by Michael J. Marino
In 2015, Adam Gunton was found unresponsive by Laurel police from an overdose; he was not breathing and had no pulse. He survived, but he said, “I continued to suffer in my addiction for two more years,” ending up homeless in Billings and banned from the Montana Rescue Mission shelter.
Fast forward to 2023 – Gunton now runs a seven-figure business called Recovered On Purpose (ROP) in which he helps other addicts find and sustain recovery, and he has published a #1 bestselling book, From Chains to Saved. His latest achievement – he’s been selected to speak at the upcoming TEDxBillings on October 7, 2023.
So, how did Gunton make this drastic improvement? “I met Jesus face-to-face at an IHOP in Billings on November 6, 2017,” he said, “and had several really intense spiritual experiences.” After that, he began attending Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) group meetings and “worked the 12 steps as if my life depended on it.”
After moving out of state and achieving two years of recovery, Gunton got another message from beyond while attending a conference in 2019. “I heard this voice speak to me in a whisper, and it said, ‘Your new company is going to be called Recovered On Purpose,’ and I looked up and I said, ‘Oh, that’s good!’”
Good, indeed. It was after this spark of inspiration that Gunton says he wrote his book, From Chains to Saved, over the course of the five weeks leading up to his two-year sobriety anniversary. The book became a #1 bestseller and has likely inspired hundreds of thousands of people. Next, he founded ROP, a company whose mission is to “equip and empower addicts in recovery to share their stories with those suffering, to encourage and help addicts recover, and to share their experiences in the school system to deter the future generations from going down the path of addiction.”
Gunton described the moment he found out he’d been selected as a speaker at this year’s TEDxBillings as being “a dream come true,” and he added “I’ve had a picture of a TEDx stage on my vision board since 2019.”
He called addiction “the largest crisis that’s ever hit America,” as it is now “the leading cause of death for men aged 17 to 44.” With that in mind, he said, “I want to serve so badly with my life, and I believe that the idea I’m sharing is going to help millions of people.”
Gunton believes it’s time for “something new” in the field of recovery to change those grim statistics; “something that comes from within the community of addicts and alcoholics in recovery…” This, among other topics, is what Gunton’s TEDx talk will focus on this fall. He will also share the “deep and powerful connection of people giving their story of recovery a voice as they face the challenges of overcoming addiction with their life’s purpose.”
Some of the other ideas to be shared at TEDxBillings 2023 include: the power of being a small business, “demystifying” digital currency, and how one Billings man has used the pain of “long-haul COVID” to “inspire, connect and support others.”
Gunton advised anyone interested in attending the event to get tickets as soon as possible because they will probably sell out quickly. Follow the Facebook page “TEDxBillings” to be notified when tickets are available, or check www.tedxbillings.com.
