EP 137 | Time to Say GoodbyeEP 137 | Time to Say Goodbye
Thriving Alcohol-Free with Mocktail Mom
Deb explains why she is saying goodbye to her long-running alcohol-free podcast, sharing how surgery, family changes and limited energy shaped her decision. She describes shifting her focus towards family and her mocktail community while reassuring listeners that life without alcohol can still be full of fun and connection.
11:05•13 May 2026
Time to Say Goodbye: Choosing Sobriety, Family and Energy Over Burnout
Episode Overview
- Energy is limited, so it’s important to choose a few priorities rather than trying to do everything.
- Major health events like knee replacement can drastically reduce capacity, even for things you love.
- Pivoting plans, such as a child returning home from university, is not a failure but an adjustment.
- Community support through alcohol-free meetups and memberships can make sober living more enjoyable.
- Life without alcohol can still be full of fun, connection and plenty of delicious drinks.
“It breaks my heart to say, I think it's time to say goodbye.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This farewell-style episode shows what it looks like when someone loves a project deeply, yet still chooses to step back for the sake of health, family and energy. Deb, known as Mocktail Mom, returns after a three-month gap to explain why the podcast suddenly went quiet. She owns her absence straight away, joking that she "ghosted" her own show and stressing that it was never planned.
A major knee replacement, intense physical therapy and limited energy turned life upside down, leaving far less space for interviews and editing than she’d imagined. She shares the reality of recovery – “I can’t even tell you how that knee replacement knocked me into next week” – along with the extra demands of family life.
Her daughter Lily moved back home after a tough start at university, another knee surgery is booked, and Deb is preparing for one of the biggest roles of her life: becoming a grandma to Hannah’s baby.
Rather than stretching herself too thin, Deb explains that she needs to focus on what matters most: her family and the alcohol-free membership community she runs, where women connect over mocktails, meet non-alcoholic brands and support each other, whether they’re sober or simply drinking less. She highlights how precious energy is and how everyone has to choose where theirs goes.
With warmth and a bit of humour, Deb compares ending the podcast to "breaking up with a boyfriend that I love very much" and reassures anyone sober curious that "the fun is not over" without alcohol. It’s a gentle, honest goodbye that still radiates gratitude, community and plenty of alcohol-free joy. If you’re juggling recovery, family and real-life responsibilities, this episode might leave you asking: where do you want your limited energy to go?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.
Related Episodes
Similar episodes from other shows in the catalogue.