Sober Across the Pond

Send us Fan Mail We’re back after a few weeks of much-needed holiday rest — feeling refreshed, energized, and ready to continue our Sober at Work four-part series. In Part 3 of 4 , we discuss the “welcome drink” problem: what happens when workplace events offer alcohol as the default way to greet, include, or celebrate people. A welcome drink should make people feel welcome. But when the only thou...

Send us Fan Mail In Part 2 of our 4-part mini-series Sober at Work , we dive into the side of workplace drinking culture that doesn’t get enough airtime: the consequences. From conferences to office celebrations to holiday parties, alcohol is often treated as the default “reward.” But when free drinks meet professional settings, the aftermath can include gossip, regret, anxiety, and reputational f...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Year 2 of Sober Across the Pond — and thank you again for helping us reach our one-year anniversary and 1,000 downloads milestone. We’re continuing the momentum with a new mini-series: Sober at Work . In Part 1 of 4 , we talk about workplace drinking culture and how it shows up in corporate life — from “boozy norms” to social expectations — and how staying alcohol-free...

Send us Fan Mail This is the correct audio release of our Anniversary Special ‘Rush of Love’ conversation (the video version was always correct). If you listened earlier and it didn’t match the video, this is the version you wanted. In this episode, we talk about gratitude, connection, and why sobriety brings your best feelings back online — plus a quick behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to...

Send us Fan Mail Anniversary Special (Part 1 of 2): Stigma + engagement fear + the moderation myth In Part 1 of our anniversary special, we talk about one of the most common frustrations for sober-curious and “middle lane” drinkers: stigma . Many people can relate to this moment: you say you’re taking a break from alcohol — and the response is, “Oh… I didn’t know you had a problem.” We explore:  W...

Send us Fan Mail In the final episode of our Friendship Shift series, we go deeper into what sustains long-term change. When you remove alcohol, your social life and identity evolve — and one of the biggest lessons is this: Connection isn’t optional. It’s emotional fuel. In this episode, we discuss:  • Why your mood can dip when meaningful connection is missing  • How sobriety often increases self...

Send us Fan Mail Part 2 of 3 in our Friendship Shift series: How do you build new friends and community when you stop drinking? When you go alcohol-free, your social life often changes — not because you’re “boring,” but because your values and your idea of fun evolve. The challenge is real: making friends as an adult can feel surprisingly awkward. In this episode, we explore how to intentionally c...

Send us Fan Mail What really happens to your friendships when you stop drinking? In Part 1 of a three-part series on friendship and sobriety, we unpack one of the biggest fears people have about going alcohol-free: losing friends. In this episode, we discuss: • Drinking buddies vs real friendships  • Why some relationships fade naturally  • Social anxiety around events and gatherings  • Setting bo...

Send us Fan Mail After a six-week break, Sober Across the Pond is back — and we’re picking up with a topic that matters to everyone. In Episode 13, we explore what unites women and men on the alcohol-free path. From mental health and emotional wellbeing to joy, connection, and everyday activities, sobriety delivers powerful benefits regardless of gender. Alcohol doesn’t discriminate — and neither...

Send us Fan Mail In Part 2 of our men-focused series on alcohol, we explore how male drinking culture evolves over time — and what often gets lost along the way. What starts as social drinking with mates in bars can quietly shift into drinking at home, disguised as a “civilized” or sophisticated wine habit. We discuss the powerful peer pressure many men feel to keep drinking even when they don’t w...

Send us Fan Mail  In this first installment of our 3-part Men’s Series, we dig into how alcohol intersects with men’s mental health, emotional regulation, stress, identity, and social expectations.  We explore:  • How men use alcohol to cope silently  • Why emotional suppression matters  • Social pressure, bravado, and risk-taking  • The marketing machine targeting men  This episode opens the door...

Send us Fan Mail In Part 2 of our ongoing Gender & Alcohol series, Bridgene shares a candid arc many women will recognize—gradual anxiety, self-medicating with wine, and the turning point of a 90-day break that changed everything. We dig into menopause-related mood shifts, the “beer fear” spiral, and why alcohol quietly dulls empathy, judgment, and safety awareness. We also unpack the pink-was...

Send us Fan Mail This is the opening of a multi-part exploration into gender, identity, and the role alcohol often plays in how we cope, connect, and define ourselves.  In this first installment, we talk about the quiet, gradual shift many women experience — when drinking moves from social habit to emotional support. It often happens slowly, especially during seasons of stress, transition, or chan...

Send us Fan Mail In the final installment of our “Sobriety as a Superpower at Work” series, Bridgene and Michael share their most personal reflections on authenticity, self-trust, and confidence. When the performance fades and the mask drops, what remains is something far more powerful: clarity. They discuss how living alcohol-free strengthens not just emotional intelligence but professional resil...

Send us Fan Mail This episode dives into the emotional clarity that comes when alcohol is no longer in the way. Bridgene and Michael unpack how being alcohol-free makes us better communicators, colleagues, and friends — and how empathy is our real superpower.

Send us Fan Mail Why do people drink at social events — and what really happens when they do? In this episode, Bridgene and Michael unpack how alcohol can make conversations circular, people less interesting, and moments less real. When you’re alcohol-free, you notice everything — and that awareness becomes your superpower. Hear the laughter, honesty, and practical insight that make Sober Across t...

Send us Fan Mail In Part 1 of Sobriety as a Superpower at Work , we uncover the incredible link between living alcohol-free and developing deep emotional intelligence. Discover how the absence of alcohol enhances your ability to listen, connect, and communicate with authenticity — skills that power every great relationship and career. Join Michael and Bridgene as they reveal how emotional clarity...

Send us Fan Mail We close out our four-part Joy Beyond the Glass series with a vibrant conversation on salsa dancing and how being alcohol-free transforms the experience. Bridgene shares how her love of dance became even richer, more emotional, and more present without alcohol — and how the contrast between “dancing with drinks” and “dancing with clarity” says so much about the #sobercurious movem...

Send us Fan Mail We’re back after a short break with something special for our listeners — a double release weekend in the Joy Beyond the Glass series. In Part 3, we dive into what lies on the other side of change: the unexpected joy of redefining what truly gives you pleasure. From reshaping habits into life-generating rituals to experiencing the leverage sobriety brings, this conversation unpack...

Send us Fan Mail What are “glimmers,” and why do they matter on the alcohol-free journey? In this 11-minute episode, Bridgene and Michael share personal experiences—from robins to hummingbirds—that reveal how glimmers are the opposite of triggers. These micro-moments of joy may seem small, but they carry us for days and even weeks. They remind us to notice what’s amazing, plan our happiness, and r...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when alcohol is no longer the centerpiece of fun? In Part 1 of Joy Beyond the Glass , Bridgene describes the power of feeling music and theater more deeply, while Michael shares how nature in Monterey and Carmel has become profoundly more moving. Listeners of Bridgene’s coaching even send her photos of sunshine and woods—capturing joys they’d overlooked before going a...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful conclusion to our 4-part series on navigating celebrations alcohol-free, we focus on one mantra that changes everything: “No is a complete sentence.” Bridgene shares a moving personal story about the first time she confidently said “No, thank you” to a drink — and how liberating it felt. Michael reflects on a story Oprah told during a 2008 Stanford commencement sp...

Send us Fan Mail In Part 3 of our 4-part series on navigating alcohol-free celebrations, we’re revealing a powerful and often overlooked strategy that our clients use successfully again and again. (And in 2025, it’s more accessible than ever before.) From navigating awkwardness and social pressure to learning how to answer “Why aren’t you drinking?” without missing a beat, this episode is full of...

Send us Fan Mail In this second installment of Episode 9, we shine a spotlight on the deep cultural link between alcohol and celebration. Michael shares how phrases like “hosted bar” subtly imply that drinking is the norm—an expected part of enjoying any event. But what happens when we rewrite that script? We unpack why alcohol has become the default in celebratory spaces, and how going alcohol-fr...

Send us Fan Mail Social ease doesn’t come from a glass — it comes from within. In this episode, we dismantle one of the most persistent myths in drinking culture: the idea that alcohol is required to overcome social anxiety. Bridgene shares a brilliant insight about how children naturally work through early nerves — without a drop of alcohol — and how we, as adults, can re-learn this skill with ju...