House of Clarity x Jodi Clark Founder of Sober Flourish

We sat down with Jodi Clark founder of Sober Flourish. A space offering empowerment & inspiration to women looking to embrace the holistic benefits of alcohol free living. Sober Flourish presents resources, challenges, events and coaching. With 18,000 people joining her community Jodi has found herself at the forefront of a movement spreading wide across the UK. We wanted to take some time to talk more about her experiences and uncover the real benefits behind choosing to opt out of alcohol, whether that’s for 1 month or 100 days!

Thank you for joining us Jodi. It’s great to be speaking with you. First things first, tell us about you and perhaps how Sober Flourish started?
“Of course. In 2022 I was overweight, unhappy, people pleaser, overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, impatient, angry and resentful woman in her late thirties, desperately looking for change but instead held herself back by drinking far too much, more often than I care to admit. I sat firmly in that ‘middle lane’ of drinkers, regularly using alcohol to ‘unwind’, ‘de-stress’ and block out any emotion that I didn’t want to face.

On the outside I was a high-functioning successful career woman, nailing motherhood, life and soul of the party, loved to entertain and had it all together. On the inside, there were many cracks and although I didn’t recognise it at the time, I was using alcohol to paper over them.

In August 2023 I set myself a challenge to complete 100 days alcohol-free, my goal here was to initially use this time to lose the final 4 stone of the 7-stone weight loss goal I had set myself, but I very very quickly realised that this was going to be so much more.

Fast forward to today and I am 16 months alcohol free and the entire experience has been nothing short of utterly life-changing. There is not one element of my life that hasn’t improved. I’m a happy, proud, healthy, balanced, patient, grateful and calm woman who is finally present with a huge passion for helping others to feel empowered to achieve the same sense of self-compassion.

I now run my own business (alongside my day job) where I provide digital programmes for women looking to take a break from alcohol to help them flourish too. It really is not easy taking a break from alcohol so my goal here is to provide others with the tools and resources to make it much easier than it was for me, to have everything they need at their fingertips and the ability to be a part of a flourishing community of other women on exactly the same path.

The programmes run for one month and extend to 100 days for those who feel they wish to immerse themselves further into alcohol-free living. Another passion of mine is coaching, I’m currently training with Andy Ramage to be a qualified coach, where I’ll work 1-2-1 with both men and women to help them become alcohol-free, reach ‘emotional sobriety/balance’ & work on their self-development goals to help them reach their true potential. After all, we’re all just standing in our own way, right?”

Wow! That’s absolutely amazing to hear. I love that you’ve turned such passion and positively into a project to help others. I know you touched upon all aspects of your life improving but what do you feel are the main benefits of not drinking?
“Wow, how long have you got? Improved memory, restorative sleep, more present with others, ability to be consistent with goals, improved gut health, better skin, hair and nails, brighter eyes, lower risk of cancer and brain shrinkage, lower risk of dementia and a whole heap of other negative health implications, fewer arguments and NO HANGOVERS – to name a few!”

Very interesting. So many, it’s hard to see why people choose to drink at all! Perhaps if they experienced some of these benefits they would think differently able their options. How do you think the rise of premium non-alcoholic drinks is changing the landscape for non-drinkers?
“Choice is always important to me, having high-quality premium options available really helps add that additional sparkle to a special occasion, there will always be people who feel that the more premium price labels are only acceptable for alcoholic drinks but why on earth would you begrudge paying more for a luxurious drink that has the added benefit of no headaches the following day?”

We couldn’t agree more. There are so many options now that are organic, low-calorie and even ones with adaptogens. What would your tips be for those people thinking about opting out of alcohol more permanently?
“It’s important to have realistic expectations, it’s not always a straight path for many, there may be days where you go a little off course, but it is all part of the learning process. If long-term sobriety is the goal, just keep marking off those days and you will get there.

Having daily practice is really important for longevity, focus on steps, water intake and a good sleep and you’re building yourself a solid foundation.

Education is crucial if you truly want to achieve emotional sobriety (the art of not just not drinking, but learning how to cope with real life and all of those ‘sober firsts’, without the crutch of alcohol to help). There are heaps of educational podcasts/audiobooks available to help to understand the negative health implications alcohol has on our brains and bodies – this helped me. Listening to other people’s stories was something I did daily whilst out getting my steps in!

If you’re looking for a sustainable alcohol-free life, then community is something not to be overlooked. Many struggle to find people to speak to when they cut out alcohol for fear of judgement or questions, so tap into the huge online community to avoid feeling isolated… My Facebook group is a great place to start.”

Thats great advice and since stopping drinking what has been your biggest/ best gain or revelation?
“Oh, there are quite a few, to be honest… but if I have to choose just one then it would be that i’ve become my own best friend, I love my own company. I no longer doubt my own capabilities, I’m a more present mother, friend and wife and being so aligned with my emotions I know that a tough day is just that and it will pass as I no longer look for a way to escape.”

I’m sure you’ve tried many NA drinks so i’m excited to hear your thoughts on Prima Pave, Italys most awarded sparkling non alcoholic wine?
“So much fizz & sparkle! My husband and I shared this on Sunday evening and it’s wonderful, perfect for that special occasion where the usual ‘overly sweetened’ bottles, that we’re all too familiar with, just won’t cut it.”

We’re glad you liked it! It’s been great to speak with you and interesting to hear all about Sober Flourish. To finish we’d love to know what are you goals for 2024?

“To continue to inspire as many women as possible to prioritise themselves and their health by taking a break from alcohol through the use of my digital programmes and coaching.

To educate as many people as possible that you don’t have to hit a rock bottom for you to want to change your relationship with alcohol.

I’ll be running my first ever event this year which I’m ridiculously excited about… so making that a huge success is a goal of mine too!”

That all sounds very exciting. We wish you all the best for this year and thank you for speaking with us.