Grace & Going Rogue with Angie Manson

A judge’s mercy changed a life—and set off a movement. Angie Manson, CEO of Elevate Addiction Services, joins us to share how she went from a teenage spiral and a near 10-year sentence to leading an award-winning rehab that rejects limiting labels and builds recovery on agency, community, and the simple power of breath and sweat. We go deep on why language shapes identity, how mindfulness and nervous system regulation give people real-time tools for triggers, and why a campus-style community beats isolation every time.

Angie breaks down Elevate’s non–12-step, curriculum-driven model: day-one breathwork, trauma-informed reflection, peer accountability, and a fierce stance on reassessing meds after detox. We dig into misdiagnosis in crisis, the costs of overmedication, and the role of nutrition and sleep in stabilizing mood. Then we step into the gym—literally. As the only rehab in the country with a full CrossFit affiliate on-site, Elevate uses functional training to rebuild confidence, create clean dopamine, and connect clients to healthy tribes after graduation. Angie shares insights from working with CrossFit HQ and why scalable coaching makes intensity safe and sustainable.

We also open the spiritual door—no dogma required. Angie’s practice blends breathwork, gratitude, mindful walks, and trust in a higher order, with space for clients to honor their own beliefs. From fentanyl and dust-off to kratom and kava, we spotlight what parents and communities should know, and how to replace fear with informed action. If you care about addiction recovery, mental health, fitness for resilience, and building a life that doesn’t need numbing, this conversation is a map and a nudge.

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https://elevaterehab.org/
@angiegoingrogue

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Transcript

Meet Angie Manson

SPEAKER_01 0:25

Welcome to episode 12 of Squats and Seances. Today I'm here with Angie Manson, CEO of Elevate Addiction Services. Please allow me to introduce Angie. From low-income housing to CEO of Elevate Addiction Services, Angie Manson started using drugs and alcohol at the tender age of 11 years old. Growing up in the 24-hour town of Reno, Nevada, she had easy access to substances, which led her down the road of addiction. An intervention by her family on her 16th birthday landed her in jail again, followed by her first experience in a treatment center. Instead of getting clean and sober, Angie learned to manipulate the system. And at 18, with no one to hold her accountable or bail her out, her addiction and criminal behavior worsened until she was facing a 10-year term in prison. Due to a compassionate judge that was himself in recovery, Angie was sentenced to treatment instead. A couple of months in, she started working and giving back. And for the first time in her life, she developed a passion for giving back to others and realizing her true purpose. Even after completing the program, Angie continued to work in rehab, both to gain more sober time and to give back to society. After completing three years of probation and working full-time in treatment, that same judge erased all of her criminal record and gave her a completely clean slate to start a new life. Angie has found her true passion and purpose, which is to help others who are struggling with addiction. And she is grateful to be put on the path to live her true calling. She believes in doing the work every day to be successful, as this is how you continue to reap rewards. Inspired by her grandparents who always believed in her, and her mom, who believed in tough love, Angie learned the hard way how to take care of herself and others. As the CEO of Elevate Addiction Services, the only drug rehab in the country to have a CrossFit gym. Angie is passionate about health and fitness. She is the host of the Going Rogue and the Elevate Experience 2.0 podcast and a recipient of the Forbes Riley Outstanding Humanitarian Award. With Angie's leadership, Elevate was nominated for and won the Excellent in Treatment Gold Award from Conquer Addiction. Angie has been featured in multiple articles such as LA Weekly, Recovery Today, CrossFit, and many more. She has 31 years in recovery and was a contributor to the number one international bestseller, One Habit for Entrepreneurial Success, and The Greatest Lessons I Learned from Being an Entrepreneur, Volume 3. You can get to know Angie more by following her on Instagram at Angie Going Rogue and her website, angimanson.com. Welcome, Angie. I love your story. I had to read the whole thing. Thank you. It was a mouthful. I realized as I was going, I was like, ooh, my breath. I'm almost out. I got a pumpkin. You gotta pick your moment. Yeah. So for our listeners, I've had the pleasure of counting Angie as one of my close friends for the last 10 years almost. We have been through many of life's major hurdles side by side. I am so happy to have her on the show to talk about her work, her calling, and her spiritual journey. So thank you, Angie. Yeah, thank you for having me. Of

Defining Grit

SPEAKER_01 4:20

course. So before we get into anything else, the opening question that I ask all my first-time guests is can you describe what gritty means to you?

SPEAKER_00 4:33

For me, I would say gritty is willing to do the dirty work and keep doing the dirty work despite it being uncomfortable, us not having certainty, um, and continuing to press forward. Like for myself, because I've sort of pioneered this, even within my entrepreneur groups, that doesn't mean just because you're getting good advice from people doesn't mean it's applicable to what you're doing. And that's one thing I've really realized over the last 10 years is although I'm an entrepreneur, running and owning a drug and alcohol treatment program is different than any other kind of business out there. And because of that, I've got to be willing to get gritty as far as thinking outside the box, doing the things that others wouldn't do, trusting in myself, even though I have a lot of well-meaning, smarter, and I what I mean smarter is like people with degrees and you know, business acumen more than I do, because of you heard how my upbringing was. And learning that just because other people have those things doesn't mean that they know best. And also I don't know a lot of people willing to do the work like I am and persist through the hardest of stuff without like a definitive, like you win if you make it here kind of thing. It's just not like that. It is the journey.

SPEAKER_01 5:50

Yeah, I love it. I'm putting together a giant poster board that'll have everyone's definitions of gritty on it. And so thank you for contributing to that.

SPEAKER_00 6:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:01

I believe personally that yours is a true success story from addiction to successful entrepreneur.

The Judge Who Changed Everything

SPEAKER_01 6:08

That compassionate judge from your backstory, are you still in contact with them? I'm wondering if they know just how far you've gone with that little moment of grace they gave you.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

So funny story. Um, due to the old modality that we had in recovery, we didn't actually tell our stories very much. And so that was something I sort of learned in 2020 with the pandemic is learning what that could look like, which is why I started that first podcast and how that looks. Well, it was suggested to me back then, like, hey, have you thought about looking up that judge and and really, you know, acknowledging him? And it had been something that I'd sort of peripherally maybe checked in on once or twice. I mean, when I got sentenced, we didn't even have the internet. So it wasn't like a top of my mind. But come to find out, tracking down a retired judge is not that easy. I don't just give out those addresses for their own protection. So I have not been able to track him down and thank him, uh, unfortunately, because he is retired and he is private. I don't have a way of doing so. But hoping, uh, due to his faith and and him seeing leaving me off in the spot that I did, that he takes solace, even just knowing that he saved me from going to prison. But you're right, let alone if he could fast forward and see where I am today, uh, it would be pretty amazing.

SPEAKER_01 7:24

Okay, Judge, if you're listening, you're just sitting there listening to random podcasts that you find on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

SPEAKER_00 7:30

That would be Judge uh Green in Reno. Please reach out.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

You have a fan that would like to talk to you.

unknown 7:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:38

So in addiction recovery, we often talk about what is your why? And so that's my question for you. What is your why?

SPEAKER_00 7:45

So for me, it was, you know, I went into rehab not uh choosing to do so. I went in there because I was trying to avoid going to prison. As I started working, and and I I was working almost immediately because I couldn't afford the full program. And so the executive director at that time was like, okay, well, I'll do like a work exchange with you. However, as you're a client, you are already going to start working. And what I realized, and at first I was very resistant. Again, I just whatever was gonna benefit me, I was for. But then I started remembering I love to help other people. Like that's truly my purpose on this planet. Even when I was out uh drinking, using with my friends, I was always the one that was gonna lift up their hair. I was gonna talk them through a situation, I was gonna help them over here. I was almost like born to be a counselor or someone just to help uh be an ear for other people. And so I was put almost exactly right in the middle of the situation where I could give back in that exact way. Little did I know that, you know, 31 years later I would keep doing that. But I did know this is what makes me feel good. And if I can help people who are once like me, what better purpose on this planet is there for me to have?

SPEAKER_01 9:03

That was your love language, huh? Acts of service for others.

SPEAKER_00 9:06

It was. And it I didn't realize how good it made me feel. You know, when you're deep in addiction, all you know is what makes me feel good. That's the thing I like. And what doesn't make me feel good, I'm gonna get really inebriated so I don't have to feel that. So it becomes a very selfish and self-centered world because your whole world is surrounded by taking care of those unhealthy and toxic traits and needs. And so you start pushing people away and you can't possibly be there for them because you have to put all that into keeping your habit alive. And so for me, being able to finally be able to relax, just be there. I my security was taken care of. Now I can be there for other people. I realize how much that actually feeds my soul. Like I truly love to help in any way I can. And the one thing I learned as I went on is you also have to be able to meet people part way. Like you can't do all the helping and them do all the taking, which is, you know, the thing with addiction. So it's learning how to empower others to empower themselves to overcome their addiction because I'm not here to fix anybody, including and especially myself, which implies we're broken. So, how can I empower others to overcome their addiction so they can help themselves?

SPEAKER_01 10:16

There's a lot I want to unpack there. It comes back to that dopamine regulation in the body on that hedonic set point and discovering that you didn't need drugs to get the same kind of high, you could actually get it through helping others.

SPEAKER_02 10:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:30

So I happen to know that Elevate Addiction Services was just recently awarded some major like statewide recognition. Can you speak to what that is?

SPEAKER_00 10:40

Uh yes. Recently we were acknowledged by Newsweek, which is a pretty big deal for being third place in California. And California is a huge state. So for me, like third place in California is like third in the US because there's more rehabs in California. It's a bigger state than any other state. And we're only like right behind the two top contenders, which for me is pretty amazing. Because Elevate, the the contenders that are ahead of us have actually been around longer than us. We've been around for 10 years, but that shows the consistency and the people that were turning out into the world, which in turn are becoming healthy, successful individuals who, you know, if you look at the sphere of influence around each person that we rehabilitate and send out into the world, I mean, we're helping thousands and thousands of people every single year.

SPEAKER_01 11:29

Yeah, that ripple effect that change starts with one individual. It's so powerful. And speaking of elevated addiction services, what do you feel makes it unique? That's an open-ended question. But I can think of a lot of ways that it's unique. But what comes up for you first and foremost?

SPEAKER_00 11:47

There's a lot of differentiators. Um, the big thing we are not an AA program or NA program, not that I have any problem with them, but there's a lot of philosophies that go along with that that not everybody agrees with. So for us, it's about not being a victim of a disease, but realizing you created this addiction. Therefore, you can overcome it and you don't have to be defined by it for the rest of your life. You haven't drank in 20 years, you haven't used heroin in 30. Why do you still have to look in the mirror and call yourself an addict every day? Right. We know how powerful words are. We know how limiting beliefs work. So just that one premise alone by where you've literally overcome it, but yet you're continuing to put yourself back in that box, I think can limit an individual's ability to

Finding Purpose Through Service

SPEAKER_00 12:38

far not just overcome, but succeed in life when they continue putting themselves in the box. That's the one big thing. The other big thing is, and especially in California, what passes as healthcare these days is I go in on alcohol, I leave on five different medications, I can barely stay awake, but I'm being called sober now. And that's what rehab passes for, because insurance wants to pay for medication and outpatient. There, they do not want to pay for inpatient, take everybody off all the medications. So let me take you off this one substance and put you on all these other substances. We firmly believe in like, let's take everybody off all the medications, minus like, you know, heart meds or things that they need for survival, and have them do a program, and then they can evaluate whether they need to be on these different types of medications, whether from sleep, from mood disorders, for whatever. Because we as a society have gotten so far into over-diagnosing and over-labeling every single person with every possible condition that it kind of incapacitates people. And a lot of times, especially with addiction, people are wrongly misdiagnosed because they go in when they're hungover, they go in when they're strung out, they go in when they're, you know, needing to take drugs or they feel bad because they just did something really stupid. So they can be misdiagnosed with conditions that now they're being treated with in the mental health when really what they needed to do was get off everything, confront all their wrongdoings, make amends for those, and now go do life and see if they can make it without medications. And 90% of them do. And the realization starts coming in at how young they were being told, you have ADHD, you have this, you have that, here's your Ritalin, here's your mood stabilizer, here's all these things. So almost like their addiction was started younger by the medical societies, handling conditions that they may not have had a condition of. And it probably had to do with diet or exercise or hormones or peer pressure, whatever's happening in the world to them.

SPEAKER_01 14:40

That's a great point that you make. There's many connections that I can make as a fitness professional dealing with Western medicine in general. The answer seems to be big pharma. We can medicate you, but we don't actually talk about what the real root issue is that's going on. Thank you for sharing that. I know a little bit in my own journey of sobriety with alcohol in this last year. I've been reading a lot of different books and really separating out that piece. People that don't identify as an alcoholic. I'm one of them. I didn't identify as an alcoholic. I wouldn't want to be labeled in that box and carry that around with me. So are you not a 12-step program?

SPEAKER_00 15:17

Right. We don't. We've created our own copyrighted curriculum where we address mindfulness is a cornerstone of our program. So we're teaching people from the day that they come in how to handle their triggers, utilizing mindfulness and breath work. Because no matter where you are, family function, on an airplane, if you start to feel triggered, you can't always just call a sponsor. You can't always like find something to get over it. What you really need to find is your ability to get over it yourself. Meditation, breath work, that you we teach people that from day one, so that by the time they leave, they have a very healthy means of handling those triggers. Um, we also deep dive into what caused this person, what traumas existed that created the solution to be let me take a substance in order to not have to confront that. And always comes back to childhood traumas, big, little doesn't matter. And so we need to really deep dive those situations to figure out what it is that created that. And then we have many more books, like I said, where we're taking accountability for all the situations we've created in our life. We're identifying toxic people so people understand when they go out there, if you stay connected to these people, odds are you're going to go back down that road, making amends for the wrongdoing, rebuilding trust with families. We have teams where it's more like a peer group question where people can be vulnerable with each other, talk about their situation, and then get honest feedback on how to proceed. So we completely created our own program based off of best practices and philosophies that we've seen work. And that's why our success rate is so high because it's completely outside the norm. And as you mentioned, one of the biggest components for us is exercise and eating well. Because you can do all the right things, but you have a terrible diet and you don't go outside, you sit in dark rooms and smoke cigarettes, you're not going to feel good. And what are you going to do when you don't feel good? You're going to go want to take something to feel better. Make you feel better. Push everybody on exercise as being a

Elevate’s Recognition and Impact

SPEAKER_00 17:20

component of their lives going forward. That's awesome. You touched on mind, body, spirit.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

These things are so interconnected for a life well lived, and especially one that doesn't need substances to feel good in your body about your experience. I heard breath work, mindfulness practices. You've got breakout groups for people seeking community. We have incorporation of the physiologic through exercise and movement. That's already outside of what you would normally expect in a treatment facility, especially for outpatient. Any other ways that you bring in mind, body, or spirit at EA?

SPEAKER_00 17:59

Yeah, I'm you touched on the one thing, and it is probably our one of our biggest differentiators. I hear it almost every single graduation, and that is community. Because when you think about addiction, it's a very isolating, solo, I disconnect myself from everybody and everything. So I don't hurt them or they don't call me on my shit. You become very solo because our facilities are campus style, residential programs, larger outpatients, they're now being pushed back into people around them night and day, looking out for them, caring for them, being for them, being there for them in a way that isn't transactional, like I'm gonna help you, but you're gonna give me this back. Buddy's just there to be open, honest, and help each other through it. And every single graduation, it's all about community. I couldn't have done it without all the other clients here. I couldn't have done it without the staff who've been through what I've been through. I couldn't, and that's a big differentiator too. You know, we're not walking around in lab coats telling people what their problems are. We're giving them the tools for them to figure that out for themselves. And by the way, we did it. So you can do it too. We're not telling you to do something that hasn't been done. So those sorts of things like really set us aside because again, when we look at the model these days for rehabs, it's a six-bed facility, purposely kept outpatients, so they can maximize on how much they can collect from insurance. It's more like a four seasons, which on addiction aren't coming from a four seasons like background. But here I've got somebody making my bed, cooking me chef meals. All I can do is roll in or out.

Why Elevate Isn’t 12-Step

SPEAKER_00 19:31

I don't have to show up or not. And that's what's passing as rehab. We're like, no, you got to get up, you got to do your chores, you got to be accountable, you got to attend all groups. If you break any of the rules, you got to do these things in order to get back. Like we treat them as if life is life and it and then it translates to their real life lately.

SPEAKER_01 19:48

Yeah, it's building some distress tolerance, right? If your rehab facility experiences that everything's done for you, you're really not building coping skills for real world shit. I want to talk more on this body connection piece. We know that movement and mental health are interconnected in so many ways. I have had the privilege of working at Elevate Addiction Services and coaching CrossFit a few years ago to some of the clients that are there. It was one of the most amazing community giving experiences that I think I've had as a CrossFit coach. I really enjoyed it. I know how important it is to the program there. I want to talk about how you got there. How did fitness and CrossFit in particular come to play such a huge role in the program for you?

SPEAKER_00 20:34

So I struggled with weight and working out my whole life. I would get bored, I would move on, life would get too big, I wasn't that healthy, I had a heart condition, all the different things. And then I was out of the country helping another rehab for gosh, I was gone like a month. And by the time I came back, a lot of the people that worked with me had gotten a group on and they started doing CrossFit out at CrossFit Watsonville. They just opened out there. And I, being my community person, I'm like, wait, what's everybody doing? I want to be part of that. And of course I had the same back off, like, oh, I don't want to show up to the gym, you know, with no makeup on. I don't want to like all these weird considerations that I had that, you know, once everybody was going and I was going and we were doing it together, I started to really enjoy it. And one of the things I noticed is yes, I had um, I learned that my heart condition, it was just like any other muscle. It had to be developed and grown. And that only happens with consistency, pushing it, but not pushing it too hard. But I found the strength in it. Like there is no mirrors. Nobody cares what you look like, nobody cares what's going on. We're all in our own personal little hells, but we're doing it together. And at the end of it, the all the feel-good hormones, the community, the high fives, the I I am 100% like this. Is the other thing I loved about it, in alignment with Elevate that we created, is that's the one place that I could walk into no matter what's going on in my world, no matter what's happening with my kids, no matter what's happening here. I have to be 100% present in the moment. I can't be thinking about any of that because there's barbells dropping, clocks, there's coaches, there's weight, there's so much going on that it cemented me in the present, which was such a relief because now I'm not worrying about my past, I'm not worrying about what I got to do. I'm just 100% being in the moment and being here for and I thought, wow, this between the camaraderie of being there for others, the being in the present moment, the feel-good hormones that come from it, and finding those hidden strengths that you didn't even know you possessed, how great would this be to translate it into our program? So when we started Elevate, I'd been in CrossFit for about three years by then. I knew that I wanted it to be part of the program going forward because of all those things and how it perfectly in alignment it was with our methodology and getting people off drugs. And then we give them a cool community to go back to after they leave because we get people from all over the United States. Yeah. So, you know, part of their uh exit planning is finding where they're going back to and having them connect with the CrossFit gyms. And then they're instantly already around a healthy, like-minded community that's gonna uplift them.

SPEAKER_01 23:17

Yeah. To share from my personal experience, even though it's limited in scope, watching individuals come into that CrossFit gym for the very first time, fresh out of detox, and asking them to move their bodies in novel ways and challenging them gently, but challenging them, like move some load. Let's see what you can do. When that connection happens of I could do so much more than I thought I could, they kind of come in with this. I was broken, I'm healing, I'm in this fragile space. And then they get built up in this, I'm so much stronger than I thought I was. I can do this. And if I can do this, I can do things even harder than this outside of the box. That has been really powerful for me as a coach to watch. It's a blueprint that you've established that I hope other people in the industry are keen into. What have you seen as far as recovery rates and maybe is the word I'm looking for latency and sobriety? Do you think that incorporating this element has improved outcomes for people

Meds, Misdiagnosis, and Root Causes

SPEAKER_01 24:18

that go through the program?

SPEAKER_00 24:19

Absolutely. I think, you know, like we talked about body, mind, soul. One is not interdependent of any of the others. And so we need to equally put time and energy into it. And a lot of people, and especially like when they're going through rehab, oh, I did all this work, I got to be there for everybody else. Yes, but you still have to be there for yourself. Like your body is your foundation, your temple. The better you can make your body feel, you know, maybe you'll go through some, absolutely, you'll go through some mental, some spiritual, some other stuff. But I know if I'm taking care of my body, then at least that frees up my attention to handle other things. Like we talked about earlier, like with schools, you know, you think about what a lot of kids passed for for lunches. They got the dyes, they got the sugars, they got all the things, and kids are bouncing off the walls and they're incorrigible. And it's like, well, of course, look what they're putting in their bodies. Right. Well, same thing with rehab. When you take away drugs and alcohol, the first thing people want to do, sugar, carbs, like, you know, comfort food. They want to fill it with things that are going to make them feel better because they can't have what they really want. But then that becomes a slippery slope because now we're unhealthy, we're eating unhealthy, we feel bad, we don't want to get out of bed, you know. So a healthy body, I believe, is like the foundation of future success. And we encourage people, go out, walk. We'll do mindfulness walks in the forest to the beach, like literally teach them how to get out of their minds and into their bodies and find what feeds their soul, which is taking good care of our bodies.

SPEAKER_01 25:54

I found something that I think if you haven't already heard of it, you're really gonna love. Because I research everything. I was on PubMed, and there's a newly published article as of June of this year, 2025, a research article from the Journal of Addictions Nursing that demonstrated a strong correlative effect between recovery and CrossFit training specifically. They were looking at what does CrossFit do in addiction recovery? It's the first study of its kind to actually focus on CrossFit. Their evaluations essentially were based on building foundational life skills without substance abuse. I'm going to include a link to the article in the show notes so other research nerds out there can take a look. The study, a few setbacks, it was incredibly small. There were only 12 participants, all identified as white and cisgender. So our variables are very small, but it's a good start. The three themes that emerged from the data included mental health with physical benefits, commonality, and community, and building a foundation for life. It opens doors for more clinical research to occur to draw even stronger conclusions between the specificity of CrossFit brand style training versus KIT training or other types of high-intensity training. It supports everything that we're saying. Is that we know that these things are so interrelated. And now there's medically backed research to support that.

SPEAKER_00 27:19

I love that. And I've been working with the CrossFit Medical Society. I said, look, you can you can pilot it in here. Like I see it every single day. And it is amazing because there's a lot of back off with CrossFit because people are like, oh, people get hurt, people this, you know, a heart of my body, heart on my bones. But the thing is, anything could be modified. Like I do not, at 54 years old, I do not go as hard as I did 14 years ago because I'm looking at longevity. But the reason I leaned in on my strength is because of my heart condition and I just, you know, had all these things I had to work through. But the more I work through all those things, I quit avoiding the things I hated. I start leaning into the things that I love. So, like when people come in to CrossFit straight out of detox, I've got this old arm, I got this, I got that. I mean, I hear it. Like that's the first thing as a coach. You know how this is. Everybody's sort of like right up to you. I got this problem, this problem, this problem. I'm like, it's okay. Like it's okay. We can modify and meet anybody where they're at. You don't come in thinking you're gonna, well, I mean, maybe some people think this, but we don't expect you to come in and deadlift 500 pounds out of the gate. Like, we're just happy you're in here and able to do some air squats. Let's do some, you know, just pulling on the bar, you know, hanging from the bar as we start to open up our bodies. Like truly, it doesn't have to be as scary as it can be perceived to be. It's just learning how to move your body, functional fitness, where you're at. We're not expecting things that you're incapable of. And we can modify it down so that you're at least getting a good workout. You're at least feeling good. And you're always feeling better when you leave than when you got in there. And that's the thing that we really want to impinge in people's brains. And I try to tell people over and over every time I knew I should go work out and I made an excuse, I regretted it. And I sat with that for like days. Not one time did I go, oh, I don't want to go do this, and went and did it and said, see, I knew I shouldn't have done that.

unknown 29:18

That never happens.

SPEAKER_00 29:19

Every single time after the workout, you totally forgot that you didn't want to do it and you feel so good that you're now better off that day than you would have been had you not done it.

SPEAKER_01 29:28

All of the athletes that I've ever worked with. I don't think I've ever had feedback like, oh, coach, really bummed I came in and did this today. So and I'm mad at you now.

SPEAKER_00 29:39

Never like that doesn't happen. I've had a few people get triggered in the middle and they'll go take a walk and you know, let them have their space. That's to be expected. They haven't moved their bodies, they haven't, you know, done that. But nobody says, I wish I had never done that. Like we survey our clients on their way out, like favorite parts of the program, CrossFit's always up there. We do mindfulness yoga and breathing for people who can't quite. Do CrossFit. And not once have we got a bad survey saying you forced me to do CrossFit and I hate it. Like that's just not a thing.

SPEAKER_01 30:07

Let's talk some more about your recent work with CrossFit headquarters. You mentioned working with the medical society. I know that you were just on a podcast with them. Can you speak to what that was about and what came of that? Because we know some things transpired following that podcast interview.

SPEAKER_00 30:26

Yeah. So, you know, being the only CrossFit gym in a rehab, um, there's definitely lots of other rehabs that will like sublet out to local CrossFits. And a lot of CrossFit

Mindfulness First: Triggers and Tools

SPEAKER_00 30:38

owners are very kind to let the rehab people come in, but we're the only ones that truly have one on our property. And because of my backstory, which we talked about earlier, our local rep had come up as Katie. She's amazing. She came and was on my podcast. We had her up at the center. She was like, Oh my God, you guys actually have a huge gym. This isn't like a garage gym. It's like a it's nice. It is a legit CrossFit affiliate box, people. Exactly. And so being able to work with her and her see it. And then she said, Oh my gosh, you got to talk to, you know, our people at CrossFit headquarters. They have a they have their own CrossFit podcast, which we know about. So she connected me with them. And then I was on their podcast, uh, talking about my story and then Elevate and CrossFit and how we utilize that as part of our program and our continuing care. And it just the timing was great because the CrossFit Games was literally coming up in the next few months. And so they sponsored us to go out and put a booth up at the owners and coaches conference so that we were able to tell all the other gyms about CrossFit, about us, I mean, about Elevate and us utilizing CrossFit. Um, because uh we take people from all over the United States. So it's not like we're only helping people in our backyard, we're helping people everywhere. So a lot of times when you're an owner of a gym or even just personally, everybody knows somebody struggling with some type of substance. So, you know, that's where we we're here. Let us help you, let us help them. We'll get them back where they need to be, and then we'll get them back to you so that they can continue on in the gym or in your lives or whatever that looks like. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 32:14

So you ended up going from having someone come out to the facility, having her on your podcast, going to CrossFit, getting on their podcast, getting an invitation to the games. That's pretty monumental, as I know how much that means to you for all of us CrossFit diehards. The games are the epitome each year. We that's what we watch, that's what we talk about, that's what we wonder who's gonna do what. And is it Tia again? Yes, it is.

SPEAKER_00 32:44

Tia's uh playing. I'm sorry, girls, you guys are screwed.

SPEAKER_01 32:47

Yeah, exactly. I mean, it was the same thing with Matt for what five, six years in a row. But, anyways, I digress. I know you have some some great stories. What was the biggest takeaway for you from that experience?

SPEAKER_00 32:58

For me, again, it's community. It's like it's like going to Disneyland, but for CrossFit heaven. Like everybody in me is super fit. We all talk the same language, we all wear the same kind of clothes. It's just a belonging of something bigger. That is the best part about it. And you know, to cheer for people, to hope for people to connect with people. Like there's really nothing like it in my world. I mean, certain entrepreneur groups are like that, but this is just like just being around your tribe. And there that right away just puts you at ease. I don't even know you, but we're part of the same tribe. And that's like when I met Matt Frazier, he was just out hanging out, saying hi to people, but I was able to connect with him, obviously, on the recovery aspect of things. But you know, this is him, this is his group. He's just out here hanging out. And so um, for me, it's inspirational because it reminds me of a bigger picture, something bigger that Elevate is a part of, besides just rehab.

SPEAKER_01 33:56

One last question. As CEO, as a leader in the role that you're in, what does fitness look like for you personally? We talked about having to change how you train as we age, which is huge. I just did a podcast with Pat Barber on this. So that one will be coming out in another week if you want to listen to that. I like to talk to people, especially in these leadership roles and these example roles. What does fitness look like for you in your personal life? What kind of practice do you hold?

SPEAKER_00 34:25

Yeah, and it's changed a lot just as I've gotten older, because I struggled with weight for the majority of my life. I used to work out because I wanted to lose weight. Like I thought that was work out, lose weight. And as I've gotten older, I've gotten way more control over my diet. Of course, this helps when you don't have kids you have to cook for anymore, you know, different things. I intermittent fast. So I'll eat one meal a day, mostly protein, a little dairy. It's you know, but I'm 54 years old.

Community as the Antidote to Isolation

SPEAKER_00 34:53

Like unfortunately, our metabolism slowed down. Our rate of burning calories maybe isn't as fast, as well as just like having the ability to go hard like I used to. So uh for me, I will ruck. Um, I have like a 30-pound weight vest because my dog needs to be walked every day, regardless. Yeah. So the more time I spend in the gym and the less time I spend walking makes my life crazier. So I walk my, and you know how crazy he is. You walk with him multiple times, but he keeps me on the go. And rather, and because of the heart condition, I can't run a lot. My older dog can't run. So I just make whatever walking I'm doing harder, whether that's on the beach, barefoot with the vest in the forest. So I will ruck almost daily with my vest. I go up to the center two times a week where I'm coaching. So I'll do CrossFit workouts two times at least up there. I have an infrared sauna. So I will do it, it's now called playability, but it's like a warrior yoga. So that's like 45 minutes on top of like another hour that I'll spend in my infrared sauna just chugging water and cleansing my system. Um yeah, lots of really good self-care practices, lots of stretching because I've realized like how important it is to keep your body moving. So if you're constantly putting it under load, but you're not stretching out your limbs, you could end up if you go super hard, like David Goggins. And he became he messed himself up so bad that the doctors were like, we don't know what's wrong with you. There's no cure. Good luck. And it was his finding of stretching. Yeah. Uh just happened to do it one day. And and he started, oh, wow, I'm starting to feel a little better. And so then I learned how important like stretching our bodies out, leaning into that, leaning into poses. It all makes you better at CrossFit anyway. Yeah. But that is the secret in my mind to longevity and fitness is really, it's not always about how hard we could go, but it's like, what are we choosing and what feels right for us in our body at this stage in our life?

SPEAKER_01 36:57

Yeah, absolutely. Especially that stretchy component from a physiologic perspective, with any kind of muscle strength training, right? We're breaking those muscles down and we're building rebuilding them stronger, more compact, denser. And if we never take time to elongate, then we we're kind of doing ourselves that disservice as well. Thank you for sharing. Because I know people are gonna be like, well, what do they do? They're talking about CrossFit. Do they actually CrossFit? Yes, the answer is she does.

SPEAKER_00 37:24

And she's absolutely not every single day. You know, I I like variety. I get, and that's what I loved about CrossFit is you never do the same thing twice. So the variety for me is nice because if I'm doing the same thing day after day, it's like I I struggle with that. So anytime I can mix things up, and so this today I'm gonna walk early. Today, tomorrow I'm gonna walk late. Today I'm gonna put CrossFit in the middle of the day. The next day I'm gonna put in the hot yoga. So I just like to keep things like constantly varied, just like crossfit, because it keeps my mind happy and unpredictable. And I just strive in that type of non-structure structure.

SPEAKER_01 38:01

Let's talk about your public outreach. You have multiple podcasts that you host. Could you give us a description of what the two are and what each one is intended for?

SPEAKER_00 38:13

So uh the Elevate Experience was the first podcast I started, and that was in 2020 when uh the pandemic hit. I was struggling myself, not being able to go to my center. We had to be very mindful of who was coming and going. And, you know, I'd gone up there every day my whole life. So it was very difficult on me to be separated from my people, even though we had Zooms and meetings and things like that. And I thought, oh my gosh, if I can feel this separated and lonely with the group that I have, what other people must be going through right now is got to be extremely hard. So I started the Elevate experience, mostly speaking with, you know, different staff, people I knew locally, just trying to be a voice in the night of help. If anybody's struggling out there, reach out to me. If I can help anybody, reach out to me. Here's information, here's that sort of thing. And so I ran that podcast for a couple of years with a co-host. And then I decided as the world started opening up and things started opening up, and I'm trying to get Elevate out there more. I transitioned into going rogue with Angie Manson. And then I was putting people on my podcast from my different entrepreneur groups, people from recovery, people from fitness, people from CrossFit, uh, my staff, you name it. I started going all in on all these different things and had a really great run of that for the last several years. And then recently I realized like, and what people really resonate with is they like hearing my staff stories. They like hearing how Elevate relates to them or how uh, you know, recover what recovery could look like. So now with my new co-host Tommy, he's worked for me for 13 years, we're now starting to bring back

CrossFit Inside Rehab

SPEAKER_00 39:57

the Elevate experience. So we can talk about things that people aren't necessarily hearing about in the news, but that we're seeing on the front lines that are a problem. Right. So we did a special on fentanyl, we've done a special on dust-off, we did a thing on Kratom, which has gotten huge and nobody's even heard about it. And you can go get it at the gas station. We're talking about obviously alcohol, which continues to be the biggest killer that nobody's talking about. Yeah. So we're starting to be more almost informational so that we can supply content or understanding for people who don't have the answers because you can be so inundated with data. Like we went from not having access to anything to almost being overwhelmed with how much information you could get. And it starts to be difficult to differentiate, like, well, what's the truth? Because it's just you're just flooded with stuff. So ours is more of a first-hand experience. What are we seeing on the front lines? What do parents need to be worried about? What do people uh, you know, just casually taking these drugs should be concerned about that type of thing. So we're turning the elevate experience back into like an informational podcast.

SPEAKER_01 41:04

It's like a PSA for all things, yeah, street drug related. I'm happy to say I didn't know half of the words that you were just describing when it came to the street drugs. So I am far removed from all of that.

SPEAKER_00 41:17

But oh man, yeah. So well, and that's that that's the problem with parents, is they don't know that this kava, this little kava bar down in Santa Cruz that's like, oh, super cool and healthy. Actually, it's not kava, although a natural substance, can destroy your liver. So you got people down there chugging kava, being kava, being sober, thinking they're in this great community, but it's actually getting them high and it's destroying their livers. But you wouldn't know that you would think this is like a little health shop. Oh, so again, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:45

Yes, I know exactly what you're talking about. I have been there and I have had it. I did not know that.

SPEAKER_00 41:50

Yeah, I mean, in small doses, like anything, it's not gonna kill you. But as true addicts, a lot of people can't do small doses and they're in there drinking it by the gallons and it's destroying their liver, just as if they were drinking a gallon of vodka.

SPEAKER_01 42:04

So for me, my experience at this particular place was when I was first trying to be sober from alcohol. I was out and with some people and they were like, Well, we want to get a drink. And I'm like, Well, I'm not gonna drink, but we could go to this place. So it's interesting to hear that really there was probably not a whole lot of physiologic difference between having that and having actual alcohol. Good to know. Thank you for sharing, my friend. I haven't been back, but it sounds like I won't be going.

SPEAKER_00 42:32

Well, it's it's it's it's like a catch-twing too, right? Because it's a cool little community and people are in there because they don't want to be drinking. So it's like, okay, cool, come have a glass of natural whatever and hang out. And so I love the idea. And again, in moderation, it probably isn't that bad for you. But how many people in recovery are able to do anything in moderation, especially if they start to get that feeling of like, ooh, right, that kind of made me feel good. Maybe I want a little more of that. Yeah. And so, you know, really, that's just my hope is to sort of educate people who might be doing things that they don't even realize are not healthy that they think are healthy.

SPEAKER_01 43:08

Oh, two closing thoughts on that was one, it made my throat swell, which was an interesting side effect. I thought, is this really happening? I asked the people I was with and they were like, we're fine. And I'm like, okay, maybe I'm just being weird. But it didn't feel right in my body. And then, secondly, as I was observing what was happening in the in the bar, I saw the same archetypes, the same people that you would see in a bar serving alcohol sitting there drinking for hours. And my brain in that moment went, these are exactly the kinds of habits that you are moving away from, Vanessa.

SPEAKER_00 43:45

Um, and probably because your body is so pure, you're hypersensitive to things that other people like how is nothing. They're used to, you know, you know, very extreme stuff to feel something, but your body is very clean. You you're so health-minded, you're so fit that you were able to detect it very early on, where a lot of people would not.

SPEAKER_01 44:07

It was instantaneous. I thought, am I gonna have an anaphylactic response? Am I allergic to this? I started Googling it and Googling, can people be allergic to this? And no, not really. Of course, no, it was just yeah, they don't want to put that out there. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:21

And again, they're behind the curve. I mean, look how long it took them to talk about fentanyl. Like I was talking about for four years before I saw one commercial, and so many people had died, so many people had um gotten addicted. I'm it's the worst of the worst, but it took forever for the news to finally catch up and say, hmm, maybe we should talk about this thing that's not so good.

SPEAKER_01 44:41

So, parents out there listening, or if you know somebody struggling with addiction, if you are somebody struggling with addiction, go find Angie's podcast. Literally could save a life. I would love to switch gears and talk about spirituality. Because I know that this, yes, I know I'm excited. This is something that Angie and I routinely talk about in our free time, what little free time we have, but we do try to make time to connect with each other. We walk, we talk. We've already covered that as it pertains to elevate, not a 12-step program. Those are traditionally rooted in spirituality practices. I'm curious to know does EAS as a treatment institution, do you endorse any particular belief system there?

SPEAKER_00 45:24

No. We endorse all belief systems because I feel like, again, when you say this is our modality, and we're very rigid by that, you are pushing away a lot of people that maybe want what you have, but they don't want to consign to being Christian beliefs, Catholic beliefs, whatever it is. And so we allow people to have whatever spirituality is true for them, be their spirituality. We definitely teach in some of our groups, like The Sec, you know, very much in the vein of Buddhism and that sort of thing. But we also provide church services on Sunday for those that want to go to church and that resonates with their soul. So for me, any day of the week, I would like somebody to have any kind of spirituality that is where they are at and lean into that. And a lot of people have been removed from their religion, they were forced religion as a kid, and that kind of spun them into the rebellious screw all religion, let me be an addict. And then when they get sober, they kind of want to come back to that. Or there's some people were like, I was raised this way, and that never resonated whatsoever with me. But I'm kind of getting curious about this type of methodology. So we really leave it open to whatever is true for you. We are 100% supportive of that for sure.

SPEAKER_01 46:39

That's beautiful. What about for you personally? How did spirituality show up in your recovery process? Was it something that came to you later?

SPEAKER_00 46:49

Yeah, I was kind of raised Catholic, but my mom never pushed it. But very early on, I found spirituality and really resonated with more. I'll just keep referencing like the secret, more of like

Outcomes, Diet, and Daily Movement

SPEAKER_00 47:02

the Buddhist belief, like universe and spirit. I absolutely believe in God, but I believe it's a collaborative affair where like no matter what I give, I also get. And so for me, that has always been the vein in everything that I've done. It's super interesting because I found my journal that when I first got into rehab 31 years ago. Oh wow. Somehow I've I started writing right away from day one. And I found this journal recently. Um, and the mice had eaten everything in my garage, but this journal stayed intact. It was the craziest thing. So I'm like, let me start reading this. And even this morning, and I'm keeping it to date of what was happening 31 years ago, just to make it last a little longer and see where my head was. But one of the ways I ended my journal statement was, thank you, universe. So even back then, very new in my recovery process, that was the modality that really resonated with me. And then for years, I kind of went through some like dark night of the soul kind of stuff. Like, yeah, what am I doing wrong? Did I do something wrong? Why does God hate me? Like I almost died. I thought it was because of, you know, different things. But that just made me dig even deeper into what does that look like for me and how does that look today? And the way it looks for me today, I spend so many hours in mindfulness, breathing, meditations, silent walkings. I do groups with my team. We put 9D breathing as part of the modality of elevate in the last year because I'm finding how much the breath can really change and alter not just your mental, but your physical and spiritual state. So, like really learning how to get breath work. I love breath work, man. I I try to hold and this is our the, you know, the extremist in me and probably you too. How many minutes can I hold my breath? And I mean, I'll do some of these for like three minutes, and man, you know, you get this technique and your hands are getting this, and I'm like, pass out, but it's like stay with it. This is the uncomfortableness. And because I I'm I've worked so hard at this, it takes a lot to get to these places, but that's where, again, everything shuts off. Now I connect with God or source. Now I can receive information that makes me a better leader, makes me a better person. You know, a big part of what I've had to do is trust, um, which is hard for me because I'm so used to doing everything on my own, but we don't always know the plan. And so I've had to really sort of just let go of some of that control and just know that God has my back. God has always had my back. Easier said than done, but those little reminders of my 31 years and how I got here tell me how do you think he's not had your back? Look at what you've done and survive. And so those things, you know, end me in gratitude. And when you're in gratitude, your heart center is open, your vibe is high, and that's where things go right for you.

SPEAKER_01 50:04

My next questions were literally, what does spirituality look like for you today? And do you have any special rituals or habits that you have in place that you're willing to share about? I'm hearing breath work is huge, huge part of your mindfulness practice. Gratitude is a big one. I started a gratitude journal at the beginning of the year, and it was to wake up and just name three things. And they could be the silliest, most inconsequential little things. It does shift your perspective for the rest of the day. I've noticed with how busy I've been lately that that practice has taken a back seat. I want to just thank you for mentioning it because it got a little like ping, like Nessa. Remember how good that made you feel? You should really go back to that.

SPEAKER_00 50:49

Have you done any? That's what it takes. Like that it reminds me of when I started working out really consistently. And then one day I was just having a really bad day. And my son, Logan, came in to me and he's, what's wrong with you? I'm like, dude, I don't know, you know, this and that. And he's like, When was the last time you worked out? And I was like, Whoa, dang, you're right. I missed on Tuesday. I missed last week. And then it was like such a relief. I'm like, I become that person where I now see how working out directly affects things in a positive way. And when I don't do it, how it starts to get in my head and things start to feel bad or perceived as bad. And and I thought that was a cool turning point, A, that my kid recognized the the physical working out part, but B, that I become that person. And so then I I've pretty much done the exact same thing with the spiritual ass. And you and I've talked about this where we've been on a parallel path of that. So once I got that body part handled, now let's move into the spiritual part. And when I don't uh meditate, when I don't take that time, I start to notice it all coming in. And for me, it's it becomes, and you and I talk about this in my head. Yeah. Think, think, think, solve, solve, problem, problem, problem, fear, fear, fear. Like all of that kind of stuff starts to

Research Spotlight on CrossFit Recovery

SPEAKER_00 52:02

permeate in my head. Be responsible. You know, you got to pay attention, you gotta think. And and I realize like that, yes, it's necessary as an adult for us to think and plan and stuff like that. But for me, getting back into my heart space, learning how to shut that brain off, back into trusting the universe while I'm still taking steps forward. And sometimes it's walking with a friend like you to make me go, Oh yeah, shit, I didn't meditate at all this week. Maybe I need to get back into that to remind ourselves that you know, it is a practice, it does take consistency, it can go in or go out, but like continuing to get back in that place and seeing it from the other side of I know I feel better when I do this, so let me do this.

SPEAKER_01 52:45

To bring that full circle, I think of the analogy used with working with your heart condition and the physical body, it's a practice, it's a building of capacity and mindfulness, spirituality, same thing. It takes time to develop those mental muscles to be able to be present and that reconnecting to source or to energy, which brings me to the last thing I wanted to talk about today, and that's community. That is why this podcast exists. I couldn't readily find an existing community that were wanting to go deep, ask these kinds of questions, you know, real-world grit-filled stuff. So I started the show and I've been amazed at how many people I presented the idea to and thought, oh, I don't think anyone's gonna go for this. And people are like, oh man, I've been waiting for something like this to come around. I know that's part of the connection that you and I have is that we do invest in our community, our spiritual community locally by taking time to connect with each other, to walk, to talk about topics that maybe we don't really have opportunities to talk about in kind of the real world setting. I think it's invaluable because you get those little moments of inspiration or follow-through, you know. Oh, I've dropped off on that gratitude journaling, or oh, that's right. When I don't take time for my mindfulness, this is how I'm feeling. What does spiritual community mean for you in particular?

SPEAKER_00 54:15

For me, it's my tribe. And it's interesting because it it changes all the time. Like, you know, when I was going, and and not that it changes, it's just people connecting on that level. So a lot of very close girlfriends of mine are very Christian, very Catholic. We talk about God, and I'm all in with them because I feel the same. Now, whether, you know, I believe in the going in the church and the dogmas that go with that, organized for whatever reasons, um, doesn't matter. We are connected because of our faith in God, in spirit, in bigger things. So I love having these conversations because it is a constant reminder. We're not alone. Um, no matter we're all basically speaking the same language when you can get outside of the rigidest of our way or no way, and go, we're all kind of speaking the same thing, whether it's through the terms of Mormonism, Catholic, Catholicism, Judaism, Buddhism, you know, whatever it is, it's all kind of the same in the bigger scheme of things. It's just how we're communicating it. And then our circle starts to grow and grow and grow because uh maybe not everybody. I mean, I often think people think I'm a little crazy because of how I'm like, did you see that sign? The dolphin just jumped out of the water. You know what that means. It's abundance. And people are like, oops. So we realize I'm all I would be there, be like, yes, oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_01 55:42

And did you know I had a dream about a dolphin? And then we would just literally totally.

SPEAKER_00 55:48

And probably back in the day I wouldn't have been so open about it. But now I'm like, you know, the more open we can be about it and realize that we are all one, we are all the same, we all to some or lesser degree, you know, believe in a lot of the same tenets. And it's here to make us better people, but to remind us to lean into that spirituality and that tribe and that group. But yeah, at the end of the day, if I'm around a group of women like you, like some of my women retreats where we're all talking crazy like me and synchronicities and signs, and like even I wrote down 12. I'm like, I'm listening to a podcast right now about the power of 12. And Vanessa just told me this was the 12th podcast. I was born on the 12th. Oh my gosh. And I wish I could like it over. Talk about synchronicity. And that's the confirmations. That's a shit I love. That's what comes me in my mind, even with everything else going on in the world. Look at this little this little signpost that says you're on the right track, green light, just keep going. And and I I depend on that type of acknowledgement in my life, but it keeps me going and it makes me know I'm doing all the right things, whatever that is.

SPEAKER_01 56:52

I so agree with you. It's being surrounded by like-minded people in community, and you grow. I see that parallel both in spiritual growth communities and in what we talked about with Elevate, creating community for people coming through incredible physiologic and psychologic addictions. It's powerful, the power

Working With CrossFit HQ and the Games

SPEAKER_01 57:12

of community. Absolutely. Um thank you, my friend. It has been such a pleasure. I so value you and your wisdom, and I'm grateful for your energy today. If people want to reach out to you or learn more about Elevate Addiction Services, where would you like them to go?

SPEAKER_00 57:31

ElevateRehab.org is the best place to go to learn about Elevate. There's 24-7 help there via chat, via phone calls, just to find more out about us. Even if you just need help, if we're not the right fit, that's okay. We're gonna get you to where you need to go. So we're there to help. If you want to reach me, it is Angie Gone Rogue on Instagram, also Facebook, Angie Manson. Pretty easy to find and always willing to help in any way that I can.

SPEAKER_01 57:57

Awesome. Thank you so much, Angie. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day. Thank you, Vanessa. You too. Back soon. Bye. Thank you for listening to today's episode. I hope you found it interesting and actionable and worthy of sharing. You can help contribute to this growing community by emailing topic ideas, suggestions for interviews, and feedback to Vanessa at squatsandseances.com. That's Vanessa with an E at squatsandseances.com. You can find new episodes of Squats and Seances on all major podcast platforms and the vlogcast on our YouTube channel, Squats and Seances. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode and leave us a review if you are enjoying the content. Season one will be drawing to a close on October 31st. Visit us at squatsandseances.com and subscribe to our newsletter while there you can also check out our weekly blog posts on all ways to optimize your health and fitness. Follow us on social media at squats and seances, on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube. And until next time, stay gritty, friends.