I am Brandon Novak, author, motivational speaker, former skateboarder, and co founder of Novak House, a men's recovery house celebrating it's second year anniversary AMA

Hey Brandon! First off, thank you. You have no idea how much you have helped me with my sobriety. I got sober at 22. Been clean for 227 days! You made me realize you could still be cool as shit being sober. My question is: How do you deal with anxiety or stresses now that you can’t rely on substances?

The way I deal with stressors today is that nothing compares to the stressors from living in active addiction. If I can survive a stressful day in active addiction I can handle any stressors from a normal day in life. I also work a program which is a huge part in every day of my life now

Yo Novak! Were you even asked to make an appearance in Jackass Forever at all?

No

What were your thoughts on Steve-O’s concerns about recovering addicts who become “professionally sober”?

My business is my business. Their business is not my business

Hows Phil doing? Hes like a dad to everyone, hope hes in good health.

Phil's doing great. As family and people do they get older. People get slower and everything but Phil is in great spirits and health but dealing with his family stuff as we all are. Love that man

Of course we all miss Ryan Dunn dearly. Any classic Dunn stories you’d be willing to share?

Years ago Bam was letting me live at his house but he didn't trust me to live there alone so Bam would have people babysit me. One of those people was Ryan Dunn. Before Ryann really became famous he had an apartment in downtown West Chester and he invited me over one day when Bam was away and we just hung out one day and shot pool. I will never forget that

Are there any viva La bam moments you could share that hasn’t been revealed?

Was mike vallely not a fan of you in that episode? Was that house really demolished?

Mike is a very temperamental fellow. He is a good friend, great guy, and during my active addiction I definitely was a lot to handle. He had some justifiable anger but the show highlighted and made the situation bigger than it was

What was your biggest inspiration behind getting clean? Who helped you the most?

I saw a video by Chris Herring and although I didn't believe in myself at the time I believed in his story and his success which helped inspire me

Apart from Bam, who would you say you were closest to out of the rest of the Jackass/CKY crew?

Raab and Dunn

Any advice for the parent or loved one of an addict who are tired of watching that person destroy their life with addiction?

I mean, I get it. I have to set my own boundaries and stick to them, but were there things your loved ones did to help make you seeking recovery something you wanted to do?

Loved me from a distance. The end of the day the choice to get clean is the individual

Hey Brandon, I was in a 30-day inpatient program a few months ago, and we watched videos of you for inspiration. Thanks for doing the AmA.

Since graduating this program, I've gone back to speak to groups at the rehab. Any message you would like passed along to people fresh out of detox?

Don't give up. Stay sober under any and all adverse consequences that come your way

Hey Brandon, I’m trying to quit drinking but I’m afraid I won’t be able to hang with my friends anymore or go to parties without obsessing over alcohol the whole time. Any tips for being able to socialize while sober?

Continue putting yourself out there. It gets better and easier with time

I see you occasionally post old videos of yourself and wondered how easy/hard is it to watch old footage of yourself back considering how far you’ve come?

I love watching old footage of myself. Our defects can become our assets. I pray to god when I post old footage people can see that and see how far I've come and use that in their own recovery

Worst injury from a stunt?

Broke all of my ribs at the same time, a concussion, and once I was in the ambulance the police came and served me a warrant for a felony. Hurt in every way

Bless you Novak, so glad you are happy and well. Do you still keep in touch with the Viva la Bam crowd (Dico, Raab, Rake)? You were all a big part of my teens, and made the bad days better with your antics. I will always cheer for you man!

Raab and Rake yes, Dico no

Was there anything you had to do on jackass or Viva la bam that you were actually upset about doing? Glad you're doing well with sobriety

No. In my active addiction every stunt was an addition to my notoriety and fed me. A win win at the time

What’s your typical diet and exercise routine like now?

I hate food so I eat the same thing everyday. I start my day with two packets of steel cut oatmeal, organic raspberries and black berries. Lunch an apple and a protein drink and for dinner salmon. Dessert is what gets me though. My exercise routine is every day and I am constantly posting routines on instagram

Do you no longer skateboard at all or just occasionally since you say "former skateboarder"?

I do still skateboard. That's what people say about me and my house manager that set this all up just used my Wiki bio. I skated last night and have a new video part coming out soon that I will post. A new trick that I have never done. At 43 I probably skate more so now

Do you use sunscreen and moisturiser? Your skin looks great!

I use it all. Gifts of sobriety

jesus dude, you look better now than you did 10 years ago. big props, the glow up is wild.

Do you have any lasting fears after breaking both your legs on that halfpipe? i think it was during bams unholy union?

That I never want to break them again

Where is George the Greek?

We were live streaming this AMA and he called us as we read off this question. He is with his fiancé most likely

What's been the most heart warming moment you've had since you opened the house?

Seeing people get their lives back. I've seen multiple people come into these houses with nothing but trash bags of clothes similar to myself. I have one guy that came with nothing but a bag and a warrant. He now is one of helping house managers and just bought his first car in just 9 months

Novak!

Just want to say first that you are a massive inspiration. From the guy on Viva la Bam and Jackass, the guy that inspired killing loneliness, to one of the most inspirational recovery stories out there along with your buddy Steve. I will not focus the questions there as I’m sure there will be many, but I truly hope our other buddy is doing better and at least sees the light at this point, I know you care a lot about him and I wish you both the best.

My question is this: how do you keep from overextending yourself emotionally? You let yourself be reachable much more than anyone I can think of in your position. What sorts of daily steps do you take to manage your emotional health and maintain your sobriety?

Thanks again for all the laughs back in the day and the inspiration currently. Seems like you and steveo are a two of a kind success story considering your depths.

Much love brandon!

Practice setting boundaries and making sure personal health comes first. Everyday I start my day in the gym, eat healthy, and remain in contact with my higher power

What are some of the issue's you have run into when running a recovery house?

The general day to day upkeep of the houses. Ten men per house causes a lot of wear and tear. That in itself is a full time job.

I love that your two books have audiobooks coming out soon. Have you already narrated them, or will you be soon? What was the process like?

I will not be narrating them. Initially I wanted to be there is a lot more to the process and with my current schedule it wasn't manageable

How do you recommend finding a support system if I have no family or friends?

Go to a meeting, put your hand up, and share with others where you are at and what you need

Shout out from Decatur, IL! My boy Josh doing his thing. What makes Delaware’s recovery so unique & “some of the best”. What’s in the koolaid down there? I have mad love for Brandon and what he’s doing to give back to the still suffering addict. Such a blessing and grateful to know people like you are there to help the recovery community! 👌🏻👌🏻

Drew we love you to pieces and can't thank you enough for supporting our cause but unfortunately you'll have to relapse and move into this house in order to find out what is so special about living in Novak's House haha love you buddy

During my addiction I absolutely hated my experiences of out-patient and most things that had a medical/hospital feel to it. In a weird way it felt like it emphasized my illness rather than my recovery. I found success from a wilderness program that was followed by a recovery home. My biggest issues surrounding addiction were isolation because I became so ashamed of who I was I didn't want to show myself to the world and the places that helped me most were very social and took me out of my comfort. Do you have any similar feelings/experiences? What does your recovery home emphasize most? I really enjoyed listening to you on Steve-O's podcast.

The opposite of addiction is connection. Therefore it is mandatory that we take part in doing things as a group while living in Novak's House

What are your favorite bands?

Bloc Party, Libertines, Iggy Pop

I'll hit 4 years in February myself, im really happy for you, your story has been inspirational. Whats the first thought in your head when you wake up in the mornings?

How much better my life is now that I don't drink or drug

What’s the most memorable thing you’ve done with Johnny Knoxville off screen? Do you stay in contact with him?

When I see him in passing we talk. The most memorable thing is how uncoordinated he was

Hey Novak, it's always great to see you doing so well. What's your go to skate trick these days?

Pivot to Fakie

Can you give us an updated on that Where’s My Needle, doc? Did it morph into something else and will it be released soon?

No its in production as we speak. Just no release date. Hang in there. It will be worth it

What's the key thing you believe Novak House has going for it that sets it apart from other recovery spots?

We have several things that really help the Novak House. For one we have scholarships set up that help around 80% of the guys that come through from donations and other fundraisers we set up. This can really help the guys starting with nothing. Another key thing is by having four houses I have roughly 40 men in program so they can always find someone to connect and form lasting relationships.

What advice would you give to someone who's wanting to go down the road to sobriety, but doesn't necessarily have the resources to get help? Any other sources that are important to you? Thanks for doing this AMA.

There are resources available. The first step is to reach out. I don't know which state you are in but even reaching out to your loved ones can be a start. Or even finding a local meeting and reaching out to some strangers

What do you think could have been done to prevent you from getting addicted/exposed to heroin in the first place?

If people shared with me the endgame of heroin a little bit more it may have played a part in my future decisions regarding drugs

Who's your favorite Pokemon?

Who's your favorite Street Fighter character?

I'm the most computer illiterate person. I wouldn't know how to set up Pokemon

Hi Novak, I used to love watching Viva La Bam & Jackass in my teenage years.. Big love to you for getting sober, too! Whats the most frustrating element in your work at the mo?

Watching people give up on sobriety or just not accepting help.

What band that you’ve seen live was your favorite?

Danzig live 13 years ago in Vegas and it was the best show I've ever seen

Novak! Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

Hopefully in a position to help a lot more people which in turn makes my life more pleasant

Favourite meal?

Dessert

What are your favorite junkie memoirs? Ever read Sebastian Horsley’s “Dandy in the Underworld”?

No I haven't. I liked a million little pieces

I have so much respect for you Novak. I first read Dreamseller at 14, I’m now 24 and never expected that addiction would happen to me. I was addicted to Ketamine for a long time and still battle with other addictions. I hope to find sobriety someday. Thank you for everything you do brother.

Do you have any plans to open services in other countries? Here in the UK, there isn’t a lot of support.

No, unfortunately there is so much work to do here that I can't see that happening

Hey Novak! I read Dreamseller before I fell into addiction, but it stayed with me throughout and I credit it in part to helping me get clean, so a genuine thank you. My question, what's your favorite tattoo and least favorite that you have?

Favorite one is everyone. They all have a special memory associated with them. And my least favorite ones are my favorite ones

Hey Brandon - 7 years of sobriety here and I’m so glad I got out of it before the isolation and weirdness of the pandemic. How has it been trying to get a recovery center off the ground during such an isolating time?

Thank you so much for doing what you are doing and being an inspiration to so many.

Unfortunately fairly easy because the demand is higher than ever. I wish that wasn't the case. I wish there wasn't a need for our services and we did not have to exist

Do you still keep in touch with Frantz?

Yes we will restarting the podcast so look out for it

Hey Brandon! Loved you in Jackass. What would you say your favorite country to film in was when you were working with them?

Finland

Hey man I love the work you guys have been doing! What are ways I could reach out and help donate in anyway?

Thank you my friend. We appreciate that. Aside from making sure to help out your own local areas with donations we have set up a venmo to which goes to giving guys coming to the Novak House scholarships. I would say roughly 80% of the guys coming through our houses our on scholarship which really helps them out starting with nothing. Anything is appreciated and the venmo is @ novakshouse. George Evagelou's (Greek) name should pop up

Hi!! I am a substance abuse therapist in a rehab in southern NJ and we utilize your videos often in group sessions!! Would love to share with them your words of advice on sober living - why is it so important? Do you have housing managers or is your house run by the residents?

My houses have one manager, Sean, who oversees all the houses. But in each house we also have resident managers. Guys who went through the program and have had considerable time and success that have stepped up to management positions

When you sleep, do you remember your dreams? What do you most often dream about?

For the first hour or two. It varies, they aren't reoccurring. Sometimes drug dreams. Stranded in a house. Random stuff

Do you still get strong addictive cravings? If so how to do deal with them?

No, the way I dealt with my cravings was the 12 steps of AA

do you think doing a podcast with any of the people you help would in turn help them stay clean? like, constantly checking in and having an audience to back them and be supportive of their day-to-day success?

I am doing a Podcast. We are restarting the Novak and Franz podcast so be on the look out. We just set up the studio two days ago

Sup Novak, did any of your houses get down to the convention in Ocean City this weekend? Also, shout out to Sean the Pirate!

Sean here. We have not gone down their yet but I will try to organize that. Ocean City is where I was Sean the homeless pirate so I love that shout out