We Talked to the Guy Who Was Talking Recovery Before It Was Trendy
We Talked to the Guy Who Was Talking Recovery Before It Was Trendy

Recovery Rocks

Recovery Rocks hosts Anna David and Lisa Smith chat with That Sober Guy creator Shane Ramer about early recovery podcasting, men’s drinking and doing sobriety in a way that fits the individual. The conversation mixes humour, honesty and practical reflections on purpose, community and long-term alcohol-free living.

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35:14•26 Jun 2026

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Shane Ramer: The OG Recovery Podcaster Keeping It Real for Sober Men

Episode Overview

Long commutes in early sobriety and a lack of recovery content pushed Shane to start his own podcast in 2014.
Consistency and “putting in the reps” are key, but taking breaks when the work stops being enjoyable is equally important.
Shane focuses on men because many feel stuck between casual drinking and rock bottom, and often struggle to open up.
He values flexible recovery paths, respecting 12-step principles while encouraging people to “do it your way” if it’s not harming anyone.
Letting go of rigid expectations and resentments—especially around family—can bring significant relief in long-term recovery.

“I don’t care how anyone does it as long as you do it. Like, do it your way.”

How do individuals turn their lives around after addiction? Recovery Rocks co-hosts Anna David and Lisa Smith sit down with Shane Ramer, the self-described OG recovery podcaster behind That Sober Guy, to talk about what it meant to speak openly about sobriety long before it was cool. Shane shares how long commutes, early sobriety and a craving for something to fill the “big creative hole” left by alcohol and music led him to podcasts back in 2013.

With almost nothing on offer about recovery, he thought, why not start his own? One late-night conversation with his wife, and That Sober Guy was born in 2014. Since then he’s recorded nearly 600 episodes, built a men’s community and even taken podcasting into a Fortune 500 company’s internal communications. The chat has a relaxed, funny, very human tone.

You’ll hear about the grind behind long-term podcasting, taking breaks when the work stops being fun, and why showing up consistently—whether as a parent, podcaster or someone staying alcohol-free—matters more than perfection. Shane is clear: “I don’t care how anyone does it as long as you do it. Like, do it your way.” A big focus is men and drinking.

Shane talks about growing up with addiction in his family, his dad still living in a van, and the “huge gap” between rock-bottom drinkers and guys who can take or leave alcohol. His men’s community, the Victory Circle, is aimed at those in-between blokes who might be successful on paper but stuck in on‑off drinking cycles and reluctant to open up.

Anna and Lisa balance the conversation with their own experiences of early recovery, shifting away from rigid “my way or the highway” thinking and even swapping petty resentments. It’s a grounded, humour-tinged conversation for anyone curious about sobriety, especially men wondering what life could look like without the constant pull of alcohol. Could this be the nudge you’ve been waiting for?

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