Episode 1: So…Who The Hell is Vernon
January 23, 2026
Welcome to the very first episode of Dear Vernon!
We know. You probably have questions. Like… who is Vernon? And why are people writing letters to him? And how did this turn into a podcast?
In this episode, Laura McKowen, our founder, and Eric Johnson, our CEO, sit down to talk through the why behind Dear Vernon—where the idea came from, what it’s meant to be (and what it’s not), and why creating a space for honest questions about sobriety felt necessary.
This isn’t a show about having all the answers, but about making room for the questions.
You’ll hear us talk about:
Why sobriety isn’t a straight line—and never has been
Who Vernon is and why we love him
Why advice isn’t always the point (and listening usually is)
How community, curiosity, and honesty have shaped our own recovery
What you can expect from future episodes
Thanks for being here. Let’s see where this goes!
🎧 Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotifyor your favorite podcast player.
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The Sober 90- foundational work to get you through the early days
The Sober Steady- for those with some sober time who need more resilience and tools
The Sober Life- focused on the deeper work of emotional sobriety
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