No Thanks But Yes

After recovering from substance use disorder, Sarah Laurel sought to offer resources to women like herself. What began organically grew into a program providing housing, street-based outreach, and nationwide training. She's the founder and executive director at Savage Sisters Recovery, a nonprofit whose mission is loving ferociously, in a judgment-free space while honoring the autonomy of those it...

Dive into the fascinating world of Ralf Rasmussen, a singing sober Danish kinkster in London, who believes in embracing life's pleasures with clarity of mind and quality of connection. As the creative force behind RealClearFetish, he's crafted a welcoming space for gay, queer, bi, and trans men to explore their kinks without the opaqueness of intoxication. On his YouTube channel , Ralf hosts capti...

Jessica Anne Pressler is a social worker, author, and all around lovely human.  Her upcoming novel, The Traitor Within, creatively shares her story of toxic relationships, physical and emotional abuse, erotic misadventure, and a host of traumas – all in the company of her personified inner saboteur. We talk about trauma, attachment, and how we come about our adaptive behaviors honestly. I was move...

Shannon Cason has told stories all over the country with The Moth, Snap Judgment, and other popular storytelling platforms. He hosts his own long-running podcast, Shannon Cason's Homemade. He is the chief educator for the Brutally Honest Storytelling workshop series. Shannon is originally from Detroit. Find him at  shannoncason.com . I caught one of his stories regarding a critical turning point i...

Join me for an extraordinary episode featuring Braunwyn Windham, a proud queer mother of seven and a passionate advocate for LGBTQIA+ equity. As she approaches four years of sustained recovery, Braunwyn takes us on a captivating journey through her growth since her days on The Real Housewives of Orange County. From overcoming behavioral health disorders to discovering the healing power of joy, Bra...

Ariel “Air” Britt received her Master of Social Work from The University of Michigan. Most of her career has been focused on substance use prevention, intervention, and recovery support services. In 2019, she created an award-winning podcast Beauty in the Grit . It shares true stories from her own journey in recovery and others that have inspired her along the way.  In 2021, she served as a politi...

I met Darius Christian at Mobilize Recovery 2021 in Las Vegas after he performed with Macklemore during the #RecoverOutLoud concert. In this episode, discover the multifaceted elements of Darius's recovery, from the soulful collaborations with fellow "behind the fame" artists to the transformative power of meditation. Uncover the unexpected joy of pickleball and the profound impact of the simple y...

Annemarie Ward is the Chief Executive Officer at Faces & Voices of Recovery UK . She’s a courageous, passionate, and intense advocate for people experiencing substance use disorder. We’ve been Twitter (X) mates since I entered the field and looking to connect with leading voices on social change. Annemarie is currently focused on promoting equitable policies to save lives *and* advance thrivin...

Bryan Black is a SoCal surfing tattoo artist with a big heart. He opened up about his recovery status on Paramount+'s Ink Master , so I hit him up for a chill conversation. On this Thanksgiving episode (literally recorded right before we smashed turkey & pie), we talk about gratitude, memorable tattoos, the transformative power of love from strangers, and our imperative to roll deep on this re...

Dziko Singleton is a social norms disrupter, harm reductionist, community activist, racial equity consultant, public speaker, and as she says, “most importantly, a Black woman in recovery.” She is a certified peer support specialist, HIV/HCV testing counselor, and the comprehensive harm reduction program co-coordinator, with the Health Brigade in Richmond, VA. We talk about everything from collegi...

Joanna Free is the author of BUTTKICKERS: Twenty Ways to Leave Tobacco and a writer for Journey Magazine . Find a copy of the 10th anniversary edition of this little red book at your indie bookstore or library today. Joanna is an Army veteran, grounded in trauma-informed education and post-traumatic grown with over 30 years of experience and passion in tobacco and nicotine cessation. We have a del...

We’re off to a great start with this splendid fellow. Mario Bonds is a singer, songwriter, author, motivational speaker, and advocate. We had a “chance” encounter last month at the 2023 Addiction Professionals of North Carolina Fall Conference in Beaufort, NC. We hit it off right away, and I’m optimistic we’ll be getting into good trouble again very soon. Listen to his ethos of courage, creativity...

In this lovely season finale, join me as I sit down with the remarkable Valerie (Vimalasara) Mason-John , a co-founder of Eight Step Recovery, an alternative to the 12-step program for addiction and a founding facilitator of Compassionate Inquiry. With 10 books to their credit, including the best-selling & award-winning Eight Step Recovery: Using The Buddha’s Teachings to Overcome Addiction an...

In this captivating episode, you’ll meet Jose Nicolas Flores, a remarkable man who has not only overcome his own struggles with the trauma of incarceration, extended solitary confinement, and behavioral health disorders but has also emerged as an advocate for others. Currently thriving in his roles as reentry peer specialist and addictions counselor, Jose is passionate about helping individuals na...

Sheilah ‘SheShe’ Powell is making history in the new new recovery advocacy movement. She meets people where they are at the digital intersection of recovery & harm reduction and helps to mobilize our massive constituency of consequence to demand what we deserve. We talk about harnessed anger, salt life self-care, deepening concepts of recovery, and continuing Bill White’s charge to “go make some h...

Mrs. Kasha Davis (she/her) is the stage name chosen by Ed Popil (he/him), best known for competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race season seven and, most currently, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. Kasha’s tag line used to be, “There’s always time for a cocktail!” Now, coming up on eight years of sustained recovery, she’s best known for saying, “There’s always time for kindness.” We discuss childhood trauma, p...

Andrea Haddox is the founder and executive director of Oklahoma Harm Reduction Alliance (OKHRA), a social worker, passionate harm reductionist, and budding painter. We talk about everything from saving lives to finding our people to one of the greatest albums of all time. Recorded 4.26.2023 in Raleigh, NC and Tulsa, OK on Zoom Hosted & produced by Donald McDonald, MSW Theme Music: Truth? by Zen Gr...

Ryan Hampton is the best-selling author of American Fix — Inside the Opioid Addiction Crisis and How to End It (2018) and Unsettled: How the Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Failed the Victims of the American Overdose Crisis (2021). In 2019, Ryan also created the national advocacy initiative, Mobilize Recovery, an annual experience now in its 5th year, that brings participants together to build capacity f...

Patti Heffernan is the co-owner of Helios Recovery Services and the executive director of Helios Heuristic in Appleton, Wisconsin. It is a wraparound support service for families who find themselves at the intersection of substance use and child welfare. We talk about everything from compassionate and realistic care for people who use substances to roller derby and cheese. Recorded 3.15.2023 in Ra...

Dana Knowles is the inventor of “The Hanging Shower Caddy,” a mentor for women’s empowerment, and the first lady of Martinsburg, WV. Her book The P.A.U.S.E. Method will be available on Amazon very soon.  Recorded 2.03.2023 in Raleigh, NC and Martinsburg, WV on Zoom Hosted & produced by Donald McDonald, MSW Theme Music: Truth? by Zen Groove Arkest

Elaine Alec (she/her) is an author, political advisor, women’s advocate, and spiritual thought leader and teacher. Her book Calling My Spirit Back contains stories as teachings, prophecy, and protocols shared throughout the years by Elders, language speakers, Medicine People, and helpers. We talk about decolonizing healing practice from a place of fear & control to faith, trust, & love. Learn more...

Amber Lavin is a relationship coach and co-owner of Asheville, NC’s True Nature Counseling & Coaching . Her practice focuses on mindfulness in relationships, particularly working with women to reframe experiences, so that they can have the healthy partnerships they deserve. She believes that we are more than our past stories, and we can become the author today. Full disclosure – Amber is my belove...

Diana (Dee) Mauricio is about decolonizing sobriety, recovery, and healing. Dee’s heritage springs from the Indigenous people of Guatemala. She discusses how her sobriety is attached to her indigeneity as she reconnects with culture and custom in her recovery, including plant medicines like cannabis. Dee describes alcohol as a tool of colonialism and how even solutions like some traditional mutual...

Austin, TX concert manager, model, veteran, baker, and fellow Pagan Andi Cole is a splendid person thriving in recovery. I’ve been following her Instagram (@Ciao. Andi) for a minute and was delighted when she agreed to join me for a chill conversation. We talk about live music, baked goods, the dark side, exercise, the road to Mordor, and reasons for recovering out loud. Recorded 12.14.2022 in Ral...

Kiola Raines is a self-proclaimed wellness geek who shares things she believes in as a coach, speaker, and facilitator in the sober and recovery communities. I discovered her on Instagram and found her presence and passion to be inspiring. After our chill conversation, I discovered just how splendid she is. I’m delighted to introduce you to my new friend. Please listen and share. Learn more about...