EPISODE · Jun 27, 2026 · 45 MIN
When AA Isn’t Working
from This Naked Mind Podcast · host Annie Grace
Tim's Naked Life | EP 918 When AA isn't working, most people assume they're the problem — not committed enough, not broken enough, not at rock bottom enough to figure it all out and make a change. Tim Kelly thought that too. A 30-year sales professional who'd always been able to muscle through whatever came at him, Tim spent years inside 12-step programs and still couldn't stop drinking. In this episode, he sits down with Coach Cole Harvey to talk about what finally changed, and why the answer was never about trying harder. Tim and Coach Cole discuss: What five or six AA meetings a week for years actually felt like inside him, when all the work never brought the contentment he was looking for The night his fiancée found him drinking again and chose to stay, and why Tim believes that one decision may have saved his life Picking up Annie Grace's book and signing up for a Live Alcohol Experiment, the best $48 he's ever spent Why a numbers-driven, 30-year sales professional was skeptical that curiosity could do what years of hard work hadn't, and how that changed The "be where your hands are" grounding technique he learned in the Live Alcohol Experiment and still uses today Not walking his daughter down the aisle, carrying that grief openly, and how it became the reason he decided to become a coach And more on self-compassion, the "I know nothing" coaching philosophy, what the brain does when it decides you're broken, and so much more Episode links: alcoholexperiment.com Tim's coaching practice: https://onwardafcoaching.com/ Related episodes: Is AA Not the Only Answer? Ginelle's Naked Life | Naked Life Stories | EP 693 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-693-naked-life-story-ginelle-t/ Finding Hidden Blessings: Tom's Naked Life | Naked Life Stories | EP 629 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-629-naked-life-story-tom-keppeler/ Does Annie Grace Think AA Is Wrong? | Reader Question | EP 324 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-324-reader-question-does-annie-grace-think-aa-is-wrong/ Follow on Apple Podcasts podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357 Follow on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff Ready to take the next step? Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp, Green Chef, Quince, Shopify, Zazzle, and OSEA. BetterHelp: BetterHelp is offering our listeners 10% off at betterhelp.com/nakedmind Green Chef: Get 50% off your first month, then 20% percent off for 2 month at greenchef.com/NAKEDMIND Quince: get free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/nakedShopify: Sign up for $1 month trial at shopify.com/mind Zazzle: Save 25% on your first order at zazzle.com OSEA: Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code NAKEDMIND at OSEAMalibu.com
What this episode covers
Tim's Naked Life | EP 918 When AA isn't working, most people assume they're the problem — not committed enough, not broken enough, not at rock bottom enough to figure it all out and make a change. Tim Kelly thought that too. A 30-year sales professional who'd always been able to muscle through whatever came at him, Tim spent years inside 12-step programs and still couldn't stop drinking. In this episode, he sits down with Coach Cole Harvey to talk about what finally changed, and why the answer was never about trying harder. Tim and Coach Cole discuss: What five or six AA meetings a week for years actually felt like inside him, when all the work never brought the contentment he was looking for The night his fiancée found him drinking again and chose to stay, and why Tim believes that one decision may have saved his life Picking up Annie Grace's book and signing up for a Live Alcohol Experiment, the best $48 he's ever spent Why a numbers-driven, 30-year sales professional was skeptical that curiosity could do what years of hard work hadn't, and how that changed The "be where your hands are" grounding technique he learned in the Live Alcohol Experiment and still uses today Not walking his daughter down the aisle, carrying that grief openly, and how it became the reason he decided to become a coach And more on self-compassion, the "I know nothing" coaching philosophy, what the brain does when it decides you're broken, and so much more Episode links: alcoholexperiment.com Tim's coaching practice: https://onwardafcoaching.com/ Related episodes: Is AA Not the Only Answer? Ginelle's Naked Life | Naked Life Stories | EP 693 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-693-naked-life-story-ginelle-t/ Finding Hidden Blessings: Tom's Naked Life | Naked Life Stories | EP 629 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-629-naked-life-story-tom-keppeler/ Does Annie Grace Think AA Is Wrong? | Reader Question | EP 324 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-324-reader-question-does-annie-grace-think-aa-is-wrong/ Follow on Apple Podcasts podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357 Follow on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff Ready to take the next step? Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp, Green Chef, Quince, Shopify, Zazzle, and OSEA. BetterHelp: BetterHelp is offering our listeners 10% off at betterhelp.com/nakedmind Green Chef: Get 50% off your first month, then 20% percent off for 2 month at greenchef.com/NAKEDMIND Quince: get free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/nakedShopify: Sign up for $1 month trial at shopify.com/mind Zazzle: Save 25% on your first order at zazzle.com OSEA: Get 10% off your first order sitewide with code NAKEDMIND at OSEAMalibu.com
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When AA Isn’t Working
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