We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chris Zollman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chris below.
Chris, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?
Chris Zollman particularly enjoys the hands-on, personal aspect of running Stepping Stones—helping men in recovery on a daily basis, building a supportive “second family” environment, and witnessing their progress.
steppingstonesofatl.com
Key Things He Likes About the JobDirect involvement with clients: He is very hands-on, visiting residences regularly for drug tests, offering counsel, and interacting daily. This allows him to relate personally through his own recovery experience.
steppingstonesofatl.com
Seeing people get a second chance: He has said, “I see people going through living hell. Everyone deserves a shot.” The work is driven by the mission of providing structure, accountability, and practical support that leads to sobriety and rebuilding lives.
roughdraftatlanta.com
The community and “family” feel: Residents and staff (often program graduates) create a sober household that functions like a supportive family. Many clients choose to be there voluntarily, which he and the program highlight as a strength.
steppingstonesofatl.com
Impact and fulfillment: Helping others avoid the struggles he faced (multiple overdoses, legal issues) is deeply rewarding. This extends to related work with My Sober Friend, which grew from needs observed at Stepping Stones
Chris, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Stepping Stones of Atlanta Recovery Residence is a structured sober living home (also called a recovery residence or halfway house) for men recovering from substance use disorders, primarily in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
Key DetailsFocus and Model: It provides a safe, drug- and alcohol-free environment with structure, accountability, and peer support. The program is strongly 12-step based (aligned with Alcoholics Anonymous principles), emphasizing unity, service, and recovery. Residents typically come from rehab or treatment and use it as a transitional step toward independent sober living.
What It Offers:Regular/multiple drug testing per week.
House rules, routines, curfews, work or treatment requirements.
Hands-on staff involvement, including a certified addiction counselor.
Group outings and fellowship (e.g., whitewater rafting, meals, community service like handing out gift cards to the homeless at Christmas).
A “second family” atmosphere where residents support each other voluntarily
Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?
We prefer clients to be able to pay their own way. Each month we struggle financially but it is spiritually rewarding. Some programs that are the same, charge 2x. But that is not my purpose
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Marketing events are crucial. Experience is also the best teacher of all. I struggled with addiction and can relate to clients
Contact Info:
- Website: https://steppingstonesofatl.com
