No More Booze - The Podcast

This week on No More Booze, I’m joined by Karl Elliott @thekarlelliott, who’s coming up on 10 years alcohol-free and living near Ascot in the UK. Carl takes us right back to drinking at 13, the daily pub routine and the moment he realised he couldn’t keep rolling the dice—especially when he became a dad. We talk about One Year No Beer, why community and accountability can change everything and what the first 90 days really felt like: withdrawals, sugar cravings, deep sleep, and life coming back in colour. Karl also shares the story behind his book, I Believe in You and the advice he’d give his younger self: give yourself a hug and let that little child out.
Karl Elliott is an alcohol-free coach, mentor and author who helps men and women over 35 not only quit drinking, but redefine who they become afterwards. Growing up working-class in Yorkshire, Karl spent years driving lorries and drinking every day. In June 2016, he stopped drinking and has been alcohol-free ever since. The biggest lesson he learned was that stopping isn’t the finish line. Many people remove alcohol but still feel stuck, waiting for the happier, healthier version of themselves to appear. Karl calls this the “identity lag”. Through Press Pause 90, Karl helps people navigate their first 90 days alcohol-free. Through Redefine 90, he helps them close the identity gap, rebuilding confidence, purpose and a sense of who they are beyond alcohol. His memoir, I Believe In You: A Father’s Journey From Daily Drinker to Redefining Himself, is due for release later this year and tells the story behind his own transformation.
If you are interested in Alcohol Free Coaching go to www.greyareadrinker.ie, email olivia@greyareadrinker.ie or simply send a DM over on instagram @greyareadrinker

* A note before you listen *
Today’s conversation includes significant discussion around suicide. These conversations are incredibly important and they are also difficult to hear. Please listen with care and put your wellbeing first. If this topic feels too close to home right now, you may wish to skip this episode or come back to it another time.
This week I’m joined by psychotherapist Lauren Golden (@laurengoldenpsych) for a powerful conversation about going alcohol-free for a full year in honour of her brother Dan, who died by suicide. Lauren shares how grief, addiction and Ireland’s alcohol culture shaped her relationship with alcohol from starting at 14, to the hidden costs of hangovers, anxiety and lost stability. We talk about the link between alcohol, impulsivity and suicide risk, why alcohol is a drug and what Lauren is learning about confidence, parenting, nights out and real sleep without the booze. We also celebrate and play tribute to Dan and the joy he brought to the people who knew and loved him deeply.
Lauren is a psychotherapist, play therapist and author based in Cork City. She runs a private practice including children and adults. Lauren is vice chairperson of suicide awareness charity Shine A Light. She shares her knowledge and experiences on her Instagram page @laurengoldenpsych.
If you are interested in Alcohol Free Coaching go to www.greyareadrinker.ie, email olivia@greyareadrinker.ie or simply send a DM over on instagram @greyareadrinker

Ian Thurlbeck from @alcohol_uncensored joins me this week to chat about his six years off the sauce. Ian is a dad, husband and business owner from the North East of England and co-host of the Alcohol Uncensored podcast with Kelly Cooney. We chat about how “normal” drinking crept from uni into work networking, home life and parenting, until the balance tipped into anxiety, paranoia and not liking who he’d become. Ian shares the Covid moment that made him stop, why year two was actually tougher and how running marathons helped him build momentum. We also dig into people-pleasing, identity, community and the simple advice that worked: put your whole arse into it, and study sobriety like a topic.

Find Alcohol Uncensored on Instagram: @alcohol_uncensored
Email: team@alcoholuncensored.co.uk
Website: alcoholuncensored.co.uk
If you are interested in Alcohol Free Coaching go to www.greyareadrinker.ie, email olivia@greyareadrinker.ie or simply send a DM to Olivia over on instagram @greyareadrinker

As regular listeners know, I'm a massive fan of metaphysics and all things manifestation. So today, I'm beyond thrilled to welcome, mindset and manifestation coach, Steffani LeFevour @coachwithsteff. We have an incredible conversation about what really changes when we use the clarity that not drinking brings and start creating life from a totally different place.Stephanie shares her STAR New Reality Formula- State,Thoughts, Actions = Reality. We talk neuro-associations with alcohol, inspired action and why rejection is redirection. We also get into gratitude in the middle of hard moments, soul assignments, near-death experience wisdom and choosing love over fear. And we talk about her new @hayhouseinc book 'Soul Assignment' that's coming in 2027. I adore Steff, she's kind, gracious and the most inspiring person. This episode will fill you full of positivity and motivation to start manifesting the life of your dreams!
Steffani is a speaker, author, and Soul Strategist who helps women stop settling for less and consciously create lives they love. With a unique blend of neuroscience, peak performance, and manifestation principles, she teaches people how to rewrite limiting stories, step into their next-level identity, and turn their biggest dreams into reality. As well as being an author, Steffani is the founder of the Soul Happy movement, inspiring hundreds of thousands of people through her coaching, speaking, and social media platforms.
Listen wherever you get your pods or on the @goloud_app
Find Steffani's work vis instagram @coachwithsteff or here Coach with Steff
If you are interested in Alcohol Free Coaching go to www.greyareadrinker.ie, email olivia@greyareadrinker.ie or simply send a DM to Olivia over on instagram @greyareadrinker

Flexera Founder @joinflexera, Hannah Joyce @hannahleighjoyce joins me for a brilliant, honest chat about going alcohol-free at 26 and what’s possible when you stop breaking promises to yourself. Six years off the booze, Hannah shares the signs that were there from the start: brutal hangovers, lingering anxiety and that inability to “just have one or two”. We talk about how COVID was a forced pause, the unexpected stepping stones (skincare, exercise, journaling), reading The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober and the pink cloud also and what happens when it fades. Plus: how sobriety gave Hannah the clarity and confidence to build Flexera, bringing Reformer Pilates home with folding reformers and an app. Hannah's story is deeply inspiring and gives us some idea of how life can expand in the most incredible ways when we choose to leave the booze behind. Enjoy!
Find out more about flexera at www.joinflexera.coom
If you are interested in Alcohol Free Coaching go to www.greyareadrinker.ie, email olivia@greyareadrinker.ie or simply send a DM to Olivia over on instagram @greyareadrinker