SPEAKER_03 0:00

Here comes a sign do. Here comes a sign that say it's all right.

SPEAKER_01 0:20

Well, hello, Fortitude Audience. My name is Amos. I'm here with my wife Heather. Say hi.

SPEAKER_00 0:25

Hello.

SPEAKER_01 0:26

Hi. Well, I'm just doing the introdo for intro for the first time. I'm gonna hand it over back to you.

SPEAKER_00 0:31

I love it. You actually have a better uh radio voice than I do. So thank you, Fortitude Audience, for joining us today. We have the honor to sit with Adri, who is the founder of Pizza Ranch. So thank you for being here today, Adri.

SPEAKER_02 0:45

Yeah, excited to be here.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

And I love your name. I don't I don't know that there's a lot of other Adries in this world.

SPEAKER_02 0:51

I only know a couple. My my grandpa was Adrian, and I'm named after him. Sh short, you know, shorter version. But yeah, that's that's where the name comes from.

SPEAKER_00 1:00

Well, the very first time that I heard your name, which um I grew up going to the pizza ranch, and I want to speak to that, but we were sitting at a Life Light luncheon, Amos and I, and that was just in the fall of this last 2022, I think. And while we were there, um, you spoke. You got up on stage and you shared a little bit of your journey. And I remember sitting at the back of the room, and I instantly started to cry because your story touched my heart because our stories are very similar and yet unique in their own way. And so uh come 10 or what, we're like four or five months later, Paul DeYoung, who has become a dear friend of ours, who is also on I think it's like episode four or five on fortitude, um, he mentioned that you two happen to be long life friends. And I have heard stories, and you two both have shared some stories. So um, just how this all transpired is a major blessing to me. And so um there's there's so much to your story, and I just want to dig right in, Adri. So if you could share with us currently where you're at, um, a little bit about your your wife and your kids and where you reside right now.

SPEAKER_02 2:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:18

That'd be great.

SPEAKER_02 2:19

Well, 61 years old. I still feel young, but I I realize I have uh six grandchildren now, so it's it's it's different than it used to be. But I live in Orange City, Iowa with my wife 37 years. Uh we have four children, three sons, and they're all very involved in Pizza Ranch, which you know it's it's great. I love it. And um, then my daughter, she's she was a teacher, but now she's an out-of-home mom. And they live in the Orange City area too. So I got all my kids back. And uh they they kind of scattered now, they're all back. And yeah, like last night they were all over for I made scalp potatoes and ham.

SPEAKER_00 3:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:02

And uh we didn't have enough, but anyway. It was that good. It was I don't think I made enough, but anyway, yeah. So it's it's just we have a lot of fun. Good family, yeah, do a lot with our kids and grandkids.

SPEAKER_00 3:18

So did the boys decide kind of on their own, or did was there a point that you pulled them in?

SPEAKER_02 3:23

Okay. Like I said, I have three boys, my oldest Spencer. There was never a question in anybody's mind that he was gonna be a Pizza Ranch guy someday. I mean, he always talked about it, always wanted to, you know, as soon as he could, he started working at Pizza Ranch. So it wasn't never a question. Um, and then my next son, Ross, who um is completely different, and I never really got a feeling from him that it was a passion of his. I I seen him more like in the banking world or or just more of a desk guy, not really a pizza guy. I mean, there's two very different types of people. And when he told me he wanted to be Pizza Ranch, I said, you know, Ross, are you sure? And we had we sat down and had a long talk because I really wanted to push him into something different. Not to say he wouldn't come back and do that for us, but it's like I just wanted to make sure Pizza Ranch was what he wanted to do and it wasn't something else. But he assured me, and and uh so we put him in a pretty tough store to be the GM there. And because he had worked, you know, through high school, so he he but then he uh took a really hurting store, turned it around, uh, Lincoln, Nebraska, and I realized, oh, this guy really does know what he's doing, and he is passionate about Pizza Ranch. So now he's actually in the office and he does a lot of our anything that I really don't like to do is he does it, and he does it really good. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:53

That's great.

SPEAKER_02 4:54

How many, how many stores do you have? Uh 218 right now.

SPEAKER_01 4:58

So what's the geographical of what print what states are you in?

SPEAKER_02 5:01

Uh yeah, we're in 13 states. So basically the Midwest, uh Michigan, Montana, Colorado, down to uh we're looking at Ohio right now. So it's yeah. Up to North Dakota. Yeah. Nice. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 5:14

Yeah, that's right. And what in what year did you start? Uh 2000, no, not 2000, um, 1981. Okay. You're out of high school.

SPEAKER_01 5:23

And you're known for pizza. And you're known for there's a buffet. Yeah. And I love Pizza Rants because you have really good uh you were the one the first to have gluten-free crust options, which was just appreciated. And then how many of your stores have the arcade next door? I think we're at 63 now. Okay. Yeah. And that's a big thing. Well, they called it the car. Fun zone. Fun zone.

SPEAKER_02 5:48

And if you open a new store today, you have to have it. I mean, there's there's always exceptions to every rule. Sure. But it's uh it's one of the mandates now that if you open up a store, you gotta have a fun zone with it.

SPEAKER_01 5:59

And the one next to our neck clear closest to us has uh bouncy houses. It's a great, great place for our kids to go and burn house management. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:07

Yeah. They ask us probably once a week if we went to the to fund zone.

SPEAKER_02 6:13

All those boys. I mean, what a great place to feed them and waste some energy and we have a lot of fun there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:20

Um so 81, 1981, I think back. You were only 19 years old, Adri. And you tell us the little bit of the history on how that all transpired.

SPEAKER_02 6:30

Yeah, I was uh went to school right out of high school for horticulture because I wanted to um that's kind of weird. Paul and I talked about that too. You know, he did he did that life, and that's the life I wanted. And it's uh, you know, I wanted to be a greenskeeper somewhere, and um but it you know, I dropped out of school, it just wasn't for me, and then I started welding full-time, and then I got a part-time job at a pizza place about 10 miles down out of our from we lived in Hall, Iowa, a little town, and then there was a town called Sioux Center, Iowa, and that's where I was working pizza. And then I came home one night, and my dad said to me, What should we open a pizza place in Hall? And I kind of looked at him and I said, Ah, I don't know, dad. I don't think I'll work. How big was Hall at that time? 1800. Okay. And you know, today there's pizza everywhere. It wasn't that way back then. Um Reagan was just uh became president, so that kind of tells you. If you don't know who Reagan is, then that tells you how old I am. So but it's like Google it, kids. Yeah, really. And uh um but then we um he sat down with me again and said, No, Adrian, I I really feel very uh that this is something we're supposed to do. And I had nothing to lose. You know, I'm 19, I I didn't have anything. And I I looked at him, I said, okay, Dad, we'll go ahead and do this. And he bought a building and he bought a bunch of used equipment out of a pizza place that went out of business. You know, it was really a bunch of junk.

SPEAKER_00 8:03

Wasn't it wasn't it called a pizza parlor or something?

SPEAKER_02 8:06

Like it Yeah, it was it was a brand name. I don't want to bring them down that they closed and we bought their stuff because they're still around. But it is it was like in the Spirit Lake, Iowa area. And it it was it was a bunch of junk, and we we sprayed it all off and got most of it to work. And yeah, my dad, we went to the bank and he signed his name at the bank for the loan because I, you know, like I said, I had nothing, so I I couldn't borrow any money, and he borrowed the money for it and uh 17.5% interest rate. So back then, the farm crisis, um, you know, it was it was tough. And then we decided to open or yeah, decided to open up a business, even though that was all going on, and and we opened up. And and that's so if there are any young kids listening to this, I always I like I love to tell them if if you don't know what you're gonna do in life, don't worry about it because God has a plan for you. Because I I guarantee you, it's probably four months before we opened up that I realized pizza was gonna be the rest of my life. It wasn't even a thought up until four months before. And now here it is 41 years later, and I do it every day yet. So it's yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:19

So and you've done it for 41 years, and the memories that you've created for families and for kids. Like I go back to where I grew up in southwestern Minnesota, Adri, and that was where we went after every sporting event. That's where I had a a bridal shower there. I mean, e everyone goes to the pizza ranch. And thank you, Lord, that he planted that in your heart when you were 19. Because I can't say that little small town that I had would have had anything like that. Um, and I know that that is the case for a lot of small rural communities that you planted a place for an experience and for memories. And so thank you for that because I think I had my very first kiss. I don't want to say think, I did in the pizza ranch parking lot. Yeah. Oh, my buddy Luke Beers. We I didn't say Adrian.

SPEAKER_02 10:09

You're welcome. Yeah. Those memories. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:13

It was such a great time. And I just went back home for um a memorial for my uncle, and everyone gathered at the Pizza Ranch afterwards. And when I walked in, it was nostalgic. Like it was so my heart just uh swelled up and everybody was having a good time. And I couldn't, I couldn't like I teared up thinking about you and just had already met you. And I was like, what an honor it is, it it truly has been. So I digress. Um, so you are how many we just said how many stores, but when did the franchise franchisee parts come into play?

SPEAKER_02 10:47

Yeah, we were okay, we opened in Hall, then we opened up in Orange City a couple years later. And I just want to point out too, you know, like Pizza Ranch wasn't my idea. It was, it was my dad, so God kind of handed it over to me. And then I had a guy from Mountain Lake, Minnesota just call me out of the blue and say, Hey, I'm gonna open a pizza place, and I hear you got the best pizza recipe. Can I buy it from you? And I thought, wow, pretty cool. You know, somebody wants to buy my pizza recipe. And I had a partner at the time, and partner and I talked it over, and um we decided, hey, you know what? Maybe he'll buy a franchise from us. So we talked to Ron and said, You want to be our first franchise? And he agreed to that. So that's the second thing. You know, I'd love to say it was my idea and it was something we really worked at, but it was just a call out of the blue, and and he decided to become a franchise. And so we started. And yeah, 50 years, uh 50 years later, five years later, we had 50 stores. And you know, when we're talking about small town um Midwest, you know, that's that's where we were, you know, nobody was in those small towns, so basically anything 3,000 or less, we were made for it. 10 stores a year. Yeah. That's on average. That's cruising. It was, it was crazy. And and we really didn't know what we were doing. Yeah. I mean, they talk about the blind leading the blind, and you know, there was a lot of truth to that. Uh, because we didn't, you know, I I was a young kid, and um, you know, we we did. We we taught them how to make pizza and how to treat people right. You know, that's really what it is. And uh we uh yeah, we had a lot of fun doing it. But yeah, I was married at the time, and then we had four kids during those years. And my wife is still mad at me because I was gone all the time, but I was. That's just the way it is when you start a new business. And yeah, we were only a couple of us working at the time. So yeah, we went through that.

SPEAKER_00 12:41

We get that completely.

SPEAKER_02 12:42

We get that.

SPEAKER_00 12:43

So did you always have the faith component from the very beginning?

SPEAKER_02 12:46

No, you know, I grew up in a Christian home. Um, you know, went to uh, you know, Christian grade school, Western Christian High and Hall, and so you know it was part of my life. Yeah, you know, I I believe God existed. I didn't question that, but Satan knows he exists too, doesn't believe in him or believes in him, but doesn't honor him. So that was kind of my life. You know, I I knew he existed, but I was scared to death of him. I didn't really want anything to do with him. I just looked at this God always trying to find out what I'm doing wrong instead of what I'm doing right and to punish me. So it's like I didn't want nothing to do with him. And then at the age of 32, uh some guy that really didn't even know, uh Scott, called me up and said, Hey, I'm gonna go to Promise Keepers. You want to go with me? I got an extra ticket. And I told him, you know what, I will go. And I'll never forget it. The first day we're there, we're up in Minneapolis at the at the dome up there. And uh it's like it was awful. Oh it was the first day, it was like I didn't like it, I hated it. It's like people were praising God and raising their hands, and it's like, it's like this is not for me. And who finally the day was over, and the second day started, and it was one of those days too. The morning was just took like 10 weeks to get over, and finally it was done. We could have lunch, and then the first speaker afternoon talked about the prodigal son. I heard that story a hundred times, and for some reason, God pierced my heart saying, Adrian, I'm talking about you. I love you, I'm not trying to figure out what's wrong with you. I love you just the way you are. I created you exactly the way I want you to. And uh afterwards, the guy that was speaking said, get in small groups and pray for forgiveness. And I got in this group of about five, six guys, and only I only knew one of them. I didn't even know the rest of them. And I was just so beaten. I said, I couldn't even pray. It's just like I just, this stranger next to me, I said, Can you pray for me? And he put his hand on me, he says, Dear Lord, be with this brother. He's broken and forgive his sins. Amen. And God, even though I didn't pray it, God knew it was from my heart. And the rest of the day, you know, I'm standing on my chair and I'm raising my hands. It's like I didn't ever want the day to end. I didn't even know what happened to me. It's like everybody's looking, what's wrong with Adrian? And um, yeah, and then we got home that night and I just laid in bed. I thought, what? What happened? And I realized I was born again. And um God, yeah, he was embracing me and and it's like, man, I've never, yeah, it was incredible. It's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 15:33

You know, I have I have skeptic friends who have asked for intervention, they've asked for some sort of a a spiritual event and they've not received it. You know, and and uh I have people who are jaded and they they they justify away what you experienced. They say, Oh, it must have been a self, you know, you talked yourself into it or something like that. So what do you say to those to those skeptics who um just say oh you know, it's a it's you had a a mental or like you had a a quote unquote spiritual event that was self um self-afflicted isn't the right word, but kind of s uh uh you know from inside of you. What what do you say to those people?

SPEAKER_02 16:13

You know, you know, if you knew me, I was night and day different. You know, my my wife for the next it was the hardest year of our marriage. It was sound as weird as that sounds. Well, maybe the second year, hardest year of our marriage, but um because I was a different completely different person. She didn't even know who I was. And also and I became the leader in the in the house when it came to God versus running away from it. It's just like, and she was praying for this all the time. So, you know, all you had to do is know is like well, whatever happened to him is real. But the the strange thing about that is I had prayed that before. God, I know you're real, but you're not in my heart, and I don't want you there. And it didn't happen. So that day it did. I I I don't know how God works, but it was a mist mystery, and uh I'm just so thankful he did that day. So undeniable. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:12

It it is people will uh often ask that that same kind of question. And I it just man, when he gets a hold of you, when he's per he pursues you, he pursues you and pursues you and does not give up. And and then when you're actually open and ready for that transformation, that is when it happens. That's what I firmly believe is when you finally are at your knees and saying, God, like I need you. I can't do this life without you. That's the moment where it's you have to surrender. And that day you surrender. Yeah, yeah. That's pretty special, Adrian. So 32.

SPEAKER_02 17:52

32.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

What was it like in your because we're gonna get to the the the place of obviously we both we both have alcoholism. And that is not that is not something to take lightly at all. And so what was life like living without the Lord? Were you actively drinking in that time frame?

SPEAKER_02 18:13

Yeah, off you know, as soon as I you know, middle school already started drinking, all through high school drinking, and I love to drink. I love to drink. I just love it. I love what it does to me. I I love my friends. I when when I'm drinking with them. So it was it was a huge part of my life, and it was uh um yeah, a big part of my life, and it it was like uh, you know, and and you know, I didn't get really into heavy drugs, but marijuana was definitely a big part of my life. Um you know, my wife was just I could she didn't know a lot about that stuff, and uh I could I'm I'm you become a very good liar. Yes, and uh deceiver and hider, and um, but I I yeah, you know, with my job I work nights. And yeah, when when you work nights, yeah, I'm working till midnight tonight, or and and you're not always working until midnight, or anyway, that's besides the point. So yes, very and I I when I got married, I thought, you know what, I I have to quit drinking, and I quit drinking, I think, for three months. And then I you know, one of my best buddies and I took a little road trip and we started I started drinking again. It's like, well, this is just I love it, it's part of my life, and uh it's gonna be a part of who I am. So, yes.

SPEAKER_00 19:43

Can't imagine life without it.

SPEAKER_02 19:44

Can't imagine life without it. There's no fun.

SPEAKER_00 19:47

I love no. I I loved drinking as well. I was the life of the party. I lit up every room with a bottle of Jack Daniels. Now it's with the Lord. But I think back to those days, and I'm like, I loved, everybody loved when Heather came around because I at least I thought I've heard other stories now. But so you you had a couple accidents and you've had a couple pretty significant changing points when it comes to alcohol. So let's let's kind of move into that because you're married, you have uh you're running a huge business, you have four beautiful little babies, and there was a point that you decided to actually give it up at a specific age, and you did for for a certain time, and then you went back. Yeah. So can you walk us through that?

SPEAKER_02 20:35

Yeah, so you know, that day at Promise Keepers, that was the last day I had a drink. It's like, you know, I knew I had to stop. I mean, it just like the Lord took it away from me. Um, I mean, there were times and he put uh some really good people around me, solid people that really weren't my friends at that time, and he put these non-drinking friends in my life to realize, oh, there is there is fun at things, and and yeah, it just totally he God really took care of me. I mean, he he put the right people in my place, in my in my life. And you know, my wife and I, you know, had our you know, our kids were around, and yeah, so for 15 years, never had a drop. And it was like, um, which I'm thankful for because that's when my kids kind of were growing up, so they don't really remember dad ever drinking or very little of him drinking. Um and so it's like, yeah, life was good. I I I was very involved in and a lot of things with when it came to church with different activities and um different just so many things my whole life almost evolved more around God, it it did, versus uh pizza ranch. And um you know, I had a a great reputation. And of just a good guy, you know. And then you know what? I I knew I was gonna answer this question about what what happened the day I bought a six-pack. And it's just like as weird as it sounds, um I I'm kind of a sensitive guy, and and things will hurt my feelings. It's just the way God made me. And God hurt my feelings. And he that's what it boils down to. He it's like there was this thing in my life, and it's like he purposely did the opposite, and it's like, and so I thought, screw it. And I I it was in the afternoon, I went to the convenience store, bought a six-pack, rode around and drank it. And then I went home, and my wife looks at me and says, Are you drinking? I said, Yes, I couldn't believe it myself. It was just the strangest thing. And I remember that and I I balled like a baby, think like, what did I do? Why did I do this? And what, you know, my son was in basketball in high school, and we had to go at a game that night. And I just remember riding, it was an away game. I just remember riding, you know, Marla drove, and yeah, I had a six-pack, so I couldn't drive. And and uh and I I cried the whole way there. I just can't figure out why I did that. And I I because it it just and and then you know, I I didn't become this raging alcoholic in a day. You know, it it was like a process of really the next 10 years. Every year got a little worse, got a little worse, got a little worse. And um different things in my life that I can point my finger to and say, well, you know, that's part of my problem. No, it's really, you know, it was my decision. And it it's like uh I I can blame this, I can blame that, but no, it was it was my decision. And I just uh, you know, the first eight years I I could hide it pretty well. And um, you know, some of my closest friends knew I was drinking and drinking pretty heavy, but some of those friends were drinking with me, and and then the last two years, you know, they wouldn't even drink with me anymore.

SPEAKER_03 24:44

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:45

Because I was no longer fun. You know, I just became this guy that if I started drinking, it I got to be a a butt, you know, and uh was no fun, but I didn't care. I thought, well, you know, I don't care what you guys think, I'm I'm gonna do this. And you know, my wife and I oh yeah, I put her through a lot of crap too, and um and it's just like it was it was this like uh it was out of control. And and I think about that. It's been you know not quite two years now, but it's just like I didn't care. I didn't care about anything. I didn't care about my wife, I didn't care about my marriage. I I love my kids, but I all I did was think about myself and cared about me. And that's what alcohol will do to you. It it doesn't make sense. I mean there's people listening that wow, that this doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense. My wife still doesn't get it. And but I get it, and you know, I go to AA on Thursday nights and they get it too. They understand it. And it's like it's just the craziest thing. What alcohol, if if you can't control it, what'll do to you?

SPEAKER_01 26:12

It's it's true. I I don't get it. I ex I accept it, and I I see it's a it's a real thing. I'm wondering what happened that night after the I hear regret and remorse through those 10 years, but especially in that very first night, you were saying, Why did I do this? Why not reset? Why not um take that regret and and turn it into motivation?

SPEAKER_02 26:36

I I don't the mind is powerful. It's like, well, it's been a week since I've had a beer. I can have another one. Uh it's been two weeks, uh it's been a day. It's it's you can you can think you can make yourself think anything, but it's like but it was fun again. After, you know, it's like, oh, went to a couple different wedding parties or or different things. It's like or even a romantic dinner with your wife, having a couple glasses of wine, a couple more glasses of wine.

SPEAKER_00 27:13

It it's just like yeah, it it just did Marla when she looked at you and she said, You've been drinking. Do you think did you have you guys talked about that moment? And did she panic in like a oh no, here we go? Like, because it's a it's a real thing. We get a taste, and that's why they say you can. I know in my heart I cannot, and I never will play with with alcohol because it's that you allowed it in, and then it just spirals. It spirals so quickly, and like you said before, you know it, you don't care about anything around you. All you care about is your next drink, where you're gonna stop to get it. It literally consumes you minute by minute, down to the point of almost death. And those that don't understand, like Amos just said in in Marla, there is this fear, right? When Amos hears this, there's that. I'm sure in the back of your mind is a little bit of a Well, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:15

I think 15 years from now or sometime in the future, there is this, there was this, you know, there could be an event that we uh can't predict and just a thing. And then we spend these hours after next you know, the next time after that, just this really difficult period. And I know we'll get through it, but that period is hard. And and I saw the regret and the remorse in your face that of what um your family went through. And I'm he I'm just hearing how controlling it is and how spontaneous that one decision can can be in effect years after that. And yeah, it's a that's a real it's a real um something that's in my heart. It's not something I live out of fear of or think of the first thing in the morning, but it's you know, it's a real thing.

SPEAKER_00 29:01

My prayer, my prayer every single morning, and you probably are there now. Now because you went to treatment, um, and which we'll get we'll speak to that, but um, I did let my guard down once, five months after getting out of treatment and dabbled. Peppermint schnapps. And Amos did the same thing. We passed each other in the hallway and he looked at me and he's like, You've been drinking. And then just, you know, that was the moment that I realized I cannot let my guard down ever. Like I every morning wake up and I ask for for all the armor of God, because that's the moment you said you had a weak moment where you were upset with God and you just went and picked up a six-pack. So just like that is how quickly our worlds can flip on its head. And so for any listener who is struggling with alcoholism or has that just the temptation at all to maybe dabble back in it, I just, man, hear it from Adrian. I to not don't do it. Man, it takes what they say um, give yourself five minutes. It'll pass. Five minutes is it. That urge, like I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it. And then you're supposed to wait it out five to ten minutes and go do call someone, go do something um productive away from that thought, and it will wear off, and you'll be so grateful that you did.

SPEAKER_02 30:26

You'll never regret it.

SPEAKER_00 30:28

No, no. Um, so just encouragement from that, man. I call, call, have one person that you can call to just talk you through it. I know that sponsors a lot of times will do that for you, but so Adri, the tell us a little bit about the breaking moment because I I guarantee in those 10 years, your kids not having seen it growing up, I just your four kids and what they were thinking in your wife, and then the moment was like it's time for help.

SPEAKER_02 30:57

Yeah. You know, uh there was, you know, that it like the last year was just I'm I'm just you know, um, I'm just glad I'm alive, you know. I that I and I I didn't kill somebody on the road or or because it, you know, but I basically what happened, um, I was out drinking. I I you know one of my favorite things to do is if I was gone, you know, to start drinking in the morning instead of my coffee. I it's just it's just I loved it.

SPEAKER_00 31:35

Yeah, so did I.

SPEAKER_02 31:36

And uh it's just you think, what? Six in the morning?

SPEAKER_03 31:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:42

I just loved it. And yeah, by three in the afternoon, you know, you're not doing very well. And uh I was at Lake Okoboji, and I went to go get something to eat and basically uh passed out in this parking lot, and the cops came and you know, somebody called in and said, Hey, there's this guy. I think he's, you know, they picked me up and I woke up in jail and I I don't remember what happened. And that was at three in the afternoon. So it's like, and I it was and I'm thankful it was the longest night of my life. You know, I because I didn't sleep. Once I woke up, it's like, what happened? Where am I? What did I do? Oh my goodness. What what happened? You know, I just no one's telling you anything. No, no one's telling me anything, you know.

SPEAKER_00 32:33

Um it's just so you don't remember them actually coming to your car, putting you in the none of that, right? So that is a that's a really scary thing because there's so many times, even when I was in treatment, that they talked about blackouts and brown blurs and how that's those are the moments where you get in a car accident and you end up killing somebody else and you don't remember. Half the the guys that we spoke to in the prison when we I asked if it was a um alcohol or drug-related um incident. And we heard from multiple of those individuals that they don't remember. They they're they're literally their mind was off when murder was committed or the car accident or whatever it was. And so how how how crazy that is that you wake up and you're in jail and you don't remember any of it. That's yeah, wow. It is so scary. So what was who who showed up?

SPEAKER_02 33:31

Like how did Well, I you know, I got out in the morning, so and then uh one of the jailers I actually knew, she was from my hometown, and she says, You w need a ride somewhere? I said, Well, I I need to go to my vehicle. And they said, Well, they impounded it. So, but so they she gave me a ride over there. I called my wife and said, Hey, I'm coming home and I I got some stuff to talk to you about. And so I got home and I said, You know what, Marla, I need I got arrested last night. I got DUI and um it was just a bad deal, and I I need help. I I realize it now. And I, you know, there were other things throughout the last year that I should have got help quicker, but for this is the one, this is the one that did it for me. And when I uh said that I'm gonna get help, she got on to friends right away and for people that she knew that had gone to help or knew people who went to help because she wanted the right place for me. I was one of our franchisees, uh pretty good friend of mine now. He went to treatment, so I called him up. I said, Where'd you go? And he told me, and um yeah, I could have drove there, you know, and it was four weeks. And my wife found this place down in Arizona. I I couldn't drive there, and it was six weeks. I don't want to be gone. I was gonna be gone over Thanksgiving, and it's like I want to be gone. I just, you know, six weeks is a long time. And four weeks is a long time. And and she says, you know what, Adrian, I don't want you home. Yeah, I want you out of here. And so I listened to her, and I went down, it's called the Meadows, down by Phoenix, and yeah, it was the right place for me.

SPEAKER_00 35:19

Good, good. So six full weeks.

SPEAKER_02 35:21

Yeah, six full weeks.

SPEAKER_01 35:23

Yeah, yeah. I'm I remember our decision. I was looking forward to some peace and quiet, some not fighting. Yeah, so I I sympathize with that.

SPEAKER_00 35:33

Yeah, I remember thinking too same thing. I can't go that way. The world will fall apart if I leave. You're not how are they gonna survive? Yeah, they've been surviving without us for quite some time.

unknown 35:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:45

Literally, been holding it, holding the family together. We just cause chaos. So you get you get back, and you're two almost two years in now of well, October will be two years.

SPEAKER_02 36:00

A good year and a half, yeah. Great.

SPEAKER_00 36:02

That is, aren't you so grateful?

SPEAKER_02 36:05

No, my prayer it's just thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. I don't know what else to say to him, but that's my prayer every morning. So thank you, thank you, thank you. Because every day you get a mind a little clearer, yeah, and a little more.

unknown 36:23

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 36:23

I just what was wrong with me? What was how could that control me like that? And and and that's good because the the more I think about it, the more I don't ever want because I left there still. When I went, I thought, yeah, never gonna have fun again.

unknown 36:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:43

You know, and I really felt that way. And and then when I got out, you know, it's like, no, there's there's a lot to this, but boy, there's certain things I'm gonna miss. I don't I maybe a romantic dinner with my wife. Having a glass of wine would probably the only thing I miss right now. Otherwise, nothing, none of it. None of it. Yes. It's just it's evil to me. A lot of people can drink, and it's not, but for me, it's evil.

SPEAKER_00 37:15

It's pure evil. Yeah. And it is, it just like the phones, I think, is the devil's taser in our society. I feel like the the alcohol is just straight from the devil. Yeah. And there's so many studies now today. If you I'm I'm so intrigued by neuroscience and and what alcohol does to our brain and to our body. And there is, there now is a lot of studies that are proven that alcohol has absolutely zero benefits. Like even wine. They say wine is drink a wine glass of wine a day and it's healthy for your body. It actually is not. And there are a lot of studies in that. That's not just um so that just the pressure and all the things that I think of with alcohol and how we have to explain to people why we're not drinking. It's the the society and the pressures and the acceptance. And I I want so much for people to understand how incredibly dangerous it is. It is for our kids, it is for those who have alcoholism. Like when people, I'm because I'm so open and there's no one asking me anymore, right? Because everyone knows. But before when people would ask, I'm like, it's a it, it's a it's a matter of life or death for me. That is why. Like I don't, and are there days and times that I go, it's not fair. It's not fair that I'm not normal. Because Amos is normal and I'm the alcoholic, and he can have one or two, and actually that's okay. And it, you know, but then again, he talks about his gluten intolerant, and I can have a big old burger with a juicy bun, and he can't, you know. So it's like this it's not fair. Not fair.

SPEAKER_01 38:55

So not cool.

SPEAKER_00 38:56

There are certain things in life that are just they're not good. There's just not good for us as individuals, and we really have to take a stance and we have to choose to not go there for this for our sake, for our family's sake, for those around us. Like the best thing I could have ever, ever given this world is a sober Heather with a sober mind. Amen to that.

SPEAKER_01 39:18

Because and a sober Adri.

SPEAKER_00 39:20

Yeah. Yeah. Like we got that that that's the reason the devil was after us, is because we have a lot to say and we're not scared to say it. Because we're living this life out for Christ. And so what do you think the next 10 years looks like for you, Adri?

SPEAKER_02 39:36

Next 10 years, uh, I'll be in my 70s. So, you know, it's like uh hopefully retirement and that my kids completely take everything over there. But I, you know, um I I like I'm not a great speaker, but I'm I'm like you said, you know, we're we're open. We're not we don't hide secrets. It's not like um and if we can help somebody through our story, you know. Um so that that's kind of my goal, probably the next so many years that, you know, if if people want to hear me talk, I'll talk. And or if people want to hear my story, or you know, we've had you know people call us up and say, you know what, my kids or my husband or or this and that, and uh can you sit down with us and talk? And well, how how do you make them quit? It's like you don't.

SPEAKER_00 40:30

No, you don't.

SPEAKER_02 40:31

No. You can say anything you want.

unknown 40:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:35

That was that was gonna be my question. What do you what um there's when you talk this though? You can give encouragement to the one who's on the receiving end of someone who's going just receiving the the hardship that comes with dealing with someone who's an addict. You can give them the encouragement and say they'll get over it, they just gonna need to get to the bottom. But what can you say, if anything, to the person who's going through it right now and experiencing what you experience at your lowest point?

SPEAKER_02 41:08

As the person who's drinking, yeah. Like I you know, I think about you know, with me, I was praying the last year, year and a half, very half-heartedly. God, I don't want to drink stop drinking because I love it, but you gotta do something. And I would pray that very softly, because I didn't even know if I wanted him to hear that prayer. But somehow he heard it and he heard my heart breaking. I think it does break. It does. Um and he saved me that night. Um there's just nothing else I can look at that he answered my prayer. And yeah, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. So it's like uh, but it's you know, for the person like my wife, you know, she could answer that quick. Because I I'm not gonna tell somebody to stick it out. Um but don't stop praying. I mean um and and supporting, but yeah, I I'll leave it at that.

SPEAKER_00 42:24

Amos has said a couple different times, well actually you you've said it more than a couple, but just the whole um like divorce wasn't on the table. But yet he didn't know what it looked like to be separated, or to what like what how we were gonna navigate through it, or even if I was gonna quit, or you know, like how God's divine intervention happened to both you and to and to me. Um I just my encouragement is for like what Marla and for Amos is this Adri and this Heather is so worth is so worth it. Like we like we're on fire, and I I know that every single alcoholic or every person has it in them. It's in there, but this disease is so powerful. It is alcohol is powerful, the disease is powerful, and yet the prayer, like God has not, He is He is pursuing every single one of His children and He will not give up. So to pray, pray, pray, don't enable. I think the enabling piece. Um, I'm so grateful Amos did not enable that when I had that um small little relapse in May. He's like, no, here's the line, you cross it, this is what's gonna happen. If A happens, B is gonna happen. And I knew he was not messing around. And it wasn't a threat, it was more of a for us the facts. Yes, here are the facts. And when you get to the place of the parking lot and you're packaging. Out and your blood alcohol level is probably a point four something. Like, I don't did they tell you what you blew?

SPEAKER_02 44:05

Yeah, I don't remember. It was very high.

SPEAKER_00 44:07

Yeah, yeah. To the point where we we drink so much that we drink and black out and wake back up and do it again. Like that, that is really, really scary. And um, you know, I can say it's just a matter of time before something bad happens. That's the point of of alcohol. It doesn't, it doesn't just stay medium and you don't just keep walking this fine line and you're fine. It it you hit, you hit it, you hit rock bottom. So it and that is a that's scary. It's a you don't want to live in fear, but it is just it's inevitable that something bad at the at the other side is gonna happen if you don't quit.

SPEAKER_03 44:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:47

So oh well, Adrian, I am in the same place as you. I can't stop sharing my story. And I know a lot of people hear it over and over and over, and it feels redundant when we share it. But we get so many calls and people reaching out on Facebook Messenger and people that will bump into me in different places and say, Hey, I just want to say thank you for sharing your story. Because for the first time I felt seen. Like there are so many people hiding and not knowing where to go or who to turn to or how to how to get help. Um, and so by saying they can reach out to us or to, I mean, like I'll help people find a solution, find a place for healing and a way to to step into this recovery journey because it's so beautiful and it's hard, but it's good. It's so good to have a sober mind. Do you do you agree?

SPEAKER_02 45:41

Oh, so good. It's so fun. It's just so and it is fun. We're still fun.

SPEAKER_00 45:46

We are still fun.

SPEAKER_02 45:47

Yeah, more fun.

SPEAKER_01 45:49

Yeah, people want to be with us again. So yeah. I can see it in the smile on your face. Yeah, I can see it in your expression, and I can see it in yours together, of course, always. But I could see the joy you're experiencing that you didn't think you could experience like this. And so congratulations. It's a beautiful thing to see. Thanks.

SPEAKER_00 46:06

Yeah. And for your family too, just the whole Pizza Ranch family. Like you started a legacy and you've you're continuing your legacy, Adri. So it's just fun to be a part of that. So thank you so much for being here today.

SPEAKER_02 46:21

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 46:22

Is there any last final things you want to say?

SPEAKER_02 46:25

Two quick things. Uh I think for me and for you both, we had a great um system around us of support.

SPEAKER_00 46:34

Correct.

SPEAKER_02 46:35

And so for people who are sober and don't have a issue with drinking, and you have a friend or a loved one, I mean support them wholeheartedly. Because if you don't have that support, I mean, I when I went to uh treatment, I had people that I was with saying, hey, as soon as I get home, my wife's gonna have the vodka on the table because I'm her favorite drinking partner.

SPEAKER_03 47:00

Right.

SPEAKER_02 47:01

Well, what's the chances of that person still being sober today? It's about zero. And so, and I I when you talk too a little bit about God pursues us, you know, I went to a treatment place that wasn't God-centered, not even close. And oh my goodness, things I learned there, the things I've seen there, it's like, wow, I I do live in Northwest Iowa, I guess. But it's like, but it was amazing, even though God wasn't wanted there, and God really wasn't even allowed there. Um God was pursuing every person there, and as a believer, kind of sitting in the background, it was so obvious. Oh, cool. It was just like, wow, God. You want everybody, not just certain people. Everybody out there he's pursuing, and uh, I'll it was just the coolest thing.

SPEAKER_01 48:08

Wow, yeah, what a beautiful thing to see that there's sinners who have who have turned their back on God, denied them, and yet God is still pursuing them. And you could see that. What a great God we have.

SPEAKER_00 48:19

Yeah, and Adri, like this is the peace that is so like all we're doing is living our life for Christ. Christ gives us this joy, the smiles on our face, the pure, it's like a peace and an understanding and a joy of everything around us. All I want to do is serve people and love people. What is so wrong with that? You know what I mean? When people are scared of being a Christian or believing in Christ, it's like, man, why would you not want to feel so complete and not need any extra substance of any kind? I mean, coffee is an exception.

SPEAKER_02 49:01

Yeah, it's an exception.

SPEAKER_00 49:02

But like, there's there's a lot of that that I'm like, man, this is what life is all about, is this right here. That he took us from the pit of hell here on earth and redeemed our lives. And we sit in front of each other today, sharing in the same sort of pain and suffering, but ultimately he pursued us, he won, and now we're living our life for him.

SPEAKER_01 49:28

Yeah, it's so fun. I'm curious. What what you said you learned a lot in treatment. What are what are a couple of the big things that the biggest takeaways?

SPEAKER_02 49:39

Yeah. Uh they they focus on your first 18 years of life, you know, and so I learned a lot about why I do the things I do. I mean, and which um yeah, uh some of it's really hard. And it it was some of it was really crazy. It's like, wow, you know, I I my wife's a social worker, so she thrives on my stories and telling about what they all did to me there. It's like, but a lot of people to go, mmm, I don't think. But anyway, but a couple big takeaways. Uh, they teach you your um uh trigger points. So, you know, and as soon as I get trigger points, I I know what they are, and I gotta back off, gotta back up. Okay, um this is really doing this to me. I gotta, you know, so and I and and you know, I got three or four of them, and I got I I know what they are. And then the the other one, big takeaway was um just uh I can't even think of it now, but there was two, yeah, it's gone.

SPEAKER_00 50:57

The triggers are is a really real uh that's a big piece. Yeah. Yep. And the trauma that we bury that surfaces that and they are the trigger.

SPEAKER_01 51:06

Yeah. Yeah. My I tell you, my biggest is going through um your journey, my biggest takeaway and biggest realization was that it's uh hereditary. Yeah. It's passed down. And that the choice really wasn't there, it was just a matter of time before it kicked in, given your surroundings. And it wasn't something that you built over time. It was uh something waiting to explode.

SPEAKER_03 51:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:35

Would you would you agree with that?

SPEAKER_02 51:36

Yeah, I I do. I you know, I yeah, like I said, I have four kids and and I sat down with one of them oh, maybe three months ago, and just said, you know, I know you like your alcohol. Just have a couple rules set in place because you are my son and there are hereditary things there, and uh you are a lot like me, and just don't ever have it in the house. Have that one rule. And uh whether he listens or not, I don't know. But I yeah.

SPEAKER_00 52:10

That's a rule we have in ours too. If it's in the house, that that's just unwanted temptation. That'd be awful. Yeah, I just like I'm so grateful that you I don't hold firecrackers in my hand when I light them.

SPEAKER_01 52:24

You know what I mean? Is that a good analogy? Like I don't just don't do dumb things like that. Yeah, like like have alcohol in the house where it's just it's I know what's gonna do. It's the you know what the risk is. And it doesn't make sense.

SPEAKER_00 52:37

The other piece too that I've I'll say to a lot of different people that that reach out to me, it's educate yourself, read everything you can, listen to podcasts, talk, I mean, from a spiritual journey, but in the earthly, the earthly parts of alcohol and what it does, and how to better assist your partner if they are an alcoholic and they are actively drinking. And there are there's there's things that you can say that will trigger them to drink more, and there's ways that you can love on them and speak to them in a way that makes them not want to drink. I mean, there's man, and when you know better, you can do better. And so not to sit and point fingers and do victimization and all the different things, like just learn, dig in, and per and you have to be able to pursue your partner, and it you just can't do better unless you know better. I can always say that all the time, and Amos is like, yes, I love this Heather, because I'm all about learning and trying to help people. Um, so that's one more piece that I would I would definitely recommend.

SPEAKER_03 53:41

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 53:43

Well, this has been so great. Thank you so much for sharing your story, Adrian. I know it's not easy, but it's definitely going to change so many lives. And the more that you get in front of people, and the more I mean, business people that struggle with this, that's one piece of it that I'm really passionate about is the high-functioning alcoholics like you and I, where we can maintain a career and we can run a business and have a family and do it all, do it all. And yet behind the scenes, we're literally killing ourselves. And so I am all about reaching them as well. And um, so it'll be fun to to do this together.

SPEAKER_02 54:22

So thank you so much. Appreciate, appreciate it very much. So thank you. Yeah, you're welcome. Yes, thanks for reopening.

SPEAKER_00 54:28

And we will uh we'll have ways and uh different things in the show notes that if you needed to reach out to Adri or are just more curious about the pizza ranch or opening up a franchise. I think you have a goal. You have a goal uh coming up.

SPEAKER_02 54:43

500 stores is our goal.

SPEAKER_00 54:45

So and you're at 218.

SPEAKER_02 54:49

That sounded defeated. Well, I know. It's like I got a ways to go.

SPEAKER_00 54:53

So you are gonna get there. You have great help and your sons, and um, there's a there's a lot of different things that we'll put in the show notes so that people can find out more about you. All right. Thank you. Thank you.