This week, in the spirit of Valentine's Day, I was so lucky to have Lindsey Metselaar BACK on the podcast. Lindsey is the host of one of my favorite podcasts of all time, We Met At Acme. Three years ago, I had the opportunity to interview Lindsey and talk about when and if we should disclose our mental health conditions while dating. (Check out the episode titled "We Met At Therapy" to hear the OG conversation). This week, Lindsey discusses her own journey to sobriety and answers some burning question I have about sober dating. Be sure to follow Lindsey and her podcast @lindzmetz and @wemetatacme, respectively. We Met At Acme has a new episode every Sunday!

I have officially hit my one month of sobriety milestone! For the first time in a really long time, I feel truly proud of myself for putting my mind to something and sticking with it. My conversation with Elizabeth was definitely a motivating factor to help me push through the tough days, and I am so grateful that she agreed to be a guest on Solace and the City. In this episode, Elizabeth talks about her previous life as a party girl and why she decided to stop drinking. We also talk a lot about the intersection between mental health and "alcoholism" (I am using quotes because I still haven't decided what this term means to me). Before she quit drinking, Elizabeth thought that she had some sort of mood disorder because of the way her temper would drastically change after a glass or two. Now, she realizes that alcohol was not so much a coping tool to deal with her mental health conditions but rather the cause of them. Be sure to check out Elizabeth on TikTok and Instagram @elizabethdopp and elizabeth_dopp, respectively.

I am officially 29 days sober! This is also an exciting time for me to share my conversation with Chris Shatek, a Life and Sobriety Coach for High-Functioning Drinkers. 

Before becoming a life coach, Chris spent over 20 years in the radio business as an on-air personality. He entertained hundreds of thousands of people and met celebrities from Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Hulk Hogan, and Will Smith. While he loved his job in radio broadcasting, he wanted to do something that was more fulfilling. But before making this career switch, Chris had to overcome a 15-year habit of excessive drinking. Now he helps people find the peace that comes when alcohol is no longer running their lives. Chris works with people to change their relationship with alcohol, because what was once his weakness, is now his strength. You can follow Chris on Instagram and TikTok @sobercoachchris!

When I first started my sobriety journey, I spent hours scrolling through TikTok to not only search for potential guests, but also to find a sober community that I could lean on in the inevitable tough times that I would face down the road. And then I came across Ally, this beautiful, radiant, successful woman exuding a sense of confidence a self-assurance that I was striving to emulate. At the time, Ally only had one video on TikTok where she talked about her sobriety. However, because she spent the entire 3-minutes talking about all that was to be gained through sobriety rather than what would be lost, Ally was the inspiration I needed to jump into my new life without alcohol. 

Without a doubt, my interview with Ally was one of my favorites to date. She shed light on all of the benefits of being sober, the ways in which the binge drinking culture has become so normalized in our society, and how removing alcohol from first dates has made dating so much more productive. (Don't worry -- we'll talk more about sober dating in episodes to come). I encourage everyone who has ever wanted to reevaluate their relationship with alcohol to listen to this episode. I promise you will NOT be disappointed!

I am officially one-week sober! In this week's episode, I had the incredible opportunity of interviewing my friend Hope Woodard to learn more about her decision to cut out alcohol from her life. We talked about SO much, including Hope's views on the gray areas of sobriety, the ways in which meme culture has normalized binge drinking, dating while sober, how alcoholism leads to disconnection with oneself and one's friends, and so much more. A huge theme of this podcast episode can be summarized by a quote I recently heard from Dr. Brené Brown: "The opposite of alcoholism isn't sobriety. The opposite of alcoholism is connection." I left my conversation with Hope feeling a huge sense of serenity, relief, and, one might say, solace. You can keep up with Hope's life by following her on TikTok and Instagram @justhopinalong :)

New Year, New Beginnings? In this solo episode, I discuss a recent life choice that I have decided to make after months, even years, of reflection. To be completely honest, this may have been one of the most difficult recordings that I have ever released. However, I truly hope that sharing my thoughts with the world not only holds me accountable for my actions but also resonates with anyone who is going through a situation similar to my own. 

2023 is going to be a year of implementing new habits, incorporating lifestyle changes, and learnings from incredible people who have accomplished something I have just begun to dip my toes in: sobriety.

...But maybe you'll listen?  In this 22-minute episode I talk about my return to Austin, my new life as a graduate student, my intense field work placement, my part-time job, and many meltdowns I've had in the past two months.  I hope to shed some insight into how I'm navigating a difficult time in my life and share that recovery from anything isn't linear.  At the end of the episode, I ask for feedback on what I should be sharing on Solace and the City while I'm unable to have weekly podcast episodes.  Anyways, I hope those who listen enjoy!

This week I had the incredible opportunity of interviewing eclectic jewelry designer and lifetime creative, Natalie McMillan!  Natalie is the founder and sole creative behind her namesake lifestyle brand Natalie McMillan. Using her affinity for artistry, Natalie works across a number of mediums focusing on unique and slightly off-beat pieces. In this episode, Natalie walks me through her creative career which began in 2016 by handcrafting jewelry pieces in her hot, crowded garage in the Bay Area. She quickly built a deep connection with her customer base which encouraged her to expand her brand to include art, apparel, and fragrances.  

Natalie creates as she lives- with an outpouring of fun, love, and kindness. Her passion for inclusivity emanates throughout her brand by manufacturing her products exclusively with women, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and people of color. Natalie loves challenging the status quo in all aspects of life. 

Towards the latter part of this episode, Natalie talks about her mental health journey and explains how battling Type 1 Diabetes has impacted her childhood and young adult life.  

Natalie and her lifestyle brand have been featured in top publications such as Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Vanity Fair Hollywood, and Vogue where one beauty editor dubbed Natalie’s Blood Sugar Baby scent as their favorite perfume (and it’s been selling out ever since)! Puma Swim used Natalie’s jewelry line exclusively in their 2021 campaign.

This week I had the absolute pleasure of inviting my friend Keauno (also known as Keke) Perez to be on Solace and the City!  You may know Keke from his appearance on the Netflix reality show called Twentysomethings in Austin that premiered in December of last year.  I've gotten to know Keke personally by virtue of living in this fantastic city, so I was so excited when he agreed to share his story on the podcast!  In this episode, I ask Keauno to talk about what led him to apply to be on a reality television show and how the experience lived up (or surpassed) his expectations.  Keke goes on to talk about how transformative this past year was for him and what it was like to publicly come out on national television.  In just six months, Keke has continued to blossom into a stronger and more confident version of himself, while continuing to be one of the kindest and most lovable humans I have ever met in my life.  Be sure to follow Keke on Instagram at @keaunoperez !