#64: We Were Functioning Alcoholics… Until This Happened

What happens when you ditch the studio and hit record in a treehouse? Baby goats bleating in the background. One mic. Zero rehearsal. Just two besties catching up like they used to before life got busy, real estate got wild, and sobriety became a full-time vibe. This is Mocktails or Messy, unfiltered. In this episode, Ryan & Kelly are back in Kelly's treehouse (aka the Mizgorski compound), surrounded by chickens, goats, and the kind of chaos that only comes with farm life and toddlers who refuse to sleep in their own beds. They talk about everything from marathon runners who literally shit themselves mid-race to why sitting down to pee is the superior move. They dive into Orange Theory burnout, Pilates boredom, inflatable hot tubs, and the dream of building a home gym that will probably never happen. Ryan opens up about his sober coaching practice, why he's money-driven but not greedy, and the wild theory that once he hits $11 million, he might have a drink again. Kelly reads his astrology birth chart, calling out his restless mind, tendency to overcommit, and old wounds from divorce and distance from his brother. They get honest about sibling relationships as adults, why Kelly doesn't like people sleeping in her bed, and how Airbnb-ing their house for Steeler weekends is funding date nights at their parents' places. They also talk about the difference between being sober and sober curious, why Kelly needs wine to unwind from her uptight energy, and how Ryan's sobriety journey has shifted from "me at the center" to building community and lasting value. Plus, Ryan's hunting for duplex number two in a buyer's market, Kelly's still trying to figure out what to do with her upper level now that the kids won't use their bedrooms, and they both agree that being weird is better than being boring. If you've ever: • felt like you overcommit to everything and can't say no • wondered if sobriety is forever or just for now • struggled with sibling relationships as an adult • needed permission to be antisocial and love it …this episode is for you. No judgment. No script. Just two weirdies talking life, sobriety, real estate, and why astrology might actually be onto something. Welcome to Mocktails or Messy. #MocktailsOrMessy #SoberCurious #Sobriety #RealEstate #Astrology #FarmLife #PittsburghPodcast #SoberCoaching #Entrepreneurship #MindfulLiving #MomLife #Podcast 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)

What if you could have it all without apologizing for any of it? Green juice by morning. Gin by night. A thriving career. A passport full of stamps. And zero guilt about enjoying both sides of the coin. That's exactly the energy Liv Barth brings to this episode of Mocktails or Messy. In this episode, Ryan & Kelly sit down with Liv Barth, a Sydney-to-Pittsburgh transplant, content creator, executive talent advisor, and self-proclaimed "80% messy, 20% mocktail" kind of girl. They dive into what it really means to live unapologetically, build multiple businesses across continents, and embrace both the discipline and the chaos without choosing sides. Liv opens up about her journey from headhunting CEOs to coaching executives, launching a secret health and wellness project in Pittsburgh, and documenting her whole life on Instagram with the kind of LA energy that makes you want to say "love ya" to strangers. She talks about moving back to Pittsburgh after years in New York and Sydney, why she chose roots over rent control, and how she's splitting time between two continents while building something meaningful in the Steel City. They also get into the messy stuff: getting diagnosed with ADHD at 32 and how Vyvanse changed everything, working in a prison teaching long-term offenders how to reintegrate into society, navigating imposter syndrome as a young woman advising C-suite execs, and why caring deeply while holding lightly is the mantra that keeps her grounded. From cracking non-alcoholic beers at 9 a.m. to discussing Pittsburgh's potential as the next Silicon Valley, from astrology predictions about pregnancy to the importance of community and connection, this conversation is equal parts inspiring, honest, and refreshingly real. If you've ever: • felt like you had to choose between being disciplined or being fun • wondered if you could build a life across multiple cities • struggled with imposter syndrome while crushing it professionally • wanted permission to be messy and put together at the same time …this episode is for you. No judgment. Be messy. Be mindful. Be magnetic. Just stop apologizing for being all of it. Welcome to Mocktails or Messy. #MocktailsOrMessy #SoberCurious #ContentCreator #Pittsburgh #ExecutiveCoaching #ADHD #Entrepreneurship #HealthAndWellness #MindfulLiving #MomLife #Podcast 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)

Why does saying “I’m not drinking tonight” require an explanation? Why do we care what’s in somebody else’s cup? And why did filling a beer can with water feel less embarrassing than just ordering a mocktail? We didn’t have a good answer. So we talked it out. In this episode of Mocktails or Messy, Ryan & Kelly are joined by their cousin — and resident Gen Z content genius — Sylvie for a wide-open conversation about drinking culture, sober-curious pressure, and why nobody should have to justify what’s in their glass. They get into the family pushback Ryan faced early in his sobriety, the “normies vs. wackos” divide between people who can stop after two drinks and people who can’t, and why being the one sober friend at a wedding still somehow requires a speech. They also unpack the internet’s reaction to Brad Pitt’s “I was sober for seven years, now I have a couple glasses of wine” moment — is moderation ever really safe for someone in recovery, or is it a slippery slope with a nice Italian vacation attached? — and Sylvie weighs in on how her generation is actually rethinking alcohol altogether, curious about low- and no-alcohol drinks while still wanting to learn their limits before college. From smuggling water-filled beer cans as broke 20-somethings to sipping adaptogen mocktails out of a fancy glass now, this is the honest, funny, occasionally chaotic conversation about drinking, not drinking, and everything in between. If you’ve ever: • felt like you owed someone an explanation for not drinking • played “fun police” for skipping a shot • wondered if someone in recovery can ever safely drink again • wanted a mocktail that actually tastes like something …this episode is for you. No judgment. Drink, don’t drink, order the mocktail, order the cocktail — just stop making somebody else’s choice weird. Welcome to Mocktails or Messy. #MocktailsOrMessy #SoberCurious #Sobriety #MocktailRecipes #NonAlcoholic #MindfulDrinking #SoberLife #MomLife #GenZ #Podcast

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 Mocktails Or Messy podcast IG: @mocktailsormessy | TikTok: @mockmess Watch | YouTube Mocktails Or Messy Listen | Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Featured | #11 of Best Local Podcasts: FeedSpot

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 Mocktails Or Messy podcast IG: @mocktailsormessy | TikTok: @mockmess Watch | YouTube Mocktails Or Messy Listen | Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Featured | #11 of Best Local Podcasts: FeedSpot

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 Mocktails Or Messy podcast IG: @mocktailsormessy | TikTok: @mockmess Watch | YouTube Mocktails Or Messy Listen | Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Featured | #11 of Best Local Podcasts: FeedSpot

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 Mocktails Or Messy podcast IG: @mocktailsormessy | TikTok: @mockmess Watch | YouTube Mocktails Or Messy Listen | Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Featured | #11 of Best Local Podcasts: FeedSpot

Send us Fan Mail Mocktails Or Messy podcast IG: @mocktailsormessy | TikTok: @mockmess Watch | YouTube Mocktails Or Messy Listen | Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Featured | #11 of Best Local Podcasts: FeedSpot

Send us Fan Mail Mocktails Or Messy podcast IG: @mocktailsormessy | TikTok: @mockmess Watch | YouTube Mocktails Or Messy Listen | Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Featured | #11 of Best Local Podcasts: FeedSpot

Send us Fan Mail Mocktails Or Messy podcast IG: @mocktailsormessy | TikTok: @mockmess Watch | YouTube Mocktails Or Messy Listen | Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Featured | #11 of Best Local Podcasts: FeedSpot