Today we’d like to introduce you to Margy Schaller.

Margy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?

I am a sober woman who is trying to normalize sober choices in a society where drinking is often the currency of connection. To understand me, you have to understand the times we were living in when I first got sober. My sobriety date is February 7, 2005 and back then, there was a lot of stigma surrounding people in recovery. I was really worried that I would be judged so I relied heavily on advise I got from people in my recovery community who recommended that I didn’t tell anyone in my professional life that I was sober.

However, my job at the time was to go to national conferences and literally “wine and dine” potential speakers and consultants for our products. I couldn’t opt out of happy hours or long dinners with cocktails and bottles of wine. Nor could I avoid the corporate events that were expected for someone at my level. I didn’t know anyone else who was in the same boat as me, so I just suffered in silence through these events as everyone else happily drank the night away.

Then in the fall of 2023, I was at a women’s entrepreneur retreat and a friend of mine, Laura Nelson, was on a Mind, Body, Health panel. She was speaking openly about how getting sober had completely changed her world for the better. She spontaneously asked the group, “I’m just curious, how many people here don’t drink at professional events for whatever reason?” In that moment I had a decision to make.

I cautiously raised my hand and looked around the room. I was astonished to see about 15% of the room also hesitantly raising their hands! These were women I knew, and none of us knew that about each other! Laura and I grabbed each other for lunch afterwards and I said, “This can’t happen anymore! And it has to start with me. I’m not putting baby in the corner anymore!”

That is the day that Sober Life Rocks was born, a community where we are working to normalize sober choices and advocate for sober inclusive events at professional gatherings. Imagine a world where the little black bar had an array of delicious non-alcoholic options, even drinkers would likely partake! We liken it to the early days of vegetarians where the only option was a plate of steamed vegetables to today, where the creative options are often more appealing than the meat option.

Today I am living my sobriety at loud in all parts of my life, from hosting the Sober Life Rocks podcast to regularly writing, speaking and sharing on social media about my journey in hopes that we can create a better world then the one I faced when I got sober.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

Part of the nature of startups is being able to pivot. When Laura and I started Sober Life Rocks, we thought we knew exactly what people would want and need. We created an entire system for connecting sober people who were going to be at the same events so no one would ever have to feel alone, Turns out no one took us up on this tool.

We also thought that event planners wouldn’t listen to our suggestions unless we had an army of people in our community pushing for change. Turns out that assumption is also wrong – many event planners have been approaching us and asking us how they can adapt to be more sober inclusive! For some, it’s as simple as rethinking their networking events and creating something other than a DJ and a bar. However our biggest challenge today is figuring out how to work with hotels and conference centers that aren’t adept yet at providing true adult non-alcoholic beverages (not just sticky juice blends).

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

Sober Life Rocks is dedicated to normalizing sober choices. We focus on the 25-40% of individuals who either don’t drink or wish to reduce their alcohol consumption at professional events. In today’s culture, alcohol often serves as the currency of connection. If you don’t drink, you might feel excluded from professional gatherings—or worse, feel pressured into drinking when you prefer not to. For anyone organizing a gathering, whether it’s a post-work happy hour or a networking event at a meeting, we aim to raise awareness and provide solutions.

We are very proud of the fact that we have built the largest group on Linked In for sober professionals (Sober Life Rocks Community) and are having important conversations there between people from all walks of life, from individuals to HR to event planners to recovery providers, All are welcome to join!

In addition, we are hosting our first conference in January 2026 called “AMPLIFY Sober Voices” with the theme “We can do more together.” We are inviting podcasters, speakers, writers, and influencers in the sober space to come together to network and learn how to deliver their own amazing messages to more people, in more places, and with more impact. Learn more at amplifysobervoices.com

What was your favorite childhood memory?

At bedtime, my dad would have different voices for each of my stuffed animals and would tell fantastic stories about their adventures. From a child’s point of view, these were their true voices, and when he mixed them up, I would say, “no Daddy, that’s not Roxy’s voice” or “that’s Heather, not Feather” and we would laugh until we were crying! It’s only now that I realize what a tall order that was for a busy dad to keep track of the characters he had created and where he was in the story each night!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://soberliferocks.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sober_life_rocks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soberliferocksprofessionals
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14532282/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SoberLifeRocks