TheWillpowerPodcast
From the Edge of Nothing to the Heart of Everything. I’m Will Gordon, a Boston school teacher who nearly lost it all. At 35, I was sneaking drinks, hiding bottles in places that still sting to think about, my body down to a two-week fuse. My liver and kidneys shot. Transplants gave me breath; sobriety gave me purpose. I’m by no means an expert, just a schoolteacher who’s learned the hard way: life’s not about dodging pain, it’s about wrestling it into meaning. With over 11,000 YouTube friends and stories reaching hundreds of thousands, The Willpower Podcast is where we delve into the raw, messy beauty of getting back up. Think deep chats, real tools, and stories that hit like a quiet revelation. I’m here to share what I’ve learned, to spark your own fire, and to build something bigger than myself. Ready to find what’s possible? Let’s talk about it. Why This’ll Grab You (And Won’t Let Go): • Stories That Cut Deep: From addiction’s shadows to hard-won light, hear from people who’ve been to the edge and back. These aren’t just tales, they’re truths that feel like yours, told with heart. • Tools That Land: Practical, no-BS ways to tame cravings, sharpen your mind, and turn pain into power. Straight from my scars, offered with care. • Conversations That Stay: We unpack recovery’s real side. The doubts, the wins, the moments of clarity that sneak up on you. It’s like a late-night talk with someone who gets it, no pretense. • Sparks for the Soul: Quick, thoughtful nudges. Gratitude for a hot coffee or a clear day, to keep your fire burning between episodes. 🎧 New Episodes Every Friday: Fresh episodes with stories that shift you, wisdom that grounds you, and motivation that feels like a friend’s quiet push. One listen could reframe your life. 🙏 Every donation helps keep this content going and reaching the people who need it most. → https://buymeacoffee.com/thewillpowerpodcast JOIN THE MOVEMENT: YouTube: @TheWillpowerPodcast (full video eps—subscribe for the visuals that hit harder). Audio Platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible—search "The Willpower Podcast with Will Gordon." Instagram: @thewillpowerpodcast (daily Reels, tips, and community vibes). Connect Direct: thewillpowerpodcast@gmail.com. Book a FREE 30-minute sober mentoring session via my Calendly (link in IG bio too)—let's chat if you're ready to flip the script. "Your greatest comeback starts the moment you decide it's possible." Feel that pull? Hit play. One story could change your lens. Subscribe, and let’s build something unstoppable.
Episodes
Philippa and I were both handed death sentences from alcohol.
I needed a liver transplant and barely survived.
Philippa was told the exact same thing… but she completely reversed end-stage cirrhosis – no transplant, no miracle pills, no BS.
999 days to get her liver enzymes normal. A resident doctor cried when he saw her alive two years later.
This is the rawest, most hopeful liver-failure recovery story you will ever hear. I'm not j...
Aaron Starbuck just got the green light. His liver transplant is officially approved and could happen any day… maybe even tonight.
His first reaction wasn’t relief.
It was terror.
I know exactly how he's feeling and I talk openly about my OWN experience. Imagine being able to talk to someone whose on the other side of it? Well Aaron gets that opportunity.
“I knew it was coming… but I’m repulsed by the idea of being cut open. It’s a ble...
🤝From a second-story fall that started a decade of panic attacks, to blackouts I’m still ashamed of, to not believing I’d see 30 — Mitch Webb somehow found a way out.
Today he’s an integrative somatic coach helping people speak their body’s language and heal from the inside. In this episode, Mitch gets real about:
- The head injury that changed everything
- Fraternity life and the “no off switch” drinking
- Childhood trauma he did...
After two suicide attempts, losing her baby son to a terminal illness, a marriage that ended in scandal, and then — 4+ years sober — getting the call that her ex-husband overdosed on fentanyl… Ashley Jo somehow kept going.
Today she’s a sober mom, bonus mom, author, and speaker who’s been alcohol-free since August 14, 2020. On the exact release day of her gut-wrenching new memoir Tides of Grief, Waves of Grace, Ashley gets REAL abou...
He hit rock bottom after a DUI. Now, Chaplain Sy Ali is 5 years sober, and helping others transform their lives. From elite protection agent to homeless veteran, this is the powerful true story of recovery, redemption, and rediscovering purpose through faith and service.
In this episode of the Will Power Podcast, Sy shares how PTSD, loss, and addiction nearly destroyed him—and how reading the Bible, becoming a chaplain, and work...
Can you really rebuild your entire life after 30 years lost to alcohol? In this raw and powerful episode of the Will Power Podcast, Ian Fee shares his unfiltered alcohol recovery journey — from being a high-functioning alcoholic who spent over $1 million on booze, to becoming a present father, dropping 80 pounds, and living 8 years fully sober.
Ian opens up about:
- The shocking truth behind his rehab experience
- How aversi...
In this episode of The WillPower Podcast, Chad Dunn shares how he went from chasing adrenaline as a BMX rider to six DUIs, crack addiction, and a 30-month sentence in federal prison.
He opens up about the moment he knew he had to change, how meeting a sober bartender shifted his path, and why losing his freedom—not just his health—was the real rock bottom.
Now sober, he trains pro athletes and lives with purpose every day.
...
What happens when the party ends—and the pain begins?
Candice Combs' sobriety journey started in a chaotic childhood filled with addiction, trauma, and survival in the streets of New Orleans. After quitting drinking at 23 and finding success in tech, she built a thriving wellness business. But years later, alcohol addiction came roaring back—nearly destroying her life and relationship.
Now, 10 years sober, Candice shares her ra...
In this deeply raw episode of The Willpower Podcast, host Will Gordon sits down with Jimmy Thistle — a recovery advocate, ex-alcoholic, and peer mentor — who shares the powerful journey from addiction to healing. Jimmy opens up about growing up in Scotland, early drinking culture, losing control, multiple rock bottoms, and finding true transformation in sobriety.
If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol use disorder...
Welcome back to another powerful episode of the Willpower Podcast. This one right here? It’s personal, it’s raw, and it might just change the way you think about alcohol.
I sat down with Mel Burbank — she’s a 3.5-year sober badass, former fitness studio owner, CBT specialist, and the founder of Alcohol Free Females. And let me tell you, this convo went deep.
We talked about:
👉 Growing up in New Orleans, where partying is pr...
In this episode of the Willpower Podcast, Kevin Decapitron shares his raw, unfiltered story of growing up around alcohol, working as a bartender in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and how drinking eventually led to liver cirrhosis by his late 20s.
From hiding bottles to waking up jaundiced and facing terrifying medical diagnoses, Kevin opens up about the pain, shame, and eventual clarity that led him to sobriety. This is a story of a...
Nisha Patel got sober at 24. Today, with 17 years of sobriety, she’s a therapist and sobriety coach helping others live alcohol-free lives filled with purpose.
In this episode of the Willpower Podcast, Nisha shares:
• Her journey from rebellion & addiction to long-term sobriety
• Why the first 5 years are the foundation for recovery
• How mindfulness & therapy (DBT) helped regulate emotions
• The power of finding y...
Joel’s story is one of the most powerful episodes yet on the Willpower Podcast. Diagnosed with cirrhosis at just 45 years old, Joel was forced to face the devastating truth about his drinking. The twist? He worked in a liquor store, surrounded by the very thing that nearly ended his life.
In this episode, Joel shares:
His journey from denial to cirrhosis diagnosis
What it’s like living with liver disease while working in a...
Olympic bobsledding looks thrilling from the outside — 95 mph speeds, tight turns, and world-class competition. But behind the medals lies a hidden epidemic: CTE.
In this episode of The Willpower Podcast, former Team USA bobsledder William Person opens up about his 9 years on the track, the repeated head trauma known as “sled head,” and the devastating toll it took on his brain and his life.
From confusion, vertigo, and cripp...
Jacob Schulze (@feel.sober.good) opens up about pandemic drinking, hiding alcohol, “show drinks,” liver cirrhosis symptoms, a MELD score near transplant range—and why he chose a different path.
We talk boredom triggers, daily drinking creeping to dependence, jaundice and leg pain, faith, functional approaches, and what early labs (CMP/CBC) can reveal.
If you’re struggling with alcohol, this conversation is hope in long form.
...From MVP seasons overseas to sleeping on his mom’s couch — former pro basketball player Travis Reed has lived the highs and the crushing lows of life after sports.
In this powerful episode of The Willpower Podcast, Travis opens up about growing up in South Central LA, winning championships in Europe, and the depression and drinking that followed his forced retirement. He shares the night his mother literally saved his life, how ...
What happens when a pro boxer, chess player, and physicist walks away from alcohol for good? In this raw and powerful conversation, Ed Latimore (@EdLatimore) joins The Willpower Podcast to share how he went from growing up in the projects of Pittsburgh to building a life of discipline, purpose, and sobriety.
Ed has been sober since 2013. He’s a former professional heavyweight boxer, a physics graduate, a competitive chess player...
How do you rebuild your life after alcohol has taken everything? In this powerful episode of The Willpower Podcast, certified Jay Shetty life coach Luke Ryan (@dadonthemox) shares his raw, unfiltered journey from working in the liquor industry to becoming a sober father, coach, and advocate for recovery.
Luke opens up about starting to drink at age 10, his battles with depression, relapse, and what finally made him commit to sob...
From postpartum depression to addiction and alcoholism, Danielle’s recovery journey proves that even the darkest paths can lead to purpose.
Danielle’s story isn’t one of trauma in childhood—but of how addiction can quietly creep in through postpartum depression, emotional abuse, and untreated trauma. From pills to alcohol, psych wards to jail, and now on the path to becoming an addiction counselor, Danielle’s story is a powerful...
Liver cirrhosis and stage 3 liver failure nearly took Aaron’s life. This powerful alcohol recovery story follows his liver transplant journey, revealing the toll of alcoholic liver disease—and the courage it takes to survive.
⚠️ What happens when addiction collides with trauma—and the damage can’t be reversed?
🎙️ In this emotional and raw episode of the Willpower Podcast, Aaron opens up about the devastating effects of extre...
Popular Podcasts
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!