Journey to the Sunnyside | Mindful Drinking & Alcohol Health

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Burn the Mental Clutter and Move On Aug 11, 2025

Show notes

If your head feels crowded this Monday—maybe with weekend regrets, to-do list stress, or just that heavy “where do I start?” feeling—this 10-minute reset is for you. We’ll clear the noise, release what’s weighing you down, and choose one small action you can influence today. Backed by research on expressive writing and behavior change, this quick exercise will help you swap shame for clarity and start the week in control.

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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.

The New Way to Help People Change w/ Dr. Andrew Tatarsky, PhD Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to part two of my conversation with Dr. Andrew Tatarsky. If you missed part one, we unpacked the roots of the abstinence-only model and why it often fails to support the majority of people seeking help for substance use. Today, we pick up with Andrew’s personal turning point — the moment he began questioning that system from the inside. For context, Dr. Tatarsky is a clinical psychologist, author of Harm Reduction Psychotherapy, and a leading voice in the movement to create more compassionate, flexible approaches to recovery. In this episode, we dive into the core philosophy of harm reduction, how it actually works in practice, and why small, self-directed steps can be more powerful than rigid rules.

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Rethinking Recovery: Where the System Fails w/ Dr. Andrew Tatarsky, PhD Aug 06, 2025

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Ever since our first interview, I’ve come to deeply respect today’s guest — and I’m grateful to now call him a close friend. Dr. Andrew Tatarsky is a clinical psychologist, author, and one of the pioneers of harm reduction psychotherapy — a model that’s helped thousands of people build a better relationship with substances, even if abstinence isn’t their starting point. In this first part of our conversation, we talk about why traditional models — like abstinence-only and the 12-step approach — still dominate, despite working for only a small percentage of people. We explore the history behind those models, how they became the standard, and why that can leave so many people feeling stuck, shamed, or unsupported. This episode isn’t about dismissing what works — if you’ve found a path that helps you, that’s a win. But we also need to talk about the millions of people who haven’t found success with the old playbook — and to know there are other options.

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Feel Better Fast: The 10-Minute Reset That Works Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

Start your week with a reset that actually sticks. In just 10 minutes, you’ll move through a powerful science-backed flow: a quick gratitude shift, a habit win to anchor progress, a guided intention to move you forward, and a simple breath technique proven to calm your nervous system fast.

No fluff. No pressure. Just a mental tune-up you can come back to anytime life feels off track.

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How We’re Building Sunnyside w/ Steve Lloyd Jul 31, 2025

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Today we’re pulling back the curtain so you can meet one of the key people behind what we’re building at Sunnyside. Steve Lloyd is our Chief Product and Technology Officer—and before joining us, he spent a decade helping grow Strava into one of the world’s most loved fitness platforms.

In this episode, you’ll hear what brought Steve to Sunnyside, what he’s focused on behind the scenes, and how his passion for building meaningful products is shaping the future of sunnyside. If you’ve ever wondered who’s working behind the scenes to help make your experience better—this one’s for you.

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When Success Isn’t Enough: ADHD, Alcohol, and a Wake‑Up Call w/ Rick Culleton Jul 24, 2025

Show notes

Rick Culleton is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and CEO who’s built multiple multimillion-dollar companies over the past four decades. But behind the success was a daily drinking habit—used not to party, but to manage stress, anxiety, and undiagnosed ADHD. Rick drank for nearly 40 years, all while running high-growth businesses and appearing to have it all together. When health markers forced him to take a hard look at his habits, he made the decision to stop drinking—and everything changed. In this episode, Rick shares how sobriety reshaped his brain, his business, and his life. We dive into how ADHD can be both a superpower and a liability—and why you don’t need to hit rock bottom to change.

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Feeling Like Moderation Is Hard? You’re Not Alone Jul 21, 2025

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If you’ve ever wondered why moderating your drinking feels harder than you expected, you’re not alone — and you’re not doing it wrong. Mike explains the surprising mental load that comes with moderation, why it’s not a failure to need a break, and how to find the right path for your season of life. A must-listen for anyone navigating the middle ground.

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Emotional Sobriety, Cravings, and Nervous System Repair w/ Colleen Freeland Jul 17, 2025

Show notes

Most people try to change their drinking by focusing on the alcohol itself. But if you’ve ever felt like you’re stuck reacting the same way over and over, there’s a reason — and it’s not just in your head. It’s in your body. In this episode, I’m joined again by Colleen Freeland, a master life coach and addiction recovery specialist who helps high-achieving women cut their drinking by 80% without labels or lifelong abstinence. We break down why cravings and urges can feel so overpowering, how your nervous system actually wires you to keep reaching for a drink, and why chasing relief is the wrong goal. We also get into what emotional sobriety really looks like in practice, and Colleen shares a couple of simple tools you can try tonight to start calming your system and breaking the old pattern for good.

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Reset Your Dopamine: 5 Simple Steps to Reduce Cravings Jul 14, 2025

Show notes

Why is it so hard to stop at one drink — or to stop reaching for your phone, your fridge, or another quick fix? In this episode, we’ll explore how your brain’s dopamine system drives cravings and what you can do to reset it. You’ll learn five practical steps to feel calmer, more satisfied, and less pulled toward habits that don’t actually serve you.

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Not an Alcoholic. Not Sober. Truly Free. Here’s How w/ Colleen Freeland Jul 10, 2025

Show notes

Today we’re talking with Colleen Freeland. She’s a master life coach and addiction recovery specialist who helps high-achieving women cut their drinking by 80% without labeling themselves or committing to a lifetime of sobriety. I align so much with her work — because just like we teach here, it’s not really about the alcohol. It’s about how you think, how you regulate your emotions, and how you build a life you don’t need to numb from In this episode, we get into the mindset shifts that finally break the cycle, the most damaging beliefs to unlearn, and the powerful new truths that actually make change last. If you’ve ever felt stuck in that same old loop, this conversation will give you a whole new way to look at it.

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