What does it mean to walk a path you can’t see the end of? I sat down with Rebecca Weston of The Camino Calls for a conversation that surprised both of us. Rebecca works with pilgrims—people 45 and over who are planning their journey on the Camino de Santiago, a 1,200-year-old network of trails through Europe. She came into our conversation expecting to find little overlap with the world of sobriety coaching. What she discovered instead were stunning parallels.
Whether you’re walking 500 miles across Spain or choosing to step away from alcohol, both journeys ask the same things of you: the willingness to face the unknown, the courage to let go of what’s no longer serving you, and the humility to ask for help. As Rebecca put it during our conversation, “The language of sobriety is a lot of the language of pilgrimage.” Both are about becoming. Both are about community. And both require you to stop performing and start being present.
We talk about my five and a half years of sobriety, the power of public accountability, how the 30-Day Reset creates a container for transformation, what the Spanish approach to alcohol can teach us, and why we’re putting a Sober Creative Camino out into the universe. This one goes deep—and it goes wide.
Show Notes
[0:00] — Introductions & Finding the Unexpected Overlap
Rebecca introduces herself as the host of The Camino Calls and shares her mission to help walkers—especially those 45 and over—plan their journeys on the Camino de Santiago.
When Rebecca first heard about Josh’s sobriety coaching work, she thought it had little to do with her. Following his writing changed that perspective entirely.
The discovery that launched this conversation: the parallels between physical pilgrimage and sobriety as an inward journey are deep and undeniable.
Key Insight: “What I’ve learned—things about awareness and about choice and how we choose to walk through our lives.” — Rebecca Weston
[1:15] — The Sober Creative: Merging Two Paths
Josh shares how The Sober Creative was born from merging his nearly 20-year career as a filmmaker and video producer with his personal sobriety journey.
A documentary he worked on about NASCAR driver Kyle Larson is coming to Amazon Prime—an example of the creative work that has flourished in sobriety.
Josh describes his relationship with alcohol not as extreme, but as coping-based: using it to deal with difficult emotions rather than for recreation.
Five and a half years sober, the gains have been profound: energy, sleep quality, gym performance, and creativity have all transformed.
Key Insight: “It’s really about creating a more intentional life—and not allowing alcohol to be kind of the centerpiece of decisions that you might make throughout the day or at the end of the day if you feel like you need it.” — Josh Woll
[4:24] — Navigating Social Pressure Without Drinking
Rebecca asks about the real challenge: What do you say when you’re in a social setting, choosing not to drink, and people push back?
Josh’s approach: keep it short and simple. “I don’t feel like it right now.” No long explanation needed.
The more you make it a thing, the more it becomes a thing. Lean into the decision, let it move through quickly, and get into the actual connection.
Rebecca shares a Camino parallel: pilgrims who choose luggage transport instead of carrying a pack sometimes face judgment on the trail. The lesson is the same—you don’t owe anyone an explanation.
Key Insight: “If you just step into that and just honor that decision, it moves through quickly and you can get into the conversation and the connection—and that’s really what it’s about.” — Josh Woll
[11:40] — Sobriety as Pilgrimage: The Inward Journey
Both sobriety and the Camino share the same language: facing the unknown, making difficult changes, finding people to let go of, and asking for help.
Josh describes sobriety as a pilgrimage inward—a lifelong internal journey to figure out who we’re becoming.
He tracked his patterns for two years before making a public commitment to abstain from alcohol for a full year. That public accountability was a major turning point.
At three months in, Josh knew alcohol wasn’t going to give him anything moving forward. His choice became his power.
Key Insight: “Sobriety is like a pilgrimage inward—it’s this internal journey to navigate and kind of figure out who we’re becoming. And it’s not like a set destination.” — Josh Woll
[15:27] — The 30-Day Reset: A Container for Awareness
The Reset is open to anyone who drinks—whether someone is ready to quit entirely or simply wants to see what a month without alcohol feels like.
The January Reset included daily emails, weekly one-hour group meetings, a WhatsApp community, and guided meditations—multiple entry points so participants could engage on their own terms.
The greatest takeaway for participants: the ability to step back and become aware of things they hadn’t noticed before.
Josh plans to run the Reset four times in 2025. The Spring Reset launches April 1st.
Key Insight: “I think that’s the strongest thing that I think people came away from was the ability to step back and be aware of certain things that they didn’t really have before.” — Josh Woll
[25:41] — The Sober Creative Method™ & One-on-One Coaching
The Sober Creative Method™ is Josh’s 90-day coaching framework built on three phases: Release → Create → Become.
Release: letting go not just of drinking habits, but of the thought patterns around why you chose to drink.
Create: building new structures, rhythms, and expressions of who you’re becoming.
Become: stepping fully into the version of yourself that was waiting on the other side.
One-on-one coaching is described as holding up a mirror gently—reflecting back patterns and possibilities without pressure or judgment.
Key Insight: “It’s really just kind of being a mirror and holding up the mirror in a gentle, kind way—hey, I’m seeing this and what do you think of trying this this week?” — Josh Woll
[28:09] — Building the Sober Creative Collective
Josh is developing a monthly membership community—the Sober Creative Collective—for people who want to live an intentional, sober life and sustain it over time.
The Collective will include workshops, weekly prompts, and community connection that feeds into and alongside the Resets and one-on-one coaching.
A viewer comment during the live conversation captured Josh’s approach perfectly: “You don’t break a pattern with force, and Josh has the gentleness that it takes to help.”
Josh’s philosophy: “I’m not a big fan of labels. If you label a person, it’s a bit of feeling constrained. We’re meant to expand and grow and lean into possibility.”
Key Insight: “Alcohol is a means that kind of takes that away from us—that ability to expand and grow and lean into possibility.” — Josh Woll
[32:10] — What Spain Can Teach Us About Alcohol & A Sober Creative Camino
Rebecca shares observations from living in Spain: alcohol there is cultural and social, not escapist. People nurse a glass of wine. They’re not drinking to get drunk.
Spain reportedly has the most bars per capita in the world, yet very low alcoholism rates—a difference Josh attributes to intention and community.
The concept of la vida en la calle—life in the streets—means socializing happens outside, unhurried, with no server pressure to keep ordering.
The episode closes with a desired wish: Josh and Rebecca would create a Sober Creative Camino—a future collaboration they’re inviting people to dream about with them.
Key Insight: “It’s about the support that you get from the people around you—and it’s not about the drink.” — Josh Woll
Key Quotes
“Sobriety is like a pilgrimage inward—it’s this internal journey to navigate and kind of figure out who we’re becoming. And it’s not like a set destination.” — Josh Woll
“I wake up and it’s like, I’m so tired, I’m so tired of being tired.” — Josh Woll
“I have a choice—my choice is kind of my power right now.” — Josh Woll
“The language of sobriety is a lot of the language of pilgrimage.” — Rebecca Weston
“We’re meant to expand and grow and lean into possibility—and alcohol is a means that kind of takes that away from us.” — Josh Woll
Resources Mentioned
The Camino de Santiago — A 1,200-year-old network of pilgrimage trails throughout Europe ending in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
The Sober Creative Reset — The public 30-day sobriety challenge that inspired the format of the Reset program.
The Sober Creative Method™ — Josh’s 90-day coaching framework (Release → Create → Become).
Sacred Business Flow on Substack — The business community where Josh and Rebecca first connected.
Menu del Día — The Spanish “menu of the day” concept, discussed as a window into intentional, non-consumptive drinking culture.
Kyle Larson NASCAR Documentary — Coming to Amazon Prime; a recent project near completion Josh worked on during his 20-year career in video production.
Where to Find Rebecca Weston
Thank You
A heartfelt thank you to Phil Powis ❤️⚡️, Rachel Connor, Inge van de Graaf, Noelle Richards, Amanda Goddard, and many others for who joined us live for this conversation, and to Rebecca Weston for her warmth, curiosity, and the beautiful world she’s built around the Camino de Santiago. Your presence and engagement make these conversations possible.
What’s Next
Every Pilgrimage Begins Where the Path Enters
This conversation with Rebecca reminded me of something I keep coming back to: the most powerful journeys aren’t always the ones that take you across a country. Sometimes the most important walk you take is inward.
If something in this episode stirred something in you—if you’re wondering what your work looks like when recovery is no longer compromised, when your mornings come online faster, when focus stops breaking—that’s worth paying attention to.
The Sober Creative Reset is a 30-day guided alcohol-free container for people who rely on focus, judgment, and creative output. It’s not rehab. It’s not a lifetime decision. It’s a performance experiment—and a chance to see what changes when the interference is removed.
What’s included: daily reflections, awareness and grounding practices, weekly guidance and check-ins, and a private community for accountability and support.
No labels. No pressure. Just 30 days of clarity.
Early access pricing opens March 1st for 24 hours only.
🗝️ Early Access Price: $149 (March 1st only — 24 hours)
🌿 Regular Price: $199 (after March 1st)
Awareness grows here.
