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 EPISODE
* How Shannon went from rock bottom — addiction, homelessness, incarceration — to building a movement rooted in spirit and empowerment
* Why shame is the single biggest barrier to recovery, and what happens when people finally see it's safe to come out
* The 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 heal
* Shannon's vision for a physical space — a nonprofit community hub — where connection replaces substances as the centerpiece
* Why you don't have to commit to forever — and how recovery is actually just one daily decision made through small, intentional habits
* Heather's own honest reflection on alcohol, clarity, energy work, and what it means to be a clear channel
GUEST LINKS & RESOURCES
* Instagram: @recoveringoutloudmovement [https://www.instagram.com/recoveringoutloudmovement]
* Etsy store Spirit of Sobriety: thespiritofsobriety.etsy.com [http://thespiritofsobriety.etsy.com]
* Email: recoveringoutloudmovement@gmail.com [recoveringoutloudmovement@gmail.com]
CONNECT WITH HEATHER
* 🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sacred-boardroom/id1800819041 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sacred-boardroom/id1800819041]
* 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theheatherwick [https://www.instagram.com/theheatherwick] (@theheatherwick)
* 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-wick-8534a76/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-wick-8534a76/]
* 📰 Substack: https://substack.com/@heatherwick [https://substack.com/@heatherwick]