Next week we’ll return to your regularly scheduled programming. This week? We’re fucking off. No guest. No structure. Just Chris, Jeff, and Jakob bullshitting their way through Episode 30, all over the damn place.

Some of it is pure inside baseball—pulling back the curtain on what it looks like to actually run this ship called Pondoff’s Anonymous. Behind-the-scenes sponsor talk, how the pod even keeps the lights on, and the realities of building something that’s equal parts chaos and mission.

But it’s not all production chatter—we veer hard into:

Scammy fake rehab centers in Arizona targeting Native communities

Real recovery work with people like Rikki Fulmer and the mission of Turning Point KC (https://aturningpointkc.org)

The spark of a Wednesday night “spiritual refugee” gathering and what radical inclusivity in recovery could look like

Why rage-fueled algorithms run the internet, and how to fight back by supporting good shit instead of doomscrolling hate

Peanut butter, prednisone, and the little dopamine bombs that replace the old vices

Linkin Park, bachelor parties, back injuries, celebrity rejection emails, and more tangents than a geometry textbook

Messy? Absolutely. Valuable? If you’ve ever wondered how recovery, podcasting, and real life all collide, this one shows it in raw form.

00:00 – Introduction to Sponsors and Mental Health Support

02:22 – Celebrating Milestones and Community Engagement

05:22 – Personal Stories and Connections in Recovery

07:56 – The Importance of Community in Recovery

10:27 – Cultural References and Humor in Recovery

12:56 – Challenges in the Treatment Industry

15:55 – Navigating Personal Relationships and Recovery

18:14 – The Role of Humor in Healing

21:12 – Engagement and Growth of the Podcast

23:50 – Celebrity Outreach and Podcast Goals

26:36 – The Impact of Personal Stories on Recovery

29:15 – Future Plans and Community Events

32:09 – Reflections on Personal Growth and Therapy

34:52 – Engaging with the Audience and Building Community

37:24 – Final Thoughts and Encouragement for Listeners

49:03 – Aging and Physical Challenges

51:41 – Pain Management and Medication Experiences

53:58 – Personal Growth and Relationships

56:20 – Community and Support in Recovery

59:10 – The Importance of Open-Mindedness

01:02:24 – Creating a Safe Space for Healing

01:05:26 – Authenticity in Spirituality

01:08:32 – Navigating Personal and Social Issues

01:11:06 – Content Creation and Community Engagement

01:20:50 – Vegas Winnings & Catering Bills

01:21:35 – Arousal Template Trouble

01:22:14 – Do Friends Even Listen?

01:23:01 – Music by Jeff on Thursdays

01:24:46 – Toby Keith, Punk Rock & 90s Country

01:25:22 – The Chicks & Culture Wars

01:26:03 – Poking Holes & Podcast Dynamics

01:27:20 – Compassion & Mental Health

01:28:12 – Speaker Nights & Alumni Program

01:30:45 – Service, Storytelling & The 12 Steps

01:31:03 – Spiritual Refugees & New Ministry

01:34:43 – Walgreens Memories

01:35:21 – Wallets, Merch & Hats

01:37:22 – IRC Shirts & Kickball Memories

01:38:11 – QR Codes, Stickers & Business Cards

01:38:45 – Potential New Host

01:41:32 – Podcast Network Possibilities

01:42:13 – Criticism & Compliments

01:42:42 – Hosting Without Pressure

01:43:21 – Ketchup, Eggs & Breakfast Wars

01:45:09 – Breakfast Burritos & Wrap Up

Sponsored by McKelvey Insurance (https://mckelveyins.com).

Call or text Evan McKelvey: 618-581-0513.

LightSource Psychotherapy – Belville-based therapy badasses.

https://findyourlightsource.com

Chris, Jeff, and Jakob sit down with Mike Morrison—a Kirkwood kid turned full-blown heroin hustler who somehow lived to tell about it. This one is heavy and hilarious in equal measure: psychedelic trips, fake draft dodges, junkie schemes, spiritual awakenings, and the hard grind of clawing out of the pit.

We’re talking about a guy who went from listening to Hendrix on hash in the ’60s to shooting MDA in a shitty Missouri apartment, rolling Jeeps on barbiturates, scheming with check fraud, and nearly knocking over pharmacies for Dilaudid. And somehow, by the grace of God (or maybe just sheer stubbornness), Mike made it out alive to share decades of recovery wisdom.

Expect stories about Vegas bachelor parties in recovery, psychedelic cave trips with Rastafarians, hustling through shame, and the miracle of finally surrendering.

And of course, the hosts bring the usual mix of gallows humor, chaos, and truth bombs that only Pondoff’s Anonymous can deliver.

00:00 – Chris kicks it off with sponsors: McKelvey Insurance (https://mckelveyins.com) and LightSource Psychotherapy (https://findyourlightsource.com). Brutally honest insurance talk and a heartfelt plug for therapy.

02:18 – Jeff Allen joins the pod, and the guys riff on late wives, hats that say “Make Boofing Great Again,” and recovery swag.

06:05 – Vegas bachelor party recap: blackjack tables, sand dunes, and the absurdity of 10 guys in long-term recovery tearing up Sin City.

11:39 – Music talk: Dead shows, LSD in vials, and why half the kids in Kirkwood in the ’60s ended up junkies.

15:01 – Growing up in picture-perfect Kirkwood… with a heroin problem waiting right around the corner.

20:05 – College life derailed by weed, speed, psychedelics, and the draft. Mizzou couldn’t handle him—Merrimack, SMS, Jamaica trips, and a lot of wasted potential.

24:43 – The allure of psychedelics: peyote, mushrooms, acid, and the lies of anti-drug scare films.

28:31 – How “everyone was doing it” normalized drug use.

30:51 – Consequences piling up: busts, probation, and shady probation officers.

35:30 – The slide into heroin, needles, and a whole new level of shame.

42:30 – Identity crisis, small social circles, hustling, and burning bridges.

49:01 – Hustling to survive: check-kiting, pawning, scams, and scraping by any way possible.

50:59 – The depths of desperation: overdoses, shame, and hustling Dilaudid with his own dad unknowingly in on the scheme.

53:54 – First detox attempts, methadone maintenance, and being 12-stepped for the first time by a doctor.

01:01:02 – A true turning point: when death or prison became the only options.

01:05:00 – Finding treatment programs and community.

01:09:56 – Spiritual awakening moments that flipped the script.

01:18:25 – Sobriety stories and the blessings of long-term recovery.

01:21:53 – How treatment programs evolved, fentanyl challenges, and modern addiction hellscapes.

01:30:08 – The gratitude of doing recovery work and helping others.

01:32:55 – Family’s role in recovery—how loved ones both hurt and heal.

01:39:03 – Community, fellowship, and the strength found in shared struggle.

01:48:17 – Lessons in surrender and letting go.

01:50:05 – The Fourth Step: confronting guilt, shame, and the wreckage of the past.

01:51:56 – Life after recovery: new hobbies, family, and building something real.

02:00:02 – Staying active in recovery vs. getting complacent.

02:02:20 – The many different paths people take to sobriety.

02:08:45 – The ripple effect: how recovery changes not just your life, but everyone around you.

This one is raw, deep, and full of wisdom wrapped in street-level war stories. Buckle the fuck up.

Pondoff’s Anonymous

Episode: Shannon Bradley

Who this episode is for

• Anyone who ever drank screwdrivers in 4th grade and called it “just weekends.”
• People buried in addiction or clawing their way out with bloody fingernails.
• Families of addicts who’ve been through the emotional woodchipper.
• People who confuse “love” with “attention” and keep paying for it in scars.
• Anyone who’s ever chased that warm-blanket drug feeling until it tried to kill them.
• Folks who think Franklin County tourism starts and ends at the jail.

Episode summary

Chris, Jeff, and Jakob fire up the mics with guest Shannon Bradley for a ride that’s equal parts gut punch and gallows humor. Shannon takes them from nine-year-old vodka drinker to behavioral health tech at Illinois Recovery Center, and she doesn’t skip a single ugly or ridiculous beat.

This one’s loaded

• First drink at NINE. Pills by 13.
• Dating older guys who should’ve been carded by morals.
• Franklin County’s unofficial export: addicts and overdoses.
• Ketamine with Dad and couch-surfing as “home.”
• Why overdoses meant the drugs were “good.”
• The night she overdosed, died, got revived, and got robbed—all in one run.
• Shooting Dilaudid for the first time and describing it like a romance novel you can’t put down.
• How “getting kicked out of the hospital for a bigger OD” is somehow a thing.
• Folding a stranger’s laundry and making him cry—service work that matters.
• The long, bloody road out of toxic relationships, dope sickness, and Franklin County’s gravitational pull.

It’s not sanitized. It’s not “inspirational” in that cheesy, poster-on-the-wall way. It’s real, raw, and hilarious in the “you laugh because otherwise you’d cry” way. Chris, Jeff, and Jakob keep the conversation moving, trading digs, throwing lifelines, and sometimes just letting the silence hit.

Episode timeline

1. 00:00 Introduction and Sponsorships
2. 02:18 Weekend Experiences and Recovery Insights
3. 05:26 Introducing Shannon: A Journey Begins
4. 08:33 Shannon's Early Life and Struggles
5. 11:24 The Impact of Substance Use
6. 19:42 Emotional Challenges and Mental Health Awareness
7. 23:37 The Transition from Pills to Heroin
8. 26:01 Navigating High School and Early Relationships
9. 29:10 The Impact of Family and Environment on Addiction
10. 35:30 The Role of Service in Recovery
11. 39:23 Escaping Toxic Relationships and Finding Self-Worth
12. 51:25 Understanding Mental Health and Diagnosis
13. 54:46 The Impact of Medication and Trauma
14. 55:15 Struggles with Addiction and Relationships
15. 01:00:51 The Allure of Substance Use
16. 01:04:11 Overdoses and Consequences
17. 01:10:17 The Journey Through Treatment
18. 01:17:36 Facing Legal Consequences and Reflection
19. 01:21:12 The Burden of Blame
20. 01:22:25 Navigating the Legal System
21. 01:23:43 Family Dynamics and Support
22. 01:28:35 Life in Prison: A Transformative Experience
23. 01:34:08 The Journey of Recovery Begins
24. 01:38:18 Finding Faith and Purpose
25. 01:43:25 Life After Prison: New Beginnings
26. 01:44:57 The Beginning of a Faith Journey
27. 01:47:06 Discovering Higher Power and Recovery
28. 01:49:05 Facing Consequences and Accountability
29. 01:53:35 Emotional Healing and Personal Growth
30. 02:01:05 The Process of Reentry and Family Reconnection
31. 02:10:10 Gratitude and Purpose in Recovery
32. 02:12:27 Building Healthy Relationships Post-Recovery

Sponsored by

• LightSource Psychotherapy
• McKelvey Insurance