1 year sober. My last drink was at the Phoenix airport on September 13, 2024, flying back from a business trip. 4 days earlier, my wife Amy told me she was quitting and wanted me to do it with her.

“It’s a different world. You have to get used to a paler set of colors, a quieter lot of sounds.” Raymond Chandler, “The Long Goodbye.”

Sobriety is a daily choice of clarity over comfort, presence over escape, and growth over numbness. Better, healthier habits.

For the last 25 years, I’ve chased dopamine hits of all sorts: achievement, gym records, wins, partying. I buried negative waves, burnout, pain. I could “plow through anything.” The Salesman on Fire – the one who delivered #1 results no matter what it cost me physically, emotionally, psychologically.

Sobriety brings better problems. I replaced alcohol with books, music and deeper conversations, a love for Polar Seltzer Cranberry Lime and La Croix Mojito.

I had much more headspace and ability to double down on my relationships with God and Amy, and to be a better role model for my kids.

Despite what I believed for a long, long time, it’s OK to be bored, in pain, or to have emotions.

The lows are still real. I’ve felt burnt out and disconnected at times. My body hurts from years of pushing too hard. Parenting three daughters is a daily challenge.

There are days when I want nothing more than to retreat or escape.

But I don’t. I stay. I show up. I keep going.

I’ve learned to ride the waves, to find joy in the moments, and to be present for the people who matter.

Clarity is a gift. And no more daily ibuprofen.

If you’ve ever wondered “Should I?” or “Could I?” or “What if?”—you’re not alone. If you’d benefit from a conversation, just message me. No judgment. Just two humans figuring it out together.

I could not have done it without my wife or the many friends and mentors who were a part of this journey.

I’m sharing this not because I have it all figured out. I definitely don’t.

But if you’re struggling, if you’re chasing highs that never last and only rob from tomorrow’s happiness, if you’re wondering what’s next—know that you’re not alone.