Mocktails Or Messy

What if you could have it all without apologizing for any of it?
Green juice by morning. Gin by night. A thriving career. A passport full of stamps. And zero guilt about enjoying both sides of the coin.
That's exactly the energy Liv Barth brings to this episode of Mocktails or Messy.
In this episode, Ryan & Kelly sit down with Liv Barth, a Sydney-to-Pittsburgh transplant, content creator, executive talent advisor, and self-proclaimed "80% messy, 20% mocktail" kind of girl. They dive into what it really means to live unapologetically, build multiple businesses across continents, and embrace both the discipline and the chaos without choosing sides.
Liv opens up about her journey from headhunting CEOs to coaching executives, launching a secret health and wellness project in Pittsburgh, and documenting her whole life on Instagram with the kind of LA energy that makes you want to say "love ya" to strangers. She talks about moving back to Pittsburgh after years in New York and Sydney, why she chose roots over rent control, and how she's splitting time between two continents while building something meaningful in the Steel City.
They also get into the messy stuff: getting diagnosed with ADHD at 32 and how Vyvanse changed everything, working in a prison teaching long-term offenders how to reintegrate into society, navigating imposter syndrome as a young woman advising C-suite execs, and why caring deeply while holding lightly is the mantra that keeps her grounded.
From cracking non-alcoholic beers at 9 a.m. to discussing Pittsburgh's potential as the next Silicon Valley, from astrology predictions about pregnancy to the importance of community and connection, this conversation is equal parts inspiring, honest, and refreshingly real.
If you've ever:
• felt like you had to choose between being disciplined or being fun
• wondered if you could build a life across multiple cities
• struggled with imposter syndrome while crushing it professionally
• wanted permission to be messy and put together at the same time
…this episode is for you.
No judgment. Be messy. Be mindful. Be magnetic. Just stop apologizing for being all of it.
Welcome to Mocktails or Messy.
#MocktailsOrMessy #SoberCurious #ContentCreator #Pittsburgh #ExecutiveCoaching #ADHD #Entrepreneurship #HealthAndWellness #MindfulLiving #MomLife #Podcast
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Why does saying “I’m not drinking tonight” require an explanation?

Why do we care what’s in somebody else’s cup?

And why did filling a beer can with water feel less embarrassing than just ordering a mocktail?

We didn’t have a good answer. So we talked it out.

In this episode of Mocktails or Messy, Ryan & Kelly are joined by their cousin — and resident Gen Z content genius — Sylvie for a wide-open conversation about drinking culture, sober-curious pressure, and why nobody should have to justify what’s in their glass. They get into the family pushback Ryan faced early in his sobriety, the “normies vs. wackos” divide between people who can stop after two drinks and people who can’t, and why being the one sober friend at a wedding still somehow requires a speech.

They also unpack the internet’s reaction to Brad Pitt’s “I was sober for seven years, now I have a couple glasses of wine” moment — is moderation ever really safe for someone in recovery, or is it a slippery slope with a nice Italian vacation attached? — and Sylvie weighs in on how her generation is actually rethinking alcohol altogether, curious about low- and no-alcohol drinks while still wanting to learn their limits before college.

From smuggling water-filled beer cans as broke 20-somethings to sipping adaptogen mocktails out of a fancy glass now, this is the honest, funny, occasionally chaotic conversation about drinking, not drinking, and everything in between.

If you’ve ever:

• felt like you owed someone an explanation for not drinking

• played “fun police” for skipping a shot

• wondered if someone in recovery can ever safely drink again

• wanted a mocktail that actually tastes like something

…this episode is for you.

No judgment. Drink, don’t drink, order the mocktail, order the cocktail — just stop making somebody else’s choice weird.

Welcome to Mocktails or Messy.

#MocktailsOrMessy #SoberCurious #Sobriety #MocktailRecipes #NonAlcoholic #MindfulDrinking #SoberLife #MomLife #GenZ #Podcast

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Mocktails Or Messy podcast (http://mocktailsormessy.com/)

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Listen | Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mocktails-or-messy/id1645707533) , Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/7MVKRmq9o8Z5xoM8VP5P8e) , or wherever you listen to podcasts. (https://mocktailsormessy.buzzsprout.com/)

Featured | #11 of Best Local Podcasts: FeedSpot (https://podcasts.feedspot.com/pittsburgh_podcasts/)

We thought blackout drinking was normal.
We thought “just one drink” was harmless.
We thought partying was part of success.
It almost destroyed us.
In this brutally honest episode of Mocktails or Messy, Bernie Zilio Senior Report of Page Six opens up about sobriety, LA party culture, postpartum depression, prior TMZ employment stories, cocaine culture, toxic relationships, blackouts, anxiety, and the moment everything finally changed.
From skinny spicy margaritas to getting arrested, from entertainment industry pressure to waking up hungover wondering what happened the night before… this is the conversation people are too scared to have publicly.
If you’ve ever:
questioned your relationship with alcohol 
felt trapped in party culture 
used drinking to cope with anxiety 
wondered if sobriety could actually make your life better 
…this episode is for you.
This isn’t preachy recovery content.
This is the real, messy truth behind addiction, moderation, and starting over.
Welcome to Mocktails or Messy.
#Sobriety #SoberCurious #MocktailsOrMessy #TMZ #PageSix #AddictionRecovery #SoberLife #AlcoholFree #MentalHealth #Podcast #RecoveryJourney #Millennials #SelfGrowth #Healing #EntertainmentNews
Send us Fan Mail
Mocktails Or Messy podcast
IG: @mocktailsormessy | TikTok: @mockmess
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Listen | Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Featured | #11 of Best Local Podcasts: FeedSpot

Your clothes are talking. The question is whether they are introducing you or interrupting you.
We sit down with Julie Shields, the Scottish born force behind Badass Styling in Pittsburgh, and let the conversation go where it needs to go: identity, confidence, community, and the surprisingly emotional work of getting dressed. Julie shares her path from Scotland to London to Pittsburgh, plus the real-life stuff that shapes how we show up, from parenting teens to navigating politics and burnout without losing your sense of humor.
Then we get practical. Julie breaks down color analysis and seasonal color palettes in a way that finally makes sense, including the line we can’t stop thinking about: if people are talking about the color before they’re talking about you, you’re wearing the wrong color. We also dig into authentic personal style, why copying a celebrity outfit often backfires, and how a wardrobe should support your lifestyle and your personality instead of turning you into a costume.
We round it out with stories that get messy fast, talk about budgeting for joy and community, and zoom in on Pittsburgh neighborhoods and what it means to belong somewhere. If you’re searching for a personal stylist in Pittsburgh, a color analysis consultation, or just a push to stop caring so much and start living in your truth, you’ll leave with both laughs and real takeaways. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s stuck in “safe outfits,” and leave a review with the one style rule you’re ready to break.
Send us Fan Mail
Mocktails Or Messy podcast
IG: @mocktailsormessy | TikTok: @mockmess
Watch | YouTube Mocktails Or Messy
Listen | Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Featured | #11 of Best Local Podcasts: FeedSpot

A blackout, a parked car, and the sentence that rewired everything with Jason B. Grant of Medici Importers Global.
“You’re never going to be alone again.” That line broke through the static in Jason B. Grant’s head and marked the final day he wanted to drink. From there, everything changed, his purpose, his business, and his peace.
We sit with Jason, a five-plus-year sober entrepreneur who runs Medici Importers Global, to unpack what it really takes to rewire a life. He explains why he never had “just a drinking problem,” but a thinking problem, and how metacognition—stepping outside your thought to ask why it’s there—became his everyday tool. We dig into the food-and-beverage grind, the spiritual experience that ended cravings, and the surprising edge sobriety gave him curating wines by aroma and story. He talks boundaries in dating, recognizing the moment people “switch,” and how to leave without apology.
You’ll also hear a clear, practical meditation routine that delivers a better high than any buzz: harmony between thoughts and actions. We explore culture shifts, Gen Z cutting back, mocktails rising while being honest about triggers, sugar bombs, and why some non-alcoholic spirits can pull you toward old patterns. Jason shares a cautionary tale about a “virgin” drink that wasn’t and why venues must protect newcomers. Through it all runs a throughline of service, presence, and language used precisely to tell the truth.
If you’re sober, sober curious, or simply ready to stop letting your thoughts run you, this conversation offers tools you can use today: pause in the moment, ask the harder question, and choose again. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review with the one mindset shift you’re taking into your week.
Send us Fan Mail
Mocktails Or Messy podcast
IG: @mocktailsormessy | TikTok: @mockmess
Watch | YouTube Mocktails Or Messy
Listen | Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Featured | #11 of Best Local Podcasts: FeedSpot