Sober & Lit Podcast

What if connection didn’t come in a glass?
What if community didn’t revolve around drinking?
What if sobriety actually made life more fun?

In this episode, we’re joined by Chris Marshall—
• Founder of Sans Bar, North America’s first non-alcoholic bar
• Mental health advocate
• Author of Faster Than Light
• And a powerful voice redefining sober social life

Chris's story goes deep and together, we explore:
✅ Why alcohol-free spaces matter more than ever
✅ How loneliness keeps people drinking—and how community heals it
✅ What it actually looks like to socialize sober (yes, karaoke included 🎤)

And the question so many people are asking but rarely say out loud:
 “If I stop drinking… will I still belong?”

No preaching. No perfection. Just honest conversation, hope, and a reminder that you don’t have to choose between sobriety and a full life.

Let’s get into it.
________

Guest Resources for Chris Marshall-
Website: https://www.thesansbar.com/about-us
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisconnected/?hl=en
Memoir - Faster Than Light: https://www.thesansbar.com/chris-marshalls-memoir

We Love Hearing From You

Take the "Worried About Your Drinking" quiz:
https://coachingwithruby.com/quiz

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit! 

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free!
Join our private community! 

Connect with the Podcast Host:
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching
Website: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/
Email Ruby: [email protected]
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching
🧡 I invite you to book a clarity call with me and let's chat: https://calendly.com/williams-ruby/discovery-call

Looking for Susan's new podcast?
Drink Less With Susan Podcast: https://drinklesswithsusan.buzzsprout.com/

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological adv...

Have you ever felt like the story you’ve been told about alcohol is missing the most important truths?

In this episode of Sober & Lit, Susan Larkin and Ruby Williams are joined by Mike Marshall, CEO of the U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance, for a conversation that pulls alcohol out of the shadows and into the light—without shame, fear, or finger-pointing.

This episode explores:

1. Why alcohol’s real harms are rarely discussed
2. The truth about alcohol as a toxic, addictive carcinogen
3. Mike’s personal sobriety journey
4. How alcohol connects to larger public health crises
5. What everyday people can do to shift the narrative

We also ask the bigger questions:
Why is alcohol treated differently than other drugs? Who benefits from our silence? And what becomes possible when we tell the truth with compassion?

We invite you to listen in!!
________

Guest Resources for Mike Marshall:
Website: http://www.alcoholpolicy.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@usalcoholpolicy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USAlcoholPolicy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usalcoholpolicyalliance/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/us-alcohol-policy-alliance/posts/?feedView=all
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@usalcoholpolicyalliance

We Love Hearing From You

Take the "Worried About Your Drinking" quiz:
https://coachingwithruby.com/quiz

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit! 

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free!
Join our private community! 

Connect with the Podcast Host:
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching
Website: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/
Email Ruby: [email protected]
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching
🧡 I invite you to book a clarity call with me and let's chat: https://calendly.com/williams-ruby/discovery-call

Looking for Susan's new podcast?
Drink Less With Susan Podcast: https://drinklesswithsusan.buzzsprout.com/

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological adv...

What if alcohol isn’t the problem… but the placeholder?

In this episode of Sober & Lit, Ruby and Susan are joined by Anna Donaghey—certified alcohol mindset and life coach, award-winning podcast host, and author of What Are You Thirsty For?—for a conversation that goes way deeper than drinking less. Anna shares her journey from teenage drinking and a booze-soaked career in advertising to a life of clarity, purpose, and alcohol-free freedom—and the moment she realized alcohol was doing jobs it was never meant to do.

Together, they explore powerful questions like:
✔️ What are you actually thirsting for?
✔️ Is your life good enough—or are you using alcohol to tolerate it?
✔️ What might be possible if you stopped numbing and started listening? 

This episode unpacks the hidden roles alcohol plays, why rock bottom is not required, and how reclaiming your desires can radically change your life.

Whether you’re sober curious, newly alcohol-free, or reimagining midlife on your own terms, this conversation will challenge you, inspire you, and invite you to want more—from yourself and your life. Less numbing. More truth. More lit—without the booze. 

________

Guest Resources for Anna Donaghey:
Website: https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebigdrinkrethink/
Order the book on Amazon What Are You Thirsty For?

We Love Hearing From You

Take the "Worried About Your Drinking" quiz:
https://coachingwithruby.com/quiz

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit! 

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free!
Join our private community! 

Connect with the Podcast Host:
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching
Website: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/
Email Ruby: [email protected]
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching
🧡 I invite you to book a clarity call with me and let's chat: https://calendly.com/williams-ruby/discovery-call

Looking for Susan's new podcast?
Drink Less With Susan Podcast: https://drinklesswithsusan.buzzsprout.com/

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological adv...

What if going alcohol-free wasn’t just about you… but about everyone who comes after you?

In this New Year kickoff episode of Sober & Lit, co-hosts Susan and Ruby step into their third year of the podcast with a raw, heart-opening conversation about legacy, healing, and the quiet ripple effect of choosing sobriety.

They reflect on the moments that changed everything—conversations with their kids, patterns they didn’t realize they were modeling, and the powerful shift that happens when someone finally goes first. What does it really mean to break generational drinking cycles? How do our everyday choices teach emotional regulation, self-worth, and resilience—without saying a word?

This episode isn’t about perfection or parenting advice. It’s about rewriting the story, healing what came before, and consciously shaping what comes next—especially in midlife, when clarity hits differently.

Whether you’re raising kids, launching them, or simply wondering “What legacy am I leaving behind?”—this conversation will invite reflection, compassion, and a whole new way of seeing your alcohol-free journey.

Because sobriety doesn’t just change your life.
It changes the future for your family. 🧡

We Love Hearing From You

Take the "Worried About Your Drinking" quiz:
https://coachingwithruby.com/quiz

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit! 

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free!
Join our private community! 

Connect with the Podcast Host:
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching
Website: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/
Email Ruby: [email protected]
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching
🧡 I invite you to book a clarity call with me and let's chat: https://calendly.com/williams-ruby/discovery-call

Looking for Susan's new podcast?
Drink Less With Susan Podcast: https://drinklesswithsusan.buzzsprout.com/

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological adv...

What if New Year’s Eve didn’t end with a hangover… but with pride, clarity, and real connection?
In this episode of Sober & Lit, Susan and Ruby flip the script on New Year’s Eve and Dry January, inviting you to question everything you’ve been taught about celebration, alcohol, and “starting fresh.”

5 ideas to help you ring in the New Year—feeling clear, connected, and truly "lit" alcohol-free:

1. Question the champagne myth
   Who decided alcohol = celebration anyway? We unpack how culture, advertising, and tradition quietly shaped that belief—and how to loosen its grip.
2. Design your night on purpose
   From festive alcohol-free drinks to setting a simple intention, learn how to plan a New Year’s Eve you’ll actually feel proud of the next morning.
3. Try one night alcohol-free
   Not ready for “forever”? Perfect. Even one alcohol-free night can shift how you see yourself—and what’s possible.
4. NYE intention setting
   Visualize a night you actually want to remember.
5. Keep the fun (ditch the hangover)
   Games, laughter, real connection—yes, it’s all possible without booze. We share our favorite ways to keep the energy high.

Whether it’s your friggin’ first time or you’re already living alcohol-free, this episode will have you rethinking how you celebrate—and how you step into the new year.

Dry January isn’t about white-knuckling. Support, shared stories, and being witnessed change everything.

Break free from the Groundhog Day drinking cycle. Coach Ruby's 30-Day Dry January Challenge starts January 1st. It's not about quitting forever. It's about choosing YOU.
Sign up today: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/buy-dry-jan-2026

We Love Hearing From You

Take the "Worried About Your Drinking" quiz:
https://coachingwithruby.com/quiz

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit! 

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free!
Join our private community! 

Connect with the Podcast Host:
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching
Website: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/
Email Ruby: [email protected]
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching
🧡 I invite you to book a clarity call with me and let's chat: https://calendly.com/williams-ruby/discovery-call

Looking for Susan's new podcast?
Drink Less With Susan Podcast: https://drinklesswithsusan.buzzsprout.com/

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological adv...

When the wine is flowing, the pressure is on, and you’re wondering—can I really do this alcohol-free and still feel joy?

In this festive but very real episode, Susan and Ruby open up about the awkward moments, the grounding tools that saved them, and how their sober holidays have actually become the most meaningful ones yet.

When you’re the only one at the Holiday table not drinking… Listen in for Real-Life Tips to stay sober this Christmas or Hanukkah:

You’ll walk away with powerful strategies to protect your peace, stay rooted in your “why,” and enjoy the holidays on your terms. Whether it’s your first alcohol-free Christmas or Holiday, you’re feeling wobbly with family around, or you just want a dose of inspiration, this episode is your toolkit.

Want to feel confident, connected, and actually present this season? 🔥 Let’s get lit—without the booze.

Dry January isn’t about white-knuckling. Support, shared stories, and being witnessed change everything.

Break free from the Groundhog Day drinking cycle. Coach Ruby's 30-Day Dry January Challenge starts January 1st. It's not about quitting forever. It's about choosing YOU.
Sign up today: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/buy-dry-jan-2026

We Love Hearing From You

Take the "Worried About Your Drinking" quiz:
https://coachingwithruby.com/quiz

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit! 

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free!
Join our private community! 

Connect with the Podcast Host:
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching
Website: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/
Email Ruby: [email protected]
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching
🧡 I invite you to book a clarity call with me and let's chat: https://calendly.com/williams-ruby/discovery-call

Looking for Susan's new podcast?
Drink Less With Susan Podcast: https://drinklesswithsusan.buzzsprout.com/

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological adv...

Is it even really the holidays without the clink of champagne or spiked eggnog? Or… could this be the year you discover a deeper kind of joy—one that doesn’t come in a glass? 

In this feel-it-to-heal-it episode, Susan and Ruby dive into the messy, magical middle of the holiday season—where cravings collide with traditions, and the pressure to be “merry” can trigger the urge to drink.

They ask the big question: What actually makes the holidays feel good… and what are we ready to leave behind?

You’ll get real talk on:

• How to Marie Kondo your holiday rituals
• What to say when the family asks why you’re not drinking
• How to trade FOMO for joy with mocktails that sparkle
• Why intentional celebrations hit different without alcohol
• And how to stay grounded through solo time, family drama, or just plain stress

Whether this is your first sober December or your fifth, you’ll walk away with permission to rewrite the rules, embrace what lights you up, and celebrate on your terms.

Tune in and let’s reimagine what a truly lit holiday season looks like—alcohol-free, full of meaning, and unapologetically you.

We Love Hearing From You

Take the "Worried About Your Drinking" quiz:
https://coachingwithruby.com/quiz

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit! 

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free!
Join our private community! 

Connect with the Podcast Host:
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching
Website: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/
Email Ruby: [email protected]
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching
🧡 I invite you to book a clarity call with me and let's chat: https://calendly.com/williams-ruby/discovery-call

Looking for Susan's new podcast?
Drink Less With Susan Podcast: https://drinklesswithsusan.buzzsprout.com/

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological adv...

It’s our 100th episode — and we’re celebrating with a powerful dose of alcohol-free vitality! In this milestone conversation, Ruby and Susan welcome the radiant Patricia Becker: a sober yoga teacher, plant-based nutrition coach, and wellness guide helping women 50+ feel strong, flexible, and lit from within.

If you’ve ever wondered how to age gracefully without alcohol… or how breathwork, chair yoga, and gut-healing foods can reignite your energy and self-love, this one’s for you. Patricia shares her story of ditching alcohol, overcoming burnout, and building daily practices that support sober living, vibrant health, and joy at any age.

✨ What if getting older was the best time to get lit — alcohol free?

 Whether you're curious about quitting alcohol, healing your nervous system, or simply want to feel good in your body again — this episode is full of inspiration, practical tips, and mindset shifts to help you glow without the glass.

________

Guest Resources for Patricia Becker:
Website- https://yourhealthandjoy.com/
YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/@patriciabeckeryoga
Stay In Touch and Get 3 Everyday Happiness Tips video- https://conta.cc/3IjN7LX
Aging with Grace Retreat Sonoma County-  https://yourhealthandjoy.com/retreatmay2026/

We Love Hearing From You

Take the "Worried About Your Drinking" quiz:
https://coachingwithruby.com/quiz

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit! 

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free!
Join our private community! 

Connect with the Podcast Host:
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching
Website: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/
Email Ruby: [email protected]
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching
🧡 I invite you to book a clarity call with me and let's chat: https://calendly.com/williams-ruby/discovery-call

Looking for Susan's new podcast?
Drink Less With Susan Podcast: https://drinklesswithsusan.buzzsprout.com/

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological adv...

How do you show up at a holiday party without showing up with a drink?

That’s the big question—and in this episode of Sober & Lit, your hosts Ruby and Susan are unpacking the real talk behind office mixers, family dinners, and every bubbly-filled soirée in between. If you’ve ever clutched a club soda while dodging awkward small talk or wished for an invisibility cloak after the third “Why aren’t you drinking?”—this one’s for you.

We’re swapping out shame for sparkle and pressure for presence. Ruby shares how she went from wine industry insider to empowered partygoer, while Susan spills her best “nope, not today” exit strategies. You’ll walk away with mindset shifts, conversation scripts, and boundary-setting tools that’ll make you feel more confident, connected, and in control this holiday season.

Ready to redefine what it means to be the life of the party—alcohol-free?

We Love Hearing From You

Take the "Worried About Your Drinking" quiz:
https://coachingwithruby.com/quiz

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit! 

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free!
Join our private community! 

Connect with the Podcast Host:
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching
Website: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/
Email Ruby: [email protected]
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching
🧡 I invite you to book a clarity call with me and let's chat: https://calendly.com/williams-ruby/discovery-call

Looking for Susan's new podcast?
Drink Less With Susan Podcast: https://drinklesswithsusan.buzzsprout.com/

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological adv...

Is wine culture keeping you stuck—and lying to you?

In this episode of the Sober & Lit podcast, Ruby and Susan sit down with Meg Geisewite, author of Intoxicating Lies, to unpack the myths women are sold about drinking. From “mommy needs wine” memes to emotional manipulation masked as self-care, we explore the dangerous messages keeping women locked in gray area drinking—and how to break free.

Meg shares her raw story of alcohol dependence, recovery, and empowerment, while diving deep into the science, shame, and social pressures surrounding female drinking culture.

Why do so many smart, capable women feel broken without wine?
How do we shift from numbing to truly living lit?

If you're ready to challenge alcohol's grip on your identity and discover the freedom of emotional sobriety, this is the episode you don’t want to miss.
________

Guest Resources for Meg Geisewite:
Book: Intoxicating Lies: One Woman's Journey to Freedom from Gray Area Drinking
Website: https://www.intoxicatinglies.com/
IG: @intoxicatingliesbook

We Love Hearing From You

Take the "Worried About Your Drinking" quiz:
https://coachingwithruby.com/quiz

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit! 

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free!
Join our private community! 

Connect with the Podcast Host:
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching
Website: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/
Email Ruby: [email protected]
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching
🧡 I invite you to book a clarity call with me and let's chat: https://calendly.com/williams-ruby/discovery-call

Looking for Susan's new podcast?
Drink Less With Susan Podcast: https://drinklesswithsusan.buzzsprout.com/

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological adv...