#64: We Were Functioning Alcoholics… Until This Happened

#64: We Were Functioning Alcoholics… Until This Happened

We thought blackout drinking was normal. We thought “just one drink” was harmless. We thought partying was part of success. It almost destroyed us. In this brutally honest episode of Mocktails or Messy, Bernie Zilio Senior Report of Page Six opens up about sobriety, LA party culture, postpartum depression, prior TMZ employment stories, cocaine culture, toxic relationships, blackouts, anxiety, and the moment everything finally changed. From skinny spicy margaritas to getting arrested, from entertainment industry pressure to waking up hungover wondering what happened the night before… this is the conversation people are too scared to have publicly. If you’ve ever: *  questioned your relationship with alcohol  *  felt trapped in party culture  *  used drinking to cope with anxiety  *  wondered if sobriety could actually make your life better  …this episode is for you. This isn’t preachy recovery content.  This is the real, messy truth behind addiction, moderation, and starting over. Welcome to Mocktails or Messy. #Sobriety #SoberCurious #MocktailsOrMessy #TMZ #PageSix #AddictionRecovery #SoberLife #AlcoholFree #MentalHealth #Podcast #RecoveryJourney #Millennials #SelfGrowth #Healing #EntertainmentNews Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2042098/fan_mail/new] Mocktails Or Messy podcast [http://mocktailsormessy.com/] IG: @mocktailsormessy [http://www.instagram.com/mocktailsormessy] | TikTok: @mockmess [https://www.tiktok.com/@mockmess] Watch | YouTube Mocktails Or Messy [https://www.youtube.com/@Mocktailsormessy] Listen | Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mocktails-or-messy/id1645707533], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7MVKRmq9o8Z5xoM8VP5P8e], or wherever you listen to podcasts. [https://mocktailsormessy.buzzsprout.com/] Featured | #11 of Best Local Podcasts: FeedSpot  [https://podcasts.feedspot.com/pittsburgh_podcasts/]

#63: Stop Playing Dress Up, Dress Like a Badass.

Your clothes are talking. The question is whether they are introducing you or interrupting you. We sit down with Julie Shields, the Scottish born force behind Badass Styling in Pittsburgh, and let the conversation go where it needs to go: identity, confidence, community, and the surprisingly emotional work of getting dressed. Julie shares her path from Scotland to London to Pittsburgh, plus the real-life stuff that shapes how we show up, from parenting teens to navigating politics and burnout without losing your sense of humor. Then we get practical. Julie breaks down color analysis and seasonal color palettes in a way that finally makes sense, including the line we can’t stop thinking about: if people are talking about the color before they’re talking about you, you’re wearing the wrong color. We also dig into authentic personal style, why copying a celebrity outfit often backfires, and how a wardrobe should support your lifestyle and your personality instead of turning you into a costume. We round it out with stories that get messy fast, talk about budgeting for joy and community, and zoom in on Pittsburgh neighborhoods and what it means to belong somewhere. If you’re searching for a personal stylist in Pittsburgh, a color analysis consultation, or just a push to stop caring so much and start living in your truth, you’ll leave with both laughs and real takeaways. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s stuck in “safe outfits,” and leave a review with the one style rule you’re ready to break. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2042098/fan_mail/new] Mocktails Or Messy podcast [http://mocktailsormessy.com/] IG: @mocktailsormessy [http://www.instagram.com/mocktailsormessy] | TikTok: @mockmess [https://www.tiktok.com/@mockmess] Watch | YouTube Mocktails Or Messy [https://www.youtube.com/@Mocktailsormessy] Listen | Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mocktails-or-messy/id1645707533], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7MVKRmq9o8Z5xoM8VP5P8e], or wherever you listen to podcasts. [https://mocktailsormessy.buzzsprout.com/] Featured | #11 of Best Local Podcasts: FeedSpot  [https://podcasts.feedspot.com/pittsburgh_podcasts/]

#62: I Got Sober While Building a Wine Company

A blackout, a parked car, and the sentence that rewired everything with Jason B. Grant of Medici Importers Global. “You’re never going to be alone again.” That line broke through the static in Jason B. Grant’s head and marked the final day he wanted to drink. From there, everything changed, his purpose, his business, and his peace. We sit with Jason, a five-plus-year sober entrepreneur who runs Medici Importers Global, to unpack what it really takes to rewire a life. He explains why he never had “just a drinking problem,” but a thinking problem, and how metacognition—stepping outside your thought to ask why it’s there—became his everyday tool. We dig into the food-and-beverage grind, the spiritual experience that ended cravings, and the surprising edge sobriety gave him curating wines by aroma and story. He talks boundaries in dating, recognizing the moment people “switch,” and how to leave without apology. You’ll also hear a clear, practical meditation routine that delivers a better high than any buzz: harmony between thoughts and actions. We explore culture shifts, Gen Z cutting back, mocktails rising while being honest about triggers, sugar bombs, and why some non-alcoholic spirits can pull you toward old patterns. Jason shares a cautionary tale about a “virgin” drink that wasn’t and why venues must protect newcomers. Through it all runs a throughline of service, presence, and language used precisely to tell the truth. If you’re sober, sober curious, or simply ready to stop letting your thoughts run you, this conversation offers tools you can use today: pause in the moment, ask the harder question, and choose again. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review with the one mindset shift you’re taking into your week. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2042098/fan_mail/new] Mocktails Or Messy podcast [http://mocktailsormessy.com/] IG: @mocktailsormessy [http://www.instagram.com/mocktailsormessy] | TikTok: @mockmess [https://www.tiktok.com/@mockmess] Watch | YouTube Mocktails Or Messy [https://www.youtube.com/@Mocktailsormessy] Listen | Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mocktails-or-messy/id1645707533], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7MVKRmq9o8Z5xoM8VP5P8e], or wherever you listen to podcasts. [https://mocktailsormessy.buzzsprout.com/] Featured | #11 of Best Local Podcasts: FeedSpot  [https://podcasts.feedspot.com/pittsburgh_podcasts/]

#61: Jonathan Anzaldi | Dreamers, Discipline, And Doing The Work

What if the hustle finally felt aligned? We sit down with personal trainer and accountability coach Jonathan Ryan Anzaldi to unpack how two lifelong dreamers traded New York’s weekend warrior cycle for a sustainable blend of strength, clarity, and self-made momentum. From first jobs and comparison traps to Laguna Beach mornings and a thriving coaching business, this is a honest look at reinvention, friendship, and the habits that stick. Jonathan opens up about rejecting the nine-to-five, building a single-person brand through social media, and turning a quarantine ghost kitchen into a six-figure win without compromising quality. We get practical about fitness after 30—why strength training beats aesthetic chasing, how to program push, pull, squat, hinge, carry, and press, and what realistic progress looks like when life gets busy. On nutrition, Jonathan’s Italian roots shine: imported pasta over ultra-processed options, portion control over restriction, and flavor-forward tweaks that keep you consistent. Accountability coaching ties it together with clear plans, macro awareness, and permission to enjoy the foods you love. We also go deep on sobriety as a keystone habit. Honest conversations, hard boundaries, and long-term support reshaped finances, skin, sleep, and focus. Friendship plays a defining role—calling out the truth with care, riding out messy seasons, and celebrating growth without judgment. If you’re navigating a career pivot, craving a calmer nervous system, or ready to build routines that compound, you’ll find practical, human advice you can use today. Want guided structure to start strong? Jonathan is offering $100 off his eight-week strength training program with code mocktails at thatsalu life.com. If this conversation gave you a spark, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s reinventing, and leave a quick review so more people can find it. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2042098/fan_mail/new] Mocktails Or Messy podcast [http://mocktailsormessy.com/] IG: @mocktailsormessy [http://www.instagram.com/mocktailsormessy] | TikTok: @mockmess [https://www.tiktok.com/@mockmess] Watch | YouTube Mocktails Or Messy [https://www.youtube.com/@Mocktailsormessy] Listen | Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mocktails-or-messy/id1645707533], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7MVKRmq9o8Z5xoM8VP5P8e], or wherever you listen to podcasts. [https://mocktailsormessy.buzzsprout.com/] Featured | #11 of Best Local Podcasts: FeedSpot  [https://podcasts.feedspot.com/pittsburgh_podcasts/]

#60: In the Studio with Derrial Christon

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2042098/fan_mail/new] Mocktails Or Messy podcast [http://mocktailsormessy.com/] IG: @mocktailsormessy [http://www.instagram.com/mocktailsormessy] | TikTok: @mockmess [https://www.tiktok.com/@mockmess] Watch | YouTube Mocktails Or Messy [https://www.youtube.com/@Mocktailsormessy] Listen | Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mocktails-or-messy/id1645707533], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7MVKRmq9o8Z5xoM8VP5P8e], or wherever you listen to podcasts. [https://mocktailsormessy.buzzsprout.com/] Featured | #11 of Best Local Podcasts: FeedSpot  [https://podcasts.feedspot.com/pittsburgh_podcasts/]