Episode 69 - Emma Newman
In this deeply honest episode, Jimmy sits down with Emma Newman, a 10-year sobriety veteran who got sober in 2015 — before sober coaching existed, before quit-lit flooded the shelves, before Instagram accounts made recovery feel possible. Emma’s story is one of the most relatable on the podcast precisely because there was no dramatic rock bottom. No intervention. No ultimatum. Just a quiet, growing certainty that alcohol wasn’t serving her anymore.
Emma quit drinking over ten years ago, long before sobriety became a trend or a wellness choice. Back then, choosing not to drink often raised eyebrows, and the only visible routes were AA or rehab. Emma chose neither, instead carving out her own path—without quit lit, podcasts, or a sober community to lean on.
By day, she’s a mum to two teenagers (and two cats) and works for a disability charity. In her spare time, she’s become a passionate advocate for alcohol-free drinks, supporting the category from its earliest days. Today, Emma is a regular judge of alcohol-free categories and writes about non-alcoholic drinks, bringing both lived experience and a sharp critical palate to a category that’s come a long way since she started.
You can find Emma on instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/emma_sobersonic?igsh=MXVhY2JraXdodWhzbw==
And Emma’s linktree at:
https://linktr.ee/emma_sobersonic
Love Sober Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/love-sober-podcast/id1379018341
The Outrun - Amy Liptrot
Wild - Cheryl Strayed
Dry - Augusten Burroughs
Wintering - Katherine May
My Instagram is:
https://www.instagram.com/recovery_jimmy
And you can find all my other links at:
https://linktr.ee/jimmythistle
Buy me a coffee…
https://buymeacoffee.com/afterhourswithjimmyt
Alcohol Explained - William Porter
https://a.co/d/0854fIb6
This Naked Mind - Annie Grace
https://a.co/d/0gy6mT9Z
A Million Little Pieces - James Frey
https://a.co/d/0jdcIjGb
Donate:
https://motiv8.im/donate/
https://nacoa.org.uk/get-involved/donating/donate/
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