Successful Life Podcast
Successful Life Podcast | Addiction Recovery, Sobriety & the 12 StepsThe Successful Life Podcast is a recovery podcast hosted by Corey Berrier, featuring honest conversations about addiction recovery, alcoholism, sobriety, the 12 Steps, emotional sobriety, and personal transformation.Each episode explores practical recovery tools, spiritual principles, sponsorship, relationships, mental wellness, and what it really takes to build a meaningful life one day at a time. Corey shares personal experiences from long-term recovery, solo episodes on the challenges and victories of sober living, and interviews with people whose lives have been transformed through recovery.Whether you’re newly sober, working the 12 Steps, supporting a loved on...
Time Takes Time: Honesty When the Outcome Is Out of Your Hands
Three years ago, Corey Berrier made amends to his stepdaughter. Shortly afterward, Corey and his wife separated for good, and he was no longer able to communicate with his stepdaughter. He stayed in touch with her dad, but years passed without hearing from her.
Then an unexpected text arrived: his stepdaughter would like him to come see her theater performance next weekend.
Following last week’s episode about the courage to speak honestly in recovery, Corey explores another uncomfortable truth: acknowledging where you fell sh...
Mental Health Belongs in the Recovery Conversation
In last week’s episode, “Intention Without Alignment Is Just a Wish,” Corey talked about living his values through service. This week he asks whether recovery communities make room for people who live with mental illness as well as addiction. He shares a personal account of a missing friend and sponsee, reflects on his own past hopelessness, and talks about the role of meetings, sponsorship, medication, and professional treatment.
In this episode: mental illness in recovery rooms; co-occurring disorders; respecting prescribed treatment; supporting a friend without playing doctor; recognizing hopelessness; and one ho...
Intention Without Alignment Is Just a Wish
Last week on The Successful Life Podcast, Corey shared how three and a half years of showing up in recovery helped him move from isolation toward friendship and connection. This week, he follows that journey into his working life.
After repeatedly searching for the right career opportunity, Corey began asking a different question: How can I be of maximum service to my coworkers, customers, and the people around me? He reflects on how that internal shift changed the way he approached work. An...
Getting Comfortable With Myself: Three and a Half Years of Showing Up
In last week’s episode, Corey asked what to do when fear returns after a brave decision. This week, he looks at what happens when you keep taking those steps over years. He shares how he moved from attending recovery meetings while emotionally on the outside to building friendships, serving other people, and allowing himself to be known. The last three and a half years are a chapter of deeper participation in recovery, not the start of his sobriety.
In this episode: loneliness in a crowded room; the fear of being kn...
Keep Climbing When Fear Comes Back
Last week on The Successful Life Podcast, Corey Berrier talked about taking the first step despite fear. This week, he asks what happens when you wake up the next day and the fear is still there.
Corey reflects on his first seven years attending AA while keeping himself emotionally on the outside. He shares how honesty, asking for help, and small repeated actions changed his experience of recovery. He also tells a story from a roof inspection: when he admitted he was afraid to continue, the person...
Stop Looking Down: How to Keep Moving After You Face the Fear
Last week, Corey compared his fear of climbing onto roofs with spending his first seven years emotionally outside Alcoholics Anonymous. He attended meetings and experienced some of recovery’s benefits, but he had not completely stepped into the fellowship.
This week, Corey continues that story by asking an important question: What happens after you finally climb the ladder?
Taking one courageous action doesn’t guarantee fear will disappear. Real confidence develops when we repeatedly take the next right step—even while fear is still present.
In this episode, Corey discusses staying presen...
Climb the Ladder: Why Recovery Requires More Than Going to Meetings
You can study roofing, learn the terminology, and watch other people inspect roofs—but eventually, you have to climb the ladder.
Recovery works the same way.
In this episode of The Successful Life Podcast, Corey Berrier compares overcoming his fear of climbing onto roofs with his first seven years of sobriety. During those years, Corey attended meetings and remained close enough to recovery to experience some of its benefits—but he stayed emotionally guarded and never completely joined the fellowship.
Sober but Still Surviving: How Recovery Heals What Alcohol Couldn’t
Getting sober stops the immediate damage—but it doesn’t automatically heal the wounds that caused us to drink or use drugs in the first place.
In this episode of The Successful Life Podcast, Corey Berrier explores the important difference between simply being sober and actively living in recovery. Many people remove alcohol or drugs from their lives but remain trapped in survival mode—still controlled by fear, isolation, people-pleasing, defensiveness, overthinking, and the need for outside validation.
Corey shares how childhood rejection, family dysfun...
A Closed Mouth Doesn’t Get Fed
The patterns affecting our relationships, careers, and recovery often began long before we recognized them.
In this episode of The Successful Life Podcast, Corey Berrier explores how childhood dysfunction, neglect, addiction, people-pleasing, and the fear of abandonment can shape the decisions we make as adults. When we don’t communicate what we need, resentment builds—and we may begin blaming the job, relationship, or other person for something we never addressed honestly.
Corey shares how recovery and the 12 Steps helped him recognize his own patt...
The Cliff Between Fear and Freedom
What if getting sober feels like standing on the edge of a 30-foot cliff—terrified, frozen, and unable to trust what’s waiting on the other side?
After returning from an unforgettable recovery trip to Cherokee, Corey shares how his fear of jumping from a cliff reminded him of the fear he experienced when he first walked into a recovery meeting. He watched other people take the leap safely, but fear still prevented him from following them. Early recovery can feel exactly the same.
You may see millions of people living sober, rebuilding relationships, succeeding in b...
Rejection Isn't the End : Take the Next Right Action
Rejection can make you question everything—your recovery, your career, your relationships, and even your place in the world. But what if rejection isn’t proof that you’re failing? What if it’s simply part of the process leading you somewhere better?
In this episode of The Successful Life Podcast, Corey Berrier shares how starting a new roofing sales position reminded him of the emotional connection between rejection, fear, and recovery. Whether it’s knocking on doors, making an uncomfortable follow-up call, walking into an AA meeting, or reaching out to someone...
The Gifts of Sobriety
Sobriety doesn’t mean life suddenly gets easy. Relationships still fall apart. Money gets tight. Jobs change. Fear shows up. Life still happens.
But sometimes the hardest moments in recovery become the greatest gifts.
In this episode of The Successful Life Podcast, Corey Berrier shares how his perspective on sobriety has changed over the years—from trying to control outcomes and expecting life to go his way to learning how to let go, trust God, make amends, help others, and recognize the gifts hidden inside difficult seasons.
Corey shares personal experiences with...
The Masks I Wore in Sobriety (And How They Nearly Cost Me Everything)
What if the biggest thing keeping you stuck isn’t alcohol or drugs—but the mask you’re wearing?
In this deeply personal episode of The Successful Life Podcast, Corey Berrier shares the raw truth about recovery, authenticity, and what it took to rebuild his life after years of believing he had everything under control.
After first getting sober in 2009, Corey experienced many of the promises of recovery—business success, financial stability, a new marriage, and material success. But underneath it all, he was still wearing masks: pride, ego, perfectionism, and the belief that he...
Living Sober
What does it really mean to live sober? In this episode of The Successful Life Podcast, Corey Berrier shares his personal experience of long-term sobriety, why simply quitting alcohol isn’t enough, and how working the 12 Steps, helping others, and building a recovery community completely transformed his life.
Corey opens up about the dangers of trying to do recovery his own way, including his experience with marijuana after years of sobriety, and explains why recovery requires consistent action—not just good intentions. If you’re struggling with alcoholism, addiction, relapse, or wonder...
Am I an Alcoholic? 10 Questions That Could Change Your Life
Have you ever wondered, “Am I an alcoholic?” It’s one of the most searched questions about alcohol, and in this episode of The Successful Life Podcast, Corey Berrier shares his personal experience with alcoholism and recovery while walking through 10 honest questions that many people ask themselves before getting sober.
This isn’t a diagnosis or medical advice—it’s an opportunity for honest self-reflection.
Corey discusses common warning signs of alcohol addiction, including trying to control drinking, planning life around alcohol, damaged relationships, hiding alcohol use, increasing tolerance, legal and fi...
How to Stop Drinking: My Story, What Worked for Me, and How Recovery Changed My Life | Successful Life Podcast
In this deeply personal episode of The Successful Life Podcast, Corey Berrier shares his own journey from active alcoholism to long-term sobriety. Rather than offering medical advice or claiming there’s only one path to recovery, Corey explains what finally worked after years of failed attempts, legal consequences, denial, and fear.
You’ll hear what alcoholism looked like in real life—from drinking before work and waking up with withdrawal symptoms to receiving multiple DUIs, losing driving privileges, and ultimately finding hope through a 12-step recovery program.
Corey also discusses the emotional side of add...
Recovery, Ego, and the Masks We Wear
After moving from Raleigh to Wilmington, I expected a change of scenery. What I didn’t expect was questioning my identity all over again.
In this episode of The Successful Life Podcast, I share what it’s been like starting over in a new city, building new relationships in recovery, and realizing how easy it is to define ourselves by our careers, accomplishments, or the roles we play.
We talk about:
Why your job isn’t your identity.The masks we wear to gain approval.How the ego can quietly take control.Why authentic connec...From Felony Charges to Recovery & Redemption | Stephanie Nicholson on Sobriety, Accountability & Second Chances
In this episode of The Successful Life Podcast, Corey Berrier sits down with Stephanie Nicholson to discuss recovery, accountability, legal consequences, honesty, and rebuilding life after a felony conviction.
Stephanie shares the story of a drinking-and-driving incident that resulted in the death of another person, the legal process that followed, and the long road through probation, relapse, recovery, education, marriage, motherhood, and professional growth. She also explains how honesty helped her navigate job interviews, background checks, and a career in accounting after becoming a convicted felon.
This conversation covers the difference...
Recovery Can’t Wait with Chris Budnick
In this episode of The Successful Life Podcast, Corey Berrier sits down with Chris Budnick, Executive Director of Healing Transitions, to discuss addiction recovery, homelessness, detox services, peer-led recovery, and rebuilding lives through community support.
Chris shares the story behind Healing Transitions, formerly The Healing Place of Wake County, and explains how the organization helps people struggling with substance abuse, homelessness, and mental health challenges through low-barrier detox, emergency shelter, recovery housing, peer mentorship, and long-term support.
Chris also opens up about his own recovery journey, getting sober at 19...
From Prison to Purpose with Nick Jones
In this episode of The Successful Life Podcast, Corey Berrier sits down with longtime friend and entrepreneur Nick Jones for a direct conversation about addiction recovery, entrepreneurship, personal responsibility, faith, leadership, and building a life after prison.
Nick shares his journey from addiction, drug dealing, and multiple prison sentences to long-term sobriety, business ownership, and service-based leadership. He discusses the role of the 12 steps, the Big Book, spiritual principles, mentorship, and helping others as core parts of lasting recovery.
The conversation also covers Nick’s entrepreneurial path through wireless sa...
From Addiction to Ownership: How Chef Scott Crawford Rebuilt His Life
In this episode of The Successful Life Podcast, Corey Berrier sits down with chef and restaurateur Scott Crawford for a direct conversation about recovery, leadership, and building a business with real standards. Scott shares how addiction nearly cost him his life, what finally pushed him to get sober, and how that decision changed everything from his creativity to his career trajectory.
They talk about Scott’s journey from humble beginnings in the restaurant industry to owning multiple restaurants in Raleigh, North Carolina, including Crawford and Son, Jolie, Brodeto, Sous Terre, Crawford Brothers Steakhouse, and Cra...
From Addiction to Elite Sales Communicator | Brian Burton on Mastering Communication & Personal Transformation
In this episode of the Successful Life Podcast, host Corey Berrier sits down with Brian Burton—general manager at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, founder of Blue Collar Closer, and host of the Waste No Day Podcast.
Brian shares his journey from a struggling technician to becoming a high-level communicator and sales leader in the home services industry. This conversation dives deep into sales psychology, communication mastery, and the mindset required to increase closing rates without manipulation.
The episode also explores Brian’s powerful story of overcoming opioid addiction and alcohol dependency, offering insight into discipline, recovery, and...
Recovery, Purpose, and the Missing Piece: B Reeves on New Waters, 12-Step Discipline, and Transcendental Meditation
After a five-month break, Corey is back with B Reeves from New Waters Recovery for a conversation on sobriety, mental health, treatment, meditation, and purpose-driven work. B shares what New Waters Recovery actually does, from detox and residential treatment to psychological assessments, and explains why separating your job from your personal recovery is critical for long-term sobriety.
Corey and B also get into the reality of working in the recovery field, the discipline required to maintain a program, and why willingness matters more than motivation. They talk in depth about transcendental meditation, how it...
Authenticity Beats Outcomes Every Time
Ever notice how hard you grip outcomes when you’re nervous—then watch everything slip anyway? We dig into a counterintuitive truth that changed our lives: releasing control doesn’t make you careless, it makes you effective. From sobriety to sales calls, first dates to job interviews, we connect the dots between patience, presence, and authenticity—and why expectations so often become premeditated resentments.
We unpack the early myth of instant transformation in recovery and replace it with practical tools: sit with discomfort, practice consistently, and let time compound. Then we map those lessons to high-pressure moments at work...
Developing a Leadership Mindset: Gratitude, Empathy, and Human Connection
In this episode of the Successful Life Podcast, host Corey Berrier dives into the importance of gratitude, empathy, and human connection. Reflecting on the busiest plumbing day of the year, he shares personal anecdotes about reconnecting with old friends and the transformative power of gratitude. Corey explains how daily gratitude lists have shaped his positive outlook and enhanced his relationships. He discusses the significance of empathetic listening in both personal and professional settings, emphasizing how understanding others’ perspectives can improve sales and client interactions. Corey also touches on the importance of following your gut instincts and setting personal boundaries. Th...
Overcoming The Fear of Rejection
Fear of rejection can run your day without saying a word. I’ve felt it in rehab bunkhouses, in church pews that taught guilt over growth, and across kitchen tables where a homeowner just wanted their AC to work and their evening back. That same fear fuels the masks we wear, the discounts we offer too soon, and the way we beat ourselves up on the drive home. So I pulled the thread from the beginning: where does imposter syndrome start, how does it hijack sales, and what daily choices make that voice lose its power?
We st...
I Wasn’t A Fraud, I Was Just Drunk And Terrified
What if the confidence you’ve been chasing is really a mask that’s wearing you down? I open up about imposter syndrome, fear of rejection, and the years I used alcohol and drugs to feel like I belonged. The stories aren’t pretty—Vegas couches, dangerous company, and the slow erosion of self-worth—but they’re true, and they explain why shortcuts to confidence always collapse.
Sobriety didn’t magically erase my doubts; it gave me clear ground to do the work. I talk through the humbling season of losing jobs, driving Uber to keep moving, and learning t...
Overcoming Relapse and Addiction
In this episode of the Successful Life Podcast, host Corey Berrier takes a deep dive into the challenging topic of relapse and addiction, sharing his personal journey and insights. Corey discusses the struggles of maintaining sobriety, the pitfalls of relapse, and the exhausting cycle of addiction. He highlights the illusion of alcohol as a friend, the consequences of addiction on personal and professional life, and the often-overlooked aspect of rebuilding trust in oneself. Corey also talks about the importance of community and support in recovery and how practices like transcendental meditation have played a crucial role in his journey...
Lead with Ego?
Ever notice how the same habits that stabilize recovery also stabilize your pipeline? We dig into the leadership mindset that sits beneath selling, sobriety, and self-mastery, and why the strongest credibility comes from consistency, not a job title. From the first minute, we challenge the blame game and replace it with ownership—controlling the process in sales and our actions in life—so results stop being random and start being repeatable.
We unpack emotional sobriety as a competitive edge: the ability to stay calm when deals wobble, to pause instead of panic, and to meet objections with curi...
From Resentment To Responsibility: Building Character Without Shortcuts
What if your job title isn’t who you are, and the real proof of character shows up in the choices you make when no one is watching? We dig into that question through the lens of recovery, responsibility, and the everyday habits that either build integrity or break it down. From asking for help to making amends, we unpack how sober clarity turns micro resentments into momentum and why quiet, ten-minute pauses can reveal more about your life than an hour of doom scrolling.
I share the uncomfortable truths I had to face: fear of rejection, lo...
I Thought I’d Crush It And Almost Blacked Out
Ready for a reality check that actually sticks? I walked into a firefighter tryout convinced I’d breeze through on grit and lifting strength—and nearly blacked out during the PACER test. That moment of shock became a catalyst: exposing my cardio blind spot, deflating my ego, and forcing a return to fundamentals that real performance demands.
We unpack how a strict carnivore diet kept my weight steady while masking a glaring conditioning gap, and why “I hate cardio” isn’t a strategy. I share the simple, sustainable interval plan that rebuilt capacity: short sprints, measured rest, and hybrid...
Tried to fix everyone and just broke my own sanity
The hardest truth we learned in recovery wasn’t about alcohol—it was about control. For years we tried to push, persuade, and rescue our way into peace, only to end up exhausted and resentful. Then two small words flipped everything: let them. Let them choose. Let them stay. Let them go. Let them misunderstand. And let us choose our peace, our boundaries, and our focus.
We explore how the “Let Them” Theory reframes love, leadership, and sobriety without sliding into passivity. Control looks like care, but it’s fear wearing a friendly mask. We share real stories of...
Recovery gave me more than alcohol ever did
What if the most radical form of freedom is simply waking up clear—and staying that way? Corey opens up about life on both sides of the bottle and what changed when he traded chaos for consistency: mornings that don’t start in shame, a mind that doesn’t spin stories, and relationships built on truth instead of excuses. It’s a candid walk through the quiet wins that stack into a different life: reliability, emotional balance, and the kind of peace you can feel in your chest.
We dig into how trust is earned back one action a...
Breaking the Chain
Ever wonder why you keep falling into the same relationship patterns? Or why certain childhood memories still sting decades later? The truth might be uncomfortable: you're living out scripts handed down by your parents—scripts they inherited from their parents before them.
This episode dives deep into the generational patterns that shape our lives without our permission or awareness. As your host Corey Berrier reveals his personal journey, you'll recognize how childhood experiences before age seven program your subconscious mind, creating protective masks that once saved you but now suffocate your authentic self. Whether you became the ov...
From Chaos to Freedom: The Power of Personal Responsibility
Ever caught yourself saying "I'm responsible" while your life crumbles around you? That's what I call the illusion of responsibility—looking put-together while avoiding ownership of the chaos within. As a recovering alcoholic, I've mastered the art of deflection, blaming everyone from my boss to my spouse for my drinking, never stopping to ask: "What's my part in this?"
The hard truth I discovered is that in every broken situation in my life, there was one common denominator—me. This revelation isn't just humbling; it's the foundation of genuine recovery. When we finally stop pointing fingers outward and...
Who Would You Be Without Your Patterns?
What if the patterns keeping you stuck aren't even yours to begin with? From our earliest moments, our minds absorb everything around us like wet cement—every word, every glance, every reaction forming the foundation of how we see ourselves and the world.
The most profound revelation in understanding our patterns is recognizing that many weren't chosen but inherited. Your parents passed down what they knew, having received the same from their parents, creating an unbroken chain stretching back generations. Nobody consciously hands down their wounds, yet we find ourselves living out scripts written long before we co...
Beyond the Illusion: Why Control Is Costing You Your Peace
Freedom awaits beyond the grip of control. Drawing from raw personal experience, I explore how the desperate need to control our circumstances, relationships, and even our pain becomes the very prison that holds us captive.
Control is seductive because it promises safety in an uncertain world. We believe if we push hard enough, manipulate the right people, or fight the right battles, we'll secure what matters most. Yet this episode reveals the costly paradox at play: the tighter we grip, the more everything slips through our fingers. From politics to personal relationships, from business leadership to recovery...
Face Value: Ditching The Masks That Hide Your Real Self
What version of yourself do you bring to work? To family gatherings? To your closest relationships? For many of us, these questions reveal uncomfortable truths about the different masks we wear throughout our lives.
We don't put on these masks with malicious intent. They emerge from our deepest fears—fear of rejection, fear of inadequacy, fear that our authentic selves simply won't be enough. But what begins as self-protection gradually transforms into self-imprisonment. The exhaustion of juggling different personas, remembering which version of yourself you've shown to whom, and constantly monitoring your own behavior creates a crushing we...
James Piacentino | Preventing Addiction Through Genetic Testing
Could the opioid crisis be solved through genetic testing? What if doctors could identify your addiction risk before prescribing pain medication? These questions drive the innovative work at Thrive Genetics, where personalized medicine is revolutionizing how we approach pain management and addiction prevention.
James Piacentino shares his journey from tech executive to healthcare innovator, motivated by watching his father struggle with alcoholism and prescription drug addiction. This deeply personal mission led him to create a system that combines genetic testing with behavioral analysis to generate comprehensive addiction risk profiles for patients before medical procedures.
The...
Hungry for More Than Just Another Hit
What are you truly hungry for? That's the question that drives this deeply introspective exploration of how our brains become trapped in cycles of avoidance and momentary pleasure.
Your brain doesn't distinguish between sources of dopamine—whether from sugar, alcohol, or avoiding difficult sales conversations. The glass of wine wasn't about the taste; it was about not feeling lonely. The second plate wasn't about hunger; it was about silencing shame. Avoiding asking for the sale wasn't about the client; it was about protecting yourself from rejection. When you name what you're truly avoiding, these cravings begin to los...
