Dear Vernon is a sobriety podcast brought to you by The Luckiest Club. Each episode tackles real questions about sobriety, recovery, and life—submitted by members of the TLC community and listeners who are navigating it all in real time.
The Luckiest Club (TLC) is a global sobriety support community founded by Laura McKowen, bestselling author and a leading voice in modern recovery. With daily meetings, proven programs, and a thriving community, TLC provides a compassionate, dogma-free space for people to get sober, stay sober, and thrive in a life of recovery.
Laura McKowen and Eric Johnson discuss how parents can openly talk to their kids about alcohol, sharing personal experiences and practical advice for fostering honest communication.
1 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
EP 14: What We Really Think About Brad Pitt Drinking Again
Laura McKowen and Eric Johnson explore public reactions to Brad Pitt's relapse, offering personal insights into sobriety and the complexities of moderation.
6 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT
EP 13: What Does It Actually Mean to Do the Work?
Laura McKowen and Eric Johnson, Founders of The Luckiest Club, interview each other to define "doing the work" in recovery, emphasizing honesty, pattern recognition, and community support.
25 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT
EP 12: Do You Really Have to Start Your Day Count Over?
Laura McKowen and Eric Johnson discuss whether a sober day count should reset after an accidental alcohol consumption, emphasizing progress over arbitrary rules.
4 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT
EP 11: Is It Normal to Keep My Sober Friends Separate?
The Luckiest Club Founder Laura McKowen and CEO Eric Johnson discuss navigating separate friend groups in sobriety, offering insights into intimacy and evolving relationships.
19 May 2026TRANSCRIPT
EP 10: The Episode That Almost Didn't Happen
Laura McKowen and Eric Johnson discuss transfer addictions and the pursuit of self-improvement, offering insights for listeners navigating sobriety.
30 Apr 2026
EP 9: How Do I Talk About My Sobriety?
This week on Dear Vernon, The Luckiest Club Founder, Laura McKowen, and The Luckiest Club CEO, Eric Johnson, are answering the question "how do I tell people I'm not drinking?" and this is one we hear all the time. We've had close to a dozen people write in asking some variation of this question, so we knew it was time to answer it on the podcast.
Truthfully, the answer you give your colleagues might be different than the answer you give to close friends and family. Laura and Eric give a few examples that they use in different situations and they'll share some of the responses and questions that they've got about their drinking.
They also briefly touch on sober dating and how and when you might disclose this to your date.
This conversation serves as a reminder that you don't have to tell everyone, but you do have to tell someone. Leaning it to a sober community is helpful way to gain the confidence to say "I don't drink."
If the show resonates, please leave a review and share it with someone who needs it.
Have a question for Dear Vernon?
👉 Submit your question (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSemIptEB9wRpRzTX-qjolRqLJCTKg952iqx4w97Bm-4uyuU1A/viewform), and it might be featured on a future episode.
Get a FREE week of The Luckiest Club here! (https://www.theluckiestclub.com/join-community)
Need more support?
We offer three 13-week programs designed to meet you exactly where you are in your sobriety journey and registration is open now:
The Sober 90 (https://apricots-duck-an2p.squarespace.com/courses/the-sober-90)- foundational work to get you through the early days
The Sober Steady (https://apricots-duck-an2p.squarespace.com/courses/the-sober-steady)- for those with some sober time who need more resilience and tools
The Sober Life (https://apricots-duck-an2p.squarespace.com/courses/the-sober-life)- focused on the deeper work of emotional sobriety
Want to learn more? We're hosting a Q&A Friday, May 1, 2026. You can register here (https://www.theluckiestclub.com/tlc-public-q-and-a-sessions)!
16 Apr 2026
EP 8: Why Can't I Cry Anymore?
In this episode of Dear Vernon, Eric Johnson and Laura McKowen respond to a question that doesn’t get talked about enough:
What if you get sober… and you still can’t feel anything?
The listener who wrote in shared that they hadn’t cried in years — not while drinking, and not in the months after stopping. No big emotional release. No tears. Just… nothing.
Eric and Laura both know that feeling.
They talk about:
how alcohol can numb your emotions for a long time — even after you stop
what it means to be in a kind of “freeze” or shutdown state
why some emotions show up before others (and why it’s not usually sadness first)
how anger, fear, and shame can block access to deeper feelings
and why your body might not be ready to go there yet
Laura shares about her own experience with not being able to cry, both in early sobriety and while being on antidepressants for many years, and what it’s been like to slowly feel things come back online.
Eric talks about how long it took for him to get there too, and how emotions didn’t come back all at once, they showed up in layers.
If the show resonates, please leave a review and share it with someone who needs it.
Have a question for Dear Vernon?
👉 Submit your question (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSemIptEB9wRpRzTX-qjolRqLJCTKg952iqx4w97Bm-4uyuU1A/viewform), and it might be featured on a future episode.
Get a FREE week of The Luckiest Club here! (https://www.theluckiestclub.com/join-community)
Need more support?
We offer three 13-week programs designed to meet you exactly where you are in your sobriety journey:
The Sober 90 (https://apricots-duck-an2p.squarespace.com/courses/the-sober-90)- foundational work to get you through the early days
The Sober Steady (https://apricots-duck-an2p.squarespace.com/courses/the-sober-steady)- for those with some sober time who need more resilience and tools
The Sober Life (https://apricots-duck-an2p.squarespace.com/courses/the-sober-life)- focused on the deeper work of emotional sobriety
2 Apr 2026
EP 7: How Do I Like My Eggs?
In this episode of Dear Vernon, Laura McKowen and Eric Johnson dig into a question that comes up way more than people talk about — what do you do when sobriety just feels... boring?
The question came in from a member who's 60 days sober, a busy working mom, and feeling this strange flatness she can't quite name. Laura and Eric unpack why "boredom" in early sobriety is rarely just boredom, and what's really going on underneath it.
They talk about:
Why drinking feels like fun (and why that's kind of a lie)
The brain chemistry behind early sobriety flatness — dopamine deficits, anhedonia, and why the color seems to drain out of everything
Why "I'm bored" often really means "I have no idea what I actually like"
The Runaway Bride moment: figuring out how you like your eggs when you've always ordered what someone else wanted
Why action has to come before inspiration (not the other way around)
How to find joy in the small stuff when you don't have time for big stuff
Why going big and letting it fly isn't actually fun — it's just loud
This one's for anyone sitting in that strange in-between place where the chaos of early days has settled and you're left wondering... now what?
🎧 Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ep-1-so-who-the-hell-is-vernon/id1871522237?i=1000746371247), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/episode/4FXWQqinlrCksuZG1yGZql?si=3f21ad0fa493410d) or your favorite podcast player.
If the show resonates, please leave a review and share it with someone who needs it.
Have a question for Dear Vernon?
👉 Submit your question (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSemIptEB9wRpRzTX-qjolRqLJCTKg952iqx4w97Bm-4uyuU1A/viewform), and it might be featured on a future episode.
Get A Free Week Trial of The Luckiest Club here (https://community.theluckiestclub.com/)!
Need more support?
We offer three 13-week programs designed to meet you exactly where you are in your sobriety journey:
The Sober 90 (https://apricots-duck-an2p.squarespace.com/courses/the-sober-90)- foundational work to get you through the early days
The Sober Steady (https://apricots-duck-an2p.squarespace.com/courses/the-sober-steady)- for those with some sober time who need more resilience and tools
The Sober Life (https://apricots-duck-an2p.squarespace.com/courses/the-sober-life)- focused on the deeper work of emotional sobriety
19 Mar 2026
EP 6: Is This As Good As It Gets?
Eric and Laura are back for another episode of Dear Vernon.
Eric almost showed up in a dress shirt and tie. He didn't. Instead, he rolled up in his hoodie and baseball cap after a bowl of Cinnamon Pebbles. (He has no regrets. He will have them for lunch too.)
This week's question comes from Karen, who's five months sober and asking something so many of us have wondered: when does the happy come back? Everything feels flat. Boring. Gray. She's not in danger of relapsing, she just wants to feel like herself again.
Laura and Eric dig into what "happy" actually means in sobriety and whether drinking was really making us happy in the first place, or just giving us the illusion of caring less. (There's a difference. A big one.)
They talk about the pink cloud (some people get it, some people — hi, Laura — absolutely do not), and why happiness might be the wrong thing to be chasing altogether.
What they land on: peace of mind, freedom, and meaning. Not the fleeting "yay!" kind of happiness, but the kind that holds you up when life gets hard, which it certainly will.
And for Karen and anyone else in the grind of early sobriety: the lights will come on. But you've got to change your life, not just quit drinking. Five months is huge — and it's also still early. Hang tight.
You can learn more about The Luckiest Club here 👈 (https://www.theluckiestclub.com/)
Yes, you can get a FREE week anytime!
Submit a question to Dear Vernon (https://tr.ee/zhR1lx7XVY)
5 Mar 2026
EP 5: Can We Be Friends?
Laura McKowen and Eric Johnson tackle one of the most common (and least talked about) challenges in recovery: the profound loneliness that can show up after early sobriety.
This week’s question comes from a member of The Luckiest Club who’s over a year sober and struggling with what he calls “drifting through interstellar space socially.”
The camaraderie of early recovery has faded, old relationships feel less relatable, and he’s wondering: if connection is the key to long-term sobriety, what do you do when you feel more alone than ever?
Laura and Eric get real about:
Why early sobriety loneliness hits so hard (and lasts longer than you think)
The awkwardness of making friends as a sober adult
How alcohol was a shortcut for intimacy that we have to rebuild without
The vulnerability it takes to ask someone “can we be friends?”
The energetic shift that happens when you stop hiding your sobriety
Connect with us:
Instagram: @theluckiestclub (https://www.instagram.com/theluckiestclub/)
Ask us a question (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSemIptEB9wRpRzTX-qjolRqLJCTKg952iqx4w97Bm-4uyuU1A/viewform)
Get a FREE week of The Luckiest Club (https://www.theluckiestclub.com/)
19 Feb 2026
EP 4: Is It Too Soon to Make a Big Change?
In this episode of Dear Vernon, Laura McKowen and Eric Johnson take on a question almost everyone in early sobriety faces:
“I’m two months sober and I hate my job.
I’ve been told not to make big life changes in the first year…
So am I stuck here for 10 more months?”
It’s a real one.
There’s a lot of guidance out there about “no major changes in the first 12 months.”
But is that a rule? A myth? A suggestion?
And what do you do when the thing you want to change feels unbearable?
Laura and Eric chat about:
Why early sobriety can feel wildly dysregulating
Where the “wait a year” guidance actually comes from
The difference between leaving from clarity vs. leaving from chaos
Trauma responses (fight, flight, freeze, fawn) and how they show up in big decisions
The temptation to “blow it up” when feelings get uncomfortable
Why “wherever you go, there you are” matters more than you think
How to know if something is truly toxic vs. just uncomfortable
Why you shouldn’t make these decisions alone
Sobriety doesn’t mean you stay miserable.
It also doesn’t mean every uncomfortable feeling requires an exit strategy.
This conversation is about discernment.
And learning to tell the difference between growth and escape.
As Laura says, there is sanity in community.
If you’re navigating a big decision in sobriety — you don’t have to do it alone.
Resources & Links
✨ Join us inside The Luckiest Club
Start with a free week trial (https://community.theluckiestclub.com/)
If this episode resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and send it to someone who might need it.
And if you have a question for Laura McKowen and Eric Johnson, submit it here (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSemIptEB9wRpRzTX-qjolRqLJCTKg952iqx4w97Bm-4uyuU1A/viewform?usp=header)— we might answer it on a future episode of Dear Vernon.
See you next time.
5 Feb 2026
EP 3: Are You Ever Recovered?
In this episode of Dear Vernon, Laura McKowen and Eric Johnson respond to a listener question:
"Are you ever actually recovered, or are you in recovery forever?"
Laura reflects on what recovery means to her now, more than a decade into sobriety — how it’s shifted from something effortful and front-of-mind into something deeply integrated. Eric dives into the difference between sobriety (not drinking) and recovery (learning how to live, cope, and regulate without alcohol).
Together, they talk about:
The difference between being sober and being in recovery
Why early sobriety can feel so heavy, and why it doesn’t stay that way
How recovery evolves as it becomes part of who you are
Emotional sobriety, regulation, and learning healthier ways to cope
And why recovery isn’t about arriving somewhere perfect
This is a conversation for anyone who’s wondered:
“Will this always feel like work?”
“Do people really do this forever?”
“Does it ever get easier?”
Want more support?
We offer three 13-week programs designed to meet you exactly where you are in sobriety:
👉 The Sober 90 by The Luckiest Club — The Luckiest Club (https://www.theluckiestclub.com/courses/the-sober-90)
👉 The Sober Steady — The Luckiest Club (https://www.theluckiestclub.com/courses/the-sober-steady)
👉 The Sober Life — The Luckiest Club (https://www.theluckiestclub.com/courses/the-sober-life)
Not a member yet?
You can explore everything inside The Luckiest Club with a free 7-day trial:
👉 Start your free week (https://community.theluckiestclub.com/)
Have a question for Dear Vernon?
Submit it here (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_E3Z0x56HdKI6qf_XPbFW4MwlvAuyhQY0E3xn7FrHgw/edit) — anonymously — and it might be featured on a future episode.
If the show resonates, leave a review and share it with someone who needs it.
29 Jan 2026
EP 2: About Those New Drinking Guidelines…
Welcome back to Dear Vernon, where we answer real questions about sobriety without pretending it’s simple or one-size-fits-all.
In this episode, Laura McKowen and Eric Johnson dig into a question a lot of you have been asking lately:
What do we actually think about the new Surgeon General alcohol guidelines? 💭
And maybe more importantly… why do they feel so confusing?
We talk about:
What actually changed in the guidelines (and what didn’t)
Why vague public health messaging can be frustrating, especially if you’re already questioning your drinking
The idea of alcohol as a “social lubricant” (and why that framing matters)
How people tend to cherry-pick guidance when they’re already struggling
What the research and data really says — including the landmark 2018 Lancet study
Why clarity matters more than ever in a culture that already minimizes alcohol’s impact
This isn’t about shaming, fear-mongering, or telling anyone what to do. It’s about context, honesty, and helping you make informed choices, especially if sobriety is already tugging at you.
As always, we’ll keep having these conversations, because the questions don’t stop once you stop drinking.
Want support beyond the podcast?
If this episode stirred something up, you don’t have to sit with it alone.
Here’s how you can plug into TLC:
The Sober 90 — for getting sober and building a strong foundation
👉 https://www.theluckiestclub.com/the-sober-90 (https://www.theluckiestclub.com/the-sober-90)
The Sober Steady — for the messy middle (staying sober, learning regulation & resilience)
👉 https://www.theluckiestclub.com/the-sober-steady (https://www.theluckiestclub.com/the-sober-steady)
The Sober Life — for long-term sobriety and emotional growth
👉 https://www.theluckiestclub.com/the-sober-life (https://www.theluckiestclub.com/the-sober-life)
Try TLC free for a week (meetings, community, real support)
👉 https://www.theluckiestclub.com/free-week (https://www.theluckiestclub.com/free-week)
Research Mentioned
The 2018 Lancet Study on Alcohol Use & Health
👉 https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(18)31571-X/fulltext (https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(18)31571-X/fulltext)
Vivek Murthy Paper
👉 Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation (https://www.vivekmurthy.com/_files/ugd/9322fa_0199a98056594d41bca33c0e944c3fd4.pdf?index=true)
Have a question you want us to answer on a future episode?
Submit it anonymously here (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSemIptEB9wRpRzTX-qjolRqLJCTKg952iqx4w97Bm-4uyuU1A/viewform)— we might talk about it next.
And if this episode helped, made you think, or made you feel less alone:
Leave a review, share it with a friend, or send it to someone who’s quietly questioning their relationship with alcohol.
We’ll be back soon. 💛
23 Jan 2026
EP 1: So... Who The Hell Is Vernon?
Welcome to the very first episode of Dear Vernon.
We know. You probably have questions.
Like… who is Vernon?
And why are people writing letters to him?
And how did this turn into a podcast?
In this episode, Laura McKowen and Eric Johnson sit down to talk through the why behind Dear Vernon—where the idea came from, what it’s meant to be (and what it’s not), and why creating a space for honest questions about sobriety felt necessary.
This isn’t a show about having all the answers.
It’s about making room for the questions.
The ones people are already asking themselves quietly.
You’ll hear us talk about:
Why sobriety isn’t a straight line—and never has been
What we mean when we say “Dear Vernon”
Why advice isn’t always the point (and listening usually is)
How community, curiosity, and honesty have shaped our own recovery
What you can expect from future episodes
This podcast is meant to feel like pulling up a chair—not tuning into a lecture.
Thanks for being here.
Let’s see where this goes.
Have a question for Vernon? You can ask it here (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSemIptEB9wRpRzTX-qjolRqLJCTKg952iqx4w97Bm-4uyuU1A/viewform?usp=header) 👈
Get a FREE week of sobriety support meetings at The Luckiest Club 🐦⬛ (https://community.theluckiestclub.com/)
Next round of The Sober 90 starts February 2nd, 2026.
Join The Sober 90 (https://www.theluckiestclub.com/courses/the-sober-90)
Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/theluckiestclub/)
Inside a recent episode
EP 15: How Do I Talk to My Kids About Alcohol?
Published 18 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] Just answer the question asked. And so I... really tried to do that. And when she asked me how I felt when I drank alcohol, I would be honest. And I would say it, you know, sometimes it was fun when I was younger, but a lot of times it didn't make me feel very good about myself. And it made me feel like physically not, it made me feel very sick, but it also made me feel really sad. And she seemed to get that, like the sad part, or I told her I made I did a lot of things that didn't feel good. I made decisions that didn't feel good that I wasn't proud of. So we talked like that. If she asked me something, I would answer it. […]
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