Rise Above with Kevin Lanning

Kevin Lanning
  • 4.8 (215)
  • PERSONAL JOURNALS
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Welcome to Rise Above with Kevin Lanning. Join Kevin, a former Google executive in sobriety, as he shares inspiring stories of resilience. Each episode features individuals who have faced life’s toughest challenges—addiction, trauma, anxiety, and more—and emerged stronger. These conversations aren’t just about survival; they’re about thriving and finding practical solutions to rise above adversity. Kevin’s own journey through addiction and childhood trauma fuels his passion for sharing stories that uplift, educate, and inspire. Tune in and discover the strength within you.

  1. I Was Drinking at 12 and Doing LSD by 15 | Drugs, Modeling Party Culture & 11 Years Sober

    12H AGO

    I Was Drinking at 12 and Doing LSD by 15 | Drugs, Modeling Party Culture & 11 Years Sober

    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, and watching others lose themselves to addiction, Ava made a life-changing decision to walk away from it all. She quit drinking, changed her entire lifestyle, strengthened her faith, and has now been sober for 11 years. This is a powerful conversation about independence, addiction, boundaries, healing, and what it takes to choose a different path when the entire industry pushes you in the opposite direction. #sobriety #addictionrecovery #modelingindustry #recoveryjourney #riseabovepodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 2m
  2. “I Shot Heroin Until I Flatlined” | Rikers Island to 10 Years Sober

    4D AGO

    “I Shot Heroin Until I Flatlined” | Rikers Island to 10 Years Sober

    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. But somehow, he made it out. Today Nicky is over 10 years sober, a father of three, and a rising comedian who uses his brutally honest story to help others battling addiction. This is a raw conversation about addiction, recovery, prison, and rebuilding a life when everyone thinks you're finished. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, stories like this prove that recovery is possible. #addictionrecovery #heroinaddiction #soberstory #recoveryjourney #rikersisland #opioidcrisis #recoverypodcast #riseabove Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    53 min
  3. I Tried Heroin at 16… and Everything Went Downhill From There

    5D AGO

    I Tried Heroin at 16… and Everything Went Downhill From There

    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, Kira is 6+ years clean and sober, graduated from Michigan State, worked in Child Protective Services, and is now pursuing her Master’s in Social Work. This episode is about addiction that doesn’t look “broken,” mental health, grooming, suicide attempts, recovery at 18, and how contentment—not happiness—is the real goal. If you’re struggling, there is hope. Stay. #AddictionRecovery #MentalHealthAwareness #SobrietyJourney #SuicidePrevention #YoungPeopleInRecovery #KetamineAbuse #RecoveryStory #AARecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 28m
  4. I Was Drinking Every Day at 16… Flipped My Jeep Drunk at 17 | Then Gambled $3.7 MILLION in Sobriety

    MAR 2

    I Was Drinking Every Day at 16… Flipped My Jeep Drunk at 17 | Then Gambled $3.7 MILLION in Sobriety

    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 stories you’ll hear. Addiction isn’t always drugs. Sometimes it’s alcohol. Sometimes it’s gambling. And sometimes it’s the pain underneath it all. If you're struggling, you're not alone. #AddictionRecovery #GamblingAddiction #SobrietyJourney #AlcoholismRecovery #RiseAbove Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 34m
  5. I Was Having Cocaine-Induced Seizures 5x a Day | Gang Life, Trauma & Redemption

    FEB 27

    I Was Having Cocaine-Induced Seizures 5x a Day | Gang Life, Trauma & Redemption

    Sponsored by Cozy Earth — elevate your everyday with premium bedding designed for deeper rest and calmer nights. Use code RISEABOVE for up to 20% off at cozyearth.com. 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 cruises, and attempting suicide more than once. He says alcohol saved his life before it nearly killed him. But that wasn’t even the end. In sobriety, he faced betrayal, family deaths, brain aneurysms, EMDR trauma breakthroughs, and a collapse that almost took him out at six years clean. This is a raw conversation about sexual abuse, addiction, masculinity, forgiveness, service, and protecting your peace. If you’ve ever felt broken, ashamed, or alone… watch this. There is purpose in pain. — Follow Fausto: YouTube / IG / TikTok: @HopeDealers If you’re struggling with addiction or trauma, you are not alone. Reach out. Help exists. #AddictionRecovery #SobrietyJourney #TraumaHealing #MensMentalHealth #SexualAbuseSurvivor #FromRockBottom #5150 #GrandMalSeizures #AARecovery #RiseAbovePodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 52m
  6. I Had No Veins Left… Fentanyl Was Eating My Body | Dr. Phil, Grand Theft Auto & Sobriety

    FEB 25

    I Had No Veins Left… Fentanyl Was Eating My Body | Dr. Phil, Grand Theft Auto & Sobriety

    Sponsored by Cozy Earth — elevate your everyday with premium bedding designed for deeper rest and calmer nights. Use code RISEABOVE for up to 20% off at cozyearth.com. 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 overdosed in her mother’s home. She detoxed in Sarasota County Jail. She was looking at serious prison time. On August 24, 2022, Jordan did her last line of fentanyl pulling into treatment. Today, she’s over three and a half years sober — rebuilding her life from the ground up, repairing her relationship with her mom, grieving her father’s death in sobriety, and proving that even after 30 arrests… redemption is possible. This is a raw, unfiltered conversation about: Heroin & fentanyl addiction Being enabled by family Fake rehab culture vs state-funded treatment Jail detox and felony probation Brain recovery after opioids Losing a parent in sobriety Rebuilding from rock bottom If you or someone you love is battling addiction — this episode is proof that no one is too far gone. Recovery is possible. #FentanylCrisis #HeroinAddiction #DrPhil #AddictionRecovery #SobrietyJourney #GrandTheftAuto #OpioidEpidemic #RiseAbove #RecoveryIsPossible #FelonToFreedom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 2m
  7. Alcohol Was Killing Me | Hallucinations, Severe Esophagitis and How I Found Sobriety

    FEB 23

    Alcohol Was Killing Me | Hallucinations, Severe Esophagitis and How I Found Sobriety

    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. Rebuilding from zero. Now 2.5 years sober, he left his CPA career and is building something in the recovery space to help others. This episode is proof that addiction does not discriminate. You can look successful on the outside and still be dying on the inside. If you’re struggling — raise your hand. Ask for help. You don’t have to go through it alone. Follow Spencer: @sober.spenny Follow Rise Above for more real recovery stories. #AlcoholAddiction #SobrietyJourney #RecoveryIsPossible #DetoxStory #AARecovery #AddictionRecovery #SoberLife #MensRecovery #HealingJourney #RaiseYourHand Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 14m
  8. I Fought in the UFC on LSD | Cartel Arrest, Ayahuasca in Peru & Getting Sober

    FEB 20

    I Fought in the UFC on LSD | Cartel Arrest, Ayahuasca in Peru & Getting Sober

    Sponsored by Cozy Earth — elevate your everyday with premium bedding designed for deeper rest and calmer nights. Use code RISEABOVE for up to 20% off at cozyearth.com. 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 career, Blake was spiraling. In this raw interview, Blake opens up about nearly ending his life, relapsing in sobriety, cartel involvement, fighting on psychedelics, prison time, and the moment he finally surrendered and asked for help. This is a story about ego, faith, shame, redemption, and what it really costs to chase greatness. If you’re struggling with addiction, depression, or suicidal thoughts — you are not alone. Watch until the end. #RiseAbove #UFC #AddictionRecovery #SobrietyJourney #MentalHealthAwareness #BlakeBilder #RiseAbove #Psychedelics #AyahuascaExperience #MMAFighter #FromAddictionToRecovery #SuicideAwareness #RecoveryIsPossible Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 57m
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Trailer

Hosts & Guests

4.8
out of 5
215 Ratings

About

Welcome to Rise Above with Kevin Lanning. Join Kevin, a former Google executive in sobriety, as he shares inspiring stories of resilience. Each episode features individuals who have faced life’s toughest challenges—addiction, trauma, anxiety, and more—and emerged stronger. These conversations aren’t just about survival; they’re about thriving and finding practical solutions to rise above adversity. Kevin’s own journey through addiction and childhood trauma fuels his passion for sharing stories that uplift, educate, and inspire. Tune in and discover the strength within you.

Information

  • Creator
    Kevin Lanning
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    236
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Rise Above with Kevin Lanning

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