What if the glass of wine you pour every night isn't a reward, it's a signal?

I sat down with Keelie Louise, a Sober Curious Mentor and Psychology-Based Coach who rebuilt her life after decades of using alcohol to quiet a mind that never felt like enough. This conversation isn't about sobriety in the all-or-nothing sense — it's about getting curious about why you reach for that drink in the first place.

Keelie breaks down the real science behind what alcohol does to your dopamine baseline, your cortisol levels, and your ability to show up as the high performer you know you can be. We talk about how to navigate the social pressure of 'just have one,' how to figure out who actually fills your cup, and why falling down on this journey might be the very thing that gets you to the life you've always known was possible.

Key Takeaways:

If you say you need a drink, that’s worth paying attention to.

Alcohol gives you a dopamine spike, but it’s also dragging your baseline happiness down.

You don’t owe anyone an explanation for not drinking.

Getting sober curious isn’t just about removing alcohol, it’s about figuring out who actually fills your cup.

Falling down is part of the process, the difference is whether you ask yourself why.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:03 Why ‘I need a drink’ is a red flag

06:14 What even one glass of wine does to your body

08:06 How to handle social challenges without owing an explanation

10:40 Why falling off the wagon might be the thing that saves you

12:19 Who fills your cup when alcohol leaves the room?

Resources:

SAMHSA’s National Helpline

NIAAA

Connect with Keelie:

Website: https://keelielouise.com.au/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keelie-louise/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its_keelie_louise/

Connect with Me:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyannclark08/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingthinkers/

Building Thinkers Newsletter: https://building-thinkers.kit.com/24cdc43dcf

More About Building Thinkers:

I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.

And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.

If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.