The #RecoveryFirst Podcast with Mike Todd Bonus "Never Beg For A Seat When You Can Build Your Own Table"The #RecoveryFirst Podcast with Mike Todd Bonus "Never Beg For A Seat When You Can Build Your Own Table"
The Recovery First Addiction Recovery Podcast by Freedom Recovery Services of Greenville
Mike Todd shares how nearly three decades of recovery led him to build programmes, housing and advocacy projects, all rooted in the idea of "building your own table". He also talks about improving recovery housing in South Carolina, including getting naloxone into homes and mentoring operators to better support people with substance use disorder.
9:49•2 Aug 2021
Build Your Own Table: Mike Todd on Recovery, Dreams and Safe Housing
Episode Overview
- "Never beg for a seat when you can build your own table" – create your own opportunities instead of waiting for permission.
- Recovery can return what addiction took away, including old dreams and passions, if you stick with it over time.
- Community and the "we" of recovery, including meetings and shared housing, are vital for staying substance-free.
- Ethical recovery housing is crucial, and operators need support, mentoring and clear standards to protect vulnerable residents.
- Getting naloxone into recovery housing and training residents to use it is seen as a key safety standard across South Carolina.
“"Never beg for a seat when you can build your own table."”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol and other drugs? This bonus share from The Recovery First Podcast with Mike Todd has a simple, punchy message: "Never beg for a seat when you can build your own table." He spotted that line on Facebook, loved it so much he "had to steal it", and it’s become a kind of motto for how he lives in long-term recovery.
Speaking from nearly 30 years of recovery, Mike talks about how sobriety has turned him into a builder – of programmes, housing, advocacy projects and even this podcast. He explains how he helped set up a recovery house in Greenville back in 2011, describing it as a "spiritual experience", and how that work grew into structured support for people needing housing, transport and access to treatment. He also shares how childhood dreams once robbed by addiction have started to return.
As a kid, he kept pictures of politicians on his wall and wanted to be a congressman or senator. Addiction pushed that dream far away as life became about surviving homelessness and staying alive. Now, through advocacy and lobby work, he’s edging back towards that passion, backed by mentors and experience. The episode then shifts to the bigger picture of recovery housing in South Carolina.
Mike explains how informal shared housing between people in recovery has grown into an industry – one that can include exploitation of vulnerable people. To push for better standards, he helped start the South Carolina Recovery Housing Association, which works to mentor operators and advocate for safe, ethical housing. A key focus has been getting naloxone into all recovery homes and training residents on how to use it, supported by partners like The Clinton Foundation and others.
At its heart, this is a straight-talking boost for anyone in recovery: keep dreaming, "build your table", and hold on one day, or even one minute, at a time. What table could you start building today?
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