Episode Details

Success is personal—and it's okay to change your mind. Mary Beth O'Connor joins us to share her transformative journey from attorney to recovery advocate, redefining her measures of success along the way. Together, we explore the power of self-reflection, the courage to pivot, and the importance of embracing our individual paths to help you define and achieve your unique version of success.

Key takeaways to listen for

• The importance of periodically re-evaluating your goals and values

• Strategies to balance societal expectations with personal happiness

• How to let go of guilt when prioritizing personal fulfillment over traditional measures of success

• Recognizing when it's time for a career or life transition—and how to plan for it

• Techniques for redefining success at every stage of life

Resources mentioned in this episode

• From Junkie to Judge: One Woman's Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction by Mary Beth O'Connor | Paperback and Kindle

• The Wall Street Journal

About Mary Beth O'Connor

Mary Beth is a board member of LifeRing Secular Recovery, and She Recovers Foundation. She speaks on behalf of these organizations, about multiple paths to recovery, and about all topics related to substance use disorder and recovery. She also speaks about sexual abuse and rape, child abuse, domestic violence, PTSD, anxiety, and recovering from these as well.

Mary Beth's award-winning memoir, From Junkie to Judge: One Woman's Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other sites and at your local bookstore. She also has placed essays in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and Recovery Today.

Professionally, 6 years into recovery, Mary Beth attended Berkeley Law. She worked at a large firm in Silicon Valley and then litigated class actions for the federal government. In 2014, Mary Beth was appointed a federal Administrative Law Judge, a position from which she retired in 2020.

Connect with Mary Beth

• Website: From Junkie to Judge

• Facebook: Mary Beth O'Connor

• LinkedIn: Mary Beth (Holub) O'Connor

• X (formerly Twitter): @MaryBethO_

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