Sharing inspiring success stories that can motivate, educate and inspire positive change is one of the best things about being a dietitian and nutrition journalist. This week, Lauren Haydel, the dynamic founder and CEO of Fleurty Girl, shares her powerful journey to an alcohol-free lifestyle. It’s a story that I hope will inspire many as we head into the new year.
Lauren’s story isn’t about a fleeting resolution or a single dry January. This is a truly transformative lifestyle change. On January 15, 2025, Lauren will celebrate 18 months without alcohol.
Those familiar with Fleurty Girl likely recognize Lauren as the face and bubbly personality behind the retail brand that now spans nine stores, from Baton Rouge to Bay St Louis. What you may not know is that when Lauren launched the Fleurty Girl brand in 2009, she was a single mother of three who used her tax refund to print a few hundred T-shirts.
From the outside, the company’s evolution – and Lauren’s subsequent success in overcoming her alcohol addiction – may have seemed easy. The reality, however, is that both are testaments to Lauren’s strength, spirit and focus.
Fleurty Girl’s rapid growth brought enormous accolades and success, but it also brought pressures like Lauren had never experienced. She found herself turning to alcohol to relax and “keep the noise down.” Over time, this intensified.
“I would be upset if I didn’t have a bottle of wine or vodka at home. I felt like I needed alcohol to de-stress from the day,” Lauren recalls. “I would wake up feeling terrible – I hated it. Worse still, I would forget the conversations from the day before, even with the people I love and care about.
Dip your toe into sobriety
Lauren got her first taste of alcohol-free living a few years ago when she signed up for the Alcohol Free For 40 challenge, hosted annually by our Ochsner Eat Fit team.
“I couldn’t remember the last time I went more than a few days without drinking. It was probably decades ago,” says Lauren. “I didn’t realize how much alcohol affected me until I stopped. These 40 days without alcohol opened my eyes. Everything was better. My skin and even my eyes were clearer and brighter.
But Lauren wasn’t yet determined to make it a longer-term commitment.
“I started drinking again after the challenge was over, and the alcohol had a stronger hold on me than ever,” says Lauren.
“I was tired of living with regrets.”
Years passed before the next big, life-changing moment. After a night of drinking and hazy memories of an evening filled with embarrassment, something finally clicked. This put her firmly on the path to self-discovery and self-discipline.
“I wanted this with every fiber of my being. I made the decision, the commitment: “Today, I am not going to drink. “One day turned into two, then a week, then a month,” she says. “We start to notice the little things around us, these elements of beauty and joy that I haven’t paid attention to in years. And it’s the mental clarity and reduction of anxiety that truly transforms you.
“Don’t borrow from tomorrow.”
I am grateful for Lauren’s generosity and courage in sharing her story. It’s particularly inspiring at a time of year when many of us are preparing to embark on our own journeys – whether it’s Dry January, Alcohol Free for 40 or simply a more mindful approach personal well-being.
Let’s think of this less as a resolution and more as an evolution. We can use Lauren’s story as a catalyst for positive change, an invitation to begin our own life transformation. One choice at a time, we can begin to overcome the addictions and obstacles that tend to obscure our potential.
More than just a test of willpower, it is an opportunity to rediscover parts of ourselves that have been overshadowed by a problematic relationship with alcohol – or other substances or by personal challenges.
Lauren’s words of encouragement speak volumes: “If you’re reading this and you’re hesitant, give it a try. You’ve read this far, so there’s something here to give you pause. It’s the best gift you can give yourself. It’s the best gift I’ve ever given myself.
To hear Lauren Haydel’s full interview, tune in to Molly’s podcast, FUELED Wellness + Nutrition, for a new episode on Thursday, January 5.
Considering giving up alcohol during Lent? Register for the 10th Annual No Alcohol for 40 Challenge at AlcoholFreeFor40.com. The registration deadline is Sunday March 2.
Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, is a registered dietitian at Ochsner Health and founder of Ochsner’s nonprofit Eat Fit initiative. For more wellness content, tune into Molly’s podcast, FUELED Wellness + Nutrition, and follow @MollykimballRD and @EatFitOchsner on social media.