Have you ever felt like the story you’ve been told about alcohol is missing the most important truths?

In this episode of Sober & Lit, Susan Larkin and Ruby Williams are joined by Mike Marshall, CEO of the U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance, for a conversation that pulls alcohol out of the shadows and into the light—without shame, fear, or finger-pointing.

This episode explores:

1. Why alcohol’s real harms are rarely discussed
2. The truth about alcohol as a toxic, addictive carcinogen
3. Mike’s personal sobriety journey
4. How alcohol connects to larger public health crises
5. What everyday people can do to shift the narrative

We also ask the bigger questions:
Why is alcohol treated differently than other drugs? Who benefits from our silence? And what becomes possible when we tell the truth with compassion?

We invite you to listen in!!
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Guest Resources for Mike Marshall:
Website: http://www.alcoholpolicy.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@usalcoholpolicy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USAlcoholPolicy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usalcoholpolicyalliance/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/us-alcohol-policy-alliance/posts/?feedView=all
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@usalcoholpolicyalliance

We Love Hearing From You

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.

What if alcohol isn’t the problem… but the placeholder?

In this episode of Sober & Lit, Ruby and Susan are joined by Anna Donaghey—certified alcohol mindset and life coach, award-winning podcast host, and author of What Are You Thirsty For?—for a conversation that goes way deeper than drinking less. Anna shares her journey from teenage drinking and a booze-soaked career in advertising to a life of clarity, purpose, and alcohol-free freedom—and the moment she realized alcohol was doing jobs it was never meant to do.

Together, they explore powerful questions like:
✔️ What are you actually thirsting for?
✔️ Is your life good enough—or are you using alcohol to tolerate it?
✔️ What might be possible if you stopped numbing and started listening?

This episode unpacks the hidden roles alcohol plays, why rock bottom is not required, and how reclaiming your desires can radically change your life.

Whether you’re sober curious, newly alcohol-free, or reimagining midlife on your own terms, this conversation will challenge you, inspire you, and invite you to want more—from yourself and your life. Less numbing. More truth. More lit—without the booze.

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Guest Resources for Anna Donaghey:
Website: https://www.thebigdrinkrethink.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigdrinkrethink
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebigdrinkrethink/
Order the book on Amazon What Are You Thirsty For?

We Love Hearing From You

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.

What if going alcohol-free wasn’t just about you… but about everyone who comes after you?

In this New Year kickoff episode of Sober & Lit, co-hosts Susan and Ruby step into their third year of the podcast with a raw, heart-opening conversation about legacy, healing, and the quiet ripple effect of choosing sobriety.

They reflect on the moments that changed everything—conversations with their kids, patterns they didn’t realize they were modeling, and the powerful shift that happens when someone finally goes first. What does it really mean to break generational drinking cycles? How do our everyday choices teach emotional regulation, self-worth, and resilience—without saying a word?

This episode isn’t about perfection or parenting advice. It’s about rewriting the story, healing what came before, and consciously shaping what comes next—especially in midlife, when clarity hits differently.

Whether you’re raising kids, launching them, or simply wondering “What legacy am I leaving behind?”—this conversation will invite reflection, compassion, and a whole new way of seeing your alcohol-free journey.

Because sobriety doesn’t just change your life.
It changes the future for your family. 🧡

We Love Hearing From You

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.