“Dry January” hits differently when you own the brewery.
As a partner in a craft brewery, an event venue, and a bar catering service, my livelihood is tied to the industry. It sounds ironic, but that proximity is exactly why I believe taking a pause is vital. It has been a year since I drastically cut back my alcohol intake, and the clarity it provided changed how I lead.
I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. For some, sobriety is the only path; for others, it’s about moderation. My own shift away from beer wasn’t a “rock bottom” moment. It wasn’t some monumental crash.
It actually came from a simple statement by a friend, Morgan May. He told me: “I know who I want to be in life, and the guy I envision myself being doesn’t drink.”
That hit me hard. It got me thinking about the burden of leadership. People look up to the boss. They watch what I do, and they emulate me. I had to ask myself: Do I want my actions to be the permission slip for someone else’s bad habit?
As an employer, I realized I had a duty to set a higher standard. So, I removed all alcohol from the workplace at my companies.
- No more drinks with team lunches.
- No more alcohol-fueled parties.
- Zero tolerance on having a single sip and driving a company vehicle.
Some might say this policy makes me a “lame boss.” I disagree. I call it the “Cool Parent” Fallacy. We all know that parent—the one who lets high schoolers drink in the basement to be the “cool house.” You might feel popular in the moment, but you aren’t protecting them; you are setting them up for failure.
I don’t want a staff operating with lowered inhibitions. I don’t want a culture where bad decisions are normalized by “company perks.” I want staff who are obsessed with exceeding expectations in every aspect of their lives—not just their drinking games.
If you are a leader, ask yourself: Are you facilitating excellence, or are you just facilitating the party?