Lauren Haydel
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 the Fleurty Girl brand, shares her powerful journey to an alcohol-free lifestyle. It’s a story I hope will inspire many as we approach the new year.
Lauren’s story isn’t about a fleeting resolution or a single Dry January. It’s about a truly transformative lifestyle change. On January 15, 2025, Lauren will celebrate 18 months of being alcohol-free.
Those familiar with Fleurty Girl likely recognize Lauren Haydel as the face and bubbly personality behind the retail brand that now spans nine storefront locations from Baton Rouge to Bay St Louis. What you may not know is that when Lauren launched the Fleurty Girl brand back 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 evolution of the company — and Lauren’s subsequent success overcoming alcohol addiction — may have seemed effortless. The reality, though, is that both are a testament to Lauren’s strength, spirit and focus.
The rapid growth of Fleurty Girl Lauren Haydel brought tremendous accolades and success, but it also brought pressures unlike anything Lauren had ever experienced. She found herself turning to alcohol to unwind and ‘turn down the noise.’ Over time, it escalated.
“I would get upset if I didn’t have a bottle of wine or vodka at the house. I felt I needed alcohol to de-stress from the day,” Lauren recalls. “I was waking up feeling terrible – I hated that. Even worse, I would forget conversations from the night before, even with people I love and care about.”
Dipping her toe into sobriety
Lauren Haydel got her first taste of the alcohol-free life 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 had gone more than a few days without drinking. It had probably been decades,” explains Lauren. “I didn’t realize how much alcohol was affecting me until I stopped. Those 40 days without alcohol were eye-opening. Everything felt better. My skin and even my eyes were clearer and brighter.”
But Lauren Haydel wasn’t yet committed to making this a longer-term commitment.
“I started drinking again when the challenge was over, and alcohol had a greater grip on me than ever before,” says Lauren.
“I was tired of living with regret.”
Years passed before the next big life-changing moment. After a night of heavy drinking and blurry memories of an evening filled with embarrassment, something finally clicked. It set her firmly on a path of self-discovery and self-discipline.
“I wanted this with every fiber of my being. I made the decision, the commitment, that, ‘Today I’m not going to drink.’ One day turned into two, then a week, then a month,” she says. “You start noticing the little things all around us, these elements of beauty and joy that I hadn’t paid attention to for years. And it’s the mental clarity and reduced anxiety that truly transform you.”
“Don’t borrow from tomorrow.”
I am grateful for Lauren’s generosity and courage in sharing her story. It is especially 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 to personal well-being.
Let’s think of this as less of a resolution and more of 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 start overcoming dependencies and barriers that tend to cloud our potential.
More than merely a test of willpower, it’s an opportunity to rediscover parts of ourselves that have been overshadowed by a problematic relationship with alcohol – or other substances or personal challenges.
Lauren Haydel words of encouragement say it all: “If you’re reading this and you’re on the fence, please just give it a try. You’ve read along this far, so there’s something that’s making you think about it. It’s the greatest gift you could give yourself. It’s the best gift I ever gave myself.”
To hear the full interview with Lauren Haydel, tune in to Molly’s podcast, FUELED Wellness + Nutrition, for a new episode Thursday, January 5.
Considering going alcohol-free for Lent? Sign up for the 10th annual Alcohol Free For 40 Challenge at AlcoholFreeFor40.com. Deadline to register is Sunday, March 2.
Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, is a registered dietitian with Ochsner Health and founder of Ochsner’s Eat Fit nonprofit initiative. For more wellness content, tune in to Molly’s podcast, FUELED Wellness + Nutrition, and follow @MollykimballRD and @EatFitOchsner on social media.