Clean Play Podcast

What does a 29-point comeback have to do with sobriety? More than you think. Anne and Chris are back together and covering a lot of ground — from the Knicks pulling off one of the most memorable Finals runs in recent memory, to the rise of Olivia Miles in the WNBA, to a really honest and personal conversation about Pride Month, coming out, and what it means to truly live in your truth. And with Dr...

If you've ever asked yourself "who am I without my sport?" — this episode is for you. This week Anne sits down with Dom Johnson, former college football and basketball player, athlete transition coach, and founder of Spark Coaching. Dom's journey — from a turbulent childhood watching his dad struggle after his NFL career, to having $47 in his bank after six years of college ball,...

Summer is here — and if you're sober or sober curious, you already know this season can hit different. Season three of the Clean Play Podcast is officially back, and Anne and Chris are kicking things off with an honest check-in on where they've been, what's changed, and what this season is all about: showing up to the game of life prepared. From navigating summer social pressure without white-knuc...

Season 2 ends the way the Clean Play Pod lives: honest, sports-nerdy, and forward-facing. Anne and Chris wrap up 2025’s biggest sports moments—from the Super Bowl to the NBA Finals to women’s hoops rising—and name what those storylines teach us about sobriety, identity, and change. Then the conversation turns into the real locker-room talk: what happens when alcohol isn’t the center of your life a...

What happens when you’re excellent on paper—but falling apart in private? In this episode, Anne and Chris sit down with Jessica Dueñas (Bottomless to Sober, former teacher, Kentucky State Teacher of the Year) for a conversation about body image, achievement, stigma, and the moment sobriety stopped being a “band-aid” and became a full identity rebuild. This is Clean Play game film for anyone who’s...

In this episode of Clean Play , Anne and Chris start with NFL chaos, grieving a tragic loss in the Cowboys organization, and end up exactly where they always do: life beyond the game. They talk about the pressure athletes feel to “play through the pain,” Anne’s three-year sobriety milestone and the moment she finally asked for help, and how alcohol quietly becomes a way to replay our old highlight...

If you’ve ever felt that quiet “I think I might be done with this version of myself” moment — this one is for you. This episode hits the real tension: when your old role, your old grind, or your old identity stops serving you… and you can feel the pivot coming — but you don’t know what the next version looks like yet. Episode Summary Anne and Chris talk honestly about retirement from a core identi...

You don’t need another hype video—you need a game plan you can actually sustain. If you’re an athlete navigating life after sport or sober-curious about what comes next, this episode gives you a pace that wins in the long run. We break down the “slow burn” approach: controlled pace, load management, and one-day-at-a-time habits that keep you healthy, present, and competitive—on the field and off....

When the game is on the line—fourth and one—you either play it safe or you go for it. Athletes know that choice. So do people rebuilding life after sport or navigating sobriety. This episode breaks down what it really means to step into pressure moments and live with the outcome—win or lose. Chris and Anne take the conversation from the NFL kickoff to Taylor Swift’s “Mamba Mentality” to personal s...

Stop Consuming. Start Creating. If you’ve been feeling stuck, drained, or like life after sport has lost its spark, this one’s for you. Mark Cuban once said, “Humans were designed to create. This is why you get depressed when all you do is consume.” In this episode, Anne and Chris break down what that means for athletes, sober folks, and anyone trying to rebuild their identity beyond the scoreboar...

 In this episode of the Clean Play Podcast , Chris and Anne dive deep into the concept of “staying in the gym”—the discipline of showing up consistently for your growth, whether you’re training for a championship, building a sober life, or leading yourself through personal transformation. From football season anticipation to obscure but entertaining sports (tortilla slapping, anyone?), the convers...

Title: Slowing Down to Get Ahead Description: In this episode, Chris and I dive deep into a counterintuitive truth we’ve both lived in sports, sobriety, business, and life: sometimes the fastest way forward is to slow down. From the pace of an NBA Finals game to the lessons of a NASCAR track, we explore how intentional pacing builds clarity, confidence, and long-term success. We share personal sto...

Episode Title: Slowing Down to Get Ahead: The Power of Rest, Reflection, and Resetting Your Game Plan Episode Summary: In this episode of the Clean Play Podcast , Chris and I dive into a counterintuitive truth: sometimes the fastest way to move forward is to slow down. We explore why rest isn’t just a luxury—it’s a competitive advantage in sobriety, business, and life. From sports analogies to per...

Why In-Person Connection Still Matters: Lessons from Our NYC Meetup Episode Summary: Sometimes the moments that change us the most aren’t about the place—they’re about the people. In this episode, Chris and I unpack our recent trip to New York: the energy, the unexpected lessons, and the way in-person connection can deepen relationships in a way no Zoom meeting ever could. We share stories about s...

Why In-Person Connection Will Always Be Worth the Effort Episode Summary: Virtual connection is easy, but it can’t replace the magic of showing up in person. In this episode, Chris and I reflect on our recent trip to New York—our first live podcast recording together—and the lessons it taught us about community, courage, and letting people help you. We share the moments that stuck with us most: hu...

 In this heartfelt and inspiring episode of the Clean Play Podcast , Anne and Chris sit down with returning guest—and now official “star player”—Jamie Magnet. Jamie is a writer, creator, entrepreneur, and sober queer human who has just celebrated a huge milestone: four years free from alcohol and cocaine, and nearly two years cannabis-free. Jamie opens up about her path to sobriety, the role of ha...

In this inspiring Season 2 premiere of the Clean Play Podcast , Anne and Chris sit down with bestselling author, speaker, and alcohol-free empowerment coach Karolina Rzadkowolska  for a powerful conversation about courage, purpose, and what it really means to live an extraordinary life. Karolina shares her journey from “weekend drinker” to seven years alcohol-free, revealing how Dry January sparke...

Anne and Chris sit down with Lynnae who shares her story to freedom around alcohol. How IFS and other coping techniques help her on her sober path and how year 2 of sobriety is looking for her. She shares her wisdom, candor and powerful message about the freedom a sober lifestyle has given her.

 In this episode of the Clean Play Podcast , Anne and Chris dig into a viral clip from Duke Women’s Basketball Head Coach Kara Lawson—one that flips the script on how we think about life’s challenges. The takeaway? Life doesn’t get easier. You get better at handling hard. From the hardwood to the early days of sobriety, Anne and Chris share personal stories of seasons that felt impossible in the m...

 We’re back! In the Season 2 opener of the Clean Play Podcast , Anne and Chris return with fresh energy, new perspectives, and a game plan to expand the conversations at the intersection of sports, sobriety, and authentic living. Anne shares what’s been happening in her “off-season”—from a big move to Tampa Bay to diving deep into a life coaching certification that’s stretching her skills and visi...

You don’t need perfect conditions to move—just a honest check-in and the next right play. If you’re an athlete (or former one) who’s sober curious and staring down a life transition, this season finale will feel like a huddle that actually helps. We look back on Season 1 and get real about wins, setbacks, and what keeps us steady. Chris shares sober travel in Morocco—sports bars packed, zero booze...

Every athlete knows the importance of finishing strong—and this episode is exactly that. As we close out Season One of The Clean Play Podcast , Anne and Chris get real about what it takes to start something new, stay consistent when life gets messy, and keep showing up even when it’s far from perfect. Episode Summary: From the first “record” button to the final whistle of Season One, this conversa...

If you’re an athlete (or former one) sitting at the start line of change, this episode is your pace car. We’re talking real-life tools to move from “maybe I should” to “I did”—on the road and in your alcohol-free life. Distance runner Crystal Rosales joins us from Chicago to break down how she went from first 8K to her seventh marathon (Berlin), five-and-a-half years alcohol-free. We get into the...

What do the Olympics, ballet, and sobriety have in common? More than you’d think. In this episode, Anne and Chris unpack their recent conversation with Houston legend Lauren Anderson—the first Black principal dancer for the Houston Ballet—and reflect on what her story reveals about discipline, identity, and freedom after sport. Anne and Chris dive deep into what it means to live with “joyful rigor...

What happens when one of America’s most celebrated ballerinas—someone who reached the absolute peak of her craft—finds herself starting over? In this episode, Lauren Anderson, the first Black principal dancer at the Houston Ballet, gets real about the highs of performance, the crash of addiction, and the discipline it takes to rebuild from the ground up. Episode Summary: Lauren joins Anne and Chri...