Daily Inspiration: Meet Nolan Wright

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nolan Wright.

Hi Nolan, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today. 
My name is Nolan Wright, and I am in long-term recovery from drugs and alcohol. My life hasn’t always been full of drugs, partying, illicit activities, etc. I grew up in a loving family that provided me with anything and everything I could ever want and need. My life couldn’t have been any better growing up. From an early age, my parents taught me how important it is to make good decisions and that a life of drugs and alcohol will ruin my life. But once I had my very first drink of alcohol in high school my life completely changed. I became a completely different person. It was like a flip of a switch. All I ever wanted to do was drink alcohol as much as I possibly could. Nothing else mattered to me other than when the next time I can get drunk. Grades began to drop, interests in sports became almost nonexistent, started lying, stealing, cheating, and lost many friends. 

After Highschool I decided to go to college. My college experience lasted half a semester before I had to completely withdrawal and move back home to my parents’ house. This is when I began to start using drugs. It started out with cocaine, Molly, pills, and marijuana. Within a year of leaving college and using drugs, I began to inject heroin on a daily basis. This is the point to where I became the most selfish person I have ever been. I didn’t care what it took to get high. My life was fully controlled by my addiction. 

After a year of using heroin, my parents ended up sending me to a rehab in Georgia. After spending 30 days in treatment, I moved to Lubbock, TX, into a sober living program. After about 6 months in sober living, I decided to start using drugs again. While driving on the highway in TX, I was the passenger in my friend’s car, and we made the decision to use. The driver ended up passing out while driving and ran directly into a cement column at 60 mph. I ended up shattering my femur and was forced to move back in with my mother in SC. I continued to drink heavily while I recovered from my accident, and once I recovered enough to work, I moved back to Raleigh, NC, and began working for a landscaping company. The moment I received my first paycheck, I made the decision to use heroin again. This was my first overdose that landed me in the ICU for 3 days on a ventilator. None of this changed my mind about using drugs and drinking alcohol… 

This trend continued and progressed for another year. I ended up losing everything and everyone in my life, becoming completely homeless, living on the streets. Until one day, I decided to make a change. With no money or insurance, I decided to go to a place called the Healing Transitions of Raleigh. This is a homeless shelter/rehab facility with a nonmedical detox. This place saved my life. It’s also the place where I met my best friend and business partner, Alexander Peacock. We both went through this year-long program together learning how to stay sober and learning how to live a new way of life. 

After a year in this program, we both struggled with the question “How do we have fun in recovery?”. Most people usually go to bars, parties or get together to drink alcohol for fun. For us, that is something we cannot do anymore. So, we wanted to find something that can help those of us in recovery have some fun and prove that recovery is not and doesn’t have to be boring. Both of us started to think about what we used to do for fun before we ever got into drugs and alcohol, and we immediately thought about recess in school. This is where the idea of Recess Games USA began. 

We wanted to provide an opportunity for those in recovery to come together to have fun and connect with others within the local community. So, we decided to put this idea to the test by putting on our very first pilot event in the year 2019. The event was a kickball game, and we rounded up a few dozen participants in the Healing Transitions program and brought them to the field. During the event, a few participants came told us that they have not had this much fun in years. But the most memorable story from this event was that one of the participants decided to paint on the bleachers while he watched. Someone from the local community came out and noticed him painting. She went over to check it out and immediately yelled out to everyone “Hey! Come check this painting out!” We call ran over to see and it was by far one of the best paintings I have ever seen. It was so good that the woman who noticed it first wanted his contact information to purchase his painting. Now, he is painting for others and even selling his paintings in auctions. This is what made both Alex and myself realize that this is something that can work and is what made us fully realize what our mission is. Our mission is to pair those in the community with people in recovery to have good, clean fun while building a more meaningful and purposeful life. 

Providing opportunity for those on the path to recovery and changing their lives for the better deserve opportunities to have fun, build positive relationships, learn leadership skills, learn team building skills, work on respect, problem-solving, learn to face adversity, and be a team player. These are all of the things we address with Recess Games USA. We believe in the community coming together to help each other become more successful, which is why we decided to become a nonprofit organization. 

Alex and I both believe our purpose on this earth is to help others down the same path we have been on. One of the biggest pieces for us when it comes to staying on this path was figuring out how to have fun but also building the relationships and network we have today. We hope to provide these same opportunities to as many people as possible with our nonprofit Recess Games USA Inc. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been many struggles and bumps along this road. The biggest struggle we faced was in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID situation. The lockdowns and mandates made it extremely hard for us to put on events and continue our mission in general. Many rehabs and facilities like the Healing Transitions were forced to close their doors and refuse services to those seeking help. This lead to many addicts and alcoholics to have nowhere to go, which played a huge role in over 100,000 people dying from overdosing. We felt completely helpless. 

We also struggled to find board members who share our vision of our mission and who have time to dedicate towards our nonprofit. 

Another struggle we still face to this day is time. Both of us work full-time jobs, which makes it very difficult to dedicate as much time as we would like to our passions and mission. 

Raising funds for our nonprofit has been extremely difficult for us as well. Both Alex and myself have never done anything like this before. We were uneducated, homeless guys that are now executive directors and founder of a nonprofit. It’s been a long and difficult learning process for us, but we have gained so much knowledge from our experience. We continue to learn more every single day. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am working full-time at Align Technology as an account manager for Invisalign. My main job is to work with newly Invisalign-certified dentist to help with office workflow as well as Invisalign implementation. I am known for my hard work, constantly reaching or exceeding quota, integrity, and my adaptability within the organization. I am most proud of the fact that 6 years ago, I was living in a homeless shelter with nothing to my name, terrible credit score, no degree, and no experience, but after learning to become sober and live a new way of life I have been able to apply my main principles I have learned through recovery which allowed me to get a job at a multi-billion dollar corporation as one of only few with no degree and work my way up to this position. I am also proud of the fact that with a full-time job and another part-time job, I am still able to work on my passion with Recess Games USA. My life today is truly amazing, and I am extremely grateful and proud for everything I have today. 

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
When it comes to getting into recovery the most important advice I have ever been given was to stop thinking. My thinking is what got me here in the first place. Allow others who have already been through it and have recovered to direct you down the path of recovery. 

When it comes to starting a nonprofit or a business my advice would be to take that leap of faith. Yes, it is scary, and it’s not easy whatsoever. But what I can tell you is that getting to do what I love and what I believe to be my purpose is the most amazing feeling I have ever felt. The hardship the fear and anxiety is worth facing when it’s for something you truly believe in. Allow others to help, and always have an open mind with the mindset to learn from every situation you are in. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.recessgamesusa.com
• Instagram: @recessgamesusa
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RecessGamesUSA/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNN8l74zASsP5CBKjtQtgng