Here Are the Steps We Took - Featuring Big BillHere Are the Steps We Took - Featuring Big Bill
Sober.Coffee Podcast
Big Bill joins Mike and Glenn to share how he works the Twelve Steps, sponsors others, and approaches amends, with a mix of raw stories and practical guidance. The conversation highlights surrender, spiritual growth and living amends as central parts of his ongoing sobriety.
29:06•23 Sept 2026
Here Are the Steps We Took: Big Bill on Sponsorship, Amends and Real-World Sobriety
Episode Overview
- Sponsorship can be a structured partnership, reading the first 164 pages of the Big Book and the 12 & 12 together, step by step.
- Steps Eight and Nine focus on true amends, not just apologies, and some amends may be delayed, indirect or never made if they would harm others.
- Living amends—consistent changed behaviour over time—often speak louder than words, especially to family and close relationships.
- Ongoing sobriety involves regularly removing the things that block connection with a higher power, which shifts how people see loved ones and daily life.
- AA is presented as a strong path, but not the only one; the key element highlighted is a genuine willingness to surrender rather than keep fighting.
“I was a hopeless alcoholic. I took a few simple actions, I had a vital spiritual experience and I have not had a drink since.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This chat in the Sober.Coffee shop brings Big Bill back for a second round with Mike and Glenn, and it’s aimed squarely at anyone who’s serious about Alcoholics Anonymous or just wondering how the Twelve Steps actually play out in real life.
Bill shares how he sponsors others with a clear, practical structure: reading the first 164 pages of the Big Book together, then working through the Twelve Steps and the 12 & 12 page by page.
He makes it very clear: “I will not tie a rope around your waist and drag you through this program… but I can show you how I got sober.” That honest approach will resonate with anyone worried about what they’re “signing up for” with a sponsor. A big chunk of the chat focuses on Steps Eight and Nine and the difference between saying sorry and genuinely making amends.
Bill and Glenn talk about “living amends”, the importance of timing, and how some amends can’t be made directly without harming others. You’ll hear how lists of “now”, “maybe” and “never” amends slowly shift over time as people grow in sobriety. Spiritual growth runs quietly through the whole conversation. Bill talks about removing “the things that are blocking me from God” and how his view of his wife, son, and life itself changes with his spiritual condition.
There’s humour too—mini-bar raids, being barred from dive bars, and the “genius” of chasing the next drink—but it all points back to the same message: AA can work if someone is willing to surrender. For anyone doubtful about AA, Bill’s closing line lands hard: “I was a hopeless alcoholic. I took a few simple actions… and I have not had a drink since.
If you want, I will show you what I did.” Ready to think about what surrender might look like for you?
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