Accomplished ADD SPeaker Visits Sober Living by the Sea

On Wednesday, August 18, residents and staff members of our rehab centers were treated to a presentation by Mark Patey, an accomplished entrepreneur, television personality, writer and someone who struggles daily with ADD, the abbreviation most recognized as Attention Deficit Disorder, but something Mark would rather view as "Always Doing it Differently."

Recently rated as one of the top presenters and trainers in the country, Mark donated his time to speak with the staff and clients of SLBTS and Echo Malibu to share with them his stories of overcoming the stigma of a learning/behavioral disorder and achieving great success. Armed with the knowledge that a large percentage of addicted individuals also have ADD, Mark talked about accepting this label as a positive attribute, not something to hide. He mentioned the numerous successes he has had in his life, beginning with a start-up company he founded with his twin brother at the age of 17, and going on to start and sell additional companies.

Mark's son also has been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD and Mark told of his son being put on medication at the urging of the school. Mark quickly noticed the boy's spark was missing, his creativity stifled. Mark said sadly, "He was normal." He regarded his son's "deficit" as a true gift akin to his own.

Mark acknowledged that to be successful, someone like him must always have an "equal opposite" to handle the organization and detail aspects of his businesses. Mark sees himself as the more creative side of the business, poking fun at his tendency to get sidetracked and come up with new ideas to "ooh, something shiny!"

Mark is most well-known for his motivational and sales/marketing speaking work, but his easy style and ability to make simple points with dramatic stories put him at ease with this audience of men and women in recovery. An accomplished pilot, at one point Mark told the story of overhearing an entire Mayday! situation play out over the radio frequency during harsh weather. Mark told the captivated audience that there was a question commonly asked by the FAA during such situations: "How many souls on-board?" He then went on to use it as an analogy of how many souls were "on-board" with these individuals while they were using drugs or drinking, and asked if they were willing to take them down with them.
 
"We were thrilled to have Mark speak to our residents," said Karen. "His life story and speaking style really worked well to engage the audience and drive home key points. I'm glad we got to bring two Southern California CRC programs together for such a wonderful event!"