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The Experience of Being Sober Over 50 with Donna Ferris

To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle

Release Date: 04/01/2026

The Experience of Being Sober Over 50 with Donna Ferris

To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle

Episode #351 Hey there! I'm glad you're here. I'm so happy to have Donna Ferris back on the podcast. Donna joined me years ago to talk about her first book and memoir, We've Got to Stop Meeting Like This, and today we're doing something a little different. Instead of an interview, we sat down together to talk about what we each expected before getting sober and what we've actually experienced on the other side. You'll hear a bit more about Donna's story in this episode, and I'm linking her first episode in the show notes if you want the full background. Donna's second...

Create a Spring Mood Board Just For Fun

To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle

Episode 350 Grab your poster board or foam board, some magazines, and a glue stick. We are about to get crafty. If you're looking for a creative project to help you get clear on what you want in your life right now, this episode is for you. A mood board is a visual representation of how you want to feel right now, this season, this chapter. A mood board is made up of images, quotes, words, and notes to yourself that match the feeling you want to carry into spring. I'm walking you through a reflection to help you put yours together. It's fun to create, but it's also a helpful way to...

A Peek Inside My Online Community For Midlife Women Living Alcohol-Free

To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle

Episode #349 Hey there! If you’ve heard me talk about my online community and aren’t really sure what it is or how it works, or if you’ve been curious about joining my community, this episode is for you. If you're inside ELEVATE, thank you for taking the leap with me! 🫶 This is one of those episodes, where I said to myself, why in the heck have you not done this sooner? Before you dive in, this is an honest look at why I believe in community in midlife and in living alcohol-free, especially in 2026. I will give you a peek into how my community,...

You're Not Alone if You're In the Middle of a Life Transition

To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle

Episode #348 Hey there! I'm glad you're here. I recorded this short and sweet episode to let you know if you're in the middle of a transition in your life, or multiple transitions, I'm here. Sometimes, that is the best thing I can offer - to let you know you're not alone during this time. In this episode, I share two transitions I'm recognizing with a move and my son living at home. I also talk about why it's helpful to recognize when you're in the "middle" of a transition, and some simple things I do for myself. I share a story about my mom and how I learned from...

A Look Inside My First Two Years Alcohol-Free: Is This Lifestyle For You?

To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle

Episode #347 Hey there! I hope you're having a nice day. If you are curious about living alcohol-free, and ready to make it a lifestyle, or if you've decided to live alcohol-free and you're months or more in and you're not sure if it's the lifestyle for you, this episode is for you. In this episode, I give you my perspective of an alcohol-free lifestyle and what my decision to go alcohol-free gave me in the first two years of living alcohol-free. It's an honest look into my experience after 30 years of being a drinker, a party girl, and a woman smack dab in the middle of life...

Hey There, Im Lori! A Reintroduction to the Podcast and Me

To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle

This is an episode you can have playing in the background as I give you a little bio and reintroduction to the podcast. ☺️ I'm reintroducing myself and the podcast after being in a bit of a transition. I share my story from losing both parents, to meeting my husband Bill in a bar back in '97, to navigating life with our 24-year-old son and our rescue corgi, Franklin Blue. I open up about my journey to sobriety, which started at 43 when I realized alcohol wasn't serving me anymore. After 30 years of drinking and almost two years of trying to moderate, I quit on August 11th, 2013. Now,...

Becoming a Party Girl: The Night I Went All In on Alcohol at 14

To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle

In this episode, I take you back to 1982 when I was 14 years old and the night I became a "party girl." I share the story of my first real experience with alcohol at a date party, from getting ready in my bathroom with my sweet mom Carol Jean, to wearing that pink striped dress that hid my nervous hives, to discovering how alcohol made me feel lighter, looser, and more confident. This was the night that changed everything. It's when I told myself, "I'm cool as long as I have alcohol," and started chasing that feeling for the next 30 years. I reflect on why remembering this moment is so...

What I'm Doing to Take Care of Myself Right Now - Ideas For You

To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle

Hello! I recorded an episode to let you know what I'm doing to take care of myself and my anxiety right now. These are some of my favorites that I focus on throughout the week, not daily as a "work from home" gal. I wanted to check in with you to let you know I'm still here and offer ideas to find relief without drinking alcohol. Here are the daily prompts that I walk you through to practice: Ask yourself: What do I need less of right now? What do I need more of right now? What can I do for myself right now? What can I let go of for today? You don’t need to...

New Year, Same Courageous and Capable You

To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle

Happy 2026! Thank you for listening to the podcast. I appreciate you! In this episode, I offer you a different take on "New Year, New You" energy. I hope that you take time to reflect on how far you've come in life and go "all in" on what you want and don't want in 2026. I’ll be back to the podcast, but right now I’m doing a lot of reflecting and soul-searching. To stay in touch, you can join For personalized support through private sessions, To walk alongside me and other women living alcohol-free, you can join

A Holiday Check-In: You Are Not Alone

To 50 and Beyond | Midlife and Alcohol-Free Lifestyle

Hello! I'm so happy to be here with you. I'm popping in to check in with you this holiday season. As 2025 comes to a close, I want to offer words of encouragement to help you navigate the holiday alcohol-free. Whether this is your first year, your second, or many years in. I talk about growth, discomfort, awkward moments, grief, and why outgrowing alcohol is a sign that you’re evolving, which is a good thing! I also share where I am right now, slowing down, focusing on one thing at a time, and letting intuition and flow guide me. And a personal story from my first sober...

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Episode #351

Hey there! I'm glad you're here.

I'm so happy to have Donna Ferris back on the podcast.

Donna joined me years ago to talk about her first book and memoir, We've Got to Stop Meeting Like This, and today we're doing something a little different. Instead of an interview, we sat down together to talk about what we each expected before getting sober and what we've actually experienced on the other side.

You'll hear a bit more about Donna's story in this episode, and I'm linking her first episode in the show notes if you want the full background.

Donna's second book, Bounce Back Stronger: Finding Peace and Purpose No Matter What Happens, is out now. She's also the host of the Bounce Back Stronger podcast and a life coach who focuses on habit change, overcoming loss, writing to heal, and redefining what success looks like.

In this episode, we talk about what we expected before we stopped drinking, and what we experienced after we stopped drinking.

We talk about the difference in how we feel and sleep, our confidence and trust in ourselves, and what we wouldn't be doing today if not for our sobriety.

I thank you for being here and apologize for a bit of sound quality issues.

Sending you a hug!

Find Donna and her resources here:

Join ELEVATE - my online community for midlife women who are living alcohol-free.

Coffee Keeps Me Going

If the podcast has supported you and you’d like to support the show, you can buy me a coffee here:

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Every cup helps keep me and To 50 and Beyond going.

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