August 12, 2025 • 13 mins
Caroline Biesalski introduces Dr. Cali Estes, who shares her expertise in the field of addiction. The episode delves into understanding addiction, addressing common types and misconceptions surrounding the issue. Cali outlines the crucial first steps in recovery, offering valuable guidance for those beginning their journey. Listeners are provided with ways to connect with Cali online, enhancing support options. The discussion highlights the role of mentorship in addiction recovery and examines the gender disparity present in the field. Kelly shares her future aspirations, giving insight into her ongoing work. The episode concludes with closing thoughts and a special offer for listeners.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
So this is gonna sound crazy, but I have neverhad a mentor in this space because the space of
addiction is mostly men-oriented.
And when I came into this space, there were noother women to mentor, and the men didn't want
a woman in this space.
So I sort of bulldozed my way in and just keptgoing and going and going and going until I got
(00:22):
to the level that I'm at.
And now I've gained that respect of, wow, shereally just kept going despite adversity and
people not wanting to support me.
Now I'm at that level where it's like, okay.
She's actually really created something that'sworking.
Now we have to respect her.
Welcome to Inspired Choice Today.
I'm your host, Caroline Biesalski, here tobring you authentic stories, surprising
(00:45):
lessons, and powerful takeaways to fuel yourjourney in business and life.
In each episode, I'll take you from oneinspiring guest to the next, blending their
experiences with my expertise to uncoverpractical strategies you can use right away.
Whether you're starting out or stepping up,stay tuned for insights and actionable tips
(01:08):
that make a difference, and stick around untilthe end for a special freebie just for our
listeners.
Hello, and welcome, Inspired podcast community.
This is your new episode.
My name is Caroline, and my today's guest isDr.
Kelly Estes.
And I'm so happy that she said yes to ourinterview.
(01:30):
How are you doing today?
I'm doing great.
How are you?
Oh, I'm fantastic because we get to talk today,and I would like to introduce you to the
audience.
Of course, you are a world-renowned addictionand mental health expert who turned your own
struggles into a mission to help others.
(01:53):
From overcoming addiction and homelessness tobuilding the largest addiction education
company globally, you now offer elite conciergeaddiction services and have been featured on
major media outlets including CNN, Forbes, andthe Dr.
Drew show.
Welcome to the Inspired Choice Today podcast,Dr.
(02:14):
Kelly Estes.
Thank you, Caroline.
I'm happy to be here.
Thank you so much
for doing this, for being my guest today.
And my first question is your journey fromaddiction to global impact is remarkable.
What was the turning point that made youbelieve transformation was possible for you?
(02:35):
For me, it was when my first client had a yearsober, and they called me and said, the tools
you gave me are what kept me going.
And that was really cool for me.
So that made me realize I'm doing the rightthing, and I'm in the right industry, and I'm
in the right space.
(02:55):
Oh, what a great answer.
So you had the results that showed up, and thenyou had confidence, so to say, to keep going.
Yes.
Yep.
Thank you so much.
And you work with top CEOs, musicians, andactors.
What's the biggest misconception people haveabout addiction in high-achieving individuals?
(03:19):
Most people think that because you'resuccessful in business, that you'll be
successful in every area of your life, andthat's not true.
A lot of people that are super successful inbusiness have an addiction.
And it might be Amazon Prime.
It might be mental health issues.
It might be drugs.
It might be gambling.
There's something that's stopping them fromgetting to the next level.
(03:43):
So what I do is help them get through thatissue, whatever it is, and get to the next
level.
And a lot of times, the addiction is not theirproblem.
It's their solution to a problem.
So I try to get to the bottom of what theiractual problem is.
And once we solve that, then the addiction, themental health, or the drugs, or the gambling,
(04:03):
or the sex, or the Amazon Prime, or the sugarseems to go away because we figured out the why
behind it.
Oh, what a great answer.
Thank you so much for sharing.
And I was asking myself also about there areseveral types of addiction, and what is the
definition of addiction?
So we have two different types.
(04:25):
We have drugs and alcohol, which are chemical.
So you're putting something chemical into yourbody, and then we have what's called a process
addiction, and that's where it's not chemical.
So it may be sex addiction, Amazon Prime,social media, any of those things because
they're not something you're putting in yourbody, they're something you're doing.
You're engaged in that activity, like gamblingor video gaming, and it makes the dopamine in
(04:50):
your brain ping.
So you get this big release of dopamine, thebig happy chemical.
It feels great, and then you stop doing theactivity, and then you feel sad again, or you
feel depressed, or you feel anxious again.
So that's called a process addiction becausewe're not putting in a chemical, we're using
the body's own chemical to be addicted.
(05:10):
Oh, yes.
Thank you so much for explaining this to me.
And I thought when you talked about the releaseof dopamine, then it is like it is something I
cannot process without the process or withoutthe chemicals?
Yeah.
So dopamine in the brain is the happy chemical.
(05:31):
So think of it this way.
When you have a big trip coming up, you getexcited.
Right?
I'm gonna go on vacation.
I'm not gonna answer my phone.
I'm gonna go swimming and biking and hiking andsleep in a little tent.
You get excited.
Right?
That excitement is a release of dopamine.
So that happens when we exercise.
So when people say to me I'm sad, I'll say do50 squats.
(05:53):
And when you do the 50 squats, your brainreleases this dopamine, which is the happy
chemical.
Think of it this way too.
If you play the lottery and you win, and you'reall excited, you paid $10 for the ticket, and
you won $50.
You're like, yay.
I made $40.
All of that is dopamine.
So your brain just gets so excited and then youfeel good and you're happy, but then it comes
(06:14):
down.
And then you're like, oh, I'm sad again.
So you buy another lottery ticket.
And maybe this time, you don't win, and you'restill sad.
So you buy another one.
So you're looking for that hit of dopamine overand over again, and you're not getting it,
which makes you wanna do the thing more untilyou get it.
And that's how addiction works.
Wow.
And you said earlier that the addiction is thesolution.
(06:38):
The solution.
Something.
It's what?
The solution.
The solution.
Yes.
So addiction is never your problem.
It's your solution to a problem.
So I always ask, what's the problem?
Why are you sad?
Why are you anxious?
What's causing that?
And if we figure that out and we solve it, youwon't want drugs or alcohol because you won't
(07:02):
have that problem anymore.
Yes.
That's yeah.
Thank you so much for doing this.
And, of course, I have another question foryou.
It is for someone struggling with addiction ordestructive patterns, what is the first step
they can take today to reclaim their life?
(07:22):
First step is acknowledging that it's out ofcontrol.
So, okay, I have a problem.
I have to fix this.
Once you realize that, now you're in the stepof change.
So now you're ready to accept help.
You're ready to fix that underlying cause.
So that's the very first step.
Once you've done that, I tell everybody reachout.
(07:43):
Grab a therapist or take a look at, you know,maybe getting into a program or getting with a
coach that can help you go through the feelingsyou have and the issues that you're having so
that you feel better instantly.
When I say instantly, within the first week orso, you're gonna feel better as you start to
process some of this stuff.
(08:03):
Well, that's a great answer.
Thank you so much.
So it's about asking for help, asking forsupport once you realize you have a problem.
And, yeah, you become aware of it, and then youcan work on changing something.
And please tell me where can we find you whenpeople want to reach out to you after listening
(08:25):
to this episode.
So we are at sober on demand dot com or theaddiction coach online.com, or you can just
Google my name, Kelly Estes, and reach out byany of these social media channels.
Wow.
That's so great.
Thank you so much.
(08:45):
I follow you, and I put the links in the shownotes, of course.
And I have another question for you about yourcoaches and mentors because you talked about
support.
And do you have coaches for yourself?
And who was the best coach you ever had?
So this is gonna sound crazy, but I have neverhad a mentor in this space because the space of
(09:08):
addiction is mostly men-oriented.
And when I came into this space, there were noother women to mentor, and the men didn't want
a woman in the space.
So I sort of bulldozed my way in and just keptgoing and going and going and going until I got
to the level that I'm at.
And now I've gained that respect of, wow, shereally just kept going despite adversity and
(09:31):
people not wanting to support me.
Now I'm at that level where it's like, okay.
She's actually really created something that'sworking.
Now we have to respect her.
Oh, I love that answer.
Thank you for sharing because that leads me toanother question.
Do you think we need more women in the field,in the profession you do?
(09:52):
We do.
And we need more women at a high level becausethere's a lot of women executives that have
alcohol problems and drug addiction, AmazonPrime.
They're in bad marriages, etc., and we don'thave qualified people at that level to help
them.
So that was my goal.
I have a five-day executive reset, and it's forthe high-functioning professional that doesn't
(10:15):
wanna go to rehab, that doesn't have time,where I come to them for five days, and we do a
deep dive, everything from memoryreconstruction therapy, all the way into an
EMDR component, all the way into an NLPcomponent, and we get to the bottom of the why,
and we solve it.
And within five days, they see their whole lifeshift.
So I think it's very important we get some moregood qualified women in this space.
(10:40):
Wow.
Thank you for sharing this.
Of course.
Yes.
We need more because it is maybe a topic wedon't talk about, nobody knows, and these are
the high-achieving people, and they needsupport.
They do.
Thank you so much.
Okay.
My last question for you is about your goalsand intentions.
(11:01):
Do you set goals for yourself, and what is oneof your next projects?
So I just finished my sixth book, that came outin October called I Married a Junkie, the Final
Chapter, and that was the story of my husbandand me.
He passed away two years ago from long-termdrug use.
So that was the end of that book.
So I am working on, for this year, scaling mycompany, and we are offering continuing
(11:27):
education units for therapists and socialworkers and nurses.
That's a new piece that we've offered.
We're adding that in.
And we also have an affiliate program thatwe're scaling for people that want to take our
courses and sell our courses.
So we're working on that as well.
So those are the two new big things from mycompany for this year.
Oh, I love that so much.
(11:47):
Thank you for doing this work and for inspiringus today.
Now it's time for your final thoughts to theaudience, please.
Well, I just want to say thank you for havingme on.
And if you're struggling with addiction ormental health, definitely reach out.
I'm Dr.
Kelly Estes.
If I can't help you, I will refer you in thecorrect direction.
(12:09):
Oh, thank you so much.
Yes.
Please reach out to Dr.
Kelly.
She's amazing.
She shares her knowledge and wisdom and hermethod to, yeah, to solve your problems, to
change, to make a change in your life.
I'm inspired.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Thank you for having me.
And I see you in the next.
(12:31):
Thank you for listening to Inspired ChoiceToday.
I'm thrilled to have you on this journey ofgrowth and transformation.
Don't forget to hit follow or subscribe to stayconnected and never miss an episode.
And here's something special.
Grab your free 20-minute breakthrough sessionwith me.
It's designed to help you kick-start or levelup your business.
(12:55):
Just check out the show notes for more.
Until next time, keep making those inspiredchoices.
See you in the next episode.
So this is gonna sound crazy, but I have neverhad a mentor in this space because the space of
addiction is mostly men-oriented.
And when I came into this space, there were noother women to mentor, and the men didn't want
a woman in this space.
So I sort of bulldozed my way in and just keptgoing and going and going and going until I got
(00:22):
to the level that I'm at.
And now I've gained that respect of, wow, shereally just kept going despite adversity and
people not wanting to support me.
Now I'm at that level where it's like, okay.
She's actually really created something that'sworking.
Now we have to respect her.
Welcome to Inspired Choice Today.
I'm your host, Caroline Biesalski, here tobring you authentic stories, surprising
(00:45):
lessons, and powerful takeaways to fuel yourjourney in business and life.
In each episode, I'll take you from oneinspiring guest to the next, blending their
experiences with my expertise to uncoverpractical strategies you can use right away.
Whether you're starting out or stepping up,stay tuned for insights and actionable tips
(01:08):
that make a difference, and stick around untilthe end for a special freebie just for our
listeners.
Hello, and welcome, Inspired podcast community.
This is your new episode.
My name is Caroline, and my today's guest isDr.
Kelly Estes.
And I'm so happy that she said yes to ourinterview.
(01:30):
How are you doing today?
I'm doing great.
How are you?
Oh, I'm fantastic because we get to talk today,and I would like to introduce you to the
audience.
Of course, you are a world-renowned addictionand mental health expert who turned your own
struggles into a mission to help others.
(01:53):
From overcoming addiction and homelessness tobuilding the largest addiction education
company globally, you now offer elite conciergeaddiction services and have been featured on
major media outlets including CNN, Forbes, andthe Dr.
Drew show.
Welcome to the Inspired Choice Today podcast,Dr.
(02:14):
Kelly Estes.
Thank you, Caroline.
I'm happy to be here.
Thank you so much
for doing this, for being my guest today.
And my first question is your journey fromaddiction to global impact is remarkable.
What was the turning point that made youbelieve transformation was possible for you?
(02:35):
For me, it was when my first client had a yearsober, and they called me and said, the tools
you gave me are what kept me going.
And that was really cool for me.
So that made me realize I'm doing the rightthing, and I'm in the right industry, and I'm
in the right space.
(02:55):
Oh, what a great answer.
So you had the results that showed up, and thenyou had confidence, so to say, to keep going.
Yes.
Yep.
Thank you so much.
And you work with top CEOs, musicians, andactors.
What's the biggest misconception people haveabout addiction in high-achieving individuals?
(03:19):
Most people think that because you'resuccessful in business, that you'll be
successful in every area of your life, andthat's not true.
A lot of people that are super successful inbusiness have an addiction.
And it might be Amazon Prime.
It might be mental health issues.
It might be drugs.
It might be gambling.
There's something that's stopping them fromgetting to the next level.
(03:43):
So what I do is help them get through thatissue, whatever it is, and get to the next
level.
And a lot of times, the addiction is not theirproblem.
It's their solution to a problem.
So I try to get to the bottom of what theiractual problem is.
And once we solve that, then the addiction, themental health, or the drugs, or the gambling,
(04:03):
or the sex, or the Amazon Prime, or the sugarseems to go away because we figured out the why
behind it.
Oh, what a great answer.
Thank you so much for sharing.
And I was asking myself also about there areseveral types of addiction, and what is the
definition of addiction?
So we have two different types.
(04:25):
We have drugs and alcohol, which are chemical.
So you're putting something chemical into yourbody, and then we have what's called a process
addiction, and that's where it's not chemical.
So it may be sex addiction, Amazon Prime,social media, any of those things because
they're not something you're putting in yourbody, they're something you're doing.
You're engaged in that activity, like gamblingor video gaming, and it makes the dopamine in
(04:50):
your brain ping.
So you get this big release of dopamine, thebig happy chemical.
It feels great, and then you stop doing theactivity, and then you feel sad again, or you
feel depressed, or you feel anxious again.
So that's called a process addiction becausewe're not putting in a chemical, we're using
the body's own chemical to be addicted.
(05:10):
Oh, yes.
Thank you so much for explaining this to me.
And I thought when you talked about the releaseof dopamine, then it is like it is something I
cannot process without the process or withoutthe chemicals?
Yeah.
So dopamine in the brain is the happy chemical.
(05:31):
So think of it this way.
When you have a big trip coming up, you getexcited.
Right?
I'm gonna go on vacation.
I'm not gonna answer my phone.
I'm gonna go swimming and biking and hiking andsleep in a little tent.
You get excited.
Right?
That excitement is a release of dopamine.
So that happens when we exercise.
So when people say to me I'm sad, I'll say do50 squats.
(05:53):
And when you do the 50 squats, your brainreleases this dopamine, which is the happy
chemical.
Think of it this way too.
If you play the lottery and you win, and you'reall excited, you paid $10 for the ticket, and
you won $50.
You're like, yay.
I made $40.
All of that is dopamine.
So your brain just gets so excited and then youfeel good and you're happy, but then it comes
(06:14):
down.
And then you're like, oh, I'm sad again.
So you buy another lottery ticket.
And maybe this time, you don't win, and you'restill sad.
So you buy another one.
So you're looking for that hit of dopamine overand over again, and you're not getting it,
which makes you wanna do the thing more untilyou get it.
And that's how addiction works.
Wow.
And you said earlier that the addiction is thesolution.
(06:38):
The solution.
Something.
It's what?
The solution.
The solution.
Yes.
So addiction is never your problem.
It's your solution to a problem.
So I always ask, what's the problem?
Why are you sad?
Why are you anxious?
What's causing that?
And if we figure that out and we solve it, youwon't want drugs or alcohol because you won't
(07:02):
have that problem anymore.
Yes.
That's yeah.
Thank you so much for doing this.
And, of course, I have another question foryou.
It is for someone struggling with addiction ordestructive patterns, what is the first step
they can take today to reclaim their life?
(07:22):
First step is acknowledging that it's out ofcontrol.
So, okay, I have a problem.
I have to fix this.
Once you realize that, now you're in the stepof change.
So now you're ready to accept help.
You're ready to fix that underlying cause.
So that's the very first step.
Once you've done that, I tell everybody reachout.
(07:43):
Grab a therapist or take a look at, you know,maybe getting into a program or getting with a
coach that can help you go through the feelingsyou have and the issues that you're having so
that you feel better instantly.
When I say instantly, within the first week orso, you're gonna feel better as you start to
process some of this stuff.
(08:03):
Well, that's a great answer.
Thank you so much.
So it's about asking for help, asking forsupport once you realize you have a problem.
And, yeah, you become aware of it, and then youcan work on changing something.
And please tell me where can we find you whenpeople want to reach out to you after listening
(08:25):
to this episode.
So we are at sober on demand dot com or theaddiction coach online.com, or you can just
Google my name, Kelly Estes, and reach out byany of these social media channels.
Wow.
That's so great.
Thank you so much.
(08:45):
I follow you, and I put the links in the shownotes, of course.
And I have another question for you about yourcoaches and mentors because you talked about
support.
And do you have coaches for yourself?
And who was the best coach you ever had?
So this is gonna sound crazy, but I have neverhad a mentor in this space because the space of
(09:08):
addiction is mostly men-oriented.
And when I came into this space, there were noother women to mentor, and the men didn't want
a woman in the space.
So I sort of bulldozed my way in and just keptgoing and going and going and going until I got
to the level that I'm at.
And now I've gained that respect of, wow, shereally just kept going despite adversity and
(09:31):
people not wanting to support me.
Now I'm at that level where it's like, okay.
She's actually really created something that'sworking.
Now we have to respect her.
Oh, I love that answer.
Thank you for sharing because that leads me toanother question.
Do you think we need more women in the field,in the profession you do?
(09:52):
We do.
And we need more women at a high level becausethere's a lot of women executives that have
alcohol problems and drug addiction, AmazonPrime.
They're in bad marriages, etc., and we don'thave qualified people at that level to help
them.
So that was my goal.
I have a five-day executive reset, and it's forthe high-functioning professional that doesn't
(10:15):
wanna go to rehab, that doesn't have time,where I come to them for five days, and we do a
deep dive, everything from memoryreconstruction therapy, all the way into an
EMDR component, all the way into an NLPcomponent, and we get to the bottom of the why,
and we solve it.
And within five days, they see their whole lifeshift.
So I think it's very important we get some moregood qualified women in this space.
(10:40):
Wow.
Thank you for sharing this.
Of course.
Yes.
We need more because it is maybe a topic wedon't talk about, nobody knows, and these are
the high-achieving people, and they needsupport.
They do.
Thank you so much.
Okay.
My last question for you is about your goalsand intentions.
(11:01):
Do you set goals for yourself, and what is oneof your next projects?
So I just finished my sixth book, that came outin October called I Married a Junkie, the Final
Chapter, and that was the story of my husbandand me.
He passed away two years ago from long-termdrug use.
So that was the end of that book.
So I am working on, for this year, scaling mycompany, and we are offering continuing
(11:27):
education units for therapists and socialworkers and nurses.
That's a new piece that we've offered.
We're adding that in.
And we also have an affiliate program thatwe're scaling for people that want to take our
courses and sell our courses.
So we're working on that as well.
So those are the two new big things from mycompany for this year.
Oh, I love that so much.
(11:47):
Thank you for doing this work and for inspiringus today.
Now it's time for your final thoughts to theaudience, please.
Well, I just want to say thank you for havingme on.
And if you're struggling with addiction ormental health, definitely reach out.
I'm Dr.
Kelly Estes.
If I can't help you, I will refer you in thecorrect direction.
(12:09):
Oh, thank you so much.
Yes.
Please reach out to Dr.
Kelly.
She's amazing.
She shares her knowledge and wisdom and hermethod to, yeah, to solve your problems, to
change, to make a change in your life.
I'm inspired.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Thank you for having me.
And I see you in the next.
(12:31):
Thank you for listening to Inspired ChoiceToday.
I'm thrilled to have you on this journey ofgrowth and transformation.
Don't forget to hit follow or subscribe to stayconnected and never miss an episode.
And here's something special.
Grab your free 20-minute breakthrough sessionwith me.
It's designed to help you kick-start or levelup your business.
(12:55):
Just check out the show notes for more.
Until next time, keep making those inspiredchoices.
See you in the next episode.
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