This Business Is How I Stay Sober
By Eric Kramer, Founder of Sobervation
Let's be clear: I'm not some full-time entrepreneur who wakes up at 5 AM to journal and work on my passion project before a green smoothie. I'm the General Manager of an exterior remodeling company. I have a full-time job with real responsibilities, deadlines, and a team counting on me every day.
Sobervation? That's nights, weekends, and whatever pockets of time I can carve out between managing projects, handling customer issues, and keeping a business running.
So why do it? Because this side project has become one of the most important tools in my sobriety toolkit.
It's Not About Escaping—It's About Creating
When I got sober, I had to figure out what to do with all the time and mental energy that used to go toward drinking. I already had structure from my day job—that wasn't the issue. What I needed was something that was mine. Something creative. Something that let me build toward a vision that mattered to me.
Sobervation became that outlet. It's not about replacing my career or chasing some fantasy of quitting my job. It's about having a project that keeps me engaged, creative, and connected to the recovery community in a meaningful way.
The Balance Is the Point
Here's what working on Sobervation while managing a full-time career has taught me about staying sober:
- You don't need to blow up your life to build something new. Small, consistent steps add up.
- Side projects give you creative control. When your day job is demanding (and it is), having something you build on your own terms is grounding.
- It's okay to move slowly. This isn't a race. Progress is progress, even if it's just updating a product description on a Tuesday night.
- Accountability works both ways. My day job keeps me disciplined. Sobervation keeps me inspired. Both keep me sober.
- You learn to prioritize what matters. No time for perfectionism when you're squeezing this in around a 40-hour work week.
Why It Works for Me
Running Sobervation on the side means I get to:
Stay connected to recovery. Every product I design, every piece of copy I write, every customer interaction reminds me why I'm doing this. It keeps recovery front and center without making it feel like work.
Build something with intention. I'm not rushing to scale or chase trends. I'm building a brand that reflects the principles that keep me sober: quality, authenticity, consistency, and showing up even when it's hard.
Have a creative outlet that matters. After a long day managing crews, budgets, and timelines, working on Sobervation is where I get to think differently. It's problem-solving, but it's my problems to solve.
It's Not for Everyone—And That's Fine
Look, not everyone in recovery needs a side business. Some people need yoga. Some need running. Some need to binge-watch cooking shows and call it self-care. All valid.
For me, building Sobervation—slowly, imperfectly, around a demanding full-time job—has become a cornerstone of how I stay sober. It gives me purpose beyond my paycheck and a creative challenge that keeps me engaged with life in a way I never was when I was drinking.
If you're in recovery and wondering what to do with your time, energy, or restless brain, maybe it's a side project. Maybe it's something else entirely. The point isn't what you build—it's that you're building something that keeps you moving forward.
This is part of the Life After Last Call series, where I share real stories from my recovery journey and the lessons learned building Sobervation—one late night at a time.
