Normalizing Sobriety in Corporate Life
Oracle Director Dana Piscopo joins Natasha Ozybko to discuss normalizing sobriety in corporate life, the "Reclaim Your Moxie" initiative, and building recovery-friendly workplaces.
In this twenty-second episode of Conversations with MOXY, host Natasha Ozybko talks with Dana Piscopo, Director of Sales Operations for Oracle Industries. This profound conversation explores Dana’s personal journey of sobriety and how she is leveraging her leadership position at a global corporation to normalize discussions around recovery, mental health, and workplace well-being.
A Journey of Recovery and Transformation
Dana Piscopo provides a candid look at her path to sobriety, challenging the traditional stereotypes of addiction.
Later-in-Life Sobriety Dana began drinking at age 40 and reached a "relative rock bottom" involving moral and physical spirals before choosing sobriety in August 2020.
The ROI of Sobriety Since choosing recovery nearly four years ago, Dana has experienced rapid professional growth, including two promotions within ten months.
Continuous Growth Dana became a certified recovery coach, turning her personal battle into professional expertise to help others navigate the complexities of addiction and its impact on the body and mind.
Institutionalizing Empathy at Oracle
Recognizing that substance use and mental health challenges do not get "left at the door" during the workday, Dana initiated several programs at Oracle (a company of 150,000+ employees) to support staff. Reclaim Your Moxie, an affinity group focused on mental health and well-being, features weekly safe-space sessions to discuss boundary setting and affirmations. Oracle Alliance for Recovery is private group specifically for substance use resources, preserving anonymity through anonymous workflows and providing a toolkit for employees and their families. And Dana is currently working on getting Oracle officially accredited through the Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative to further institutionalize support.
Normalizing the Conversation in Infrastructure
The conversation touches on the specific "double whammy" faced by women in male-populated industries like construction who struggle with substance use. Through destigmatizing, Dana advocates for taking away the shame shrouded in these issues so that people can move toward the help they need. While the industry is increasingly addressing suicide prevention and total human health, Dana emphasizes that senior leadership must move from "talking the talk" to "walking the walk" by protecting time for these support sessions. Additionally, Dana co-hosts the "For Sober Chicks" podcast (rebranded from "Four Sober Chicks") to provide a broader platform for women and men to share their sobriety insights.
Conclusion: Purpose Over Boredom
Dana concludes by reminding the MOXY community that the opposite of happiness is boredom—the act of staying busy with work that doesn't inspire you. She urges individuals to find their purpose and guiding light, noting that having a belief in one's mission is what allows them to manage the bad days. Her final advice to senior leaders is to embrace small, incremental changes—the "each one teach one" approach—to build a more empathetic and effective workforce.