Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael McCoy.
Hi Michael, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Whew. There is a lot, but I’ll shoot for brevity. Grew up in Dallas. College at Univ. of Arkansas. Hyatt Hotels and Hilton Hotels Corp right out of college (Incline Village and Beverly Hills). Broke into sports opening team for Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie. Recruited from there by Disney as DOS Anaheim Ducks/Angels. Brought back to Dallas by Southwest Sports Group (Tom Hicks, Owner) as Vice President, Sales of the Dallas Stars, Texas Rangers, Mesquite Rode, and the American Airlines Center. Recruited by the Arizona Coyotes as VP of Sales and opening team for the Coyotes and Gila River Arena. Lockout in 2004. Recruited by Stewart Title & Trust as VP, Business Development (2004-2015). In 2009 I had back surgery, double fusion, L4/L5. Got addicted to opioids and by 2012, my addiction and alcoholism burnt down my marriage. Had four houses, four Porsche, and flew private. Burnt it all down. By 2015, I was up to 300 Percocet a month, Adderall to get up, Ambien to go to sleep, cocaine daily, and a bottle of Scotch a day for three years. Attempted suicide. Baptized on 4/1/18 (Easter Sunday). Woke up on 4/8/18 and the obsession and craving for alcohol and drugs was gone. Two months and nine days later on Father’s Day, 6/17/18, I became homeless but stayed sober through 10 months of being homeless. Traveled back to Dallas by detailing six cars for $50 per car and stayed in a high school friend’s mom’s house in my old neighborhood. Landed back in Corp. America as VP of Business Development for Capital Title. Start date for them was 4/8/19, my one-year sobriety date. By 2020, I was giving back to the sober community by cooking light-out meals for the residents in the sober shelters. By 2021, I was VP of three non-related companies, and still am. Received a call from Augusta National inquiring if I would be interested in cooking for the members in Berckmans Place during the Masters. I accepted and opening round Thursday was my three-year sobriety date. I am on the permanent staff now at Augusta National for the Masters each year. This year, my fourth sobriety birthday was on Friday of the Masters. I am now up to cooking for 29 sober shelters and sober living homes, for free, out of my home. We received our 501(c)(3) status by the IRS on 9/14/21 and the board is set to approve a $1.2m budget for a building and feeding 130,000 men and women in early sobriety upscale meals.
There is a three-hour and 15-minute Podcast of my journey at www.sobershares.com and I am episode #27, Michael McCoy. It will give the “long version” (hahahahaha).
I am blessed today by a loving God and a beautiful fellowship of sober men and women. My goal is to allow men and women working in early sobriety to feel like they are not forgotten and to share my experience, strength, and hope with them through our organization.
Here is a piece that someone made for Chef to the Shelters- https://youtu.be/USevEUFpHWE
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
You would think that someone who had the wealth that I did, who lost everything, and at 7 months sober was living in a vacant house in Wichita, Kansas, would have considered it a “struggle” but it wasn’t. One night in that vacant house I broke into the best smile ever. I had finally found the peace and serenity I had tried to drink, drug, and buy my way to. Today, I live a very honest and open life. My goal is to serve others and try to help them see that there is such a beautiful life and happiness in sobriety.
As you know, we’re big fans of Chef to the Shelters. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Chef to the Shelter’s name came from my time spent living in Beverly Hills and Manhattan Beach. I was driving one day thinking about the shelters I cook for and “Chef to the Stars” popped into my head (and I laughed). Well, it stuck and now it is real. I cook the same foods for my sober shelters that I do for my private clients. I put perhaps even more attention to detail in my sober shelter meals because I remember that when I was in my first year of sobriety, I was eating saltine crackers while living in my car. I want men and women in early sobriety to feel good about themselves and possibly see that there are so many beautiful things possible ahead of them in their sober sojourn.
Last year we won D CEO Magazine’s Volunteer of the Year Awards in their Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Awards.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I probably shouldn’t say this, but Covid was the best 1.5 years of my life. That is what allowed me to turn my focus from my corporate life to the nonprofit sector and serve others in that community.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cheftotheshelters.org
- Instagram: cheftotheshelters
- Facebook: Chef to the Shelters
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/USevEUFpHWE
- Others: https://www.sobershares.com/27-michael-mccoy/
Image Credits
Sarah K Photography
