Ep 49: The Holiday Special — From the Maldives to Manchester

Episode 54 — Siobhan O'Connor | Independence Day, A Sober Wedding and the Irish Drinking Identity

This week we're joined by good friend - Siobhan O'Connor. Journalist, former Dublin radio presenter, and four years alcohol-free on the 4th of July. Independence Day. As Steve points out, it doesn't get more fitting than that. Siobhan's story is one we haven't heard quite like this before. Growing up in Ireland in the 80s where drinking wasn't just normal, it was expected. The wine o'clock culture that crept in with motherhood. And the moment on a beach, Prosecco in hand, watching other mums be fully present with their kids, that made everything click. We get into the I deserve it narrative aimed at women, and then there's the wedding. Siobhan recently got married in the Algarve, sober, and the best part she remembers every single minute of it. A brilliant conversation with a brilliant guest. Join our free community: Every Monday at noon. Email the word Community to: info@thealcoholfreerevolution.co.uk [info@thealcoholfreerevolution.co.uk] Coach with Steve: Web: www.soberilliant.com [http://www.soberilliant.com/]  Insta: @sober.illiant  [http://sober.illiant] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stevesmith-soberilliant [http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevesmith-soberilliant] Coach with James: Web: http://alcoholfreecoach.com [http://alcoholfreecoach.com/] Insta: @alcoholfreecoach_ LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/james-lloyd-48313032 [http://linkedin.com/in/james-lloyd-48313032]

Ep 53: Steve's 5th Year AF and how to get through the first week and the first month

No guest this week just Steve and James, and we're recording on a very special day. 27th June 2026. Five years alcohol-free for Steve. We crack open an ice-cold Estrella Zero and mark the occasion properly. So this week we break down exactly what week one and month one actually look like. We get into why approaching it with curiosity rather than dread changes everything. We also talk about the power of filling your head with the right stuff — books, podcasts & audiobooks on dog walks If you're thinking about taking a break, this one's for you. And if you want a full reading list, head back to episode 39. Join our free community: Every Monday at noon. Email the word Community to: info@thealcoholfreerevolution.co.uk [info@thealcoholfreerevolution.co.uk] Coach with Steve: Web: www.soberilliant.com [http://www.soberilliant.com/] Insta: @sober.illiant [http://sober.illiant] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stevesmith-soberilliant [http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevesmith-soberilliant] Coach with James: Web: http://alcoholfreecoach.com [http://alcoholfreecoach.com/] Insta: @alcoholfreecoach_ [%20@alcoholfreecoach_%20] LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/james-lloyd-48313032 [http://linkedin.com/in/james-lloyd-48313032]

Episode 52 — Happy Birthday The AF Revolution

No guest this week — just Steve and James, and it's a big one. Episode 52. One whole year on the sound waves, and we can't believe it We reflect on the last 12 months, the guests we still can't quite believe said yes. Andy Ramage, Catherine Gray, William Porter, Laura Willoughby, Anna Donaghy, Denise Hamilton-Mace, and so many more and what it means to have built something from scratch that now reaches listeners in over 30 countries.  Steve also gives a (not so brief) race report off the back of his Slateman Ultra Triathlon in Snowdonia.  We also get into exercise in midlife — why motivation isn't really the problem, why consistency is everything, and why Couch to 5K is still one of the best things you can do if you're a couple of weeks into an alcohol-free break and wondering where to start. Plus the Stephen Bartlett wine debate. Thank you to everyone who's listened, shared, and shown up to the community over the last year. We're not going anywhere. If you want to help the pod grow like, subscribe, and leave a review. It genuinely makes a difference. Join our free community: Every Monday at noon. Email the word Community to: info@thealcoholfreerevolution.co.uk [info@thealcoholfreerevolution.co.uk] Coach with Steve: Web: www.soberilliant.com [http://www.soberilliant.com/] Insta: @sober.illiant [http://sober.illiant] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stevesmith-soberilliant [http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevesmith-soberilliant] Coach with James: Web: http://alcoholfreecoach.com [http://alcoholfreecoach.com/] Insta: @alcoholfreecoach_ LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/james-lloyd-48313032 [http://linkedin.com/in/james-lloyd-48313032]

Episode 51:Five Years In. What Does the Long Game Actually Look Like?

No guest this week — just Steve and James, and with Steve's five-year alcohol-free anniversary on the 27th of June fast approaching, it felt like the right moment to talk about something we don't cover enough: what the long game actually looks like. In this episode we get into how both of our first years actually played out, why the benefits don't just appear and stay — they keep building, and how you start to rediscover things you'd forgotten you loved. A good one. Honest, a bit unscripted, and exactly the conversation we needed to have coming up on a year of the podcast. Join our free community: Every Monday at noon. Email the word Community to: info@thealcoholfreerevolution.co.uk [info@thealcoholfreerevolution.co.uk] Coach with Steve: Web: www.soberilliant.com [http://www.soberilliant.com] Insta: @sober.illiant [http://sober.illiant] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stevesmith-soberilliant [http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevesmith-soberilliant] Coach with James: Web: http://alcoholfreecoach.com [http://alcoholfreecoach.com] Insta: @alcoholfreecoach_ LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/james-lloyd-48313032 [http://linkedin.com/in/james-lloyd-48313032]

Episode 50: William Porter - Alcohol Explained

Episode 50 — William Porter | Alcohol Explained This is a big one. For our 50th episode, we sit down with William Porter — author of Alcohol Explained, the book that for so many people, including ourselves, finally made the whole thing make sense. William wrote the book he wanted to read. A former paratrooper, he found himself in 2014 with his drinking spiralling — He stopped in February 2014, and Alcohol Explained was published in 2015. What makes William's work different is the tone. No lectures, no moralising just a forensically clear account of what alcohol actually does, chemically and psychologically, from that first drink all the way through to dependency. When you understand the mechanism, the desire starts to dissolve. That's the point. In this conversation we get into why moderation is so much harder than it looks, what alcohol really does to sleep, why the Wednesday feeling of being "back on top of things" is probably still only 60% of your best, and how the cultural conversation around alcohol has shifted beyond recognition since 2015. We also talk about what advice William gives to people who are nervous about socialising sober for the first time. William is the perfect guest for episode 50. We hope you love it as much as we did. More on William and Alcohol Explained: Website: www.alcoholexplained.com [http://www.alcoholexplained.com/] (The first five chapters of Alcohol Explained are free to read on the website — a great place to start) Join our free community: Every Monday at noon. Email the word Community to: info@thealcoholfreerevolution.co.uk [info@thealcoholfreerevolution.co.uk] Coach with Steve: Web: www.soberilliant.com [http://www.soberilliant.com/]  Insta: @sober.illiant [http://sober.illiant] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stevesmith-soberilliant [http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevesmith-soberilliant] Coach with James: Web: http://alcoholfreecoach.com [http://alcoholfreecoach.com/] Insta: @alcoholfreecoach_ LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/james-lloyd-48313032 [http://linkedin.com/in/james-lloyd-48313032]