Sober Edge

I caught up with my friend and fellow coach Megan Webb on the podcast this week. We talked about her 'Festival of Fifty' as she celebrated her milestone birthday with friends and family. Megan shares how awkward she would have felt in the past having the attention focused on her and how amazed she was at enjoying Karaoke without a cocktail in hand. Megan also shares her excitement to be entering m...

When Amber Graziano stopped drinking she didn't know anyone who didn't drink. But, she did know she liked to run and that other runners might be non-drinkers, or other non-drinkers might want to try running. So she decided to start a sober running group. On the podcast, Amber shares that the first 5 people who joined her Facebook group included her mom and best friend but gradually, through word o...

When it comes to changing our relationship with alcohol, not knowing where to start can lead us to frustration, procrastination and stalling. I know when I wanted to drink less, I got stuck in moderation because I didn't know the options. I didn't realize that I could stop drinking just because I wanted to…!  And, when I started to consider NOT drinking, I had no idea where to start. Other than co...

 I am passionate about summits.  Summits offer a unique opportunity to learn from many different experts all at once. Since  2018, when I discovered This Naked Mind through a summit, I have signed up and attended many summits; some about business, some about health and wellness and some just for fun! But, until this year, there hasn't been one about becoming and living an alcohol-free life. Meet M...

I am celebrating my 8 years AF TODAY! In today's podcast episode I share eight things I have learned in my eight years. Most of them will not be a surprise - I think we all recognize that a lot changes when we choose to remove alcohol from our day to day.  I do find new delights that are part of the 'trickle down' effect of not drinking: Trusting my intuition has helped me taking more risks Seeing...

Life is full of transitions; we move from grade school to middle school, onto high school and college. We fall in and out of love and often marry and have children. We may take on a mortgage or go back to school for a higher degree... the list goes on. As humans, we spend the first half of our life accumulating and acquiring things (spouses, houses, children, degrees, cars, boats, etc). Many of th...

Have you ever thought you were too old to change? That old saying, "you can't teach an old dog a new trick" can have us doubting our ability to embrace this alcohol-free life.  Today, I want to introduce you to 3 ladies who have not only ditched booze but who have learned that the best years are our 'golden years'. And, living alcohol-free means true freedom; to embrace new beginnings, to explore...

My guest today, Chrissy Janiga, is a coach, a clinical social worker and an author. "Miranda learns the Art of Not Fitting In", Chrissy's first book, is a children's book but as my guest and I discuss, it has implications into this alcohol-free lifestyle .  Abraham Maslow and Brene Brown both remind us that belonging is a basic human need. One of the challenges of becoming AF and living AF can be...

What if we focused on what we are doing RIGHT on this alcohol free journey? This is the question that my guest, Sally Magee and I explore on this podcast. Arthur Brooks created the framework for Clifton Strengths coaching and Sally is among the first to apply it to this alcohol-free journey. We talk about: How to move from Self-Awarenss to Self-Appreciation How your top 5 Strengths differentiate y...

I  believe birthdays can be a great time for looking forward. My daughter shared a birthday ritual with me a few years ago and I want to share it with you. It involves setting a theme or intention for the year. I like to use a rhyme because it helps me choose a theme and it's also fun! For example, last year when I turned 62 my intention was " 62, try something new". And, I am happy to report that...

Regret is a tricky emotion. It can leave us with shame and guilt about things we have done or not done. Or, it might lead us to false bravado, thinking that we should live life with no regrets. Listen in to today's episode to learn how to process regrets, the reason why living a life with no regrets is unhelpful and what to do about the shame brought on my our relationship with alcohol.  The truth...

I used to spend a lot of time thinking about drinking and I used to play the 'maybe game'. Have you ever played the 'maybe game'? My 'maybe game' was filled with scenarios that sounded good on paper, or seemed rational after a few drinks, but were really nothing more than excuses to stay in the exact same place. The place where I was stuck. You see, I thought I was happier drinking . I thought I w...

Today I am releasing my 100th podcast episode! Whew! It's been an incredible experience thanks to all of YOU! I did a bit of a 'mash up' for the episode today by choosing 5 diverse and popular interviews and conversation and sharing some clips from each of those episodes. All of the links to the original episode are in the show notes so be sure and check out any that you might have missed. I also...

The short answer is Yes ; drinking and over drinking can become habitual. And, that's good news because we can use the work of some of our habit thought leaders to help change our behavior. In this episode, Teri shares the habit loop identified by Charles Duhigg and how to breakdown the cue, routine, reward to create the change we desire. She also references the work of Dr. Jud Brewer who speciali...

This solo episode addresses the tricky part of self-compassion and tough love. We know beating ourselves up doesn't work but can we rely too much on self-compassion? Hightlights include: How to do know if the Pause is moving you forward Where self-compassion can lead to self-sabotage Building in accountability How to use tough love without breaking connection If you feel stuck in your journey to f...

Rock Bottom - defined as the lowest possible level. It's fascinating to me that this is associated with drinking and even more accurately with not drinking.  The connection with 'rock bottom' and alcohol comes from the 12 step programs that suggest one must be at rock bottom in order to embrace change. I find this puzzling; where else do we wait for something to become unmanageable before we decid...

Brene Brown has a chart of how to cultivate 'wholehearted' living which has always intrigued me. It reads like a 'how-to' manual of living an intentional life.  Last week I had an incredible experience of being in a place that I think embraces wholehearted living in a holistic way. I believe living authentically requires us to pay attention to true wellness : Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiri...

Airports, All-Inclusive Resorts, Family Reunions; Welcome to Summer Travel.  Looking forward to vacation can be one of the highlights of summer - but travel doesn't always go as planned and the ups and downs can derail even our best intentions. Travel while alcohol-free or sober curious can be tricky, particularly if it's early days or our first AF travel experience. Last spring I shared an episod...

If you have ever heard the phrase "Have an attitude of gratitude" then this 'mini' episode is for you! I want to help all of us explore a deeper relationship with gratitude and a better understanding of why gratitude matters. Tune in for: The difference between Gratitude and Thankfullness The science behind why Gratitude is so important How Gratitude and Manifesting go together I also share how to...

My guest today, Maureen Benkovich, reinvented herself as a 'party girl' in order to hide the pain of infertility . While her friends were getting pregnant and starting families, Maureen was experiencing the trauma of multiple miscarriages and a failed adoption. In our candid conversation, Maureen recounts the moment when she decided alcohol would keep her from being the 'sad friend' that others pi...

Megan MacPherson has a new identity: Megan On The Wagon. Megan recently, very recently, started her alcohol free journey. Megan was 30 when she reached a crossroads; continue down a destructive path with alcohol, or make a change. With the help of her family and loved ones, Megan decided to reach out for help. What happened next is unique. Instead of hiding out or waiting to get comfortable with h...

Bonus Episode: Ignite Your Sober Spark is a live mini-series I shared with my audience last week. Because it was so well received, I wanted to share it with you in this special podcast episode. The idea for Ignite Your Sober Spark came from my desire to share some new concepts around how we grow in our after alcohol life. When we stop drinking, everything changes. And, at first, it can feel uncomf...

Becoming alcohol-free is a life-changing experience. And, becoming an entrepreneur is also a life-changing experience. Both of these paths can feel a bit lonely. Now, imagine becoming an business leader in the AF industry…that's my friend Karolina. Karolina Rzadkowlolska has chosen to put her passion for living an AF life into a business that celebrates the choices that are possible on the other s...

Is there a difference between how men break up with alcohol and how women break up with alcohol? In my podcast this week I catch up with Duncan Bhaskaran Brown, author of 'Get Over Indulgence' and the soon to be published book "Real Men Quit".  Duncan has a delightful sense of humor and a powerful message to help us 'stop chasing' and start living. Duncan recounts his own lessons from 20 years of...

My guest for the podcast this week is Justin Morris, licensed therapist and This Naked Mind Coach. Justin shares his personal story of growing up where alcohol was modeled as a 'normal' part of adult life and yet he also watched alcohol erode his parent's marriage and create health issues for his grandfather. Justin found himself struggling with drinking in his late teens when he came out as queer...