The Cup of Joe Show

The Loneliest Walk: Doug R. Building a Sober Circle

He felt a void he thought alcohol could fill—turns out, it was a God-shaped hole.
In this unforgettable episode of The Cup of Joe Show, Doug R. takes us from the military bases of Hawaii to the chaotic streets of addiction—and ultimately, to a life of purpose and peace. Doug grew up in a home shaped by secrecy and survival, with a father in military intelligence and a heart that never quite fit in. By high school, he was the party guy, selling drugs, getting arrested, and trying to silence the storm inside with booze and bravado.
But behind the chaos were whispers of something more: a childhood mentor named Mr. Denny who introduced him to spiritual principles, and fleeting moments of clarity that pierced the darkness. Still, the spiral continued—until his mother’s heart-wrenching words and a 12-step intervention at a dope house became the catalyst for change.
At just 23, Doug began what he calls the “loneliest walk” toward his first 12-step meeting. What he found wasn’t just sobriety—it was surrender, connection, and a life beyond anything he imagined. Doug reminds us that recovery isn’t about changing the world around us—it’s about transforming the person within.
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The Cup of Joe Show explores the journey of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction—one story, one conversation, and one step at a time. New Episode Every Thursday at Noon.

Kyle K.'s Adventures in Recovery

He wasn’t born without a moral compass—it was just still in the box. Recovery helped him open it.
In this uplifting and deeply human episode of The Cup of Joe Show, Kyle K. shares his powerful journey from spiritual bankruptcy to a life filled with meaning, creativity, and service. As a restless and discontented kid growing up in the chaos of a broken home, Kyle dropped out of school, chased trouble, and found himself drowning in blackout drinking by the age of 15. Alcohol felt like the answer—until it wasn’t.
But a chance encounter at a Waffle House with a friend who had found peace in the 12 steps planted a seed. When his cousin tricked him into attending his first meeting, everything began to change. Sober since March 19, 1998—at just 21 years old—Kyle embraced recovery with open arms, traveling the country, finishing college, and building a life rooted in purpose and spiritual growth.
In Kyle’s words, recovery helped him unpack his moral compass, deepen his connection with his Higher Power, and understand that the meaning of life is simply playing the role he was assigned to play.
👉 Like, follow, and share this powerful episode as a reminder that freedom starts with surrender—and adventure begins the moment we say yes to healing.
🌟 For daily encouragement and inspiration, visit our friends at Daily Ponderables — your source of hope and reflection 365 days a year.
The Cup of Joe Show explores the journey of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction—one story, one conversation, and one step at a time. New Episode Every Thursday at Noon.

Rockstar Reset: Scott M. Finds Serenity

He moved cities trying to reset his life—turns out, he kept taking the chaos with him.
In this riveting episode of The Cup of Joe Show, Scott M. opens up about a life spent chasing the next high—and the long road to find peace. A gifted guitarist from Atlanta, Scott turned to LSD at 15 and spent the next three decades trying to escape himself. Using everything from alcohol to meth, and dreaming of rock stardom, he even found himself partying at the infamous Playboy Mansion.
No matter how he tried to reset his life or where he moved, addiction always caught up with him. Introduced to recovery more than ten years ago, Scott cycled through rehabs and relapses, clinging to the illusion of control while refusing to fully let go.
Everything changed after a brutal three-year bottom left him spiritually bankrupt. That’s when Scott got honest, stopped playing God, and finally came to believe. Today—sober since February 27, 2023—he’s rebuilding his life through the 12 steps, service, and the quiet strength of surrender.
👉 If you’ve ever struggled feeling that “more” will never be enough, this episode is for you. Follow, share, and subscribe and help us keep spreading the message of recovery.
🌟 Looking for daily encouragement and inspiration? Visit our friends at Daily Ponderables — your source for strength, hope, and reflection 365 days a year.
The Cup of Joe Show explores the journey of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction—one story, one conversation, and one step at a time. New Episode Every Thursday at Noon.

Jeremy S. Trading Chaos for Contentment

His pattern was working Step One and Step Nine—then going back to drinking. He learned he had to stop apologizing and start transforming.
In this honest and relatable episode of The Cup of Joe Show, Jeremy S. shares his story of growing up athletic, intelligent, and burdened by expectations. At 13, he discovered alcohol—and from that moment, the chase for escape and ease began.
Despite graduating college with honors, Jeremy was living anything but honorably. Promising beginnings were shadowed by secret bottles, broken relationships, and untreated depression. Even after his mother’s death, a failed marriage, and losing nearly everything, Jeremy cycled through sobriety stints and apologies without ever fully surrendering.
It wasn’t until a series of health crises, both mental and physical, that he finally reached out to the one person left who would take his call: his sponsor. What followed was a relationship grounded in love, truth, and accountability.
Today, Jeremy has something he never thought possible: contentment. He’s grounded, present, and finally okay being okay.
🎙️ Be sure to like, follow, and share this episode with someone who needs to know they’re not alone in the fight.
🌟 Looking for daily encouragement and inspiration? Visit our friends at Daily Ponderables — your source for strength, hope, and reflection 365 days a year.
The Cup of Joe Show explores the journey of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction—one story, one conversation, and one step at a time. New Episode Every Thursday at Noon.

Breath of Hope: Anne Y.’s 40 Years of Recovery

We don’t just work the steps—we become them. You’ll know it’s happening when your behavior starts to change.
In this powerful and deeply moving episode of The Cup of Joe Show, we sit down with Anne Y., sober since September 3, 1985. Growing up in a family of high achievers, Anne felt the pressure to be everything to everyone—leading a double life between church choirs and the chaos of 70s sex, drugs, and rock & roll.
Early in her recovery, a piano brought into a treatment center helped her reconnect with her passion for music—and something in her soul began to heal. That moment sparked a lifelong journey of service, mentorship, and purpose. With nearly four decades of sobriety, Anne has worked in the field of long-term recovery, especially with young women, while maintaining a strong personal program.
Anne shares her truth about boundaries, the power of music, and why recovery must be rooted in connection, not isolation. Her motto? Where there is breath, there is hope.
🔗 Resources mentioned in this episode:
Serenity in the Smokies Women’s Retreat: serenityinthesmokies.com
Knoxville Metro Drug Coalition: metrodrug.org
Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network: tspn.org
🎙️ From turning manipulation into motivation, to forming a fierce sisterhood of strong women, Anne's story is one of perseverance, grace, and transformation.
🌟 Looking for daily encouragement and inspiration? Visit our friends at Daily Ponderables — your source for strength, hope, and reflection 365 days a year.
The Cup of Joe Show explores the journey of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction—one story, one conversation, and one step at a time. New Episode Every Thursday at Noon.

Ladd H. Surrenders from Exhaustion

Everything changed when I dropped the word ‘blame’ and picked up the basics of recovery
In this encouraging episode of The Cup of Joe Show, Ladd H. shares a no-nonsense story of collapse, surrender, and rebuilding from the ground up. A standout college athlete who thought the rules didn’t apply to him, Ladd's life spiraled from alcohol and opiates to smoking fentanyl, amphetamines, and living in a five-year stretch of psychosis. He chose isolation over help—until addiction took everything: his marriage, jobs, money, and sanity.
After a first attempt at recovery, Ladd stayed sober for ten months but found himself suicidal until his brother—also in recovery—encouraged him to find a sponsor and work the steps. He did. But like so many, he relapsed, and the disease picked up right where it left off.
The true turning point came when Ladd surrendered from exhaustion—not just to the idea of sobriety, but to the practice of it. He stopped blaming others, got honest, got humble, and returned to the basics: sponsor, steps, service. Today, he overachieves in recovery by keeping it simple and consistent, learning that “when everything inside settles down, the rest of life begins to settle down.”
🎙️ This episode is a moving reminder that strength doesn’t come from willpower—it comes from surrender.
📌 Mentioned in this episode:
📖 Stumbling in the Right Direction by Don M.
🎵 KrishnaDas.com – music, mantra for spiritual connection
🌟 Looking for daily encouragement and inspiration? Visit our friends at Daily Ponderables — your source for strength, hope, and reflection 365 days a year.
The Cup of Joe Show explores the journey of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction—one story, one conversation, and one step at a time. New Episode Every Thursday at Noon.

Yonah G. Stumbles in the Right Direction

I told my sponsor I didn’t believe in God. He said, ‘I don’t really give a sh*t. Pray anyway.’
In this honest, unfiltered episode of The Cup of Joe Show, we sit down with Yonah G., a man whose journey into recovery started with suicidal thoughts and deep resentment toward organized religion—and ended with peace, purpose, and a life he never imagined possible.
Raised in an orthodox Jewish home in New Jersey, Yonah always felt like an outsider—full of insecurity, depression, and a longing to escape. That escape came at 14, when he tried acid for the first time and thought, “This is the greatest day of my life.” What followed was a years-long battle with heroin, opiates, and alcohol, including multiple stints in rehab and a growing hatred for anything involving God or faith.
At the breaking point, Yonah gave recovery one final chance. That shot led him to the 5th Tradition Group in Atlanta and a sponsor who didn’t care about his belief system—just that he was willing to do the work.
Today, Yonah is a family man with two sons, a wife also in recovery, and has a thriving business providing in-home hospice care for animals.
🎙️ Yonah’s story is proof that you can stumble your way into recovery—as long as you keep moving forward.
📌 Mentioned in this episode:
📖 Stumbling in the Right Direction by Don M.
5th Tradition Group in Atlanta, GA visit http://5thtraditiongroup.com/
🌟 Looking for daily encouragement and inspiration? Visit our friends at Daily Ponderables — your source for strength, hope, and reflection 365 days a year.
The Cup of Joe Show explores the journey of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction—one story, one conversation, and one step at a time. New Episode Every Thursday at Noon.

A Grateful Man of Action: Ryan B.

High, broken, and hearing voices telling him God hadn’t been good to him—he jumped. That was the beginning… not the end.
Ryan B. was once the kind of guy who could make a mess out of miracles. By the time he was 17, he’d been to rehab three times and had a daughter he wasn’t ready to raise. His life, marked by adventure and self-imposed crisis, hit its lowest point at a Widespread Panic concert—where, high on a cocktail of drugs, he jumped off a 50-foot ledge after hearing voices that God had abandoned him.
He survived, but the emotional bottom came later in a hotel room when his own daughter looked him in the eyes and said, “I don’t want to see you until you’ve been sober for 10 years.”
This is a raw, unflinching story about wreckage, redemption, and the miraculous repair that can happen when you finally say, “I’m tired of doing things my way.”
Today, Ryan is a grateful man of action—clean, connected, and deeply committed to recovery. His daughter is now the VP of his company, he’s married to a fellow traveler in the program, and he's a proud dad once again—this time fully present.
🎙️ If you’ve ever doubted that real transformation is possible, Ryan’s story will remind you: it’s never too late to rebuild from rock bottom.
🌟 Looking for daily encouragement and inspiration? Visit our friends at Daily Ponderables — your source for strength, hope, and reflection 365 days a year.
The Cup of Joe Show explores the journey of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction—one story, one conversation, and one step at a time. New Episode Every Thursday at Noon.

Feeding the Dragon: Brad W.’s Fight for Freedom

My mom doesn’t have to look for me in a dumpster anymore—that’s the power of recovery.
In this raw and powerful episode of The Cup of Joe Show, Brad W. shares his incredible journey from a small-town Arkansas kid to a man nearly destroyed by addiction—and ultimately transformed by recovery.
After a life-changing accident with a firearm left him feeling broken and insecure, Brad turned to alcohol and drugs for relief. What started as a source of false strength quickly spiraled into a deadly trap. From drinking to using cocaine, meth, and heroin—even with his own son—Brad’s life became consumed by what he calls “feeding the dragon.”
By 18, he was in his first of many rehabs. But the turning point came years later, when his mother, brother, and boss staged an intervention that led him to treatment—and to hope. In an AA meeting inside rehab, Brad heard the word God in the Serenity Prayer, and something shifted. That was the beginning of a spiritual transformation that would change everything.
From a stream of pollution to amazing grace, this is one of the most honest and redemptive stories you’ll hear.
🎙️ Today, Brad shows up for his children, is clean, connected, and living proof that no matter how dark it gets, recovery is possible.
🌟 Looking for daily encouragement and inspiration? Visit our friends at Daily Ponderables — your source for strength, hope, and reflection 365 days a year.
The Cup of Joe Show explores the journey of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction—one story, one conversation, and one step at a time. New Episode Every Thursday at Noon.

Happily and Usefully Whole: Marian G.’s 38 Years

God didn’t just take away her drinking—jokingly she says He stole her car, left her with no radio, and opened the door to a spiritual connection through the only songs she knew: Christmas carols.
In this heartfelt and inspiring episode of The Cup of Joe Show, Marian G. shares what 38 years of sobriety, service, and spiritual growth have taught her. Raised in a strict household and drinking regularly by age 12, Marian lived with intensity—unruly, driven, and completely self-directed.
She married young, drank in blackouts, cycled through a DUI and rehab, and spiraled into dangerous relationships. When a roommate left a note that read, “You scare me,” Marian began to confront her reality. But it wasn’t until a moment of incomprehensible demoralization that she finally got honest—and was ready to find a new way of life.
Since July 12, 1987, Marian has walked the road of recovery, anchored in the 12 steps and the power of service. She’s taken meetings into correctional facilities for nearly four decades, and in her signature mix of grit and dark humor, learned how to forgive, love, and grow.
This episode includes a moving tribute to her beloved husband David G., who passed away in August 2024. Marian shares what it meant to build a marriage grounded in recovery, walk together through deep loss, and rely on spiritual tools to face the hardest year of her life.
👉 Like, follow, and share this powerful story with someone who needs to hear that healing is possible—and how to joyously deal with the realities of life.
🌟 Visit our friends at Daily Ponderables — your daily source of encouragement, hope, and inspiration 365 days a year.
The Cup of Joe Show explores the journey of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction—one story, one conversation, and one step at a time. New Episode Every Thursday at Noon.