It's Not About the Alcohol

EP324: Stop trying to reduce your drinking. Do THIS instead.

It's Not About the Alcohol

Show Notes

For two years, "reduce your drinking by 80%" was my signature phrase. It's on my website, my ads, my podcast — everywhere. In this episode, I tell you why I retired it, what I replaced it with, and what this shift means for you — whether you're in my program or hearing my voice for the first time. This is a behind-the-scenes episode pulled from Coffee with Colleen, my daily internal podcast for clients inside The Next Chapter. You'll hear me talk about how my own messaging accidentally did the thing I teach women not to do — and how catching that blind spot led to a complete rebrand, a new masterclass, and a brand new way into this work. In this episode: Why "drink less" is a negative goal — and what your brain actually does with it The real reason it gets harder to stay on track once you feel better What "take it or leave it" means and why those four words change everything The counterintuitive first step that sets my approach apart from every other program New ways to work with me at every level Links mentioned in this episode: 📞 BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL — $2,000 tuition discount on The Next Chapter expires Feb 28. As long as you book the call before the 28th, we'll honor the discount. [LINK] 🎥 Watch The FREE Masterclass— The Science Behind Take It or Leave It: Why Some Women Can and How You Can Too [LINK] 🎧 Get the Starter Bundle ($444) — RISE + Skills for Mindful Drinking. The complete Take It or Leave It methodology. Nothing held back. [LINK] Know someone who needs to hear this? Send her this episode. You don't have to say anything — just send the link.

More from It's Not About the Alcohol

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You eat clean, you handle everything, and by five o'clock you still feel like you need a glass of wine to calm down. Sian Cook, a former client trained in medicine, explains what stress is draining from your brain, why wine feels like the fix, and where to start to change your relationship with alcohol. What you'll learn: Why stress burns through the nutrients your brain needs to feel calm

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You've been telling yourself you drink too much because you love it too much. That's not what's happening. This episode shows you the rules you've been following since childhood that make you say yes to everyone else and no to yourself, and why the drink at the end of the day is the only thing you actually let yourself have. What you'll learn: Why the same rule that makes you reliable for everyone else makes you unavailable to yourself The difference between a Go rule and a No-Go rule, and how to spot both in one decisio Why "I'll just tough it out" costs you more bandwidth, patience and momentum than you think Why trying to reduce your drinking fails when the depletion underneath it doesn't change Get Happy, Not Sober is a live three-day event starting Friday, September 11. Day one, you'll measure the gap between what you'll do for other people and what you'll do for yourself, find the rule causing it, and walk away with one sentence that explains why your relationship with alcohol is out of balance. Day two is the mindful drinking experiment, live with Colleen for VIPs or on your own with the workbook. Day three is coaching and integration. Sessions are Friday and Saturday at 3pm Eastern, Sunday at noon Eastern. Plan on 90 minutes each. VIP spots are limited. [REGISTER HERE]

Aug 18, 2026

You have discipline in every other area of your life. You follow through, you deliver, you keep everything running. So why is it that the one night you tell yourself no drinking, you pour that first glass like that was the plan all along? This episode explains what's actually driving that, and why willpower can't make it stop. What you'll learn: Why "not drinking" feels harder than anything else on your list What your nervous system is actually reacting to when you sit still Why cutting back so you can get more done backfires every time Why three years of perfect abstinence didn't fix a damn thing The difference between acting like a woman who can take it or leave it and feeling like her

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