“This group is unlike anything I have experienced in my life” Sonja Burns Beauchamp

“Alcohol and my goals were running perpendicular — now they finally run parallel.”

From college party girl to ‘work hard, play hard’ professional

I started college at 18 and from then on, I became a drinker. At first it was occasional parties, but it soon escalated into heavy nights where I would party like it was the end of days.

In my 30s, I started to notice my alcohol intake creeping up. Society was changing too — business lunches with alcohol became normal, weekends kicked off with mimosas, and my industry absolutely lived by the motto: work hard, play hard.

I was drinking at least five days a week. I wasn’t drinking in the morning or using alcohol to cure hangovers, but I was drinking far more than I should, and it showed. I felt sluggish and unfocused, spending my energy waiting for happy hour instead of being present in my life.

Worst of all, my daughter wasn’t getting the attention she deserved. I’d be distracted in the evenings and wiped out the next day, stuck in a cycle of feeling rough and underperforming as a parent.

Turning 40: my wake-up call

As I moved into my late 30s, recovery after a night of drinking took longer and longer. By the time I turned 40, the impact was written all over my face and my life:

• Restless, low-quality sleep

• Visible signs of damage from years of drinking

• No real progress towards the goals I said I wanted

I realised that if I truly wanted to look and feel my best — and actually start achieving my goals — it wasn’t my diet, my schedule, or my job that needed to change first.

It was alcohol.

Finding OYNB after years of “thinking about it”

“I saw the OYNB ads for three years before I had the courage to click.”

One Year No Beer first appeared in my LinkedIn feed. For three years I noticed the ads, felt that little tug of curiosity, and kept scrolling.

After Thanksgiving last year, everything came to a head. I’d drunk my way through the week and into the weekend, and I knew I didn’t want to walk into my 41st birthday like that.

I finally clicked.

I started with the 28-Day Challenge because I honestly couldn’t imagine going longer. It took me several attempts to even complete those 28 days. But somewhere along the way I realised:

• I’d been drinking for over 20 years

• My relationship with alcohol was deeply ingrained

• I wasn’t going to “fix” that in just four weeks

So in January, I signed up for the full 365-day challenge and committed to doing the deeper work.

The alcohol-free benefits

The OYNB community has carried me through the toughest days and celebrated every win with me. This group is unlike anything I’ve experienced — people from all over the world, all choosing to change, all showing up honestly.

This year hasn’t been challenge-free, but I’ve handled it differently:

• I’ve learned that alcohol is never worth the hangover, the anxiety, or the emotional crash.

• I’m calmer and happier at home and at work.

• My productivity has skyrocketed — I’m actually achieving the goals I used to just talk about.

“Alcohol and my goals were running perpendicular to each other. Now, without it, my life and my goals finally run parallel.”

I know now exactly what I’d be giving up if I chose to bring alcohol back into my life — and for me, that price is far too high.

Where I stand now

I no longer spend my days waiting for my next drink or my nights recovering from the last one. Instead:

• I’m present with my daughter

• I show up fully at work

• I have energy and focus to actually move towards the life I want

OYNB didn’t just help me stop drinking. It gave me the tools, the support, and the perspective to rebuild my life in alignment with my values and goals.

And I’m not going back.