SHAIR 95: "The Book of Open" with Jason MacKenzie, Master the Art of VulnerabilitySHAIR 95: "The Book of Open" with Jason MacKenzie, Master the Art of Vulnerability
The SHAIR Recovery Podcast
Jason MacKenzie shares how losing his wife to bipolar disorder and suicide, then facing his own drinking, led him to embrace vulnerability, sobriety and a new kind of fatherhood. The conversation looks at grief, masculinity and practical tools that support a more honest, alcohol-free life.
1:20:30•6 Dec 2016
Mastering Vulnerability: Jason MacKenzie on Fatherhood, Grief and Life After Alcohol
Episode Overview
- Sharing your real story and asking for help can unlock unexpected support and connection.
- Alcohol often hides unprocessed grief, fear and insecurity rather than solving them.
- Redefining masculinity to include emotion and openness can strengthen relationships and mental health.
- Simple daily practices like exercise, affirmations and meditation can support long-term sobriety.
- Children’s honest feedback can become a powerful catalyst for meaningful change.
“If I could give newcomers one suggestion, I would say to share your story, your authentic story. If you need help, ask for help.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol after years of hiding behind a "hero" persona? This conversation between host Omar Pinto and guest Jason MacKenzie pulls back the curtain on that question with raw honesty and unexpected humour. Jason, a dad, husband, author and creator of The Book of Open, talks candidly about his decade-long struggle with alcohol, his wife's bipolar disorder and eventual suicide, and the carefully polished image he used to keep it all glued together.
He explains how he once used fitness to punish himself for the night before, and how sobriety turned exercise, affirmations and meditation into genuine acts of self‑kindness instead of damage control. He shares how his rigid idea of masculinity – being the emotionless "alpha" who never cracks – left him terrified of grief and feelings, and how booze became his only coping tool.
The turning point comes when his young daughter quietly says she’s "really disappointed" with how a day with him went, after he spent it drinking. Jason recalls, "If I could give newcomers one suggestion, I would say to share your story, your authentic story.
If you need help, ask for help, and you will be amazed at the people that are surrounding you who will help you." From there, he talks about getting sober, learning to grieve years after the fact, and building a new life centred on vulnerability, service, and being the kind of father his daughters deserve.
The episode also touches on different recovery paths beyond 12-step programmes, morning rituals, and the power of writing and sharing your story as a way to heal. If you’ve ever wondered whether opening up might actually make you stronger, this conversation might be the nudge you’ve been waiting for.
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