Sober & Lit Podcast

Susan Larkin & Ruby Williams
  • 4.9 (38)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Are you worried you might be drinking too much?  If you’ve tried cutting back your drinking, but can’t imagine your life without wine? This podcast is for you.  Sober & Lit is the podcast for women in midlife who want encouragement, support, and real strategies to live their best life without alcohol. Whether you identify as a gray area drinker, are exploring how to stop drinking, or are wondering how to know if you even have a drinking problem, this show offers practical tools and honest conversations. In each episode we answer real listeners’ questions about how to stop drinking and how to stay stopped. With sober stories, empowering insights, and practical tips and tactics for living sober with mindfulness, confidence, and joy. If you're ready to explore an alcohol-free lifestyle and step into your most vibrant, “lit” life you're in the right place.   This podcast is for you if you’ve ever asked: Why can’t I drink like everyone else?  Why do I drink more than I want to? I had weight loss surgery and why am I drinking every day now? What is a gray area drinker? Why can’t I stop drinking once I start? How can I drink less during stressful times (holidays, divorce, empty nest, grief)? Is it possible to enjoy life without alcohol? How do I cut back without quitting completely? What’s the first step to changing my drinking? How much alcohol is too much for a woman my age?  Every episode ends with how we and our guests feel lit with practices that support our mental health, optimizes your fitness goals and enhances personal growth. If you’re sober-curious, or alcohol-free and ready for your next amazing chapter in life, this podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, tools, real talk, and some laughs!

  1. 1D AGO

    Why Do I Always Go Back To Drinking Again? / EP 112

    Let’s name it. You stopped drinking.  You felt amazing.  Then somehow… you started again. Why? Today we’re pulling back the curtain on the stop-start cycle — and it’s not about weakness. Here’s what we unpack: -- Why your brain romanticizes “just one” -- The neural pathway + fading effect bias trap -- The “drinking train” effect (why it gets harder each time) -- How stress hijacks your nervous system -- Body-based tools to interrupt the craving loop -- How to stay stopped — without white-knuckling it If you’ve ever asked yourself: Why do I keep starting over?Why does alcohol still pull me?How do I make this stick for good?This episode is your reset.  Short. Real. Science-backed. Compassion-filled. Press play — and let’s break the cycle.  If you loved these tips and want more, Susan shares free tools and resources in her newsletter community each week!I  f you want to dig deeper into Fading Affect Bias (FAB), listen to Episode 17 for more on the “not-so-fabulous” FAB! We Love Hearing From You 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 Hosts: Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/contact Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/ Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching 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 advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.

    23 min

  2. FEB 24

    Alcohol-Free Healing Tools with Brandi Babb / EP 111

    This episode is for you if you’ve ever asked:   How do I sit with pain without pouring a glass?  What comes after sobriety?  Can I feel whole again? Today’s episode is a gentle, powerful invitation to feel—without numbing. We’re joined by Brandi Babb, certified coach + somatic experiencing practitioner, in a real conversation with hosts Susan Larkin and Ruby Williams about grief, sobriety, and learning to stay present when life hurts. Here’s what unfolds: • Brandi’s journey to living alcohol free—shaped by loss, love, and listening to her body • How grief can deepen drinking (and how somatic work helps you move through it) • Nervous system tools for overwhelm, urges, and emotional waves • What it really looks like to heal after you put down the drink • How to feel “lit” even when life isn’t easy Press play for an honest, heart-centered conversation about presence, resilience, and finding your way back to yourself—one breath at a time. 🧡 ________ Guest Resources for Brandi Babb of Little Big Leap Coaching- Website: https://www.brandibabb.com Podcast: https://pod.link/1819859867 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandi.babb The Zero Proof Life: https://www.thezeroprooflife.com/ We Love Hearing From You 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 Hosts: Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/contact Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/ Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching 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 advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.

    47 min

  3. FEB 17

    5 Tips to Say No to a Drink / EP 110

    Ever freeze when someone offers you a drink?  Wonder how to stay alcohol-free and feel connected? In this Sober & Lit episode, Ruby and Susan get real about what’s actually happening in those moments — and how to move through them with confidence instead of white-knuckling it. Inside this conversation: Why saying no isn’t about willpower (it’s about wiring + people-pleasing)Simple ways to prepare before events so you don’t panic in the moment Go-to phrases that feel natural (not awkward or rehearsed) Why bringing your own alcohol-free drink can be a game changer How to honor yourself and belong — at the same timeThis episode is equal parts heart, honesty, and practical tools you can use tonight. Coach Ruby's powerful worksheet to help you feel grounded, prepared, and truly ready the next time a drink is offered. 🧡Get the worksheet here: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/how-to-say-no-to-a-drink We Love Hearing From You 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 Hosts: Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/contact Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/ Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching 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 advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.

    23 min

  4. FEB 10

    Sober Sex & Dating After 40 with Lily Shanks / EP 109

    Have you ever wondered... How do you date without liquid courage?What happens when you stop numbing and start feeling?Could connection actually be easier alcohol-free?In this episode, Ruby and Susan sit down with Lily Shanks — life + relationship coach with 7+ years of sobriety, who went from high-achieving attorney quietly struggling with alcohol… to deeply connected, emotionally sober, and helping others rebuild from the inside out. We’re talking about: Sober dating + sober sex (yes, the awkward parts too)Learning to trust your intuition againEmotional sobriety & feeling your feelings without numbingWhy real intimacy often gets better without alcoholSelf-love, boundaries, and authentic connectionFirst dates, nervous systems, laughter, and growthIf you’re navigating love, loneliness, or relationships in sobriety - especially in midife - (or you’re sober-curious and craving deeper connection), this episode is for you. Press play and let’s explore what it really looks like to live — and love — lit. 💘🔥 ________ Guest Resources for Lily Shanks at My Internal Weather- Website: www.myinternalweather.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/my-internal-weather/ ________ We Love Hearing From You 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 Hosts: Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/contact Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/ Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching 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 advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.

    47 min

  5. FEB 3

    Mastering Drinking Urges / EP 108

    Ever wake up determined not to drink… only to find yourself pouring a glass by evening? You’re not broken. You’re human. And this episode explains why. In today’s conversation, Susan and Ruby unpack the invisible habit loops behind drinking urges, and show you how to gently interrupt them. Inside this episode, you’ll discover: • Why urges feel automatic (hello, autopilot) • The real reason willpower fades by happy hour • How triggers + routines + rewards keep you stuck • What “urge surfing” is and how it helps cravings pass • Simple swaps that replace alcohol with real pleasure • How tiny shifts can lead to lasting alcohol freedom This isn’t about fighting yourself. It’s about understanding your patterns, reclaiming your agency, and choosing something better—one moment at a time. Stick around to the end of the show to hear how we keep our own lives lit without alcohol, and why real change starts with compassion, not control. If you want to learn more about your own unique drinking habit and take a break, join Susan's Freedom Formula Group Coaching Course.   Invest 8 weeks to take control over your drinking!  https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/the-freedom-formula-rewire-regulate-and-rise We Love Hearing From You 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 Hosts: Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/contact Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/ Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching 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 advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.

    27 min

  6. JAN 27

    Sobriety Made Social: Chris Marshall’s Journey / EP 107

    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 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 Hosts: Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/contact Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/ Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching 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 advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.

    42 min

  7. JAN 20

    The Real Cost of Alcohol with Expert Guest Mike Marshall / EP 106

    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: Why alcohol’s real harms are rarely discussedThe truth about alcohol as a toxic, addictive carcinogenMike’s personal sobriety journeyHow alcohol connects to larger public health crisesWhat everyday people can do to shift the narrativeWe 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 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 Hosts: Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/contact Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/ Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching 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 advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.

    48 min

  8. JAN 13

    What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Drinking with Anna Donaghey / EP 105

    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 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 Hosts: Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/contact Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/ Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching 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 advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.

    42 min
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4.9
out of 5
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About

Are you worried you might be drinking too much?  If you’ve tried cutting back your drinking, but can’t imagine your life without wine? This podcast is for you.  Sober & Lit is the podcast for women in midlife who want encouragement, support, and real strategies to live their best life without alcohol. Whether you identify as a gray area drinker, are exploring how to stop drinking, or are wondering how to know if you even have a drinking problem, this show offers practical tools and honest conversations. In each episode we answer real listeners’ questions about how to stop drinking and how to stay stopped. With sober stories, empowering insights, and practical tips and tactics for living sober with mindfulness, confidence, and joy. If you're ready to explore an alcohol-free lifestyle and step into your most vibrant, “lit” life you're in the right place.   This podcast is for you if you’ve ever asked: Why can’t I drink like everyone else?  Why do I drink more than I want to? I had weight loss surgery and why am I drinking every day now? What is a gray area drinker? Why can’t I stop drinking once I start? How can I drink less during stressful times (holidays, divorce, empty nest, grief)? Is it possible to enjoy life without alcohol? How do I cut back without quitting completely? What’s the first step to changing my drinking? How much alcohol is too much for a woman my age?  Every episode ends with how we and our guests feel lit with practices that support our mental health, optimizes your fitness goals and enhances personal growth. If you’re sober-curious, or alcohol-free and ready for your next amazing chapter in life, this podcast is your weekly dose of inspiration, tools, real talk, and some laughs!

Information

  • Creator
    Susan Larkin & Ruby Williams
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    113
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Sober & Lit Podcast
  • Show Website
    Sober & Lit Podcast

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