First of all, thank you for checking out my brand. I’d love to give a backstory to how it started. 

My name is Basia. For 4, almost 5 years, I struggled with alcohol. I started drinking heavily at the age of 18. Somewhere down the line, I would go through 2-3 gallons of gin every week- for a year straight. The year before that? Vodka. Before that? Tequila. I convinced myself it wasn’t a problem, because I could hold down a job, I was productive, my friends and family couldn’t tell when I was and wasn’t drunk, I went to church every Sunday, told my friends about Jesus (if anything, even MORE when I was drunk), the list of “justifications” went on and on. 

But I knew my spirit was hurting. I knew it wasn’t normal to panic when there wasn’t going to be alcohol at the function, or enough in the bank account to buy another bottle of wine. I knew it wasn’t normal to drink room temperature, flat beer left out from the night before. 

I realized this was a problem, so I did what most people willing to admit they have a problem do- poured myself a drink and went to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. I got their book and everything. But I didn’t resonate with the meeting. So I turned around and kept drinking. I had many, many more regrettable and messy nights. My struggles went on for a couple more years, until I moved to Los Angeles. 

Here, I tried to find a church I felt at home in. One of the churches I visited was in the middle of a series that was interviewing members of the congregation. One woman’s testimony sounded exactly like what I was going through- the high-functioning, all too easily justified, all consuming alcohol habit. I broke down in tears. It felt like God was speaking directly to me and my little mug filled with a WhiteClaw. 

We connected, and she took me to my second AA meeting. It went just like they all do- everyone goes around the circle, and says, “Hi, I’m so and so, and I’m an alcoholic.” 

That’s when I realized where the disconnect was. I had a HUGE problem placing my identity in something negative and... permanent. I had put in great effort to re-wire my brain to speak positively about myself, even in the midst of my struggles. You wouldn’t hear me say “I’m Broke”, or “I’m Dumb”, even as a joke, and you certainly weren‘t going to hear me say that I was an alcoholic. Once you say you’re an alcoholic- that’s what you are for the rest of your life. 

I knew if I uttered those words, that was it. THAT was going to be my identity. My struggle with alcohol was a struggle I was convinced I would get myself out of. To most of the attendees, this looked like denial. And to some of you reading this, you may think the same. 

To that, I want to remind you of this verse:

2 Corinthians 5:17

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.“

A NEW creation. 

Who was I to identify as an alcoholic, when my identity lies in Christ? I am the daughter of the Lord Almighty, King of Kings, the Messiah- our Savior. He didn’t pay the ultimate price for my sins just for me to call myself anything other than His. 

A few months later, and many, many prayers, I woke up one day and didn’t crave alcohol anymore. The idea of getting drunk repulsed me.

Jesus delivered me from my alcohol dependency. No withdrawals. No headaches. No shakes. The last few shots in the gin bottle weren’t calling my name. He broke the chain. A couple weeks later, I even tested if I was REALLY done with it, and drank a glass of wine. And wouldn’t you know it? It was truly JUST one glass, one that I could barely finish, at that. Now, I’m able to have a drink or two, and trust that it will actually be just a drink or two. I don’t count how many days it’s been since my last drink. I remember my nights. I don’t burden my friends with my drunken stupor.

The Lord proved that my refusal to identify as an alcoholic wasn’t denial. It was the understanding that I was not my sin.

And you’re not yours. You are not your struggles, your doubt, your addiction, your anger, your jealousy, your past. 

I knew I had that struggle for a reason, and that God was going to do something with my experience. So here we are. He told me to create this brand to spread not just the Gospel- but the good news that in Him, and by His grace, you are made new. To remind His people that You Are Not Your Sin. YANYS. “Yanis” is a name with French, Hebrew, and Greek origins. It means “God is Gracious.” How cool is that? Totally unplanned, btw. 

Thank you for your support. To further the mission and help more people, 10% of your purchase goes to an organization that corresponds to the collection/s you chose from. 

While the first step is admitting the problem, the second is taking it to Him and accepting that you cannot beat it alone. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. 

Jesus Loves You!

-Basia

Co-founder of YANYS

P.S. If you have your own story you’d like to share, I’d love to hear it. My DM’s are always open.