Bloom without the Booze: Using Spring Energy for Sober Curiosity

In this episode of Nosedive, we embrace the fresh energy Spring brings to sober curiosity and personal growth. This is a time to renew and re-set intentions, realizing there is a ripple effect happening when we inspire others through change. We introduce our new group coaching program, the Curiosity Compass, designed to help individuals redefine their relationship with alcohol and those seeking a blueprint for a fulfilled and purposeful life. We delve into the importance of community, our dual coaching approach, and the transformative journey of self-discovery. As Spring continues to unfold, we encourage listeners to embrace change and explore your unique paths to wellness and clarity.

Reminder - we have a free webinar Tues April 8th, more details to come this week. 

Link to sign up here: https://siphappenworkshop.my.canva.site/

More details on the Curiosity Compass Coaching Program can be found here: www.reneeadamscoaching.com/lets-work-together  www.marademauro.com/thecuriositycompass

Transcript

Renee Adams (00:01)
Hey y'all, welcome back to Nosedive. Hi Mara, good morning.

Mara DeMauro (00:05)
Hello, good morning.

Excited to be here.

Renee Adams (00:08)
Yes,

as always, it's so nice to see you and talk to you. The changing of the seasons, definitely I can feel it in my energy and in my bones. We're in springtime now, so we're transitioning from this time of introspection and the winter time coming out. There's sunlight getting outside, just definitely the shift in the cosmos, so I can feel it.

you this is the perfect time to sort of reset and reevaluate maybe some things that, you know, have been been processing over the past couple months and the start of 2025. And this is why we're so excited to share with you that, you know, we've launched our six month coaching group coaching program. It's a dual coach approach, which we're really excited to share some more information with that with you guys.

This is just the perfect time to really dive more into, you know, maybe some elements that you've been hiding away and really wanting to take that next step towards.

Mara DeMauro (01:17)
Yes. Okay. First of all, I love this little like little ring to dual coach approach. I'm like, Ooh. and we'll definitely get into that. and I think you kind of just like hit the nail on the head. That's always so hard for me to say. feel like I always screw that saying up, but anyway, Nailed it. Nailed it. And, anyway, so like,

Renee Adams (01:23)
Yes!

Nailed it! Nailed it!

Mara DeMauro (01:45)
Spring is all about like we're coming alive. We're starting to awaken. We're starting to become lighter and go outside and explore and experiment. And I'm stoked because we created that program around that whole mentality. That's what this is about. If you are interested in redefining your relationship with yourself through the lens of how you redefine your relationship with alcohol, whether that's cutting back

Renee Adams (01:48)
Mmm.

Mara DeMauro (02:13)
whether it's becoming more mindful, whether it's about totally going alcohol free. It's all really rooted in this experimental mindset and curiosity. And that's why we created the Curiosity Compass, a six month program to really do that. So we're going to walk through, you know, who this is really a good fit for, you know, is this a good, does this really resonate for you? Would you do well? What's included? All of those really fun nitty gritty details if this is something that's up your alley.

Renee Adams (02:28)
Yeah.

Yeah, absolutely. And I love how you allude to this time too of just this like blooming and sort of coming into your alignment. And it goes perfectly, as you said, to our program. So let's dive a little into it. You know, what is sober curiosity? I think for everybody, it may look a little different. But for us, you know, how we define sober curiosity is it's really a movement, you know, ditching this autopilot.

Again, exploring what truly feels good for you, whether that means cutting back, taking a break, you kind of dove into that a little bit. Instead of drinking out of this habit or social pressure, this is the opportunity to really explore life with a clear mind and really a deeper connection with that fresh perspective that also comes along with springtime.

Mara DeMauro (03:35)
Yes. I, you know, I've never been one to really do well in the like all or nothing space. You know, I like to think that I will and I, my brain really wants to just categorize like we're all or nothing. And I have found throughout my own experience working with other clients that that doesn't always work for everyone.

Renee Adams (03:44)
Mm.

Mara DeMauro (04:00)
For some people it does, you know, and so this really is an opportunity for people to define what works for them. Maybe it is all or nothing, or maybe it's a little softer approach where you get to kind of explore through the spectrum what works for you. And so that's what I think really sets our perspective and our program apart from some of other opportunities that are out there.

Renee Adams (04:23)
Yeah, for sure. And I think as humans, you alluded to that as well, is that we have a tendency to try and make it easier for ourselves to categorize. So we try and mentally put things in boxes to make it easier for us to make those decisions. So I think it can be a little challenging to really understand what sober curiosity is, but

That's why it's so exciting and that's why I personally love it so much is because it gives us that permission and that opportunity to dive into this flexible nature of discovering what that means and what it looks like for you.

Mara DeMauro (05:07)
100%. And, you know, on that note, excuse me, you know, let's kind of like dig into, you know, who this would be, you know, like who this would be a great fit for.

Renee Adams (05:23)
Yeah, absolutely. So if you're really just looking to reevaluate your relationship with alcohol and you don't really feel like it's this all or nothing, you may not necessarily feel like AA is the right fit for you. That's how it was for me. You know, I was a gray area drinker, habitual social drinker, and AA just didn't feel right for me.

If you're feeling stuck or overwhelmed by your relationship with alcohol and you're not really sure what to do at this point, you feel like you've tried every single thing in the book, but nothing has really stuck for you. What are some other things, Mara, that you think to see if this program's right for you?

Mara DeMauro (06:08)
Yeah, I mean, I totally agree. I think I've shared previously how I grew up going to AA meetings, know, so was pretty familiar with that kind of like platform or community. And we will always say we are never against that. So I want that to be very clear, because sometimes, you know, in this community, we can get a little bit frizzled about that.

Renee Adams (06:28)
Yes, agreed.

Mara DeMauro (06:34)
So just want to be clear, we are not against AA. We welcome any route to healing, inner discovery, whatever. I think this is a really great opportunity for people who are moving through some big transitions in their lives, like whether that's a breakup or going through grief in any way, losing a loved one or going through a heartbreak or moving to a new city.

or whatever that is, any transition, seeking a new career or starting a business, anything that really requires you to be super honest with yourself and clear, you're in the right space. Anyone who is looking to redefine their wellness goals, perfect space. That's where you started. Or anybody who really wants to

Renee Adams (07:09)
Mm.

Mara DeMauro (07:32)
bring in new supportive habits into their lifestyle because this is the place you want to be because once you give yourself distance from alcohol or any of their substance that's impairing your abilities to really move through this kind of stuff is when you'll be able to really do this. So we provide that support for you along the way.

Renee Adams (07:56)
Yeah, and that goes back to my whole, my journey too is I was looking for something. I had tried so many different avenues thinking that I could do this on my own to try and reduce alcohol. I couldn't go three days without having a glass of wine. And so when I found this program and we

Mara DeMauro (08:13)
Hmm.

Renee Adams (08:25)
We've been friends for such a long time and you started your journey with your sober curiosity and then your business and starting to coach clients. I'm so thankful because I felt like I tried everything in the book and nothing was working for me. As a person on the other side of going through a coaching program, honestly saying that it has changed my life in so many different ways.

It's really not about the alcohol at the end of the day. I think this is just a segue into really understanding and getting very, very clear about what it is that you want out of life. And when we do start to reduce these numbing substances, we're able to get really clear about what that purpose is or what that looks like for you and able to hear those small insights and those nudges that were otherwise.

Mara DeMauro (09:22)
Mm.

Renee Adams (09:24)
subdued.

Mara DeMauro (09:25)
Yeah. Now you put that so beautifully and that's exactly, you know, when I first started my coaching business, I was like, all right, I didn't have like a blueprint or a step-by-step process to help me walk, you know, through what I went through. ⁓ so I, I just created it and, and shared it with other people and they're like, you know, like I started to say, wow, this is working for other people too. ⁓

Renee Adams (09:45)
Mm.

Mara DeMauro (09:55)
And not that it's rocket science, like you can find these things, the modalities and stuff everywhere. Um, it's just, it depends on like what you're really looking for. Who do you connect to? And, know, we'll dive into that later. Um, about, know, when you're seeking out a coach, what to look for. Uh, but we really have in this program put together a toolkit resources.

and a blueprint step by step what you can do to really get the clarity you're seeking to be in alignment with your sole purpose and desires.

Renee Adams (10:28)
Yeah, and what sets us apart too, I think, which is really exciting is it's a dual coach approach. You know, we have different perspectives on the same type of content. We have different experiences. We have sort of a different vibe when it comes to different areas. So I think that just brings so much more value added to your experience and guiding you on your journey to where you want to be because you've got

Mara DeMauro (10:34)
Mm.

Renee Adams (10:57)
not only just the additional support, but definitely some different perspectives on maybe how you can get there yourself.

Mara DeMauro (11:06)
I second that like for sure. You know, I think it's, it's so fun working together. ⁓ I think we say it every day, like, my gosh, like so grateful for you because you compliment this and then, yeah, but you compliment this, you know, or that's just like how it is. Everyone has like these different gifts and their strengths and weaknesses. And it's really cool to be able to provide this for other people. ⁓ the sober curiosity journey, because our journeys were very different.

Renee Adams (11:07)
Yeah.

Mara DeMauro (11:34)
So we're able to relate in a wider way. And that's really valuable.

Renee Adams (11:42)
Yeah, for sure. What are some other elements you could recommend on maybe why someone should give this a try? Like, I know there's a lot of things obviously in the mental and physical space. So what are some examples of that, do think?

Mara DeMauro (11:58)
my gosh, mean, the first thing, of course, that's going to come to my mind, you know, because I'm like, I.

And I'm not just like trying to like toot my own horn here because I haven't always gotten this, but like I would say since I've been on this journey, people are always like, my gosh, like you look so great or you're just like glowing or you're, whatever. And it's like, because I'm having more fun and I'm tapping more into my creativity and I am, you know, staying in alignment with like

Renee Adams (12:20)
Mmm.

Yeah.

Mara DeMauro (12:36)
what's really true to me. that is just like, that's just peace, man. You know, like, I'm not saying I'm always like that. Of course, I still have rough days and I'm still human for sure. But if you are wanting to like, someone who is wanting to rekindle their inner spark and inner creativity and inner connection to, you know, maybe you wanna like,

Renee Adams (12:44)
Yeah.

Mara DeMauro (13:05)
create a more stronger relationship, like spiritual relationship. That was something that I had totally lost. I totally lost faith in everything. And then through this, I've reconnected and have a better sense of just belonging here in this world.

Renee Adams (13:22)
Yeah, it's so funny the correlation that you connect between having this inner knowing to sort of shining through. because for me, when I think about visualizing how I felt before going through a coaching program, it was gray. It was so gray. everything just felt so.

Mara DeMauro (13:45)
Mmm.

Renee Adams (13:49)
disconnected and dull. I don't know if anybody knows or remembers Halloween Town. It was like the third movie I think it was or something. And they would like switch back and forth between like the, you know what I'm talking about? Like the gray, like meh, meh, meh, like the monotone, whatever. That's what I visualize how my life was when I was drinking as much as I was.

Mara DeMauro (13:55)
Yes.

Yes, yes.

Hmm.

Renee Adams (14:16)
So, you know, being able to snap back into a more colorful, vibrant side of life and understanding that this is what living life should be, in my opinion. You know, feeling alive. And a lot of the times I think we get stuck in wanting to run away from and suppress a lot of these emotions because they are uncomfortable.

When in reality, when you embrace them and you're flexible with them and you learn yourself through all of these emotions, it actually brings you so much more clarity in a lot of different ways. Understanding your body and how it feels during these emotions when you do feel anxious, you can actually make that mind to body connection so much quicker to then bounce back even quicker.

So that resilience that you gain, yeah, of course there's the physicality too of sure you're probably gonna lose a little weight. Sure you're probably gonna just have improved energy, better skin, better, all the physical things that do come from it. But I think in terms of longevity, the mindset shifts that happen.

Mara DeMauro (15:30)
Mm-hmm.

Renee Adams (15:33)
things that are happening in your brain that are literally backed by neuroscience. Because a lot of things for me, I'm like, okay, I love woo woo and I love spiritual and I love all of those aspects to it. But there is and was a sense of skepticism for me because nothing else worked. So I'm like, why is this gonna work for me now? There's no way. And getting into manifestation and visualization.

and coming to the realization that those things are intertwined. Those things actually compliment each other a lot. The neuroscience and the manifestation and the visualization, those things coming together, making this full holistic coaching program that you can implement that will literally last for the rest of your life, that you'll continue to work with through the rest of your life. As you go through these seasons,

of rediscovering yourself and coming back to a program like this. As you go through these seasons, you can refer back to these resources because I think you mentioned it to me before in just our conversations together is that we're not going to be the same people in a few months, in six months, in a year. So being able to come back and reference a lot of this material, I think it's just going to...

continue to help you on your journey as you move through some uncomfortable things.

Mara DeMauro (17:03)
Yes, yes, yes, yes. And I think it's so amazing, because of course doing, you know, being curious about this and redefining and, you know, being coming more in line with yourself and your purpose and all this is wonderful, like for ourselves, you know, however, it is such a ripple effect. And we need more people to be clear and to be honest and to be open.

And it is so amazing time and time again to see my clients just become an inspiration for their friends, you know, and it's amazing, you know, and by really having the courage to go through with something like this and make these changes in your life.

Renee Adams (17:48)
It's the best part. It's the best part. Yeah.

Mara DeMauro (18:00)
you really inspire other people and give other people the permission and encouragement to do that within themselves. And it's just a priceless gift that you can pass on through doing something for yourself.

Renee Adams (18:13)
I'm so happy that you touched upon that because I think to people don't realize their uniqueness is such a gift to other people and what you have to offer is worth something. Yeah.

Mara DeMauro (18:32)
Yeah, I saw something the other day on TikTok. Of course it was like, look, people are no longer jealous of like the fancy car you have, the big house, the cool brand clothes. They're like, it's your energy. It's your aura. It's your presence. It's like how you show up, how you treat people. Like that's what people want now. And so if you've ever

Renee Adams (18:48)
Mmm.

Mara DeMauro (18:58)
been somewhere and someone walked in the room and you were just like, my gosh, like who is that person? You know, like you're drawn to them. You know, if you're feeling like there's space for you to like really elevate there, this is the perfect place to be.

Renee Adams (19:06)
Mm.

I love that. So maybe let's touch a little bit upon how we met, maybe a little bit about our backstory. mean, I think it's a little short or we can make it a little short, but you know, we are, yes, your coaches, but we're really your guides. You know, we met in grad school over 10 years ago, which is like, I'm still...

Mara DeMauro (19:38)
You

Renee Adams (19:41)
I'm still like, oh wow. You've seen me in a lot of different stages in my, not only in my journey, but just really in my life. I feel like we met when we were still kids and we just stayed in touch over the years and just bonded over our real deep passion, I think, over just internal growth and transformations and the fitness and.

Mara DeMauro (19:43)
Hahaha!

Yeah.

Yeah.

Renee Adams (20:10)
wellness space. yeah, I mean, I think I'm just, so excited to join forces to really offer something to our clients to that, you know, that we've gone through together and experienced and being able to kind of have that cyclical like, Hey, this is what we've gone through together. You're not alone in this. Come into this community. Everybody is welcome. And let's keep this cyclical thing going of like,

Mara DeMauro (20:24)
Yeah.

Mm.

Renee Adams (20:38)
great energy. Let's take it in, reflect and give it right back out to the universe.

Mara DeMauro (20:44)
Yes, I absolutely love that. Like my heart is just like, so happy because like, and I also had a recent, you know, encounter where I'm just like, holy shit, our connections and relationships are timeless. And

It's you never know where something's going to go, where something's going to grow. And I would have never guessed, you know, when I met you over 10 years sitting in that classroom that we'd be here right now, reporting, recording a podcast about a group program that we've created about sober curiosity, like never in my life, never in my life, you know, but am I, I can't even express like how grateful I am.

Renee Adams (21:25)
No way.

Mara DeMauro (21:33)
And how excited that makes me feel and how heartwarming that is that through our lived life experience, we have gotten here so that we can provide for other people a safe space and a blueprint to take the step by step process to really like step into that space of clarity and confidence themselves. So I'm just like, fuck yes.

Renee Adams (21:54)
Hell yeah, Yeah, yeah, absolutely, for sure.

Should we maybe talk about a little bit on the modules and kind of break down maybe what the six months even looks like?

Mara DeMauro (22:08)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's run through that.

Renee Adams (22:10)
Cool. Yeah, so I think we determined six months because, at least for me personally, when I went through your original program with three months, it was not enough. I was like, ooh, three months, that kind of sounds like I'm a little scared about that. I don't know if I can do this. What if I fail? Three months seems like such an investment. But when I tell you by the end of it, I was grasping, almost like forcing onto you.

how can we still work together? I want more of this. I think that's kind why we determine. Maybe you can touch a little more upon because I feel like you have a little more experience with working with a little more clients than I do.

Mara DeMauro (22:51)
Yeah. I mean, that became a, a noticeable trend. Like everyone I was working with after the three months, they were like, my gosh, Martin, like I feel like super grounded now and like rooted, but like, I still want some support. Wow. Support and accountability. and it just like, that was just natural. And I was like, yeah, you know what? And like, I, when I first started my coaching business, I was also new to coaching myself and I had just signed up for a year program.

And I was like, holy heck, this is gonna be forever. But when you really look at the big picture and you realize it really takes time. two steps forward, you know what saying, two steps forward, one step back, and then five to the side, and then 10 up and down and all around. It's not linear. So having yourself, having the ability to have a...

Renee Adams (23:25)
Hahaha

Yes, it's not linear.

Mara DeMauro (23:49)
timeframe that's gonna be super supportive and actually help you implement sustainable long-term changes. That was really important for us. We were like, okay, eight weeks, like all of this is beneficial. No matter if it's eight weeks, two months, three months, 10 months, six months, whatever, we just feel like this amount of time is an actual amount of time that you will receive.

and implement sustainable long-term benefits.

Renee Adams (24:20)
Yeah,

yeah, for sure. And we do actually have, want to announce that we are having a free webinar. It is Tuesday, April 8th, where we talk a little more about sober curiosity, different tips and tools to kind of navigate maybe, you know, the introduction to sober curiosity, as well as diving more into...

our program and kind of what we offer through that program. So it's absolutely free. We are going to have some additional information and details come out this week about that. So please look out for that. And if you have any other questions about that, of course, you can always reach out to us individually or through the podcast email.

Mara DeMauro (25:08)
Yeah. And we're going to have a special offer in there for those who attend the webinar. So definitely sign up or if you know anyone who's interested, pass it along. We're happy to be here at Service. And then something like jumping back into what's included in the program. So like we said, there's six months, it's expert led, Mindset Work. And it's a module based program curriculum. So we have

five different modules in there. And, you know, I'll just kind of like give the over lining, you know, of each module. So, you know, the first module is called building an internal foundation. So we're going to really dive into any of those limiting beliefs that come up are true value system, visualizations, affirmation to action, all that good nitty gritty foundational stuff. And then module two is like impacts of alcohol and the

Renee Adams (25:45)
Perfect. Yes.

Mara DeMauro (26:07)
body and emotional and mental resilience. So how does alcohol actually impact like the chemical system and nervous system and all of that? Module three, connection and relationships. So how do we totally relearn how to connect and build really authentic, nurturing relationships with people without the booze? We walk you through step by step how to do that. Module four is a holistic wellbeing approach.

really getting into there and looking at all of our rituals around well-being. And the last module is spirituality, growth, and clarity. Of course, we're going to bring in that creativity aspect, that play, how to reignite with that inner spark. So we cover anything and everything you need throughout this process. Am I missing anything?

Renee Adams (26:57)
Yeah, no, I'm so no, I think yeah,

you covered that so well. know, in addition to that, just fostering this community and this support, you know, we're going to have this group coaching element. So it's a private group for this connection, for this accountability and encouragement. You know, we're going to have three live coaching calls with Mara and myself each month. That's 18 total calls that you get with us to get that.

a double coaching approach. We've got six months of private direct messaging support and email support. And then of course, there is the opportunity to have a private 30 minute coaching session with any coach of your choosing. So you can have both of those calls. It's two that we're offering. So you can either have both of those calls with me, both of them with Mara or one call with me, one call with Mara, whatever you decide.

And then of course, all of our coaching calls that we have will be recorded. So if you don't have the opportunity to join them live, which of course we encourage because of that engagement and interaction with your group, we will send those out at the end of those calls so that you can always refer back to them as a resource. And of course too, just extras that we bring along the way with resources that we found through different podcasts, recommendations,

different book recommendations. We've got a couple side challenges and different guides that we've put together specifically for this program, as well as just lifetime access to the curriculum and just so many bonus activities and journal prompts. So it's really just packed with so much knowledge and so much stuff that we, so many elements that we really have pulled together through our own journey and experiences working with other people.

different trends and things that we've seen and really just being able to give that back to you and work together through this process.

Mara DeMauro (28:59)
Yes, perfect. And we are constantly updating, you know, the curriculum there and, ⁓ looking for ways to improve. so if anything ever comes up, you know, we are there, ⁓ live to support and also just knowing that we, you know, this is our first time we are kicking off this, this group. so we are learning through this. We're super excited.

to do this, ⁓ we have felt that working one-on-one is extremely powerful. There's pros and cons, you know, doing group coaching versus, ⁓ You know, one-to-one sessions all the time. And what we have found that the community aspect of going through similar things with people who are also going through those things is extremely validating because it can feel very isolating when you're doing this by yourself.

So that's why we are really stoked to bring this together and create more of community. And that has also been through meeting with people one-on-one, they have always said, I've just been trying to meet other like-minded people. So that's what we're doing.

Renee Adams (30:11)
Yeah, absolutely. Well, thank you so much, Mara. I love always getting on here and talking to you. I'm so excited to get this group coaching program together. I'm just so stoked. It's going to be such a fun time. We will link our program in the show notes, so there's a direct link there to find all the details and where you can sign up.

Mara DeMauro (30:13)
you

Renee Adams (30:35)
Again, we have this webinar coming up as well. It's absolutely free. Sign up for that to get some one-on-one time with us and maybe answer some questions that you may have about Sober Curiosity in general or about the program itself. Where can they find you, Mara?

Mara DeMauro (30:51)
on the gram at Mara DiMaro.

Renee Adams (30:54)
Awesome, and you can find me at coach underscore r Adams. Until next time.

Mara DeMauro (30:59)
Cheers, y'all.