Solace and the City

Today I am officially 100 days sober! I seriously can't even believe that I have this huge milestone to celebrate. It seems like just yesterday that I was hitting the three-week mark. I've been wanting to record this episode for a while now, because there are truly so many things I've learned about alcohol (and sobriety for that matter) since I stopped drinking. If any of this resonates with you, maybe consider taking a month, week, or even a day without consuming alcohol. If you choose to do so, let me know how it goes! When I first stopped drinking, I re-downloaded the app "I Am Sober" to start tracking my sobriety journey and ensure that I had something to hold myself accountable. Each day when you make a pledge to refrain from alcohol, the app gives you a fun little quote for motivation. On January 1st, the prompt I received was, "Not all storms come to disrupt your life. Some come to clear your path." That quote has stuck with me over the past 100 days. I truly feel that the chaotic shit storm that was New Year Eve cleared a path to a new chapter of life. I'll be honest, whenever I used to hear my sober friends talking about how quitting drinking was the best choice they ever made, I used to think they were exaggerating. Now, I can confidently tell you that, if they feel the same way I do, they were 100% serious. I truly feel that I am a better friend, daughter, sister, and person without alcohol. Without a doubt, quitting drinking was the best decision I ever made for myself.

This week we're going back to basics with my friend and mentor, Ariella Grosse! I first met Ariella when I was looking into graduate schools for social work and was in desperate need of assistance in navigating the application process. At the time, Ariella was a first-year MSW student at the Columbia School of Social Work, and she was instrumental in my decision to apply and ultimately be accepted into this program! Now Ariella is a full-time psychotherapist at Prescott Psychotherapy and Wellness. Associates in New York City. In this episode, Ariella walks through the best way to find a therapist and explains the nuances between different types of mental health professionals (LCSWs, LMHCs, LPCs, LMSWs, etc.) as well as the various therapeutic modalities (CBT, DBT, ACT, etc.) She also provides advice on the best questions you should be asking your prospective therapist on that initial (FREE!) phone call consultation! If you're interested in learning more about Ariella and possibly working with her directly, you can follow her on Instagram @ariellagrosselmsw.

Today I am so excited to share my conversation with Annie Grace, who is the author of This Naked Mind,  a science-based and compassion-led approach to reinvent your relationship with alcohol. At 26, Annie Grace was the youngest Vice President in a multinational company’s history, and her drinking career began in earnest; by 35, she was in a global C-level marketing role, responsible for 28 countries. Drinking close to two bottles of wine a night became a ritual. Annie Grace’s professional success came at a personal price she no longer wanted to pay. She knew alcohol was no longer serving her. Yet, she didn’t want to suffer through life in a daily battle for sobriety, feeling deprived and constantly trying to avoid temptation. Annie Grace revamped her own relationship with alcohol — she stripped it of its power and changed her beliefs about booze being a reward — and today she helps others across the globe do the same. Her approach helps people where rehabs have not. She’s created a brand new way to look at the role of alcohol in our lives, establishing a safe space for those who question their drinking but haven’t self-diagnosed as alcoholics stuck in denial of an incurable disease. Annie Grace preaches compassion, knowing its power over shame and blame is the best way to achieve lasting change. And, she offers a proven alternative to the largely ineffective recipe for so-called “success”—the one that says anything less than 100% abstinence is failure. Annie Grace doesn’t teach people how to be sober; she helps them quash their desire to drink in the first place. You can learn more about Annie and the This Naked Mind Community by going to thisnakedmind.com or following @thisnakedmind on Instagram!

She's back! When I decided to become alcohol-free, the first person to reach out and congratulate me was the one and only Joanne Irizarry. I met Joanne two years ago when I invited her to be a guest on my podcast and talk about A Safe Place Inside Your Head, a non-profit she co-founded to raise awareness about suicide prevention. Since then, Joanne has been a friend, a mentor, and a mother figure for me in Austin. With her deep-seated entrepreneurial spirit, no pun-intended, Joanne has decided to help share he knowledge of zero-proof wines with the Austin community. In this episode, Joanne and I try eight different N/A wines and give our honest opinions of them. Be sure to check out the YouTube video to see what the wines look like in real life! And don't forget to follow Joanne at @therealjoanneirizarry, @zeroproofatx, @thesocialclubatx, and @asafeplaceinsideyourhead.

This week I am so excited to share my conversation with Sarah Levy, a writer and author who explores sobriety, relationships, culture, and identity. Sarah has appeared in The New York Times, TIME, The Cut, Vogue, Glamour, Elle, Refinery29, and Cosmopolitan, among other publications. She just released her first book, a memoir called Drinking Games, where she discusses her journey to sobriety, among so many other things. Sarah's memoir resonated with me in a way that's difficult to even describe. I encourage EVERYONE to listen to this episode -- whether or not you are even considering going sober. I promise you will find solace in her words. You can follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahllevy and be sure to buy her book Drinking Games!

I am officially 50 days sober! And what better way to celebrate than by releasing a new episode with Carl Radke from Bravo's Summer House!  Summer House is a reality show featuring about ten professionals in their twenties and thirties who work in Manhattan and spend their summer weekends in a share house in Montauk. The show centers around the drama that inevitably unfolds over the course of the summer and the season. Carl has been a member of the cast since its 2017 inception, and the world has watched him go through numerous ups and downs. Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking of these intimate moments occurred in Season 6, when Carl discovered that his older brother had passed away from an overdose after a long battle with addiction and mental illness. The death of Carl's brother was a major reason why the reality TV star decided to reexamine his own drinking habits and eventually cut alcohol out of his life for good. In this episode, I speak to Carl about his experience becoming sober after enduring such a tragedy. We also dive into other topics, including the invaluable role that alcohol plays in reality television. Be sure to listen to our conversation and then watch the newest episode of Summer House tonight at 9:00 PM EST. You can also follow Carl on Instagram @carlradke.

This week, in the spirit of Valentine's Day, I was so lucky to have Lindsey Metselaar BACK on the podcast. Lindsey is the host of one of my favorite podcasts of all time, We Met At Acme. Three years ago, I had the opportunity to interview Lindsey and talk about when and if we should disclose our mental health conditions while dating. (Check out the episode titled "We Met At Therapy" to hear the OG conversation). This week, Lindsey discusses her own journey to sobriety and answers some burning question I have about sober dating. Be sure to follow Lindsey and her podcast @lindzmetz and @wemetatacme, respectively. We Met At Acme has a new episode every Sunday!

I have officially hit my one month of sobriety milestone! For the first time in a really long time, I feel truly proud of myself for putting my mind to something and sticking with it. My conversation with Elizabeth was definitely a motivating factor to help me push through the tough days, and I am so grateful that she agreed to be a guest on Solace and the City. In this episode, Elizabeth talks about her previous life as a party girl and why she decided to stop drinking. We also talk a lot about the intersection between mental health and "alcoholism" (I am using quotes because I still haven't decided what this term means to me). Before she quit drinking, Elizabeth thought that she had some sort of mood disorder because of the way her temper would drastically change after a glass or two. Now, she realizes that alcohol was not so much a coping tool to deal with her mental health conditions but rather the cause of them. Be sure to check out Elizabeth on TikTok and Instagram @elizabethdopp and elizabeth_dopp, respectively.

I am officially 29 days sober! This is also an exciting time for me to share my conversation with Chris Shatek, a Life and Sobriety Coach for High-Functioning Drinkers.  Before becoming a life coach, Chris spent over 20 years in the radio business as an on-air personality. He entertained hundreds of thousands of people and met celebrities from Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Hulk Hogan, and Will Smith. While he loved his job in radio broadcasting, he wanted to do something that was more fulfilling. But before making this career switch, Chris had to overcome a 15-year habit of excessive drinking. Now he helps people find the peace that comes when alcohol is no longer running their lives. Chris works with people to change their relationship with alcohol, because what was once his weakness, is now his strength. You can follow Chris on Instagram and TikTok @sobercoachchris!

When I first started my sobriety journey, I spent hours scrolling through TikTok to not only search for potential guests, but also to find a sober community that I could lean on in the inevitable tough times that I would face down the road. And then I came across Ally, this beautiful, radiant, successful woman exuding a sense of confidence a self-assurance that I was striving to emulate. At the time, Ally only had one video on TikTok where she talked about her sobriety. However, because she spent the entire 3-minutes talking about all that was to be gained through sobriety rather than what would be lost, Ally was the inspiration I needed to jump into my new life without alcohol.  Without a doubt, my interview with Ally was one of my favorites to date. She shed light on all of the benefits of being sober, the ways in which the binge drinking culture has become so normalized in our society, and how removing alcohol from first dates has made dating so much more productive. (Don't worry -- we'll talk more about sober dating in episodes to come). I encourage everyone who has ever wanted to reevaluate their relationship with alcohol to listen to this episode. I promise you will NOT be disappointed!

I'm officially fifteen days sober! When I first decided to create this "Solace and Sobriety" series, I spent hours scrolling through TikTok to find the perfect guests. I came across Crissy's profile and was so inspired by her own journey and decided to take a leap and send her a DM. Within a few hours, Crissy agreed to come on the podcast, and I am overjoyed to be sharing our conversation with you all! In this episode, Crissy talks about the ways in which the alcohol industry has made it seem impossible to stop drinking, how being sober has made her a better mother, and how being a mother has taught Crissy to be kinder to herself. You can follow Crissy's journey on TikTok and Instagram @imcrisssyrodriguez. 

I am officially one-week sober! In this week's episode, I had the incredible opportunity of interviewing my friend Hope Woodard to learn more about her decision to cut out alcohol from her life. We talked about SO much, including Hope's views on the gray areas of sobriety, the ways in which meme culture has normalized binge drinking, dating while sober, how alcoholism leads to disconnection with oneself and one's friends, and so much more. A huge theme of this podcast episode can be summarized by a quote I recently heard from Dr. Brené Brown: "The opposite of alcoholism isn't sobriety. The opposite of alcoholism is connection." I left my conversation with Hope feeling a huge sense of serenity, relief, and, one might say, solace. You can keep up with Hope's life by following her on TikTok and Instagram @justhopinalong :)

New Year, New Beginnings? In this solo episode, I discuss a recent life choice that I have decided to make after months, even years, of reflection. To be completely honest, this may have been one of the most difficult recordings that I have ever released. However, I truly hope that sharing my thoughts with the world not only holds me accountable for my actions but also resonates with anyone who is going through a situation similar to my own.  2023 is going to be a year of implementing new habits, incorporating lifestyle changes, and learnings from incredible people who have accomplished something I have just begun to dip my toes in: sobriety.

...But maybe you'll listen?  In this 22-minute episode I talk about my return to Austin, my new life as a graduate student, my intense field work placement, my part-time job, and many meltdowns I've had in the past two months.  I hope to shed some insight into how I'm navigating a difficult time in my life and share that recovery from anything isn't linear.  At the end of the episode, I ask for feedback on what I should be sharing on Solace and the City while I'm unable to have weekly podcast episodes.  Anyways, I hope those who listen enjoy!

This week I had the incredible opportunity of interviewing eclectic jewelry designer and lifetime creative, Natalie McMillan!  Natalie is the founder and sole creative behind her namesake lifestyle brand Natalie McMillan. Using her affinity for artistry, Natalie works across a number of mediums focusing on unique and slightly off-beat pieces. In this episode, Natalie walks me through her creative career which began in 2016 by handcrafting jewelry pieces in her hot, crowded garage in the Bay Area. She quickly built a deep connection with her customer base which encouraged her to expand her brand to include art, apparel, and fragrances.   Natalie creates as she lives- with an outpouring of fun, love, and kindness. Her passion for inclusivity emanates throughout her brand by manufacturing her products exclusively with women, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and people of color. Natalie loves challenging the status quo in all aspects of life.  Towards the latter part of this episode, Natalie talks about her mental health journey and explains how battling Type 1 Diabetes has impacted her childhood and young adult life.   Natalie and her lifestyle brand have been featured in top publications such as Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Vanity Fair Hollywood, and Vogue where one beauty editor dubbed Natalie’s Blood Sugar Baby scent as their favorite perfume (and it’s been selling out ever since)! Puma Swim used Natalie’s jewelry line exclusively in their 2021 campaign.

This week I had the absolute pleasure of inviting my friend Keauno (also known as Keke) Perez to be on Solace and the City!  You may know Keke from his appearance on the Netflix reality show called Twentysomethings in Austin that premiered in December of last year.  I've gotten to know Keke personally by virtue of living in this fantastic city, so I was so excited when he agreed to share his story on the podcast!  In this episode, I ask Keauno to talk about what led him to apply to be on a reality television show and how the experience lived up (or surpassed) his expectations.  Keke goes on to talk about how transformative this past year was for him and what it was like to publicly come out on national television.  In just six months, Keke has continued to blossom into a stronger and more confident version of himself, while continuing to be one of the kindest and most lovable humans I have ever met in my life.  Be sure to follow Keke on Instagram at @keaunoperez !

This week I had the honor of speaking with Dr. Julia Steinberg, an Associate Professor of Family Science at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, to unpack the effect of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade on women's mental health.  Julia Steinberg received a PhD in social psychology in 2008 from Arizona State University and completed the Charlotte-Ellertson postdoctoral fellow in reproductive health from 2008 to 2011 in the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Steinberg then was a faculty in the Department of Psychiatry at UCSF from 2011 to 2014. In January 2015, she joined the Department of Family Science. Steinberg's research is largely at the interplay of mental health and reproductive events or experiences.  One line of research, which we talk about in depth, examines whether abortion causes or increases the risk of mental health problems. Another line of research we discuss looks at the role of mental health in unintended pregnancy.   Also, make sure to check out Aid Access, an organization that supports women, girls, trans men, nonbinary and all people with an unwanted pregnancy to access an abortion or miscarriage treatment -- https://aidaccess.org/en/

This week I have a very special episode for you all!  I sat down with Natalia Ochoa, a Psychic Medium and spiritual mentor, who talked about her profession and even gave me a reading at the end! Through her infinite curiosity in metaphysics, Natalia trained to develop her Psychic and Healing abilities to be able to  bring a spiritual and heart-centered spin to media and business.  Now she works with clients and companies to strengthen their intuitive power through metaphysical practices like psychic channeling, astrology, hypnotherapy, feminine embodiment and somatic therapy. Natalia's main mission is to to demystify spirituality and guide you towards your empowerment, intuition and self mastery.  Natalia began her professional career as an actress and evolved into a seasoned activist and intuitive healer. Through her work, she has lead people to create conscious and transformative change.   This was by far one of the most interesting and unique conversations I have had on Solace and the City, and I am so excited to be sharing it with you all today!  To learn more about Natalia, you can check her out on Instagram at @natalia.ochoa_ or visit her website https://www.nataliaochoa.com/ 

This week I had the incredibly opportunity of speaking with Parker Foster, NY-based filmmaker and founder of the mental health organization Be Here Now.  Growing up learning how to film in the skate world, Parker quickly found the value of bringing an authentic and raw feeling to his work. In this episode, Parker and I talk about how he came to love and find solace in filmmaking and what led him to create a non-profit that highlights stories of those struggling with their mental health.  Much like me, the inspiration behind Parker's project stems from his own life.  He is someone who conceptualizes his projects from sensitive parts of his life. I had such an incredible time speaking with Parker, and I encourage everyone to check out @beherenoworg or learn more about Parker at his website www.parkerfoster.com.

This week I had the honor of speaking with Gigi Robinson, a digital artist, health & wellness advocate, current M.S. Candidate at the University of Southern California, and the first Sports Illustrated Model who openly battles a chronic illness.  In this episode, I speak with Gigi about the work ethic, ambition, and tenacity that helped her transition her photography skills into those that create an impact through storytelling.  Part of Gigi's story includes a chronic illness that she was diagnosed with at age 11.  Gigi suffers with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos, which causes her to have extreme pain and extreme fatigue. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a group of hereditary disorders that affect the body's connective tissues, like skin, joints, and blood-vessel walls. EDS can cause chronic pain, injury susceptibility, and slow healing, among other symptoms.  Despite all of the physical and psychological challenges that threatened the path to becoming who she is today, Gigi has challenged adversity and dedicated a majority of her life to become a master content creator, always keeping her values of creating positive and impactful messages to my diverse audience as a priority.  You can follow Gigi on Instagram and TikTok @itsgigirobinson and check out her new podcast on Spotify called "Everything You Need is Within"!