Real Recovery Podcast

Real Recovery Podcast Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN: 99-1347297) that empowers, enlightens, and inspires those on their recovery journey by sharing authentic stories, practical advice, and community insights. We create a safe and engaging platform for individuals to find solace, strength, and solidarity. Our podcast demystifies the recovery process, celebrates progress, and fosters belonging among listeners. By amplifying diverse voices within the recovery community, Real Recovery aims to be a beacon of hope.

Real Recovery Podcast is a education podcast hosted by Julie and Peter, with 143 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Julie and Peter hosts Real Recovery Podcast, a education show with 143 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #127

  RRP 127 — Ben M. / Triumph Over Trials, Part 2: Three Sponsors, One Prayer, Over Six Years

  Aug 14, 202655 minS1

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  Episode #126

  RRP 126 — Ben M. / Triumph Over Trials, Part 1: Revisited — From Addiction to the Courtroom

  Aug 7, 20261h 22mS3

  RRP 126 — Ben M. / Triumph Over Trials, Part 1 body { font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; max-width: 680px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 24px; background: #F2EAD5; color: #0F1123; line-height: 1.6; }h1 { font-size: 1.5em; color: #0F1123; margin-bottom: 4px; }.meta { color: #771719; font-size: 0.9em; margin-bottom: 16px; }.summary { margin-bottom: 20px; }h2 { font-size: 1.15em; color: #771719; margin-top: 24px; }.keypoints { list-style: none; padding: 0; }.keypoints li { margin-bottom: 8px; }.timecode { display: inline-block; background: #0F1123; color: #fff; padding: 2px 8px; border-radius: 4px; font-size: 0.82em; margin-right: 6px; font-weight: 600; }a { color: #3C82C1; text-decoration: none; }a:hover { text-decoration: underline; }.websites { margin-bottom: 20px; }.websites li { margin-bottom: 4px; }.cta { margin: 24px 0; }.cta a { display: inline-block; background: #F45331; color: #fff; padding: 10px 20px; border-radius: 6px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 8px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 600; }.cta a.blog { background: #3C82C1; }.cta a.newsletter { background: #771719; }blockquote { border-left: 4px solid #F45331; margin: 20px 0; padding: 12px 18px; background: #fff; font-style: italic; border-radius: 0 6px 6px 0; }.quote-attrib { font-style: normal; color: #771719; margin-top: 4px; }.hashtags { font-size: 0.9em; color: #3C82C1; margin-top: 20px; }.footer { font-size: 0.8em; color: #888; margin-top: 24px; border-top: 1px solid #ddd; padding-top: 12px; } RRP 126 — Ben M. / Triumph Over Trials, Part 1: Revisited — From Addiction to the Courtroom Presenters: Julie P. Lewis and Peter B. Dowell • 1 hour 16 minutes • August 7, 2026 We're revisiting one of the most popular episodes in Real Recovery Podcast history. Ben M. first joined us in April 2024 as episode 7. Next week, Ben returns for an update — over six years sober, with three new sponsees and a spiritual shift he calls "seeing the world with new eyes." Ben grew up the only boy in a big Hispanic family in El Paso. At 13, everything changed — first pot, first blackout, first time meeting men off the internet. He came out at 14. His Pinocchio story — meeting a fox on the way to school, following it to the circus, waking up with a donkey tail — is one of the most honest accounts of early addiction we've heard. From law school to psych wards, from a lost law license to a glass of wine on a flight to San Francisco that undid three and a half years — Ben's path shows what alcoholism takes and what recovery can give back. Key Points 03:50 Julie introduces Ben — Sunday night meeting partners, Zoom host and in-person secretary 07:00 Growing up in El Paso and Dallas — only boy, three older sisters, "I got anything I wanted" 10:00 The Pinocchio metaphor — the fox, the circus, the donkey tail 14:00 Age 13 — first pot, first blackout, AOL chat rooms, meeting men off the internet 22:00 Coming out at 14, skipping school, developing a secret life 24:30 Moving to New York City at 18 — September 11th scared him sober for a while 30:30 Law school — daily drinking, suicidal in blackouts, Franzia and Golden Girls 43:30 First DUI, first major collision, jail, psych ward twice in one week 57:00 The relapse — three and a half years sober, then one glass of wine on a flight to San Francisco 61:00 Oregon rehab, finding sobriety, treating alcoholism as life-threatening 65:00 Sobriety date May 5, 2020 — "If I don't stop, I'll be 50 with nothing" 72:30 His husband, Sunday night service, and the life recovery built Websites Discussed MCC Portland Alcoholics Anonymous Real Recovery Podcast Listen Blog Newsletter “Once I put alcohol in my body, I have to be willing to throw everything away — I cannot control whether I'll even be alive in 24 hours.” — Ben M. #RealRecoveryPodcast, #Recovery, #Sobriety, #AddictionRecovery, #AA, #OneDayAtATime, @realrecoverypodcast Real Recovery Podcast is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 99-1347297.

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  Episode #125

  RRP 125 — Check-In with Julie and Peter / Be the Mountain

  Jul 31, 202657 minS3

  RRP 125 — Check-In / Be the Mountain * { margin: 0; padding: 0; box-sizing: border-box; }body { font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; background: #F2EAD5; color: #0F1123; padding: 40px 20px; max-width: 700px; margin: 0 auto; line-height: 1.7; }h1 { font-size: 1.5em; color: #771719; margin-bottom: 8px; }.meta { color: #3C82C1; font-size: 0.9em; margin-bottom: 24px; }.meta span { margin-right: 16px; }.summary { font-size: 1.05em; margin-bottom: 28px; border-left: 4px solid #F45331; padding-left: 16px; }h2 { font-size: 1.15em; color: #771719; margin: 28px 0 12px; }.key-point { margin-bottom: 18px; }.timecode { display: inline-block; background: #0F1123; color: #fff; padding: 2px 8px; border-radius: 12px; font-size: 0.8em; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; margin-right: 6px; }blockquote { margin: 28px 0; padding: 20px 24px; border-left: 4px solid #F45331; background: rgba(244,83,49,0.08); font-style: italic; font-size: 1.1em; color: #771719; }blockquote cite { display: block; margin-top: 10px; font-style: normal; font-size: 0.9em; color: #0F1123; }.websites { margin: 24px 0; }.websites a { color: #3C82C1; text-decoration: none; }.websites a:hover { text-decoration: underline; }.cta { margin: 32px 0; display: flex; gap: 12px; flex-wrap: wrap; }.cta a { display: inline-block; padding: 10px 24px; border-radius: 6px; text-decoration: none; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-weight: 600; font-size: 0.9em; }.cta-listen { background: #F45331; color: #fff; }.cta-blog { background: #3C82C1; color: #fff; }.cta-newsletter { background: #771719; color: #fff; }.hashtags { font-size: 0.9em; color: #3C82C1; margin-top: 24px; padding-top: 20px; border-top: 1px solid rgba(15,17,35,0.15); }.footer { margin-top: 32px; font-size: 0.8em; color: rgba(15,17,35,0.6); } RRP 125 — Check-In / Be the Mountain Julie P. Lewis & Peter B. Dowell 57 minutes July 31, 2026 Peter's nine years sober and one year cancer-free — and he didn't know which doctor he was seeing until he got there. In this check-in, Peter and Julie catch up on 90 days that changed everything: the clean scan, the TMS study at Another Chance, Julie's expungement after 32 years, and what it means to be the mountain. Key Points 00:00 Welcome to the check-in — Peter and Julie catch up after the Glam Lot roundtable. They celebrated three promotions and three birthdays the night before. 02:00 Nine years and a parade — Peter hits nine years sober. The Pride Parade falls on his anniversary. He's never been sober — this year he goes with clear eyes. 06:00 The cancer scan — Clean one-year scans. When they said he'd see Dr. Leidner instead of the NP, his mind went dark. It was just his annual. Three to four years to remission. 19:00 TMS and breaking the cycle — Peter explains transcranial magnetic stimulation and the study at Another Chance, run by former guest John Morgan. Non-medication treatment for addiction cravings. 24:00 Julie's expungement — She found the paperwork while hunting for taxes. Eight charges removed. Thirteen dropped charges that still printed. Thirty-two years out of prison. 13:00 Dress for Success, full circle — Julie donates five business suits to the same organization that gave her an outfit 33 years ago. She wore those black pants for 12 years. 40:00 The mountain — Julie brought Peter to her workplace for the GTD fundraiser. He saw the mountain she prays on. "The mountain doesn't care about the seasons. Be the mountain." 30:00 Community shout-outs — Devlin's new apartment. Amanda's 10 years. Rogue Recovery and 4D Jackson County hit one year. Babies, promotions, and Al is out of hospice. 52:00 What's next — Two new board members, a media intern, someone writing grants. Fred Meyer sent $11.01. They finally have a standup banner. "The mountain doesn't care about the seasons that are coming or the storms that may hit. It stays in the moment, it's strong. Be the mountain." — Peter B. Dowell Websites Discussed Dress for Success • Another Chance Rehab • GTD Go The Distance • True Colors Recovery • Rogue Recovery Center • 4D Recovery • Fred Meyer Community Rewards • Real Recovery Podcast Listen Read the Blog Newsletter #RealRecoveryPodcast, #Recovery, #Sobriety, #OneDayAtATime, #RecoveryPodcast, @realrecoverypodcast Real Recovery Podcast is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 99-1347297

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  Episode #124

  RRP 124 — The Glam Lot PDX (Becca S., Bex, Carrington C.) / We Are Not a Glum Lot: Drag, Sober Fun, and Finding Your People

  Jul 24, 20261h 27mS3

  RRP 124 — The Glam Lot PDX (Becca S., Bex, Carrington C.) / We Are Not a Glum Lot: Drag, Sober Fun, and Finding Your People Julie P. Lewis and Peter B. Dowell • 1 hr 34 min • July 24, 2026 The Glam Lot PDX brings drag, recovery, and fundraising together under one roof at True Colors Recovery . Becca, Bex, and Carrington join Julie and Peter for a roundtable about why fun matters in sobriety — and how they’re building a community where nobody has to choose between being themselves and staying sober. From Friends in the Park to drag bingo to raising money for the Trevor Project , this crew is living proof that recovery can be loud, colorful, and full of joy. Key Points 00:05 Meet the Glam Lot — Becca ( returning guest, EP 18 ) and Carrington co-founded it, Bex joined about a month ago 00:07 Bex: six months sober, they/them, found community fast 00:11 “If you don’t have fun in your life, you don’t have interests — what’s the point?” 00:14 Friends in the Park: bingo, potlucks, bring a newcomer 00:16 Becca got into drag watching YouTube tutorials during lockdown 00:20 Telling people you’re sober: friends who disappeared, ones who stayed 00:27 Drop the Rock, step work, and defense mechanisms 00:34 Peter on finding Lunch Bunch: “These are my people” 01:04 Carrington on hyperfemme drag as a cis woman: “Is this okay?” 01:10 The mission: spread recovery through drag and raise money for charity 01:13 Raising money for the Trevor Project through True Colors 01:28 Final advice: get a houseplant, don’t give up, have some fun “Our mission basically is to spread the word of recovery through the art of drag.” — Bex Websites Discussed The Glam Lot PDX on Instagram The Glam Lot PDX on Facebook True Colors Recovery Kings and Queens Meeting 4D Recovery The Trevor Project Real Recovery Podcast ▶ Listen ✎ Read the Blog ✉ Newsletter #RealRecoveryPodcast #Recovery #Sobriety #Drag #LGBTQRecovery #TrueColors #WeAreNotAGlumLot #RecoveryPodcast @realrecoverypodcast Real Recovery Podcast is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 99-1347297.

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  Episode #123

  RRP 123 — Jen L / When the Light Found Her, Part 2: Nothing Wasted, Not Even the Hard Parts

  Jul 17, 20261h 4mS3

  RRP 123 — Jen L / When the Light Found Her, Part 2 * { box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0; padding: 0; } body { font-family: 'Georgia', serif; background-color: #ffffff; color: #1a1a1a; max-width: 680px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 32px 24px; line-height: 1.65; } .episode-label { font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0.15em; text-transform: uppercase; color: #F45331; margin-bottom: 8px; } h1 { font-size: 22px; font-weight: 700; color: #0F1123; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 6px; } .meta { font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: #666; margin-bottom: 20px; } .timecode-note { font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: #999; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 20px; } .guest-quote { border-left: 4px solid #F45331; background: #faf9f7; padding: 14px 18px; margin: 20px 0; font-style: italic; font-size: 15px; color: #333; } .guest-quote cite { display: block; margin-top: 8px; font-style: normal; font-size: 12px; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; font-weight: 700; color: #666; letter-spacing: 0.05em; } .divider { border: none; border-top: 1px solid #e0e0e0; margin: 24px 0; } h2 { font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 0.1em; text-transform: uppercase; color: #0F1123; margin-bottom: 16px; } .key-points { list-style: none; } .key-points li { display: flex; gap: 12px; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: flex-start; } .pill { background-color: #0F1123; color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: 700; padding: 3px 8px; border-radius: 20px; white-space: nowrap; flex-shrink: 0; margin-top: 2px; } .point-text { font-size: 14px; color: #2a2a2a; } .websites { margin-bottom: 20px; } .websites ul { list-style: none; padding: 0; } .websites li { font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; } .websites a { color: #3C82C1; text-decoration: none; } .websites a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } .url-pending { color: #999; font-style: italic; font-size: 13px; } .cta-row { display: flex; gap: 10px; flex-wrap: wrap; margin: 20px 0; } .btn { display: inline-block; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700; padding: 9px 18px; border-radius: 4px; text-decoration: none; color: #fff; letter-spacing: 0.04em; } .btn-listen { background-color: #F45331; } .btn-blog { background-color: #3C82C1; } .btn-nl { background-color: #771719; } .hashtags { font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; font-size: 12px; color: #888; margin-top: 12px; } .footer { margin-top: 28px; font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: #aaa; border-top: 1px solid #eee; padding-top: 14px; } Real Recovery Podcast — Episode 123 When the Light Found Her, Part 2: Nothing Wasted, Not Even the Hard Parts July 17, 2026  |  Hosts: Julie P. Lewis & Peter B. Dowell  |  Runtime: 1:07:00 Timecodes approximate — pending final edit “I found a sister. I didn’t grow up with a sister, but I have a sister now. And every time I refer to you, it’s, ‘You’re my sister. You’re my spiritual sister,’ and that is everything to me.” — Jen L. Key Points 00:01 Jen spent six months in IOP without once telling her family she had stopped drinking. Recovery was her private project first. 00:02 Her dad was dying of cancer. At 18 months sober, he waved a glass of whiskey in her face. She didn’t take it. She also never told him she’d stopped. 00:05 At age 12, Jen discovered her grandmother Lois in Reno was biological. She found the branch of the family where the disease ran — and finally had a name for it. 00:07 In her first five years of sobriety, Jen walked through what she calls a suicidal depression. She kept showing up anyway. 00:14 Dr. Angela, a Cherokee elder and professor at Reed College, gave eagle feathers at every AA birthday she attended. Jen and Julie both carry one. 00:35 Recovery League Softball: Jen joined five teams and averaged 12 games a week. The obsession for more doesn’t disappear in sobriety. It just finds new rooms. 00:39 Jen met Mickey through softball. She walked into a friend’s house and found a gun and a badge on the kitchen table. Mickey was a parole officer. Jen didn’t run. 00:45 When Peter was going through cancer, the fellowship showed up. What the tools of the program carry people through that willpower alone never could. 00:47 Tammy’s third step gift: “If it adds to you spiritually, it’s God’s will for you. If it takes from you in any way, it’s not God’s will.” Jen still uses it. 00:48 Jen’s higher power: driving into the woods alone. What she finds when she breathes in the wind on her face. 01:01 Jen and Julie have been riding this train together for 29 years. What it means to call someone your spiritual sister — and what Jen says at the end about nothing going to waste. Not the grief, not the hard years, not even the parts she’d trade if she could. Websites Discussed The Grotto — National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, Portland Recovery League Softball Real Recovery Podcast Listen Blog Post Newsletter #RealRecoveryPodcast  #RecoveryIsPossible  #AddictionRecovery  #SoberLife  #LGBTQRecovery  #AA Real Recovery Podcast is a production of Real Recovery Podcast Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

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