Why Sobriety Was Only the Beginning for Greg Wallan Ep38

Matt Vick opened a most-wanted list at a 7-Eleven. His own face was on it.The last time he used meth was in a jail cell with his brother.Watch Matt and Joni build Sonoma Strong: YouTube @sonomastrongRead Matt’s book: Rock Bottom Built My Foundation: My Comeback Story on AmazonMatt joins Ryan Penley to tell the story between those two lives. He entered a six-month Salvation Army program with two garbage bags and no license. Afterward, he worked at a deli, prayed for a good woman, and burned Joni’s chicken wrap when she walked in.Together, Matt and Joni started Sonoma Strong Hauling with a $5,000 pickup truck. Matt says the business now brings in more than $600,000 a year in revenue. He also shares what it means to regain his father’s pride while his brother, whom he once shared a cell with, remains in prison.His book tells the parts of that journey he hopes might reach someone who has been counted out. If you think your past has already decided your future, this conversation is for you.Find Matt and Sonoma StrongYouTube: @sonomastrongBook: Rock Bottom Built My FoundationTikTok: @sonomastronghaulingBusiness: sonomastronghauling.comFind Ryan and The Next FixRyanPenley.orgThe Next Fix on Apple Podcasts

His son was born while he sat in jail. Years later, he chose a freezing car over a warm house with drugs.Kalkin Jimenez joins Ryan Penley on The Next Fix to share how heroin and cocaine addiction consumed years of his life, and what rebuilding looked like when he had almost nothing left.Getting off heroin meant facing a marriage he’d entered in a fog. Betrayal, relapse, and a custody battle followed. Eventually, home became a battered Toyota in an upstate New York winter.But listen to how he talks about that car. He was grateful for it.We get into:How addiction can make entire years feel like they disappeared.Returning to AA and NA even when he was still using.Leaving the people and places that kept pulling him back.Finding faith and gratitude before his circumstances improved.Recognizing childhood abandonment beneath his substance use.Building a different future for his son.Kalkin also speaks openly about his continued cannabis use and the parts of recovery he’s still working through.FOLLOW KALKIN: TALKING KNOWLEDGE LIVEKeep up with his recovery conversations, faith, and book-club content. Give him a follow and let him know The Next Fix sent you.YouTube: @TalkingknowledgeLIVEInstagram: @talkingknowledgeliveFacebook: Talking Knowledge LiveCONNECT WITH RYAN PENLEYWebsite: ryanpenley.orgRyan’s book: Man Up. Sober Up.If someone you love is rebuilding after addiction, share this conversation with them.

Kitty Marie walked into rehab convinced she had nothing to show for her life. Today, people call her a leader. Sometimes, she still wonders if they’re talking about the right person.Kitty joins Ryan Penley on The Next Fix to share her journey through opioid and meth addiction, abusive relationships, an 84-month federal prison sentence, and the difficult work of starting over.Getting out of prison didn’t end the cycle. What began to change things was telling the truth in a room full of strangers and discovering that people who barely knew her were willing to help.Through rehab, 12-step recovery, and Oxford House sober living, Kitty began building a life she once thought was out of reach. But belonging came with its own question: What would these people think if they knew her past?In this episode, we talk about:• Why familiar relationships can pull you back toward addiction• Asking for help when you’re used to keeping everything inside• Finding community, accountability, and purpose in recovery• Rebuilding your confidence and career with a criminal record• Learning to believe you belong in the life you’re buildingToday, Kitty works in accounts payable, a position she secured after being honest about her background during the hiring process. She also serves in Oxford House leadership as a Housing Service Committee chairperson, helping recovery homes resolve challenges and support their residents. Through Hospitals and Institutions service, she brings her experience and encouragement to people in detox and early recovery.Her purpose is personal: show love to people who may have none, and help them see a future beyond addiction.“There is a way back and it’s not easy, but it’s absolutely worth it.”CONNECT WITH KITTYFollow Kitty, let her know what her story meant to you, and share this conversation with someone who needs hope.Instagram: @kittymarie1022https://www.instagram.com/kittymarie1022/Facebook: Kitty Mariehttps://www.facebook.com/share/1DhDSBX5wU/Follow The Next Fix for honest conversations about addiction, sobriety, and making the second half of life count.Explore more with Ryan:https://ryanpenley.org

He had one job: never let the drugs run out. Because when they did, he had to feel again.Paul Patrick thought heroin had solved the pain of being himself. Then he started stealing from people he loved and using more to escape the guilt.In this episode of The Next Fix, Paul joins Ryan Penley to talk about childhood shame, heroin addiction, and the cycle that followed him into prison. He shares the brutal reality of detoxing in jail, finding a Bible beneath his bed, and surrounding himself with men determined never to come back.He also opens up about relapsing just before his release, after years without drugs. He knew what he could lose. In that moment, a few seconds of relief still felt worth the risk.Today, Paul helps others through Southern Hope Recovery Center and Breaking Through, Inspire the Desire, the nonprofit he leads alongside his wife. His story gets honest about the pull of addiction and the faith, community, and daily work behind his recovery.Connect with Paul and his work:Paul Patrick on Facebook (@paul.patrick.74046):https://www.facebook.com/paul.patrick.74046/Breaking Through, Inspire the Desire:https://www.facebook.com/share/1LKH4RWMwJ/Southern Hope Recovery Center:https://southernhoperecovery.com/Follow The Next Fix for more honest conversations about addiction, recovery, and rebuilding your life. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear that their story can still change.

A successful Boston attorney. Three forged documents. Six felony convictions.Les Delaney Hawkins knew the law. As her drinking spiraled, she made choices that cost her career, her reputation, and nearly her freedom. But she’s clear about one thing: alcoholism doesn’t erase her responsibility.In this episode of The Next Fix, Les joins Ryan Penley to tell the story of a very public rock bottom, getting sober, and building a life she never imagined.She opens up about drinking around the clock, forging liquor-licensing documents, and watching her downfall become news. She faced a possible prison sentence, pleaded guilty to six felony counts, and received three years of probation. Losing her law license meant losing the career that had become her identity.Even those consequences hadn’t reached her the way one conversation over coffee finally did.Today, Les is the founder of Sober & Curious Boston, a nonprofit creating friendship, adventure, and connection without alcohol. What started with a hike and 12 people grew into a Facebook community approaching 10,000 members at the time of recording. She began building that community while still waiting to learn whether she would go to prison.We talk about:How professional success helped her hide an escalating alcohol addiction.The words that finally broke through her denial.Facing shame and taking responsibility for her choices.Why she needed friendship, purpose, and a new life alongside recovery meetings.Creating a community that welcomes people in recovery, sober-curious people, and anyone who wants to socialize without drinking.If you’ve ever wondered how to move forward after consequences you can’t undo, this conversation is for you.Connect with Les and Sober & Curious Boston:Website: https://sobercuriousboston.comLes: https://www.instagram.com/lesdh1984/Sober & Curious Boston: https://www.instagram.com/soberboston/Follow The Next Fix for honest conversations about recovery, responsibility, and what comes next.

He woke up in a hospital with two days missing. Then he went home and drank again.A few weeks later, Rhett Sullivan ordered his favorite IPA. When it arrived, he left it untouched and walked out. That was July 17, 2020. He hasn’t had a drink since.Today, Rhett is married, looking forward to starting a family, and building a life he once could only dream about. His warmth and optimism run through this entire conversation.In this episode of The Next Fix, Rhett and Ryan talk about the peace he found in AA, the support of the woman who became his wife, and the confidence that came from keeping a promise to himself.Rhett also shares how he sold roughly 20,000 used books on Amazon before starting a cleaning business with about $500. Two years in, he expected the business to bring in around $40,000 in revenue during the month of this conversation.Ryan shares how addiction once narrowed his own view of the future to a four-hour window. Together, they explore what becomes possible when you can finally look farther ahead.Rhett’s message to anyone starting over: “Just keep going. Know it’s gonna get better.”CONNECT WITH RHETTThe Glebe Clean: https://theglebeclean.com/FOLLOW THE NEXT FIXApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-fix/id1737680071Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7ytlQkbD5R8vxtM3KAO0XsMORE FROM RYANhttps://www.ryanpenley.org/If Rhett’s story brings someone to mind, send them this episode. And follow The Next Fix for more conversations about what people build after recovery.

George Lynch was helping other people get sober while his own life was falling apart. After eight years of sobriety, the recovery pastor picked up a drink.In this episode of The Next Fix, I sit down with George for an honest conversation about addiction, faith, relapse, and finding your way back when you thought you already knew the way.George shares his journey from drinking at 11 and struggling with heroin and meth to prison, recovery, and becoming a pastor. But his story didn’t stop at the comeback. Behind the smile he brought to church, his marriage was unraveling, and he was carrying pain he wasn’t addressing.He opens up about stepping away from ministry after his relapse, the people who showed up when he needed help, and the long process of returning to sobriety and rebuilding his life.One conversation with his sponsor brought a difficult truth into focus: he knew how to work the steps, but he wasn’t living their principles in every part of his life.We talk about:The advice from a fellow inmate that changed his direction.Relapsing after eight years sober while leading a recovery community.Divorce, resentment, and telling everyone you’re fine when you aren’t.How faith, recovery, and accountability came together in his life.Rebuilding a healthy co-parenting relationship and returning to ministry.George now serves as director of Dynamic Life Recovery, a men’s recovery residence in Vero Beach, Florida, and as pastor of Recovery Church Vero Beach.Explore his work and connect with him:Dynamic Life Recovery: dynamiclifevero.comRecovery Church: recovery.churchInstagram: @george_lynch_ivFacebook: George LynchIf you’re the person everyone leans on, this conversation is for you. Share it with someone who needs a reminder that they can ask for help, too.Follow The Next Fix with Ryan Penley for more honest conversations about sobriety, second chances, and building a life worth staying sober for.

Dave Mahler lost both of his children. He still chose to show up for families fighting addiction.This is what a comeback through grief looks like.Dave survived 9/11, lost his daughter Dana to fentanyl poisoning, and later endured the death of his son. He could have allowed that grief to close him off from the world. Instead, he left Wall Street and devoted his life to helping individuals and families find recovery.In this powerful return to The Next Fix, Dave explains why getting sober and living in recovery are not the same thing.“Sobriety is physical. Recovery is change.”We talk about what real recovery requires, how connection can interrupt addiction, and why serving someone else can help us survive what we never thought we could carry.In this episode:• The difference between sobriety and recovery• A father’s journey through unimaginable grief• Why relapse does not have to be inevitable• How families can participate in recovery• Breaking a destructive habit one moment at a time• Recovery coaching and sober transportation• Dave’s live-in sober companion work• Finding the courage to share your story• Turning pain into purpose through serviceDave Mahler is the founder of Ground Zero Recovery Coaching and the author of “From Stigma to Sanity.”Connect with Dave:Ground Zero Recovery Coachinghttps://www.groundzerorecoverycoaching.com/Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/people/Ground-Zero-Recovery-Coaching/100067664186542/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/groundzerorecoverycoaching/Phone: 347-687-9766If this conversation reaches you at the right time, share it with someone who needs to know that loss does not have to be the end of their story.Subscribe to The Next Fix for honest conversations about addiction, recovery, resilience, and what it takes to build a comeback.#TheNextFix #AddictionRecovery #Comeback

Six-year-old Haley was sleeping on a pile of school clothes. When Luke Mickelson delivered her first bed, she hugged and kissed it.Her mother stood nearby with tears running down her face. Luke had come to deliver furniture. He left understanding that this was about far more than a place to sleep.Sleep in Heavenly Peace founder Luke Mickelson joins Ryan Penley to share the story behind a Christmas garage project that grew into a movement providing beds for hundreds of thousands of children.At the heart of this conversation is Haley, a little girl who was proud to show visitors her bedroom even though she had never had a bed. Her story reveals an overlooked need in our own communities, and what ordinary people can do about it.Luke also opens up about the successful life that still left him feeling empty, teaching his children the joy of giving, and the small moments of compassion that become something meaningful when we act on them.In this episode:Haley’s first bed and the reaction Luke will never forget.Why a bed means dignity, belonging, and a place to feel safe.How volunteers build and deliver beds for children in their own communities.The difference between wanting to change and taking action.Finding purpose through service, connection, and helping someone else.You don’t have to start a nonprofit to make a difference. You can start by noticing someone who needs you.CONNECT WITH LUKE AND SUPPORT THE MISSIONSleep in Heavenly Peace, including volunteering, donations, and bed requests:https://shpbeds.orgLuke’s website and speaking information:https://lukemickelson.comInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/shplukeSpeaking inquiries: [email protected] The Next Fix on Apple Podcasts for honest conversations about recovery, purpose, and what we build next. If Haley’s story moves you, share this episode with someone who would want to help.

Greg Wallan survived an overdose, watched addiction tear through his family, and still discovered that getting sober was only the beginning.His real enemy was drift: the slow surrender of your attention, identity and future to anything that keeps you from becoming who you were created to be.In this powerful episode of The Next Fix, Greg shares how prescription pain medication led him into addiction, how his mother’s final words awakened his faith, and how he rebuilt his life through recovery, discipline, exercise and purpose.In this episode of The Next Fix, Ryan and Greg discuss:• How prescription pain medication opened the door to addiction• The overdose that nearly ended Greg’s life• His mother’s final words and the spiritual experience surrounding them• Why sobriety alone was never a big enough goal• How exercise helped him feel naturally high on life• Why addiction exists on a spectrum• The danger of drifting through an unintentional life• Why recovery may require completely changing your environment• Greg’s developing ten-week transformation process, The Hero Protocol• How discipline, purposeful goals and faith can help someone move from surviving to thrivingGreg Wallan is a father, entrepreneur, recovery advocate and performance coach who has been drug-free since 2010. Today, he is building businesses, helping men pursue meaningful transformation and working to become the polar opposite of the person addiction once made him.Connect with Greg:Website: https://wallancoaching.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wakingupwallan/Free Solo Tree Climbing: https://www.instagram.com/freesolotreeclimbing/Follow The Next Fix for honest comeback stories from people who discovered that sobriety was not the finish line. It was the beginning.