PIVOTPoint WNC Founder Matt Nannis | Shame, Identity, and Recovery Through the Outdoors

In this episode of Finding New Waters, B Reeves and Justin McLendon sit down with Matt Nannis, founder and executive director of PIVOTPoint WNCn Asheville.Matt opens up about feeling like an “outsider” and dealing with “imposter syndrome,” and he shares why he started Pivot Point after moving into a sober home in Asheville in 2013. He talks candidly about the guilt and shame he carried in that season, and why Sundays on the trail became the one time he didn’t feel “failure, shameful, degenerate.”You’ll also hear how PIVOTPoint WNC supports adolescents through extended Saturday programming and school partnerships, including how referrals work, why the approach is non-coercive, and what it looks like to build individualized plans that get “to that thing under the thing, under the thing.” Matt breaks down how the organization stays adaptable, how they expand intentionally, and why small habits and discipline can change how we show up in everyday life.Subscribe for more recovery conversations from Finding New Waters. Like the video, leave a comment with your biggest takeaway, and share this episode with someone who needs hope.Timestamps[01:16:59] Welcome back + hosts intro + Matt Nannis introduction (PIVOTPoint WNC)[01:17:59] How B Reeves and Matt first met[01:18:19] Expanding Recovery for Young People conference (Hendersonville)[01:19:11] “Imposter syndrome,” “outsider,” and why Pivot Point started (Asheville 2013)[01:19:35] “Man, I hated it” + guilt and shame in the halfway house[01:20:31] Sunday hikes and not feeling “failure, shameful, degenerate”[01:35:42] Pivot Point model: Saturday program, afterschool program, referrals, non-coercive approach[01:46:45] Where the name “Pivot Point” came from (opportunity and willingness)[01:50:10] Serving families outside Buncombe County + adaptability + school partnerships[01:58:06] Small habits and self-talk: “make your bed,” “brush your teeth”[01:59:17] How to find PIVOTPoint WNC (website + contact info)Guest and Organization LinksPivot Point WNC: https://pivotpointwnc.org/Pivot Point WNC Team (Matt): https://pivotpointwnc.org/the-team/Finding New Waters / New Waters RecoveryNew Waters Recovery: https://newwatersrecovery.com/Finding New Waters: https://www.findingnewwaters.com/#FindingNewWatersPodcast #MattNannis #PivotPointWNC #Recovery #AddictionRecovery #Sobriety #SoberLiving #EarlyRecovery #OutdoorTherapy #TherapeuticAdventure #AshevilleNC #RecoveryCommunity #MentalHealth #Discipline #ShameToHope