‘The Majority of Sober Influencers Look Down on Drinkers. I Like To Tell the Truth’
With more than two decades of heavy drinking under his belt, Jono Yates was dedicated to the art of boozing. Now, the former captain of popular social media account Simply Pints is five months sober – and his crew of 100k followers are reacting. He shares his story with Men’s Health.
I thought I’d found the cheat code to life: nailing cold beers in lovely pubs for money. My job was insane – I was travelling the world looking for the perfect Guinness, raking in the engagement and paying my bills with it all. But drinking for a living isn’t sustainable.
I’ve never been able to do moderation. For every pint I posted to my @SimplyPints channel, there would have been four or five others that came before or after it. Then I’d move on to the next pub.
Drinking led me to some of the best experiences of my life. But it was unmanageable. It almost cost me my family, my friends and the sports agency I’d set up with two partners. It was my sister who convinced me to find Alcoholics Anonymous.
Turning @SimplyPints sober wasn’t thought through, but I was four months into recovery and AA had taught me some huge lessons. It got me thinking that a bunch of my followers might need or want the same insights.
I’d have unfollowed me, if I’m honest. And when I announced the account was changing to focus on my sobriety, I expected a ton of others to do so. I was right, too – about 15,000 people dropped out. But I also gained about 10,000 new followers. And then the messages of support started coming in.
I’d never thought of sobriety as a unifier. Drinking brings people together, surely? If one of my mates had told me they were going sober, I’d have been an arsehole about it. So when it comes to how supportive the sober society is, I couldn’t have seen it coming.
I want to get @TheSoberlap right, so I’m carefully planning what to do next. The ‘sober influencer’ industry is huge, and mostly based in the States. But I can count on one hand the accounts that I actually like. The majority, I think, sit on a high horse and look down on drinkers. In the UK, you need more of a real approach. Real stories, a bit of self-deprecation, the truth about the tough stuff. That’s where I see that market going. More of a ‘if they can do it, maybe I can, too’ approach. More human.
Guinness 0.0%? It’s good, and that’s coming from a purist. It’s creamy, refreshing, moreish… it’s got it all. Almost. There is something missing, though: the chaos.
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