The Unruffled Podcast

Continuing with the interview series of creative, sober women from the Unruffled community, Tammi and Sondra are happy to welcome Mary Ellen Cusack. Mary Ellen is a grateful, sober single Mom of four, lifelong art enthusiast, artist and maker from Massachusetts. They talk about how recovery allows for examining all of the masks we wear that are generated by doubts, fears and insecurities and when we dismantle those, the courageous artist can finally emerge. To learn more about Mary Ellen and her art, follow her on Instagram @mecusack.

This week, Mary Ellen shares three items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Practice; (2) Meditation; (3) Online resources.

This week on the podcast, Tammi and Sondra are getting ready for the holidays! Having a few sober holidays under their belts, they talk about how this coming holiday feels so different from holidays past. It’s been some hard work, but they both marvel at how far they’ve come. If you want to hear their first podcast about the holidays, you can listen to Episode 33: The Holidaze.

This week Sondra and Tammi share three items from their Unruffled Toolboxes: 

Sondra: (1) Write it out; (2) Take it out on the pavement; and (3) Activity I can do with my hands.

Tammi: (1) Make conscious contact with God; (2) Physical toolbox; and (3) Bag of tricks!

This week, Tammi and Sondra are launching a new series of interviews with women from the Unruffled community. To kick it off, they are pleased to welcome Jen Geigley. Jen is a knitter, author, graphic designer and sober Mama based in Des Moines, Iowa. They talk about the role knitting has played in her sobriety and recovery, including her membership in a local sober knitting group called the Booze-Free Knitting Bee. Jen is living her best life in sobriety, with no regrets. To learn more about Jen and to check out her seven knitting books, go to https://www.jengeigley.com/, follow her on Instagram @jengeigley or learn to knit with Jen on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/jengeigleyknits.

This week, Jen shares items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Alone time; (2) Knitting; (3) Reading; (4) Moving; (5) Yoga; and (6) Essential oils.

This week on the podcast, Tammi and Sondra welcome Jill Jung. Jill is an Atlanta-based sober woman working in the health and wellness space who believes small, daily actions can lead up to a long and beautiful life. They talk about the internal shift combined with the effectiveness of focusing on wins when trying to achieve sobriety. Jill’s warm encouragement is her superpower in meeting people where they are and she makes recovery look so good. To learn more about Jill and her offerings, you can find her on Instagram @jilljung or on her website, http://www.honesthealthhabits.com/, where you’ll find healthy tips, recipes and more. 

This week, Jill shares three items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Journaling; (2) Walking; and (3) Daily Quote Inspiration from  

Out of the Wreck I Rise: A Literary Companion to Recovery by Neil Steinberg + Sarah Bader

Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday

Your Daily Unruffled: 365 Days of Reflections and Prompts For Your Creativity and Recovery

This week on the podcast, Sondra welcomes Kathy Kubik. Kathy is a Chicago-based assistant, writer, Mom, artist and lover of horror, comics and Hamilton. They talk about experiencing life’s beauty and sorrow when sober, they talk about generational crafting and they talk about the importance of creating community through things like the Recovery Gals Art Exchange. You can see Kathy’s work and her sweet smile on Instagram @oneheartfitness and read her blog and past work at www.kathykubik.com. 

This week, Kathy shares three items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) A morning ritual: prayer, morning pages, gratitude, Bible yoga; (2) Books: This Naked Mind by Annie Grace, Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget by Sarah Hepola, The End of Procrastination  by Petr Ludwig and Adela Schicker; and (3) Community.

This week on the podcast, Tammi and Sondra are happy to welcome Gillian daSilva. Gillian is a Mom, business owner and domestically creative sobriety witch. They talk about the joy of cooking a fabulous dinner, dream boarding and permission to rebuild yourself at any age. Gillian is so vibrant and her energy is contagious. You can get more of Gillian and her wisdom on Instagram @honeybee.9

This week, Gillian shares four items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Presence; (2) Photography; (3) Dreamboarding; and (4) Crystals.

Today on the podcast, Tammi and Sondra talk to Alison Moncrieff. Alison is a poet, visual artist and seamstress, among other things but most of all, she is a forever student. They talk about relapse, they talk about how creativity looks in sobriety and they talk about Alison finding her visual voice through her 100 Day Project for 2019, #100daysofpaintingonpeetsbags. You can see her art on Peet’s Coffee bags and more on Alison’s Instagram @alimoncrieffpaints or visit her website at www.alisonmoncrieff.com. 

This week, Alison shares three items from her Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Hiking; (2) Meditation; and (3) Gratitude Lists.

Today on the podcast, Tammi and Sondra are happy to share a conversation with their friend, Cody Degerness. Sondra first met Cody through her Change Your Story program where she learned that he was a big admirer of the podcast. Tammi was then lucky enough to meet up with Cody during a weekend in Paris. They talk about what it’s like to be sober in Paris, and particularly on an early Sunday morning, as he and Tammi describe their recent date. They also talk about the joy of having someone meet you at the airport, Cody’s thoughts on mocktails and their dreams of leading Unruffled tours in Europe. This episode highlights the joy that can result when you bravely reach out to make virtual connections real.

This week, Cody shares four items from his Unruffled Toolbox: (1) Nice bedding; (2) Perspective; (3) Healthy Fear; and (4) Knowing your energy and respecting it.

This week’s podcast is all about Tammi’s trip to Morocco! She and Sondra talk about her impetus for going, how she managed her anxiety and her delight in the sights and sounds of this stunning part of the world. She talks about the art she made with artist Heather Chontos, her self-discovery while there and her surprise of a mostly alcohol-free environment. This conversation is sure to have you dreaming of travel. Enjoy!

In this week’s podcast, Tammi and Sondra answer listener questions. From tips for hosting, talking to your kids about alcohol, to how art heals, the ladies cover a lot of ground. They want to thank everyone who participated in this show from Instagram and the secret Unruffled Podcast Facebook group for asking such engaging questions.