An Interview With Maria Angelova
The boss sets the pace. You can expect people to work hard if you are not leading the way. When people see you are inspired and passionate and giving your all they are motivated and inspired to do the same. You have to lead by example. Early on in my career I thought I could just hire people, tell them what to do and the job would get done. Soon I saw there was no passion, no extra effort, no “do whatever it takes to get the job done” attitude if I wasn’t there to lead the charge by example. There is a small price to pay for success.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jack Alan Levine.
Jack Alan Levine, addiction expert, author, has spoken to thousands of people over the last 30 years on dealing with and successfully overcoming addiction. His books My Addict Your Addict, and Addiction And Recovery Handbook show those struggling with addiction how to understand and overcome addiction. His faith based books including Live A Life That Matters For God and Don’t Blow It With God have inspired people to have a closer relationship with God and live happier, joyful lives filled with peace.
He is the Founding Director of Voice of God Ministry, serves on the board of Directors of Washed Clean Ministries, National Addiction and Recovery Association and Purpose Church Orlando. A licensed and ordained minister Jack serves as Executive Pastor at Purpose Church Orlando.
Jack worked for some of the top advertising agencies on Madison Avenue, owned his own Ad Agency and later founded a national television production company where he wrote, directed and produced hundreds of national television shows and thousands of commercials. He sold that company in 2002 to devote more time to sharing Gods word and helping those battling addictions.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path and point in your life?
As a recovering drug addict myself , (thankfully it’s been over 30 years since I dealt with that issue) and the parent of a teenage son who went through his own addiction struggles, I saw the devastating impact that addiction has on individual lives, hopes, dreams and futures. I saw the destruction that it reeked on families in cities and towns throughout America and the world. It was heartbreaking. Today one out of every 8 people is an addict and families and society are tragically affected by this scourge of addiction. As an author and speaker on addiction recovery I found in my experience there are multiple paths to recovery. I wanted to make sure that we educate people on those ways and encourage them to choose one to begin the path to recovery. So for me it was a very personal experience. I want to impact and save as many people as possible with my books, speaking and by starting Addiction Cure Therapeutic Sciences Inc. a biotech company seeking a chemical cure. I want to share the great news that there was a way out of addiction, that there was hope, that there is purpose to life and that everyone can have it. I believe my purpose in life is to be able to impact others to bring them happiness, peace and joy. I do that by sharing my faith in God, my business experience and helping those struggling with addiction find victory over it and live the lives God intended them to live, full of joy, peace , happiness and purpose.
There came a time in my own addiction battle I realize that I had been trapped by addiction that I had crossed the line and I could no longer stop drugs. I literally felt like an animal court in a bear trap with no way out.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
I was having breakfast with a friend of mine who is a principal of a local Christian high school about 9 months ago and he asked me what we I was up to and I shared with him that in addition to giving away all my books for free to help people struggling with addiction and to help those find the truth of God and live happier lives, we have started a biotech company called Addiction Cure Therapeutic Sciences Inc. to find a chemical cure for addiction. He mentioned that he had a scientist on his Board of Directors and that perhaps he would be a good idea for me to meet him. Later that week he set up a meeting and that scientist turned out to be Bruce Roth, a man of great faith, who is internationally known for being the inventor of the compound that became Lipitor, the world renowned drug. He is also known as one of the top medicinal scientists in the world. Bruce said it would take a miracle to find a chemical cure for drug addiction but that he would help us. I told him we were in our start up phase these first two years and didn’t have a tremendous amount of money. He said “no problem this will be fun, I will help you.” I truly believe God placed Bruce in our life to bless us and help us. He has provided invaluable insight and expertise to our company and to our scientific research and experiments. I don’t believe that was any accident I believe that was God at work continuing to bring together a remarkable team to attempt to find a cure.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Not getting up to speed quick enough on knowing the meaning of certain scientific terminology. I was on zoom calls and in meetings with top addiction research scientists and realized I don’t know half the stuff they were talking about. So like a college student cramming for final exams, I had to hit the books and study hard and fast. I knew a lot about addiction and addiction recovery and am considered expert on that subject and believed I was a very good businessman and could run and grow companies with excellence. However with regard to biotechnology science it was like a foreign language to me (I . You would’ve thought it was funny if you saw me scrambling around looking up words and writing down meetings and trying to memorize them. The lesson learned from that is that I need to be fully prepared… Always! I think Bob Dylan said it best when he said “I know my song well before I start singing” I caught up quick and avoided any real embarrassment but I knew I was treading in dangerous waters…. never want to do that again. I thought I could just talk (or listen) my way and wouldn’t have to go that deep into understanding the science involved as I was the business guy who made our company run with vision and management and the scientists were the research guys.
Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?
I believe our research create awareness as to the imperative and critical need to devote resources to find a cure. After COVID 19 hit our countries resources were committed to finding a cure, because people were dying. The same thing is happening with addiction and has been worsened tremendously by overdoses from fentanyl laced drugs. Many people are ignoring it, or it is not a priority in their lives unless they are directly impacted themselves, or knows a loved one, family member or close friend who is battling with addiction or who has lost the battle and died. We need to make people aware of how severe the problem, how it doesn’t just affect the addict, but his family and everyone around them and how it is literally destroying our children and their futures, hopes and dreams. We believe we are addressing perhaps the number one social problem in this country, drug addiction. We believe if we are successful we will save the lives of many and impact and save the lives of generations to come . We do not believe that people purposely wake up and check the box to be a drug addict and ruin their lives. They are sucked in by the world of drugs which are quite enjoyable for short period of time into you realize, like a kidnapper who lured you in with candy and toys, that you been trapped, and the door is locked and can’t get out. As we search for a chemical cure, I believe through my books on addiction I am helping people Understand the truth about addiction and showing them the pathways out of it that they can choose to take right now and free themselves from the bondage and life rolling scourge of drug addiction.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
I can think of so many withheld the last 30 years simply by sharing the truth with them about what addiction really is and what it really does to their minds and lives, about the lies addiction tells them and giving them hope by providing specific ways out of the bondage of addiction to a life free from drugs and alcohol. I believe my faith-based books about God and relationship with God are changing people’s perspectives by showing people the roadmap to the ultimate life filled with peace, love, joy and happiness. A formula many people in this world need today as they seem miserable, upset, anxious, frustrated, depressed and unable to cope with their lives.
I can think of many business professionals who were losing their careers and families who were able to lead them on a journey to restoration. I can think of teenagers whose lives were spiraling out of control. One kid in particular. I had never met but was friends with his parents. They asked me to pray for him. He was so out of control he wound up being hospitalized and I went to visit him in the hospital as he was throwing up what I can only describe as something that looked like black oil into a hospital pan. At that low point in his life he was open to hearing the truth about addiction in the paths to recovery. Today he’s a 30 something-year-old man working in an addiction treatment center helping other addicts find freedom and lives happily and joyfully for over 15 years now. I am not saying I am the only one with answers but I’m grateful that God has allowed me the opportunity impact so many through my books and speaking at conferences/corporations and events. I have heard comments like “no one ever explained it to me like you”, “ you saved my life”, “ you opened my eyes” and I am grateful to hear that but all I’m doing is sharing with them the truth.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
1. Put therapists and counselors in junior high and high schools. When addicts go into treatment they learn why they did drugs, what they were looking to escape from and avoid. Sometimes it’s trauma or it’s emotional pain and circumstances and scars that were inflicted upon them as young children. Sometimes perceptions that their mind developed as it built defense mechanisms to help them avoid emotional pain. We say the drugs and alcohol are not the problem, they are the symptom! The problem is the core issue that you are facing and what you using drugs and alcohol to escape from. I truly believe if there were therapists and counselors in junior high and high school and students saw a counselor for 45 minutes once every two weeks, that many many of these kids would understand their issues and not need to resort to drugs and alcohol to numb them. If we can address a persons issues earlier we can avoid much of the pain they face later (especially since addressing their issues is the main cause they may need to begin their path to recovery). I am not saying it will save everyone, but putting a few therapists in the schools seems like a very insignificant cost compared to the cost of putting people in prison and the ruined lives and negative impact on families and society continued drug and alcohol use has.
2. I would do is to limit addiction recovery centers to 16 to 20 bed facilities. Many therapists and industry executives have shared with me and I have seen myself even though the staffing ratios are proportionate to patients for some reason a lot of these facilities lose their effectiveness when they go to larger numbers. The most successful ones I’ve seen are 20 beds or less.
3. We need to educate family members of those struggling with addiction on what they should do, how to implement proper boundaries, how they can help their struggling loved ones and how to make sure that addiction doesn’t take down the entire family. It is bad enough that the addict struggles and their life is going downhill fast, but it is a tragic disaster when the entire family is brought down by one members addiction. We believe with the proper knowledge and information as a tool families cannot only survive but thrive as there loved ones journey through recovery.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think this might help people?
Our company addiction for therapeutic sciences acts has partnered with top leading scientists to search for a chemical cure we are currently completed research on our first epigenetic compound in the process of beginning research in the cannabinoid compounds that we believe can be the beginning of the cure to meth addiction as well as other addictions we are very excited about this we know that it is long journeys to get across the goal line with new drugs but That was another primary motivation for making free e-book copies my books Addiction And Recovery Handbook and My Addict Your Addict available for free so there would be no barrier to the information necessary to educate themselves and have the tools that they need to survive and help their struggling family member. I am excited to be at the forefront of this issue both on a spiritual, practical and scientific side. Obviously if we can find a cure for addiction, or along the way even develop other products that will help those struggling with addiction then we are way ahead of the game in accomplishing our mission of changing people’s lives for the better.
What you are doing is not easy. What inspires you to keep moving forward?
I am driven to engage the addiction community in supporting a company whose goal is to find a cure. I’m inspired to keep moving forward by my passion to see other people live better lives. It breaks my heart when I see people who live discouraged or defeated by life issues, personal problems and especially addiction. I truly believe that happiness is a matter of perspective and while there are definitely issues and trials and circumstances that we go through in life, gratitude for being alive and the love we have for God and love for others should far outweigh those. I believe man is hardwired to be connected to each other and our hearts and love are what connects us together. In that regard I’m inspired to keep moving forward with whatever time I have to make an impact on this world, to help people live better lives, to see the more joyful, laughing, smiling, happy, satisfied, loving themselves and others. Most importantly I desire and live to see to people freed from the life ruining horrific effects of drug addiction, both those struggling personally and their families.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
- There are no shortcuts. In college I asked a friend of mine’s dad, who was a very successful executive, what’s your secret? He shared with me “there are no shortcuts, you see the result of me busting my butt for 40 years. I earned everything I got by working hard” I always thought there had to be an easy way… but there wasn’t. Once I knew there are no shortcuts I determined to work as hard as necessary to achieve the things I wanted to.
- Surround yourself with people of character. I dealt with some people early on in my business career who treated me very nicely, but I knew they were not men of the word and they treated others with disrespect and took advantage of them. I chose to judge them only on how they were treating me and ignore how there true character and how they treated others, so that I could benefit from my professional relationship with them. That proved to be a tremendous mistake. As eventually they turned on me as well. I was selfish and blinded by what I wanted but I definitely learned that we need to surround yourself with people of character and integrity…you can’t be half clean!
- You get what you pay for. With no disrespect intended, you can hire an intern out of college cheaply and pay the Professional with the experience you need the money it would cost to hire him, but at the end of the day you are cheating yourself. The time and effort you have to invest in getting someone up to speed and the learning curve involved is not worth it in many cases compared to going with and paying for the experience to do the job right. Whether it’s a plumber a Dr. or person you’re hiring to work in your company the bottom line is you shouldn’t be skimp on quality. Paying for experience and no help is a great way to get things done quickly and accurately!
- The boss sets the pace. You can expect people to work hard if you are not leading the way. When people see you are inspired and passionate and giving your all they are motivated and inspired to do the same. You have to lead by example. Early on in my career I thought I could just hire people, tell them what to do and the job would get done. Soon I saw there was no passion, no extra effort, no “do whatever it takes to get the job done” attitude if I wasn’t there to lead the charge by example. There is a small price to pay for success.
- It’s my responsibility. Once as a young executive on Madison Avenue, a new manager had come into the company and told me I had to go to a printing plant at 6.30 that night for one of my clients to proof a job brochure for the client) coming off the printing press. I told him that was impossible as we had a very important company softball game in Central Park that evening and I was our second baseman. He was not impressed and told me I had to go see the press proof. I was very upset with him and angry with him. I told him there wasn’t going to be a mistake on the press proof as our creative people had already signed off on and that it was a waste of my time and I was going to miss the important softball game. He didn’t care as he reminded me my job and my responsibility to it was my first priority. Very reluctantly and grudgingly I missed the softball game and went down to the printing press. Amazingly enough there was a mistake on the press proof that I caught and was able to change, saving myself and my company major embarrassment and my client a major hassle. The bottom line was he was right… it was my responsibility to be there whether I liked it or not. I believe that is at least half the key to success…. being there, being responsible, doing the right thing, going the extra mile, doing whatever it takes to get the job done. That’s the kind of person I want to hire and that’s the kind of person I want to be.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. )
I want to inspire a movement of Hope and change by making available information and resources and tools that are needed to change people’s lives for free. I am doing that by giving away of my e-books that I hope will be resourceful tools and life changing resources for people. My life is not about profit, but about helping people and I want to encourage others to do the same. We need to share our resources. It doesn’t mean that people are not entitled to make a living and I definitely believe in democracy and capitalism. However I also believe in helping our fellow man and that this gift of life we have received, we should freely give to others, So I want to make sure that I am giving the truth, tools, information and resources I have to help others. Much like Warren Buffett encouraged many of his billionaire friends to gift away their money to help and impact the world, I challenge people to do the same with the information, technology and anything else that may help or benefit mankind including our love and respect and compassion for our fellow man.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Bob Dylan said “you shouldn’t let other people get your kicks for you” I don’t want someone to describe to me how great chocolate taste or how amazing Capri pizza in Yonkers New York taste of how unbelievable a live Bruce Springsteen show is I want to experience these things myself and decide for myself what I like and don’t like. The same is true for our interpretation of God, politics, life, right and wrong. I don’t want my belief based on what other people tell me. I want to experience and see for myself and come to my own conclusions
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. )
I’ve had the privilege of having dinner with Erwin McManus and of spending personal time with Bruce Springsteen, two people who have inspired me greatly, but the one person that I would like to meet at this point to is Elon Musk because I just think he is an American hero and a genius in his ability to see the future. He doesn’t just talk the talk but walks the walk. He puts his money where his mouth is and get things done. The guy is amazing. Also I would love to have a meal with Vladimir Zylenski the president of the Ukraine. He is absolutely a superhero in my mind. His courage, determination, fight and faith has rallied his country… hopefully to victory.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Readers can follow my work In addiction recovery as well as my books on faith business and motivation at my website JackAlanLevine.com
A free e-book copy of all of my books are available at JackAlanLevine.com/ebooks It is my hope that each or the books will impact, inspire and change your life dramatically and for the better…that is why I wrote them.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Jack Alan Levine Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.