The Three Step Formula That Stopped a Relapse featuring Michael Lassman

Michael Lassman had millions of dollars, a successful Wall Street career, and by every outward measure had made it. Then alcoholism took nearly all of it away. In this deeply honest conversation, Michael walks Larry through his descent, his years long estrangement from his children, and the long road back through a twelve step program, faith, and eventually writing two books about what he learned along the way.

What makes this conversation land so hard is how much Larry opens up in return. He shares a recent, still raw season of using alcohol to cope with his oldest son leaving home, and the moment his own ten year old son called it out. He also shares his mother's decades long struggle with alcoholism and the hard boundaries he has had to set to protect his own family. If you have ever used something, anything, to numb a feeling you did not want to sit with, this conversation offers real, hard won language for that struggle and a path through it.

Timeline Summary

1:01 Michael shares the statistic that started this conversation. Most people report their life feels meaningless

2:08 Michael's descent in 2011. From a successful Wall Street career to living in a cheap motel

3:12 Michael shares contemplating suicide during his lowest point

4:07 The night police broke down his motel door, believing he was dead

6:14 How Michael went from millions of dollars to near total loss over several years

7:10 The year his children refused to speak to him, and what led to that breaking point

11:40 The story of his son reaching out after a friend's father died unexpectedly

12:39 A full introduction to Michael. A four decade career, multiple businesses, and two books

17:03 Michael reflects on what he would say to the version of himself at his lowest point