Mess to Millions
What if your rock bottom was actually the foundation for your empire?
Welcome to Mess to Millions, the unfiltered podcast where trauma becomes triumph, breakdowns turn into breakthroughs, and pain fuels serious profit. Hosted by Erica Carrico, cancer survivor, single mom, recovering perfectionist, and proof that sometimes you have to fall apart to finally fall into place.
Eight years ago, cancer gave Erica an ultimatum: change or die. What followed was her “life explosion era”: divorce, job loss, and starting over from scratch. The twist? Losing everything became the catalyst for building a multimillion-dollar purpose-driven business and helping over a million people discover that their hardest chapters can unlock their greatest comebacks.
This show is for women who have survived what should have broken them, who are done with toxic positivity, and who are ready to believe their mess can become their million-dollar message.
Each week, Erica goes deep into the stories we usually whisper about: childhood trauma, burnout, divorce, toxic relationships, business failures, and how to alchemize all of it into abundance. Expect raw conversations, healing strategies, business wisdom, and yes, a few tears (the good kind). Because transformation isn’t always pretty… but it is powerful.
Your biggest disasters might be your most valuable education. Your deepest wounds might hold your greatest wisdom. And your story? It’s not just your superpower, it could be someone else’s survival guide.
Subscribe now to Mess to Millions and join us in rewriting what success really looks like.
Because your breakdown might just be your breakthrough.
Mess to Millions
EP 11 - 5 Years Sober - What Nobody Tells You: The Life I Built Without the Wine Glass
Last week I told you how I got sober. Today I'm telling you what happened next.
Five years without a drink. And here's what nobody tells you:
I lost friends.
People stopped inviting me to things - mom trips involved wine, get-togethers felt weird when I wasn't drinking.
I realized I couldn't relate to people anymore. The conversations all felt surface level. People repeat themselves after a few drinks and don't even notice.
I had to completely rewire my life. No beer after skiing. No bars. No happy hours.
Nothing to take the edge off. Ever.
Dating was brutal. Everyone wants drinks on a first date. I dated a guy who quit drinking but smoked pot daily - just trading one numbing agent for another. I'd rather be alone than with someone running from themselves.
In these five years, I've gone through divorce, custody battles, watching my kids go through things they shouldn't. The courts not doing proper investigations. Lost friends, partners, the life I thought I'd have.
All without anything to take the edge off.
But here's what ELSE happened:
My business hit million-dollar revenue. I was featured in Forbes and NY Times. I wrote a book. I bought horses, a mountain house, investment properties. I built a nest egg for my kids. After years of dating, I found a sober partner - the healthiest relationship I've ever had.
My body healed. I'm in perimenopause and healthier than I've been in years. My kids see me FULLY ALIVE.
In this episode:
💜 The friendships I lost (and why it's okay)
💜 Dating sober until I found my person
💜 Going through hell without the edge
💜 Forbes, NY Times, and million-dollar years
💜 Falling in love with myself
Less friends. More life. It's worth it.
Get Awaken Your Purpose at ericacarrico.com/books 💜
To learn more, visit:
http://www.ericacarrico.com/
Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters:
http://missionmatters.com/author/Erica-Carrico/