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What happens when alcohol is no longer the problem — but the patterns remain?

In this episode of AF Superpowers, we sit down with Lauren Fay, alcohol-free empowerment coach and author of BLURRED LINES: Reclamation After Addiction, to talk about what really happens after you stop drinking.

Lauren shares her deeply honest story of growing up around alcohol, high-functioning addiction, and using drinking as a way to cope, escape, and manage pressure. She opens up about treatment, relapse, identity loss, and the moment she realized that removing alcohol was only the beginning of the work.

Together, we explore what comes next when the substance is gone but the habits, beliefs, and coping patterns still linger. Lauren explains why “managing it” didn’t work, how spirituality and self-inquiry supported her healing, and how sobriety ultimately led her to purpose, authorship, and a life rooted in freedom rather than control.

This conversation is grounded, honest, and deeply human. It’s for anyone who has stopped drinking (or is thinking about it) and realized the deeper work begins underneath the behavior.

In this episode, we explore:

• Growing up around alcohol and early identity formation
• High-functioning addiction and living a double life
• Treatment, relapse, and the long road to clarity
• Why quitting alcohol alone doesn’t “fix everything”
• Identity loss and rebuilding after sobriety
• The emotional work that follows stopping drinking
• Recovery beyond black-and-white thinking
• Compassion, self-trust, and reclaiming personal power
• Writing Blurred Lines and turning lived experience into service
• Building sober community rooted in connection and freedom

About the Book

BLURRED LINES: Reclamation After Addiction is Lauren Fay’s deeply personal memoir about addiction, recovery, identity, and reclaiming your power. Through storytelling and reflection, Lauren explores what happens after substances are removed — and how healing, meaning, and purpose are built from the inside out.

👉 Get the book here:
 https://www.amazon.com/BLURRED-LINES-Reclamation-Addiction-Powerless/dp/1997765047/

More Info About the Book: https://laurenfay.co/book

Connect with Lauren Fay

• Website: https://laurenfaycoaching.com
•  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenfaycoaching

Lauren offers one-on-one coaching, group experiences, speaking engagements, and resources for women who want to live alcohol-free with clarity, purpose, and self-trust.

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What happens when alcohol is no longer the problem — but the patterns remain?

In this episode of AF Superpowers, we sit down with Bobbie Malatesta, founder of 3-21 No Kiddin, to explore her recovery journey from both alcohol and gambling addiction — and the concept she calls alchitude.

Bobbie uses addictude to describe how old addictive behaviors, reactions, and coping patterns can show up even after the substances are gone. Through her story, she shares how escape evolved over time, why managing addiction didn’t work, and what shifted when she stopped numbing and started paying attention.

We talk about high-functioning addiction, treatment and relapse, the rule that changed everything (“I can’t drink to cope”), and how sobriety reshaped her relationship with time, awareness, and choice. Bobbie also shares why she’s building a new kind of sober community through 3•21 No Kiddin — one centered on connection, play, and freedom.

This conversation is honest, nuanced, and grounded. It’s for anyone who’s stopped drinking or escaping — and realized the deeper work comes next.

In this episode, we explore:

• Growing up around addiction and early exposure to alcohol
• High-functioning drinking and compulsive gambling
• Treatment, relapse, and the long road to clarity
• What alchitude really means
• Why “managing it” didn’t work
• Recovery beyond black-and-white thinking
• Building sober community without shame or stereotypes

Connect with Bobbie

• Website: 321nokiddin.com
• Instagram: @321nokiddinsoberclub
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbiemalatesta

Connect with AF Superpowers:

•  Website 
•  Instagram

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“What happens when the life you’ve been holding together finally collapses — and surrender becomes the only way forward?”

In this AF Superpowers episode, Sober Coach of the Year Jen Hirst (@jenleehirst) shares the deeply honest story behind her 12 years of sobriety. Jen takes us inside the slow progression from social drinking to secret use, the quiet escalation no one saw coming, and the final day she realized alcohol was going to take her life if she didn’t stop.

She opens up about detox, treatment, rebuilding trust, and the steady work of piecing together a life she actually wanted to live. Jen also reflects on becoming a mom in early sobriety, coming out of the “sober closet,” and why she created Lighthouse Sobriety, a community for women who need somewhere soft to land.

🎧 This episode is for anyone who wonders if surrender is failure. Jen’s story proves it can be the beginning of everything.

We explore:
• How alcohol quietly became self-medication
• The hidden reality of high-functioning dependence
• Mouthwash, withdrawal, and the detox that saved her life
• Rebuilding after consequences and broken trust
• Finding her voice outside the “sober closet”
• Creating Lighthouse Sobriety and the power of community
• The unexpected gifts of long-term sobriety

Connect with Jen:
Website: https://joinlighthousesobriety.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenleehirst/

Connect with AF Superpowers:

•  Website 
•  Instagram

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What happens after the moment you finally surrender — when the denial breaks, the truth shows up, and you decide you can’t do it alone anymore?”

In this week’s AF Superpowers episode, Coach Allie Clark (@soberdreamteam) shares Part 2 of her powerful sobriety story.

If Part 1 ended with the intervention in the closet, Part 2 picks up at the moment everything changed.

Allie takes us through her final drink, the medical detox that saved her life, and the humbling realization that detoxing at home could have killed her. She talks about crisis calls, choosing treatment, finding community, and the moment she felt home when she arrived at Harmony Recovery.

We explore the fear, the humor, the surrender, and the deep healing that followed. Allie opens up about inpatient treatment, trauma work, rebuilding trust with her husband, repairing her relationship with her kids, and the unexpected peace she now feels — the kind she never thought was possible.

Today Allie is 8 years sober, a trauma-informed sober coach, and living proof that it’s never too late to heal what hurt you.

🎧 This episode is the continuation of last week’s story  and the one that reminds you that recovery is possible even when it feels like you’re the problem.
 Spoiler: you’re not.

We explore:

• Why detoxing at home can be life-threatening
• The final drink and the moment she walked into detox
• Meeting people who had detoxed seven times… and what that taught her
• How inpatient treatment helped her reconnect to herself
• The mountain moment that changed everything
• AA, 90 meetings in 90 days, and building a foundation
• Trauma therapy, nervous system healing, and IFS
• Rebuilding her marriage after broken trust
• How she now shows up for her kids as a safe, grounded parent
• The surprising gifts of sobriety she never expected
• Becoming a sober coach and recovering out loud

Key Moments

00:00 — The moment that saved her: “No one can replace me.”
 01:02 — The discovery of hidden wine boxes and the intervention
 02:28 — Surrender and agreeing to medical detox
 02:58 — The truth about alcohol and benzo detox
 03:52 — Calling the crisis line
 05:24 — First day in detox and meeting Jordan
 06:40 — Why treatment mattered
 07:05 — Arriving at Harmony Recovery
 08:29 — The mountain moment that changed her belief
 09:53 — 90 meetings in 90 days
 10:50 — Trauma therapy (IFS, somatic experiencing, CBT)
 11:48 — Navigating recovery communities
 12:52 — Coming out of the “sober closet”
 13:42 — Rebuilding trust in her marriage
 17:13 — Parenting as a sober, regulated mom
 18:23 — Kids remembering past chaos
 20:36 — The surprising benefit: slowing the aging process
 21:31 — The internal glow of alignment
 22:45 — Living as her authentic self
 23:52 — Becoming a sober coach
 25:07 — Trauma and addiction: the real connection
 26:12 — “Not defective — something happened to you.”

Connect with Allie:

Instagram: @soberdreamteam

Connect with AF Superpowers:

•  Website 
•  Instagram

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“What happens when the family rules are: look good, don’t talk, and keep the peace — even when everything inside you is falling apart?”

In this week’s AF Superpowers episode, Coach Allie Clark (@soberdreamteam) shares the first half of her powerful sobriety story. From the outside, she was the fun, high-achieving, straight-A kid. Inside, she was carrying trauma, fear, and family dynamics she couldn’t name until decades later.

Allie walks us through losing her mom at 20, the traumatic Thanksgiving that rewired her nervous system, and how wine became her way to survive emotions she didn’t understand. She opens up about motherhood, panic attacks, the Joplin tornado, mixing Xanax and alcohol, and the moment she realized, “This could be me and my kids.”

Part 1 ends at the turning point — the day she finally surrendered and agreed to medical detox.

We explore:

• Why perfectionism and silence can keep you stuck for years
• How early trauma shapes drinking long before you notice
• The moment alcohol shifted from “fun” to emotional escape
• Grief, guilt, and the Thanksgiving blackout she repeated for 16 years
• Motherhood, panic, and daily wine creeping into the routine
• How Xanax and alcohol intertwined in a dangerous cycle
• Emotional flashbacks, breakdowns, and the wake-up moment
• The intervention that changed everything

🎧 Part 2 drops in early December! 

Key Moments

00:01 — Early drinking rules and first blackout
 01:18 — Telling her story and breaking generational cycles
 02:44 — Connecting trauma and drinking
 03:48 — Complex PTSD diagnosis
 05:00 — Family rules and silence
 06:49 — Her mom’s cancer diagnosis
 08:13 — Guilt and emotional overload
 09:22 — The call: “I think this is it.”
 13:41 — The moment alcohol becomes relief
 14:31 — Thanksgiving trauma and blackout coping
 19:26 — Motherhood and panic attacks
 23:27 — Joplin tornado and escalating symptoms
 25:13 — Xanax, wine, and survival mode
 27:15 — Holiday breakdowns
 29:52 — “This could be me and my kids.”
 31:31 — Intervention in the closet
 32:38 — The boundary
 32:53 — Saying yes to medical detox (end of Part 1)

Connect with Allie:

Instagram: @soberdreamteam

Connect with AF Superpowers:

•  Website 
•  Instagram

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What really happens inside a relationship when one partner decides to stop drinking and the other doesn’t?

In this AF Superpowers episode, Jenn sits down with Coach Jaime Andersen (@amazinglyalcoholfree) for a candid and relatable conversation on partners, drinking dynamics, emotional triggers, and the work required to stay aligned when alcohol is no longer shared.

Jaime shares her own story of waking up hungover on July 5th, 2022, realizing she was wasting her life, and committing to a 30-day break that turned into over three years alcohol-free. She opens up about her husband Luke’s drinking journey, how his relationship with alcohol naturally shifted, and what it looked like to rebuild a nearly 20-year relationship that had been centered around drinking.

Topics covered include:
 • What to do when your partner still drinks
 • How to communicate your “why” without judgment
 • Setting boundaries that actually work
 • Navigating triggers when someone drinks around you
 • Creating a sober sanctuary at home
 • Driving separately when it protects your peace
 • How to model the change instead of forcing it
 • Why different choices don’t mean the relationship is doomed
 • Building new forms of connection and fun
 • How sobriety strengthened Jaime’s marriage and communication

This episode is for anyone navigating sobriety inside a relationship, whether your partner drinks regularly, occasionally, or not at all. Change is possible even when you are the only one changing.

Key Moments:
00:27 – Why partners and drinking is such a big topic
00:59 – Jaime’s drinking history with her husband
01:49 – The moment she knew she had to take a break
03:10 – How her husband’s drinking naturally decreased
04:29 – Rebuilding their routine after 20 years of drinking together
05:16 – Why this is one of the hardest challenges for women
06:08 – Communicating without blame or judgment
06:55 – The “Boundary Sandwich” framework
08:00 – Creating a sober sanctuary
09:10 – Staying focused on your own growth
11:24 – How their relationship improved alcohol-free
12:59 – Dating sober and authentic connection
15:04 – Building new shared experiences
17:00 – Practical tools Jaime teaches clients

Connect with Coach Jaime:

•  Website 
•  Instagram

Connect with AF Superpowers:

•  Website 
•  Instagram

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What happens when the identity you’ve built is tied to drinking — but your life stops working while alcohol is still at the center?

In this episode, we’re joined by Joshua James, founder of Ocean Beach Café in San Francisco and creator of Josh the Non Alcoholic. After years in the restaurant and bar industry — from Hawaii to Alaska to New York — Josh built a career, a lifestyle, and a community deeply connected to alcohol. But behind the scenes were blackouts, lost jobs, burnout, and a growing awareness that something needed to change.

Josh shares how taking short breaks from drinking revealed who he could be without alcohol, why self-awareness alone wasn’t enough to quit, and how inpatient treatment, sober living, and community support reshaped the course of his life. He also opens up about what happened when he returned to drinking — and why quitting the second time was harder and more intentional.

We explore:

•  Identity, lifestyle, and drinking culture in hospitality
•  The difference between “knowing” and changing
•  Building a non-alcoholic bar and bottle shop before it was mainstream
•  The rise of the NA movement as part of a larger wellness shift
•  How environment shapes cravings and coping
•  What sobriety made possible in his creativity, business, and relationships

This is a story about clarity, courage, and choosing the life that actually supports who you want to become.

Key Moments

00:01 — Early drinking and restaurant culture
03:27 — Bartending, lifestyle identity, and escape
 06:02 — Breaks from drinking and glimpses of clarity
 08:45 — Inpatient treatment, community, and sobriety foundations
 09:36 — Building Josh the Non-Alcoholic + Ocean Beach Café
 12:09 — Burnout, leadership lessons, and delegation
 15:03 — Returning to drinking and the emotional consequence
 17:12 — Quitting again — and why it hit different
 20:03 — The non-alcoholic movement and cultural shift
 23:47 — Pushback from the wine industry
 29:07 — The documentary vision
 30:43 — The most surprising benefit of not drinking
 33:05 — Where to find Josh and get involved

Connect with Josh at: 

• YouTube 
• Personal Instagram 
• Ocean Beach Café Instagram 
• Website

Connect with us at:
afsuperpowers.com
@afsuperpowers

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In today’s episode, we’re joined by Coach Ashley Howard (@coach_ashley88), a Mindset and Recovery Coach who helps women find sustainable wellness, confidence, and clarity through an alcohol-free lifestyle.

Ashley shares her journey from early experimentation and high-functioning drinking to finally choosing freedom, peace, and purpose. After years of holding it all together on the outside, she began working with a life coach, took short breaks from drinking, and ultimately made the decision to stop for good.

We talk about how sobriety reshaped her marriage, parenting, creativity, and career—and how she’s now using her platform to build community, support sober-curious women, and lead transformational wellness retreats. Ashley’s story is proof that you don’t need a rock-bottom moment to create lasting change—just the courage to start.

Key Moments:
00:25 – Ashley’s early experiences with alcohol
03:00 – Functioning success while quietly struggling
06:45 – The role of coaching and inner healing
08:30 – Sharing her story publicly for the first time
10:00 – Sobriety, creativity, and business clarity
13:00 – How going alcohol-free improved her marriage
15:30 – Parenting with presence and patience
16:40 – Creating sober-friendly wellness retreats
18:30 – Building community through education and support
22:00 – Nutrition, fitness, and sustainable wellness
25:40 – Why 30 days can change your life

Connect with Coach Ashley:
  Instagram: @coach_ashley88

Connect with us at:
afsuperpowers.com
@afsuperpowers

🎧 Listen, share, and subscribe to AF Superpowers for weekly stories, mindset tools, and real talk about living alcohol-free.

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What if stress isn’t just “in your head,” but a nervous system response your body is desperately trying to manage? 

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Dr. Jen Bourgeois, a Doctor of Pharmacy, Integrative Health Practitioner, and Fellow of the American Institute of Stress. After over a decade in community pharmacy and experiencing personal burnout, she shifted her approach to focus on the root cause of stress, dysregulation, and what she calls “dis-ease.” 

We explore how stress truly works in the body, what triggers are and why they’re subjective, the nervous system’s green/yellow/red ladder, and how to bring more “glimmers” into your day for regulation and healing. Jen explains how alcohol creates a false sense of relief while actually increasing anxiety and keeping people stuck in dysregulation. She also shares steps for mapping your own stress patterns and choosing healthier coping strategies. 

Key Moments:
 00:22 – Jen’s background and burnout story
 06:15 – Alcohol, stress, and nervous system physiology
 07:53 – Mapping: stress switches, triggers, and coping
 09:25 – What triggers are and how the body remembers
 13:30 – Green (regulated), Yellow (fight/flight), Red (shutdown/burnout)
 18:02 – Regulation vs. dysregulation
 20:11 – “Glimmers” and how to return to calm
 22:52 – Boundaries, tolerance, and personal agency
 25:44 – Benefits of reducing alcohol on the nervous system
 30:21 – Mommy-wine culture and stress normalization
 33:13 – Setting boundaries without increasing stress 

Connect with Dr. Jen:

• Website: https://www.drjenbourgeois.com/
• Instagram: @drjenbourgeois
• LinkedIn: Dr. Jennifer Bourgeois 

Connect with us at:

• afsuperpowers.com
• @afsuperpowers

🎧 Listen, share, and subscribe to AF Super Powers for weekly stories, mindset tools, and real talk about living alcohol-free.

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In this powerful, relatable conversation, Heather Lowe of Ditch the Drink joins Jenn  to share how grief, anxiety, and a lifetime of “high-functioning” drinking led her to the moment she left a glass of wine half full and walked away from alcohol for good.

From her first drink at twelve to her final one at forty-two, Heather’s story shines a light on the quiet disconnection so many women carry behind perfect jobs, homes, and smiles. She opens up about the losses that broke her heart, the anxiety that fueled her drinking, and the night everything changed.

You’ll hear:
 • The moment she realized she was “high-hiding,” not high-functioning
 • How anxiety meds and alcohol collided in a dangerous way
 • What happened the night she left her wine glass half full
 • How she found healing through community (even as a self-proclaimed non-joiner)
 • Why fun is now one of her top sober values—and how sobriety made her life bigger

If you’ve ever looked like you had it all together on the outside while struggling quietly on the inside, this conversation will remind you—you’re not alone, and it’s never too late to begin again.

🎧 Tap play. Share it with the friend who’s questioning her relationship with alcohol. And follow AF Super Powers for more honest conversations that celebrate courage, connection, and the freedom to live life fully present.

Key Moments:
• [00:00] Heather’s first drink at twelve and growing up surrounded by alcohol
• [05:10] Grief, corporate culture, and drinking to cope
• [12:09] The “it’s just anxiety” diagnosis that made things worse
• [14:31] The Memorial Day wake-up call
• [16:01] Leaving the glass half full—the moment everything shifted
• [20:29] Building a new life and becoming a coach
• [24:26] The power of community for “non-joiners”
• [33:18] The surprising truth: sobriety is actually more fun

Resources Mentioned:

 • Heather Lowe: ditchthedrink.com
• Follow Heather: @ditchedthedrink

Connect with us at:

afsuperpowers.com

@afsuperpowers

Mentioned in this episode:

• International Association of Professional Recovery Coaches (IAPRC)
• Dare to Dream course for sober coaches and creators at ditchthedrink.com

🎧 Listen, share, and subscribe to AF Super Powers for weekly stories, mindset tools, and real talk about living alcohol-free.