Successful Life Podcast

Send us Fan MailIn 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...

Send us Fan MailIn 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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, Sou...

Send us Fan MailIn 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 depe...

Send us Fan MailAfter 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...

Send us Fan MailEver 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 thos...

Send us Fan MailIn 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 gu...

Send us Fan MailFear 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 lo...

Send us Fan MailWhat 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...

Send us Fan MailIn 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...

Send us Fan MailEver 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 pani...

Send us Fan MailWhat 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 ha...

Send us Fan MailReady 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 ca...

Send us Fan MailThe 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...

Send us Fan MailWhat 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 trus...

Send us Fan MailEver 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 au...

Send us Fan MailEver 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 f...

Send us Fan MailWhat 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 ou...

Send us Fan MailFreedom 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...

Send us Fan MailCould 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...