About Haler Smith
Recovery Isn't Just Something I Put on a Shirt. It's Part of My Life.
My name is Haler Smith, and my sobriety date is February 8, 1999.
Recovery has been part of my life for over 27 years. I still attend meetings, I still have a sponsor, I sponsor other men, and I continue to be involved in the recovery community.
It's not something from my past that I decided would make a good theme for a business.
I've lived it. I still live it.
And that's important because Haler Smith comes from that experience.
Why I Created Haler Smith
Recovery means something.
A sobriety date means something. A milestone means something. The symbols and sayings we recognize mean something.
I created Haler Smith because I wanted recovery merchandise for people who understand what those things represent—whether you're buying something for yourself, celebrating another year of sobriety, thanking a sponsor, or finding a meaningful gift for someone you care about.
Sometimes it's a shirt or hoodie that lets you wear your recovery with pride.
Sometimes it's a personalized item with a sobriety date or year.
Sometimes it's simply a gift that says:
“I know what this accomplishment means.”
That's what I want Haler Smith products to represent.
A Little About My Story
My journey to sobriety wasn't a straight line.
Alcohol took my life places I never expected it to go, including treatment at 19 years old and quickly returned to drinking. Nine months later, on February 8, 1999, I got sober. I've been sober ever since.
A lot of life has happened since then.
Young in Sobriety, Marriage. Divorce. Raising a family. Sponsorship. Service. Difficult times and some incredible ones.
One of the biggest changes in how I look at my life today is the difference between saying “I have to” and “I get to.”
I get to show up.
I get to help people.
I get to be there for my family.
I get to participate in my life.
If you'd like to hear more about how I got here, you can watch My Story on my YouTube channel.
What Haler Smith Is About
Haler Smith isn't here to tell anyone how to get sober or how they should live their recovery.
We're here to celebrate it.
I'm proud of my sobriety, and I know I'm not alone in wanting things around me that represent something that's had such an enormous impact on my life.
That's why I create products that celebrate sobriety, recognize milestones, show appreciation for sponsors, and give people ways to express what recovery means to them.
If you find something here that means something to you—or something that helps you celebrate someone you care about—then Haler Smith is doing what I created it to do.
Thanks for being here.
— Haler Smith