A Day to Remember

A Day to Remember: Jennifer's Story

A Wedding Day Like No Other

For most people, wedding photos capture some of the happiest memories of their lives. They reflect a day filled with joy, love, and celebration. For me, however, my wedding photos serve as a painful reminder of one of the hardest days of my life. Worse yet, I only remember fragments of it.

"My wedding was one of the hardest days of my life. And it’s supposed to be something that you’ll remember forever, but I only remember some of it. That was the beginning of me getting help."

Now, as a mother of two, a health and fitness lover, and the founder of my own business, I look back at those photos with a different perspective. In April 2023, I celebrated ten years of sobriety. When I share before-and-after photos with my clients, I include pictures from my wedding day because, despite my carefully curated exterior, no one knew what was happening inside.

The Beginning of My Struggles

Addiction can happen to anyone. I always say that at the start of every podcast because my story isn’t unique. It started with casual drinking, but over time, alcohol became my coping mechanism—something I needed just to get through each day. I justified my drinking because I didn’t "look" like an alcoholic. I wasn’t homeless, unemployed, or stumbling through life. I was what many call a high-functioning or closet alcoholic.

"I did my drinking at home, hiding bottles around the house so my husband wouldn’t find out. On the outside, it appeared that I had it all together, but I was physically and mentally collapsing."

Growing Up in Perfectionism

I grew up in a family that valued perfection. My parents were loving and supportive, but they held high expectations, and I internalized them deeply. While alcohol was present in our home, I never saw my parents drunk.

As a young adult, I became obsessed with how others perceived me. My self-worth was tied to achievement, and when I failed to meet my own impossible standards, I turned to alcohol for relief. It started with drinking to fall asleep. Then, I drank to ease social anxiety. By the time I was in college, I had convinced myself that my drinking was "normal."

I remember the moment my addiction took a darker turn. My boyfriend and I had decided to take a break, and I felt completely lost. My roommates, a group of guys who regularly used Adderall, suggested that I take some to numb the pain.

"Hey, if you take this, you’re gonna feel amazing, and you’re not gonna care about the break."

I was desperate, so I tried it. And they were right—it made me feel invincible. That feeling was all I needed to fall into a cycle of addiction that would follow me for years.

The Rationalization Game

Leading up to my wedding, my life was a blur of work, stress, and secret drinking. I was working full-time in a corporate job, freelancing on the side, and planning my entire wedding alone. I never asked for help. I coped the only way I knew how—by drinking at night to unwind.

But after the wedding, my world came crashing down. Just days into married life, I broke down in front of my husband. He had no idea what was happening because I had hidden my addiction so well.

That was the moment I knew I needed help. But knowing and acting are two very different things.

The Long Road to Sobriety

I started attending AA meetings, but I went drunk. When AA didn’t seem to be working, my husband and I decided I should try outpatient rehab. That, too, failed. It took me nearly a year to build up the courage to check into inpatient rehab at Hazelden Betty Ford. I was terrified.

"What are people going to think? Am I going to lose my job?"

But deep down, I knew I was already losing everything.

After my first 30-day stay, I came home and relapsed. So I went back for a 60-day program. I relapsed again. I wanted to get sober, but I wasn’t ready yet.

The Night That Changed Everything

By April 2013, my life was in free fall. I had lost my car. My job. My husband had set boundaries. My parents were at their wits’ end. I was staying with them because I had nowhere else to go.

Then came the night of April 23, 2013—a night I will never forget. My father had taken me to his office to keep an eye on me. In my desperation for alcohol, I had bought mouthwash and drank it, mixing it with Adderall. I blacked out.

I was rushed to the hospital with a blood alcohol content of 0.34—four and a half times the legal limit. But the scariest part wasn’t the number. It was realizing that I had been drinking this heavily for years and had gotten away with it.

That was my breaking point.

"I let go of what was gonna happen because, at that point, I had a lot of stuff to clean up. I didn’t have a car. I didn’t have a job. I was on the verge of losing my marriage. My parents didn’t want me. I was calling homeless shelters in detox because my parents didn’t want me back there. I didn’t know what to do, but I just said as long as I don’t drink, I can’t make this any worse."

I surrendered. And from that moment, I was finally ready to fight for my life.

Lighting the Way for Others

Fast forward to today: I’m ten years sober, and my life is beyond what I ever imagined. I am a mother, a wife, and the founder of Lighthouse Sobriety, where I help women across the country break free from alcohol.

I never set out to be a sobriety coach. Initially, I just wanted to be a Beachbody coach. But when I started sharing my sobriety journey online, it became clear that my purpose was to help others get sober—not just lose weight.

"I heard a quote in a podcast that said, ‘Be the lighthouse and light the way for others.’ And I thought that’s just exactly what this is all about: being that light for others and not trying to tell anybody to get sober, but raising your hand first and being that guiding light for people who are in the dark."

Lighthouse Sobriety started with individual and group coaching, but I quickly realized that many women needed long-term support. So I created a membership program—an ongoing community where women can connect, learn, and grow together.

Now, I dedicate my life to helping others the way I wish someone had helped me. I work with women every day, providing handouts, nutritional guides, book recommendations, and expert guest speakers to support them in their journey. Most importantly, I offer them the same thing that saved me: community.

A Life Worth Living

Looking back, I see how far I’ve come. My husband, my children, and my community are my greatest joys. My struggles no longer define me—they fuel me. They remind me why I do this work.

Sobriety gave me back my life. And now, I’m here to help others reclaim theirs.