A Canadian, an American and a Brit walk into a bar… for a light-hearted discussion about alcohol. Our experiences of it and our social obsession with it. Are you into it, or over it?

Host Linda McLachlan and friends, Vijay Chavda and Ryan Geismar chat about how alcohol has played a role in their lives - from childhood to parenthood. How have things around us changed, how have we changed? Is sobriety (or some level of abstinence) easier or harder now? And what are the options?

So… are you into it, or over it?

Linda openly acknowledges the generous and life changing writing and work of Ann Dowsett Johnston writer of Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol and Annie Grace writer of This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life. Both Ann and Annie’s work helped her choose to live sober since April 27, 2019.

Originally recorded on Fireside Chat with an interactive audience. This is an edit version of that conversation.

To see the 'live' version of this or other episodes Linda has done on Fireside, check them out here: www.firesidechat.com/lindamclachlan

The host of THE ARENA - Living a Courageous Life is Linda McLachlan. All episodes are available via: THE ARENA - Living a Courageous Life website.

Follow Linda on: Facebook LinkedIn

And the legal bits, please note:

Explicit

2020-2022 THE ARENA

Cindy Villanova is a daughter, sister, mother, and grandmother. She’s an author, consultant, entrepreneur and public speaker. She’s also a seventh degree black belt, master instructor and the owner of a martial arts studio in Austin, Texas.

Cindy’s parents were a mixed race couple in the early 1960s in southern California. They faced prejudice but stressed to Cindy and her brother the importance of an education, and growing up to be ‘good’. Cindy worked hard and was an ‘A’ student. She had big dreams to be a lawyer and to enter politics, but instead she became pregnant as a teenager by her boyfriend, a very troubled young man. She chose not to give up the baby. It was one of many forks in the road of her life.

While there were two failed marriages, many physical injuries from her martial arts practice and financial troubles along the way, there were also triumphs and turnarounds. Her book Don't Fight Mad generously chronicles, these many painful twists and turns. She parallels what mixed martial arts taught her about digging in, when she most wanted to give up.

SOCIAL

Facebook: CindyVillanuevaAuthor

LinkedIn: cindyvillanueva

Instagram: cvillanueva_author

Website: https://cindyvillanueva.com/

The host of THE ARENA - Living a Courageous Life is Linda McLachlan. All episodes are available via: THE ARENA - Living a Courageous Life website.

Follow Linda on: Facebook LinkedIn

Explicit

2020-2022 THE ARENA

Jean-Sébastien Cournoyer aka ‘JS’. He’s a son, brother, husband and father of 5 children.

JS is a venture capitalist and entrepreneur. He’s the co-founder of Real Ventures and Montreal Startups. Both are early-stage venture capital firms that backs entrepreneurs and build the ecosystems in which they thrive. JS has primarily worked with entrepreneurs who are using AI, blockchain technologies, AR/VR and synthetic biology to improve happiness, human creativity, and communication — and transform or disrupt the pillars of our society (health, education, food, energy, government, finance, work).

In 2018 he had a profound experience that shifted his perspective of himself, his relationships and the world around him. While he’s loved his work, JS is now taking a slightly different role in the company he founded.

JS’s Social contacts:

Website Real Ventures: https://realventures.com/

Twitter: @jscournoyer

LinkedIn: jscournoyer

The host of THE ARENA - Living a Courageous Life is Linda McLachlan. All episodes are available via: THE ARENA - Living a Courageous Life website.

Follow Linda on: Facebook LinkedIn

And the legal bits, please note:

Explicit

2020-2022 THE ARENA