The Alcohol Free Revolution Podcast

No guest this week just Steve and James, and it's a milestone episode.

James has just hit five years alcohol-free, and we take a moment to mark it before getting into something that's been doing the rounds — Brad Pitt's decision to return to drinking after seven years of sobriety.

We're not here to judge him. But it does open up a really important conversation about moderation, desire, and why resisting something you still want is a very different thing from simply not wanting it anymore.

A good one.

Coach with Steve:
Web: www.soberilliant.com

Insta: @sober.illiant

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stevesmith-soberilliant

Coach with James:
Web: http://alcoholfreecoach.com

Insta: @alcoholfreecoach_

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/james-lloyd-48313032

This week is a big one!!

We've wanted to get Millie Gooch on the pod for a long time, and it's finally happened.

Millie is the founder of Sober Girl Society, one of the largest alcohol-free communities in the world, author of three books, TED talk speaker, and holds an MSc in Mental Health and Addiction. She's been one of the most important voices in the alcohol-free movement since she gave up drinking in 2018.

Her latest book Hangxiety which is out now is her most compelling yet. It's not a book about sobriety. It's a book about your brain on booze. Why that wave of dread and anxiety after a night out is far more than just a bad hangover, what alcohol is actually doing to your nervous system, your sleep and your mood, and why the effects can linger long after the headache's gone. Smart, science-backed, and not remotely preachy.

We get into her own story, how the movement has shifted since she started, and what she makes of where we are now. A brilliant guest. Go and get the book.

Find Millie:
Instagram: @milliegooch
Sober Girl Society: @sobergirlsociety
Website: www.sobergirlsociety.com

Hangxiety: How Alcohol Messes With Your Mind — out now
Available wherever books are sold.

 

Coach with Steve:
Web: www.soberilliant.com

Insta: @sober.illiant

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stevesmith-soberilliant

Coach with James:
Web: http://alcoholfreecoach.com

Insta: @alcoholfreecoach_

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/james-lloyd-48313032

This week we're joined by Emma Gilmour — licensed counsellor, psychotherapist and alcohol coach, based in Australia. Emma spent 20+ years running on adrenalin, coffee and booze before her own messy breakup with drinking and a late Autistic ADHD diagnosis rebuilt her from the ground up. She now supports women in midlife through menopause, alcohol and the identity shift that comes with both.

It's a genuinely fascinating conversation — one we've been wanting to have for a long time. We get into why ADHD and alcohol are so deeply connected, what masking really means, why stopping drinking can feel so exposing, and why so many people who struggle with alcohol have spent a lifetime trying to be someone they're not just to feel safe.

We loved it so much we've already booked her back for part two. If you have questions for Emma on ADHD, alcohol or menopause, send them to info@thealcoholfreerevolution.co.uk

Find Emma:
Instagram: @hoperisingcoaching
Website: www.hoperisingcoaching.com
Podcast: Midlife AF — www.hoperisingcoaching.com/podcast

Upcoming with Emma:
Free 3-Day Alcohol Reset — 22–24 September, 7:30pm AEST (replays available)
Register: www.hoperisingcoaching.com/3-day-reset

The Great Aussie Alcohol Experiment — live 1 October, 30 days, small group, 25 spots. Early bird ends 15 September.
Join: www.hoperisingcoaching.com/the_great_aussie_alcohol_experiment

Coach with Steve:
Web: www.soberilliant.com

Insta: @sober.illiant

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stevesmith-soberilliant

Coach with James:
Web: http://alcoholfreecoach.com

Insta: @alcoholfreecoach_

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/james-lloyd-48313032

This week we're joined by Emma Gilmour — licensed counsellor, psychotherapist and alcohol coach, based in Australia. Emma spent 20+ years running on adrenalin, coffee and booze before her own messy breakup with drinking and a late Autistic ADHD diagnosis rebuilt her from the ground up. She now supports women in midlife through menopause, alcohol and the identity shift that comes with both.

It's a genuinely fascinating conversation — one we've been wanting to have for a long time. We get into why ADHD and alcohol are so deeply connected, what masking really means, why stopping drinking can feel so exposing, and why so many people who struggle with alcohol have spent a lifetime trying to be someone they're not just to feel safe.

We loved it so much we've already booked her back for part two. If you have questions for Emma on ADHD, alcohol or menopause, send them to info@thealcoholfreerevolution.co.uk

Find Emma:
Instagram: @hoperisingcoaching
Website: www.hoperisingcoaching.com
Podcast: Midlife AF — www.hoperisingcoaching.com/podcast

Upcoming with Emma:
Free 3-Day Alcohol Reset — 22–24 September, 7:30pm AEST (replays available)
Register: www.hoperisingcoaching.com/3-day-reset

The Great Aussie Alcohol Experiment — live 1 October, 30 days, small group, 25 spots. Early bird ends 15 September.
Join: www.hoperisingcoaching.com/the_great_aussie_alcohol_experiment

Coach with Steve:
Web: www.soberilliant.com

Insta: @sober.illiant

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stevesmith-soberilliant

Coach with James:
Web: http://alcoholfreecoach.com 

Insta: @alcoholfreecoach_

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/james-lloyd-48313032

This week we're joined by Miriam Lene Roland — Norwegian sommelier, entrepreneur, and founder of Miris Blend, a premium alcohol-free wine brand that is quietly turning heads in the wine world.

Miriam completed her WSET Level 3 in London, spent three years immersed in the wine regions of Portugal, and wrote her master's thesis on the technology and marketing of alcohol-free wine — before going back to Norway and actually building the business. She's now producing a range of award-winning alcohol-free wines using some of the most advanced dealcoholisation technology currently available, working directly with small producers who share her obsession with quality.

If wine is the one thing you miss, or the one thing holding you back, this is the episode to listen to. We get into why most alcohol-free wine is so disappointing, what Miriam is doing differently, and why the market for genuinely good alcohol-free wine is only just getting started.

Find Miriam:
Instagram: @mirisblend.no
Website: www.mirisblend.com

Buy in the UK:
www.alcoholfreedrinks.co.uk

Coach with Steve:
Web: www.soberilliant.com

Insta: @sober.illiant

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stevesmith-soberilliant

Coach with James:
Web: http://alcoholfreecoach.com

Insta: @alcoholfreecoach_

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/james-lloyd-48313032