The Sober Butterfly Podcast

Thriving in Sobriety and Healing from Grief with Tiana Heath

• Nadine Benjamin

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In this episode of The Sober Butterfly, Nadine welcomes Tiana Heath, a producer and host known for her shows 'Missing on Long Island' and 'Beyond the Bottle,' to discuss her inspiring sober journey. Tiana  reflects on her mother’s passing and how it prompted her to choose sobriety as a healthier coping mechanism. The conversation covers self-care, the importance of thinking about one's future self, and the role of creativity in their work. Both hosts emphasize the power of living an alcohol-free life and achieving dreams.

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squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

Hello. Hello. And welcome back to the sober butterfly. I'm your host, Nadine. And today we are joined with a truly special guest. Someone that I very much admire Tiana Tiana. Welcome to the show. Tiana is a host, a producer we connected the summer IRL because Tiana produced Beyond the Bottle, which is an incredible show. I'm going to link everything in the show notes for you guys, but thank you for being here. I'm so glad that we connected and I'm so thrilled to have you to hear and share parts of your inspiring story. How are you?

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

for having me. I love how we did this. You came on my show and I'm on your show and I love this. So I really appreciate you having me on the show and I'm feeling I'm feeling good.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

I want Our community to learn more about Tiana and all of the incredible things you do. And I want to just ask you quick questions to get to know you. Is it

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

Yes, of course. Fired it up. I'm ready.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

Whatever comes to mind, just spit it out. Okay. If you could describe yourself, Tiana, in three words, what would they be?

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

Boom. Go getter. Some of these might be synonymous though, but go getter ambitious,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

Mm hmm.

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

and ooh, authentic.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

Authentic. I love that. Okay. Go get her ambitious. Authentic. Yeah, I could see all of that for you. Right. My next quick question for you is because you're a host and a producer I wanted to ask you if you could interview anyone or alive, would it be why?

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

I answered this question maybe years ago, but you know, your answer always changes through life. I would have seen like Beyonce's the easy answer was the easy answer. Dead or Alive, who would I interview? This is a good one, Nadine. I know this is a good one. I would probably I would interview Maya Andrew. I,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

Ooh, that's a good one. Yes,

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

I, I want to know more about her. Like, we, we see a lot, like on paper, we see a lot of her accolades and stuff like that. But she stimulates the mind. Thank you. And I think it's very important to just talk to her, especially like now that I'm in my thirties now, I'm a little bit older and, and stuff like that. I think it would be a dope interview.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

I have a story slash confession. This is something I am not proud of. It's actually a huge life regret of mine. So I went to FMU, which is a an H-B-C-U-A historically black college. And convocation for around homecoming was a big deal. do you want to know who the speaker was at convocation? I want to say it was 2011 or 12. It was Ms. Angelo. Ms. Angelo came to my freaking school. And by the way, I was an English major.

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

Wow. What happened, AD? Yeah. Oh, wow. Right. We, how much alcohol, like stopped.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

of poetry is top notch. And I studied her, and she was a dream. dream to, you know, meet. And I was also a student senator, so I would have had a chance to meet her backstage. And do you want to know what happened? Tiana, alcohol happened. It was homecoming. So homecoming, like I partied and binge drank my way through college, but like homecoming was a special, special time where the little bit of tact I had went out the window. And so I was going so hard and basically overslept convocation. It was like first thing in the morning and I was too drunk. Drunk slash hungover to go. And so I missed my one opportunity. I want to say it was 20, like 12, because I think she died a couple of years later. And I was like, yeah. And I remember at the time I was like, Oh, I'll just, I'll have my opportunity to see her again. Of course that never came. And so just never regret of alcohol, but it's funny. You should say that because she's one of my probably top, top 10 favorite authors I missed my, my window.

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

certain things. Like who would have known that you would have like thrived and built that, you know, that rapport with her and, and have that, that special moment. Yeah,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

been a life. Defining moment for me, but anyway, we

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

right, right.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

My final question for you getting to know Tiana is. what is your favorite way to spend a sober Saturday or Sunday? I just feel like you are such a beauty girl, like you're aesthetically to look at,

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

Thank you.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

that you pour into yourself. So walk us through like what your perfect self care Saturday or Sunday routine or ritual looks like.

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

So mine, I would definitely wake up and listen to 80s music. I'm such an 80s girl. My favorite decade of all time is the 80s, especially the samples that we hear now in the 2020 2010s in birth, the music that we have now the 80s I would listen to some 80s.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

get into it. Like Prince, like,

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

Oh my gosh, you're gonna make me,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

Turner.

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

I love Prince with all my heart. I like literally was crying on the floor. I, sorry, hold on.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

Okay,

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

When Prince passed away,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

Mm

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

the way I drank that night that he passed away, I thought that I would've kno I was so drunk and I was crying because I felt like I noted That's one of my favorite artists of all time, but That was like an escape for me. I was like, no, I need to drink for prince. I was like drunk on like a friday night Like like

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

that.

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

current because of prince. Yes prince. Luther like Yeah, luther vandrossa the the gap band earth wind and fire like the temptations janet michael like I have to listen to evelyn champagne like patrice fruscian like all all of these I hate I love them. I love the instruments. I love the bars. Like I love the instruments and the vocals and the arrangements of that time So I will get up and listen to that And hit the gym. I mean sometimes on the weekends I do a rest day because I go to gym Monday to Friday most of the time but I've found peace at the sauna like just

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

I'm such a sauna girl. Yes.

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

would put on a a crime podcast and listen to it And have the best,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

hear yourself?

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

I know,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

such a position. I'm going to listen to murder and just basically sweat my life

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

yes,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

I love

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

I, I do it, you know so I put on my little, my sweatsuit, and I just sit there and I listen to Unsolved Mysteries, I'm not done with the series, and then I just go to the sauna so, and I'm very social. I would, you know, see my friends and stuff and stuff like that and make sure, like, I always connect with them on the weekends and my Sundays I have with my boyfriend. We do every Sunday. We haven't missed a Sunday yet. And we're going, you know, we're going on two years. You haven't missed a Sunday yet. But I, yeah, I think connecting with just your, your people, your village. Has been, you know, like, super fun. That's what I've been doing on the weekends. Just really just letting it go. Like, loose.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

that. So like Saturday, social, Sunday, boyfriend,

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

Mm hmm. Mm hmm.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

a Sunday kind of love, Tiana. I want a Sunday. Okay. I'm going to

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

You know, girl, it's, you, I'm telling you, when you listen to it, that's what people say, but I just feel like, yeah, okay, and then you just drop, like, like, get a boyfriend, you know, like, like out of the call machine, like, that's how it comes. Mm,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

that's real because I feel like when I'm not looking, I've always, Had someone find me like, so

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

mm-hmm

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

you're onto something there. I don't know if it's the law of attraction working at inverse. I don't know. I think it's like desperate energy. Like nobody wants desperate

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

Right,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

ready, you're

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

right.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

you know? so thank you for sharing all of that. And I feel like 2025 is going to be your year. As well as mine. And for those folks who are listening at home, rid of alcohol. If you're not sober is a great way to kickstart new beginnings, right? Your life is optimized when you remove alcohol. So I would love to hear from you, Tiana. When's your birthday? Actually,

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

My birthday is June 9th. It's

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

is that cancer?

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

the Gemini.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

Gemini. Gemini.

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

Yeah. So,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

spot on. I'm like close. Okay. Neighbor sign. So you're a summer baby. And I, I bring that up because I want to know what happened. talk to us about birthday.

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

mm-hmm

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

or three?

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

So 2020. So yes.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

point.

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

Yeah. Turning point. I think I, I was turning 29. Yeah, I was turning 29. Yes. 2023. 2029. And before that birthday, I stopped drinking for eight months.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

Okay.

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

I wanted to go to Costa Rica and have a ball with my friends. I had a girls trip with 80 other women, which was beautiful.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

zero.

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

8 0.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

That's not a girl's trip. That's like a, I don't even know

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

I don't know, I, when I talk to people they're like, what? We had pictures of 80 of us on that trip. Beautiful woman. 8 0. Yes. Beautiful woman of all walks of life. It was like from like a travel agency. We all went to Costa Rica and I connected with, I still talk to some of these women.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

Wow.

tiana-heath-_2_01-22-2025_180649:

I, oh yes. It was, it was amazing. I went with like five or six of my other friends, and then we met seven something woman. The trip was called Face Your Fears. So we did like zip lining, never again. We did like. Cool, like horseback riding clay like we and the ranges was from early 20s to like 70s So it was a beautiful range of people like living their lives, but I wanted to drink on that trip I broke my sobriety for the trip and then I was like, you know after that i'm never drinking again Like I was like i'm not the trip. I did good though. I was only like drunk like one day, but I wasn't I wasn't, like, belligerent, like, I remembered my entire trip, like, it was beautiful, like, I didn't have any blackout moments and then on my 29th birthday, all my friends went out, we got seafood, and I was drinking, like, it was not tomorrow, like, I haven't been this drunk in a long time, and I'm like, this is the day I quit, So my birthday, yeah, I stopped drinking and June 10th of 2023, because I was drinking it like that that whole night. So June 10th was like the day, like, I literally was like clocked in not drinking and I haven't had a sip of any alcohol since since then. And it's been amazing because, you know, I go into my 30s sober. You know, I'm in the space in the media space where everybody, you know, hands you alcohol or you're invited to these alcoholic parties when you're celebrating stuff. And I'm like, I don't drink. They're like, oh, well, and now since it's been almost two years, people know like, oh, Tiana does not drink. Like, I'm like, wow. Like that's, that's become like a thing, but yeah. And I've had the best time of my life in my, my 30th birthday. I didn't drink. I had my little Shirley Temple girl and it was amazing. You go to sleep and you wake up and you're good.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_180649:

You're good. Yeah, that feeling is I, I don't think people understand truly if you haven't experienced that. Like, first of all, when you celebrate something like a milestone, like a birthday, a big birthday, like three, zero. then you can wake up the next day with zero regrets, zero hangover, zero anxiety. That feeling is beautiful. And I feel like it sets the, you know, the precedent for what your thirties or what that year can look like. So I, I'm so. For that. I want to touch on really quickly. Because you mentioned before that Costa Rica trip, you eight months of sobriety under your belt. So can you kind of walk us through what prompted you to get sober prior to that Costa Rica trip?

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

When I was sober for the eight months prior to me just doing cold turkey, I lost my mother in January 2022.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

I'm so sorry.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

thank you so much. So, when I lost my mom, I was like, what are ways that I can just, like, that go to acohol? Because I didn't want to do that because I heard that like you're grieving, you drink alcohol, decision you make, you're fleeting, you just become somebody like, no, I was like, nope, I don't want to be like that. So my mom passed, I think a little bit. And then I just like, I don't want to drink anymore. I was like, it just, you know, I'm putting myself in situations I don't want to be in and I'm grieving and. I didn't feel my feelings. And when I did that, I felt so much healthier and so much better. When I was like, no, I gotta be sober for this. Like, I don't want to choose drinking to, to cope To cope with the loss. Like that, like that's your mom, know? Like that's, that's somebody. So I was like, nope. And then the eight months was great because I felt like when I was I would get mad at people like, you didn't reach out to me because my mom died. Like I got like that. And I was like, this is, this is not good. Like this, this, this is something that I got to like, chill out on. just, there's so many benefits of just not drinking.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Yeah.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

of drinking.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Yeah.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

Once I realized that I got that in my head, I was like, yeah, I was. with it a little bit better. It was just so much better because it's grief and alcohol people that's what people turn to they turn to you know, alcohol, sex, gambling just

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Many places.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

crises. Yeah, so many things you know, grief attaches itself to but I wanted to not drink and it just helped me tremendously.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Wow. That's beautiful. I really am sorry to hear about your mom, Tiana. And I actually saw that you posted on your story on Instagram today about her anniversary, her death anniversary coming up. So I know that that must be really difficult and really tough for you. It's, Interesting because I lost a parent. I lost my father and it was around the beginning of the year too. It was three days into 2011. And unlike you, I didn't have the maturity or the foresight to not mix. My grief with alcohol. And so I, I did everything that you're not supposed to do, or I highly don't recommend doing, which is numbing. I would numb myself to the point where I started lashing out. Like you mentioned, it was the first time in my life because I was a chronic binge drinker prior to that moment, but it was the first time that I learned to use alcohol in a way that was self destructive. It was the first time that I. Became a drinker that wasn't fun because before it was all fun and games. I was in college life of the party You know, this is haha. We have stories for days kiki ended up but This was like where my life really did turn for the worst That was probably one of my I would say my first rock bottom i've had more than one But there were just so many moments packed into that time where truly I sometimes reflect back and I'm like, I don't even know how I got through that, but I know it wasn't because of alcohol. Like alcohol really did almost take me out a number of times. And the thing about grief is it comes in waves, as you probably can resonate with, for me, it's been, you know, over 10 years and sometimes I'll just be sitting there and it will hit me and I'll be like, oh, I miss my dad. Oh, this is a lot. And I'm so grateful that I am not leaning on alcohol anymore as a crutch because that's the thing, people think that my masking, I was just like, okay. I don't want to feel this, like, who wants to feel like this? I'm just going to drink and numb out, but you're not really numbing out. Like, that's the thing, like that grief still lives inside of you. And it's going to come out one way or another. So I just want to say, once again, I'm sorry to hear about your mom, but like, truly you made the best decision ever.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

You.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

because.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

I'm sorry to hear about your dad too. Even though like people be like, Oh, it's been 10, 10 years. It still sticks. It's still there.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

It's yeah, it's challenging to navigate.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

She would have passed. be three years, January 24th 2025. It'll be three years. So if I stopped drinking for almost two years and I had eight months prior to that, so I didn't drink that much since she's been gone. I could only a few times on my hand I can count. I've been sober most of the time that she wasn't here.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

That's really beautiful. And I'm sure your mom was proud of you.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

Yes, me too. It was so you know, it's insane too when I first went sober my 100th day Being sober when I when I first went sober in 2022 My 100th day was her one year anniversary.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Wow. Look at that.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

I was like, I

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

synchronicity

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

is so crazy. Yeah

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

amazing.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

I don't feel like I had hard moments only because I stopped drinking eight months prior.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Okay. So you, you had skin in the game and that's what I wanted to kind of touch on because now that we are in a position to offer quote advice, but I feel like when you've lived through it, like you are a living testament to your story and the power that we can sometimes possess within ourselves. How did you stay sober when you were at your lowest? I'm reflecting too, cause I can't even remember cause I was not sober during that time when I lost my dad. So I'm like really curious to learn from you. Like, what did you do to stay sober?

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

I think about that often because I lost my mother, then I became so sober for those few months, and then I lost my job, like, I was out of a job for seven years. off I said It was

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Mm hmm.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

lose my mom and my job in the same year You could never tell me that 2022 was gonna go this way, but I just thought I thought about my future self I'm, like no like how how is this going to affect future me? every single day of not drinking matters.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Mm hmm.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

But you feel all everything You're not like having the best time doing a cartwheel at like a bar, like you're feeling everything. So you're just you're crying, you're upset, you're questioning things, like in your normal state of of mind. Like I'm not medicated or anything like that. Like I'm fully sober.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Mm hmm.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

so there's no medication that I take for, for anything. and I don't smoke weed or anything like that. But when I first lost my mom, I would say I was doing edibles. I was like, I gotta

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

It's self medicating, basically.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

yeah, cuz that's, that was, I was doing, that was edibles and a little bit of drinking because I felt like I couldn't sleep at night. I felt like if I close my eyes, I'm gonna see her.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

I couldn't sleep.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

sleep. Yeah,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

hmm.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

like, I gotta go to sleep. So that and then when you're complete, I'm completely 100 percent sober you just literally feel everything and you process it a different

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Every day.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

yeah, every, every single day. So

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Yeah.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

days leading up to the three anniversary and I'm just like, it's okay to step back or something. Like I was in the gym today. I was like, okay, I think I'm done. I'm not pushing myself to like, get ahead of it. Like, I feel sad in this moment. I met this lady in the sauna and they were talking about losing our parents. I'm like, wow.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Mm

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

it was

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

hmm.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

one of, you know, so I took a step back just thought about like my body, myself. I'm like, okay, you don't want to push yourself too hard. just, you know, stay in gratitude. And and that's like how I've been doing it ever, ever since.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

That's beautiful.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

it's, it's, it's amazing because I'm like, oh, I was like, oh, this is her job, and she does this, and, and it was, it was all, it was a lot though.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Shared so many gems and it sounds to me like a culmination. I loved when you said

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

been

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

about future self, like you thought about future Tiana and it's funny you should say that because I'm a journal girl. I love to journal and even when I was in the throes of my addiction when I was really suffering and it's funny because I'm really going back now that we're talking about those dark, dark ages. I'll call them. losing a parent. I was still journaling. And I have a journal. It's kind of dark, but I was, I was using it as a way to release feelings. I would also journal drunk, which I don't recommend, but it was very cathartic for me to put it down on paper. But it's funny you say the future self thing, because I've been recently hearing a lot think about your future self, like best case scenario. If you're at a low point like that, first of all, when you're low, low, there's really one way to go and it's up. So, like, that's nice to think about, but reframing a situation and thinking what's the best case scenario? How can my life change for the better? And don't limit yourself. you have potential. These are your dreams. Even if you're like, this could never happen. Well, just put it on paper because you don't know and that works with whether you believe in affirmations, manifestations, universe, God, your higher being, like, I think all of that works in conjunction when you tap into your inner power and actually work with it. Write down what it is that you see for yourself or start believing it so that you can start to believe it, I should say. So I don't know if you journal, but like, that's something I do.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

I probably never said this publicly, but I've been journaling since 1999.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Wow.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

I have a journal from it was from 1st to 5th grade, 6th to 8th, my 9th grade journal, my high school journal, college journal, and adult journal.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

I also have middle school journals. I don't have elementary school, but I have a journal. My first journal I still have is from seventh grade and it,

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

hmm.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Just takes you back. It's like it teleports you to that time. And I'm like, Whoa, I used to put trinkets in there, like notes that my friends would pass me. And it's just so funny

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

good.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Well, it's like ridiculous. It's all like middle school drama, but there's nothing more powerful, I think, that transports you to a place than reading something that you cared about. Because it's all about framing, it's storytelling. So it's like, what did, what, what persona was I trying to portray at this time? Or like, what did I care about? Like, it's just really amazing.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

To see where I went from, is my, like, my writing. Like, I would, like, I would, like, write in my journal, which I'm gonna do a nice post about. I love him. My favorite artist is Bobby V, Bobby Valentino.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Bobby Valentino, yes! Of

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

yeah. Okay, that's my

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

course I know who Bobby V is.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

And

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

high key, I'm like, okay, what songs does Bobby sing? I can't think of right now.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

Slow Down is a big one. Mrs. Officer is another big

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Okay.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

you know, yeah.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Wait, that's, no, that's Lil Wayne. Oh, that he's singing?

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

featuring Bobby V.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

Oh. Sorry. Okay, okay. Okay, that one, yeah, yeah, yeah.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

him. So where I was at, like my journal from like 2005, six, like how, like, I was like, I love him. I hope I meet him one day to like, it actually happening just, okay.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

That's

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

cause

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

good.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

I'm like his biggest fan of like all the time. Like nobody, nobody can like

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_182416:

I'm not gonna lie, I was not expecting you to say Bobby V. And Bobby, if you're listening to this, no offense. Like, you are an amazing artist. But like, that is not what I thought you were about to say.

tiana-heath-_3_01-22-2025_182416:

love him so, I love him so much.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

I've been an obsessive fan forever, like forever, so just to see like how I met him and I wrote that in the journal, or I wrote, like, I want to be a talk show host. I want to be in media and stuff like that. All that like, you know, manifest and even a lot of people do also ask me people, you know, Nadine, people will study you and you wouldn't even know it sometimes.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Mm hmm.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

and I, I'm like, dang, like, all this stuff I put down, like, people know people have noticed that like, like, okay, Tiana stopped drinking. She lost her mother, but I know we didn't bring this up yet, but she has. A missing person show where she has to deal with empathetic people. How the heck do you do that Tiana? I'm, like I didn't think of that because I got to deal with you know I have the missing person show missing on long island and I gotta Like be like there's parents Family members crying on set and i'm the only one interviewing them I have my water on my side And I take that in and I have to tell the story. It's super super sad to, you know, be doing that to, to relate. Yeah, so when I was editing we're sober, we're chillin and stuff like that. Cause when people, mmm, people be drunk editing something like that. Cause it's, it's, it's a lot. It's heavy.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

you just said that you're an empathetic person. And the thing is like, As a host, you have to have a level of decorum or professionalism. So like your heart is bleeding for these people. I can imagine. But at the same time, it's like, I gotta hold it together. I can't be crying alongside with you. I have to, you know, Get this word out, the story out.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Yeah, and we do,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

up.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

we do a really, you know, really good job portraying the stories. Even doing Beyond the Bottle featuring you Sarah and Johnny. You guys have real stories. Like, I feel like I'm creating a modern channel unlike what MTV was. Like, I want real stories, real people, I'm creating a network like that, because it's so important to have these authentic stories, nothing fabricated, nothing scripted, to be told just on camera. And,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

love that.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

I love portraying that. You guys are real people, you guys really went through real life stuff. And I feel like I've been doing that my whole life. The last 13 years, I've been giving a platform for real people and real stories.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Can I ask, how did you get into missing on Long Island? Are these cold cases? Are these closed cases? Because you're from Long Island? are you connected with people or you hear something in the media and you're like, I'm going to follow this, like, how does that work? Or how did you get into this work?

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

I woke up one day in 2019. I was like, I want to have a missing person show. Cause I love crime. I watched a show called disappeared. One of my favorite shows of investigation discovery, but I realized nobody has a missing person show in Long Island where I'm from. I'm 25 years old. And I was like, no, like let's do this. Like, I, I want to come up with the show. I just put it on Facebook. I reached out to like long Island missing. There's like a pages for that. Those maybe in those Facebook pages are great. If they would have like, they probably have like women in their thirties, like that don't drink. Like they have Facebook pages just for that. But I, I connected with them and I'll be coming up with the show. I wrote to my college and they posted it that I was looking for people and people have called me and we did our first show and I didn't think it would be as big as it was. The first show hit a quarter of a million views on YouTube and we're like no ads. It became a global conversation of Sophia McKenna and that was at Rolling Stone. I was on Newsday, News 12. Today just reminded me, today's January 22nd that we're recording this. Three years ago today my mom watched me on News 12. I was on News 12, and that was one of our like, last, last moments. It was, it was, I'm like, Mom, I'm gonna be on TV, I'm gonna be on TV again! She stayed up, my dad fell asleep. I used to be like, dad, why'd you fall asleep? But she she stayed up and she she watched it with me. I would I just realized it was today three years ago and I just have an article now with daily voice msn. com. They just did a piece on me about doing the show and i'm an independent creator because people are like It don't come out that often independent creator funded by tiana heath like, you know, like help like wait a minute, you know, but It's It's been a great show. I want to continue the show and want to continue with just making some more crime shows Crime is like the number three genre of like all time. Of course it's like all platforms.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

I grew up watching forensic files, very

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Oh,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

I used to want to be a forensic pathologist or a forensic entomologist. Don't

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

ooooh, mhmm.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

so fascinating that this cockroach was found at the crime scene and they can take it to the lab and figure out who he'll kill this person.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Oh, I love stuff like, mhmm, mhmm, yeah,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

to hear. And I also just want to say that there's something so touching that one of your last moments that you had earth with your mom when she got to see you shine like she got to see you in your element. And so I hope that gives you a little sense of of comfort. I know that still impossibly hard to. Process and deal with, but that is beautiful to know that your mom got to see you in that position

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

yes,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

in front of the camera where you belong,

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

mhmm,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

you love

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

yeah.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

really important stories,

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

That's one thing I do love. She came to like my photo shoot. She came, she, you know, she knew. And I told I was like something happens to you make sure I get over a corporate make sure I do this Make sure I do that and stuff like that but it was it's just so good that I it lived up to like my mom at least seen You know a little bit of my success because now we had glimmer of it

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

knows, I don't know what you believe in, but I think your mom, she, she knows, she sees how well you're doing Tiana.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Thank you, yes, yeah, of course Yeah, no, of course. I feel the same way. I'll be at the cemetery like mom We updated her with my life, everything that's going on and it just feels, it's good to keep our parents name alive and talk about them and stuff like that. It's, and it's healthy to do that.

And now a quick word from our partners.

the-sober-butterfly_25_12-24-2024_142305:

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squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Because of your show, a case, an open case, been solved or gotten leads that have led to something else?

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Yes, so even piggyback off the, the question you had before, so families would reach out to me because I'd come up with the, hey, we're other promising people. We've and then also I post when I'm missing person is missing on Long Island in this active those active cases. We have found people. Because of our post that, like, we sit around the missing on Long Island, Instagram, somebody has somebody helped hostage. They reach out to me. I reach out to their family. Yeah. So we help with that. Also, the, the three episodes that I have, they were never found the fourth episode. The boy was found deceased as a, but he was missing for months and we were already working on the case. But I had the mom on the show and he was, it was just like a finding for justice type of ideal that we were doing, but we, you know, I get the updates of who's missing on Long Island. I'm on that press list. So I'm, I'm informed directly from the police department in my town on who went missing. So when we're updated just with like the, the bigger publications, so we can tell people that, you know, who's missing. And sometimes they're, they're found right away. Cause we get like thousands of shares. We post, it'd be shared thousands, 2000 times. The importance of social media in this digital age, when it comes out to missing people or murders or robberies, is very, very important than it was years ago when we had unsolved mysteries in America's Most Wanted. Now we have cell phones to trace a lot of things and we have, you know, Ubers, Lyfts, people going in those when they go missing, and ring cameras. We didn't have that 30 years ago. So it's a little bit different, and that's why I wanted to work my show around, like, the digital age. and help people's families at least gain closure and to try to find justice. It's a, put it on a bigger platform. These news channels give them one minute. I give them a full 20, 30 minute episode sometimes about what happened and it raises questions. And, and I'm like, Oh, I can't believe I did that. And we're going to keep, I want to keep going till it's like somewhere, like, you know,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

it's going somewhere and you're already making such a difference

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

thank you.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

people's lives. I, I'm so impressed and

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

you.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

by the work that you do. I wanted to learn from you since you've had the show from before times. And when I say before times, I'm talking like before sobriety to. active sobriety. So have you noticed a shift or any changes in your creative process? Do you think the show has changed at all or do you feel like you're better? I'm just curious because I know that so often creatives like yourself, can lean on substances to tap into, and I'm air quoting, tap into some kind of creative outlet or inlet, I should say, inlet, do you find that your, your work has changed or has grown or suffered even since getting sober?

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

I probably have the same work ethic. Like, from then, I probably did more work then. Honestly, you really think about it. I had more resources then, you know, I was impacted by layoffs in the past two years. It's been hard to even secure a full time job. Nowadays, but I feel like now I'm so I'm, I'm really much more creative. I have a lot of creative ideas that I want to come out with. It's just that I need the funds to, to get it, to get it going. I'm very excited to see the sober me with the money, like the more, more money than what, you know, than I, what I have, and, To pour into my creative ideas. That might be a, y'all would, y'all would tell y'all, y'all, y'all would tell, you know, but, but, but what, with what I have now, I've created, you know, episodes of missing on Long Island. Many episodes beyond the Bottle and stuff like that. So that's, I would've had more episodes. But I think funding, when it comes down to reality shows with. Normal people that I'm not doing this for clout, it's a little bit more different. So I don't ask for funding from the outside. I like working hard and putting that same money into, into my shows

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

entertainment is one thing not to say your show is not

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Mm-hmm

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

like I'm sure it's engaging and keeps people tuned in. But what you're doing, I think, is so much more profound than just For likes and shares,

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Right?

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

you're truly connected to a mission and going back to journaling. I hate to bring up the journal

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Oh, I love it.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

life that you've manifested for yourself and you've created for

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Mm-hmm

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

I need you, if you haven't already done so we're going to put the funds, put the number

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Yeah. Mm-hmm

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Seriously.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Mm-hmm Yeah, definitely. Because I feel like once that's secure. The limit, it's, it's up there,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

I mean, look at how much you're doing in this position.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Thank you.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

sky skies really are the limit

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

hmm.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

or limitless for you. So I, I genuinely great things coming for you. And who knows, like someone listening to this podcast or someone listening to your show, like

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Mm hmm. Mm hmm.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

about what you want to do. Need. I think that's something I'm working on is like collaboration and asking for help when I need it. That's not easy for me to do because I'm like, I can do it on myself. But yes, I can, but it's just going to take me so much longer.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

want that? Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Mm

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

harder on myself? I don't know if you resonate with that,

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

hmm.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

spirit of collaboration, spirit of asking, spirit of just being open and receptive to the universe, giving you what you need so that your gifts can really shine

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Right.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

what I'm about. And I think you're, I see that in your eyes too. I see that for you.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Thank you. Thank you. I really appreciate that, Nadine. That's so, your words are so sweet. Stop. Stop.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

I mean

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Thank you.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

see that. See great things and I'm going to plug all your beautiful projects in the show notes and as we wind down. I'm curious to learn from you just in terms of steps for 2025 I know you've mentioned you have two amazing shows. there anything else that you're looking to build or grow into this next season of life?

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Definitely health, health as well. I definitely want to be healthy in all, all means. Mentally, physically, spiritually. Create more projects be at more, more places. Like, you know, more speaking events and stuff like that. I think this is the year where I really want more people to know who. Tiana Heath is. There's Miss T Talk, but there's Tiana Heath as well. I think there's two separate people because it's gonna,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

and you girl.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

mm hmm. No, you're right! She's a super celebrity!

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

a duality that coexists in all of us,

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

you're right.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

there's Nadine and then there's the sober butterfly. Like, these two people are very much, they work together in tandem, but like,

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Mm hmm.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

And that's what it is when you're a media person. Like, you're,

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Mm hmm.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

you go to these events. And I want to echo something. So, What you guys don't know at home is Tiana is so gracious because we shot an episode that like, will never come to life because of technology. However, you mentioned something that I just have to, I have to bring up cause I remember it from the first time we spoke, were saying like, when you go to these like industry parties, cause you get invited to these events. the classier establishments. Do you know where I'm going with this? Do you

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Yes, I know exactly where you're going with this.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

you tell that

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

So, the more high end, like, like an Instagram meta event, They are selling mocktails. They are getting with the program. and I love it. I absolutely love it. And it's beautiful. There's a lot of mocktail bars in New York City now. Alcohol is coming out. You know, it's linked to we mentioned before in our previous episode that is linked to seven different cancers and stuff like that. Millennials and Gen Z is finding out. And we're going to more mocktail ish beverages. A lot of menus. You see, now when you go to your favorite restaurant, you go to your Applebee's, Friday's, all your restaurants, the chain restaurants, they have a mocktail menu. Oh

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

like, don't they want these sober coins? But the, what I was gonna say is you, I don't know if you're being like nice about it, but I thought it was so funny'cause you were like, yeah, so like these high-end events, they're inclusive, they have mocktails on the menu, but you know, the events with less funding, essentially

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

yeah,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

it's

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

there's, there's, there's so much things. There's so much. So, we have to. Mm hmm.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

let the people know, like, we want to give elegance. We want to give class and in order to do that, we have to have options. Okay. Like you can't just have a bottle of alcohol and think that's going to do it for everyone. Like, that's not, that's not classy.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Mm mm

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

I just thought it was so funny because I was like, yeah, you're right. Like classy, classy events should have mocktails

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

They should. Yes. Oh, I love it. I feel like I'm a queen when I walk in. I'm like, I'm that girl. I love it. Mm-hmm

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

they connotate Tiana with sobriety. So it's like, yeah, get my drink ready.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

That's it. That's it.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

what's there for me. Isn't that so funny? I was about to say, if there are no options, like I'm not coming, right.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Right.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

It's funny because I used to be the girl that was like, Oh, there's no open bar at this wedding or at this event. Count me out.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Weddings.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

there.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Oh, yeah. Weddings. Mm-hmm

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

moment. Like, who am

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Mm-hmm

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Anyway, I so appreciate having you on the show today, Tiana, you

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

you.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

a light. I cannot wait to see all of your projects come to life. Well, they're already, you know, alive, but like, I can't wait to see next era, next iteration, just the next big thing coming your way because you are such a creative force and I can't wait for the world to get a taste of Tiana Heath because you are incredible.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

I appreciate it so much. Nadine. I really appreciate us doing this.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Again, I

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

it's, it is two different episodes to two different thing. I love that. You know it's because of who we are and all the things that we have to talk about and stuff like that. So I really appreciate you having me on again. I will keep coming on and on and on. So, yeah,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

I heard it. Tiana said she'll come back also beyond the bottle was one of my favorite experiences of 24, four, like just

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

you.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

into the studio and sitting down, you made me feel so comfortable and I love the way you edit it. And do you edit all of your videos?

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

I have somebody edit it for me. Yeah,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

saw it, I was like, it is cut so beautifully and you steer the conversation so perfectly.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

thank

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

a

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

you,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

to you as a host and a producer. So thank you for having me.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

thank you.

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

ever want to do a part two beyond the bottle,

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

Girl, I would call,

squadcaster-0ggc_4_01-22-2025_183930:

I have stories.

tiana-heath-_4_01-22-2025_183930:

I would, I would call, I have your email, I have your number, I have it all. I have your Instagrams, I have it all. I know where to contact my girl, so I got you. So, thank you.

the-sober-butterfly_15_01-15-2025_061352:

​And there you have it. That's a wrap. if you have a quick sec, leave a review. It takes less than a minute, I promise. Your feedback is appreciated. It means so much to me, and just helps so many More butterflies find their wings to fly. All right. I love you guys. Thank you for being here every friday I will see you next time until then stay strong stay beautiful and stay alcohol free Bye for now butterflies