The Zac Clark Show

Love in Recovery | Michael Allio & Jade Chapman on Grief, Addiction and Second Chances

Michael Allio and Jade Chapman join me for a powerful conversation about grief, addiction, recovery, and the unexpected path that brought them together. Michael is a former contestant on The Bachelorette, author of the children's book Where the Wild Heart Grows, and co-founder of St. James Therapeutics, a company focused on advancing cancer treatment and care. He opens up about losing his wife, Laura, to cancer, raising his son as a single father, and the dependence on painkillers he developed in the aftermath of her death. Jade is a beauty entrepreneur, educator, and content creator whose work has inspired millions. She shares her journey with alcohol, the impact her sister's decade-long heroin addiction had on her family, and what finally led her to embrace recovery. Together, they discuss what it means to love someone through struggle, how recovery transformed their relationship, and why honesty, service, and community have become the foundation of their lives. In this episode, we discuss: * Michael's experience with grief after losing his wife, Laura * The opioid addiction he developed following her death * Jade's journey with alcohol and recovery * Her sister's battle with heroin addiction and long-term recovery * Supporting a partner through sobriety * Love, second chances, and starting over * Raising children through loss, healing, and change * Finding purpose through service and helping others Whether you've experienced addiction, loss, recovery, or simply the challenges of loving another person through difficult seasons, this conversation is a reminder that our past doesn't disqualify us from love – it often prepares us for it. Follow Michael Allio: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/michael_alliol4/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/michael_alliol4/] ⁠https://thewildheartgrows.com/⁠ [https://thewildheartgrows.com/] ⁠https://www.stjamestherapeutics.com/⁠ [https://www.stjamestherapeutics.com/] Follow Jade Chapman:⁠https://www.instagram.com/jadeywadey180/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/jadeywadey180/] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jadecomplexions/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/jadecomplexions/] Connect with Zac ⁠https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/] ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark] ⁠https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 [https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553] ⁠ [https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553]⁠https://twitter.com/zacwclark⁠ [https://twitter.com/zacwclark] If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

He Robbed a Convenience Store for Heroin at 18. Now He Helps Thousands Recover | Corey Warren on Recovery, Relapse, & Faith

At 17, Corey Warren was shooting heroin. At 18, he robbed a convenience store to support his addiction and faced up to 30 years in prison. What followed was a journey through addiction, recovery, success, relapse, and redemption. After more than a decade of sobriety, Corey began drinking again – which nearly cost him everything. Instead, it led to a powerful spiritual awakening, a relationship with God, and a deeper commitment to recovery. Today, Corey is more than four years sober and has built Rise Recovery into one of Michigan's largest recovery communities, helping thousands of people find freedom from addiction. Through his advocacy, treatment programs, and social media platform that has reached hundreds of millions of people, Corey has become one of the most influential voices in the recovery space. Corey is unapologetically open about the perils of alcohol and addiction, and why he believes his relationship with God transformed his recovery.   We also discuss: * Shooting heroin as a teenager and robbing a convenience store at 18 * Facing prison and rebuilding his life through recovery * Alcohol addiction, AA, and finding lasting sobriety * Drinking after 10 years sober -- and the profound spiritual experience that followed * Faith, purpose, and spiritual transformation * Building Rise Recovery into one of Michigan's largest recovery communities * Growing a social media platform that reaches millions and inspires people to seek help * Family, fatherhood, and staying grounded through success Connect with Zac: https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ [https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/] https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/] https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark [https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark] https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 [https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553] https://twitter.com/zacwclark [https://twitter.com/zacwclark] If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

He Helped Thousands of Young Men — Then His Son Nearly Died | Lessons on Fatherhood & Modern Men

What does it take to keep going when a doctor tells you your son has less than a 10% chance of survival? Vince Benevento is the founder of Causeway Collaborative – a counseling and mentorship organization that has helped over 2,500 young men between the ages of 14 and 30 – and the author of Boys Will Be Men: 8 Lessons for the Lost American Male. Last July, his 12-year-old son Leo was diagnosed with aplastic anemia — a rare, potentially fatal blood disease. What followed was 150 days in the hospital, emergency surgeries, experimental treatments, and two doctors telling Vince to prepare for the worst. Leo is now back in school and back on the lacrosse field. Against every odd. In this conversation, Vince opens up about what those 150 days actually looked like – the fear, the sleepless nights, the moments his marriage buckled under the weight of it. He talks about his own bipolar disorder diagnosis, his struggles with addiction and alcohol, and how the mess of his own life became the foundation of his life's work helping young men find their way. This is one of the most honest conversations we've had on this show. If you're a father, a son, or someone who has ever had to find a reason to keep going – this one is for you. Connect with Zac https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ [https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/] https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/] https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark [https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark] https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 [https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553]https://twitter.com/zacwclark [https://twitter.com/zacwclark] If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com@releaserecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

What Recovery Looks Like: A Viral Moment, the London Marathon, and a Party That’ll Make You Believe

I'm fired up. New studio, new energy, and a month that reminded me exactly why I do this. In this solo episode – with a surprise appearance from Release Foundation’s own Caitlin Healy – I break down three moments that stopped me cold. First: how a viral Bravo moment turned into a $25,000 donation to the Release Foundation, and why I had absolutely nothing to do with it. Caitlin takes us behind the scenes of the "Carl's a Mess" moment – the relationships, the hustle, and what it actually takes to capitalize on something like that in 24 hours. Then I go deep on the London Marathon – not just the race, but what it took to get there. After two brutal years of missed workouts and ego-driven training, I finally let go, listened to my coach, and ran a five-minute PR. The parallel to recovery is impossible to ignore: you get out what you put in, and the moment you think you know better, you don't. Finally, the Release Foundation Gala. 650 people. A nightclub in lower Manhattan. Questlove on the decks. Sober people, not-sober people, and a dance floor that didn't empty until the lights came up. This is what breaking down stigma actually looks like. If you've ever wondered what a life in recovery can look like – please give this episode a listen. Connect with Zac https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ [https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/]https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/]https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark [https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark]https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 [https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553]https://twitter.com/zacwclark [https://twitter.com/zacwclark] If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

3 Things On My Mind: Empathy & Social Media, Pete Davidson & My Hairline

What If Guys Just Said It Out Loud? Zac Clark goes solo this week and gets honest – uncomfortably, refreshingly honest. It starts with something small: he's losing his hair, and he's embarrassed about it. But that admission opens the door to something much bigger. If a guy in recovery, with years of hard-won self-awareness, can barely say that out loud – what hope is there for the man who hasn't yet found words for his anxiety, his depression, or his darkest thoughts? Zac connects the dots between the small silences men keep and the devastating ones, and makes the case that permission to be vulnerable starts earlier than we think. He also reflects on the wave of DMs he received after speaking out about The Bachelorette, the surprising power of Theo Von and Pete Davidson modeling sobriety to millions of young men who don't even realize they're being influenced, and why saying something out loud – even on a microphone, even to strangers – is sometimes the fastest way to take its power away. Raw, real, and a little bit of a therapy session. The best kind of episode. Connect with Zac: https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/ [https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/]https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-c-746b96254/]https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark [https://www.tiktok.com/@zacwclark]https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553 [https://www.strava.com/athletes/55697553]https://twitter.com/zacwclark [https://twitter.com/zacwclark] If you or anyone you know is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact Release Recovery: (914) 588-6564 releaserecovery.com @releaserecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]