The Man In The Back

In this episode, I sit down with Matt Richardson—a performance coach in recovery who’s lived both sides of success. Matt built a life around money, status, and pleasure… and lost himself in it. That road led to addiction, pornography, lust, strip clubs, divorce, and ultimately being excommunicated from the Church. But that’s not where his story ends. Through the repentance process and a real walk...

In this episode of The Man in the Back Podcast, I sit down with Sam—a SOAR graduate who is now six months sober from meth. Sam shares her story growing up in Pennsylvania in a poverty-stricken home with an alcoholic mother, and how that shaped her early life. Two years ago, she moved to Utah with her boyfriend, but after their relationship ended, she found herself completely alone. That’s when she...

In this powerful and honest conversation, Bill shares his four-year recovery journey and how he made it past suicidal thoughts by learning to become the observer of his mind — the “man in the back.” We talk openly about suicide, loneliness, and what it looked like for him to lean fully on his Heavenly Father during his darkest moments. Bill shares how selecting his thoughts, instead of being ruled...

In this episode of The Man in the Back Podcast, I sit down with Patrick—two years sober, a SOAR alum, and a powerful example of practicing being the observer (the man in the back). Patrick grew up in Alaska in a religious cult called The Move, living off the grid with no electricity or running water until the age of 21. After leaving, he turned to alcohol and marijuana, chasing the “shoulder drop”...

Stephanie is a single mother of six, a woman of deep faith, and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this episode, she shares how the Atonement of Jesus Christ became real to her in recovery—and how Christ’s healing power helped her overcome alcoholism. We talk openly about her journey through divorce, addiction, and motherhood, and the support she found through the SOAR...

Episode 22 is a very special conversation with my friend Charlie. Charlie is a recovering meth addict. For over 15 years, his life was ruled by meth—no sleep, nonstop work, chaos, fear, and misery. God wasn’t part of the picture yet, and the idea of living sober or running on faith instead of chemicals felt impossible. Then Charlie walked into SOAR. Today, he’s over 150 days sober, and his life lo...

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Mike — a recovering alcoholic, SOAR graduate, and one of the most genuine men I know. Mike first came to SOAR in 2019, broken and at rock bottom. He was 250 pounds, unhealthy, suicidal, and watching his marriage slip away. His drinking had taken everything from him. After hitting that wall, Mike checked into inpatient rehab for 30 days, came back to SOAR,...

In this episode, I sit down with my good friend Kyle, whose story is nothing short of incredible. Kyle was part of the WAR program way back in 2012–2013. For the better part of 20 years, he’s battled addiction — heroin, crack, alcohol — you name it. He’s been in and out of treatment centers, jail, and the chaos that comes with substance abuse. But today, Kyle has over two years of sobriety and is...

In this episode, I sit down with Noah, a graduate of the SOAR 90-day recovery program and a powerful voice in our community. Originally from Oregon, Noah was a ketamine and cocaine addict and a full-blown drug dealer before he hit rock bottom. His journey began at just 11 years old with OxyContin, eventually spiraling into a world of psychedelics, acid, and chaos. But everything changed when Noah...

What an incredible conversation with my new friend Lewis. He actually grew up on the same street as SOAR and is now doing his internship with us, working toward his LCSW to become a licensed clinical social worker. Lewis works at Brighton Recovery and has an unbelievable story. He was first introduced to PCP at just 10 years old, then drawn into gang life, running the streets of Ogden, and spendin...

This episode is with Evan Parker, the manager of the Ogden Raptors, and it’s an incredible conversation I’m excited for all of you to hear. I’ve known Evan since he was a kid. I started training him when he was younger, and he eventually got involved with the WAR Gym, working hard there while attending Western Nevada and later Utah Tech. He was drafted and went on to play in the Brewers organizati...

Guest: Mark Deis, Nurse Practitioner & Medical Director at SOAR In this 90-minute conversation, I sit down with Mark Deis—our nurse practitioner and medical director at SOAR—for one of the most eye-opening discussions we've had on the podcast so far. We dive deep into: SSRIs and depression medication How addiction rewires the brain Why people get stuck in the “head prison” and how to escape it" Th...

Tour Life, Addiction, and Awakening Me and my boy Riachle, the producer of the podcast, sat down and went deep for two straight hours. We talked about his story, music, addiction, mental health, and what it means to fight every day to stay the man in the back—to be the observer of our thoughts instead of getting dragged around by them. He shares some wild stuff—like being a musician on tour in Veg...

This conversation was with my good buddy Joel. Joel’s a lobbyist—you’ll hear more about what that means in the episode. I met him about six years ago in the addiction world, and since then, he’s been one of the guys who’s really helped us at SOAR. He’s lobbied for funding, helped us land grants, and opened doors so we can keep helping people and offer scholarships to those who need it. Joel is als...

This episode is with Charlie—my therapist from Action Recovery. He’s the clinical director there now, and before that, he was the clinical director at Brighton. Charlie’s a recovering heroin addict—really, an everything addict—and he’s one of the most incredible people I’ve met on this recovery path. He’s taught me so much about cravings, mindset, the 12 steps—just how to stay present and work on...

This episode is with Rick. Rick’s been in and out of prison over the years. He first started with me in WAR back in 2015 when he was just a young kid. We used to train together—he was actually my training partner back then. Rick has struggled hard with alcoholism. After those early days, he fell back into his disease pretty heavy. In this conversation, I pull his story out of him—including his tim...

Our guest today is Whitney, the director of Action Recovery—an amazing rehab center that offers day treatment and intensive outpatient care. This is the place I went to when I was getting off kratom, and I can honestly say it changed my life. Whitney’s not just the one in charge—she’s someone with an incredible story of her own. I was deeply impressed by her and the way she leads Action Recovery....

This was a powerful conversation with my good buddy Don Coleman. He’s been there for me through thick and thin—especially during this last go-around when I was trying to get sober. Don’s a sober companion, working one-on-one with people struggling with addiction, helping them find a path to real recovery. We dive into everything—kratom, fentanyl, homelessness, the cartels, recovery paths, ibogaine...

This one means a lot to me. Big T isn’t just my sponsor—he’s one of my best friends. He’s helped me stay sober for years, and when I relapsed, he was there to help me get back on track. Some of the greatest counsel I’ve ever received has come from this man. Big T is deeply respected in the recovery community because of how he lives—honest, dedicated to his program, fully connected to his higher po...

Unbelievable conversation with this dude. Nick has been through a lot, and his story is powerful. I don’t want to give too much away, but we cover everything—prison, addiction, his childhood, gangs, getting out, and his journey into SOAR. Right now, he’s in the fight of his life, working his way out of the correctional system, fully committing to God, and dedicating himself to healing. He’s focuse...

Had an interesting talk with Landon—one of those deep-dive conversations where we just go off on life, discovery, substance abuse, and what it takes to overcome it. We break down the mindset of The Man in the Back—the one who observes his thoughts instead of being controlled by them. We converse about the things that actually matter in life, like friendship and love, things that are scarce amongst...

This episode’s guest is Chris Hill, a longtime SOAR alum and one of our recovery coaches. He came into SOAR five years ago after getting out of treatment for meth. He’d just come off a year-long bender, but before that, he had over ten years clean. Now, he’s got five solid years of sobriety and has been giving back ever since, donating his time to help the new guys find their footing in recovery....

This episode is with Turbo, and man, this one was powerful. He's been in the SOAR program for just over 90 days, and his story is incredible. We go deep into his childhood, his experience in and out of foster care, and what that was like for him. He opens up about his addiction to alcohol and cocaine, the struggles that came with it, and what it means for him to finally be sober. But beyond that,...

This episode is with Cherie, and it was an incredible conversation. She’s currently in the SOAR program, originally from Alaska, and a recovering meth addict. She’s also an absolute beast in the gym. Cherie moved out to Utah with her boyfriend to do SOAR, and the insight she brings to this episode is unreal. Her story is intense—from living in a van during an Alaskan winter to bouncing between hou...

This episode is with my guy Rick. I met Rick three years ago when he came to SOAR, trying to get off meth. He was struggling—bad. Relapsing, in and out of homelessness, just barely hanging on. In all my years working with people in recovery, I’ve never seen a transformation like his. Just recently, he hit one year clean, and it’s been incredible to witness. Rick is a searcher. He searches for trut...