Episode 5: Nick Hietmann

Episode 5: Nick Hietmann

EPISODE 5 – CRASH = Crushing Realization It’s About Self-Healing In Episode 5 of the CRASH Podcast, Bjorn sits down with Nick Heitmann — a sober dad, content creator, and man who fought his way back from addiction, chaos, jail time, broken trust, and nearly losing everything that mattered most. Nick opens up about growing up around alcohol-fueled family culture, chasing validation, the destruction caused by ego and addiction, multiple DUIs, cocaine, losing jobs in the film industry, losing his home, and ultimately hitting the kind of emotional bottom that forced him to finally face himself. This episode dives deep into: * addiction and self-destruction * relationships damaged by alcoholism * fatherhood and rebuilding trust * ego, accountability, and surrender * recovery through AA, fitness, and self-work * the difference between getting sober for others vs. getting sober for yourself * using social media to give hope to struggling dads and addicts Nick’s story is raw, honest, painful, funny at times, and ultimately hopeful. This is a conversation about what happens when life forces you to realize that recovery isn’t just about quitting substances… It’s about healing yourself.

Episode 4: Justin Wenzel

Episode 4 of the CRASH Podcast features Justin Wenzel — a former automotive executive who built a life around performance, partying, and control until everything underneath it started collapsing. CRASH = Control. Ruin. Awakening. Surrender. Healing. From the outside, Justin looked successful: luxury cars, leadership roles, fitness transformations, music, nightlife, and money. Behind the scenes, it was alcohol, pills, cocaine, nitrous, depression, codependency, and years of trying to outrun himself while still functioning at a high level. In this episode, Justin opens up about growing up in Michigan, navigating addiction in the automotive industry, doctor shopping during the opioid era, getting sober through the court system, surviving suicide attempts, and ultimately walking away from the life he thought he wanted in order to build one that actually gave him peace. This conversation goes deep into identity, ego, environment, brotherhood, recovery, and the reality that healing is more than just quitting substances. It’s about rebuilding your entire life from the inside out. If you’ve ever felt trapped between who you are and who you know you could become, this episode will hit home.

Episode 3: Angel Sanchez

CRASH — Choosing Recovery After Self-Hatred Episode 3 of the CRASH Podcast is with my guy Angel Sanchez / Beard Gang Motivation — and this one gets raw. Angel shares the full story of growing up feeling different, losing both parents young, falling deep into alcohol and meth addiction, homelessness, survival on the streets of Las Vegas, and the long road that finally led him into recovery. We talk about ego, fear, ADHD, spirituality, trauma, street life, prison-level consequences, and what happens when you finally stop blaming the world and start facing yourself. This isn’t polished recovery talk. It’s two guys who’ve lived through chaos having a real conversation about addiction, identity, survival, faith, and rebuilding life from the ground up. There’s dark humor, brutal honesty, and a lot of moments that people in recovery will immediately recognize.

Episode 2: Alex Martirosov

Cars and Recovery, Alex's Story of being Human This one starts off like it always does—just talking shit and catching up. Then it gets real. Alex walks through how it started for him… getting high young, finding that first moment where everything finally felt quiet, and chasing that feeling all the way into heroin. We get into the progression: how fast it escalates, the decisions that don’t make sense but feel right at the time, and that moment where you realize you crossed a line you can’t uncross. Then we get into early sobriety—detox, rehab, and what it actually feels like when everything hits you at once and there’s no escape anymore. But this isn’t just about addiction. This is about what happens after. Losing people in sobriety and staying anyway. Getting called out on your bullshit when everything in you wants to shut down. Learning how to be a decent human being from scratch. And what the promises actually look like in real life: not money, not status— Trust. Freedom. Showing up when it matters. Just a real conversation with someone who lived it and didn’t die from it. Chapters * 00:00 Introduction and Background * 07:01 Recovery and Challenges * 26:11 Turning Point and Reflection * 32:14 Integrity and Humility * 44:26 The Promises of Sobriety * 50:18 The Rewards of Recovery * 58:37 Life After Addiction * 01:05:10 Surviving Addiction * 01:11:07 The Struggle of Addiction * 01:20:31 Moving Forward

Episode 1: Josh Thompson

Episode 1 of the CRASH Podcast. I sat down with my brother and we just talked... Where things started, how far they went, and what it took to turn things around. Addiction, late nights, bad decisions, and the reality of rebuilding after things fall apart. This one lands on: CRASH — Chemicals, Restaurants, After Midnight, Stupid Decisions, Hangovers It’s not perfect. It’s raw. But it’s real. This is the beginning Chapters * 00:00 Early Addictive Tendencies * 11:04 Turning Point: Post-Divorce * 18:12 Moment of Change: Methamphetamine Use * 35:51 Reflecting on Past Projects and Experiences * 45:06 Lessons Learned and Moving Forward