In this episode, Kate sits down with Melissa McGovern, better known as The Sober New Yorker. After decades of drinking, woven into everything from Wisconsin’s drinking culture to New York’s nightlife, Melissa hit a turning point when her best friend died from alcohol-related illness. A devastating loss, paired with a harsh wake-up call from her doctor, pushed her to stop negotiating with moderation and start living fully alcohol-free.

Now two years sober, Melissa is a coach, podcaster, and speaker helping women “try sobriety on for size” because sometimes what doesn’t fit at first becomes the thing you never want to take off.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How Melissa went from sober curious to fully committed
• The moment her lab results forced her to get honest about her drinking
• Why community was the missing piece that kept her sober this time
• How New York City became brand new again through sober eyes
• The power of retreats, groups, and podcasts in building lasting recovery
• Why “trying sobriety on for size” can transform your entire life

Melissa’s story is a reminder that sobriety is not deprivation. It is expansion. When alcohol goes, everything else you have been longing for finally has space to move in.

Melissa McGovern | The Sober New Yorker

Coach. Speaker. Storyteller. No-BS Guide to Alcohol-Free Living.

Melissa McGovern, known as The Sober New Yorker, is a speaker, podcast host, and alcohol-free coach who helps professional women change their relationship with alcohol so they can live longer, healthier, more present lives. With humor, heart, and zero shame, Melissa invites women to try sobriety on for size — not because they hit rock bottom, but because they’re ready for more.

After taking her own 90-day break that turned into a permanent, powerful lifestyle change, Melissa now leads group coaching programs, hosts raw and real conversations on The Sober New Yorker podcast, and speaks at women's retreats about reinvention, presence, and pushing past limiting beliefs. Her work is rooted in truth-telling, compassion, and a fierce belief that you don’t have to settle for a life half-lived.

When she’s not coaching or behind the mic, Melissa is often off exploring the world — one sober adventure at a time. Sober travel is one of her greatest joys, and she’s on a mission to show women that life without alcohol is anything but boring.

She’s here to help women live big, bold, beautiful, badass lives — fully awake, fully present, and completely free.

Connect with Melissa McGovern:

• Instagram: @thesobernewyorker
• Podcast: The Sober New Yorker
• Website: www.thesobernewyorker.com

Access the AB Process Course

You can find Kate on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rewiredsober/

Work with Kate: https://linktr.ee/KateVitela

Email Podcast: team@katevitelacoaching.com 

Mentioned in this episode:

Rewired Sober Group Coaching Program

https://kate-vitela.mykajabi.com/rewired-sober-coaching-program