This is the story God wrote for me.
How pain, addiction, and grace built the foundation of MOTIVE.
Chapter 1: Growing Up
Growing up on a vineyard in Southern Monterey County, I come from rural roots, good people, and values.
My name is Jason and my story defines me.
The fact that I am alive and able to tell My Story is a huge blessing from God.
I know what I have experienced is not a ânormalâ life nor a life for anyone else.
My story is one of (mostly) unwavering Faith and the miraculous power of transformation.
I am a man of God, raised in the heart of Southern Monterey County, California.
It was this special place where I learned the values of hard work and resilience from my family, friends, and community.
I am the son of a multi-generational farmer.
I grew up in a double-wide mobile home, on a vineyard, spanning 100 acres. This was where my childhood was mostly spent, playing in the endless amounts of dirt.
Riding motorcycles, raising swine, shooting birds.
The closest town was ten miles away and had a population of 3,000 similar hard-working people.
Despite my humble upbringing, I was blessed with the opportunity of a private school education, which expanded my horizons and instilled a sense of ambition within me.
I did not see the inside of a public school until college.
I was sheltered and blind to reality.
In my early years, I was adventurous and mischievous.
That lack of listening to authority increased into my teens. I was still a good kid, but I liked to push the boundaries of the definition of rules.
I was athletic and social.
I was convinced I was special.
Too special to be from a small town.
I always yearned to escape the confines of the place I called home.
I graduated high school and I left.
CHAPTER 2: Las Vegas
I move to Las Vegas, chasing success, but quickly gets lost in a fast lifestyle, addiction to pills, and emotional emptiness.
All masked by a daily "performance"
I moved to Las Vegas for college in the late â90s, a stark contrast to my rural roots.
I put myself through college by working in casinos, restaurants, bars, and eventually nightclubs.
It was a dark world, yet undeniably thrilling.
As I delved into the Las Vegas nightlife, I found myself drawn into its magnetic pullâthe flashing lights, the continuous hum of excitement, and the promise of escape.
From a pool boy â to a bartender â to a mixologist â to a manager in a suit.
I did it all.
Each night was a vivid adventure, set against a backdrop of vibrant chaos.
My UNLV undergraduate years are mostly a blur nowadays.
I was introduced to Adderall and Xanax at a time when the academic pressure felt overwhelming.
Initially, these pills seemed like a perfect solution, helping me manage my coursework and social life effortlessly.
However, they soon became a crutch I could not function without, clouding more than just my daysâthey began to cloud my priorities and passions too.
Once my undergraduate studies were complete, I decided to stay in Las Vegas to attend graduate school. I earned an MBA in finance from UNLV and began to progress up the hospitality hierarchy.
I dove into the âVegasâ lifestyle headfirst; into the shallow end.
I immersed myself in the casino, hospitality, and nightclub industries learning valuable lessons from renowned entrepreneurs and casino operators.
Beneath the dull veneer of success, I grappled with a battle that would consume me for two decades, Alcoholism with multiple added Addictions.
CHAPTER 3: THE beginning of the end
My addiction spirals into heroin use, homelessness, and eventual an arrest by the FBI.
I reach rock bottom and find unexpected light in prison.
I was arrested a few times for menial crimes.
I fell deeper into the bottle.
I also learned many hard life lessons.
I thought I managed daily. I was the life of almost every party.
I lost most of my money gambling in machines that never pay. Tables I knew I could beat.
The bartenders liked me. The casinos loved me.
I was a high roller until I wasnât.
The bar business is contagious.
It was not until 2013 that my life spiraled into complete darkness when I became addicted to opiates.
On Christmas Eve of that year, I experienced a terrifying moment when I could not move the right side of my body. In hindsight, it was a direct consequence of my alcoholism.
When I sought medical help, I withheld the truth about my drinking from the doctor, which led him to prescribe Lortabs. This decision, driven by my omission, steered me towards a pain management specialist, where I was introduced to OxyContin.
My reliance on these prescribed treatments quickly evolved into a costly pill addiction.
Overwhelmed by the expenses and my growing dependency, I turned to heroin, sinking deeper into addiction.
By 2014 I had become a full-blown heroin addict.
I felt like I lost my Faith, hope, and everything I held dear.
CHAPTER 4: My Rock Bottom
This was more than rock bottom â it was the breaking point that stripped me of everything but Faith.
What I lost in the world, I found again in Jesus.
That was MY rock bottom. I was homeless and isolated from everyone and everything I once knew.
I had to learn rapidly how to manage the streets.
I learned to move differently.
I made bad choices.
July 5th, 2015.
The day I got sober.
I wish I could say it ended there.
After a long string of terrible and self-destructive decisions, I was arrested by the FBI.
I was going to Prison.
Possibly for 30 years.
A place where you quickly learn, that God is your only true friend.
Prison was a word that took me many years to say.
The idea of going, or worse having been to prison was embarrassing at the very least.
After 27 long months in a federal penitentiary, I was released back to society with $44 and the clothes on my back.
In the midst of my despair and with nothing, I again found my salvation in Jesus.
I began the arduous journey of recovery, paying my debt to society and making the critical decision to change all people, places, and things.
I embarked on a new path, leaving behind the old Jason who had been consumed by addiction, despair and lies.
Filled with a newfound perspective on life and a deep connection to my restored Faith, I decided to return to my roots in Godâs country.
I felt a sense of purpose and belonging like never before.
CHAPTER 5: The comeback
âI didnât just come back. I came back different.â -Jason
In 2019, destiny rekindled an old flame, reuniting me with Laurye, my childhood sweetheart, after a quarter-century apart.
Yes. 25 years.
Our reconnection marked the beginning of a new chapter, blending our lives and families in a partnership rooted in Faith, love, recovery and mutual respect.
Together, we have built a sanctuary in the mountains, a testament to our shared journey of healing and discovery.
Laurye and I share a bustling and enriching life together, raising three wonderful daughters while managing the demands of owning multiple businesses.
Our days are a blend of family activities, school events, and business meetings, each moment filled with its own challenges and rewards. We strive to instill values of hard work, respect, and self-reliance in our girls, hoping to inspire them with our own commitment to success and community involvement.
Laurye and I share a passion for adventure, particularly when it involves the great outdoors.
We thrive on hiking and immersing ourselves in the deep wilderness, where the tranquility of nature envelops us.
As climbers in recovery, we have tackled some significant challenges together, including summiting Mt. Whitney and Boundary Peak, the latter being the highest peak in Nevada.
I can say I have been to the âlowestâ and âhighestâ points in Nevada.
It was an important accomplishment for me.
These experiences not only test our limits but also strengthen our bond, as we conquer these majestic heights side by side.
Chapter 6: The birth of MOTIVE
âThis brand wasnât built. It was born â from pain, purpose, and a promise to never go back.â -Jason
And how did we get to Motive Earth?
Good question.
After 20+ years of substance abuse, I had done so much damage to my body that I thought it was beyond repair.
The scars of addiction ran deep, both physically and mentally. My mind had been ravaged by gambling addiction and the relentless weight of homelessness.
And then there was prisonâfederal prison.
The experience left me with wounds I could not see, but I felt them every day.
Anxiety.
Depression.
PTSD.
They clung to me like a shadow I couldnât shake.
When I got out of prison, I thought things would get better, but the reality was far from it. I was a wreckâemotionally, physically, mentally. It seemed like I was in and out of the doctorâs office constantly. What felt like every week, I was sitting under those sterile fluorescent lights, searching for answers they would never find.
I cannot count how many times I ended up in the ERâsix, maybe seven.
Every day felt like an uphill battle, and honestly, there were times I was not sure I had the strength to keep climbing.
One afternoon, while Laurye and I enjoyed the Fremont Street Experience, we walked by a burger bar named âThe Heart Attack Grillâ. The premise of the restaurant, if not obvious by the name, is heart attack ensuing, oversized cheeseburgers.
Part of their brand is a scale out front for the public to check their own weight.
I stepped on and when 198 glowed on the readout, I about had a heart attack.
I am 5â8â.
It was not good.
I was miserable.
There is no sugarcoating it.
The medications I was taking were like a maskâcovering up the real problems but never getting to the root of them.
Sound familiar?
I was tired. Tired of feeling broken.
Tired of relying on pills that never really made me feel whole. Something inside me snappedâI knew I had to do more. I had to rebuild, regrow, and heal, not just for myself but for my future.
Chapter 7: Today and Beyond
âI live on purpose now â every step, every word, every move.â -Jason
This isnât the end of my story.
Itâs just the part where I finally know who I am, why Iâm here, and what Iâm building.
That is when the shift happened. I started learningâabout nutrition, about wellness, about the ways our bodies can heal when we give them what they need.
I dug deep into how I could reverse the damage, strengthen my body, and reclaim my health. And the more I learned, the more I realized this was my path.
Healing became my passion.
I had reasons to keep fightingâto live long enough to see my kids grow up, to hold my grandkids one day, to explore the world with my best friend by my side. I wanted more than just survivalâI wanted to thrive, and I wanted to share what I had learned with anyone willing to listen.
I had a new perspective on life, and I knew that by sharing my story, my experiences, and the knowledge I gained through my recovery, I could help others on their journeys too.
This is just the beginning of what is to come.
What is my future?
I have no idea.
I listen to God.
I keep my Faith.
I know I possess an unique set of skills coupled with a pandoraâs box of experiences.
I feel a calling to share with the world.
Here is the opening of that proverbial box.
For the world to see without filters. My mantra is simple: work hard and be nice to people.
I follow a daily set of âRulesâ:ALWAYS put God first.
Your Mindset to Life is Everything.
Pick a good one.
Be Better Everyday. The smallest gains with consistent dedication become things you cannot imagine now.
When things get rough, start again.
I made a personal commitment to myself, for the rest of my life. Everything I do is with the intention of giving back to others, a testament to the love and guidance I have received from my God.
I have a story to tell.
A story of hope.
I have been told to tell itI have come to understand that all of my experiences, with their trials and triumphs, are guiding me toward a future that will be incredibly difficult, yet profoundly rewarding.
This journey, marked by both challenges and achievements, is preparing me for a significant undertaking where the lessons learned will prove indispensable. I am embracing this path, knowing that the hardships I face are shaping a purposeful and fulfilling destiny.
Despite the numerous times I should have met my end, I stand here as a beacon of hope, determined to share my story and inspire others to find their own path to redemption.
I am Jason, a man of God, living a life of purpose and gratitude, and I am proof that second chances are not only possible but can lead to a life filled with meaning and love.
There is always hope.
Thank you for choosing MOTIVE.
Jason Roberts â Founder MOTIVE
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