Sometimes the most meaningful businesses are born not from a perfectly crafted plan—but from a deeply personal calling.
For Stephanie Hazard, that calling came after a series of life shifts that forced her to reevaluate everything. With a background in advertising, television production, and business development, Stephanie had spent years building a successful career in fast-paced, creative industries. But beneath the surface, something wasn’t aligning.
Her real transformation began at 36, when she got sober as a single mother navigating life after divorce. That moment became the foundation for everything that followed. “I wanted my personal and professional life to finally align,” she shares.
Inspired by her own recovery journey—and encouraged by someone in the recovery field—Stephanie pursued training as a recovery coach. What started as contract work with concierge recovery agencies soon evolved into something much bigger. By 2021, she launched her own practice: A Path Toward Recovery.
But this wasn’t just a business decision—it was a leap of faith. “My husband and I literally sat down and made a spreadsheet,” she says. “We gave it six months to see if I could make it work.” She did.
Stephanie built her business the way many VentureMoms do—by learning as she went. She formed an LLC, cultivated a referral network, and leaned on the knowledge she had gained from years working alongside established recovery organizations. There were challenges, of course—scaling the business and determining pricing structures among them—but she approached each obstacle as an opportunity to grow.
Her philosophy is simple: embrace the challenges, because that’s where the progress happens.
The name A Path Toward Recovery reflects what Stephanie believes at her core—that there isn’t just one way to heal. Her work supports multiple pathways, meeting people where they are with compassion, flexibility, and hope.
Today, her business spans far beyond what she initially imagined. Stephanie works with individuals and families across the U.S. and internationally, offering both virtual and in-person coaching. She supports clients navigating substance use, eating disorders, and overall wellness, often collaborating with a broader team to provide services like treatment placement, safe transport, and monitoring.
At its heart, her brand stands for two things: hope and wellness. And she’s just getting started.
Stephanie’s upcoming book, Making Sobriety Stick, set to release in September 2026 during National Recovery Month, aims to bring recovery coaching into the mainstream. It’s a space many people still don’t fully understand—and she’s determined to change that.
Her mission is clear: help as many people as possible find their path forward. What makes her story especially powerful is that it’s not just about building a business—it’s about sustaining a life. This November, Stephanie will celebrate 26 years of sobriety, a milestone she credits in part to the very people she now helps.
“Working with others has deepened my own recovery,” she says. When asked what advice she’d give another woman thinking about starting something, her answer is refreshingly direct: “Go for it. Make a plan—and work the plan.”
But perhaps the most important question she asked herself along the way—the one that continues to guide her—is this: What is my why?
For Stephanie, the answer is lived every day—in every client she supports, every life she touches, and every step forward she helps someone take.
