In 2014, a small group of workaholic men—Scott H., Andrew, Steve, and Sean—started meeting regularly under the umbrella of Workaholics Anonymous (WA). These guys had found it hard to identify with the largely female WA membership at the time (and at least one spouse found it hard to accept their workaholic husband building fellowship with other women). 

Scott H and Andrew continued the group and were joined by Bob W, Jimmy T, John D from Az, Josh from Miami, Jack from NY, Joe C from California and a few other guys. 

Scott H recalls the early years of WA Guys: 

“Jimmy brought the organized format, the idea of a Thurs step meeting and added invaluable insights with his 30-plus years of recovery. Bob W brought strong insistence on working the steps, in order, with a sponsor and also added invaluable insights with his 30-plus years of recovery. The first guys were very serious about recovery and it was a nice family of guys that met almost daily. All the guys here had insights too numerous and helpful to mention, but this is just some basics about how the group started.

Michael R came a few years later and added his 30-plus years of recovery and an emphasis on principles before personality. He had us divide up the meeting with rotating leadership, as it had been the same 5 guys leading the meetings since the beginning. John O and John from Canada helped Bob W and Michael R with business meetings and John O and Andrew helped a lot with the evening meetings. Bob W and Gabe got us on the web and the meeting seemed to grow from there.

I was glad to see it remain a men's meeting as men talk differently around other men, in my opinion. 

I know that a lot of behind-the-scenes work happened and I have not mentioned everything that all the guys did who made the meeting what it is now.”