#44: YEAR – Ruari Fairbairns

One Year No Beer founder, Ruari Fairbairns, joins me for an episode all about his journey from boozy City Boy to CEO of OYNB a global alcohol prevention program. We explore the numbing power of alcohol, the clarity that sobriety brings, and all the many benefits of living a booze-free life.

Originally from the Isle of Mull, Ruari had a difficult childhood, struggling intensely with his thoughts and finding it impossible to fit in. Determined to make his mark on the world one day, the relentless entrepreneur started working at the age of 14 and a sequence of events led him to London where he worked as a senior Oil Broker and drinking A LOT. He began to experience a number of health problems including IBS, anxiety, and dry skin, and soon realised that alcohol was causing him more trouble than good. Six months later he decided to remove alcohol from his life, and this was the starting point for his journey with One Year No Beer because it allowed him to create space in his life, to find his true meaning and purpose. One Year No Beer is a toolkit for surviving modern society alcohol-free and has since recruited over 70,000 members worldwide. Ruari believes that having a community is crucial to making a positive lifestyle change.