Gray Area, Bright Lines: Why Kelley Kitley’s Honesty Lands Where It Hurts — and Heals
“I just want to take the edge off.” It’s the whisper that pretends to be help. On a quiet out-of-town night, therapist and author Kelley Kitley felt that old whisper again — years into sobriety. The picture looked harmless enough: hotel room, kid at practice, fatigue baked into the week. Then came the honest math: half an hour of exhale in exchange for a full day of consequences — and, if history has any say, a lot more than one day. So she did what the sober old-timers teach and our egos hate: she told on herself. A group text went out. The responses flooded back. The moment passed. She drove on, blasting Jelly Roll, a small defiant anthem that said: not today.
Kitley’s story is disarmingly ordinary, which is exactly why it’s brave. The cultural script for “problem drinking” still clings to extremes — job lost, life burning, bridges ash. Gray-area drinkers rarely look like that. They look like successful graduates who “partied and blacked out” and then aced a class the next morning. They look like moms taking the edge off with nightly wine because parenting is relentless and the world keeps suggesting a glass might help. Qualifiers — I wasn’t homeless, I didn’t lose my job — become the comforting lullaby that keeps the questions at bay.
On the episode, Alysse and Kelley pull at the thread that binds those qualifiers to stigma. When people insist, “I’m not an alcoholic, I’m alcohol-free,” language can widen or close doors. Sometimes the point of a label is courage, a way to step into rooms where help lives. Sometimes the point is permission, an identity that makes change feel possible. As Kelley notes, your circle often shapes your language; the aim is to choose what protects your life. The rest is just branding.
Kitley also names the tension many clinicians feel: the traditional rule to keep personal history out of the room. She risked otherwise. Journals turned into chapters, which turned into a book she could only finish after she got sober. It wasn’t about confession as spectacle; it was about belonging. When one person says the quiet part loud, isolation breaks — and in that draft of oxygen, recovery gets practical.
Long-term sobriety, the pair agree, is less a straight line than a daily practice. Some days it hums in the background; others, it taps your shoulder and asks, Remember me? That’s when “play the tape forward” matters — a miniature time machine that fast-forwards past the first exhale to the shame spiral, the hangover, the logistics. That’s also when community becomes not just a concept but a speed dial.
And because real life never restricts itself to a single headline, the conversation widens: perimenopause rage that flashes like weather, sleep that goes missing, bodies that remember old shortcuts (restricting, overworking, over-exercising) even after we’ve retired them. The trick isn’t to outrun biology; it’s to refuse old bargains. Stack tools early. Ask for help before the cliff. Keep it boringly practical.
Perhaps the most subversive thing in the episode is the insistence that sober life is not a punishment, and it’s definitely not boring. Boring was blackout déjà vu and keys you couldn’t find because you couldn’t remember the night before. Connection, on the other hand, is vivid. When Kelley’s kids ask why mom doesn’t drink and dad can, the answer lives in behavior and outcomes, not in shame. When friends ask about labels, the response is generous: do what works, but know that language shapes pathways. And when a craving pops up uninvited, call your people, put on the song and drive. That’s not dour self-denial; that’s choosing freedom.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in the gray, consider this your nudge to turn on a brighter light. Choose the word that opens the door to the room you need. Tell on yourself early. Borrow someone else’s hope until yours clocks back in. Most of all, remember: the tape always plays past the first sip. Let it. Then choose the life you keep getting to have.
Listen to the full episode of The Sober Curator Podcast featuring Kelley Kitley wherever you get podcasts.
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This week, Alysse sits down with cocktail queen, educator, and entrepreneur April Wachtel, founder & CEO of Cheeky Cocktails—the bold, minimalist, flavor-forward mixer brand changing how we drink (with or without booze). From 20 years behind the bar to launching a brand designed to make everyone feel included, April shares stories of creativity, visibility, Saved By the Bell aesthetics, brand-building in a sober-curious era, and that time she heroically saved an event from serving mojitos made with actual oil (yes, really) . Whether you love a zero-proof marg or just want better options at the bar, this convo is deliciously inspiring.
Takeaways:
Inclusion drives innovation. Cheeky was created after April repeatedly felt excluded in bar environments while not drinking—so she built mixers that work for everyone .
Cocktails = connection. For April, flavor, hospitality, and celebration matter more than alcohol content.
Constraints spark creativity. When COVID hit, she DIY’d her brand design in hours, then later refined it via agency work—scrappiness meets strategy.
Pop culture always shows up. Cheeky’s bright vibe? Think Saved by the Bell meets premium minimalism.
Taste everything first. Her wildest mishap? Discovering a kitchen had prepped oil instead of simple syrup at a major event—right before 400 guests were served. Hero status unlocked.
Key Timestamps:
[00:01:34] — Meet April Wachtel: founder, educator, and flavor-obsessed mixer magician
[00:04:27] — April’s entrepreneurial spark + early beverage industry days
[00:07:18] — Teaching 12,000+ students to craft balanced, beautiful drinks
[00:08:00] — Being sober/NA in bar culture + why inclusivity matters
[00:17:14] — The Cheeky brand aesthetic: color, culture, and DIY hustle
[00:22:00] — The 818 Tequila partnership + surprising professionalism
[00:27:08] — Cocktail catastrophes: the “oil mojito” close call
Resources & Links:
Cheeky Cocktails – https://cheekycocktails.co
Follow Cheeky on Instagram: @cheekycocktails
Alysse’s reference: BEATS WORKING podcast
Pop culture mentions: Saved by the Bell, Gucci “The Tiger” short film
–Alcohol + Substance Use Disorder Guide
–Recovery Nonprofit Resource Guide
–LBGTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide
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About:
Sobriety isn’t the end of the party—it’s just the start of a better one. Hosted by Alysse Bryson, media powerhouse and sobriety’s ultimate hype woman, and joined by Sober Curator contributors, The Sober Curator Podcast* delivers bold convos, pop culture deep dives, and zero-proof living that doesn’t suck. Whether you're sober, sober-curious, or just looking for good vibes without the hangover, we’ve got you covered. Subscribe now—because getting sober matters, staying sober matters more.
*The Sober Curator Podcast is a space for open and honest conversations about sobriety, recovery, and alcohol-free living. While we celebrate all paths to a sober lifestyle, some topics discussed may be sensitive or triggering for certain listeners. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. If you’re in recovery or exploring sobriety, please take care while listening and seek support from trusted professionals as needed.
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