Rise Above with Kevin Lanning

Ava Fox opens up about the dark reality behind the modeling industry and the pressure to drink, party, and use drugs just to survive in the entertainment world.

In this episode of Rise Above with Kevin Lanning, Ava shares how she grew up largely on her own, started drinking at just 12 years old, and fell into a lifestyle surrounded by drugs, older crowds, and a reckless party culture. As she entered the modeling industry, she saw firsthand how alcohol, cocaine, and networking culture were deeply embedded in the business.

After years of chaos, health scares...

Nicky Santora grew up in Staten Island surrounded by addiction, chaos, and loss. When he was just 15 years old, he found his mother dead after an overdose from Percocet and OxyContin.

What followed was years of destruction.

He started with weed and cocaine as a kid… then moved to Roxy blues, Xanax, and eventually heroin. Within months he was shooting heroin, robbing houses, stealing air conditioners out of windows, and overdosing.

At his lowest point, Nicky was homeless, facing multiple arrests, and eventually landed inside Rikers Island, where violence and drugs were everywhere.

Kira looked like the “good kid.”
3.8 GPA. Band. Job. Involved in everything.

Behind the scenes, she was self-harming at 12, drinking at 12, snorting ketamine in the school bathroom, selling alcohol through her locker, and attempting suicide multiple times.

At 18, she shaved her head, stopped showering, lived with strangers, and drove 12 hours to Georgia to move in with a man she met online… before barely escaping.

Her true rock bottom?
A little kid knocking on a drug dealer’s bedroom door asking for his dad.

That moment changed everything.

Today, K...

Logan Houle looked like he had it all.

Triple-A hockey. A long-term girlfriend. Good grades. No major trauma. A “normal” life.

But behind closed doors, he was blacking out daily by 16… flipping his Jeep while drunk at 17… and later—after getting sober—developing a hidden gambling addiction that led him to wager over $3.7 million in just four months.

From stealing from family, draining paychecks in hours, and losing $10,000 in under 60 minutes… to rehab, self-exclusion, faith, and helping the next generation through his podcast New Generation Sobriety — this is one of the most powerful young recovery s...

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Fausto grew up in fear. A narcissistic, abusive father. Sexual abuse at 7 years old. Bullying. Codependency. Addiction to validation.

By 14, he was faking his own death on MySpace, getting 5150’d into a psych ward, drinking Jack Daniel’s daily, and chasing ecstasy just to feel normal.

By his 20s, he was smoking meth, having 3–5 grand mal seizures a day, overdosing on pills, blacking out on c...

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At 23, Jordan Lexell was exposed on national television after appearing on Dr. Phil in an episode titled “Young, Reckless & Enabled.”

By 35, she was shooting heroin on the South Side of Chicago, addicted to fentanyl, arrested nearly 30 times, faking drug tests, and living in and out of hotels while facing multiple felonies — including Grand Theft Auto, possession of fentanyl, and her third DUI.

She overdose...

Spencer Forester had the dream résumé.
CPA. 4.0 student. Six-figure career. Big firm promotions.

But behind closed doors? He was drinking at 6:30 AM just to steady his hands.

What started as weekend partying turned into round-the-clock alcohol dependence. Hallucinations. Severe esophagitis. Resting heart rate over 150. Doctors debated ICU. One doctor told him directly:

“Rehab is going to save your life. You’re going to die if you don’t go.”

Instead of disappearing, Spencer raised his hand and asked for help.

Three meetings a day. Calling sober men constantly...

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Blake Bilder went from a small-town kid in Minnesota to signing with the UFC… but behind the fights was chaos no one saw.

Blackout drinking. Adderall and cocaine. Microdosing mushrooms every day. Taking LSD before a UFC fight. Smuggling 81 pounds of weed. Arrested before his debut. Facing federal charges. His brother’s suicide. Ayahuasca ceremonies deep in the Amazon jungle.

At the height of his...

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Evan grew up in a good Italian family on Long Island. Loving parents. Sunday dinners. Sports. No trauma to blame.

By 12, he was smoking weed.
By high school, he was selling cocaine.
By his early 20s, he was running mortgage fraud in Florida.

After his father tragically took his own life, Evan spiraled deeper into addiction — first pills, then heroin, then meth...

Steven Clark was living two lives.

From delivering cocaine between California and Hawaii and serving over five years in federal prison… to managing some of the biggest names in professional surfing — including world champions during the height of the Andy Irons and Kelly Slater era.

On paper, he had it all. Global travel. Elite athletes. Money. Status.
Behind the scenes? Alcohol. Drugs. Ego. Emptiness.

At 50 years old, sitting at a high-profile event surrounded by celebrities and legends, Steven realized he had never felt more alone.

That night he asked God for...

Landon Finn had everything going for him.
Good grades. Fraternity president. Bright future.

But behind closed doors he was drinking at 7AM, tripping on LSD four times a week, blacking out in a Bugs Bunny costume, and hearing voices that weren’t there.

He lied to his parents.
He lied to his sponsor.
He lied to himself.

After passing out behind the wheel and landing in acute kidney failure at 21 years old, doctors told him if he showed up a few hours later… he wouldn’t be here.

This i...

From Hollywood stardom to rock bottom—and everything in between.

In this raw and emotional conversation, Lillo Brancato opens up like never before about his rise to fame in A Bronx Tale, early success alongside legends like Robert De Niro, and how addiction quietly took over his life.

Lillo shares the brutal reality of heroin addiction, overdosing while incarcerated at Rikers Island, surviving prison, and taking full accountability for his past. With nearly 20 years sober, he reflects on guilt, responsibility, faith, prison life, and what it truly means to make living amends.

This is...

Dr. Cali Estes returns for a raw continuation of her first appearance on Rise Above — this time diving even deeper into the realities of addiction, trauma, detox, and what’s broken in the recovery system.

In this episode, we unpack why addiction is often mislabeled as the problem, how trauma and body chemistry drive destructive behavior, and why many traditional treatment models fail to address the root causes of addiction.

Dr. Estes draws from decades on the front lines — working with addicts, families, executives, and high-profile clients — to expose the uncomfortable truths about detox, misdiagnosis, narcissi...

She was a high-powered executive, running multimillion-dollar businesses, praised for her hustle and feared in boardrooms — until addiction took over.

In this raw and unfiltered conversation, Margo Siewert opens up about a life fueled by alcohol, cocaine, ego, and control… and the devastating collapse that followed. From growing up as the daughter of a high-functioning alcoholic, to surviving divorce while pregnant, to nearly dying during childbirth, to building a booming company while quietly spiraling into addiction — everything eventually caught up.

When her husband battled terminal cancer, her son was diagnosed with cancer, and her addiction finall...

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 th...

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 substan...

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 abou...

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:

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 marr...

Dave Marquess grew up in chaos—raised by addict parents, hustling for survival as a child, and spiraling into drugs by his early teens. By his twenties, Dave was deep in PCP, oxy, heroin, and cocaine, running the streets of Kensington, in and out of jail, and living in full-blown addiction and psychosis.

In this raw conversation, Dave opens up about:

Growing up with parents addicted to meth and heroin

Juvenile detention at 14 and fighting authority at every turn

Smoking PCP before school and getting expelled

Selling drugs, escort dr...

Crystal Ambroselli’s story is raw, heartbreaking, and ultimately life-saving.

Raised in a home shaped by alcoholism, chaos, and secrecy, Crystal was exposed to addiction at a young age. By 12, she was in treatment. By 15, she was a pregnant teen mom. By 17, she was smoking crack. At 19, she overdosed on fentanyl-laced cocaine and was clinically dead for 10 minutes.

This episode dives deep into:
• Growing up with an alcoholic father and generational trauma
• Teen pregnancy, betrayal, and family collapse
• Heavy drug use while raising a child
• A near-fatal overdose that should have ended her...

Austin’s story is one of the most intense, raw, and honest recovery journeys ever shared on Rise Above.

After 7 years sober, Austin relapsed—triggered by success, ego, and untreated trauma. What followed was a devastating downward spiral:
🔹 Crack, benzos, kratom, and gambling addiction
🔹 A near-fatal overdose at the Hard Rock Hotel
🔹 20 months running from his life in Mexico, embedded in cartel territory
🔹 Losing millions, his marriage, and himself
🔹 Multiple rehabs, jail, and starting over—again and again

But this isn’t just a relapse story. It’s a redemption story.

Austin open...

Amy Simmonds had everything from the outside — a thriving real estate career, a family, success — but inside she was slowly being destroyed by alcohol.

In this raw and powerful conversation, Amy opens up about her childhood wounds, blackouts, relapse after years sober, and the moment she finally surrendered. She shares how grief — especially the sudden loss of her mother — became the catalyst for a deeper calling: a mission to break the stigma around addiction and show others that recovery is not just possible, it’s powerful.

Amy is now 12.5 years sober and launching a new movement r...

Romaine Campbell is a police officer, husband, father, and a man of unshakable faith — but in 2019, his life was shattered forever.

Romaine’s two-year-old son, Hayden Campbell, was rushed to the hospital brain-dead, with a fractured skull and signs of blunt force trauma. The explanation given?
“They said he fell out of a bed.”

Medical evidence told a different story.

In this raw and heartbreaking conversation, Romaine opens up about the night he received the phone call no parent should ever get — learning that his son was fighting for his life after being left...

When someone you love is struggling with mental illness or addiction, the pain doesn’t stop with them — the family feels it too.

In this powerful and eye-opening conversation, I sit down with Brittany Bennett, a licensed mental health counselor specializing in supporting families who love someone diagnosed with conditions like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, and substance use disorders.

We talk about:

Why families often feel shut out, confused, or helpless

The stigma around mental health and addiction — and how it hurts loved ones

Self-medication, undiagnosed ADHD, and the link b...

Becky’s story is one of survival at every level.

She was sexually abused as a child, adopted into a strict household, and later diagnosed with aggressive cancer just one month after giving birth. Doctors told her she’d be lucky to see her son turn five.

She beat cancer—multiple times.

But the unresolved trauma, years of surgeries, and being told her life was a ticking clock led her down a darker path. Becky fell into severe alcoholism, stole hundreds of thousands of dollars, lost her marriage, and was eventually sentenced to three...

Juliet Warner shares her raw, unfiltered journey through addiction, relapse, recovery, and redemption. From a lonely childhood and early substance use to rehabs, relapse after nearly a decade sober, and ultimately rebuilding her life, marriage, and purpose—this conversation is a powerful reminder that addiction doesn’t always look the way we expect.

#AddictionRecovery#RelapseAndRecovery#SobrietyJourney#AlcoholismAwareness#RecoveryStories

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DJ ActRight sits down with Kevin Lanning to share his powerful journey from active addiction to over 2.5 years sober — all while living a true double life.

By day, he’s a middle school teacher in West Virginia. By night and on weekends, he’s touring the country as Petey Pablo’s DJ, performing in packed venues where alcohol and temptation are everywhere. After a DUI became his wake-up call, DJ ActRight made the decision to get sober and hold himself accountable — even behind the DJ booth.

In this episode, DJ ActRight opens up about:

The sham...

Michelle Falco opens up about the hidden battle she fought for years — an eating disorder rooted in anxiety, ADHD, perfectionism, and a deep fear of not being enough.

Connect with Michelle on IG: andhaleco

In this powerful conversation, Michelle shares:

How her eating disorder began in adolescence

The role dissociation, OCD traits, and intrusive thoughts played

Why going to treatment in 2018 changed — and saved — her life

Leaving a successful career in advertising to pursue purpose

Becoming a licensed social worker and helping others heal

Buil...

Amy spent decades battling addiction in different forms—anorexia, obsession, control, and ultimately alcohol. From hiding vodka in her bedroom while raising her kids to blacking out during COVID, Amy lived a double life that nearly cost her everything.

In this raw and emotional conversation, Amy shares how childhood trauma, OCD, eating disorders, toxic relationships, and owning bars all fueled her addiction. She opens up about the terrifying moments her kids found her passed out, the shame of hiding bottles, and the day her family finally said the words she’d been praying to hear: “You need help.”...

Andrew’s story is a raw, unfiltered look at what severe alcoholism actually looks like behind the scenes.

From growing up with crippling anxiety and a heart condition, to discovering alcohol at 18 and immediately losing control, Andrew spiraled into years of relapse, hospitalizations, psych wards, self-harm, legal consequences, and 13 rehab attempts — all before the age of 27.

He drank every morning, worked remote jobs while intoxicated, ran from police during a wellness check involving helicopters and K-9 units, and endured life-threatening alcohol withdrawals that landed him in ambulances and ERs multiple times in a single night.

Neva Coleman shares her raw and deeply honest journey through high-functioning alcoholism, trauma, perfectionism, and getting sober at a young age — long before her life “looked” like it was falling apart.

In this episode of Rise Above with Kevin Lanning, Neva opens up about growing up in New Jersey, losing her father in the 9/11 attacks, excelling academically and socially, and how alcohol slowly became her coping mechanism. What started as “normal college drinking” at Tulane University escalated into blackouts, extreme anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and a terrifying 3-day Mardi Gras bender that led her to call the suicide hotline.<...

In this raw and deeply emotional episode of Rise Above with Kevin Lanning, Caylene shares the full truth of her battle with alcoholism — a battle that nearly cost her life.

What began as “normal” wine drinking slowly escalated into daily dependence, hiding alcohol around her home, drinking before work, and waking up shaking until her first sip. During COVID, her addiction spiraled until her family staged an intervention that saved her life.

Soon after, doctors diagnosed Caylene with end-stage liver disease and cirrhosis. She experienced severe alcohol withdrawal, hallucinations, massive fluid buildup that made her look p...

Tony had everything on the outside — money, sales success, status, and opportunity — but inside he was spiraling fast.

In this episode of Rise Above, Tony opens up about his descent into gambling addiction, Adderall abuse, cocaine use, and a terrifying 5-day stimulant binge that nearly cost him his life. What began as discipline and ambition turned into obsession, hallucinations, paranoia, and suicidal thoughts.

Tony shares:

How gambling became his first addiction at just 16

Making over $100,000 playing poker and losing it all

How Adderall fueled sales success — then completely rewired his br...

Millicent Huser is a conscious leadership practitioner, trauma-informed mentor, and recovery professional with over 22 years of sobriety and more than two decades working in mental health, addiction treatment, and organizational leadership.

In this episode of Rise Above, Millicent explains why putting down alcohol was only the beginning of her journey. Years into sobriety, unresolved trauma, insecurity, and emotional patterns resurfaced — forcing her to confront the deeper inner work required to stay sober, grounded, and fulfilled long-term.

Millicent shares how her work today focuses on emotional sobriety, trauma healing, habit transformation, and conscious leadership, helping individuals an...

This episode of Rise Above with Kevin Lanning is one of the most intense, raw, and powerful stories we’ve ever shared.

Jana began using painkillers at 14 years old, progressed to shooting heroin daily, and by 18 was homeless, blacklisted by drug dealers, and clinically dead after an overdose so severe she left her body.

In this interview, Jana shares:

Growing up in chaos and trauma

Dating dangerous drug dealers as a teenager

Shooting heroin, meth, and crack

A near-death experience where she watched herself turn blue

...

Adam Larkin’s story is one of the most powerful comeback stories you’ll hear.

In this episode of Rise Above, Adam opens up about his journey from a middle-class upbringing in New York to years of addiction, drug dealing, near-death trauma, and survivor’s guilt after a horrific car accident that took his best friend’s life.

What followed was nearly two decades of opioid dependence — OxyContin, methadone, Suboxone, benzos — all prescribed, all destructive. Adam takes us deep into the realities of long-term addiction, pharmaceutical dependency, and how relapse can happen even after years of sobriety...

Garet McLendon spent years trapped in a cycle of addiction, violence, and incarceration — selling meth, surviving prison riots, and losing everything that mattered most, including his relationship with his daughter.

In this raw and unfiltered conversation, Garet opens up about:

Growing up surrounded by abuse, instability, and addiction

Dropping out of school and running the streets

Selling meth and cycling in and out of jail and prison

Witnessing extreme violence, riots, and survival inside the system

The moment he finally surrendered and chose sobriety

Rebuilding li...

Lex Jacoby’s story is one of strength, resilience, and quiet courage.

In this episode of Rise Above, Lex shares her journey from serving eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps to navigating divorce, single motherhood, and the isolating transition back into civilian life — all without a safety net.

This conversation goes far beyond labels. Lex opens up about rebuilding her identity, learning how to stand on her own, and finding confidence and freedom by being unapologetically herself.

Whether you’re a veteran, a single parent, or someone going through a major life t...

Avery Schlereth never planned on getting sober — until alcohol stopped numbing her anxiety and started running her life.

In this New Year, New Me episode of Rise Above, Avery shares what sobriety really looks like beyond the first year. Not just quitting drinking, but learning how to live, heal, and evolve as a sober woman — one year at a time.

Year one was about survival. Getting sober in 2024 meant sitting with anxiety she had spent years trying to silence, learning how to exist without alcohol, and discovering a completely new way to move through the worl...