Episodes

Alcohol-free living for women is often less about hitting rock bottom and more about realizing that alcohol no longer supports the life you want to create. In this episode of the Sober Life Rocks Podcast, Dupe Witherick shares how she moved from corporate success, wine culture, and quiet exhaustion into clarity, energy, purpose, and a more aligned way of living. When Drinking Felt Like Part of a Successful Life Before she stopped drinking, Dupe’s life looked polished and successful. She had bu...

Dr. Gary Hartman’s addiction recovery story is a powerful reminder that addiction can exist behind even the most successful lives. During this episode of the Sober Life Rocks Podcast, Dr. Hartman shares how he went from being a respected periodontist with a thriving career to battling opioid addiction, serving time in prison, and ultimately rebuilding his life through honesty, recovery, and purpose. The Pressure Behind Professional Success From the outside, Dr. Gary Hartman appeared to have ev...

This sober curious journey began quietly, not with a dramatic rock bottom or public collapse, but with a growing awareness that alcohol was taking up more space in Jodi Clark’s life than she wanted. In this episode of Sober Life Rocks, Jodi shares how a simple 100-day alcohol-free experiment transformed her relationship with presence, identity, motherhood, and joy. When Drinking Feels “Normal” For much of her adult life, alcohol felt woven into everyday experiences. Dinners with friends, celeb...

High functioning alcoholism often hides behind success, achievement, and the appearance of having everything together. In this episode of Sober Life Rocks, Heather Simco shares how years of external success masked a private struggle with alcohol, identity, and emotional exhaustion. Growing Up in a Home That Looked Fine Heather’s story began in a home shaped by instability, even if few people saw it. Her parents struggled with alcohol, but appearances mattered. Everything had to look normal fro...

This alcohol-free lifestyle story follows Lauren O’Hanlon’s full-circle journey—from spending 20 years behind the bar to questioning everything she once believed about alcohol, connection, and what it means to feel “normal.” Her experience is not about rock bottom. It is about awareness, conditioning, and choosing differently. The Conditioning We Don’t Question Lauren’s relationship with alcohol began long before her bartending career. Growing up, drinking was everywhere. It was how people cel...

This sobriety journey story doesn’t begin with a breakthrough or a moment of clarity. It begins with something much smaller—a phone call. In this episode of Sober Life Rocks, Randy Haveson shares how a quiet, difficult moment led him toward recovery, purpose, and a completely different way of living. The Night That Could Have Gone Another Way As a college student at San Diego State, Randy found himself alone in his dorm room after being expelled for the second time. The weight of his decisions...

This addiction recovery story is not about perfection or a dramatic turning point. It is about consistency, honesty, and rebuilding a life from the ground up. In this episode of Sober Life Rocks, Garet McLendon shares how he went from addiction and incarceration to a life rooted in routine, responsibility, and purpose. A Life That Once Revolved Around Survival Garet’s story begins in a cycle that many people struggle to escape. Alcohol, meth, and heroin defined his life for years. He moved in ...

The alcohol-free lifestyle is no longer a niche choice—it is a growing global movement. In this episode of Sober Life Rocks, Laura Silverman shares how her personal journey led her to create Zero Proof Nation, a platform helping people discover alcohol-free options around the world. When Drinking Stops Working Laura’s journey began shortly after college when weekend binge drinking was normalized. After experiencing alcohol poisoning twice in less than a year, she reached a turning point. “I r...

The sobriety journey is often misunderstood as a single moment of change, but for many, it is a process of healing, identity, and transformation. In this episode of Sober Life Rocks, Marci Hopkins shares how a life in the spotlight hid a deeper struggle—and how one wake-up call changed everything. The Story Behind the Spotlight Before sharing her recovery publicly, Marci built a career in radio, television, film, and modeling. From the outside, her life appeared polished and successful. But b...

Sober travel is changing the way people experience the world, offering more intentional, meaningful ways to explore without alcohol. In this episode of Sober Life Rocks, travel writer and author Teresa Bergen shares how choosing not to drink can expand your experiences, deepen your connections, and transform the way you travel. The Drinking Culture Around Travel From airport lounges to in-flight drinks and destination celebrations, alcohol is often embedded into the travel experience. For thos...

Gray area drinking is a reality for many high-achieving professionals who appear successful on the outside but quietly struggle with their relationship with alcohol. In this episode of Sober Life Rocks, Susan Larkin shares her journey from a high-pressure career to an alcohol-free life grounded in clarity, resilience, and nervous system regulation. What Is Gray Area Drinking? For years, conversations about alcohol were framed in extremes. Either someone had a serious problem or they were consi...

Sobriety in the restaurant industry is rarely discussed openly, yet the hospitality world has one of the highest rates of substance use disorder of any profession. In this episode of Sober Life Rocks, James Beard Award–winning chef Jonathon Sawyer shares his journey to recovery and why speaking openly about sobriety matters in restaurant culture. A Celebrated Chef With a Story Behind the Scenes If you’ve watched culinary competition shows on Food Network, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Jona...

This sober lawyer recovery story highlights how one attorney changed the culture of an entire profession. When Lisa Smith published her memoir Girl Walks Out of a Bar, she did something few lawyers had ever done before. As a successful New York City attorney, she publicly shared her struggle with addiction and her journey to sobriety in an industry where reputation and silence often go hand in hand. Breaking the Silence in the Legal Industry In the legal profession, image and performance are e...

Sober leadership is not just possible in high-level professional spaces—it is powerful. In this replay of one of our most listened-to episodes of Sober Life Rocks, Dr. Brett Kessler, immediate past president of the American Dental Association, shares how sobriety shaped his leadership journey and why amplifying sober voices in professional environments matters. Why We’re Bringing This Episode Back This episode originally aired in August 2024, and many of our current listeners may have missed i...

Sober marketing strategy is not about making sobriety your headline. It is about integrating the lessons sobriety taught you into how you lead, market, and show up. On this episode of Sober Life Rocks, Dawn Apuan—copywriter, storyteller, and ordained minister—shares how sober entrepreneurs can build authentic brands without oversharing or sensationalizing their recovery. The Quiet Tension Sober Entrepreneurs Carry Many alcohol-free business owners want to be authentic, build trust, and lead wi...

High-functioning addiction recovery is rarely visible from the outside, and few stories illustrate that truth more powerfully than Laura Cathcart Robbins. In this episode of Sober Life Rocks, Laura shares how a life that looked polished and successful concealed anxiety, Ambien and alcohol dependency, and a deep need to stop hiding. The First Mask: Learning to Disappear Laura’s survival strategies began in childhood. With a verbally and physically abusive stepfather and an unpredictable home en...

Sober entrepreneur Brooke Robichaud is proof that recovery is not the end of life—it is the beginning of it. On this episode of Sober Life Rocks, Brooke shares how growing up around addiction shaped her relationship with alcohol, how sobriety unlocked clarity and confidence, and why she believes so many people in recovery are meant to build something meaningful from their pain. Growing Up Around Addiction and Longing for Stability Brooke grew up in low-income housing surrounded by addiction, i...

If you’ve spent time in modern recovery spaces, you’ve likely heard the name emotional sobriety expert Veronica Valli. In this episode of Sober Life Rocks, Veronica shares why stopping drinking is only the beginning—and how emotional healing is what allows sobriety to truly last. When Alcohol Felt Like the Only Relief Veronica began drinking to survive. Debilitating anxiety and panic attacks consumed her early adult life, and alcohol quieted the fear when nothing else seemed to work. For a whi...

Identity-based sobriety coach Nigel Jones is best known for his global movement 9KM by 9AM, but the foundation of his work began with a single decision. On this episode of Sober Life Rocks, Nigel shares how changing his identity—rather than relying on willpower—helped him stop drinking and reclaim clarity, discipline, and purpose. Growing Up in a Drinking Culture Nigel grew up in Wales, where alcohol was a normal and unquestioned part of daily life. Drinking wasn’t rebellion or escape—it was s...

Sober energy healing practitioner Brigitta Dau is a woman who listened when her inner voice asked for more. In this episode of Sober Life Rocks, Brigitta shares how sobriety, Reiki, and creativity helped her rebuild her life from the inside out—and finally come home to herself. The Moment She Knew Something Had to Change Brigitta’s turning point did not come from a dramatic rock bottom. It came during a routine doctor’s visit when bloodwork revealed dangerously elevated liver enzymes. Sitting ...

When you hear the name Susie Streelman, you may think of curated alcohol-free travel experiences, Sober in the City events, or thoughtfully designed sober gatherings around the world. On this episode of Sober Life Rocks, Susie shares the quieter, more introspective story behind the movement—one shaped by curiosity, self-reflection, and a desire to live more lightly. Growing Up with Clear Rules Around Alcohol Susie grew up in a home where alcohol was absent and viewed in black-and-white terms. ...

In Part 2 of our speaker preview, we spotlight the voices shaping the sober storytelling conference Amplify Sober Voices—writers, creators, podcasters, youth advocates, and coaches who are redefining what sobriety looks like in culture today. Why Amplify Sober Voices Is Different Amplify Sober Voices was intentionally designed to be educational, actionable, and connective. This is not an event about polished perfection—it’s about authenticity, teachability, and real-world impact. How Speakers...

In this special behind-the-scenes episode of the Sober Life Rocks Podcast, we share the origin story of the sober voices conference Amplify Sober Voices—how it was born, why it had to be in person, and the powerful speakers who are helping normalize alcohol-free choices across industries. Why Amplify Sober Voices Exists Choosing not to drink—especially at work events, networking nights, or celebrations—can feel isolating. Amplify Sober Voices was created to change that narrative. This conferen...

On this week’s Sober Life Rocks podcast, we spoke with sober women’s empowerment coach Nancy McKay, whose viral writing and lived experience challenge the silence surrounding addiction, trauma, and recovery—especially for women. Nancy’s story is not polished or performative. It is honest, confronting, and deeply human. Growing Up in a Home Shaped by Addiction Nancy grew up in a household defined by unpredictability. Her father was an alcoholic, and her mother drank to cope with the chaos. Even...