Sobriety date: January 19, 2010.

Tell me briefly about your substance use and what led you into recovery?

I suffered a tremendous amount of trauma as a kid. My dad drank, at 16 my friends were murdered at a Chuck E. Cheese, I was raped, I lost my soccer career, I almost failed out of high school and I was a teenage bride. The fact that I survived is a miracle, and the fact that I am still married to the same man after he battled his own addiction is the cherry on top.

What led you into recovery?

My best friend died after she took a sliver of my pills. After that, I just drank all the time. My plan was to be the best vodka drinker on Mt. Chautauqua and nobody was gonna stop me. But my children began to suffer, and that really scared me.

One day, drunk, high on pills and 55 miles away from home with my kids in the car I drove eight miles to my parent’s house to avoid the 55-mile drive home. My dad answered the door and I asked him to take me to rehab. I had never really asked him for anything until that day. I always went to my mother. She had just had a double mastectomy due to stage four cancer, and because of my addiction, I was useless to her. But as soon as my dad let me in, I went to her, told her what was going on and asked for them to send me to rehab. The next day my dad drove me to treatment in Parker, Colorado. A Power greater than me showed up for me that day, and I have stuck by that Power ever since.

What has kept you sober all these years?

AA, my EPIC sponsor and a life filled with service to others. That relationship and the rooms has meant everything to me, and I find all of it right here at home. I never had to go outside my town for sobriety. I got sober in Palmer Lake, CO, population 2,700. There were no other choices. Today I am grateful for the intimacy of my recovery and my tight-knit community.

What is HardBeauty

HardBeauty provides recovery coaching to youth and adults. And, we offer support to the community in the form of groups and personal growth workshops. The term “HardBeauty” means choosing yourself first and what’s best for you over anything or anyone: Making a hard decision, and then reaping the beauty that comes from it.

The first hard decision I made was leaving my family and going to rehab. My husband was not a fan, and I did it anyway. The beauty of that decision is my sobriety. And the beauty of my sobriety is having a clear mind, raising four amazing children, receiving a college degree, becoming an advocate and a change agent in the community, and running a non-profit which continues to grow.

The second hard decision I made was filing for divorce after 20 years of marriage when my husband’s drinking was out of control and he refused to stop. The beauty that resulted from that move was his sobriety. He stopped drinking and we stayed together. Doing what was best for me ultimately motivated him and today he’s been sober for over three years. And, today we are working on an epic marriage and a sober life together.

What is HardBeauty’s mission?

We envision a world where all humans heal. Our mission is to empower people to RISE and THRIVE beyond their circumstances. Every day, we serve those in challenging situations using a WHOLEistic approach. Our purpose is to bring hope, healing and direction.

We want to cultivate a legion of Gladiators who are on the path to the best human experience one can have. A life full of joy and worthiness and free from substances and self-doubt.

What was the inception of the idea for it?

I have been helping folks in my community for years. I founded a non-profit, Helping Everyone Recover, to help people rebuild after the Black Forest Fire. I have developed a reputation in my community as the lady who supports folks who are struggling. So, I got certified as a Coach and Mentor to expand my offerings. I have a passion for working with teenagers, and that is a huge portion of what I do. My God told me that I would serve over a million people, so I knew I needed to multiply. I used my strength in forming connections to create the HardBeauty community. Today we have 16 of the most phenomenal coaches, and I could not be more proud of them. I really owe all that we do to my team who works alongside me every day.

How long has HardBeauty been around?

HardBeauty has been around since 2019.           

What plans do you have moving forward?

Our plans moving forward are brick and mortar recovery communities in Castle Rock, Parker and Monument, Colorado. We are opening HardBeauty Texas on September 17^th with plans to launch Arizona and Florida in the next six months.

How can people get in touch with HardBeauty?

Our Website, https://www.hardbeauty.life

Phone, 719-257-3122

Facebook and Instagram

Email admin@hardbeauty.life

Discover Your Recovery (DYR) programs are FREE to all in recovery. These are meetings and workshops such as yoga, plant-based cooking, writing and much more. DYR offers an opportunity to try some new things that might help you in your recovery, meet new people and have fun.

Calendar and registration at https://www.hardbeauty.life/dyr

Zero Waste Men’s Recovery Meeting Mondays at 7:00 p.m.

Gladiator Women’s Meeting Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.

Golden Recovery Group for ages 50plus Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m.