The Sober Mom Life

Work Conferences are a big sober first for a lot of the women in The Cafe, and I have to admit I didn’t fully understand… until now. I just got back from my husband’s work conference in Texas and wow. There was So. Much. Drinking. If a sober work conference or work event feels daunting for you, then this episode is for you. We’ll talk about why these events are so alcohol-drenched, and approaches you can take to get the best out of a work conference without feeling overwhelmed by the pervasive drinking culture that surrounds them. Sign up is now open for our May ‘Fresh 30’ and ‘Beyond 30’ cohorts. Learn more here! Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Get my Free 5-Day Sober Vacation email series direct to your inbox Join me on Substack: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/ Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kelley Kitley grew up in a world where alcohol wasn’t only normalized… it was the family business. As a kid, she lived above her family’s bar and she could not wait until she was old enough to experience what this drinking thing was all about. Now a licensed clinical social worker with 13 years of sobriety under her belt, Kelley helps women navigate their own relationships with sobriety, and she gets it. We talk about the ways in which alcohol was central to Kelley’s family life growing up, her attempts to ‘dodge the bullet’ of addiction by studying psychology, the mental strain of moderation, her experiences in and opinions of AA, her excellent memoir MY Self, and what it was like to go public with her personal story as a psychologist. Follow Kelley on Instagram @kelleykitley Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Join me on Substack: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/ Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’ve been sold the idea that moderation is the goal, and that moderation is the ‘right way’ to drink. …But what if moderation isn’t the goal? What if you allowed yourself to see past all of the guardrails and rules that you’ve set for yourself in an attempt to control this addictive substance? What could be on the other side in a world where you leave all of this behind? In this episode I’ve got a few questions for you that will help you better understand your relationship with moderation and alcohol. Because you deserve better than moderation. Sign up is now open for our May ‘Fresh 30’ and ‘Beyond 30’ cohorts. Learn more here! Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Join me on Substack: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/ Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’re back from the spring Sober Mom Life retreat in Mexico, and I don’t even have words for how wonderful it was. Seriously, these retreats just keep getting better and better. The women were absolutely incredible and the sense of community we created together is going to last way beyond that weekend. If you’ve been curious about what actually happens on our sober retreats, then listen in! Courtney, my mom and I will talk about what to expect on a sober retreat and what might surprise you about the experience. Check out our next retreat here. Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Join me on Substack: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/ Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Something happened last Saturday that absolutely rocked me - I was verbally assaulted by a stranger, all while I was with my daughter. (You guys, it was 8:30am. How could someone even have the energy to be so angry that early in the morning?) It really shook me up, and I feel so immensely grateful that alcohol had no part in my weekend. Due to my sobriety, I was able to show up for my daughter, and show up for myself as I recovered from the experience over the next few days. There was no masking my sense of fight or flight with a drink, and there was no hangover clouding my judgment as I navigated the situation. My gratitude for sobriety never ends, and it shows up in the most unexpected experiences. Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Join me on Substack: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/ Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

My amazing Bravo obsessed friend Courtney joins me for this very important installment of Sobritea to discuss the shock heard round the Bravosphere: Amanda and West’s relationship announcement. We have so many questions. What about Kyle and Ciara? What is West’s appeal?! What in the ChatGPT word salad was that announcement? Is this as bad as #Scandoval? Plus - The unexpected let down of Beverly Hills and the unexpectedly strong start to The Valley. Our opinions on how kids are handled on Bravo. And, our final thoughts on Southern Charm now that the season is complete. Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Learn more about The Sober Mom Life fall retreat! Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Join me on Substack: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/ Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I just got back from our family’s annual Spring Break trip to Florida, and honestly? We just played. Nonstop. The whole time. It was amazing, and it got me thinking: would a vacation filled with this much fun and play have been possible if alcohol was in the mix? I really don’t think so. One of the biggest lies we’re sold is that we need alcohol to have fun. That is not true at all. In fact, alcohol steals fun. I’m so grateful that sobriety has given me the ability to experience the kind of fun and play that makes me feel like a kid again. I wrote more about our Spring Break over on my Substack. Check it out here! Learn more about the fall retreat! Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Learn more about The Sober Mom Life fall retreat! Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Join me on Substack: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/ Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you’ve been going back and forth on sobriety, this episode is for you. Erin Washington, the host of ThERINpy, is 28 days sober. She’s on her third Dry January, and for the first time it feels…easy! While she’s not ready to commit to a sober life, she is definitely ready to commit to ‘not drinking today’ and she’s excited to see what can unfold from here. We get deep into the nitty gritty of how her aversion to restriction has kept her drinking in the years since she recovered from disordered eating. Erin shares all of the things that currently feel challenging in sobriety (social situations, dating, an intense sweet tooth. Sound familiar?). Plus, Erin will share the exact brand of NA wine that is SO good it has made her believe she could possibly give up alcohol for good. Check out Erin’s podcast ThERINpy and find her on Instagram @iamerinwashington Learn more about the fall retreat! Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Learn more about The Sober Mom Life fall retreat! Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Join me on Substack: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/ Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2026 has so far been a bit of a challenging year on my homefront and one of my biggest thoughts has been, ‘I am so glad that alcohol is not here to make this harder’. We’re sold a lie that alcohol will hold your hand through hard moments. That’s all it is though, a lie. I want you to know - There will still be hard seasons and challenging emotions and days where everything feels like it’s going wrong when you’re sober. But believe me when I say - facing those challenges with a sober mind is a gift. I’m on Spring Break this week! If you’re gearing up for your first sober vacation - just know it is so worth it. I wrote more about sober vacations on Substack. Plus, check out my past podcast episode on Your Guide to a Sober Vacation. Learn more about the fall retreat! Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Learn more about The Sober Mom Life fall retreat! Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Join me on Substack: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/ Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sobriety coach Sara Kaufman-Bradstreet is six and a half years alcohol-free, one and a half years cannabis-free, and has never lost her excitement for a sober life. Today, Sara shares the story of how she ditched alcohol hand-in-hand with her husband, how cannabis became a crutch in her alcohol-free life and when she realized that it was time to also ditch that, the lessons she’s learned quitting one substance at a time, and the freedom and self connection she has found within sobriety. Follow Sara and learn all about her offerings on IG @no_more_wasted_days April’s Fresh 30 and Beyond 30 small groups are now open for enrollment! Learn more about the fall retreat! Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Join me on Substack: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/ Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

My first sober vacation was a pivotal moment in my sobriety journey. It was the first time that I really felt that I was making a different choice for myself. Was it challenging? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely! Nothing feels better than waking up on a beautiful vacation morning with no hangover because you didn’t drink the night before. If you’re gearing up for your first sober vacation - just know it is so worth it. I wrote more about sober vacations on Substack this week. Plus, check out my past podcast episode on Your Guide to a Sober Vacation. April’s Fresh 30 and Beyond 30 small groups are now open for enrollment! Learn more about the fall retreat! Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Join me on Substack: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/ Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Delanie Fischer joins the pod today to talk all about identity shifts. She’s had a lot of them, from leaving her life as a comedian and reinventing herself into a new career as a podcaster, writer and NSFW mug maker (more on that in the episode!), to getting sober as part of her overall goal of living a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle. Delanie is the co-host of the top rated podcast Self-Helpless and the author of the absolutely wonderful mocktail book, Mocktales. Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Join me on Substack: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/ Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The end of a relationship can always feel hard, and alcohol might be one of the longest standing relationships in your life. At the beginning, we understood alcohol as something that society put on a pedestal - a magical substance that ‘would make every experience better’. But that’s not true, we know that now, and facing your emotions about the lies that alcohol fed you can feel heavy. Feel those emotions. Feel the grief, the loss, the anger. Feel all of the challenging emotions that arise as you see alcohol for what it truly was. It will deeply help to feel it all in your recovery. And I promise - you will get to the other side of this feeling. I’m proud of you. Keep going. Read more about my thoughts on grieving alcohol on my Substack: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/ Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Join me on Substack: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/ Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Real Sober Mom Danielle couldn’t imagine a life without alcohol. Though alcohol didn’t play a large role in her upbringing in the Congo with her missionary family, it slowly began to creep into her life after the death of her grandmother who she’d been taking care of in her early 20s in Colorado. Alcohol showed up for Danielle in her grief, and from that point she began to really love the way it made her feel. Drinking was the norm at the school Danielle began to teach at, which cemented it even more deeply into her lifestyle. More and more each year, she leaned on it to get herself through the grief of a miscarriage and the consistent challenges of being a teacher. Danielle knew she needed to quit, but she had no clue what a positive sober life could look like. It wasn’t until she found this podcast that she began to hear stories of women who actually loved their sober lives. After the loss of a close friend this past summer, Danielle knew it was time to quit. So, she began to search for the joy in sobriety. She is now six months sober and she wants to encourage you to keep going! Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Smack dab in the middle of my book The Sober Shift you’ll find my ten things that I want you to keep in mind during early sobriety. This special segment of the book is a really handy support that will help to ground you at any point when your sobriety is feeling overwhelming. Today I’ll give you a lightning fast overview of these ten things. If you want to go deeper with these tips go grab your copy of The Sober Shift! Plus - we’ll talk about what you can expect from The Weekend Reset moving forward. Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you’ve struggled with how to navigate your sobriety journey when your partner still drinks, then this episode is for you. Relationship expert Dr. Alexandra Solomon joins me for a chat about how to navigate big transitions in your long term relationship. We’ll discuss her three books Loving Bravely, Taking Sexy Back, and Love Every Day, and Alexandra will share her thoughts on couples therapy, navigating growth in mid-life, and how to set loving boundaries. Check out my episode on Dr. Alexandra’s podcast with my husband, Russell! Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Join us inside of Fresh 30! Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we tackle the dreaded ‘forever’ question as we walk through Chapter 10 of my book The Sober Shift. You don’t have to answer if giving up alcohol is forever. We don’t ask that about any other lifestyle choice, why do we ask it about this? Instead, let me offer you a shift. What you thought of it as ‘sober for good’. Make a list of all the things that ‘sober for good’ might mean to you and see if that reframe gives you the support that you need. It did for me. Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Carl Radke of Bravo’s Summer House joins Suzanne and Katie to talk about his sobriety journey and his wonderful book Cake Eater: A Journey of Self Discovery. Carl will share his history with alcohol and cocaine, the challenges he experienced with moderation, how the heartbreaking passing of his brother ultimately led him to choosing sobriety, what it has been like to go through growth in front of reality TV cameras, the importance of community in his recovery, and how sharing his story through his book and his new podcast More Life has helped him find purpose through his story. Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When I polled my Instagram community and asked what was holding women back from committing to sobriety the biggest answer I received was FOMO - fear of missing out. Today as we cover chapter 9 of my book The Sober Shift I want to shift this fear for you and ask you to ask yourself the question: what is alcohol making me miss out on? For me and so many women, the realities of what we lost to alcohol only became clear in sobriety. Trust me, there are incredible experiences on the other side. Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Health and wellness coach Erin Treloar is here to help you regulate your nervous system so that you can find more calm, joy, and clarity in your life. Erin shares the science behind nervous system regulation, why alcohol can wreak havoc on your nervous system, and what you can do today (right now!) to help your body find inner calm. Plus, Erin will share a bit about her own sobriety journey, and how much more difficult it was for her to quit the second time around. Learn more about Erin’s work at www.erintreloar.com Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlife See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.