My guest today is Bill Shufelt, who is the founder of Athletic Brewing – my favorite alcohol-free craft brewery!

Bill has been a major player in spearheading the rapidly expanding non-alcoholic space and in this episode he shares his own sober curious journey, what led him to quitting drinking completely nine years ago, and the story behind how he quit his job and took the leap into the entrepreneurial space.

Along the way, we touch on some really interesting points that help to join the dots between the competitive, high-performance culture that underpins so much of American life, and the dominant drinking culture here. Bill also shares some surprising statistics about the way Americans drink, and the impact of problem drinking on a micro and a macro level.

He also shares about the wider mission of Athletic and how his own sobering up has led to a personal commitment to being a positive force for change. In the episode we discuss:

-How having more access to information about our health and wellbeing has been a major factor in more people getting sober curious.

-Why non-drinking is far more widespread than we think – and the role advertising plays in normalizing excessive drinking.

-His own Sober Curious journey, and why he decided to quit drinking completely nine years ago.

-Choosing not to drink as part of a high-performance lifestyle – and how alcohol creates a false ceiling in our lives that we don’t realize is there until we quit.

-How cutting out booze sparked his intellectual curiosity, leading to the years of research he put into the launch of Athletic.

-Using alcohol to manage stress and to mask the emotional pain of losing his mom at age 18.

-How addressing his own misperceptions about drinking helped him feel more comfortable with his choice.

-The ripple-effect of quitting drinking – and how this often leads to friends and family reevaluating their relationships to alcohol.

-Why the craft brewing industry has been so slow to go alcohol-free - and why this is changing fast.

-The lasting impact of prohibition in the US and how this still impacts the way we drink today.

-The alternative ways he’s found to relax and unwind as a non-drinker (and how his social life really hasn’t changed).

Learn more about Bill and Athletic Brewing HERE.

Big thanks to Optimist Drinks for partnering on this episode. Get 15% off your order at Optimistdrinks.com with the code CURIOUS.

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