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“I went to bed a victim and I woke up the next day and just something was different. I just surrendered. I knew that I couldn’t do this anymore.” — Marci Hopkins
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ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Marci Hopkins is an award-winning television host, author, and mental health advocate. She’s the creator and host of Wake Up with Marcy, which has earned three Telly Awards and two Anthem Awards for excellence in social impact. Ten and a half years sober, Marci’s journey from functioning alcoholic to sobriety advocate began with childhood trauma — abuse, abandonment, and a home shaped by her mother’s alcoholism. After two earlier attempts at sobriety that lasted only months, a second DUI in 2015 became the rock-bottom moment that changed everything. Her memoir Chaos to Clarity: Seeing the Signs and Breaking the Cycles told that story, and her latest, Wake Up, You’re Not Broken: A Companion for Your First 30 Days of Sobriety, distills everything she’s learned into a day-by-day guide. Mike and Marci talk about the spiritual signs that called her to write, why stopping drinking isn’t the same as getting well, the neuroscience behind cravings and habits, and how daily small actions can literally rewire the brain.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
1. Surrender, not force, made the difference. Marci tried getting sober twice before — once in her early 20s after a DUI and again at 44. Both times lasted about three months. What changed in 2015 was an internal surrender: she woke up knowing she couldn’t live that way anymore and asked for help.
2. Signs confirmed the calling to write. When Marci finally said “Okay, God, I’m going to write this book,” a rainbow appeared, two doves landed on her roof, and a dragonfly — her spiritual symbol — flew by. She took that as confirmation she was on the right path.
3. Writing the memoir was its own therapy. Reliving trauma on the page was painful at first, but over the year it took to write Chaos to Clarity, Marci reached a place where those stories no longer defined her. She could read and share them without breaking down.
4. Stopping isn’t the same as healing. You can quit drinking and still be miserable. Without addressing the emotional root causes — the trauma, the victim identity, the inability to connect — you’re just a sober version of the same sick person. The inner work is where real change happens.
5. Addiction masks emotion. Whether it’s alcohol, social media, shopping, or food, the root is the same: filling a void, avoiding confrontation with painful truths. The dopamine reward cycle keeps you chasing a feeling that diminishes over time.
6. People, places, and things all need to change. Muscle memory is real — the wine glass, the bar, the drinking buddy. Marci got rid of her wine glass. Rewiring requires changing the physical environment and daily habits, not just willpower.
7. Neuroplasticity is the science of hope. Our brains are like plastic — we can literally change how we think through daily actions and new modalities. It’s not overnight, but it’s real and it’s available to everyone.
8. The book is a hand to hold. Wake Up, You’re Not Broken is structured as 30 days, each with a personal story, a reflection, a tool, a journal prompt, and an affirmation. Plus expert contributions on what your body and mind go through in early sobriety, and modern alternatives to the 12-step program.
9. Spirituality as connection, not religion. Marci reframed her relationship with God — from a punishing figure in the sky to a “mass divine energy of love” that connects all of us. Daily meditation became the channel through which clarity came.
10. A morning routine changes everything. Marci credits her morning practice as one of the most important shifts in her recovery. She offers a free morning routine guide to anyone who reaches out.
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GET THE BOOKS
Wake Up, You’re Not Broken: A Companion for Your First 30 Days of Sobriety by Marci Hopkins
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Wake+Up+You%27re+Not+Broken+Marci+Hopkins&tag=rettocasgra-20
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/wake+up+you%27re+not+broken+marci+hopkins
Chaos to Clarity: Seeing the Signs and Breaking the Cycles by Marci Hopkins
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Chaos+to+Clarity+Marci+Hopkins&tag=rettocasgra-20
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CONNECT WITH MARCI
Website: https://wakeupwithmarcy.com
Email: wakeupwithmarcy@gmail.com (reach out for a free morning routine guide)
Show: Wake Up with Marcy (3x Telly Award winner, 2x Anthem Award winner)
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CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST
Mike Carlon | Uncorking a Story
Website: https://uncorkingastory.com
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LinkedIn: Uncorking a Story — https://www.linkedin.com/company/uncorking-a-story/
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Uncorking a Story is produced by Mike Carlon. New episodes drop every Tuesday.
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