S2 E10 Recovering Out Loud and What it Takes to Go First with Shannon Kelley

Shannon Kelley is a life coach, entrepreneur, and the founder of Recovering Out Loud — a movement dedicated to removing the shame and stigma from addiction and sobriety. Drawing from her own lived experience with substance dependency, incarceration, and profound spiritual transformation, Shannon is building a community that makes recovery visible, accessible, and empowering for everyone — whether you're in the thick of it or just getting curious.Shannon Kelley doesn't whisper about recovery. She does it out loud — and she's inviting everyone else to do the same. In this episode, Shannon shares her raw, unfiltered story: from blackout drinking at 15, to addiction, homelessness, and prison, to getting sober and building a business rooted in spirit, connection, and empowerment. What struck me most was Shannon's insistence that shame is the real disease — and that visibility is the cure. This is a conversation for anyone who's ever made a choice they weren't proud of, anyone navigating sobriety in a world that still treats it like a secret, and anyone who believes that community is medicine.IN THIS EPISODEHow Shannon went from rock bottom — addiction, homelessness, incarceration — to building a movement rooted in spirit and empowermentWhy shame is the single biggest barrier to recovery, and what happens when people finally see it's safe to come outThe difference between religion and spirituality in recovery, and why AA's "God of your own understanding" changed everything for Shannon (even a door handle counts)What Shannon discovered after five years of solid sobriety — and why she relapsed anyway (this one will make you think differently about what recovery actually requires)The rat park: what a famous experiment about addiction, connection, and environment reveals about what humans truly need to healShannon's vision for a physical space — a nonprofit community hub — where connection replaces substances as the centerpieceWhy you don't have to commit to forever — and how recovery is actually just one daily decision made through small, intentional habitsHeather's own honest reflection on alcohol, clarity, energy work, and what it means to be a clear channelGUEST LINKS & RESOURCESInstagram: @recoveringoutloudmovementEtsy store Spirit of Sobriety: thespiritofsobriety.etsy.comEmail: [email protected] WITH HEATHER🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sacred-boardroom/id1800819041📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theheatherwick (@theheatherwick)💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-wick-8534a76/📰 Substack: https://substack.com/@heatherwick