It's Not About the Alcohol

Today, I’m sharing a conversation that first aired on the Sunnyside podcast—home of the #1 mindful drinking app. I sat down with co-founder and host Mike Hardenbrook to talk about how to change your thinking about drinking so that you can trust yourself with alcohol again. We cover my own personal journey about why I overcorrected my heavy daily drinking with three years of full sobriety, and how I arrived in the balanced, less-is-more life I live now. You’ll hear the exact mental shifts that I teach my high-achieving female clients who want to cut their drinking by up to 80% without shame, rules or life long commitments. Whether you’re sober-curious or simply tired of promising yourself that you’re going to change and then not following through, this conversation will change how you think about both the problem and the solution.  Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL if you’re ready to fully commit to your personal growth and do the work to get emotionally sober. Side effects include an 80 percent reduction in drinking. Want daily updates from me? TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer Twitter (X): @NotAboutTheAlc YouTube: @hangoverwhisperer —Do you want coaching from Colleen on a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question. Your name will not be mentioned on air!   

Driving away from West Virginia, Colleen realized she no longer needs perfect conditions to feel like herself—because that version of her now lives within her. She explores how emotions are echoes of the past, and how clinging to them corrodes self-trust. Through the story of her sister-in-law Laura, she shares how denying your truth disconnects you from your voice—and how letting it surface is what makes healing possible. 🔑 Key Takeaways Set goals around how you want to feel, not just what you want to do. Emotions are old data, not destiny. Suppressing truth corrodes self-trust; expressing it clears the path forward. It’s not the truth that sets you free—it’s you who must set the truth free. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen’s NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

After years of trying to fix her life by rearranging circumstances, Colleen finally stopped—and turned inward. This is the story of how admitting “I’m not okay” became the first real act of self-trust. Instead of solving her life, she began tending to herself like someone worth saving, and discovered that clarity comes from action, not overthinking. 🔑 Key Takeaways Admitting you’re not okay can be the first step to freedom. Action creates clarity; thinking in circles deepens the trap. Your emotions are signals, not problems to solve. Trust is built by showing up for yourself, not performing for others. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen’s NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

I’d been a daily drinker for over a decade when somehow, I found the motivation to stay sober for an entire weekend. It was actually easy and felt so good that I took the whole next week off. And I remember feeling giddy, like, OMG, It’s over. Apparently, I don’t have to worry about that anymore! Sadly, habits don’t just disappear overnight. I was soon back to drinking every day, wondering why I couldn’t just snap my fingers and go back to being that version of myself who wasn’t obsessed with alcohol. What happened to the willpower I had found that week and why couldn’t I get it back? In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about the hidden habit that keeps you stuck in a cycle of overdrinking. I’ll explain what actually causes alcohol use disorder—and why staying sober doesn’t fix it. This isn’t about willpower, or how much or how often you drink. It’s how you respond to yourself when you make a mistake. Inside this episode, you’ll learn: Why beating yourself up after a “bad night” locks the pattern in deeper How to retrain your brain to treat your hangovers with compassion instead of shame And what happens when you set realistic expectations and learn how to fail forward. This episode will give you a foundational perspective shift so you can finally make sense of why trying to rely on willpower doesn’t work—and what actually does.   Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL if you’re ready to fully commit to your personal growth and do the work to get emotionally sober. Side effects include an 80 percent reduction in drinking.   Want daily updates from me? TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer Twitter (X): @NotAboutTheAlc YouTube: @hangoverwhisperer   Do you want coaching from Colleen on a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question. Your name will not be mentioned on air!   

In this continuation, Colleen shares how West Virginia shifted her in ways she didn’t see coming. She found herself in a community where image didn’t matter, where people belonged by being present, not by performing. That freedom to be—messy hair, bare face, imperfect and real—awakened something deeper: the possibility of self-trust. The relationships and experiences from that time became a compass she carried forward. Even as life evolved, that season revealed what authenticity feels like, and how quickly it disappears when we chase approval instead of honoring ourselves.   🔑 Key Takeaways True belonging isn’t earned—it’s experienced when you drop the mask. Freedom grows when you stop measuring yourself against external standards. Authenticity isn’t about circumstances—it’s about how you choose to show up. The lessons that change us most are the ones we carry long after we leave a place.   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen’s NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

In this episode, Colleen begins a five-part mini-series by reflecting on a season of life where everything looked perfect on the outside—four children, big career moves, and daily discipline to name a few. But on the inside she was hollow, disconnected, and coping in ways that kept her stuck. The move to West Virginia became more than a change of scenery; it became a field trip into herself. It was here she first began to see the difference between living to perform and learning to be. What felt like upheaval at the time now stands out as a turning point—the beginning of finding her own voice beneath the roles and responsibilities.   🔑 Key Takeaways Success without connection to self eventually collapses. Coping mechanisms are often misguided attempts at emotional regulation. Living “from the outside in” erodes trust in your own experience. Sometimes the biggest gifts come disguised as disruption.   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen’s NEW Q&A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

You know that feeling after you push through a big event or deadline—the letdown that leaves you tired, unmotivated, and maybe even sick ? Most women assume it’s either “burnout” or “laziness.” But according to my guest, Dr. Aimee Apigian, it’s actually a trauma response. Dr. Aimee is a medical physician, trauma expert, and host of The Biology of Trauma podcast is here to explain why our bodies store trauma and how that trauma quietly drives brain fog, fatigue, autoimmune disorders, and even nightly drinking habits. In this conversation, we unpack: How to tell the difference between a stress and trauma response based on what you’re thinking Why extended periods of stress without recovery cause trauma What it actually looks like to complete the trauma response instead of storing it Simple ways to give your body time, safety, and energy so it can reset I’m also going to share my own story of the crash I had after a recent retreat I hosted,  and what changed when I treated my trauma response with compassion instead of my usual bullwhip. You’ll hear Dr. Aimee break it down in real time. If you’ve been blaming yourself for not having enough willpower, for being “too tired,” or for never getting it together… you need to hear this. Your body isn’t broken, it’s protecting you. You just have to learn how to return the favor.    Click here to order Dr. Aimee Apigian’s book The Biology of Trauma: How the Body Holds Fear, Pain and Overwhelm, and How to Heal It.    Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL if you’re ready to fully commit to your personal growth and do the work to get emotionally sober. Side effects include an 80 percent reduction in drinking. Want daily updates from me? TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer Twitter (X): @NotAboutTheAlc and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hangoverwhisperer —Do you want coaching from Colleen on a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question. Your name will not be mentioned on air!   

In this episode, Colleen explores the powerful intersection of science and spirituality—from dopamine research and environmental design to Michael Singer, Don Miguel Ruiz, and Bruce Lipton. Drawing on both brain science and lived experience, she makes a simple but life-changing point: reality isn’t what’s “out there.” It’s what your brain chooses to notice. Out of millions of possible inputs, your brain filters just a few—and those choices shape your emotions, your energy, and your life. Truth is not abstract dogma or moral code—it’s the felt sense that opens your heart and mind. When you learn to notice what you’re noticing, you reclaim the power to create a reality that feels expansive, joyful, and true.     🔑 Key Takeaways The brain processes 11 million inputs every second but only notices ~40—you get to influence which 40. “Truth” is felt in the body: it opens your heart and creates curiosity, hope, and creativity. The 3D world is neutral; meaning comes from how you interpret and judge it. Your focus works like an algorithm: whatever you attend to, you’ll see more of. Emotions aren’t nuisances—they’re invitations to examine what you’re projecting and receiving. Notice the “newsfeed” in your mind: what stories dominate, and how do they make you feel? By shifting attention toward what expands you, you rewire your lived reality.   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen’s NEW Q& A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript

In this episode, Colleen shares a personal story of missed flights, expired licenses, stolen wallets—and how choosing bat-shit positive over bat-shit negative turned each obstacle into an unexpected gift. With humor and honesty, she reframes setbacks not as evidence that life is against us, but as opportunities to practice trust, adaptability, and creativity. Through this lens, even a canceled car rental or lost wallet becomes training ground for a deeper truth: the problem is never the problem. It’s the mindset that labels it as wrong that keeps us stuck. When we shift into curiosity—asking, “How is this happening for me?”—the very circumstances we once resented become portals to wisdom, resilience, and growth. This is more than a pep talk. It’s a lived reminder that shit makes the best fertilizer—what looks like a mess today might be the soil for everything you’ve been waiting for.     🔑 Key Takeaways You can only rise to the level of problem you’re capable of solving. The mindset that sees a problem can’t solve it—only a growth mindset can. Every obstacle is neutral until we assign meaning; you can choose negative or positive. “This is happening for me, not to me” turns setbacks into training grounds. Wisdom comes through mistakes, pain, and struggle—not through perfection. When you trust that you’ll be okay in the long run, today’s problems become gifts. Shit makes the best fertilizer: what looks messy now may grow your strongest roots. If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen’s NEW Q& A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

What if the struggles you face today as a woman didn’t start with you—but with your mother, and her mother before her? In this powerful conversation, therapist and certified mother-daughter coach Erica Thomas shares how our earliest identity as “daughter” shapes our personality, our relationships and even how we show up at work.   We’re breaking open the cultural and familial scripts that keep women small—silencing our voices, worrying more about how things look than how they feel, and losing ourselves in people-pleasing servitude. You’ll hear Erica’s personal story, why she believes the patriarchy often lives inside us, and how healing the mother-daughter wound creates generational change that ripples both forward and backward in time.   This episode is part truth-telling, part blueprint: a call to every woman who wants to stop carrying the emotional weight she inherited, and start living with authenticity and personal power.   Erica Thomas is a licensed psychotherapist of over 20 years and a mother-daughter relationship expert driven to create generational change for women. As the founder of Vita Nova Counseling and Vita Nova Mother-Daughter Coaching, Erica guides women to heal past hurts and growth into their God-given potential and helps mothers and daughters transform generational legacies into ones that leave healing, hope, reconnection, and empowerment.    Find Erica on social media Facebook: @vitanovaLHTX Instagram: @vitanovacounseling LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ericagthomas Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL if you’re ready to fully commit to your personal growth and do the work to get emotionally sober. Side effects include an 80 percent reduction in drinking. Want daily updates from me? TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer Twitter (X): @NotAboutTheAlc YouTube: @hangoverwhisperer —Do you want coaching from Colleen on a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question. Your name will not be mentioned on air!   

In this follow-up episode, Colleen shares a personal holiday stumble—an experience she originally recorded in late 2024, but one that still rings true as we look ahead to the upcoming season. She names it a “relapse,” not because of how much she drank but because of the disconnect between what she wanted and what actually happened. Instead of hiding it, she walks through the three-question framework from Part One, showing in real time how to turn what looks like failure into data, compassion, and next steps. Through honest reflection, she reframes her week of drinking with family as a learning lab: noticing where it could have been worse, expanding the timeline to see real improvement, and uncovering the lesson that unrealistic expectations set her up to struggle. What emerges is a radically different take on relapse—not as proof you’re broken, but as proof you’re still learning. This isn’t just a confession—it’s a model of how to meet yourself in the mess, stay curious, and come back stronger.   🔑 Key Takeaways Comparing a holiday week to your “best week” skews progress—zoom out to see real improvement. Every story you tell yourself is “bullshit”—so choose the version that moves you forward. Setting unrealistic expectations (like piling an elimination diet on top of holiday stress) undermines success. Use the three-question framework every time: How could this have been worse / where did I improve? What did I learn? What would I like to do differently next time? If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.  Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen’s NEW Q& A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc Transcript    

As the holiday season approaches, this episode—originally recorded after Thanksgiving 2024—offers perspective that’s just as relevant now as it was then. Colleen pulls apart one of the biggest myths of change: that it’s the behavior itself that’s hard. The truth? It’s the act of change—the moment you take your brain off autopilot—that feels so uncomfortable. From holiday chaos to daily overwhelm, she shows how perfectionism and constant performance keep you stuck, and why setbacks are not proof of failure but invitations to learn. She reframes relapse, stress, and “slip-ups” as tests—opportunities to gather information instead of self-destruct. She makes the case that baby habits can’t yet compete with old, well-worn patterns in times of stress, and that setting realistic expectations is the most compassionate, powerful strategy for lasting growth. This is more than a pep talk. It’s a playbook for walking through the holidays (and any high-pressure season) without letting setbacks steal your progress—or your self-trust.   🔑 Key Takeaways Stressful seasons test your new habits; don’t expect baby habits to out-muscle old ones every time. Setbacks are tests, not failures—the lesson is in how you respond. “Failure” is just a mismatch between expectations and reality. Self-compassion is the fastest way to keep momentum alive. Progress sticks when you give yourself credit for improvements already made. Three anchors to use in setbacks: How could this have been worse? Where did I improve? What have I learned? If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity—  Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen’s NEW Q& A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript

Our culture teaches that when someone is struggling with substance use, the correct response is tough love. It’s better to let them hit rock bottom than to enable their behavior.   My guest today is Heather Ross, host of the Living While Loving Your Child Through Addiction podcast. She’s also a dear personal friend. We’re letting you eavesdrop on one of the many raw conversations we’ve had about the devastating impact the “tough love” mindset has on both the giver and the receiver. And why compassion is not the same as enabling.  You’ll hear Heather’s first-hand account of what happened when she shifted her goal from controlling the situation to connecting with her daughter. Her story is both heartbreaking and inspiring, because despite losing her daughter to a fentanyl overdose, she will never regret that she was a safe place for her daughter–and a source of unconditional love.   Buckle up, because this one’s a tear jerker. But whether you’re a parent, partner or just wondering how to show up for someone you love, you’ll walk away with a clear understanding of how to release fear, find your ground and support your person without losing yourself.    Click here to get Heather’s free guide: A New Perspective about “Enabling”--A guide for parents who want to help their kids but aren’t sure how.  Find Heather on social media @HeatherRossCoaching, and listen to her podcast Living While Loving Your Child Through Addiction.   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.  Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen’s NEW Q& A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript

In this episode, Colleen unpacks one of the most common struggles in early sobriety and beyond: bone-deep exhaustion. She shares her own experience quitting alcohol (and much more) all at once, and how the “post-acute withdrawal syndrome” myth left her believing she’d be tired and unmotivated for years. What she eventually discovered is that tiredness isn’t just physical—it’s an emotional signal tied to how you’re thinking, what you’re carrying, and how you’re responding to your body. She reframes fatigue as a feeling, not a fixed fact. She lays out the calls to action—hydration, movement, thought work, environment shifts—that help you recharge in real time instead of waiting for some mythical “dopamine reset.” This episode will show you how to trust your body as the litmus test for truth and to respond in ways that restore energy, purpose, and hope.     🔑 Key Takeaways Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) is more myth than science; your dopamine recalibrates far faster than you think. Tiredness is often emotional—driven by draining thought patterns—not just physical. The litmus test is always your body: does this thought process feel open/energizing or heavy/depleting? “Tired” is a feeling, not a fact—you can shift it by shifting how you respond. Water, movement, sleep, and sunlight are the simplest energy fuels. Mental preoccupations and negative self-talk drain more energy than work itself. Change your environment and thought loops to spark curiosity and motivation.   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen’s NEW Q& A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

In this episode, Colleen gives an update on the behind-the-scenes of what happened after being suddenly cut from a program she’d once called home. At first, she carried the weight of unfairness and betrayal, convinced it would take a long time to heal. But what started as a sting that clung to her body and mind turned into something radically different: a live demonstration of releasing the story that was holding her hostage. Through an unexpected NLP exercise with her coach, she revisits the childhood wound at the root of her pain and dismantles the old belief that others get to decide her worth. In real time, you’ll hear how her body shifted, her brain rewired, and her story transformed from “I’ve been wronged” to “I’m free.” What looked like rejection became a clean slate, a wider horizon, and a reminder that freedom comes when you reclaim the pen and rewrite your own narrative. This isn’t just an update—it’s a case study in emotional sovereignty, showing how quickly you can drop a heavy story and walk away lighter.     🔑 Key Takeaways It’s not the event itself that hurts—it’s the story you tell yourself about it. Collective agreement (“this sucks, you were wronged”) can reinforce pain instead of helping you heal. Waiting for someone else to respond or explain is giving away your power. Your body often signals when you’re carrying emotional baggage. Reframing old wounds allows you to rewrite new stories in real time. A neutral event can become an opportunity if you choose to see it that way. Freedom comes from owning that you are the source of both your suffering and your joy.   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen’s NEW Q& A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript

You know that sinking feeling of disappointment or even disgust you get when you’re looking at yourself in the mirror and wishing you were thinner? That feeling is actually wrecking your metabolism.  My guest today is Sarah Haas, host of the Boss Body podcast. She’s here to share her story of how, after years of being thin and fit and looking like she had it all together, she found herself as a single mother dealing not only with her young son’s type 1 diabetes, but also breast cancer–which included radiation, chemo and a double mastectomy. She had to learn that loving your body is not about working harder to look better. It’s about releasing the emotional heaviness that is figuratively and literally weighing you down. In this deeply personal and powerful conversation, Sarah Haas, host of the Boss Body podcast, shares how the stress of being a single mom and battling breast cancer–including radiation, chemo and a double mastectomy, taught her that loving your body is not loving how you look, it’s releasing the emotional heaviness that is figuratively and literally weighing you down. Highlights: Why body love often feels impossible when you’ve let yourself go—and where to start instead The toxic role of the inner critic (and how to change the voice in your head) How midlife can become a catalyst for deeper self-worth and vibrant health Practical steps to boost metabolism in perimenopause and beyond   Whether you’re trying to lose weight or simply ready to feel more comfortable in your own skin—this conversation will give you the mindset shifts you need to begin.   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Click here to get Sarah’s Rev Up Your Metabolism Guide. Find her on social media: @sarahhaaswellness   Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen’s NEW Q& A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

In this episode, Colleen pulls back the curtain on a personal “bitch slap from the universe” that arrived in the form of a sudden, unexplained expulsion from a coaching program she once considered family. What could have been a spiral into shame became something else entirely—a masterclass in emotional sovereignty. She walks you through the shock, the grief, and the moment she realized: this wasn’t actually about her. Instead of chasing fairness or demanding explanations, she chose action over rumination, redirecting her energy toward opportunities that actually align with her values. With candor, humor, and zero self-pity, Colleen models what it looks like to process hurt without handing away your power—and to see a painful ending as a door swinging wide to something better. This is more than a story about rejection; it’s a real-time demonstration of the freedom that comes from owning your emotional narrative and refusing to let someone else’s decisions define you.     🔑 Key Takeaways: Emotional pain often comes from the story you tell yourself, not the event itself. Shock and shame can be processed without spiraling into self-blame. You don’t need all the answers to move forward—you just need your next step. When someone shows you who they are, believe them. Choosing not to be bothered is a radical act of self-protection. Redirects—especially the unexpected ones—can open doors to better fits and bigger futures. Freedom comes from realizing you’re the only one who can set you free.   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen’s NEW Q& A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript  

In this episode, Colleen dismantles one of the most costly habits we carry through life: the obsession with figuring out whose fault it is. She makes a powerful distinction between fault—the cause of a problem—and responsibility—your power to choose how you respond. The moment you stop waiting for someone else to make things right, you stop handing them your power. With humor, wordplay, and grounded examples, she shows how clinging to blame keeps you stuck, resentful, and drained—while letting go frees you to act from a place of choice, not victimhood. Whether it’s waiting on an apology, reimbursement, or just “closure,” the real cost is the energy you lose while holding someone else accountable for your own next move. Colleen invites you to reclaim your response-ability, stop making other people’s actions the condition for your own happiness, and give situations “all the attention they deserve—none.” Because when you drop the weight of fault, you gain the freedom to create the life you actually want.     🔑 Key Takeaways: Fault is about causation; responsibility is about choice. You are always 100% responsible for how you respond—no matter who caused the situation. Waiting for someone to “make it right” keeps you stuck in powerlessness. The idea that someone owes you something is often just a brain block. Letting go of fault reclaims the energy you need for your actual goals. Response-ability means owning your power to act, even when you choose to wait. Not every problem is worth solving—sometimes the best response is no response at all.   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen’s NEW Q& A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript

When my client, Michele, told me she was going to reintroduce alcohol. I’ll be honest — I was nervous. Actually, that’s bullshit. I felt like a failure. She’d been sober for 10 months.  I was her sobriety coach. And at that time, I was still operating on the mindset that once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. Because everybody knows you can’t unpickle a cucumber.  But as we learn in coaching school, the client is the expert on their own lives. Telling people what they should and shouldn’t do is condescending, not coaching. So I checked my own fear and anxiety and held space for her. Michele is the first client I coached with a truly open mind — where there is no “right” way to drink, no moral high ground for whoever has the most sober days, and no starting over after you have a drink. Alcohol is neutral–it’s not good or bad or right or wrong. It’s not the problem and it’s not the solution. Working with Michele completely changed the way I think about recovery from alcohol use disorder. She is my patient zero, if you will. This experience laid the foundation for the work I do now as a mindful drinking coach. And she’s here today to share her story and talk about what it’s really like to learn how to trust yourself again…to heal your relationship with yourself so you don’t have to worry about your relationship with alcohol. It’s raw. It’s honest. It’s messy. And for me, it’s personal — because this opened my eyes, my mind and my heart to see what’s really possible when you stop using the past to predict the future.    If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen’s NEW Q& A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc

In this episode, Colleen shares a raw, behind-the-scenes moment from her own emotional funk and breaks down exactly how she worked through it—thought by thought, feeling by feeling. From vacation wine to love-bombing exes to that post-holiday productivity pressure, she shows how even seemingly minor emotional clutter can trigger deep, subconscious beliefs that hijack your nervous system. Instead of bypassing or blaming her mood, Colleen slows down and listens—uncovering the core belief underneath it all: I’ve done something wrong. What follows is a masterclass in emotional self-leadership. You’ll hear how she clears the subconscious “rock in her shoe,” replaces it with a more empowering truth, and reclaims her mental space, energy, and creative flow. This isn’t emotional perfectionism. This is radical presence—and it’s how you clear the emotional backlog that’s actually running your life.     🔑 Key Takeaways: Your emotions aren’t problems—they’re portals into your subconscious beliefs. Trying to fix, perfect, or overachieve your way out of a feeling only buries it deeper. The belief that you've done something wrong is often a default program, not the truth. Emotional “funk” is your body’s way of saying, “Hey, it’s time to slow down and listen.” You can’t create, lead, or love from a dysregulated state. Regulate first. Always. True power comes when you're no longer afraid of your own feelings—and instead welcome them as guides.   If you are ready to get support from a community of women who are co-creating this change with intention and clarity— Click here to BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL.    Do you want help from Colleen with a situation you’re struggling with? Click here to submit your question for Colleen’s NEW Q& A episodes. Your name will not be mentioned on air!    Find me on: YouTube: @HangoverWhisperer TikTok: @hangoverwhisperer Instagram: @thehangoverwhisperer  X (Twitter) : @NotAboutTheAlc   Transcript