Meet Kaitlin Henry

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kaitlin Henry. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kaitlin, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I hit a personal rock bottom. No DUI, no rehab, no one actually told me I should stop drinking. I turned to alcohol whether I was happy or sad. I drank for the fun, the relief, and it felt like the only thing I could do to feel ‘happy’.

From my experience, people dependent on alcohol have the common denominators of being over-thinkers and high over-achievers. Alcohol was my solution to stop over-thinking and worrying so much. The problem was, it always ended up causing me to worry more. Most days I woke up with a slight hangover and vague memories of poor choices, shameful acts, mistakes made, and arguments had, yet no real consequences.

I wanted to be done feeling this way, but I couldn’t do anything to stop drinking. Every morning I would wake up and say I wasn’t going to have a drink later, but five o’clock rolled around and all I could think about was opening a bottle of wine before, during or after my kid’s bedtime to ‘relax’ and ‘take it easy.’ Eventually I was drinking alone, because I had three kids sleeping and a husband at work dinners who traveled a lot. The anxiety of the day would feel like it was melting away with that first sip, yet it ended up being like pouring gasoline on a flame. All of my anxiety would worsen by morning. By this time, I had three children ages 4, 2 and 10 months. Day after day I would throw the covers over my head, not wanting to get out of bed to get my kids ready for preschool or spend time with my infant because I was ‘too tired’. I blamed the baby not sleeping well, but my body was not getting the rest I needed because it was fighting off the toxins from alcohol.

One night I was questioning my relationship with alcohol, I googled, “Girl that feels like an alcoholic, but isn’t one.” I had to get to the bottom of this nagging feeling.

“Sober-curious” and “gray area drinker” were terms that popped up from my search that I had never heard before.

Sober-curious is defined as questioning your relationship with alcohol and are thinking about trying out sobriety, even if you are not ready to commit to it.

Gray-area drinking is when you realize alcohol is negatively impacting your life, but you haven’t hit “rock bottom” yet.

“That was it”, I thought! “I’m a gray-area drinker! No need for AA or rehab, I can figure this out on my own!”

What I found is there is an entire sober-curious culture rising up from the same feelings I was experiencing. The feeling that I have become dependent on alcohol as a stress reliever and that I ‘deserve it’ because I’ve had a ‘hard day’ using the excuse of stress, kids, work.

After doing research, following a few social media accounts, and listening to some podcasts, I decided enough was enough.

I was done. No crazy rock bottom. No DUI. No jail. No rehab. No one telling me I had a problem except for ME.

I finally quit for ME. I quit the booze and I quit believing the lies that went along with it.

I am now 6 years sober from alcohol and all substances.

I turned my pain into purpose and started my career as a certified life-coach dedicated to helping intuitive women who want to reinvent themselves and find their purpose by removing alcohol from their lives. I am an author, speaker, and divorced mother of three (ages 10, 8 & 7).

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am the host of “Step Zero”, a podcast on Apple and Spotify, focused on sober-curiosity, personal growth, emotional sobriety, and spirituality. As a certified coach, I specialize in working with gray-area drinkers who sense that their drinking habits have to change, even if they can’t yet name what or how. In sessions with clients, we deep dive into how small choices create big outcomes for your life. Together, we uncover your vision, challenge the beliefs that no longer serve you, and take aligned, sustainable action toward the life you actually want.

What sets me apart as a coach is not just the method I use, but the space I hold. I meet you where you are, whether you’re feeling stuck, restless, or just craving more. I’ve sat where you’re sitting. I’ve done the deep work of choosing myself over and over again, and I know what’s possible when you finally stop outsourcing your worth.

Unlike traditional therapy, this work is future-focused and action-oriented. We don’t spend hours reliving the past. We acknowledge it, learn from it, and move forward. My style of coaching is for those who are ready to shift from surviving to consciously creating the life they dream of.

My memoir, Step Zero, publishes December 8th, 2025. You can book a free discovery call through my website: www.kaitlinhenry.com. Listen to my podcast “Step Zero” on Apple and Spotify podcasts. Check out my Instagram @kaitlin.henry for more information and links to my offerings. I also host women’s reflection circles, a place for women to gather, share in a safe place, and feel heard by their peers. We meet in person and online.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, the three qualities that impacted me most were surrender, emotional honesty, and aligned action. Surrender taught me that letting go isn’t weakness, but actually a power move. Learning to let go opened the door to trust a higher vision for my life instead of forcing outcomes.

Emotional honesty meant finally telling the truth about my relationship with alcohol and listening to the voice inside me, not the noise of the world. Aligned action was about taking small, sometimes fearful steps in the direction of my vision. I found there is a fine line between fear and excitement.

For those early in their journey, my advice is this: practice surrender by noticing where you’re gripping too tightly and experiment with releasing control. Build emotional honesty by asking yourself curious, not judgmental questions about what you’re really feeling or avoiding. And nurture aligned action by committing to one small choice today that serves your future self instead of your fear. None of this happens overnight. Just take that one brave, ordinary step at a time.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed, my first instinct is usually to try and control everything, but I’ve learned that never works for long. Now that I don’t use drinking to relax, I pause and check in with my body… am I gripping, holding my breath, running on adrenaline? Those are my signals to surrender, even if just for a moment.

Overwhelm is often my cue to release what I can’t control and remind myself that I don’t have to carry it all alone. From there, I focus on one next right action instead of the entire mountain. When I can remember clarity comes through movement, not my ruminating thoughts.

My advice is to create micro-rituals for yourself when life feels too big: take a grounding breath, write a gratitude list to a friend, or step outside and take a walk to reconnect with the present. Overwhelm thrives in chaos, but it loses power when we come back to our long-term vision and choice. Sometimes the bravest thing isn’t to push harder, but to pause.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Photographer Stacey Leigh Davis

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
Are you walking a path—or wandering?

The answer to whether you are walking or wandering often changes from season to season

Highlighter Series
What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?

With so many high-achievers in our community it was super interesting to learn about the

Highlighter Series
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?

We asked some of the wisest people we know what they would tell their younger