RE 570: Your Mission is to Explore
Recovery Elevator
Today we have Savanna. She’s 32 years old from Minneapolis, MN and took her last drink on May 4th, 2023. This episode is brought to you by: Sign up and get 10% off: – THE social app for sober people Every Sunday on , we post a roll call graphic and then you guys put your day count on there. It’s a space for members to be loud and proud about their recovery as well as being there to support others. [02:30] Thoughts from Paul: Last week, Paul talked about how we want to end our relationship with alcohol. This week, he addresses the question “what do I...
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RE 569: Change Your Relationship With Alcohol?
Recovery Elevator
Today we have Sean. He is 33 years old and lives in Phoenix, AZ. He took his last drink on January 22, 2022. This episode is brought to you by: – THE social app for sober people – 10% off of your first month #sponsored There is one spot left on our sober travel trip to . This journey is scheduled for February 21st – 28th. Email if you would like to join us. Join us on January 10th for the start of our . This course is sponsored by Kala brand ukelele and if you register, you get a code for 10% off an instrument. [03:00] Thoughts from Paul: ...
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RE 568: Showing Up
Recovery Elevator
Today we have Sarah. She is 49 years old and lives in San Diego, CA. Sarah took her last drink on August 6th, 2025. This episode is brought to you by: – 10% off of your first month #sponsored Pick up your copy of Paul’s newest book . You can get it on Amazon, listen to it on Audible or order it at your favorite bookstore today. Join us on January 10th for the start of our . This course is sponsored by Kala brand ukelele and if you register, you get a code for 10% off an instrument. [02:00] Thoughts from Paul: This is the first podcast of the new year and...
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RE 567: Dolce Vita: The Good Life
Recovery Elevator
Today we have Jenn. She is 52 years old, from Washington, DC and she took their last drink on September 3rd, 2023. This episode is brought to you by: – the social app for sober people Join us for our Dry January course at 8pm eastern time on January 1st. This is the first of 13 sessions throughout the month, and this course is all about accountability and connection. [01:13] Thoughts from Paul: Today Paul talks about the origin of the title to his new book which will be released on January 1st. What he has learned over the years in his own recovery and...
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RE 566: You're Not Too Far Gone
Recovery Elevator
Today we have Kristine. She is 34 years old from Toronto Canada, and she took her last drink on May 19th, 2025. This episode is brought to you by: – the social app for sober people Café RE is now a registered 501c3 nonprofit. Please visit the website or email if you are interested in making a yearend donation. Join us for our Dry January course at 8pm eastern time on January 1st. This is the first of 13 sessions throughout the month, and this course is all about accountability and having fun. Paul’s new book will be released in both in print and audiobook...
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RE 565: Everything
Recovery Elevator
Today we have Nathan. He is 45 years old from Harrisburg, VA and took his last drink on January 24th, 2023. This episode is brought to you by: – 10% off of your first month #sponsored – the social app for sober people Get your 2026 started off poison free and join us for our Dry January course at 8pm eastern time on January 1st. This is the first of 13 sessions throughout the month, and this course is all about accountability and having fun. January 1st, 2026 is the official release date for Paul’s new book both in print and audiobook. He would love to...
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RE 564: Hot and Cold
Recovery Elevator
Today we have Yeimy. She’s 30 years old, from Rhode Island and took her last drink of alcohol on January 19th, 2025. This episode is brought to you by: – the social app for sober people – 10% off of your first month #sponsored January 1st, 2026 is the official release date for Paul’s new book and he’d love to have you on the launch team. Email to join. Registration for Recovery Elevator’s Dry January course is open. We are meeting 13 times live in the month of January to give you the best chance of ditching the booze. [03:30] Thoughts from...
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RE 563: You’re Not Alone
Recovery Elevator
Today we have Jack. He’s 39 years old from Phoenix, AZ and took his last drink of alcohol on June 23rd, 2025. This episode is brought to you by: – 10% off of your first month #sponsored - sign up and claim your $100 enrollment bonus Registration for Recovery Elevator’s Dry January course opens today. We are meeting 13 times live in the month of January to give you the best chance of ditching the booze. now has its own coffee created with 25% of each bag sold will be donated to the nonprofit . January 1st, 2026 is the official release date for...
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RE 562: A Shooting Star
Recovery Elevator
Today we have Emily. She is 43 years old from Sacramento, CA and took her last drink on December 20th, 2024. This episode is brought to you by: – 10% off of your first month #sponsored – code RE20 saves 20% off your order Registration for Recovery Elevator’s Dry January course opens on December 1st. We are meeting 13 times live in the month of January to give you the best chance of ditching the booze. There are plenty of teachings throughout the month, but the best part of the course is that it’s community-based. It’s all about building connections over our...
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RE 561: It’s The Journey, Not the Destination
Recovery Elevator
Today we have Kevin. He is 48 years old and lives in Napa Valley, CA. He took his last drink on September 22nd, 2025. This episode is brought to you by: – 10% off of your first month #sponsored – code RE20 saves 20% off your order 71% of Europeans are drinking less alcohol and the future generations are opting out in general, according to a [02:59] Thoughts from Paul: On the last Sober Travel Trip to Peru this past October, Paul was reminded of one of life’s greatest teachings: it’s the journey that matters, and not the destination. He tells...
info_outlineToday we have Emily. She is 43 years old from Sacramento, CA and took her last drink on December 20th, 2024.
This episode is brought to you by:
Better Help – 10% off of your first month #sponsored
Exact Nature – code RE20 saves 20% off your order
Registration for Recovery Elevator’s Dry January course Restore opens on December 1st. We are meeting 13 times live in the month of January to give you the best chance of ditching the booze. There are plenty of teachings throughout the month, but the best part of the course is that it’s community-based. It’s all about building connections over our shared interest of an alcohol-free life.
Costa Rica, February 21st – 28th, 2026. Two spots have opened up for our next Sober Travel Trip. Come join us!
[03:03] Thoughts from Paul:
Happy Thanksgiving to our American listeners! Paul is wishing everyone a week of peace, calm, turkey, pumpkin and hopefully whipped cream and lots of ice cream.
Paul was going to give us 10 tips to help you stay alcohol-free this week, but if you get this one right, then you should be ok… Somebody – ideally everybody – at your Thanksgiving dinner needs to know that you are not drinking or of your plans to stay sober. We at RE call this burning the ships and AA calls this radical honesty.
Ok, here’s a second tip – do your best to be thankful or find things to be thankful for. Thank the universe for your willingness to show up. For your willingness to listen to a podcast about making profound change. This shit ain’t easy.
Paul and the rest of us at RE are grateful for you all and for your support over the years.
THANK YOU!
[07:59] Paul introduces Emily:
Emily lives in Sacramento, CA with her husband and four children. She is a flower farmer. For fun, she enjoys playing music, spending time outside, talking to animals, reading and taking naps.
Emily only drank a handful of times prior to age 38. She was raised Mormon with a loving family in a small town outside of Yosemite. There was no exposure to alcohol for Emily growing up. She says every time she did drink she felt enormous guilt and shame due to her religion and the pressure to fit the mold of what she was expected to be.
Between the ages of 33 and 37, Emily and her husband started a charter school for the arts in California. It was very successful but was closed down after five years because of politics in the small town. Emily tried to be resilient and keep moving forward, but a series of personal blows to her and her family found them moving two hours away from family in friends because of a job.
Emily began to realize her life in the church wasn’t aligned with her personal values. Since they had moved away from family and friends, Emily decided to try “mommy wine culture”. She began drinking wine in a coffee mug after the kids went to bed in an effort to be discreet with it and enjoyed how it calmed her down and not think about everything that was going on.
Emily didn’t have much knowledge about how alcohol affected people, and her drinking progressed quickly. She decided to check into outpatient rehab in 2021 with the support of her husband. She had six months of sobriety and then thought she could moderate. That idea ended terribly one night in December 2024 when Emily got arrested for domestic violence.
After the incident, Emily and her husband separated and she was only saw the kids every other week. She drank a few times but decided it wasn’t worth it anymore. She began therapy to try and uncover why she felt the need to soften the edges of her life.
One of the many things that Emily feels she has gained in recovery is the ability to trust herself again. She and her husband have reconciled and are rebuilding a strong foundation. Emily says that in addition to therapy, she enjoys podcasts, reading quit lit, journaling and Refuge Recovery.
Recovery Elevator
It’s all about the journey and not so much the destination.
I love you guys,