 I'm here with Kathleen Kerry, 69 from Mercer Island outside of Seattle in Washington and she is now 90 plus days alcohol-free. How are you feeling Kathleen? You know I didn't realize that I could feel so fabulous in my life at this age. I you know I found your information online and one of the things that really supported me was you said the value of being alcohol-free and I knew that I was drinking too much and when I started you know we always have enough time money and energy for that which is most important so you supported me on getting clear of my value especially at 69 because my number one priority right now is being is my health and so I'll tell you being alcohol-free has dramatically shifted my health thank you. You're so welcome so tell us a little bit about what your drinking habits were over the years that inspired you sufficiently enough to join my project 90 program which helps people quit alcohol so what were your drinking habits like? Well I drink every day you know I mean it progressed over the years I mean I I know that I came from a family my dad was an alcoholic and a couple of my brothers were I have five brothers and I you know over the years just slowly to quote unquote relieve stress whatever just decided to drink and I thought that supported me and then no it did not it did not and I've been extremely successful and it it just didn't work and so I knew that you know as I am in chapter three of my life being 69 I got another good 30 years in me that drinking would not be part of that picture and so there are no accidents as I say so running across your information I believe it was on Facebook I said oh and you spoke to me so it has been phenomenal to and it's challenging I'm not you know kidding anybody but it's been phenomenal to you know work on and you've got to have your number one priority what is it minus help so when I have my priority then it is quote unquote easier and the other thing that you offer and I signed up for project 90 and I teach this you have got to have support and if you if you think you're going to do it on your own well good luck to you and how's that working for you is what I'd say because it doesn't I mean you know and I'm a rugged individual listen for years I did stuff on my own and I did really well and now I love being a part you know and I teach this too of you know having accountability partners and that's what you do so well in project 30 project 90 you know we have like-minded individuals who are on the same team who want to support each other and so that's why I love the work that you're doing thank you so much and what what was your drink of choice for many years Kathleen darling as a person who ran landmark restaurants in Seattle I drank buttery Chardonnay that was yeah yeah and and were you drinking but what is it buttery Chardonnay were you drinking that nightly when you were in the restaurant business or was it I never drank on the job never that was just forbidden for me yeah you know I would only drink when I came home which was like you know 9 10 11 at night and then I in you know started running an international training company so I've been all over Australia United States Canada leading things and I you know would drink when I got home and it was I thought quote unquote to relieve stress and you know and I wanted to zone out well you know how did that work for you Kathleen not too well as I you know look back on so yeah and what did your friends tell you or say to you when you articulated to them that you were quitting drinking for these these 90 days and beyond what was the reaction that you got from your social circle they were so happy because well my friends actually did an intervention with me about a year ago and said you know uh you know we are concerned about you we are drinking too much and that really got my attention because these are people I highly respect and uh and so um they are all on my team and like I said we've got it that's what you do so well is James is you've got you know we've got to have a support network and uh they support me and so they they are on my team for whatever I need for whatever I want so uh yeah support makes a huge difference and like I said earlier I'm the rugged individualist and that didn't work too well for me over the years what were some of the results that you achieved or some of the feelings that you felt or some of the things that you've noticed from having this extended period of time now alcohol free uh that's a that's a great question uh because I've had I'm working on reinventing my life so not only am I decided to be alcohol free with your program I am quote unquote semi-retired which is tough for me because I'm so used to being on stage working running a company uh I want to not need to I don't need to do anything I want to fill my time with uh uh things that um set my heart on fire and so I'm I'm exploring that right now and it's a great like I said chapter three you know what I'm gonna do but I will tell you being alcohol free uh gives me so many more options and so many more things to do I I am so you know and I think the big thing is how I feel I feel happier and you know I'm really positive uh and I I my health is good no one would ever think I was 69 I look fabulous and I'm willing to own that and uh so uh you know and I liked in your book uh you know here's your book that's what I got you know where you were talking about the benefits of being alcohol free and you know it's you got you know it's so important to focus on the benefits you know what's the value of doing this and for me like I said number one is health and then realizing all of the great health benefits I'm getting uh so you know like I said I got another good 20 30 years of me and being alcohol free maybe I got 40 I love it well congratulations Kathleen and so as we're recording this now how many days alcohol free uh are you and what's the plan for the for the future well let's see oh my gosh you know I I actually stopped counting but uh when did we start the 90-day project I think it was July 1st so I'm at 100 and what 1415 something like that you're 100 you're around 115 days after free yes yeah and what was the second part of the question and so what what is your intention now around alcohol and around your your life as it as it relates to socializing with alcohol or coming home for a night at the end of a day and you know you ordinarily would drink alcohol so what's your intention now my intention now is to reinvent my life and and that excludes alcohol and you know my friends you know they don't they're they're totally in support of me and if they're not they're you know I just manage them you know I don't I don't have a problem with people but everyone's on my team so having uh I I have a company called accountability circles it's a mastermind group where we support each other they all know that I'm alcohol free and they support me in that and so I like I said I'm I'm reinventing myself what can I do what do I want to do so I'm looking at you know I've been asked to do a TED talk and um I'm doing a lot of speaking at like you know Kiwanis Club the Rotary Club and I love making a difference in people's lives and it's much easier when I'm conscious uh to you know get out there and promote myself so I think reinvention is my intention beautiful I love it yeah and so just finally someone might be watching this now and they they realize that they're drinking too much and they want to make a change maybe they've tried AA and they didn't like it maybe they've tried brute willpower that hasn't worked maybe they're actually scared about quitting drinking forever and that seems like too much of an overwhelming thought right now what would you say to them in terms of what action would you encourage them possibly to take to try and become alcohol free or to transform their life essentially well what you're saying is so true uh because as a person who's led emotional intelligence classes for 30 years in amazon microsoft major companies you know people talk the talk but are challenged to walk the walk and so I would say get crystal clear on your number one value so my value uh is uh health and I want to be healthy so that I can continue to go out in the world and make a difference and contribute to others and you've got to have value if you don't have value you're going to do the same old thing and if you always do what you know this is an old saying but if you always do what you've always done you always get what you always got and it's tough because it's so easy to go fall back into I'll just drink or whatever you know some people choose drugs some people choose alcohol and that's an easy escape but you know I would ask you know how's that working for you you know you've got the same old thing you've always had and is your life moving forward or getting what you say you want probably not so get my number one piece of advice is get crystal clear about your value in in being alcohol-free and I did and once you have value as I teach there's always enough time money and energy for that which is most important it's always about value you know that well Kathleen Kerry 69 years old and going strong young energetic firing on all cylinders cylinders congratulations on being as we're recording this 115 days plus alcohol-free thank you super inspiring you are always so positive in our program you are helping other members as well supporting them and you allowed yourself to be coached and you were able to and you also coached other people in the process and inspired those who are coming behind you so I just wanted to say thank you for playing full out and also congratulations on your alcohol-free journey thank you it's good to talk to you and now let's stay in touch thanks for listening to the alcohol-free lifestyle podcast I want to load you up with some free stuff right now so if you want to go to JamesSwanick.com slash guide I will send you my quit alcohol guide which has helped six figure entrepreneurs and top professionals reduce or quit drinking you can also text the word quit guide to the number 44222 if you're in the US of course it doesn't really work anywhere outside of the US but if you're in the US on your mobile phone and you'd like that guide text the word quit guide to the number 44222 or you can go to JamesSwanick.com slash guide if you'd like to schedule a free 15-minute call with one of my top coaches just an exploratory call to see if or how we can help you then you can go to JamesSwanick.com slash schedule or you can text the word project 90 to the number 44222 if you're listening in the US on a mobile phone that's JamesSwanick.com slash schedule or you can text the word project 90 that's one word project 90 to the number 44222 feel free to send me a direct message over on my Instagram account which is at JamesSwanick you can also watch video episodes of 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