So nice to meet you!
Hi There! My name is Abby Calabrese and I am an influencer, speaker and activist for alcohol-free living. I share my insights and personal journey living alcohol-free both on my IG (@alcoholfreeabby) and my podcast (The Alcohol-Free Rebellion).
Over my career, I have gone from a corporate job in NYC to high-growth Silicon Valley startups and eventually worked alongside a Celebrity TV Star as the Chief Operating Officer of his real estate investment company.
I understand what it's like to work incredibly hard for your achievements only to look around and feel...blah. I also know what it feels like to always want to achieve MORE.
Despite my outward success, I was struggling with my relationship with alcohol. It was confusing because I didn't have any of the HUGE signs you often associate with problem drinking. My career was continuing to thrive. My marriage was stable and healthy. It left me confused and full of shame. What was wrong with me?
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I finally had enough and decided I was going to do a 100-day challenge with no alcohol. This kicked off a chain of events that changed my life. Through my findings and lessons learned along the way, I am passionate about helping women cut out booze and discover a life they LOVE living.​
A bit more on my story...
Going way back, my home life was very challenging as a child and I was focused on getting good grades and GETTING OUT. I put a lot of pressure on myself and it felt like a lot was at stake if I was not able to achieve certain accomplishments or obtain certain scholarships.
This hyperdrive focus on achievement continued into college and even followed me into my working life. Since there was no safety net, I had tremendous anxiety about my work performance to keep myself afloat. Alcohol was a way to turn down the dial on these anxious feelings. It allowed me to quiet that anxiety and let loose with friends. It worked, until it didn't.
The pressure to achieve continued and led me to feel like I constantly needed to be doing more, achieving more, more, more, more. It seemed to intensify with each life change (having kids, buying a new house, switching jobs, etc).
Along with this mounting pressure and responsibility came an increased reliance on...alcohol. This was not sustainable. I was waking up irritable and sick (even after two glasses of wine). I woke up anxious and in a shame spiral after most social events where there was drinking. I continuously let myself down when I planned to not drink during the week or limit to two drinks at a function or or or....
I desperately wanted to break free from the cycle of drinking but it was so engrained in my life - it felt impossible.
Hearing other women's stories saved my life. I'm committed to recovering out loud and helping as many other women as I can. Follow along as we change some lives!
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