The Sober New Yorker

Patrick is the founder of Zero Proof Pass, Milwaukee’s first non-alcoholic passport program, launched in July 2025. Based in downtown Milwaukee, he created Zero Proof Pass to challenge the idea that alcohol is required to fully experience the city. Through partnerships with bars, cafés, breweries, cocktail lounges, and nightclubs, the program makes zero-proof options more visible, accessible, and celebrated across Milwaukee.

Growing up in Wisconsin—where drinking culture runs deep—Patrick’s relationship with alcohol wasn’t linear. He experimented with being alcohol-free before it finally stuck. Without a business background, but with a sharp eye for what was missing, he recognized that people who don’t drink are craving real connection and social experiences that don’t revolve around alcohol. Zero Proof Pass was born from that gap, helping to reshape what community and nightlife can look like without booze at the center.

Connect with Patrick:

https://www.instagram.com/414_milwaukee/

https://zeroproofpass.com/

Frank Scarso spent more than 20 years working on Wall Street, surrounded by money, pressure, long hours, alcohol and drugs. What started as part of the lifestyle eventually became an addiction he could no longer hide.

At his worst, Frank says he needed a pint of whiskey just to get out of bed in the morning. Within roughly 18 months, his life completely unraveled. He lost his job, his money, his car, his family and many of his friends. He was repeatedly arrested, spent time at Rikers Island and eventually found himself sleeping outside and even in a storage locker.

Years earlier, Frank remembers standing outside his Wall Street office looking at a man sleeping on a bench and wondering how someone could possibly end up there.

Then he became that man.

But Frank’s story didn’t end there.

After years of chaos, rehab and attempts to get sober, a question from his brother finally broke through: What kind of childhood did he want his children to remember?

Frank began rebuilding his life one piece at a time.

Now more than eight years sober, he has repaired his relationship with his wife and children, built Avanza Capital into a company that has deployed more than $250 million to small businesses, and is preparing to become a grandfather.

In this conversation, Frank and Melissa talk about addiction in the high-pressure world of Wall Street, losing nearly everything, Rikers Island, getting sober, rebuilding trust with family, living with regret and creating a life after addiction that once seemed impossible.

Frank also shares the story behind his upcoming memoir, The Hard Way Home, and why he hopes telling the darkest parts of his story can help someone else find their way back.

This is a story about just how far addiction can take you, but more importantly, how much of a life can still be rebuilt.

Get in touch with Frank:

https://avanza.nyc/about-us/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-scarso-989894118/

At 57, Polly Lovell knew something had to change.

Her blood pressure was high, her cholesterol was elevated, she was experiencing heart palpitations and anxiety, and her sleep had become a cycle of passing out, waking up at 3 a.m. and promising herself she wouldn’t drink again.

Then 5 p.m. would come, and she’d tell herself she’d just have one glass.

Alcohol had been part of Polly’s life since she was a teenager growing up in the UK. It followed her through university, years living in Chicago and New York, motherhood, divorce and a demanding career in education. As the stress of leading schools increased, drinking became a way to switch off and numb herself.

During lockdown, it escalated even further.

One afternoon after her 57th birthday, Polly was lying on the couch watching her heart rate climb while experiencing a panic attack. Deep down, she knew what was contributing to it.

Alcohol.

Inspired by changes she had watched her daughter make in her own life, Polly decided it was finally time to change hers.

In this conversation, Polly and Melissa talk about quitting drinking later in life, wine culture, using alcohol to cope with stress, anxiety and health concerns, and the surprising changes Polly began noticing after she stopped drinking.

Polly also shares how sobriety eventually led her to become a sober and life coach, why changing your life doesn’t have to happen all at once, and how small daily habits can build into something much bigger.

Today, Polly is in her 60s, alcohol-free, coaching other women and stronger than she has ever been.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re too old, too stuck in your habits or too far down the road to change your relationship with alcohol, Polly’s story is proof that a completely different chapter can still be ahead of you.

Follow Polly on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/sobercoachpolly/

Polly's Website:

https://www.sobercoachpolly.com/

Erica is a chef, homesteader, and founder of Chaotic Canning Co.—a small-batch canning company and apothecary she built from the ground up after nearly losing her life to organ failure caused by years of alcohol abuse and burnout. Sobriety forced her to slow down and rebuild everything—her health, her purpose, and her identity. Today, she shares her story to show that healing doesn’t have to look perfect—sometimes it looks like chaos in a mason jar.

Follow Erica:

https://www.instagram.com/chaoticcanning.co/

https://chaoticcanning.com/

In this episode of The Sober New Yorker, Melissa talks with Casey McGuire Davidson — Life & Sobriety Coach and host of the Top 100 mental health podcast The Hello Someday Podcast — about why Dry January is such a powerful reset.

A former red wine–loving corporate climber who quit drinking over a decade ago, Casey breaks down the real benefits of taking 30 days off alcohol, how it builds clarity and self-trust, and why Dry January can open the door to longer-term change — without pressure or labels.

If you’re sober-curious or craving a fresh start, this conversation will change how you think about taking a break from alcohol.

Casey's website:

https://hellosomedaycoaching.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/caseymdavidson/

Hello Someday Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hello-someday-podcast-for-sober-curious-women/id1508913688

Colleen ___ is a commercial fisherwoman of more than 30 years, a writer, and a woman who rebuilt herself from the deepest kind of loss. After losing her husband to alcohol-related suicide and battling decades of binge drinking herself, Colleen chose a new path — one of clarity, sobriety, self-respect, and truth. Now over four and a half years sober, she’s writing her debut book, Life Beyond the Binge, a raw and hopeful story about surviving addiction, grief, the sea, and herself.

Stay up to date on Colleen:

Freebie on her website!

https://purepotential.health/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/public-profile/settings?trk=d_flagship3_profile_self_view_public_profile&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%3BzoknbUMkRVOt%2BnSyAAGQOw%3D%3D

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/people/Pure-Potential-Health/61567862578775/

For more info on my group coaching "Happier Hour" please email me: [email protected]

In this heartfelt conversation, Liz shares her journey from a chaotic life filled with addiction to finding sobriety and healing. She discusses her childhood struggles, the impact of alcohol in her adolescence, and the pivotal moments that led her to acknowledge her addiction. Liz emphasizes the importance of community support in recovery and shares her experiences of facing challenges along the way. Her story is one of resilience, transformation, and hope, inspiring others to seek help and embrace their own journeys to recovery.

Mitch — known as Mitch Motivates on Instagram — is the author of My Addiction My Superpower and a powerful voice in the recovery community. Though he grew up in a loving, supportive home, he was drawn to risk from an early age and fell into substance use young. With the help of his family and a transformative stay in rehab, Mitch turned his life around. Now, 20 years sober, he shares his story through his writing and podcast conversations, showing others how addiction became the catalyst for his greatest strength.

Follow him on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/mitchmotivates/

Buy his book on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=my+addiction+my+superpower&crid=FXUI6FK84RV6&sprefix=my+addiction+my+superpower%2Caps%2C92&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

Chester, a Montréal musician, spiraled into addiction through years of heartbreak, anxiety, and hard-partying tours. Alcohol and drugs nearly destroyed his life until he finally surrendered and got sober. Now he’s a full-time artist experiencing music with a clarity he never thought possible. His journey is a raw, honest look at resilience and rebirth.

Follow him on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/chester_alarie/

Our Sober Motivation Community. Sign up for a free 30 day trial:

https://sobermotivation.mn.co/share/U8aWhgssczqJAikG?utm_source=manual

Nadine, known to many as The Sober Butterfly, is a proud New Yorker, educator, podcaster, and expert sober traveler who’s been living alcohol-free for over four years. Through her podcast and vibrant online presence, she inspires others to embrace sobriety as a path to freedom, exploration, and self-discovery.

In this conversation, Nadine opens up with raw honesty about the realities of content creation, Instagram burnout, and a high-functioning depressive episode that reminded her—and all of us—that even in sobriety, mental health matters. Her vulnerability is a powerful reminder that taking breaks, slowing down, and honoring our well-being is not weakness—it’s self-respect.

Folow Nadine on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the.soberbutterfly/