Podcast Summary

Kreatures of Habit Podcast

Episode: Sobriety Didn’t Ruin Her Life — It Built It | The Sober Fit Girl

Host: Michael Chernow
Guest: Kat (The Sober Fit Girl, entrepreneur & fitness coach)
Date: December 17, 2025

Overview

In this deeply honest and motivating episode, Michael Chernow sits down with Kat, founder of Sober Fit Girl, to discuss how sobriety didn’t just “not ruin” her life—it built it. Together, they share their personal journeys of addiction, recovery, and how fitness, routines, and real human connection have been central to their transformation. The episode highlights the power of finding role models, how intuition and perspective return in sobriety, the links between fitness and lasting recovery, and practical advice for anyone who is sober-curious or struggling.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Getting Real: “Write Down the Sober You and the Drunk You”

• Kat's Practical Tool:
  • Kat urges listeners (especially women struggling) to literally write out their “sober you” and “drunk you” in all areas (finances, career, relationships, body, etc.), then honestly pick which version they want to become.
  • “Ask yourself, if I don’t stop drinking in five years, what will my life look like?” (00:09)
  • This clarifies their "why” and helps identify when it’s time to ask for help.

Notable Quote

• Kat (00:09):
  “Write down the sober you and the drunk you. And just pick one. Literally, just pick one. Which one do you want to be?”

2. Origin Stories & Hitting Bottom

• Kat’s Last Day Drinking:
  • January 17, 2020. Woke up after a blackout, with no idea if she slept with the person next to her. Realized life was on a loop: “I had this strong screaming voice of, you have to stop or you’re going to die.” (05:34)
  • Michael shares similar sentiments: friends knew he was dying, but one day the word “sober” echoed in his head, and it clicked. (11:06)
• Meeting Sober Role Models:
  • Both found an expander/mentor right after their decision.
  • Kat credits meeting Michael years earlier at a Tony Robbins event as a major inspiration: “You were the first guy...that was sober and confident and an entrepreneur. It really inspired me.” (02:37)

Notable Quote

• Michael (11:06):
  “Frank said...I gotta fire you, man. You gotta get sober. And that word for the first time echoed in my head...I heard it for the first time.”

3. Sobriety by Attraction: The Importance of Expanders & Community

• Both Michael and Kat stress that seeing (and having access to) someone living the life you want, sober, is crucial.
  • Treatment programs rarely provide “someone you want to emulate”—but a real role model, who “gets you”, can make all the difference. (14:00–16:02)
• Kat has become that role model to hundreds of women: “What you give them is someone to look up to.” (16:13)
• They are launching “Sober Fit Dude” together to bring this model to men as well.

Notable Quote

• Michael (16:02): “Finding someone that you want to impress that is sober, finding someone that you want to emulate...I think that is essential.”

4. Stories That Scar: “People Think You Miss Out By Not Drinking—You’re Missing Out By Drinking”

• Kat shares the viral post that launched Sober Fit Girl:
  • Story of blacking out before a date, getting hammered at Soho House, embarrassing herself, and realizing: “People think you miss out on so much when you choose not to drink. I was missing out on everything because I was choosing to drink everything.” (21:10)
• Michael responds with his own stories of chaos, disappearances, and dysfunctional relationships, underscoring that true self-worth emerges after sobriety, not before. (23:21)

Notable Quote

• Kat (21:10): “If you look at the sober Kat...slaying at the gym, looking great...and then drunk Kat, he was probably like, ‘who is this person?’”

5. How Sober Fit Girl Was Built

• Raised $1MM for an app while drinking, attended Tony Robbins event as a rescue attempt from an investor (03:53).
• Discovered power of sharing authentic stories and building a community online (29:54–32:39).
• The role of intuition strengthens in sobriety:
  • “My spirituality and this really strong connection of my future self...that’s one of my favorite things about sobriety.” (31:09, 33:24)
• Sober Fit Girl helps women with routines, habits, and a judgment-free, aspirational approach rather than just focusing on trauma.

6. Fitness as a Foundation for Sobriety

• Both credit fitness as their lifeline—having a goal, feeling results, building self-esteem (48:04–49:21).
• Acknowledgement of disordered eating and its overlap with addiction.
• For Kat: Bodybuilding and coaching gave her something to channel her energy into during early recovery.
• Michael: Sees an overlap between addictive personalities and going “full force” into positive pursuits post-recovery (38:36).

Notable Quote

• Kat (48:12): “If I don’t have a goal, then I’m kind of just floating...Whereas when I had a goal...my self esteem increased, and then I wanted to keep going.”

7. Sober Curious & The Power of Example

• Many in their communities (clients, family) have become curious or have quit drinking by attraction, not promotion.
  • “You don’t even really have to do anything. You just be yourself.” (46:16)
• Importance of consistently sharing your story honestly—not proselytizing, just being visible as happy, successful, and sober.

8. Timestamps for Key Segments

| Topic | Timestamp | |-------|-----------| | Kat’s “Sober You/Drunk You” Exercise | 00:09, 58:47 | | Kat’s Last Day Drinking Story | 05:34 | | Meeting Mentors / Tony Robbins Event | 01:32, 02:37, 14:00 | | Michael’s Sobriety “Click” Moment | 11:06 | | Building Sober Fit Girl Brand | 29:54–32:39 | | Importance of Fitness | 48:04–49:21, 51:12 | | Viral “Soho House” Drinking Story | 18:05, 21:10 | | Launching Sober Fit Dude | 43:26, 68:34 | | Family/friends impacted by example | 45:11, 46:16 | | Practical Advice for the Sober-Curious | 58:47 |

Memorable Quotes

• Kat (00:09):
  “Write down the sober you and the drunk you. And just pick one. Literally, just pick one.”

• Michael (16:02): “Finding someone that you want to impress that is sober, finding someone that you want to emulate...I think that is essential.”

• Kat (21:10):
  “People think that you miss out on so much when you choose to not drink. I was missing out on everything because I was choosing to drink everything.”

• Michael (34:01):
  “Fucking most effective, effective, foolproof way to enjoy life...is to stop drinking fucking alcohol.”

• Kat (33:24):
  “That’s truly my favorite gift of sobriety, is my intuition.”

• Michael (46:16):
  “You don’t even really have to do anything. You just be yourself and say, hey, I can help you if you want.”

Practical Advice & Habits Shared

• Daily Tools for the Sober-Curious (58:47):

  1. Write down attributes of “sober you” and “drunk you” in all life areas.
  2. Visualize your life in five years if nothing changes.
  3. Let the resulting anxiety or clarity push you to ask for help.
  4. “You don’t know what you’re doing if you don’t ask for help.”

• Habits That Changed Kat’s Life:

  • Consistent fitness routines and goal-setting.
  • Daily connection with friends, meditation, and spirituality.
  • Clean living, both physically and mentally (“keep my side of the street clean”).

• One Habit Broken:

  • Letting go of binge cycles in both drinking and disordered eating.

The Launch of Sober Fit Dude

• Michael and Kat are collaborating to launch Sober Fit Dude, a community and coaching program to help men explore sobriety through fitness, mindset, and the power of having a “sobriety expander”—a role model who’s relatable, fit, and living a vibrant sober life.
  • “Dudes that are just trying to be better”—doesn't require being already sober.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Sobriety is possible and can lead to a life better than you can currently imagine.
• Having someone to look up to or emulate is a powerful motivator; community and connection matter.
• Fitness is a major support tool for long-term recovery and self-esteem.
• You don't have to reach "rock bottom" or be "catastrophic"—anyone can choose to stop and see massive improvements.
• The impact of one person changing can ripple to families, friends, and broader communities—often just by example.
• “If you are struggling, you don’t have to live that way anymore” (48:54, 70:48).

Where to Find Kat & Resources

• Instagram: @soberfitgirl
• Podcast: Sober Fit Girl
• Coaching: Sober Fit Girl website (domain mentioned in episode)
• Stay tuned for: Sober Fit Dude (launching early 2026)

Conclusion

This episode is an unfiltered account of what it really takes to choose sobriety, and how that choice transforms every area of life. Michael and Kat use humor, storytelling, and actionable advice to prove that giving up alcohol isn’t about loss—it’s about reclaiming your intuition, self-worth, and excitement for the future. If you’re sober, sober-curious, or supporting someone who is, this episode will leave you feeling inspired and less alone.

Note:

Timestamps are approximate and reflect the core segments of conversation.
Advertisements and non-content sections have been omitted from this summary.