Creative Sobriety

Hey y'all!

I'm excited to have Will Abeles on the show this week. Will is a nationally touring producer, comedian, and podcaster based in Nashville, TN. 

He has captured the #1 spot on the iTunes Comedy Charts twice with back to back albums, his 2017 debut, "Regrets of My Father," and his most recent release, "The Pride of Hagerstown." His special, "The Pride of Hagerstown," is out now on YouTube through FourbyThree Productions.

Will shares his sobriety journey and is just over three months sober at the time of our recording. His story is a lot like everyone's in the sense that it's been full of starts and stops and now he finds himself looking ahead with a new mindset and some of the missing pieces he needed to stay the course. 

Check out one of Will's upcoming shows or find his work below!

Wesley Chapel, FL Nov 20-22, 2025

The Pride of Hagerstown Comedy Special 

Will's YouTube Channel

Follow on socials @willabelescomedy

Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series!

Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co

Hey y'all!

Meet Nadine Mulvina! She is the beauty and brains behind The Sober Butterfly, a podcast and lifestyle brand redefining what it means to live alcohol-free. Based in NYC, Nadine is just over four years sober.

Her content is honest, funny, and inspiring, always infused with just the right mix of radical honesty and humor. 

Nadine also vlogs her adventures around the world, showing that life without alcohol can be full of freedom, beauty, and adventure. 

Be sure to follow Nadine @the.soberbutterfly and listen to her podcast.

Onward we go!

Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series!

Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co

Hey y'all!

I'm so excited to introduce you to Amanda Thomson today. Amanda is the CEO and founder of Thomson & Scott and created Noughty, the world's first premium non-alcoholic wine portfolio.

Amanda won the LCB Entrepreneur Award for Best Wine Concept and was voted one of Business Insider's "Coolest People in Food and & Drink." She's been awarded Le Cordon Bleu's Entrepreneur of the Year title and most recently won The Drinks Business's Entrepreneur of The Year Award for 2025.

Noughty now sells to the world's coolest restaurants, bars, and hotels. Some top locations where you can find Noughty are The Mandarin Oriental and The Ritz Carlton. 

Amanda is a generous mentor to aspiring founders and brand builders and has a wealth of valuable knowledge when it comes to creating a successful business and leading a company. I hope you enjoy this conversation!

ALSO!! Please check @creativesobriety on IG this Friday for a fun giveaway you do not want to miss! 

Follow Noughty on socials @noughtyaf and Amanda's jet set entrepreneur journey @noughtyamanda

Shop Noughty here! 

Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series!

Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co

Hey y'all!

Today I'm speaking with award winning sober, life, and business coach, Heather Lowe. Heather is also the writer behind AFTER Magazine's "Ask A Coach," column!!

Heather shares her journey to sobriety with us, how it's changed her relationships and work, what it all means to her, and how she's now helping other women find the same confidence and freedom. 

Heather has so much passion for what she does and offers so many great resources, visit her website to start exploring and connect with her! 

Follow Heather on IG @ditchedthedrink

Read Heather's AFTER Magazine column here!

P.S Don't forget to snag a ticket to this weekend's Literary Salon in San Francisco with author, Jessica Guerrieri! Tix here. 

Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series!

Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co

Hey Y'all!!

Today I have two special ladies on the show to discuss some exciting events taking place this month, one in Tampa FL on 10/25 and one in San Francisco on 11/1.

Fiction author, Jessica Guerrieri, joined me in Nashville this summer to discuss her debut novel, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Harper Muse), and the much needed update to the narrative around women and alcohol in fiction. 

We had such an amazing turnout and response from the community that we've decided to take this show on the road! Lauren Welch, sober mom and entrepreneur in Tampa Bay, reached out and offered to host us at her beautiful space, Lux West Collective! 

This is going to be such a beautiful evening of literature, thoughtful discussion, networking, and community. Whether you are sober/sober-curious, a book lover, a non-alcoholic beverage enthusiast, or just interested in doing something different on a Saturday evening-this is for you!

We are doing it all again the following weekend on the west coast at Ocean Plant in San Francisco. Links to tickets for both locations below!

Shoot me a message on IG @creativesobriety if you have any trouble with the links or any questions at all. Hope to see your beautiful faces!

Tampa Tix 10/25 

San Francisco Tix 11/1

Be sure to follow Jessica and Lauren on IG and check out Jessica's website for all of her upcoming tour information and to pre-order her sophomore novel, Both Can Be True.  

Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series!

Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co

Hey y'all!

Today we are talking about Sober October and why this is the perfect month for a reset. I'm sharing some tips for getting the most out of your dry month!!

I'm also going to dive into some of the latest news on the impending 2025-2030 dietary guidelines that are due out before the end of the year and why alcohol is at the front of that discussion. 

If you want to go deeper into that topic please check out the pieces I've written on Substack specifically about the 2025 alcohol guidelines, the controversy surrounding the reports used to inform them, and the players involved on all sides. It's fascinating!!

Also, if you want to hang in person I have two live events coming up later this month. I'll be in Tampa, FL on 10/25 and San Francisco, CA 11/1!! I'm sitting down for a conversation with sober writer, Jessica Guerrieri, to discuss alcohol in women's fiction. Join us for a literary salon, thoughtful discussion, and amazing non-alcoholic drinks. Message me on IG for more info and check out my posts for those events. 

Happy Sober October!!

Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series!

Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co

Hey y'all!

Welcome back! I'm so honored to bring you a conversation with author, Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez, today. Timothy is over four years sober and his memoir, Conversion Therapy Dropout: A Queer Story of Faith and Belonging, is slated for May 5th, 2026. 

Timothy Schraeder Rodriguez spent almost a decade in gay conversion therapy-all while working behind the scenes at some of the most influential Evangelical Christian megachurches. After embracing his identity as a gay Christian and stepping away from church work, he co-founded Church Clarity, an organization that helps queer people find affirming faith communities. 

His story and work have been featured by NBC, VICE, Huffington Post, Religion News Service, and Newsweek. Born in the Midwest, he now calls New York City home. Timothy works as a writer, digital strategist, and advocate for queer people of faith. 

Connect with Timothy on IG @timothy.s.rodriguez and Substack timothysrodriguez.substack.com

Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series!

Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co

Hey y'all!

I'm excited to bring you a conversation today with the lovely Shea Gomez, founder of No Booze Babes and The Drī Edit! 

Shea is creating community and glamorizing the alcohol-free lifestyle through creative content, boozefree events, and a new newsletter all about the happenings within the non-alcoholic beverage space! 

Shea shares her sobriety story with us as well as what her vision for No Booze Babes began as and where it's headed. 

Follow Shea's beautiful work on IG and subscribe to The Drī Edit!

IG @noboozebabes and @thedriedit

thedriedit.com 

Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series!

Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co

Hey y'all!

Today I'm speaking with my friend Natalia Lalonde, fashion model and certified folk herbalist. 

When I started doing my research for a Substack piece about the resurgence of herbalism, I knew I wanted to talk to my friend Natalia! She studied at School of the Sacred Wild and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to plant medicine and herbal remedies. 

Natalia offers suggestions for those on a sobriety journey looking to incorporate herbs into their wellness routine. From skincare to anxiety and digestive health, Natalia says "there's an herb for that." 

I loved this conversation and hope you do too! 

On this episode Natalia mentions the book, Plant Spirit Medicine, by Eliot Cowen and School of the Sacred Wild (schoolofthesacredwild.com) 

Follow Natalia on socials @natalialalonde

This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Please consult with your physician or certified specialist before starting any new herbal remedies or experimenting with plant medicine. 

Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series!

Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co

Hey y'all!

Meet Brian Larson! Brian is a writer, speaker, and finance professional whose work explores identity, addiction, and personal transformation. Now six years sober, Brian began writing to see himself, and other sober LGBTQ+ individuals, reflected in literature. 

His debut memoir, The Afterparty: An Open Invitation to Sobriety, is slated for 2027. Brian lives in New York City where he's also built a career in corporate America, challenging alcohol-centric workplace culture. 

You can find him on IG @brian.reads where he shares insights on sobriety, books, and personal growth. Follow Brian on Substack as well @brianwrites

https://substack.com/@brianwrites

https://www.brian-larson.com/

Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series!

Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co