Major Contributors

Paul Guerra

Paul Guerra is, simply put, a force of nature. The kids who are fortunate enough to experience Paul at Warrior Camp, Teen Rites of Passage, or as one of his coaching clients know he will challenge them. Paul holds the kids he works with accountable; he looks right into their soul with his steely Clint Eastwood type gaze, and they feel his powerful compassion.

Whoever coined the phrase “Your pain is your credential” must have known about Paul’s early struggles in life. For most of his early adult life, he was a functioning addict. He was sober for seven years, yet he hit bottom when he became homeless for a period of time in Vancouver. The road to personal recovery was a powerful one for Paul, and he found out early in recovery that his pain is his gift. “My purpose in the last 10 years has been to serve fellow mankind,” said Paul. “I now serve helping teenagers with substance abuse problems and plan to continue serving those who struggle with abuse problems like mine.”

Paul found his piece of the puzzle. He defined his inner peace. Look at his arm and you’ll see the tattooed image of his company logo—Define Your Peace—the earth composed of puzzle pieces. Define Your Peace is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to helping at risk youth and their families conquer addiction. Paul believes that teens have unharnessed potential, and that everyone, adults and teens alike, has the ability to step up in life—to live a productive, sober life. One of the keystones of his company is the Teen Life Mastery Program, an intervention model in which parents send their teen to live with Paul for an extended stay. The teen receives daily coaching and learns basic life skills that have fallen by the wayside due to addiction and other nonsupportive behaviors. Paul understands the struggles kids go through when dealing with life’s pressures, because he lived through it. He empowers teens to make their own choices, and he knows it doesn’t always mean it’s the right choice. “Parents have to stop enabling their children by fixing everything for them.” said Paul. “You have to vacate the space you want your children to employ.”