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Everybody has the same advice for a bad job: just leave. Great. Where are you going? In 2026, most people aren’t choosing between a bad job and a good job. They’re choosing between a bad job and no job. Work navigation strategist Lynnae Brown (1,000+ days sober) burned out in 2018, couldn’t leave, and figured out how to stay without losing herself. She and our resident sober HR lady, Sarah Alaimo, join Alysse for the episode on the job you have, not the one you want. In this episode: Why “get a new job” is lousy advice right now (and why it works as dating advice)Burnout stories: Alysse’s heart surgery at 40, Lynnae’s $149,000 reason to stayNavigate, don’t negotiate: why you don’t argue with the mapThe micromanager who wrote every email with her, and how she still left at 5Do you even want a promotion? The invisible labor you can quietly put downThe 7-to-7 experiment, and why acceptance is not agreement CHAPTERS 00:00 “Just leave.” Great. Where are you going? 01:38 Meet Lynnae Brown and Sarah Alaimo 03:29 Why “get a new job” is lousy advice 06:17 Burnout: heart surgery at 40 and $149K in loans 08:44 Navigate, don’t negotiate 11:40 The boss who wrote every email with her 14:35 Gen Z, boundaries and advocacy vs. results 20:19 The path of least resistance 22:59 Three things to try this week 25:33 Irritant becomes information 32:07 Do you want to be right or happy? 36:03 Where to find Lynnae + BACKSTAGE Sober Shots: “You don’t argue with the map.” (Lynnae Brown) “A paycheck is also structure, insurance, and a reason to put pants on at 8:00 AM.” (Alysse Bryson) Find Lynnae: - lynnaebrown.com - LinkedIn - Substack Mentioned in this episode: -- S2E10 Recovery Friendly Workplace Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more. SEASON 2 MERCH: https://shopthesobercurator.com/ This episode is brought to you by Aura House. Save 10% with code TSC10: https://go.shopmy.us/p-64140200 SC RESOURCES: - Meet the Contributors - Alcohol + Substance Use Disorder Guide - Recovery Nonprofit Resource Guide - LGBTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide – Family Resource Guide CONNECT: www.thesobercurator.com | The Sober Sip newsletter: https://www.thesobercuratornewsletter.com/ | @thesobercurator on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube + Pinterest Love the show? Rate, review + follow. It takes 60 seconds and helps more people find us. Feedback + guest ideas: [email protected] Hosted by Alysse Bryson with co-host + producer Tamar Routly. For informational and entertainment purposes only; not a substitute for professional advice. Music: TSC S2 theme “Sober Shots” created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, under Suno’s commercial license.

A.J. Daulerio got sober in the middle of the Hulk Hogan trial. Three months in, every defect of character he had was being read to a jury. He calls it fourth step dinner theater. Then he built The Small Bow, the recovery publication Alysse was embarrassed she didn’t know about: literary essays, free Zoom meetings every day of the week, a podcast, and now a book. Two magazine people and a producer try to name the category they’re in, and mostly fail. In this episode: Why AJ interviews himself in the car (and who he pretends is asking)“Sober BuzzFeed” vs. “literary meat”: what each of us is building and who it’s forThe Harper’s story about AA that made AJ pay $100 a year, and why nobody writes for people who are past rock bottom and a little adriftAbstinence, sobriety, recovery: why 12-step is one of nine things AJ doesThe Hulk Hogan trial, the Uber driver who didn’t care, and the lesson in humilityThe Small Book, out Dec. 29 Heads up: this one goes to some dark places, including a reader AJ lost and a friend Alysse lost. Take care while listening. CHAPTERS 00:00 The train, off the tracks 01:28 AJ interviews himself in the car 05:34 How Alysse found The Small Bow 11:39 “Chicken soup for the dark night of the soul” 14:40 Are we wellness? Sound baths and trust falls 15:19 Sober ten years, and the problems get classier 18:54 Abstinence, sobriety, recovery: 12-step is one of nine 26:35 The Harper’s story that started everything 29:58 Literary meat vs. sober BuzzFeed 41:15 Fourth step dinner theater: the Hulk Hogan trial 46:57 “I’m the writer. I’m the human.” 48:47 “So you met Hulk Hogan?” 57:17 What AJ would tell year one 01:01:59 “Fast-forward to the part they get sober” Sober Shots: “You’re allowed to build your whole life around a routine nobody will ever write a headline about.” (Alysse Bryson) “All the things that I thought were being taken away from me were also the things I needed to let go of the most.” (A.J. Daulerio) Mentioned in this episode: - The Small Bow - The Small Book, out Dec. 29 - I’m The Sober Curator, and I Just Found The Small Bow - S2E17 with Paulina Pinsky - Backstage with The Sober Curator Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more. SEASON 2 MERCH: https://shopthesobercurator.com/ SC RESOURCES: - Meet the Contributors - Alcohol + Substance Use Disorder Guide - Recovery Nonprofit Resource Guide - LGBTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide – Family Resource Guide CONNECT: www.thesobercurator.com | The Sober Sip newsletter: https://www.thesobercuratornewsletter.com/ | @thesobercurator on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube + Pinterest Love the show? Rate, review + follow. It takes 60 seconds and helps more people find us. Feedback + guest ideas: [email protected] Hosted by Alysse Bryson with co-host + producer Tamar Routly. For informational and entertainment purposes only; not a substitute for professional advice. Music: TSC S2 theme “Sober Shots” created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, under Suno’s commercial license.

Every October, half the internet finds out what it's like to be the one holding a club soda at a party. Some of us have been doing Sober October for years, and the drinks have gotten a lot better since the O'Doul's days. This week, Alysse and Tamar sit down with the two people who know exactly what to pour: Kim Parsley and Justin Lamb, who hold down The Sober Curator's Happy Every Hour section. Kim covers NA spirits and cocktails. Justin is roughly 150 NA beer reviews in and still can't find a non-alcoholic single malt scotch. In this episode: - Sober October, Dry January, and "the always forgotten Dry July": eye roll, gateway drug, or marketing? - Justin's fall NA beer list from 2024 still pops off, and some of the breweries on it are gone - Why celebrity NA beer brands might not want sober customers (and why there should be room at the table) - The "drink as prescribed" rule for trying NA spirits for the first time - Kim builds Justin an NA Negroni and Alysse a pink Barbie Cosmo on the spot - The one drink each of us is pouring for the rest of fall, plus what we're eating with it CHAPTERS 00:00 Club soda at the party 02:01 The Sober Curator Mixtape 04:16 Sober October: eye roll or gateway drug? 09:44 From craft beer to NA beer 13:36 Kim's piano bar and Tanqueray 0.0 17:55 The 2024 fall beer list, two years later 20:22 "The War on Alcohol" and the SNL sketch 23:37 "They don't want recovered addicts" 25:23 TOMONOTOMO: drink as prescribed 29:30 What drink are you? 30:57 Which NA spirits can you sip neat? 33:41 "I drink Diet Coke" 37:48 One drink for the rest of fall TSC Articles mentioned in this episode: - Justin's Top 10 Non-Alcoholic Beers for Fall - Kim's TOMONOTOMO Tobalá review - SNL's "Non-Non Alcoholic Beer" sketch, pro or con - “It’s Always Sunny,” NA Beer and the Joke That Didn’t Land for Me - The Sober Curator Mixtape (Sober Snail Mail) - Backstage with The Sober Curator Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more. SEASON 2 MERCH: https://shopthesobercurator.com/ SC RESOURCES: - Meet the Contributors - Alcohol + Substance Use Disorder Guide - Recovery Nonprofit Resource Guide - LGBTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide - Family Resource Guide CONNECT: www.thesobercurator.com | The Sober Sip newsletter: https://www.thesobercuratornewsletter.com/ | @thesobercurator on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube + Pinterest Love the show? Rate, review + follow. It takes 60 seconds and helps more people find us. Feedback + guest ideas: [email protected] Hosted by Alysse Bryson with co-host + producer Tamar Routly. For informational and entertainment purposes only; not a substitute for professional advice. Music: TSC S2 theme "Sober Shots" created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, under Suno's commercial license.

In the fourth grade, Paulina Pinsky was cast as Miss Piggy on Ice. At eight, she was praying to Elvis before skating competitions. By her twenties, she was smoking weed every day and telling everyone it was medicine. Now she's almost five years sober, writes the Substack newsletters Newly Sober and Process Over Product, and she's our newest Sober Curator contributor, bringing something we haven't covered enough: marijuana addiction. Alysse and Tamar talk with her about Muppets, Graceland, and the rhetoric that kept her high. In this episode: Miss Piggy on Ice, and Alysse's family link to Miss Piggy's wardrobeThe TCB necklace, lost for 15 years and found the day before we recorded"Weed took me down": why Paulina says the public was lied toDependence vs. addiction, and why the label matters less than the habitThe one question to ask about any substance: is this helping or harming me?Nostalgia in sobriety, The Artist's Way, and getting your inner child back CHAPTERS 00:00 Miss Piggy on Ice 01:48 Alysse is Muppet royalty 03:51 Muppet Recovery 04:47 An 8-year-old obsessed with Elvis 09:29 A word from our sponsor: Aura House 1 0:17 "Paradise" and a Graceland plot twist 13:53 Elvis, performance, and addiction 16:56 The TCB necklace, lost and found 21:51 "Not a doorknob": picking a higher power 22:37 Dollywood, Diet Coke, and cinnamon bread 29:13 Welcome to the contributor family 30:16 "Weed took me down" 36:50 What weed costs you 37:58 Dependence vs. addiction: does it matter? 42:31 "Never Enough" by Dr. Judith Grisel 48:35 Is this helping or harming me? 51:17 Nostalgia, sobriety, and 50 going on 13 53:08 The Artist's Way and coming back to yourself 56:07 Why do you think you have to be high to be yourself? 1:00:17 Where to find Paulina Sober Shots: "Why do you think you have to be high to be yourself?" (Paulina Pinsky) "I just appreciate it's not a doorknob, personally." (Alysse Bryson) Mentioned in this episode: Paulina Pinsky: www.paulinapinsky.com| Instagram @paulina_pinsky | TikTok @paulinapleaseNewly Sober on Substack: https://paulinapinsky.substack.com/Weed Dependence vs. Addiction, by Paulina Pinsky: https://thesobercurator.com/weed-dependence-vs-addiction/Backstage with The Sober Curator Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more. SEASON 2 MERCH: https://shopthesobercurator.com/ This episode is brought to you by Aura House. Save 10% with code TSC10: https://go.shopmy.us/p-64140200 SC RESOURCES: Meet the ContributorsAlcohol + Substance Use Disorder GuideRecovery Nonprofit Resource GuideLGBTQ+ Recovery Resource GuideFamily Resource Guide CONNECT: thesobercurator.com | The Sober Sip newsletter | @thesobercurator on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube + Pinterest Love the show? Rate, review + follow. It takes 60 seconds and helps more people find us. Feedback + guest ideas: [email protected] Hosted by Alysse Bryson with co-host + producer Tamar Routly. For informational and entertainment purposes only; not a substitute for professional advice. Music: TSC S2 theme "Sober Shots" created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, under Suno's commercial license.

Golf has the 19th hole. Skiing has après. Every sport comes with a drink attached, and three sober athletes on three continents decided to keep the sport and lose the drink. In this bonus episode, recorded live at BACKSTAGE with The Sober Curator, SOBA Golf founder Corey Davis, Soberski founder Ben Coombes and electric skateboarder Bianca Criaco join Alysse Bryson and co-host Tamar Routly to talk obsession, potential and the rush that beats the buzz. In this episode: - How Corey went from a 30 index to a 3 in four years, and why golf has no finish line - Why Ben quit drinking in the one place he knew would be hardest: a ski resort - Bianca on how an electric skateboard got her through early sobriety, and finishing dead last at nationals - "Mr. Potential" and what happens when you finally stop wasting it - Walking shoulder to shoulder: why sport gets people talking - What each guest's sport gives them on a bad day CHAPTERS 0:00 Welcome to BACKSTAGE: Sober Sports 1:52 Corey Davis and SOBA Golf 6:13 Ben Coombes and Soberski 9:25 Bianca Criaco and electric skateboarding 13:21 "I came in dead last" 13:54 How sport changes recovery 22:27 Sober on top of a mountain 23:47 How fast is an electric skateboard? 29:12 The guests interview each other 30:10 "Mr. Potential" 33:52 Intuition over potential 41:33 Quitting in the hardest place first 46:30 Hindsight: be relentless 50:38 What your sport gives you on a bad day 54:51 Wrap-up Sober Shots: "With golf, there's no destination." (Corey Davis) "Joy, especially for me, is something that I don't think I've had my entire life." (Bianca Criaco) Mentioned in this episode: - SOBA Golf: https://soba.golf - Soberski: https://www.soberski.co.uk  - Bianca Criaco + The Choice podcast: https://www.biancacriaco.com - Hear more from Ben on Episode 16: https://thesobercurator.com/sober-ski-trips-are-real-inside-soberskis-alcohol-free-chalet-week/ - Join BACKSTAGE for live conversations like this every month Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more. SEASON 2 MERCH: https://shopthesobercurator.com/ SC RESOURCES: - Meet the Contributors - Alcohol + Substance Use Disorder Guide - Recovery Nonprofit Resource Guide - LGBTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide CONNECT: www.thesobercurator.com | The Sober Sip newsletter: https://www.thesobercuratornewsletter.com/ | @thesobercurator on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube + Pinterest Love the show? Rate, review + follow. It takes 60 seconds and helps more people find us. Feedback + guest ideas: [email protected] Hosted by Alysse Bryson with co-host + producer Tamar Routly. For informational and entertainment purposes only; not a substitute for professional advice. Music: TSC S2 theme "Sober Shots" created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, under Suno's commercial license.

Some people look at a mountain and see a party. Ben Coombes used to be one of them: magnums of rosé at lunch, shots on the chairlift, and more near misses than he can count. Then he tried something nobody in a ski resort does. He did a sober season. Now Ben runs Soberski, alcohol-free chalet weeks in Méribel in the French Alps, and he’s our newest Sober Curator contributor. Alysse and Tamar (a snowboarder, it turns out) talk with him about what happens when you keep the mountain and lose the après. In this episode: Ski, work, or drink: pick two. Ben’s seasons driving guests for a luxury chalet companyThe sober season that became an Instagram page, then a businessThe first booking came from New Jersey, and Ben thought it was a scamNever skied? Ben’s guest who went from zero to flying around the mountain in about six hours of lessonsPrivate chefs, cold plunges, daily yoga, and evening workshopsThe January 22 to 29, 2027 week in Méribel, and who it’s for (sober, sober curious, or just done with hangovers on holiday)Ben’s pick for your queue: “The Gentlemen” on NetflixWhy Ben didn’t build a support group on a mountain. He built a room. CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold open 01:29 You got sober. Now what? 04:06 Falling for the mountains at 21 05:13 Ski, work, or drink: pick two 06:36 The sober season experiment 08:43 Tamar’s 20-year-old snowboarder brain 09:36 Rosé at lunch, shots on the chairlift13:41 A word from our sponsor: Aura House 14:30 January 2027 in Méribel 15:34 North Americans welcome 18:06 Never skied? Start here 24:39 Watching strangers become friends 28:53 Pop culture pick: The Gentlemen 31:36 The Sober Swap, new in Backstage 35:13 Yoga, cold plunges, evening workshops 37:48 He didn’t build a support group. He built a room. 38:37 Where to find Soberski Sober Shots: “If I can not drink in a ski resort, then I can probably not drink anywhere.” (Ben Coombes) “You are allowed to go somewhere ridiculous and beautiful to find him or her.” (Alysse Bryson) Mentioned in this episode: - Soberski | Instagram @s0berski - Backstage with The Sober Curator: https://thesobercurator.com/backstage-with-the-sober-curator/ - The Sober Swap, our new October Backstage hang - Krysty Krywko, “Skiing Sober: Rewriting Après-Ski Without Alcohol” Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more. SEASON 2 MERCH: https://shopthesobercurator.com/ This episode is brought to you by Aura House. Save 10% with code TSC10: https://go.shopmy.us/p-64140200 SC RESOURCES: - Meet the Contributors - Alcohol + Substance Use Disorder Guide - Recovery Nonprofit Resource Guide - LGBTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide CONNECT: www.thesobercurator.com | The Sober Sip newsletter: https://www.thesobercuratornewsletter.com/ | @thesobercurator on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube + Pinterest Love the show? Rate, review + follow. It takes 60 seconds and helps more people find us. Feedback + guest ideas: [email protected] Hosted by Alysse Bryson with co-host + producer Tamar Routly. For informational and entertainment purposes only; not a substitute for professional advice. Music: TSC S2 theme “Sober Shots” created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, under Suno’s commercial license.

Sober is having a moment. NA beer is outselling the real thing in some markets, Dry January is an industry, and everyone is saying "gray area drinking" like it's new slang. So we brought in two people who've been in this conversation from opposite ends: Ruby Williams spent 20 years in the wine industry. Susan Larkin spent 20 years at Yale School of Medicine. They met as This Naked Mind coaches, became meditation partners, and now host the Sober & Lit podcast, 140 episodes deep. Same landing spot, two totally different rooms. Alysse and Tamar wanted to know what the collision looked like. In this episode: RAIN (recognize, allow, investigate, nurture), and why the same practice works whether you invite God or the universeWhy they renamed the show to reclaim the word "sober"How mommy wine culture normalized a bottle a night, from play-date teacups to swim-meet water bottlesReverse purse wine: the NA bottles Susan brings to parties (Oddbird, Tomorrow Cellars, Jøyus, H2o), and what happened when Tamar poured hers in a tumbler"If you go to the barber, you're gonna get a haircut," and why NA wine works for some people and not othersAlysse's Mad Men martini dining room, Ruby's stacks of "rosé all day" shirts, and the dad who replaced a wine club with National GeographicThe nurse at the cardiologist who said "if I miss, I owe you a drink"Normal drinkers don't justify: Tamar's one-line test CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold open: sober is having a moment 01:41 How Ruby and Susan met 03:07 RAIN: recognize, allow, investigate, nurture 05:34 God or the universe, same practice 06:40 Why they renamed it "Sober & Lit" 11:27 A word from our sponsor: Aura House 12:15 The trends that made them cringe 18:04 Mommy wine culture: play dates, teacups, swim meets 21:54 Supersize my wine: the 13-ounce pour 24:02 NA wine picks: Oddbird, Tomorrow Cellars, Jøyus, H2o 26:56 Tamar's four bottles and the placebo effect 31:44 "Keep the ritual, ditch the alcohol" 33:00 Alysse's Mad Men martini dining room 34:39 Rosé all day: Ruby's wine-industry purge 35:39 Susan's dad, the wine club, and National Geographic 40:06 Hayden Panettiere and Brad Pitt, same week 41:14 Yale, gray area drinking, and doctors who prescribe wine 43:00 The pitcher plant: don't wait for rock bottom 44:17 "I owe you a drink": the cardiologist story 46:44 Normal drinkers don't justify 48:24 Would you pass around cigarettes at church? 50:55 Backstage, and why sober is the new trench coat Nothing in this episode is medical advice. If your relationship with alcohol worries you, talk to a licensed professional. SAMHSA's National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357. Mentioned in this episode: Sober & Lit podcast (Ruby Williams + Susan Larkin)Backstage with The Sober CuratorOur bonus episode on Hayden Panettiere and Brad Pitt Justin Kinney on kratom for The Sober CuratorThe Sober Curator Mixtape (Sober Snail Mail) SEASON 2 MERCH: shopthesobercurator.com This episode is brought to you by Aura House. Save 10% with code TSC10: https://go.shopmy.us/p-64140200 SC RESOURCES: Meet the ContributorsAlcohol + Substance Use Disorder GuideRecovery Nonprofit Resource GuideLGBTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide CONNECT: thesobercurator.com | The Sober Sip newsletter | @thesobercurator on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube + Pinterest Love the show? Rate, review + follow. It takes 60 seconds and helps more people find us. Feedback + guest ideas: [email protected] Hosted by Alysse Bryson with co-host + producer Tamar Routly. For informational and entertainment purposes only; not a substitute for professional advice. Music: TSC S2 theme "Sober Shots" created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, under Suno's commercial license.

A Toronto mixologist spends years building other people’s nights out. COVID moves her cocktail classes onto Zoom, the kits sell, and she has never been less happy. So she books a one-way ticket to Mexico. Amanda Chen went from Tulum to a 10-day silent meditation retreat on the Oaxacan coast, walked out with no desire to drink, white-knuckled it for two years, and then found her people on a stranger’s patio at her first meeting. Then she did the thing nobody does: she stayed in the world of drinks and built TOMONOTOMO, a non-alcoholic agave spirit distilled by hand on a copper still in Oaxaca City, with real Tobalá agave and no shortcuts. Alysse met her at the Sans Bar Academy Awards in Austin, where they both took home trophies. In this episode: The one-way ticket, Tulum’s hedonism, and why she left at the top of her gameTen days of silence in Mazunte and the backpack she wasn’t ready to drop off the cliffTwo years of avoiding every room with mezcal in it, which in Oaxaca is every roomThe first meeting: an emailed address, a doorbell, and a woman who described herself as “batshit sober”Why “do you want a drink?” used to feel like an attack, and the fiancée who called itCopper stills, palenques, and the day mezcaleros started asking to live like herWhat “tomo” and “no tomo” mean, and the Pride label with about 10 bottles leftCarrie Bradshaw, cosmos, and why “Sex and the City” did not age wellWatching “Ted Lasso” from midnight to 5 a.m. while the still does its work Sober Shots: “That’s not a pivot, friends. That is a plot twist, and I love a plot twist.” (Alysse Bryson) “I’m ready to drop the ball, I’m not ready to drop the bag.” (Amanda Chen) Mentioned in this episode: TOMONOTOMO or #ADDTOCART ON AMAZONKim Parsley’s TOMONOTOMO Tobalá review on The Sober CuratorBackstage with The Sober Curator Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more. SEASON 2 MERCH: https://shopthesobercurator.com/ This episode is brought to you by Aura House. Save 10% with code TSC10: https://go.shopmy.us/p-64140200 SC RESOURCES: Meet the ContributorsAlcohol + Substance Use Disorder GuideRecovery Nonprofit Resource GuideLGBTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide CONNECT: www.thesobercurator.com | The Sober Sip newsletter | @thesobercurator on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube + Pinterest Love the show? Rate, review + follow. It takes 60 seconds and helps more people find us. Feedback + guest ideas: [email protected] Hosted by Alysse Bryson with co-host + producer Tamar Routly. For informational and entertainment purposes only; not a substitute for professional advice. Music: TSC S2 theme “Sober Shots” created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, under Suno’s commercial license.

You know the exact thing that would help. The phrase, the reframe, the tool your therapist gave you that one time. And in the moment your brain gets loud, it goes blank. Emily and Lindsay Stetzer are sisters. They both live with OCD and anxiety, and during COVID, in matching sweatsuits, they built a company called Presently that puts the reminders from therapy on your wrist, your keys, and your bathroom mirror. Alysse and Amy Liz Harrison met them at OCDCon in Seattle, bought one of everything, and brought them on to talk about why "good vibes only" is the enemy, why everyone has these thoughts, and what it is like to run a business with your sister when one of you has the 'tude. In this episode: - The OCDCon origin story: stickers, fidget spinners, and then a disco light at the end of the tunnel - Lindsay on lining up shoes and light switches, and Emily on the anxious kid who confessed to things that didn't need confessing - Why OCD is not about cleanliness, and why every single person has had these thoughts - Alysse's green-light rule, Amy's 20 lightsabers, and the "border hoarders" theory - The "Good vibes only" sign over Emily's bed, and why those mantras hand OCD exactly what it wants - The six phrases, whiteboarded: passing clouds, embrace uncertainty, brave the uncomfortable - Feelings are like gas (clouds are a nicer way to say it) - The iPad quiz, why Presently is the name, and the invisible brother - What we're watching: "Ted Lasso" season four, Hilary Duff, "Silo," and why a scary show is good exposure therapy CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold open: the reminder you can't remember 01:58 Why sobriety doesn't fix the blank 02:58 Meet Emily and Lindsay Stetzer 03:10 OCDCon and the disco light at the end of the tunnel 05:21 Amy buys one of everything 06:40 Lindsay: shoes, light switches, existential OCD 09:38 Emily: the anxious kid and relationship OCD 11:22 A word from Aura House 12:12 Alysse's green-light rule and magical thinking 14:01 Why this is on a sobriety podcast 14:57 Border hoarders and 20 lightsabers 16:49 "What if" and the need for certainty 19:08 Not a live, laugh, love situation 20:36 The "Good vibes only" sign over the bed 24:41 The matching sweatsuit pitch 27:17 The six phrases, whiteboarded 30:39 Feelings are like gas 31:18 Why "Presently" 39:04 Working with your sister 41:52 What they didn't see coming 44:27 Watching: "Ted Lasso," Hilary Duff, "Silo" 46:29 ERP: facing the fear on purpose 47:38 Backstage, and why merch starts conversations 49:29 Where to find Presently Sober Shots: "We are not in a live, laugh, love situation here, okay?" (Alysse Bryson) "Every single person has had the same thoughts that we have. It's just to the extreme that you take them to." (Lindsay Stetzer) Mentioned in this episode: - Presently Bracelets - Take the Presently "find your reminder" quiz - Alysse's feature on Presently - Backstage with The Sober Curator - International OCD Foundation Presently's products are reminders, not treatment. If you think you might have OCD or anxiety, talk to a licensed professional. Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more. SEASON 2 MERCH: https://shopthesobercurator.com/ This episode is brought to you by Aura House. Save 10% with code TSC10: https://go.shopmy.us/p-64140200 SC RESOURCES: - Meet the Contributors - Alcohol + Substance Use Disorder Guide - Recovery Nonprofit Resource Guide - LGBTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide www.thesobercurator.com | The Sober Sip newsletter: https://www.thesobercuratornewsletter.com/ | @thesobercurator on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube + Pinterest Love the show? Rate, review + follow. It takes 60 seconds and helps more people find us. Feedback + guest ideas: [email protected] Hosted by Alysse Bryson with co-host + producer Tamar Routly. For informational and entertainment purposes only; not a substitute for professional advice. Music: TSC S2 theme "Sober Shots" created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, under Suno's commercial license.

Three shows, three different flavors of "a sober person definitely wrote this" or "definitely did not." A basketball dynasty imploding over fake sobriety. Two women in very good coats who may or may not have killed their best friend. A suburban thief with a cocaine problem next door. Alysse's TV ride or dies are here: Lane Kennedy, Patti Clark (making us global from Portugal), and co-host Tamar Routly. Spoilers for everything, on purpose. Each show gets scored on The Sobees, fulls and halves only, and one panelist tries to file a 4.75 and is denied. In this episode: "Running Point" season two: Cam says "I'm sober now," nobody believes him, and the urine swap ("Anyone ever bought fake urine? Just me?") Why you can't buy sobriety, no matter how expensive the rehab Chet Hanks, sober on screen and IRL, and the love-addicted couple that deserves a spin-off "Your Friends & Neighbors" season two: Owen Ashe, the loud music, and the scene of all scenes (no spoilers here, plenty on mic) Perimenopause rage, the neighbor's dog, and Ali as the family's designated screw-up "Imperfect Women": the top-shelf alcoholic, the codependent nobody could stand, and why a three is a feeling Alysse vs. Elisabeth Moss, and the Rotten Tomatoes score that backs Lane up The strike, the attorneys, and "I'm gonna get Claude to reach out to you" Sober Shots: "You can't buy sobriety. Doesn't matter how much money you have. You could maybe buy a pee test, but you can't buy sobriety." (Alysse Bryson) "A low score doesn't necessarily mean don't watch it. It's just our feelings about it, and a three feeling is a feeling." (Alysse Bryson) The Sobees, panel average: "Running Point" S2: 3.5. "Your Friends & Neighbors" S2: 4.5. "Imperfect Women": 3.5. Mentioned in this episode: Backstage with The Sober Curator (media nights, the Mixtape):  https://shopthesobercurator.com/products/the-sober-curator-mixtape-monthly-zine-subscription Running Point season 2 review: https://thesobercurator.com/running-point-season-2-review-netflix/ Imperfect Women review: https://thesobercurator.com/imperfect-women-review/ Patti Clark, Recovery Road Trip: https://thesobercurator.com/recovery-road-trip-quitlit-book-review/ Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more. SEASON 2 MERCH: https://shopthesobercurator.com/ This episode is brought to you by Aura House. Save 10% with code TSC10: https://go.shopmy.us/p-64140200 SC RESOURCES: Meet the Contributors: https://thesobercurator.com/contributor-directory Alcohol + Substance Use Disorder Guide: https://thesobercurator.com/resources/ Recovery Nonprofit Resource Guide: https://thesobercurator.com/nonprofit-recovery-resources/ LGBTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide: https://thesobercurator.com/lgbtq-recovery-resources CONNECT: https://thesobercurator.com | The Sober Sip newsletter: https://www.thesobercuratornewsletter.com/ | @thesobercurator on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube + Pinterest Love the show? Rate, review + follow. It takes 60 seconds and helps more people find us. Feedback + guest ideas: [email protected] Hosted by Alysse Bryson with co-host + producer Tamar Routly. For informational and entertainment purposes only; not a substitute for professional advice. Music: TSC S2 theme "Sober Shots" created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, under Suno's commercial license.

You hit publish, and right in the pit of your stomach it lands: someone you have never told is about to hear it anyway. In this house, that feeling has a name. We call it Wednesday. This week Alysse and Tamar take on the hazards of podcasting sober. Sober podcasters do not get the blackout excuse, and "radical honesty" was never supposed to mean unfiltered. Alysse tells the story of the episode her mom should have heard from her first, Tamar tells the story of what her parents said the morning after they read her book, and both of them admit the stories that land at a sober meeting do not always land on a first date. Then it gets practical: how to pitch a podcast without embarrassing yourself, the mic that survived Goldilocks and the three mics, why real beats AI in 2026, and the single best hazard-reducer any host can have. A co-host. IN THIS EPISODE: "We call it Wednesday": the cold-open feeling every sober podcaster knowsThe story Alysse's mom heard on a podcast instead of from her daughterTamar's parents read her book. Both called the next morning.Know your audience: the dating stories that killed every second dateHow to pitch a podcast (and the seven "top 50" sober podcasts that are quietly dead)Tech talk: mics, video, Riverside, Descript, and the AI image a celebrity asked Alysse to take downGet a co-host, wear a costume, keep it funBackstage with The Sober Curator, plus The Sober Curator Mixtape: seven mini zines in a cassette case, mailed monthly SOBER SHOTS: "Because we're sober, we can't blame being blacked out on saying something stupid. We just have to own that we said something stupid." (Alysse) "You're allowed to say the true thing before you've rehearsed it into something safe." (Alysse) MENTIONED: Backstage with The Sober CuratorThe Sober Curator Mixtape (free for Backstage members, just cover shipping): Podcast Impact Studio, Level Up Labs + the Off Script courseTamar's book: Beyond Recovery - Discover your purpose, embrace your authentic self, and live up to your true potential Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more. SEASON 2 MERCH: https://shopthesobercurator.com/ This episode is brought to you by Aura House. Save 10% with code TSC10: https://go.shopmy.us/p-64140200 SC RESOURCES: Meet the ContributorsAlcohol + Substance Use Disorder GuideRecovery Nonprofit Resource GuideLGBTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide CONNECT: thesobercurator.com | The Sober Sip newsletter | @thesobercurator on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube + Pinterest Love the show? Rate, review + follow. It takes 60 seconds and helps more people find us. Feedback + guest ideas: [email protected] Hosted by Alysse Bryson with co-host + producer Tamar Routly. For informational and entertainment purposes only; not a substitute for professional advice. Music: TSC S2 theme "Sober Shots" created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, under Suno's commercial license.

You spend at least 40 hours a week at work. For a lot of people in recovery, that's 40 hours of navigating a culture that doesn't know you exist, or worse, doesn't care. Eliza Zarka is changing that. She runs the National Recovery Friendly Workplace Institute, which certifies employers as recovery friendly, and she took an idea that started at a New Hampshire ski resort and turned it into a national movement with bipartisan federal backing. Alysse and Sober Curator contributor Sarah, a fractional HR consultant in long-term recovery, get into what it actually takes to make a job safe to be sober in. In this episode: Why "there are already people in recovery that are working for you" is the sentence that changes an employer's mindThe four pillars of Recovery Friendly Workplace certification: culture, hiring, benefits, and educationHow to bring this to your HR department without disclosing your own recoveryAlysse on 2006 versus 2026: why she hid it for years, and the 2016 job interview where she said it out loud on purposeThe company that made the first hour of its holiday party completely alcohol-free, with leadership required to be thereWhy the holiday gift bottle of wine tells you the company knows nothing about youCoffee tastings, tea tastings, dirty soda tastings: team building that isn't a wine flightPop culture close: "The Office," "Parks and Rec," and the true crime documentary habit that may be a problem Sober Shots: "There are already people in recovery that are working for you." (Eliza Zarka) "When you're in an interview, you're interviewing the company just as much as they're interviewing you." (Alysse Bryson) Mentioned in this episode: National Recovery Friendly Workplace Institute: https://rfwinstitute.orgBackstage with The Sober Curator: https://thesobercurator.com/backstage-with-the-sober-curator/The Sober Curator Business Rolodex, free listings for sober business owners: https://thesobercurator.com/the-sober-curator-rolodex/ Nothing in this episode is legal or HR advice. Talk to an employment attorney about your specific situation. Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more. SEASON 2 MERCH: https://shopthesobercurator.com/ This episode is brought to you by Aura House. Save 10% with code TSC10: https://go.shopmy.us/p-64140200 SC RESOURCES: - Meet the Contributors - Alcohol + Substance Use Disorder Guide - Recovery Nonprofit Resource Guide - LGBTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide CONNECT: www.thesobercurator.com | The Sober Sip newsletter: https://www.thesobercuratornewsletter.com/ | @thesobercurator on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube + Pinterest Love the show? Rate, review + follow. It takes 60 seconds and helps more people find us. Feedback + guest ideas: [email protected] Hosted by Alysse Bryson with co-host + producer Tamar Routly. For informational and entertainment purposes only; not a substitute for professional advice. Music: TSC S2 theme "Sober Shots" created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, under Suno’s commercial license.

A note before you listen: we recorded this episode in late July, several weeks before Hayden Panettiere died on August 16 at the age of 36. We are publishing it as recorded rather than editing her out. Her cause of death has not been released and we are not speculating. We recorded a separate conversation about her death, and it is the episode right before this one. If this is landing hard for you: 988 is the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, call or text. SAMHSA's National Helpline is 1-800-662-4357, free and confidential, 24/7. Three memoirs. Three completely different humans. One question: what does it cost to numb yourself when the whole world is watching? Alysse and Tamar pull three of The Sober Curator's most avid readers into a panel on the year's biggest quit lit: “Famesick” by Lena Dunham, “We Did OK, Kid” by Anthony Hopkins, and “This Is Me: A Reckoning” by Hayden Panettiere. Nobody read all three. Everybody has opinions. Sobee scores at the end, and house rules say you cannot score a book you didn't read. In this episode: - Amy Liz Harrison's book hack from her 10th grade English teacher days: first paragraph, last paragraph, skim the middle, finish in an hour - Why The Sober Curator was almost called The Sober Critic, and the epiphany that killed the name - “Famesick”: medical trauma, opioids, and a memoir that flatly refuses to be a before-and-after - “We Did OK, Kid”: the blackout drive Anthony Hopkins had to be told about afterward - Patti Clark and Alysse on what actually stops you, and it isn't what you'd do to yourself - “This Is Me: A Reckoning” Hayden Panettiere on acting at 11 months old, a mother who was also the manager, and postpartum depression nobody names out loud - The Sobee score lightning round, plus a quarter-point scoring controversy Sober Shots: "Quit lit used to mean one shelf on a bookstore nobody browsed on purpose." (Alysse) "There are books that I just wanna eat like a really juicy nectarine and just bite into it and just get sticky." (Patti) Mentioned in this episode: - Mixtape with The Sober Curator zine:  https://shopthesobercurator.com/collections/the-mixtape - Cover Story Retreat, November 1-4, Scottsdale: https://evolveretreats.co/cover-story-hermosa-inn/ - Anne Marie Cribbin's Famesick review: https://thesobercurator.com/famesick-lena-dunham-review-addiction-recovery/ - Toni Will, Rebellious Success: https://amzn.to/4x65SeD Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more. SEASON 2 MERCH: https://shopthesobercurator.com/ This episode is brought to you by Aura House. Save 10% with code TSC10: https://go.shopmy.us/p-64140200 SC RESOURCES: - Meet the Contributors - Alcohol + Substance Use Disorder Guide - Recovery Nonprofit Resource Guide - LGBTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide CONNECT: www.thesobercurator.com | The Sober Sip newsletter: https://www.thesobercuratornewsletter.com/ | @thesobercurator on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube + Pinterest Love the show? Rate, review + follow. It takes 60 seconds and helps more people find us. Feedback + guest ideas: [email protected] Hosted by Alysse Bryson with co-host + producer Tamar Routly. For informational and entertainment purposes only; not a substitute for professional advice. Music: TSC S2 theme "Sober Shots" created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, under Suno’s commercial license.

Hayden Panettiere died on Sunday, August 16, at the age of 36. Her cause of death has not been released. Police have said their preliminary investigation found no signs of foul play, and the coroner's office says the cause and manner remain pending further testing. We are not going to speculate past that. In the same seven-day cycle, and completely separately, Brad Pitt told Esquire he is drinking again after seven years sober. Two different stories. One conversation this community keeps getting wrong. Alysse, Tamar and Amy Liz got on the phone within 24 hours and recorded this, because the Quit Lit book club episode dropping right behind it contains their review of Hayden's memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, recorded in July, scored the highest of the three books. This is not an obituary and it is not a hot take. It is three women with combined 49 years of lived experience and a lot of hard-won opinions between them, talking about who gets to grade somebody else's recovery. In this episode: - What we actually know, what we don't, and why the difference matters - Why “he relapsed” is not our word to use when he didn't use it himself - Taking inventory of other people's programs, and the person 30 days in who is listening - Amy Liz on postpartum depression, and the comparison trap that talks you out of your own experience - Mental health systems that make you fail two or three times before they'll help you - Alysse falls off a ladder and turns it into the best analogy in the episode - The disco ball Sober Shots: “That's it. That's all we know. Everything else would be speculation, and we're just not going to go there.” (Alysse) “The bottom line is we don't care how you got here, but we do care that you are here.” (Alysse) If this one is landing hard for you, that is a normal reaction and you are not being dramatic. 988 is the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, call or text, 24/7. SAMHSA's National Helpline is 1-800-662-4357, free and confidential. Our full resource guides are linked below. And if a hotline isn't your thing, text one sober person today. Just one. That counts. Mentioned in this episode: - Quit Lit book club episode, including our review of This Is Me: A Reckoning, dropping Wednesday, August 19th - Backstage, our private culture club: https://thesobercurator.com/backstage-with-the-sober-curator/ Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more. SC RESOURCES: - Meet the Contributors - Alcohol + Substance Use Disorder Guide - Recovery Nonprofit Resource Guide - LGBTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide CONNECT: www.thesobercurator.com | The Sober Sip newsletter: https://www.thesobercuratornewsletter.com/ | @thesobercurator on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube + Pinterest Love the show? Rate, review + follow. It takes 60 seconds and helps more people find us. Feedback + guest ideas: [email protected] Hosted by Alysse Bryson with co-host + producer Tamar Routly. For informational and entertainment purposes only; not a substitute for professional advice. Music: TSC S2 theme “Sober Shots” created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, under Suno's commercial license.

How do you create when inspiration seems gone? Sabyn Mayfield joins Alysse Bryson to chat about retreats, new music, and life changes. This episode dives into the writing process behind his latest song "Worthy", the peace of silent retreats, and unexpected health journeys. It's about finding inspiration in unexpected places. KEY TAKEAWAYS Sabyn discovered new musical inspiration during a silent monastery retreat. Alysse shares creative projects like a zine cassette celebrating sobriety. Facing health challenges can lead to holistic lifestyle changes. GUEST BIO Sabyn Mayfield is a multi-talented artist known for his music and unique creative approach. His journey in both sobriety and artistic expression continuously evolves, often revisiting themes of resilience and rebirth. Season 2 Merch - We've got MERCH for Season Two: ⁠https://shopthesobercurator.com/⁠ Mentioned in This Episode - This episode was also brought to you by Aura House,  Save 10% by using code: TSC10 and #ADDTOCART using link: ⁠https://go.shopmy.us/p-64140200  SC Resources & Links:  -⁠Meet the Contributors⁠  -⁠Alcohol + Substance Use Disorder Guide⁠  -⁠Recovery Nonprofit Resource Guide⁠  -⁠LBGTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide⁠  - We've got MERCH for Season Two: ⁠https://shopthesobercurator.com/⁠ - This episode was also brought to you by Aura House,  Save 10% by using code: TSC10 and #ADDTOCART using link: ⁠https://go.shopmy.us/p-64140200  Connect with Us: -Website: ⁠www.thesobercurator.com⁠   -The Sober Sip newsletter: https://www.thesobercuratornewsletter.com/ -Facebook: ⁠@The Sober Curator⁠  -Instagram: ⁠@thesobercurator⁠  -X: ⁠@thesobercurator⁠  -YouTube: ⁠@thesobercurator⁠  - Pinterest: ⁠https://www.pinterest.com/thesobercurator/ -LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-sober-curator-inc -TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thesobercurator Rate & Review If this episode made you laugh, cringe in the best way, or text a clip to your best sober friend — leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Like, comment, and subscribe here on YouTube. It costs you nothing and takes only 60 seconds of your time, genuinely helping more people find this show. Send Feedback:  Have a story, a guest recommendation, or just want to say hi? Email us at [email protected]. We actually read every single one. About the Show: Sobriety isn't the end of the party — it's just the start of a better one. Hosted by Alysse Bryson (media executive, 20 years sober, sobriety's ultimate hype woman) and co-host + producer Tamar Routly, The Sober Curator Podcast delivers bold convos, pop culture deep dives, and zero-proof living that doesn't suck. Whether you're sober, sober-curious, or just looking for good vibes without the hangover — you're in the right place. Subscribe now. Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more. The Sober Curator Podcast is a space for open, honest conversations about sobriety, recovery, and alcohol-free living. Some topics may be sensitive for certain listeners. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please take care while listening and seek support from trusted professionals as needed. Original Theme Music: The Sober Curator Podcast Season 2 theme song"Sober Shots" was created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, and is usedunder Suno's commercial license.