Sober Sunrise - AA Speaker Podcast

Why Half Measures Nearly Killed Me: AA Speaker - Bart R. - Superior, WI

Bart R. from Sedona, AZ speaking at at the 65th Superior Roundup in Superior, WI - April 17th 2010
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In this deeply honest AA speaker share, Bart recounts a lifetime of alcoholism that began in childhood, spiraled through institutions, violence, broken relationships, and repeated failed attempts at sobriety, and finally culminated in a moment of total surrender where willingness—not meetings alone—opened the door to recovery; by fully committing to the Big Book, taking all Twelve Steps without half measures, and living a spiritual way of life grounded in service and sponsorship, Bart experienced a complete transformation from chronic relapse to being truly recovered, restoring sanity, purpose, family relationships, and a life of meaning devoted to helping others find the same freedom he once believed was impossible.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

From Selling Drugs to Finding God: AA Speaker - Todd M. - Cleveland, OH

Todd M. from Cleveland, OH speaking at CorkNBottle group in Cleveland, OH - August 6th 2007
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Todd shares a deeply moving story of transformation, describing how a life marked by fear, homelessness, drug trafficking, international arrest, and years of chaos was gradually rebuilt through the love, structure, and spiritual principles of Alcoholics Anonymous; guided by sponsors who taught him trust, service, and humility, Todd learned to let go of the scared child inside, embrace gratitude as action, and grow into a man capable of friendship, purpose, global amends, and emotional honesty—showing that with God, the steps, and the fellowship, even a life once shattered can become one filled with dignity, usefulness, and grace.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

From Skid Row to Sobriety: AA Speaker - Elizabeth M. - Honolulu, HI

Elizabeth M. from Kahaluu, HI speaking at the Hawaii Annual Convention in Honolulu, HI - November 1st 2012
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Elizabeth shares a powerful journey of transformation through Alcoholics Anonymous, describing how a childhood sense of emptiness, early drinking, crime, incarceration, and the devastating loss of her children led her to a bottom marked by despair, homelessness, and repeated arrests, until a moment of surrender in 1999 opened the door to recovery; through AA, she found not only sobriety but identity, purpose, and belonging, rebuilding her life through service, sponsorship, and deep spiritual growth, ultimately becoming a trusted servant within the AA structure, regaining her legal rights, earning college degrees, building a respected professional career, and raising children with love and responsibility—her story stands as a living example that freedom from the bondage of self is possible, that past actions do not define a person’s worth, and that a life once ruled by chaos can be transformed into one of service, dignity, and profound gratitude.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Why Lack of Power Is the Real Alcoholic Problem - Big Book Study - John N. & Joe Z. - Scranton, PA

John N. from Lehman, PA and Joe Z. from Berwick, PA doing a Big Book study at the Men's International Convention in Scranton, PA - April 2008
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Joe & John's "We Agnostics" Big Book workshop share centers on the life-or-death realization that lack of power—not morality, intelligence, or willpower—is the alcoholic’s true dilemma, as Joe and John recount how their alcoholism utterly defeated them until desperation forced an open mind toward a power greater than themselves, dismantling long-held prejudice about God and replacing it with lived evidence found in AA meetings, sponsorship, and action on the Twelve Steps; through surrender, disciplined application of the steps, and a willingness to “lay aside prejudice,” both men describe being restored to sanity, freed from obsession, and rocketed into lives marked by dignity, usefulness, emotional sobriety, and spiritual growth—personal accomplishments measured not in status or possessions, but in sustained sobriety, healed families, the ability to help others recover, and daily freedom from the drink that once ruled their lives, proving that belief follows action and that a new way of living is available even to the most hopeless alcoholic.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

One Day at a Time—And Why Today Is the Hard One: AA Speaker - Bill D. - Baton Rouge, LA

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Bill D. from Franklin, NC speaking at the 34th LA State Convention in Baton Rouge, LA - July 11 1992
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Bill shares a hilarious, hard-won AA story that moves from “drinking member” denial to lifelong recovery, built on radical honesty (“I can’t promise forever—only today”), relentless service, and the humbling truth that sobriety is always a daily reprieve—not a trophy; he explains his simple (but not easy) formula—Don’t Drink / Work With Others / Change Yourself—and backs it with lived proof: sobriety since May 29, 1953, learning to “touch someone on the shoulder,” carrying the message into correctional institutions, and surviving crushing losses (his wife’s sudden death, later losing his job) without picking up, ultimately rebuilding a joyful life through the Steps and spiritual growth rather than self-will.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

A Design For Living: AA Speaker - Marsha S. - Austin, TX

Marsha S. from Austin, TX speaking on the topic of "Convincing the prospect" at the Nosara Big Book Workshop in Nosara Playa Guiones, Costa Rica - March 25th 2012
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Marsha shares about growing up in chaos, building a respected career in law, and losing everything to alcoholism before discovering a deeper surrender that changed her life forever. She describes how sponsorship, real honesty, and a renewed relationship with God helped her rebuild her family, reclaim her purpose, and turn her past into an asset for helping others. Her journey shows the life-changing power of the Big Book, a spiritual awakening, and the freedom found in carrying the message to the next suffering alcoholic.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

How Spiritual Experiences Transform Alcoholics: AA Speaker - Jay S. - Lafayette, LA

Jay S. from Redondo Beach, CA speaking on the topic of Varieties of Spiritual Experience at the Fellowship of the Spirit South in Lafayette, LA - April 3rd 2011
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Jay S. shares a powerful look at AA’s spiritual roots—connecting William James, Carl Jung, and the Oxford Group to the modern miracle of recovery—while telling his own story of sobriety since 1979 and a recent near-death medical scare that became its own spiritual experience. He shows how real change isn’t about white-light moments but about the fruits: transformed lives, restored families, and the simple daily miracle that we didn’t drink today.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

How Helping Others Saved My Sobriety and My Life: AA Speaker - Dave A. - Frisco, TX

"Blind" Dave A. from Austin, TX speaking at the Frisco Group in Frisco, TX - December 8th 2008
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In this powerful talk, Dave shares how true recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous is not found behind a podium but in living the Steps daily—especially Step Three—by turning one’s entire life over to God through service to others, illustrating through deeply personal stories how fear, financial insecurity, and life’s “dismal afternoons” were repeatedly relieved when he resolutely helped another alcoholic, kept close to his Higher Power, and cleaned up the past, leading to sobriety, spiritual growth, restored serenity, strengthened marriage with Norma, and a lived experience of the Big Book promise that when we prioritize our primary purpose, we are “in tow” and our lives are managed in remarkable ways beyond our own planning
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

A Doomed and Hopeless Alcoholic :AA Speaker - Kevin H. - Copenhagen, Denmark

Kevin H. from New York, NY speaking at the CPH 12 conference in Copenhagen, Denmark - May 20th 2006
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Kevin delivers a raw, funny, and deeply honest AA talk about being a “doomed and hopeless” alcoholic whose life was ruled by fear, shame, and drinking against his own will, and how true surrender, honesty, sponsorship, and working the program—not image, intellect, or willpower—finally brought him peace; his story powerfully shows that Alcoholics Anonymous doesn’t just help us stop drinking, it teaches us how to live, feel, and be present in life one day at a time.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Locked Doors to Open Skies: AA Speaker - Nancy M. - Fargo, ND

Nancy M. from Minneapolis, MN speaking at the Northern Plains Group Second Anniversary Celebration in Fargo, ND - May 5th 2001
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Nancy shares a powerful, deeply honest recovery story that spans decades, reminding us that lasting sobriety is built on humility, service, and unwavering commitment to the basics of Alcoholics Anonymous; sober since May 23, 1971, she recounts a life once ruled by alcoholism, fear, self-pity, and shame—marked by neglect, broken relationships, and emotional despair—and contrasts it with the extraordinary life AA gave her: raising three sons, sustaining long-term sponsorship, walking through fears she never thought possible, building lifelong friendships across the world, starting meetings, sponsoring countless women, rebuilding self-worth, and finding a career that allowed freedom and balance, all while learning to trust God one day at a time; her story underscores that recovery isn’t about perfection or avoiding pain, but about showing up, staying accountable, serving others, and doing the simple work repeatedly—proof that even the most broken beginnings can grow into a full, meaningful, and grace-filled life.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu