From the outside, Jacki looked fine—hard-working, social, always the one who made everyone else feel at ease. But a childhood shaped by a father who drank daily and older sisters who pushed her to “join the party” set a pattern she didn’t choose. As the years rolled by, “one more won’t hurt” turned into a quiet crisis. Then something shifted. She discovered how to quit drinking when you work in restaurants, and—step by step—she built a life where peace, purpose, and service replaced anxiety, depression, and 12-beer nights. Today, she’s a This Naked Mind Certified Coach helping others rewrite their stories.
Early influences and first experiences with alcohol
I grew up with alcohol in the background—my dad drank daily, and my older sisters handed me beers at their parties. In high school and college, I drank to belong. When I had kids, I backed away for a while. But in my late forties and early fifties, alcohol quietly crept back in, and the restaurant industry made it feel normal. When the shift ended, I’d “drink my dinner.” Everyone around me did the same, so I told myself I was fine.
I wasn’t. By December 2021, depression slammed me, and my drinking skyrocketed to about twelve beers a day. Anxiety piled on, too; I believed I needed a few beers just to leave the house. It got ugly. I felt like I’d lost myself. Goal-tracking apps didn’t help—I’d predict my nightly drinks and, when I went over, I just lied to the app. Drops that promised to curb cravings didn’t help either. None of those behavioral tricks touched the belief loop in my head: “One more won’t hurt.” I knew if I didn’t change, alcohol would write the ending of my story.
When drinking increased during restaurant work
Restaurant life runs on adrenaline, connection, and the ritual of the shift drink. After service, it felt like the reward—and the glue that held the team together. That loop trained my body clock: push hard through service, then release with alcohol. By the time I noticed how much I relied on it, my evenings were already spoken for. I even rotated distributors so no one would notice how often I stocked up, or I’d buy two thirty-packs to stretch the trips. Alcohol owned real estate in my mind, shaping plans, celebrations, and how I coped with stress.
In 2022, I attended a celebration of life for a man who died due to alcohol. People swapped “funny drunk stories” while the good he did—his generosity, his service—barely got airtime. I sat there thinking, That could be me. Later, on my porch, I called a friend who’d quit drinking and begged, “How did you do it?” We kept missing each other, and I felt even more alone. I needed a real answer for how to quit drinking when you work in restaurants when the environment itself cues the habit.
What I tried before finding This Naked Mind
I kept trying things: a Tony Robbins free event in January 2023 sparked hope; I dove into books, courses, and mentors like Dean Graziosi and Matthew McConaughey. I flooded my brain with possibility, but I was still drinking. The tools helped my mindset, but not my nightly negotiations. I didn’t need more rules; I needed to understand the loop and meet the need underneath it.
Then I saw an Annie Grace event and discovered This Naked Mind, The Alcohol Experiment, and The Path. For the first time, I wasn’t shamed. I was shown how alcohol works in the brain, why “just cut back” felt impossible, and how hospitality culture reinforces the cycle. It finally clicked: learning how to quit drinking when you work in restaurants starts with understanding—not self-blame.
Getting started with The Path
I joined The Path, and that decision split my life into “before” and “after.” I learned the four A’s (asleep → aware → awake → alive), saw how beliefs drive behavior, and practiced meeting needs directly instead of numbing them. I shifted from “I can’t control this” to “I understand this.” That’s the difference between wrestling cravings and watching them lose steam.
Instead of chasing willpower, I focused on clarity and compassion. I tracked honestly—no more lying to apps. I paid attention to the moments that sent me to the fridge and asked what I actually needed: food, rest, connection, movement, or simply a breath. The Path made the “why” visible, which made new choices possible.
Start your next chapter
If a quiet part of you is saying, “I want what Jacki has—peace, clarity, and real choice,” listen to it. You don’t have to leave restaurant work to change your relationship with alcohol. You can keep your career, your community, and your identity—and stop handing your evenings to a habit that doesn’t serve you.
Join The Path, our coach-guided program that meets you with compassion and science, not shame. You’ll build practical tools for real hospitality life—after-shift decompression, tough conversations, long nights, and big emotions—so you can feel proud of how you end your day.
Inside The Path you’ll get step-by-step lessons, live coaching, and a community that understands what service life is like. You’ll learn to replace “one more won’t hurt” with calm, confidence, and routines that actually restore you.
If you’re ready to stop negotiating with yourself and start feeling free, take the first step now. Your future self will thank you.
Building simple tools that work after a shift
Healing started in a surprising place: my kitchen. I posted reminders where I’d see them: “Life is not meant to be lived blurry, hazy, and numb. Alcohol is not the answer.” I repainted the room and danced between coats. I built an empowering playlist and let lyrics help me rewrite my story. When anxiety rose, I worked with my nervous system—breath, vagus-nerve resets, and driving to Diana Ross’s “I’m Coming Out.”
About six months in, Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” played and I cried—a good cry. For the first time in years, I loved the woman in the mirror. Removing alcohol was the first layer; learning to treat myself with respect was the deeper shift. These tools fit restaurant life: quick resets after a slammed dinner rush, grounded communication before a tough conversation, and real rest instead of numbing. This is practical when you’re navigating how to quit drinking when you work in restaurants—you deconstruct the loop and replace the “reward” with what your body and mind truly need.
What life looks like alcohol-free now
My first alcohol-free summer, I stayed busy: I repainted my kitchen, danced in my safe space, and swapped regular beer for NA beer. The next summer, I mowed the yard, came inside, and days later realized I hadn’t even grabbed an NA beer. Water satisfied me. That’s freedom. When desire is gone, there’s no willpower fight to win. Annie Grace says, “Without desire, there’s no temptation.” She’s right. Today I can be around people who drink, and it doesn’t bother me. I live without negotiating with myself.
Do hard days still happen? Yes. Now I have tools. If I’m anxious before an event, I use breath and movement. If I need confidence, I anchor to my younger athlete self—the one who never flinched on the field hockey pitch. If a tough conversation looms, I prep with sensation–emotion–request so I can speak clearly without blame. In hospitality, these skills matter. I don’t need a drink to come down. I can regulate, reconnect, and rest.
Why I trained as a This Naked Mind Coach
I was a bartender for twelve years. I used to serve alcohol; now I coach people who want freedom from it. I became a This Naked Mind Certified Coach (and trained in Affective Liminal Psychology) because I’ll never forget the day I called my friend for help and felt alone. I decided I’d be the person who picks up.
My clients bring me real life: “I gave myself permission to drink,” “I relapsed,” “I’m terrified of service without a shift drink.” We unpack the why, extract the lesson, and build a next step. Growth is allowed to be imperfect. That’s how it lasts. I’ve lost people to cirrhosis and alcohol-related cancers; I carry their stories as a promise to tell the truth about alcohol and offer a kinder path forward—for anyone learning how to quit drinking when you work in restaurants and beyond.
Encouragement for anyone in restaurant work
Don’t give up. Make a millimeter shift each day. Put reminders where you’ll see them. Fill your space with music that lifts you. Treat your nervous system like a teammate, not a problem. Don’t compare your timeline to anyone else’s—comparison is the thief of joy. Build your foundation first, then your skyscraper. One day you’ll look around and realize your building is strong. And it’s yours.
I’m just shy of two years alcohol-free. I wake up with peace, clarity, and a sense of purpose I never thought I’d feel again. The best part isn’t what I stopped doing; it’s who I’ve become—and who I get to help now.
My story started with chaos, but it doesn’t end there. It ends in clarity, presence, and purpose—and begins again every day I choose myself.
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