Alcohol-Free Advantage Podcast with Andy Ramage

This week, on The Alcohol-Free Advantage Podcast, join me for one of THE most important conversions I have EVER had! This chat is a gift for all of us! At just 26, Damian Willemse is already a Rugby legend. The youngest man EVER to win two Rugby World Cups for his Country, South Africa and he is regularly achieving Multiple successes at club level, with his team The Stormers - Damian is flourishing at the very highest level! This is not just your average sports star; Damian could be one of the greatest of all time. So, how could an International Cup winning Sports Star possibly ‘IMPROVE’ and ‘ACCELERATE’ his overall performance and well being???You guessed it - Going ALCOHOL FREE! As a middle-lane drinker, Damian began to become increasingly aware of the negative impacts alcohol was having on his life. From hangovers to low productivity to weekend lie-ins, even the person he became when he was a few drinks into a ‘binge’ session did not align with the man he knew he was. So he decided to take a 90-day break - and something incredible happenedJoin us for a superpowered conversation, where we chat about: -What comes with being a professional athlete, on and off the pitch.Dealing with Injury and the impacts on mental health. The marginal gains of living AFSocialising AF - How it feels and how it changes.How the effects of alcohol impact our relationships.Living with Gratitude and how to nurture this. Occasional Binges and how they take their toll.I left this conversation filled with admiration for a Young man who epitomises optimal performance and limitless potential. Damian's mindset and actions are a powerful reminder to us all that, no matter how far we have come in life, or how much we have achieved, there's always more that we can access - however that may look to you. Lets Do this! Your coach, Andy

On today's mid-week episode of the Alcohol-Free Advantage Podcast, I share five things I’ve learnt at 50 that I wish I had known at 30.I will start with a confession. When I share these insights I am really saying out loud what I need to work on.Therefore, my ideas are all work in progress rather than completed goals.The five lessons are as follows:You can’t do everything You have more time than you think Slow down to speed upLittle and often wins the raceThe most important lessonToday, I wanted to focus on the most important lesson.During my 50th birthday dinner speech in Dublin, I wanted to share with my friends and loved ones the most important thing I had discovered about life. I recalled that over the last ten years, I had been fortunate to learn from some incredible people and study a great deal of literature and thinkers.From all this research, I have concluded that happiness, fulfilment, and meaning all revolve around the same thing.Therefore, if I could sum up this life thing with one thing, in the words of the Beatles, it would be this:“All you need is love.”*At this point in my speech, as I hoped they would, the whole group joined in to create a wonderful moment I will never forget:“da, da, da, da, daaaa’“All you need is love, love, love is all you need.”****For a deep dive into all 5 of the lessons I have learned at 50, I wish I had known at 30. Check out the podcast today!Your coach AndyPS - We are enrolling now!!!!If you want to transform your mind, body, and potentially career and go on a six-month learning adventure with me, then come with me and learn to coach.In January, I will personally train a small group in the art of life/executive/alcohol-free coaching so they, too, can unlock the meaning they seek by “giving back”.Click here to find out more - https://andyramagetraining.com/dcpp-course-details/

This week, on The Alcohol-Free Advantage Podcast, we are joined by Hadley Sorensen, who wrote a book on the topic and is here to break down the facts! Hadley, a self confessed (ex) party girl, shares how she went from sipping Cosmos, to blackout weekend drinking to writing a book on the Truth and Transformation that alcohol had on her social life, before and after drinking!For Hadley, change didn’t require hitting rock bottom. One morning, she simply knew life had more to offer than the cycle of regular hangovers.In her journey to untangle the grip of alcohol, Hadley embraced self-discovery, redefining what socialising really means to her. By removing alcohol, she found clarity, authentic connection, and a renewed sense of purpose. Her book, The Dirty Truth on Social Drinking, offers a refreshingly relatable take on the joys of living and thriving sober. Hadley’s insights are a must-read for anyone curious about the limitless possibilities of an alcohol-free life.We chat about: -The fear of what will happen to our social lives, when we remove Alcohol!Fun without alcohol? Is it possible? How will it look? Social and cultural influences that push a ‘social narrative’ that alcohol is a key component to fun and connection. Friends - How can we make new friends if we are not out drinking? Smashing the ‘out of date’ belief, that living without alcohol is ‘boring!’ No rock bottom required! - How a limitless, authentic life is available to all of us!  Uncovering our true selves - Living as an Introvert!I left this conversation buzzing with enthusiasm!. Hadley has a unique, straight forward way of laying out the limitless benefits of going Alcohol-free and is a brilliant example of how we begin to Thrive, explore and discover our authentic selves, when we remove just one thing! Comment below and let me know your thoughts about this chat and the topic of Socialising Sober - What does your Sober social life look like? What/if anything has changed? Where do you socialise? Have you made new friends since going alcohol-free? Tag someone who you think would like this episode or share it with someone who would benefit from discovering that our social lives just get going, when we remove alcohol! Let's Do this! Your Coach, Andy