Meet Cecily
Mother, author, founder, investor, and podcast host
Cecily Mak is co-founder of Wisdom Ventures, ClearLife Reset, and the visionary behind ClearLife.
A former lawyer and Silicon Valley executive turned author and investor, Cecily helps people create undimmed lives of presence and intention—free from the stigma of addiction and the patterns of avoidance that keep us from living fully.
What Is ClearLife?
ClearLife was born from Cecily’s personal choice to stop using alcohol—and later other “dimmers”—as a way to escape discomfort. What began as a 30-day experiment quickly revealed a life that felt clearer, richer, and more intentional without substances.
As she shared her journey, Cecily found she was not alone. Many people want to change their relationship with alcohol, pot, over-eating, over-working, or other habits that mute their presence, but they don’t resonate with traditional addiction language or the “Twelve Steps” model.
Through her newsletter, podcast, and online community, Cecily has connected with more than 130,000 people who are exploring what it means to live clear—choosing practices, habits, and priorities that support a life of presence, healthier relationships, and deeper alignment.
The Eight Awarenesses
For nearly a century, Alcoholics Anonymous and the Twelve Steps have been the dominant framework for changing one’s relationship with alcohol. While the program has transformed countless lives, it isn’t a fit for everyone. Many don’t identify as “alcoholic,” don’t resonate with the language of “powerlessness,” or aren’t inclined to hand their fate over to a higher power.
Cecily is one of them. When she stopped drinking in 2017, she found that existing frameworks didn’t match her experience—what she felt wasn’t surrender, but choice. She wanted an approach that emphasized self-awareness, autonomy, and healing.
So, standing at her kitchen counter one morning in 2018, she opened a Word document, copied The Twelve Steps, and began rewriting them to reflect her journey. Over time, through research, community conversations, and lived experience, she shaped them into something new: The Eight Awarenesses.
Unlike the Twelve Steps, The Eight Awarenesses are not about labels or powerlessness. They are about conscious choice, self-trust, and presence. They provide a framework for anyone seeking to shift their relationship with alcohol — or any dimming habit — without the need for diagnosis, rehab, or rigid identity.
Clarity.
My life is better clear.
Choice.
I choose what I consume.
Intuition.
My intuition defines my priorities and I pursue a life that reflects them.
Time.
Time is our most precious currency.
Healing.
I seek to understand my trauma, but do not make it my identity.
Service.
I seek ways to support others, especially in times of abundance.
Freedom.
Forgiveness and letting go are on the path to liberation.
Respect.
I don’t judge or impose my limitations on others.
ClearLife Reset
To make clarity more accessible, Cecily co-founded ClearLife Reset, a 30-day AM/PM supplement program designed to support the reduction or elimination of alcohol. The duo features key vitamins and minerals depleted by alcohol, supporting energy, sleep, and detoxification during transitional periods.
Built on the same principles as the Eight Awarenesses, ClearLife Reset gives people a tangible tool to reclaim clarity in their daily lives, complementing the mindset, presence, and self-awareness cultivated through the ClearLife movement.
A Movement of Choice, Not Stigma
ClearLife and The Eight Awarenesses meet people in the “vast middle” between casual use and addiction. They offer a way forward for those who want to drink less, stop altogether, or address other escapist patterns—without shame, stigma, or surrender.
The goal isn’t just abstinence. It’s to create a life so intentional and connected that there’s no need to dim it.
Recent Media
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Interview with Hamish McKenzie, Co-Founder of Substack
Cecily sits down with Hamish McKenzie—co-founder of Substack and author to explore building a new publishing model, the future of connecting with communities online, and how clarity and creative freedom shape the work of today’s creators.
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![The Other Way Podcast with Kasia Stiggelbout]()
The Other Way Podcast with Kasia Stiggelbout
Cecily joins Kasia to share her journey from a high-powered legal career to founding the ClearLife movement. They dive into releasing numbing habits, tuning into intuition, and how life’s hardest moments can point us toward our purpose.
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Journey to the Sunnyside — Living Without “Dimmers”
Cecily shares her path to creating the ClearLife Movement, her perspective on alcohol as habit vs. addiction, and how she’s reshaping traditional models of sobriety.
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“Trusting Curiosity” — Tracy Anderson Magazine
In this reflective essay, Cecily Mak recounts a memorable hike with her son—how, by letting go of fear and embracing wonder, she reconnected with her inner child and found profound clarity in a simple moment.
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Parenting in the VUCA World with Search Inside Yourself (SIYLI)
In this conversation with SIYLI Director Lindsey Kugel, Cecily Mak shares her perspective on navigating parenthood during uncertain times. She discusses balancing professional responsibilities, parenting, and self-care—while highlighting how mindfulness can support resilience and presence in both work and family life.
