I write honestly and unapologetically about rebuilding my life after addiction, public shame, and the long road of accountability. This blog is where I tell the whole truth — about my past, what I’ve learned, and the quiet, daily work of becoming someone better. The common thread through every entry is this: you are not your worst mistake, and everyone — no matter how far they’ve fallen — is redeemable. Real change isn’t loud or glamorous; it lives in the small, unseen choices we make again and again. If you’ve ever fallen hard and kept going anyway, you’ll feel at home here.
Brett Niebergall is an Uncle, Brother, Neighbor, friend and fiercely honest writer. Someone who understands what it means to rebuild from the ground up — not just once, but again and again. He’s known success, failure, loss, and the kind of quiet resilience that comes only from walking through fire and refusing to stay burned.
Years ago, Brett helped open Frisée, a restaurant in San Francisco’s iconic Castro neighborhood. When the economy crashed, the dream didn’t fold — it evolved.
Brett went on to launch The Southern Sandwich Company, a food truck and catering business that quickly gained popularity for its bold Southern flavors and honest hospitality. That chapter was full of creativity, grit, and service — all values he carries into his life today.
But Brett’s story isn’t just about food. It’s about transformation.
After facing the consequences of past mistakes, Brett chose not to disappear. Instead, he committed himself to deep personal change — through therapy, service, reflection, and radical accountability. He built this blog as a space to tell the truth: not the polished version, but the raw, real one. The one that carries both shame and strength. The one that says: you can lose everything and still come back wiser, softer, louder.
Today, Brett continues to engage in meaningful work — entrepreneurial projects that align with who he is now, not who he once was. He volunteers at a local food pantry, seeks joy in nature, and finds healing in the wild spaces he explores with his husband, Juan, and their beloved dog. He writes for anyone who’s ever been judged by a headline, defined by a moment, or quietly doing the hard work of becoming someone better.
This isn’t a redemption story tied up in a bow. It’s something messier — and far more beautiful. It’s what happens when someone refuses to be erased, and instead, writes their life honestly, one entry at a time.
-Sam
I’m someone who turns my scars into stories, my pain into power, and the messiness of my life into something meaningful. I live with a balance of grit and grace, facing my struggles without sugarcoating them but refusing to let them define me. I’m committed to growth, connection, and finding joy, even in the hardest moments.
I’ve learned to embrace the parts of me that are raw and unpolished because they’re real, and they’re what make me human. My story isn’t just about survival—it’s about building something out of the chaos, about taking the pieces of my past and shaping them into a life that feels true.
Most importantly, I know that my story isn’t just for me. I share it because I want others to see that they’re not alone. If I can find strength in the mess, so can they. That’s what keeps me writing, enduring, and fighting—because I believe there’s meaning to be found, even in the darkest moments, and I want others to believe that, too.
-Brett
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