Happiest Hour with Paula Devine

Catching up with Ashley Runyan on life with teenagers, our big plans at the Happiest Hour and what's next for women in midlife and how we move through all of it with a clear lens thanks to sobriety and ditching alcohol.

If you're tired of the vicious cycle and want to take a peek of what living alcohol-free could look like for you, join the 6 week Group Coaching Experience. No pressure, not another reset, just valuable information and connections with other women on this same path.

We start September 17, all the details are on the website and to stay up to date on all the latest events. www.happiesthouraf.com

For almost ten years, Ashley Kelsch owned Teddies for Bettys, a lingerie and sexual wellness boutique in Austin, where she spent countless hours with women in dressing rooms talking about bodies, relationships, and the quiet disconnection so many of them carried. That experience, combined with her own history of using relationships, work, and wine to escape herself, became the foundation for her current work. Today Ashley helps women find their way back to themselves through a practice centered on desire, the body, and their relationship with alcohol. She's certified through The Life Coach School, completing her VITA training in erotic embodiment, and has written for Tribeza Magazine and other publications. She believes pleasure is a birthright, not a luxury, and that most women haven't lost their desire so much as lost access to it.

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This Podcast is hosted by Paula Devine Happiest Hour

For more information about Happiest Hour head to www.happiesthouraf.com

For more information about Ashley Kelsch she can be found on Substack, instagram@theashleykelsch and www.ashleykelsch.com

In this episode of The Happiest Hour, I sit down with Amber Carter—fitness and yoga instructor, retreat host, author, and fellow sober woman—for an honest conversation about what happens when life begins to unravel… and why that isn’t always a bad thing.

We explore what empty nesting can teach us about identity, purpose, and the opportunity to become curious instead of fearful. If you’ve ever wondered, Who am I now? Where do I belong? this conversation is for you.

Together we talk about:

• Why empty nesting can become a powerful season of self-discovery.
• The connection between women’s health, wellness, movement, and emotional healing.
• Sobriety as a doorway to greater clarity and self-trust.
• The stories we tell ourselves—and how our inner dialogue shapes our lives.
• Letting go of “I should,” “I have to,” and “I could have.”
• Why your life isn’t finished—you’re simply editing the next chapter.

One of my favorite reminders from this conversation:

You have the power to change your narrative. This is your book, and you get to edit it.

Whether you’re navigating an empty nest, rethinking your relationship with alcohol, or simply feeling called into a new season of life, I hope this episode leaves you feeling hopeful, empowered, and excited about what’s still to come.

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a woman who might need this reminder today.

Artist Mel Cherigate shares how a life that looked functional slowly unraveled after grief and alcohol took hold. A mom, wife and after two trips to rehab, she found lasting recovery—and rediscovered her creativity, purpose, and herself. We talk about healing through art, rebuilding a life from the inside out, and why it's never too late to start over. Her honesty and openness is a true testament of her courage to share her story and help others. You can find her on instagram @mel_cheriegate_

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In this episode of The Happiest Hour, I sit down with Laura Silverman, founder of Zero Proof Nation and Booze Free in DC, to talk about what it was like choosing an alcohol-free life long before the sober curious movement existed.

After two hospitalizations by the age of 24, Laura knew something had to change. But in a world with virtually no non-alcoholic options and very little community, staying alcohol-free meant learning how to navigate a culture built around drinking while constantly asking herself if moderation was possible.

We talk about growing up feeling different, bullying, self-medicating, the ADHD and neurodivergent brain, and why alcohol can become such an appealing coping tool.

We also dive into today’s rapidly growing alcohol-free landscape, including THC drinks, the explosion of non-alcoholic options, and Laura’s guide to exploring Washington DC without alcohol.

Most importantly, we talk about community — how local alcohol-free brands, events, and connection help people feel less alone, and how far we’ve come while recognizing there’s still so much more to build.

This conversation is honest, hopeful, and a reminder that the future of socializing doesn’t have to revolve around alcohol.

This week on The Happiest Hour, I sit down with Jes Landau for an honest conversation about motherhood, stress, and the quiet ways alcohol can slowly become woven into everyday life.

For Jes, instagram @jeslandau, what started as sharing a nightly bottle of wine with her husband became a ritual, a reward, and eventually a crutch. Following her divorce, she found herself working in wine sales while navigating single motherhood and rebuilding her life.

Everything changed after seeing a photograph of herself with glazed-over eyes staring back at her. In that moment, she knew she couldn’t keep going the way she had been.

Jes shares how early sobriety wasn’t about deprivation—it was about choosing herself, her healing, and her family over and over again. In those first months, she focused on giving herself ten times more care, attention, and compassion than she ever had before.

We also talk about her love of reading, creating new rituals through mocktails, and discovering that alcohol wasn’t what made life’s moments special after all.

If you’ve ever found yourself reaching for the nightly glass of wine simply because it’s what you’ve always done, this conversation will remind you that you’re not alone and that another way is possible.

If you are looking for guided support head to www. happiesthouraf.com to book a call.

In this short solo episode, I talk about the mindset shift that changed everything for me. For years, it was easy to blame stress, overwhelm, difficult seasons, or other people for why I kept drinking. But staying on that merry-go-round only kept me stuck.

The hardest truth to face was also the most freeing: alcohol wasn't helping me survive my life—it was making my life harder.

When I stopped pointing the finger everywhere else and got honest with myself, everything began to change.

If you've been wondering whether alcohol is really helping you cope, this episode is your invitation to ask a different question.

Because you deserve so much more than just surviving—you deserve to truly live.

This week I'm joined by Kristen Beckett, the woman behind the viral Mocktailsandmarathons Instagram reels. We talk about the slippery slope of gray-area drinking in motherhood—how "normal" drinking slowly turned into blackouts, hiding alcohol, and constantly justifying it because nothing "bad" had happened... yet.

Kristen shares her experience with postpartum depression, the shocking news that became a turning point in her life, and what it was like growing up in a family where alcohol was simply part of having fun. She also opens up about finding a sober community and how living alcohol-free has brought her more purpose, stronger relationships, and a level of joy she never expected.

We also dive into something so many women struggle with: when—and whether—to tell other people you've stopped drinking. From quietly making the change to publicly sharing her sobriety online, Kristen offers an honest perspective on identity, vulnerability, and the freedom that comes from living in alignment with who you truly are.

Whether you're sober-curious, taking a break, or years into your alcohol-free journey, I think you'll see a little of yourself in this conversation.

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This week on The Happiest Hour, I’m joined by author Mary Alice Stephens for a conversation that felt like sitting across from a friend who just gets it.

We talk about her incredible book, the stories behind it, and the moments that made us both stop and question what had become so normal.

We get into:
• Mommy wine culture and the messages women absorb about alcohol
• The “witching hour” and using wine as a reward or coping tool
• Our experiences with AA and how it positively impacted both of us—even though neither of us are active today
• The gray area between “I’m fine” and “this isn’t working anymore”
• Humor, honesty, identity, and creating a life that feels good without alcohol

Mary brings so much warmth, self-awareness, and humor to this conversation, and I think so many women will see themselves in parts of her story.

Grab your coffee, your walk, or your quiet moment—and join us.

🎙️ The Happiest Hour with Paula Devine

Had a great conversation with Whitney Cowell from LifeWithWhit on TikTok.

We discussed how two things cane be true at once. We can still hold on to old memories that were fun yet also recognize the bad moments. Yet, if we hold onto one, we must acknowledge the other.

We talk about having a sober wedding, faith, and combining our life with friends inside and outside our world of recovery.

What an amazing open & fun conversation about the realities of getting sober and staying sober.