MIKE LINDELL IS MANY THINGS.
OF COURSE, SOME OF THE CEO AND
FOUNDER OF MY PILLOW.
HE IS AN INFOMERCIAL SUPERSTAR,
AND HE'S BECOME WELL KNOWN FOR
HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH PRESIDENT
TRUMP.
HE'S ALSO ALWAYS BEEN UPFRONT
ABOUT HIS HISTORY OF DRUG
ADDICTION AND HE'S TALKED ABOUT
IT PUBLICLY, BUT NOT LIKE THIS.
IN HIS NEW AUTOBIOGRAPHY, HE
DETAILS HIS SPIRAL OF ADDICTION
FROM ALCOHOL, COCAINE, AND CRACK
. HE SPARES NO DETAIL WRITING
ABOUT ARRESTS, FAILED TESTS,
AND A GAMBLING ADDICTION ALMOST
COST HIM HIS COMPANY FOR THE
BOOK IS WHAT ARE THE ODDS FOR
YOUR JOINING ME RIGHT NOW IS
MIKE LINDELL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING
IN.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME THIS
MORNING.
THIS BOOK IS REALLY A
REMARKABLY DETAILED STORY OF
YOUR DESCENT INTO PRETTY
DESPERATE TIMES. WHY DID YOU
WRITE IT?
I WROTE IT. I KNEW FOR A
LONG TIME I WOULD END UP
WRITING A BOOK BECAUSE THINGS
HAPPENED TO ME ALL THE TIME
LIKE ONE IN A MILLION, ONE IN A
BILLION, AND I JUST FIGURED
ONCE IT WAS WRITTEN, IT'S GOING
TO GIVE SO MANY PEOPLE HOPE.
I DO THINK, AND I DO READ A
LOT AND I'VE READ THERE IS A
GENRE OF ADDICTION RECOVERY
MEMOIRS. I'VE NEVER READ ONE
THAT GOES INTO DETAILS ABOUT
WHAT CRACK CAN DO TO YOU AND
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COCAINE
AND CRACK.
YOU GO INTO THAT.
HOW DO YOU REMEMBER THESE
DETAILS?
WELL, GOD BLESSED ME WITH A
GOOD MEMORY, THAT'S ONE THING.
ALSO, I KEPT THINGS.
I KEPT EVEN PROOF WHEN CERTAIN
THINGS WHAT HAPPENED BACK THEN.
I WOULD KEEP THE PROOF KNOWING
SOMEDAY I WAS GOING TO HAVE A
BOOK SO THAT IT WOULD VALIDATE
THE TRUTH.
I WANTED TO WRITE THIS BOOK AND
EVERYTHING IN THERE IS 100%,
TRUE.
THIS IS THE THREAT OF
PHYSICAL VIOLENCE FROM YOUR
BULKY BECAUSE YOU OWE HIM
$30000.
IN 1982, I WORKED AT A
GROCERY STORE IN CHASKA.
THIS WAS LEFT ON MY TRAILER AND
THE TRAILER COURT. I WAS HIDING
IN A CLOSET. I KNEW SOMEDAY I
WOULD HAVE A BOOK, BUT WHO
KEEPS THAT?
YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT'S SO
-- THE DETAILS IN THIS BOOK ARE
REMARKABLE.
ALSO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS
REMARKABLE IS YOU HAD A GREAT
POPULAR BAR.
YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS.
YOU WRITE ABOUT HOW A LOT OF
YOUR FRIENDS WERE ALSO DOING
DRUGS LIKE COCAINE. THAT REALLY
STANDS OUT.
THOSE FRIENDS YOU'VE MENTIONED
BY NAME IN THIS BOOK, ARE THEY
MAD AT YOU?
YOU KNOW, ALL OF MY FRIENDS,
ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT WERE
ON CRACK, THEY HAVE ALL SIT QUIT
. I WAS THERE HOPE.
THEY SEE, IF MIKE CAN DO IT, WE
CAN DO IT. SO MANY OF THEM FROM
BACK THEN, WE WERE LIKE A BIG
FAMILY.
I HAD THAT BAR 13 YEARS, SO I
LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT ADDICTION
AND HOW IT CAN AFFECT LIVES.
NOWADAYS EVERYBODY, NO MATTER
HOW MANY FORKS TO EAT WITH, ARE
AFFECTED BY ADDICTION.
ABSOLUTELY.
THE COVER OF THE BOOK KIND OF
FLIPS AND DOES A HOLOGRAM OF
U.S. CEO AND THEN IT ALSO HAS
YOU.
THAT IS YOU AFTER BEING 14 DAYS
STRAIGHT ON DRUGS WHERE YOUR
DRUG DEALERS WERE THE ONES THAT
CUT YOU OFF.
RATE.
THAT WAS RIGHT HERE IN
MINNEAPOLIS. 14 DAYS.
I HAD A WARRANT FOR MY ARREST,
AND I COULDN'T GO BACK BECAUSE
I HAD TO WAIT.
YOU HAD A WARRANT OUT FOR
YOUR ARREST.
I WAS WAITING TO GO TO COURT
WHICH I WAS FOUND INNOCENT ON
THAT ONE.
I CAME OUT OF THE ROOM AND ALL
THREE OF MY DRUG DEALERS WERE
SITTING THERE. THEY KNEW EACH
OTHER BUT THEY HAD NEVER MET.
THEY DID THIS INTERVENTION.
THEY SAID, MIKE, YOU ARE GOING
TO BED. NO ONE IS GOING TO SELL
YOU CRACK ANYMORE. TWO OF THEM
LEFT AND THE OTHER ONE I WAITED
UNTIL HE WENT TO SLEEP, AND I
HIT THE STREETS OF MINNEAPOLIS
AND HID. I WENT OUT THERE. I
CAME BACK UPSTAIRS AND HE GOES,
HOW DID THAT WORK OUT FOR YOU?
IT WAS LIKE 2:30 IN THE MORNING.
HE GOES, GIVE ME YOUR PHONE,
I'M GOING TO TAKE A PICTURE,
WHICH IS ON THE COVER OF THE
BOOK.
YOU'VE BEEN TELLING US FOR
YEARS THAT THIS PILLOW IS JUST
A PLATFORM FOR GOD AND YOU ARE
GOING TO COME BACK AND HELP US
ALL SOMEDAY GET OUT OF THIS
LIFESTYLE, AND NOW IT'S COME
FULL CIRCLE.
HOW DID YOU DO IT?
GOD.
100% FAITH AND GOD.
ON JANUARY 16, 2009, I QUIT
EVERYTHING OVERNIGHT, BUT THAT
WAS LIKE, PEOPLE SAID, WAS THAT
YOUR BOTTOM?
IT WAS ALMOST LIKE I USED TO
WORK AT A DRIVE IN MOVIE
THEATER.
IT WAS LIKE TWO REELS OF YOUR
LIFE. IT WOULD BE WHATEVER THAT
SECOND FEATURE. I
ACTUALLY DID GO TO A FAITH-
BASED TREATMENT CENTER AT MY
CHURCH CALLED LIVING FREE TO
FIND OUT WHY I WAS AN ADDICT IN
THE FIRST PLACE.
AND HE WITH THE PROCEEDS OF
THIS BOOK, YOU PLAN TO START A
RECOVERY NETWORK.
I DID.
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT TWO
YEARS.
IT IS GOING TO CHANGE THIS
COUNTRY.
IT'S GOING TO GET MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE OUT OF ADDICTION.
THE STUFF THE PRESIDENT IS
DOING NOW, THE REGULATIONS HE IS
LIFTING FOR ME TO EVEN BE ABLE
TO DO THIS IS AMAZING.
FOR ME TO BEFRIEND HIM AND FIND
OUT THAT ALL THESE THINGS HE'S
DOING THAT'S GOING TO HELP
ADDICTS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S
GOING TO HELP.
THIS LAUNCH, WHEN IT LAUNCHES,
AND IT'S GOING TO EMPLOY TENS
OF THOUSANDS OF ADDICTS AS WELL.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T
AGREE WITH YOU POLITICALLY, BUT
THIS IS A REMARKABLE BOOK.
I'VE NEVER READ ONE WITH DETAILS
. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE
HELPFUL TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IT MEANT A LOT WHEN I GOT
HERE AND YOU GO, MIKE, THE BOOK
IS GOOD.
IT'S MANIC I HAD TO SAY IT'S
VERY WELL WRITTEN, IT'S
GRIPPING, AND IT TEACHES YOU
HOW TO COUNT CARDS.
I WANTED IT TO BE THE BEST,
LIKE ONE OF THESE GREAT FICTION
NOVELS, AND YOU FIND OUT IT'S