RRP 116 — Aaron Burrell / From "Money" to Hope Dealer: Gangs, Prison, and the Walk That Does the Talking

RRP 120 — Hope Dealers: A Peer Services Round Table with Luciano, Ebony & Jack

RRP 120 — Luciano, Ebony & Jack / Hope Dealers: Peer Services — We’re Here to Love You Until You Can Love Yourself Presenter: Peter B. and Julie L.  | Length: 1:18:00  | Release Date: June 26, 2026 Recorded live at True Colors Recovery [https://www.truecolorsrecovery.org] in Portland, three returning guests — Luciano Nicolas (Atlas Treatment Center [https://www.atlastreatmentcenter.com]), Ebony Brawley (4D Recovery [https://4drecovery.org]), and Jack Taylor (True Colors Recovery) — join Peter and Julie to break down peer services: what they are, how they differ from sponsorship, and what it looks like when someone meets you exactly where you are — on the streets, in jail, or in a tent with a dog you won’t leave behind. Key Points * 00:04:00 Jack introduces True Colors Recovery [https://www.truecolorsrecovery.org] — a drop-in community center for the LGBTQ+ community, with AA, Dharma, and SAA meetings. Walk-in hours: 12:00 PM–8:00 PM, Sunday–Friday. Peer mentors Mordecai and Leo support transgender members through sobriety and the affirmation journey. * 00:08:30 Ebony describes her outreach role with 4D Recovery [https://4drecovery.org]: teams reach the houseless population in East County and near the Central Library with supplies, wound care, and same-day assessments. “We’re like little hope dealers out there.” * 00:11:30 Luciano introduces Atlas Treatment Center [https://www.atlastreatmentcenter.com] — PHP, IOP, OP, and DUI program — and the peer and housing partners they work with: The Peer Company [https://thepeercompany.org], Sober Housing Oregon [https://www.soberhousingoregonllc.com], Sober Living PDX [https://www.soberlivingpdx.com], Galia Recovery [https://www.galiarecovery.org], and Northwest Recovery Homes [https://www.nwrecoveryhomes.com]. * 00:13:00 Peter asks the group to define peer services. Ebony: “A peer has lived experience with substance use disorder — they help navigate recovery and reintegration.” Peer mentors differ from sponsors: professional, no 12-step work, focused on removing barriers. * 00:19:00 Luciano shares how peer mentorship changed his own life — connecting with a peer specialist at a True Colors meeting and getting into detox that same day. On July 3rd, his peer mentor said the sentence that kept him in: “In reality, if you leave now, you may not come back.” * 00:21:00 Jack describes the True Colors intake process — answering every call, even from jail — listening without judgment and connecting people with peer mentors. “I’m the glue.” No one is turned away. * 00:26:00 Ebony on outreach: building trust over months, visiting the same person many times before they say yes. The story of two brothers who took nearly a year to go into detox — and what happened when one left early. * 00:44:00 Common barriers: losing belongings, not being ready, court dates, and pets. Galia Recovery [https://www.galiarecovery.org] offers dog-friendly housing. Ebony finds fosters through anonymous Facebook posts. The Pathway Center [https://multco.us/info/deflection-services-coordinated-care-pathway-center] stores belongings while someone sobers up. * 00:57:00 Jack’s story: homeless at the Holgate MAX station in 2015, soaking wet in the rain, he passed out and woke up to find a warm coat zipped around him by a stranger never identified. “When I think about it, it stirs something in me.” * 01:06:00 “If you can get one month, you can get two. Sky’s the limit — you don’t have to be broken. You can become whole.” Jack is celebrating ten years of continuous sobriety. * 01:13:00 Closing statements — Jack: “If you don’t fit in somewhere, go somewhere else.” Ebony: “You’re worth it. If you are alive, you matter.” Luciano: “We’re not here to judge you. We’re here to help you, guide you, and love you until you can love yourself.” “We’re not here to judge you. We’re here to help you. We’re here to guide you, and we’re here to love you until you can love yourself.” — Luciano Nicolas Websites Discussed * True Colors Recovery [https://www.truecolorsrecovery.org] * 4D Recovery [https://4drecovery.org] * Atlas Treatment Center [https://www.atlastreatmentcenter.com] * Galia Recovery [https://www.galiarecovery.org] * The Peer Company [https://thepeercompany.org] * Pathway Center [https://multco.us/info/deflection-services-coordinated-care-pathway-center] * Sober Housing Oregon [https://www.soberhousingoregonllc.com] * Sober Living PDX [https://www.soberlivingpdx.com] * Northwest Recovery Homes [https://www.nwrecoveryhomes.com] * Oxford House [https://www.oxfordhouse.org] * SnowCap Community Services [https://www.snowcap.org] * Real Recovery Podcast [https://www.realrecoverypodcast.com] #RealRecoveryPodcast, #Recovery, #PeerServices, #HopeDealers, #RecoveryCommunity, #TrueColors, #4DRecovery, #AtlasTreatment, #SoberLife, #RecoveryPodcast, @realrecoverypodcast Real Recovery Podcast is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 99-1347297

RRP 119 — Cassandra P. / Love Wasn't Enough, Part 2: Finding Her People, Setting Boundaries, and the Life Recovery Actually Built

RRP 119 — Cassandra P. / Love Wasn’t Enough, Part 2 RRP 119 — CASSANDRA P. / LOVE WASN’T ENOUGH, PART 2: FINDING HER PEOPLE, SETTING BOUNDARIES, AND THE LIFE RECOVERY ACTUALLY BUILT Presenter: Peter B. and Julie L.  |  Length: 1:05:00  |  Release Date: June 19, 2026 In Part 2 of this mother–daughter conversation, Cassandra P. picks up where she left off — walking through the doors of Another Chance [https://www.anotherchancerehab.com] treatment center in May 2024 not fully convinced she had a problem, and walking out six months later with something she didn’t expect: her people. Cassandra shares what the IOP structure gave her, how she navigated early sobriety while still living with her ex, and what it finally felt like to be in a healthy relationship. She also opens up about her two-year sobriety milestone, the morning routine that’s changing how she starts her days, and the Jersey Shore quote she keeps coming back to. KEY POINTS * 00:03:00 The Another Chance philosophy in Cassandra’s own words: “Recovery’s new to me. Whatever someone suggests, I’m gonna do it.” IOP ran Monday–Friday, 9 AM–3 PM, with drug testing three times per week. * 00:06:00 Cassandra didn’t graduate until November 2024 — heavy marijuana use before treatment kept showing in her system. She also admits she used cocaine and drank the night before admission to be sure she’d test positive. * 00:08:00 DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) was her favorite class at Another Chance, run by her favorite person, Julia. The program also included a free MUV Fitness [https://portlandgyms.muvfitness.com] gym membership, with an affordable rate post-graduation. * 00:11:30 The bond she built with classmates brought back the feeling of high school friendships. Jerry said it best at her graduation: “Another Chance has been good for you, but you’ve been good for Another Chance.” * 00:19:00 The moment she knew she was an addict: “The answer is when I had to go without it.” Still living with her ex during early IOP, she set hard limits — boundaries broken within days. * 00:22:00 Meeting partner John at Another Chance — friendship that became the healthiest relationship she’s ever had. “I didn’t realize how shitty my previous relationships were until you actually have one that’s good and healthy.” * 00:32:00 A candid admission: stopped going to meetings for two months. “If you make your recovery a priority, you’ll find the time.” Now attending Extended Family Saturday and doing secretariat for the first time. * 00:34:00 On complacency — and Tristan’s quote: “Recovery is your first job. Your second job pays your bills.” * 00:47:00 Morning routine built around the SAVERS framework from The Miracle Morning [https://www.miraclemorning.com] by Hal Elrod — Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, Scribing — plus a guided journal and affirmation playlist for the commute. * 00:55:00 Just hit her two-year sobriety mark. Looking at CNA certification starting late June and exploring peer support specialist credentials to test whether a career in recovery is the right path. * 01:00:00 Parting words: Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino’s quote — “The comeback is greater than the setback” — and the reminder: “There’s no one-size-fits-all hat that we wear.” > “I never wanna get complacent, and I never wanna take for granted the things that sobriety and recovery has given me thus far, like in my two years.” — Cassandra P. WEBSITES DISCUSSED * Another Chance [https://www.anotherchancerehab.com] * MUV Fitness [https://portlandgyms.muvfitness.com] * Alcoholics Anonymous [https://www.aa.org] * SMART Recovery [https://www.smartrecovery.org] * Wellbriety [https://wellbrietymovement.com] * The Miracle Morning — Hal Elrod [https://www.miraclemorning.com] * Real Recovery Podcast [https://www.realrecoverypodcast.com] Listen Now [https://mdcr1.com/119] Read the Blog [https://mdcr1.com/119b] Newsletter [https://mdcr1.com/newsletter] #RealRecoveryPodcast, #Recovery, #Sobriety, #AnotherChance, #FindingYourPeople, #MorningRoutine, #TheMiracleMorning, #SAVERS, #TwoYearsSober, #AA, #SoberLife, #RecoveryPodcast, @realrecoverypodcast Real Recovery Podcast is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 99-1347297

RRP 118 — Cassandra P. / Love Wasn't Enough, Part 1: Growing Up Inside Recovery — Then Having to Find It Herself

RRP 118 — Cassandra P. / Love Wasn’t Enough, Part 1 RRP 118 — CASSANDRA P. / LOVE WASN’T ENOUGH, PART 1: GROWING UP INSIDE RECOVERY — THEN HAVING TO FIND IT HERSELF Presented by Peter B. and Julie L.  •  1:37:00  •  June 12, 2026 Cassandra P. grew up in the best possible version of a recovery household. Her mom, co-host Julie, got sober cold turkey while pregnant and never looked back. Cassandra attended AA [https://www.aa.org/] meetings from age five, knew Julie’s sponsors by name, and never once saw either of her parents high. She was the sports girl — basketball, softball, water polo, Girl Scouts [https://www.girlscouts.org/] for ten years straight. And at 32, she still ended up in addiction. In Part 1, Cassandra and Julie trace the arc from a genuinely blessed childhood through the slow drift that loving structure couldn’t prevent forever. * 00:05:00 Julie shares how Cassandra came into the world — Michael in prison, a doctor’s ultimatum, and quitting drugs cold turkey with no recovery plan. * 00:12:00 Julie pays two months’ rent with the abortion money her mother gave her, stays clean throughout pregnancy, and graduates college — Cassandra in tow. * 00:16:00 Cassandra on growing up “blessed” — AA [https://www.aa.org/] was the norm, and she had a front-row seat to what recovery actually looks like from the inside. * 00:35:00 Michael’s last basketball game: Cassandra hits three three-pointers, he’s screaming from the stands — the last time they see him before his death from a drug overdose. * 00:48:00 Community college, a lost identity, and the first time Cassandra ever smoked weed — watching Friday on a Friday with her friend Travis. * 00:57:00 The party years: close calls with police while drunk, and passing a field sobriety test she had no business passing. * 01:08:00 The job that broke her, the three-month break that removed every guardrail, and a boyfriend whose money came easy. * 01:28:00 Why Cassandra avoided Julie during her active addiction — and what it cost both of them. * 01:32:00 Six months behind on the mortgage, cocaine and alcohol to cope, and the moment she signed up for Another Chance [https://anotherchancerehab.com/] treatment — May 2024. > “I’ve never seen either of my parents high or caught in addiction. That’s another blessing I have in my life.” — Cassandra P. WEBSITES DISCUSSED * Another Chance [https://anotherchancerehab.com/] — Portland, OR treatment center * Real Recovery Podcast [https://www.realrecoverypodcast.com/] ▶ Listen [https://mdcr1.com/118] 📋 Read the Blog [https://mdcr1.com/118b] ✉ Newsletter [https://mdcr1.com/newsletter] #RealRecoveryPodcast #RecoveryIsPossible #AddictionRecovery #SoberLife #MothersInRecovery #FamiliesInRecovery #PodcastsAboutRecovery #TwelveSteps #Oregon #Portland  •  @realrecoverypodcast Real Recovery Podcast — A 501(c)(3) organization — EIN: 99-1347297

RRP 117 — Skyler Ray / Skyler Ray's High-Energy Road to Recovery — Revisited (Summer Bash 2026 Special Edition)

RRP 117 — Skyler Ray / Skyler Ray's High-Energy Road to Recovery — Revisited RRP 117 — SKYLER RAY / SKYLER RAY’S HIGH-ENERGY ROAD TO RECOVERY — REVISITED (SUMMER BASH 2026 SPECIAL EDITION) Presenters: Julie P. Lewis & Peter B. Dowell  |  1 hr 50 min  |  June 5, 2026 Julie and Peter revisit one of their most beloved episodes — Skyler Ray’s story from Episode 22. Since that first conversation, Skyler has grown to over 250,000 followers, launched the Road to Recovery Tour into its third national year, and married his musical partner Kala Mulcahy. This special edition is timed to Skyler’s Summer Bash 2026 performance at 4D Recovery [https://4drecovery.org/] Vancouver on June 13th (7201 NE 18th Street, 2–5 PM, free). The original interview is as powerful as ever. At nine, Skyler’s mother left him at a Portland shelter and never came back. Police split him from his brother into separate foster homes the same week. He masked the loss for years — through fights, expulsions, meth at ten, selling, and cycling in and out of Portland’s Justice Center. He rose to sales manager at an office looking directly down on the street corners where his addiction played out, then lost it all. In prison, alone on his bunk, he finally asked himself honestly what he wanted: music. He had never done it sober. His clean date is December 6, 2018. * 0:00 Re-release intro: 250K+ followers; married to Kala; Summer Bash June 13th [https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CKj1X9mpd/] at 4D Vancouver * 16:00 Age 9: mother leaves him at a shelter; police separate him from his brother into different foster homes * 24:00 Age 18, homeless; meth use and street life around Paranoia Park (O’Brien Square) * 28:00 Starts selling meth — abandonment issues fuel the addiction to power and acceptance as much as the drug * 38:00 Sales job to manager of 100-person office in Union Bank Tower — private window overlooking Paranoia Park * 44:00 Relapse to IV meth at the office; VP personally offers to fund rehab; Skyler declines * 57:00 The conversation in prison: “I owe it to my nine-year-old boy” — decides to pursue music sober * 1:04:00 Vision boards cover every wall of his Central City Concern room * 1:06:00 Meets Kala Mulcahy — opera-trained — at dinner; they write their music dreams together as strangers * 1:11:00 Everything on that list has happened: 250K+ followers, tens of millions of plays, opening for Kevin Gates * 1:14:00 “My significant other has never seen me under the influence” * 1:24:00 Road to Recovery Tour: 3rd year, 70+ events, performing in rehabs, jails & prisons nationwide * 1:27:00 Upcoming: Gresham Smith Center June 28th (free); 4D Hillsboro Aug 10th; Recovery Out Loud Sept 6th Websites Discussed: OfficialSkylerRay.com [https://www.officialskylerray.com/] — Music, tour dates & We Do Recover merch 4D Recovery [https://4drecovery.org/] — Tony V’s recovery community organization 4D Summer Bash 2026 [https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CKj1X9mpd/] — June 13th, 2–5 PM, 7201 NE 18th St, Vancouver WA 98661 4D Gratitude Night — Early Bird Tickets [https://4drecovery.org/gratitude-night/] RRP Episode 22 — Original Skyler Ray Interview [https://mdcr1.com/22b] Real Recovery Podcast [https://realrecoverypodcast.com] ▶ Listen Now [https://mdcr1.com/117] Read the Blog [https://mdcr1.com/117b] Newsletter [https://realrecoverypodcast.com] > “Recovery has provided me everything I have ever wanted, right? There’s still levels to it, but it’s still provided me everything I have ever wanted.” — Skyler Ray #RealRecoveryPodcast #SkylerRay #Recovery #SummerBash2026 #RoadToRecovery #AddictionRecovery #MusicInRecovery #SoberLife #WeDoRecover #4DRecovery   @OfficialSkylerRay @4DRecovery @RealRecoveryPodcast Real Recovery Podcast is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 99-1347297

RRP 116 — Aaron Burrell / From "Money" to Hope Dealer: Gangs, Prison, and the Walk That Does the Talking

RRP 116 — Aaron Burrell / From “Money” to Hope Dealer: Gangs, Prison, and the Walk That Does the Talking RRP 116 — AARON BURRELL / FROM “MONEY” TO HOPE DEALER: GANGS, PRISON, AND THE WALK THAT DOES THE TALKING Presenters: Julie P. Lewis and Peter B. Dowell  |  Episode Length: Approximately 1 hour 48 minutes  |  Release Date: May 29, 2026 SUMMARY Aaron Burrell grew up in Salem with his father in federal prison for twenty years — and a gang heritage he tried to live up to under the street name “Money.” After his father paroled, relapsed, and pulled him into a crystal meth operation, Aaron ended up in the same county jail as his dad. A note slipped under his cell door brought him to his first prayer. What followed was another prison bid, a near-suicide in Two Rivers, a dream that pointed to a single Bible verse, a courtroom turn no one saw coming, and the path to peer recovery work. Today Aaron is 30 months clean — the first sustained sobriety of his adult life — and wears a Hope Dealer hat to work. KEY POINTS * 00:03:00 Father in federal prison from the time Aaron was one year old — attempted murder and a bank robbery spree. The gang heritage that surrounded him was idolized in Aaron’s circle. * 00:06:00 First prison bid at 21. Aaron is called for a visit thinking it’s a girlfriend — turns around and meets his father face-to-face for the first time at Oregon State Penitentiary. * 00:11:00 Father paroles, becomes a recovery poster child, then relapses. Aaron walks into a duffle bag of cash and crystal meth on his own kitchen table. * 00:22:00 Both in Marion County Jail. A note appears under Aaron’s cell door: two names, two addresses, an order to make sure they don’t make it to court. * 00:24:00 First prayer of Aaron’s life: “If you’re real, I need you to do something.” The next morning his father is sent to the hole. Aaron opens a Bible at random to Matthew — do not worry. * 00:31:00 Aaron refuses to carry out his father’s orders. His father’s response: “You’re dead to me. Change your last name.” * 00:42:00 A relapse, a revocation, and over 50 more months inside. Aaron renounces his gang life, finds Celebrate Recovery, and facilitates step studies for the first time. * 01:00:00 In court for a second revoke, the judge sentences him to 48 months without looking up. Aaron charges him. Another 18 months are added. October 16, 2023. * 01:18:00 Three nights of dreams that all point to 1921. On the fifth night Aaron opens the Bible at midnight and lands on Proverbs 19:21. * 01:22:00 A new judge plays the video of him charging the old one — then pulls out letters from released inmates and corrections officers vouching for who Aaron is now. “You’re going to City Team [https://www.cityteam.org/].” * 01:34:00 From City Team → mentor at 4D Recovery [https://4drecovery.org/] → The Peer Company [https://thepeercompany.org/]. 30 months clean — his first sustained sobriety. He wears a Hope Dealer hat from Be Bold Street Ministries [https://www.beboldstreetministries.org/] to work. GUEST QUOTE > “In that darkness is when I seen the light.” — Aaron Burrell LISTEN & CONNECT ▶ Listen Now [https://mdcr1.com/116] 📖 Read the Blog [https://mdcr1.com/116b] ✉ Newsletter [https://mdcr1.com/newsletter] WEBSITES DISCUSSED * City Team [https://www.cityteam.org/] * 4D Recovery [https://4drecovery.org/] * The Peer Company [https://thepeercompany.org/] * Be Bold Street Ministries [https://www.beboldstreetministries.org/] * Celebrate Recovery [https://www.celebraterecovery.com/] * Real Recovery Podcast [https://www.realrecoverypodcast.com/] HASHTAGS & MENTIONS #RealRecoveryPodcast #Recovery #AddictionRecovery #HopeDealer #OregonRecovery #PrisonToPurpose #PeerSupport #SecondChances #CityTeam #4DRecovery @realrecoverypodcast @cityteampdx @4drecovery Real Recovery Podcast Inc. — 501(c)(3) Nonprofit — EIN: 99-1347297 — www.realrecoverypodcast.com [https://www.realrecoverypodcast.com/]