Lexi Zettel (2:18)

Oh, I sure do. Yeah. The most important product.

Host (2:20)

Yes. So let's talk about that. You know, obviously that intro has a lot going on with it, but I want to get into the addiction part where you really help people and that story too, for sure.

Lexi Zettel (2:30)

I am called to be of service and that's why I'm here. That's why I'm writing incredible impact driven literature. I'm writing a very special book right now that's going to speak to Addicts, I hope. And it's called the Adventures of Sedona Rose, A story of reclamation. And it is autofiction. So it touches on my personal experiences with my struggle with fantasy and love addiction specifically, and my trials and triumphs, you know, exploring that world. And I really do think that there's a part of, in all of us that's an addict, you know, and whether you gravitate towards casinos or donuts or, you know, women or gambling or. For me it was love and crafting delusions, basically to help me escape my harsh reality so that I didn't have to deal with the pain that I was in.

Host (3:33)

Well, let me ask you quickly on addiction, and I know you do a lot more too, and we'll come to it later. But why we're here on this is all addiction bad?

Lexi Zettel (3:41)

I think there's a part of me that's an addiction. So like in 12 step program, that's kind of one of the things me and my therapist don't agree with. You introduce yourself. Hi, I'm Lexi and I'm an addict. Yes, I don't agree with that. Hi, I'm Lexi. And there's a part of me that's an addict. And that part really overwhelmed my system for a long period of time. And that, you know, had detriment on my life and. But since like really taking my power back and befriending that part, having compassion for that part, I mean, it's just, just been life changing. Look at the last 10 months of my life. I'm 10 months, seven days clean and sober. This is my third attempt. Third time is a charm. Let me tell you. The first two times I made it a hundred days. And then I went back out and I started to think that I was not capable of more in this lifetime.

Host (4:37)

Wow.

Lexi Zettel (4:37)

And part of me was just about to like, you know, call it a day. Like we, we tried. Maybe I'm just not cut out for it. And it was a really sad, sobering thought. Very humbled to say that. But like, look at me now. I mean, literally, it was like the six month mark. I looked in the mirror and I was like, lex, what do you got glitter in your eye? What is that? I had like this twinkle in my eyes, like the light came back on. And I have been to rehab. I noticed that when people walked in there, the light in their eyes had gone out. And you got to see very quickly in 30 days the transformation that can happen when people literally come back to life and are no longer a ghost of themselves.

Host (5:21)

Yeah, well, and I. What I, you know, I love about most people in this chair is they've gone through pain or adversity, tried to fight it, had some hard times, but, you know, eventually, generally, if they sat here, came out the other side now and then, also motivated, inspired to help others. So. So let's talk about that for a second. You shared a little about your personal journey, and there's more of it in the episode. But what's the attached mission to it? What do you want to do over the next five or 10 years in the addiction space?

Lexi Zettel (5:48)

Ooh, I mean, I want to tell my story through different mediums. I mean, I. I've been developing my TV series for a while, which is much more edgy. It's an erotic thriller. There's a murder mystery, escalations and stakes, and, you know, it's tv. You need that for tv. And then my book will be. I mean, it's the same idea, though. I want to empower addicts to the point where they can realize it's just a part of them, it's not all of them, and they can befriend that part and have compassion for it. Because I do think. I mean, this is really taking it to, like, internal family systems therapy, which I think is just monumental for people to realize that there are parts of themselves, there are aspects. It's not one part. That's all you.

Host (6:38)

Well, and with. With the addiction side, I mean, it. Like you said, it falls into many categories, right? Gambling, alcohol, drugs. You may be looking at. At this overall, what are the factors that lead up and cause addiction?

Lexi Zettel (6:51)

I think the opposite of addiction is connection. So one thing I was missing at a really young age. I remember when I was really little, I would pretend I didn't know how to do my math homework so that my dad would, like, stand behind me and, like, help me with it, like, over my shoulder, like, that closeness I really craved, but it was very inaccessible given, you know, the card I was dealt in the German ancestry. Like, my parents wouldn't even hug, you know what I mean? Like, there wasn't any, like, affection, really, growing up. And then junior year of high school, I moved out of state and I had to audition for the advanced theater class. And all I wanted to do was be an actress, you know, but their system was for the peers to vote on whether you should be in the class or not. So me and one other girl did our monologues, waited outside the classroom door while the peers debated on whether we should be allowed and whether we were Good enough to be in that class or not, they voted yes on her, no on me. So I walked to the counselor crying, and she was like, that's kind of a messed up system. Do you want me to talk to them for you? And I was like, no, if they don't want me, I don't want to be there. And I think I carried that with me, crafted these illusions as far as, like, why I couldn't connect going forward. I remember thinking, I can't make friends here at this school because out of loyalty to my friends back home in that other state, I can't make new connections here. Really. I just was probably so damn scared to be vulnerable again because it's a very hard thing to do. And then when you're shut down like that and also told, like, you're not good enough to pursue your dreams, sweetie, and reject it at such a young age. Yeah, I ate a lot of cookies that year. I sat out alone outside the theater every day that year by myself, so close to my dreams of, like, being on that stage, but so far and, like, I don't need that. I don't even want it because they don't want me.

Host (8:55)

What would you say, you know, if someone's listening and maybe they're struggling with some level of addiction in some form or they know someone that is. Now that you're, you know, trying to educate and help other people work through it, what are some tips you would give them or starting points that you're not alone?

Lexi Zettel (9:14)

I used to feel so lonely in this also, like, just the crafting of the career that I had for a decade. The sugar baby job. Everybody that I was set up with would leave afterwards, Right. Clients, like, wouldn't stay there and, like, actually connect with me or hold my hand. Like, that wasn't the deal. So I set myself up to not connect with the world around me and to feel very lonely in it. And that is fuel for the fire of an addict, you know? And then you just, like, keep building evidence that it's you against the world and you're separate. You build this illusion of separation. Oh, it's. It's. It's really harsh.

Host (10:01)

And that's a great first, you know, I think, point for everyone to frame on. What about a second next step? So first point is realizing you're not alone.

Lexi Zettel (10:09)

Oh, and then diving into community and whether, you know, you have to step through the doors of rehab first or maybe it's not that intense for you, but for me, it's like, yeah, I had to go There. And it was funny. When I went to rehab, I still. I told myself, I need to go to research for my TV series. The character. I need to know what happens to her when she goes to rehab. I created this whole separate identity. Sedona, the character, the protagonist of all my. My art. And. And then said, I need to go for research purposes in the deepest denial. And it's like, it's flabbergasting. Looking back at how. How creative the mind can be and how my imagination really could go to powerful places. Good or not so good. Now it's like my manifestation powers are on fleek. Like, it's incredible, the power that my imagination has now. And it's in such a healthier state. I got the twinkle in my eye back. Like, let's go.

Host (11:15)

Well, I mean, you know, there is. I had someone else that does a lot of mindset and has another show that she's doing on mindset. And one of the interviews she said she did from a famous sort of mindset expert said, you know, your. Your mind can either be your best friend or worst enemy.

Lexi Zettel (11:31)

Right.

Host (11:32)

And it's a great example of that. And when it's maybe in the bad way, it's causing all these problems. And now you flipped it. And now that strength is letting you manifest all these great things on the other side completely.

Lexi Zettel (11:43)

You know, the first role I played in middle school, I was Sandy in Greece. And so I went from good Sandy to bad Sandy. And how fun that role was because I was such a good student in school. I was. I got straight A's. I was such a good girl. Everybody always called me an angel. Growing up, that was the term they would use to describe me. She's an angel. So, like, to be a disruptor deep down, like, all I wanted to do was shake things up. But, like, yeah, that energy that we have within us, I think addicts are so powerful. It's just energy misdirected.

Host (12:19)

Sure.

Lexi Zettel (12:20)

So now that I, like, I'm not putting all the energy into sneaking around or hitting my weed pen before I come out here in the bathroom, being strategic about taking that tequila shot so I can have the courage and sneaking and hiding and, you know, all this mischievous energy, like, hiding away from the world. Now that I get to, like, reclaim all of that energy and pave a new way for my life. It's incredible what I've done in the last 10 months. Like, yeah, I can't wait to see where I'm at a year from now.

Host (12:49)

Well, and I've always wondered and thought of addiction, I think there's a, like, it's like anything in life. There's a fine line that you can cross over and it becomes bad. Right. Like I always say, if you drink too much water, you can actually die. If you drink 8 liters in one go, you drown the body. And that doesn't mean water is bad, just means it can be misused. And, you know, when I look at all the pro athletes, even myself and like top entrepreneurs, I feel there's a borderline level of addiction to what they're doing to be the best for, you know, to be great. Yeah. To be great at that or great in that business. But it's just about keeping it before by the line where you can turn off or stop or dedicate. You know, in business, as an example, you can stop to spend time with your family or look after your health or whatever. Right. And. And it's. It's always a fine line that I think a lot of great people have to have to balance totally.

Lexi Zettel (13:41)

I feel like that part for me came up because I knew I was going to be on set this week filming Legacy Makers doing these podcasts. I had so much resistance and fear and overwhelm because the 27 page onboarding form is a bit much to come on Legacy Makers. Like, it's a whole thing in itself. And I had so much fear coming up and I was like, what is this part? Like, trying to show me the first step is like getting curious about that part. It was my overachiever way back when in school that worked so hard and had such this high standard and then presidential scholarship at college and all these things I needed to do to prove myself. Like, that part was coming up for me. So what did I do? Just this past, like a week ago, I started to check out. I went and DM'd the world number one tennis player, Carlos Alcaraz. And we did, like exchange a few DMs, like, I don't know, years ago. But I slid into that dm and I'm looking for something so unattainable, something like really just grasping, just reaching for something that, like, I know I probably can't have in order to fill that void the same way I had to reach, you know, way back when for like a parent, which I think a lot of us can relate to, like that initial, like, just wanting to be loved. And then like when I don't get that because girl Alcaraz was a little too busy, you know, to. Well, he wasn't that busy at the Miami Open. No offense, but. But you know what I mean. So unattainable. Like I go to that length to check out so I don't have to deal with the onboarding form or coming on set here today because it's really scary having you guys see me. It takes a lot of vulnerability. I would much rather go live in fantasy addiction fueled land and stay, you know, delusional. But this is so worth it because I feel like I'm really myself one those.

Host (15:42)

You know, the whole point of this is everyone's individual stories can help change and impact others. Right. People that are living through this or know someone that is. And that's the combined efforts of everyone in this group. Doing this is, is to help cover so many aspects of personal development and business and life.

Lexi Zettel (15:59)

It's such a beautiful thing. We need more television like this.

Host (16:03)

So. So last few questions because I know there's so much we could cover, but I want to dive into the other things you're doing. Tell me about the tiki side.

Lexi Zettel (16:10)

Oh my gosh. Okay. Tiki Time with Lexi the Mermaid is my YouTube series. We start shooting in a couple weeks. I will be in a bikini behind a tiki bar making mocktails and helping you reinvent happy hours so you can wake up feeling good is sort of the idea of it. Yeah, but. Yeah, even. Even if you're not, you know, sober, but you're looking to replace every other drink with something like more hydrating and full of adaptogens and something that actually tastes good. Because most of the mocktails I try, I'd say 90, 99. I don't like them.

Host (16:49)

Yeah. Yeah.

Lexi Zettel (16:50)

So I'm doing like a ton of research and it's going to be a super fun show. We're going to talk about spirituality, sex addiction, my decade of a career as a sugar baby and how I built, you know, this whole empire, but got no street cred for it, you know what I mean? Because like I was a businesswoman, I did scale, I did have like a not so beautiful way of getting into it. The first prince that I loved in New York, he was like a prince to me. It was a little bit of that magical thinking going on. But he was like, I thought my first boyfriend and I had moved to New York, booked a one way ticket when I was like 21. And he started loaning me out to his business clients when I was just like in my early 20s. And I couldn't admit powerlessness or call that defeat because that would require a lot of vulnerability to say I was hurt. So I covered a lot of pain and, you know, chose the right profession to not have to actually connect or show vulnerability. He had a few articles come out in the New York Times in the past year regarding some sex trafficking stuff, and now he's sitting in a jail cell next to P. Diddy. So, yeah, this all happening at the same time. I chose to get clean and sober, and this time I'm really gonna do it and I'm gonna bring my art to the world and help other people come alive. This has all been happening in the past 10 months.

Host (18:22)

Well, I was going to ask you, you know, and you started right there. What, what does the legacy part mean to you? What's the impact you want to have on other people? So you want to keep going with that?

Lexi Zettel (18:32)

I mean, I definitely want to leave a legacy of love, of freedom. I think my deal is, like, I want to help people access that part of themselves where they can just let their freak flag fly high. Like, I picture like the pride parade in New York and it's just like rainbows of colors and you're dancing down fifth Avenue and like the music and the bubbles in the air and, you know, I have my hair in crazy braids and booty shorts and it's just like yolo. Like a lot of people don't live like that. They don't even get to on a Saturday unless they're like, you know, shit faced, drinking tequila and feel like they're coming alive for like five seconds when it's very superficial, actually, like, what we're doing here as legacy makers, like, we're really living.

Host (19:20)

Yes, I agree with that. And last question then. We already talked on so much, so many topics, but what else is to come from the full episode?

Lexi Zettel (19:29)

Oh, my gosh, my episode still, it's like a pinch me thing. Like, I mean, I feel like I've done a lot of talking today about, like, personal history. I don't know how innately I was a leader all along. It was just like a sense of coming back home to myself. I mean, when I was in middle school, I wasn't only like running lemonade stands. I was planning like big events like circus mania and having the whole block come and, you know, making sure my neighbors were working the ticket booth. My brother dressed up as a clown. My sister worked the pie toss. I was delegating and then like, like also wanting to, like, be of service to the world. There were these invisible children was the. Was the name. There were these child soldiers in Uganda and there were kids being abducted in the middle of the night and forced to fight in war. And so I helped with some of my girlfriends. We raised thousands of dollars. And, like, we were in middle school, you know, this is what we were doing for fun. Just because I wanted to, like, make a difference in the world. And I had a. I was lucky enough to have a young life, youth pastor at the time who told me that fire within me is purpose. It's my sense of purpose. And I am called in this life, and I have to, like, respond to the calling no matter what it takes. So, yeah, we'll dive into that a bit.

Host (20:52)

I love that. I love that. So great place to. To kind of end and tease for the full episode. So go check that out. Guys, last. Last question. If they want to tune into YouTube or find you on socials, where do they go to do that?

Lexi Zettel (21:07)

I would start in my Instagram because there's some great photos. It's Lexi Zettle. L E X I Z E T T L E. And there'll be, like, links to my YouTube and website on there. So, yeah, love it.

Host (21:22)

Guys, that's a wrap. Go check out social media, obviously, the book, the YouTube, all the amazing things that she's doing to make an impact and change lives, which is what we're all about. So keep working hard to do that yourself. I'll see you guys soon. Keep building a legacy. Take care.

Lexi Zettel (21:37)

Bye.