Full Transcript for He Lost Everything to Fentanyl. Now He Helps Others Get Out | Brendan Clark

mentioned, boxes of Narcan. 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:43.439 We have so much Narcan uh we've had donated. 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:51.840 Uh we get donations and it goes towards like things like socks, uh, help provide the food, things like that. 00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:55.120 Socks is a big thing that that people ask for. 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:57.759 We do clothes drives, things like that. 00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:13.039 It's been a few months since we've got out and and did one, but I plan on doing one here, like uh coming up soon, maybe in the next month, probably, because even though it's California, it's starting to get cold out here, and you know, especially at night, people get cold. 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:20.719 So, whatever we can do to take these things out to help these people out and help them feel comfortable, you know, that's what we do. 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:37.680 So you're based out in LA and you're doing a lot of stuff at MacArthur Park, and you're I watched a lot of your social media and watched you as you're as you're going forward, and you're on Skid Row, and you're in places where you know most people wouldn't go. 00:03:37.919 --> 00:03:39.840 So good on you for that. 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:44.719 And so time to go is an as a nonprofit, correct? 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:46.479 No, it's LLC. 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:55.039 Um, it's it's not uh 501c3 uh just yet, but I I am working on another branch of that. 00:03:55.759 --> 00:04:12.560 Okay, and people can donate and they can donate clothes and they can do and you're doing besides just uh you're doing harm reduction, you know, a lot of harm reduction, and you're out there really making a difference with addicts and the homeless, right? 00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:13.919 Definitely, yeah. 00:04:14.159 --> 00:04:17.680 Um I do like to call it harm reduction. 00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:29.839 Uh there's a lot of other forms of harm reduction that they do out here, like in LA and in the streets and Skid Row that I really wouldn't necessarily do myself. 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:44.319 Like they're handing out these these goodie bags with uh man, they've got chore, they've got a crank pipe in it, a bubbler, what do you a pookie, you know, meth pipe, um, even even like foil and straws. 00:04:44.720 --> 00:04:46.480 And to me, like that's enabling. 00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:53.519 I won't ever hand out, you know, uh anything like that or or participate in any needle exchanges. 00:04:53.759 --> 00:05:10.480 Now, um I have seen, you know, I do understand the the points and aspects of it, right, as far as like harm reduction, you know, helping to stop spread diseases and things like that, but I feel like it gets to a point where it's definitely enabling. 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:24.399 Like we don't want to keep these people out here and on substances, like we need to provide other things, you know, one to help keep them comfortable until they're ready, and uh the resources for when they are ready. 00:05:24.800

--> 00:05:34.959 Yeah, you know, and harm reduction, harm reduction has a lot of different uh variants to it, you know, and a lot of people have a lot of negative connotations. 00:05:35.040 --> 00:05:38.800 They hear harm reduction, they think enabling, you know. 00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:44.079 Uh, but you know, the biggest thing that, and we talk about it a lot, Narcan, you know. 00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:48.399 Narcan is something that people should carry on their person all the time. 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:50.639 All the time I just you never know. 00:05:50.959 --> 00:05:54.000 You never know when I mean, and Krista taught me that. 00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:55.759 Krista at the airport. 00:05:56.160 --> 00:05:57.920 At the airport, remember Krista? 00:05:58.160 --> 00:05:59.040 Tell us about that. 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:00.879 You can fly with Narcan, by the way. 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:04.160 Chat GPT said yes, and I put it to the test. 00:06:04.399 --> 00:06:10.240 But like in um addiction for me, I was buying sketchy Xanax. 00:06:10.639 --> 00:06:14.800 And I was and I had to fly with it, and I you never know. 00:06:15.040 --> 00:06:22.000 So it my mind takes me there today because there's a lot more fentanyl in those Xanaxes today than it was 11 years ago. 00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:24.399 And um you never know. 00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:30.879 You could be sitting next to someone that took one to they're scared to fly, or you just you never know. 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:40.240 I taught my four-year-old well no, he's five, five-year-old, how to use Narcan two years ago, just when my husband was getting sober. 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:41.120 Like, what if? 00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:41.920 Just what if? 00:06:42.079 --> 00:06:43.680 Like, I'm not around. 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:46.720 And you know, and I have the demonstration one. 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:51.519 So I showed him and I showed him where it is and what to use it for, you know. 00:06:51.839 --> 00:06:53.519 Better safe than sorry. 00:06:53.759 --> 00:07:04.079 Yeah, I'm telling you, I I learned so much that I picked up Krista from the airport and on her on her bag she has a Narcan holder, and I'm like, what's that? 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:04.879 What's that for? 00:07:05.040 --> 00:07:30.720 And she kind of explained, you know, and you don't think I don't think about that as uh as I've been sober a long time, and you know, I don't think about people taking Xanax to to fly, you know, when there is a lot of anxiety around flying and just being at the airport and somebody takes a uh a Xanax that they don't know is laced with fentanyl, and boom, next thing you know, you got somebody overdosing, you can be saving their life just because you're carrying Narcan. 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:35.199 Or they're trying to get rid of what they hide because they can't fly with it, so they're gonna take it. 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:38.800 I took fentanyl in my mouth wrapped up in like wax paper. 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:40.000

I flew with it. 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:48.480 It only made it to the to the next layover, but I'm too scared to do all that. 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:50.079 I just thought Oh, I was. 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:51.040 I was shook. 00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:52.079 Yeah. 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:54.399 But I mean, uh harm reduction is a real thing. 00:07:54.480 --> 00:07:58.720 And most people so if you keep a fire extinguisher at your house, that's harm reduction. 00:07:58.879 --> 00:08:02.959 If you put your seatbelt on when you drive your car, that's harm reduction. 00:08:03.120 --> 00:08:06.560 People are practicing harm reduction all the time and they don't even know it. 00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:14.720 And you know, harm reduction is just being ready in case something goes down, and Narcan is a big thing for that. 00:08:15.120 --> 00:08:17.120 But uh I keep it in my car. 00:08:17.680 --> 00:08:23.040 So you're originally from be careful with that because the temperature is in your car if it gets too hot. 00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:24.480 That's true. 00:08:25.120 --> 00:08:31.439 So you're originally from Ohio, you moved out to LA, and what do you do out there? 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:33.919 I came out here four years ago. 00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:48.639 Uh just came up on four years sober also, and uh started working in addiction treatment, and now I do business development and I'm outreach coordinator for Northridge Addiction Treatment Center. 00:08:48.799 --> 00:08:51.200 Um, and I help people in the treatment. 00:08:51.279 --> 00:08:59.200 I go in, I check on them, uh, I run groups there, and yeah, I I love working in the field. 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:05.840 Uh it's it's great to see people come in just like looking and feeling the way I did, right? 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:17.759 Just feeling and looking like death, and then just seeing the the light and the spark come back to their eyes once they're you know through their detox, everything's almost kind of out of their system. 00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:28.480 They're they're not feeling 100% yet, but they're at like 85, and they just even you could just tell the difference in them like times 10, you know. 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:30.080 Absolutely, dude. 00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:36.480 You know, that working in the recovery space, you know, it's a it's got it's so rewarding, you know. 00:09:36.639 --> 00:09:43.759 It's so it's I mean, you get a lot of cases that don't work out, but at least you planted a seed, right? 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:46.159 And at least you're you're trying. 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:48.639 We're trying, you know, that's all we can do. 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:49.600 Exactly. 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:51.039 It's all we can do. 00:09:51.440 --> 00:10:03.279 You know, like the percentages and the statistics of us as addicts, alcoholics, and recovery, the statistics aren't too good of us, you know, uh making it out here. 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:08.559 You know, and you are a big proponent of recover out loud. 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:12.960 And you are recovering out loud on all your social media platforms. 00:10:13.039 --> 00:10:22.559 Uh, I love following you and all the things that you're doing and saying, and you know, just just giving people love on their anniversaries and all the stuff that you're doing. 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:27.600 Yeah, my time to go pages, that's that's really what they're utilized for, you know. 00:10:27.759 --> 00:10:32.559 Um, sober birthdays, whether it's months or or or years, you know. 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:36.480 Uh I try to acknowledge those and and post them. 00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:40.320 Um, and it they get a lot of interaction too, which is cool. 00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:47.200 And like I I'll have like 30 people underneath the like congratulating, you know, these people on their clean time. 00:10:47.279 --> 00:10:52.639 And it's you know, I I know that it's a good feeling to them, and like that's a good feeling to me. 00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:55.120 I I love it so much. 00:10:56.639 --> 00:11:01.440 And Crick, I mean, we're we're talking to the queen of social media here, Krista. 00:11:03.600 --> 00:11:09.360 I'm like a princess, I'm not a queen, the princess of social media, sober Barbie. 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:16.960 So uh, so let's to let's kind of get into what got you uh where you are, you know, what was it like? 00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:19.519 How did uh what was little Brendan like? 00:11:20.080 --> 00:11:34.720 Little Brendan, man, uh little Brendan, I'd say was was pretty shy, uh timid, and you know, uh I heard somebody say once that their first drug of choice was acceptance, right? 00:11:34.960 --> 00:11:38.480 And I was like, ooh, that that kind of hits hard, you know. 00:11:38.720 --> 00:11:46.559 Um growing up, I wanted to be, you know, accepted and uh just like everywhere, not just one place, but everywhere. 00:11:46.799 --> 00:11:50.320 So I would just try to fit in anywhere I could. 00:11:50.399 --> 00:11:55.360 You know, I went through like a freaking MM phase, a goth phase when I was younger. 00:11:55.519 --> 00:11:56.799 I just wanted to fit in. 00:11:56.879 --> 00:12:04.159 I wanted your acceptance, and like there was a lot of times where I just felt like I couldn't fit in, you know. 00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:09.440 Uh I did graduate high school, got an education that was important to me. 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:11.440 My family stressed that to me. 00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:15.200 Make sure I get my education, graduated high school. 00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:19.679 Um, you know, uh I did do a little bit of prison time. 00:12:19.759 --> 00:12:24.080 I did three years for a burglary I committed when I was uh 18. 00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:26.240 I was hanging with the wrong crowd. 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:34.639 They thought it was fun to hit licks and break into places, and I ended up doing three years in prison over it, you know. 00:12:34.879 --> 00:12:46.399 Um, and even in prison, I did uh a year and a half

of schooling, uh multimedia uh schooling, vocational, a little bit of like vocational college. 00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:51.759 I got a certificate in that, and after my first year in there, I became a tutor. 00:12:51.919 --> 00:12:58.799 And I, you know, I I'm always eager to like to like learn new things and and do new things, you know. 00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:02.639 So schooling was a big part of me, uh a part of my life. 00:13:02.879 --> 00:13:12.879 Um I'm I'm even thinking about you know looking forward into my education now, doing some college now, uh, some addiction studies courses. 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:17.759 Um I just kinda I just kind of gotta light that fire, you know. 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:21.200 Um, because schooling always kind of like scared me, you know. 00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:27.120 I don't know why, because I love to learn and and I, you know, definitely completed my schooling. 00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:28.960 But it sounds like you're good. 00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:30.159 You're good in school. 00:13:30.399 --> 00:13:42.879 Yeah, I guess it's just uh the feeling of starting something new, something different, you know, change um more more stuff on my plate, but I mean I can only benefit from it. 00:13:43.440 --> 00:14:00.960 Um so yeah, after some time in prison, I came home and um I got with my second son's mom, and that was kind of like when my addiction hit the hardest. 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:15.759 Um I was selling drugs and I was introduced to opiates and uh I had never took them before, but it was my first time being introduced to a Vicodin, right? 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:19.440 Because somebody told me you should sell these, that's where the money's at. 00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:20.240 And I'm like, really? 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:22.960 You know, I've never like messed with these. 00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:45.919 So first time I took a Vicadin, I was hooked, and within like a year, um I was doing heroin and and shooting heroin, all while it was transitioning into fentanyl, also, mind you, and what as it was transitioning into fentanyl, like if you had real heroin, I I didn't want it. 00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:49.360 Like I looked for the white stuff, I looked where the feta was at. 00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:52.480 Like I wanted the fentanyl, I didn't want the heroin, you know. 00:14:53.200 --> 00:15:04.720 Um my second son was actually born addicted uh because we we couldn't get out of addiction, you know, Brittany and I. 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:22.480 And uh this was uh 2013, and uh he was about five months old, growing on six months old, and I remember it was it was her birthday, it was it was my son's mom's birthday. 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:37.360 Uh his name was Carter, so it was uh Britney's birthday, and we were in our addiction, like I said, and I remember we were at the gas station trying to do our thing and and get right. 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:43.840 Uh, but I was about to take her out to eat for her birthday, and we were trying to have a good day. 00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:48.720 Well, unfortunately, uh it wasn't a very good day. 00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:58.720 Our phones just kept going off, and like we were busy trying to do our thing, so we finally got right and looked at our phones, and our phone said, get to the hospital now. 00:15:58.799 --> 00:16:00.000 It's it's Carter. 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:06.720 Um now, mind you, after he was born, like I said, he he was born addicted, but he had got through it. 00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:14.480 Um, you know, he went to the uh the NICU for uh a couple weeks, and and he was just like a normal, you know, little baby. 00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:19.679 And he was almost six months old, and it was that day on her birthday, man. 00:16:19.759 --> 00:16:25.679 We had to drive to the hospital and um and like say goodbye to our little boy, man. 00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:30.320 He uh he passed from Sid's sudden infant death syndrome. 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:34.960 And uh yeah, I don't know, it was just heartbreaking. 00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:37.919 And it was the first time I had ever seen my dad cry. 00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:46.720 Uh we were all there like as a family, like, you know, um all of our family members showed up say their goodbyes. 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:53.200 And I just remember I knew what our families were thinking, right? 00:16:53.279 --> 00:17:05.119 They were like more than likely thinking this is either gonna help them get their shit together, or they're just gonna go even harder, and like that's that's what we did. 00:17:05.200 --> 00:17:06.960 We just went even harder. 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:14.319 Um was in and out of psych wards and and in jail throughout the years. 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:24.799 Um and uh also in in 2016 uh my youngest son, you guys know about this. 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:36.319 Uh in 2016, my first son's mother, remember she had just gotten out of jail, and she's like, Oh hey, I'm I'm 30 days clean. 00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:44.400 I just got out of jail, did 30 days, you know, and I was like, hey, that's awesome! Congratulations, I love that for you, you know. 00:17:44.480 --> 00:17:49.759 I'm like, do me a favor, like please stay clean because people are dying out here. 00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:56.880 And I want to say, like, around that time, like I'd swear, like I had known like two or three people that had like just died that week. 00:17:57.599 --> 00:18:09.279 Um so I don't know, within the next few days, like later that week, she had sent me a message and was like, My boyfriend died last night. 00:18:09.359 --> 00:18:10.640 Because we weren't together. 00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:13.119 She was like, My boyfriend died last night. 00:18:13.440 --> 00:18:14.000 Yo, D. 00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:23.519 And um I honestly, like, I was so numb to like being told that like people were dying from it, you know. 00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:29.200 Like, I it was almost like I didn't I I feel like I didn't show enough empathy, you know.

00:18:29.279 --> 00:18:30.400 I I don't know. 00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:35.839 Um and the next day I had found out that she passed. 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:44.640 Uh found out she she passed from a fan all overdose uh in a hotel room by herself. 00:18:45.279 --> 00:18:50.400 Uh you know, we don't know where she got it, we don't know who she got it from. 00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:52.720 No justice was served. 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:54.079 You know? 00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:54.960 It's a mess. 00:18:55.279 --> 00:18:57.839 That's a lot of loss in a short amount of time. 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:02.799 A lot that you've had to deal with. 00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:13.039 I don't know if I talked about this uh the last time we were on, but uh my second son, the one that I had mentioned, uh passed from SIDS. 00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:18.400 Uh his mom, his mother came out here uh to California for treatment. 00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:19.920 She was struggling. 00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:23.200 And uh she did a few weeks out here. 00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:24.640 She wanted to go back home. 00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:33.519 She was having like some health issues, and um, you know, I just told her like whatever decision you make, I just want you to stay sober and do good. 00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:39.359 So she went back home to Ohio, and this was just two years ago. 00:19:39.599 --> 00:19:52.880 Uh she went back home to Ohio, and I remember she wasn't at her 30-day mark sober, you know, yet, but uh, you know, a week or two went by and she told me she's like, I hit 30 days. 00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:54.880 I'm like, hell yeah, let's go. 00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:56.319 Congratulations. 00:19:57.119 --> 00:20:03.279 And um yeah, three days later she she hung herself, she took her own life. 00:20:03.599 --> 00:20:11.519 Um yeah, so that's that's why like I'm just a big advocate on mental health and and substance. 00:20:12.079 --> 00:20:19.759 Yeah, and that's a that was probably a lot of like the grief she carried through all them years. 00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:21.599 Like that's heartbreaking. 00:20:21.920 --> 00:20:23.200 Oh Brendan. 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:24.640 It's life. 00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:32.720 I you know, I thank you, but like there's times where I'm like, hey, we we all got a sad story, you know? 00:20:32.960 --> 00:20:33.200 Yeah. 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:38.400 And it's important to do inner healing and and process it. 00:20:38.559 --> 00:20:50.000 And I mean there's no timeline on grief, but like there's so many we did a we recorded a podcast yesterday and she was talking about what is it, EDM, EDM IMDR. 00:20:52.400 --> 00:21:00.880 Um, like there's different things that can help you kind of move move on, not move on, but move through a lot of that. 00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:02.799 Yeah, move through it, yeah. 00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:11.599 Um I feel like I don't know, in my opinion, I feel like grief doesn't really get any easier. 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:13.279 It's just like more bearable. 00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:16.079 It's your you know, I just you gotta just push through it. 00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:17.519 Yeah, it changes you. 00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:19.680 It changed it changes you, you know. 00:21:19.920 --> 00:21:27.599 I I say because I've gone through a lot of grief in my life, and um it changes you, not necessarily bad, but you're just different. 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:29.440 You're different after it. 00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:37.119 One of my best friends, really, and Brittany was we were close, like since our teens. 00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:49.279 I I you know, I don't know if it was like she relapsed or like or she was sober and just like life was just too much, but you know. 00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:53.359 And here's a few words from our sponsor, Never Alone Recovery. 00:21:54.160 --> 00:21:59.599 Never Alone Recovery is a resource center for anything addiction or mental health. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:02.079 We are a toll-free number. 00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:10.160 Feel free to call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 855-831-9996. 00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:13.039 This is available for someone who's suffering. 00:22:13.519 --> 00:22:19.519 Also, parents of those who are suffering, colleagues, whoever, feel free to call at any time. 00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:21.279 Krista, what else do we have? 00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:25.599 We host five free Zoom meetings a week, recovery meetings. 00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:29.039 We host a recovery TikTok live every morning. 00:22:29.200 --> 00:22:37.920 And you can find us on all social media platforms, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, and all of it will be in our description. 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:52.720 So you got kind of uh a little bit famous um with uh after your your son's mother passed and you did a YouTube video that got millions and millions of views. 00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:54.960 Uh this was like 10 years ago. 00:22:55.200 --> 00:22:57.440 And tell me about tell us about that. 00:22:57.599 --> 00:23:00.240 What uh what prompted you to do that? 00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:06.000 So in October, it'll be ten years this coming October. 00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:14.400 Um it would be ten years that when my first son's mother passed from a fentanyl overdose. 00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:31.200 I don't know, I had this weird idea just for like fentanyl awareness, some type of fentanyl awareness content, you know, like what if we recorded telling my son, you know, his mom had passed from a fentanyl. 00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:46.799 Well, I didn't say it was a fentanyl overdose, but you know, I told him mommy had passed and he had asked how and kind of put me on the spot and I I said from drugs, I was I was honest with him, you know? 00:23:47.119 --> 00:23:52.079 Uh and I asked his permission, he was only eight at the time. 00:23:52.319 --> 00:24:30.799 I kind of explained it to him why I wanted to post it, and I posted it, and yeah, I had no idea that like by the next day it would be worldwide, and

you know, um it got a lot of attention, uh some backlash on it, uh, but for the most part throughout the years, even even still today, I'm I'm reading messages and comments saying uh this helped get me sober, oh this helped get my brother sober, uh thank you so much. 00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:37.200 Um at the time I had no idea what type of impact it would bring. 00:24:37.359 --> 00:24:41.759 I thought if anything, like maybe a couple people locally would share it. 00:24:42.079 --> 00:24:54.240 Um it got like hundreds of thousands of shares, and I just think it's crazy that still to this day it kind of holds some weight and and it's still helping people, I guess. 00:24:55.359 --> 00:24:59.119 That's uh and so your son is is 18 now. 00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:00.400 What does he think about it? 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:01.920 He he's eighteen. 00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:04.000 I'll be honest with you, Johnny. 00:25:04.160 --> 00:25:07.839 Uh recently I thought about deleting it. 00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:15.359 And in the past, I've I've asked friends, you know, if I should delete it or not, and they've said, don't you dare. 00:25:15.599 --> 00:25:17.599 You know, they're they're in recovery themselves. 00:25:17.839 --> 00:25:19.200 Well, it's out there now, really. 00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:27.680 Yeah, and a few people have also said that like it's already out on the internet, like you can't really take it off the internet. 00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:30.160 I mean, I can delete the original post. 00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:36.480 Um but it sheds so much light on on what addiction does to families and kids. 00:25:36.720 --> 00:25:44.559 Yeah, for sure, you know, yeah, and I think that's important because that gets uh uh kind of lost sometimes in the message, you know. 00:25:44.640 --> 00:25:48.880 It's really the kids, the next generation is what's gonna carry us to our future. 00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:50.079 Oh, yeah. 00:25:50.400 --> 00:26:03.279 And I did so I asked my son this last time that I'd visited home, flew out to Ohio and visited, like face to face in the car, and I asked him, I said, Hey, I I want to ask you something. 00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:07.839 Like, years later, does that video bother you at all? 00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:09.920 Like, I've thought about taking it down. 00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:11.839 Like, what do you think about that? 00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:14.799 And he goes, No, you can leave it up. 00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:18.079 He said, No, I I don't want you to take it down, leave it up. 00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:23.920 I I still I have family members that ask me to take it down, honestly. 00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:26.640 I've had a couple family members ask me to take it down. 00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:32.160 I have a couple family members that tell me to take videos down too, so but they don't get it. 00:26:34.400 --> 00:26:41.839 Well, so this was an enormous, enormous um video for fentanyl awareness. 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:45.759 You know, ten years ago, most people didn't know about fentanyl. 00:26:45.839 --> 00:26:53.279 They didn't know that it was being, you know, shot up by people and used uh the way it was being used. 00:26:53.519 --> 00:26:59.920 So you kind of uh you were in the in the beginning of of this fentanyl war. 00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:00.960 And that's exactly what it is. 00:27:01.119 --> 00:27:02.640 Fentanyl is an epidemic. 00:27:02.799 --> 00:27:09.759 There is there, you know, the yes, it's it is it is killing so many people. 00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:18.960 And I mean, and you've just seen, I mean, how many, you know, how many names, how many names of people who have gone from fentanyl overdose now? 00:27:19.119 --> 00:27:22.160 It's uh it's it's it really is. 00:27:22.319 --> 00:27:23.039 It's a war. 00:27:23.119 --> 00:27:23.839 It's a war. 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:25.680 And you were start you started it. 00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:30.000 You started uh the the awareness of it, and that was a long time ago. 00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:51.039 Then I actually woke up to a message this morning, right, from someone from my school district who was saying that she was reading a list, right, of all the people who had graduated in my class from Helen High School that have passed from fentanyl. 00:27:51.680 --> 00:27:58.160 And she had said she asked our principal, um, she said, you know whose name is not on there? 00:27:58.480 --> 00:27:59.680 Brendan Clark. 00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:07.680 And my principal, my past principal, I guess, had even said, I'm not gonna lie, I I wasn't sure he was gonna make it. 00:28:08.160 --> 00:28:08.480 Oh. 00:28:09.519 --> 00:28:10.000 Wow. 00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:12.240 And look at what you're doing today. 00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:13.839 I mean, that gives me the choke. 00:28:14.480 --> 00:28:15.920 You're advocating. 00:28:16.720 --> 00:28:21.279 So when you when you made that video, when you made that video, were you clean at that time? 00:28:21.519 --> 00:28:23.039 I was about 90 days sober. 00:28:23.119 --> 00:28:24.640 Yes, I was in sober living. 00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:27.119 People comment, they're like, he looks high. 00:28:27.839 --> 00:28:30.400 I was holding a cigarette, that pissed people off. 00:28:31.119 --> 00:28:34.240 Yeah, I was about to tell my son that his mom died. 00:28:34.319 --> 00:28:36.960 They didn't like, let me smoke a shit. 00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:39.759 Like, I it wasn't all up in his face, you know. 00:28:39.839 --> 00:28:40.799 Uh uh. 00:28:41.680 --> 00:28:42.240 Yeah. 00:28:42.480 --> 00:28:51.920 Well, I mean, but you so because you've had you've had bouts of clean time, and during this one experience in particular, you were clean. 00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:56.319 Uh, how does that uh you that that means something to you? 00:28:56.640 --> 00:28:57.839 Yeah, definitely. 00:28:58.079 --> 00:29:01.519 Um, yeah, unfortunately, I didn't stay clean after that. 00:29:01.680 --> 00:29:14.160 And like if that doesn't, you know, tell you how serious,

you know, this this disease of addiction is, then I don't know what else does, because like why why would I ever go back to that, right? 00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:22.160 Like, why would I ever go back to using fentanyl if my son's mother just passed from it, right? 00:29:23.119 --> 00:29:30.720 It's just that insidious and it's it's that much hard of a substance to kick. 00:29:30.880 --> 00:29:33.920 Just addiction, period, no matter the substance. 00:29:35.279 --> 00:29:42.400 And fentanyl is just so is so strong, and so, you know, everything calls you back to it, right? 00:29:42.480 --> 00:29:51.039 You know, and you've had you've had just a life of trauma, you know, and when, you know, because we talk about this a lot, right? 00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:52.799 You know, it was the solution. 00:29:52.960 --> 00:29:55.039 It was the solution to our problems. 00:29:55.200 --> 00:30:01.920 It was the the the thing that made us feel better or not feel at all, right? 00:30:02.240 --> 00:30:19.119 And when you don't work through the feelings, when you don't uh, you know, and that's that's most of uh addicts, most uh addicts are have you know trauma and all these things built up inside, and their solution is the drugs and alcohol. 00:30:19.279 --> 00:30:31.440 And I mean anybody who hears your story and all of the loss and you know and unhealed wounds, you know, that's any addict who knows knows what you're going through. 00:30:31.920 --> 00:30:33.039 Definitely. 00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:42.079 And there's there's these new uh strands of of fentanyl out now, like things I can't even pronounce, you know, like one after the other. 00:30:42.240 --> 00:30:48.160 Like a few years ago it was car fentanyl, and then the I I can't even think of the names of them. 00:30:48.319 --> 00:30:50.079 There's like so many now. 00:30:51.200 --> 00:30:52.240 Yeah, yeah. 00:30:52.559 --> 00:30:58.880 So let's talk, let's talk about how you found uh how you f eventually found recovery. 00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:04.880 How I eventually found recovery, it was 2022. 00:31:05.920 --> 00:31:19.119 I was dope sick on my mom's couch, and uh friend of mine who was out here in California in treatment already um offered me treatment. 00:31:19.599 --> 00:31:25.680 And you know, a small town guy, you know, in uh in Ohio, like with nothing out there. 00:31:25.759 --> 00:31:33.440 I'm like, California sounds beautiful, rehab sounds amazing, like maybe it's time to get our stuff together, you know. 00:31:33.759 --> 00:31:38.960 So flew out here, and you know, I say this in my story. 00:31:39.759 --> 00:31:49.039 I even came out here still closed-minded, like I wasn't even all the way open-minded to like real recovery, right? 00:31:49.279 --> 00:31:59.519 I told myself I was only gonna stay 30 days um that I was gonna go back home and probably go back to the same stuff. 00:31:59.839 --> 00:32:02.720 But I had done this twice in Florida. 00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:11.039 I'd went to Florida twice for treatment, only to AMA, go back home, and go back to the same stuff, right? 00:32:11.839 --> 00:32:17.920 Well, within these 30 days, I told myself, I said, I'm not gonna do the same thing that I did in Florida. 00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:32.720 I'm gonna go check out this sober living, see what they're talking about, see what it's looking like, and maybe try to get a sponsor out here, go to some meetings, go to some PHP, get some therapy, and see if we can really recover this time. 00:32:33.440 --> 00:32:43.279 And you know, by the grace of God, four years later, you know, here I am still out in California, uh sober and working in the field myself. 00:32:44.799 --> 00:32:45.839 What was different? 00:32:46.079 --> 00:32:49.359 What was different this time than all the other times? 00:32:50.799 --> 00:32:53.119 I think it's a decision, honestly. 00:32:53.279 --> 00:32:59.200 I just feel like you have to be beaten and broken to the point where you're just ready. 00:32:59.440 --> 00:33:03.519 There was time I've tried treatment uh a hundred times before. 00:33:03.759 --> 00:33:09.680 I was just telling my buddy yesterday, there's a treatment center, a building back home in Ohio, right? 00:33:10.079 --> 00:33:13.519 This building has been three different treatment centers. 00:33:13.759 --> 00:33:24.640 I frequented every treatment center, like as that building like became different treatment centers, I frequented every company that it was. 00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:27.200 I had been to that building so many times. 00:33:27.440 --> 00:33:34.079 And uh, you know, one of the last times I had I went home to visit family, I actually went and spoke there. 00:33:35.039 --> 00:33:36.880 On on the other side, you know. 00:33:37.119 --> 00:33:38.079 That's awesome. 00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:38.880 Yeah. 00:33:39.119 --> 00:33:42.400 How many how many treatment facilities were you in? 00:33:43.680 --> 00:33:46.480 I honestly I I couldn't tell you. 00:33:46.720 --> 00:33:59.519 I I know the girl you guys uh I follow or the guys you I was gonna say, you need to do a series like you're talking about you're talking about talking big 327. 00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:12.880 What I do know is that I've been to two state state facility psych wards where like I had no business being just because I wanted to come off a fentanyl. 00:34:13.199 --> 00:34:17.280 Where like there was real people that needed help, you know, going through it. 00:34:17.599 --> 00:34:21.519 But sometimes like here, you can't just go to a hospital and say, I want to detox. 00:34:21.760 --> 00:34:30.159 Like to help the last friend I helped get into like a hospital detox, which we had to tell him he had some mental it had to be it was a psych ward. 00:34:30.239 --> 00:34:32.719 He what they wouldn't take him into like a hospital. 00:34:32.960 --> 00:34:34.960 So they detoxed him. 00:34:35.440 --> 00:34:46.000 I had probably went to the hospital and said I was gonna off myself at least 30 to 40 times just to get

in somewhere. 00:34:46.320 --> 00:34:50.079 Yeah, that's the only way they'll like get you to in for detox. 00:34:50.719 --> 00:34:51.760 It's sick. 00:34:52.400 --> 00:34:52.880 Yeah. 00:34:53.440 --> 00:34:55.519 I mean, it'll get you there, you know? 00:34:56.000 --> 00:35:06.480 We got to the point where a doctor, a psychiatrist came in and said, Yes, uh Brendan Clark is clinically insane and will need a higher level of care and treatment. 00:35:07.280 --> 00:35:11.280 Because if you think about it, doing the same thing over and over, right? 00:35:11.519 --> 00:35:16.239 I had been there so many times and said the same thing. 00:35:16.480 --> 00:35:18.800 But they knew, they knew, you know. 00:35:19.360 --> 00:35:20.320 But what would you do? 00:35:20.480 --> 00:35:25.519 You would go, you'd go detox and then go right back to what you were doing. 00:35:25.840 --> 00:35:26.960 Yeah, right back to it. 00:35:27.199 --> 00:35:28.960 Because I went to put in the effort. 00:35:29.119 --> 00:35:32.480 I was like, okay, I put the drugs down, I'm cool, we're good. 00:35:32.639 --> 00:35:39.599 Yeah, I don't need any further therapy, I don't need any further treatment, I don't need any further support groups. 00:35:39.760 --> 00:35:43.280 I'm gonna go hang out with with you know Joe's. 00:35:43.679 --> 00:35:46.320 Go to the barber shop and then you're gonna get your hair cut. 00:35:46.559 --> 00:35:47.920 For sure, you know. 00:35:48.559 --> 00:35:51.360 Definitely, and got my hair cut a couple times. 00:35:53.199 --> 00:35:57.519 So, so you you you found recovery finally, you know. 00:35:57.679 --> 00:36:04.880 Um, you know, and you uh you you work the steps, you you incorporated the steps in your life. 00:36:05.039 --> 00:36:11.760 I see all the stuff you're doing now, you know, and you play an you're an active member if of a program. 00:36:13.039 --> 00:36:15.840 How important is that to you? 00:36:16.880 --> 00:36:29.519 I I feel it's very important because my ideas and and and the way I was living wasn't working, so you know I kind of needed some guidance for sure. 00:36:29.760 --> 00:36:56.639 Um while I was in sober living, they would take us to meetings, and I was told always not to hang so much with the people that had the same amount of clean time as you, or you'll stay a newcomer, and like I didn't really understand that until I started sitting at meetings with the guys who had five, ten, fifteen, twenty years sober, right? 00:36:56.960 --> 00:37:06.719 Looking back at my sober living, you know, uh community, like at the meeting with me, just like this, like on their phone. 00:37:06.880 --> 00:37:09.760 Yeah, missing the message. 00:37:10.239 --> 00:37:15.920 Um yeah, I I I feel that going to meetings, right? 00:37:16.000 --> 00:37:18.960 You're you're not gonna hear everything you want to hear. 00:37:19.199 --> 00:37:21.840 I'm not gonna hear everything that I want to hear at a meeting, right? 00:37:21.920 --> 00:37:38.239 I'm gonna hear some things that I'm not gonna relate with, some things that aren't gonna sit right with me, but I might hear a message, I might hear a snippet of something that might affect me, change my mood, change my thinking, and direct me on the right path of recovery. 00:37:39.920 --> 00:37:42.559 That's um amazing, amazing, amazing. 00:37:42.639 --> 00:37:54.559 Dude, I'm I'm I mean, I'm a big uh I'm a big 12-step proponent, and you know, and we talk about all the different ways of finding recovery, and all of them are good. 00:37:54.719 --> 00:37:59.840 We are big proponents of all path form pathways to recovery are good. 00:38:00.639 --> 00:38:05.679 You know, but uh whenever we find a fellow 12-stepper, I'm gonna we're gonna talk about it for a minute. 00:38:07.920 --> 00:38:08.960 Hell yeah, man. 00:38:09.119 --> 00:38:11.199 I mean you dig deep, right? 00:38:11.280 --> 00:38:13.840 Like this the steps like make you dig deep. 00:38:13.920 --> 00:38:17.840 Like you really gotta think and feel and then write things down. 00:38:18.239 --> 00:38:19.760 It's we all have something in common. 00:38:19.840 --> 00:38:24.400 We want to heal and be better people, and that's taking them steps. 00:38:24.639 --> 00:38:28.400 Johnny and I got to go to Founders Day, and we went to Dr. 00:38:28.480 --> 00:38:36.000 Bob's house, and ironically, there's 12 steps leading up to the front door, and they did not plan that. 00:38:38.400 --> 00:38:40.960 We don't even want to bring that up with Brandon right now because Brennan's. 00:38:41.199 --> 00:38:43.119 I know the folks to meet us there. 00:38:44.559 --> 00:38:47.599 Okay, see now you're bringing up sore subjects, Krista. 00:38:49.280 --> 00:38:50.320 We still had a fun time. 00:38:50.559 --> 00:38:51.119 We had fun. 00:38:51.280 --> 00:38:52.239 I know you guys did. 00:38:52.320 --> 00:38:55.760 I was looking at y'all's pictures and I was like, it was a good time. 00:38:55.840 --> 00:39:01.360 I learned a lot because I'm not I'm not even really an AA anymore, but it's my roots and my foundation. 00:39:02.239 --> 00:39:02.559 For sure. 00:39:02.800 --> 00:39:03.599 It was so good. 00:39:03.760 --> 00:39:04.400 It was so good. 00:39:04.719 --> 00:39:06.559 Did you guys visit his grave also? 00:39:07.039 --> 00:39:07.280 Yes. 00:39:07.440 --> 00:39:09.199 I put a baby Jesus on it. 00:39:09.440 --> 00:39:10.400 I love that. 00:39:10.800 --> 00:39:13.039 The one time that I went, it was at night. 00:39:13.199 --> 00:39:16.079 There was literally candles lit on his gravestone. 00:39:16.960 --> 00:39:18.960 They don't walk the graveyard at night? 00:39:19.119 --> 00:39:20.480 You did you break in? 00:39:20.800 --> 00:39:21.119 No. 00:39:23.920 --> 00:39:25.920 It might have been, I mean it was like towards the evening. 00:39:26.079 --> 00:39:27.519 It was like towards the evening. 00:39:27.760 --> 00:39:28.320 Oh, okay. 00:39:28.719 --> 00:39:31.679 And we went to the motorcycle um procession. 00:39:32.079 --> 00:39:33.679

That was like my favorite part. 00:39:33.920 --> 00:39:34.719 Um, okay. 00:39:35.039 --> 00:39:39.440 So what is one of the biggest gifts recovery's given you? 00:39:40.000 --> 00:39:48.239 One of the biggest gifts recovery has given me is uh, you know, they say a life beyond your wildest dreams, right? 00:39:48.400 --> 00:39:50.239 Like that's that's the quote. 00:39:50.800 --> 00:39:53.280 That's that's like an understatement. 00:39:53.599 --> 00:40:06.079 Like, if you would have told me, you know, over four years ago that I would have the life that I have today, I would have probably called you a liar, asked you for 20 bucks, or tried to rob you, you know. 00:40:06.239 --> 00:40:08.800 Like, I have a beautiful life today. 00:40:08.880 --> 00:40:14.239 Uh I have a beautiful girlfriend, a healthy relationship, two cats, you know. 00:40:14.320 --> 00:40:18.400 Um convertible that you make videos going through the city at night. 00:40:19.039 --> 00:40:19.519 Yeah, yeah. 00:40:19.599 --> 00:40:21.360 Hey, that's another thing, actually. 00:40:21.519 --> 00:40:24.639 Um, I had that car, it's a Camaro. 00:40:24.880 --> 00:40:37.599 I actually had that car on a vision board about maybe five, six years ago, and um I had it like on on my on my desktop, on my laptop, you know, for like the wallpaper. 00:40:37.679 --> 00:40:41.599 And I swear to god, I told myself like I'll drive a white Camaro one day. 00:40:41.679 --> 00:40:43.199 And I didn't even go looking for it. 00:40:43.280 --> 00:40:52.480 When I got my license back after 15 years of not having my license, I decided to go to a Toyota dealership to just look at some cars. 00:40:52.880 --> 00:40:55.920 And um, yeah, uh this guy's. 00:40:56.079 --> 00:40:58.559 I said, uh, I'm more of like a Chevy guy. 00:40:58.719 --> 00:41:01.119 And he said, Do you want to check this Camaro out? 00:41:01.280 --> 00:41:02.800 And I was like, Do I? 00:41:04.079 --> 00:41:05.840 So no camera, you got the Camaro. 00:41:06.000 --> 00:41:07.599 Yeah, I pulled off the lot with this one. 00:41:08.320 --> 00:41:10.000 I'm able to do things like that today. 00:41:10.079 --> 00:41:11.519 I'm able to be employed. 00:41:11.679 --> 00:41:14.639 Um I'm I'm I'm trusted, you know. 00:41:14.719 --> 00:41:19.199 Um, I'm trusted at my family's house when I visit home now. 00:41:19.360 --> 00:41:23.280 My mom doesn't have to put her purse up in her bedroom, you know. 00:41:23.519 --> 00:41:26.639 If anything, I'm I'm putting money in it, you know. 00:41:26.880 --> 00:41:29.360 So uh I have a beautiful life today. 00:41:29.519 --> 00:41:32.239 Um a good relationship with my kids. 00:41:32.400 --> 00:41:34.000 They're back home in Ohio. 00:41:34.400 --> 00:41:49.360 Um not sure how long I'm gonna live in California for, but uh, you know, I I've got a great life out here, and I go home and visit a lot, and not as much as I'd like to, you know, but I'm more present. 00:41:51.039 --> 00:41:51.840 That's big. 00:41:52.000 --> 00:41:52.480

That's big. 00:41:52.559 --> 00:42:06.079 And you dude, I'm just I'm telling you, watching from the outside and uh the relationship that we've been able to form and just seeing all the growth that happens just from the the short time that I've known you is just awesome. 00:42:06.320 --> 00:42:12.880 And you know, and that happens when you're you know, I think there's the program can be taught, right? 00:42:12.960 --> 00:42:16.320 The program can be taught that we can teach 12 steps to anybody. 00:42:16.400 --> 00:42:20.159 You anybody who wants to learn them can learn them. 00:42:20.400 --> 00:42:23.840 But enthusiasm is one thing that can't be taught. 00:42:24.000 --> 00:42:30.320 And I think the the gift of desperation is enthusiasm for recovery. 00:42:30.559 --> 00:42:37.679 And it's and it's it's open-mindedness, don't get me wrong, because uh you have to open your mind to some new ideas and some new things. 00:42:37.920 --> 00:42:46.480 But the the keeping of the enthusiasm to see I want what Brandon has, how did you do it, Brandon? 00:42:46.559 --> 00:43:02.320 I'm gonna do what you do, and and actually do that and and stay active and stay incorporated into whatever program we're using, or or whatever 12-step you know activity you're doing, which you're doing a ton of. 00:43:04.159 --> 00:43:08.159 You know, it's actually gotta stay active, stay involved, you know. 00:43:08.400 --> 00:43:15.679 Yeah, that's uh I think that's the the biggest key, is is I'm watching you and I just see the enthusiasm. 00:43:15.840 --> 00:43:20.400 And like I watch your social media, and it makes me think, shit, what else would I do? 00:43:20.480 --> 00:43:22.320 I'm supposed to be doing some shit now. 00:43:23.519 --> 00:43:28.400 That's why I said I watch your guys' stuff, and I'm like, why am I not doing that yet? 00:43:28.480 --> 00:43:28.880 You know? 00:43:29.039 --> 00:43:32.880 So it's we enjoy you you gotta enjoy the moment. 00:43:33.039 --> 00:43:36.400 And like we kinda I kind of thought it was gonna be boring. 00:43:36.480 --> 00:43:39.920 That's kind of why I never wanted to to try to get sober. 00:43:40.000 --> 00:43:41.280 Like, what fun was I gonna have? 00:43:41.360 --> 00:43:43.679 I'm never gonna have a good time without a drink ever. 00:43:44.159 --> 00:43:45.199 Are you serious? 00:43:45.440 --> 00:43:47.199 Um, I'm having the best time of my life. 00:43:47.280 --> 00:43:48.239 I'm remembering everything. 00:43:48.320 --> 00:43:50.239 I can drive a car at any time of the day. 00:43:50.639 --> 00:43:51.599 That's a big one. 00:43:52.079 --> 00:43:52.719 Legally. 00:43:52.960 --> 00:43:54.719 Um, I'm like remembering everything. 00:43:54.800 --> 00:43:59.760 I'm waking up a hundred and twenty percent versus waking up ten percent with hangover. 00:44:00.159 --> 00:44:01.199 Or dope sick. 00:44:01.360 --> 00:44:05.679 And like I you you gotta enjoy, you gotta have a good time. 00:44:05.920 --> 00:44:07.599 And you wanna share it. 00:44:07.760 --> 00:44:09.840 You can't keep it if you don't give it away. 00:44:10.159 --> 00:44:11.519 I know exactly. 00:44:11.760 --> 00:44:19.280 Um yeah, you gotta share it so so people can know that like that type of life is possible. 00:44:19.440 --> 00:44:25.440 I'm I'm proud to recover out loud, and I love it when others recover out loud, you know. 00:44:25.599 --> 00:44:29.920 Um I'm a big advocate for for treatment and and recovery. 00:44:30.079 --> 00:44:34.559 Um lately I've been working closely with uh Victor the Good Boss. 00:44:34.719 --> 00:44:35.760 Shout out to him. 00:44:35.920 --> 00:44:43.519 Um he's helping get people off the streets and scholarshipping them uh into treatment to find a better way of life, you know. 00:44:43.679 --> 00:44:47.280 Uh our treatment center is scholarshipping someone for him right now. 00:44:47.360 --> 00:44:48.239 And she's doing great. 00:44:48.480 --> 00:44:49.039 That's awesome. 00:44:49.199 --> 00:44:50.079 Yeah, that's awesome. 00:44:50.400 --> 00:44:50.880 Beautiful thing. 00:44:51.119 --> 00:45:05.679 It's very encouraging to watch because you he comes across some people that like may not even realize that there's they there is a way out, you know, because attainable recovery is probably what's really keeping most people away. 00:45:05.840 --> 00:45:10.000 Like I didn't I when I was getting sober, Google wasn't helpful. 00:45:10.079 --> 00:45:11.599 There's nothing in my area. 00:45:12.239 --> 00:45:19.360 So like if I didn't have a mom that like literally went and found this rehab hours and hours away, I would have never made it there. 00:45:19.599 --> 00:45:25.599 But like you got this guy out, you know, like just offering a solution, take it or leave it. 00:45:25.679 --> 00:45:28.800 And how many other people do that, you know? 00:45:28.960 --> 00:45:33.360 Like it's great, it's a pleasure to work with them, yeah. 00:45:33.679 --> 00:45:36.559 And there, I mean, there's a lot of that out there, right? 00:45:36.719 --> 00:45:37.840 There's a lot of that out there. 00:45:37.920 --> 00:45:45.280 I mean, in where you are at MacArthur Park, you know, it's basically an open-air drug area, drug monarchy, right? 00:45:45.840 --> 00:45:53.199 And you go to Philadelphia, you got Kensington Street, and you go to uh San Francisco, you got Turk Street. 00:45:53.360 --> 00:45:57.679 Uh shout out shout out to uh Ben Larson for my favorite song, Turk Street. 00:45:57.840 --> 00:46:03.920 And you go up to uh Vancouver, and there's a street up there where it's just open air. 00:46:04.079 --> 00:46:10.400 People are just doing drugs without any, you know, and they the cops come by, they turn around. 00:46:10.719 --> 00:46:12.800 Yeah, they just turn the cheek, man. 00:46:12.880 --> 00:46:14.239 They don't they don't care. 00:46:14.719 --> 00:46:22.559 So to have somebody that's actually going to these areas and saying, Hey, here you go, here's uh here's a chance if you want it. 00:46:22.719 --> 00:46:23.519 That's

enormous. 00:46:23.599 --> 00:46:24.320 That's really big. 00:46:24.480 --> 00:46:27.679 Big shout out uh to your guy. 00:46:28.800 --> 00:46:29.840 Heck yeah. 00:46:30.079 --> 00:46:31.840 Yeah, we'll have to tag him in it. 00:46:33.119 --> 00:46:34.159 Yeah, I'm a big fan. 00:46:34.239 --> 00:46:35.679 My husband watches them too. 00:46:35.840 --> 00:46:39.920 He he's got he does a lot, and he's all over the all over the place. 00:46:40.159 --> 00:46:40.960 All over the place. 00:46:41.119 --> 00:46:44.000 Shout out Victor the good boss and fresh start. 00:46:44.320 --> 00:46:45.039 Fresh start. 00:46:45.119 --> 00:46:50.880 It's uh dude, it's so funny because uh you uh you can tell a program person all the time, right? 00:46:51.039 --> 00:47:02.239 Uh you hear words, and like you said the word insidious earlier, and that's uh the there's not too many people out in the out and about saying the word insidious too frequently. 00:47:02.400 --> 00:47:06.559 Um but you want to hear a funny story is I was uh I was listening to Macklemore. 00:47:06.639 --> 00:47:12.800 Uh you know that song, the big song that came out was uh uh was it Thrift Shop or Thrift Store? 00:47:13.119 --> 00:47:14.000 You know what I'm talking about? 00:47:14.159 --> 00:47:15.039 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:47:15.280 --> 00:47:16.480 It was all over the radios. 00:47:16.559 --> 00:47:17.679 I thought it was so good. 00:47:17.760 --> 00:47:19.440 And I was like, dude, I like this guy. 00:47:19.519 --> 00:47:20.639 Let me listen to this album. 00:47:20.800 --> 00:47:26.480 And I'm listening to his album, and all of a sudden I'm hearing words like gratitude. 00:47:26.719 --> 00:47:32.159 And uh, you know, it's like, well, you don't hear the word gratitude too much in the ra in the real world. 00:47:32.239 --> 00:47:38.400 And then all of a sudden I was like, oh man, and uh found out that McLamore was in recovery as well. 00:47:38.719 --> 00:47:54.000 And then uh he had uh his song Starting Over, you know, the song Starting Over is one of the most powerful songs in in recovery because he he talked about his relapse, you know, and relapse it ha it happens. 00:47:54.239 --> 00:48:00.639 And you know, but if I can be an example of getting sober, then I can be an example of starting over. 00:48:00.880 --> 00:48:04.559 And dude, that's uh there you can't get a more powerful line than that. 00:48:04.719 --> 00:48:10.639 And you know and Brendan, your story, man, you are that example, you know. 00:48:10.880 --> 00:48:21.199 Uh, you know, you didn't get sober right off the giddy up, but you got sober and and it took some time, took a lot of time, took a lot of pain, but you did it. 00:48:21.360 --> 00:48:25.599 And if I can be an example of getting sober, I can be an example of starting over. 00:48:25.840 --> 00:48:29.920 And persistence wins, you know, persistence wins. 00:48:30.559 --> 00:48:31.920 I know that's right, man. 00:48:32.800 --> 00:48:38.480 And the work you do, like the outreach stuff, that's really, really big, because not a lot of people are doing that. 00:48:38.559 --> 00:48:40.480 It takes a lot of work and money. 00:48:41.199 --> 00:48:49.360 And but just being kind and just like giving someone a bottle of water, you don't know how like is huge. 00:48:49.679 --> 00:48:50.239 It's huge. 00:48:50.480 --> 00:48:53.519 Here where I live, there's not there's no homeless shelters. 00:48:53.840 --> 00:48:56.079 It's it's wild. 00:48:56.239 --> 00:49:04.239 So like we I I try to help where I can, but um what you're doing in like the m the numbers is huge. 00:49:04.639 --> 00:49:09.119 Takes a lot of like brainstorming and and like you know planning too. 00:49:09.360 --> 00:49:18.639 Um we have uh I'm I'm friends with a lady who comes out in her van to cut hair. 00:49:18.800 --> 00:49:34.159 She she has a mobile barber shop and she comes out, you know, uh to to our little events and stuff and out to MacArthur Park and she cuts hair in her van that she used to live in when she was home. 00:49:34.400 --> 00:49:35.920 Oh my gosh. 00:49:36.320 --> 00:49:38.159 Yeah, shout out to Gina. 00:49:38.480 --> 00:49:42.639 Sheer cuts by Gina Shears of Joy by Gina. 00:49:43.840 --> 00:49:45.119 Wow, that's bad. 00:49:45.760 --> 00:49:52.480 I think I think my favorite thing about you, Brennan, is that you know, you you you live by Rule 62. 00:49:52.559 --> 00:49:56.960 And rule 62 is we don't take ourselves so damn seriously, right? 00:49:57.360 --> 00:50:09.199 And uh, you know, so we make all these little videos and uh the and we send out, you know, hey, can you uh can you give us a 10-second video of this and that? 00:50:09.519 --> 00:50:15.360 And every time I need to put a smile on my face, it was You're always his favorite. 00:50:15.599 --> 00:50:16.719 Always my favorite. 00:50:17.039 --> 00:50:17.440 The wing. 00:50:17.760 --> 00:50:20.800 Always like Brendan. 00:50:23.840 --> 00:50:29.760 I'm telling you, and it anytime I need a smile on my face, I'll just go and watch that video. 00:50:29.920 --> 00:50:32.639 And and Brandon, Brandon says whatever he says. 00:50:32.719 --> 00:50:33.199 Uh, you know what? 00:50:33.280 --> 00:50:34.559 We're gonna play it right now, Megan. 00:50:35.119 --> 00:50:36.320 You play that video right now. 00:50:36.480 --> 00:50:38.239 Because it's just he says what he says. 00:50:38.320 --> 00:50:42.960 He drinks his coffee and he looks and and then Megan put the ding behind it. 00:50:43.199 --> 00:50:47.840 Oh man, you know, and we gotta continue doing that, man. 00:50:48.000 --> 00:50:49.760 We gotta life is short. 00:50:49.920 --> 00:50:51.599 Let's have a good time doing it. 00:50:52.880 --> 00:50:55.119 We get to live a life beyond our wildest dreams. 00:50:55.199 --> 00:50:58.559 We get to live a second life in one lifetime if we want to. 00:50:58.800 --> 00:51:00.719 Let's make the best of it. 00:51:00.800 --> 00:51:02.719 Let's help as many people as we can. 00:51:02.800 -->

00:51:04.239 Let's have a good time doing it. 00:51:04.400 --> 00:51:06.000 Let's keep laughing. 00:51:06.079 --> 00:51:07.519 Let's keep smiling. 00:51:07.679 --> 00:51:11.039 Whatever you see, Brennan, Brennan's always got a smile on his face. 00:51:11.280 --> 00:51:14.480 With all the, you know, he said he's had trauma. 00:51:14.639 --> 00:51:18.639 Anybody who's watched all the way up till now, they've heard your trauma. 00:51:18.719 --> 00:51:23.679 And the fact that you can still sit here and you got a smile on your face, you know. 00:51:23.920 --> 00:51:27.840 This is this is the this is living the being the example, dude. 00:51:27.920 --> 00:51:30.159 And, you know, and I'm proud of you, man. 00:51:30.239 --> 00:51:32.239 I'm proud of you for everything you're doing. 00:51:32.480 --> 00:51:33.039 I appreciate it. 00:51:33.280 --> 00:51:33.599 Me too. 00:51:36.239 --> 00:51:47.519 I'm really grateful we connected, and um, it was all because of that video, you know, that you posted many years ago that kind of brought your attention to us. 00:51:47.599 --> 00:52:07.039 And um, it's just it's cool to watch your journey and you're across the whole country, and um your connections and seeing you have gone through all that and now you're working in a treatment center, like you're the star student, and like to hear you were a tutor in prison. 00:52:08.000 --> 00:52:08.320 Yeah. 00:52:08.639 --> 00:52:18.079 Um but like that's cool, and um that you can be a good example for your kids and your community, your community needs you. 00:52:18.320 --> 00:52:20.719 So I will say this though. 00:52:20.880 --> 00:52:27.280 I mean, wet when we first met Brendan, you know, he was clean shaven and didn't have any glasses, and suddenly he meets me. 00:52:27.360 --> 00:52:28.239 I don't know. 00:52:29.679 --> 00:52:35.760 If he rolls through and bicks that head of his, uh or you or you grew hair. 00:52:36.400 --> 00:52:37.039 That grew out. 00:52:37.599 --> 00:52:38.079 Yeah. 00:52:38.559 --> 00:52:39.360 Unfortunately. 00:52:39.840 --> 00:52:41.280 Was I clean shaved last time? 00:52:41.679 --> 00:52:43.440 I think I was, actually. 00:52:43.679 --> 00:52:44.400 I'm telling you. 00:52:49.519 --> 00:52:53.360 I actually need a new pair of glasses, new new prescription. 00:52:53.840 --> 00:52:56.800 Well, next time we'll see him, we'll have the same style as Johnny. 00:52:57.039 --> 00:53:03.679 Okay, he's gonna have he's gonna he's gonna be rocking circle glasses and a shaved head, and we ain't gonna know what happened. 00:53:03.920 --> 00:53:04.719 I don't know. 00:53:04.880 --> 00:53:05.760 I don't know. 00:53:06.880 --> 00:53:12.079 Brennan, dude, thank you so much for coming out and being here with us and sharing your story. 00:53:12.320 --> 00:53:17.599 Um, love you, man, and love that you know that you're we're we're all in this together, right? 00:53:17.679 --> 00:53:26.559 You know, anytime we call on Brennan and say, hey Brennan, we need this, we need that, Brennan always down, and you know, and and we're having a good time doing it. 00:53:26.639 --> 00:53:31.119 And uh, and I just want to thank you, brother, for coming and sharing your story with us. 00:53:31.440 --> 00:53:32.559 Yeah, definitely, man. 00:53:32.719 --> 00:53:34.000 Thank you guys for having me. 00:53:34.079 --> 00:53:35.280 It's been a pleasure, man. 00:53:35.440 --> 00:53:36.239 Seriously. 00:53:36.559 --> 00:53:38.079 Always a thank you. 00:53:38.639 --> 00:53:42.800 And everybody who's pay who's who's watched, uh, thank you so much. 00:53:42.880 --> 00:53:48.159 Make sure you go and follow Brandon, follow all of his socials, follow uh Time to Go. 00:53:48.320 --> 00:53:53.840 And it's uh, you know, it's a real, real good thing that he's doing out there. 00:53:53.920 --> 00:53:57.840 So if you can help in any way, shape, or form, you know, reach out to Brendan. 00:53:57.920 --> 00:54:01.760 Brendan is always uh up for for a conversation. 00:54:01.920 --> 00:54:03.519 So thank you everyone. 00:54:03.679 --> 00:54:06.960 Thanks for being here, and uh, we'll see you next time. 00:54:07.360 --> 00:54:08.639 See you next time.