Inside the Sober Curious Movement w/ Olivia Noceda

In this episode, we’re diving into the sober curious movement with Olivia Noceda, who’s been alcohol-free for nearly 3 years and has built an incredible community of over 470K followers. Known for her creative non-alcoholic drink recipes and authentic storytelling, Olivia has become a major voice in the movement, particularly among Millennials and Gen Z. We talk about why she chose to quit drinking, how she’s helped normalize sober curiosity, and the cultural shifts that are making this movement explode. Tune in for tips, insights, and inspiration.

Want to drink less with no pressure to quit? Go to https://ctbk.co/4doo5dq for a free 15-day trial.
--
Listen to Journey to the Sunnyside Podcast: https://bit.ly/4bxCqT3
Subscribe to Sunnyside’s YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3zuoID4

CONNECT WITH SUNNYSIDE:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.comjoinsunnyside/
- Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/joinsunnyside/
- Twitter:  https://x.com/joinsunnyside
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joinsunnyside

ABOUT SUNNYSIDE: Sunnyside is the #1 alcohol moderation app that helps you drink less without any shame, guilt, or pressure to quit. Optimize your alcohol habits to achieve benefits like sleeping better, losing weight, feeling more energy, and saving money. We know that an all-or-nothing approach doesn’t work for everyone, so we focus on helping you set your own goals, celebrate small wins, and build a lasting system of accountability. As a result, 96.7% of our members see a big drop in their drinking after 90 days.

Disclaimer: This podcast is not intended as medical advice, and the views of the guests may not represent the views of Sunnyside. If you’re concerned about your health or alcohol use, please consider seeking advice from a doctor.

Creators & Guests

Host

Mike Hardenbrook

#1 best-selling author of "No Willpower Required," neuroscience enthusiast, and habit change expert.

What is Journey to the Sunnyside?

"Journey to the Sunnyside" is your guide to exploring mindful living with alcohol, whether you're cutting back, moderating, or thinking about quitting. While Sunnyside helps you reduce your drinking, this podcast goes further, covering everything from mindful drinking and moderation to sober curiosity and full sobriety. Through real stories, expert advice, and practical strategies, we’re here to help you find what works best for your journey.

Mike Hardenbrook is a #1 best-selling author and neuroscience enthusiast, dedicated to helping people transform their relationship with alcohol.

This podcast is brought to you by Sunnyside, the leading platform for mindful drinking. Want to take the next step in your journey? Head over to sunnyside.co for a free 15-day trial.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in our podcast episodes do not necessarily represent those of Sunnyside. We're determined to bring diverse views of health and wellness to our audience. If you are concerned with your drinking, please seek the advice of a medical professional. Sunnyside, this podcast, and its guests are not necessarily medical professionals and the content shouldn't be viewed as medical advice. In addition, we never endorse drinking in any amount.

Olivia Noceda
===

Mike: [00:00:00] Okay. Today, I'm joined with Olivia Noseda. Olivia, thanks for coming on today.

Olivia: Thank you so much for having me.

Mike: Well, I always like to start with the personal story of our guests and you have a really cool one and so I can't wait to get into all that. But before you went down this path with, , being sober curious, can you bring us back a little bit to your history and what led you to this point?

Olivia: Yeah. So I grew up in Southern California, kind of had like a classic high school, college experience. I didn't really drink until I was a little bit older. Um, I think a lot of my friends were kind of like starting to explore alcohol at 15 and my parents kind of put the fear of God into me and I really didn't drink until I was like almost 21 years old. After trying my first drink and going to a four year college, I was like, this is amazing. I'm just going to get as drunk as possible for two years straight, which is what I did. And, you know, it was, it was a fun experience and I [00:01:00] kind of like wavered my alcohol usage, kind of like wavered over the years. Um, and then, You know, COVID happened and I was drinking like three glasses of wine a night as I think most of us were, and I ended up kind of slowing my role once I moved to New York City. Um, and we were about to leave the city and I just kind of started questioning my relationship with alcohol. I noticed I was wanting to drink a lot less and we were kind of living a nomadic life.

And so we weren't. Out as much with friends and doing as much stuff. And was kind of weird. I just like woke up after a month of not drinking one day and was like, I don't think I've drank for a month. And I posted about it online and people were so receptive to to learn about it. I think sober curiosity was a term, but it had like just been coined a term.

This was like very early on. Um, and so. kind of became [00:02:00] like this big theme in my life where I was learning how to not drink. Um, and it just kind of happened. It kind of became a choice for me. So really it was just, that's kind of my story as it like pertains to drinking. I mean, know, Yeah, that's really, that's really it.

Now that I think about it, it's funny because for so long, sober curiosity was such a huge part of my identity and slowly it's become less and less a part of it, it's kind of just become a thing where my life is just kind of. ingrained in not drinking. And that's kind of how everyone knows me when I show up.

I don't drink. And so it's funny, you know, now I, I started a podcast a couple of years ago to talk about sober curiosity and it's funny now, you know, a year and a half later to have conversations about it. Cause it just feels like something that's so ingrained in my life now. Um, But yeah, I guess that's my personal story.

I'm happy to answer any pointed questions you might have.

Mike: Yeah. I think that makes perfect sense as far as like the [00:03:00] way it's transforming because your new normal was sober curiosity or sober curious. And as you went on, it sounds like, That new version just became what you are today. And so there's no attachment to the previous in where you had to put sober because this is the new normal.

Olivia: Totally. I mean, it felt like such a marker of me for so long. I was like, and you were anytime I showed up, I'm like, I'm sober curious. And then I would have to explain about, you know, what that means and how I'm not, I don't go to AA, but I don't like to drink alcohol now. It just. Yeah, it's very much. It's easy now.

And I, I don't even think, you know, I've gone on so many trips this year and I've been to so many places where alcohol is flowing and it's just so easy for me to be sober. It's just not even something I think about anymore as a question. And I think that's something that has become so telling to me over the years as I kind of started this journey with this book. Not a ton of [00:04:00] rules. I really just wanted to see how long I could go. And I'm about to, I'm coming up on three years, which is just bit wild without, you know, having like a full drink and it is, it's like the best thing I've ever done in my life.

Mike: So one of the things that you said there in your journey is that you sort of just were drinking maybe with no mindfulness. You were just doing it because it was how you grew up and started to socialize and culture really enforces that. And we talk a lot about On this podcast that you don't have to hit a rock bottom.

You have to hit this low point to really make a change, but you can even go a step further. And I think this might even be your story is that it doesn't really even necessarily have to be a problem to make a change.

Olivia: I think that's where so many people get confused. Um, Like you said, you don't have to hit this rock bottom to make a change. I think so much of it is about intentionality and there was no intentionality [00:05:00] behind what I was doing about in regards to so much in my life. I think that's a really important. Factor to bring up becoming sober, curious, and becoming more intentional about my drinking or not drinking was a catalyst to me becoming more intentional with every other decision I was making in my life. And that was a really cool thing for me to learn and to grow into. Um, hated. And even still I'll do it.

I hated kind of qualifying my not drinking as well. I didn't really have a problem or I didn't have to go to AA or, Oh, I'm not. And, you know, I think that we all kind of come to this. Idea of being sober curious differently. But one of the biggest things that I've kind of seen in regards to like having an audience online who are really interested in my non alcoholic drinks, are really curious about and interested in moderation.

A lot of people are wondering how they can be more intentional with their [00:06:00] consumption. And I think that's consumption with everything, right? It's not just, um, drinking, it's social media. It's, It's reality TV. It's even like working out. I mean, people are wanting to find more balance. And I think what happens is we kind of put ourselves into this box where we say, well, I'm normal.

I don't have a problem. I'm not an alcoholic, so I should, I can drink and I can just do it however I want to do it or how I'm, you know, how I used to do it 10 years ago. And I think as we get older and we move into our late twenties and our early thirties, we start recognizing that even our bodies are. Breaking down easier. I know that so many of my friends will go out, they'll have a few drinks and wake up and be like, I have a headache and I am unable to shake this. I didn't even drink that much. And I'm like, sometimes two beers is all you need, um, to get a headache now. So I think it's just, we're all kind of looking for moderation and balance.

I know that so many of us too, in the sober curious community, aren't [00:07:00] looking to like completely cut alcohol out of our lives, and I think it's really cool to be able to. Not only find the moderation and balance, but to be able to talk to other people about it. So others might go about their drinking in a more mindful way.

Mike: Yeah, I love that. So let's go into this a little bit, especially for anybody that's listening and might not really fully comprehend sober curious. And I'd love to give you You the mic to say what it is to you. And I'd also even love you to go a step further and see where does that moderation piece fit in there in your view?

Olivia: Yeah. I mean, for me, sober curiosity has always kind of been a. No rule exploration of my relationship with alcohol. I always kind of just been curious about what my life would look like without it. And so I kind of unbeknownst to me stopped drinking. And [00:08:00] then when I realized I wasn't drinking, Made this commitment to see what it would feel like if I didn't drink for a short period of time. That short period of time turned into now almost three years. Um, and it's just because I felt so good. But the curiosity aspect really came in. During these like three years where I would really have to kind of take a step back and think like when I was out with friends and I was offered a glass of wine or the server came by and asked what we wanted to drink, was this question of, do I want to drink?

Why do I want to drink right now? What will I feel like in the morning? If I have a drink, what will I feel like tonight? If I have a drink, how will it affect my relationships? If I, you know, have multiple glasses, beer, et cetera. So what it did was it allowed me to really get clear with myself.

And that to me is what sober curiosity has been. It's not been like this hard, fast line of, I cut out alcohol one day and I [00:09:00] never went back, which I guess it's kind of true, but it's been so much more than that for me. remind me of the second question you asked. I'm sorry.

Mike: Where does the moderation, like somebody that wants to do moderation, is there an overlap there?

Olivia: Yeah. I mean, I think there is, I think that's what so many people are searching for. And I think the moderation comes from asking ourselves difficult questions. I don't think you can reach the moderation without kind of getting to a place of knowing in yourself. And I think that's where this idea of curiosity really hits. For me, is that I am constantly staying curious about my relationship to alcohol and alcohol's relationship to my life. And I think in that you can find moderation. So, I, I have a lot of friends who will say, Yeah, I'm, you know, I'm trying to be sober curious, which means instead of having alcohol while I pregame, I'll have a mocktail or a soda or water while I pregame. pregame or put makeup on. And then when I get to the [00:10:00] party, I'll have a couple of drinks versus kind of drinking the entire night. So I think that moderation fits in, in the sense that you don't have these. Really rigid guidelines you're following. You're just kind of seeing what feels good and you're taking a more intentional approach to drinking in general.

Um, which I think is great.

Mike: Yeah. There are two things that you said there that really jumped out at me that go hand in hand with mindful drinking. And that is number one is just trying to experiment. Like you don't have to do a forever thing. I'm going to try and experiment. And my own personal journey is it started with an experiment.

Like I did a 30 day and I always would just like barely get through the 30 day. And then for some reason or another, I was like, you know what? Why don't I try 60 days?

Olivia: Right.

Mike: ended up doing 90 days and then I did about eight months at that point with, you know, no intention of saying I'm going to go eight months.

And then the other thing that goes with mindful drinking and what you [00:11:00] just said is really about bringing mindfulness when you took that order, you know, that you made up that scenario of why do I want this and what's it going to do? And, you know, those things. So I think there's a lot of overlap in that.

Olivia: Totally. I agree with you. I think like when we're able to kind of find compassion for ourselves and grace for ourselves, I mean, I think this is also a self love conversation as much as it is a sober curious conversation, right? It's about, uh, Being less hard on ourselves and less rigid about the choices we make and saying, Hey, this is something I really feel like I want to do, or this is something I don't want to do.

And I'm okay with that too. Um, and I found so much more kind of self love throughout this process. I hate using that phrase cause it feels so overused, but I really have found like a love within myself over throughout this process. And I'm proud of myself. I'm proud of myself for making decisions that feel right for me, even when they. [00:12:00] popular decision or when others are confused by it. Um, I think it's also, uh, massively helpful in terms of and self confidence and being able to stand up for yourself and to speak on what you feel that given night. Um, and so that's really cool. So I think it's really allowed me to. And I think a lot of people can resonate this who have kind of found more moderation with their alcohol consumption. It's really allowed me to be like a champion for myself. And that's been something that I think. like read in all these books in my mid twenties about doing, but it never really made sense to me until I kind of went on this journey.

Mike: You know, before moving on from where you started, I'm curious to know, especially since you have a lot of perspective around millennials and Gen Z, how was it received when you started to make these changes or did you share it? Was it internal? How did that go?

Olivia: It was shocking for so many people. I think like, again, I'm, I'm a millennial. So I was hanging out with [00:13:00] millennials. Um, and there's obviously a lot more openness to sober curiosity in the, in the Gen Z community, but everyone I knew like immediately when I said, Oh, I'm not drinking. People thought that I had like gone on some bender and like went to three months of like AA in Malibu or something because it was like, why isn't she drinking?

So there was always this like further explanation I had to do, which was really annoying when I did decide to, uh, become sober curious, I was living in a ski town. And so literally all we did was like ski and drink. And so every time, you know, and I wasn't great friends with the people that we were, you know, Kind of living around.

And so I felt this like massive wave of uncomfortability because I wasn't, you know, having beers in the morning or beers in the afternoon or a prey. And kind of like had to constantly. Explain myself, my parents were, it's so funny because I talk about this in my podcast, but like when I was a kid, my dad [00:14:00] is Cuban.

So I was, which I guess or not this, it really matters, but he was always very much like, you know, I had coffee when I was six years old and when I was 14, I was allowed to try a mojito when we were in Miami and my mom would have a glass of wine with dinner every night. And so alcohol was around, but my parents. We're never really drunk in front of me. It was never something that they, that really kind of like, um, was a big theme in our lives. But for some reason they were obsessed with me not drinking. They were like, you're going to die in a car accident. You're going to asphyxiate on your vomit. You're going to like get raped.

I mean, it was like the craziest things that could happen when you drink. They told me we're going to happen, which is why I said in the beginning of this, they really put the fear of God into me and I didn't drink for so long because of it. And then when I told them, They came to visit me a few months after I decided to become sober curious, and I wasn't drinking. They so confused. They were like, come [00:15:00] on, have a glass of wine. You know, just, just chill out a little bit. You're fine. I'm like, how did the tables turn like this? And I think it was because they, We're so there's such a stigma, right? It's like when I got my tattoos, my mom literally came to the tattoo shop, unbeknownst to me, like waltzed in through the doors, lost her mind.

Only veterans from Vietnam get tattoos. Like, I mean, it was insane. And so I think what happens is there's like this huge stigma when you want to stop drinking, that you have a problem. And so my parents were so concerned that I had an issue they were like. Why can't you just have more moderation in your life and, you know, you should be able to drink.

And it was such an interesting role reversal. And it was also very challenging for me to kind of explain to them and everyone else that this is a choice and it's a choice I'm making for myself because it feels like the right thing to do. [00:16:00] the. The social aspect of drinking is ingrained in our culture, especially as millennials.

It is ingrained. You don't do things without drinking as a millennial. I mean, it's like really rare. I think too, I mean, living in San Francisco, it's a little bit different because we do a lot of things outside. But when I was living in Los Angeles, when I was living in New York, when I was living in Portland, it's like go and grab a beer at a brewery, go out and have a few glasses of wine. It's very, um, It's very ingrained in our culture and in our generation. So I think that it's, it's hard to explain it to people. Um, and. Yeah, I can say my parents are still really, really confused as to what I'm doing. And I don't think I've been with them in the last, I still have not been with them where they haven't offered for me to have a drink.

And that's probably because I'm just so uptight when I'm with them. They just need me to relax, but they just, they want me to drink when I'm with them. And it's the [00:17:00] funniest thing.

Mike: How does that make you feel? Like, do you feel like it makes it harder? Do you feel like it just doesn't matter because you've already making made this choice?

Olivia: It's frustrating. You know, I, I got in Uh, you know, argument with my dad the last time he was here because he just kind of made this big deal about it. And I think right now too, it's like they're older and I'm older. So I think what happens is parents and kids, we have this expectation of what our relationships will look like.

When we finally get to that, like pivotal point of both being adults. And I had expectations of what our relationship would, would look like. And I think they did too. And one of the things they probably were excited for is to have, like, have a glass of wine over dinner. And now I don't do that. And I think there's this letdown for them. And so that makes it hard for me. Right. Because I'm kind of like, Oh, you know, I could just have a glass of wine. It would make them so happy. It's. Again, very kind of like cultural and symbolic [00:18:00] of it's like having a cigarette after lunch. You know, it's just like there's something about the ritual of doing it. Um, think they were upset about that. And so when I go out, you know, whether it's with friends or my parents, I can see people are maybe a little bit more hesitant to invite me or to include me because they know I don't drink. It does make me feel bad sometimes. I kind of think like, oh, I'm the sober girl.

But I also find that I have found this like incredible energy in being sober that is like, 10 times the energy I was able ever able to give when I drink. And one example of that is I was just in Europe and I went to a, uh, like really kind of wild techno club and I was over there and my friend was like, how. hell are you doing this? And I was just like, this is like, joyful to me. This is so much fun. I have [00:19:00] learned how to like love myself and gather energy without alcohol. And I feel more proud of that than I do bad about not drinking. And I think that's why I continue to wake up and make the choices I do every day.

Mike: Yeah. When you have that Quote unquote control for lack of a better word. But just that cheat code, I think is another way I like to put it. And you especially see it when you go and do things that you always used to do when you drink. So for example, I went back to my university, university, Arizona, big party school.

I don't think I ever got up before 10. Always took the, the, the late classes of course. And then the weekends were fraternity days. And when I went back, I brought my kids so that they could go to Look at the campus and, you know, get excited about college and the creativity that goes on there. And I woke up at like five and went for a hike and I was like, who even knew that this existed?

Olivia: I know.

Mike: So it's so funny how things like that happen. Um, so do you [00:20:00] feel, so you've been on this a little bit, uh, and are you seeing other people and kind of come around with not only within your circle. And we'll talk about your. You know, big following here on Instagram, which is really amazing.

Olivia: Thank you.

Mike: but including that, you know, do you feel like it's like gaining momentum, this sober curious movement?

Olivia: Totally. I mean, one of the things that been really prominent to me is that every time, and this was even in the beginning, every time I explain what I'm doing and why I'm not drinking, at least one person in the group kind of comes out and is like, I'm actually really interested in this. I'm thinking about drinking less too. I haven't. And over the years, I will say more and more people that I know and more and more of my friends have been interested in drinking less. I think that because the movement has kind of gotten so large and I feel very grateful to kind of be One of like the leaders of the conversation. I don't know if I'm a leader in the [00:21:00] conversation, but I'm in the conversation and I feel grateful to have shared my experience in the conversation because I think a lot of people are listening and a lot of people are curious because especially what we went through in 2020. People just want to get their minds right. They just want to like live a good life. And I think when they see the benefits that are, shared by people who aren't drinking as much, they're curious to know if those benefits would apply to them if they stopped. So I've noticed a massive increase in the people that I surround myself with, but also people online who are just so interested in the non alcoholic kind of Community and they're interested in the sober curious community.

They're interested in how they can more balance into their lives when it comes to alcohol. And I think they understand through like, you know, telling my story and so many others telling their stories. I think they understand that there's something to this. And if there wasn't something to this, it [00:22:00] probably wouldn't have gained as much momentum as it has.

Mike: Yeah, we absolutely have to normalize the conversation. It doesn't, it's not reserved for people that are really in the grips of addiction. It can be just something that you want to do to better your life, or maybe just something that you're aging out of, or, you know, something that you've always been curious about, uh, and.

maybe felt like, you know, some of those stigmas that you may have felt early on.

Olivia: Yeah, I mean, really easy for a stigma to be attached to it. And I love what you said about kind of growing out of things as humans were so resistant to change. And the reality is that changes are only constant in life. And I think that it's so important for us as humans to just recognize that. We're not going to stay in the same place our entire lives. Surely we shouldn't stay in the same place our entire lives. And alcohol may be, um, [00:23:00] something for someone that grow out of or that they want to change their mind about. And I think it's really important to listen to that little inner voice or whatever it is, and to not get as caught up by, What you have known your whole life socially or what you've known your whole life in terms of how you make friends and To start to follow that voice that says maybe I need one less or two less drinks this week or this day I think that's a really important thing for anyone listening Who's had those feelings to try and you know, stay confident in that

Mike: So go into your inner voice. You probably were asking yourself, how is this going to affect my social life?

Olivia: Yeah,

Mike: was asking you the same thing, like, listen, I'm really thinking about doing this, uh, sober curious thing, or I'm, Thinking about doing mindful drinking, but I'm worried how it's going to affect my social life.

What would you say to that?

Olivia: I would say that it [00:24:00] only affects it as much as you let it affect your social life. Um, I think again, in terms of change, it will change your entire life. It will change your social life, but I do think it will change it for the better. I can say wholeheartedly, every single one of my friends has been absolutely and unconditionally supportive of me, which has made a huge difference and has also. Given me the confidence that I've made the right friends. If you have friends that aren't supportive of you making a change like this in your life, they are not good friends. You should not be friends with them. Um, if they don't understand and they want to learn more, that's fine. But people who write you off immediately are, they, they have their own shit going on and. They need to figure themselves out. That's the first thing I would say. The second thing I would say is that it has changed my social life, but it's changed it for the better. The things that I do, I was just telling my partner the other day, I, I've just started in the last few months, um, open water swimming.

So I swim in the Bay weekly [00:25:00] and I made a friend and we go swimming and we do sauna. And I came home the other day and he's like, you were gone for two and a half hours. What were you doing? And I was like, This is my happy hour. And that's the coolest thing is that happy hour can be anything you want it to be.

For me, it's going swimming, know, talking shit in the sauna, hanging out and coming home and making dinner. And I think, know, five years ago it would have been going and getting a glass of wine. Both are fine. Both are okay. And it's just, An important thing to realize that if you choose to drink less, or if you choose to drink, not at all, or if you choose to be more mindful about your drinking, your social life is going to change, but it's probably going to change in ways you would have never expected that are really, really cool.

I mean, I, I am very. In love with my life. I'm very in love with it. It does not involve drinking. I still go to happy hours at bars. I'll just get non alcoholic wine or seltzer water and wine glass. [00:26:00] I still do things with my friends. I fit myself into scenarios where alcohol is involved and I remove the alcohol for myself. And sometimes. It's not as fun. Right? Once I reach a certain point like 12 or 1 a. m. I get tired. I'm not, you know, I'm not as willing to stay out late because I have my wits about me and I know I'm going to feel like shit the next day. So I just always drive my car and I choose to go home and I have a great attitude about it. And then I'm able to wake up at 6 a. m. The next morning, go on an amazing bike ride, go to the farmer's market. And I'm like, And I've kind of made it this way so I can do both. But alcohol is kind of that one variable that's removed. And for me, it really doesn't change that much.

Mike: A hundred percent. I, I mean, I've experienced all of that myself. And I think if you're going out and you realize that you don't like it, it really had nothing to do with the connection or what you were doing. It had everything to do with the alcohol and same with the friends that no longer want to hang out with you because you're [00:27:00] not, it either is a reflection.

Like you said, they got their own shit going on. So it makes them feel bad or that they weren't actually coming for the company. With you. But first, let me ask you, and this is a really serious question. Do you get scared swimming in the middle of the ocean?

Olivia: I do. I was yesterday. Actually, I went by myself and the club had been closed all day and I randomly got there right when it opened. So I was alone in the water. Usually there's like, Uh, you know, five to 10 people or more in the water kind of swimming the buoys, but I was completely alone and I just had to take breaks every, I was stopping probably every yards because I was so scared.

I was going to run into an animal. I was, I was just, I couldn't, I was just freaking out. I came face to face with a duck like two weeks ago and made a complete fool of myself. I just started screaming and someone probably thought there was a shark in the water. It's a very scary thing, but it's like, I just read a book about it and it actually [00:28:00] reminded me a lot of relationship to sober curiosity in the beginning. It's something that I started that I just thought I could never do. I mean, I just never thought like, Oh, I'm going to swim in the, in the middle of the ocean. And similarly to drinking, I never thought I'm just going to stop drinking one day. And yeah. It's a constant, I mean, I'm constantly in awe of how amazing it makes me feel.

And I'm also really proud of myself every time I get out of the water. And similarly, I'm always so proud of myself after every time I go out with friends or I go to a club and I stay sober and I'm able to kind of have this really amazing experience. Without alcohol. And for a lot of other people who are, you know, mindfully drinking, maybe it's a little bit of alcohol.

Maybe they're not completely cutting it out, but it's the same type of feeling I get when I get out of the water. I'm like, I did that. And that's so, that's so sick to me. I'm just like, I never thought I could do that. And I just continue to prove [00:29:00] myself wrong.

Mike: I mean, I'm envious. It's something that I've actually always wanted to do. I kind of like to do things that scare the shit out of me. And that's one of the ones that I've always wanted to do. I'll see the people swimming when I go to like La Jolla in San Diego, I'll see the people swimming out there. And I'm like, I want to do that one of these days.

Olivia: If you ever, if we're ever in La Jolla at the same time, I actually was just there for a wedding and I, I didn't bring my swim stuff and I was on a run and I saw everyone going out and I was so envious. So if we're ever in La Jolla at the same time, we can go out together and I'll be, I'll be your, um, your mental guide because honestly, that's really all you need.

And now that I'm thinking about it, it also relates to the sober curious thing. I really didn't have anyone in my life when I went sober curious that was doing the same thing, and that was kind of difficult. I think if you can find a friend or somebody who's done it, to guide you along the way, it can be so much more helpful because, and I think that's why my social media is popular, right?

[00:30:00] Maybe people don't friends who have talked about it, so it can be really helpful when you have somebody who's like, You know, telling you I went out today and I didn't drink and it was totally fine, or here's the benefits, or here's a non alcoholic drink recipe. I know for me getting in the water, it was massively important that I had a friend who guided me. Just mentally. It's like, I know how to swim. I'm not a great swimmer, but it was more so about getting past that, that mental barrier. And I think with, when it comes to alcohol, I think that's a huge part of it is just moving past the mental barrier of, can I do this? I'm afraid to do this. It's going to change my entire life.

For a lot of people, it will change their entire lives. If they choose to drink just once or twice a week, instead of five to six days a week.

Mike: Yup.

Olivia: that's something that I think is really important to note too, is sometimes. You know, I think there's a lot of us, I know, you know, my dad would come home every single day and have a beer after work. And I can't even imagine, I can't even imagine [00:31:00] doing that. I can't imagine drinking every single day. And I think there's a lot of people where that is very much the norm. And the idea of letting that go could be really, really hard. So I think it's important to have somebody to kind of guide you along.

Mike: Yeah. And community doesn't even have to be. You know, more than one person and you get the support, you get the accountability, but also like you said, having somebody to celebrate the wins, you know, like even if it's a small win, all wins add up and it's really makes it a little bit more fun.

Olivia: I agree.

Mike: Yeah. Um, so and to your point about the daily beers, my goodness, I used to think so I was a bartender in London.

I used to live in London for two years and I worked in the pub right below the BBC. And so at lunch hour, the workers would come down and they would at least have two or three pints before they went up for the afternoon. And I remember just thinking like, how the heck do you do that? You know, I imagine [00:32:00] that they probably just went back and stared at their screen for the last two hours before five o'clock turned around and then they came right back down, which they did.

Um, so I don't know, like that would definitely be a big change if, if that was your daily routine. But I want to get into, uh, your social media account. And I don't want to divulge too much. I'm going to let you talk about it, but it's pretty incredible. You have 500, just below 500, 000 followers right now, and I'm sure it'll be above that soon.

How did this all start? Why did you do it? What's it all about?

Olivia: Yeah, I mean, it was kind of a funny journey. I, um, I started a long time ago, back in 2016, before influencing as a thing before content creation was a thing I really just started as I just gone through a bad breakup and I was starting to eat healthy and I was studying for graduate school to get into graduate school.

And I was like, I just need a hobby because I've always kind of done. I've dabbled in like the [00:33:00] arts my whole life. And I thought that it would be a cool new medium to try out. So I started cooking and posting my food and I grew my account, you know, it was, I guess, easier to grow back then. I think I grew it to like 10, 000 followers and that was so cool.

And then I went to graduate school and I, I left social media for almost two years, completely like cold Turkey, because I was trying to finish school. When I came back from finishing my degree, I'm a speech and language pathologist. Um, so I got a degree in speech and language pathology. And when I. Okay, let's do that.

back from getting my degree. I was waiting for my license. And, um, my ex partner was like, you know, you should start that thing back up again. I feel like you've learned so much in the last two years. And it might be cool to kind of have this hobby because I really wasn't in love with my job and it was stressing me out.

And I was young now that I think about it, like to really, you know, be like, oh, Like move into the workforce and be like, this is what I'm going to do for the rest of my life. So I just started talking about life and sharing recipes. And it's always kind of been [00:34:00] this cool combination of food and how it relates to like my emotional state.

Honestly, it's kind of the best way for me to put it. And over time it just grew and grew and grew. And this was, I mean, and when I say grew, I mean, it was like, 000 followers now, 30, 000 followers. And it was never really above that. It was just kind of something that I did for fun. When 2020 hit things really changed.

I think, you know, with the emergence of like Tik Tok and and content creators, like it just started to become like a thing. And I was lucky that I kind of already had my chops and I was able to really kind of like settle into creating. I honestly don't really know what happened, but things kind of just like took off for me a little bit and I was able to go part time at my job and kind of make it like, [00:35:00] uh, I was working pretty much like kind of two full time jobs for a while there. And then really what happened and there's, there's so much information, but the short story is that I had finally left my job as a speech pathologist and was kind of like trying content creation out and it was working for me. I was doing fine and it was very fun. I stopped drinking and, um, This is in 2021 or 2022.

I'm not sure which one 2021. I think I stopped drinking and I, um, decided, you know, I saw this spicy blackberry margarita on Tik TOK and I was like, I want to make that without alcohol. And so I just, You know, I had been posting recipe videos and videos about my life and it was fine, but it was just kind of like the same old thing.

And I wasn't really inspired by my work. And I remember I was going to a ski lesson that day cause we were living in a mountain town and I just, I was learning how to ski that year. So. Which is a whole other thing. Um, it was a nightmare, [00:36:00] but I was going to a ski lesson. I remember I'd, I'd shot this video of a non alcoholic spicy blackberry margarita.

And I was like, okay, I'm just going to, you know, post it and go to my ski lesson. And I just remember like my phone just like On the way to the ski lesson, I'm like, what's going on? And I put my phone away and I came home and the video just like blew up. And I was like, what the heck? And I realized in this like very short period of time that so many people are interested in cocktail alternatives, non alcoholic drinks, and learning about what a sober curious lifestyle looks like. And I honestly just kind of took that and ran with it. I was like, okay. non alcoholic drink recipes, let's go. And I just found such a love and passion for creating them, is great because I think a lot of people needed them and wanted them at the time. Um, and that's kind of what it's become and it's, [00:37:00] it's evolved over the years.

You know, it's something now where make, um, a lot of different types of recipes and I share them with my community and I talk about my sober curiosity and I also talk about. other things. And I also share, um, food recipes and I think it's really cool now. And, you know, I kind of explained this in the beginning that sober curiosity isn't my main identity anymore.

And really what it is, is, is a part of me. And it's something that's, I think, always going to be a part of me. And I'm so happy to be able to share Drink recipes with everybody who needs them. And I'm also really happy to share food recipes with everyone who needs them, because I think there's people who are not drinking that also want food to accompany their non alcoholic drinks. there's always going to be this part of me that kind of connects with the sober curious and sober community and is able to kind of speak to that lifestyle. And it's nice, I think, for people to have kind of a friend in their back pocket who [00:38:00] can speak to the journey and who can speak to the lifestyle.

Mike: Yeah, I was looking through everything that you have there. It's like, really interesting and tasty looking things. And, and this just is kind of coming to me, but I think it might be a little bit of fun because you have so many different options, is what is your weirdest drink that you've ever made? What is the worst drink you've ever made?

And your favorite that you've ever made?

Olivia: Oh, God, I've made so many bad drinks, like so many where I'm tasting them and I'm like, Oh, this is just not going to work. Um, the weirdest drink I ever made, I would say was, I last year it ended up being really good, but I would say it was one of the more kind of, well, the weirdest drink I've definitely ever made was I made an al pastor like taco mocktail, which actually turned out really good, but. the first [00:39:00] time I tested it, I used like acciote powder as like a simple syrup and I like completely overboiled it and it turned into like rock candy and I burned my hands and it was an absolute disaster. That was definitely a weird drink. Also, I made like a corn margarita. That was also kind of weird. I think it's like when you use anything savory in a drink, it's just gonna Kind of be a weird thing.

Mike: How is the bone broth something chocolate?

Olivia: hot chocolate. I was

Mike: Yeah.

Olivia: about this the other day. It's amazing. It's so good. was just talking about this with my friend the other day and my boyfriend was like, I just don't understand why you need to put bone broth in it.

And that's the funniest part is that he was like asking for it every day. Last year when I made it, he's like, okay, more than hot chocolate. It's. It's incredible. But like I said, when you put something savory into a drink, you have to be so careful and it's always seems a little weird, but when you try it, it's actually incredible. The thing with a bone broth hot chocolate is you really can't taste it and it adds so much more protein. I highly recommend it [00:40:00] during the holiday season. I will say to anybody. Um, so I've made a lot of weird drinks. I have made so many bad drinks. I don't even know. Oh, I feel like I just made one that I was like, I cannot post this and I don't remember what it was. But I made it and it was just like, I've made drinks where like the color is just brown. It's just a brown, disgusting looking, horrible drink. And that's always really discouraging when I do that. Or I'll make things that like, one time I made a drink and I gave it to my boyfriend and I was like, try this.

And he was like, it tastes the same as the drink you gave me yesterday. And I was like, it's completely different. You just don't understand.

Mike: All right. So what was your, what was your favorite? What's your favorite? Even if it's not complex, what's your favorite to your taste?

Olivia: My favorite. my favorite drink. I think that I've made and that all of my friends love the most is it's the second mocktail I [00:41:00] ever made and it's a coconut jalapeno margarita and it's so good. And all of my friends still make it for their friends, like at bachelorette parties, I've always, I'm always tasked to make it like, you know, Like parties or whatever we do, I'm always tasked to make them. And the one thing I will say that I do love about my drinks is pretty much all of them can be turned into cocktails. And that's really important to me because I also think that people. the option to be more mindful or balanced about their drinking, but they want the opportunity to maybe add alcohol in it as well for friends or for partners.

Cause like my partner does drink. And so it's really nice to be able to make something that we can both enjoy at the same time where his just kind of needs like an extra shot of tequila and mine can do without. So.

Mike: Well, this is a really fun topic. So, but I have looked at your other projects you've done podcasting. I, by the way, I love your creative writing on your website. You're [00:42:00] creating all these recipes online, connecting with people, creating communities, supporting people doing whether or not they want to drink or don't drink.

What project are you working on right now that just has you, I mean, these probably are, have you. Completely occupied. But is there anything that you didn't mention that maybe has you excited right now?

Olivia: I am kind of starting to work on something right now that I can't really, that I'm not going to really talk about, but all I can say is that there will be something physical for people, hopefully in the next six ish, six to eight months, and I'm really excited about it because I think people are going to love it.

And especially people who enjoy my non alcoholic drink recipes and also kind of the creative writing aspect and, you know, my travel guides and everything I put out, um, there's going to be hopefully a physical manifestation of that. So that's kind of what's exciting me right now and kind of keeping me occupied.

But generally I'm so [00:43:00] occupied with developing recipes. I mean, it's like, it feels so constant. I'm like, I have to come up with it. I have to test. I tested cookies last night and I was. I made my boyfriend try like four different cookies and he's like, I'm so done trying these cookies. And I'm like one more please.

So it does keep me very occupied throughout the day to kind of do all of this. Um, but I'm really excited to hopefully have, uh, physical work out in the world for people to kind of have something in their home.

Mike: Yeah, that's exciting. And I have to say, I'm not surprised to hear you say that it occupies you. Cause my, my wife loves to make recipes and document it and like, we'll watch. You know, accounts like yours. And she's like, I don't know where they find the time. My God. Like, cause she knows by doing it, how much time it takes.

So I totally respect the amount of effort that you put in.

Olivia: I appreciate it. Thank you.

Mike: Well, this has been incredible. Um, thanks so much for coming on. If anybody wants to connect with you, what's the best way to find you?

Olivia: Yeah, please connect with me, reach [00:44:00] out. Let me know you listened to the podcast. I love sunny side. So, um, I would love to hear, um, you can find me on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Substack, uh, at Olivia Noseda, just my first and last name. Um, and I hope to see you and chat and connect.

Mike: Thanks, Olivia. Thanks for coming on.

Olivia: Thank you so much, Mike.

​