The Cup of Joe Show

Under a bridge, drinking Carlo Rossi, grilling a stolen steak on a sideways shopping cart—he thought he’d made it. In this gripping episode of The Cup of Joe Show, Joe K. shares his wild, raw, and redemptive story of recovery. Born into a working-class family in Southern California with a firefighter dad and nurse mom, Joe’s world was rocked by a bitter divorce at age 10—and that same year, he had...

He felt a void he thought alcohol could fill—turns out, it was a God-shaped hole. In this unforgettable episode of The Cup of Joe Show, Doug R. takes us from the military bases of Hawaii to the chaotic streets of addiction—and ultimately, to a life of purpose and peace. Doug grew up in a home shaped by secrecy and survival, with a father in military intelligence and a heart that never quite fit in...

He wasn’t born without a moral compass—it was just still in the box. Recovery helped him open it. In this uplifting and deeply human episode of The Cup of Joe Show, Kyle K. shares his powerful journey from spiritual bankruptcy to a life filled with meaning, creativity, and service. As a restless and discontented kid growing up in the chaos of a broken home, Kyle dropped out of school, chased troub...

He moved cities trying to reset his life—turns out, he kept taking the chaos with him. In this riveting episode of The Cup of Joe Show, Scott M. opens up about a life spent chasing the next high—and the long road to find peace. A gifted guitarist from Atlanta, Scott turned to LSD at 15 and spent the next three decades trying to escape himself. Using everything from alcohol to meth, and dreaming of...

His pattern was working Step One and Step Nine—then going back to drinking. He learned he had to stop apologizing and start transforming. In this honest and relatable episode of The Cup of Joe Show, Jeremy S. shares his story of growing up athletic, intelligent, and burdened by expectations. At 13, he discovered alcohol—and from that moment, the chase for escape and ease began. Despite graduating...

We don’t just work the steps—we become them. You’ll know it’s happening when your behavior starts to change. In this powerful and deeply moving episode of The Cup of Joe Show, we sit down with Anne Y., sober since September 3, 1985. Growing up in a family of high achievers, Anne felt the pressure to be everything to everyone—leading a double life between church choirs and the chaos of 70s sex, dru...

Everything changed when I dropped the word ‘blame’ and picked up the basics of recovery In this encouraging episode of The Cup of Joe Show, Ladd H. shares a no-nonsense story of collapse, surrender, and rebuilding from the ground up. A standout college athlete who thought the rules didn’t apply to him, Ladd's life spiraled from alcohol and opiates to smoking fentanyl, amphetamines, and living in a...

I told my sponsor I didn’t believe in God. He said, ‘I don’t really give a sh*t. Pray anyway.’ In this honest, unfiltered episode of The Cup of Joe Show, we sit down with Yonah G., a man whose journey into recovery started with suicidal thoughts and deep resentment toward organized religion—and ended with peace, purpose, and a life he never imagined possible. Raised in an orthodox Jewish home in N...

High, broken, and hearing voices telling him God hadn’t been good to him—he jumped. That was the beginning… not the end. Ryan B. was once the kind of guy who could make a mess out of miracles. By the time he was 17, he’d been to rehab three times and had a daughter he wasn’t ready to raise. His life, marked by adventure and self-imposed crisis, hit its lowest point at a Widespread Panic concert—wh...

My mom doesn’t have to look for me in a dumpster anymore—that’s the power of recovery. In this raw and powerful episode of The Cup of Joe Show, Brad W. shares his incredible journey from a small-town Arkansas kid to a man nearly destroyed by addiction—and ultimately transformed by recovery. After a life-changing accident with a firearm left him feeling broken and insecure, Brad turned to alcohol a...

God didn’t just take away her drinking—jokingly she says He stole her car, left her with no radio, and opened the door to a spiritual connection through the only songs she knew: Christmas carols. In this heartfelt and inspiring episode of The Cup of Joe Show, Marian G. shares what 38 years of sobriety, service, and spiritual growth have taught her. Raised in a strict household and drinking regular...

He couldn’t control his drinking, but when he wasn’t his life became intolerable. In this week’s episode of The Cup of Joe Show, we sit down with John C., a man whose journey from early exposure to addiction recovery to over a decade of sobriety is both honest and beautifully redemptive. John first got high in 10th grade—and just as quickly found himself in rehab. It was there he met Alcoholics An...

They don’t want to hear it—they want to see it. So, I trained my feet where to go. On this heartfelt episode of The Cup of Joe Show, we welcome Shelby C.—a woman whose story of recovery is raw, real, and rooted in hard-won freedom. Married to former guest Scott C. (from Ego to Enlightenment), Shelby’s road to sobriety began with deep emotional pain and a desperate desire to feel something other th...

It takes one to reach one—and Harry reached me when I needed it most. In this raw and inspiring episode of The Cup of Joe Show, we sit down with Tony T., a man whose journey took him from a California prison cell to a life rooted in faith, purpose, and service. Tony first felt the "ease and comfort" of alcohol at just 11 years old. Growing up in the “land of sugar and honey,” where anything goes,...

“Please don’t let me walk out the door and get into something I can’t get out of.” 🎙️ On this episode of The Cup of Joe Show, James K., sober since October 2008, shares how a life fueled by alcohol, ego, and violence brought him to the brink—and how grace, guidance, and grit pulled him back. From partying through jobs with easy access to alcohol, to finding "his people" in the Navy, James rose in...

What happens when the pain becomes louder than your pride? Garrett H.’s story is a raw, gripping tale of love, loss, and ultimately, redemption. Raised in two loving homes, Garrett bounced between California and Tennessee, trying to find solid ground. Marijuana was his escape—until alcohol took center stage. Despite a promising career, marriage, and multiple second chances, the disease of alcoholi...

God help me with my thinking! On this episode of The Cup of Joe Show, we sit down with Bob T., a 74-year-old powerhouse of transformation whose sobriety journey began on Groundhog Day, 1984—a fitting metaphor for a life once stuck in a loop of rage, insecurity, and resentment. Nicknamed “Pop Off” for his explosive temper, Bob takes us through the raw and real story of how a sponsor named Dale, a p...

He took his last drink at a Greyhound station in L.A.—He now wakes up grateful instead of hungover. 🎙️ In this gripping episode of The Cup of Joe Show, we sit down with Randy T., a man who went from blackouts at 14 to 26 years of unwavering sobriety. Randy took his last drink at a Greyhound bus station in Los Angeles in 1999—in what followed a progressive story of pain, redemption, and spiritual t...

God starts as an experiment—and ends up as an experience. In this episode of The Cup of Joe Show, we sit down with Randall K., a man whose path to sobriety was paved with heartbreak, fear, and ultimately, grace. After being medically discharged from the military, Randall’s drinking spiraled. He lost his beloved Aunt Mae—his moral compass—and shortly after, his father, who had fought his own battle...

For 37 years, David W. drank every single day—a Juilliard prodigy turned high-powered lawyer, hiding his addiction in plain sight while his personal life unraveled. Raised by brilliant but skeptical atheist parents, he scoffed at anything beyond what he could see. But his first drink at 13 fueled both his musical genius and his desperate need to fit in, making alcohol his lifelong escape. By 17, h...

Recovery has nothing to do with the way we drink or drug, it’s about how we get sober. On this episode of The Cup of Joe Show, meet Natalie Z., a woman whose story is as raw as it is inspiring. From a childhood marked by emotional unrest and a desperate need to feel seen, to an adolescence that spiraled into addiction to everything from alcohol to heroin—Natalie was all in, all the time. But under...

What happens when your dream is to live like John Belushi in Animal House—and you actually pull it off? For Trey R., that dream became a nightmare of alcohol and drug addiction. In this raw and deeply moving episode of The Cup of Joe Show, Trey shares his rollercoaster of a journey: from growing up a devout Christian and drinking alone at 16, to nearly dying of alcohol poisoning at 17, to chasing...

4th of JULY SPECIAL EPISODE I was 17, just a kid—but I knew if I didn’t change, I would have ended up (unalive) like my older brother… or locked up like my younger one. AA saved my life—and it’s followed me across the world ever since. What does 45 years of sobriety really look like? Meet Lon W.—a proud veteran, a commercial airline captain, and a man whose life was transformed by recovery at just...

4th of JULY SPECIAL EPISODE 🎙️In this powerful episode of The Cup of Joe Show, we’re joined by Jim F.— a decorated U.S. Marine who served his country with honor from 1968 to 1995—commanding battalions, hunting down cartel leaders, and even serving at the Pentagon. During his decades in uniform, alcohol never had a grip on him—his sense of duty was too strong. But after retiring, he faced a mission...

My little God worked for 10 years—then I realized I needed a bigger one. In this deeply personal episode of The Cup of Joe Show, host Joe V. sits down with a guest who also happens to be his amazing wife, Katie V.—a woman whose journey through addiction, mental illness, and emotional breakdowns led her to a life built on recovery, connection, and faith. Katie’s story begins in childhood, where und...