The Sober New Yorker

After losing her father to alcohol-related complications, Megan was faced with a difficult question: would alcohol continue to be part of her family’s story, or would the cycle stop with her?She chose to quit drinking.In the first-ever in-studio episode of The Sober New Yorker, Melissa sits down with Megan in Manhattan as she approaches one year of sobriety. A labor and delivery nurse, wife, and mom of three, Megan shares how grief changed the way she looked at her own relationship with alcohol and ultimately led her toward an alcohol-free life.Megan opens up about quitting drinking, breaking generational patterns with alcohol, navigating motherhood in sobriety, and choosing to recover out loud.This conversation explores grief, alcohol, sober living, and what can happen when you decide you don’t need to hit rock bottom to make a change.For anyone questioning their drinking or wondering what life without alcohol could look like, Megan’s story is a reminder that you can choose a different path.

Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megan_on_the_rocks/

In this episode, I sit down with Tawny Lara—author of the popular book Dry Humping and the woman widely known as the “Sober Sexpert.” We talk about her sobriety story, the life she built after alcohol, and the surprising new addiction that began taking its place: social media.
Tawny found herself endlessly scrolling and feeling as though her time, attention, creativity—and even her soul—were being sucked away. She shares the practical steps she took to reclaim her life and create a healthier relationship with technology.
This is a thoughtful, honest back-and-forth about social media addiction, the direction our culture is heading, and what happens when the scroll starts replacing the drink.
Tawny's Website:
https://www.tawnylara.com/

Shaz knew his drinking was putting his marriage at risk. But instead of quitting alcohol, he found himself planning for what would happen when his marriage eventually fell apart.
Growing up in Chicago as the son of Pakistani immigrants, alcohol became normalized early when his family went from running a tobacco shop to owning liquor stores. What began as social drinking eventually followed Shaz into marriage and fatherhood before turning into daily, secret drinking alone.
In this episode of The Sober New Yorker, Shaz shares how alcohol addiction began affecting his wife, his children, and the life they had built together. He also talks about finding a sober community while he was still drinking—including joining meetings with his camera off and a White Claw beside him.
Then, on Christmas night, something changed. Shaz finished a glass of wine, went to bed, and decided he didn’t want to drink anymore. What happened next changed the trajectory of his family.

Follow Shaz:
https://www.instagram.com/shazman07/

Join the Sober Motivation Community:
https://sobermotivation.net/

Chris Marshall got his first DUI at 16, on only his second time drinking. By 23, he was drinking a handle of vodka a day, had failed out of college, and didn’t believe he would live to see 25.
Today, Chris is 19 years sober.
In this episode of The Sober New Yorker, Chris shares how his need to belong fueled his alcohol addiction, why multiple trips to treatment didn’t initially work, and what finally helped him get sober at 23.
Chris also talks about what became possible after he quit drinking. He became a substance use counselor and eventually founded Sans Bar, one of the first alcohol-free bars in the U.S. His work has since helped launch more than 150 non-alcoholic bars, bottle shops, and pop-ups around the world.
Chris’s story is about alcohol addiction, sobriety, recovery, and discovering that the connection he had been searching for through alcohol was possible without it.

Follow Chris and Sans Bar:
https://www.instagram.com/sans_bar/

Rachel Soto’s drinking had progressed to blackouts, a DUI, morning drinking, and a life that was becoming increasingly difficult to hold together. Alongside alcohol addiction, she was also struggling with Xanax and other prescription medication. Eventually, her husband was ready to leave, her relationships with her family were breaking down, and Rachel knew something had to change.
In this episode of The Sober New Yorker, Rachel shares how she quit drinking and Xanax, navigated early sobriety, and began rebuilding her life through recovery, fitness, and wellness. Since getting sober in April 2024, she has lost more than 80 pounds and found a completely different way of living.
Rachel also opens up about losing her mother to addiction, becoming a young mom, her DUI, Recovery Dharma, and why today she believes she has far too much to lose to ever go back.

Follow Rachel:
https://www.instagram.com/realtalkwithrachie/