#32: Nipples & Pistols (feat. Alanna Ostvik / Drink Pour Sport)

Heather and Zoe are joined by Alanna Ostvik, founder of Pour Sport Wine, who makes a 0.0% wine that actually tastes good. They talk about what it takes to build a sober-friendly brand, how non-alcoholic wine is really made, and what happens when you stop centering your life around drinking and start actually feeling good. Listen in for early drinking stories, recovery flashbacks, and the overlaps between business, addiction, and self-worth.

Listen Now and Subscribe:

---

Nipples & Pistols: Transcript

heather: [00:00:00] This podcast covers sensitive topics that may be difficult for some listeners. Please take care while listening

drunk.

Welcome back to Girl Undrunk. I'm Heather. I'm Zoe. And today we have a very special guest. This is Alanna, our new friend, Alanna, what's your last name? Ostvik. Ostvik. I wasn't sure how to pronounce that. You German, Norwegian. 

Alanna: Oh, Norwegian. Amazing. 

heather: Oh, 

Alanna: that's nice. Cool. Do you ever 

heather: go, 

Alanna: ever? I went actually last year with my family first time.

It's so beautiful. Yeah. Highly recommend. It's amazing. Beautiful put Is it it up there 

heather: where they put the babies in the strollers outside to sleep? Um, that wasn't that, I didn't see any of that. I didn't see [00:01:00] any of that in the wrong country. I read an article, I read an article, I saw something on Instagram once.

Yeah. Where like somewhere over there in like the magical countries, they like put their babies outside. So it's like good for their immune system. Oh. I mean that, okay. Maybe 

Zoe: that happens. 

heather: I don't say that May, that 

Zoe: seems something that would be true. 

heather: Feels like something that would've happened to you. 

Zoe: Yeah, 

heather: it does.

It really does. Science says don't do that. Yeah. A 

Zoe: little bit too 

heather: long. Yeah. Yeah. She's got a little frostbite. It's okay. 

Alanna: Little trauma. 

heather: So welcome Alanna. Thank you for coming. Thank you to Girl Undrunk. We're so excited to have you. Alanna is the, what do you call yourself? Do you call yourself C-E-O-C-E-O?

Yeah. Ceo, EO, owner, ceo, yeah. Of poor sport wine. Yes. So we actually met Alanna at the Zero Bar event that we did. A few, yeah. Last month, a few months ago, I think. Two months ago now. Yeah. Yeah. And that was such a cute, that was such a nice little meet queue. I know. That 

Zoe: was sweet. Now this like 

heather: our first guest that we've met in the Wild.

Mm-hmm. On the, that's very exciting. What's cheers to. Thanks for having that. [00:02:00] Cheers ladies. Yay. Yay. Lovely little bubbles. Mm. So good. It is so good. Oh, oh my God, it's so good. Um, a fancy, okay, so tell us about this wine. The thing I know most about it is that it is fully zero. Zero. That is 

Alanna: correct. Okay. Yes.

So tell 

heather: us what that means. Yeah. 

Alanna: Well, so I'll, I'll tell you kind of like how it works. Yeah. So it's de Alkalized wine. Mm-hmm. So it's made traditionally like real wine. You know, the grapes are fermented, goes through the same traditional process. Mm-hmm. Then it goes after to get, um, uh, de alkalized through a process called vacuum distillation.

Oh, vacuum 

Zoe: distillation. 

Alanna: Yes. Okay. So it's like, I like to say like, you know when you're cooking and you are evaporating mm-hmm. Like the alcohol out from like low heat, it's the exact same concept. Oh. So they do it, but they get it down to 0.0. So they just make sure and then obviously test it to make sure that there is no l How long does that take, like process?

It's not long. I, I'm like, from what I was told, it can be like 10 to 20 minutes. Oh wow. Just like very quick. Yeah. That it's like quick and easy. Yeah. Is this like a big [00:03:00] vat? Yeah. Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. It's like, yeah, I can show you. It looks really cool. And where do you do it? Where is it? So this specific wine is from Spain.

So the wine is made in Spain. This is an Arine sparkling white, and then actually they, they send it to Germany. Okay. State of the art, you know, the Germans have all the really great machinery there, and they, and they send it there to get ized and then they bring it back and send it out. And I, I import that and then they bottle it from Spain as well.

Yes. So they actually bottle it on the spot there because of like contamination. Right. Got it. Because it doesn't have the alcohol in it to kill germs. Yeah. So they gotta be, there's like a very like, you know, uh, regimented process to make sure that they, right after they get in the bottles and then they send.

heather: Right. So is that generally why most non-alcoholic is at least like 0.5 just because of germs and stuff and. I think that, to be honest, a lot of them do it to keep a little 

Alanna: bit of that taste. Okay. Right. Because the rules are like, it can be qualified as non-alcoholic when it's less than 0.5. Yeah. Point five, sorry, 0.5 or less.

Mm-hmm. So people leave it in because that [00:04:00] tiny bit does give that like interest. There is some wine, you know, that actual alcohol taste in the wine. Yeah. Oh yeah. But like they're getting better and better. Yeah. That the 0.0 now still tastes like there was, you know, the, the alcohol's still there, so Yeah.

I was gonna 

Zoe: say like, why doesn't everyone just do zero zero if it's that easy to do it. Yeah. But the taste, that's interesting that people like need that taste like. The extra mile to do the take. Yeah. Is 

heather: there something, is it like very expensive to do it all? Like to get it all down to zero Zero or, um, I 

Alanna: also believe too that some just machines can't get it to that as well, so there is two points to that as well, that even if they wanted to, I don't think it can actually get it to that level.

Right. We're working 

heather: with state of the art here. 

Alanna: Yeah. But again, like there's so much more enhancements and improvements happening and stuff, so eventually it'll be easier and eventually they might have one in Canada that like more, you know, other brands can use because I know like small vineyards are, are getting their own now, but mm-hmm.

You know. 

heather: And are you selling mostly in Canada? 

Alanna: Yeah, just, just dish in Canada actually. Mostly like, 'cause I just sort of launched mostly like kind of Ontario. [00:05:00] Mm-hmm. Yeah. At this stage. But I mean anywhere throughout Canada. Yeah. Quebec as well. Yeah. 

heather: How is 

Alanna: the market? Yeah, it's good. Like, I mean, more and more people are obviously kind of like leaning towards this sober curious lifestyle and wanting to cut back on drinking.

Mm-hmm. So it is good. I think it's like it's, it's kind of slow with the wines. The beers obviously have come in massively now, like all like, yeah. Why do you think that is? That's a good question. I think just. I really don't know. I think it's just, it's just the men just need their beer. I think it's men.

Yeah. Maybe they're like, we need that taste. Yeah. And like, and, and probably beers are more consumed on menus and more, there's more beer sales going out there, so then when people stop drinking Yeah. A couple people started it and then the trend kicked off massively. Yeah. That big brands are doing it. 

heather: I'm also not sure that everyone really knows about non-alcoholic wine.

'cause when I, even when I first got sober three years ago, 2, 2, 2 years and seven months ago, two seven months, I, the, the non-alcoholic wine was like grapes or like, it tasted like [00:06:00] raisins juice. Yeah. Yeah. 

Alanna: Sugary grape juice. 

heather: And it wasn't great. And I'm like, okay, we gotta level this up, or I'm gonna keep drinking the real, real stuff.

Exactly. 

Alanna: My first one I ever tried was in Australia at a grocery store. Okay. And I was like, oh, look at this. Yeah. And I was on my like, whatever one month. That was so hard to do. Yeah. And I remember pouring it and I was like. Oh my God. Like disgusting. Yeah. So yeah, they're worth it just now getting so much better.

So yeah, more and more, um, yeah, brands are coming out with it, so it is a growing space. Mm-hmm. And then I'm finding the market's really good because it's like part of the same family of the whole health and wellness movement. Right. Yeah. They come hand in hand. Yeah. Do 

Zoe: you feel like sobriety right now is being really like trendy?

Like do you see it like that? I do. I do 

Alanna: and I don't. Yeah. Like I see, I see the side 'cause I'm in that world. Mm-hmm. I'm in that non-alcoholic beverage, sober curious world. Yeah. So like it is becoming more trendy. So yeah. I'm like, oh my God, this is huge. Look at all this creepy, doing all this great things.

Living a better life. Yeah. Non-alcoholic beverages. Having these at like, like, like sporting events or Or [00:07:00] fitness events. Or wellness events. It's great. Yeah. But then you do also see the other side of like still that stigma of the like it's cool to drink and like when you're out with your friends and you're that one person that's not drinking, everyone's, it's obvious pressuring you.

So that will always be there. Like that's such a huge society. Mm-hmm. And a problem globally. Yeah. But it is, I'm noticing the cool parts coming in though. Like Yeah. Like I feel so much better. Yeah. And like 

heather: I know there is something, and I don't know if it's about like being older and 30, but it's like, yeah, it is cool to have your wits about you all the time.

Like it is cool to be like the one person at the party who's like. Okay. Yeah. I'm gonna go home now. Yeah. Like this is getting out of control and I'm good and I'm gonna go home and sleep. It is cool. It feels so good. Such a good feeling, isn't it? Just like be 

Zoe: good in your body and not have to rely on anything else.

Yeah. Yeah. But 

heather: it's also really nice to be like, can you pour me a glass of wine and not be like holding a Coca-Cola? Yeah. You know? That's so nice. It's 

Alanna: like the experience. Mm-hmm. Like, you know, that like bubbly when you have your meal, 

Zoe: when you're cheer mouse feel, and we're glossy, classy ladies. 

heather: I know. I love [00:08:00] it.

I've always loved a, I love a glass of wine. It's never bothered me, but it does bother some people. Like some people don't do well Zoe, you don't really do that much Dealcoholized. I feel like you're kind of getting a little more into it 'cause of me, but a little bit. 

Zoe: Yeah. But I just feel like at my rehab I went to, mm-hmm.

There was like a big scary like ex. Drug dealer man that came into my rehab and like screamed at all of us and saying, if you drink non-alcoholic beer or wine, you will relapse and die. 

Alanna: Right? Yeah. And that 

Zoe: like cemented into me. Of course. Yeah. And I think for the first, at least one and a half years, but probably the same time I met you, I started dabbling with it.

Alanna: Yeah. 

Zoe: Um, it's still not like my go-to if I'm out, if I'm out celebrating something big. Yes. I'm gonna have like a non-alcoholic wine or a beer. I had a lot of non-alcoholic beer when I just was on my vacation in Portugal, like being out in the sun. My boyfriend was drinking one, so I was like, let me have one too.

Right? Mm-hmm. But I think I just don't [00:09:00] want to choose that every time because of. How they taught me. Yeah, exactly. You know, it's like in your 

Alanna: head. It's in my head and I honestly respect that. Yeah. And I always do say that to anyone. Like if you're going through recovery mm-hmm. Like, it might not be for you.

Yeah. Like, do not, I don't want people having it if they're still not sure if it will trigger. Sure. Yeah. That, that, you know, that, that, I think, think that's what it 

Zoe: is. I think it's like the first year, I don't know how I would've reacted. Mm-hmm. Drinking that kind of stuff. But now I feel so solid in my sobriety that I know I'm gonna be okay if I drink a non-alcoholic wine or beer every so often.

Yeah. Yeah. Totally. I think it just depends on how secure you are in your sobriety, in your recovery. And always put yourself first. Yeah. 'cause 

heather: I think my body knows the difference now. Like, it's not like I taste wine and I'm immediately like, oh, I need more. Mm-hmm. It's like what it's doing to my body, which I think happens within what, like 30 seconds of consuming alcohol.

You're like, I feel warm. Perfect. Mm-hmm. But this doesn't like. I don't think it's like my tongue that needs more. Mm-hmm. You know, it's like my body. Yeah. 

Alanna: So it's fine. [00:10:00] Yeah. Yeah. For sure. It's 

heather: cool. Um, what we didn't do and actually what we need to do. Yes. Uh, we just got too excited talking about Cute, cute.

This wine is, but we like to start the podcast. We'll backtrack and just ask each other about our mental health. Do a little check-in. Love this. So Zoe, do you wanna go first? How's your mental? I'll go first. 

Zoe: My mental health is good. Mm-hmm. I feel like I was obviously a little bit nervous for today 'cause this is our first interview.

Mm-hmm. But I think I am just so, like I trust us so much now. Yeah. That I know it's gonna be nervous, but I know that we can do it. 

heather: Mm-hmm. 

Zoe: So it's being nervous, but like also kind of excited. So it's a lot, but I know that I just had to like stay Yeah. Stay calm and trust the process what we have been doing.

That's exactly right. Um, and. Yeah. I feel like my three years just went by and I don't know, I think [00:11:00] just, it's just another day. Mm-hmm. It's good to celebrate it, but also it's just another day. Yeah. And there's so many more days to go. It's true. And it's just a process. Like, it's just a continual sobriety.

Um, it's good to take a moment and celebrate. 

heather: Mm-hmm. 

Zoe: But now like we did it, it's amazing. And we keep moving forward. Yeah. 

heather: Did you have, 'cause after my one year, I was like coming up on my one year I hid it and then I was like, oh, I feel, I feel like that I did it, you 

Zoe: know, with your first year. I think that that's a very relatable.

Feeling. Mm-hmm. I felt like that in my one year, at my two year I was just started going back to the meetings and like still not doing like everything I should be doing at the meeting. So I was kind of like stagnant and not knowing what I'm doing with my life. And now at three years, like I'm sponsoring people.

We have this podcast, like I feel so good. Mm-hmm. In my sobriety. I definitely feel the best after this three years of my second or my first like, [00:12:00] this is so good. Amazing. This is amazing. Congrats. Thank you so much. Yeah. It's fucking 

heather: major. It's so cool to be able to like look back on three years and be like, wow, how much I've changed what I've done and it's like, yeah.

Only 'cause you're fucking sober. Yeah. Like, it's so weird. Exactly. Right. Thank God. I know I couldn't have done 

Zoe: anything if I was drinking, but like it's also really cool and exciting to be like, oh my God, what am I gonna do in three more years? You know? 

Alanna: I know. 

Zoe: Um, yeah. So mental health. I'll give myself like a solid seven.

Okay. Yeah, I like that. I like that. Yeah. Not 

heather: too high, not too low. Like not too low. I went, did just bump your nose on the night? I did. We have different faces. How are you? How's your mental? I'm, I'm good. Good, good. Okay. Oh, my mental's good. Actually, I'm in a good mood, which I know isn't mental health, but it is a good mood.

Mm-hmm. Um, I was very proud of myself that I went out last night with you. Mm-hmm. Because usually I don't like to go out on Thursdays 'cause I get too stressed and I like to clean the house and I like to just sit in here, but, um, [00:13:00] manifests in here. Yeah, I do. I'm like, if things are going, I'm like, if I go out, something wrong will happen.

Like this will all blow up. But, but no, I feel good about that. I feel, I feel like we're in a good. I feel like I'm on a, on a good road. Mm-hmm. I'm moving. I feel myself moving. Last week I feel like I was hanging off a cliff. This, now we're moving off the cliff. You're off the cliff. Yeah, I'm off. Off the cliff.

It wasn't the worst cliff. I had a good grip, but I definitely was on there. Oh no. Yeah, now I'm moving. I feel good. I feel like I'm. I wanna go dating though. Yeah. I wanna go dating. You're really excited 

Zoe: to be 

heather: talking 

Zoe: to people. 

heather: Yeah. It's 

Alanna: good. I, well, at least you waited for you, you to be in a better space, right?

Yeah. Because you know, when you're dating, when you're not feeling good, it's just, it's not gonna work for you. Yeah. Oh my God. No. And 

heather: I mean, who, who knows, I feel good today. I am probably, I might feel horrible tomorrow and then be like, nevermind, I don't wanna see you happens. Yeah. 

Zoe: And that's, yeah, I know like a lot of the time I would like plan dates and then be so excited the day of and then just like, like when I plan the date, I'm so excited.

Yeah. And then when it gets to the day, I'm like, I don't wanna fucking see you. Oh 

heather: my God. Story of our life. I [00:14:00] literally booked like four events for me and Zoe to go to, and then there was like the one that came up and I was like, yeah, we're not gonna that. I was like, I booked that when I was in such a manic.

I'm like, cool, we'll do this and we'll do this. We'll go see Fortune fester and then we'll go to this event. And then I'm like, nah, I'm too tired. I do the exact same thing. Yeah. 

Alanna: It's you so much energy now and you're like, oh my God. And then everything. Yeah. And then you get there and you're like, okay, like one thing at a time here, this is too much.

heather: Yes. Alanna, how's your mental. 

Alanna: You know what? I think today's really good. Mm-hmm. I am about an eight today. Yay. That that's great. Yeah. I feel good. The sun was out, that I'm really like, dependent on weather too. Mm-hmm. Like if it's cloudy and cold and gray, I'm like, oh, I just need, so then what 

Zoe: did you, what do you do in the winter?

Mm-hmm. Cry. Yeah. Lot 

Alanna: of crying. 

Zoe: No. Do you have like a sun? A 

Alanna: sun simulator? I need 

heather: one. Yeah, you need one. This is Okay. Sun simulator sponsor us because I keep talking about this. It changed my life. It literally wakes you up with the sun and it like, it gr it's gradual for like an hour. So then like for an hour your body is like, hello.

It's so nice. It's in your room. Like, it's like [00:15:00] a alarm. It's like a big alarm orb. Yeah. So it, you just like put, I wanna wake up at like six 30 and then it'll start at like 5 45 getting like brighter. It's really helpful. Yeah. I, it really does need that. Yeah. Tell us how you got into the wine itself. We'll go into like your sobriety journey, but the wine itself, I wanna know all of it.

Yeah. Like how are you, how did you come up with it? How are you distributing it? Like I don't know anything about this stuff. 

Alanna: Yeah. Well I think like, I'm like my own use case kind of. 'cause like when I got sober mm-hmm. Three years ago. Oh. Um, similar concepts as you were explaining that first year, you're just like really into your like just deep down trying to sort of discover, being like giving something up that was a whole part of your life.

Yeah. And like just kind of understanding that. Yeah. And then after that, yeah. You gain that confidence and you're like, I'm going back out and doing everything I was doing. Yeah. Which, you know, unfortunately everything I was doing usually involved having a drink with you in your hand, like events and concerts mm-hmm.

And dinners and bathes. You feel so much 

Zoe: safer with something 

Alanna: in your hand. Exactly. So much safer and Exactly. So for me, like I [00:16:00] never even also didn't really know the non elk beverage scene or kind of wasn't too into it. I was just like, oh, I got water. Mm-hmm. But I noticed that yeah, that like, that stigma or that questions or the people like, why don't you have something, you know, why aren't you drinking?

Why is everything okay? And like it gets a bit old. Yeah. I'm like, oh, like I'm not pregnant. Yeah, yeah. I'm an alcoholic. Exactly. Yeah. I love that. I'm confident with my stories and my, all the different kind of journey I had with alcohol, but like in explaining why I don't drink, but yeah, you're like, oh, just shut up.

Yeah. Like, you know, and again, I like the experience of one, so I learned that I missed the people and the community and connections. Mm-hmm. A lot. And that was sort of why I was drinking, I think a lot as well. Yeah. So, and gaining those bad habits with that. Because they were so like, tied, like Yeah. You know, associated.

And then I ended up trying a really good Diaz wine from Italy. Okay. And I was like, at a bar and we were like, and I was like, oh my gosh, this is amazing. And just everyone was just chatting. It felt like I was like back drinking again. [00:17:00] Yeah. Okay, cool. Um, because it was that experience and I was like, this is great.

And it tasted good. And again, it was like bubbling in, in the, in the flute. Mm-hmm. And I was like, Ooh, I like this. You're like, back home, babe. Yeah. And it just was like, oh my God. I started looking into the non elk beverage space and then that, you know, kind of got into to the sober curious world and all the different things that are going on.

Mm-hmm. I just really quickly jumped on the business and Okay. Decided to start my own. Yeah. I love that. Like there was a clear gap. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Well it just seemed like a cool thing. Like I've always, I had energy now too. I've always wanted to do my own thing. Yeah. But it had to be the right thing that like I value that I understand, you know, if I'm gonna run a business or I'm gonna do something on my own.

Yeah. Um, so I was like, Ooh, this makes sense. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And then trying different, um, products and sort of seeing what's out there. 'cause at one stage I was like, Ooh, maybe I'll just keep it in Canada so I don't have to deal with importing and all the like, logistics internationally, which is hard. Sure.

Um, but they just didn't have the quality and the right ones. And at one [00:18:00] stage I was gonna like think of just having like a, you know, like a toast, like a juice kind of in a nice wine bottle. Yeah. And like flavors. And then I was like, no, no, that's not the wine I want. The real thing. Yeah. Like, I want that traditional wine.

Yeah. Made the right way. And then, you know, learning about the 0.0% and everything, I was like, cool. So I started. Just opened up P Sport and I guess officially went live December last year. December. December. So it was almost the one year, my gosh. Almost a year. Almost a 

heather: year. Are you gonna have a party?

That's so exciting. I think I have to, you have to have a party. I have to have a party. Yeah. Yeah. We just invite 

Alanna: ourselves. Totally. You're there. Yeah. And it's around holidays, so it's a fun time. That is really, yeah. That's so 

Zoe: exciting. Oh, that, that next to December. Yeah. People need something like that.

Like for sobriety people, they need something like that. Exactly. I know, I love to, 

heather: I wanna go out and hold a little, yeah, a little wine glass and then, you know, leave and be in bed by 10 30, but that's fine. It's not over there. The Soberist like party, everyone will feel great the next day. Yeah, yeah. Oh, I know.

I always think that I'm like, anytime I think like I wanna be drinking, which [00:19:00] isn't often, but if I have those like glimpses of like, Ugh, it'd be nice to get fucked up right now, I'm like, Hmm. Yeah. But tomorrow I'm gonna be like lying down in the shower. Yeah. So that's not fucking worth. Yeah. 

Zoe: Yeah. So no looking forward is always.

Best. Yeah. Like, okay, but no, I am gonna be like this tomorrow. Yeah. 

heather: It's so nice. It's so nice to like go through the checklist and be like, Nope, nope, nope. Great. I would rather just, uh, drink this. Yeah. Um, okay, so you're like, I, I wanna get into this. How do you do it? 

Alanna: Oh, it's a lot. Yeah. I've gotta, I'm like, how hard could this be?

Right? Like, I come from a project management background. Okay. So I was like, okay, I got the operations down. I can deal with this. But it's a lot. Like, it's just, it's just, you know, all, like I said, the logistics of importing and labels and, and regulation on what you have to put on them and like all the rules and then like figuring out what you're gonna be ordering and who, who you're selling it to and who's distributing it, and like how that's gonna work.

And it's just like, I'm literally learning day by day. 

Zoe: Yeah. What's like the biggest like hump you've had to overcome, like 

Alanna: with [00:20:00] the, with doing it? Um, probably again, like just. Going out and educating people mm-hmm. Um, at restaurants and stuff about like Right. Getting there. Yeah. Like, again, because I'm passionate about the product and why they need it.

Mm-hmm. It comes really naturally to me. Like, it's not like I'm in some sales job and I hate it. Like, I'm like, I love this. I, yeah. You know, but you do get a lot of people that just are like, yeah, get out. Like, I don't wanna talk to you. Really? Why? Well, I think 'cause still like some restaurants want the alcohol sales 'cause that's what brings in a lot of the profit for them.

Yeah. And that does make sense. Yeah. And like, I'm not, I'm not anti-alcohol for the, like, again, I'm inclusivity. Right. I'm not saying you need to have a whole sober menu and that's it. Like, I, you should at least have 

Zoe: one. Exactly. And that me, Lou, they 

heather: didn't like any I know. I was a little surprised last night when we went and I was like, not even one, like sparkling something.

Yeah. Like, okay, just an Aperol spritz or whatever. Exactly. 

Alanna: So, which I don't 

heather: like. Yeah. Yeah. You didn't like that? I don't like 'em. I don't like bitter. 

Alanna: Yeah. I'm much more just like the, the ones in the beers, but mm-hmm. Um, but [00:21:00] yeah, so, so I tell them. You know, the space is moving into like people drinking less mm-hmm.

And Gen Zs aren't drinking as much mm-hmm. And stuff, so like, you're gonna kind of have to accommodate Yeah. Eventually, somehow. And having a menu that has all the options is just, again, opening the door to more people that can, you know, come in and have a more enjoyable experience. It's like when you put like, like a gluten free or a ve vegetarian.

I agree. Like before people were against that and now menus have like all the options and they classify what they are for everyone. Right. Yeah. 

heather: Yeah. And I guess it moves quicker in the city. Like we'll see more non-alcoholic things in the city than we will in like London. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Um, when you started it, when you started this, who did you, who were you assuming you were gonna sell to?

Alanna: Oh, that's a good question. Mm-hmm. Like I think I wasn't, 

heather: because anything I do is like, for me, like we're like starting the podcast. I'm like, this is for people like me and like you, I guess you, yeah. 

Alanna: Yeah. Well that's what I said. I was my use case. It was like people like me that like wanna go out and [00:22:00] enjoy community connection.

heather: Mm-hmm. 

Alanna: Um. It was sort of, yeah. Just people that are in that sober curious. And then it was, of course, the ones that I know that cannot drink alcohol. Mm-hmm. Okay. People that are either struggling with addiction, people that are training for something. Right. I have friends that are like, I'm doing an Iron Man, I'm not drinking Right.

For three months before mm-hmm. People that are girls that are pregnant. Yeah. You know, um, all those kind of thoughts were running through my head. Um. The health and wellness that I like I said, was the more that I didn't expect as much because I thought I'd just be like bottle shops, restaurants, like all that dining experience.

But then now it's opened the door since I've went live that it's like all these people wanna like, like I probably get more people interested at a health and wellness 

heather: event 

Alanna: than at like a drink, food and drink show sometimes. Okay. Yeah. 

heather: That makes a lot of sense actually. Yeah. Because it's like part of the lifestyle.

It's like, oh, I can do this and still be like that fitness girl, that Pilates girl, but have a glass of wine. Exactly. Because 

Zoe: the Pilates girl still wants to like post their cute little Yeah. 

heather: Non-alcoholic thing and go out, but they don't wanna actually 

Zoe: drink. Yeah, exactly. 

heather: Mm-hmm. Yeah, [00:23:00] exactly. Where you thinking a lot about addiction in this?

Were you like, okay, this is gonna be good for girls who, or people who cannot drink? Or was that kind of not necessarily the, the focus? 

Alanna: It was a little bit of both. Okay. Because like I said, I did have that. Addictive personality. Mm-hmm. Um, but it wasn't just to be like, 'cause to your point, sometimes you don't wanna like push it on someone that has an addiction.

Like, I would hate to make it that, that negative impact where Right. You know, they, they, they're triggered. But I did think it's great for Yeah. People that used to drink a lot mm-hmm. Because it's such a habitual thing. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Like, you know, like, and not just people that were addicted so badly, but like, people that even just like, are like, just grew up drinking alcohol.

Yeah. And like, it's always in your family, it's always at your events and they wanna stop. If they wanna take a break, like, yeah, here's an alternative, have it in your fridge. Mm-hmm. Um, and then if other people wanna drink, they can. But it's the options, you know? 

heather: Yeah. I, I was just thinking about this. I was someone maybe Arianne, I'm not sure someone was telling me about, [00:24:00] oh no, it was, it was Rachel.

She, our boxing, her boxing instructor, but she boxing coach. I was saying that like Yeah, like when she grew up, her parents don't drink. Mm-hmm. But her boyfriend's parents did drink growing up. Right. So like the way I think, I dunno if it was him or if it was her friend or something, but the way that they assumed like, yeah, you have alcohol with dinner, you have wine with dinner.

Right. That was very much my house. So, yeah. So going to someone's house and they're like, oh, we don't drink wine at dinner. That's weird to me. Mm. But to her, she was like, no, no. It is weird to drink alcohol every night at dinner. Like that is weird. Mm-hmm. Like, oh, we have different processing systems because like, I just thought it was like borderline healthy.

Yeah. You know? Yeah. And it was just, was a thing you like. Hard day, long day. You know, have a drink and then watch Jeopardy. Yeah. That's like what the vibe was. And it never was like violent. Yeah. So it just felt normal. Exactly. But it is interesting to like, oh, you guys weren't doing that. Not everyone is doing that.

Did you grow up in a drinking household? Totally. Yeah. Like wine at [00:25:00] dinner. 

Alanna: Wine at dinner. Beer. Like big family. Like huge family. Everyone's like. Drunk and cheersing. Yeah. Like, that's just what I grew up with. Yeah, yeah, yeah. For sure. Do 

heather: your, does your family drink still? Some 

Alanna: of them do. Some of them don't.

Okay. Yeah. It's actually like a, like a split actually. Very 50 50. Did they 

Zoe: get sober when you got sober? Like, did they stop as much being when you stopped? 

Alanna: Um, I think there were, people were more mindful for sure. Mm-hmm. And I actually, like one of my cousins did stop because I did, and she saw me feeling really good.

She was like, actually she was like a photographer for some of the product shots and stuff. Oh, amazing. Nice. She kind of was like, oh, and I said this, I feel so good. Yeah. And like, you know, we grew up in this family where there's lots of drinking mm-hmm. And stuff, but like, you can feel really amazing when you stop.

Like, yeah. And again, you gotta get through the steps. Like it's the processes, you know, of just giving yourself time to let it feel amazing. Yeah. Um, and when you do, just try it out and like, she's now has stopped drinking. She's over a year. Yeah. 

Zoe: Just like, ha being that. Someone that people can look up to or like have the option to come to because they know you're sober is so [00:26:00] inspiring for people who might be like, oh, like, I don't know.

But being able to show that you are having a great life now. Mm-hmm. Sure. Is amazing. 

heather: That's why I always recommend rehab. I'm when people are like, how'd you get sober? It's like, yeah, go to aa. Obviously rehab if you wanna go. It's expensive and some places, but I'm like, it gives you 30 days minimum to feel good like it does.

Yeah. Then you can actually feel 30 days no alcohol. And the stress of it isn't there either because you're just a baby. Yeah. And I love that. And then you're like, now I can feel good. And when you leave you're like, I don't wanna let that go. Right. Yeah. It's really nice. For sure. So you stopped drinking three years ago.

Yeah. So let's get into it, shall we? Let's, let's get it. When did you, or actually, why did you stop drinking? 

Alanna: Oh, well, I think like I started like at 16, I guess, or 16 SI guess sort of what a lot of people do in high school. Mm-hmm. I, um. I loved the party, I loved the, you know, I, I couldn't sit at home. Like I, I would never, if [00:27:00] something was on, no matter how tired I was, how hungover I was, I was out.

I was all the time. Yeah. Party girl. Party girl. Love it. Definitely Party girl. But I ne I never gave that up. Mm. You know, people are like, oh, high school was a lot, or university was a lot. I was like, oh. Kept going. Yeah. Yeah. Um, again, I, I, I, my drinking kind of career mm-hmm. Was all of the things, like, I went from being like a break and just doing nothing like abstinence for a couple months to then being like balanced.

Mm-hmm. Balanced of like, I have a couple classes throughout the week, one at dinner. Mm-hmm. You know, in control to then just, oh, only weekends, but the week's fine. And then to like, some days are like just drinking because I'm like dealing with something. Yeah. Right. Um, and then having that, me being much more dependent on it, COVID was rough.

Mm-hmm. I found, like that's when I was like, oh my gosh, I'm just breaking boundaries. Mm-hmm. And I'm feeling really shitty and I'm not in control as much as I thought I was. Mm-hmm. Um, to then like sometimes where literally I felt like I was just drinking. All the time. And like again, it was taking over.

So I went through and I go back and forth. It was never like a consistent up, it was like jumping around. Mm-hmm. Which was like [00:28:00] kind of worse in a way because then I'd be like, I'm fine. Yeah. 

Zoe: I, I went two months without drinking, so I'm okay. Yeah. But then I have the binge all weekend. Exactly. I was just 

heather: listening.

D Shepherd, of course. That's, he's my everything. He has a new show. Your mom's car with his best friend Aaron Weekly. And they were just talking about that, how both of them, it's like, thank God we were clearly and mm-hmm. We are like this, like clearly addicts from the get go. Like there was no gray area for me.

It's like you either drink till you die or you don't, like there wasn't ever, I never had little moments of control. Mm-hmm. Even sometimes you were like, oh yeah, I stopped drinking for a week. 'cause I knew I could drink at the end. I can't do that. 

Zoe: Well, I only had, I didn't drink for two weeks because I got a DUI.

Sure. And then right. And then I started drinking again. Right. Maybe, but yeah, probably because of it. You're like, feels so shitty. Well, my parents were like, gonna kick me out if I drank again af within the two weeks. So I was like, okay, I need to Yeah. Live in a house. So I didn't drink for two weeks and then when that two weeks was up Yeah.

I got fucking hammered. [00:29:00] 

heather: Yeah. Yeah. I've, there's never been, and maybe also, 'cause most people didn't know what I was doing, so no one really tried to get me to stop. Mm-hmm. There was never any moment of control. There wasn't like, oh, I'm not gonna, I didn't drink today or yesterday. It was all the time. And I'm really grateful for that because like, there, there, I don't have to fight with myself.

Yeah. And have dialogue about like, is it, is it, and then gaslight myself. Right. It's just like, no, everyone knows you're gonna die, so Yeah. Gotta stop. You gotta stop. 

Zoe: Yeah. Yeah. Do you think that you were wanting to stop before you stopped? Like, was there like a year or two that you were like, I need to give this up, but like, couldn't give it up until you finally got sober?

Or was it like, I need to stop and then got sober? No, totally. It was before. Yeah. 

Alanna: Yeah. How many years 

Zoe: do you think that you were like, struggling? Think with like trying to give it up. 

Alanna: Yeah. I think like later twenties I still was drinking kinda heavily, but I moved to Australia and I was an ex pat. Yeah.

Amazing. 

Zoe: My brother went to Australia for school and met. That's awesome. His girlfriend there and the girlfriend is now living in Sarnia with him. 

Alanna: Oh, cute. 

Zoe: Yeah. Yeah. Love her. 

Alanna: Yeah. I was dating an Australian, so [00:30:00] yeah, that's why. Oh, the Australian 

Zoe: mine can be really bad though. 

Alanna: Well, they can, but they can be lovely too.

Okay. Like, it's just like any man. Right. Like Canadians could ask a shitty man too. This is a, you have a 

heather: male problem in this world. 

Alanna: Yeah, no, I, I met some great Australians. Okay. Yeah. But there're shitty ones as well, right? Yeah. But um. I think they're very forward and blunt. Right. I feel like kind of like, which can Canadians aren't as in your face, kind of.

I kind of like that personality. Did you do this right after high school or college? I was 26, so yeah, and then moved there for like nine years. Oh wow. Damn. Yeah, like I have my passport and everything. 

heather: Okay. So what were you doing for nine years over there? Working, live in partying. Wow. Were you surfing? 

Alanna: Uh, I, I got more into scuba diving.

Okay. Scuba diving. But I did do some surfing. I just wasn't good. Yeah. It's tough. Fair. 

heather: Did you see any, did you see lots of animals that could kill you? 

Alanna: So there's lots of spiders. Yeah. Like the thes hunts. Yeah. Are like that big. Yeah. Like yeah. In, and they're in your, your house. They're in your house and they're 

Zoe: like, not dangerous.

Right, right. Yeah. [00:31:00] Those ones 

Alanna: aren't. Yeah. But like, 

Zoe: you see something that big and you're just like, whoa. And people just like live with them in their house. No. 'cause it's like bad to kill them or something. Or 

Alanna: they get rid of all like mosquitoes and cockroaches and stuff. So like a we'll live with proper Ozzy will like, wanna keep one in there, but I'm, I'm like, Nope.

Nope. Get this thing out. 

heather: I know. Whatcha guys doing over there? You guys wild? Okay. Yeah. Do we have anything here that would be crazy? Like, you know, when people are like bears, what would make a Ostviktorian child like go into a coma? Bears. Well, don't use bears. We don't like interact with bears too much. I've never seen a bear.

Have you seen a bear? Oh, I've seen like a ball. I used to go camping every summer. Oh, you know what it is? I don't go outside. That's definitely it. I don't go anywhere near the wood. I, I do now, but I don't like to be out there. Yeah. 

Alanna: Well they're not like running around Toronto, but they're definitely in DC and up north.

We do have a lot of 

heather: coyotes in this park here. Yes. Mm-hmm. And there's been like two chihuahuas that have been taken out of their harnesses. Oh no. It happened in my building. Yeah, it did. Yeah. Yeah. Chihuahua [00:32:00] was, was eaten. Verma coyote. It's not good. It's not good. Wild. The animal kingdom. But they're being where they, they're being pushed out of the, out of the dug.

See No, 'cause like where Dug for Ontario Place. Yeah, Ontario place. Yeah. So they're now like moving 

Alanna: kind of like in areas outside there to city and stuff. 

heather: Mind you, like when we drive up to the Kawarthas, there's just so much green space and forest. I'm like, well, there. Let's transit them over there. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Put 'em in a, put 'em in a bus, get 'em over there. That's what I said, just get them out. Yeah. 

Alanna: Okay. But yeah, but that expat lifestyle, it actually proves that, like, you know, as adults trying to meet friends. Mm-hmm. Everyone just is like turning to alcohol. Yeah. Because that's like, how do you meet people? Like, ooh, that's social lubricant, you know, so.

Mm-hmm. Everyone is drinking all the time. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I mean, of course I had a lot of fun. I met a lot of people. I kind of wish I was like sober Atlanta in that experience. Really? Yeah. Okay. Because Yeah, 'cause it was toxic. Again, it got to be like, 'cause I would take it to that next level. Mm-hmm. I would be like out for everything.

I wouldn't say no. And then like even at work, like I found like [00:33:00] all the work after work drinks, like celebrating a project that went live, let's pop champagne in the office. Mm-hmm. Like that was normal. 

heather: Mm-hmm. You start to drink in the office, you're like, oh, there's no going back now. This is what we do.

Exactly. It forms those habits. 

Alanna: Yeah. So like later twenties, I kind of got away with it because I was saying, I was like meeting all these people and experiencing this new life and it's hard and it's like, you know, 'cause it's fun, but it is hard. Right. You're in a new space. Did it 

heather: feel like at that time when you're like, I'm going out on partying, did you feel out of control or were you like, I'm in it.

This is my life. I love it half and half. Okay. Okay. That's why it was the 

Alanna: struggle sometimes I was like, this is fine and I'm in control. And then other times I was like, I'd wake up. I think that's when I was waking up and wasting days. Mm-hmm. I was like, what? Doing. Like I'm lying in bed watching Netflix, Uber Eats.

This is brutal. Like, how much longer do I do this? Yeah, I 

Zoe: know. Like imagine how many days we wasted. Oh, so many. Yeah. So 

heather: many days. I know. I used to think about that too. I'm like, I'm gonna be on my deathbed looking back and being like, oh. So I wasted [00:34:00] my whole life just lying here watching Gilmore Girls over again.

Like, you know. Yeah. Which, I'll still do that, but I'm not drunk. It's okay. It, it's still different. You have to watch Go. More girls different. It's different now. I remember when I'm watching. Yeah. It's like we always, it'll be like, have you seen this movie? And it's like, yeah, but I was drunk so I guess I should see it again.

Like I don't remembers so, 

Zoe: so many shows and movies I need to rewatch 'cause I was drunk. But honestly I try to rewatch them and I kind of feel weird. Yeah. Rewatching them. 'cause I know that I've watched it before. Yeah. So it's like I get like a weird like triggering kind of feeling. Yeah. That's like a weird shame kind.

I don't wanna watch it again because I know I already watched it, but I dunno what happens and I, and I don't end up watching it. 

heather: Yeah. No, no, no. Yeah. Interesting. They're just not, I've gone to the, I get that with songs. Songs I listen to. We're not big music people. We're really, we're really not. No, no.

Interesting. Yeah. I, I've always actually had a lot of shame, but I think we figured it out the other day when we were in the car and you were asking me about some music and I was like, I think, I don't really listen to music because I grew up dancing and my whole life was music and [00:35:00] Bach and classical.

And so I'm like, I'm not fucking listening to anything else. Yeah. I'm just gonna go home and watch Gilmore Girls. Yeah. But there's nothing wrong with that when you, let's go back. Yeah. Because I feel like we're getting up into where you're gonna stop drinking. Mm-hmm. I am super interested in when you first started drinking.

Mm-hmm. So you're 16 ish. Do you remember your first drink? 

Alanna: I was at my grandma's house. Okay. It was given to you? No, like me and my cousins would like go into their living cabinets. Everyone has a, the hard, you know, the hardest stuff you could find. Yeah. 

heather: Kitchen sink, that's what we call it. Yeah, 

Alanna: totally.

And then I was like, woo. Okay. So you liked it and you immediately loved it? Yeah. Yeah. 

heather: Okay. See this? And you did too. Yep. Party. I was still very scared. Like my dad when we were growing up, he was like, you girls are gonna be allergic to alcohol and you're gonna die. So we were scared. He knew. Oh yeah. He knew.

Yeah. He was right. But like he just didn't know why he was right. Yeah. Yeah. But that's so interesting to me because like I got over the field, like I kept it going. 'cause I'm like, I know there's something behind this. [00:36:00] Mm-hmm. But for you to just have your first sip of something and be like, I fucking love this.

That's something, I don't think that's like super normal. Like I think that that is when it gets you, you know, it's true. 'cause a lot of people like drink 

Zoe: and they're like, oh, I hate it, hate this like this. This is an awful feeling. Yeah. Yeah. But. The fact that we both immediately loved it. Mm-hmm. Does, 

heather: I think it does say something.

Yeah. 

Zoe: Um, did you 

heather: have a lot of fear about things growing up? No, I don't think I cared. Me neither. Yeah. Did you the first time bring it on, 

Zoe: the first time you drank? Like, did you get blackout or like, were you drinking like when you were 16 to get blackout or were you afraid of that? 

Alanna: I think like when I first, the first time I wasn't like, 'cause you're kind of just like, what is this new thing?

Um. Then Yeah, probably like pretty quickly on after was just starting to black out. Out. And you left to black out. Yeah. Yeah. She wasn't scared of anything. I wasn't scared of it. I was like, yeah. But again, I was with people that were doing it too. Sure. Um, we were in that experimental phase, but [00:37:00] like, yeah, no, I loved it.

Mm-hmm. And like, I would be that girl that would be like really drunk, but I loved it. I was like, whatever, I don't know what's gonna happen. I think I'm a bit of an adrenaline junkie. Yeah. Like, I like that. Like, and I still, to this day now, just healthier things. Like, I love like, jumping out of a plane or like something to get your Yeah, you do.

Yeah. Oh, you're crazy. So I think that back then it was just the same. I was like, I don't know where the night's gonna take me. And you meeting all these people and this is so fun. And like 

heather: Yeah. Maybe if we had thrown you out of a plane really early on, you'd have been like, oh, I'm actually good. Yeah. I'm actually good on adrenaline.

I'm calm forever. I'm gonna go do some yoga. I'm a base jumper now. Like, 

Alanna: have you jumped out of a plane? I, I skydived a couple times. Holy shit. It's funny you just telling, I think you should do 

Zoe: it. Yeah. My sober friends went skydiving. Yeah. Like. In the summertime, they all drove somewhere near Niagara and they all jumped out of a plane together.

Aren't you 

heather: guys 

Zoe: done? No. Aren't you so much more to do? 

heather: It's crazy. Yeah. I don't, I don't, uh, no, I don't, I don't have that. I'm not like, let's experience it all. I wanna jump. I'm too scared. Oh, I'm so [00:38:00] scared 

Zoe: of heights. So, later on to. Things start, like consequences start happening. Like did you start losing things?

Were there wake up calls or were you Yeah, yeah. So 

Alanna: thirties is when I realized like I hit 30 and I kind of thought it's that, it's that decade age where you're like, what am I doing with my life? Right? Yeah. Mm-hmm. And I again like, just felt like I was, alcohol wasn't as fun anymore. And I'm noticing it more and more so the fun nights weren't popping up like they used to.

And it was more just like the habits. And then again, like your tolerance gets so high. I don't know what you, I had a disgusting tolerance. Like I was out drinking men, like full grown big men. Like it just like, and it took me so long to 

heather: get drunk. And What were you drinking? 

Alanna: Mostly wine. Okay. Um, wines, beers, but anything like anything, 

heather: are you drinking?

I feel like we've jumped around a little bit. I do wanna go back. Sorry. No, it's, I just kind of wanna go timeline, but Yeah. So high school, that was a good question, but are you getting, are you getting in trouble at all? Are you're drinking? Like are you starting to rebel? Is [00:39:00] that part of it? Oh, totally.

Totally. Okay. Are you good in school speaking 

Alanna: you? I was fine in school always. You were too. I don't 

Zoe: get it. Yeah, you were the same. That was good. That's like a B plus 

Alanna: B student. Totally. Like were you a Yeah. B B's an A's. Like, I didn't, do you have siblings? A younger sister? Yeah. I'm just trying to figure everybody out all the time because I'm like, what 

heather: the 

Alanna: fuck is this interesting?

heather: Like, yeah. 'cause I was, I, I'm wondering if you guys felt both of you, like you kind of can do this because you're okay at school. Like you're doing well, like you're not failing. Did you feel like that at all? Maybe 

Zoe: a bit because yeah, I was like drinking bottles of wine at school in the bathroom and like putting in the tampon dispenser after I was done with it and like going to class.

And I guess I did know, I was like still getting like a solid, like B to a average, I guess. I was like, yeah, like this is fine. This is something I can keep up. 

heather: Yeah. That's so interesting. Do 

Alanna: you feel like you were like that? Yeah, I [00:40:00] definitely. Okay. 'cause I was like, again, that balance. Mm-hmm. I was like. It was my reason to get like my excuse.

It was my reward. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Because I was like, I was always like, yeah. Had good grades into sports. Like MVP of my swim team in high school. Like I always was really like an overachiever. Mm-hmm. And I tried hard and I, I had hobbies and tons of friends, you know, and then like, so you're like, okay, I can do this.

Yeah. I can have this, I can handle it all. Yeah. You didn't, I didn't even think it was a problem. Yeah. Like I did not think it was a problem until so much later. And I think a lot of people also were in that same boat. They're just like, 

heather: okay, well this is kind of the way we are. But When do you feel, I'm assuming this happens, when do you feel like, okay, everyone's doing this, we're all good.

Oh, not everyone's doing this. I'm still doing it kind of by myself. Like, what do you, do you remember feeling that shift? 

Alanna: Yeah. In, in my thirties. 

heather: Mm-hmm. That's when I did, did in my s So all college, everyone is like, you're just feeling everyone's doing the same thing. Yeah. Like, I know. Now looking back, I was taking it to that extreme, [00:41:00] but again, I didn't think You didn't think about that.

I just thought you too. Focused on yourself. Yeah. Yeah. I was 

Alanna: out all the time. Like it helped me get tons of friends and I was popular. Or like whenever you pretend Right. You liked that 

heather: identity of being the party girl. Yeah. That was, 

Alanna: yeah. Yeah. I did. But I mean, of course, like I said, like you'd have those really shitty feelings when I'm, but again, I'm like, I thought that was normal.

I'm like, everyone's having this, like, we all went out last night. Mm-hmm. And no one was 

Zoe: really talking about anything, I guess like back in that day. Yeah. You were just like keeping those feelings for yourself and then drinking about it later on. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Exactly. 

heather: Are you, at this time, are you, you're going out, you're partying, are you coming home and drinking or are you going to bed?

Alanna: We'd always after party. Okay. We never stopped, so. Okay. And that's where I think the problem was, is 'cause I'd probably start drinking with a bunch of friends and they probably have a few drinks and then go, I'd have a few drinks, go to the party. Mm-hmm. Party drink with all the party people. Party and then find an after party.

heather: And I think that's like where it gets dicey because it is that thing where like everyone is doing it, everyone around you is seemingly doing the [00:42:00] same thing. Mm-hmm. And you're just like living your life and you're not going home by yourself crying on the couch drinking a bottle of wine or three. Yeah.

Right. Exactly. You're like out, so you're like, I'm functioning. Yeah. Mm-hmm. I'm pretty, I'm cool. I have friends. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Like why stop. 

Zoe: Yeah. The consequences. Yeah. So 

Alanna: then like, like I hit about. 35 when, and I moved back here. Mm-hmm. And that's when I was like, okay, I need, why'd you move back? Uh, family, miss family.

It was this far. I, I did like, just kind of wanna reset, try something new, 

Zoe: you know? Do you think, 'cause a lot of people in like the meetings say like they move places and think that moving we will get them sober. Mm-hmm. Like in your mind, do you think like moving back home to Toronto where you're like, oh, well maybe I'll be like able to control my alcohol in Toronto.

I just need to move back home and I will be okay. 

Alanna: I think what I thought was that. I, I didn't think like I'm gonna move back and everything will go away. I think I, I said I'm gonna cut back when I move back. 'cause I never wanted to give anything up. No. I was still like, I'm never giving alcohol. I'm just going to go back to that balance still in and live that life, which is hard.

[00:43:00] So I said when I, which is hard, which is, 

Zoe: which is not possible. 

Alanna: Which was showing that it was just all over the place. Kind of a difficult time. Um, but I thought that, I thought if I move back to Toronto and get out of that kind of Australian party loop I was in, then you would be okay. 

Zoe: And that's, I think what I thought too.

I don't think I was moving back to Toronto to be sober. I think I just thought I could control my alcohol here. Mm-hmm. Which is very similar to that aspect. 

Alanna: Yeah. And then I, I didn't, yeah. I came back and just kind of like fell back with old friends that were out still doing the same thing. Right. And that was the eye-opener.

Yeah. I like went back with like, friends that I was doing it with, high partying with back when I was like in high, like high school and stuff. Yeah. Yeah. Before I'd moved. Mm-hmm. And I was like, this is not the life I want. Mm-hmm. And I've have lived such a great life. Right. And I've done so many cool things and I was like, now I'm coming back to like, old roots.

heather: Yeah. 

Alanna: And old habits that were like, and it was such a like. Eye-opening experience. Yeah. Mm-hmm. And like had one last big hoorah on my birthday. Mm-hmm. And felt like shit as you do. And [00:44:00] not in a good way, like just in a like, oh my God. And then I just was like, this has to stop. Yeah. And I'm like, not only does this, like this break, like I'm like, I don't need this.

Like, this is horrible. 

heather: Yeah. 

Alanna: Okay. And it stopped. 

heather: So you had like a revelation essentially? Yeah. In the morning. Like, oh fuck, I gotta be done. 

Alanna: Yeah. Wow. Interesting. And 

heather: then were you done? Really? 

Alanna: Yeah. 

Zoe: What did you do? Like the next, like, month of that? Yeah. Like what were you doing 

Alanna: to stay sober? I went to my cottage.

Okay. And like, kind of like detoxed up there and just switched by yourself off. My family was up there, my parents were up there, and, um, I called some friends that had gone through recovery and gone through rehab. Oh, 

Zoe: that's 

Alanna: great. Yeah. That's great to have that support because I didn't know, yeah. At first I thought the typical, I gotta go to rehab.

Mm-hmm. Like, that's the steps, right? Mm-hmm. And then I, and then I remember actually looking into some, some organization, different, like AA and different things, and I was like, I don't wanna do the inpatient because I've had a job lined up. Right. And I didn't wanna lose that, so I was like, how do I do this without, but I thought I probably need that support because I was like, how do I give this up?[00:45:00] 

Yeah, yeah. Like, this is a part of me. Mm-hmm. Like, you know what I mean? Like, I was like. So afraid to give it up. 

heather: Yeah. 

Alanna: Um, wait, the alcohol or the job? The alcohol. The alcohol. The, the alcohol. But then I thought like, 'cause if I'm going into something I'm gonna not have the job. Yeah. And then that's gonna make it worse.

Yeah. So I did, I don't know how I did it, but I did just say to myself, like, just do it on your own really. And again, telling me things like it's a break. Mm-hmm. Just taking a break. 'cause I think I said that to everyone. I'm just taking a break. Yeah. I'll bring it back. But like, I just need a break. Damn. Um, because I thought there's no way this is gonna last, 

Zoe: but it did.

Do you think your friends that were sober, like the, do you think that that helped you a lot? Like more than you probably thought in that moment? For sure. At least that there's other people like you for sure, that have done this. 

Alanna: Yeah, totally. Like, just like I'm a very people person. If I just was by myself and thought mm-hmm.

Oh, that would've, that wouldn't have worked. Yeah. But I needed to like talk. 

heather: Yeah. 

Alanna: And I remember even like looking up forums, like people just like sharing their, like it was a women's thing of [00:46:00] just sharing their struggles with addiction, where again, it was like. Them trying to do it on their own. Yeah. A lot.

Or they've just come out of recovery and need to keep it going. Yeah. And I was like, wow, there's a lot of people. Mm-hmm. You, you put that in perspective. Yeah. There's so many people out there. 

heather: Yeah. 

Alanna: Millions. Millions that are struggling in all different ways. Like some are just gray, some are really bad and really like almost on their deathbeds and like, you're like, oh wow.

Like it's nice to be able to all just talk about it. 

Zoe: What forum was that? Like, where did you find that? Gosh, I can't remember. I'd have to look back. I'm interested to see it. I Reddit. What That was 

heather: probably, there's everything 

Zoe: on Reddit. Do you, did you get like the I Am Sober app when you got sober or? No?

I don't think I did get that one. Maybe. I can't remember 

Alanna: honestly. It was a weird time. Yeah. 

heather: Yeah. It 

Alanna: was weird. Yeah. 

heather: We always say that too, when we like, try to remember. Yeah. Drinking or quitting. It's like, it's so muffled. Yeah. 'cause it, we were fucked up. Mm-hmm. Yeah. It's really hard. Isn't it? Hard? It's like it's 

Alanna: trauma traumatic a bit and you kind of like pushed it.

Pushed it away. Yeah. Yeah. [00:47:00] Um. I do now, like, I'm like, I feel great and like this, but then I realize it's hard. Like it's easier said than done. So I get why not everybody is just jumping on this sober train, right? Yeah. Oh my God. It's hard for sure. 

heather: Well, not only is it hard to stop, it's hard to then live your life without being able to mask it.

Mm-hmm. Without being able to be drunk. That's fucking crazy. So when I was getting sober. Yeah. I was like, there's no way this is gonna stick because my life sucks. Like, I'm so traumatized. I'm so depressed, I'm so fat. Which like, I, I bring that up a lot. Not to body shame, but like, that was my everything.

Like it was crazy how much gained I weight I had gained. And I was like, what? Okay, I am just gonna get outta here and do what? Just be sober, be bigger 

Alanna: When you were drinking. Oh, I can't imagine you. You're so little.

She 

heather: was bigger. 

Zoe: I'll say it. I call 

heather: myself Miss Big 'cause it was wild. Oh, wow. She but mine, she hauls 

Zoe: [00:48:00] herself 

heather: as big as a house. As big as a house. I was, I really must. Oh my gosh, I can't imagine. It's, it's so funny 'cause when I got out of rehab it was like 45 days and I was like, I'm so thin now. I'm so cute.

I was not, but I had such a good mood. I've had such adrenaline from completing rehab that I was like, I'm so cute. I'm gonna go buy new jeans, size, whatever. Yeah. But yeah, I, why did I bring that up? Oh, just 'cause it's fucking hard. Yeah. It's hard. It's hard to, I'm so impressed by you and people who can do that, get sober without going somewhere.

I don't trust myself. I would lie to myself about it. I, I think I would think, I, I mean, how many times did you do that? Wake up and go like, okay, I'm done. I'm not drinking anymore. And then two seconds later you're like, the bottle of wine is under the pillow. Yeah. You know, it just would never, I don't know that strength of a revelation.

I don't, I don't know it. When you woke up, did 

Zoe: you have to like throw all your, like liquor in your house? Did you like get everything 

Alanna: outta the 

Zoe: house? 

Alanna: Yeah, I did. I had to get it all [00:49:00] out. Um, I don't, yeah. I don't know how, like, I really don't know how, IM so grateful that this superhero Yeah. Power came outta me.

Yeah. That just said like, yeah. Fucking stop. 

Zoe: Yeah. 

Alanna: Like, 

Zoe: I don't know what that is, but I think it must be like the community of her friends that were sober. Like you knew that it was possible for other people. Mm-hmm. And you are such like a strong woman always. Like even when you were drinking, you were doing other things.

Mm-hmm. And I think you were probably just like, well, if other people can do this and I can fucking do this, you know? Yeah. Think that's true. Maybe that was a part 

Alanna: of it. Yeah. You're kind of like you're hearing other people's stories. Yeah. And it's like that's what was helping me get through a lot of it.

Community. Right. Community. She found, 

Zoe: she found people to talk to and relate to. Mm-hmm. And it doesn't seem like you would, you weren't doing it alone, you were still talking to other people. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Oh, definitely. It's not like you're just like locked in your house. Like, Ugh, I can't do, I can't drink.

Alanna: Yeah. Yeah. And I had to tell like certain friends, like, listen, I'm stopping. You know, I'm not gonna drink anymore. Yeah. I'm gonna kind of need you there for me. Yeah. And [00:50:00] 'cause I didn't know how it would go, right. Mm-hmm. I didn't know if I'd be like a mess or like need them like support all the time.

Mm-hmm. So I did let those certain people know. And you learn who your friends are, right? Yeah. Earned you learned. Just gonna ask friends are and your family and like who's there for you. Mm-hmm. Totally. Um, did, were there any shifts in 

heather: friendships when you stopped 

Alanna: drinking? Uh, yeah, a little bit, but mostly just like me getting out of that, like the people that were having the bad habits party friends.

The party friends. Yeah. Yeah. I still have party friends that I love to death and like they're big supporters. Mm-hmm. And like, I'm there for them if they're struggling, but like, if not, just do what you wanna do. Yeah. I can't tell people to live their lives. Right. But, 

heather: mm-hmm. Um, 

Alanna: but yeah, I did have to get out of that.

Like who's the ones that are out all the time? That's a lot of our relationship was just going out. Yeah. I'm gonna have to park that one. I know I got into the fitness, fitness community. Yeah, of course. You, it was huge. Like everyone does. Yeah. You're just like, I had like the best this one's running apps ever.

'cause I was like, I need to put this energy somewhere. True. Yeah. Worked out like a psycho for a year. 

Zoe: Yeah. I guess that's it though. Like you did find [00:51:00] community in other things, even if that's not like rehab or the meetings. Exactly. If you have people to talk to and people that can help you and like guide you through this, that's all you really need.

Mm-hmm. 

Alanna: For sure. It's switching those, those habits, right? Mm-hmm. Like getting Yeah. A group of people that are gonna go out and go to the gym with you and then just grab a coffee. Yeah. Is like so nice. Yeah. It's so nice. You know? 

heather: I know I try to give myself a schedule, like I'm up every morning at like 6:00 AM and I'm like, just get something done.

Yeah. It just feels really good to do. Yeah. When I got sober, I spent the first year. Of sobriety mostly sitting in my house and just being like, if I can't go outside, nothing can touch me. Like I can't get alcohol. Mm-hmm. And I didn't think I was being like a recluse, but I think it was you. Like Zoe was the one that was like, we gotta go out, we gotta go to dinner.

And I'm like, okay. Like being, like choosing to be friends with Zoe was like a real lifestyle decision. Like I had to be like, and maybe 

Zoe: that's why it like took us so long to like become such close friends. Totally. 'cause you 

heather: were scared to go out. I was [00:52:00] scared. I was so scared to go out. But then it is so true.

It's like I'm, what we know about sobriety is like, you need community. Yeah. Like, I'm not gonna find it here in my house. So it's like, it is kind of scary to go out, but once you do it, it's like, no, it's okay. It's good. Yeah. It's okay. Yeah, for sure. Was it 

Zoe: hard to tell some people that you were choosing to be sober?

Like were you scared of like the shame of that? Or was it like. No, I need to do this. 

Alanna: Some I was and some I wasn't. Okay. It really just depended on sort of the other relationship. Mm-hmm. Um, I think my close friends not a problem. Yeah. 'cause again, if they're not gonna support, then get outta my life. Yeah.

Did they 

Zoe: think you had a problem as well? 

Alanna: Um, I don't think so. Like no one, like, no one, no one knew the extent, knew because again, I wasn't like. Surface level it was, I looked fine, right? Mm-hmm. Like that's the problem because I tried so hard to keep it all together. Yeah. Like I was function, I was very functioning.

Yeah. Mm-hmm. Um, which a lot of people are, like I said. Yeah. Like so many people. I'm noticing it now. Yeah. Like, I know. It's insane. It's how functioning, because [00:53:00] everyone pretends like society makes us think that we should be drinking, right? Yeah. They're 

Zoe: functioning, but I know in the bottom of their heart they're fucking miserable.

Totally. And it's sad. 

Alanna: Totally. It's so sad. I know. I listen to the, like the excuses of people. Mm-hmm. Of like, oh, I just had one or two, or I just had this, or I just had, you know, and like you hear it come out of their mouth. Mm-hmm. And I'm so aware of it now. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And I'm like, you're justifying it and you're justifying it to me.

Like I used up like 30 drinks, like, but of course they're 

Zoe: justifying a test 'cause we're sober and they feel like, I think being sober, when other people look at me now, they like feel bad about their drinking. Mm-hmm. Kind of call people out on their drinking. What you don't want existing, you don't want just by existing.

Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. But it is interesting, like the excuses that people randomly tell me and I'm like, I don't care about how much you drink, bro. Yeah. Like if you're fine, you're fine. Yeah. Well, there's also a lot of, if you're not though, 

heather: come to me. Totally. Yeah. That's a hundred percent how I think about it too.

Even online, I remember early on someone, and I think about this all the time, but we were talking about relationships. Mm-hmm. And I had said something like, if I'm dating [00:54:00] someone and I'm sober and I have to be sober, they should stop drinking. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I, I believe that. Mm-hmm. As a person who's dating, I would want my partner to be sober.

That's just how I feel. But we got a lot of 

Zoe: hate for that. 

heather: Yeah. 'cause it was like, I am not in control, or I don't have any power over my wife's drinking or her decisions or things like that. And I'm like, whoa. 

Zoe: Right. 

heather: Alcohol. It's an 

Zoe: interesting one. Yeah. People were so important. 

heather: It's as if we were like, we wanna get rid of guns.

Yeah. And everyone was like, you can't take that gun. Like it's, it's been true. It's 

Alanna: been in our society for so long. Yeah. And it is. So normalized. Mm-hmm. So normalized. And it's one of the most 

heather: dangerous. 

Alanna: Mm-hmm. It is. Like 

heather: I was, I was watching It's the only drug, 

Alanna: right. That people like say you have a problem when you don't.

Yeah. Yeah. I was watching, 

heather: do you watch The Valley? Do you like reality? Are you watching reality tv? 

Alanna: I watch it sometimes. Yeah. Yeah. Did you watch Love 

heather: Is 

Alanna: Blind. I was, I have watched this last season. It's in pieces here and there. Yeah. Yeah. 

heather: Holy shit. Well, I don't watch it. I watch a guy watch it and then he [00:55:00] reports back.

I pay Pat, I pay on Patreon. Oh. Know, to watch this guy Chad Colton, who watches it and then comments on it. Yeah. He's, that's so funny. I love him so much. It's probably better. It is way better. But, uh, all right. I was watching the Valley and Danny, one of the guys has a drinking problem. Mm-hmm. And it feels very clear, like what we're seeing is that he is drinking too much.

Mm-hmm. And someone said it's like, you know, alcohol and drugs and dah, dah. And his wife was like. Drugs. That's a crazy thing to say. Obviously they're different. And someone was like, well, they're not that different. And she was like, that's a crazy thing to say, to make an accusation that he's like doing drugs when he's just drinking.

I'm like, oh, it's the same shit. It's the same thing. Yeah. Yeah. It really is. Like you're, I mean, it levels up when you start injecting things, but I'm like, really? Heroin is not that different than wine. Yeah. No, no. An alcohol detox can kill 

Zoe: anybody. Like Yeah, for sure. The most amount of people die off of alcohol.

Mm-hmm. Than drugs. That's why they 

heather: [00:56:00] didn't close liquor stores during COVID. Yeah, 

Alanna: yeah, exactly. People would die like withdrawal. Mm-hmm. I would've died, I think. Yeah. It's crazy. Yeah, I was, I was at that liquor store, but yeah, it's crazy. And it is interesting about the dating because like mm-hmm. Yeah. What do you feel like that's Dating?

Dating? I was scared about that. That's what I was more scared about when you asked about like who I was gonna still hang around with or afraid to tell. Were you dating anybody when you were like deciding to quit? No, I just got into, I just broke up with someone. Okay. So I was going through all the feelings and I just moved back here.

So I was like, every change was happening there. There's a lot going on in my world. Mm-hmm. Um. But when I, I was so afraid because when I used to drink mm-hmm. And be dating. Mm-hmm. Like, especially on the apps, you know, you can choose the yes no. Mm-hmm. I don't drink. If they didn't say they drank, I wouldn't even go on a date with them.

Oh. Oh. I used to, you know what I mean? Used to literally say 

heather: like, I don't trust anyone who's sober. Yeah. I think that's so fucking creepy and weird. Yeah. Oh, exactly. I definitely don't like it. Yeah. Yeah. 

Alanna: I was like, they can't be [00:57:00] fun. Like, you know, like, I'm not going out with like, it's insane. Mm-hmm. And I'm like, oh my God, I can't believe I fall.

Like, well, 

Zoe: I have a friend now, but I met her when I was drinking and she like barely drank anything when I first met her. And I was like, she's not cool at all. I hate her. And then I got sober and I saw her out and I started talking to her and I'm like, oh, you're actually so cool. And now we're like really good friends.

Mm-hmm. And it's crazy how our relationship like wasn't ready then, but we're thriving now. That's crazy. Yeah. Yeah. Well, if 

heather: you're not offering me a place to get drunk or a reason or like going out to brunch to get fucked up if you're not that friend. I don't have anything to do with you. Yeah. 'cause I'm spending the day drinking.

Exactly. Mm-hmm. 

Zoe: Exactly. 

heather: Yeah. I have, I have one friend who I really, really love, but she moved away. But I, I, I do think a lot of our friendship was mostly drinking. Yeah. And I love her, but I'm like, I don't, I don't think we really know each other. Yeah. Like, you know, it's very strange and we're very different.

Yeah. But 

Alanna: dating. Sure. Yeah. 

heather: So, on 

Alanna: your dating, are you on [00:58:00] dating apps? Yeah. So I am now. Okay. And like when I have time, I hardly have time. Yeah. But when I am, yeah. Like, and it's interesting, so now I am, but I, I do still date the guys that do drink like two. I'm not like a, you don't have to, to be sober around me again, I will very quickly know if they're the ones that are out partying mm-hmm.

And taking shots at a club at Friday night. Yeah. You know, we're not gonna work. 

heather: Well, even I went on a date with someone a few months ago. Well, yeah. Last year. And he had like three. Drinks. Mm-hmm. And we were at a bar, just like a casual thing. 

Zoe: Well, it was dinner, right? It was, it was, 

heather: yeah. Like tappas. Yeah.

But like, he had three drinks. I obviously had like, whatever, a mocktail or something, and I was like, three's a bunch. Mm-hmm. Three's a bunch. When you're sitting with someone who isn't drink. Yeah. Yeah. That's true. Like you could have that on your, owns a lot if like, you're 

Zoe: out at like a party. No, but it, but if you're at a dinner date with a sober person, three is a lot.

heather: Yeah. And I was very aware of it. I would've had three too. I probably would've had seven. Yeah. But I'm like, huh. So we're having different experiences now on [00:59:00] this date, like Yeah, exactly. Right. What we want is now different. Well, that's the thing 

Alanna: is that like back when I was dating, when I was drinking, like you drink a whole bottle of wine, like of course you love that person, God.

You're like, oh, let's go dancing course. Yeah. Like, like you're not actually like, like absorbing what they're like. You're just kind of at surface level. That's what you said. You're, he's not your boyfriend, he's your drinking buddy. You. Exactly. A hundred 

Zoe: percent. And I think that people like when they go on first dates, they're drinking probably the second, third.

Four 50, I'm sure they have at least one or two drinks. Yeah. Like every date is revolved around drinking in some sort of way, usually. And then all of a sudden you're dating someone and you don't even know the real person. Yeah. 'cause you've hung out with them when they're drinking. Exactly. Yeah. And you're full of 

heather: endorphins when you're talking to that person.

So everything is wonderful, is exciting. Yeah, 

Alanna: exactly. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So that's, I've noticed a lot with that. Like, because also then they're, they're not, A lot of the guys won't drink 'cause I don't drink. Mm-hmm. Okay. That's respectful. Which is very respectful and I love that. But again, I'm like, they're probably not having that experience.

Yeah. 'cause as we just [01:00:00] said, you have a bottle of wine with someone. You could be same person, but they're like, this is better ohana. This is 

heather: such a fuck. Fucking good point. And I feel like I'm being mind blown right now because it's like, yeah, you as a man sitting across me or a woman, whoever I'm dating, are never going to feel about me the way you would feel about me if you were drinking.

Yeah. Mm-hmm. Like yeah. You're so right. You would have like rose colored glass, all beer glasses on glasses. Yeah. Talking to me. So I'm gonna seem way better. Yeah, exactly. Oh my God. And has that we're sober 

Zoe: and that we're so content with our sobriety. When a guy like doesn't have a drink on a date with us because they're going out with us, like, they're probably like, Ugh.

Yeah, I'm not drinking. This is so hard. Like that's what I think. It's so easy for us. Exactly. But it's hard for him to not drink. He may as well just have one drink. Yeah. Yeah. Usually, you know? Yeah. If that's the case. Case, that's okay. Yeah. Yeah. Like, I don't 

heather: know. Do you tell people, like if you go on dates, do you go like, you can drink, don't worry.

Or do you, do you tell people when you're, lemme go back. If you go on Hinge and you guys are chatting. Mm-hmm. And obviously they're not looking at any of your [01:01:00] actual things. They're just looking at your picture. 'cause they're men. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So are you telling people like, oh by the way I'm sober. Like, or if they're like, do you wanna go get drinks?

Or you're like, great. But I'm also sober. 

Alanna: Okay. I now say it upfront. Okay. Like at not rate of rent. Like I'm land, I'm sober. Yeah. Yeah. We, I er, it's like, okay, 

heather: like this is my identity and it'll be for the next two years and then I'll find something else. Yeah. 

Alanna: But I definitely learned to bring it in earlier in the conversation because there was a guy that I actually really liked and we didn't, the fun thing is we did, we did non drinking kind of experiences on our dates.

We went for a run. Nice. We went cool plunging, and I was like, this is great. Love other shit. Yeah. Love it. Great date spot. And um, you 

heather: guys are so annoying. 

Alanna: We're runners and we're other, I know God. And then the third date, he was like, let's spike down to the some wine show and let's grab drinks and stuff.

And that's when I was like, because I told him, I think on one of the dates, I really don't go out anymore, but I just try to, he didn't say that you're sober deep into the like, I don't drink. Got it. Um, [01:02:00] and then I was like, I was like, yeah, that sounds great, but like, I just wanna let you know, like, I don't drink, but I don't care if you have drinks.

And that like changed everything. He was like, oh, well that, that's, I dunno how I can maneuver through this. Yeah. My god. And I realized we did actually have the date. Yeah, he did actually have a drink. We talked about a drink. Yeah. And I could tell he struggled a little bit. Yeah. Like he was so balanced, like the perfect guy.

But like, he definitely was like, I like to have nights where I'm just getting drunk, going out with my friends. A lot of my friends are like that. Yeah. But that fun. It was almost like, I don't see you fitting in this, like, it kind of was like, and I was like, so interesting. Okay. 

heather: You know what I think though?

I think more than that, like. I, I mean, maybe, I don't think really men feel judged, but rather than him being like, oh, I don't know if you're gonna fit into this, and like my style and hanging out with my friends, sometimes I'm like, I think they go where we went, which is like, I'm not gonna have a drink at my wedding.

I'm not gonna be able to go on vacation with my husband or my partner and drink on the beach. I think they think that too, and it feels like something they don't get to do. Like we're taking their guns. [01:03:00] Yes. Or they're 

Zoe: like, feel like 

heather: intimidated 

Zoe: that like, maybe also you don't need this thing and he does need this thing.

Mm-hmm. It could be kind of like that because you don't care if someone drinks. No. Mm-hmm. And you said that to him? Mm-hmm. Is he not like understanding your fucking words? Yeah. Yeah. But yeah. You know, 

heather: it's like this, it's drinking is so social and it's like a thing we're gonna do together and like if we're gonna fuck, we're probably gonna drink.

And like Yep. 

Alanna: It's like, yeah. All the thoughts of like, oh, how do I do this? How do I do this with someone sober? Yeah. Mm-hmm. Oh 

heather: my God. Yeah. Yeah. Sober sex. Okay. Well, LOL. I'm bad at it. 

Zoe: I'm sure you're not 

heather: at it. Well, I'm better now, but when I, when I, well, I was sleeping with someone from rehab for like a year after rehab, which you're not supposed to that the rehab boyfriends, you have to like break some rules.

Yeah. But it was great. Like good sex. He had sex in rehab. I was like, didn't I feel like 

Alanna: that's such a common thing? I it want to have 

heather: sex in rehab? It was really not allowed. No, you're a, you're an enigma to me because you're like, I'm gonna break all the rules that have ever been given to me. I'm never gonna listen to them.

But when I go to rehab, I'm gonna be the [01:04:00] best one. 

Zoe: No, I think it, I'm never gonna have impossible. I think it was like too many cameras were everywhere. Yes. I think too many counselors were everywhere. I guess it just like wasn't even an option. If it was an option, I would probably have done 

heather: it. My counselors were on drugs, so there was more of an opportunity to see Rehab is crazy.

Zoe: Yeah, there's lots of stories about that. 

heather: It's like a full thing. Wow. It's like sexual assault and like the counselor, like is now dating someone who was a patient there but had a husband and then like made them break up and now he it's, and now she's, I can see a reality show coming on this. I know.

That's like, we should make it. I know. But, but then what we have to remember is that not everyone is so fucking open about going to rehab and being junkies. Mm-hmm. And I am. And you are. And it's so fun. Yeah. Because we're on the other side, but like people who like work in insurance aren't like, yeah. Film my life getting sober.

Yeah. By the way, I jerk off in my car when I drive down the highway because I'm on cocaine. Like, let's talk about that. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Crazy. Oh my gosh. 

Zoe: Sober dating. Sober dating. So now do [01:05:00] you think that you didn't tell him that you were sober because you were a little bit shamed by it? Like what?

Hiding made you hiding it? Not want to tell him straight up. Yeah, I 

Alanna: think, I think I did kind of have those feelings. Yeah. That, oh, like are they gonna really judge you? Yeah. Because again, when you. I hate that people just think, oh, you don't have control. Yeah. Like it's just like they think that that's you.

You have so many problems with your life because you can't control alcohol. Right. 

heather: Some of 

Alanna: us, 

heather: that's the stigma, right? No, but I 

Alanna: guess, but it's an addiction. Like you struggle with an addiction, right? Yeah. Like you're not, like, it's like doesn't judge you as a person. Doesn't mean you know you. Like you're amazing.

You start a podcast, oh my God, you have a great personality. You have all this going for you. Right? Thank, thank you so much 

heather: for saying that in my house. 

Alanna: No problem. And he, I recorded, you know, 

heather: listen to that. Make compilations of everyone complimenting me. I'm like, she's so pretty. 

Alanna: Ooh. But yeah, so I think like that's the problem is that people just instantly think, Ooh, well you can't control that, that Yeah.

Judges you as a person as a whole, you can't think of what other people are gonna think. Yeah. That's So I was [01:06:00] worried. Yeah. And because I think when I like someone mm-hmm. I was like, I don't wanna fuck it up. Mm-hmm. So just, but again, now I've learned from it. Mm-hmm. And I'm like, I don't care. Like if obviously that's a problem, like, get outta my life.

Yeah. Like, I'm better than you. Like, 

Zoe: no, sorry. That's what I say all the time. Like, I'm so much better than everyone because I don't drink, 

heather: like, 

Zoe: I'm amazing. No, it's 

heather: true though. It's so true. And it is nice to feel that way because we were in a gutter for so long. So it's, we're allowed to kind of like, to say that you 

Alanna: can have the empathy, like, you know, right.

All the sides. Mm-hmm. And stuff. And like, obviously I do think that too, like you said, like people are struggling and they, they are in denial. Mm-hmm. So if they wanna, then, you know mm-hmm. Pretend that they can't be around someone or show that, like, think it's. Put it back on us. Like it's our problem. Yeah.

Yeah. It's something they're dealing with. So For sure. 

Zoe: I think I dated a lot of like guys who were like still drinking or like low key alcoholics, low key, high key. 

heather: Or 

Zoe: like, they had like dads that died of a alcoholism and like I was always like, I was dating a lot of like people, she addictions the addicts.

I attract the addicts. Me 

heather: too. 

Zoe: [01:07:00] Mm-hmm. And I liked like, like, I'm gonna say dating, but like, it was a few dates, like it was like very casual, like situation ships. But I liked it because I liked, I think being the one in control and the one that was better. Then this person who needs alcohol to live basically.

Yeah. And I think I liked being the one that they could look up to. Yeah. If they wanted help with it, you're 

heather: immediately on a pedestal. Yeah. Yeah. 

Zoe: Interesting. I like that. Yeah. But then I stopped that and realize I have a sober boyfriend now. Mm-hmm. And that's better for you like that. I honestly never even thought that like I wanted that.

Obviously people in the rooms, in the meetings date each other even though they're not supposed to. Right. But I never have hooked up with anybody in the rooms, which is a really big, it's so surprising it and shocking. I don't know how I'm here. 

heather: Because a lot of 

Zoe: people hook up with each other. Well those rooms 

heather: are horny because like tatted ex-drug dealers, bad daddy [01:08:00] issues, parents are dead.

I'm like, oh my God. Like come over here and you're 

Alanna: giving up one addiction for another that that's what they say. Right? Yeah, exactly. You gotta just become this like sex addict. And then codependency happens a lot with, we can fix him with our 

Zoe: rehab boyfriends too, was a little bit like that, but. Where was I going with that?

Mm. Oh, the, I never thought that I would want to date someone sober, but then when he came into my life, it was super nice that we both relate on how we're both feeling. Like I know how he's feeling if he's having a bad day. Yeah. And he knows how I'm feeling, and if something's going on, like he can look up to me and I can be like, yo, call your fucking sponsor.

Mm-hmm. Like, you have to do the things that you need to do to feel good. Um, yeah. I never thought that it would be something that I needed, but I think now that I have it, it's amazing. Like, I, I love being with someone who's sober. Mm-hmm. 

heather: Well, even just like having sober friends and like, I like my sober friends more, and not that I [01:09:00] don't like my non sober friends.

Mm-hmm. But it's like, especially you. Yeah. You know? Well, a, you know how to handle me. Mm-hmm. But also it's like I'm an addict, so something in this room goes wrong. Mm-hmm. You know, that my brain is going, like, something didn't just go wrong, I fucked it up. I'm a piece of shit. Yeah. Everything I do is horrible and I should just kill myself.

Like, but, and I, I'm fine. I can get myself outta that. But Zoe knows that because we're addicts. Like, it's not just like, oh, Heather's upset. It's like Heather's upset and this is deep. Yeah. So it's like, it's nice. Yeah. It's like safer. It's 

Zoe: true To that point, like I think I do like, like my sober friends mean so much more to me and I know that I can go, like I trust them.

Mm-hmm. With everything. Obviously love my friends who still drink still, but it's a different level of friendship now. 

Alanna: Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Well, trauma 

heather: is very bonding. Yeah, I agree. So, knowing about people's trauma, that's why I lock the door and I go, what's wrong with you? Yeah. Do you have any big trauma you wanna tell us about?[01:10:00] 

Um, are all your parents alive? They're alive. Oh, that's good. Are they together? They're together. Oh, wow. Wow. I know. 

Alanna: Yeah. No, they're fine. I had a great childhood. Mm-hmm. Everything's fine. I mean, I think some of like sexual assault, trauma, growing up with people. Classic. 

Zoe: Was that involving drinking or? No. Oh, okay.

Okay. 

Alanna: That's another thing. I was like, like a lot of the horrible stories come out of drinking, right? Mm-hmm. There's so much more negative than mm-hmm. Um, so yeah. Some of that, some of that with a work. Mm-hmm. Worth like a senior work manager. Oh, shit. So, yeah. Um, 

heather: a man. 

Alanna: Yeah. And then, yeah. And then other things growing up in like high school.

So 

Zoe: that's, yeah. And that's when I think we always say like, yeah, sexual assault when we're drinking, but that didn't stop us. Mm. From drinking, you know? I know. Exactly. It's like, if anything it made 

Alanna: it worse. Yeah. I think I drank a lot more to kind of, to deal with it and numb it. Yeah. Oh, for sure. Like, I always love, and I always was my excuse.

That was my excuse. Well, going through a lot, she's fucked up. Playing, playing the 

Zoe: Ostviktim is what? [01:11:00] A lot of alcoholics 

heather: actually. 

Zoe: Oh my God. We're the best at it. Yeah. So it's 

heather: also not wrong. It's not wrong, but it's not 

Zoe: an excuse. No, it's, it's not an excuse 

heather: not, but it is so understandable. Like us three being Ostviktims.

'cause it's like, yeah. It's like you're going through a fucking thing that not everyone has to go through. It's quiet. You have to also, everyone 

Zoe: has their own shit that they're going through and not everyone uses it as an excuse, so. Mm-hmm. 

heather: I know. But we're special. 

Zoe: I mean, we're special now. Yes, I agree.

heather: Yeah. Yeah. The, the, I mean, not to get too dark about who cares, the sexual assault stuff is. Interesting. Mm-hmm. Because we, what a word, we talk about it all the time and yeah, we do say stuff like that. Like for sure we were assaulted when we were drinking. Like I know I was assaulted when I was not drinking, but I also am like pretty aware we were taxis, Ubers parties, whatever, being blacked out.

Mm-hmm. Being on the street. It's like meaning as in elevators and somehow waking up with them. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It is a thing and I think we talk about it so [01:12:00] casually. Yeah. But it is one of the big risks in drinking. Mm-hmm. And also just one of the big risks of being a woman, honestly. Mm-hmm. And I think it's scary when like, your guy friends want you to drink a lot or like, you know, you're like, we have a friend who is like, I'm hanging out with nine guys tomorrow and like they're my friends.

And I'm like, okay. Yeah. Out. And I love her. I trust her. I'm. This is crazy. Like, you know, yeah. Men together drinking. It's not, it's not great. It's one of my biggest like focuses in life, is to not let men hang out in groups larger than three. Yeah. They're too dangerous sports or something, you know, even that.

Alanna: Even that I don't like it. Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's crazy to think like, yeah. Drinking. 'cause that shouldn't be the excuse, right? Yeah. I was drunk. That should never be like Yeah. You know, um, an excuse for anything bad to happen to anyone, but mm-hmm. It doesn't make the situation easier. Put yourself in like these vulnerable spots.

Yeah. Where you would not even have come close to that when you're not drinking or just even just mind like having one or two, but mm-hmm. You know, any drinking excess. But it goes with men too. Like [01:13:00] women will get really drunk Yeah. And do horrible things. True. Yeah. You know, it goes both ways. Like, it's just, for sure the, the moral of the story is like too much excessive drinking is just never gonna lead to anything positive.

I know. Ever. Like, I really have never heard of someone been like getting so blackout for all my life really made my life better. I know. 

heather: And the excuse of like, or not the excuse, but the thing like, we grew up, my dad would always say this and it was to keep us safe, but it's like, don't be drinking, don't be drunk with men.

Don't do that. And then with the NHL, I'm sure you've heard about like the NHL scandal. We've talked about it, but pisses me off. But my dad recently was like, you know, all of this could have been avoided. She wasn't drinking and I mm-hmm. And my dad is great. Mm-hmm. Yeah. He was just saying objectively.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Like, there's so many different ways this could have gone. Yeah. And it's, it's true. It's like if she didn't feel nervous going out with her work friends and like, but also she's allowed to get drunk. It's just like, it's just crazy that that's the risk you take. Mm-hmm. You're like, I'm going out with my friends.

I know I maybe shouldn't be drinking this [01:14:00] much. Why? 'cause there's men around, it's like, well, what do you want me to fucking do? Mm-hmm. Like, it, Ugh. But, but it is like, that is the truth. Like, women have to keep themselves safe. And unfortunately that is gonna be the thing. Like, well, she shouldn't have been there.

She shouldn't have gone back. Yeah. And it's like, 

Zoe: it's always like the girl like drank too much. Yeah. It's never like, like, 

heather: and it's like, that's bullshit because nothing should ever happen to anyone's body. But at the same time, it's like, oh shit, women, I think we actually really can't be drinking like that.

Mm-hmm. Because. Men aren't thinking. Yeah. Yeah. It's scary. It's, yeah, it is very scary. Mm-hmm. Especially at such formative years too. Like you were saying, like the first time you have sex, the first time you go on a date you're drinking. Yeah. Yeah. And so everything after that is just like more alcohol and then whatever happens, it's kinda my fault, I guess.

Yeah. 

Zoe: Yeah. It's hard. 

heather: Damn. It's really tough on, so now, well, I think what the last thing I kind of wanna ask you mm-hmm. Is 'cause we've gone through sobriety. Well, there's two things actually. One is about the wine and one is about just life adOstvike. Okay. 

Zoe: I'm [01:15:00] still very upset that the restaurants aren't understanding that there needs to be a non-alcoholic wine like that.

They are just low. 

heather: Well, actually my question about that is how much is this wine? Oh, 

Alanna: so this for, so retail's 28 and then wholesale will be obviously cheaper if they're buying in bulk with the restaurant like dollars. But 

heather: that's the same. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Is that and are all, is all of your wine the same price?

Alanna: Yeah. Well right now I just have the two products. So yeah, the is. 

heather: But restaurants losing money, I guess because you're, if we have a glass, I mean, we're gonna go through this bottle, but like if you have a glass, you're not necessarily putting down three bottles, but like that's true waste. You're losing that much money based on like the people that are actually sober that are gonna come in.

Mm-hmm. You know, 

Alanna: I think it's a whole bunch of stuff. It's like the space too. Like they don't only have a certain amount of space, so it's like, well it's that product or this product, what's gonna go, you know, like Yeah. There's a whole bunch of variables, so I can't, and again, every restaurant's different.

Like some of 'em are so excited to get non milk options. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Like I, uh, the mini Roses are at a Michelin star. They're really? Yeah. Edgeless Michelin Star. Hey, so already like a [01:16:00] Michelin and then even a couple guide mic that are on the guide. Yeah. Like, so they, those amazing. But it's, you know, it's interesting.

It's the ones that put, I think, thought into their menus. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Because they care about the ingredients and the quality and that experience. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And I'm sure more on people that 

Zoe: are sober, going to maybe those types of places more than like just going to like a diner or a 

heather: bar to get fucked up at.

You know? Mind you, if I know that there's like a sick mocktail menu or like great non-alcoholic wine, I'm like, we're going. Yeah, it's true. That's what I mean. It can really draw 

Alanna: a bunch of 

heather: people 

Alanna: that wouldn't have 

heather: gone there. No. I love when we go to Julieta, I always get like the odd bird wine. Yeah.

'cause they know me there. 'cause I go all the time and they formula glass. Thank you. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Um, 

Alanna: but no, it is, it is like, I can't say they're all like every restaurant's different. Yeah, sure. Every experience different. It's just like some of them just don't know about it. They're like, what is this course?

Right. Of course. And 

Zoe: I guess that's where you just have to like keep going and educate 

heather: them more. 

Zoe: Yeah. That's why we're doing this. Yeah. That's why we're doing this so that more 

heather: people will go to restaurants and be like, oh wait, do you have a non-alcoholic? And they go. Oh no, but you're the fifth person to ask today.

That's true. Let's, you got him in there yesterday. 

Alanna: I [01:17:00] even do like, what I don't like is when it's happy hour. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And it's just the alcohol. Yeah. So it'd be like wine's 50% off. And then they actually had a non elk wine and it wasn't 50% off. Well, like he had to go check. Oh. And he, he got this eye from me.

I said, well, it better be. Yeah. So he probably didn't have a choice. Yeah, no. He's like, that's 50% off. Yeah. Don't hurt me. Yeah. I'm scared because I get really, I get really bity these places now, but it's a good way, but more 'cause like I get it. Yeah. Like now I get it, like Yeah. Put these options for people.

Yeah. And just have, make everyone have a good experience. It's not the heart, that's all we're asking for. You 

heather: seem like a very, like strong, confident, like, um, personable person. Thank you. Do you have any issue being in, I mean, I actually don't know if the non-alcoholic. Space. Space is more male dominated.

Mm-hmm. But the alcohol space definitely is. Mm-hmm. Yeah. But do you find that you're coming up against a lot of men in this industry? Um, or I guess restaurants, I think it's 

Alanna: kind of mixed Well, like restaurants. Yeah. Yeah. There [01:18:00] has been a lot more men, I think, that are like B bar managers are running the, the restaurants?

Yeah. Or families, the couples a lot. There's like a, you know, a family dynamic or mm-hmm. Partner. Um, but no, I'm not like, it's fine. It's fine. Okay. I mean's good. I get along well with men and women, so I, I don't find Good for you. Yeah. Um, they're not like, oh, you little girl with your little grain juice.

Like, you know, you don't seem like Yeah, because you walk in 

Zoe: confident. I do walk in and you know what you are asking for. Yeah. 

Alanna: I do always explain too that like. I, I own this business. Like I, you know, and then that puts the, you know, some passion to it. Some like, I value this product. I'm not just a sales girl on the street that some guy said, yeah, go, go make your quota and like, get these products in.

Like, I'm like, there's a reason for these. And again, educating them and all that, it helps so much. Mm-hmm. And some people really see that and then like, you know, and then that's a great experience. So, yeah. 

heather: Oh, speaking of which, poor sport, what does this mean to you? 

Alanna: Oh, poor sport. Well, to me it's like, you know, being a poor sport, you know, in poor sport mm-hmm.

When you're losing and no one wants to hang around with you. Yeah. So it's like losing the alcohol is [01:19:00] the same stigma that like, why did I never, I, that whole poor sport, you know, it's like, it's so gat gatsby, like poor sport. Like, or that too. Ooh, the French, like the poor, the elegant, it can go either way.

I like that poor sport. 

heather: It's 

Alanna: that whole 

heather: like being that poor sport and, and then the tennis rackets are just, yeah. What's, I 

Alanna: love sports. I love, I love every, like playing tennis. Watching tennis. I love sports. I love fitness. Do you play tennis with her next year? 

heather: Oh my God. Do you wanna play tennis? Yes. Year.

Okay. I don't know how to play, but I want and I saying it for 

Alanna: years. I feel like 

Zoe: we look like we should. It's, we like we should. Everyone asked, well, one person asked me at a meeting like in the summer, 'cause I guess I was wearing like a Tennessee outfit. He was like, do you play tennis? I was like, no. But that's an amazing compliment.

Yeah. You're like, thank you so much. Thank you so much for assuming that event. I really like that. Yeah. Yeah. I really like that. Cute. 

heather: Have you like get, trying to get into like a tennis club here? It's like four years, like people have to die and they're 

Alanna: expensive. 

heather: Yeah. I'm like, that's not worth it. We'll just go.

Well, we'll play on the streets. Yeah, we'll 

Zoe: just go. Just go back. Yeah. The park, the streets is where we were grown up, so 

heather: [01:20:00] That's exactly right. We know them. We know the streets front and back. 

Zoe: Yeah. 

heather: Um, okay. That's very sweet. I have one more question for you. Of course. Ana, you actually asked us this question at zero Bar.

Mm-hmm. You asked us what we would say to someone trying to get sober. So I have that question for you with a little twist. I would say, what's your adOstvike for someone. That's in your situation or was in your situation where you just can't break that cycle and you want to. Mm-hmm. And then part two, what would you say to someone who's gotten sober and now is like, what the fuck do I do with my life?

Alanna: Right. Okay. Yeah. So the first question mm-hmm. I tell them again, I have to just like remember myself. Sure. So I think you just really gotta just like, yeah, this is very personal. I mean, yeah. No, I think you gotta, you gotta explain like, just like if they're obviously asking, it's 'cause they're curious about it, right?

Yeah. So just like all the negative times, like all the what has, what has alcohol done for you in the last like five years? Mm-hmm. Because again, back when we were younger, you don't really care. You don't notice mm-hmm. In the last kind of few [01:21:00] years. Like what has it done to you that's been positive and what's been negative, and really think about that.

Mm-hmm. And then I think I just gotta explain like how good, not just me, but the people I know that have taken the breaks, that have like gone through the sober curious journey. Mm-hmm. Sobriety, how amazing they feel, what they're honestly like. They're the. They're thriving. They're starting podcast businesses.

They're doing crazy amount of fitness races. Competitions like to an extreme. They're not just come at the gym, everyone's running 

heather: a marathon. They're doing Yeah. Like, 

Alanna: and I've just say that like it's literally opening up this energy that you just didn't even know you had. Mm-hmm. Like this untouched space and it's so great.

Yeah. Just try it if you hate it 

Zoe: at for, you know. Yeah. Like you have to give yourself a good time. You have to give yourself like a solid, like at least maybe three months to like fully get your body like back to normal. And then if you're like, then you can move forward. I don't like how I feel. I doubt that's gonna Exactly.

Like you're not gonna hate how you're feeling alcohol. No one has said that. Alcohol, no one. Yeah. 

heather: Alcohol's never [01:22:00] actually gonna make you feel better. Yeah. Like it might feel like five minutes and then it's, nothing's getting fixed. Yeah. You're just delaying stuff and you're gonna feel like shit in the morning.

Well, I like the 

Zoe: Tom Holland story, like he did the sober October for a month and then just loved how he felt. Yeah. And realized that he. Drank too much and probably was an alcoholic and then just kept it going and stayed sober till now. And now he has that non-alcoholic beer company. Exactly. They're all jumping on the non-alcoholic.

No, seriously, that's the 

heather: celebs. I know. You're like, I guess if you get sober, you either have to run a marathon or start a non-alcoholic company. That's what you One of the two. That's what 

Alanna: we're doing. Exactly. Yeah. No, for sure. And I think, yeah, just saying you're not like, everyone, like hates the thought of giving something up.

Yeah. Right. You're like, you know, why would I give? And you're just like, well, you're, you're, you're not, just don't look at it like a negative. Yeah. Look at it like you're opening doors to energy, to po to clear thinking, to better relationships. Like Yeah. It's so much more positives, like, so much more positive.

But yeah, give yourself the time. Mm-hmm. It does take three to, to a year even. Yeah. For some people, which seems like such a [01:23:00] long time, but it's not. It's not. It's really not. Yeah. When 

Zoe: I was drinking, like a year went by in like a day and now like, 'cause I didn't remember anything. But now like, my year is so long and so fulfilled with so many good things that I'm doing.

Yeah. It's so amazing. Exactly. What's the second question? What was the second 

heather: question again? No, that was, it was what are you gonna do? What would you say to people getting sober and then wanting to do something but not know what to do? 

Zoe: Yeah. Like I guess when you got sober and like didn't know what you were doing and then decided to open up this brand.

Yeah. Well, it's so much more than a product to me. Right. I'm not 

Alanna: just like, oh, here's this cool product, like on the shelf, go buy it. Mm-hmm. I actually think it represents like, again, like you as a whole healthy, sober community. Yeah. Um, hence why I love collaborating with girls that are doing, like 

heather: Pilate parties.

Mm-hmm. Or like, 

Alanna: you know, health and wellness events. Oh. That's what we 

heather: wanna do. We wanna do a sound bath at this Pilate studio. We could do a little sip and sip and sound, sound and sip. Ooh. Yeah. 

Alanna: That stuff is so amazing. Right. Let's, so it's like, it's really just, again, it's opening that space. Let people know you can celebrate and [01:24:00] socialize and have community.

In a healthy way. Yeah. Yeah. You could be completely sober. You could be sober, curious. You could just want a break. It doesn't matter. Mm-hmm. Come on in and like have fun talk. Yeah. Like I want that, I want that. This product and that. Yeah. That the business p to represent all that like massively and help people.

Yeah. Yeah. Right. Like, and then of course it's a nice beverage you get to have like, it's kind of like twofold. 

Zoe: So Yeah. I was gonna ask like, what do you see like coming up next? Mm-hmm. For Forestport, like what's your plans for the future, what's your goals? And I guess that's kind of what you just said.

Yeah. That's what I want. Do you 

heather: have a goal? Yeah. Or do you kind of do day at a time? Yeah. I'm 

Alanna: kind of like, I can see, I can see the future, but I'm like also just like learning so much about just having a business. Yeah. Mm-hmm. And like taking care of myself too, right? Like it's hard. Sure. Like it's, I'm not even gonna, like opening a business is.

Hard. Oh, shit. Yeah. And like you times wanna be like, literally when you're like, I used to be like, I'd open a bottle of alcohol because I'm just stressed. Mm-hmm. And something really bad happens or something, someone negative comes into the business or like, something falls over and [01:25:00] you feel so shitty.

Yes, yes. And you, and, but crumbles, I'm like, I'm like, nope. Like, nope. Like, you're just gonna deal with it. You can cry, you can call your friends, you take a break, whatever. Mm-hmm. So I am mindful that like, I gotta be like day by day yourself first, just like, see what happens with the business. But I do have goals for it, for sure.

Yeah. And like I said, I'm, I'm loving the collaborations with the health and wellness and the dining experiences. And again, just anything with like, community in a healthy way. Mm-hmm. So I'm just gonna see where that keeps going. Yeah. Um, I'd love to then again, expand products. So I'm gonna have more products hopefully next year.

Still red, still white. Mm-hmm. And then, yeah, we'll, like, we'll see what happens. I don't know, 

heather: do you have anything coming up for holidays? Do you have any ideas? Um, well just 

Alanna: a couple like, um, dinner parties. Okay. Um. A couple other, like, I do things like, I collab as like a vendor for like a fashion show, right?

We're going, we're going, we're going. Yeah, we're going. So that's an example of one. Yeah. Um, other ones with like Yeah. Girls that are just doing like community things that don't revolve around alcohol. Yeah. Tonight I'm [01:26:00] doing a dinner at this place called Pluto that just opened and they have like a community dinner.

I'm gonna bring the wines. Mostly women. 

heather: You would say you're working 

Alanna: with mostly women, but it is a, it is a good mix too. Yeah. Um, and then, yeah. Get it in more restaurants is a big thing. Mm-hmm. Because I love seeing it pop up in restaurants. Yeah. And like, I love dining. I love that experience. Mm-hmm. So it's like fun for me too, and I'm helping support the restaurants.

Yeah. Right. Because like I'm telling people to go there. Mm-hmm. Yeah. I say they have great options, you know, so that's also nice. Mm-hmm. But yeah. And then I might do, like I said, my one year. Yeah. Party. We'll see what that No, you must, you must 

heather: December. Do you know what the date is? December 17th is the first day that I went, 

Alanna: switched it on.

Good for you. You gotta get that tattooed. That's amazing. I know, I see. I thought I need another tattoo of something. You gotta get a little tennis wrap. But I didn't wanna get like a wine bottle because the guys that you're going out with be like, you're sober, man. No, there was, 

heather: there was a time in college where we, me and my friend Gabby, we were gonna get either like little wine glasses or.

Guns. What? Oh my. On our side boob, which I'm like, first of all, guns. Yeah. Well I feel like that was 

Zoe: like [01:27:00] a really Tumblr thing to do with the gun. It was so Tumblr. It was so 

heather: blr. Which I'm really glad now. 'cause after I gained all that weight, my boobs are now low and so the gun would just be like,

Alanna: backfired on you nipples and 

heather: pistols down with them. Down we go. Yeah. Oh my God. So funny. Great. Oh no, this is really exciting and I'm, I'm so excited about this. This is too, this is my favorite non-alcoholic wine. Truly. I'm not just saying that, that it's so good. I would appreciate it. It's my dad's favorite non-alcoholic wine.

Love this. Does everyone here? Thanks dad. Dads approval. You, I'm 

Alanna: so happy I met you girls too. Yeah, me too. I think what you're doing is so great. 'cause like we said, people just need to talk about it. Yeah. In every which way. Everyone's dealing with their own journey. Mm-hmm. So nice to have platforms like this, so, right.

heather: It's so nice. You just come in, pour your non-alcoholic wine, have girl chats. Yeah. Love it. It's the best. I'm gonna come here every, I love it. Please come every week. This is great. This has been, this is amazing. Yeah. We're so very proud of you. So proud of you. Nice. Thank and thank you so much for coming.

Thanks for having poor 

Alanna: sport wine. Where is it available? Well, I have it [01:28:00] online, so drink pour sport.com. You can get it. Mm-hmm. And then there's a couple of non elk bottle shops, uh, be's. Um, there's uh, obviously zero cocktail bar in Cabbagetown. Yes. Um, sober sips and berry and then it's popping up in other little Toronto places.

So you follow me in Instagram at drink pour sport, and I post where I wear it appears. 

heather: Yay. Amazing. Good for you. We will, yeah. Give her a follow Poor sport. Check it out. Let's see what happens. Yay. Thanks girls. Alright, thank you. Thank you so much. 

Zoe: That was so much fun. 

heather: Proud of you all. 

Zoe: Proud of you. Bye

heather: drunk. Thanks for listening to Girl Un Drunk. You can follow us on Instagram and TikTok at Girl Un Drunk podcast and or send me an email at heather@girlundrunk.com. Oh guys, that 

Zoe: was so.

#GirlUndrunk #SobrietyJourney #AddictionRecovery #HealingIsNotLinear #SoberVoices #RecoveryPodcast #SoberCurious #EmotionalHealing #SpeakYourTruth #LifeWithoutAlcohol #WomenInRecovery #MentalHealthMatters #AlcoholFreeLife #SelfTrust #HealingOutLoud