#114 – Mike Fiore: Inspire 2 Inspire#114 – Mike Fiore: Inspire 2 Inspire
Recovery Survey
Motivational speaker Mike Fiore talks with Brett Morris about addiction, grief and how changing perspective turned his long-term drug use into a driving force for recovery. The conversation highlights mindset, connection and self-belief as key parts of building a meaningful sober life.
34:55•18 May 2022
Turning Mess into Message: Mike Fiore on Perspective, Pain and Recovery
Episode Overview
- Perspective shifts from "life happens to me" to "life happens for me" can change how grief, pain and setbacks are handled in recovery.
- Addiction is framed as a thinking and perception problem, so removing the drug alone is not enough without changing mindset and behaviour.
- Connection with people ahead of you, alongside you and behind you in recovery creates learning, support and a sense of purpose.
- Self-talk, discipline and small daily progress help build genuine motivation and reduce the power of shame and anger.
- Traits used in active addiction—grit, determination, critical thinking and courage—can be redirected to strengthen recovery.
“Our stories are our weapons of mass destruction against our disease.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? Recovery Survey brings that question to life through a raw, fast-paced conversation between host Brett Morris and motivational speaker Michael “Mike” Fiore, founder and CEO of Inspire 2 Inspire. Across two decades of drug use and 12 years on methadone, Mike watched addiction devastate his family and nearly take his own life.
Yet he steers clear of "war stories" and instead focuses on mindset, responsibility and the power of shifting perspective. As he puts it, "Our stories are our weapons of mass destruction against our disease" – the more they’re shared, the less alone people feel. Mike talks about growing up in a loving home with addicted parents, how chasing validation became his first high, and why he believes "we use drugs because we’re addicts" rather than the other way round.
He shares how his father’s and mother’s deaths, especially losing his mum just three weeks after detoxing off methadone, forced him to stop seeing life as something happening to him and start seeing it as happening for him. You’ll hear him break down big ideas in down-to-earth language: how pride and ego fuel relapse, why success can be a dangerous trigger, and how progress – not perfection – builds real motivation.
He explains recovery as a lifestyle and a mindset, rooted in connection, honesty and learning to be your own best friend, instead of just removing the substance. This conversation is especially useful if you’re tired of shame, curious about spiritual growth (however you define it), or craving practical mental shifts. Mike’s mix of humour, brutal honesty and hope may leave you asking yourself: what if I’m wrong about how broken I think I am?
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