As a person in recovery, it is my lived experience that has motivated the founding of this nonprofit organization. Not that long ago, I was once a high-performing employee, going above and beyond my job description for years while celebrating at happy hours with co-works and our clients. However, over time I was unable to sustain that life. My drinking progressed to drugs, and it became noticeable that the results of my drinking and using were more consequential than others and negatively impacted my work performance and behaviors. The companies I worked for did their best to support me but never had the proper training to support employees struggling with substance use, which ultimately resulted in my termination and the costs associated with turnover. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines recovery as “a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential.” How this occurs is also evidenced by SAMHSA’s third dimension of recovery, in particular, that employment is critical to an individual’s ability to live such a recovered way of life. I learned early on that I could not achieve recovery alone. I needed strong support and leadership in all areas of my life, including at work, especially if I was going to have a life to live and a job to keep. The journey to get my life back on track led me to a newborn passion for discovering how workplace leaders can help someone like me. Thus, in 2022, Recovery Friendly Leader was established as a 501(c)(3) project under the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center to carry out the following mission and vision.