CLTIVATE is way more than just another Charlotte apparel company

Over the past month I’ve been noticing the CLTIVATE logo all around town, from a guy wearing a CLTIVATE hat at the gym to two girls donning the same logo walking their dogs, I wondered if a new Charlotte fashion line started up.

After doing some online research and then talking with the founder of Zack Gudzan, I soon discovered it wasn’t just another print T-shirt company in our area. CLTIVATE is movement to inspire “1 million people to get sober and start living,” according to the website.

One of the greatest challenges of sobriety is learning to be social without a drink in your hand. Some think it’s pretty much a death sentence – I did too. It honestly took me about a year to start being social. But I knew in my heart that if I didn’t learn to have fun the right way, I would most definitely end up in the bars again getting blackout and making the decisions that led to my downfall. • Now, I’m completely comfortable in my own skin. I’m comfortable going to places like the Whitewater Center (where EVERYONE is drinking) & just being myself. Because I know that I’m better off without it. • That being said, it was a process. So if you’re in early sobriety and you’re wondering why your life isn’t “magical” yet, please understand the WORK that goes into long-term sobriety and happiness. This is a result of a ton of AA meetings, a ton of prayer, and a ton of brutal honesty with myself. It’s also a result always surrounding myself with people who have my best interest at heart. My friends know I’m sober, and I don’t go anywhere without at least one person knowing my situation. (Shout out to all my true friends – you know who you are!) • If you ever have questions about how to stop drinking or the sober life, in general…please know that I’m right here. Message me anytime on this page or @zgudzan – I’m an open book, and I’m happy to hear you out! #CLTIVATE #soberlife #liveoutloud #exploreclt #soberissexy

A post shared by CLTIVATE (@cltivate) on May 2, 2017 at 4:44am PDT

But to really understand it, we have to dive into Gudzan’s past.

Gudzan, 29, moved to Charlotte in 2013 after graduating from Samford College and kept to his party animal ways spending a lot of his money at bars and clubs. He eventually quit his recruiting job and moved back to Birmingham, Ala., to continue his partying ways as a 26-year-old self-proclaimed “coke head” and “alcoholic.”

Realizing that drugs and alcohol were keeping him from accomplishing anything he wanted to do, Gudzan get sober in September 2014. And the day after his first Alcoholics Anonymous class, he got a call from his old Charlotte recruiting boss asking how he was doing, and this conversation led to him being hired back to work in Charlotte.

Gudzan immediately fell back in love with the Queen City and had a new outlook on life, but he still wasn’t being fulfilled with his work life. So he decided to start the CLTIVATE clothing line.

At first he didn’t find a true purpose behind the brand. Then he revealed all about his journey to sobriety in a Facebook post to his friends and family. To his surprise, everyone received his news with open arms and praise, which led him to transform his CLTIVATE brand last year.

CLTIVATE now helps “cultivate” the fight against people suffering with drug and alcohol addiction. He uses Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to communicate with others battling addiction.

Gudzan goes beyond social media with his outreach, setting up community events such as a recent Knockerball tournament, Addiction Awareness coffee meet ups and speaking engagements at churches.

From late night phone calls with an alcoholic being pressured to drink to being a sponsor at AA meetings, Gudzan goes above and beyond his tweets and Instagram messages. He tries to give others the power to resist the temptations of drinking or taking drugs and channel it to find “true happiness” and purpose, like he did through CLTIVATE.

You can donate to CLTIVATE’s cause or purchase a hat, shirt or tanktop on its website. It’s a simple, sleek design, but more importantly, the logo has a deeper meaning behind it.

And remember, if you are battling a drug or alcohol addiction, you’re never alone — and Gudzan is only a quick Instagram or Facebook post away for getting the help you need.

Photos: Courtesy of CLTIVATE

This story was originally published June 1, 2017 at 9:44 PM with the headline "CLTIVATE is way more than just another Charlotte apparel company."