Klen&Sobr
Non-profit Addiction Recovery Media
Rx-Strength Recovery™
Turned personal recovery experience into a groundbreaking digital platform — engaging over 500,000 people around the world seeking support for substance use challenges.
Challenge
Create an accessible platform that destigmatizes recovery while providing real support — all without a roadmap or resources. Bridge the gap between individual experience and community needs.
Insight
Recovery support needs to meet people where they are. Through diverse content across multiple channels, we could engage different audiences while keeping it real.
Solution
Built a recovery media ecosystem that grew organically through:
Award-winning site and podcast reaching 500,000+ listeners
Integrated content spanning art, publishing, and live-streaming
Self-sustaining community driven by authentic storytelling
Merch-based revenue model keeping core content free while supporting growth
So. Much. Content.
Though not updated since late 2019, the site still draws dozens of daily visitors. The podcast continues finding new listeners — approaching 600,000 downloads with hundreds tuning in monthly. Here's a glimpse of what we built along the way.
The Podcast Your Sponsor Warned You About™
The foundation upon which this recovery media empire was built. With your hosts, Jeff, Matt, and Chris!
Sound on!
Socially Awkward
SRN covers (and, for no good reason, the episode numbering system) changed by season. I’ve had over 200 opportunities to visually suggest what listeners might expect from each episode.
Click images to check out more covers, as well as a wide variety of social media content, on Instagram.
An Enduring Legacy of Recovery
The countless messages like these that I’ve received since launching this effort mean more than any quantitative, metric-shifting justifications do about this project’s value. It’s a value measured in human lives bettered.
July 2015 / Twitter
“Anyone and everyone in recovery, a recovery ally, working in the recovery field, or affected by addiction needs to listen to this podcast!”
December 2024 / Instagram
“Will forever be grateful to you, Jeff, and Matt. SRN helped save my life. ❤️ ”
Getting By On
Our Own Supply
While the shop may be shuttered, here’s a selection of fans wearing their hearts on their sleeves and our logos on their chests. Like … literally.
This represents just a very small selection of the swag we offered. (FFS, we had throw pillows!) The gentledude with the ink is one of a handful that put their skin in the game.
RecovReMix™
A monthly mix series featuring DJs in recovery (both Pro and Am) ran for two years with Alan B (now host of Global Grooves Radio on Music Galaxy Radio) ultimately becoming the house DJ for the bulk of year two.
This mix by Nfyrno, a young First Nations woman in recovery — who had already quit her successful international DJ career — was one of the earliest and, for reasons both musical and personal, my favorite.
I’ve Never Done This Before
From curating short #addictionfiction on Since Right Now, I jumped into publishing — learning just how challenging and rewarding it could be.
Despite being new to publishing, I was drawn to Claire Rudy Foster's vivid, gritty collection of short stories exploring addiction through diverse characters. Being trusted to publish and art direct I've Never Done This Before, their first book was an honor.
We created fifty limited edition copies with hand-applied duct tape and lettering. I tapped my friend and artist in recovery, the exceptionally talented Aaron Lee Perry (R.I.P.), to craft an original ink drawing to illuminate each short story.