From Addiction to Self-Made Success. Grant Cardone Shares His Story.

Grant Cardone
Grant Cardone struggled with addiction for over 9 years before building his life of self-made success.
 

Many people are familiar with the name Grant Cardone, but what many people don’t know is his story before he became the successful man he is today. Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and brought up by a single mother who raised seven children, Grant came from humble beginnings and battled addiction for over 9 years. Even 3 overdoses weren’t enough to get him to stop his addiction. So just how did Grant go from a life fueled by drug addiction to building a successful life? Grant took the time to share his story with us on the “Addiction Podcast—The Point of No Return.”

Grant’s drug addiction started at a young age, “I started with weed because of peer pressure,” he remembered. When it comes to addiction, Grant knows that it is a real and serious, and sometimes deadly, issue. No matter your background and your upbringing, addiction can affect anyone. “It’s real. I grew up in the age of ‘say no to drugs.’ I started with weed. I was using amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, smoking crack… you name it I’ve done it. I went from being a great kid. Trustworthy, admired by people, to literally being the black sheep of my family. And that wasn’t my goal,” Grant shared.

He would go on to struggle with addiction for over 9 years, even to the point of overdosing, “Drugs became a problem for me when I was 15 or 16 years old, and would become a massive, massive problem, a daily problem for me between the ages of 16 and 25. Overdosed three times. I was definitely at the end of the rope. If you ever met someone in a lot of trouble because of drug addiction, I was that guy.” His candid conversation really shines the light on the fact that addiction knows no boundaries, no race, no class, and anyone can fall into the trap.

After five years into his addiction, Grant would try and fail to get clean for several years, “I tried to quit every single day for three years and I couldn’t, I just could not quit,” he recounted. Ultimately, it would be his mother that would be the turning point in his addiction, “Then one day, I went into my mom’s business. I was slurring, bloodshot, pupils dilated, and she says, ‘don’t come here again, I’m done.’ It’s when she closed the door, I was literally in a treatment center ten days later. I needed her to say no. I needed her to shut me down with that tough love thing, and I needed also somebody to offer me a hand and walk me into a treatment center.” Sometimes saying no to the ones we love is one of the hardest things to do, and in Grant’s case, it was his mother’s tough love that saved his life and would set the course for his future trajectory.

Grant went on to successfully complete the treatment program and threw himself into building a new life. In his trademark, all-out fashion, he worked with an intensity to rebuild his new, drug-free life, “I left the treatment center, went home. I took all four, five, or six hours every day I wasted on drugs and threw them into becoming great at a job that I hated. And got great at a job that I hated. I turned my life around. Paid back everybody that I’d damaged. Started building my self-respect and my self-esteem and eight years later… instantly in the first 30 days I felt better about myself, but it took some time for me to really start believing in me.” And the evidence shows that his hard work and pouring himself into work and rebuilding his life have paid off, indeed.

Grant Cardone sharing success
Grant Cardone shared his story on “The Addiction Podcast—The Point of No Return” with co-host Fabian Padro, Executive Director Narconon Ojai.
 

When asked what Grant would want to share as parting words with those out there who may be struggling with addiction he had this to say, “The drugs aren’t going to make it any better. There’s no drug in the world that’s going to make you more aware, more powerful. Nobody escapes the drug deal. Nobody. Nobody in the history of the world has escaped drugs once it becomes a problem. I would not be where I’m at today if I was still using drugs. I’ve got an unbelievable life that I would not have. My whole life turned around when I got off of drugs.”

Grant’s story is an inspiration for those in active addiction and for families who are living the nightmare of witnessing a loved one in its grips. We are grateful to Grant for speaking so openly about his addiction and how he overcame it. Recovery is possible and a bright, new drug-free life can be achieved after addiction. There is hope and we at Narconon Ojai are here to help.

Watch the full interview here:

AUTHOR

Fabian Padro

Narconon Ojai, the premier Narconon center in the United States, is led by Fabian Padro, AS, RADT. After starting a career in International Business and earning an Associates Degree, Fabian changed course and has now dedicated his life to helping those trapped in the downward spiral of addiction.

NARCONON OJAI

DRUG EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION