TSP 070: "The Sober Network" with Chris Pesce and Beau Mann the Founder of Sober Grid!TSP 070: "The Sober Network" with Chris Pesce and Beau Mann the Founder of Sober Grid!
The SHAIR Recovery Podcast
Beau Mann and Chris Pesce talk about their journeys through addiction, 12‑step recovery and relapse while explaining how the Sober Grid app connects sober people worldwide. The conversation highlights daily spiritual practice, self‑care and constant connection as practical supports for an alcohol‑free life.
1:06:36•14 Jun 2016
Connecting Sobriety: Sober Grid, Start‑Ups and Spiritual Wake‑Ups
Episode Overview
- Connection is described as a key antidote to addiction, with both guests stressing that isolation makes relapse more likely.
- Sober Grid offers a free, global app where people can find nearby sober users, chat privately, post on a news feed and reach out using a “burning desire” button.
- Both Beau and Chris rely on 12‑step meetings, prayer, gratitude and speaking with other addicts or alcoholics as part of their daily recovery routines.
- Chris highlights that self‑will alone did not keep him sober; accepting a higher power and working the steps lifted his obsession to drink.
- Newcomers are urged to fully commit, accept their addiction, and follow the suggestions of people who are already living well in recovery.
“You need to change your life to save your life.”
Curious about how others keep sobriety front and centre while juggling busy lives and big ideas? This SHAIR Recovery Podcast episode lines up tech, connection and old‑school recovery wisdom in one relaxed, chatty conversation.
Host Omar Pinto sits down with Sober Grid founder Beau Mann and COO Chris Pesce to talk about how a simple need at the Sundance Film Festival – finding sober friends to ski and grab coffee with – turned into a global geosocial app for people in recovery.
Sober Grid lets you see who’s sober nearby, chat privately, post to a news feed and even hit a “burning desire” button when things feel shaky, all while staying anonymous if you want.
You’ll hear Chris and Beau share their own journeys with addiction and 12‑step recovery, from early drinking and cocaine binges to treatment, relapse and finally accepting that “you need to change your life to save your life.” Chris talks about being “restless, irritable, discontent” until a quiet moment on a porch shifted his view of a higher power, while Beau describes how gratitude lists and connection became his spiritual foundation.
The episode leans heavily into the idea that isolation fuels relapse and connection keeps people sober. That’s why both men stress daily routines of prayer, meetings, sponsorship and self‑care alongside their hectic startup schedule. There’s plenty here for anyone who’s sober, sober‑curious, or just tired of feeling alone in their struggle.
With a mix of humour, honesty and practical detail about the app’s features and alumni groups, this conversation shows how recovery tools are moving into your pocket – without losing the heart of one addict helping another. If you could connect with someone sober in seconds, how different might those hard moments feel?
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