Show Notes
Welcome to Episode 123!
From a prison cell in South Texas to the sand at Huntington Beach, California — it took Bryan Blackmon a long time to truly see himself clearly. 962 days and counting since he clawed his way out of addiction, and honestly? We are here for it!
This episode is Bryan’s story — nearly 30 years of addiction, and the moment everything started to turn around. That moment came from the most unexpected place: an 87-year-old widow named Elaine Montgomery, who took a chance on a homeless stranger, opened her home, and gave him a safe place to finally heal.
In this episode:
- Bryan’s nearly 30-year journey with addiction, and what finally broke the cycle
- How Elaine Montgomery opened her home — and what that act of trust set in motion
- The Crab Crew, the community Bryan built to help others create lasting change
- Using social media and personal connection to reach people still in the fight
- What recovery actually looks like, day to day
A Few Statistics We Need to Reverse:
In the U.S. and Canada, addiction touches millions of lives — an estimated 6 million Canadians (21% of the population) will face addiction in their lifetime, and roughly 48.4 million Americans aged 12+ (16.8%) are currently navigating substance use challenges. These numbers are estimates, and no statistic captures a person’s full story.
Despite the heavy nature of our talk, Bryan and I had a lot of laughs and a lot of aha moments (on my part). This is a longer conversation, but it’s worth the listen all the way to the end.
Hope this helps – Enjoy the show!
PS – You can watch the video version of this podcast below – or simply click here.
About this week’s guest, Bryan Blackmon
Bryan Blackmon left Texas for California chasing a dream — and ended up homeless, sleeping in his car, drowning in alcohol and addiction. Then an 85-year-old landlord named Elaine changed everything. She didn’t just give him a room. She gave him a safe space to rise.
Now sober, viral, and on a mission — Bryan built Crab Crew, a platform built to prove that no matter how deep you’ve dug your hole, you can claw your way back out.
Today, Bryan uses social media armed with his uncanny ability to connect with others to share his experience of finally finding his way out of addiction – to inspire others to do the same.
You can learn more about Bryan here:
- Website: crabcrewlife.com
- LinkedIn: https://linktr.ee/bryanandelaine