FATE From Addict to Entrepreneur, With Zach Walters of Weichert Realtors

My advice to entrepreneurs struggling with addiction is to know that you are not alone. Being vulnerable is one of the most difficult things in the world sometimes. But what you may find is that people will respect your honesty. Even if they don’t like it. There is nothing truly valuable about your career that will be lost by getting help.

As a part of my series about people who made the journey from an addict to an entrepreneur, I had the pleasure to interview Zach Walters.

Zach Walters from Sioux Falls, SD. Zach is a real estate professional focused on helping growing professionals and their families upscale to the Right Fit home. He lives with his dog Cache and you can typically find him jumping rope in the garage.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you describe your childhood for us?

I grew up on a family farm until I was 10. I have many fond memories of time with my grandpa, traveling to the local Implement to buy tractor supplies.

In 2000, my family moved to Yankton, SD. My father was a destructive and abusive alcoholic. To this day, I’ll never forget writing the police report that took him from our home following a weekend of assault. I was 13 years old. I stood to protect my mom, autistic brother, and little sister from any further chaos.

Can you share with us how were you initially introduced to your addiction? What drew you to the addiction you had?

All through high school, I swore of alcohol but after my first year of college, I began to feel like I was missing out. All my peers seemed to be bonding over beers and I was on the sidelines. My high school sweetheart got me my first drink and she was excited. I just wanted to fit in. When I started drinking, I found I really enjoyed it. It made me feel nothing and that was freeing.

What do you think you were really masking or running from in the first place?

I spent much of my life feeling like I was living without purpose. I was too young to understand that my dad’s choices were not because of me but because of some of the emotional trauma he experienced after a fatal car accident and being the only survivor.

I completed college and I had no idea what to do. I moved to Sioux Falls to live with my sister and I started working but it always seemed like other people had plans or had ideas and I was just existing.

I always felt like I was trying to be a good person, but I had no direction. I felt like the only way I could connect with people was through drinking and it seemed like the only interest they had was to hang out and drink.

Can you share what the lowest point in your addiction and life was?

There was a three-to-five-year period that those closest to me really began to worry. In fact, my friends ran an intervention. Instead of letting them help, I became more distant with them and closer to drinking buddies instead. I felt like my friends and family didn’t understand me.

I got a DUI in 2018 after a heavy night at the bars and riding my scooter home and crashing it. I completed a court ordered sobriety period and was back to drinking after those 45 days. I would go periods of time mildly sober and then weeks, if not months, without a day off.

The real low point in my alcoholism was the fall of 2019. I was waking up in the morning and taking shots of whiskey to start my day. My body wasn’t functioning for more than a few hours without a drink. I would drink my lunch at the bar near my work. All I could think about by the early afternoon was getting off work and hitting the bottle.

That Christmas my partner went to the hospital for acute pancreatitis. At the time I was working at a restaurant in the evenings and while she was in the hospital I was going to the bar until last call to deal with my feelings. At the same time, I told my insurance job boss that I was interested in becoming a real estate agent full-time. And she fired me.

Can you tell us the story about how you were able to overcome your addiction?

I was only planning on being sober for about 30 days so I could visit my girlfriend when she got out of treatment after the pancreatitis attack. Those 30 days turned into 90 days. And those 90 days turned into 2 and half years and counting.

How did you reconcile within yourself and to others the pain that addiction caused to you and them?

I sat in my sobriety alone for several months. We were in the height of the global pandemic, so it was easy to hide away from people. In time I realized that I needed to forgive myself for the destruction I was doing to myself and others. I reconciled with friends and family by continuing my sobriety.

When you stopped your addiction, what did you do to fill in all the newfound time you had?

The whole world had stopped for the pandemic. I had more time than I knew what to do with. I spent a lot of that time taking my dog for walks and hikes and relearned how to skateboard.

What positive habits have you incorporated into your life post addiction to keep you on the right path?

About nine months into sobriety, I realized that I was compensating for alcohol by eating way too much junk food. My body was adapting to the sedentary lifestyle, and I felt like s***. I needed a constructive outlet for my feelings. So I began to jump rope. I found some videos on YouTube about adults jumping rope. After a few weeks I cleared out a space in my 1 stall garage and began jumping rope in the garage in the dead of winter. Luckily, I had a propane space heater to warm up the garage enough that I wasn’t freezing while I worked on my new hobby.

I’ve realized my dedication to exercise helped keep the consistency of my recovery. I no longer wake up choosing sobriety. It’s just built into my day now.

Can you tell us a story about how your entrepreneurial journey started?

I worked on the phone most of my adult life. I spent nearly seven years working insurance agency jobs. I became pretty good at my job but always felt something was missing. I realized at my last job that the real estate agents I came to know had a chance to work with clients one-on-one and face-to-face. I knew that was what was missing.

Of course, I made that decision and was out of work otherwise. I spent the first year of my real estate license working at the restaurant and struggling to find clients. Fortunately, a friend of mine had transferred her teaching job to Sioux Falls and wanted my help. That was the start of it all.

I was working with first time homebuyers and gaining some experience but I needed more clients. In a move of desperation, I started knocking on doors to find anyone that would listen. I ended up meeting my first seller clients and have been working to develop my skills ever since.

In doing so, I kept finding I worked well with people trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. My favorite clients overcame their own traumas and sought out a brighter future for their kids.

This year I’ve overhauled my approach and designed a process that focuses on working with people that are a good fit for the program and my personality. I named the process The Right Fit Method. It’s a five-step approach to help growing professionals upscale into their own corner of serenity in this chaotic world. It’s made all the difference in how I approach the business.

What character traits have you transferred from your addiction to your entrepreneurship. Please share both the positive and negative.

I am an all-or-nothing kind of person and I always have been. I quit cold turkey two and a half years ago as of today. Part of the reason why my sobriety and recovery has worked is because I know I can’t moderate my drinking. I have no plans or desire to go back.

I realize that I could take that same energy and apply it to my work. Meaning that when I am focused on my career, I give my absolute best and all to it.

My worst trait is my desire to please everyone I meet. I went along with what people wanted from me in the past because I thought it made me more likable. It has taken a long time to relinquish that desire and realize that I needed to be protective of my time and energy. I can’t help everyone. And I won’t waste our time if we aren’t a good fit.

Why do you think this topic is not discussed enough?

Drinking is socially acceptable and in the Midwest it is almost a requirement to life. I think lots of people are dealing with pain and insecurity. Alcohol is a sort of social crutch. It is socially acceptable to have some drinks with people. And somehow, we are all supposed to be able to keep it in check. And if you are unable to keep it in check, you are the problem.

Can you share three pieces of advice that you would give to the entrepreneur who is struggling with some sort of addiction but ashamed to speak about it or get help?

My advice to entrepreneurs struggling with addiction is to know that you are not alone. Being vulnerable is one of the most difficult things in the world sometimes. But what you may find is that people will respect your honesty. Even if they don’t like it. There is nothing truly valuable about your career that will be lost by getting help.

Admitting to yourself that you are ready to make a change is the first step. If you’ve been thinking about it for a while, you’re closer than you know to making meaningful changes.

You’re going to probably lose people in your life who are more comfortable with your addiction than the reality of sobriety and recovery.

It’s not glamorous. It’s not pretty. And it’s quite painful. But if you’re ready to make a change there is no time like now. It is worth it.

Youtube link to advice video: https://youtu.be/nEh0mGaGhPc

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Find me on Instagram at ZachWaltersrealtor and Facebook at facebook.com/zach.walters.realestate. I talk about my lifestyle and real estate journey quite a bit!

Thank you so much for your insights. That was really inspiring!