Madi Margao shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Madi, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day are sacred. They set the tone for how I show up in every space — as a woman, a creative, and a leader. I like to think of it as my daily alignment appointment with God and myself.
Most mornings begin long before the sun rises, during what I call “the bewitching hour.” It’s the quiet, in-between space where my spirit feels closest to God — when I can actually hear the downloads, the guidance, the reminders that shape my path. I talk to Him, not in prayer formality, but in conversation — like a daughter receiving direction from her Father.
After that, I ground. No phone. No noise. Just me, my breath, and gratitude. I move through a rotation of mindfulness rituals — sometimes stretching, sometimes journaling, sometimes sitting in stillness with my hands pressed to my heart. Fitness and movement follow, because the way I care for my body is the way I say thank you for being alive.
Then comes hydration — water first, always — and meal prep for the day. Nutrition is a form of self-respect for me. I fuel my body the same way I fuel my purpose: intentionally.
Before I officially log into meetings or begin working with clients, I spend a few minutes reviewing my planner, writing my top three priorities, and anchoring myself in my Sober + Chic mantra:
“Reframe. Restructure. Redirect.”
Those 90 minutes are non-negotiable. They’re my way of remembering that before I pour into anyone else, I have to be full myself.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Introducing Madiana “Madi” Margao — Founder of Sober + Chic & Red Sprinkle
I’m Madiana Margao, but most people call me Madi — the creative force and heart behind Sober + Chic, a lifestyle brand and recovery movement that redefines what it means to live free, feminine, and full of purpose. I’m also the founder of Red Sprinkle, a creative agency and youth empowerment company that’s shaped fashion-based entrepreneurship programs across Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia for more than a decade.
My work sits at the intersection of healing, creativity, and luxury. Sober + Chic was born from my own journey of recovery — the quiet, sacred rebuilding that happens after everything familiar falls apart. What began as my personal healing process has evolved into a global framework that I now call “The 3-Step Process”:Reframe, Restructure, Redirect.
It’s a spiritual blueprint for transformation — one that empowers women to rewrite their narratives, rebuild their wellness from the inside out, and redirect their gifts toward purpose.
What makes my work special is the energy behind it. Sober + Chic is more than an organization — it’s an atmosphere. Every event, every conversation, every curated mocktail or mindfulness experience is designed to remind women that recovery is not the absence of pleasure, it’s the discovery of it.
Right now, I’m preparing for our 2026 relaunch, which includes a full brand expansion — from luxury wellness products and immersive “Sober Soirées,” to global collaborations that merge elegance, culture, and consciousness. My goal is to make sobriety aspirational again. Because healing should feel beautiful.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The relationships that most shaped how I see myself aren’t romantic or familial — they’re rooted in sisterhood. I have two best friends who have been mirrors, anchors, and divine catalysts in my life. Each of them saw me clearly at a time when I couldn’t even recognize myself, and instead of walking away, they held up that mirror with love and honesty.
One of them, with her fearless truth-telling and creative brilliance, gave me the wake-up call that changed everything. It wasn’t easy to hear, but it was sacred — a moment of radical honesty that forced me to confront my shadows, face my truth, and finally choose myself. That conversation became the turning point in my healing, and later, the foundation for Sober + Chic. She didn’t just encourage my transformation; she helped build it — designing and shaping the digital and experiential spaces where my story now lives.
The other has been my quiet builder, my consistent cheerleader — the kind of friend whose compassion reminds me that strength and softness can coexist. Her thoughtfulness, her faith in me, and her ability to see the best in me even when I couldn’t have taught me what unconditional love truly looks like. From helping refine my ideas and courses to gifting me everything I needed for my first office — all gilded in gold — she embodies the energy I now bring into every client interaction and event: thoughtful, gracious, and full of heart.
Together, they’ve shown me what real friendship looks like — one grounded in truth, trust, and divine timing. Through their eyes, I’ve learned to see myself not as broken, but as becoming.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
The moment I stopped hiding my pain was the moment I decided to tell the truth — not the filtered, polished version, but the real one.
For years, my life looked impeccable from the outside, but inside I was quietly unraveling. Addiction thrives in secrecy, and mine was no different. I carried guilt like a second skin, terrified that if people saw the truth, they’d see someone unworthy of grace.
But I reached a point where the silence became heavier than the shame. So I spoke. I released my story publicly — the messy, human, unfiltered version — and for the first time, I showed what healing really looks like. I posted photos of myself after detox. I shared my daily commitment to sobriety, the rituals that anchor me, and my relationship with God that guides every step. That honesty changed everything.
My story became my strength. Those posts led to my first speaking engagements, which led to a six-figure investment into Sober + Chic. What began as an act of survival became a movement that has now reached over 600 women and children in the D.C. area — teaching them that recovery can be both sacred and chic.
I stopped hiding my pain the moment I realized it wasn’t a weakness; it was a witness. Every scar became an invitation for someone else to heal. And that’s the true power — not in perfection, but in presence.
“My pain didn’t end my story — it became the reason someone else believed they could start theirs.”
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
My core belief — the one that fuels everything I do — is that no one is above redemption.
For a long time, I was written off. A “lost cause.” A woman people assumed would never change. But God had other plans. My redemption arc is proof that healing is always possible when willingness meets grace. Recovery isn’t just about stopping a behavior; it’s about remembering who you are underneath the pain.
That’s why Sober + Chic exists — to show people that redemption isn’t just real, it’s reachable. Through our workshops, events, and holistic recovery framework, we guide individuals through what I call the development of “divine capital” — the emotional, spiritual, social, and practical resources that sustain long-term sobriety. We go beyond treatment to transformation.
We meet people where they are, hold space for their stories, and stay with them through the process. I’ve sat with women who thought no one cared, who asked me why I kept showing up. My answer is always the same: because you deserve it.
At Sober + Chic, we don’t just help people recover — we help them remember. Remember that they are worthy. That they can rebuild. That redemption is not for the chosen few, but for anyone brave enough to believe that healing belongs to them.
“No one is above redemption — not even the version of yourself you’re still forgiving.”
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
There’s a Stoic phrase — memento mori — which translates to “remember that you must die.”
It’s not morbid. It’s a mirror.
We don’t know when our final day will come, and instead of seeing that as something grim, I see it as the most beautiful truth there is. It reminds me that every sunrise is a gift, every breath a blessing, every chance to build, love, and serve a divine responsibility.
That’s what drives me. It’s why I live with intention, why I pour into people until my tank runs dry — and then I find a way to fill it again through gratitude and purpose. It’s why I don’t waste time replaying the past or holding grudges. None of us know how long we have, so every interaction, every creation, every “I love you” and “I forgive you” matters.
Memento mori is not a call to fear death; it’s an invitation to truly live. To live as though every day is sacred — because it is.
That’s why I show up for my students, my team, and the women I serve who are fighting their own battles with addiction. I show up because they deserve it, and because I do too. Until my last breath, I’ll keep choosing purpose, choosing love, choosing life.
“Tomorrow isn’t promised. So today, I choose to live — fully, fiercely, and on purpose.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.soberandchic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/no_itsmadi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madimargao
Image Credits
@soberlynay
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
