Send us a text

How do I help someone I love who’s struggling with addiction—without ultimatums, power struggles, or losing myself in the process?

We’re joined by the incredible Amber Hollingsworth—licensed professional counselor, master addiction counselor, and creator of the viral YouTube channel “Put the Shovel Down.” Drawing from her 20+ years of experience and her own journey growing up in an addicted family, Amber reveals how families can outsmart addiction with empathy, boundaries, and strategy—not “tough love.”

Together, we’ll dive into:

• Why the classic “let them hit rock bottom” approach often backfires
• How to shift from the “bad guy” role to being a powerful, positive influence
• Amber’s Invisible Intervention method that empowers families while preserving connection

If you’ve been searching for a way to support a loved one through addiction—and take care of yourself at the same time—this conversation is full of practical tools, hope, and a completely new perspective on recovery.
______

For more insights, check out Amber’s free resource-rich YouTube channel "Put The Shovel Down" at https://www.youtube.com/@PutTheShovelDown

Amber's Website: familyrecoveryacademy.online

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit!

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free! Get started by taking a break that feels lit with a Feel Lit 21 Day Break. Click here to find out more: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/buy-feel-lit-21-sg

Join our private community!

Connect with the Podcast Hosts:
Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/

Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.

Send us a text

You quit drinking, you’re feeling lit, and suddenly… real life crashes back in. Now what?

In this milestone 90th episode of Sober & Lit, Coaches Susan Larkin and Ruby Williams get radically honest about the messy, beautiful, non-linear reality of life after alcohol. Because yes—sobriety brings clarity, joy, and deep transformation… but it doesn’t come with a magic wand. What happens when the unicorns disappear and you’re still dealing with family tension, career pivots, sleep struggles, or your own inner critic?

Have you ever asked yourself, “Shouldn’t I be happier by now?”

Ruby and Susan pull back the curtain on their own post-alcohol journeys—sharing the tools, mindset shifts, and community support that helped them navigate everything from financial fear to burnout to unrealistic expectations of ‘wellness perfection.’ They explore emotional sobriety, building new emotional coping muscles, and the freedom that comes from being imperfect and empowered.

Whether you’re newly alcohol-free, sober-curious, or deep in your journey, this episode is a warm reminder: you’re not doing it wrong if life still feels hard sometimes. You’re just doing it human.

🧡 Tune in now to feel less alone, more resourced, and truly seen—and if this sounds like you... join and connect with our Feel Lit 4 Life community for the next chapter of your alcohol-free growth.
Find out more: https://feellitpodcast.com/Feel-Lit-For-Life

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit!

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free! Get started by taking a break that feels lit with a Feel Lit 21 Day Break. Click here to find out more: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/buy-feel-lit-21-sg

Join our private community!

Connect with the Podcast Hosts:
Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/

Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.

Send us a text

What if ditching alcohol is the exact thing that sets your creative fire ablaze?

In this electrifying episode of Sober & Lit, Coaches Ruby and Susan sit down with actor, writer, and founder of Creative Sobriety, Kristen Baer—a powerhouse voice redefining what it means to be an alcohol-free woman in a world soaked in wine culture. From stage lights to mom life, Kristen shares how choosing sobriety in February 2020 became the radical act that set her free—from self-doubt, perfectionism, and societal expectations.

What happens when you stop numbing and start expressing?

This episode dives deep into how alcohol subtly silences women’s power—and how sobriety becomes the amplifier. Kristen opens up about how creativity, authenticity, and connection exploded once she put down the glass and picked up her voice. You’ll hear about her journey navigating the entertainment industry, parenting pressures, and the toxic normalization of drinking to cope.

We’re talking:

• Creative confidence in sobriety
• Busting the “mommy wine” myth
• Why Gen Z is ditching booze (and leading a sober revolution)
• How women in midlife are reclaiming joy and voice
• And why being alcohol-free is anything but boring

Whether you’re sober-curious or alcohol-free and fired up, this episode will inspire you to show up louder, bolder, and more lit than ever—without a single drop.

👉 Tune in now and find out what’s waiting for you on the other side of drinking. Spoiler: it’s not deprivation—it’s creative liberation.

To reach Kristen:
www.creativesobriety.co
Instagram
Creative Sobriety Podcast
Substack

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit!

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free! Get started by taking a break that feels lit with a Feel Lit 21 Day Break. Click here to find out more: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/buy-feel-lit-21-sg

Join our private community!

Connect with the Podcast Hosts:
Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/

Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.

Send us a text

Are Sober People Missing Out… or Finally Tapping In?

Welcome to Sober & Lit! In this episode, Ruby and Susan bust one of the biggest lies about sobriety: that going alcohol-free means missing out on fun, freedom, and connection. Is it true—or have we just been sold a clever illusion?

What if the real fear isn’t missing out—but never fully showing up?
What if quitting drinking is the invitation to finally feel lit from within?

We unpack the FOMO myth, spill honest stories about navigating social events sober, and share how ditching the drink actually amplified joy, confidence, and community. We also explore how social media and drinking culture fuel comparison, and what happens when you flip FOMO into JOMO—the Joy of Missing Out.

Expect resources, real talk, and personal practices that light you up.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Will I lose my social life if I quit drinking?”—this episode is your empowering reframe. Spoiler: what you gain might just blow your mind.

🔥 Tune in and let’s get Sober & Lit!

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit!

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free! Get started by taking a break that feels lit with a Feel Lit 21 Day Break. Click here to find out more: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/buy-feel-lit-21-sg

Join our private community!

Connect with the Podcast Hosts:
Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/

Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.

Send us a text

What if eating more could actually help you feel better, weigh less, and ditch the drink for good?

In this powerful episode of Sober & Lit, Susan and Ruby sit down with Dr. Ginny Trieweiler—a psychologist, certified health coach, and author of Slender for Good After 50—to unpack the radical idea that you don’t need restriction, calorie counting, or alcohol to feel lit, vibrant, and free.

Ginny gets real about her own midlife transformation: facing down chronic pain, prediabetes, emotional eating, and nightly drinking—and the four mindset and nutrition shifts that helped her reclaim her health without ever going on another diet. Together, we dive into how alcohol and food often share the same emotional roots, why “less is more” is a myth, and how to break the cycle of overdrinking and undereating once and for all.

If you’ve ever said “I’ll start Monday,” wrestled with weight or wine, or felt like you were too old to change, this episode is your permission slip to nourish, rebel, and rise.

Tune in and discover how food freedom and alcohol freedom go hand-in-hand—especially after 50.
_______

Ginny's website: https://slenderforgood.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@slenderforgood/
Get the book for only $4.99: slenderforgood.com/slender-book
_______

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit!

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free! Get started by taking a break that feels lit with a Feel Lit 21 Day Break. Click here to find out more: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/buy-feel-lit-21-sg

Join our private community!

Connect with the Podcast Hosts:
Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/

Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.

Send us a text

What if your story—the one you’re scared to tell—is the very thing that could set you free?

In this powerful episode of Sober & Lit, Ruby and Susan sit down with Ann Dowsett Johnston, bestselling author of Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol, whose work cracked open the cultural myths around "mommy wine culture," female high-functioning drinking, and the billion-dollar marketing machine targeting women. With raw honesty and journalistic fire, Ann shares her personal unraveling—and what it took to rebuild a life rooted in purpose, recovery, and reinvention.

We ask her the big questions:
👉 Why are women drinking more than ever before—and why aren’t we talking about it?
👉 What happens when you finally tell the truth about your relationship with alcohol?
👉 How does writing your recovery help rewrite your life?

From grief and burnout to creativity and long-term sobriety, this episode is a masterclass in vulnerability, wisdom, and hope. Whether you’re sober curious, navigating gray area drinking, or a seasoned quit lit lover—this conversation will stay with you.

“It wasn’t rock bottom—it was realizing I was slowly losing myself. Alcohol was the velvet hammer. And I finally said… enough.” -Ann Dowsett Johnston

🎧 Hit play and discover why your story matters—and why it's never too late to change the ending.
________

Ann's Website:
https://www.anndowsettjohnston.com/

Ann's Writing Your Recovery Course (The Fall cohort starts Sept. 17, 2025)
https://www.anndowsettjohnston.com/workshops

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit!

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free! Get started by taking a break that feels lit with a Feel Lit 21 Day Break. Click here to find out more: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/buy-feel-lit-21-sg

Join our private community!

Connect with the Podcast Hosts:
Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/

Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.

Send us a text

What if your “wake-up call” didn’t have to be a disaster?

In this powerful episode of the Sober & Lit Podcast, Coaches Ruby and Susan shatter the outdated belief that you need to hit rock bottom to reevaluate your relationship with alcohol.

Do you really have to lose everything to want more for yourself?
What if feeling meh is enough of a reason to start feeling lit?

With raw honesty and hard-earned wisdom, they unpack the real reasons high-functioning women stay stuck, how alcohol is quietly stealing your energy, and why questioning your drinking doesn’t make you broken—it makes you brave.

They dive into:

• The myth of the “alcoholic” label
• Stress, social pressure, and the spiral of numbing
• The quiet power of taking a break
• How to spot the “glimmers” that guide your healing

Ready to explore freedom without hitting a wall? Tune in now—and find out why you’re allowed to want better, even if things aren’t “that bad.”

Plus: get the details on the Feel It 21 reset and how you can join Ruby and Susan for a powerful September start.
No shame. No labels. No rock bottom required.

Join Feel Lit 21 Live This is a 21-Day Alcohol Reset program starting September 1, 2025 with weekly group coaching with Coach Ruby and Coach Susan.

Join us for Sober September --- make this your month to finally break the cycle!
https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/buy-feel-lit-21-live
___________

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit!

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free! Get started by taking a break that feels lit with a Feel Lit 21 Day Break. Click here to find out more: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/buy-feel-lit-21-sg

Join our private community!

Connect with the Podcast Hosts:
Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/

Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.

Send us a text

What if the key to lasting change isn’t more willpower… but less attachment to your thoughts?

In this episode of Sober & Lit, we sit down with the brilliant Scott Pinyard—former Head Coach at This Naked Mind—to explore the surprising role mindset, story, and consciousness play in alcohol freedom and beyond.

Scott shares the pivotal shift that helped him break free from alcohol, how emotional awareness rewires our patterns, and why true transformation often starts with one simple question: What am I thinking?

We go deep into:

• Why mindset beats motivation every time
• The science (and woo) of consciousness
• How your stories might be silently running your life
• What music, banjo, and bass have to do with healing

Whether you're reevaluating your relationship with alcohol, navigating co-parenting, or just craving a deeper connection to yourself—this episode will open your mind and light up your path. Ready to shift your story?
________

To reach Scott Pinyard: scottpinyard.com

Books mentioned:
This Naked Mind by Annie Grace – Scott talked about how discovering Annie’s work completely shifted his own relationship with alcohol and later led him to coaching with her organization.

The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer – referenced by Ruby in connection with exploring deeper levels of consciousness and thought beyond just alcohol.

The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer – Scott also mentioned this as part of his own journey in spirituality and letting go of control.

________

Join Feel Lit 21 Live This is a 21-Day Alcohol Reset program starting September 1, 2025 with weekly group coaching with Coach Ruby and Coach Susan.

Join us for Sober September --- make this your month to finally break the cycle!
https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/buy-feel-lit-21-live
_________

Don't forget to follow and subscribe and leave a review! It helps to get the word out that living sober is lit!

Listeners have said that our podcast has helped them get alcohol free! Get started by taking a break that feels lit with a Feel Lit 21 Day Break. Click here to find out more: https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/buy-feel-lit-21-sg

Join our private community!

Connect with the Podcast Hosts:
Susan Larkin Coaching https://www.susanlarkincoaching.com/
Ruby Williams at Freedom Renegade Coaching https://www.freedomrenegadecoaching.com/

Follow Susan: @drinklesswithsusan
Follow Ruby: @rubywilliamscoaching

It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice regarding your health before attempting to take a break from alcohol. The creators, hosts, and producers of the The Feel Lit Alcohol Free podcast are not healthcare practitioners and therefore do not give medical, or psychological advice nor do they intend for the podcast, any resource or communication on behalf of the podcast or otherwise to be a substitute for such.