Verdict on Vegas Sober pt2. : Sober at CES

I've wanted to go to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) since I was a kid and my dad brought home booth swag. With a career in tech, I've been to Vegas a countless number of times... days of pounding pavement, meetings from 8am - 8pm, late dinners, clubbing, gambling... but this event was different. CES was my 2nd sober business trip to Vegas and 3rd time in Sin City since I stopped drinking alcohol in 2021. The mornings were still early and the days were still long, which left me wondering how the f*%k did I survive these things back when I was drunk or hungover? This was the best experience I've had at a conference in my career and I attribute that to two things:

1. I was sober.
2. Inclusive spaces created by women for everyone.

In my life, the pressure and expectation to drink in professional settings has always been far greater than in my personal life. Binge drinking is completely ingrained into tech culture, just like it was a part of my undergrad experience in Greek Life at an SEC school. My last drink was in June 2021 at a work function in Southern California. Brené Brown describes early sobriety fantastically: "I’m a turtle without a shell in a briar patch. Everything in the briar patch is poking me and jabbing me. It hurts." Your mind screams "EVERYONE IS WATCHING ME AND EVERYONE KNOWS I'M NOT DRINKING BOOZE!"... I'm hear to tell you, everyone is thinking of themselves and not about you. People are typically judging the drunkest person in the room, not the most composed. The casino bars had watermelon juice, restaurant menus had 0% non-alcoholic beers and mocktails. I was still ordering drinks... albeit non-alcoholic drinks.

I'm a millennial woman. Genders and generations have different relationships with alcohol. My cohort and Gen Z below us are moving away from imbibing alcohol and towards choices that support optimal health and longevity. I was THRILLED when I found myself in a room featuring green juice, matcha and greek yogurt parfaits - enter The Equality Lounge by Female Quotient. The Female Quotient states on their website, "We raise the visibility of women to?advance equality—for good." I've been a huge fan of FQ on social media for ages, and this was my first time experiencing one of their carefully curated, bespoke co-branded B2B events. My employer, AWS, was one of the tech companies sponsoring. I walked into the Aria Sky suite on the 58th floor and took in the space - sweeping views of Vegas, flower arrangements, specialty latte bar, photo booth, headshots with personal stylists, hard hitting executive panels being livestreamed... AND THE FASHION. Tech shows are never associated with fashion or beauty in my mind. But this space embraced and excited ME. Usually I'm standing out if I express my femininity at work, or I shrink to fit in downplaying my style. I do love to wear colors and heels and lipstick... always have always will. Having access to a lounge where I'm in the gender majority meant something to me. I spent hours there networking, listening to panelists, participating in all there was to experience. AWS hosted the evening happy hour and not one person noticed, asked or cared if I was drinking alcohol. Everyone was having a lovely time.

I felt really really safe in the space The Female Quotient created. Las Vegas is not a place in this world someone of my small size and stature feels safe or secure. I'm still so grateful that someone thought of me, and other women like me, and gave us a place to feel confident, comfortable and connect with other powerhouses across industries.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I've been much more conscious of what I put inside my body - food or alcohol. "Will ingesting this make my immune system stronger?" "Will imbibing this affect my ability to sleep?". If something doesn't support me being 100% on top of my game - it's not serving me and I'm not doin' it. I'm not my best when I'm drinking.

Sobriety is a superpower. Full stop. All week I looked my best, felt my best and performed my best. That is SO much more rewarding than a glass of wine at the end of the day.