#47 – Leanne Villani: BeYouFullMind#47 – Leanne Villani: BeYouFullMind
Recovery Survey
Brett Morris talks with life coach and podcaster Leanne Villani about her journey from blackout drinking and trauma to early sobriety and creating BeYouFullMind. Their conversation touches on AA, relapse, sexuality, sponsorship and building genuine self-love in recovery.
0:00•27 Jan 2021
From Blackouts to BeYouFullMind: Leanne Villani on Finding Herself in Recovery
Episode Overview
- Alcohol may begin as a way to feel confident and escape yourself but can quickly become the centre of life, even when everything looks fine on paper.
- Returning to AA, even after multiple relapses, can gradually shift thinking and eventually lead to accepting powerlessness over alcohol.
- Choosing a sponsor whose life and behaviour you respect – and actually calling them – is crucial for working the 12 steps in a meaningful way.
- Specialist groups such as LGBTQ+ meetings and mixed home groups can help people feel seen, but open-mindedness to all kinds of people strengthens recovery.
- Building friendships in recovery often starts with simple acts like coffee or meals after meetings, where you see how people live the programme outside the room.
“"My one mission was to get as drunk as possible and not to be myself."”
How do individuals from all walks of life battle addiction? This conversation between host Brett Morris and guest Leanne Villani gives a raw, energetic look at what that fight can actually sound like. Leanne, founder of BeYouFullMind LLC, life coach and podcast host, shares how alcohol first felt like magic at 15 – "my one mission was to get as drunk as possible and not to be myself" – and how that “mission” slowly took over everything.
Growing up around gambling and alcoholism, she talks about never really knowing what was normal, chasing blackout drinking through college, dealing weed, and hiding the chaos behind good grades and leadership roles. You’ll hear her speak honestly about hating being in her own skin, struggling with her sexuality, and the belief that alcohol gave her an identity, confidence, and a voice.
She also recounts traumatic consequences of drinking, including sexual assault, and how those moments, combined with her dad’s long-term sobriety and AA experience, pushed her back to meetings again and again. The episode spends time on what early recovery can really look like: relapses, switching sponsors, staring at a White Claw in the fridge after a meeting, and that turning-point thought of "what the fuck am I doing?" in the woods with drugs she didn’t even recognise as herself.
Leanne then explains the meaning behind BeYouFullMind – "the first step of self-love is to be you" – and how her coaching and podcast grew out of working the 12 steps and finally learning self‑acceptance. Brett and Leanne swap practical tips on sponsorship, finding LGBTQ+ meetings, choosing friends in recovery, and learning not to pick up a drink over life’s hardest moments.
If you’ve ever wondered whether AA, higher powers and honest connection can actually change someone’s life, this story might get you thinking about what’s possible for you too.
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