445- Ricky C - Sponsorship is the Secret Sauce

445- Ricky C - Sponsorship is the Secret Sauce

What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? For many, it’s hearing from someone who spent 19 years bouncing in and out of AA, then finally found a way to stay. That’s exactly what you’ll get with Ricky C from Plano/McKinney, Texas, sharing his hard‑won sobriety and his belief that, as he puts it, “The secret sauce is sponsoring people.

That’s just all there is to it.” Hosted by John M, this AA-centred show is aimed at people in or near 12-step recovery: newcomers, chronic relapsers, family members, and anyone who wants a “meeting between meetings.” The tone is friendly, funny in places, and very down-to-earth, with plenty of big-book language and real-life examples rather than theory.

Ricky talks about growing up in an alcoholic home, feeling “less than”, and being that sensitive kid who cried at “Puff the Magic Dragon”. He describes years of chaos: pills prescribed after surgeries that he snorted, mixing alcohol and other substances, repeated relapses, protective orders, and being “an outright mental defective in full flight from reality.” A big part of this episode is family.

Ricky speaks honestly about the pain he caused his wife Felicia and their children, including his son’s hospitalisation and their long road back.

He reads a powerful letter his son wrote while giving him his four‑year chip, saying he finally sees his dad as “a guy who has and always will love me.” For those wondering whether AA can work after decades of false starts, Ricky’s message is simple: daily meetings, working the steps quickly with his sponsor David, and sponsoring others are what changed everything.

John keeps the focus on experience, strength, and hope, with an easy, conversational style that feels like sitting in on a strong home group. If you’ve ever thought, “I’ve tried AA and it didn’t work,” this one might make you think again.