Mindful Sobriety: Friendship, Playfulness & Trust with Renee Adams & Mara DeMauro

"It’s not about not caring what people think—it’s about not letting it control you."

Episode: Our first-ever returning-guest duo!

Guests: Renee Adams & Mara DeMauro

What You'll Hear: how a decade-long friendship evolved into sober curiosity, business partnership, and a playful approach to growth.

Episode summary

Renee and Mara return, this time together, to share the story of a friendship that began in grad school and bloomed into mutual mentorship, a joint podcast, and supportive sobriety paths. We talk about shifting from “am I drinking?” to “how do I want to live?”, navigating social events alcohol-free, what to do when moderation doesn’t stick, and why trust (not certainty) becomes the anchor. Expect honesty, laughter, and plenty of permission to be playful, weird, and fully yourself.

Highlights & takeaways

• Seeds take time. One sober wedding reel lit a spark that reshaped Renee’s choices months later. Plant seeds; they sprout when they’re ready.
• From sober to playful. Mara’s lens has moved from alcohol status to aliveness—silliness, creativity, surfing, and juice-making as present-moment rituals.
• Sober-ish is valid. Renee names “sober-ish/mindful” as her lane and explains why learning about alcohol’s effects made longer AF stretches feel natural.
• Community ≠ a crowd. Sometimes it’s just one person who “speaks your language.” Their multifaceted bond—friends, mentors, business partners—keeps each moving.
• If moderation keeps failing… Treat it as data, not defeat. Scale back triggers, build an “exposure ladder,” and practice discomfort tolerance.
• Clarity vs. certainty. Sobriety can bring clarity, but it’s trust—in yourself and your path—that carries you through uncertain moments.
• Rebuilding self-trust. Keep small promises (mocktail plan, leave-early option, walk at craving time). Each follow-through repairs confidence.

Practical tips mentioned

• Go in with a plan: check menus for mocktails, have a default order (sparkling water + lime, Coke Zero), and a ride-home/leave-early option.
• Rehearse out loud: practice how you’ll respond when asked “you’re not drinking?” so it feels authentic in the moment.
• Reduce load for a season: skip high-trigger settings while you build skills; loneliness/grief are normal—tend to them, don’t white-knuckle.
• Swap, don’t stop: movement, fresh air, fruit/juicing, creativity, and “four rooms” check-ins (spiritual, creative, physical, mental) as daily anchors.

Timestamps

• 00:02 Welcome & why this duo matters
• 01:47 Mara’s update: from AF focus to playfulness
• 03:43 Renee’s update: sober-ish, movement, purpose
• 07:05 Origin story: grad school to co-creators
• 08:57 The “sober wedding” seed & authenticity
• 14:25 Practice over perfection: caring without attachment
• 16:06 Why one true ally beats a big crowd
• 25:14 Tricky situations & conflict with compassion
• 27:18 Mocktail plans, rehearsing lines & “data points”
• 31:01 Exposure ladders, grief, and scaling triggers
• 36:32 Clarity vs. certainty; choosing trust
• 38:00 Rituals, the “four rooms,” and playful healing
• 44:01 Where to find Renee & Mara

Thank you for listening. We hope you enjoyed this episode!

Follow @janewballard and @dfwyogagirl on Instagram to stay in touch! And as always, be sure to rate, review and subscribe so we can continue to spread our message far and wide. We are so incredibly grateful for the support of our listeners!

Connect with our guests

• Renee Adams: Instagram @coach_radams (Coach_radams) • Website reneeadamscoaching.com
• Mara DeMauro: Instagram @maradimaro • Website maradimaro.com
• Their podcast: Nosedive — email topics to [email protected]