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Are you a fixer? Do you jump in with your opinion, rescue the people you love, and try to control how everything turns out?

In this solo episode of It’s Bizzy, Elizabeth “Bizzy” Chance, sober for 20 years, shares a phrase she heard in a recovery meeting that changed everything: every person gets to have their own consequences.

She talks about:

· Why Step Three, turning our will and our lives over to God, was so hard for a mom who wanted to control everything

· Asking “Do you want my opinion?” instead of jumping in to fix

· The Al-Anon three Cs: I didn’t cause it, I can’t control it, I can’t cure it

· Why lasting joy doesn’t come from possessions, but from knowing God

· Letting go of fear about the future, because nobody has a crystal ball

· Simple ways to find peace: five quiet minutes, a deep breath, a walk on the beach

If you’re exhausted from trying to save everyone, this episode is your permission to let go and let God.

📩 Share your good story: elizabeth@elizabethchance.com

For coaching, podcast updates, and more, visit elizabethchance.com

Connect with Me
🎙️ Patreon: patreon.com/elizabethchance
💙 Facebook: facebook.com/itsbizzypodcast
📸 Instagram: @itsbizzypodcast
▶️ YouTube: @elizabethchance
🎵 TikTok: @bizzychance
🐦 X: @itsbizzypodcast
📌 Pinterest: @BusyLivingSober
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/elizabethchance
💌 Updates: eepurl.com/iDtRnw

"Remember, you don't have to navigate the mess alone. Whether you're pivoting your career, your marriage, or your mindset, I'm here to walk that road with you. Let's make 2026 the year you finally put your own oxygen mask on first."

XO
Elizabeth "Bizzy" Chance

#ItsBizzy #LetGoAndLetGod #Codependency #SoberLiving #Faith

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What if the story you were handed isn’t the one you have to keep?

Avril Millar was a civil engineer in Glasgow in the 1960s, when women in hard hats were still a novelty, and the only woman among 174 engineering students at her university. She went on to teach maths and physics while her children were small, then ran her own wealth management firm as CEO for twenty years before leaving to do something more meaningful than make rich people richer. Since 2009, she’s advised boards and CEOs across investments, healthcare, technology, sports, training and design.

She was given up for adoption as a toddler, lost everything in her forties, and started again from nothing at fifty. Along the way, she discovered a brother, and in her seventies, four sisters she never knew existed. She raised two children who turned out rather well: one a Tour de France champion, the other a groundbreaking serial CEO.

Now 74 and living in London, Avril is the author of FERAL: A Grown Woman’s Guide to a Free and Ferocious Life, the book she wishes someone had handed her when she was struggling.

In this episode of It’s Bizzy, Avril shares:

• Why so many women live as “the object of someone else’s sentence,” and how to become the subject of your own
• Why women need to stop trying to fix the system and start building their own
• Why fighting the patriarchy is wasted energy, and what to do instead
• Why so many women are knackered and miserable, and how comparison steals our joy
• Why midlife women should create work, not wait for a job, and why money is the key to a woman’s freedom and safety
• Getting through depression by remembering that everything passes
• Finding four sisters through 23andMe, and her father’s handwritten sermons
• Coming home to her faith after exploring Buddhism and Kabbalah

If you’re starting over after 50, after divorce, or after losing everything, this conversation is for you.

For coaching, podcast updates, and more, visit elizabethchance.com

Connect with Me
🎙️ Patreon: patreon.com/elizabethchance
💙 Facebook: facebook.com/itsbizzypodcast
📸 Instagram: @itsbizzypodcast
▶️ YouTube: @elizabethchance
🎵 TikTok: @bizzychance
🐦 X: @itsbizzypodcast
📌 Pinterest: @BusyLivingSober
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/elizabethchance
💌 Updates: eepurl.com/iDtRnw

📖 Get FERAL (includes a free resource inside the book):
US paperback: amazon.com/dp/1781339961
US Kindle: amazon.com/dp/B0H7XXR2R5
US audiobook: amazon.com/Feral-grown-womans-guide-ferocious/dp/B0HJ65YB4B
UK paperback: amazon.co.uk/dp/1781339961
UK Kindle: amazon.co.uk/dp/B0H7XXR2R5
UK audiobook: amazon.co.uk/Feral-grown-womans-guide-ferocious/dp/B0HJ6852JY

🌐 Connect with Avril:
Website: avrilmillar.com
Instagram: instagram.com/avrilmillar
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/avrilmillar
YouTube: youtube.com/@AvrilMillarFERAL

📩 Reach Elizabeth: elizabeth@elizabethchance.com
🎧 Coaching and more: elizabethchance.com

This episode contains strong language and mentions suicide. If you’re struggling, call or text 988 (US).

"Remember, you don't have to navigate the mess alone. Whether you're pivoting your career, your marriage, or your mindset, I'm here to walk that road with you. Let's make 2026 the year you finally put your own oxygen mask on first."

XO
Elizabeth "Bizzy" Chance

#ItsBizzy #StartingOver #WomenOver50 #Adoption #MidlifeReinvention

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After my episode with Michael Goessling, whose birth father turned out to be Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers, the response was overwhelming. And the message I kept hearing was: “I needed a happy story.”

In this solo episode 681 of It’s Bizzy, I talk about why good news hits so hard right now, the moments from Michael’s adoption reunion that moved so many of you, and a run-in at the dog beach that taught me something about miserable people. You can’t fix them, but you can choose not to carry their bad mood home.

Plus: send me your good stories! The God winks, the reunions, the “you won’t believe this” moments. I want to share them on the show.

🎧 Missed Episode 680? Go back and listen to Michael’s incredible story.

📩 Share your good story: elizabeth@elizabethchance.com

For coaching, podcast updates, and more, visit elizabethchance.com

Connect with Me
🎙️ Patreon: patreon.com/elizabethchance
💙 Facebook: facebook.com/itsbizzypodcast
📸 Instagram: @itsbizzypodcast
▶️ YouTube: @elizabethchance
🎵 TikTok: @bizzychance
🐦 X: @itsbizzypodcast
📌 Pinterest: @BusyLivingSober
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/elizabethchance
💌 Updates: eepurl.com/iDtRnw

"Remember, you don't have to navigate the mess alone. Whether you're pivoting your career, your marriage, or your mindset, I'm here to walk that road with you. Let's make 2026 the year you finally put your own oxygen mask on first."

XO
Elizabeth "Bizzy" Chance

#ItsBizzy #GoodNews #PositiveMindset #Gratitude #Podcast #MichaelMcDonald #Adoption

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Michael McDonald's Son on Adoption, Faith & Finding His Birth Parents

What happens when you find your birth parents at 58 — and your birth father turns out to be Michael McDonald of The Doobie Brothers? In Episode 680 of It's Bizzy, my lifelong friend Michael Goessling shares his incredible adoption reunion story, and the faith, gratitude, and family love behind it.

Michael was adopted as a baby through Catholic Charities in St. Louis by Paul and Kay Goessling, who raised him to believe he was "a miracle and a gift from God." His birth parents were just 14 years old, and they searched for him for 35 years. Then a 23andMe DNA test by his half-brother, Dylan McDonald, led to a letter from an attorney, a birthday lunch with his birth mother, and a phone call that ended with: "Are you Michael McDonald?"

This isn't a celebrity story. It's a story about adoption, gratitude, grief, God's timing, and what makes a family.

In this episode:

• Growing up adopted and deeply loved

• Finding birth parents through a 23andMe DNA test

• Meeting his birth mother on his 58th birthday

• Losing his adoptive father, and his daughter's belief that "Pop sent Mike"

• How his adoptive mom welcomed his birth family with open arms

• Breaking the stigma around adoption

• Faith, letting go of worry, and trusting God's plan

"My birth parents were always heroes in my story. Either I'm here or I'm not — and I'm here."

🎧 More episodes: https://elizabethchance.com

For coaching, podcast updates, and more, visit elizabethchance.com

Connect with Me
🎙️ Patreon: patreon.com/elizabethchance
💙 Facebook: facebook.com/itsbizzypodcast
📸 Instagram: @itsbizzypodcast
▶️ YouTube: @elizabethchance
🎵 TikTok: @bizzychance
🐦 X: @itsbizzypodcast
📌 Pinterest: @BusyLivingSober
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/elizabethchance
💌 Updates: eepurl.com/iDtRnw

"Remember, you don't have to navigate the mess alone. Whether you're pivoting your career, your marriage, or your mindset, I'm here to walk that road with you. Let's make 2026 the year you finally put your own oxygen mask on first."

XO
Elizabeth "Bizzy" Chance

You're not alone. We're getting through this one day at a time.

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Episode 679 of It's Bizzy

How much of your life have you spent worrying about things that worked out anyway?

Today is my 58th birthday. A year ago, on my 57th, I was crying, scared, and angry because nothing looked like the picture in my head. One year later, I'm calmer than I've ever been. What changed? I stopped trying to direct the movie and started writing my plans in pencil, not pen.

In this birthday episode, I finally answer the question I ask every guest: what do I wish I knew at 25?

We also talk about:
• Why feelings aren't facts, and how to stop reacting to every one of them
• How to let go of control when life doesn't look the way you pictured
• Why pain is the touchstone to freedom
• People who come into your life for a season and leave for a reason
• My morning ritual: feet in the ocean, the sunrise, a Psalm, and a prayer
• Why gratitude is the best attitude and comparison is the thief of joy

I also share what happened when the club we planned to go dancing at for my birthday was closed, and how that tiny moment taught me a big lesson about rolling with life.

What do YOU wish you knew at 25? Email me at elizabeth@elizabethchance.com. I'd love to hear it.

🎁 The best birthday gift you could give me is to share this episode with a friend or leave a review. 💛

Coming Thursday: my lifelong friend from St. Louis, Michael Goessling, who just discovered that Michael McDonald is his biological father.

If you're going through a major life transition, starting over, redefining yourself, dealing with family changes, or wondering who you are becoming in this next chapter, this episode is for you.

Sometimes life gets lifey. Sometimes all we can do is take it one moment at a time, let go of what we cannot control, and trust that God has us.

For coaching, podcast updates, and more, visit elizabethchance.com

Connect with Me
🎙️ Patreon: patreon.com/elizabethchance
💙 Facebook: facebook.com/itsbizzypodcast
📸 Instagram: @itsbizzypodcast
▶️ YouTube: @elizabethchance
🎵 TikTok: @bizzychance
🐦 X: @itsbizzypodcast
📌 Pinterest: @BusyLivingSober
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/elizabethchance
💌 Updates: eepurl.com/iDtRnw

"Remember, you don't have to navigate the mess alone. Whether you're pivoting your career, your marriage, or your mindset, I'm here to walk that road with you. Let's make 2026 the year you finally put your own oxygen mask on first."

XO
Elizabeth "Bizzy" Chance

#ElizabethChance #ItsBizzy #WhatIWishIKnew #LifeLessons #LettingGo #FeelingsArentFacts #FaithOverFear #TrustGod #Gratitude #Sobriety #12StepRecovery #Hope #FaithJourney #CatholicFaith #WomenOver50 #MidlifeWellness

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Nobody wants to talk about it. So we're talking about it.

Jeremy Lipkowitz was on track for a PhD in genetics at Duke. He was also addicted to porn, an hour a night, every night, since college. At 23 he looked down the road and didn't like who he saw. So he went looking for happiness, found meditation, traveled to India, trained as a Buddhist monk in Myanmar, and walked away from his PhD to teach people how to train their minds.

Today he helps high-achieving men break free from porn addiction, and this conversation got real. We talk about:

• How it starts (hint: it can be as innocent as a lingerie catalog)
• The three A's of porn addiction: affordable, accessible, anonymous
• Why recovering from porn is like being a recovering alcoholic who has to carry a flask in your pocket at all times
• How AI is making porn even more addictive
• Why meditation isn't woo-woo, and doesn't conflict with your faith
• Shame, and why community is what heals it
• Why a relapse doesn't send you back to zero. It's just data.

As a recovery coach who's 20 years sober, I felt this one. Addiction is addiction. And shame keeps us sick.

Sometimes life gets lifey. Sometimes all we can do is take it one moment at a time, let go of what we cannot control, and trust that God has us.

For coaching, podcast updates, and more, visit www.elizabethChance.com

Connect with Me

🎙️ Patreon: patreon.com/elizabethchance
💙 Facebook: facebook.com/itsbizzypodcast
📸 Instagram: @itsbizzypodcast
▶️ YouTube: @elizabethchance
🎵 TikTok: @bizzychance
🐦 X: @itsbizzypodcast
📌 Pinterest: @BusyLivingSober
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/elizabethchance
💌 Updates: eepurl.com/iDtRnw
📬 Story ideas: elizabeth@elizabethchance.com

Email: elizabeth@elizabethchance.com

Connect with Jeremy:
🎧 Unhooked Podcast
🌐 unhookedacademy.com
📱 Unhooked app: unhookedapp.co

Disclaimer: I don't agree with everything every guest says. I bring people on because they make us think.

⚠️ Explicit: This episode discusses pornography and adult themes and includes some adult language.

"Remember, you don’t have to navigate the mess alone. Whether you’re pivoting your career, your marriage, or your mindset, I’m here to walk that road with you. Let’s make 2026 the year you finally put your own oxygen mask on first."

XO

Elizabeth “Bizzy” Chance

#PornAddiction #PornAddictionRecovery #Unhooked #Recovery #AddictionRecovery #Meditation #Mindfulness #Shame #SobrietyJourney #RecoveryCoach #MensMentalHealth #Neuroplasticity #DigitalAddiction #ItsBizzy #ItsBizzyPodcast

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Do you ever wake up and wonder how many you had last night? What you said? Why you did it again when you swore you wouldn't? You're not at rock bottom. But you're not okay either.

I'm 20 years sober and I've been coaching since 2013, and today I'm talking about gray-area drinking, that big middle nobody talks about. I share my own story (including the wine glass that holds an entire bottle, wink wink) and five signs it might be time to take a look:

1. You have rules about your drinking

2. You drink to take the edge off

3. You think about it more than you want to

4. You dread going somewhere without alcohol

5. You've Googled "am I an alcoholic?"

Then I invite you to join me for a 30-day experiment: no drinking from October 1 to October 30. Journal every night, notice how you feel, bring your own drink of choice to parties, and tell one person. You can tell me! Email elizabeth@elizabethchance.com. I'll write you right back.

You're not crazy. You're just ready.

Want support? Find my coaching at elizabethchance.com. And if this episode made you think of someone, send it to them.

If you’re going through a major life transition, starting over, redefining yourself, dealing with family changes, or wondering who you are becoming in this next chapter, this episode is for you.

Learn more about It’s Bizzy and Elizabeth Chance at elizabethchance.com.

Sometimes life gets lifey. Sometimes all we can do is take it one moment at a time, let go of what we cannot control, and trust that God has us.

For coaching, podcast updates, and more, visit www.elizabethChance.com

Connect with Me

🎙️ Patreon: patreon.com/elizabethchance
💙 Facebook: facebook.com/itsbizzypodcast
📸 Instagram: @itsbizzypodcast
▶️ YouTube: @elizabethchance
🎵 TikTok: @bizzychance
🐦 X: @itsbizzypodcast
📌 Pinterest: @BusyLivingSober
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/elizabethchance
💌 Updates: eepurl.com/iDtRnw
📬 Story ideas: elizabeth@elizabethchance.com

Email: elizabeth@elizabethchance.com

"Remember, you don’t have to navigate the mess alone. Whether you’re pivoting your career, your marriage, or your mindset, I’m here to walk that road with you. Let’s make 2026 the year you finally put your own oxygen mask on first."

XO

Elizabeth “Bizzy” Chance

#GrayAreaDrinking #SoberCurious #SoberLife #Sobriety #AlcoholFree #SoberOctober #30DaysSober #SoberMom #SoberWomen #RecoveryCoach #RecoveryIsPossible #SoberCommunity #MindfulDrinking #QuitDrinking #AmIAnAlcoholic #SobrietyJourney #WomenInRecovery #OneDayAtATime #ItsBizzy #ItsBizzyPodcast #PodcastEpisode

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⚠️ EXPLICIT: This episode contains strong language and mature themes, including alcoholism, addiction, and mental health struggles. Listener discretion is advised.

Episode 676 of It's Bizzy

What happens when the life that looks glamorous from the outside is quietly falling apart on the inside?

My guest today is Paul Drayton, actor and author of the memoir Ride or Die Trying: A Life Before, During, and After Laughter. Paul was raised in Sunderland in the northeast of England, built a life in London, and became widely known through his marriage to British comedian Alan Carr. Behind the public image, he was struggling with alcohol dependency, anxiety, and people-pleasing. At 50, an ADHD diagnosis changed the way he saw his past and the choices he'd made.

In this honest, funny, and deeply human conversation, Paul and I talk about:

• Getting an ADHD diagnosis at 50 and how it reframed his life
• The link between ADHD and self-medicating with alcohol
• Why there is no one-size-fits-all path to sobriety
• What it's like to be the partner behind the scenes of someone in the spotlight
• Taking accountability, setting boundaries, and rebuilding when the version of life you thought you were living falls apart
• How he has gotten through grief and loss without picking up a drink

We finish with my fun questions, and Paul's answer to "Life is too short to..." is one you'll want to hear.

Paul's message is simple: you can get through whatever you're facing without drinking on it, and it is never too late to start again.

📖 Get Paul's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ride-Trying-before-during-laughter-ebook/dp/B0H68D8H31

The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Elizabeth Chance or It's Bizzy. I welcome conversations with people from all walks of life, and I don't agree with everything every guest says. This episode is for education and inspiration only and is not a substitute for professional medical, legal, or mental health advice.

If you or someone you love is struggling with alcohol, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 (free, confidential, 24/7). If you're having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 in the US. In the UK, Samaritans is at 116 123.

If this episode encourages you, I'd love to hear from you. Connect with me at ElizabethChance.com or on social media @itsbizzypodcast.

For coaching, podcast updates, and more, visit ElizabethChance.com.

Connect with Me
🎙️ Patreon: patreon.com/elizabethchance
💙 Facebook: facebook.com/itsbizzypodcast
📸 Instagram: @itsbizzypodcast
▶️ YouTube: @elizabethchance
🎵 TikTok: @bizzychance
🐦 X: @itsbizzypodcast
📌 Pinterest: @BusyLivingSober
💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/elizabethchance
💌 Updates: eepurl.com/iDtRnw
📬 Story ideas: elizabeth@elizabethchance.com
Email: elizabeth@elizabethchance.com

"Remember, you don't have to navigate the mess alone. Whether you're pivoting your career, your marriage, or your mindset, I'm here to walk that road with you. Let's make 2026 the year you finally put your own oxygen mask on first."

You are not alone. Let's get busy living.

XO
Bizzy

#ElizabethChance #ItsBizzy #PaulDrayton #RideOrDieTrying #ADHD #LateADHDDiagnosis #Sobriety #AlcoholismRecovery #MemoirAuthor #Resilience #StartingOver #MentalHealth

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