David Marion | International Motivational Recovery Speaker on Addiction
With decades of recovery under his belt, David Marion has dedicated 30+ years to helping people conquer addiction as an addiction interventionist, sober coach, and addiction recovery speaker. Traveling from boardrooms to locker rooms, from schools to prisons, and anywhere in between, David shares his story of addiction and recovery with unrivaled passion, powerful vulnerability, and unwavering hope.
Looking for an addiction recovery speaker who really gets your audience?
You may have hired motivational speakers on addiction in the past who didn’t impact your audience in the way you’d envisioned.
You had high hopes that they’d inspire and captivate your audience, but something just fell flat.
Do you want a speaker who your audience will forget about in a few days?
Or do you want a speaker whose message will echo in your audience’s minds and hearts as they navigate their own lives, long after your event is over?
John Magnusson, Executive Director, MARRCH
David is a rare person who’s hardship and training has transformed him into a personal friend and trusted professional. Through visual storytelling, David moves the mind, captures the heart and brings people together for inspired change. His hand tailored talks that move people to action, makes him a highly sought after speaker. One that I have referred to others, booked onto our stages and highly recommend to you for your next event.
Choosing the right motivational recovery speaker can be a tough task, especially when talking about addiction.
You want someone who...
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will connect with your audience without isolating them
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will level with your audience without dominating them
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can relate to your audience, when they come from different walks of life
You know how delicate of a topic addiction recovery is, and how important it is to place your audience in the right hands.
David Marion knows this, too.
That's why David is one of the most highly sought-after, internationally recognized motivational speaks on addiction, recovery, and overcoming adversity.
He's the recovery speaker who will...
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captivate your audience
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allow your audience to feel understood and heard
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leave your audience feeling in awe and inspired by the power we have to overcome adversity
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be remembered by your audience for years to come
He isn’t the recovery speaker who talks at your audience, but rather comes alongside them like an old friend.
By sharing his powerful story of loss and redemption, he engages with your audience, keeping them energized and on the edge of their seats.
Why planners turn to David Marion as their go-to addiction recovery speaker
David takes the time to connect with your audience from the very beginning.
Whether he’s talking to high school kids trying to navigate the pressures of their peers or prison inmates trying to navigate recovery, David has a story that absolutely every individual can relate to.
Instead of dishing out a generic speech, he builds genuine rapport with your unique audience.
When a motivational recovery speaker talks to their audience and only shares facts, there’s a 5% to 10% retention rate of the information.
When a motivational recovery speaker includes stories and connects with emotion, that retention rate shoots up to 65% to 75% (1).
The story is the difference between a GOOD speech and a GREAT speech.
David’s story is the driving force of his work, as he’s crawled his way out of the trenches of addiction more than once.
What began at age 9 completely took over his world until an intervention changed the course of his life.
After getting sober, David got married, had two daughters, and was a high rolling corporate executive.
He thought he had it all.
Then, after over a decade of sobriety, David relapsed on prescription painkillers.
He got divorced and lost his kids.
He lost his multi-million dollar brokerage firm, filed for bankruptcy, and served time in federal prison.
Today, David is a Nationally Certified Intervention Professional (NCIP), Nationally Certified Recovery Coach (NCRC), and National Public Speaker.
He’s the author of Addiction Rescue; The NO-BS Guide to Recovery, and has authored articles in various publications and podcasts.
He’s been featured in the CDC RX Awareness Campaign as well as the PBS documentary Hold on to Hope: David Marion’s Opioids Story.
He has become an authority in the field of addiction and recovery.
David has captivated audiences across the world with his message of overcoming adversity and finding meaning in all of our experiences, even the ones that seem the bleakest.
When he speaks, David is magnetic.
Even with over 30 years of recovery under his belt, David hasn’t forgotten where he came from, and what his darkest moments felt like.
When he shares his story, David brings you into his world, reliving the arc of his multiple addictions as they parallel his extraordinary life.
He doesn’t sugarcoat the ugly reality of addiction.
He digs into the subtle nuances of how addiction changes you from the inside out.
The visceral recounting of his experiences will move your audience from laughter to tears and back again.
His insight and self-awareness helps your audience connect with their own blind spots.
Speaking from his heart, his authenticity and relatability cut through to the core of your audience’s psyche.
He’s raw, honest, compassionate, and empathetic.
His no-nonsense, no BS approach is woven into his speaking, giving your audience the unfiltered messages they need to hear.
His ability to connect and relate will have your audience reflecting on their own lives and decisions, where they are today, and how far they can go.
David’s work not only motivates, but it empowers.
It brings people together, and offers real hope and inspiration that can’t be manufactured.
“Hey Dave! Just thought I’d reach out to you and say thank you for being a part of who I am today. You don’t know this, but when you spoke at Hazelden back in 2019 you inspired me to want to pursue coaching as a career. Hearing you speak is a part of my story. So again, thank you for all that you do.”
Clara R.
A letter from David
My story is one of extreme highs, lows, and everything in between. From the excruciating pain of withdrawals multiple times over to the high-flying days as a corporate executive, I had to lose everything, including my own freedom, to see that the key to happiness was inside and in my control the whole time.
Between my own personal journey and my unrelenting resolve to help as many people like me as possible step out of the darkness of addiction, I’ve had the honor to speak to groups ranging from businesses, schools, conventions, and drug and alcohol panels to leading treatment facilities spanning the globe.
David Marion
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Honesty
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Gratitude
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Forgiveness
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Thinking less about yourself but not less of yourself
I share my rules of recovery framework that continues to help both myself and my clients achieve success in recovery and a life of purpose, prosperity and integrity. If there’s a will to live a life free of addiction, there is a way. It’s easy to do, but as I know all too well, it’s easy not to do.
My message and action plan share universal truths everyone can take something from. It’s rooted in honesty, thinking about yourself less while not thinking less of yourself, forgiveness, gratitude, and disrupting the power of obsessive thinking.
My story is a combination of powerful inspiration, unimaginable obstacles, and colossal hope that audiences of all ages and all walks of life can connect to. It's one I've shared with a wide array of audiences, from professional sports teams and students to inmates, AA members and corporate executives.
No matter the obstacles in our way, we all have the power within to change our minds, change our path and make life extraordinary. And in doing so, a life of happiness, purpose and success awaits.
- David Marion, Addiction Interventionist, Sober Coach, Motivational Recovery Speaker, Author
Topics David talks about
Active addiction
Relapse
Recovery
Feeling an inner void
Forgiveness
Cross-addiction
Power of intervention
Gratitude
Obsessive thinking
Isolation
Fear
Guilt and remorse
Excuses and consequences
Low self-worth
Overcoming obstacles
Self-care in a toxic environment
Service to others
Believing in yourself
Spirituality
Loss and redemption
Connection
True happiness
Success
Life after loss
Cultivating a life of purpose
Hope