1. Accountability Starts With Owning Your Story

When I moved into Paul Garcia’s sober living house, I was still carrying a lot of shame and guilt about my past. I felt like I had let everyone down—my family, my friends, and most of all, myself. I didn’t want to talk about the mistakes I had made, the DUIs, or the relationships I’d damaged. I thought if I just kept moving forward, maybe I wouldn’t have to face it.

One day, Paul pulled me aside in the backyard of the sober living house and gave me the talk I didn’t know I needed. He told me that if I didn’t learn to own my story, it was always going to own me. He reminded me that recovery wasn’t about hiding my past—it was about accepting it and using it to build something better.

That conversation changed my perspective. I started to see my story not as something to be ashamed of but as something that could help others. And once I learned to own it, I felt freer, stronger, and more confident in my ability to move forward.

2. Consistency Builds Trust

In sober living, I quickly realized that trust wasn’t handed out—it was earned. Showing up consistently was how I started to rebuild credibility with the people around me, including Wade and Wade Sr., who were running the houses I lived in at the time.

I made a point to stick to my commitments, whether it was keeping the house clean, showing up to meetings, or following through on what I said I’d do. Slowly but surely, that consistency started to pay off. Wade and Wade Sr. saw the effort I was putting in, and they gave me more responsibility—first as a manager and later as a director of the houses.

That trust didn’t just change my recovery—it changed my career. Because of the relationships I built in sober living, I now work as the Marketing Director for Plugged In Recovery, a company Wade founded. It’s proof that when you show up and do the work, opportunities start to follow.

3. Surround Yourself With People Who Push You to Level Up

One of the biggest lessons I learned in recovery is that who you surround yourself with matters. I was lucky to meet some of my closest friends through sober living—people like Wade, Ryan, and Damen, who not only supported my recovery but also challenged me to grow.

Wade owns Plugged In Recovery and sits on the board of AzRHA—he’s built an incredible business and continues to advocate for better recovery housing standards. My roommate Ryan is the Director of Admissions at Plugged In and one of the hardest-working people I know. And Damen, who’s thriving in the finance world, is getting married in a few months, and I’ll be standing by his side as a groomsman.

What’s crazy is that we all started in sober living. We were just guys trying to figure out how to stay sober—and now we’re building careers, relationships, and futures we never thought were possible. That’s the power of accountability and community.

4. Accountability Isn’t About Control—It’s About Support

When I first started managing sober living homes for Wade and Wade Sr., I thought I had to control everything to make it work. I wanted everything to go perfectly, and when it didn’t, I got frustrated and overwhelmed.

Eventually, I realized that trying to control everyone wasn’t helping—it was hurting. I learned to shift my mindset and focus on supporting people instead of micromanaging them. I stopped expecting perfection and started leading by example—showing up, being reliable, and helping others problem-solve instead of fixing things for them.

That shift made all the difference. The houses ran smoother, the residents felt empowered, and I became a better leader—not just in recovery but in my career.

5. Accountability Creates Growth

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in sobriety, it’s that growth doesn’t happen without accountability. Over the last few years, I’ve gone from being a resident in sober living to managing houses, becoming a director, and now serving as the Marketing Director for Plugged In Recovery and a board member for AzRHA (Arizona Recovery Housing Association).

AzRHA is an organization dedicated to improving standards for recovery housing in Arizona, and being on the board is something I never could have imagined a few years ago. It’s proof that accountability isn’t a burden—it’s a path to success.