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TheWillpowerPodcast with Will Gordon

Will Gordon
Sobriety
Recovery
Alcohol
Liver Transplant
Alcoholism
Alcohol Addiction
Liver Cirrhosis
Addiction
Trauma
Mental Health
Alcohol Use Disorder
Shawn Livingston
Intervention
Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
Gambling Addiction
William Person
Functional Medicine
Non-Tough-Love Approach To Family Recovery
Hazelden Betty Ford
Addiction and Family Dynamics

Sobriety podcast featuring real addiction recovery stories and practical tools that actually work.

I'm Will Gordon. Boston school teacher, two-time organ transplant survivor, and a guy who used to hide vodka bottles in places I don't even like remembering.

At 35, my liver and kidneys were done. Doctors said weeks, maybe less. Transplants gave me a second shot. Sobriety gave me everything else.

Th... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes82Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Self-ImprovementEducationHealth & FitnessMental Health

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Latest Episodes

Most of us don’t really understand what it’s like to love someone deep in addiction...until we’re living it.

In this earnest and valuable conversation, Anita Ondine Smith opens up about being married to former NBA player Randy Livingston while he ba... more

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Most people think beating addiction comes down to having more willpower. Chris Hill says that’s one of the biggest mistakes you can make.

In this episode, we break down why willpower eventually runs out, what’s actually happening in the brain when c... more

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In this raw and honest conversation, author David Deane Haskell joins me to talk about what happens after you survive rock bottom. We dive into trauma, inner child work, shame attacks, codependency, and why recovery isn’t a straight line or a highlig... more

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In this episode, I sit down with Evan Jarschauer, a licensed psychotherapist and one of the most experienced interventionists in the country.

Evan has led interventions for families from all walks of life — including one that aired on Keeping Up wit... more

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Matt Farnsworth had 11 years of sobriety
 then everything fell apart.

In this raw and powerful conversation, Matt shares how a toxic relationship, a relapse, and a horrific car accident that left him dead for 3 minutes completely changed his life. H... more

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This episode is raw, emotional, and deeply personal.

Nathan Cheatwood is a liver transplant survivor who went through end-stage liver failure from alcohol addiction in 2023. He received his new liver after only 10 days on the transplant list and tur... more

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Family, that’s Shawn Livingston — four-time felon, heroin survivor, ultra-runner, and living proof that your lowest moment can become your greatest purpose

Shawn Livingston went from high school basketball star to Air Force vet, heroin addict, 4-tim... more

YouTube

Hey everybody, welcome back to The Willpower Podcast.

I was a Boston teacher sneaking bottles, blacking out, and waking up yellow-eyed in a hospital bed with doctors telling my wife I had two weeks left. Liver and kidneys gone. Two transplants later... more

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Recent Guests

Anita Ondine Smith
Author of ASSIST, How to Help a Loved One with a Gambling Problem Without Losing Yourself
Author and responsible gaming ambassador
Episode: “I Hired a Private Investigator on My Husband” — The Partner’s Side of Addiction
Chris Hill
Founder of Beat My Addictions and author of Get Your Life Back
Beat My Addictions
Episode: Why Willpower Alone Fails in Addiction (And What Actually Rewires It)
David Deane Haskell
Author of Wounded Angels, memoir about addiction and trauma
Episode: What Happens After Rock Bottom? Inner Child Work & Honest Recovery | David Deane Haskell
Evan Jarschauer
Licensed psychotherapist and interventionist
Behavioral Help
Episode: I Did Kim Kardashian’s Intervention – The Reality of Family Interventions
Matt Farnsworth
Guest who shares his addiction and recovery story
Episode: I Died for 3 Minutes in a Car Crash
 Then God Spoke to Me
Nathan Cheatwood
Liver transplant survivor, filmmaker of Second Chances Rebirth
Second Chances Films
Episode: Liver Transplant Survivor: Nathan Cheatwood’s Raw Story of Rock Bottom to Rebirth
Shawn Livingston
Addiction survivor, ultra runner, and subject of the documentary 100 Miles to Redemption
I Am Redemption / The Willpower Podcast guest and subject of the documentary
Episode: From Heroin Hell to 100K Runs: How Running Saved Shawn Livingston
Chris Cummins
LMFT, LCADC; runs operations at Laguna Treatment Center; addiction treatment professional
Laguna Treatment Center
Episode: Relapse Isn’t Failure: How Shame Almost Killed My Liver
Joseph Skrajewski
Representative from Hazelden Betty Ford
Hazelden Betty Ford
Episode: Hazelden Betty Ford: Real Recovery When Alcohol Wrecks Your Liver (Joseph Skrajewski)

Host

Will Gordon
Host of The Willpower Podcast, focusing on real addiction recovery stories and practical tools.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

My Skin Turned Yellow And That’s When I Knew (Liver Failure & Hope)
Q: What happened during the hospital crisis and how did it change your view on treatment and sobriety?
He describes the coma-like state, the struggles with hepatic encephalopathy, the hospital environment, and how the experience reinforced the importance of sobriety for transplantation eligibility and overall health.
My Skin Turned Yellow And That’s When I Knew (Liver Failure & Hope)
Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself and what brought you to this point?
Aaron explains his background as a father, his past drinking, and the medical crisis that led to cirrhosis and a transplant wait, highlighting how trauma and life stress contributed to his drinking while emphasizing his ongoing sobriety.
Doctors Gave Up on Him — How Jacob Beat Liver Failure Without Transplant
Q: What was the experience like when you found out a transplant might not be an option for you due to religious beliefs or other factors, and how did you respond?
I faced a tough choice between faith-based limitations and survival; instead of accepting the transplant, I explored functional medicine and other non-transplant approaches, which eventually helped reduce my liver damage and lower my MELD score.
Doctors Gave Up on Him — How Jacob Beat Liver Failure Without Transplant
Q: Tell me a little bit about what your drinking style was like and how it progressed to cirrhosis.
It started after work with a drink that would lead to more, two to three drinks most nights, and over time I began hiding alcohol and rationalizing it as 'in control,' which masked how deep the problem really was; the pattern escalated and damaged my health.
He Quit Drinking and Found This Instead
Q: How did wrestling influence Sy's ability to speak to large groups and teach others?
Wrestling gave him confidence and public-speaking skills that translated into lecturing at universities and leading motivational conversations in schools.

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Frequently Asked Questions About TheWillpowerPodcast

What is TheWillpowerPodcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on real addiction recovery stories, practical tools, and honest conversations about the messy path to sobriety. Episodes blend memoir-style journeys with expert insights, covering inner child work, trauma, family dynamics, relapse as a learning process, and evidence-backed approaches to sustaining recovery. A key strength is the emphasis on actionable strategies, empathy, and non-judgment, often featuring guests who have lived through liver disease, transplant experiences, addiction, and recovery advocacy. The format tends to mix personal narrative with clinical or therapeutic perspectives, making it potentially valuable for listeners seeking relatable experiences plus concrete tools to apply in their own recovery or suppo... more

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These podcasts share a similar audience with TheWillpowerPodcast:

1. Sober Motivation: Sharing Sobriety Stories
2. HCPLive Podcasts

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TheWillpowerPodcast launched 2 years ago and published 82 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on TheWillpowerPodcast?

Recent guests on TheWillpowerPodcast include:

1. Anita Ondine Smith
2. Chris Hill
3. David Deane Haskell
4. Evan Jarschauer
5. Matt Farnsworth
6. Nathan Cheatwood
7. Shawn Livingston
8. Chris Cummins

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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