Matthew’s Journey to Sobriety
Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Drug Prevention Power Hour. I’m hanging out with a new friend, Matthew Williams, and we just met at the Voices… Wait, shoot. What was it called?
Sober Voices Amplify. Sober Yes, amplify sober voices. I had such a good time, Matt. It was awesome.
Yeah, I mean, you did a great job up on stage. Awesome, awesome energy, awesome information. was like a really great event. Great way for them to kick off PodFest, PodCastFest, whatever it’s called. PodFest, yeah.
Yeah. Podfest, right? Yeah. I had no idea it was such a big event and that like even, even our group too, was really big for a first year gathering. think it said there was almost 60 of us. Yeah, around like 50, yeah, probably 60. Yeah, that’s a good average. That’s good estimate actually, yeah, for sure.
Yeah. Right. For the first time and just our little sub group, it was very, very impressive. And Matt, I got to chat with you a little bit, but left me wanting to get to know you more. So I’d love for us to just to explore, chat a little bit about life, what you’re doing, the hope of recovery, all that good stuff. So this is going to be a fun episode for everyone listening. You’ll learn a little bit about Matt, but what I’ve seen so far is he’s doing some pretty cool stuff with nutrition, with health, kind of a passion of his, but also just active in the recovery movement. So Matt, just kind of give us your general, like, what’s life like today? Tell us about you.
I mean, yeah, again, thanks for the intro. Thank you for the opportunity little bit about me. I’m sober since May 17, 2010. Life today is pretty remarkable, man. I get to do a lot of things that if you had asked me almost 16 years ago or told me 16 years ago this I’d be doing, I’d kind of look at you funny and I know you shared something similar to that with what you’re doing. yeah, living a sober life. I’m really grateful for amazing community, tremendous connection, created a really cool snack bar that is growing and continuing to grow. I’m doing a lot of coaching and training in the kind of like the gym space. own a gym right next door here in South Florida in Boca Raton. And get to do a lot of work kind of helping younger people.
I was a former elementary school teacher and coach. I’m able to help a lot of people in the mental health and substance abuse space and work with lot of young adults that are struggling prior to getting into that, which has been kind of where I was always headed. I wanted to be a guidance counselor back in the day and did all that stuff. And as a result of my own issues and what I needed to go through kind of hitting rock bottom and starting over, it’s tough to work in a school district when you’re trying to figure out if you’re an alcoholic and an addict or not. But yeah, super grateful for where I’m at right now.
I’m an amazing wife, an amazing team, amazing community, and just, you know, really pumped, especially when I get to meet other people like yourself and people that are, you know, really passionate about what they’re doing, that are doing the things that are, you know, you’re talking positive about, that, you know, really excited about giving back, really excited about know, spreading the awareness and sharing the message, you know, whether they’re sober or not, because, I mean, we have a really, you know, not to be dark, but we have a really big epidemic and a lot of people suffering and the world shutting down opened up a lot more of that. And I think exposed, exposed a lot of people, not in a bad way for people to hopefully get help and to seek some community and some connection and, and maybe, you know, change the way they’re doing things.
The Peanut Butter Brand and Community Impact
Yeah, absolutely. And I’ve got some things I want to pick apart from what you shared already, but, so fro pro snack bars is I, I had one at the table. They’re really good. I was like, what, is that? Like, what are you saying? You’re like, do you like peanut butter? I said, yeah, I love peanut butter.
Yeah, it was fun. Yeah so essentially is that’s my question. Hey, you like peanut butter? And if they say yes, we kind of move forward with well, we make peanut butter better. So we take an already great product, peanut butter. I’ve loved peanut butter my whole life. Basically enhanced it. So it just made it like a healthy Reese’s peanut butter cup or basically peanut butter with protein, a healthy snack that you can grab and go. It’s really bite sized. Obviously these are enlarged.
But I try to share it with everybody, right? Because at first we were just a snack and it was something that I started and created for fun. Sharing as I started my journey over, sharing with the families I still worked with, the kids I still tutored, some of the kids I still coached. And people were like, man, you got to do something with this. And I was in a really dark place, right? Where I was getting my stuff together and starting to, I don’t know, what are people going to say? And I was really worried about, you know the response because I really enjoyed it and like that’s really all that kind of mattered to me. But we ended up taking something that I was making for myself and putting it in a package and selling it at stores and one store went to two, two went to 10, 10 went to 200, 200 went to, yeah, so we’re growing. And it’s, never started anything like this to be a business. I’ve shared this on a lot of other podcasts. Like I’m really passionate about it. you know, most of the things when you see come out with a product, they’re like, there was nothing like this on the market. I’m like.
Listen, there is a ton of protein bars, there are a ton of snack bars, there are a ton of different things in the CPG space where I operate. We just have a really great product that tastes really good.
It’s my wife and I that are doing this. Like we have a tremendous community and like it’s cool because this past weekend after getting to see you guys and meet you guys during the week, had two events, wellness events where it’s people that were already fans and people that are brand new. Like there’s some people when they say like, how long you been around? I’ve been around a long time.
You know, it’s one of those things where it’s like, you know, I love it. My wife loves it. She’s a tremendous, she’s the CEO. She runs the day to day operations. Our team here, we employ people that are getting sober. That came down to Florida to start their life over again. We’ve had a lot of people come and go over the years because it’s like a good starter job for somebody because it’s safe. It’s a community. You’re not, you know, there are a lot of jobs out there that more or less might be considered in the gray area of like, Hey, is this legit or not? We make peanut butter and we distribute it. And the mix of that too with the gym side of things is pretty special because it’s a quiet place, it’s amped up, obviously we get energetic, but it’s just like a place where you can go if you’re intimidated by the gym. We do some classes for people that are newly sober that can’t afford going to the gym as well as a lot of other places that do that down here as well that are my friends. So everybody kind of piggybacks off each other in the wellness space where it’s like we’re all here to serve and to give back because it was done for us think it’s like super important that I love spaces like that.
And I do feel it in the silver space and what’s cool about hearing about, the fitness spaces like that. And I think in the speaking arena, it’s very similar. I was on a call before this with a friend or I guess an acquaintance, but was kind of talking about him and he’s like, Jake, I didn’t realize how big Vive 18 was and how many things you’re doing and how big it’s gotten.
He’s saying like, run a curriculum that’s really good and you know, I could use some help. And so was just sharing and helping, but I want to, like, he’s going to be on the podcast soon. So you’re going to hear about thrive curriculum. And I said, you know, here’s what we’ll talk about, you know, share your curriculum, what’s working, all this good stuff. He’s like, well, isn’t that competition for you? Like you have a curriculum. And I was like, no, it doesn’t matter. Like the world needs both of us t’s going to resonate with different people and people can use both of them. It’s totally fine, but we shouldn’t be backing down from our gifts and our calling just because there’s other people doing it. And that’s what I heard from your story too, is like, there are other things on the market. Like you just have this gift, the thing you enjoyed and people enjoy it as well. And people can join the movement. can become a person who loves having fro pro like, and as a, as a product.
I definitely want to ask you to because you alluded to some of the really great things that you’re doing, right? Like you’re working with kids, you’ve done some sort of like mentorship and counseling type things. You’re a teacher. Now you you own a gym and a product. So I’m guessing with your story, there’s probably a time in your life when you didn’t think that that was possible. And I love asking it this way, but.
With your story, when it comes to the illusion of all the things that drugs and alcohol give us, what did you think that drugs and alcohol were going to give you when you were consuming it? And then what was the truth? What was it actually doing for you or to you, guess? Is there a contrast there of your thought pattern at that time and then what you believe now?
The Illusion of Drugs and Alcohol
Yeah, that’s a great question, right? So I never, you know, I never sought out to, you I enjoyed all of things that consumed with alcohol, whatever it was, all the different substances, I won’t go into it. you know, it was one of those things for me is like, worked really hard. I always have, I always did a bunch of different things. And for a while I was like, oh, I’m gonna do this to blow off steam. And then it was you know my dad got really sick and I was like alright I don’t really know how to process this I’m gonna drink and you know but I’d also I’m having a really great time I’m gonna celebrate you know and there was no like there was no discernment right of like why I did or I didn’t I just did and then it became one of those things that once I kind of crossed that line where it was like I didn’t drink every day. wasn’t like, need to drink. I didn’t get to that point. But any time that I did, it was always off to the races, right? There was no like, let’s have a drink, let’s have a glass, let’s have a this. It was always like, we’re drinking. And until I either black out or pass out or it could have been days of just, I’m here to have a good time. And I, know, no one in my family was like that.
A lot of my friends weren’t really like that, but I found people that I thought drank like me and what’s really scary about it is I ended up alone. I ended up alone in my own apartment drinking by myself, pre-gaming by myself, going out, realizing I love people, I love socializing, but when you start to act out and you start to do those things, a lot of people are like, hey man, we really like you, we think you’re a great guy, but when you go out, I didn’t fight, it wasn’t anything like that, just I became a different person. became like that zombie of like my eyes would glaze over and it would just like I would power through and you know, I’d hurt some people, I’d say some things. It just, just not good human behavior, right? And that was all as a result of like over serving myself. So I don’t necessarily like, like believe that I did it for any reason other than the fact that like, you know, I obviously use it as an excuse, like, if your dad was dying, you drink like me, or, if you were going through this, and I pointed fingers at that versus taking a look at myself. And that’s the thing. It’s like when I got sober, was the first time I really looked in the mirror and was like, I don’t like you. I don’t like what you become. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I had no answers. And it was the first time I was really willing to listen.
It was the first time I was willing to ask for help and say, I’m out of answers. don’t want to, you know, not to be, bring it down here, but like, I didn’t know any other way of living, so I thought like, not being here made sense because I was, you know, I was hurting my family, I was hurting my friends, I was hurting my loved ones, I was ruining jobs, I was, you know, this great guy and I was really good at what I did and I did all these things really well, but the minute I consumed a substance, it was just everything just went away and and and you know you try to control those things or you try to make it you try to make it work that definition of insanity of like doing the same thing over and over and over expecting a different result and the result was same I was hurt someone else was hurt I didn’t feel well and I usually like just blew up my life so you know took a lot of pain and suffering and I’ve been around a long enough time where it’s like there’s a lot of people that aren’t here permanently that you know unfortunately didn’t get the chance to get sober or had the chance and then thought, I can do this on my own again. So it’s like a really fine line. like, I don’t know if that answers your initial question. Like, I don’t think there was ever really a, I’m doing this because all I know is that getting sober and staying sober, it’s a lot of work. Like today I’m not, fortunately today, I’m not thinking about having a drink or a drug. I’m trying to work on that, you my connection with, you know, my higher power. I’m trying to be aware and connected to the community, how I do things, how I operate, what are my motives, how am I showing up for other people, how am I showing up for a podcast, how am I showing up for my clients or my wife. And kind of taking the stuff that I learned over the last almost 16 years and really trying to like incorporate it into the day to day. Because for me, it’s like I had to really learn how to do everything. And again, I say this that my family is amazing and was amazing and there’s no like I’ve heard a lot of really crazy horror stories about people’s childhoods. I was really blessed. I two loving parents, two older bros, like just amazing. And I still chose and went over the line. So yeah, today is infinitely better than any really great time I had out there drinking or doing the things that I got to do when I was consuming alcohol or drugs.
Yeah, well that’s what’s really interesting to hear is that you didn’t ever feel like there was a, I don’t know, maybe the term is like the rock bottom right like I did this. There was okay okay.
There was that, yes. Yeah, well, I didn’t know how crazy I could get with this, but that occurred where I had a DUI and I ended up essentially in jail, jumpsuited. That’s for another podcast, I get. But it wasn’t my first time, but it was one of those times where I was beaten physically, financially, mentally, spiritually, emotionally.
All the things had finally hit and I came to and I was like, I’m just sick and tired of being sick and tired. I don’t want to live anymore. I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m 28 years old. I blew this opportunity. I had to call my family and tell them it happened again. And it was all these things that finally were like, have you had enough? Are you done? You know?
Life After Addiction: Finding Purpose
And that is so interesting. So you have the moment to start using, and it wasn’t like, I used for this reason. You kind of stated that. There wasn’t a specific reason, but something that you did and it would take over, you’d use it a lot, and then started affecting your life quite a bit.
And then there’s life on the other side, which is amazing and getting to meet you, like just being the person in the room, you’re so inviting. You’re so welcoming. You have this confidence and presence about you that makes people feel good around you and I don’t know if you know that about yourself, but like I picked it up right away. yeah, for sure. And I think there’s, there’s something about it with.
I appreciate that. I appreciate you saying that selflessness and hard work because you have, I guess we all have, we all have the ability to turn away from our past and to start new. and you mentioned your higher power, like mine is Jesus Christ. And I know that he can take a lot of my burdens and my low moment is not nearly at the same point as your low moment, but they, experienced them the same, right? Like have it.
It’s something that I want to run away from or I don’t want to happen again. and we all want to live our best life. want to do the best we can. And what I’ve been obsessed with recently is how do I say that? Like, I honestly haven’t been able to put it into words, but I’ve, I’m trying to find this contrast between living life just for me where the only goal is to make me happy and the things that I want and my comfort and comfort. And usually that backlashes normally. when I know, which is funny because I’m just focusing on me. So you think, I can at least handle making me happy, but all the ways that we try to do it are, not normally great ways. And then when I get out of my head, doesn’t work out too well and think this life is not about me, but it’s about a greater mission and helping others. I end up doing things for others, but they end up making me happy. And so I’m at this, I don’t know how to it succinctly, that the paradox, yeah, of like, man, the quick and easy thing that comes easy for us might be destructive or selfish.
And I want to live a way that’s selfless and that builds up others. But turns out just makes me into a better human anyway. Yeah, they say to get out of your head and out of your way is to go help another human.
Because in turn, selfishly, if you’re doing something with the motives of, I’m going to do this to help them, not what they can give me, what are they going to do for me? How is this going to benefit me? But there is a thing like that in business, though, where you can give and give and give, and you can be the nice guy. And there are a lot of experts that talk about that. But there’s also business where it’s like, hey, this has to be mutually beneficial. when it comes to like, whatever I’m doing with my peanut butter snack bars, whatever I’m doing with a workout, whatever I’m doing playing pickleball or whatever it is that I get to do for the day. Like if I’m with other people and I’m just there to be there, whatever, right? Like we talked a lot, you heard a lot on stage at the event we were at, where it’s like, if I can just help one, right? And I needed someone to tell me that because I was worried what other people thought. And I’m intense, I’m intense about this life because like, I kind of squandered, know, like I could sit in my stuff, if you will, and think about all the years that I wasted not.
Excuse me, tapping into that potential that everybody said I had for years. And it’s like, don’t want to waste it, right? I’ve seen so many people that do the deal and are on the right path that, forbid, sicknesses or things that come up or just life circumstances or just tragedies where it’s like, you’re here one day and you’re gone the next. it’s like, sometimes I say, it’s like, if I was gone tomorrow, I’m pretty proud of the last 15 and a half years. I’m thankful to God for what the opportunities he placed in my life.
I’m thankful that he put a woman that agreed to marry me and is my business partner, my best friend, putting people into my life, said some that showed me what not to do and aren’t here anymore, and some that showed me what to do and how to do it the right way with the right level of integrity and intention, right? So I think it’s like, sometimes it’s hard. And again, like when I say these things, I always say like, not every day is perfect, right? I will stir the pot and insert myself into situations that have nothing to do with me for whatever reason. It’s usually because I’m not feeling good about myself or I feel less than or I’m not enough. And I’ve really been working on that since I got sober and it’s less and less, but it’s still there. And I have to honor that by saying it, right? Because like, I know some of the most successful people in the world and success measured by their success. So again, just take this for what it is that are miserable or unfulfilled or looking for something or seeking and I can relate to that because I still seek and you know when I think of God or I read the scripture or I pray or I meditate you know it’s like I could stop seeking right like I found my connection I serve the community I serve a loving God I serve in the way that I have a relationship with my wife I serve in the way that I show up for people and you sometimes that’s really hard and I don’t know if you’ve encountered that because you’re a young guy b8ut you know, it can be really tough out there because you’d be like, man, how do people get away with acting like that? And then I think of myself, right, that I’m like, I acted like that. I didn’t really get away with it. And I know that they’re not getting away with it. And they’re in a place of probably some pain and suffering. But you know, maybe this conversation, you know, changes someone’s life. Or maybe someone listens to this or, you know, sees what you’re doing on stage or working. You know, it’s like whatever. It’s like if I’m doing the right thing and I’m trying to give back because I took her so long. Hopefully it’s gonna help somebody. I know it’s helping me selfishly, you know, but like hopefully, hopefully it’ll reach somebody else or a younger, younger person that like is like, yeah, I know what that feels like. That’s what that is? okay. And they maybe know, you know, I don’t want to take away from anyone’s journey, but maybe that’s just like, they’re doing this and they got to go this way. I don’t know. I don’t know.
Well, I think of that verse in Sermon on the Mount, Matthew five, when he’s like, you don’t light up a lamp and put it under a basket. You’re just like, all right, I’m at least lighting my lamp. I’m going to let it shine. And you don’t know who you’re giving light to. You’re just going to do it. And I don’t know. I was, I was nervous, Matt, to talk at the the amplify sober voices because I was like, I don’t have that quote, recovery story. I’ve just been sober my whole life and dude, it’s so stupid. But in my mind was like comparison no. But what I think was really stupid about it is for me to say everyone else in the room has an identity built on something they did in the past. But the truth is we all have a freedom of identity because you’ve been set free from your past.
And that’s the good news. Like that’s why we do connect so well. And I’m so glad that I could be there with everyone in the room. Cause I, even though I haven’t used, we are literally running the same exact race and we’re going to do it well together. And we’re going to go farther together. it was super, super encouraging and like, needed that. Yeah, I mean, you did a great job, brother. It was cool to watch you up there do your thing, for sure.
Thank you. Thank you. I’m also curious how you, how you started working with your wife, because I work with my wife too. She’s like the organizational brain. She keeps us on track. I can’t imagine now not working with her, but how did that come about with you two?
Working with Family: A Dynamic Partnership
So we were both teachers. When I started over, she started to work for another company and she kind of helped from where she started to essentially running this other company while I was starting kind of messing up the kitchen and then renting space to mess up that kitchen and figure out what I was trying to do. And a couple of years passed where she kind of observed and was knowing and looking what was going on. And she is the organizational brainchild, CEO, sit at the desk control panel push, pull, call, receive, like she is that. Like not only in our marriage, in our day to day and how things operate, but in like 2016 after, you know, kind of messing around with this, she’s like, Hey, I want to help you. And I’m like, I don’t know what I’m doing.
I write things. I joke all the time. Like I, no joke, but it sounds like a joke. I wrote things down in a notebook, like a spiral notebook, like, Hey, I need this. And this is what this recipe is. And this person paid this, this person. And she’s like, we have computers.
Right? Like to the point where like, there were things, like again, this is all a learning process. So we went from like me making these, like I didn’t know you could, like I used to take oats and grind them to make oat flour. I didn’t know you could buy 50 pound bags of oats. I no idea. I no idea what I was doing. Like I was using like regular old Jiffy when I started, cause that’s what I had in my house. Right? So he took all the things that I was doing and was like, Hey, let’s, let’s streamline this. Let’s make this a little better. And we went from our first location that we rented space to two years later, we opened our own brick and mortar, right? Where we had a little bit more of an advanced piece of equipment to today where if I took you into the next room, you know, there are machines in there that I’m like, this is like crazy stuff that I Like it was built for us, you know, it’s like, it has a stamp that stamps our logo on the bar. has, it separates, cuts it, it wraps it.
But it needs human contact, right? We’re not like AI automated, but it’s like she took this idea and this basic like guy that like works really hard and effort and just kind of was like, all right, hey, let’s condense this. Let’s streamline this here, here, here. And she’s the CEO. I’m just the founder. And I say just, but I’m the founder. She’s the CEO. So she runs the team. have an amazing director of operations, you know, marketing team, people that show up here for work.
And it’s like a little family, right? And it really is something where sometimes when I’m getting down on myself, I kind of, you know, I’ll call someone and they’ll be like, hey man, do yourself a favor and like step outside your office and look at the road. goes, you remember driving, getting driven home on that road when you wanted to kill yourself in 2010 and you didn’t think life was worth living because like you didn’t know any other way. And now you’re sitting in an office.
You have all these things that God blessed you with and it’s like, it might be hard, it might be challenging, there might be some ups and downs, but like, it’s way better. you know, working, I get it, I get that question all the time. I love working with my wife. We don’t always see eye to eye, but one of our, I guess, attributes or faults maybe is that we communicate well, sometimes over communicate. So we know exactly where each other stand.
And sometimes it’s painful because it’s some truth that I’m like, man, I’m not doing enough of that or maybe I’m doing this too much. But that’s one of the greatest things. And I stay out of her way in terms of the things she does. We talk about it and she kind of stays out of my way with the things that I do. I love events. I love this stuff. She’ll do it, but she’s like, that’s you. And there are certain things where I’m like, yeah, that’s you. That’s not me. And I love how you kind of shared about that about you and your because I think you can really have a fun relationship and dynamic, right, where you know what each other are good at. You both can probably do everything, but like, are the strengths, where are the weaknesses, how do we support each other and pump each other up when we’re struggling, or how do we add value, or just sit there and observe and just be there, a silent supporter. Yeah. And so our audience is running an organization.
Um, right there, they’re focused on recovery and prevention and public health and things like that. So I just want to pull something from this cause I think you’re a perfect example is the person who is going to help you the most. Happen to be your wife and she had all these strengths to offer and she’s, she probably just loves you so much. She’s like, Hey, let me help you. And your product is this awesome snack bar. And for the rest of us.
We might not be living with that person that we’re supposed to work with, but if you share your story with every person you get a chance to, if you know what your next need is and you put it out to your network, I’ve found that before when I wouldn’t want to ask for help because I didn’t want to burden people or I didn’t want to be known as the guy who just asked for favors all the time.
And it turns out people want to help like they’re waiting and the cause of recovery and saving young lives from addiction. Like, there’s so many people who want to help with that, but they have not been invited. So if you’re listening to this, this is your reminder. Keep sharing your story, your why, and be relentless on asking for help because there are lives at stake and they’re worth it. And I know that you know that as well. That’s why you’re doing things. So if you needed an extra push, extra permission to ask for the help, there it is. Yeah. so Matthew, this has been awesome. Thank you for taking the time. think this is a, this is a, definitely a hopeful, like recovery highlight story for our podcast, which we don’t often get to do. We’re usually just talking business.
Go get it. Go get it. Yeah. Yeah, thank you. So this was really, really fun to get to hear your story. If you would leave a parting thought to the people around the country who are doing recovery and prevention work, what would you want to share with them? Either a hope, encouragement, or just a little tip about living the best life. What would you leave us with?
Yeah, man. We are in the effort business, not the results business. So if you get up and you get another day, give forth the best effort in every instance, situation, relationship, opportunity that you can. And leave the results up to God or whatever you believe in. And just do the best that you can and try to just keep going. Keep going in the face of it all because if you love it, what’s all that matters? Amen. This has been another episode of the Drug Prevention Power Hour. We’ll see you next Monday for another episode.
