Permission to Change | Why Healing Requires Raw Honesty with Alan Horsnell
"Our secrets keep us sick, but our truth sets us free." There is a specific kind of exhaustion that comes from keeping our own secrets. We think we’re being strong by staying silent, but that 'safety' is what keeps us stuck. ...
EP17: Breaking the Cycle | Healing Generational Patterns and Ending Self-Betrayal with Leah Pryor
Have you ever realized that the 'bag of rocks' you’ve been carrying doesn't even belong to you? In this reunion, Leah and I reflect on the two years since we met in Bali, diving into the raw and often difficult work of true p...
EP16: From the Heart | Boundaries, Consequences, and the Fantasy of Potential
Why do we stay in cycles that hurt us? In this episode, we explore the true catalyst for transformation: the moment the pain of staying in a destructive pattern finally becomes greater than the pain of making a change. I share my persona...
EP15: Finding Your Voice | The Healing Power of Radical Self-Honesty with Reed Hendricks
This week, I sat down with Reed Hendricks for one of the most moving conversations I’ve ever hosted. We trace his journey from the silence of childhood trauma to a life guided by radical authenticity. Reed shares openly about how gaslighting le...