Mess to Millions

Erica Carrico

What if your rock bottom was actually the foundation for your empire? Welcome to Mess to Millions, the unfiltered podcast where trauma becomes triumph, breakdowns turn into breakthroughs, and pain fuels serious profit. Hosted by Erica Carrico, cancer survivor, single mom, recovering perfectionist, and proof that sometimes you have to fall apart to finally fall into place. Eight years ago, cancer gave Erica an ultimatum: change or die. What followed was her “life explosion era”: divorce, job loss, and starting over from scratch. The twist? Losing everything became the catalyst for building a multimillion-dollar purpose-driven business and helping over a million people discover that their hardest chapters can unlock their greatest comebacks. This show is for women who have survived what should have broken them, who are done with toxic positivity, and who are ready to believe their mess can become their million-dollar message. Each week, Erica goes deep into the stories we usually whisper about: childhood trauma, burnout, divorce, toxic relationships, business failures, and how to alchemize all of it into abundance. Expect raw conversations, healing strategies, business wisdom, and yes, a few tears (the good kind). Because transformation isn’t always pretty… but it is powerful. Your biggest disasters might be your most valuable education. Your deepest wounds might hold your greatest wisdom. And your story? It’s not just your superpower, it could be someone else’s survival guide. Subscribe now to Mess to Millions and join us in rewriting what success really looks like. Because your breakdown might just be your breakthrough.

  1. JAN 7

    EP 13 - Becoming Mom and Mogul: The Truth About Single Motherhood and Building an Empire

    My daughter said something to me the other day that stopped me in my tracks: "Mom, you're a stay-at-home mom, right??" I run a multimillion-dollar business. I've been in Forbes. I wrote a book. And my daughter thinks I'm a stay-at-home mom. That, my loves, is the goal. In this episode, I'm sharing exactly how I designed my business to work FOR my life as a mom... not the other way around. No more choosing between your kids and your calling. You'll hear about: 💜 What my life looked like before: 25 private clients, 6-month waitlist, drowning while going through a divorce 💜 Why I don't believe in "balance"—I believe in DESIGN 💜 How I restructured from private clients to a group program (and why it was terrifying) 💜 My non-negotiable work hours: after school drop-off, done by 3:30 pickup 💜 Why I hired help at home but NOT a nanny—and the difference that makes 💜 What my kids are learning by watching me build this way If you've been told you have to choose between success and presence... if you're a slave to your own business... if you want your kids to see a different reality of what a successful woman looks like... This episode is your permission slip to design something different. Your mess is your message. Let's turn it into millions together. 💜 Get my book Awaken Your Purpose at ericacarrico.com/books To learn more, visit: http://www.ericacarrico.com/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: http://missionmatters.com/author/Erica-Carrico/

    15 min
  2. 12/24/2025

    EP 11 - 5 Years Sober - What Nobody Tells You: The Life I Built Without the Wine Glass

    Last week I told you how I got sober. Today I'm telling you what happened next. Five years without a drink. And here's what nobody tells you: I lost friends. People stopped inviting me to things - mom trips involved wine, get-togethers felt weird when I wasn't drinking.  I realized I couldn't relate to people anymore. The conversations all felt surface level. People repeat themselves after a few drinks and don't even notice. I had to completely rewire my life. No beer after skiing. No bars. No happy hours. Nothing to take the edge off. Ever. Dating was brutal. Everyone wants drinks on a first date. I dated a guy who quit drinking but smoked pot daily - just trading one numbing agent for another. I'd rather be alone than with someone running from themselves. In these five years, I've gone through divorce, custody battles, watching my kids go through things they shouldn't. The courts not doing proper investigations. Lost friends, partners, the life I thought I'd have. All without anything to take the edge off. But here's what ELSE happened: My business hit million-dollar revenue. I was featured in Forbes and NY Times. I wrote a book. I bought horses, a mountain house, investment properties. I built a nest egg for my kids. After years of dating, I found a sober partner - the healthiest relationship I've ever had. My body healed. I'm in perimenopause and healthier than I've been in years. My kids see me FULLY ALIVE. In this episode: 💜 The friendships I lost (and why it's okay) 💜 Dating sober until I found my person 💜 Going through hell without the edge 💜 Forbes, NY Times, and million-dollar years 💜 Falling in love with myself Less friends. More life. It's worth it. Get Awaken Your Purpose at ericacarrico.com/books 💜 To learn more, visit: http://www.ericacarrico.com/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: http://missionmatters.com/author/Erica-Carrico/

    19 min
  3. 12/17/2025

    EP 10 - The Day I Put Down the Wine Glass: My Sobriety Story

    I woke up one morning and couldn't remember if I had bathed my kids the night before. That was the lowest moment of my motherhood. And the moment everything changed. Drinking had always been part of my life. Sorority in college. Living abroad and trying local wines. Corporate recruitment culture with boozy lunches and happy hours. Marriage, where a cheese platter and a bottle of wine became our only reprieve. It never felt like a problem. Until it did. In March 2020, I won International Coach of the Year in Australia. On that same trip, I finally decided to leave my marriage after 7 years of trying to find the courage. I flew home, told my husband I wanted a divorce... and then the entire world shut down. Nine months trapped in a house with someone I'd just asked to divorce. Homeschooling two kids. No gym. No mountains. No escape. The couple-times-a-week glass became nightly. The nightly glass became two. Then a bottle. The 5pm start became 3pm. And all day, I thought about when I could have my first drink. My best friend said I was just coping. But if you feel like you have a problem, you DO. In this episode: 💜 How "normal" drinking became a problem 💜 What alcohol actually does to your body and mind 💜 The morning that broke me open 💜 Why I needed to go through my transformation sober 💜 The book that changed everything I haven't had a drink since. Not because I'm "fixed," but because I finally understand what alcohol was taking from me. If something in this episode makes you uncomfortable - pay attention to that. Get Awaken Your Purpose at ericacarrico.com/books 💜 To learn more, visit: http://www.ericacarrico.com/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: http://missionmatters.com/author/Erica-Carrico/

    20 min
  4. 12/10/2025

    EP 09 - When Staying Is the Wrong Kind of Brave (a follow up to "My Marriage Was Killing Me")

    "When Staying Is the Wrong Kind of Brave" - A Follow-Up to The Marriage That Was Killing Me After Episode 6 aired, my inbox exploded. Hundreds of messages from women saying, "It's like you were describing my life." So this episode is for you. The one who's dying inside while everyone thinks you're fine. The one who stopped caring because caring hurts too much. The one who's staying out of fear, not love. In this episode, I answer the questions you've been afraid to ask: 💜 How do you know if it's really over or just a rough patch? 💜 What about the kids? Won't divorce traumatize them? 💜 Why does he say he's "blindsided" when I've been unhappy for years? 💜 How did I find the courage to actually leave? 💜 What questions helped me get clarity? I share the moment my son asked why married people sleep in the same bed—because we'd been in separate rooms so long he thought it was normal. The relationship coach who told me I was "like Schwarzenegger with tits." The vision that kept me going when everything fell apart. This isn't me telling you to leave. Only you know what's true for you. But if you've stopped caring... if staying feels like dying... if you can't remember who you were before this relationship... You already know. Deep down, you already know. My book Awaken Your Purpose is the 28-day framework that helped me rebuild after leaving. Get your copy: https://ericacarrico.com/books You deserve to be fully alive. 💜 To learn more, visit: http://www.ericacarrico.com/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: http://missionmatters.com/author/Erica-Carrico/

    26 min
  5. 12/03/2025

    EP 08 - From $29K to Millions - How I Rewrote My Money Story

    I used to make $29,000 a year. Twenty-nine thousand dollars as a nonprofit director with a master's degree, barely able to keep the lights on. But the real problem wasn't the salary. It was my money story. I believed men create wealth. Women support. So I stayed small, underpaid, and dependent—waiting for someone else to save me financially. Then cancer woke me up. Lying in that hospital bed, I realized: I'm the only one who can secure my children's future. Not my husband. Not anyone else. Me. That's when everything shifted. I decided to become a single mom who uplevels instead of downgrades. In this episode, I share: 💜 The money story that kept me stuck at $29K 💜 Why I was pushing my husband to provide instead of creating wealth myself 💜 The wake-up call that changed everything 💜 The golden ticket formula: natural gifts + passion + value creation = wealth 💜 How I went from $29K to building a multimillion-dollar business as a single mom 💜 The 3 questions that will shift your entire relationship with money 💜 Why aligning with your purpose is the key to financial freedom Whether you want to build a million-dollar business or finally stop living paycheck to paycheck—this episode is for you. You don't need anyone to save you. You can save yourself. My book, Awaken Your Purpose, is the 28-day framework that took me from $29K to millions. It shows you how to get crystal clear on your purpose and build wealth doing what you love.  Get your copy at ericacarrico.com/books Your purpose is your paycheck, love. It's time to claim it. 💜 To learn more, visit: http://www.ericacarrico.com/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: http://missionmatters.com/author/Erica-Carrico/

    28 min
  6. 11/26/2025

    EP 07 - My Divorce Glow-up: How Leaving My Marriage Made Me Millions

    Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is let go. For years, I tried to make it work with someone on a completely different path. I craved depth and soul-level connection. He wanted surface and safety. Two unhealed hearts drinking away the disconnection, traveling to avoid the truth. The breaking point: my son said he was shocked that married people sleep in the same bed. We'd been in separate rooms so long he thought that was normal. So I chose me. In this episode, I share what blossomed after I honored my truth: 💜 Finding myself again after years of being lost 💜 Releasing alcohol and discovering clarity 💜 Opening to unexpected love (including falling for a woman) 💜 Creating a sanctuary home that truly holds me 💜 Building thriving abundance on my own terms 💜 Learning I am completely whole on my own My children are flourishing because they have a mama who's fully alive. If you're shrinking, if you're dying inside, if your soul is whispering that something needs to change—this episode is for you. This is about what grows when you stop abandoning yourself and finally come home to your own soul. My book, Awaken Your Purpose, is the 28-day framework that has helped thousands of people discover their life purpose and live an aligned life. Get your copy at https://ericacarrico.com/books  Your purpose is waiting. 💜 To learn more, visit: http://www.ericacarrico.com/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: http://missionmatters.com/author/Erica-Carrico/

    28 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

What if your rock bottom was actually the foundation for your empire? Welcome to Mess to Millions, the unfiltered podcast where trauma becomes triumph, breakdowns turn into breakthroughs, and pain fuels serious profit. Hosted by Erica Carrico, cancer survivor, single mom, recovering perfectionist, and proof that sometimes you have to fall apart to finally fall into place. Eight years ago, cancer gave Erica an ultimatum: change or die. What followed was her “life explosion era”: divorce, job loss, and starting over from scratch. The twist? Losing everything became the catalyst for building a multimillion-dollar purpose-driven business and helping over a million people discover that their hardest chapters can unlock their greatest comebacks. This show is for women who have survived what should have broken them, who are done with toxic positivity, and who are ready to believe their mess can become their million-dollar message. Each week, Erica goes deep into the stories we usually whisper about: childhood trauma, burnout, divorce, toxic relationships, business failures, and how to alchemize all of it into abundance. Expect raw conversations, healing strategies, business wisdom, and yes, a few tears (the good kind). Because transformation isn’t always pretty… but it is powerful. Your biggest disasters might be your most valuable education. Your deepest wounds might hold your greatest wisdom. And your story? It’s not just your superpower, it could be someone else’s survival guide. Subscribe now to Mess to Millions and join us in rewriting what success really looks like. Because your breakdown might just be your breakthrough.

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