Jason Mayo | Childhood Trauma, Dark Humor & The Long Road to Recovery | Sober Not Subtle

Today’s guest is JasonMayo—writer, advocate, storyteller, and the founder of Sober Not Subtle,a platform dedicated to demolishing the stigma around addiction, mental health,and recovery through raw honesty, dark humor, and lived experience.

Jason is a CertifiedRecovery Peer Advocate (CRPA), Certified Addictions Recovery Coach(CARC), and NYC Certified Peer Specialist, working on the front lines every day:
• Running a weekly dads’ group
• Facilitating peer support inside his county jail
• Teaching Narcan trainings
• Speaking at schools and community coalitions
• Helping people navigate mental health and addiction with compassion and truth

But before stepping into behavioral health, Jason spent decades as a successful creative entrepreneur—owning award-winning animation and VFX studios in NYC and working with some of the world’s biggest brands. He’s also a Twitch Partner, tattoo collector, metalhead, zombie fan, and former top-ranked dad blogger whose writing earned him national attention from BlogHer, Babble, and WorkingMother, who named him one of the “25 Dads Who Rock” alongside Barack Obama.

Jason got sober in 2010—and built a life grounded in service, storytelling, and second chances.

His upcoming memoir, In Case of Emergency, Break Childhood, releases September 9, 2025. Told with brutal honesty, gut-punch humor, and enormous heart, the book explores:
• Childhood trauma
• Addiction
• Depression
• Identity
• Fatherhood
• Recovery
• What it truly takes to rebuild a life from nothing

If your listeners have faced pain, secrecy, shame, or the long process of putting the pieces back together—Jason’s story will hit home in the best possible way.

🔥In This Episode, Jason Shares:

✔ How childhood trauma shapes adult mental health
✔ The hidden emotional lives of men and fathers
✔ The truth about addiction most people never hear
✔ Why humor is a survival tool, not a distraction
✔ How to talk to kids about mental health
✔ What recovery REALLY looks like (not the Instagram version)
✔ What he’s learned after 15 years sober and working with others in crisis
✔ Why storytelling saves lives

🧡 About Jason Mayo

• Founder, Sober Not Subtle
• Certified Peer Advocate & Recovery Coach
• Behavioral health & community outreach professional
• Former VFX/animation company owner
• Nationally recognized dad blogger
• Contributor to The Sober Curator and Forbes Business Council
• Author of two children’s books benefiting kids affected by trauma
• Husband of 30+ years and father of two

His memoir, In Case of Emergency, Break Childhood, is for readers who love David Sedaris, Augusten Burroughs, or anyone who’s lived through falling apart—and coming backstronger.

🔗 Connect With Jason

🌐 Website: sobernotsubtle.com

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