Episode 365

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Published on:

16th Mar 2025

How One Man’s Struggles Sparked a Movement in Addiction Recovery

Dr. Robb Kelly shares his inspiring journey from homelessness and addiction to becoming a successful mentor and recovery expert. He emphasized the critical turning point in his life when he realized he could not overcome his alcoholism alone, leading to a profound spiritual awakening. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Kelly discusses the importance of mindset and how he uses neuroscience-based approaches to help others reclaim their lives from addiction. He highlights the devastating impact of alcoholism on families and advocates for a supportive recovery environment that addresses both individual and familial trauma. With a mission to help others, Dr. Kelly aims to create a 100-bed rehab facility that provides free resources and support for those seeking recovery.

The conversation delves deep into the emotional and psychological challenges of addiction, particularly the damage it inflicts on familial relationships. Dr. Kelly recounts the painful reality of losing contact with his children due to his alcoholism, a theme that resonates throughout the discussion. He shares poignant anecdotes that illustrate the ripple effects of addiction, not just on the individual but on loved ones as well. The episode also touches on the concept of PTSD related to familial trauma, emphasizing that the impacts of addiction extend far beyond the individual. By addressing the underlying issues and traumas that fuel addiction, Dr. Kelly advocates for a holistic approach to recovery that encompasses both the individual and their family. His stories serve as a reminder of the importance of empathy and compassion in the recovery process, providing hope to those who feel trapped in their circumstances.

Takeaways:

  • Dr. Robb Kelly shares his transformative journey from homelessness and addiction to recovery, emphasizing the importance of mindset.
  • He encourages individuals to stop caring about others' opinions and focus on self-acceptance for personal growth.
  • The conversation highlights the significance of addressing childhood trauma in addiction recovery and healing.
  • Robb discusses the power of neuroscience in addiction treatment and how it can change lives.
  • He shares the emotional impact of reconnecting with his daughter after years of separation due to alcoholism.
  • Robb's mission is to help others through mentorship and offering pro bono work, demonstrating a commitment to service.

Links referenced in this episode:

Transcript
Dr. Keith Haney:

My guest today is Dr.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Rob Kelly.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Rob has been an amazing has an amazing story of how he successfully overcame addiction and helps others reach their potential.

Dr. Keith Haney:

He works with his patients to improve optimal performance by using brain spotting and other neuroscience coaching, evidence based approaches.

Dr. Keith Haney:

He provides mentorship and guidance to aspiring entrepreneurs.

Dr. Keith Haney:

He invests and encourages others to invest in startup ventures.

Dr. Keith Haney:

He devotes countless hours sharing his expertise through conferences and workshops, utilizing others who've overcome the challenges associated with life change, lifestyle change, habit formation, childhood traumas, startup obstacles, etc.

Dr. Keith Haney:

He has created educational programs on business fundamentals.

Dr. Keith Haney:

He also fosters a culture of innovation and responsible risk taking.

Dr. Keith Haney:

He shares his personal highs and lows as he struggles to overcome crippling alcoholism.

Dr. Keith Haney:

In the November:

Dr. Keith Haney:

We welcome Dr.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Rob to the podcast.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Well, Dr.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Rob, welcome to the podcast.

Dr. Keith Haney:

How you doing today?

Rob Kelly:

Doing great, my man.

Rob Kelly:

Good to be here.

Rob Kelly:

Hey, guys, great to see you.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Good to see you.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Looking forward to this conversation.

Rob Kelly:

Yeah, me too, man.

Rob Kelly:

It's going to be good.

Dr. Keith Haney:

I know it will.

Dr. Keith Haney:

I know we're going to rock and roll here.

Dr. Keith Haney:

But before we jump into the other questions, I want to ask you my favorite.

Dr. Keith Haney:

What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?

Rob Kelly:

Best piece of advice I ever deceived is stop caring what people think about you.

Rob Kelly:

And unfortunately, that wasn't until about 10 years ago when we worry what people think about us all the time.

Rob Kelly:

But I'm at a place now where I don't really care what you.

Rob Kelly:

You think about me.

Rob Kelly:

You either love me or you don't.

Rob Kelly:

I don't care.

Rob Kelly:

It doesn't make any difference to me.

Rob Kelly:

But, yeah, it's like a weight off my shoulder.

Rob Kelly:

So, yeah, that was it.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Well, and the funny thing is, I can care what you think about me, but it doesn't change anything.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Right?

Rob Kelly:

Correct.

Rob Kelly:

Exactly.

Rob Kelly:

Exactly.

Rob Kelly:

You know, I used to spend my time worrying about if people liked me.

Rob Kelly:

And, you know, at the end of the day, I used to walk into a room and go, does anybody like me in here?

Rob Kelly:

Now I kick the door down, walk in and go, do I like anybody in here?

Dr. Keith Haney:

That's amazing.

Dr. Keith Haney:

That's true.

Dr. Keith Haney:

It's also a good point.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Do I like anybody in the room?

Rob Kelly:

Yeah, exactly.

Dr. Keith Haney:

I have to put that on a T shirt.

Rob Kelly:

Yes.

Rob Kelly:

I can feel a T shirt coming on.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Do I like anybody in this room?

Dr. Keith Haney:

I love that.

Dr. Keith Haney:

So, Rob, I'm curious if you think about your life.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Who are some people in your life who served as an inspiration for you or maybe even A mentor along your journey.

Rob Kelly:

Arnold Schwartznaker.

Rob Kelly:

When I was back in:

Rob Kelly:

And I was bodybuilding at the time, so the organization in Britain chose me to go and pick him up from the airport, take him to the hotel and make sure he got to the show on time, which I gladly did because he was a hero of mine.

Rob Kelly:

And he was kind of the first person that set me off about mindset because we were talking in a hotel.

Rob Kelly:

I remember saying to him one night, the bodybuilding is great, Arnold, but, you know, years and years from now, what are you going to do?

Rob Kelly:

And he said, my life's planned out and exactly what I'm going to do.

Rob Kelly:

ell, please tell now, back in:

Rob Kelly:

I mean, so I said, okay, tell me.

Rob Kelly:

He said, first of all, I'm going to become the biggest, highest paid movie star in the world.

Rob Kelly:

Well, I nearly fell off the chair.

Rob Kelly:

He's like, that's not happening, fortunately, but what's number two?

Rob Kelly:

And he says, I'm going to become a governor of a state, preferably California.

Rob Kelly:

Well, we laughed again because I thought you had to be born in America to be.

Rob Kelly:

And the last one, there's no way.

Rob Kelly:

I mean, there was just.

Rob Kelly:

No, the last one was, I'm going to marry into the Kennedy family Check.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Yeah, I would imagine you wouldn't forget that.

Dr. Keith Haney:

No, those are.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Those are pretty, like.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Because I remember Arnold when he first came out, yet his English was not best.

Dr. Keith Haney:

I'm like, you're not really going to be a movie star.

Dr. Keith Haney:

We don't know what the heck you're saying.

Dr. Keith Haney:

But he did become a ginormous star and governor of California, so.

Dr. Keith Haney:

And he married Kennedy.

Rob Kelly:

So, yeah, it's.

Rob Kelly:

You know, I often think about that when I'm making a business decision or life decision is.

Rob Kelly:

The mindset is phenomenal.

Rob Kelly:

And so I usually achieve everything I attempt.

Rob Kelly:

I've had knockbacks in the past, but these days, you know, you gotta have that mindset that whatever you touch will work.

Dr. Keith Haney:

I love that.

Dr. Keith Haney:

So let's get into what inspired you and motivated you to tell your personal story in your book.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Daddy, Daddy, please stop drinking.

Rob Kelly:

I was homeless many years ago.

Rob Kelly:

My marriage is split up.

Rob Kelly:

The authorities have taken my children off me, ages 1 and 3.

Rob Kelly:

And I became homeless and I stayed on the streets for 14 months.

Rob Kelly:

I actually died on the streets twice.

Rob Kelly:

And they brought me back to life on the side of an old wet, stinking road in the back ends of Manchester, England.

Rob Kelly:

So I always swore to myself, if I ever got off the streets, I'm gonna, I'm gonna venture a book.

Rob Kelly:

Well, you gotta remember, guys, you see, honestly, back in the 80s, you know, it's just like nobody, you had to be an author to write a book.

Rob Kelly:

That was it.

Rob Kelly:

Before everything was so easy.

Rob Kelly:

So as I started to climb up the ladder, it was only about four or five years ago when people kept asking if you got a book out, you got a book out on the podcast.

Rob Kelly:

I was like, no, I'm not going to book out.

Rob Kelly:

And then I moved to San Antonio four years ago.

Rob Kelly:

My friends were like, you need to write a book, otherwise we're not speaking to you, you know, jokingly.

Rob Kelly:

So I wrote a book.

Rob Kelly:

And I've got to tell you, Keith, it was one of the most healing things that I've ever done personally.

Rob Kelly:

You know, it was, it was absolutely, it healed them wounds that were still lingering in the past.

Rob Kelly:

But because I wrote the book, it put me in a different place.

Rob Kelly:

I never seen my eldest for 30 years and my youngest, you know, 28 years or something.

Rob Kelly:

But when I wrote the book, I finished the book and God said to me, just chill, you've done great work, chill.

Rob Kelly:

And literally three weeks after I finished the book, I got a message on Facebook early In the morning, 3:00.

Rob Kelly:

And it was from my daughter I'd not seen for 30 years.

Rob Kelly:

And she said, dad, I've seen you on TV.

Rob Kelly:

I don't believe what mom was telling you about long text.

Rob Kelly:

Can you come over?

Rob Kelly:

You know, I want to, want to get back together and I've got a great surprise for you.

Rob Kelly:

So.

Rob Kelly:

And you've got always worried this for me.

Rob Kelly:

So within three hours we're on a plane and we get to our house next day and I'm just trembling, I'm crying, I'm just feeling less than.

Rob Kelly:

And she opened the door unexpectedly, we hugged and we cried and, and then she grabbed me by my hand and she walked me into her living room and she handed me my three month old granddaughter.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Oh.

Rob Kelly:

And so we got talking about, hey, I've wrote a book and you know, we don't know what to call it.

Rob Kelly:

And she said to me, why don't you call it the last thing I said to you?

Rob Kelly:

And I said, charlie, I can't remember that.

Rob Kelly:

And he said it was, daddy, daddy, please stop drinking.

Rob Kelly:

That's where it came from.

Rob Kelly:

So it inspired the title.

Rob Kelly:

We released the book, it did really well and it's helped, you know, thousands and thousands of people.

Rob Kelly:

Just watching my journey from homelessness to here is incredible.

Rob Kelly:

But I always tell people why did is humanly impossible.

Rob Kelly:

If you think you can do what I've done to homelessness, to here, where I have four businesses, millions and millions and millions of dollars worth, you've got to have God's help.

Rob Kelly:

You cannot do this on your own.

Rob Kelly:

And that I had a huge spiritual awakening on the streets.

Rob Kelly:

That's the reason why I'm here.

Rob Kelly:

So that was the reasoning behind it.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Wow.

Dr. Keith Haney:

How did a lot of people have drinking problems and they kind of don't want to own up to it.

Dr. Keith Haney:

How did you know when you went from social drinking to it being a problem of being alcoholism?

Rob Kelly:

Great question, man.

Rob Kelly:

Great question.

Rob Kelly:

Don't think I've had that before.

Rob Kelly:

So when I lost my children and became homeless, still didn't think I had a drinking problem.

Rob Kelly:

When I was on the streets for 14 months, still didn't have a drinking problem.

Rob Kelly:

But one morning about.

Rob Kelly:

It was like a Monday early morning, 1:00, 2:00 in the morning, it's pouring down with rain.

Rob Kelly:

I'm stumbling across the back end of Manchester where the factories are, and I dropped down to my hands and knees and I started to cry like a baby.

Rob Kelly:

Now, here's the deal.

Rob Kelly:

I wasn't crying because I'd lost my children and my wife and my houses and my parents, they won't speak to me.

Rob Kelly:

Brother and sister.

Rob Kelly:

For the first time in my life, right there, I realized I can't stop drinking.

Rob Kelly:

And I remember looking up to the sky in the rain and my tears.

Rob Kelly:

And I was in the offices and warehouses.

Rob Kelly:

There was not a human being in sight.

Rob Kelly:

And I looked up, I was crying.

Rob Kelly:

I was sobbing.

Rob Kelly:

My stomach was aching.

Rob Kelly:

I was sobbing, sobbing.

Rob Kelly:

I looked up to the sky and I said, if there's a God up there, I can't do this on my own anymore.

Rob Kelly:

30 seconds, Keith.

Rob Kelly:

30, 20, I don't know how long seconds after I said, that guy come around the corner.

Rob Kelly:

He'd missed his last Bible study home.

Rob Kelly:

He'd walked, you know, a path that he's never walked before.

Rob Kelly:

He took a shortcut he's never taken before.

Rob Kelly:

He came up with me, and that's where my journey started.

Dr. Keith Haney:

That's amazing.

Dr. Keith Haney:

I know a lot of people who have drinking problems and they don't understand the impact and the damage it does to the family.

Dr. Keith Haney:

If you're.

Dr. Keith Haney:

If you want to give a message to someone who thinks Maybe like you did that.

Dr. Keith Haney:

I really don't have a problem here that I can manage this kind of speak to them from the point of what that does to the relationships you have with your family and friends.

Rob Kelly:

Let me tell you a little story.

Rob Kelly:

It's true story.

Rob Kelly:

The family house got closed down.

Rob Kelly:

They went back in the house and moved into my parents.

Rob Kelly:

I lasted four days of my parents because the thing was no drinking.

Rob Kelly:

And my mom had cancer at the time.

Rob Kelly:

And apparently, you know, she died a lot sooner than she should because worried about me or homeless.

Rob Kelly:

But I was there and I was sneaking drink into my old bedroom.

Rob Kelly:

And my dad, he was a very quiet person.

Rob Kelly:

Don't really hold a conversation.

Rob Kelly:

We could drive for an hour going to work and he would never speak.

Rob Kelly:

But he opened the bedroom door and this is what he said to me, Keith, he said, you've got to go, son.

Rob Kelly:

And I'm like, what do you mean I gotta go?

Rob Kelly:

He said, so he put some stuff into a plastic bag and he walked me down the stairs.

Rob Kelly:

And I'm like, dad, you get.

Rob Kelly:

It's like 11 o'clock at night.

Rob Kelly:

Dad, just let me stay tonight.

Rob Kelly:

I promise him you want me to do.

Rob Kelly:

And he handed me that bag and he gave me like 10, 20 pounds, which is like 150 today maybe.

Rob Kelly:

And he closed the door on me and Keith.

Rob Kelly:

I hated that man.

Rob Kelly:

I hated him for doing that for me.

Rob Kelly:

That was the first time I homeless.

Rob Kelly:

Many months ago, maybe two years ago.

Rob Kelly:

Two years after that, I'm sat with my mom having coffee and my dad's in the bar with his friends having a drink.

Rob Kelly:

And I said, you remember that time dad threw me out?

Rob Kelly:

And he went, yeah, I remember that.

Rob Kelly:

I said, you know what, mom?

Rob Kelly:

I've never forgiven for that.

Rob Kelly:

What she said almost crucified me.

Rob Kelly:

She said this.

Rob Kelly:

She said, Rob, 55 years of being married to your father, that's the only time I've seen him cry.

Rob Kelly:

And it hit me, man, we destroy relationship.

Rob Kelly:

We do nasty things to the people we love.

Rob Kelly:

Because half the time we're drunk and we don't know and it's terrible.

Rob Kelly:

But one thing we do here is if we take a patient on, the family has to come on not one day a week or one month, twice a week for nine days, they come on and we deal with their trauma.

Rob Kelly:

But they have to be on board because they've gone through, you know, most, most send.

Rob Kelly:

A man's an alcoholic coming home two or three times a week and he's drunk and he causes a fist fight with mom and the kids say this.

Rob Kelly:

That is called ptsd, my dear.

Rob Kelly:

And PTSD will ruin, if not kill you.

Rob Kelly:

The alcoholic doesn't know.

Rob Kelly:

He's just doesn't always do such.

Rob Kelly:

Every time you get into a fist fight or an argument with, with the wife and the children see it, it's affecting their adult life.

Rob Kelly:

We don't see that.

Rob Kelly:

So relationships are broken, sweet relationships are broken.

Rob Kelly:

And you just do so much damage.

Rob Kelly:

So by doing your own childhood trauma work and the trauma work and what we've done through the years realizes that I was like an infectious disease.

Rob Kelly:

Everybody got it.

Rob Kelly:

Everybody got contaminated by my infectious disease, which is alcoholism.

Rob Kelly:

And a few people didn't recover from that, you know, so very painful.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Yeah, my dad had an alcohol problem and what you just described was kind of like my life growing up.

Dr. Keith Haney:

And you, you get to the point as you talk about the PTSD is I always imagined I'd grow up with no mom and no dad because either he was going to probably end up taking her out and then himself out, or both.

Dr. Keith Haney:

And so you kind of lived your entire life on edge of going, when am I going to be the one in the.

Dr. Keith Haney:

And the famous guy, take care of my younger brother?

Dr. Keith Haney:

And so you live your life with that constant fear.

Dr. Keith Haney:

So people say, you know, why don't you just have a glass of wine or something?

Dr. Keith Haney:

No, I refuse to touch alcohol, most likely.

Dr. Keith Haney:

I just, I don't want to be that guy.

Rob Kelly:

No, no, it's really bad.

Rob Kelly:

And it slips in really sneakily as well.

Rob Kelly:

You know, from the moment I took the first drink, which is age 9, on stage in Liverpool, England, playing my guitar with my auntie and uncle.

Rob Kelly:

I had a musical family.

Rob Kelly:

I took that first drink there.

Rob Kelly:

Never forget it.

Rob Kelly:

That was my downfall.

Rob Kelly:

It was just a matter of time before it all went wrong.

Rob Kelly:

Because we have these self sabotaging tendencies that are very, very strong.

Rob Kelly:

So when we, when we tried for something and we're almost there, we self sabotage it or we relapse.

Rob Kelly:

And it was just a crazy cycle that I saw myself in.

Rob Kelly:

So after I got well, I tried to go back to everybody that I met and really just sit down with them and go, hey, do I, do I owe you any money?

Rob Kelly:

You know, I remember telling me $2,000, can I please pay that offer?

Rob Kelly:

$10 a month or 10 pound a month.

Rob Kelly:

Not one of them said no.

Rob Kelly:

And 90% said, don't worry, I'm just glad to see you.

Rob Kelly:

Well, and these were guys that literally fired me and hated me.

Rob Kelly:

You know, we go on this different journey.

Rob Kelly:

But you have to go back and, you know, look at your life because you affect.

Rob Kelly:

I affect a lot of people either.

Rob Kelly:

Well, not the bad when I.

Rob Kelly:

When I was drinking, but good now, you know, I'm making up for it.

Rob Kelly:

And I always said.

Rob Kelly:

I always said, Keith, that when I.

Rob Kelly:

I was.

Rob Kelly:

I'm constantly working with people all the time, free of charge, all the time.

Rob Kelly:

When I came over here, my apartment got foreclosed on because I couldn't pay the rent.

Rob Kelly:

I couldn't pay the mortgage, you know, working with people, working people.

Rob Kelly:

And I knew that I was doing God's work because this guy called John, crazy story.

Rob Kelly:

But I knew one day he'd bring my children back, so he did.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Wow.

Dr. Keith Haney:

You talked about the journey you went on.

Dr. Keith Haney:

You don't recommend because it was just that difficult.

Dr. Keith Haney:

What were some of the challenges you faced as you tried to get your life back in order again and become sober?

Rob Kelly:

It's really hard when you're on the streets because your dress, the bed, the unkempt, always being drunk.

Rob Kelly:

I went to diner streets.

Rob Kelly:

I had no thought patterns of getting off the streets.

Rob Kelly:

It was crazy, but it's hard, man.

Rob Kelly:

I wouldn't waste this journey on my worst enemy.

Rob Kelly:

But what I will say is looking back now with the work I do, my 14 months on the street was like a semester at Harvard University from what I learned on the streets.

Rob Kelly:

Start dialogue with somebody, that journey is going to be.

Rob Kelly:

You've got to be ready.

Rob Kelly:

You really got to be ready.

Rob Kelly:

And then one of the reasons I still do this at my age, I'm 63.

Rob Kelly:

Could have retired years ago, but I want to help that guy.

Rob Kelly:

I want to be your Derek, who walk around the corner, you know, to try and encourage you to try and get help.

Rob Kelly:

Not with us, just any help to move you forward.

Rob Kelly:

Because once you get on that hill with somebody who knows what they're doing, Alcoholics are born, drug addicts are made.

Rob Kelly:

People freak out.

Rob Kelly:

Don't forget, when you're all science experts and they don't seem any way out, man, because we don't want to sit down with somebody and tell them what we're going through, that you're failing, you're an alcoholic and you can't stop drinking and your children hate you.

Rob Kelly:

So we don't share that.

Rob Kelly:

So the stress of carrying that and the burden of carrying that secret becomes very, very heavy.

Rob Kelly:

And, you know, there's only a couple of ways you're going to go down with that.

Rob Kelly:

One of them is what I did.

Rob Kelly:

And then secondly is to step out of that shadow and step into the sunlight and the spirit, and God will lift you up higher than you've ever been.

Rob Kelly:

Ever been.

Rob Kelly:

I've got everything back a million times.

Rob Kelly:

Everything.

Rob Kelly:

I.

Rob Kelly:

Because I work hard with people.

Rob Kelly:

25% of my work is pro bono.

Rob Kelly:

Every single therapist and coach in my business, and we have five offices around the world, has to carry two pro bono.

Rob Kelly:

Pro bono patients that God sent us.

Rob Kelly:

And if we don't do that, he'll take all this away.

Rob Kelly:

Keith, you know this.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Yeah.

Rob Kelly:

Always got to be up there doing what I do.

Rob Kelly:

I'm the loudmouth one.

Rob Kelly:

I'm the one that says that.

Rob Kelly:

Things that everyone else is thinking, but they don't say.

Rob Kelly:

And I'm that guy.

Rob Kelly:

Unfortunately.

Rob Kelly:

Unfortunately, I'm the guy that I'm not going to sit down.

Rob Kelly:

What have I got to lose?

Rob Kelly:

And people don't understand this.

Rob Kelly:

Alcoholics and addicts have two lives in one lifetime.

Rob Kelly:

When they get well, is that.

Rob Kelly:

I messed the first life up.

Rob Kelly:

I'm not gonna mess the second one up.

Rob Kelly:

I mean, you know, I signed an office deal in Dallas for a million dollars, Keith.

Rob Kelly:

About six years ago, people were.

Rob Kelly:

My staff was freaking out, and I'm like, how do you sleep at night?

Rob Kelly:

I'm like, listen, how.

Rob Kelly:

What.

Rob Kelly:

What do you not get about dying on the street?

Rob Kelly:

What do you not get back?

Rob Kelly:

They can't do anything to me that I haven't already done to myself.

Rob Kelly:

So we're going to take risk, guys.

Rob Kelly:

We're going to move forward.

Rob Kelly:

Calculated risk.

Rob Kelly:

And that's the way I look at.

Rob Kelly:

I look at.

Rob Kelly:

I've.

Rob Kelly:

Today is like, when people see me, they go, you've got a lot to lose.

Rob Kelly:

You know, if you do this, it doesn't work.

Rob Kelly:

I got nothing to lose.

Rob Kelly:

I don't care if all this goes away tomorrow.

Rob Kelly:

A wise man once said to me, always have nice things around you, but nothing you can't walk away with in 10 minutes.

Rob Kelly:

And it's true.

Rob Kelly:

But my wife and my three English bulldogs, if you put me in a tent in the middle of a field where the homeless people are, with my wife and the three English Bulldogs, I'm happy then as I am now.

Rob Kelly:

And I won't change my lifestyle.

Rob Kelly:

I still help people.

Dr. Keith Haney:

So tell us about your podcast.

Rob Kelly:

So my podcast, years ago, was great.

Rob Kelly:

And then we come away from it because I was filming for a TV series that I was on, so we pulled away.

Rob Kelly:

And then about a month ago, we started up, and we're having people like Gary breakers on.

Rob Kelly:

He's a biohacker he's phenomenal.

Rob Kelly:

And we're having the guy to switch the road around the corner from us, and he's going to be on with his story.

Rob Kelly:

So it's a wine.

Rob Kelly:

It's called the Dopamine Hour.

Rob Kelly:

It's.

Rob Kelly:

It's just an anybody podcast.

Rob Kelly:

You don't have to have followers.

Rob Kelly:

You don't have to, you know, it could be Billy, switch the road.

Rob Kelly:

Brilliant.

Rob Kelly:

You have a story and people need to hear that, you know, So I don't like a.

Rob Kelly:

Dislike the Rogans of this world, but you can't get on Rogue unless you're somebody.

Rob Kelly:

We don't want to do that.

Rob Kelly:

We just.

Rob Kelly:

We're not that guys, man.

Rob Kelly:

I think everybody's got a story.

Rob Kelly:

Everybody knows somebody who suffers from alcoholism and addiction.

Rob Kelly:

And again, what we do today is we don't just cover that on the podcast.

Rob Kelly:

We.

Rob Kelly:

We specialize in childhood trauma, depression, ptsd, alcoholism, drug addiction, Alzheimer's, and onset dementia.

Rob Kelly:

We cover a wide range.

Rob Kelly:

So usually what we do as affected somebody who comes onto the podcast and it's just, I do what you do 30 minutes.

Rob Kelly:

Oh, 20, 30 minutes.

Rob Kelly:

Like, oh, is that all?

Rob Kelly:

People cannot concentrate after 30 minutes, you know, And I know that your mind starts to wander and it's just terrible.

Rob Kelly:

So we smash him for 30 minutes and we go away for a week.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Yeah, because you get beyond 30 minutes and all of a sudden people like, yeah.

Rob Kelly:

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Rob Kelly:

It's true.

Rob Kelly:

A guy from friends once told me, I was.

Rob Kelly:

I was doing some work with him, and I asked him why they all pulled out friends, and he said, the same as a Seinfeld.

Rob Kelly:

He said the time was right.

Rob Kelly:

If you carry on, it becomes.

Rob Kelly:

Nobody watches it.

Rob Kelly:

Then you become like a failure and then they cancel you.

Rob Kelly:

So we want to go out on a high.

Rob Kelly:

It's kind of the same as me.

Dr. Keith Haney:

I love that.

Dr. Keith Haney:

So can you share a story with someone your recovery program helped?

Dr. Keith Haney:

You don't need to share a name, but just kind of the story of.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Because we like to hear success stories.

Rob Kelly:

So that's that day with nine and a half thousand patients.

Rob Kelly:

Success stories and, you know, so I'll.

Rob Kelly:

I'll pick one out and you might guess, you might know, we get caught.

Rob Kelly:

We used to have a ranch in Dallas, and we're exclusive A list people only.

Rob Kelly:

Major actors, major musicians, major CEOs of corporations and banks.

Rob Kelly:

That's all we dealt with on one patient at a time.

Rob Kelly:

We took every three months.

Rob Kelly:

So he gets a call off an agent in.

Rob Kelly:

In Cali, and.

Rob Kelly:

And he said, come Over.

Rob Kelly:

I can't tell you.

Rob Kelly:

It is over the phone, but there's a guy here needs your help.

Rob Kelly:

Would you come over?

Rob Kelly:

Would you take him back to the ranch and would you stay with him for three months while you're getting well?

Rob Kelly:

So I said, well, we need to know who it is so we can tell you.

Rob Kelly:

So we.

Rob Kelly:

We said, we'll take a gamble.

Rob Kelly:

So the bodyguard, me, driver's assistant, we bowled over there.

Rob Kelly:

We arrived, we' jail, and we're there in a side room, and this guy comes in.

Rob Kelly:

He said, Dr.

Rob Kelly:

Rob, thank you for coming.

Rob Kelly:

I said, yeah.

Rob Kelly:

I said, we're just waiting to find out who it is before we decide whether to work with him.

Rob Kelly:

He's like, what do you mean, you decide?

Rob Kelly:

This guy's worth a fortune.

Rob Kelly:

You know, he's not now, but we can pay you a thought.

Rob Kelly:

I don't care.

Rob Kelly:

I have to know if I can work with him.

Rob Kelly:

Income.

Rob Kelly:

This disheveled man in.

Rob Kelly:

He had handcuffs and feet chains, the foot chains, ankle chains.

Rob Kelly:

It's the first time I'd seen ankle chains.

Rob Kelly:

It was like.

Rob Kelly:

For me, it was like Hannibal Lecter.

Rob Kelly:

But he's like, you've got to something really bad to have ankle chains on.

Rob Kelly:

Oh, my God.

Rob Kelly:

And he pulled him in, and instantly we all recognized him.

Rob Kelly:

And he sat down and he said, you know, I'm broken.

Rob Kelly:

My career, my movie career is down the drain.

Rob Kelly:

I can't do anything.

Rob Kelly:

I'm suicidal.

Rob Kelly:

And the judge wanted to put him inside for three to five years.

Rob Kelly:

That was it.

Rob Kelly:

They were sick of him doing antics.

Rob Kelly:

And so we went into the courtroom, and the judge started talking, and he said, Dr.

Rob Kelly:

Kelly, could you stand up?

Rob Kelly:

And I stood up.

Rob Kelly:

I said, I believe there's an arrangement going to come over to you.

Rob Kelly:

And da, da, da, da.

Rob Kelly:

And I said, yes, your honor.

Rob Kelly:

He said, I must warn you that if he goes missing, because he was great at that in the past, you'll be back in my courtroom.

Rob Kelly:

And I said, hell, no, judge, I'm not.

Rob Kelly:

I'm not taking that one.

Rob Kelly:

No, it's not.

Rob Kelly:

Anyway, we come to an agreement.

Rob Kelly:

We have.

Rob Kelly:

They took their handcuffs on, we put our handcuffs on, we stuck him on the.

Rob Kelly:

The.

Rob Kelly:

The private jet, we brought him back to Dallas, and we helicoptered them into the ranch.

Rob Kelly:

And we does intense subliminal work, psychology work, you know, all this stuff.

Rob Kelly:

And I don't want to say cured, but we got really a bit of his addiction stuff and his alcohol stuff.

Rob Kelly:

But two weeks before he's going to leave, and I'm telling him every day Keith, listen, you're going to be the biggest pay act.

Rob Kelly:

You're back again.

Rob Kelly:

Everyone's going to know who you are.

Rob Kelly:

You're going to be blockbuster movies.

Rob Kelly:

And I told him that often that he started to believe it.

Rob Kelly:

So the energy around him was a huge movie star, bigger than you was before and you were pretty big before.

Rob Kelly:

And just before he's going to leave a couple of weeks, we've got an envelope, it's like this thick at the front gate.

Rob Kelly:

Driver goes down, picks it up, brings it to me, I get it.

Rob Kelly:

He says, it's four, blah, blah.

Rob Kelly:

So I take it him, I said, hey, this is for you.

Rob Kelly:

And he opened it and he took it out and it was a script for the highest paid grossing movie in the world.

Rob Kelly:

And he's right up there again and he sends us texts every month and, you know, stuff like that.

Rob Kelly:

We've done huge white rappers we've taken care of and they become a huge success.

Rob Kelly:

We've worked with anybody who's anybody.

Rob Kelly:

It's just amazing, you know, to see them.

Rob Kelly:

And then going from that to the other end is we picked a girl up from a mom's house.

Rob Kelly:

The hospital has sent him over to die, sent him home to die.

Rob Kelly:

And desperation.

Rob Kelly:

She called us, we went round, we.

Rob Kelly:

I literally had to pick the girl up from the couch.

Rob Kelly:

Heroin, she was probably took her back to the ranch and we worked pro bono free of charge with her for three months.

Rob Kelly:

And she got well.

Rob Kelly:

And the last we knew is she was working at a rehab center.

Rob Kelly:

I was like, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

Rob Kelly:

About two years on, I'm in a meeting and she walked in and I go, oh, my God, why do I know if I'm working?

Rob Kelly:

Because I've got terrible faces.

Rob Kelly:

She sat down, the meeting went on at the end of me and she stood up and she said, I just want to thank Dr.

Rob Kelly:

R.O.

Rob Kelly:

kelly.

Rob Kelly:

Well, I nearly died because everyone's looking at me now.

Rob Kelly:

But I was crying because she told me that we had saved her life and that she has two children now because of it.

Rob Kelly:

And it must have been two or three years after, I can't remember, she had two children, babies.

Rob Kelly:

And she owns four rehab centers across the country.

Rob Kelly:

And I just came out of that meeting, man, I sat in my car and I subbed like a baby because that's the stuff we're capable of doing today and millions of others around that do our job.

Rob Kelly:

But that's me paid in full.

Rob Kelly:

I don't get involved in the money side of the business.

Rob Kelly:

I can't do that.

Rob Kelly:

But paid in full for me is seeing somebody recover and do extraordinary things in their life for the family and for them as well.

Dr. Keith Haney:

This work that you do is difficult.

Dr. Keith Haney:

I wonder how do you keep motivated when sometimes it doesn't work out like you hope it does?

Dr. Keith Haney:

Because I'm sure everybody doesn't walk out.

Rob Kelly:

There's a handful of people, maybe six people it didn't work for.

Rob Kelly:

Here's our secret.

Rob Kelly:

We have an assessment.

Rob Kelly:

You have to pass an assessment to get into this program.

Rob Kelly:

And we've turned a lot of people down.

Rob Kelly:

Million dollar checks we turned down.

Rob Kelly:

So we have to be convinced that you're going to succeed and be ready.

Rob Kelly:

So when they come along, it's a night, it's a almost 100% that they're going to succeed.

Rob Kelly:

There's lots of them in work there.

Rob Kelly:

We, we're not like any other company that dealing in the addiction world.

Rob Kelly:

We use lots of tools like 90 breath work therapy and brain spotting and stuff like that.

Rob Kelly:

So the results are good for those who don't, who get through the assessment but turn the back.

Rob Kelly:

You know, I'm harsh, man, and some people don't like me for that.

Rob Kelly:

You know, if you call me up and tell me you're gonna have a drink, I go drink.

Rob Kelly:

And they go, what?

Rob Kelly:

You can't speak to me.

Rob Kelly:

Go drink or use or depressed or whatever you want to.

Rob Kelly:

There's nothing I can do.

Rob Kelly:

God's brought you here, man, if you leave that I'm only human.

Rob Kelly:

I told one guy, I wish I could tell you I'm this clever, but I'm not.

Rob Kelly:

See, my job, this is my job, guys, to reach down for the gutter and pick the poor guy up who's dying of untreated alcoholism and lift you up to God as quick as I possibly can.

Rob Kelly:

That's my job.

Rob Kelly:

And the rest of the stuff, it's this, guys.

Rob Kelly:

That's all it is.

Rob Kelly:

It's like me doing God's work.

Rob Kelly:

You're doing God's work when you come on, passed on to somebody else, being kind every day, complimenting three people.

Rob Kelly:

I'm blessed enough to bless somebody monetary every time I leave the house.

Rob Kelly:

You know, all this stuff gets me up in the morning and gets me out to save another life.

Rob Kelly:

And if we.

Rob Kelly:

And this is what this Courtney Davis.

Rob Kelly:

We turn down podcasts every week, but Courtney Davis goes out and she's been with us a long time and she handpicks, she hand picks podcasts that she thinks together we save lives.

Rob Kelly:

And that's how we do it.

Rob Kelly:

You'll never hear me, but you know, oh, come on.

Rob Kelly:

I want you to be a patient.

Rob Kelly:

Come on down.

Rob Kelly:

We need work.

Rob Kelly:

I'm not on here to tell you about my business.

Rob Kelly:

I'm on here to tell you that you can do anything you want to do.

Rob Kelly:

And you've got to believe that, you know, once, once.

Rob Kelly:

Listen.

Rob Kelly:

Once the mind.

Rob Kelly:

So the mind over matter mind is more powerful than the brain.

Rob Kelly:

The mind can plan the brain for a fantastic day.

Rob Kelly:

When our research we've done, when our energy brain can't see it yet, you feel connects with another energy.

Rob Kelly:

Okay.

Rob Kelly:

And we do our neural pathway childhood trauma work.

Rob Kelly:

Your DNA changes.

Rob Kelly:

You're not the same person and that's what we're known for.

Rob Kelly:

You know, I don't take any of anybody.

Rob Kelly:

I don't answer to nobody.

Rob Kelly:

I dropped my psychology license two years ago because they didn't like what I was doing.

Rob Kelly:

But we're getting people.

Rob Kelly:

Wow.

Rob Kelly:

It's God's work.

Rob Kelly:

You know, And I always said just before, like I don't care what you think about me, you know, I used to look at all the comments.

Rob Kelly:

Keith, oh God.

Rob Kelly:

He said that.

Rob Kelly:

He said.

Rob Kelly:

And what I learned over time is nobody is doing as good as you are better will ever negatively comment on anything that you do, first of all.

Rob Kelly:

And secondly, I'm worried about what some guy says.

Rob Kelly:

And when you research him, he's living back at his parents, he's got divorced twice, you know, he's got no life.

Rob Kelly:

And he comments on me, the guy living in the million dollar house and you know, worth millions and millions and millions of dollars.

Rob Kelly:

25% again.

Rob Kelly:

That's what we give back to the communities.

Rob Kelly:

But yeah, it's like I used to.

Rob Kelly:

I don't worry anymore, man.

Rob Kelly:

In fact, if you guys, any guys here that got haters, send it to me.

Rob Kelly:

Good.

Rob Kelly:

We're good.

Dr. Keith Haney:

That's amazing.

Dr. Keith Haney:

I'm curious as you think about the recovery area that you serve in.

Dr. Keith Haney:

How do you take what you do and maybe change the future of recovery?

Dr. Keith Haney:

Because I think like you said, so much of it is hit and miss a lot of times.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Miss.

Dr. Keith Haney:

So if you could like transform the alcohol and substance abuse recovery business, what would it look like in the future?

Rob Kelly:

It's all about neuroscience.

Rob Kelly:

So we started studying neuroscience some time ago, before it was neuroscience.

Rob Kelly:

Because I knew that something was here, not here with an experience that I had.

Rob Kelly:

So neuroscience is the future, guys.

Rob Kelly:

Studies on the mind find out as much as you can about the disease you have because it is a disease.

Rob Kelly:

The hypothalamus Basal ganglia.

Rob Kelly:

They're the guys that we have no choice, drinking and using in the end and find information, get knowledgeable about, you know, what's happening now and where this is going.

Rob Kelly:

Because the stuff we've done with neuroscience was a game changer for us.

Rob Kelly:

It really was.

Rob Kelly:

And this is why we're so confident.

Rob Kelly:

It's like you've got to stop thinking about the alcohol.

Rob Kelly:

Alcohol, drug, sex, food, porn has 1% to do with what you're going through.

Rob Kelly:

So 1% of alcohol equals alcoholism.

Rob Kelly:

That's 99% is here, 99% is.

Rob Kelly:

If you knew how powerful the mind was, you would kick yourself first of all for not knowing sooner.

Rob Kelly:

And it would open your world.

Rob Kelly:

It's not hard to earn a million dollars.

Rob Kelly:

Everyone thinks it is some special secret.

Rob Kelly:

Do something you love.

Rob Kelly:

Do it with a passion.

Rob Kelly:

I don't care when you do it with a passion.

Rob Kelly:

I sometimes get almost aggressive sometimes when I'm talking about it because I love it so much.

Rob Kelly:

And, and, and don't be one of the guys that start something and never finish.

Rob Kelly:

Make sure you finish everything.

Rob Kelly:

Be impeccable with your word.

Rob Kelly:

Be strong, be powerful, be a leader in the community is very, very important.

Rob Kelly:

You know, when I had zero dollars and they foreclosed on my apartment in Dallas, you know, five years after I was here or something, I kept doing the same thing.

Rob Kelly:

I kept showing up at studies, I kept teaching people, I kept working with people, I kept, you know, all this stuff I was doing with people because what God was saying to me is, you need more experience from where I'm taking you.

Rob Kelly:

So when I started studying neuroscience, everyone's like laughing at me going, what are you doing?

Rob Kelly:

The brain is the brain and the mind is the mind.

Rob Kelly:

There's no such thing as the mind.

Rob Kelly:

And I just knew there was something different because of an experience I had many years ago.

Rob Kelly:

So yeah, man, you've got to stand up.

Rob Kelly:

And so if you always sat at home, guys, I don't care where you are, you could be a leader.

Rob Kelly:

If you're in, if you're in a one bedroom partner.

Rob Kelly:

Now, Lady Mrs.

Rob Kelly:

Smith.

Rob Kelly:

And your husband's left you because he's an alcoholic and he's gone away somewhere.

Rob Kelly:

This is a turning point for you.

Rob Kelly:

This is a crossroads.

Rob Kelly:

I love people at crossroads because we start again and we take a better road than we did last time.

Rob Kelly:

So that, that's the deal that keeps me inspired.

Rob Kelly:

That's the deal to keep me going.

Rob Kelly:

A lot of people say you're sifted free.

Rob Kelly:

Why don't you retire and do what?

Rob Kelly:

Well, am I going to buy a beach house and do what?

Rob Kelly:

I'll be doing this.

Rob Kelly:

My guys call me now.

Rob Kelly:

Financial guys, are you ready to retire?

Rob Kelly:

63 now.

Rob Kelly:

I said, if you ever, ever say that to me again about retirement, I'm going to pull my funding out of you.

Rob Kelly:

Because my dad once told me, Keith, he said, the day you retire is the day you die.

Rob Kelly:

And I truly believe that.

Rob Kelly:

So I'm never going to.

Rob Kelly:

I'll be 100 years back on your showing when I'm 100, I mean, you'll be sat here rocking in our chairs and that's what it's going to be.

Dr. Keith Haney:

You know, that's right.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Of course.

Dr. Keith Haney:

We can't stop, right?

Rob Kelly:

No, no.

Dr. Keith Haney:

I do want to ask this question, my other favorite question from my guest, thinking about what you're doing now, what you want your legacy to be.

Rob Kelly:

You know, I've been asked this a lot of times and it's kind of not changed since, since day one.

Rob Kelly:

He helped a lot of people.

Rob Kelly:

That's all.

Rob Kelly:

He was kind.

Rob Kelly:

People don't see how much money we actually give away to wear.

Rob Kelly:

We say 150 because we give that to people who suffer from alcohol addiction but were involved in lots of the stuff.

Rob Kelly:

It was a nice guy to help people because when you get to this level where you pull away from every other person doing this, that's why we have a 98% success rate and the nearest one too is a 9% success rate is you kind of separate from that.

Rob Kelly:

And a lot of people are jealous.

Rob Kelly:

A lot of people are jealous of what I have, Keith, but they're not jealous of how I got here.

Rob Kelly:

That's the problem with society, you know, so nice guy, he helped people.

Rob Kelly:

And before I, you know, get too old, I want a hundred bed rehab in San Antonio for people that want to get well, free of charge, funded by governments or donations.

Rob Kelly:

And in that, we're going to have a place where you can get clothing.

Rob Kelly:

We're going to have a place where you can get all your government from the money.

Rob Kelly:

You can get housing with all these offices in this center where you can go and say, I'm homeless, but I need to go.

Rob Kelly:

And we'll find you a place to live with a small amount of rent.

Rob Kelly:

That's what we, that's what I'd like.

Dr. Keith Haney:

I love that.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Where can people find your book?

Dr. Keith Haney:

Daddy, daddy, please stop drinking.

Rob Kelly:

So it's on Amazon, guys.

Rob Kelly:

Daddy, daddy, please stop drinking it.

Rob Kelly:

It looks, it looks a bit like this.

Rob Kelly:

It's coming along.

Rob Kelly:

That's me wasted completely.

Rob Kelly:

As my eldest daughter when I did a visit back to see her when she was about four or something.

Rob Kelly:

Um, I don't know how much it is but listen on this show if you get on and say Reverend Dr.

Rob Kelly:

Keith Haney and you.

Rob Kelly:

I saw, I saw you.

Rob Kelly:

If you send a message to me or Keith I've got five books away here that I'll personally sign to you and send you.

Rob Kelly:

I'll pay for shipping and everything.

Rob Kelly:

I'm going to send it to you on one condition.

Rob Kelly:

You pass this on to somebody else when you finish reading your die.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Where can people connect with you if they want to get in the program or know someone who needs to be in the program?

Rob Kelly:

Well if you listen, if you're listening not watching guys, I spell my name with 2B so it's R-O-B-B K E L L Y.com is the website Dr.

Rob Kelly:

Rob Kelly on any search engine in the world.

Rob Kelly:

And up I'll pop come joiners.

Rob Kelly:

All social medias are out there.

Rob Kelly:

You can come and come and join you know our happy family.

Rob Kelly:

And what I do want to say is for parents that are listening right now who have children and we call kids are like from anything from I don't know, 2 to 22 that's struggling with, with addiction or mental health or depression and you, and you don't know where to turn.

Rob Kelly:

You call the number on the website and you say I want some advice and we'll pass you on.

Rob Kelly:

My wife's one of them.

Rob Kelly:

We have three people here and they will talk to you all day long.

Rob Kelly:

You can call back 100 times a day.

Rob Kelly:

We're going to guide you through this.

Rob Kelly:

It's never going to cost you a dime.

Rob Kelly:

We're going to guide you through it.

Rob Kelly:

We're going to help you.

Rob Kelly:

They probably won't come to us.

Rob Kelly:

You're someone if we don't do that it'll be place somewhere where you can use his insurance, you know and you can get well in your area but we'll do that.

Rob Kelly:

So yeah always giving back man.

Rob Kelly:

That's, that's the key.

Rob Kelly:

So come and join us guys.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Well Dr.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Rob, thanks so much for taking the time and thank you for what you do because what you do is so valuable in this space.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Being someone who's, who had that kind of in my life it's a, it's a painful thing.

Dr. Keith Haney:

It divides families, breaks families up and it destroys relationships.

Dr. Keith Haney:

It's like it could have been so much better if we didn't have the element in your life.

Dr. Keith Haney:

So, yeah.

Dr. Keith Haney:

Thank you for what you do.

Rob Kelly:

Thank you, man.

Rob Kelly:

It's very kind.

Rob Kelly:

Thank you, guys.

Show artwork for Becoming Bridge Builders

About the Podcast

Becoming Bridge Builders
Building Bridges, Transforming Lives
Join host Keith Haney on “Becoming Bridge Builders,” a podcast dedicated to exploring the lives and stories of transformational leaders who profoundly impact God’s kingdom. Each episode delves into the journeys of these inspiring individuals, uncovering how their faith and leadership are bridging gaps, fostering unity, and leaving a lasting legacy. Discover how God uses these leaders to create positive change and inspire others to follow in their footsteps. Tune in for insightful conversations, powerful testimonies, and practical wisdom that will empower you to become a bridge builder in your community.
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About your host

Profile picture for Byrene Haney

Byrene Haney

I am Byrene Haney, the Assistant to the President of Iowa District West for Missions, Human Care, and Stewardship. Drawn to Western Iowa by its inspiring mission opportunities, I dedicate myself to helping churches connect with the unconnected and disengaged in their communities. As a loving husband, father, and grandfather, I strive to create authentic spaces for conversation through my podcast and blog.