Honouring her Brother through Nurse led Addiction recovery coaching

In this episode of Angels Connect, I meet with Angela who  shares her story of her purpose , her calling and her connection to a brother that still continues after his passing in 2025. 

Angela Johnson is a registered nurse and board certified nurse coach who lost her brother Quentin to alcohol addiction in 2025 at the age of 42. In his memory, she founded Workplace Recovery Continuity — a nurse-led coaching program embedded inside organizations to reach the ones hiding in plain sight, performing perfectly while falling apart privately.

Quentin's story didn't end with his passing. Angela continues to experience his presence in ways that have deepened her understanding of grief, purpose, and the work she was called to do.

Today she carries both his memory and his guidance into every coaching relationship — present, of service, and trusting that the ripple effects of this work reach further than she can see.

To Connect with Angela:

kudzucollab.com

www.linkedin.com/in/angela-johnson-rn-bsn-nc-bc-663ab331b

https://calendly.com/letsgrow-kudzucollab/workplace-recovery-continuity-discovery-call

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:01

Welcome to Angels Connect. Stories of hope and inspiration. Angels Connected and Protective with your embodied Angel Host. Welcome to Angels Connect. And today I am absolutely thrilled to introduce to you my guest, Angela Johnson. Now, Angela is both inspiring and absolutely an entrepreneur for sure. Because Angela's a registered nurse. Not only that, she has set up to the founder of Workplace Continuity Program. Actually, I haven't got that name right. It's Workplace Recovery Continuity. I apologize. Yes, and it's I wanted to make sure I got it right because there's a particular reason why you have set up this. You're the founder. Would you like to share, Angela, what the reason behind workplace recovery continuity is all about and your new nurse-led coaching business?

SPEAKER_00 1:20

Oh, I love the way that sounds. Absolutely. I specifically chose addiction recovery as my niche, my path, my purpose in honor of my brother. But also it's been something I've been drawn to my whole life. I've seen the celebrity recovery series from like the 90s. I was drawn to those, all the things. And my brother has struggled with his own addiction recovery pretty much my whole life. So for some reason, in my nursing career, it's been about 12 years. So I've always worked in mental health, neuroscience, and addiction recovery throughout those years. And then at the end of 2024, my family and I up and decided to go on an adventure. So I leaned into entrepreneurship to give us more of that flexibility, location independence, I guess you could call it, to travel into Europe where we'd never been. And then it gave me the time and space to really process my purpose and be in a space to reach further, help deeper, and really lean into this population that had been calling me for so long. So in January, we got to Greece of 2025. And then in September 12, my brother passed away from his addiction at 42. And I love this idea of Angels Connect because he truly feels more present to me now than he ever did before. You know, I had the healthy boundaries, I had my own family to kind of pour into. I had to put my foot down in a sense with like where my boundaries were in relation to him. So we were never that ideal like brother and sister duo, you know, us against the world. But since his passing, even on the day of his passing, I remember it so clearly. My husband and I and my children were out to dinner with our friends, and there was just this ease of the dinner, this lightness of joy, this feeling of, I remember walking home and my husband and I looking at each other like that just felt really awesome. Like it just feels really great right now in this moment, and we couldn't describe it. And then I walked into my house. Maybe a few minutes later, I get a call from my sister-in-law saying you have to come home right now. And I'm like, what's going on? And yeah, my brother was found, passed away that day. So it all kind of ties in. He was the first person in my life to pass that was super connected to me. I was blessed to have all my grandparents for a very long time. No one really, I mean, I'm a nurse, so I've been around deaf, I've dealt with death, but never in that personal heart space of you know, my my sibling. And in addictive recovery, I had prepared myself. What I thought I had prepared myself for wasn't really passing. I would tell my parents years ago that my brother wasn't going to make it past 45 and he passed at 42. So one of those eerie things you don't want to be right about. But given my work in addiction recovery as a nurse and throughout my life, it was a pattern that I'm I've seen all too frequently. But what gave me the joy, I think, was this knowing he's at peace now. He's not suffering, he's not struggling. And yeah, I have a couple connection stories to share with you.

SPEAKER_01 4:45

Yes, and I I really welcome hearing them. And I'm just so struck and touched, Angela, by you. You know, like not only your intuition, but your living and you have lived through the addiction life and the life of loving someone and them being in addiction through his passing and in his memory. And your brother's name is Quentin, and in his memory, you created something beautiful, which is say a little bit about what you've created for people.

SPEAKER_00 5:21

So, my work now, so since this past year, I became certified as a board certified nurse coach, which allows me to be a nurse, take my nursing expertise, but really step into the holistic, person-centered coaching space that everyone deserves. I mean, nursing was meant to support people in the present and connect them to resources, walk a journey alongside of them. And at least in America, healthcare has made less and less time for those person-centered, connected relationships that support people's wellness, not just look for what's wrong, right? Holistically supporting wellness in that sense. So when it came to niching down, as a business owner, I'm sure you've heard you got a bit of thing. I'd always come back to addiction recovery, but I'd always kind of flip-flop. I'd like I this is my population. But as a new entrepreneur, I'm like, is this a smart business idea? I have no idea. So just through that process of learning how to be an entrepreneur, addiction recovery was always what I would go to. But I didn't niche down until January of this year, you know, before my nurse coaching work had been general wellness support for people. But after grieving, you know, what I was never used to after grieving for I think it took a good two months for me to really want to step back into growing my business, expanding. But I'm officially in the space of addiction recovery following his passing, knowing that I can be there to support people in these journeys. So that's how I show up for them as the nurse, as the neutral party, right? So much of addiction recovery is this all or nothing concept. You have to go to therapy, talk about your past, you have to go in a room of people and present to a group, and you have to kind of blow up everything before deserving support from a nurse. And especially nursing is really gate kept for rock bottom, for detox, for the emergency department, for these spaces where it's not about choice because those choices are made for them. So I'm bringing nursing to people before that moment.

SPEAKER_01 7:23

Yes, it's so needed in the world. And I love, I love that you have created this because it is this neutral space, and you're supporting living. It's like I'm supporting this place to help you live with addiction or meet you where you're at without having to go to treatment, without having, not saying that isn't something that people might choose, but for the for a lot of people, there's sometimes this space that's needed between the treatment center and between the illness and being really ill from liver throsis or something like that that you know might have, you know, with alcohol addiction. So this is I just love this that you're you're you are providing a space where anybody can access you. And and you know you've lived this. How wonderful, Angela.

SPEAKER_00 8:22

Yeah, I'm to a place where I can speak about him and incorporate him and my messaging and conversation. But like you're sad, I am in a beautiful place, able to see it from so many different angles. And I've worked on the units and watch people go through agony while they're detoxing from alcohol, while they're fighting with the demons about I should be home, I should be at work, I shouldn't be here. Like these moments of I need help, but I can't. So let's bring the help to them. So, like you said, I'm not the be-all end all for the cure, but I want to be the space where you can choose a therapist and speak with it. You can go to therapy and be honest, you can take time off and actually use it to give back to you versus never take time off, never invest in yourself, never see a different path forward because life doesn't stop, it just keeps going.

SPEAKER_01 9:13

Yes, insurance keep going. And within your life, Angela, and I had asked you previously, share with the listeners about you know what your relationship with the name even was as a kid.

SPEAKER_00 9:28

I growing up, I didn't realize my name was hard to spell until I got a little older, like you're saying. So I would always say angel with an A. That's just kind of how I began to understand people thought about it because they see the word angel and it just makes sense to them. I remember having angel figurines. I don't know if that was more my mom's decor sense, but I do remember them being present, a presence in my home. And then my brother actually got an angel tattoo, so I'll remember that forever. But yeah, I do kind of feel like I'm just a new bright presence for people is kind of what I want to be in the space, even just uh a breath of fresh air for someone to choose a different way.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

Well, I really experience you as a breath of fresh air and a shining light, and I'm you're absolutely fantastic for setting up, having having the idea, taking the idea and putting it into physical form. You know, it's it's this beautiful process, isn't it? When we get the idea, we act on it, and you know, and you're honoring the memory of your brother Quentin.

SPEAKER_00 10:38

Yeah, and I remember I was on a Zoom call, really learning to speak into my message, into what I want to do. I had recently, like I said, just 10 toes deep, and I'm gonna be addiction recovery nurse coach. That's it. So I was in one of those conversations with someone, and I come out of my room because my son is outside outside of the room playing, and I woke up, you know, hey, and he randomly said, Hey, did Uncle Iger die? Which is my uncle. So I was like, No, but your Uncle Q died, and he was like, Yeah, did Uncle Q die? And never. So my son barely knew my brother. That's how disconnected kind of we were. So I was like, Okay, that's weird. And then he kind of asked how what happened, and then he said to me, Don't worry, mom, you're gonna come back one day. And when you come back, you're gonna have a brother and he's not gonna die. And I was like, What is happening? What conversation did you just have with someone while I was in there? Yeah, it it I was like hysterical, and then my husband comes home and be like, Why are you crying? Uh but it was just like you said, once you step into something and you kind of start listening and flow with it, I was in disbelief.

SPEAKER_01 11:52

Yes, and and open and full of awe. Um, yeah, it touched you so much what what he said.

SPEAKER_00 12:01

Yeah. Yeah. And like I said, that lack of connection in the physical world, so it's like, why are you talking about this person? To then be so connected to him. And I do feel like I'm more connected to my brother now than we were when he was actually physically here. There's another example. I was in Turkey doing a checkup for myself. I was alone. I was putting on my big girl pants to traveling the world solo. That's my new thing I try to do. I'm out there in the world, being a good example for my kids. But there was something they found with my heart. They're like, there could be a problem, there couldn't be a problem. We're gonna do a procedure tomorrow. So, of course, I call my parents. I'm like, Is there any cardiac history? Are you lying to me? Like, what's what's wrong with me? And my mom being who she is, she's like, I'm gonna fly out. This is from America, I'm gonna fly, I'm gonna come be with you, no problem.

unknown 12:49

Like, okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:50

So she comes. We're I'm okay, we're getting back to the hotel room. And she told me that when she got the phone call from me, she that night when she was sleeping, she envisioned my brother sitting on the end of her bed, and she said to him, Go be with your sister. And then she woke up and he like disappeared. I was like, Okay, so she was telling me about that, and she wears his ashes around her neck, and in the middle of kind of us just in banter, the his ashes fall to the ground, like opens, like falls to the ground. So another moment just as you're speaking about him, just as we're speaking about him, and she's telling that story. Like, I saw him, I swear I saw him, I told him to go be with you, and then her and his ashes fall off her necklace. My word, so it's it's been new to have these connections with the not other side, but these kind of forces because I'm not used to people passing, like I said, that were close to me. So they say, like, oh, you have angels up there, you have an army up there, people looking out for you. I never knew who those people were because I was like, Well, no one I know passed away, so who who's up there? And yeah, my mom will call uh pretty frequently, at least like once a month, maybe, and stay in another moment where she felt him or she asked for a sign and something happened because we we all had pretty you know estranged relationships, or not how we would have wanted them to be with him. So it's been really beautiful for talking about him to now be something that like brings her joy, bringing her happiness.

SPEAKER_01 14:33

And it and it sounds too like your connection is really at a different level now, and that even the sharing of your connection stories with your brother, it's almost like this is all a new way of being for you all that connects the even deeper too, I'd imagine.

SPEAKER_00 14:54

Yeah, yeah, a new way for sure, and I think too, uh, because they've had people in their lives as they get older that pass, maybe I don't know, but this is really the shared, shared space of that. Because my mom was kind of estranged for her parents from her parents, so when they passed away, like it was like I didn't really know them, like they're my grandparents, I don't really know them. So I think this is the first person that we've been able to sit in these conversations with from you know that general knowledge of we knew this person, we love this person, we still feel his presence, which was shocking at least.

SPEAKER_01 15:32

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So meaningful, and all of this, how has this affected you and now even in your work?

SPEAKER_00 15:46

It's like I said, initially was hard to talk about, and I was worried his story would be perceived as like something I'm trying to use instead of be like a shared part of my life, right? He was one that passed, but the angle at which I'm sharing it, how I'm talking about it, is my story, and I think in such a vulnerable population like addicts in recovery, I want his story to resonate in a sense of I see you, both from clinically speaking, knowing the trajectory of this. Like I see you as someone who was a sibling of someone who was just as important to me as the person across the screen is you know, I want that to be what they feel when I share my experience with his passing and and how I'm navigating that through storytelling.

SPEAKER_01 16:41

Really beautiful that people are going to get the experience of truly being seen, you know, and that you really get them.

SPEAKER_00 16:50

Yeah, just that level of support. I think they're so deserving of, and it shouldn't have to wait until you know they're running out of time. They're out of time. Choices are made for them, they've lost their job or their wife or their kids, or the you know, there's so many angles at which it gives you so much because you need it to kind of function and get through the day, but it just it's just chipping away with you at the same time.

SPEAKER_01 17:17

Yeah, yeah. It's it's it's it's so difficult, isn't it? Like there's so much loss involved for someone in addiction, you know, because there's lots of relationships, there's lots of family, there's loss of their health, you know, there might be lots of friends, the financial loss, like it it there's all of that, and not too many places to go. There are there are things available and there's different criteria for for them things too sometimes. So again, you providing a neutral space is just so wonderful, you know, and who knows where this will go, Angela. You know, and how you know how creative or you know, who knows?

SPEAKER_00 18:06

Maybe I'll come visit you in Ireland, you know.

SPEAKER_01 18:12

There's a bit of a calling there, isn't there? I sense a bit of a calling for for Ireland.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

I'm I'm here, I'm ready to chat. Um but yeah, I think it's just become this all or nothing kind of healing journey. And I like to say in my messages, you know, without having to lose everything you've worked for, I want to meet you in the place before that that happens. You can even decide what that looks like, right? Even choosing what to let go of. So empowering versus having stuff taken from you and having made tough choices in my own life and really try to live the lifestyle changes that I help people work through, and you know, knowing what it's like to choose things or make choices that maybe others don't agree with because it puts you first is something that I then support other people in doing because I know how hard that can be when it's like my brother used to say, I want to go to Spain, but my kids, but my wife, she can't do without me, my kids, my kids, my kids. And I would always say to him, I think your kids would want you to take a month, six months, a year, and go do whatever you want to do in your heart center so that you can come back to them as your killed self. And it's that step that so many aren't willing to take because it's like I can't do what I want. I have this, I have that, I have these, and then like I said, they just wait and it gets more out of control, more out of control.

SPEAKER_01 19:40

Lovely that you're going to really have provide a platform where you can kind of step onto this platform and let's look at look at the step one of my even look look like if I was to take it, you know.

SPEAKER_00 19:53

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 19:54

You know, you're creating space for that, which is what that's how I envision it.

SPEAKER_00 19:58

You said it perfectly. Like, imagine me just sitting next to you. I mean, just look at all the things, let's just take a look at it, let's have someone talk through it with you without it being you have to make a choice, you have to do it this way. I need an answer, whatever. Like, let's just sit down, look through it with you, right? Learn how to be honest with yourself, learn how to have conversations about the present, what you're actually going through, and then feel what it feels like to make choices for yourself, and those will compound and you'll choose bigger things, right? It'll it'll definitely build on itself, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:32

It has that way, doesn't it? You know, you know, I'm just so aware of a really huge amount of heat coming through my body right now, and this usually doesn't happen. And before anyone who's listening might say, Oh, tar, that's menopause, that's polo, whatever, I can assure you this feels particularly different. So at the moment it's like I am absolutely boiling, and I'm sharing it because it's helping to reduce the heat as well. So you're so huge. And it you know, it's a it's almost like yeah, it's it's there's there's there's energy. There's there's certainly extra energy here today, Angela. And do you see a complete and the angel story that you wanted to to share? Did because I know you shared a couple of things.

SPEAKER_00 21:43

Those are my my three main ones, kind of the way I felt that David's passing, my experience in Turkey, my experience with my son. I mean, I had a reading, you could say, where he where I connected. With him, and it's so funny because he would he said that I used to be so bright and such a doer, and I wouldn't let anyone dip my shine. So he's like, just like go back to doing that, like be bright, like we were saying in the beginning, be bright, go do things. You wouldn't let people stop you. So why are you now?

SPEAKER_01 22:23

Hold on a second, hold on a second. I have to bring you back here. So he he said, uh won't let won't let anybody dim your shine. And right now, and I'm gone cold again, but like three minutes ago, I was feeling the shine, heat, light, whatever force. So that's pretty hard. Is it's like because even me asking you about the angel story, that just was an intuitive thing because I had for some reason there was more, but now that just makes a whole heap of sense because my temperature is absolutely fine now again. Like it was such an unusual experience. So if his his words were won't let anyone dim your shine, yeah. That really makes sense to me now why that's the heat.

SPEAKER_00 23:21

He was yeah, reminding me of just how I used to be, you know, before life changes you, taints you, transitions you, whatever you want to call it. But he was it was uh it was just a good reading about him being, you know, at peace walking his journey. It was his time to go. It was his life's purpose, what he accomplished, and you know, it was it was it was a comforting conversation and knowing that he saw me for what I was doing in the world, you know. I was a nurse and I was the person in the family who would say, Dad, you probably shouldn't sit with him while he detoxes in a hotel room, it's not safe. But then my family would be like, No, your brother says it's fine. So I was that person just standing on the outside, you know. I think there's a safer way to do this, but you know, I've come you come to realize that your family has to walk through things on their own time in their own way and come to see things at their own time.

SPEAKER_01 24:25

So that's where I'm at, yeah, yeah, and you sure are shining your light now, for sure. Thank you. Yeah, it is flowing naturally and easily. And how can people get in touch with you, Angela, if they want to avail of a nurse coaching session? Yeah, you know, have you openings or how did they do that?

SPEAKER_00 24:48

I do have some openings for one-to-one this month. I mean, we're close to the end of June and July. I did share with you the links for my Instagram at NurseCoachAngela, my website, kudzucollab.com. Kuduzu is a vine. I chose, I always love vines, but I chose it for my business name because it's a vine that always finds the light, grows towards the sky, finds its way through anything. So that's kind of my vibe. So it's not a name you've you've heard of, but but definitely speaks to how I want to make people feel. And then collab is store for collaboration. So kudzucollab.com is my website, and then my email is let's grow at kudzoocollab.com, and those all should be linked below.

SPEAKER_01 25:28

That is wonderful. I will put all of those in the show description and people can can connect and I'll get all your links in there. Wow, what wonderful, wonderful stories that you shared here today. Angela, thank you so much for being a guest on Angels Connect. And until next time, remember you are loved more than you'll ever know, and you are support bye bye.

SPEAKER_00 25:55

Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 25:57

Bye bye, everyone.