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We Recover Loudly – Unfiltered Stories, Unapologetic Recovery
We Recover Loudly is a podcast for anyone reclaiming their identity after life’s toughest challenges. Whether that’s addiction, mental health struggles, chronic illness, burnout, or something else entirely. Hosted by Shell, each episode brings raw vulnerability, humour, and real-life stories that show recovery comes in many forms, and that you are never the only one to go through something challenging. From guests who have triumphed over addiction to those reclaiming themselves from burnout, anxiety, and more, we share candid conversations, personal insights, and practical tips to remind you that no matter what you’re recovering from, you’re not alone.
Because when we recover loudly ... we stop others dying quietly. So, let's turn it up and get loud!
We Recover Loudly – Unfiltered Stories, Unapologetic Recovery
S3 Episode 06 Camille Vidal: Recovering Loudly … Mindful Drinking, Authenticity, and Letting Go of the Mask
In this open-hearted and empowering episode of We Recover Loudly, host Shell sits down with Camille Vidal, a globally renowned bartender, wellness educator, and founder of La Maison Wellness. Together they explore what it means to live, lead, and drink more mindfully.
Camille shares her journey from growing up in a vibrant, creative home in the South of France to becoming a global spirits ambassador, living life on planes, behind bars, and in hotel rooms more than her own flat. But behind the glamour came burnout, disconnection, and a craving for balance that eventually led her to yoga, meditation, and a whole new way of showing up in the world and in the drinks industry.
Together, Shell and Camille unpack the spectrum of mindful drinking, the unspoken pressures of hospitality culture, and the subtle but significant grief that can come with losing an identity — whether it’s through giving up alcohol or walking away from a career. They explore the social rituals we build around booze, the importance of creating inclusive drinking spaces, and why the hospitality industry desperately needs a culture shift.
Camille’s message is clear: you don’t have to hit rock bottom to change your relationship with alcohol, and recovery can mean coming home to yourself before you even realise you’ve left.
Whether you’re curious about mindful drinking, craving more balance, or questioning your own rituals, this conversation is packed with compassion, nuance, and plenty of food (and drinks) for thought.
CONNECT WITH CAMILLE :
Instagram - @mindfullycami
https://www.lamaisonwellness.com/
For more information on We Recover Loudly and to reach out for speaking engagements or support email hello@werecoverloudly.com
@werecoverloudly
www.werecoverloudly.com
Shell: We're gonna record to SEC Cloud, and I'm not gonna do the A DHD thing where we pretend to be French.
Shell: Do people do that to you a lot? No, just start talking in a random French accent.
Cami: Uh, yeah. No, they do.
Shell: Apparently it is an A DHD thing. I used to think I was just a trap, which it could also be. Um, but anytime I, I've heard that. Yeah. So it, it's part of masking, it's part of um, uh, what's the word? Like, kind of Yeah.
Shell: Copying and mimicking. Mirroring. Thank you. Yeah. So I would always do it and obviously do it terribly and have people look at me like, why is she suddenly French? I'm really bad with northerners. And people always think I'm northern within about.
Cami (2): But
Shell: no,
Cami (2): I'm not. Well, you know what? You made my day actually, because people do that a lot.
Cami (2): And I said it was really rude, but now I understand much better that actually it is because I don't do that. My A DHD brain don't do that. Um, and so now I understand better. So I want get exactly when people, um, try to speak French,
Shell: I, yeah, I got, I I, I really insulted a German girl once when we in art, like in A levels.
Shell: So I obviously still remember it because I was just speaking in an awful German accent with, which had no kind of like ve like anything like how she spoke. But I also wasn't speaking like me, and therefore she probably just thought I was bullying her. Um, I wasn't,
Cami (2): but that's so interesting because people will say to me, oh, you're French, ha ha ha.
Cami (2): Yeah. And I'm like, I mean, they could just be being assholes.
Cami: I would be like. Are you a DHD? And they'd be like, like, oh, so you just what? Okay, good. They're just being out. You're just being rude. Okay, good.
Shell: Oh my God. Right. Um, I normally mess up on the first take, um, so I just put it out there, but let's see if I can do it.
Shell: I mean, I was
Cami (2): thinking that you're in incred. I I will do it after. Are you incredible to do it now and live? Amazing. Yugi you go.
Shell: I mean, it, it looks like it was all very considered and calculated. This has all come from complete lack of awareness of how to do a podcast. And everyone's like, oh, you're so you don't do scripts.
Shell: You do this all off the cuff. It's like, oh yeah, I could have written a script anyway. Hello and welcome to this new episode of Weaver Cova Loudly. Today I'm joined by the wonderful Camille Vidal, a globally recognized bartender and drinks expert turned mindfulness yoga meditation teacher, um, a mindful drinking OG.
Shell: Kami has many accolades and awards for both her influence over the way that we're all drinking now. Um, and for your amazing mentoring work, um, you've written two cocktail books. She's written two cocktail books. Um, I'm gonna do that again. Dam it. Hello and welcome to this new episode of We Recover Loudly.
Shell: Today I am joined by the wonderful Camille Vidal, a globally recognized bartender and drinks expert turned mindfulness yoga and meditation teacher, uh, a mindful drinking OG. Kami has many accolades and awards for both a influence over the way we are all now drinking. Um, and for her amazing mentoring work in the industry, she has also written two cocktail books and has two little boys, twins.
Shell: Yeah, there are twins. Kami, welcome to the show. I'm tired just reading that out. Um, how on earth you balance all this.
Cami (2): Well, first of all, what is your secret? Great introduction. You, you know, you just made my day. Um, and most importantly, thank you so much for having me on your show.
Shell: Oh, you're very welcome.
Shell: Honestly, I think it's, it's, it's funny isn't it? Whenever I do intros for people, they're always like, oh wow, thank you for that. And you think, 'cause we never really read back our own achievements, do we? I dunno if you are like me, but I'll often focus on the thing that I haven't done versus what I had.
Shell: And
Cami (2): a hundred percent. And we also stuck in the hamster world that like we don't take the time to zoom out and look at the big picture and look of like where we came from and where we are and you so right. We so much focusing on where we wanna go, that we don't take the time to appreciate all the journey that like we've been on.
Cami (2): And sometime having someone to do a lovely introduction like you just did, you're like, oh yeah, I did all of this. That's true. You know? And so thank you for the reminder.
Shell: Oh my gosh, you've just given me a business idea. Maybe I could do like voice notes that are like morning alarms for people. That is basically like a, this is your life.
Shell: Like good morning Camie. By the way. You have got this award. I we're
good. Sign up.
Shell: When can we start? I love that it's almost the opposite of mindfulness. That's kind of like a bit more ego driven,
Cami: but
Shell: No, it's in a nice
Cami: way, you know, definitely like you're finding affirmation, you know, and reminder that you are awesome by someone else.
Cami: I love it. I would like to say yes,
Shell: definitely. Well, I will get straight onto insight timer, don't you worry. Um, so Ami, I know you as you are now, um, with all these wonderful accolades and with the books and just everything that you are involved in. Um, but I don't actually know much about your beginning, your origin story.
Shell: If we were to turn you into a superhero, so. Take me all the way back. Where were you born? Who are you, where are you from?
Cami (2): Oh, I'm like, okay. Um, who, who am I? That's a very good question. I ask myself every day, who am I? Um, I was born, um, in the south of France. I grew up in the south of France. I am travel a lot with my parents, especially with my mother.
Cami (2): I lived in different countries, um, and I, the, I grew up in a very artistic family. Um, my dad had a theater. I grew up surrounded by people. Um, hospitality was a big part of what I, of what I, what my upbringing was in the sense of there was always people in my house and we spent hours and hours sitting at the table with food and drinks and, you know, I quickly learned how to fall asleep on the, on the restaurant table at the age, probably of like, you know, 3, 4, 5, because my parents were definitely, um.
Cami (2): Bon vivo and, uh, and social be beings. Um, and then I, um, went to an art school, went to university, and when I graduated I was like, I, I wanna go and travel. I, I need a break from all of this. And, um, ended up moving to Australia. Um, didn't wanna do the whole backpacking things in Australia. I just wanted to live there and work and did what I've always done, um, on the side of being going to school, which was working in hospitality industry.
Cami (2): But there, I really discovered the world of cocktails and fall in love with it. I think as some, as someone who, um. I was always searching for my creativity being, you know, very much brought in an artistic world. Um, the moment I put one foot behind the bar and I start making cocktail, the, the, you know, combination of flavor, the creating an experience for people felt like very much of a aha moment when I was like, oh, maybe this is my way of being creative.
Cami (2): Um, absolutely, absolutely love that. Um, and that was, you know, the, the moment where, um, I decided that actually what I studied wasn't really what I wanted to do. And that hospitality was really where my heart was.
Shell: Oh, love that. That's beautiful. And I think growing up. With families and culturally as well.
Shell: Um, I was chatting to a guest, um, Ray, um, and we were talking about how traditionally now we don't sit and have long dinners. We don't sit and have these big conversations, but actually kind of culturally, even in Britain, we don't dunno really if we ever did versus growing up in France, you know, far more on the continent.
Shell: Um, that influence of how we, it kind of connects in a way to mindfulness. But, you know, and we, how we create community while breaking bread and the alcohol's there, but it's just there. It's just there. It's not the focus. Yeah, yeah. And do you know, was that very much how it was growing up for you in those environments?
Cami (2): Yeah, very much. And actually, you know, fast forward from the, you know, started making cocktail in Australia to then I. Over, I dunno, a decade later, decided that perhaps I wanted to move away from the spirit's world and really, um, support, um, and be at the forefront of the mind drinking movement. I sat down and I said to myself, okay, what do you love about hospitality industry?
Cami (2): Because as you mentioned in the introduction, so after being a bartender for, for years, um, in Australia and other places, I then move on to working for a spirits company, became a global ambassador, and for a decade travel around the world talking about the art autopsy, the operative, and making cocktail.
Cami (2): And for me, that was really hard to find my balance, uh, on this journey because as glamorous as it sounds, um, you know, I was on the plane every week. I think it, there was a moment where I calculated it would've been cheaper for me to live at the Lanham Hotel in London than actually having an apartment in London because I was just living here.
Cami (2): You know, I was in there, I was living in my apartment. Maybe three days a month. The rest of the time I was on the roads. So I was going from cocktail bar to cocktail bar, restaurant to restaurants, throwing parties after another. Um, but physically it was really intense and, um, and I studied to look into how I could find my balance and, you know, I couldn't really like sign up for any like, you know, gym club or like anything because having a membership was not making any sense.
Cami (2): Um, and I. Went back to things that I learned when I was a teenager, um, with my mom, which was yoga. And I started practicing yoga and it became very much of an anchor of how I could find my own balance. And, you know, after years of practicing, I decided to, to, to become, um, a yoga teacher. And so after becoming a yoga teacher and becoming a a meditation teacher, there was very much of a moment when I questioned if I still belong in the drinks industry and still wanted to be part of it.
Cami (2): Um, and so I sat down and I looked into what I loved about hospitality industry, and it was all of the things that you mentioned. It was, you know, the, the sense of community, the creativity, the way that I think food and drinks brings people together, which is in a really magical way. I just don't believe that alcohol has to be part of it.
Cami (2): And actually. One of the things that really made me realize that was, you know, looking back at memories of my childhood, having an imperative with my parents, which was a really big, like part of the way I was connecting with my parents and something that I really love and that I really wanna pass on to my children, which was, you know, sitting in the garden in the sunshine, which we don't get so much of here, but nevermind.
Cami (2): Um, and you know, having some food and drinks, but I was a kid and I wasn't drinking alcohol, but yet the experience was there and I was loving those moments of good food, good drinks, and sharing moments with, with friends and family. And that was like the, the moment when I realized that actually alcohol wasn't.
Cami (2): The key elements and that I could still do what I love doing without having to include it. And so I really think that like, absolutely, like this is the essence of what really inspired me to, to create La Maison Wellness, to, to share the, this idea of the healthy hedonist and to do what I do today because I wanted to, to break down the stigma that alcohol is what brings people together and that we could, and I wanted to inspire the world to drink in a different way.
Shell: Yeah. No, gosh. Honestly just so insightful. And it's really, it's, it's wonderful that we can see that there is a tide turning tide. The tides turn. Yes. A turning of the tide in the way that we do. Associate alcohol. Um, there is a long way to go, but you're right. It's rather than building the experience around the alcohol, it's building the experience and then it might be there.
Shell: And I love the way that people like yourself, people like Derek Brown, um, I mean, so many people that have been on this podcast people like Laura from Club Soda, we, they don't demonize alcohol.
Shell: Uh, you know, neither do I, we we're not out there to say it's evil and it is the root of all, you know, destruction. But it is, like you say, it's about having those mindful considerations and building something. Bigger than that. And I love the memories as well of, you know, you, the way that you drank is exactly how I started drinking.
Shell: Um, it was with family, it was, I was very inquisitive about it, you know, it was a grownup thing. And I have vivid memories of there being bottles of creme de month, um, on a, a, a cocktail trolley. Um, it's some family friend's house that, and, um, my dad would always share how he would be allowed little creme dement, um, topped as a child.
Shell: Um, and, you know, it was kind of almost like that carrying on and having, again, that tiniest little creme dement toss. Um, and it connected you, it almost felt like a connect into heritage. And I think that that's really beautiful. So I love that you are saying that you wanna share that with your boys. Mm.
Shell: Um, and, you know, do you have, do you have like drinking in the house and are the, the boys are kind of around that.
Cami (2): It's so interesting what, what you just shared because I actually just had, um, this conversation recently on, on, on the podcast. I was asked what was my first experience with alcohol as the person was sharing that.
Cami (2): Like it was something that was like not good, like some, like a drink that was not good, et cetera, et cetera. And it really made me reflect on what was my first experience with alcohol. And so when I was a child, um, I was allowed to have what I used to call pink water, which was a little bit of red wine with a lot of water.
Cami (2): And that's horrendous. Lemme tell you that's that. Probably test rank, let's be honest, you know. But it was so interesting that like, I was clearly not drinking it for the flavor. I was drinking it because I, the grownups in my life were putting value into wine, and I could see through their eyes that that was something that was important, you know, and, and I, that's something that really made me question and, and really, really evaluate even more what I wanna pass on to my children, because I love that.
Cami (2): Like, in my house, like, I mean, I don't drink alcohol anymore. Um, I also, I have a much more. Fluid and intuitive relationship with alcohol, uh, than a hard stop at sobriety. Like if someone said to me, this wine is incredible, I'll be like, oh, I have a sip, because I enjoy flavor. And that for me, that's a balance that works better than to not have a, a rigid line to it.
Cami (2): But I also don't enjoy drinking alcohol. Like, I don't want it, it doesn't make me feel good. I have so many. Other things that I drink that I enjoy, that I don't feel the need. Um, and over the years, um, my husband has come to a similar balance. He doesn't drink alcohol, which means that in our house there is, there is alcohol, but we don't drink it.
Cami (2): Um, and when we host dinner parties, um, I, he is an incredible, um, cook. So he makes the food and I make the cocktails. And I kind of always start with something that is alcohol free because I think that that kind of like, you know, it's, um, inclusive and welcoming of everyone, regardless if you drink alcohol or not.
Cami (2): We all, you know, we all start on the same level and. I believe that we drink for flavor and experience, and I don't believe that alcohol has to be part of it. So everyone gets a welcome drink, which is an alcohol free, and then if you wanna move on to something alcoholic, I will make you an alcoholic cocktail.
Cami (2): Usually I make low alcohol cocktail. I make what I call mindful cocktail, which are with better ingredients slash sugar, no crap into it. And wear less alcohol than you will find in, in regular places. Um, and if you wanna stick to alcohol free the entire evening, which most people actually do because that's an experience for them to discover things that they're not used to try.
Cami (2): Um, that's what you can have. And so I love that, like my, my boys will get to grow up in a hassle where alcohol is part of the conversation isn't a taboo or something that we don't wanna talk about, but it's also not, um, a key element or a key ingredients in, um, having a good time. You know? And that's something that is really important to me.
Cami (2): Like I want, I think in our society we give credit to alcohol way more. I. Than it that it needs to be. Like, we think that it's the way to have fun, to socialize, to create, um, bonding in relationship, what I actually don't think it does at all. And I love that, like we are, you know, showing them that it doesn't, by having, you know, this great time with friends and family around, um, that doesn't have to include alcohol.
Cami (2): So that's definitely something that like, I have definitely put a lot of so into on like, how, I mean, my kids are little and I definitely have plenty time, but for me it's about modeling, you know, the same way that like, my kids do yoga with me and, you know, they're two and a half, uh, and uh, and they, they practice on the mat and they see me practicing.
Cami (2): They see me eating good food. They, they like, I think that like they, they learn so much by, um. Seeing your approach and your lifestyle. Um, the same way that like, you know, I wanted to drink pink water when I was a child because my parents were drinking red wine at pretty much every single dinner. You know?
Shell: Yeah. And, and I think that again, it's like, it's almost like when, when alcohol is treated with that fear, you know, around it, and it's, it must be so challenging as a parent because I have a sausage dog, you know, it's challenging enough, but it must be so challenging as a parent to know, you know, you want to warn of, you know, potential dangers, but you also want them to have a big, rich experience of life.
Shell: And, you know, I think that exactly that by making them aware that it, it is, it, it exists, but it doesn't mean that it has to be this huge part of any kind of, you know, experience or connection that they have. And, and it's interesting you're saying about connection and. Again, it was recently I was chatting to Ray about community and um, you know, we both lived in the warehouse community in Manor House, which is a really vibrant, creative area, but there is a lot of drinking and a lot of drug taking.
Shell: And you know, and we were saying, you know, would we have had that same connection? And, and it's strange, you know, probably two years, three years ago, she would've been like, not a chance. No way. You know, you need that to bond. And I'm so grateful now I've had the space from those experiences to now be able to recognize just how, just how fake those connections were and just how surface level and just how.
Shell: Unreal. And, you know, when I was at my lowest, those people weren't there. You know, and the friends that I have now, the ones that I can actually truly call on, the ones that I can also be there for, you know, and from a place of strength versus a place of, you know, what can I get out of this type, you know, ego driven or let me be the savior and all of that kind of thing.
Shell: Um, it, there's no kind of comparison at all, but, um, I mean, going around the world as a brand ambassador and, and being in that role, you know, I've spoken to Noah on the podcast, um, amazing guy back in season one as well. Um, a bartender called Thomas. Um, um, he was, um, Sier, I believe my brain's probably got that wrong rep.
Shell: Um. Again, but wanting to stop drinking in that role and just the challenges that they had with that. You know, for you, was it a case of you were in that role and you thought, I dunno how much I wanna be like this, or could you ever see the two worlds meeting in the way that they are now? Or how could you kind of put those two mindsets together?
Cami: Um, I mean. It was definitely challenging. I mean, I remember, um, going to the doctor and being asked, so how many units of alcohol do you drink a week? And definitely having to lie and like being still way above the NHS recommendation when I was already like lying by like a third, you know? And I was like, oh my gosh, this is so bad.
Cami: You know? I was like, the mats are in nothing
Shell: here. This is, oh my God. Side note. How much do you love filling that bit of a form in now?
Cami: Oh, now I'm like, zero. This is so good. I'm like, I'm like, I don't drink.
Shell: Literally like the whole, it's worth getting sober just to be able to fill in zero. It makes you feel so smart.
Shell: Good.
Cami (2): A hundred percent. Um, I love it. And um, but you know, and I remember having this conversation and like, I will look at my, my, um, calendar and I will try to find days where I could not drink alcohol. And I was really struggling, like generally struggling to find days where I could not invi. Um, so. So that was definitely a, a big challenge and, and probably what led me to, um, to finding more balance.
Cami (2): But it's also important mentioning that I was definitely not always a mindful drinker. Like I, um, used to be on, for being the, the girl that could drink more than the guys at university. I was always the, the one that loved to party. I was always the one that was like hosting the parties. Like I lived in an apartment where every Friday it was party in my, in my house.
Cami (2): Um. We used to have like more than a hundred people coming every single weekend. Our, our neighbors hated us and we'll party until like, super early in the morning. Um, I remember. And then we'll go to work probably, and then we'll go to work. And then I remember my mom, you know, telling me like, I think you drink too much alcohol.
Cami (2): And I was like, rolling my eyes and I was like, what? What do you mean? Like, this is ridiculous. Like, of course I don't drink too much alcohol. And, and like, even though. I often get asked, like, so what was, like, what was it like? Like did you wake up one day and you were like, that's it, I'm never gonna drink again.
Cami (2): And like, I generally don't think that that was my journey. Like I, that's why I'm so passionate about saying you don't have to hit rock bottom to change your relationship with alcohol. Um, I don't think that I hit rock bottom. I don't think that I came to this point. I don't get me wrong, I did a lot of silly things that I would definitely not have done, including flooding my entire apartment with my flight man in Australia, because I decided to have a shower coming back from my shift after having had way too many shots, um, and beers after my, uh, my shift at the bar and forgot to switch up the, the shower went on in the.
Cami (2): Fully closed with my head bag, then went to bed completely drenched and didn't, um, didn't turn off the shower and flooded the entire apartment. So all of those things that I could really avoid doing if I was a mindful drinker at that time. Um. But I think it's, it, it's a, it's a journey and it's definitely one that's, um, again, I'm so passionate about explaining that mindful drinking is a spectrum.
Cami (2): It's, for some people that means sobriety. For some others that means moderation. And within moderation, moderation is very different because I think that it can be quite alienating for some people to be like, I don't wanna quit alcohol. And if you had said to me that moment when I was like, okay, I think I'm gonna change my relationship with alcohol and I want to drink less, um, if you had said to me, you will become alcohol free, I'll have loved, first of all, and I would've never done it.
Cami (2): Because I was like, I mean I did dry January in probably 2010 and it was the, the most horrible thing because I went cold Turkey on drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. And then on the 1st of February I went hard and smoke an entire packet of cigarette in one evening and drunk way too much alcohol.
Cami (2): And I woke up on the 2nd of February feeling like. I was dying and like the earth was like literally riding apart and I was falling into the center of earth, my lungs are hurting. Just hearing that story. Yes. Horrible. You know, and so I think that like inviting people to really go on to this journey and for me was the same.
Cami (2): You know, being an ambassador, I, I remember having this conversation with one of my flatmate when he was like, Kemi, you're an ambassador. That doesn't mean you have to finish every single drink at the bar. You know, you have this, like, part of your job is to go and visit account and build friendship and go out with everyone.
Cami (2): And then I was like. This is not sustainable. Like, I can't do this. And actually, when I realized that and started drinking differently, and then I was known for like, I became really, really good at like not finishing my drink, ditching my cocktail, you know, moving on, like always having a drink at parties, but actually never drinking it.
Cami (2): And, and when I got to build a team of ambassador myself and actually build an entire program with, uh, you know, 50 ambassador around the world, making sure that at the beginning of their journey I was really teaching them and helping them to find the, that their, their balance in mind for drinking, to understand that, you know, they weren't the guest at the party anymore.
Cami (2): Anymore. They were the host at the party and that they had to always stay in control that they. Had to make sure that like they were drinking enough water, that they weren't drinking much alcohol, that they could sustain this lifestyle was really, I was really, really passionate about it. So I think that it's absolutely possible, and I think that like we've come a long way of, um, you know, I always, I always take the example of like, um, doctors of like, or you know, like plastic surgeon are injecting buttocks in their face every single day.
Cami (2): I mean, I hope so. They probably do a bit. This is that example, you know what I mean? It's like, it's not because you work in the spirits industry that you have to consume every single day. You shouldn't be consuming at work regardless of that, you know. And so I think that like we, we've definitely are slowly moving away from this like rockstar lifestyle.
Cami (2): Like, you know, let's go hard to a much more, um. You know, conscious approach to it. When we understand that to make it sustainable and to work in longevity, we have to make sure that, um, we look after physical, emotional, mental wellbeing in this industry. And so I do think it's possible to be an ambassador for a spirits company, and to be a mindful drinker, um, you just have to be really specific on your boundaries and how, and your, and finding your balance and really stick to it.
Cami (2): Um, and I think that like things like tracking your drinks, which, you know, it's very easy to lose track and to not know how much you drink. So making sure that, like, you're very consistent in the way that you do it. Um, and, uh, and finding that like sweet spot that works for you and to really keep on, like checking in and being very honest with yourself is key in making sure that like you look after yourself.
Shell: No, I love the, that you know that you are the host now, not the guest at the party. Because you know, in fairness, when your flatmates said that, you know, you don't have to be drinking all the drinks as an ambassador, you know, and it has changed. But 10 years ago when, you know, that was when we were kind of both of us in that world, that kind of was the expectation.
Shell: However. The ones that didn't do that weirdly enough, used to do way better in their careers than I was doing. So it was kind of, you know, and again, that kind of almost added a layer of shame, you know, it was like, well, why can they do it and I can't do it? And it's, you know, because the reality is you can't be the guest at that party.
Shell: And there has to be that line of professionalism. And I do, I love that our industry is waking up to the fact that our bodies are the machine in which we are able to do our job slightly more so than other professions. You know, as bartenders, our jobs are very physical. Um, you know, we are shaking, we're jumping up and down, we're moving, we are lifting things, we're bending, you know, we're going around each other, you know, every night it's a dance.
Shell: And, you know, again, something that I'm very passionate before about because of now having fibromyalgia, is understanding the way that when we are in service and, and as chefs and, you know. Bartenders though probably bartenders and chefs would be more alike than the floor, um, in the amount of cortisol that we hold in our bodies during those periods, you know?
Shell: And, and what we're not doing with our teams is then saying, first up, we're not. You know, if anyone else was to do the physical feats that we were to do, say in an arena, we certainly wouldn't prep ourselves with a can of monster, a fag, and probably a few chips that we've nicked from the fry basket. 'cause we've not eaten, we wouldn't, you know, then expect an Olympic athlete to then perform the way that we do.
Shell: And what, what we do is the excu, you know, the, the effort that we put in is, is on the level. And then afterwards we certainly wouldn't then see an Olympic athlete pounding a few beers down loud music, you know, I dunno about you guys, but breaking the bar down, it had to be really loud music to get you through.
Shell: A hundred percent really overstimulating. The lights are really bright. Get everybody out, you know, get all the corners, scrubbing stuff down, drinking you go home. Weirdly enough, you can't sleep, have a spliff, have, you know, have some, have some cocaine, whatever it might be to help you switch off. And it's like when you sound it out like that, it sounds insane.
Shell: And yet it's so normalized still.
Cami (2): It is so normalized. I, I think that like it is changing from 10 years ago when we were in the industry, but there's still so much work to do and actually, um, probably. 10 years ago now, maybe a little less. Um, one of the first transition that I did from being, um, a global ambassador was to, to work with team, uh, on launching Healthy Hospital, because that's what I was so passionate about from, you know, building a team of ambassador and wanted to avoid for them to burn out the way that I did because I was like, I want to, to help them to skip that part when they have to figure it out.
Cami (2): And, um, they drink too much and they don't look after themselves. And, you know, I, I think it was called, um, the ambassador suit, um, putting on like five 10 K kg because you're like drinking so much and eating so much. Yeah. And used to call that the ambassador suit or something like this. Um, and I wanted to, for them to skip that part to redefine their balance from the get go.
Cami (2): So launching Healthy Hospital was really important because that's all the things that we were sharing. You know, we, we built program where I actually think that like hospitality industry is a very stressful industry and I think actually regardless of any position that you have front of the house floor behind the bar, in the kitchen, you are sandwich between, you know, everyone that is stressed, the consumer, the guests that are putting so much pressure on you and you know.
Cami (2): Treating you like servant to the kitchen, who's so stressed out because the order are coming through and like all of it, like it's really stressful and it's physically so demanding and we are not taught enough tools to be able to to manage. That level of stress that, you know, spending that many hours in your fight and flight response.
Cami (2): Mm-hmm. And that's really why I, you know, qualified as a yoga teacher, as a meditation teacher, I learned breast work, I learned healing, nutrition, like all of those things that I wanted to be able to share with people to say actually, like I, I actually, um, teach workshop, what I call that, the mis plus. Like, you know, that like if you don't do the mis plus for your bar, you're gonna be for your shift.
Cami (2): You know, if you don't prep like your, your, your cocktail, well, if you don't have your garnishes your eyes, like everything that is ready to go, you are not gonna be able to do a good shift because as soon as you get busy, it's just gonna crumble apart. And it's exactly the same with you if you like, you don't like, have good nutrition, good hydration, like enough, enough sleep and that, and sleep is tricky in our industry.
Cami (2): But that might be like, take taking 10 minutes meditation, which is the equivalent of like two hours of sleep or, or things that like you can put in place, making sure that like. You have nutritious snack that at the end of the night, like after all of this, putting like a slice of Gracie Pizza with beer and three shots, like your body is like, what the hell are you doing to me?
Cami (2): Like, and then trying to go to bed, usually passing out, because we know that like alcohol disturb your sleep, regardless of the amount of alcohol that you drink, that you're gonna go straight into deep sleep, which make you feel like that you're sleeping deeper. But actually you're skipping the rapid eye movement part of your sleep, which is the most restorative part of your sleep.
Cami (2): And so you wake up the day and you feel like crap because you went with like heavy food, too much alcohol and whatever else you put in on the top of that to sleep. And it's just a cycle that is not sustainable. And so. Really building the, the foundation of a healthier industry, um, was what I, what really got me going, you know, and what I was so passionate about.
Cami (2): Then I had a moment to pose and look around, and I was like, okay. The issue is not just our industry, it's the world We live in, a society that is obsessed with alcohol. I watched this video yesterday on social media of this woman going on the cruise, on the Disney cruise. For like a week packing six pack of Fiji water that she would empty and dumb down the drain.
Cami (2): First of all, what would you do that, that's very expensive water. But then went on to fill in with vodka to pack on the cruise because the pointly Disney doesn't have any, um, alcohol packages. And obviously it's more expensive. And I was like, you going on the cruise for one week with your kids and you can't not drink for one week?
Cami (2): Like, we live in a society that is obsessed with alcohol. Um, oh. And I was like, oh gosh, that is just, I mean, I'm gonna send you the video
Shell: children. I, I get it. You know, like, but I probably just wouldn't do that cruise, rather, but like, yeah.
Cami: Oh, it just makes me feel sick. And it's like, I, I don't know. I think I, I looked around and I was like, okay, I actually want to inspire the world, not just the industry.
Cami: The world to drink more mindfully. And I really wanted to do it in the way that I wasn't shameful. Like I didn't want to make people feel like that they had to quit alcohol. And, and I wanted to say, I'm gonna meet you wherever you are. Like if you don't wanna drink alcohol, I got you. I want to show you that, you know, tasty doesn't have to be busy.
Cami: And there's amazing, um, cocktail that you can make that will give you the same satisfaction as um, uh, an enjoyment that you have in drinking alcoholic cocktail. But if you are drinking alcohol, I wanna show you how to do it better with less alcohol, better ingredients. And for me, like that was really important again, because looking at like my journey, if you had said to me, no, don't drink at all.
Cami: Even though I do think that like at the beginning, it's really important. That's why I'm a big fan of those dry January and things like this, because I do think that taking a little bit of time off makes you realize your relationship with alcohol. You need a few, a few weeks to be able to be like, oh, so this is how I operate with alcohol.
Cami: This is my relationship with people. This is how I show up. This is how, you know, it makes me feel and all of that. But I think that like. You know, having not a one size fit all approach to it is really important to get people on board. Because for me, I never wanted to quit drinking. It was, I never hit the point when it was like a necessity.
Cami: I never wanted to quit. It's, it was very much of a gradual journey when the less I was drinking alcohol, the more I was creating alcohol for cocktail, finding alternative that I was enjoying working with the no and low category on, you know, developing new products. The, the more I was, the less I, I, I was finding myself drinking alcohol, and the less I was drinking alcohol, the better I was feeling.
Cami: So it was like, oh, and then like, uh, that's why I always say that I almost became sober ac accidentally. Like I never wanted to, it was just, I just started to feel better and then I was like, but I don't need alcohol. I have this and I have that. And, and that's also what for me. Uh, all this amazing alternative that we have in the no and low category are really key to my balance as a mind for drinker.
Cami: Because the only moments where I find that, you know, challenging is if I go to a restaurant and then they don't have anything, or if I go to a bar, if I go to a party and there's nothing, which actually never happened because I always bring my own drinks, but, you know,
Shell: oh my God, if you know Cammy's coming to your party and you haven't bought anything, then you, you're a bag.
Shell: I mean, I come, I
Cami: arrive with like an entire bag or suitcase and I'm like, I brought alcohol free drinks for everyone. You know, because I'm like, I don't even want to enjoy it. But I think it's in this moments where, where I can't have anything that I feel the disconnect that I feel that I'm frustrated and bored, you know?
Cami: And so, um. I think that like those drinks are, for me, a big part of maintaining my balance as a mindful drinker. And actually that's one of my number one recommendation where people ask me, um, how they can become a mindful drinker. I say, first, take a moment to really have a look at your relationship with alcohol.
Cami: Don't change anything. Write it down. Notice, become aware, because so many people are just not even aware. They don't know how much they drink. They don't know when they drink with who, how it makes them feel. They don't know, like they just, it's a blur because it's just so embedded in our society and the way that we socialize, that we don't have the distance to look into it.
Cami: And so the first step for me is becoming aware. Second, I said to them, focus on finding alternative that you truly enjoy. Incorporate that into your everyday life, into your rituals, into your celebration. You will realize that you drink less alcohol and when you begin to drink less alcohol, you begin to experience the benefits of it, and then gradually you will find yourself drinking less.
Cami: Obviously there's nuances into this, um, to take in consideration, but I think that like for a general advice for people that are, you know, a bit trying to figure it out. For me, focusing on incorporating alcohol free option is a way to reduce how much you drink.
Shell: Mm, no, definitely. And I really, I, I think it's really powerful what you just said about as well, when you're in environments where there isn't that alternative, and therefore you do get that disconnection and, and that's, that's the opposite of what a person wants to feel.
Shell: If we go all the way back to the beginning of our conversation when we're sitting down with family, when we're with friends, when we're creating community, when we're having connected times, when we're making memories, is to immediately feel disconnected. And I remember when I was gluten-free for a long period of time, um, when I, I, um, during my twenties and that, and again, this is about a million years ago when there was one gluten-free bread in the world and you had to get it on prescription and it was a weapon.
Shell: Like there was none of this like, you know, Tesco's version wars. Um, and, and I just always used to feel so othered and especially at a time when you're at an age where you feel quite othered. Anyway, it was just yet another thing that I could put under my, uh, bag of resentment. Folders on my back of yet.
Shell: Another thing, I was different. And, and it did mean that I never felt like I couldn't go to places with people to eat. You know? And I, or I would sit out with family. I can remember my parents getting really frustrated with me once again. This was so many years ago, before we really understood that. And there wasn't anything on the menu I could really eat.
Shell: And, and I just, just sat there eating nothing. And, and it ruined the whole experience for everybody because I was obviously not happy. They weren't happy because I wasn't happy. It, you know, it was just, and it was such a simple thing to have solved. And I know that's not the same I. Necessarily food versus drink.
Shell: But again, I can see, you know, I was a, um, I'm
Cami: miss, yeah,
Shell: I agreed. Where was I? I was Ascot last year. Um, not because I frequent their listeners. Um, I, I, I had a free ticket, um, and, um, I was doing, I was actually doing like a, a mystery dining thing. And uh, so I was in one of the really expensive enclosures where the tickets were something like 800, 900 pound a head, and it was all you can drink and like, you know, really lovely food and everything.
Shell: And the, there, there was nothing for non Alex, nothing, not a sausage. And I felt it completely ruined the day for me because firstly I had to ask for something and I was made to feel. But not necessarily like a troublemaker, but like, I was like, you know, and I was like, so you, you don't, but burden makes you feel like
Cami: a burden.
Cami: You're like, oh, I'm sorry. And I would rather bother you. You don't have money, so I have to ask you, and you're probably going to offer me an orange juice, a sparkling water, or sugary soda.
Shell: Yeah. So I was offered literally juices or like you say, um, soft drinks. And then they came back and they'd found, um, found, um, a bottle of alcohol free gin.
Shell: And so made me a gin and tonic. And, and again, this'll be one to your opinion, I forced myself to feel very grateful for it. Oh, I'm so grateful. I've got this gin and tonic. You know, it was in a warm glass, you know, with a shitty piece of lemon. I don't even remember that being ice. Like, like the gin and tonics they drink on east enders in the pub.
Shell: Like someone needs to train their bartenders. And I can remember. Oh, I'm so grateful. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, like, you're so grateful. So. Funnily enough or not, funnily enough, when someone saw that I had an non alcoholic, I could hear behind me, oh, can I get one of those? Oh, can I get one of those with that?
Shell: And then it was only on reflection. I. For a shitty alcohol free gin and tonic. That, and actually I shouldn't have been grateful for that. Do you know what I mean? Yeah.
Cami: Like that be standard and should be on the menu. Um, I actually did an event at, um, asco. I, I, um, asked them to do my, oh God, I hope it wasn't that
Shell: one.
Cami: It wasn't that one. Or, or, oh, oh, there would be a alcohol cocktail. And I asked you put non-alcoholic cocktail because I've, in, in that event that is so, you know, culturally there's so much alcohol consumption. Like I've really wanted to be able to, to include, um, an alcohol cocktail and for people to, to be able to either use it as like, you know, the zebra striping to be able to alternate an alcohol mm-hmm.
Cami: Alcohol, non alcoholic, or for people that didn't want to drink alcohol at all, to be able to have an option or for people, people driving, uh, the day with something like, I, I think that everybody should always start with something alcohol free regardless of your alcohol consumption, you know? Mm-hmm.
Cami: Because. At the end of the day, um, or in a long day like this, very often you're dehy, it's a long day. You don't, you're not drinking enough water, and so you're gonna drink your drink too quickly. And so by starting with something that is alcohol free, you're giving yourself the time, the space, the hydration that you need to then be able to decide you are want to go for something that is alcoholic, or do I wanna stick to something that is a alcohol free?
Cami: Otherwise, that first drink, there's so much pressure, you know, you're like, you, you, you wanna chat with your friend. You don't really want to read the menu. You're like, you wanna order quickly. And so I think we should all start with something a alcohol free, always, regardless, you know?
Shell: Yeah. No, that's why I, I love it when you go to a restaurant or a bar and I, and they, the first thing when I worked at Smore, and I'm sure they still do it, we were trained to.
Shell: Hi everybody. I'm gonna get you some water. Don't even talk to me about the menu yet. You know, we said it a bit more politely, but I'm gonna get you some water. Then I'm gonna come back and we're gonna do your drink order, and that always just really spoke to me as being just such good common sense because you're right.
Shell: We just, you know, I used to drink white wine because I was thirsty. I'll have a white because I'm quite thirsty. Anyone else? Yeah, we'll start with a white wine because we're all thirsty.
I know
Shell: or Rose
Cami: and, and actually now like, I mean water, great. Now it, it becomes, you know, standard. It's everywhere. You always start with water.
Cami: It is part of most training in bars and restaurant to make sure that like there's water on the table. And I think that's like, that's part of responsible drinking and every venue should do it. Now, the thing that I'm really, really pushing on all the trainings, all the education that I do for the industry, and I want that to become standard, is to say, would you like to start with something alcoholic or something non-alcoholic?
Cami: Like, that should be an invitation, not like what do you want on the menu to lay that? Would you like to start with something alcoholic or non-alcoholic? Because that becomes, that a normalized non-alcoholic drinks that make it, you know, um, a much more, um. Welcoming environment for people to say, actually I would have, I would love to have something non-alcoholic that also tell people that there is option for non-alcoholic option.
Cami: And it's welcoming and it's an invitation. You know, I I, I take this example of a, um, last year when I was, um, at, uh, at tells of the cocktails, I got invited to a big event, a big dinner. And as I made my way through the party, I arrive and I, I bum into one of my friend that I hadn't seen for so long, and, um, I was like, oh, I'm gonna grab a drink at the bar.
Cami: And she was like, oh, let me grab it for you because I'm closer to the bar, which was so nice. And she turned around and she was like, are you drinking, pointing at her or ut total pointing at me. And all of a sudden it was like. I have to pick a team, now I have to be on one side or the other. And it felt so dividing, you know, it felt so like, there was like instantly, there was like a gap between us and she could have just said, Hey, do you wanna start with something alcohol free or, or alcoholic?
Cami: And that would've been such a different, um, way to say it. I think language is so powerful in how it makes us feel and how it create an experience. And so for me, like I really want to normalize alcohol free option. I really want to normalize drinking alcohol free option. Even though you know, you might be drinking alcohol after this.
Cami: Like, we see that actually the biggest part of the people that are, you know, enjoying the no and look category. Are people that still drink alcohol and we should very much, you know, normalize the, the starting with something alcohol free. Normalize the zebra striping, alternating from alcoholic to non-alcoholic.
Cami: Normalize having an entire evening out drinking alcohol free because you have a busy day, the day after, or you just don't wanna drink at the moment. We should normalize people that go out that don't drink alcohol at all, because they decided to take that out of their life. And we see that more and more people are embracing this sober journey because it feels good, because actually we talk about what we lose.
Cami: But let's talk about what we gain in changing our relationship with alcohol, you know. Oh
Shell: yeah. I mean that could be an entire other podcast. And you know, I just think, and, and I just love your passion about all of that. 'cause like you say, it's the moment you start considering one thing that comes into your body, regardless of whether it is intentional or not, there is that, um, domino effect.
Shell: You know? And then before you know it, you're three years sober and you're knocking back 12 supplements of a morning like me and, uh, and eating, you know, your, your goji berries and you know, off to do breath. Even when you say the word breath work, I always go. Things like that. And, um, so it is, it's a really beautiful journey, I think.
Shell: And you know, for me, I know, I mean, we don't know, do we? But I feel that had mindful drinking and the way that we're now the society is, was like this 5, 6, 7 years ago. Potentially I wouldn't have gotten to a rock bottom that was a serious rock bottom and potentially I would have a very different relationship with alcohol.
Shell: Um, well versus kind of where I ended up. And that's why, again, I just love, I feel that there are so many people that, I don't wanna say the word saved, but I, well maybe, that are gonna be saved from having to go through really difficult, horrible things because they have that ability to, you know, like their life is kind of on amber.
Shell: And before it gets to that hard red stop, we're able to go, okay, you know, let's take a moment. You know, I always say there's the four doubles, you know, what am I drinking? Where am I drinking that? You know, when am I drinking it? And that, that, that normally then gives you the why and when you really have that why.
Cami (2): Mm-hmm. If I really kind of.
Cami (2): When you identify your why, then you so much powerful. I always say to people, ask yourself, am I celebrating or am I escaping? And if it's the delayed, then you shouldn't drink. Like I created this like, um, mental health, like, um, mind check of like, if I'm feeling this way, this is what I should drink. Like I think there's so many questions that you can ask yourself and you quick check in with yourself before you order anything.
Cami (2): That is really powerful. Yeah, I mean, self is key in, in every area of our life, but it definitely plays a big role in, uh, in our journey of, um, of what we drink and how it makes us feel. And, and to go back to what you were saying, I think that's really. What I'm trying to do, like, uh, again, at Tales last year, um, I had the opportunity to meet this incredible man who has an organization, uh, which is not a, but quite similar, uh, for the drinks industry.
Cami (2): And we had a very long chat and he was like, are you talking about Mickey? Yeah, yeah. Mickey's
Shell: been on the podcast. I love Mickey. Oh, amazing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But Ben's friends is, is astonishing. And it's just incredible. Amazing. Yeah. I love, yeah.
Cami (2): So Fab, love him, like big supporters of Mickey on the show.
Cami (2): I love that. I definitely will listen to that. But he was like, I love what you are doing because you're basically trying to avoid people having to come to me. And I was like, that's exactly what I'm doing. And, and to be fair, when, you know, ha having gone from working in the drinks industry, being a bartender, working for one of the largest spirits company in the world to then launching lames on wellness, it was really hard.
Cami (2): Like, I felt like I lost my community because I was like, the big drinker was the big, you know, bartender. And then I went on to I'm gonna be an advocate. And it was ver, I mean, I launched Lemi in 2017, at the end of 2017. So it was very much the beginning of very much the story and, and the movement. And, and all of a sudden it was like I started connecting with, with the, the sober um, community.
Cami (2): And they were like, oh, this is amazing. You do this. And then they will look at my website and they would be like. But why are you talking about alcohol? And so there was like, I was like part of that community, but not really. Mm-hmm. And then I was part of the drinker community because I was still talking a bit about, you know, how to make low alcohol and have a technical to remove, replace, reduce when reduce.
Cami (2): You actually use full trans spirits, but you reduce it to have cocktails that have one unit of alcohol. And so people were like, okay, so you can still, you can sit at the table of the drinkers, you can sit at the table of the sobers. But it felt really like I was sitting between two chairs and I wasn't really part of a community.
Cami (2): I. And some people say to me, but you should just do alcohol free. And I was like, no, because I want people to, I want to empower people to find their own balance. I wanna help them on their journey. I wanna meet them where they're at to be able to help them to, to really go on this really empowering journey of becoming a mindful drinker.
Cami (2): And I do think that a lot of people can find that really, um. You know, alienating and, and overwhelming. And they're like, but that's not me, and I don't wanna do that. And I think that because of the movement was so small at the beginning, which is not now like, um, we, we used to be like, it has to be, you know, this or that.
Cami (2): Like, you, you can't really be, and I really want to normalize, actually, there's so many reason why you might wanna change your relationship with alcohol. You know, it doesn't have to be because you're pregnant or because you're on the path of recovery. It can be so many things in between. You might wanna do it because you're very focusing on your career and you realize that actually, you know, you need a clear.
Cami (2): And had to be able to tackle all those drinks and goals and you realize that alcohol is holding you back. It might be because you have a young family and you know there's already enough sleepless nights that you don't need to add alcohol onto this because parenting and alcohol doesn't mix well together.
Cami (2): You know, it might be because you have really big fitness goal and you wanna train for a marathon and actually, you know that like alcohol gets in the way of that. It might be because you want to shift something. Like there's so many reason that I want us to be able to. To show that, to show how multifaceted it is and that it doesn't have to be one or the other.
Cami (2): Um, and I don't think that, like, I totally understand that moderation is not for everyone. Um, but I just want people to start somewhere. And I love that like, you know, there is like, uh, how much you share your journey. I love, uh, what, um, media is doing with like sober society, like Sober Girl Society. Like I love all of this because everyone can find a bucket where they really see their thrive, their tribe and their community.
Cami (2): But I, for me, I also want people to, like people will say to me. Oh, I started like enjoying your cocktail and now I've been alcohol free for a year, and I'm like, amazing. You know, and if I say to them, did you plan to like go alcohol free? They'd be like, no. I just, you know, started slow. Like, I, I think that, you know, I really believe in, in prevention in general, um, and harm reduction.
Cami (2): Mm-hmm. And in making conscious, which is what
Shell: your work
Cami (2): is. Harm production. Exactly. And like, and if, you know, people get to the point like me, where like now, I mean, I've, I've been alcohol free for like, I don't know, I've been a mindful drinker for over eight years now. And like now, like I don't, I don't want alcohol, I genuinely don't.
Cami (2): Like, I don't, I don't like it if like I don't want it. Um, but it was a journey to get there. And I want people to get on that journey that they feel really empowered to make decision that work for themself. Because I do think that there's a lot of shame sometime of, uh. I fall off the wagon or I can't do it.
Cami (2): This is not for me, or this is not what I want to do. And I think that like we, we can, I think everyone should be a mindful drinker. Like every single person around the world should be a mindful drinker and they can find the balance and that will evolve. You know, like I get a lot of women that say to me.
Cami (2): I'm like, you know, uh, I'm trying to have children and I know that like it's affecting my fertility. And we know that we live in a society that where we're under, there's so much stress already that is impacting our fertility. And so they decide that they wanna go on this mind for journey for this, or I'm a new parent and you know, it's already challenging.
Cami (2): And so I wanna change my relationship with alcohol, or I'm going through like, you know, menopause, perimenopause. And we know that like alcohol and, and hormone balance doesn't mix well together. And so there's different chapter of our, of our life where our relationship with alcohol would look different.
Cami (2): Mm-hmm. And I want everyone to like go on this journey. And, you know, going back to what you were saying at the beginning, um, when my, you know, years at university were definitely like full of alcohol fuel with alcohol. Really? You and your pink
Shell: water.
Cami (2): And my pink water when I was a child and me and my heavy drinking when I was in it.
Cami (2): At university. Um, but even that, I think it's, it is changing. You know, if I was at university now in the world where there's an option in the world where social media is so part of it, like thank freaking God. I think I got Facebook when I was like, maybe 18, but we weren't posting that much. We weren't sharing.
Cami (2): Like, I am glad that there's very, very limited amount of picture and, and, and traces and documentation of those years. Like, no, thank you. Like, and I think I would've approached it probably differently. Like, I mean, I look at like, I have, um, younger siblings, um, from a remarriage of, of my dad and, and I looked at them and ever already, like their approach is really different.
Cami (2): And so I think that we are shifting and changing the drinking culture for the better slowly. And they still massive pockets of, um. Over consumption, including the mummy wine culture that at some point we'll need to address. Um, and actually I think it's a failure of society on how to support parents, but that is, again, another podcast by itself.
Cami (2): Um, there's noting of parents, you know, finding themselves drinking at home. There's shaming of society, not being able to support parents, um, raising our children because we have way too much pressure and it's impossible to do it in our modern society. We lost our village and um, we did affecting us very negatively.
Cami (2): But, you know, all of these days definitely over consumption in still lots of area. But I think that like we are. Bringing it mainstream. We are normalizing drink, drinking differently. We are exploring, creating this entire new category that is delicious. And I, and I can't wait for us to just talk about how delicious they are and not just as an alternative off, you know?
Cami (2): Mm-hmm. Um, and I think that we, this is exciting. We will look back saying, oh, we really changed something there.
Shell: Yeah, no, absolutely. And that's it. You know, like, just because I don't drink alcohol, we've said this since the beginning, doesn't mean that I don't want things that are full of flavor. You are literally taking the most inconsequential part out of my drink.
Shell: So stop putting elder flour in everything and you know, gimme a goddamn grownup
Cami (2): drink for that. Sorry. I'm responsible for that one.
Shell: Um, I have the last, very last question, um, before I let you go. And, and as we have alluded, you have to do a podcast because I just, there is just so much, um, more that I could talk to you about because you are right.
Shell: I just think the Mummy wine cup, I looked after one of my friend's little, I think he was. It was three and six at the time. I think I had them for an hour. And both me and the mom were like in recovery. And when I handed them back, I was like, God, I have never wanted a gin. And to more, and they're lovely kids, you know, they're, they're the most well behaved.
Shell: It's so much. And so I have the utmost respect for that kind of, you know, for moms and dads and all of that. And I think, again, you know, perimenopause is something that I'm going through now. Huge challenge. And last year when I hit that rock bottom of perimenopause, I've never been more close to a drink in my life, you know, because of everything we go through.
Shell: So, again, and yeah, neurodivergence, you know, again, late diagnosed Neurodivergence, we could do a whole, a whole thing on that. And how alcohol has really actually been our, our protector and our savior a lot of the time while we're navigating the world before we knew who we were. Um, and my last question, which links to that is, and you know, I asked this to my guests.
Shell: Um, on the guest form is, you know, what does recovery mean to you? Because I think people, like you said, often feel, oh, well, I'm not in recovery because I didn't hit rock bottom, but recovery doesn't mean you have to hit rock bottom and you put here, um, you know, it's about reclaiming awareness and reconnecting with myself.
Shell: It's about healing from that desire to numb, to escape, and from wanting so badly to fit in and be liked that I lost myself in the process. I just thought That's so beautiful. And, you know, anything you'd like to add to that about what recovery really means to you?
Cami: Yeah, I, I mean, again, I feel like that would be an entire podcast, but I think the reason why I'm so passionate about.
Cami: Mindful drinking is because for me, first, it's in most people the missing piece of, you know, the full picture of their wellbeing. We in the world where we know we need to exercise and with our body, we know we need to eat better, but then it's Friday night and we just go to the pub and over drink and over concern, consume alcohol.
Cami: And I think a lot of people don't realize that that is the missing piece. That that is what's gonna have a ripple effect on every bucket, on every pillars of their life. Um, and for me it's the most empowering journey because by saying, wait a second, I'm not gonna numb, I'm not gonna escape, I'm not gonna, you know, mask to fit in.
Cami: I'm not gonna, um. Try to be that person that I'm not, and I'm just gonna go on this journey of being my authentic self. And that means that I lost people along the way that I've opened my eyes and realized that, you know, the only common ground that I had with some people were the drinking and partying, and they were people that weren't really serving me anymore in the sense of our friendship was not relevant, and it was painful.
Cami: And it was a journey of discovering who I was, connecting with myself, my intuition, allowing to show up, being me. And actually the other side of that with more deep and meaningful connection with people living a life that feels much more aligned and authentic. And I think that everyone should go on this really empowering journey because it's liberating and because it feels so freaking good.
Cami: And now, like I feel much more in control, much more, you know, I, if I stay at a parties because I wanna stay at this party, like I, I'm much more, uh, yeah, empowered is, is the, the, the term that's really, um, encapsuled all of that feeling. And, and I really want people to experience that because fuck, we have so much pressure in this society on how, what we should do and what we should look like and how we should do things and, and how, you know, I was, I was on the call just before our call and, um, and I, it's, he's a young dad and, and um, and I was saying like, it's really hard as society only celebrates like high achiever.
Cami: Like, you know, when you perform at your best, you fit in society, anything else around that, it doesn't work, you know? And, and it's just. It, there's so much pressure that I want us to really live fully and for me that the, the drinking well is what lead, lead you to that living fully as well?
Shell: Yeah, no, a hundred percent.
Shell: And it's like, you know, being able to finally, I. Actually get to know who you are without anything around it. The good, the bad, the ugly is, again, it's, it's the thing that we don't talk about when we say, oh, have 30 days, I'll goal free. And you get this, you know, it actually being able to really connect and really understand and really make different decisions for the first time in your life is, you know, it's priceless.
Shell: And as I say, we could talk forever. Um, however, you know, we both have lives. You probably have far more to go, go and do. I've got a sausage dog to deal with. Um, and yeah. Oh my goodness. I would, could, I would be very excited to see a podcast coming out of you because you have so much to offer and, um, I think, yeah, it would just be wonderful.
Shell: I'm gonna put all of your, um, social, your website, all of the details in the show notes for everybody who wants to get in touch with you. Um, but thank you so much for joining me today, um, and for sharing. So honestly, and I can't wait to see what you've got come up with next. You're always up to such exciting things.
Shell: So I'm really excited to see what happens next.
Cami (2): Thank you so much for inviting me and sharing this conversation. It's so, um, powerful to connect with like-minded people all the time. Awesome. Thank you so much. Thank you.