Rise Above with Kevin Lanning

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.

Latest Episodes:

From A Bronx Tale to Prison & Redemption | Lillo Brancato on Heroin, Rikers Island & 20 Years Sober Feb 11, 2026

Show notes

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 not a story of excuses—this is a story of ownership, consequences, and redemption.

If you or someone you love struggles with addiction, this episode offers hope, honesty, and a reminder that change is possible—even after the darkest chapters.

#LilloBrancato #ABronxTale #AddictionRecovery #HeroinAddiction #PrisonToPurpose #SobrietyJourney #LivingAmends #RikersIsland #RedemptionStory #RiseAbove

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I Married A Junkie | Trauma, Detox, Narcissism & Real Recovery Feb 08, 2026

Show notes

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, narcissism, medication, relapse, and healing from the inside out.

This is not a motivational talk.
It’s an honest conversation about addiction, recovery, and the systems meant to help — but often don’t.

📺 Watch her first interview here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFxArXAs0aM

#AddictionRecovery #DrCaliEstes #MentalHealth #RecoveryJourney #AddictionTruth #SobrietyTalk #HealingTrauma #TherapyThatWorks #RehabTruth #MindBodyHealing #AddictionPodcast #RecoveryPodcast

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“I Lost My Business, My Identity, and Myself to Addiction” | An Executive’s Fall & Recovery Feb 07, 2026

Show notes

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 finally came into the light, Margo lost everything she thought defined her. What followed was surrender, rehab, grief, and an unexpected reconnection with faith that changed the trajectory of her life forever.

This episode dives deep into:
• Cocaine addiction in high-level corporate life
• Ego, power, and the illusion of control
• Trauma, grief, and survival
• Losing your identity — and rebuilding it
• Faith, surrender, and recovery
• Life after rock bottom

This is not a highlight reel. It’s a redemption story — told honestly, painfully, and without filters.

If you or someone you love is struggling, you are not alone.

#AddictionRecovery #CocaineAddiction #FaithOverFear #RockBottom #SobrietyJourney #TraumaHealing #WomenInRecovery #GriefAndRecovery #MentalHealthMatters #LifeAfterAddiction #RecoveryIsPossible #AlcoholAndCocaine #FromAddictionToPurpose #RawAndReal

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Abandoned as a Child, Foster Care, Strip Clubs & Addiction Nearly Killed Me Feb 04, 2026

Show notes

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 the gym, self-discipline, therapy, and purpose helped her rebuild her life and stay sober for over four years.

This is a story about resilience, accountability, and learning how to live life on life’s terms—without numbing the pain.

If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, trauma, or recovery, this episode is for you.

#addictionrecovery #sobrietystory #fostercare #childhoodtrauma #traumarecovery #stripclublife #mentalhealthawareness #recoveryjourney #lifesobriety #healingjourney #riseabovepodcast #recoveryispossible

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Fentanyl Addiction Nearly Killed Me | Overdose, Relapse & How I Got Sober Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

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 substances in middle school
Boarding schools, wilderness programs, and resentment
Discovering opiates and the moment everything changed
Suboxone withdrawal and repeated relapse cycles
Overdosing, fentanyl use, and isolation in Los Angeles
Finding recovery through AA, faith, and taking suggestions
How sobriety reshaped her identity, career, and purpose
Working in recovery and helping others today

This conversation is raw, emotional, and hopeful — a reminder that no matter how deep addiction goes, recovery is possible.

If you or someone you love is struggling, this episode may help you feel less alone.

#BriannaSirlin #AddictionRecovery #FentanylCrisis #OpiateAddiction #OpioidEpidemic #SobrietyJourney #RecoveryPodcast #RelapseAndRecovery #AARecovery #FaithInRecovery #MentalHealthAwareness #RiseAbovePodcast #LongIsland #WomensRecovery #AddictionAwareness

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Addiction Recovery: How to Get Sober, Avoid Relapse, Handle Cravings & Stay Sober Long-Term Feb 01, 2026

Show notes

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 about getting sober
Those who’ve relapsed and want to come back
Parents, partners, and loved ones of addicts
Anyone looking for real, experience-based recovery insight

Topics covered include:

How we actually got sober and what finally worked
Cravings vs obsession — what changes over time
Relapse and how to come back without shame
Weed and sobriety
AA, spirituality, and other recovery paths
Dating, weddings, and social life while sober
Parenting, making amends, and rebuilding trust
Trauma, mental health, and emotional sobriety
Tough love vs enabling
What long-term recovery really looks like

No fluff. No preaching. Just two people in recovery answering the questions we get asked every day.

If you or someone you love is struggling, you’re not alone — and recovery is possible.

#AddictionRecovery #HowToGetSober #Sobriety #RecoveryQandA #Alcoholism #DrugAddiction #RelapseRecovery #EarlySobriety #MentalHealth #AARecovery #AddictionHelp #StayingSober #RecoveryCommunity #SoberLife

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After Hours with Kevin & LJ | What You Don’t See on the Podcast, Addiction Recovery Uncut Jan 31, 2026

Show notes

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:

Life behind the podcast
Recovery beyond the microphone
What listeners don’t usually get to hear
The personal side of building platforms, friendships, and purpose

This is raw. This is honest.
This is After Hours.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when the show stops recording — this is it.

👇 Let us know in the comments what you want to see more of in this series.

#AfterHours #BehindTheScenes #RealTalk #PodcastLife #RecoveryJourney #SobrietyTalk #MentalHealth #LifeAfterAddiction #UnfilteredConversations #KevinLanning #LouisRuggiero

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From Executive Bodyguard to Homeless Alcoholic | Jail, Alcoholism, Oxy Addiction & Getting Sober Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

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 marriage, multiple DUIs, homelessness, and hitting a point so dark he nearly didn’t survive it. His story also dives into the shame of addiction, missing years of fatherhood, and the long road to rebuilding trust.

Now over 3 years sober, Mike is deeply involved in recovery—speaking publicly, helping other men navigate sobriety, divorce, legal trouble, and life after addiction.

This episode is about surrender, accountability, and what it really takes to change your life when everything has fallen apart.

If you or someone you love is struggling, this conversation could be the one that helps.

#AddictionRecovery #Alcoholism #OpiateAddiction #DUI #SobrietyJourney #ExecutiveBodyguard #FromAddictionToRecovery #RockBottom #RecoveryIsPossible #MentalHealthMatters #RiseAbove #SoberLife #RedemptionStory #OneDayAtATime

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A Heroin Addict’s Brutal Life in Kensington | Jail Withdrawals, My Mom Taught Me to Shoot, Sobriety Jan 26, 2026

Show notes

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 driving, and total moral collapse
Calling his own mother to learn how to shoot heroin
Experiencing brutal jail withdrawals that nearly killed him
The exact moment he said “I’m done”—and meant it

Today, Dave is nearly 10 years sober, living with purpose, creativity, and service. He’s the creator of the recovery-based card game Relapse or Recovery, designed to help people connect, reflect, and heal in sobriety.

This episode is for anyone who thinks they’re too far gone.
Dave proves that no matter how dark it gets—recovery is possible.

#AddictionRecovery #HeroinAddiction #Kensington #RecoveryIsPossible #JailToRecovery #OpiateEpidemic #SobrietyJourney #FromAddictionToRecovery #CleanAndSober #RecoveryPodcast #MentalHealthMatters #12StepRecovery #TraumaHealing #LifeAfterAddiction #RiseAbove #RecoveryStories #HopeAfterAddiction

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“I Died for 10 Minutes” | Fentanyl Overdose, Crack Addiction & How I Got Sober Jan 23, 2026

Show notes

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 life
• Hitting bottom — mentally, emotionally, and spiritually
• Finally surrendering and building real recovery

Today, Crystal is 18 months sober, rebuilding trust with her family, and doing the hard work to become the healthy mother her daughter deserves.

This isn’t just a sobriety story — it’s about identity, survival, accountability, and choosing life when everything feels broken.

If you’re struggling, feel alone, or think it’s “not that bad yet”… this episode might save your life.

#RiseAbove #AddictionRecovery #OverdoseSurvivor #FentanylCrisis #TeenMom #CrackAddiction #SobrietyJourney #NearDeathExperience #MentalHealthAwareness #RecoveryIsPossible #OneDayAtATime #SoberLife #TraumaHealing #SurvivorStory

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