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In this powerful episode of Sober(ish) Sparkle, I sit down with bestselling author and sobriety advocate Clare Pooley for a raw and uplifting conversation about life before and after alcohol. Clare opens up about her gradual slide into high-functioning drinking, her decision to stop, and how that choice unlocked not just her health, but a new creative career and deeper self-worth.

Clare is best known for her internationally acclaimed blog Mummy Was a Secret Drinker, her memoir The Sober Diaries, and her bestselling novels The Authenticity Project, The People on Platform 5, and her newest release How to Age Disgracefully. We talk through her sober journey, the challenges of letting go of the ‘fun party girl’ identity, and how she found clarity, creativity, and true confidence in sobriety.

Together, we explore:

• The silent toll of high-functioning alcohol use in motherhood and career
• How alcohol masked Clare’s anxiety, exhaustion, and sense of self
• Her experience of quitting alcohol in secret and starting a blog anonymously
• The healing power of writing and how it transformed her life
• The identity shift that comes with sobriety and how to navigate social pressure
• Filling the “wine o’clock” void with hobbies, purpose, and healthier dopamine hits
• What it's like raising children with a new lens on alcohol
• Tools and rituals that supported early sobriety (and still do!)
• Using her sober toolbox to manage anxiety and even a breast cancer diagnosis
• Why quitting alcohol is the gateway to discovering your truest self

Clare’s words are warm, honest, and reassuring, and she brings a beautiful mix of British humour and real-world wisdom to the sober conversation. If you’re exploring your relationship with alcohol or already walking the sober path, this episode will remind you that freedom, creativity, and clarity are waiting for you too.

✨ This conversation is a must-listen for women in midlife navigating sobriety, self-worth, and what comes next.