Scaling the Most Epic Wave of Comeback Stories the World Has Ever Seen with Chris Thompson of Sober Sidekick

Summary
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Chris Thompson, Founder and CEO of Sober Sidekick, a free sobriety app that helps users maintain their sobriety by connecting with a community of people who can empathize with where they are. Sober Sidekick allows users to become the hero of their own recovery and helps them reach unimaginable new heights. Following his own battle with addiction, Chris created Sober Sidekick to be a support system for individuals in their darkest moments and to show them that no matter what, they are never alone. Throughout the episode, James and Chris discuss the inspiration behind Sober Sidekick, who Sober Sidekick aims to help and why Sober Sidekick was established in Bentonville.

Thanks for tuning in!

Show Notes:
(0:53) Introduction to Chris
(2:31) Founding Sober Sidekick
(6:19) About Sober Sidekick
(9:38) Sober Sidekick’s Users
(12:15) Why Northwest Arkansas?
(17:37) About Bentonville’s Startup Ecosystem
(20:17) Benefits of Living in Bentonville
(28:33) What’s Next for Sober Sidekick
(33:00) Closing Question

Quotes
“As I began my own recovery journey and reflected on all the different factors that kept me down for so long, I asked, ‘How could we build something that creates a world where it’s easier for people to climb out of this pit?’” - Chris Thompson, (2:55)

“It’s an app available in app stores for iOS and Android, and it’s endless support around the clock in real time. The one thing I’ll say is people don’t use [Sober Sidekick] for its features, they come back for each other and that’s the difference maker, community.” - Chris Thompson, (8:19)

“What I found the most positive [about Bentonville] is the intentionality. Here are our goals. Here’s what we want to see happen in the alignment of leaders across the different spaces. That’s what has been the most exciting to me, the willingness to collaborate and seeing each other as teammates versus strangers.” - Chris Thompson, (17:58)

“Our mission is to scale to the most epic wave of real life comeback stories the world has ever seen. That’s a mission that won’t end until all twenty-two million Americans who are chronically suffering have found their journey.” - Chris Thompson, (28:33)