Episode 16 - End of Season 1

Episode 16 - End of Season 1

In this episode Taylor and Eric look back on the beginnings of this show, how it all came to be and what they expect to do into the future. They discuss what balance means to them and the importance of taking breaks. While they are unsure of exactly when they expect to be back for season 2, they know for sure they'll be back soon!

Thank you so much to all who have listen to this show and contributed over the last 16 episodes!
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FB: Eric Andrew Coaching
Eric's website:ericandrewcoaching.com

Transcript

S&S EP 16

Host - Taylor: [00:00:00] Sober and shameless episode 16.

Hey everybody. Welcome to the show. I'm Taylor Klinger. And I'm Eric. Andrew. And this is Sober and Shameless shedding the Shame, the podcast that flips the script on what it means to live a sober life. In each 

Host - Eric: episode of Sober and Shameless. The host, along with the occasional guests, will pick a topic to shed their shame about, explore ideas on how to grow through those challenges and provide organic, lighthearted, honest, and unprofessional commentary about their experiences with addiction, strength through recovery and life and sobriety.

Host - Taylor: What? Uh, Hey 

Host - Eric: Taylor. How are you buddy? Happy 

Host - Taylor: Friday. Oh, happy Friday, dude. Can you believe it's spring already? I know. Well, I know this time is just flying by. I love it. I [00:01:00] love the 

Host - Eric: warmer weather and the longer days, 

Host - Taylor: warmer weather and longer days. Even though out here in Colorado we are still getting snow occasionally.

Oh God. But my gosh, such as life living out here. Um, I love it personally. So I'm, I'm okay with the, with the teeter-totter back and forth for a little bit, but I do have to say, uh, very, very soon I am looking forward to consistent 70 degree days and getting out in the nice, warmer weather and. Changing up my hobbies for the spring, summertime.

Yes, for sure. Yes. 

Host - Eric: Yes. It's always fun when that change happens. It's like a new birth, right? 

Host - Taylor: It is, it is. And honestly, that is a good point to make because we are coming to the end of season one, and this is all about the beginning journey of this podcast. Yes. All the amazing people we've had on the show and New [00:02:00] Beginnings.

I think that is an awesome thing that we've experienced thus far with presenting this podcast and coming up with this idea to come on and, and do this show. And if you haven't guessed it from the title of this episode, we are announcing the conclusion of season one. Of the Sober and Shameless podcast, so give it up.

Woohoo.

Woo.

Host - Eric: We got through season one. 

Host - Taylor: Season one coming in regular. That's for sure. But in this episode, we're gonna keep it pretty short. For our listeners today, we do want to quickly go over H how it's been, yeah. For the show, what it's been like for us, how we've grown through this process. [00:03:00] And talk a little bit about what this has done for us in our recovery journeys, and then take a look at what our break is gonna look like when we expect to be back, and then some recommendations for our guests.

While we're away,

Host - Eric: I, I'm just gonna start this off and it's gonna sound gushy and everything else to everybody, but I gotta say it. I have gained so much. In regards to my own recovery, through this process of, of doing this podcast, it has for me, it has far and beyond taken me to places in my own recovery that I really needed to go to, things I really needed to see.

Things I really needed to work on more. I've learned so much from our guests. I've learned so much from the each of us kind of sharing and working back and forth together and putting together different ideas and thoughts. It's been a great [00:04:00] journey so far. So I have to thank first you, my co-host and, uh, editor extraordinaire for all that you do.

Thank you, dude. This has been a really, really in incredible experience so far. 

Host - Taylor: I couldn't agree more. And to echo everything you've said and some for me, it's been just as amazing and growing experience along this journey. I had no idea what I was stepping into. I had no idea the lift that is required to go into making something like this happen.

But then the unexpected things is the amount of joy, uh, from our listeners and the value from, uh, a value gained from demographics that I didn't even think we were gonna reach, let alone how many countries tune into our show. It has just been a very big eye-opener, and I am echoing everything you just said and to our [00:05:00] guests and to our listeners.

Thank you so much to everybody who has contributed to this along the way. Every single person listening to our show regularly or for the first time, You mean the world to us. You are important. You do matter, and you are the reasons why we are here and why we are working on this project. This project is very, very near and dear to mine and Eric's hearts, and we have gained so much along the way for sure.

Well, 

Host - Eric: and I would just add too, that not only have we gained so much from doing this project together, but we've also gained a lot in our own friendship and our own. Recovery buddies, for lack of a better word, but Right. It, it's almost like having a meeting every time we get together, you know? Yes. I, I feel like we're at a meeting and somebody said once, some wise person said, once, if you get two drunks in a room together [00:06:00] talking, you have 

Host - Taylor: a meeting.

So, exactly. Well, and you know, looking at like the original construct of this, Show and to provide a little bit of background to the individuals who have been listening to us from the beginning. Myself and Eric had discussions eight months prior to coming up with this show and going down this road together.

We really wanted it to go in a different direction, not because there is an amazing, isn't a slew of amazing other resources out there, but because we wanted to. Provide our insights in a little bit of a different format. To then help all those other people out there that might need a little bit of difference in their lives and in their approach to how they talk about recovery.

I know for me, I needed to have the very candid conversations. I needed to talk to people that aren't always right, [00:07:00] and they explore what right looks like for them by talking about things that make no sense. And I feel like I can do that here. I feel like I can talk freely, be wrong about something and then backtrack and go, wait.

I can reevaluate that and have a new opinion. And have a new perspective. So on that, we spent eight months trying to figure out how we wanted to go about it before we realized that we just needed to hit the record button. And we recorded our first three episodes way before they came out. And our goal was to try and stay ahead of the curve.

Right? But I think Eric, you and I both know how that turned out every, it was like we were like a month ahead on episodes, and then we would take a week off because it's a lot of work. These are things that you find out once you start podcasting, how much work it actually is. And through that, we slowly started to, I guess, become episodic [00:08:00] and.

We would be editing the podcast the same week that it was dropping and it kind of just got overwhelming in a sense for a little bit, but it was still rewarding and it was still so worth it. And I wanna make sure we continue providing a lot of valuable information into season two for sure. Even 

Host - Eric: when it had gotten to that place where it was starting to get really tough, what I know I was holding onto and what really, um, allowed me to feel good about what we were doing even, and I kept kind of thinking, well, we'll get there, we'll get there.

And what, what I was holding onto was just the feeling of when we would release the podcast and, and people would. Be downloading it and I would get, I know Taylor, you got messages. Hey guys, this was great. You guys are so awesome. Keep it up. You're doing such a great service. And it's kind of hard when you hear that it's kind of rejuvenates 

Host - Taylor: you.

Right, right. Well, and on top of that too, I think we've said [00:09:00] to each other a few times now where we actually tune into the episodes ourselves, you know, a couple days later after it airs and we get recovery out of the discussion that was had because, Oddly enough, either the conversation happened a little while ago and we don't quite remember what happened, or we were.

Just a couple days ago, but we were so involved in the conversation that we didn't really fully conceptualize and understand what was being said, and it allowed us to process it all over again and view it from a different perspective. Right. 

Host - Eric: Oh yeah, absolutely. I mean, I know when I would go back and work on show notes and just be able to sit there and listen to it without.

Trying to think of, okay, well what do I need to say now? Where are we going next? All that. And that gets in your head and you're not really listening, listening the way you should to listen to it again, gain so much fr especially when we would have a guest and, and get to listen to what that guest is saying.

Some of the points that the guests [00:10:00] would make were just things I needed to hear from myself much less. Yeah. Giving it out to the listeners. I mean, you all, one of the things you all need to realize is we're gaining a lot in our own recovery. Being here and listening to people that come on, uh, and, and speak as much as you all are.

So this is good for us 

Host - Taylor: too. Well, and I think it makes a very valid point to say we strongly believe in remaining teachable, and in that comes constant growth. And a practice at humility. I say practice because I don't think I'll ever be perfect at it, but that's what this all was about. And we wanna continue making this into the future.

But before we talk about that side of the fence, I do wanna say, To all our amazing guests that came on the show. You are beautiful human beings, and thank you so, so much for being a part [00:11:00] of season one. 

Host - Eric: Absolutely. I, I don't even know a word that I could say for my gratitude. Well, there's a word. My gratitude 

Host - Taylor: for them.

Exactly. Wow. I, not 

Host - Eric: only did I learn a lot and Taylor learn a lot, but I'm sure all of you did. And, and that's what was, was the whole point. But to get out of this on a personal level, what, what I know I've been getting out of this is, is been a gift and I'm, you know, very, very happy and pleased with that.

Host - Taylor: Yeah, exactly. For me, I've learned one of the big things is how much actually goes into. Editing a podcast. I've said this before on the show, but for all those that don't know, I taught myself how to do the editing of this as I went, and I'm definitely not a pro. I have not gone to school for it, but I have done amateur editing for my own personal music projects that I've created over the [00:12:00] years.

But this has taken all of that knowledge and just. Elevated it exponentially. So it's been an amazing growing experience. The challenge in all of that, though, was the upkeep. I briefly said a little bit earlier that we slowly started to fall behind and actually become episodic towards the end. Where I was on, you know, Tuesday night, recording the episode with you, Wednesday night editing.

Thursday night finishing the edits and then it publishes four hours later. I also work night shift on Thursday night and Friday night. And in all of that I was trying to find this weird thing called balance. And so while we are listening to our own episodes and giving ourselves advice on things, I started to realize that there was a lack of something.

Happening in my life and it was [00:13:00] continually becoming more apparent to me that something had to, had to shift or change. Now, it doesn't mean for the bad or for the worst. It just means while we talk, our talk about creating balance and managing our sobriety with our lives and self-awareness. It's very easily to not take your own advice, and for me, it was starting to get to a point where I had to step back and start reevaluating what my priorities looked like.

Another thing I was neglecting were my dogs at my house, sitting at my feet waiting for dad to do or play or say something to engage with them. But I go and I do my day job. I sit at a computer, I come home, I get in the office and I edit the podcast, and I want nothing more than to have 80 million hands and be able to do [00:14:00] everything.

I wanna play with my dogs. I wanna make the podcast. I want to go to my main job. I wanna work in my wood shop. But guess what, Taylor? You can't prioritize everything. And so one of the most amazing things that I've gained in this, and which I think is gonna benefit me as a superpower into season two, is reevaluating what balance looks like for me and attacking it from a new, more appropriate positive angle.

And being able to come back stronger and better than ever. 

Host - Eric: Well said. Well said. Bravo. And I would already, uh, say that you do have superpowers, the, the work that you've done, editing the work you've done to find the platforms that we're working on and everything else far and be above and beyond what I kind of thought we were gonna be doing.

I love everything we've done, but I know how much time and effort that you've put into all of that, so I appreciate the fact that, that we were able to get ourselves through 15 episodes and, and do [00:15:00] well with it. But I also appreciate now this fact that we're gonna be able to recalibrate, rebalance, and get ourselves kind of like a car, right?

We're gonna take the car and get the wheels rebalanced. It's kind of what we're gonna do. I like it. Get, get our wheels, rebalanced. Um, and, and be able to kind of look at this in a little bit different way. You know, Taylor, you mentioned in the beginning about how we just kind of decided to jump in and just see what, what this is gonna look like.

Well, I think after 15 episodes we've got a better feel for 

Host - Taylor: it. Right. And I would say that we've we're successful. 

Host - Eric: Yes, I would say that as well. But now we know going into season two how we wanna organize that and how we wanna build that. And, and that's gonna be part of the conversation. Moving forward, but I wanted to mention an echo.

Um, back to what you were talking about in, I can't do everything. I wish I had an 80 million arm so I could be involved in everything I'm doing. Right. I wanted to talk about that in terms of how I looked at the podcast, how I looked at coaching, [00:16:00] how I looked at what I do for the online group that we're both in.

As the service part of my recovery, which is obviously very important, but you don't wanna overdo service to the place where you are disregarding your own recovery and you're making it about everybody else. And I think that came up for me. Where it was like, go to my job, come home, jump on online cuz we gotta get this done and we gotta do this thing and be online for whatever amount of time we're online.

Then get off and try to figure out, okay, some social media for the business and where am I at with that and what do I need to work on? Well, I'll put that off till tomorrow. It became like this a lot. So the idea of how we balance service within our recovery. Is is super important and, and I would just say this last piece to our listeners, this is, these are the things that you wanna pay attention to in your recovery, is when you start [00:17:00] to feel those things coming in, as Taylor kind of told us, you need to take that step back and go, okay, where is that coming from?

What's happening here? What, why am I feeling this way? Which is exactly what happened. Taylor did that. I did that. And that shows, in my mind, that shows a strength in our recovery process, you know, but it also shows that we need, we need that time to, to do what we need to do in, in terms 

Host - Taylor: of balance, right?

And prioritizing our lives. You know, if I could do it all, I would a hundred percent. I am a jack of all trades and a master of none, and that is, uh, Good thing, but it can also very much so affect my mental health and my mental wellbeing. So it's good for anybody in the world of recovery or not to constantly reevaluate what your priorities are and align them with where you're at in your life at that moment [00:18:00] in time.

And that's okay. And 

Host - Eric: take breaks and be willing to say no. And be willing to have boundaries. You know, these are all these things that we all relearn in 

Host - Taylor: recovery. How to do that? I relearn the same five things every year. I swear I don't know what they are, but they're the same five ones. So I'm probably getting to the point where I'm gonna hit the reset button, have to relearn all my all over again.

Well, I saw 

Host - Eric: a meme somewhere where it's talked about that you, the same things will continue to happen to you until you learn the lesson that they're trying to teach you. Well, shit, I'm screwed. We're gonna go through it again. 

Host - Taylor: Exactly. So I think that might be a good thing to meditate on while we take this break.

Yes.

So while we talk about what our break looks like, I think that it's good to present a timeline and here's our timeline. Are you ready? We don't know. Is that an okay timeline, Eric? 

Host - Eric: I think it's an okay [00:19:00] timeline cuz we don't know. And to tell you that we would, okay, we're gonna do this or we're gonna do that and then not be able to do that would not be fair to listeners.

So I think it's better to. Kind of be a lot more open-ended and flexible about it. So I think it is a great way to present. 

Host - Taylor: But we do know that we're coming back. Yes. And when we do come back, I am not sure if we're gonna still be weekly. If we go to biweekly or monthly, we haven't decided yet. We might increase the length of the episodes and release fewer of them.

We don't quite know. But we do know that we're dedicated to coming back because of what we've already talked about. The benefits just outweigh so much of the challenges. Even though podcasting is really difficult to edit and manage along with our social medias and getting the word out and getting people to come and want to engage with us, all of it was worth it.

Yes, there was not one thing I would've changed, and so moving forward, [00:20:00] the only thing that needs to be reevaluated for me during this much needed break to enjoy the sunshine and enjoy my dogs is figuring out an appropriate way. To establish balance and be able to continue on this awesome journey of sober and shameless.

I think that it makes 

Host - Eric: sense to take a break from something that's going super well versus pushing through. And completely burning out and then shutting it all down. 

Host - Taylor: And people will be able to sense that too. If we get to that point of burnout, people will know because we're sacrificing quality for quantity.

Right. And we don't want that. Exactly. And 

Host - Eric: I've heard it on other podcasts. I can tell when the co-hosts are not in the right place. You can hear it in their voices and how they're dealing with each other. And you know, there's obviously stories behind all podcasts and all you're getting is that interview, but there's a story behind it.

[00:21:00] And when you're working with people, you know, you have to be in the right place. And when you start not being in the right place, it then sets up a lot of other dominoes that 

Host - Taylor: could start to fall. What you're saying is that it's, it's my fault, Eric. Yeah, pretty much good because I need to remain a victim.

That's how I handle life.

Host - Eric: Listen, I'll get sober as long as you'll allow me to remain the victim. That's my only 

Host - Taylor: stipulation. You what you just said happened to me and I'm offended. Okay.

If you all could see the look on Eric's face right now, it is saying, I don't give a fuck. 

Host - Eric: Uh, well, thank God we've been able to get to that place in our friendship where, um, we can kind of laugh a little bit about the trials and tribulations of being in recovery and, and just because we're doing a podcast doesn't mean we have it all figured out.

Host - Taylor: Never.[00:22:00] 

While we are away, we have some recommendations. Yes. A couple of podcasts that we'd love to recommend along with some things to keep in mind while you are waiting for our next episodes to come out. Right. Well, and I 

Host - Eric: would say the first one, I wanna get this one out there right away. Is go back and re-listen.

You know, we were joking about it earlier, like when we would go and do show notes or we would be doing the editing and getting the chance to listen to the podcast again. We gained so much out of it. The same for you? Mm-hmm. Go back and listen to the podcast. So you might hear something that you didn't hear the first time, or you might hear something you heard the first time, but it's hitting a different way.

As you listen 

Host - Taylor: to it this time, and honestly, that's a lot of recovery. Yeah. Is listening to the same stuff over and over. But as we move forward in our journey, things are [00:23:00] translated differently or have different meaning to us along the way. If you think about recovery in its totality, there's not a lot of new thoughts out there.

But it's the consistently reevaluating of those ideas and concepts that does the growing and changing throughout this journey. I've just noticed that in my own recovery. So I think that's a great recommendation to listen to the episodes over again and. Look at it from where you're at today as opposed to when you had listened to it before, right?

Yes, sir. Another good thing is please keep an eye on our Instagram while we're away. We will continue to be posting stuff that is not on our episodes, but we do want you to pay attention to and engage with. We're going to be also announcing that platform first and foremost when we are going to be coming back.

So please keep an eye on our Instagram page for those valuable [00:24:00] updates. While we are away in taking this break, and myself and Eric are still gonna be posting on our Instagram story about what we're doing in our day-to-day lives, occasionally, not all the time, but. If you wanna stay up to date with what we're doing, and maybe I'll be posting some stories about playing with my dog and taking that much needed time for myself.

Right. What are some stories you might be posting about Eric? I'll 

Host - Eric: continue to post positive affirmations. I'll continue to post reason why we need to believe in ourselves and, and look to ourselves as strong people come in recovery. And a lot of that, by the way, my posting is, is as much for me as it is for you all.

It helps me 100%. I read that stuff. It's like re It's a great reminder to follow what I'm reading. 

Host - Taylor: Agreed.

Before we say our goodbyes and farewells to the beautiful end [00:25:00] of season one. Let's provide you some listening material recommendations we have from some recovery podcasts we've listened to along our journeys to then help you while we're away. Yes. Eric, what's one that you have to recommend? Well, one that I have 

Host - Eric: to recommend is, uh, one that's called the one you feed.

Host - Taylor: The one you feed. Ooh, I don't, it's from a parable. I don't know that one. He just, uh, 

Host - Eric: run by Eric Zimmer. It's been run forever. I think they have. Way over 200 plus episode. Oh no, wait a minute. Uh, further than that, I think it's like 500 something episodes. Wow. The guy has been around forever, but he's got like a team.

I mean, he's got producers and everything else, but he brings on some pretty interesting guests, and he comes from a place of recovery. That's where he starts. So all the. Topics that are talked about, and they do deep dives on all of them. They talk a lot about how it relates to the recovery, how it related to his recovery, and then how does it relate to recovery in general.

[00:26:00] So I think it's a great podcast to dig your teeth into, and there's a ton of episodes out there to, I mean, 500 plus episodes that keep you pretty damn busy for a while. 

Host - Taylor: Oh, definitely couldn't agree more. Do you have one? Well, it's gonna be the obvious one. We've talked about them multiple times and we couldn't say enough about how amazing they are.

Yeah. What is their, what is that name again? Yeah. Recovery elevator, I think is 

Host - Eric: what, yes, yes, yes. That's it. That's it. Yeah. Yeah, so 

that's 

Host - Taylor: a good, that podcast is definitely where I got my start in the podcasting world. I think in general, and also day one of my current sense of sobriety is, That's right there.

That's front and center day one of recovery for me. Episode zero is where I started, and I have to say all those early episodes were instrumental in my first 30 days, my first 60 days, and even into my first 90 days. Um, I could not say much more positive things about that podcast, [00:27:00] and especially the beginning episodes were so amazing and instrumental for me, and I'm only saying that because they just have a place near and dear in my heart.

They have new episodes coming out, which are also amazing. They have three fantastic hosts that are currently working on the project together, along with amazing editing team to keep them. Consistent and going, I don't know how they do it, but every Monday morning their episodes are dropping. I tried it for 15 weeks straight, and I have to tip my hat to that team because they are killing it.

Well, maybe we need a team. I have a lot in my brain, but they're not really useful in the physical world. 

Host - Eric: Well, I wasn't talking about the team that runs around in your head every day.

Host - Taylor: So what's one more that we have? Well, I 

Host - Eric: have another one that's a little bit newer. I just started listening [00:28:00] to, it's called Through the Glass. It's about recovery, the all of their. Episodes are about 40 minutes, and they normally do them with, uh, like a panel. They might have two or three people on at the same time, and they'll, they'll tackle an issue in recovery in that 40 minutes.

And everybody on that panel kind of speaks up about certain aspects of. Whatever that issue is. So it's been a, an interesting one to listen to for me from the podcast perspective, just the idea of, of having a panel to discuss things that's interesting. But the topics are right on the money and, and they're really solid topics for any of us who might be in recovery.

So I think that's a good one to take a listen to. I think 

Host - Taylor: it's awesome that they go about it from a panel's perspective, that's a really unique take and it. Goes to the whole trying to come at this from different angles piece that we are trying to do and other people are trying to do as well. And it's just a beautiful thing to really try and reach audiences from different viewpoints [00:29:00] to provide as much breadth of.

Sobriety is possible. I love it.

So here we are. Yeah, I can't believe it. End of season one. End 

of 

Host - Eric: season one. 

Host - Taylor: One thing I'll leave everybody with is a quote from one of my. Favorite songs of all time. It's by a very small band. I think they're based out of South Carolina, and they are called Sequoia Prep School. They have a song called Old Number four, and one of my favorite lyrics of all time, which I almost consider getting a tattoo of on my Body.

I use it as a form of affirmation, so I will use it here today as a good reminder to the closing of season one for Sober and Shameless. Life gets hard and life gets tough, but sometimes you gotta find a [00:30:00] little bit of truth amongst all the lies and know everything will be all right.[00:31:00] 

Host - Eric: Hey, thank you all for listening to this show. We really 

Host - Taylor: appreciate it. Thank you so much for joining us today, and we would not be here without you. 

Host - Eric: New episodes, air every Friday morning. This show is available wherever you podcast. 

Host - Taylor: You can join the conversation throughout the week by following us on Instagram and TikTok by searching at sober the letter n Shameless.

If you would like to be a guest on our show or would simply like to send us an email about this week's topic, then please email us@sobershamelessgmail.com. You can find all these links and more in the show notes. [00:32:00] Interested in supporting the show, then buy us a cup of coffee. That's a drink we can enjoy without regret.

Just simply navigate to buy me a coffee.com/sober and shameless. That's S O B E R N S H A N E L E S S. And you can give us a cup if you'd like. We'll send you a sober and shameless sticker in the mail and post a photo on our Instagram thanking you for your support. Woo, and finally. Shed that 

Host - Eric: shame.