In today's episode I am speaking with a former coaching client and dementia specialist Tammy Pozerycki. With 551 days of sobriety under her belt, Tammy opens up about her long history of addiction—from food and smoking to alcohol—and the emotional roots that kept her stuck for years. She shares how body image issues, disordered eating, and generational trauma shaped her coping mechanisms.

Tammy reflects on the internal pain that motivated her to change, the chronic health conditions that reinforced her decision, and the role of coaching in helping her face the truth, shed the victim mindset, and commit to growth. Her honest and relatable story is a reminder that recovery isn’t linear, but it is absolutely possible—even later in life.

Key Takeaways:

• Addiction doesn’t discriminate—being in healthcare doesn’t automatically mean you understand recovery.
• Tammy’s addiction shifted forms throughout her life: from food to smoking to alcohol, always as a way to escape emotional pain.
• Emotional wounds from childhood, including body shaming and generational trauma, can fuel disordered coping habits.
• Long-term sobriety required Tammy to build accountability, especially through women's recovery groups and coaching.
• Her turning point came from emotional exhaustion and a heartbreaking comment from her husband—not a public fallout or external crisis.
• Chronic health issues like pancreatitis and liver damage later reinforced the need to stay sober, but she had already made the internal shift before diagnoses.
• Coaching, especially with someone who has lived experience, helped her unpack denial, build healthier narratives, and stop seeing herself as a victim.
• Reclaiming her life included confronting past stories, healing family wounds, and learning to finally put herself first.
• Sobriety isn’t just about not drinking—it's a commitment to becoming your authentic self, even if that means rediscovering who you are in your 50s.

Connect with Tammy:

https://www.facebook.com/tammy.pozerycki

Work with Kate: https://linktr.ee/KateVitela

Email Podcast: team@katevitelacoaching.com

The Gut Check: A Private Course for Self-Inquiry

Register here to gain immediate access to Gut Check—your space for clarity, relief, and next steps.

https://kate-vitela.mykajabi.com/offers/2et4yoCH

Mentioned in this episode:

“You’ve Been Selected!” Free Journal https://kate-vitela.mykajabi.com/pl/2148666353

Welcome to the first official episode of Rewired Sober — formerly You’ve Been Selected.

In this episode I pull back the curtain on the real reasons for the name change, what I've learned about ego, identity, and Instagram, and how getting lost in vanity metrics nearly derailed the heart of my mission — to help women recover through neuroscience, storytelling, and soul-deep honesty.

If you’re craving a sober space that’s about rewiring your brain — not reposting filtered versions of your rock bottom — you’re in the right place.

Why the Name Change Matters

• The origin story of You’ve Been Selected and why it will always matter
• The shift toward a more grounded, neuroscience-rooted message with Rewired Sober
• Creating a safe space for women in recovery, not a public catwalk
• “Making soup”: building personalized sobriety recipes based on who you are, not what works for someone else
• Honouring neurodiversity, upbringing, trauma, and identity in recovery work

Why Rewiring Is the Work

• Addiction as a well-worn neural groove — and how we form new pathways
• Recovery through verbal processing, compassion, and community
• The role of laughter, creativity, and storytelling in healing the brain
• Why neuroscience and spirituality don’t have to be at odds

Links:

You can find Kate on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/katevitela/

Explore Kate’s blog: https://thesobercurator.com/category/sober-lifestyle/youve-been-selected/

Work with Kate: https://linktr.ee/KateVitela

Email Podcast: team@katevitelacoaching.com

Mentioned in this episode:

“You’ve Been Selected!” Free Journal https://kate-vitela.mykajabi.com/pl/2148666353

In today's episode, I sit down with Beate Pilgreen — a professional organizer, sober powerhouse, and all-around life declutterer — to talk about the connection between getting sober and clearing the damn clutter — both emotionally and physically.

Beate shares her journey from growing up in Germany to making a "geographic" move to the U.S., thinking a new zip code could fix her heartbreak (and her drinking). Spoiler: it didn’t. But the story didn’t end there. After years of struggle, a 20-year marriage, and a full life reset, Beate found her way into sobriety — and, unexpectedly, into a whole new career helping other women find freedom through simplicity.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Beate discovered professional organizing after getting sober (and realized it was more emotional work than she expected).
• The link between addiction, clutter, and self-worth — and why sober women often feel stuck in their homes post-recovery.
• Reclaiming your space as a sober woman and redefining comfort and safety.
• Living intentionally, consuming consciously, and learning to say “no thanks” to a bag of random hand-me-downs.
• Beate’s transition from in-home organizing to digital offers and coaching — and her dream of building an army of sober, clutter-free women.

Whether you’re clearing out your closet or cleaning up your past, this episode is a heartfelt, hilarious, and grounding reminder that letting go — of stuff, of stories, of self-doubt — is powerful as hell.

Follow her journey on Instagram @noworganizing

Links:

You can find Kate on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/katevitela/

Explore Kate’s blog: https://thesobercurator.com/category/sober-lifestyle/youve-been-selected/

Work with Kate: https://linktr.ee/KateVitela

Email Podcast: team@katevitelacoaching.com

Mentioned in this episode:

“You’ve Been Selected!” Free Journal https://kate-vitela.mykajabi.com/pl/2148666353

In this episode, I sit down with the brilliant Solita Roberts, founder of Style to Impact and a true catalyst for transformation—one wardrobe at a time.

We go deep on how style isn't about playing dress-up for the world. It's about dressing in alignment with who you actually are. Whether you're stepping into sobriety, into leadership, or just into a new era of self, your closet shouldn't be holding you hostage to an outdated version of you.

Solita shares how getting dressed during the darkest season of her life became an act of self-care—and ultimately, survival.

Together, we unpack:

• Why style is about internal transformation first, not just external polish
• The myth that shopping fixes confidence (spoiler: it doesn’t)
• The fear women have of being “too much” and why color is an act of rebellion
• How personal style can shatter conformity and unleash executive presence
• Tips for reassessing your wardrobe when your identity has shifted—hello sobriety, hello authenticity

If you’ve ever stared at your closet and thought, “Nothing in here feels like me anymore,” this episode is for you.

Solita C. Roberts is a catalyst for transformation—unlocking the confidence and authenticity of women leaders to cultivate a bold leadership image and personal brand.

As a speaker and founder of Style To Impact, Solita partners with organizations, entrepreneurs, and mid-to-C-suite executives to develop influential leaders and position top talent with strategies to show up authentically appropriate, and increase executive presence. Her work has impacted over 18,000 women leaders and earned her a LinkedIn Top Voice recognition.

Solita understands the pressure to conform to traditional corporate image standards—often at the expense of one's authentic self.

That’s why she is passionate about pushing boundaries and redefining what it means to lead with authenticity in a professional world where it’s easy to feel unseen, unheard, or undervalued.

She believes style is a tool for empowerment, self-care, and resilience—enhancing presence, influence, and career growth.

When she’s not on stage or leading workshops, Solita enjoys exploring the world of pickleball, finding inspiration in books, and cherishing quiet moments alone.

To discover how Solita can help you or your team enhance perception, performance, and power by refining their executive presence, visit styletoimpact.com/workwithme.

Together, let’s lead with purpose, style with intention, and transform how you show up in the world.

Connect with Solita:

WEBSITE: https://styletoimpact.com/

INSTAGRAM: @styletoimpact https://www.instagram.com/solitacroberts/

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/solitacroberts/

Connect with Kate:

The Gut Check: A Private Course for Self-Inquiry

Register here to gain immediate access to Gut Check—your space for clarity, relief, and next steps.

https://kate-vitela.mykajabi.com/offers/2et4yoCH

Work with Kate: https://linktr.ee/KateVitela

In this beautifully candid conversation, Kate sits down with writer and recovery advocate Celeste Yvonne to talk about sobriety, identity, motherhood, and what it really takes to step into the light after years in the shadow of shame.

Celeste shares the powerful backstory behind her book It's Not About the Wine, and what it was like navigating early recovery with a deep fear of being “found out.” From unpacking inherited narratives around addiction to co-founding the transformative Sober Mom Squad, Celeste opens up about finding her voice—and using it to help others find theirs.

If you've ever felt like recovery looked like church basements and weak coffee, this episode will reframe what’s possible.

What We Talk About in This Episode:

• Celeste’s fear of being labeled an “alcoholic"
• Breaking the cycle of addiction inherited from family
• Writing publicly about sobriety for the first time
• Founding Sober Mom Squad and the power of virtual recovery community
• Why “Mommy Wine Culture” is more dangerous than we think
• Grief, growth, and what comes after the end of a chapter
• Discovering your voice in sobriety—and how to use it

The Gut Check: A Private Course for Self-Inquiry

Register here to gain immediate access to Gut Check—your space for clarity, relief, and next steps.

https://kate-vitela.mykajabi.com/offers/2et4yoCH

Work with Kate: https://linktr.ee/KateVitela

https://www.instagram.com/katevitela/

Mentioned in this episode:

“You’ve Been Selected!” Free Journal https://kate-vitela.mykajabi.com/pl/2148666353

In this powerful conversation, I sit down with author, speaker, NLP trainer, and coach Marsha Vanwynsberghe. Marsha is a six-time bestselling author, host of the Own Your Choices, Own Your Life Podcast, and founder of several transformational coaching programs. She shares openly about her journey as a parent navigating teen substance abuse and how that experience catalyzed her mission to help others reframe their stories and reclaim their power.

This episode is an honest, wide-ranging look at the realities behind building a meaningful business, facing personal breaking points, and evolving through discomfort. Marsha and I discuss what it really means to stay in the long game, whether it's in podcasting, personal growth, or entrepreneurship—and how choosing yourself, again and again, is an essential part of the process.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The emotional toll of starting a podcast and staying consistent
• Marsha’s experience parenting through teen addiction and how it shaped her voice
• What it means to reach a breaking point—and how to rebuild from it
• The danger of building a business that doesn’t reflect your values
• Why making space (not doing more) is key to creating what you actually want
• How NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) helps uncover blind spots and reprogram your mindset
• Reframing challenges as part of your growth and legacy

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a friend or leave a review wherever you listen. Your support helps more listeners find these powerful conversations.

The Gut Check: A Private Course for Self-Inquiry

Register here to gain immediate access to Gut Check—your space for clarity, relief, and next steps.

https://kate-vitela.mykajabi.com/offers/2et4yoCH

Work with Kate: https://linktr.ee/KateVitela

https://www.instagram.com/katevitela/

https://www.katevitela.com

Mentioned in this episode:

“You’ve Been Selected!” Free Journal https://kate-vitela.mykajabi.com/pl/2148666353

In today's episode, I am joined once again by my husband, Philip, to talk about something they’re frequently asked: What do sober couples do for fun?

Together we share how our social life has evolved in sobriety—from bar brawls and boring nights in to a packed calendar filled with live music, fashion shows, comedy, art events, photography gigs, and spontaneous "treasure hunts" at flea markets.

Not only that, our marriage and personal interests have flourished, and being sober has enhanced our ability to enjoy and explore life. From mocktails to night drives, downtown adventures to daytime dates, we prove that a sober life doesn’t mean a boring one—it means a better one.

We talk about:

• What our social life looked like before vs. after sobriety
• How sobriety sparked new passions in fashion and photography
• Making space for joy, creativity, and meaningful connection
• Laugh-out-loud moments from comedy clubs to green rooms
• How being sober brings clarity, safety, and financial freedom

Connect with Phillip:

https://www.instagram.com/a13photography/

SMART Recovery Meeting Finder

https://smartrecovery.org/meeting

The Gut Check: A Private Course for Self-Inquiry

Register here to gain immediate access to Gut Check—your space for clarity, relief, and next steps.

https://kate-vitela.mykajabi.com/offers/2et4yoCH

Work with Kate: https://linktr.ee/KateVitela

https://www.instagram.com/katevitela/

https://www.katevitela.com

Mentioned in this episode:

“You’ve Been Selected!” Free Journal https://kate-vitela.mykajabi.com/pl/2148666353

In this episode, I want to share a little bit about a new course called The Gut Check—a private self-inquiry course designed for those stuck in the space between “not rock bottom” and “not free.”

This episode is both a behind-the-scenes look at why The Gut Check course was created and an invitation to explore what happens when we pause before the pivot.

Whether you’re questioning your relationship with alcohol, stuck in comparison traps, or simply wondering “Is this working for me anymore?”, this episode and course are designed to meet you in that sacred space of curiosity without judgment.

In this episode I cover:

• Why The Gut Check isn’t a sobriety bootcamp or an “Am I an alcoholic?” quiz
• The power of internal consequences and invisible pain
• How fear masks itself as logic—and keeps us stuck
• Why curiosity is key, and how it opens the door to transformation
• Reframing the concept of “rock bottom” and making space for quiet truth
• Why it’s never too late to rewrite your story

The Gut Check: A Private Course for Self-Inquiry

Register here to gain immediate access to Gut Check—your space for clarity, relief, and next steps.

https://kate-vitela.mykajabi.com/offers/2et4yoCH

Mentioned in this episode:

“You’ve Been Selected!” Free Journal https://kate-vitela.mykajabi.com/pl/2148666353