Let me start with Wade, because my life wouldn’t look anything like it does today without that connection. When I first met Wade, he was the guy running the sober living house I was living in. At the time, I didn’t know much about him—just that he’d built a successful recovery business and seemed to have his life figured out.

Fast forward to now, and Wade isn’t just the owner of 11 sober living homes and a 10-bed luxury residential treatment center—he’s also my boss, business partner, and one of my closest friends.

I worked my way up in Wade’s houses—starting as a resident, moving to manager, and eventually becoming director. And trust me, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. There were plenty of days when I had no idea what I was doing and others when I was sure I was failing miserably. But Wade saw something in me—even when I couldn’t see it in myself. He gave me opportunities, trusted me with responsibility, and challenged me to keep growing instead of playing it safe.

Over the past year, that connection has taken me all over the country. Wade and I have traveled to industry events like the NARR Conference in Virginia and the East Coast Symposium in Florida. We’ve spent time learning, networking, and building Plugged In Recovery into what it is today. It’s been a wild ride, and honestly, I wouldn’t trade a single minute of it.

If you’re sitting there wondering whether sober living can actually change your life, let me be the first to tell you—it absolutely can. My connection with Wade took me from someone starting over with nothing but a suitcase and a lot of regrets to working alongside him as Marketing Director of his treatment center. And that’s the kind of growth and opportunity that starts with saying yes to recovery and building real connections with the people who show up for you.