We're talking with Kelly Siegel this week! Kelly is the author of Harder Than Life: Overcoming Poverty, Addiction, and Violence, and he hosts the Harder Than Life podcast as well! In this episode we talk about early childhood exposure to drinking, struggles with trying to live life while alcohol ran the show and what it took for Kelly to put it down and cut it out completely. You'll hear the struggles of him detoxing himself (I don't recommend this-IT CAN KILL YOU), and most importantly, facing the traumas that his alcohol use was covering up. We discuss the tools, routines and lifestyle changes that have proven successful for Kelly to remain alcohol free for over 4 years! We talk therapy-and y'all know I appreciate men telling men they go to therapy!!! There's no one right way to recover. In this episode you'll hear how Kelly does it, and what he offers to those still struggling.

KELLY'S LINKS BELOW

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Flinktr.ee%2Fkellysiegel%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0O1CgquJyX9UtMwIjxg8mIhfNmP8DVdd9HBj2kdnjNtoVh7KwfTzxAch0&h=AT2odxelfsIIKDleoeKACbop6GWQ4Y5iEE2yfKsQJctxngZcMIsD0YPV4rtIle10U2h7Z9xsfkgoQIwpqCKoG3QmeKTcvH2A26WX4aFYZnMyDFjQMDDf4Y90-pXQG0t2UnCzkA1PHQ4oKqu-Yrw

YOUTUBE CLIP LINK BELOW

https://youtu.be/89ub1Vx34mM

Today we talk with mom, fiance and entrepreneur Stacy Rapp. Hear her story of how she rose to the top of an MLM company and began to lose herself in the process. Battling depression and anxiety after surviving the tragic Route 91 tragedy, while encouraging, motivating and leading others in a very public way takes it's toll. She knew deep inside that it was time to leave the company that she'd poured herself into and grew up in. Many of us are faced with these forks in the road in our everyday lives. What do we do? Tell ourselves the story that we can't leave, let the fear of the unknown keep us feeling stuck...or do we get uncomfortable and trust what our inner voice is telling us? In this episode Stacy tells us what it was like walking away from the money, the accolades and relationships to choose to take care of her mental and emotional health. She shares the tools she uses and tells us the most important lessons-be open for growth, be honest with yourself, be authentic and have your OWN relationship with God. Her kindness and love are apparent and her journey is admirable. I'm proud of her for choosing herself!!

You can find Stacy and all her links below!!

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcompiled.social%2FStacy%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR353YYPgXkLQ1AHPTcFiBbe5kvWtGGAe6lm3xot6oUEpaZKyfUxkZCJ1k0&h=AT30QExzDGsfpa3grAQcuyOxMl5BVjRZqLVBroriul_SE7QkeKPuhbXKQoBGDgD5dzy7mfvWkRqs_3ZQNNTu0RGWdkmlRCoeCu8gPK_SDOGB8ee4YIrxyuRK79ovXN6UvImW9-33IzgW8cyluEU

This week we talk with Leslie Kissling.  Recovering alcoholic, animal enthusiast, and currently working to attain her LCDC.  Leslie has walked quite a road leading up to living one day at a time.  Being the youngest of 12 in a Catholic family, she realized in high school that she's gay, followed by the tragic murder of her sister.  It's hard enough finding yourself in those transformative years, but this girl sought structure and joined the Air Force.  She describes herself as a throw the cap away drinker...she wouldn't be needing it.  She always felt that she had something to prove and was dying for acceptance.  She pursued and was successful in her career in journalism broadcasting, and even had the opportunity to present a screenplay to Sony! But as many of us experience, drinking always came first.  She was sentenced to a 2 year prison sentence after her 4th DWI and did end up serving 11 months.  She found AA and a sponsor before serving her sentence and held AA meetings in the dorms while facing even more of life's challenges.  She says prison saved her from herself, when her mother passed while she was incarcerated.  God really shook up her snowglobe!!  Today she works with animals, while completing required hours to attain her LCDC to help fellow addicts and alcoholics still suffering.  She's a true inspiration and a joy to talk to!!  Enjoy!!

What kind of curveballs has life thrown your way?  Unexpected divorce?  Falling in love?  Infertility?  What about illness?  This weeks guest is mother, wife and She's Brave Podcast host Kristina Driscoll and she's faced all of these and so much more.  In this episode she'll tell us how her divorce led to healing and a spiritual path that prepared for a life filled with love as well as pain and loss.  Imagine meeting the love of your life, having a child despite infertility challenges, then noticing your husband showing signs of early onset Alzheimer's.  This would bring even the strongest of us to our knees.  Listen in as Kristina shares her experience, strength and hope in getting both medical help and therapy for herself, raising a son as a single parent and finding a way to LIVE while caring for her husband as his mind and body slowly faded away to the disease.  Throughout our talk you'll hear her brave and aligned spirit.  She's the perfect example of when you know who you are, you'll know what to do!

Today we talk with Rachel Kemplin, mother of 2, 7 months sober and currently fighting for her life.  After battling alcohol addiction much of her adult life Rachel had finally had enough.  Multiple visits to rehab weren't enough to keep her sober.  Family losses and the ending a marriage only fueled it's flames.  It wasn't until she got a diagnosis at 21 days sober that her drinking came to a screeching halt.  End stage liver disease.  Alcoholic Cirrhosis. Liver Cancer.  She had actually drank herself...to death.  She was a stay at home mom, no childhood trauma, no outward signs of struggle.  Hear what the warning signs are, know when to get checked out, and when to ask for help.  She shares how she had to find the right help for her.  The educational variety is what she needed to grab onto recovery and LIVE, despite being diagnosed with 18 short months to do so.  She shares the perils of facing her illness as well as her mortality, and her hope-the possibility of getting a liver transplant. She seeks joy today, and appreciates every moment she has with her family and friends!! She is an inspiration!  Listen to this beautiful soul share her cautionary tale.  It could happen to any one of us.  

In this episode we meet my dear friend Casey Burrows, owner and founder of Uncommon Soapery.  She tells how she broke free, not only from the corporate world, but from the need for medication due to the stressors of her high-demand career.  She started what she thought was a hobby project making "eggplant shaped soaps" and gifting the extra and fell in love with the process.  She ended up leaving her corporate job and now runs her soapery full time.  We talked about the ins and outs of living in partnership, the tools we use to navigate challenges, including the 4 agreements.  We talked about recognizing and honoring our feelings and doing the inner work and healing to love all parts of ourselves.  Casey is charismatic, hilarious and an absolute joy as a human and friend!!  Enjoy!!

In this episode, Brandi talks with podcast host, creator of Gibbs Goodies Sticky Balls and fun enthusiast Diane Gibbs.  Diane explains what led her to surrender and quit drinking over 11 years ago.  She dives into the chaos, shame and embarrassment of blackout drinking.  She shares the fear of losing her memories.  She also shines a bright light onto what happened afterward!!  She hosts a show called 420 Reasons Why I Quit Drinking that details her adventures through life-both good and bad.  She's got a degree in food, as well as the family history to back it up.  Today she's started making and selling her super yummy Sticky Balls-available through her instagram @dianeegibbs or you can message her on Facebook!!  Diane is a wonderful inspiration of what a difference putting down the drink can make in our lives!

What needs to happen for enough to be enough?  What do we have to lose?  In todays episode, local Corpus Christi sober bartender Gwen tells us what it took for her to finally be ready to give up the insanity of drinking.  Spoiler alert-it took ALOT!!  In her story she talks about homelessness, losing custody of her daughter and countless detox and hospital visits.  Nothing stopped her until she was finally ready to surrender, and when she did the most beautiful life opened up for her.  She shares her experience in AA, moving to Costa Rica and discovering a path of recovery that aligned with the life she wanted to live!  Recently Gwen has introduced Recovery Dharma to Corpus and is a bright shining light and a beacon of hope!!  She's living proof that we can be happy and fulfilled in sobriety!

This episode features firefighter & Buddhist Tony Skaug.  In this much needed male prospective, Tony talks about his own struggles with fire service related PTSD, late-life divorce, what he experienced and what he's done to overcome it.  He walks us through what his treatment journey looks like, how he learned to love himself again, and the exact tools he uses daily to be able to say-HE'S TRUELY HAPPY!!  We don't often hear from men on the subjects of growth, healing and how to find yourself after divorce.  This is a powerfully vulnerable conversation and although it's aimed at men, women will benefit from hearing this as well.  His tools include therapy, medication, meditation, buddhism, stoicism and so much more.  You don't want to miss this talk!!

In this episode we talk to therapist, author and coach Amanda JP Brown.  In part 2 of this 2 part series we discuss facing our fears, being brave and accessing your courage, shame resilience and our personal journeys in recovery.  We cover parental wounds, touch on the 4 agreements and integrating them in our daily lives as well as navigating endings-including divorce.  More importantly, we discussed opening up to new beginnings and learning to trust yourself again.