In this episode I am joined by Chloe Fisher, Björn Taylor, and Andry Rakatoniaina as we chat sobriety within hospitality.

This recording was a first of its kind for Tales as a live podcast, and a first from the podcast as a panel style recording. I was thrilled to have Björn and Chloe back as repeat guests, and to welcome Andry for the first time as we discuss the individuals we were when we decided to remove drinking, and the ways we carry that person with us as we walk a life within sobriety.

In early sobriety I would often look to folks who had been working on themselves for a while and found myself thinking that their life seemed unachievable at times, one of the many lies you can tell yourself before you start to get better. The reality is that they were once where I was, feeling alone, and struggling with a life change that might mean a forever change. This episode is a reminder that the person who made the decision to stop drinking did so without the tools that the current self puts to use. It’s a celebration of change.

I thank my guests for their vulnerability, willingness to share, and the honesty they provide in conversation and to the folks listening.

Thank you to Tales of the Cocktail for featuring us, to Chris and Juan for recording and producing, and to those in attendance and listening now.

There’s no proof like the present.

In this episode I am joined by Chloe Fisher, Björn Taylor, and Andry Rakatoniaina as we chat sobriety within hospitality.

This recording was a first of its kind for Tales as a live podcast, and a first from the podcast as a panel style recording. I was thrilled to have Björn and Chloe back as repeat guests, and to welcome Andry for the first time as we discuss the individuals we were when we decided to remove drinking, and the ways we carry that person with us as we walk a life within sobriety.

In early sobriety I would often look to folks who had been working on themselves for a while and found myself thinking that their life seemed unachievable at times, one of the many lies you can tell yourself before you start to get better. The reality is that they were once where I was, feeling alone, and struggling with a life change that might mean a forever change. This episode is a reminder that the person who made the decision to stop drinking did so without the tools that the current self puts to use. It’s a celebration of change.

I thank my guests for their vulnerability, willingness to share, and the honesty they provide in conversation and to the folks listening.

Thank you to Tales of the Cocktail for featuring us, to Chris and Juan for recording and producing, and to those in attendance and listening now.

There’s no proof like the present.

In this episode, Claire shares her inspiring journey from struggled sobriety to rediscovering joy through travel, community, and self-awareness. She discusses her experience with addiction, the power of service, and what it truly means to live authentically without alcohol.

Claire Valera is a non-alcoholic beverage and food specialist who is committed to helping hospitality deliver exceptional experiences without substances.

After a diverse international career, Claire is currently the Vice President of Sober Supper Club, and partners with Above (a sober dating app). She also works on a number of event-based projects nationally, and is a proud member of Ben’s Friends Austin.

Her passion is traveling to different countries to discover, document, and share different drinking and hospitality culture outside of alcohol.

Claire is based in Austin and has a handsome 13-year-old tabby cat named Pisco.

In this inspiring interview, Chef Sam Diminich shares his journey from a childhood immersed in hospitality and addiction to becoming a sober chef and restaurant owner. Discover how sobriety transformed his life, enhanced his leadership, and inspired a culture of support and growth in the culinary world.

Chef Sam Diminich is the founder and executive chef of Your Farms Your Table Group

(YFYT). Diminich launched YFYT as a farm-to-table meal delivery service after being laid off due to the pandemic. It has since evolved into a hospitality group offering catering, curated events, personal chef services, and community-supported meals.

In 2023, he opened Restaurant Constance, an intimate, community-focused restaurant where the seasons write the menus. Located in Charlotte’s Wesley Heights neighborhood and named after his daughter, Restaurant Constance was recognized as MICHELIN

Recommended in the 2025 MICHELIN Guide for the American South. In 2025, Diminich was also named a James Beard Foundation Semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast. In spring 2026, Diminich will open Grey’s Diner and Community Kitchen, named after his son, as the newest addition to the YFYT family.

A Myrtle Beach native, Diminich grew up in his family’s restaurants, was formally trained at the Culinary Institute of America, and worked under Chef Georges Perrier at Philadelphia’s Le Bec-Fin before returning to the Carolinas, including roles at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte and as Executive Chef at Upstream. Outside of the kitchen, Diminich is a sobriety and mental health advocate and co-leads Charlotte’s Ben’s Friends chapter.

Charlotte Voisey is the Executive Director of the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. A long-time industry figure, and award-winning mixologist, Charlotte has had cocktail recipes published and placed on menus across the world including New York’s famed PDT and the iconic Dorchester Hotel in London.

Charlotte’s passion for all things spirits and cocktails keeps her on the stage at all major industry events including Tales of the Cocktail, BCB Berlin, BCB Brooklyn, Aspen Food & Wine, Las Vegas Nightclub & Bar Show, Charleston Wine & Food Festival and Barra Mexico and as a regular contributor on television including appearances on The Today Show and

the Food Network.

From 2006 to 2024 Charlotte ran the coveted Brand Ambassador program for William Grant & Sons, ultimately leading 100 charismatic professionals across 40 countries. Charlotte is a spirits educator, becoming Associate Partner of the B.A.R. 5 Day Program in 2019 and currently consults on bar programs and cocktail menus globally.

Lianne is a mother, a devoted yoga student, and a yoga teacher, brand leader, and founder of hello, hi body - a practice born from her own need to find her way back to herself. Through movement, breath, and honest presence, she creates space for others to do the same. She also works in brand management for Modo Yoga, a hot yoga community in Columbus, Ohio, supporting its voice and growth.

After choosing a life free from alcohol, Lianne stepped into a space that felt both unfamiliar and tender. Relearning how to listen to her body, how to trust her voice, and how to rebuild her sense of worth from the inside out. It wasn’t linear or easy. Yoga and meditation became a place to land, to soften, and to begin again.

Today, she shares that path not as someone who has it all figured out, but as someone still walking it - offering grounded, non-judgmental spaces for healing, growth, and vulnerable transformation.

She also leads a recovery meeting every Sunday morning from 9:00–10:30am. For more details, email [email protected]. All are welcome, the opposite of addiction is connection. 

In this episode, I chat with Annie and Luke, the owners of Law Bird, a James Beard semi-finalist bar here in Columbus, Ohio. Their program has always impressed me, and they are a great neighborhood spot serving delicious and eclectic beverages that are exciting in every category. Please enjoy this chat that covers ownership, staff education, and Luke's personal journey with removing alcohol.

We're a husband and wife owned and operated cocktail bar. 

No big restaurant group or corporation here. 

Our names are Annie Williams Pierce and Luke Pierce. Two restaurant industry lifers that decided to finally open our own spot in 2019. Due to a little thing called Covid, the first few years were a bit bumpy, but with that in the rearview, Annie and the team here at Law Bird are currently putting out some of our best work ever. 

We release about 3 new cocktail menus a year, sandwiched in between some of our recurring pop-ups like our Holiday Tiki and Japanese Sakura Blossom season.

We look forward to serving you at our bar!

In this conversation, Chloe Fisher shares her extensive journey in the hospitality industry, her path to sobriety, and the importance of community and mindfulness in both personal recovery and professional practice. She discusses the evolution of her perspective on mental health within the hospitality sector, the challenges of early sobriety, and the creative approaches to non-alcoholic beverages. Chloe emphasizes the need for relatable sobriety stories and the pride she feels in openly sharing her journey.

Chloe Fisher is a Chicago-based Bar Director for the Alinea Group, where she oversees the beverage program at The Aviary. With years behind the bar and a career rooted in hospitality, she’s built a reputation for thoughtful leadership and intention. Now looking at the industry from a sober lens, she’s passionate about evolving the way we think about celebration, ritual, and belonging. 

Jeremy Umansky shares his inspiring journey of sobriety, culinary innovation, and community impact. Discover how he integrates sobriety into his leadership, creates non-alcoholic beverages, and advocates for intentional hospitality.

Jeremy Umansky is a chef/owner of Larder Delicatessen & Bakery in Cleveland, Ohio. Chef Umansky is a multiple time James Beard Foundation nominee. 

Jeremy has been featured in numerous publications like Bon Appetit and Saveur and was named “The Deli Prophet” by Food & Wine Magazine. Jeremy partnered with Rich Shih to author Koji Alchemy.

Jeremy found sobriety in 2002. 

Find Jeremy on Instagram at @tmgastronaut, @larderdb, and @lardersupplyco.

In this conversation, Lauren McGurrin shares her journey from the high-pressure restaurant industry to becoming a non-alcoholic beverage entrepreneur. I discover her personal story of overcoming substance reliance, exploring mental health resources, and creating a unique non-alcoholic Amaro called Mad Flora that redefines social drinking.

Lauren is private chef and food stylist based in New York City.  More recently, she is the founder and "mad woman" behind Mad Flora non-alcoholic amaro.  

https://drinkmadflora.com

Listening make you thirsty? 

Use coupon code NOPROOF20 for 20% off your order of Mad Flora!