Rise Above with Kevin Lanning

In this raw and powerful episode, Lindsey Schaefer shares her story of growing up in a broken home, being abandoned by her mother, and entering foster care at a young age. From childhood trauma and instability to addiction, strip club life, and nearly losing everything, Lindsey walks us through the moments that shaped her—and the turning point that led her to sobriety.

Lindsey opens up about being removed from her home, bouncing between foster placements, early exposure to alcohol, surviving overdose, and finding her identity in environments fueled by drugs and nightlife. She also shares how the gym, self-discipline, therapy, and purpose helped her rebuild her life and stay sober for over four years.

This is a story about resilience, accountability, and learning how to live life on life’s terms—without numbing the pain.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, trauma, or recovery, this episode is for you.

#addictionrecovery #sobrietystory #fostercare #childhoodtrauma #traumarecovery #stripclublife #mentalhealthawareness #recoveryjourney #lifesobriety #healingjourney #riseabovepodcast #recoveryispossible

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In this deeply honest episode of Rise Above, Brianna Sirlin shares her unfiltered journey through addiction, relapse, and recovery during the height of the opioid epidemic.

Growing up on Long Island, Brianna’s story didn’t start with trauma on the surface — it started with insecurity, anxiety, and the need to feel “enough.” What began with alcohol, weed, Xanax, and Adderall quickly escalated into painkillers, oxy, fentanyl, and years of chaos that included drug dealing, being robbed, multiple rehabs, overdoses, and near-death experiences.

In this episode, Brianna opens up about:


Her first exposure to substances in middle school


Boarding schools, wilderness programs, and resentment


Discovering opiates and the moment everything changed


Suboxone withdrawal and repeated relapse cycles


Overdosing, fentanyl use, and isolation in Los Angeles


Finding recovery through AA, faith, and taking suggestions


How sobriety reshaped her identity, career, and purpose


Working in recovery and helping others today

This conversation is raw, emotional, and hopeful — a reminder that no matter how deep addiction goes, recovery is possible.

If you or someone you love is struggling, this episode may help you feel less alone.

#BriannaSirlin #AddictionRecovery #FentanylCrisis #OpiateAddiction #OpioidEpidemic #SobrietyJourney #RecoveryPodcast #RelapseAndRecovery #AARecovery #FaithInRecovery #MentalHealthAwareness #RiseAbovePodcast #LongIsland #WomensRecovery #AddictionAwareness

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In this special Q&A episode, Kevin Lanning from Rise Above with Kevin Lanning sits down with Louis Ruggiero from Nothing’s Off the Table with Louis Ruggiero for an honest, unscripted conversation answering the most common addiction and sobriety questions from both of our audiences.

These questions were pulled directly from comments and DMs across both podcasts — real questions from real people navigating addiction, early sobriety, relapse, recovery, and life after substances.

This episode is for:


Anyone struggling with addiction or alcoholism


People who are sober, newly sober, or thinking about getting sober


Those who’ve relapsed and want to come back


Parents, partners, and loved ones of addicts


Anyone looking for real, experience-based recovery insight

Topics covered include:


How we actually got sober and what finally worked


Cravings vs obsession — what changes over time


Relapse and how to come back without shame


Weed and sobriety


AA, spirituality, and other recovery paths


Dating, weddings, and social life while sober


Parenting, making amends, and rebuilding trust


Trauma, mental health, and emotional sobriety


Tough love vs enabling


What long-term recovery really looks like

No fluff. No preaching. Just two people in recovery answering the questions we get asked every day.

If you or someone you love is struggling, you’re not alone — and recovery is possible.

#AddictionRecovery #HowToGetSober #Sobriety #RecoveryQandA #Alcoholism #DrugAddiction #RelapseRecovery #EarlySobriety #MentalHealth #AARecovery #AddictionHelp #StayingSober #RecoveryCommunity #SoberLife

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For the first time, Kevin Lanning and Louis Ruggiero pull the curtain back.

After Hours with Kevin & LJ is a new mini-series created because you asked for it — a real, unfiltered, behind-the-scenes look at our lives, conversations, and perspectives when the cameras aren’t “on.”

This series isn’t about perfectly structured interviews or polished narratives.
It’s about real talk, recovery, friendship, growth, business, mistakes, and the moments that usually happen after the episode ends.

In this first episode, Kevin and Louis sit down without an agenda and share candid thoughts on:


Life behind the podcast


Recovery beyond the microphone


What listeners don’t usually get to hear


The personal side of building platforms, friendships, and purpose

This is raw. This is honest.
This is After Hours.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when the show stops recording — this is it.

👇 Let us know in the comments what you want to see more of in this series.

#AfterHours #BehindTheScenes #RealTalk #PodcastLife #RecoveryJourney #SobrietyTalk #MentalHealth #LifeAfterAddiction #UnfilteredConversations #KevinLanning #LouisRuggiero

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Mike Shooty had it all on the outside — a successful career in high-level security, executive protection, and international risk mitigation. On the inside, he was quietly losing everything.

In this raw and unfiltered conversation, Mike opens up about growing up in a stable home, starting to drink at 14, binge drinking through college, and how alcohol slowly took control of his life. After multiple attempts at sobriety, he turned to OxyContin to stop drinking—only to find himself deeper in addiction.

Mike shares the terrifying reality of opioid withdrawal, hiding addiction in plain sight, losing his marriage, multiple DUIs, homelessness, and hitting a point so dark he nearly didn’t survive it. His story also dives into the shame of addiction, missing years of fatherhood, and the long road to rebuilding trust.

Now over 3 years sober, Mike is deeply involved in recovery—speaking publicly, helping other men navigate sobriety, divorce, legal trouble, and life after addiction.

This episode is about surrender, accountability, and what it really takes to change your life when everything has fallen apart.

If you or someone you love is struggling, this conversation could be the one that helps.

#AddictionRecovery #Alcoholism #OpiateAddiction #DUI #SobrietyJourney #ExecutiveBodyguard #FromAddictionToRecovery #RockBottom #RecoveryIsPossible #MentalHealthMatters #RiseAbove #SoberLife #RedemptionStory #OneDayAtATime

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