It’s sad to say, but some people have it harder than others in life. They go down the wrong road and end up in the wrong place. This story tells us about a man who had hit rock bottom and became addicted to drug, but overcame his addiction and became a voice of inspiration for those struggling in life.
Khalil Rafati has had a harsh life. When he was younger he ran away from home due to years of sexual abuse. He left his home in Ohio to start a new life in Los Angeles. That’s when he opened up a car detailing business.
His business boasted clientele such as Elizabeth Taylor and Jeff Bridges. But Rafati face other struggles and felt a huge need to move forward and progress.
Rafati started selling drugs to make extra money. This sparked his addiction to ecstasy and heroin. He had even overdosed at a Malibu party and paramedics had to be called to save his life.
Things got even worse for Rafati after that. Later that year his house was broken into by armed robbers who shot at him. And soon after that he hit rock bottom, when he had to serve time at the LA County Jail.
Despite his struggles and seeming as if life was done for him, Rafati wanted to pursue a better life. He decided he needed to find a new addiction to change his old one, but this time his new addiction was amazing: to help others.
His friend had introduced him to juices that would help him overcome his addiction. He decided to take that to the next level.
He Started a company called Riviera Recovery Center back in 2007. The center was design to help people with addictions get sober. The juices Rafati made for the patients and staff were so incredibly good that people would start to come in just for his signature blends.
“The juice was meant to rejuvenate and strengthen the patients, and give them some much-needed strength. Lethargy in sobriety is pretty brutal, especially if you’re coming off a long run with hard-core drugs,” Rafati told the New York Times.
“So many outsiders came to Riviera Recovery just to enjoy one of my smoothies, it even became a bit embarrassing since many of these people were not part of the Riviera Recovery program,” he continued.
It was because of the popularity of his juices that he decided to open up Sunlife Organics with a goal to ‘love, heal, and inspire.’
Sunlife Organics now has 6 locations where he employs people that are trying to change their lives. The company’s revenue is estimated at $15 million per year (based on a median amount from Indeed.com analysis). His stores have become so popular that celebrities like Harry Styles show up from time to time.
This man went from rock bottom to inspiring thousands of people to better their lives. He is truly an inspiration, he shows us that no matter how hard life gets, or where life takes you, it’s never to hard to make a change to better ourselves.
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