Tom Farley on Recovery, Chris Farley’s Legacy, and Building a Life Beyond the Spotlight

In this heartfelt episode of Finding New Waters, B. Reeves and Justin McClendon sit down with Tom Farley—speaker, author, recovery advocate, and brother of the late comedian Chris Farley.Tom opens up about his personal journey through addiction and recovery, the impact of his brother’s very public death, and how writing The Chris Farley Show helped him heal and see Chris in a new light. He reflects on growing up in Wisconsin, navigating sobriety after years of false starts, and finding purpose in working with teens, treatment centers, and now with Recovery.com.From stories of Wall Street and New York nightlife to insights on authenticity, grief, and fun in recovery, Tom’s story is equal parts cautionary and inspiring. He also shares the exciting news of an upcoming film adaptation of The Chris Farley Show—and why he hopes it will become a tool for the recovery community.📍 Learn more about Tom’s work: https://www.recovery.com📕 Book: The Chris Farley Show00:00 – Welcome & introduction to Tom Farley01:00 – Tom’s work with Recovery.com and Recovery Cast03:00 – How Chris Farley’s story first brought Tom into recovery work05:00 – Sobriety “attempts” vs. true recovery07:00 – The meeting that changed everything10:00 – Writing The Chris Farley Show and seeing Chris differently13:00 – The “mascot” persona and searching for authenticity16:00 – Growing up, prep school, and Georgetown years19:00 – Life in New York finance & Chris’s rise at SNL22:00 – News about The Chris Farley Show movie adaptation26:00 – Recovery.com’s mission & patient-first approach30:00 – Building healthy workplace culture rooted in gratitude34:00 – Belonging, connection, and living as one whole person38:00 – Lessons from recovery: action before results41:00 – Why fun in recovery is not only possible—but essential“I thought recovery meant no more fun—but I’ve had more fun sober than I ever did drinking. You’re not going to tell a Farley they can’t have fun.” – Tom FarleyTom FarleyTom Farley is a speaker, author, and recovery advocate. He wrote The Chris Farley Show, a New York Times bestselling oral history of his brother, the late comedian Chris Farley. Tom has spent years developing prevention and treatment programs for teens and young adults, and today works with Recovery.com, a patient-focused platform dedicated to connecting people with recovery resources and building community through podcasts, articles, and education.Recovery.comThe Chris Farley Show (Book)Recovery Cast PodcastGiving Voice to Depression PodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/newwatersrecoveryFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/newwatersrecoveryLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-waters-recoveryTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@newwatersrecovery_ncPodcast Website: https://www.findingnewwaters.comSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4NOV2g85KExFWU5mTz5GjwApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-new-waters/id1684075608YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfAIXtiOgy1XFcwAduXgXwYouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuJOc6yLcjibGGAKgLYPCN47etJCY89mn#TomFarley #ChrisFarley #RecoveryPodcast #AddictionRecovery #FindingNewWatersPodcast #RecoveryCommunity #TheChrisFarleyShow #RecoveryDotCom #SobrietyJourney #FunInRecovery