How my life dramatically changed in six months

What I learned from hitting rock bottom 

Fear of the unknown can be a crutch that holds an individual back. But for Brian Jacques, his leap of faith came with a significant risk that would have been daunting to handle alone. 

Between being a father, a husband, a recovering addict and an owner of a small construction company during the beginning of a global pandemic, Jacque’s plate was full. Running a business is a demanding job that comes with stressful decisions about future growth, which forced Jacques to seek help.  

“My friend’s husband introduced me to the idea of a life coach for my business, which I gave a try because my business was giving me a heart attack,” said Jacques. 

A year and a half later, Jacques’s career path completely shifted. The only routine that hasn’t changed is his steaming cup of coffee in the morning. Toxic wet paint fumes and drywall dust filling the air may be satisfying for some people, but for Jacques, it never provoked a smile quite like helping others create music in his soundproof acoustic home studio. So, how did Jacques turn a creative hobby into a profitable business? To understand his journey, it is crucial to learn the obstacles he had to overcome. 

Nearly five years before he owned a construction company, Jacque’s life was much different. Creating music and playing live shows was like a drug. The cheering crowds, cymbals crashing and screeching feedback from amplifiers became so loud Jacques tuned out the most important thing in his life, his family. Unfortunately, Jacques fell victim to the cliched rockstar lifestyle of partying, drinking and drug use, which led him down a dark path, at least until he hit a wall. With an imminent divorce and CAS required for visitations to see his son, he knew he needed to change fast.  

“I hit a rock bottom and I tried Narcotics Anonymous. I was so desperate to change. My back was against the wall. I needed my family back,” said Jacques. 

Jacques knew he couldn’t beat his addiction alone. Once he reached out for help and leaned on his sponsor from NA, everything in his life began to improve. 

“They say in recovery the only way you can keep what you have is by giving it away, so my role is to encourage, support and guide another addict through a lot of life situations,” said Gary Pearce, who is a sponsor and a member of NA for over 15 years. 

 NA taught Jacques it’s okay to reach out for help, which proved to be pivotal down the road.  

When Jacques hired professional life coach David Haas’s six month service, he was determined to improve upon the $1,000 weekly cheques his construction company was generating. However, it became apparent to Haas that helping Jacques grow his construction company would only amplify his stress. Ultimately, Haas’s coaching style helped Jacques uncover mental blocks holding him back. A towering barrier he faced was chasing a larger paycheck. Through self-analysis and meditation, Jacques realized the three things that mattered the most to him: family, friends and music.  

“I went from how am I going to be more in the field that I actually don’t want to be in, to operating full-time doing something that energizes me,” said Jacques. “The life coach said stop trying to control outcomes and go towards music but not what you think it should look like.”  

Jacques performs live music occasionally, but the primary source of his revenue comes from his music training business, which is steadily growing and generating similar income to his former construction business.