My Story of Sobriety, Healing, and Starting a Business
I didn’t start my YouTube channel to go viral. I started it because I needed to tell the truth. About addiction. About healing from trauma. About what it means to rebuild your life after 50, one courageous step at a time. This blog shares the real story behind Rise with Jewels, why I launched it, what I’ve lived through, and how I turned my mess into a mission to help other women stop surviving and start living the life they don’t want to escape from. If you’ve ever felt stuck, afraid, or like it’s too late, this is for you.
When I hit 50, I didn’t feel done.
I didn’t feel like I was winding down.
If anything… I was finally waking up.
That might sound strange to some people. But for me, this second act of life. This chapter I’m living now. Is the one where I’m finally becoming me.
And that’s exactly why I created my YouTube channel, Rise with Jewels.
It’s not about perfection. It’s not about polished backdrops or big productions. It’s just me, sitting in front of my camera (usually with a cup of coffee nearby), sharing the kind of conversations I wish someone had with me years ago.
This channel was born from truth. From healing. From finally letting go of the fear that kept me small.
Addiction, Trauma, and the Thousand Day Ones
For years, I numbed. I drank to quiet the noise. To silence the thoughts. To keep the pain buried.
It started young. Alcohol became my coping mechanism before I even really understood what I was coping with. It took me decades – decades – to untangle myself from the lie that I needed a glass of wine to relax, or that I wasn’t strong enough to face the world sober.
There was a work function years ago where I drank two, maybe three glasses of wine before I even showed up. I told myself it was to take the edge off, to feel more relaxed and social. But instead, I ended up snapping at someone who was just trying to do his job. Alcohol often made me aggressive, and I hated that version of myself… the one I couldn’t always control. That night stuck with me. It was one of the first moments I really started questioning my relationship with alcohol. I share more about that turning point on my YouTube channel, and how it eventually led me to sobriety, healing, and learning to face life with clarity instead of a fog. That said, it took another 9 years to finally quit for good.
And even though I have stopped drinking, the journey isn’t over… It will never be over! Sobriety isn’t just about not drinking, it’s about facing yourself without the mask. And that… that’s where the real healing began.
The Healing Power of Journaling
When I couldn’t find my voice, I wrote.
When I didn’t know what I was feeling, I wrote.
When I was scared, overwhelmed, anxious, or hanging on by a thread… I wrote.
Journaling saved me more times than I can count. And not the perfect, curated kind. The messy, ink-stained, brain-dump pages kind. The kind where I could get the chaos out of my head and onto the page so I could breathe again.
Eventually, journaling turned into something bigger. It became the foundation for my small business. I created BREATHE, a premium guided journal to help other women like me find a simple, soothing place to land every day. A journal that actually helps reduce anxiety, shift your mindset, and help you come back to yourself.
And now, journaling is a big part of Rise with Jewels. It’s woven into the way I share stories and offer gentle guidance, reminding women that healing doesn’t have to be complicated.
From Trauma to Purpose
I grew up with trauma.
I got married (and divorced) more than once.
I changed careers more than once.
I wore so many hats over the years—teacher, coordinator, coach, entrepreneur, but underneath all of it was this ache: I knew I was meant for something more. I just didn’t know how to get there.
And I’ll be honest—fear kept me frozen for years.
Fear of judgment.
Fear of failure.
Fear of trying and still not being good enough.
But here’s what I’ve learned: Fear doesn’t disappear when you wait long enough.
It disappears when you finally move anyway.
I created Rise with Jewels to help other women do just that. To move anyway. Even if your voice shakes. Even if you’re starting over at 58. Even if your dreams feel ridiculous and way too big.
This Is Not Just a Channel. It’s a Movement.
If you’re a midlife woman who feels like she’s lost herself…
If you’re sober-curious or deep in your own recovery…
If you’ve always dreamed of starting a business, writing a book, healing old wounds, or just finally feeling peace…
You belong here.
This channel is for you.
It’s for every woman who’s been told she’s too old, too late, too damaged, too complicated, too tired.
You’re not too anything.
You’re ready.
Because being 50+ doesn’t mean you need to slow down. It means you’ve finally lived enough to know what really matters—and now is the time to do something with it.
Why I Show Up
I show up on YouTube not because I have it all figured out, but because I don’t.
I show up because I know what it’s like to feel stuck. To feel overwhelmed. To feel like you’re surviving, but not really living.
I share because I want every woman out there to know: You are not broken. You are not behind. You are not too late.
Your dreams still matter.
Your story still matters.
And your courage? It’s already there. You just have to let it rise.
So if you’ve ever wondered if there’s more for you… if you’ve ever looked around and thought, “I don’t want to live like this anymore”… come join me.
Click HERE and Subscribe to Rise with Jewels. Let’s talk about healing. About journaling. About choosing a life you don’t want to escape from. Let’s talk about making peace with the past, rewriting your story, and finally feeling free to be who you really are.
Because the truth is: You don’t have to have it all together to rise.
You just have to begin.
If any of this resonates with you, DM me, leave comments, or reach out in any way you want. I would love to connect with you – this is exactly the reason I’m doing this!
Jewels xo