Balanced Bartender
Stay healthy, Bar Meisters
Amie Ward with Joshua Gandee
Amie Ward, with Special Guest Joshua Gandee of the No Proof Podcast
Hello everyone! Welcome to our August Balanced Bartender pep talk! This month, we're in Cleveland, Ohio, to talk with the founder of the No Proof Podcast, Joshua Gandee, to discuss his journey through the hospitality industry, his discovery, and now passion for running and the creation of the No Proof Podcast.
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Tell us about your journey in the hospitality industry.
My first jobs were as a busser/host at multiple national chain restaurants, and if that didn’t scare me away, I don’t know what could in this industry. I left to work as a server at a newer fine dining restaurant, where I later became a bartender. Bartending led me to running programs, managing, and to where I currently am as a consultant and podcast host to give back to the industry that formed me. In 2017 while managing a bar program, I decided to stop drinking. This sent me into a whirlwind of thought, thinking first, “can I stay in this industry if I’m not consuming what I sell” which ultimately led to me discovering, “I have to be the best version of myself so that I can give the best to others.” How I talked about myself changed the conversations I was a part of in the restaurant, and discovering other voices gave me a vocabulary and a deeper understanding of what this industry needs.
If you’re not working, you’re running. What ignited that passion for you? Are there any running goals you want to tackle?
I had hobbled off and on, mostly because I lived across from a park, and seeing people run gave me that thought of “hey, I can do that!” It’s way harder in the beginning than I thought it would be, and I found it at a time in my life when I wasn’t disciplined and didn’t always see things through. When the lockdown happened, my wife and I shared our house with my brother and his wife, who left Australia due to the uncertainty of the situation. I was no longer behind a bar, I wasn’t going into an office, and like everyone else, I was just at home. I started thinking about running because I heal and think best when I’m active. I quickly discovered that this was the replacement for my commute. Since I was working from home, I could leave the house in my running shoes as one version of myself and come back after a workout in a different mindset. This also gave way to a run streak I stuck out for 417 days until overuse caught up to me. I ran every single day, no matter where, how cold, hot, late, or early. Inside that, I also completed my first-ever marathon. Now that I am recovering from injury, my goals (that I’ve been crushing) are to run without a tracker and to find solace, peace, and enjoyment in my runs. It’s just me out there, and I love it. Running also gave me a way to compartmentalize my thoughts and a way to parse through the stress of the day. It’s a place where I can hold past selves, quiet intrusive thoughts, or simply listen to the sounds and find a good sweat.
What was your inspiration behind the No Proof podcast? What do you hope to accomplish with the project?
No Proof started because Lauren Paylor and Alex Jump of Focus On Health helped me discover that what I thought was a story not worth telling was actually the story that needed to be told. I stopped drinking after a sober October, and instead of celebrating at the end of it, as I had before, I took inventory of my thoughts, feelings, and health and decided to keep the streak going. The more I read about sobriety, the more I found disaster stories. Tales of rock bottom, handcuffs, or worse. Other than giving it up, it was tough to relate to much of what I found. In that sense, no proof exists to share the stories of others, including mine, to shine a light on the fact that there’s no wrong way to arrive at sobriety, gentle like me or otherwise. It taught me a vocabulary I wasn’t equipped with and led me to people I’d otherwise not have been lucky enough to know. It’s a podcast I didn’t have, for a version of myself who needed it.
Tell us about your journey in the hospitality industry.
My first jobs were as a busser/host at multiple national chain restaurants, and if that didn’t scare me away, I don’t know what could in this industry. I left to work as a server at a newer fine dining restaurant, where I later became a bartender. Bartending led me to running programs, managing, and to where I currently am as a consultant and podcast host to give back to the industry that formed me. In 2017 while managing a bar program, I decided to stop drinking. This sent me into a whirlwind of thought, thinking first, “can I stay in this industry if I’m not consuming what I sell” which ultimately led to me discovering, “I have to be the best version of myself so that I can give the best to others.” How I talked about myself changed the conversations I was a part of in the restaurant, and discovering other voices gave me a vocabulary and a deeper understanding of what this industry needs.
If you’re not working, you’re running. What ignited that passion for you? Are there any running goals you want to tackle?
I had hobbled off and on, mostly because I lived across from a park, and seeing people run gave me that thought of “hey, I can do that!” It’s way harder in the beginning than I thought it would be, and I found it at a time in my life when I wasn’t disciplined and didn’t always see things through. When the lockdown happened, my wife and I shared our house with my brother and his wife, who left Australia due to the uncertainty of the situation. I was no longer behind a bar, I wasn’t going into an office, and like everyone else, I was just at home. I started thinking about running because I heal and think best when I’m active. I quickly discovered that this was the replacement for my commute. Since I was working from home, I could leave the house in my running shoes as one version of myself and come back after a workout in a different mindset. This also gave way to a run streak I stuck out for 417 days until overuse caught up to me. I ran every single day, no matter where, how cold, hot, late, or early. Inside that, I also completed my first-ever marathon. Now that I am recovering from injury, my goals (that I’ve been crushing) are to run without a tracker and to find solace, peace, and enjoyment in my runs. It’s just me out there, and I love it. Running also gave me a way to compartmentalize my thoughts and a way to parse through the stress of the day. It’s a place where I can hold past selves, quiet intrusive thoughts, or simply listen to the sounds and find a good sweat.
What was your inspiration behind the No Proof podcast? What do you hope to accomplish with the project?
No Proof started because Lauren Paylor and Alex Jump of Focus On Health helped me discover that what I thought was a story not worth telling was actually the story that needed to be told. I stopped drinking after a sober October, and instead of celebrating at the end of it, as I had before, I took inventory of my thoughts, feelings, and health and decided to keep the streak going. The more I read about sobriety, the more I found disaster stories. Tales of rock bottom, handcuffs, or worse. Other than giving it up, it was tough to relate to much of what I found. In that sense, no proof exists to share the stories of others, including mine, to shine a light on the fact that there’s no wrong way to arrive at sobriety, gentle like me or otherwise. It taught me a vocabulary I wasn’t equipped with and led me to people I’d otherwise not have been lucky enough to know. It’s a podcast I didn’t have, for a version of myself who needed it.
How has the podcast impacted the local Ohio hospitality community?
It got people talking about nonalcoholic options. It led to publications featuring my menus, interviewing me about n/a options, and asking the question I first asked myself “what’s it like to be sober in the industry, and is it possible?”
Ohio, like the rest of the country, is broadening its horizons when it comes to what’s offered on a menu, an event, or simply hosting in the home. It’s becoming creative and inventive with the wording and creation of drinks and experiences. No Proof doesn’t exist because I think everyone should be sober like me, but to share the part of everyone’s story where you stop for a second, take inventory and listen to what your body is telling you about what and how you’re consuming.
Every month I like to provide a movement challenge to our viewers, and I was hoping you would take the reins for this month. So, what have you got for us?
Try to walk or run a mile every day for a month. Not everyone has to do a run streak for 417 days, but getting out the door no matter the weather or time gave me a newfound appreciation for my surroundings and instilled a discipline I didn’t think possible. Watch how your neighborhood evolves when you see it every day.
If people wanted to learn more about you, the podcast, or the wide array of services offered by the HR Department, how can they do so?
You can follow along with me, my running, my dumb jokes, what I’m drinking, and no proof on Instagram @joshuagandee and @fohealth or tune in wherever you find your podcasts.
For all the fun and wacky things HR does, you can head to historicrevelry.com
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
Cocktail: Gandee Alexander
Recipe:
- 1.5 parts Jägermeister Cold Brew (Optional)
- 1.5 part Coconut Milk
- One scoop of your favorite coffee ice cream
Garnish: Dust of nutmeg & dark chocolate
Glass: Coupe
Method: Shake with ice & strain into a chilled coupe, garnish & serve.
Inspiration:
Inspired by the flavors found in Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee, The Gandee Alexander exists for those moments when you have to get up to get down. Just enough coffee to make you feel alive, and one scoop of ice cream, because everyone deserves a treat.
Joshua Thomas Gandee is a bartender and creative, working in and around the restaurant industry for over a decade. Joshua quit drinking in 2017 and began creating a non-alcoholic culture in his city and beyond through recipes, recommendations, and a penchant for any water that bubbles. Joshua believes a change in mindset can produce a change in identity and works to be the best version of himself possible while helping to lift the spirits of those around him. Joshua lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife Laura and their alliterate pets, Betty and Bernard.

Amie Ward is a Veteran Bartender, exercise physiologist and has been outspoken on her fellow service industry members' health and wellness. When she is not pulling trucks and training for Strongwoman competitions, you can find Amie appreciating the finer things in life like Jägermeister.
IG: @thehealthtender
Website: The Healthtender
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