Bonus Episode: I Was the Guest — My Conversation on the You Are Worthy Network

**Bonus Episode: Michelle Goes Behind the Mic — My Conversation on the You Are Worthy Network** This week's episode is a little different. Instead of interviewing a guest, I *was* the guest — sitting down with host Steve Wormer on the You Are Worthy Network for a wide-ranging, deeply personal conversation. I'm sharing that full interview with you here as a bonus episode of Her Comeback. Steve and I covered a lot of ground: my roots as a native North Carolinian who moved to Southwest Florida in August 2020, my two grown sons and our shared love of NC State football, and a rapid-fire round of "this or that" questions that revealed a few surprises (Dunkin' over Starbucks, hotels over camping, and yes — I love both dogs and cats). But the heart of this conversation goes much deeper. I opened up about my journey from a directionless college senior with a double major in economics and sociology, into two decades of corporate project management — and the darker chapter that ran alongside it. I talk candidly about my history with alcoholism, the 2008 family intervention that led me into treatment, losing custody of my boys during that time, and the long, gradual process of moving from denial and victimhood into real accountability and change. I also share the twist I didn't see coming: a job offer rescinded over a 20-year-old DWI, and how that setback led me right back to the employer — and the second chance — that put my life back on track. From there, we trace the throughline to today: earning my MBA at 47, the corporate crossroads that pushed me toward coaching, and the whirlwind timeline that took me from deciding to write a book last Thanksgiving to publishing *Courageously You: Seven Simple Frameworks to Create the Life You Love* on June 25, 2026. Steve asked me the question I didn't expect: what would today's Michelle say to the 38-year-old walking into treatment? My answer is in the episode — and it's rooted in a Robert Frost line that's become a personal anchor: "The only way out is through." **Plus: The R.I.S.E. Framework** At the end of this bonus episode, I walk through the R.I.S.E. framework from *Courageously You* — the one that speaks directly to the hardest chapter of my story: - **R**ecognize the denial - **I**nventory the impact - **S**eek support - **E**xecute the commitment If you're stuck in a season where denial is keeping you from moving forward, this framework is your starting point. It's not about shame — it's about telling yourself the truth and taking one small action within 48 hours. **Connect with Michelle:** 🌐 michellethompsoncoaching.com 📱 Instagram & Facebook: @michellethompsoncoaching 📖 Get *Courageously You* on Amazon (Kindle, paperback, and hardcover) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5717G3D 🎙️ Interested in coaching? Reach out through the contact info in the show notes. https://www.michellethompsoncoaching.com/contact Thank you to Steve Wormer and the You Are Worthy Network for having me, and thank *you* for being part of this community. Your story isn't done yet either.