Stop Drinking Podcast by Soberclear

I quit ALCOHOL, but what happened next shocked me...(Soberclear Review 2025)

Leon Sylvester

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Stop Drinking Podcast, where we help you make stopping drinking a simple, logical and easy decision. We help you with tips, tools and strategies to start living your best life when alcohol-free. If you want to learn more about stop drinking coaching, then head over to wwwsoberclearcom. Quit drinking alcohol or lose his family forever. Two and a half years ago, john was forced to make the most important decision he'd ever faced. From the outside, it looked like he had it all A booming business, financial success and a beautiful, beautiful family. John was living what many would consider to be the great American dream, but behind closed doors John was fighting a silent war. The same war millions battle every single day. Alcohol. John had tried to quit more times than he could count, but nothing worked and the consequences they just kept getting worse. He managed to stop drinking alone, but then it crept back in and one night, his wife. She gave him the ultimatum, and this shattered everything. John, it is the family or the alcohol. His wife kicked him out of the house and gave him six weeks. Six weeks to do something different. Six weeks to fix what he hadn't been able to fix in decades. And that was the breaking point. But it was also the turning point. See, what happened over the next few weeks completely changed the trajectory of John's life in a way that most people will never get to experience, and that's when John reached out to me. That's when John and I began working together, and today, two and a half years later, not only has John stayed sober, he doesn't even think about alcohol anymore. So what happened in those six weeks? What was the shift that made everything else just click into place? And how did John go from this rock bottom to building a life that most people only dream of? His relationships are better than ever, he's fitter than ever and his wife is so proud of him.

Speaker 1:

Well, in this interview, you're going to hear it all the raw truth, the mindset shift and the exact approach that finally worked. All right, ladies and gentlemen, we've got John joining us. So John has been in the program for two and a half years now. We actually did an interview like this about two years ago. He's still not drunk, and I wanted him to come on today to really talk more about the long-term effects of stopping drinking, because five months is great, right, and stopping drinking for five months is life-changing, but two and a half years, I mean this is where the major changes really start coming, start coming. So rather than me preaching to you because I've been preaching it until I'm blue in the face I wanted john to come back on the channel to really share his journey one more time and talk to you all about the long-term benefits that he's found, because two and a half years, I mean, that's getting serious now and that's a great achievement, john. So firstly, congratulations, I'm so proud of you and, and yes, welcome John, thanks for coming back.

Speaker 2:

Thanks for having me, Leon. It's super exciting to be back. And, yeah, thanks for the congratulations. For two and a half years, it's kind of weird. I was talking to my wife the other day and it doesn't seem like it's been that long, but in other times it seems like it's been. It felt like I've never drank. It's still a totally different life thing. So, yes, it's been a blessing and enjoying every day Awesome.

Speaker 1:

So yeah, so for those of you. As for those people, that didn't watch the previous video. Who are you, john? What do?

Speaker 2:

you do. I live in Texas in the United States. I'm a business owner on a couple of jewelry stores here just outside the Houston area. It's been family-run since 1986, second generation, I have two great kids. I have a daughter and a son and just a very busy life.

Speaker 1:

So let's talk about the drinking. So, yeah, when did it start for you like, yeah, how did alcohol get into your life? Like, what's the? What was the journey there?

Speaker 2:

uh, alcohol pretty much has been in my life, my whole life. Uh, I have I'm from a family of um not so much alcohol, but just people drinking, and you know, I'm sure it's in every part of the world, but in the United States it's almost like, you know, you turn 21 and you start drinking, or you're 18 at the time. Whenever you start drinking, it's just what you're supposed to do and that's what it's a norm for an adult. And that was not. That was the same case with my family Grew up with some aunts and uncles and everything that worked in the beer business in different aspects, different roles, and so every event, gathering, whatever there was always beer, there's always alcohol. So I just grew up with it and continued it through college and then after college and, like everybody would do it, you use it as a stress release, you use it as a way to just kind of open up and have fun and everything like that.

Speaker 2:

And it started to take a toll a little bit on me in different relationships in my life. At the time my wife and I had been married for roughly about 14 years 14 years and she doesn't drink as much as I did hardly at all. So at different events. I was always the one that you know she was making sure that I didn't embarrass myself or do anything like that. And you know we always just made sure that everything was okay. And it got to the point where my drinking was more regularly and it started off being a small business owner, especially retail.

Speaker 2:

Christmas time it's usually stressful, and so it started at Christmas time like after we get done with work, some employees and I would sit down and have one or two drinks after work just to de-stress, talk about the day. And that led to Christmas and then continued on through the rest of the year, the next year, and it just got to the point where even I can look at it and be like, okay, this is way too much. And she kept telling me and, you know, trying to help me and everything. And it got to the point where it just my drinking kind of just put a wedge in between us and she kicked me out of the house. And she kicked me out of the house for six weeks and to make sure that I was, you know, I needed to take care of myself and that she was serious about this. And until then, to be honest with you everything. She said like try to stop for you know two months, try to stop for this. Just you know, put the family first and everything. I was just okay, fine, but I wasn't fully committed Because I was like I'll just do this for however long she said to do it, and then we'll be done and then I can go hang out and drink and have fun with my friends.

Speaker 2:

And it wasn't you know where I was getting, just you know, drunk all the time. It was just a few drinks here and there and stuff, but it just kept adding up. And it wasn't until then that I was just like, oh crap, like you're about to just ruin your life. You're about to just ruin your life and everything so far, to that point that I worked up for and I dreamed of as a kid, with having a successful business and having a family and having my son, especially my daughter, my son looking up to me and seeing me doing all this and I didn't want that and that was the eye opener and that's. I'd actually started Sober Clear before that, but we talked before. I wasn't fully committed into it until then. And then I reread all the books, did all the chats, did everything like that and it was amazing to me just the transformation.

Speaker 1:

So for you it was just a part of everyday life for a long time, no big problems, and it sounds like you can't even remember when it actually just started getting into a problem. It was just like this thing that just crept up and up, and up, and up and up and then all of a sudden there were like these wake up calls of like whoa, how did I get here? It was sneaky, how did I get here? Right, and you know, sneaky.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and everybody that's gone through this has understand and had those times where you're just like you know, you get up the next day, you go to work or you go somewhere else and you're like, okay, I can't do that anymore, this was stupid or whatever. And then you know it's not the last time you do it, or whatever the case may be. But yeah, and just would slowly, just kind of slowly, creep up and keep happening more often, more frequently, and we would keep having these talks, the same talks, and you know, like well, I guess what they say with guys you got to just tell me to my face, and she did, and I didn't see the signs, and so when she kicked me out of the house, that was the wake and so, um, when she kicked me out of the house, that was the wake up call.

Speaker 1:

Jason Vale Mm-hmm, yeah, but listen, so we, we, we, we should talk about this further because, uh, I speak to a lot of people who are in similar situations to yourself, where the wives are mad, husbands are mad, you know they, they get it, they're, you know, threatening divorce, or divorce has happened, and then they come to me wanting to change, and I always tell them that you can't do this for your wife, you've got to do this for yourself, right, and it's never going to work. And what happened to you is that you said that you kept having these conversations with your wife. She'd say, john, you got to change, and then you would change, but you were doing it for your wife, right, and then, and then, and then, a month later, you go back to it, cycle repeats. So so something shifted right, you, you must have done it for yourself this time, because you, you've lasted two and a half years. So what changed there?

Speaker 2:

like in your mindset my mindset was I didn't want to lose my family. I didn't want to be. You know I'm. I was fortunate enough, my dad passed away a few years ago, but my parents were married for 43 years, so I had both mom and dad in my house growing up and know the great joy that I had growing up with that, and I did not want to have my kids where they didn't have dad at home. It tore me up.

Speaker 2:

Every day I would still do the daily things. I'd pick them up, take them to school, drop them off, go to work, bring them home, have dinner and then I would leave and that killed me and just that thought of, hey, everything that you've worked for personally is going to be gone. If you know, take this seriously and kind of like. When I sent the text through the group chat, just checking in, I started to really like the person I was starting to see in the mirror and understand that, hey, I've said this before to my wife, to my family my mom, my brothers and know that I wasn't fully invested in it and I was just given lip service. And now that I'm fully invested into it, I would sit down and look at myself in the mirror and be like you know, one day at a time, one step at a time, and I started to really like who I was again.

Speaker 1:

One day at a time. Don't say that, man. That's what they say in AA. Well, you know.

Speaker 2:

I'm an athlete, so it's like one shot at a time. I play baseball, one pitch at a time, everything like that. It's a cliche, but it's like it works for everything.

Speaker 1:

Nah, I'm winding you up. So how about this? We can say, like it, you know, try to get one percent better every day. There we go, there we go, love it, love it. Okay. So so for you, what really happened right is that I would say the turning point for you was yeah, the wife kicked you out, but it I mean you. I think you played it out. If I continue on this path, I will lose everything I built, my family will be gone and for you, you're your family man. It sounds like family comes first, and I'm sure the only reason why you do your business in the first place is to provide for your family. They're the most important thing to you. So you played it forward and realized shit like if I do not do something about this, it's I'm done for correct.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and 100% of that. And I mean, and my business was started by my dad, so it's a family business, so we're all about making sure that everything's about your family and everything like that. And especially in my family, as far as my community that we've been in for over 40 years have that reputation or that stigma of you know that I was self-centered in this aspect of my life and that I did not want to have my kids have that negative feeling about me and I wanted to be a bigger role model, because when this was all happening, my daughter was 13, 14, my son was 10, you know, and me and my son, you know, do a lot of stuff together and I didn't want him to remember dad like that and then kind of have that distant relationship with me. So that was really the kick in the pants I needed and it was crazy that it just after that, like bulb, went off.

Speaker 1:

It was easy it is easy, yeah, well, um, man, you make me so proud, like I feel just so satisfied hearing all of this, like you were on the verge of losing your family and you turned it all around, and I'm just so, um, yeah, I feel so proud of you I don't know if that's the right way.

Speaker 2:

But I will say this, though that, like um and we talked several years ago about this is that joining the program at all intents, like hey, I'm gonna do this, we can do this. As you know, I can take care of this myself and, after rereading everything again, fully committed, the way that you approach stuff and the way that the program approaches this is, in opinion, revolutionary, in the fact that you're understanding and telling people like, hey, there's nothing wrong with you, you're not the problem, you don't have a disease, you don't have anything like this, you know, it's just. This is a way that you have to control your mind to understand that. And as soon as you know like and realize like, understand that. And as soon as you know like and realize like, from a month in, I did not miss alcohol, like I, to this day, can go to restaurants, go to bars, go to stuff like that. And at the first few months of doing this, my friends and family were like, oh, we don't need to go there, we don't ask, no, you go, and if you want to have a drink, have a drink, I don't care, I'm getting a Sprite or water and you know it doesn't bother me at all and I can tell you that the next mornings are awesome.

Speaker 2:

You know, I always used to wake up with that anxiety. I'd call it. I would always worry about what I said or what I did, and especially in this area, being a business owner and I know a lot of people it's like, did I just make an ass out of myself last night, or did I say something at this gala event that I was at, that pissed somebody off, you know, and I don't have to worry about that, you know, if I get up in the morning, I'm tired. Just because I'm tired, you know, it's not anything that I, you know, have a major hangover cause I was an idiot the night before or whatever. And that is one of the best feelings, you know, is getting up, knowing that I'm clear minded.

Speaker 1:

Um, you know I'm, I'm ready to tackle the day or do whatever I need to do. Love it, love it. Did you ever consider going to AA?

Speaker 2:

No, no, I um, maybe a, maybe a year before joining Sober Clear, um, my wife was like, hey, let's see if we can just both of us like just stop drinking for a month, whatever.

Speaker 2:

Okay, you know you do the dry January, whatever it is, and I've always been the guy that they're type person that I'm going to take care of my. I can do it myself and I don't need somebody to to tell me or tell me what's wrong with me or what I need to fix or anything like that. I can figure that out. So no, because initially I'm sure, like most people, you think like I'm not an alcoholic. I don't have a drink, I don't get up in the morning and have to crack a beer and pour in my cereal or you know, whatever the case may be. But I've learned that you know there's different definitions of alcoholism, you know alcohol abuse and everything like that. So, but no, I never had entered my mind to do AA or go to any kind of meetings or everything like that. But no, I never had entered my mind to do AA or go to any kind of meetings or anything like that.

Speaker 1:

Now, you just made a comment Because a lot of people feel this way. You said I would never go there because I'm a strong man, I can do it myself. But you did end up getting my help, so you did end up reaching out for help in the end. So what shifted there? What made you? You actually say do you know what? I can't do this on my own, because there's a lot, there's a lot of people out there that feel the same way you do, and then they don't have the courage to reach out and ask for help. And there's nothing wrong with asking for help no 100, you're correct on that.

Speaker 2:

I've learned that as I've gotten older, with the different things We'll talk about mental health or therapy and talking to people and not trying to figure it out yourself. I actually stumbled upon a couple of your videos on YouTube with the AI technology and knowing exactly what I'm looking at or whatever and saw a couple of your things and just started listening to them and I was like you know what that's different and he's not like.

Speaker 2:

And I think one of the ones, the first ones I saw you were targeting to like business owners, and so it caught my eye and I watched it and I just started thinking about it and I guess my assumption with AA or anything like that was that you're going to go there, you're going to sit around with however many people are going to be there, they're going to tell you something's wrong with you and this is a disease and you need to fix it. And I was like, but I'm just normal and nothing's wrong with me. And the way that you approach that and to say that it is not a disease, there's, you know, nothing wrong with you as a person. You've got to figure that, because this is the only drug or poison that we market to our kids or our adults, that this is what you can do, like nobody's going to market and say like, hey, you just turned 21. Let's go do some coke, you know, and stuff like that, or a pot or whatever it is. But around the world, especially here in the States, it's advertised all over the place. It's advertised from early on and so you know, I think when I saw your stuff and then diving into more of it and then you know getting in contact with you and reading the books, it just made sense to me Because it was you can do it on your own if you wanted.

Speaker 2:

You could not try to log in and do the meetings and stuff like that and just the group talks but you weren't going to get the full benefit of it. Like hey, there's a community of people just like me that are wanting to better themselves. Then it's not that stigma of alcoholics synonymous or anything like that. It's a group wanting to benefit each other and help each other grow, and that's what I like. I love watching business seminars and stuff like that and that's kind of the message that a lot of them do, and so it was just the fact of the different approach the different way to look at it, and just the community.

Speaker 1:

So all right, awesome. So let's talk now about so you went through the program, right, the six weeks out of the house with the wife. Now you're sober, so let's start at the beginning of like when you stop drinking alcohol. So, because I know a lot of people can struggle with like the first week. Even people in the program struggle with it. It's not, you know, this ain't some miracle cure, right? You're going to go through some hell. So what was the first week like? What was the first month? Like, why don't we start there and then we'll just build up to two and a half years?

Speaker 2:

so. So I first joined server clear and was, to be honest, like not full-hearted into it. Uh, I was doing it as to help out, like to say say hey, show my wife like, hey, yeah, let's do this. And it was about two weeks in and I would still like not think there's anything wrong and had a couple drinks with one of my employees after work, just hanging out, not even thinking that was like like on a Thursday.

Speaker 2:

On Friday I went with a buddy down to a baseball game down in Houston, watched the Astros, had two or three beers there. When I came home my wife was like you've been drinking. I was like, yeah, but I wasn't like it was like two or three beers like four hours ago and all this. She's like then you're not doing it, like you'd be fully committed about it and it. You know, that was kind of the first like strike one for me with her and I still was just like, okay, it was whatever, I don't have a risk, fine, I'm like not doing this like every day. I was fine, I'm not doing this like every day, and it was tough at first.

Speaker 2:

It was one of those where, just like you, kind of feel in the back of my mind. I was like, well, I'm not going to be able to hang out with anybody. Nobody's going to want to hang out with Sober John, I'm not going to be the life of the party or control a room or do whatever I've been able to do, um, and so that part of it kind of got with me a little bit Um, and that was. That lasted for about maybe a month, and then I, and then I, um, about that month time is when I almost when I got kicked out and that was, like I said, the eye-opener before, and then that was August 20th, two and a half, almost three years ago, and from that point on I was just like, okay, like I'm not drinking, and, to be honest with you, when my mind was done and said, okay, I'm done with this and I really want to focus on this. I haven't missed it.

Speaker 1:

And you went through the material a second time during that six weeks.

Speaker 2:

Correct. I read everything else again, watched some of the videos. I was able to get on some of the chats and the talks and Zoom calls and stuff, able to get on some of the chats and then the talks, the zoom calls and stuff. A lot of times, you know, with everybody scheduling stuff, it just didn't kind of work out. But I was just checking in and the great thing with the group on slack, uh, checking in with everybody and telling, keeping everybody motivated and what's going on in your life and stuff, um. And then it just got to the point where, like, I would briefly go through and kind of revisit some of the key points in the books, um, and then just focus on my focus on me and focus on my kids and my business and stuff.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so then. Okay, so then can you? Can you remember, like the first month of not drinking, after you made that true decision, the decision I always talk about, that you've got to freaking make and not keep putting off? Can you remember the first month? Yep, first month was.

Speaker 2:

It went by really fast. I remember that it went by really fast and I actually thought it was going to be a lot harder than it was, but I just kept. You know, I'm a big, like kind of planner as far as, like you know, my day, you know big working out and stuff like that. And so I set goals. I set stuff, so I was setting daily goals, I was setting weekly goals, I was setting monthly goals and you know I would just mentally check those off, check those off and look forward to the next thing. And you know, to be honest with you, life was, was really busy, so the days went by pretty quick.

Speaker 2:

Uh, after I made that, that uh decision not to, you know, fully vestigial took all the alcohol out of the store. Um, I used to have a little fridge for the customers took that out, um, everything like that. Um, because half the time the employees would drink it anyway. But it was like, just, you know, nope, not going to do this. I'm serious. I told the people, my employees, like hey, you know us hanging out and doing all that stuff is done here. We don't need to do this. I want to make sure everybody gets home safe and everything's fine. And this is what I'm doing, I'm committed to doing, and everybody went along with it Right, so this is awesome.

Speaker 1:

So, first, so you did exactly what I did and what I recommend. First month you immediately just reset and then started focusing on you and you started setting new goals weekly, daily, monthly, getting back in the gym, fitness.

Speaker 2:

So it was all about just making you better, not just running away from alcohol, yeah, and it was and I've I'm always, uh, I've always been big into, like you know, fitness and everything like that, so that I just it was a my workouts just ramped up, um, I didn't have to restart something or dedicate myself in that aspect of my life, um, which I think helped me. I was going into workouts and I'm ready to go, and let's go hit this instead of like, if I go work out on a Friday night or Friday morning, sorry, or Saturday morning, I wasn't feeling like crap going in there and my workout's half-assed. So that part of it was great, but it intensified. But yeah, I just was focusing on me, focusing on what I needed to do for my, my kids, uh, my wife, uh, and just proven to her every day, like, hey, I'm, I'm dedicated to this. Like, hey, I'm here to pick up the kids every morning at seven, I'm taking them to school, we're having lunch, like nothing's changed in their daily life, just nothing's changed in their daily life.

Speaker 1:

Just I leave right when they go to bed and that was um go ahead.

Speaker 2:

I'll say that was. That was a little over a month of doing that.

Speaker 1:

So that was the first month you were. You were really just like picking up momentum. So then, what about the next six months? Can you remember that? Yeah, I was going to say. I find it really hard to remember, but go on, go on.

Speaker 2:

I think. I mean there's certain. I'm sure I'll miss out on some parts, but for that, for the next few months, I guess I proved myself to my wife because I was let back in the house no-transcript. Prove to my kids and prove to my wife that, hey, I'm the guy that y'all need me to be. And I'm going to prove that to you in the next few months and I'm going to be there. I've always been a stickler on being on time. If I say I'm going to do something or I'm going to be somewhere, I'm there. So I was there, but I was fully there.

Speaker 1:

Whereas before I may not have been there. Mind if I interrupt you. Did there, whereas before I may not have been there. Mind if I interrupt you. Uh, did you have a conversation about that with your children? Yep, because they're young.

Speaker 2:

So I just wondered if you, if you actually said this to them yes, I did, and and the other thing that that made that switch go off for me too, um, was that both of them told me that they, they who I was before, and they were scared for me and that kind of hit home. And you know, I just kept thinking about that, especially coming back home. It was like you're never going to see that guy again. Like that is my goal is that you know you will to see that guy again. Like that is my goal is that you know you will never see that guy. I'll always be, you know, the dad that you need me to be and I will be here and do everything in my power for that. But that guy that that you were scared if he was driving home, okay, or whatever, he's gone, oh man.

Speaker 1:

You make me want to hug you. I feel like I love you. You're killing it All right, so and then, yes, so the six months. So what else was happening? So six months?

Speaker 2:

In that six months my relationship with my wife got a lot stronger. You know, it took a little time. I had to prove to her that, hey, I'm serious, don't worry about it. In two months I'm going to be hanging out with some buddies at a bar or something like that. And the great thing about it was we actually had jewelry business, so we had to do a lot of gala events. So we get dressed up and we go to these big old events and stuff, and we had two or three within six months and at these events they're either just open bar or just a cash bar or whatever, and no worries at all. All of my friends that were there, everybody knew me, they knew what I was doing, 100% supportive, and that's the other thing too.

Speaker 2:

I think most people are afraid that people are going to just shun them and everything. Your real friends and your true people around you will support you no matter what, and they don't even worry about. In fact, some of them just say I'm not going to drink, you're not drinking, I'm not drinking, no, you know. And and that's that's when you kind of realize, kind of like who's in your corner and your friends, like that.

Speaker 2:

But the great thing about these events, too, is, at first I was like, okay, I got to be like look like I have a drink, but I don't. So, like you know, give me the Sprite, put a little lime in there, or something like that. Now give me a water, give me a Sprite. Now give me a water, give me a Sprite. I don't care. And there's a lot of people that I'm noticing recently, and I'm sure everybody's been talking about too, that don't drink, or there, you know, I have to go up on this stage and auction off this piece of jewelry that we're doing for this foundation or whatever, and you don't have to worry about me making an ass of myself or saying something stupid, or you know, or anything like that. And so it was very refreshing and, once again, that six months went pretty quick.

Speaker 1:

So now, yeah, love it it, love it. So relationships getting better, uh, everything's starting to go in the right direction. Now, yeah, what about now? You know, because now we're two and a half years, um, talk to me about like this, this, this, this longer period, like this long, because you've got some long-term success in not drinking. Now, what else has changed? What else is new?

Speaker 2:

Trying to think of what's new as far as anything to deal with, kind of before and after. It's just a continuation. To be honest with you, for me it's the same way, that same mindset that I had in a month and six months is I actually don't think about it, I don't think, like I said before, from the time I dedicate, I'm done. And reading the books again and everything like that, and knowing what alcohol is and dusty, I'm done. I don't think about it, I don't miss it, I don't. I couldn't tell you what it tasted like, anything like that.

Speaker 2:

And, like I said, I have my family, I have friends, I have guys I play golf with on the weekends and they'll have one or two beers and you know they order me a Sprite if I'm not there and they give me everything. So I'm, you know, don't miss it, don't think about it. I just look forward and set new goals, you know family goals, personal goals, business goals, um, and I just know that, hey, I'm getting up every day and going to give this day the best, john, I can, because I don't have to worry about feeling like crap.

Speaker 1:

There's a topic we're not talking about, Um. How have you found performance for you personally in the business world since stopping your game?

Speaker 2:

Business world's been really good. I never really. It never really affected me like in the day-to-day business. I used that more of a stress release after work. So unless I was somewhere in the area and people knew me and they saw me, then that would be the only way it would affect. Like I would never be out there dealing with customers having a drink or anything like that. So most people had no clue and didn't know it was that big of a deal.

Speaker 2:

Unless we always go to these gala events. It seems like going like little seasons, so you have four or five in a row and within two months and then it's a break and then again or you see people out at restaurants and stuff like that. But as far as like my kind of rededication to the business, it definitely went up because I was drinking to deal with the stress or to get away from some of the stress. But I also like hanging out because a couple of my employees are family members, the rest are not, and just being one of the guys and they don't have to think of me as a boss. We're just hanging out, talking, discussing anything and everything and I like that and that's why I was like when I would do that. I didn't want that little thing to end, but I just knew that it needed to. But so now it's better decisions.

Speaker 1:

As far as long-term planning with the store, with the business, I mean, we're doing exceptionally well and looking forward to the future do you think your business has grown more in the past two and a half years sober than it would have done if you had continued drinking?

Speaker 2:

yeah, without a doubt. Um, I think the some of the decisions that I, that we have made, and I've made and been a part of in the last two years Maybe I wouldn't have pulled the trigger on some of those, maybe I wouldn't have just been too lazy to do it or not even care, or actually, you know, want to go to these certain meetings and different opportunities that we've had. So, yeah, I definitely think that the business has grown exponentially, with me being fully invested.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, love it, love it. Just wanted to bring that up because there's the intangible ROIs of not drinking alcohol, but then there's a true, real financial ROI as well, and especially for a business owner like yourself, I mean.

Speaker 2:

Well, the other financial ROI. My wife and I talked about this the other day. It's like we go out. It's so much cheaper Right. Yeah, I bet you know you don't have like a $100 alcohol tab or whatever it's going to be and you know so there's that benefit there too.

Speaker 1:

So all right. So I don't want this to become a sales pitch for the program, right? So if people want to join a program that they know where to go, they just go to the website book, go to SoberGlittercom. They can, they can apply there. But I want you, I want you, I want you to give this from your perspective and not from a program's perspective, right? So what advice would you give to somebody who is they know alcohol, they, you know in a very similar situation to you, because I know your story. I know that there will be millions of people that have got your story. You know they're successful, it's crept up on them. Family's the most important thing to them. What advice would you give to them? If they, if they know they're drinking too much, they want to change, they don't know what to do about it, but don't sell the program, right? What advice would you give to them?

Speaker 2:

I would say that everybody knows deep down, when there's a problem, there's an issue with whatever that issue may be, and you're going to know like, hey, this is, I need to really get a hold of this, I need to really get a hold of this, I need to stop this, and loved ones can tell you. You can see that. But until you actually understand it and you feel that there's something that you need to do, why not do it? I mean, I think I said this on the last video. I did. It ended with it.

Speaker 2:

It was like why not do it for yourself? This is the one thing that you can be selfish with, because you know it's your life. You got one. Go around at this and you might as well take advantage of it and enjoy every aspect of your life with this and to be there for the people that truly love you and that you love and you want to support and be around. You owe it to yourself to do it. You know you will. You'll never know how great your life can be if you don't do it, if you don't go out a percent in.

Speaker 1:

Man, that's a good one, that's a good, you don't know. Yeah, I speak to a lot of people, man, and they're like oh yeah, it's not affecting this, it's not you, this is all right, that's all right. And I'm like you don't know how good it will be when you don't drink. You just don't know.

Speaker 2:

You're 100% right. And the other thing too is hindsight is 20-20, right. It's not effective enough to separate yourself from that and you're like, oh well, maybe it did feel it was bothering me, it was affecting this and this and this. You're not going to be able to see it. When you're in it, you get blinders on.

Speaker 1:

So what stops people from stopping is fear, and it's all the fears that you mentioned earlier. So you said things like how am I going to be the life and soul of the party? I can't remember. There was a couple of other things you mentioned like that and then that's you know, kind of what we address in the material is like breaking these fears and these false beliefs down. So what would you say to somebody who wants to change? But then there's this part of them that's like I just don't think I'm ready. I think their life's better with drinking. And then there's that fear Because I had it, you've had it, every single drinker gets it. What would you say to them?

Speaker 2:

I would say that you know what that person that you feel that you're going to miss out on stuff, that you're not going to be that life of that party You're not going to be. You know the person that you, that most people love you for, you already are that person Deep down. You are that person. You don't need the alcohol to get it out of you. You know you can still. I still, you know, will command a room, command a table and have everybody wanting to talk to me and I'll talk to them. Where before I thought I had to have alcohol, I had to be that guy. Everybody's going to make fun of me or anything. That's not the case at all. You know people will love you for you. You will love you for who you are and you know who you are deep down and you don't need liquid encouragement or help or a boost to give that person to everybody. People love you for who you are. You don't need to do anything else.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for checking out the Stop Drinking Podcast by Sober Clear. If you want to learn more about how we work with people to help them stop drinking effortlessly, then make sure to visit wwwsoberclearcom.

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