March 29, 2025 • 32 mins
Maz Compton just makes the alcohol-free decision feel like a no brainer! Today Maz talks to Bella's Alcohol Freedom Group about her powerful journey from being a successful radio host secretly struggling with alcohol dependence to living ten years alcohol-free and discovering her authentic self along the way. Maz covered many wonderful topics in this chat:
- Reaching career success while experiencing internal turmoil and alcohol dependence
- Using alcohol to manage social anxiety in a fast-paced, public-facing media industry
- Finding the courage to question drinking habits despite external success
- Experiencing a "Matrix pill moment" of clarity after 22 days without alcohol
- Moving from "not drinking" to self-discovery and self-compassion
- Creating new intentional friendships and redesigning social life around morning activities
- Handling life's challenges with greater resilience without using alcohol as a coping mechanism
- Remember, it's just one thing you don't have to do each day—drink alcohol. Keep it simple, focus on the 2-3 hour evening gap, and see what you discover about yourself along the way.
MEG
Web: https://www.meganwebb.com.au/
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/meganwebbcoaching/
Unwined Bookclub: https://www.alcoholfreedom.com.au/unwinedbookclub
ConnectAF group coaching: https://www.elizaparkinson.com/groupcoaching
BELLA
Web: https://isabellaferguson.com.au
Insta: @alcoholcounsellorisabella
Bi-Yearly 6-Week Small Group Challenges: Learn more: https://www.isabellaferguson.com.au/feb-2025-challenge
Free Do I Have A Drinking Problem 3 x Video Series: https://resources.isabellaferguson.com.au/offers/JTFFgjJL/checkout
Free HOW DO I STOP DRINKING SO MUCH Masterclass: https://resources.isabellaferguson.com.au/offers/7fvkb3FF/checkout
Online Alcohol Self-Paced Course: https://resources.isabellaferguson.com.au/offers/fDzcyvWL/checkout...
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
A huge welcome to Maz Compton, radio host, author of
Last Drinks, aussie sober champ,recently featured in the City
Morning Herald advocating thebenefits of drinking less
alcohol.
Maz, here you are joining us onweek three of our six-week
alcohol-free challenge.
(00:21):
A huge welcome to you.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Thank you so much, isabella, and can I just say to
everyone who is here well doneon what you have achieved so far
.
Like signing up for anychallenge of any sort in 2025 is
a challenge in itself.
So to be you know, three weeksin, I'm sure you are all feeling
certain things that I'm goingto touch on when I share my
(00:46):
story, but I just wanted to sayto all of you well done, you're
doing a great job and keep going, and hopefully you can get a
couple of little gems out ofthis to keep you focused for the
next few weeks ahead.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Thanks, Maz, All right fire away.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
So I was having a think about what I wanted to
share, because I have limitedtime with you and your time is
really valuable and I couldprobably talk for 62 years
nonstop about my not drinkingjourney.
So I was like, how do I makethis really concise and really
valuable so it gives the biggestimpact?
(01:24):
So I'm just really going togive you the guts of my last
drinks moment, which was that'swhy my book is called last
drinks, that's why the podcastthat I was hosting was called
last drinks, cause I trulybelieve when you take your last
drink, it is the start of yoursobriety and that is the start
of the evolution of a brand newyou, and that's exactly what
(01:47):
happened in my life.
So I can't it's weird.
I kind of look at my life alittle bit like before the last
drink and after the last week.
Like it's a little bit of aJesus story, really isn't?
It's like there's before Christand then after death, but like
it kind of feels a little bitlike that.
So before my last drink, whichwas on the first, well, the 31st
(02:08):
of December 2014 was the verylast time I drank alcohol and
I've never had a drink ofalcohol since that day.
But leading up to that day, Iwas a very different Maz to what
I am now probably not in myappearance so much.
I think I've aged pretty well,if I'm being honest, in the last
10 years, but definitely of myself-talk and the internal Maz.
So if I could have shown you apicture of internal Maz in 2014,
(02:32):
she was not pretty and I feellike the internal Maz in 2025 is
like kind of like a beautifulflower.
I've had this really amazingevolution of self and self-worth
through having my last drink,which I wasn't expecting.
So let me get to the point.
In 2014, I was on a nationaldrive radio show.
(02:55):
I'd been working up to that jobreally for most of my adult
life in my career.
I'd done television and radio.
I'd interviewed every celebrityunder the sun, probably four
times.
I had been in all of the roomswith all of the famous people.
I'd been in the limousines, I'dbeen backstage, I'd been on the
red carpets and for 80% of thattime I was probably intoxicated
(03:16):
.
So unless I was hosting a redcarpet so if you see any footage
of me which sadly, I think isfloating around YouTube still
but from like the MTV awards inlike the early two thousands.
I was stone cold, sober, oncamera because I'm a
professional and I always showedup and did my job in TV and in
(03:37):
radio.
But as soon as that camera wentoff or as soon as that
microphone went off and I wasoff duty, it was straight to the
bar.
And I've said this, I talkabout it in my book.
I've never blamed the industryfor my alcohol dependence, but
it certainly didn't help becauseI realized I was in control of
all of my choices back then.
I just didn't know that theywere my choices.
(03:58):
So I would finish work and havea drink, or it would be maybe
before an event that I didn'thave to be on camera for or on
radio for.
So then I would have a fewdrinks because I was only
chatting to clients or whateverit might be my line of work.
Also, you know, one of theperks is I was always invited to
(04:19):
lots of parties and that wasfun.
But what I've learned aboutmyself is that I'm actually an
introvert by nature with a verybig extroverted personality.
So I'm a walking conflict ofinterest.
And so I think what I did froma really young age, being
exposed to a very toxic industrythat was very fast paced.
(04:43):
It was very like boys clubby,let's go.
I think I just tried todissipate that anxiety of going
out into all of these publicspaces and broadcasting on
television with alcohol, becauseit did just sort of dampen it
down a little bit, all of thosesort of yeah, social anxiety,
(05:05):
that social anxiety that I wasfeeling.
But I didn't like I can say allof this now, but I had no idea
at the time what I was doing,right, so all I knew was that I
felt a bit weird when I had togo out to events and I wanted to
say no, fee, I wanted to say no, but I had no way out, had no
way of saying no.
I had to show up.
I had to do it.
It was my job.
(05:25):
Who else is going to be?
Maz Compton?
Like, I've got to host theparty, you know?
Blah, blah, blah.
It's a privilege to be here,don't take it for granted.
All of those thoughts would runthrough my head as I was having
a couple of drinks before Iwould go out.
This was my routine for career,I guess started in, oh no, 20
years.
2004 was when I got my job onMTV and no, sorry, 10 years,
(05:50):
2014 was when I stopped drinking.
So for 10 years solid.
This was my cycle, this was mypattern, and it kind of just
escalated to the point where Ididn't and I don't know if any
of you ladies have ever feltthis like.
I started to not trust myselfaround alcohol.
So I stopped going out, whichyou would think that that was a
healthy choice but then I wouldjust sit at home and drink by
(06:11):
myself, which is probably maybethe saddest situation ever.
So I got to a point where I waslike I have to go to these
parties, I have to go out.
It's the weekend, I can't justsit around.
So I'm going to go out and I'mgoing to drink, obviously,
because how do you engage withother people unless you're
drinking alcohol?
This was my way of thinking in2014.
(06:33):
Okay, and I remember 2014 isreally critical for my story
because there I was carrying ondoing all the things, but like
nothing in my life was going bad.
So you know, I don't know again, I'm not sure of your personal
stories but like, for somepeople there's like a catalyst
or there's a thing and there'slike a like all of these bad
things happen and they go.
(06:53):
Gee, maybe I should stopdrinking.
My life was getting better, likemy career was on high, I was
earning tons of money.
I had a separate wardrobe forshoes in my apartment in
Melbourne, like I was living thedream.
My face was on billboards, Iget to fly interstate
(07:13):
internationally.
Like it was such a great life.
It was like a full, like careerhigh.
Externally.
Internally, I was so sadbecause I didn't know how to go
through a weekend withoutdrinking alcohol, so I became so
dependent on this thing to getme through everything.
So even if I had a bad day, Idrink alcohol.
(07:36):
If I had a good day, I drinkalcohol.
If my friend had a birthday, wewould drink alcohol.
If it was a weekend, we drinkalcohol.
If it was just a regular,random Tuesday with nothing to
do, we would drink alcohol.
So sort of this time in 2014, itwas early in the year it was a
friend of mine, carly, it washer birthday and she invited me
(07:56):
out to have drinks at some likefancy Melbourne pub and I
thought to myself I don't wantto go because I don't want to
drink.
And then my second thought waslike could I just go and not
drink?
And then my third thought waslike that's impossible.
And then my next thought was,like I think there's a problem
(08:18):
here.
Like how come I just started tolike really question my own
thinking around alcohol?
For the first time in my life Iactually thought about what I
was thinking.
So I was thinking I am notcapable of going to my friend's
birthday and celebrating herwithout fueling my body with
alcohol, and at 34 years old atthe time that felt like that
(08:41):
could become quite problematic.
And so that was sort of thefirst moment I think, that I
dipped into sober curiositywhere I just started asking
myself some questions about myrelationship with alcohol.
Like I just started thinking alittle bit about it.
Like it would be, you know, asituation where my kind of
(09:02):
routine after work because I'dfinish work at about 6.30 in the
afternoon I would drive home, Iwould go via the bottle shop,
I'd get a bottle of Savvy Bbottle of Pinot, just in case,
and I'd go home right Like thiswas my routine.
Then, as I was driving andgetting towards the bottle shop,
I'm like do I need to go andget a bottle of wine?
(09:22):
Do I need to?
Like I just started you know Ididn't make any dramatic
statements like I need to quitdrinking.
I just started thinking aboutit and it took me a while.
Like I kept doing my thing, Ikept having this really
conflicting living space of mylife is really successful, but
internally I'm a complete mess.
I can't let anyone know thatI'm a mess because everyone
(09:45):
thinks I've got it all together,and that's a conundrum in
itself, because I didn't feellike I had anyone that I could
kind of really bear all to andjust break down with and be
completely honest with, whichwas pretty.
When I look back, I'm like thatagain was maybe a coping
mechanism of like I don't wantanyone to see my vulnerability
because I'm not willing to faceit yet.
(10:06):
I don't want anyone to see thatthere could be an issue here
because I'm not ready to let itgo.
Like it took me a long, longtime to land on sobriety as my
solution.
So I kind of funneled through2014, having these sort of like
weird hamster wheel moments oflike it's another weekend, are
we gonna drink this weekend?
(10:27):
Are we not gonna drink?
Are we gonna?
No, she did it again, you know,and like.
And then by mid-year, as I said,like I just stopped trusting
myself with alcohol, and all Imean by that was like there are
a few incidents where I went out, I blacked out.
I got home and I got scared.
I was like I made it home butI'm not really sure how, and
that's not great, that's not agood situation.
(10:49):
So I thought, okay, let's notgo out because then I don't need
to get home, I'll just stayhome.
But what would happen is Iwould just stay at home and kind
of drink myself to sleep anyway.
So that was my pattern, that wasmy lifestyle, that was my big
secret.
No one really knew about it.
I was in a circle of workcolleagues who all pretty much
(11:13):
had similar drinking behavior tome, maybe not as frequently,
but it was considered extremelynormal.
So there was no one calling meout, there was nobody.
And I'm not blaming them, bythe way.
I'm just saying it felt normalthe way that I was conducting my
life externally.
But internally again I was likethis can't be right, like I
(11:34):
should be able to get through aweekend and not drink alcohol.
So what happened in September ofthat year is a really dear
friend of mine, mark Byrne,passed away very suddenly, had a
heart attack at age 45.
I'm about to turn 45, so it's abit of a big year for his
memorial this year.
Um, but that just completelyside swiped me and Mark was like
(11:55):
he was my manager at the timeso he kind of like was one of
the people who really believedin me as a brand.
I know that sounds a bit weird,but like when you work in media
you kind of are a brand.
I know that sounds a bit weird,but like when you work in media
you kind of are a brand.
And he, just from the day thatI rocked up and knocked on his
door and was like can you manageme?
Like I'm a lot, but like canyou manage me?
Like he loved that and he was,you know, the mastermind behind
(12:19):
me.
I took a job in Adelaide and thewhole plan was like go to
Adelaide for two years, dobreakfast radio there, earn your
stripes, we get you back toSydney, we get you the big
Sydney job.
And I was on that trajectory.
So he had like had this wholemasterminded plan about my
career.
It had like worked to a T.
I was just I was months awayfrom signing like my next deal
(12:43):
with the company and then hejust randomly died and it was
the most it was I, oh, it wasjust like grief beyond.
I'd never really had someonethat close to me die and so
suddenly, and someone who Itrusted, who believed in me like
(13:04):
it was so complex ourfriendship, and then he was just
gone and I was just like Idon't even know.
And so I did a lot of drinkingthat weekend and after a week or
so of spiraling I actuallycalled Beyond Blue because I got
to a point where I was like Ijust don't even know what to do
now, like I'm drinking becauseI'm sad I miss my friend.
(13:27):
Why is he dead?
What is going on?
I don't even like myself likethis.
Who am I?
Like there's no one that I cantalk to about this, but everyone
thinks my life is perfect.
Like what a conflict.
Like it was.
Just it was like this war.
I was living in utter turmoilevery day and it was so painful.
(13:52):
So I called beyond blue and Ispoke to this wonderful woman,
sandra, and I just I don't evenknow what I said.
Beyond Blue, and I spoke tothis wonderful woman, sandra,
and I just I don't even knowwhat I said.
To be honest, I was just likekind of hysterical and I just
was like I just need to talk tosomeone because there's a lot
going on and my friend has justdied and I can't stop drinking
and she suggested that I go to ameeting.
So we were on the phone for areally long time and so I got
(14:14):
off the phone and I actuallyGoogled am I an alcoholic?
And then I read like a bit ofthe AA manifesto and then I got
super annoyed because I realizedI wasn't an alcoholic, because
I looked at the definition of itand I was like that's not me.
I'm like that is a definitionthat actually does not resonate
(14:34):
with me, like I don't see itlike that.
And that wasn't me being indenial, that was just me going.
That is not the label for whatthis is.
So then I was even moreconfused because I was like if
I'm an alcoholic, then I can goto AA and I can solve this
problem.
But I don't know what I am yet.
So like let's go on a discovery.
So I think I kind of probablylanded on like I don't know,
(15:01):
like not alcohol use disorder,but like high functioning piss
head was what I sort of landedon as my label for my drinking
behaviour.
I'm sure many of you maybe havegot your own terms for what
you'd like to label your owndrinking behaviour, and that is
fine with me.
It doesn't need to be on Googlefor it to be a legitimate term.
So once I sort of landed on,okay, well, we're not sober,
we're not an alcoholic, we'resomewhere, you know, we're
(15:24):
somewhere here, but I'm notcomfortable with where I am.
I'd like to get a lot morecloser to being sober.
I then kind of came up with agame plan.
So one of my greatest assets,but also biggest criticisms from
my husband, is that I'm a hugeplanner.
Like a huge planner, like Iplan so hard that then
spontaneity can become a littlebit impossible.
(15:44):
But because I am a planner,once I figured out that I wasn't
comfortable with myrelationship with alcohol,
whatever I decided to label it,I was like right, girlfriend's
got a plan, what do we do?
And the first thing that Ithought of was my mom going you
have a choice in everything youdo, like one of those sort of
(16:06):
like classic mom statements andI could just hear that ringing
through my head Like you do havea choice, even though I felt
like I had no choice in mydrinking.
It was just something that Idid.
It was who I had become.
That voice in my head was likeyou do have a choice, you can
have a choice, everything is achoice.
And then the next thing was ifwe keep doing the same thing and
(16:27):
we expect a different result.
That's the definition ofinsanity.
And once I said that out loud,I realized that's how I'd been
living.
I'd been living an insane lifebecause I had been drinking
every day, but expecting to wakeup not hungover, like that
doesn't happen.
So what I realized I should dois change the behavior, and the
(16:47):
only behavior that I knew Ineeded to change was the
drinking behavior, and that feltso scary.
Can I tell you, ladies, thethought in 2014 of me not
drinking for a weekend wasterrifying.
I actually thought I would die.
I was like I'll probably die ofa boredom or B.
I might like get the shakes.
You know how you see in themovies sometimes I get the
(17:09):
shakes.
I'm like what if I get theshakes?
Like well, I didn't know whatto expect and I'd been drinking
for like so long.
I was like I don't even knowwho.
I am sober for more than 24hours.
So like what is this persongoing to look like and be?
And that was scary too.
I was scared that I'd lose myjob, which is like I don't think
you can get fired for gettingsober.
(17:30):
Just FYI, if you're worriedthat your boss is going to let
you go because you got sober,that's like a really false
thought.
That was one of the things.
I was like I'm going to lose myjob, they're going to like
they're going to find me out,like they're going to realize I
had a problem and you know allof this.
Just when I think back now, I'mlike none of those things
(17:51):
happened, none of them were true, but that was so real and I
think maybe some of you ladieshave felt like this, like those
things can be so confronting andoverwhelming that you just stay
stuck, you just go.
You know what?
It's too hard.
I'll just stay here becausewhat is on the other side is so
scary and unknown and I don'tknow if I'm ready for that.
But you're all here todaybecause you've taken that step.
(18:12):
So we've all like crossed thatthreshold and once you do, it's
like you can't explain it toanyone.
They just have to do it forthemselves.
So, knowing that I was a plannerand I had all these thoughts
going on in my head, I was likehere's the plan.
We're going to not drink for 30days and see how it goes.
And that was the plan.
(18:33):
It was really simple.
I didn't really tell anyoneabout it.
I told my boyfriend at the timewe're now married, so that
worked out well and I told mymom.
And my mom, when I told her,she was like you don't have a
drinking problem, I was like,yeah, I do.
She's like, well, you've hiddenthat really.
Well, I'm like, yeah, I have.
So I just told two people thatI trusted and then I kind of
(18:56):
thought I'll just do January2015 and see how it goes and in
sort of this.
It's interesting that I'm onweek three with you guys,
because it was day 22,.
I think that I had like the fullmatrix pill moment where I woke
up one morning and I was like,did I take the blue pill?
(19:16):
Because, like, I could hear thebirds chirping a bit louder and
the sky looked a little bitbluer and the grass was a little
bit greener and everything felta little bit calmer and my
thoughts felt more crisp andeverything felt like I was a bit
floaty and that sounds like Iwas tripping on acid or
(19:37):
something.
I've never done what I've heard, but what it was it actually
was my brain becoming clear forthe first time in probably 15
years.
So that was like the momentthat my brain cells and my
neurochemistry actually hadcircuited itself properly for
(20:01):
the first time in a long time,and that felt so insane.
I felt like a completelydifferent person.
And so from that moment on, soI journaled and I'll encourage
you guys to all journal.
I journaled every day for that30 days and then when I got to
the 30 days, I felt really good.
So I was like I'll just keepgoing, like maybe we'll get to
(20:23):
my birthday.
So we got to March 2nd and Istill hadn't had a drink.
And then I was like well, julyis around the corner, let's get
to July, and then it'll be dryJuly.
And so we did that.
And then I got to the end ofJuly and I was like I reckon it
would be great if I could go 12months, like what a milestone,
that would be amazing.
And I got to 12 months and thenI was like I really like this.
(20:46):
I'm just going to stop counting.
I think I am just, I think I'mjust sober now, like it.
It wasn't this.
Like you know, I didn't need toget a sky writer to let
everybody know Like it just kindof I just sort of, after about
12 months of kind of givingmyself pats on the back for like
making certain milestones, Iwas like I think this is just
(21:07):
how I live now.
And so mid that year after, yeah, around that July moment, I
actually went back and rereadthe journal that I'd written
over that, yeah, isabella's likeoh, and it was so amazing.
So I, it was like I was readingsomeone else's journal and I
(21:32):
just remember thinking I'm like,oh my God, she's so broken,
like she's so sad.
And I had, for the first timein my adult life,
self-compassion and I was like,oh my God, like she deserves
love, she deserves comfort, shedeserves care, she deserves
looking after and you have tolook after her because you are
(21:53):
her.
Like I was able to like reflecton this woman who I have
evolved from but who is so stillintrinsically me, and have
actual care and compassion forher and self-love for her, and
that's kind of I think that wasa big moment that carried me
sort of through that back endlike up to that six to 12 months
(22:15):
bit, because what I did find islike six months was a great
milestone, and then the noveltywore off a bit.
I was like this is a bit boring,you know what I mean.
It's like okay, well, I've doneall the stand-up paddleboarding
that I can and I've cleaned outall of my Tupperware and I've
like minimized and I've done allof these like wonderful things
(22:38):
with all of this time that I'vehad.
But now I'm like no, like whatdo I do now?
So that, I think, is when itswitched to this beautiful
self-discovery journey for meand it became less about not
drinking alcohol and more aboutdiscovering who is this Maz
chick without booze and, likeyou, you know how can I love her
and and help her on her way andthat.
And here we are, you know, 2025,10 years, no drinks, and I I
(23:04):
just wish everybody would do nothow I did it, but I just want
everyone to feel the momentwhere they realize that they are
worthy of love and they don'tneed alcohol, like that moment
is so empowering.
And I think, when you canreally truly get to that point,
(23:26):
like it doesn't even becomeabout alcohol anymore.
It becomes about discovery ofself and love and empowerment of
self and if and then you justbecome a better human in general
, like not that none of you arenot great humans, but you
elevate to this level that youcan't get to if you're fighting
off the demons, and so I'mreally excited for you guys
because that is all ahead of you, like you're doing this
(23:48):
challenge, but like I reallyhope for all of you that it's
not just six weeks.
I hope that six weeks is like areally hope for all of you that
it's not just six weeks.
I hope that six weeks is like areally beautiful foundation for
the start of a lifelong journeywithout alcohol, because
there's no point going back onceyou realize the benefits and
once you realize who you arewithout.
It is the better version of allof you.
(24:10):
And I haven't even met any ofyou, but I just know that as a
fact.
So, look, that is like I said Icould tell my story for forever
.
I have written a book calledLast Drinks where you can read a
little bit more about my story,but that's kind of the abridged
version for you.
I hope that some of thatresonated and made sense and I'm
(24:31):
so happy to answer anyquestions, so I want to keep
that there so that we've gottime to, just if you've got any
burning questions about any partof my story or otherwise, I
would love to yeah, to kind ofdirect my answers to each of you
if you've got a question.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Thank you so much, Maz.
So much in that in terms of theevolution, and I loved that
moment when you described wakingup and hearing the birds
chirping.
It reminded me of a quote fromsomebody I interviewed you just
have one thing, one thing to dotoday, and that's not to drink.
(25:09):
And that kind of simplifies allthe.
There can be a lot of stuffthat we all have to learn, but
if you just keep it simple, maz,a heartfelt thank you for
coming and talking to this group.
There's a lot that haven't beenable to show up tonight, but
we'll be listening and we'llreally appreciate all you have
to say.
You have a great ability tomake the alcohol-free decision
(25:34):
feel like a no-brainer, and tomake you do it.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Because I remember feeling it was impossible, like
I was like I cannot do this.
That was me 2014.
I cannot even fathom a life,not even a life, a weekend,
weekend without it, and I'm 10years without it.
So it is.
It is definitely achievable.
It's not easy, but it's worth.
(26:00):
It is what I say, like there arechallenges, and I will say too,
just quickly, like just becauseyou decide to give up alcohol,
it doesn't mean that theuniverse is going to respect
that, and like the universe isstill going to throw you
curveballs and in the last fouryears.
So last year was a good year,but the four years prior to that
were the four worst years of mylife.
(26:22):
And but not once, like when mydad died or my best friend died
or I had a miscarriage, did Ionce think about alcohol as a
coping mechanism.
I was like that is not going tohelp me get through this pain
and this curve ball, like we'vejust got to stay the course.
So just an encouragement likeit's not all roses, ladies,
(26:45):
nothing is, but you have abetter shot at handling it if
you don't drink alcohol for sure.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Oh, thank you.
Yeah, as I said, no brainer.
But also you make us feel youknow like it's, it's the proud
and obvious decision, Um, andyou make it feel really inviting
, you know, to step into thatworld, Um, thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
That's okay.
Was there one quick questionthat I just saw on the chat?
Did you have any friends?
Yeah, I've got two minutes, solet me answer it for you.
I lost some friends 100%.
I'm not going to lie.
There were people that I wascircling around in life that
were drinking, and there was nothing that we had in common
(27:30):
other than the alcohol.
I don't associate with most ofthose people anymore, but on the
upside, I have a whole new lifewith all new friends, and it is
so much better because I'vemade all of these connections
and not all of my friends aresober, but I've made all of my
connections as a sober personand so I'm just really
(27:51):
intentional about I call it thefriendship garden.
So, like in 2014, my friendshipgarden was really full, but it
was full of a lot of weeds, so Ihad to do a bit of weeding,
kick a few people out, and Ididn't.
I didn't get mean about it, Ijust stopped drinking and then,
all of a sudden, we had noreason to hang out Like they
most of them naturally fizzledout.
A couple of people said to melike two of my really great
(28:13):
girlfriends were like hey, areyou cool if I have a champagne,
if we go out?
And I was like absolutely nostress.
I was like in fact, why don'twe just go and have brunch in
the morning and then you'reprobably not even going to order
a champagne.
Like I just sort of reorganizedmy social life to be morning
stuff and early walks and all ofthat kind of jazz.
And yeah, their friendships didfizzle out, but and not all of
that kind of jazz.
And yeah, their friendships didfizzle out, but and not all of
(28:35):
them either, but some of themdid, but then new ones bubbled
up in in a sober space.
So all of the friends that I'vemet over the last 10 years I've
never been drunk with and theyare, I think, way better friends
.
So I just want to.
I just saw that one pop up andI know that's always a big
question for people.
(28:56):
So if that's something thatyou're scared about or
struggling with, I totallyunderstand.
But it's like it willself-correct, like your course
correct with friendships, andthe right people will come
alongside you and the ones thatare probably bringing you down a
bit will probably find otherpeople to hang out with, and
that's okay.
You don't have to be friendswith everyone.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
Thank you.
Thank you, maz, that's okay.
Thank you for all of ourchallenge members that are here
tonight.
Go off and we'll farewell andhave our dinner.
Everyone's saying great talkand we'll get some lovely
feedback.
I'm sure we'll be talking aboutthis in our Facebook group.
(29:38):
I hope so, Maz.
I hope you're not cookingtonight.
I hope there's.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
I'm going to go and read a couple of stories with my
little one.
Oh, I love it.
We're going through the Mr Menbooks at the moment.
Super cute, very cute.
What a throwback.
Um hey, best of luck everybodywith everything.
Just remember it's just one.
The one thing a day that youdon't have to do is drink
alcohol.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
That's it, keep it one thing, and it's only in
three hours, it's oh, it's onlya two or three hour gap of the
evening too, so it kind of makesit seem easier oh, yeah, that's
it, yeah, yeah um, good nighteverybody thank you, bye, thank
you.
A huge welcome to Maz Compton, radio host, author of
Last Drinks, aussie sober champ,recently featured in the City
Morning Herald advocating thebenefits of drinking less
alcohol.
Maz, here you are joining us onweek three of our six-week
alcohol-free challenge.
(00:21):
A huge welcome to you.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Thank you so much, isabella, and can I just say to
everyone who is here well doneon what you have achieved so far
.
Like signing up for anychallenge of any sort in 2025 is
a challenge in itself.
So to be you know, three weeksin, I'm sure you are all feeling
certain things that I'm goingto touch on when I share my
(00:46):
story, but I just wanted to sayto all of you well done, you're
doing a great job and keep going, and hopefully you can get a
couple of little gems out ofthis to keep you focused for the
next few weeks ahead.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Thanks, Maz, All right fire away.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
So I was having a think about what I wanted to
share, because I have limitedtime with you and your time is
really valuable and I couldprobably talk for 62 years
nonstop about my not drinkingjourney.
So I was like, how do I makethis really concise and really
valuable so it gives the biggestimpact?
(01:24):
So I'm just really going togive you the guts of my last
drinks moment, which was that'swhy my book is called last
drinks, that's why the podcastthat I was hosting was called
last drinks, cause I trulybelieve when you take your last
drink, it is the start of yoursobriety and that is the start
of the evolution of a brand newyou, and that's exactly what
(01:47):
happened in my life.
So I can't it's weird.
I kind of look at my life alittle bit like before the last
drink and after the last week.
Like it's a little bit of aJesus story, really isn't?
It's like there's before Christand then after death, but like
it kind of feels a little bitlike that.
So before my last drink, whichwas on the first, well, the 31st
(02:08):
of December 2014 was the verylast time I drank alcohol and
I've never had a drink ofalcohol since that day.
But leading up to that day, Iwas a very different Maz to what
I am now probably not in myappearance so much.
I think I've aged pretty well,if I'm being honest, in the last
10 years, but definitely of myself-talk and the internal Maz.
So if I could have shown you apicture of internal Maz in 2014,
(02:32):
she was not pretty and I feellike the internal Maz in 2025 is
like kind of like a beautifulflower.
I've had this really amazingevolution of self and self-worth
through having my last drink,which I wasn't expecting.
So let me get to the point.
In 2014, I was on a nationaldrive radio show.
(02:55):
I'd been working up to that jobreally for most of my adult
life in my career.
I'd done television and radio.
I'd interviewed every celebrityunder the sun, probably four
times.
I had been in all of the roomswith all of the famous people.
I'd been in the limousines, I'dbeen backstage, I'd been on the
red carpets and for 80% of thattime I was probably intoxicated
(03:16):
.
So unless I was hosting a redcarpet so if you see any footage
of me which sadly, I think isfloating around YouTube still
but from like the MTV awards inlike the early two thousands.
I was stone cold, sober, oncamera because I'm a
professional and I always showedup and did my job in TV and in
(03:37):
radio.
But as soon as that camera wentoff or as soon as that
microphone went off and I wasoff duty, it was straight to the
bar.
And I've said this, I talkabout it in my book.
I've never blamed the industryfor my alcohol dependence, but
it certainly didn't help becauseI realized I was in control of
all of my choices back then.
I just didn't know that theywere my choices.
(03:58):
So I would finish work and havea drink, or it would be maybe
before an event that I didn'thave to be on camera for or on
radio for.
So then I would have a fewdrinks because I was only
chatting to clients or whateverit might be my line of work.
Also, you know, one of theperks is I was always invited to
(04:19):
lots of parties and that wasfun.
But what I've learned aboutmyself is that I'm actually an
introvert by nature with a verybig extroverted personality.
So I'm a walking conflict ofinterest.
And so I think what I did froma really young age, being
exposed to a very toxic industrythat was very fast paced.
(04:43):
It was very like boys clubby,let's go.
I think I just tried todissipate that anxiety of going
out into all of these publicspaces and broadcasting on
television with alcohol, becauseit did just sort of dampen it
down a little bit, all of thosesort of yeah, social anxiety,
(05:05):
that social anxiety that I wasfeeling.
But I didn't like I can say allof this now, but I had no idea
at the time what I was doing,right, so all I knew was that I
felt a bit weird when I had togo out to events and I wanted to
say no, fee, I wanted to say no, but I had no way out, had no
way of saying no.
I had to show up.
I had to do it.
It was my job.
(05:25):
Who else is going to be?
Maz Compton?
Like, I've got to host theparty, you know?
Blah, blah, blah.
It's a privilege to be here,don't take it for granted.
All of those thoughts would runthrough my head as I was having
a couple of drinks before Iwould go out.
This was my routine for career,I guess started in, oh no, 20
years.
2004 was when I got my job onMTV and no, sorry, 10 years,
(05:50):
2014 was when I stopped drinking.
So for 10 years solid.
This was my cycle, this was mypattern, and it kind of just
escalated to the point where Ididn't and I don't know if any
of you ladies have ever feltthis like.
I started to not trust myselfaround alcohol.
So I stopped going out, whichyou would think that that was a
healthy choice but then I wouldjust sit at home and drink by
(06:11):
myself, which is probably maybethe saddest situation ever.
So I got to a point where I waslike I have to go to these
parties, I have to go out.
It's the weekend, I can't justsit around.
So I'm going to go out and I'mgoing to drink, obviously,
because how do you engage withother people unless you're
drinking alcohol?
This was my way of thinking in2014.
(06:33):
Okay, and I remember 2014 isreally critical for my story
because there I was carrying ondoing all the things, but like
nothing in my life was going bad.
So you know, I don't know again, I'm not sure of your personal
stories but like, for somepeople there's like a catalyst
or there's a thing and there'slike a like all of these bad
things happen and they go.
(06:53):
Gee, maybe I should stopdrinking.
My life was getting better, likemy career was on high, I was
earning tons of money.
I had a separate wardrobe forshoes in my apartment in
Melbourne, like I was living thedream.
My face was on billboards, Iget to fly interstate
(07:13):
internationally.
Like it was such a great life.
It was like a full, like careerhigh.
Externally.
Internally, I was so sadbecause I didn't know how to go
through a weekend withoutdrinking alcohol, so I became so
dependent on this thing to getme through everything.
So even if I had a bad day, Idrink alcohol.
(07:36):
If I had a good day, I drinkalcohol.
If my friend had a birthday, wewould drink alcohol.
If it was a weekend, we drinkalcohol.
If it was just a regular,random Tuesday with nothing to
do, we would drink alcohol.
So sort of this time in 2014, itwas early in the year it was a
friend of mine, carly, it washer birthday and she invited me
(07:56):
out to have drinks at some likefancy Melbourne pub and I
thought to myself I don't wantto go because I don't want to
drink.
And then my second thought waslike could I just go and not
drink?
And then my third thought waslike that's impossible.
And then my next thought was,like I think there's a problem
(08:18):
here.
Like how come I just started tolike really question my own
thinking around alcohol?
For the first time in my life Iactually thought about what I
was thinking.
So I was thinking I am notcapable of going to my friend's
birthday and celebrating herwithout fueling my body with
alcohol, and at 34 years old atthe time that felt like that
(08:41):
could become quite problematic.
And so that was sort of thefirst moment I think, that I
dipped into sober curiositywhere I just started asking
myself some questions about myrelationship with alcohol.
Like I just started thinking alittle bit about it.
Like it would be, you know, asituation where my kind of
(09:02):
routine after work because I'dfinish work at about 6.30 in the
afternoon I would drive home, Iwould go via the bottle shop,
I'd get a bottle of Savvy Bbottle of Pinot, just in case,
and I'd go home right Like thiswas my routine.
Then, as I was driving andgetting towards the bottle shop,
I'm like do I need to go andget a bottle of wine?
(09:22):
Do I need to?
Like I just started you know Ididn't make any dramatic
statements like I need to quitdrinking.
I just started thinking aboutit and it took me a while.
Like I kept doing my thing, Ikept having this really
conflicting living space of mylife is really successful, but
internally I'm a complete mess.
I can't let anyone know thatI'm a mess because everyone
(09:45):
thinks I've got it all together,and that's a conundrum in
itself, because I didn't feellike I had anyone that I could
kind of really bear all to andjust break down with and be
completely honest with, whichwas pretty.
When I look back, I'm like thatagain was maybe a coping
mechanism of like I don't wantanyone to see my vulnerability
because I'm not willing to faceit yet.
(10:06):
I don't want anyone to see thatthere could be an issue here
because I'm not ready to let itgo.
Like it took me a long, longtime to land on sobriety as my
solution.
So I kind of funneled through2014, having these sort of like
weird hamster wheel moments oflike it's another weekend, are
we gonna drink this weekend?
(10:27):
Are we not gonna drink?
Are we gonna?
No, she did it again, you know,and like.
And then by mid-year, as I said,like I just stopped trusting
myself with alcohol, and all Imean by that was like there are
a few incidents where I went out, I blacked out.
I got home and I got scared.
I was like I made it home butI'm not really sure how, and
that's not great, that's not agood situation.
(10:49):
So I thought, okay, let's notgo out because then I don't need
to get home, I'll just stayhome.
But what would happen is Iwould just stay at home and kind
of drink myself to sleep anyway.
So that was my pattern, that wasmy lifestyle, that was my big
secret.
No one really knew about it.
I was in a circle of workcolleagues who all pretty much
(11:13):
had similar drinking behavior tome, maybe not as frequently,
but it was considered extremelynormal.
So there was no one calling meout, there was nobody.
And I'm not blaming them, bythe way.
I'm just saying it felt normalthe way that I was conducting my
life externally.
But internally again I was likethis can't be right, like I
(11:34):
should be able to get through aweekend and not drink alcohol.
So what happened in September ofthat year is a really dear
friend of mine, mark Byrne,passed away very suddenly, had a
heart attack at age 45.
I'm about to turn 45, so it's abit of a big year for his
memorial this year.
Um, but that just completelyside swiped me and Mark was like
(11:55):
he was my manager at the timeso he kind of like was one of
the people who really believedin me as a brand.
I know that sounds a bit weird,but like when you work in media
you kind of are a brand.
I know that sounds a bit weird,but like when you work in media
you kind of are a brand.
And he, just from the day thatI rocked up and knocked on his
door and was like can you manageme?
Like I'm a lot, but like canyou manage me?
Like he loved that and he was,you know, the mastermind behind
(12:19):
me.
I took a job in Adelaide and thewhole plan was like go to
Adelaide for two years, dobreakfast radio there, earn your
stripes, we get you back toSydney, we get you the big
Sydney job.
And I was on that trajectory.
So he had like had this wholemasterminded plan about my
career.
It had like worked to a T.
I was just I was months awayfrom signing like my next deal
(12:43):
with the company and then hejust randomly died and it was
the most it was I, oh, it wasjust like grief beyond.
I'd never really had someonethat close to me die and so
suddenly, and someone who Itrusted, who believed in me like
(13:04):
it was so complex ourfriendship, and then he was just
gone and I was just like Idon't even know.
And so I did a lot of drinkingthat weekend and after a week or
so of spiraling I actuallycalled Beyond Blue because I got
to a point where I was like Ijust don't even know what to do
now, like I'm drinking becauseI'm sad I miss my friend.
(13:27):
Why is he dead?
What is going on?
I don't even like myself likethis.
Who am I?
Like there's no one that I cantalk to about this, but everyone
thinks my life is perfect.
Like what a conflict.
Like it was.
Just it was like this war.
I was living in utter turmoilevery day and it was so painful.
(13:52):
So I called beyond blue and Ispoke to this wonderful woman,
sandra, and I just I don't evenknow what I said.
Beyond Blue, and I spoke tothis wonderful woman, sandra,
and I just I don't even knowwhat I said.
To be honest, I was just likekind of hysterical and I just
was like I just need to talk tosomeone because there's a lot
going on and my friend has justdied and I can't stop drinking
and she suggested that I go to ameeting.
So we were on the phone for areally long time and so I got
(14:14):
off the phone and I actuallyGoogled am I an alcoholic?
And then I read like a bit ofthe AA manifesto and then I got
super annoyed because I realizedI wasn't an alcoholic, because
I looked at the definition of itand I was like that's not me.
I'm like that is a definitionthat actually does not resonate
(14:34):
with me, like I don't see itlike that.
And that wasn't me being indenial, that was just me going.
That is not the label for whatthis is.
So then I was even moreconfused because I was like if
I'm an alcoholic, then I can goto AA and I can solve this
problem.
But I don't know what I am yet.
So like let's go on a discovery.
So I think I kind of probablylanded on like I don't know,
(15:01):
like not alcohol use disorder,but like high functioning piss
head was what I sort of landedon as my label for my drinking
behaviour.
I'm sure many of you maybe havegot your own terms for what
you'd like to label your owndrinking behaviour, and that is
fine with me.
It doesn't need to be on Googlefor it to be a legitimate term.
So once I sort of landed on,okay, well, we're not sober,
we're not an alcoholic, we'resomewhere, you know, we're
(15:24):
somewhere here, but I'm notcomfortable with where I am.
I'd like to get a lot morecloser to being sober.
I then kind of came up with agame plan.
So one of my greatest assets,but also biggest criticisms from
my husband, is that I'm a hugeplanner.
Like a huge planner, like Iplan so hard that then
spontaneity can become a littlebit impossible.
(15:44):
But because I am a planner,once I figured out that I wasn't
comfortable with myrelationship with alcohol,
whatever I decided to label it,I was like right, girlfriend's
got a plan, what do we do?
And the first thing that Ithought of was my mom going you
have a choice in everything youdo, like one of those sort of
(16:06):
like classic mom statements andI could just hear that ringing
through my head Like you do havea choice, even though I felt
like I had no choice in mydrinking.
It was just something that Idid.
It was who I had become.
That voice in my head was likeyou do have a choice, you can
have a choice, everything is achoice.
And then the next thing was ifwe keep doing the same thing and
(16:27):
we expect a different result.
That's the definition ofinsanity.
And once I said that out loud,I realized that's how I'd been
living.
I'd been living an insane lifebecause I had been drinking
every day, but expecting to wakeup not hungover, like that
doesn't happen.
So what I realized I should dois change the behavior, and the
(16:47):
only behavior that I knew Ineeded to change was the
drinking behavior, and that feltso scary.
Can I tell you, ladies, thethought in 2014 of me not
drinking for a weekend wasterrifying.
I actually thought I would die.
I was like I'll probably die ofa boredom or B.
I might like get the shakes.
You know how you see in themovies sometimes I get the
(17:09):
shakes.
I'm like what if I get theshakes?
Like well, I didn't know whatto expect and I'd been drinking
for like so long.
I was like I don't even knowwho.
I am sober for more than 24hours.
So like what is this persongoing to look like and be?
And that was scary too.
I was scared that I'd lose myjob, which is like I don't think
you can get fired for gettingsober.
(17:30):
Just FYI, if you're worriedthat your boss is going to let
you go because you got sober,that's like a really false
thought.
That was one of the things.
I was like I'm going to lose myjob, they're going to like
they're going to find me out,like they're going to realize I
had a problem and you know allof this.
Just when I think back now, I'mlike none of those things
(17:51):
happened, none of them were true, but that was so real and I
think maybe some of you ladieshave felt like this, like those
things can be so confronting andoverwhelming that you just stay
stuck, you just go.
You know what?
It's too hard.
I'll just stay here becausewhat is on the other side is so
scary and unknown and I don'tknow if I'm ready for that.
But you're all here todaybecause you've taken that step.
(18:12):
So we've all like crossed thatthreshold and once you do, it's
like you can't explain it toanyone.
They just have to do it forthemselves.
So, knowing that I was a plannerand I had all these thoughts
going on in my head, I was likehere's the plan.
We're going to not drink for 30days and see how it goes.
And that was the plan.
(18:33):
It was really simple.
I didn't really tell anyoneabout it.
I told my boyfriend at the timewe're now married, so that
worked out well and I told mymom.
And my mom, when I told her,she was like you don't have a
drinking problem, I was like,yeah, I do.
She's like, well, you've hiddenthat really.
Well, I'm like, yeah, I have.
So I just told two people thatI trusted and then I kind of
(18:56):
thought I'll just do January2015 and see how it goes and in
sort of this.
It's interesting that I'm onweek three with you guys,
because it was day 22,.
I think that I had like the fullmatrix pill moment where I woke
up one morning and I was like,did I take the blue pill?
(19:16):
Because, like, I could hear thebirds chirping a bit louder and
the sky looked a little bitbluer and the grass was a little
bit greener and everything felta little bit calmer and my
thoughts felt more crisp andeverything felt like I was a bit
floaty and that sounds like Iwas tripping on acid or
(19:37):
something.
I've never done what I've heard, but what it was it actually
was my brain becoming clear forthe first time in probably 15
years.
So that was like the momentthat my brain cells and my
neurochemistry actually hadcircuited itself properly for
(20:01):
the first time in a long time,and that felt so insane.
I felt like a completelydifferent person.
And so from that moment on, soI journaled and I'll encourage
you guys to all journal.
I journaled every day for that30 days and then when I got to
the 30 days, I felt really good.
So I was like I'll just keepgoing, like maybe we'll get to
(20:23):
my birthday.
So we got to March 2nd and Istill hadn't had a drink.
And then I was like well, julyis around the corner, let's get
to July, and then it'll be dryJuly.
And so we did that.
And then I got to the end ofJuly and I was like I reckon it
would be great if I could go 12months, like what a milestone,
that would be amazing.
And I got to 12 months and thenI was like I really like this.
(20:46):
I'm just going to stop counting.
I think I am just, I think I'mjust sober now, like it.
It wasn't this.
Like you know, I didn't need toget a sky writer to let
everybody know Like it just kindof I just sort of, after about
12 months of kind of givingmyself pats on the back for like
making certain milestones, Iwas like I think this is just
(21:07):
how I live now.
And so mid that year after, yeah, around that July moment, I
actually went back and rereadthe journal that I'd written
over that, yeah, isabella's likeoh, and it was so amazing.
So I, it was like I was readingsomeone else's journal and I
(21:32):
just remember thinking I'm like,oh my God, she's so broken,
like she's so sad.
And I had, for the first timein my adult life,
self-compassion and I was like,oh my God, like she deserves
love, she deserves comfort, shedeserves care, she deserves
looking after and you have tolook after her because you are
(21:53):
her.
Like I was able to like reflecton this woman who I have
evolved from but who is so stillintrinsically me, and have
actual care and compassion forher and self-love for her, and
that's kind of I think that wasa big moment that carried me
sort of through that back endlike up to that six to 12 months
(22:15):
bit, because what I did find islike six months was a great
milestone, and then the noveltywore off a bit.
I was like this is a bit boring,you know what I mean.
It's like okay, well, I've doneall the stand-up paddleboarding
that I can and I've cleaned outall of my Tupperware and I've
like minimized and I've done allof these like wonderful things
(22:38):
with all of this time that I'vehad.
But now I'm like no, like whatdo I do now?
So that, I think, is when itswitched to this beautiful
self-discovery journey for meand it became less about not
drinking alcohol and more aboutdiscovering who is this Maz
chick without booze and, likeyou, you know how can I love her
and and help her on her way andthat.
And here we are, you know, 2025,10 years, no drinks, and I I
(23:04):
just wish everybody would do nothow I did it, but I just want
everyone to feel the momentwhere they realize that they are
worthy of love and they don'tneed alcohol, like that moment
is so empowering.
And I think, when you canreally truly get to that point,
(23:26):
like it doesn't even becomeabout alcohol anymore.
It becomes about discovery ofself and love and empowerment of
self and if and then you justbecome a better human in general
, like not that none of you arenot great humans, but you
elevate to this level that youcan't get to if you're fighting
off the demons, and so I'mreally excited for you guys
because that is all ahead of you, like you're doing this
(23:48):
challenge, but like I reallyhope for all of you that it's
not just six weeks.
I hope that six weeks is like areally hope for all of you that
it's not just six weeks.
I hope that six weeks is like areally beautiful foundation for
the start of a lifelong journeywithout alcohol, because
there's no point going back onceyou realize the benefits and
once you realize who you arewithout.
It is the better version of allof you.
(24:10):
And I haven't even met any ofyou, but I just know that as a
fact.
So, look, that is like I said Icould tell my story for forever
.
I have written a book calledLast Drinks where you can read a
little bit more about my story,but that's kind of the abridged
version for you.
I hope that some of thatresonated and made sense and I'm
(24:31):
so happy to answer anyquestions, so I want to keep
that there so that we've gottime to, just if you've got any
burning questions about any partof my story or otherwise, I
would love to yeah, to kind ofdirect my answers to each of you
if you've got a question.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Thank you so much, Maz.
So much in that in terms of theevolution, and I loved that
moment when you described wakingup and hearing the birds
chirping.
It reminded me of a quote fromsomebody I interviewed you just
have one thing, one thing to dotoday, and that's not to drink.
(25:09):
And that kind of simplifies allthe.
There can be a lot of stuffthat we all have to learn, but
if you just keep it simple, maz,a heartfelt thank you for
coming and talking to this group.
There's a lot that haven't beenable to show up tonight, but
we'll be listening and we'llreally appreciate all you have
to say.
You have a great ability tomake the alcohol-free decision
(25:34):
feel like a no-brainer, and tomake you do it.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Because I remember feeling it was impossible, like
I was like I cannot do this.
That was me 2014.
I cannot even fathom a life,not even a life, a weekend,
weekend without it, and I'm 10years without it.
So it is.
It is definitely achievable.
It's not easy, but it's worth.
(26:00):
It is what I say, like there arechallenges, and I will say too,
just quickly, like just becauseyou decide to give up alcohol,
it doesn't mean that theuniverse is going to respect
that, and like the universe isstill going to throw you
curveballs and in the last fouryears.
So last year was a good year,but the four years prior to that
were the four worst years of mylife.
(26:22):
And but not once, like when mydad died or my best friend died
or I had a miscarriage, did Ionce think about alcohol as a
coping mechanism.
I was like that is not going tohelp me get through this pain
and this curve ball, like we'vejust got to stay the course.
So just an encouragement likeit's not all roses, ladies,
(26:45):
nothing is, but you have abetter shot at handling it if
you don't drink alcohol for sure.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
Oh, thank you.
Yeah, as I said, no brainer.
But also you make us feel youknow like it's, it's the proud
and obvious decision, Um, andyou make it feel really inviting
, you know, to step into thatworld, Um, thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
That's okay.
Was there one quick questionthat I just saw on the chat?
Did you have any friends?
Yeah, I've got two minutes, solet me answer it for you.
I lost some friends 100%.
I'm not going to lie.
There were people that I wascircling around in life that
were drinking, and there was nothing that we had in common
(27:30):
other than the alcohol.
I don't associate with most ofthose people anymore, but on the
upside, I have a whole new lifewith all new friends, and it is
so much better because I'vemade all of these connections
and not all of my friends aresober, but I've made all of my
connections as a sober personand so I'm just really
(27:51):
intentional about I call it thefriendship garden.
So, like in 2014, my friendshipgarden was really full, but it
was full of a lot of weeds, so Ihad to do a bit of weeding,
kick a few people out, and Ididn't.
I didn't get mean about it, Ijust stopped drinking and then,
all of a sudden, we had noreason to hang out Like they
most of them naturally fizzledout.
A couple of people said to melike two of my really great
(28:13):
girlfriends were like hey, areyou cool if I have a champagne,
if we go out?
And I was like absolutely nostress.
I was like in fact, why don'twe just go and have brunch in
the morning and then you'reprobably not even going to order
a champagne.
Like I just sort of reorganizedmy social life to be morning
stuff and early walks and all ofthat kind of jazz.
And yeah, their friendships didfizzle out, but and not all of
that kind of jazz.
And yeah, their friendships didfizzle out, but and not all of
(28:35):
them either, but some of themdid, but then new ones bubbled
up in in a sober space.
So all of the friends that I'vemet over the last 10 years I've
never been drunk with and theyare, I think, way better friends
.
So I just want to.
I just saw that one pop up andI know that's always a big
question for people.
(28:56):
So if that's something thatyou're scared about or
struggling with, I totallyunderstand.
But it's like it willself-correct, like your course
correct with friendships, andthe right people will come
alongside you and the ones thatare probably bringing you down a
bit will probably find otherpeople to hang out with, and
that's okay.
You don't have to be friendswith everyone.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
Thank you.
Thank you, maz, that's okay.
Thank you for all of ourchallenge members that are here
tonight.
Go off and we'll farewell andhave our dinner.
Everyone's saying great talkand we'll get some lovely
feedback.
I'm sure we'll be talking aboutthis in our Facebook group.
(29:38):
I hope so, Maz.
I hope you're not cookingtonight.
I hope there's.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
I'm going to go and read a couple of stories with my
little one.
Oh, I love it.
We're going through the Mr Menbooks at the moment.
Super cute, very cute.
What a throwback.
Um hey, best of luck everybodywith everything.
Just remember it's just one.
The one thing a day that youdon't have to do is drink
alcohol.
Speaker 1 (30:01):
That's it, keep it one thing, and it's only in
three hours, it's oh, it's onlya two or three hour gap of the
evening too, so it kind of makesit seem easier oh, yeah, that's
it, yeah, yeah um, good nighteverybody thank you, bye, thank
you.
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