Living on Incline

Living on Incline
  • 5.0 (17)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Biweekly

What are we truly capable of? That’s the question Living on Incline sets out to explore. Hosted by John Eklund, this podcast brings you real conversations with people who have pushed through suffering, setbacks, and challenges — not just to survive, but to grow. From recovery to business, from faith to government, each guest is unlocking their full potential and inviting you to do the same. The name comes from the Manitou Incline — a steep, grueling hike in Colorado that inspired John to lean into discomfort as a path to growth. This show is about that same mindset: choosing to live on incline, on purpose, every day. If you’re curious about what you’re capable of — physically, spiritually, emotionally — you’re in the right place.

  1. Jul 14

    #024 Why the Modern Shelter System is Built to Let Addicts Fail

    What happens to the people who are too broken for a standard homeless shelter? In this high-stakes interview, recovery expert Chris Budnick pulls back the curtain on a brutal systemic paradox: standard institutional shelters automatically disqualify the exact individuals trapped under the influence, forcing a volatile cycle between first responders and emergency rooms. From his raw personal battle with "baseline pain" as a teenager to managing one of the most successful peer-led recovery ecosystems in North Carolina, Chris exposes why society's approach to addiction fails—and reveals the radical blueprint required to help people truly flourish. 🔔 Subscribe for more high-end, cinematic interviews on exploring our full potential and overcoming the odds. CHANNELS MENTIONED: Learn more about Healing Transitions: [https://healingtransitions.org/](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://healingtransitions.org/) Support Recovery Alive: [https://recoveryalive.com/](https://recoveryalive.com/) TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - I Did Not Want to Live 1:06 - Automatically Disqualified From the Shelter 2:45 - Who Is More Deserving of a Bed? 3:55 - The Origin of Healing Transitions 4:49 - Scared Straight Confrontational Models 6:33 - The Fear of Being Left With the Pain 7:47 - The Relapse of a Role Model 8:56 - Finding My Recovery Ancestor in a Kitchen 10:57 - From Inpatient Case Management to Executive Director 12:53 - Reevaluating Without Severing the Relationship 14:12 - Breaking the Barrier of Learned Helplessness 16:03 - Reconciling and Sticking With the Lifelong Journey 17:50 - The Evolution of the Always Tagline 19:11 - What Do People Need to Flourish? 21:15 - Building Apartments for Women and Children 22:25 - Facing Crowding and Overdose Surges During COVID 23:48 - Developing Alumni Into Tomorrow's Leaders 25:58 - The Challenge of Cleaning Up Cities Through Trespassing 27:11 - Burnout, Vicarious Trauma, and Staff Sustainability 29:04 - How to Tour and Support the Mission #HomelessnessSolutions #AddictionRecovery #SystemicFailure #MentalHealthMatters #LivingOnIncline Listen and Follow Living on Incline Listen on your favorite platform: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-on-incline/id1828304603 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78HwNrRWZHGAHL8Zv90nO0?si=e4b5d032e9214deb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdyfS2K4OE4WFJRWSuAgsQ RSS Feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2521959.rss Website: https://www.livingonincline.com Sponsored by Recovery Alive Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation. Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive Send us Fan Mail

  2. Jul 2

    #023 How to Fix a Broken Prison System | Kurtis Taylor & Lateisha Thrash

    Why is life after prison so incredibly difficult, and why do 83% of formerly incarcerated individuals end up back in the system? In this powerful episode, we dive deep into the raw realities of prison reentry, recidivism statistics, and what it actually takes to rebuild a life from scratch. We are joined by executive leaders Kurtis Taylor and Lateisha Thrash, who share their deeply personal stories of transformation, faith, and humility. From overcoming the stigma of incarceration to fighting for systemic criminal justice reform, this conversation exposes the flaws in the current system and highlights the "organic reentry" models that are dropping recidivism rates to 10% or less. If you want to understand the true meaning of redemption, surrender, and what it takes to change prison culture, this is an episode you cannot afford to miss. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Introduction: The Reality of Reentry 02:15 - The Staggering Statistics on Recidivism 05:40 - Kurtis Taylor’s Story: From Incarceration to Executive Leadership 11:10 - Lateisha Thrash on "Organic Reentry" & Breaking the Stigma 17:45 - "When You Make It Hard to Do What’s Right" 24:30 - How the Bob Barker Foundation Grantees Achieved a 10% Recidivism Rate 31:15 - The Power of Faith, Humility, and Surrender in Recovery 38:00 - Changing Prison Culture from the Inside Out 44:25 - How You Can Support Reentry Programs & Justice Reform 52:10 - Final Thoughts & Closing Remarks --- RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED Learn More About the Bob Barker Foundation: Discover how Kurtis Taylor and his team work nationwide to reduce recidivism, eliminate reentry stigma, and support justice-impacted individuals. 👉 [https://www.bobbarkerfoundation.org](https://www.bobbarkerfoundation.org) Explore NC Department of Adult Correction (DAC) Reentry Services: Learn about North Carolina's Reentry 2030 initiative, Local Reentry Councils (LRC), and community support partnerships led by Director Lateisha Thrash. 👉 [https://www.dac.nc.gov/divisions-and-sections/rehabilitation-and-reentry/transition-services](https://www.dac.nc.gov/divisions-and-sections/rehabilitation-and-reentry/transition-services) Host or Join a Reentry Simulation: Walk in the shoes of someone returning home from incarceration to truly understand the systemic barriers they face. For information on NCDAC-sponsored simulations, contact Director Lateisha Thrash at Lateisha.Thrash@dac.nc.gov. 👉 [https://www.dac.nc.gov/divisions-and-sections/rehabilitation-and-reentry/upcoming-reentry-simulations](https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dac.nc.gov%2Fdivisions-and-sections%2Frehabilitation-and-reentry%2Fupcoming-reentry-simulations) Discover Recovery Alive: Find out more about the faith-based recovery program and campus partnerships mentioned by Lateisha Thrash that provide holistic care and long-term reentry housing. 👉 [https://www.recoveryalive.com](https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.recoveryalive.com) Listen to More Episodes of Living on Incline: Check out the full catalog of powerful stories dedicated to personal growth, healing, and moving through life's toughest obstacles. 👉 [https://www.livingonincline.com](https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.livingonincline.com) Listen and Follow Living on Incline Listen on your favorite platform: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-on-incline/id1828304603 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78HwNrRWZHGAHL8Zv90nO0?si=e4b5d032e9214deb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdyfS2K4OE4WFJRWSuAgsQ RSS Feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2521959.rss Website: https://www.livingonincline.com Sponsored by Recovery Alive Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation. Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive #PrisonReentry #Recidivism #CriminalJusticeReform #RedemptionStory #PrisonReform #InspirationalStories #FaithAndRecovery Send us Fan Mail

  3. Jun 18

    #022 Betrayed at 14, Gangs, and Turning Total Devastation Into a Mission | Kelley Jean Blas

    At just 14 years old, Kelley Jean Blas faced ultimate betrayal, ran away to join a gang, and survived being left for dead. In this raw episode of Living on Incline, host John Eklund sits down with Kelley to discuss her powerful story of overcoming severe childhood trauma, fighting addiction, navigating profound grief, and turning total devastation into a front-line rescue mission. If you are looking for an inspiring story of hope, resilience, and finding purpose in the pain, Kelley’s testimony of faith and survival is an absolute must-watch.  Decades after overcoming a methamphetamine addiction and surviving the streets, Kelley experienced the unthinkable heartbreak of losing a child. Instead of letting the grief break her, she chose to push upward, choosing to live on an incline. Today, she is the founder of JoCo Angels—a powerful non-profit organization dedicated to fighting the front lines of the overdose crisis, supporting grieving families, and raising critical awareness about the modern drug epidemic.  In this unfiltered conversation, John and Kelley also sound the alarm on the hidden threat of synthetic drugs, fentanyl poisoning, and the terrifying rise of highly addictive, over-the-counter opioid derivatives like kratom extracts being legally sold to minors in everyday vape shops and gas stations.  This interview is a masterclass in mental health recovery, trauma healing, and finding a spiritual anchor after absolute devastation.  #LivingOnIncline #KelleyJeanBlas #OvercomingTrauma #AddictionRecovery #GriefAndLoss #FentanylAwareness #KratomCrisis #FaithAndHealing #InspirationalStories #PodcastInterview Listen and Follow Living on Incline Listen on your favorite platform: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-on-incline/id1828304603 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78HwNrRWZHGAHL8Zv90nO0?si=e4b5d032e9214deb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdyfS2K4OE4WFJRWSuAgsQ RSS Feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2521959.rss Website: https://www.livingonincline.com Sponsored by Recovery Alive Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation. Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive Send us Fan Mail

  4. Jun 4

    #021 Navigating Burnout, Social Media Diagnoses, and the Struggle to Ask for Help

    This  episode of Living On Incline featuring Dr. Mercy Conners, Senior Director at the American Association of Christian Counselors. In this raw, behind-the-scenes look at the mental health field, we strip away the clinical perfection to talk about the heavy psychological toll of therapy, the danger of TikTok diagnoses, and the painful reality of carrying client trauma home to your family.  Watch the full conversation to hear Dr. Conners share her journey from high-stakes adolescent locked units to navigating a deeply personal, real-time family medical crisis that forced her to face her own greatest challenge: learning how to ask for help. NOTABLE TRAILER QUOTES: * "I take him into the room, I sit down in front of him and he's on a bean bag and I'm like kneeling in front of him like, 'Tell me what's going on.' And this kid is so mad and he just slaps me across the face." - Dr. Mercy Conners * "I remember one therapy session where I actually had to cut it off and say, 'We need to stop right now.' I had to get out of the room." - John Eklund * "I am learning that it's okay to ask for help, first of all. And second of all, that I am asking for help from the people that are trustworthy... I don't have to do everything." - Dr. Mercy Conners LINKS & RESOURCES: * Primary Website: [INSERT PRIMARY LINK HERE] * American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC): Mentioned in transcript CALL TO ACTION: Don't miss the full, unfiltered drop of this episode. Hit that subscribe button, turn on notifications for Living On Incline, and drop a comment below letting us know your thoughts on the trailer.  Listen and Follow Living on Incline Listen on your favorite platform: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-on-incline/id1828304603 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78HwNrRWZHGAHL8Zv90nO0?si=e4b5d032e9214deb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdyfS2K4OE4WFJRWSuAgsQ RSS Feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2521959.rss Website: https://www.livingonincline.com Sponsored by Recovery Alive Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation. Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive #LivingOnIncline #TheMaskOfAHealer #DrMercyConners #ChristianCounseling #TherapistBurnout #MentalHealth #AACC #PodcastTrailer Send us Fan Mail

  5. May 21

    #020 Why I Couldn't Face This for 10 Years | Lauren Sisler | PART 2

    PART 2 Emmy winning sports reporter Lauren Sisler joins John Eklund on Living on Incline to share the story she hid for a decade. After losing both of her parents to addiction during her freshman year of college, Lauren lived a double life, balancing a high profile career at ESPN and the SEC Network while keeping her family tragedy a secret. In this deep and moving conversation, Lauren discusses the "sugar coated story" she told herself to survive and why she eventually decided to look at the toxicology reports she feared for years. She explores the power of labels, the reality of addiction in "good families," and how she found freedom by falling in love with her broken story. Her new book, Shatterproof, serves as a guide for others to turn the page and write their own next chapter. TIMESTAMPS [01:00:00] Welcome to Living on Incline with host John Eklund [01:00:40] The "Fancy Pants" podcast joke and redecorating the backdrop [01:03:15] Lauren's career: Reporter, producer, and the best entrances in college football [01:08:45] The Secret: "10 years that I refuse to look at the death certificate" [01:14:20] The police report and the "three typed up paragraphs" that changed everything [01:21:10] Living in denial: "The sugar coated story" created for sanity [01:30:45] Breaking the labels: Why society’s definition of an addict is wrong [01:45:30] The fear of the truth vs. the freedom of acceptance [02:05:00] Writing the book: Shatterproof [02:25:15] "To be able to look at my story as something beautiful" [02:46:13] Final words: "Keep turning the page and keep writing the next chapter" NOTABLE QUOTES "10 years. 10 years that I refuse to look at the death certificate and the toxicology reports. I was fearful of what was going to be there." "I was fearful that now I would have to accept it as truth instead of running with my own little sugar-coated story, which I did for many, many, many, many years." "My parents were addicts and that they died of overdose because now suddenly they're wearing a label that society has created for them." "I could not let my parents wear the label because society tells us what addicts are and who they are and who they define." "As I fall in love with my story, there are things that I don't love about my story, things that I'd rather just light it on fire and throw it away." "To be able to look at my story as something beautiful, even through all the broken pieces, I have found so much freedom." "Keep turning the page and keep writing the next chapter, and that's what it's all about." LINKS & RESOURCES Shatterproof (Book by Lauren Sisler): https://www.amazon.com/Shatterproof-Overcame-Shame-Losing-Parents/dp/1962802078 Official Website: https://www.laurensisler.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LaurenSisler X (Twitter): https://www.twitter.com/LaurenSisler LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurensisler Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurenSisler YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LaurenSisler Shatterproof Bracelet Collection: https://www.laurensisler.com/my-bracelets Living on Incline: https://livingonincline.com/ DONATION / SUPPORT Not mentioned in transcript. CALL TO ACTION Please hit the subscribe button and like and all that good stuff, share it. Living on Incline is about stories that embody courage and grace. Help us grow the community by engaging with this episode. Listen and Follow Living on Incline Listen on your favorite platform: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-on-incline/id1828304603 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78HwNrRWZHGAHL8Zv90nO0?si=e4b5d032e9214deb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdyfS2K4OE4WFJRWSuAgsQ RSS Feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2521959.rss Website: https://www.livingonincline.com Sponsored by Recovery Alive Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation. Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive #LivingOnIncline #LaurenSisler #Shatterproof #AddictionRecovery #OverdoseAwareness #GriefHealing #Resilience #ESPN #SECNetwork #Podcast #HealingJourney #Truth #MentalHealth Send us Fan Mail

  6. May 14

    #020 Why I Couldn't Face This for 10 Years | Lauren Sisler | PART 1

    Emmy winning sports reporter Lauren Sisler joins John Eklund on Living on Incline to share the story she hid for a decade. After losing both of her parents to addiction during her freshman year of college, Lauren lived a double life, balancing a high profile career at ESPN and the SEC Network while keeping her family tragedy a secret. In this deep and moving conversation, Lauren discusses the "sugar coated story" she told herself to survive and why she eventually decided to look at the toxicology reports she feared for years. She explores the power of labels, the reality of addiction in "good families," and how she found freedom by falling in love with her broken story. Her new book, Shatterproof, serves as a guide for others to turn the page and write their own next chapter. TIMESTAMPS [01:00:00] Welcome to Living on Incline with host John Eklund [01:00:40] The "Fancy Pants" podcast joke and redecorating the backdrop [01:03:15] Lauren's career: Reporter, producer, and the best entrances in college football [01:08:45] The Secret: "10 years that I refuse to look at the death certificate" [01:14:20] The police report and the "three typed up paragraphs" that changed everything [01:21:10] Living in denial: "The sugar coated story" created for sanity [01:30:45] Breaking the labels: Why society’s definition of an addict is wrong [01:45:30] The fear of the truth vs. the freedom of acceptance [02:05:00] Writing the book: Shatterproof [02:25:15] "To be able to look at my story as something beautiful" [02:46:13] Final words: "Keep turning the page and keep writing the next chapter" LINKS & RESOURCES Shatterproof (Book by Lauren Sisler): https://www.amazon.com/Shatterproof-Overcame-Shame-Losing-Parents/dp/1962802078 Official Website: https://www.laurensisler.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LaurenSisler X (Twitter): https://www.twitter.com/LaurenSisler LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurensisler Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurenSisler YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LaurenSisler Shatterproof Bracelet Collection: https://www.laurensisler.com/my-bracelets Living on Incline: https://livingonincline.com/ DONATION / SUPPORT Not mentioned in transcript. CALL TO ACTION Please hit the subscribe button and like and all that good stuff, share it. Living on Incline is about stories that embody courage and grace. Help us grow the community by engaging with this episode. Listen and Follow Living on Incline Listen on your favorite platform: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-on-incline/id1828304603 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78HwNrRWZHGAHL8Zv90nO0?si=e4b5d032e9214deb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdyfS2K4OE4WFJRWSuAgsQ RSS Feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2521959.rss Website: https://www.livingonincline.com Sponsored by Recovery Alive Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation. Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive #LivingOnIncline #LaurenSisler #Shatterproof #AddictionRecovery #OverdoseAwareness #GriefHealing #Resilience #ESPN #SECNetwork #Podcast #HealingJourney #Truth #MentalHealth Send us Fan Mail

  7. Apr 30

    #019 32 Years of Marriage and Recovery: The Boozer Story

    "We're constantly in process and you all have the courage to be able to share that with us." "I just did one taste and it led to... I just felt like I was going to lose my mind." In this episode of Living on Incline, John Eklund sits down with Leslie and Tracy Boozer, leaders of the Recovery Alive ministry in Deatsville, Alabama. They share their powerful journey of 32 years of marriage, the challenges of military family life, and the raw reality of addiction and recovery. The Boozers open up about a season of deep struggle where the pressures of work and ministry led to a relapse. They discuss the importance of honesty, the support of leadership, and why recovery is a constant process rather than a final destination. TIMESTAMPS [01:00:01] Welcome to Slap Out Alabama [01:01:11] Starting Recovery Alive in Deatsville [01:01:39] 32 Years of Marriage: "Marriage is hard" [01:02:49] Military Life: Growing up in Germany [01:06:13] Fixing clocks and repairing a relationship with Dad [01:07:55] First taste of alcohol at 15 [01:09:54] Tracy's story: Growing up in Alabama [01:11:00] Losing a father at age 4 [01:17:02] How Leslie and Tracy met [01:18:13] Surviving an abusive first marriage [01:28:43] Transitioning from partying to "Adulting" [01:39:26] The ultimatum: "I'm gone" [01:50:28] The Relapse: 12-hour night shifts and no sleep [01:51:07] Crying out to God on the side of the road [01:53:01] Facing the leadership: "He said, Okay, so you get back up" [02:08:15] Living in the process: Beyond rainbows and unicorns NOTABLE QUOTES - "We're constantly in process and you all have the courage to be able to share that with us." - "Marriage is hard, isn't it? Marriage is kind of tough." - "I just did one taste and it led to... Actually I had to went to Shane after that and then shared with him that what had happened." - "I thought, He's going to shut it down. He's going to shut down the recovery ministry." - "I just pulled off side of the road and just was crying out to God. I said, I just can't do this." - "I got sober and the world's been just, you know, rainbows and unicorns ever since then. And uh, and, and, and that's not how it works." CALL TO ACTION Subscribe to Living on Incline for more stories of radical recovery and transformation. Like this video if the Boozer's story inspired you and leave a comment below about your own recovery journey. Listen and Follow Living on Incline Listen on your favorite platform: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-on-incline/id1828304603 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78HwNrRWZHGAHL8Zv90nO0?si=e4b5d032e9214deb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdyfS2K4OE4WFJRWSuAgsQ RSS Feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2521959.rss Website: https://www.livingonincline.com Sponsored by Recovery Alive Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation. Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive #RecoveryAlive #LivingOnIncline #Sobriety #AddictionRecovery #Marriage #Relapse #SlapOutAlabama #ChristianRecovery #Healing #Testimony #Deetsville #RecoveryJourney Send us Fan Mail

  8. Apr 16

    #018 The 70% Success Rate: A New Blueprint for Teen Sobriety | Leah Wright

    In this powerful episode of Living On Incline, Leah Wright, founder of Wake Monarch Academy, shares her harrowing journey through her son’s addiction to heroin. From the devastating moment of seeing her child in handcuffs to the infuriating battle with insurance companies that claimed his addiction was not bad enough, Leah’s story is a testament to a mother’s relentless love and the power of surrender. Leah explains the staggering statistics of teen relapse and why traditional high schools often set students up for failure. Now, as the founder of the first recovery high school in the Triangle, she is providing a lifeline for families trapped in the cycle of substance abuse. In this episode, we discuss: - The Golden Hour of recovery and why it matters. - The shocking 70% relapse rate for teens returning to traditional schools. - Leah’s Surrender moment that changed everything. - How Wake Monarch Academy is creating a 70% success rate for students in recovery. Support Wake Monarch Academy: Visit wakemonarchacademy.org to donate or learn more about their mission. Subscribe for more stories of resilience and recovery. Timestamps 0:00 – The Hook: My child in handcuffs 2:15 – Meet Leah Wright: From 30 years in the classroom to recovery advocate 12:40 – The Insurance Battle: His addiction is not bad enough 24:15 – The Master of Manipulation: Understanding the addict's mind 38:50 – The 70% Relapse Statistic: Why traditional schools are failing teens 52:10 – The Vision: Starting the first recovery high school in the Triangle 1:10:35 – The Surrender: A life-changing moment in a Food Lion parking lot 1:35:20 – How Wake Monarch Academy saves lives 1:58:00 – Final Words: Turning passion into service Listen and Follow Living on Incline Listen on your favorite platform: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-on-incline/id1828304603 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78HwNrRWZHGAHL8Zv90nO0?si=e4b5d032e9214deb YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdyfS2K4OE4WFJRWSuAgsQ RSS Feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2521959.rss Website: https://www.livingonincline.com Sponsored by Recovery Alive Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation. Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive #AddictionRecovery #TeenSobriety #RecoveryHighSchool #OpioidAwareness #WakeMonarchAcademy #LivingOnIncline #Parenting #MentalHealthMatters #SobrietySuccess Send us Fan Mail

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Trailer

5
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

What are we truly capable of? That’s the question Living on Incline sets out to explore. Hosted by John Eklund, this podcast brings you real conversations with people who have pushed through suffering, setbacks, and challenges — not just to survive, but to grow. From recovery to business, from faith to government, each guest is unlocking their full potential and inviting you to do the same. The name comes from the Manitou Incline — a steep, grueling hike in Colorado that inspired John to lean into discomfort as a path to growth. This show is about that same mindset: choosing to live on incline, on purpose, every day. If you’re curious about what you’re capable of — physically, spiritually, emotionally — you’re in the right place.

Information

  • Creator
    Living on Incline
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    26
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Living on Incline
  • Show Website
    Living on Incline

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