In this episode Nathan is joined by Ruari Fairbairns, co-founder of the One Year No Beer programme and author of the 28 Day Challenge to talk about the company he’s set up, the advantages of choosing not to drink and much more.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- I was a party boy when I became an oil broker, I was always the first to call for shots, the last man standing at the end of the night and usually naked. It was my way of dealing what was going on in my head; work like an addict during the week and party hard like there was no tomorrow at the weekend. But at work, the weekdays became the weekend when looking after customers. This caused issues and friction with my wife. I didn’t identify with people who couldn’t stop and didn’t need AA, in the back of my mind I knew the alcohol was holding me back, so I decided to take a break from booze (to which my boss said I was committing commercial suicide). I took the break, and everything got better, especially after the first month.
- Many people don’t talk about their feelings or problems or even the darkness that they have. Early on we created a space of vulnerability where you could share and be completely honest where there’s no judgement.
- The reason why you have a relationship with alcohol is because of society, watching everyone celebrate, commiserate and congratulate with booze at every occasion. All those neural pathways have been built up over time. In your 20s you’re right in amongst it but in your 30s and 40s it’s more about relaxing, unwinding and switching off. Trying to change your relationship with alcohol on your own with shame and blame is incredibly hard. If you do it with a community of supportive people who are inspiring you it’s a much more pleasing environment to be around.
- This journey of setting up a business and trying to have a really big impact on the world is a huge challenge and that whenever you have to take steps back, or there are difficulties, they are incredible learning moments. The key thing is to have the mindset of “what am I learning in this?”
BEST MOMENTS
‘Whenever there’s pain it’s usually a sign to focus on something and change.’
‘It’s made me a better dad, a better husband, better at work’
‘It’s like a toxic relationship, everyone outside you can see what’s going on but you can’t.’
‘Most people have an epiphany between 40 and 60 days, which is why we push for people to go beyond 28 days. Doing a year without alcohol is one of the most incredible things you can do.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Ruari grew up on the Isle of Mull in Scotland, where he set up his first business selling and servicing PCs on the Island at 16. He followed a career in sales and at the age of 25 he found himself in London as a commodities broker. He quickly established himself as a success and 10 years on he set up and manages one of the leading Jet Fuel desks.
After a few failed attempts, Ruari quit drinking and it fundamentally changed his life. Together with his colleague Andy Ramage, they decided to create something to change the peer pressure around giving up drinking. They founded a community of people that, for a variety of reasons, no longer have the patience to waste time dealing with the adverse effects of drinking alcohol. One Year No Beer was launched in 2016 and was more successful than they could have imagined.
Website: https://www.oneyearnobeer.com/
Social Media: @OYNB
ABOUT THE HOST
Welcome and thank you for reading this, I’m Nathan Plumridge salon owner and Hair Stylist. I’ve been in the industry for nearly 30 years and have been
