This article summarizes a conversation from the Recovery Reach podcast hosted by Andrew Averill. Each episode features marketing and business experts in the substance use and mental health treatment industry, helping leaders grow their organizations’ impact.
When Trey Laird founded The Lighthouse in 2016, he wasn’t entering an industry—he was filling a gap he’d once fallen through himself. After completing treatment for addiction in 2008, he discovered that local, high-quality recovery housing for working professionals simply didn’t exist in Connecticut or the New York metro area. The options were either far away or far removed from real life.
So Laird, a former Wall Street trader, built what he wished had existed—a luxury recovery residence where men and women could reenter daily life with structure, support, and dignity. Nearly ten years later, The Lighthouse has become a model for how to blend business strategy, compassion, and community into sustainable behavioral health services.
In his conversation with Recovery Reach host Andrew Averill, Laird shared insights from his entrepreneurial journey: how to start lean, network with integrity, grow thoughtfully, and deliver care that clients truly value. Below are 12 key lessons from that conversation that every behavioral health leader or founder can learn from.
The Lighthouse didn’t begin as a business idea—it started with a personal crisis. In 2008, Trey Laird entered treatment near his home in Connecticut. After discharge, he was advised to relocate to Florida or California for continued recovery, but that solution didn’t fit his life.
“When I was in treatment in 2008, my family invited me not to live at home anymore after treatment… They said, ‘You should go live in a sober house.’ I had never heard of that before.”
Unable to find a suitable local option, Trey returned home, worked on Wall Street, and immersed himself in recovery through more than 150 meetings in 90 days. Over time, his volunteer work mentoring others revealed a larger need: high-functioning professionals needed structured, dignified recovery options close to home. Eight years later, that insight became The Lighthouse.
Trey designed The Lighthouse to bridge the gap between treatment and real-world living. Its New Canaan location—an hour from New York City—lets residents rebuild their lives while maintaining professional responsibilities.
“Our clients wake up in the morning, get in their car, go to Starbucks, go to work, and have real-life experience every day without drinking or using drugs.”
Rather than shielding residents from life’s pressures, the model integrates them. Clients practice coping tools in real-world settings—with coaching and peer support waiting at home. This daily rhythm helps them apply recovery tools, not just learn them.
Implementation takeaways for program operators:
Encourage clients to maintain employment or routines early.
Schedule groups and coaching around the workday.
View exposure to stress as a therapeutic opportunity.
From the start, Trey envisioned something more than “sober housing.” He wanted to redefine the post-treatment experience through quality and comfort.
“The product that I wanted to put on the table was the Four Seasons of sober living… I wanted a physical plant where somebody walked in the door and said, ‘This place is amazing. I never want to leave.’”
A luxurious environment doesn’t just impress—it restores dignity. For professionals used to high standards, entering a serene, well-appointed home reinforces the belief that recovery is compatible with success and self-respect.
Tactical advice:
Prioritize cleanliness, design, and comfort as part of therapeutic design.
Invest in quality communal experiences—shared meals, chef-prepared food, and peaceful spaces.
Ensure “luxury” aligns with mission: hospitality that supports healing, not excess.
Launching The Lighthouse in 2016, Trey assumed the treatment center where he’d volunteered would refer clients. Instead, they hung up on him.
“I was so confident of that referral relationship being gold that I didn’t even question it… and they literally hung up on me.”
That setback forced him to pivot immediately—mapping where executives actually sought treatment (Caron, Cirque Lodge, Hanley Center, and others). By building relationships across multiple centers, he created a more diversified, resilient referral base.
Lesson for founders: Rejection often reveals blind spots. Diversify early referral sources to avoid dependency on one relationship or organization.
When Trey began networking with treatment centers, he didn’t lead with a pitch. He led with curiosity.
“I didn’t position myself as somebody looking for something from them. I wanted to learn more about what they did.”
That mindset built genuine partnerships. He became a trusted referent—sending clients to programs he personally vetted. Over time, those centers reciprocated with referrals. Trust came from contribution, not self-promotion.
Pro tips for ethical networking in behavioral health:
Visit other programs to understand their niche.
Refer before asking to receive.
Maintain transparency—bad referrals can permanently damage credibility.
Laird’s business instincts were matched with good timing. The local 12-Step community was strong, luxury real estate prices had dipped, and federal housing protections allowed sober living to operate without clinical licensing.
“We didn’t need a license, certification, or zoning approval. All we needed to do was rent the house and start telling people that we were open.”
This favorable alignment lowered barriers to entry—but not the risk. Trey raised modest capital, structured costs carefully, and balanced growth with fit. Even today, he turns away more than half of callers if they’re not appropriate for the environment.
Founders’ checklist:
Validate local 12-Step or support ecosystems.
Understand regulatory requirements for your level of care.
Maintain strong boundaries around client fit—brand safety comes first.
The first Lighthouse team consisted of Trey and two co-founders. Their first employee—Jack Clayton—was hired only after they had three clients.
“We hired slowly, we hired carefully. And we really did a lot of it ourselves. We were the overnight staff until we hired Jack.”
Everyone hired since shares a common trait: lived experience in recovery. That authenticity shapes how clients relate to staff and makes guidance credible.
“Our clients listen to our staff because they have that lived experience. They’ve walked that path.”
Hiring insights:
Culture fit trumps resume.
Early hires should reflect the mission, not just fill roles.
Establish relapse-response policies for staff to maintain safety and integrity.
No amount of planning can cover every scenario. Trey and his partners quickly discovered they’d have to adapt daily, guided by a balance of compassion and accountability.
“We knew we were creating a new category. There was only so much prep we could do. We knew we were going to have to learn as we go.”
When a client arrived intoxicated, they couldn’t stay—but couldn’t be turned away unsafely either. Each situation became a lesson in operational ethics: protect the community while helping the individual.
Actionable principle:
Make “learn fast, act compassionately” a cornerstone of early operations. Build SOPs from lived experiences, not theory.
The Lighthouse thrives because it doesn’t try to serve everyone. Its clients are often professionals returning to demanding roles and family structures. That niche requires structure compatible with busy schedules.
“A typical Lighthouse client, we don’t program them all day like they do in treatment… If they have no job and nothing to do, we can’t be responsible for babysitting them.”
He also learned that half of clients pay personally while the other half have financial sponsors, such as spouses or trustees—necessitating family coaching to align expectations.
“Now every client that comes has a family coach who can be a buffer between the client and us.”
Strategic takeaway:
Specialization earns trust and referrals. Define your niche clearly, decline outside-fit clients kindly, and build wraparound communication with families or payers.
Client feedback led directly to one of The Lighthouse’s biggest expansions: Recovery 365. Alumni wanted to continue coaching and community involvement after moving out.
“They’d say, ‘I’d like to continue to see my recovery coach even after I leave here.’ And I said, yeah, that makes sense for you and for us.”
That insight created a scalable, non-residential offering that doubled—and sometimes tripled—client volume. Recovery 365 now includes coaching, family support, meals, and events for alumni and community members.
“We created the Recovery 365 program for people that don’t live in The Lighthouse but want to continue what they’re doing.”
Lesson: Innovation doesn’t always require reinvention—just listening. When clients ask for continuity, give it structure, pricing, and a name.
Nearly a decade in, Trey still takes the first call from every prospective client or family.
“Anyone that calls us is talking to me first. And I think that’s given us a big advantage.”
It sends a powerful message: leadership involvement equals client importance. Yet Trey knows scaling will require others to eventually assume that role, equipped with his same empathy and authority.
“I also intuitively know that can’t always be the case… if we’re gonna grow more, somebody else is gonna be taking those phone calls.”
Scalability blueprint:
Document your founder scripts, values, and decision logic.
Train admissions staff on tone and transparency.
Transition gradually—quality of first impressions defines the brand.
In recent years, Trey has become active on LinkedIn, sharing reflections about recovery, leadership, and life after Wall Street. The move was partly strategic, partly personal.
“I think there’s still a lot of hesitation about being open and honest about recovery because people feel ashamed about it. I felt that too.”
His posts normalize recovery and highlight professional transformation, often resonating with old colleagues who might one day reach out for help.
“There’s a lot to be learned in the greater public about what early recovery looks like… For some people, just normalizing the idea of going to AA is helpful.”
Why this matters for leaders:
Authenticity builds connection. In behavioral health, public vulnerability from leadership can educate the market, attract clients, and humanize your organization.
Despite early success, The Lighthouse didn’t turn a profit for years. COVID-era PPP funding kept it afloat—a reminder that mission-driven ventures must plan for extended runways.
“We wouldn’t have been in business if PPP hadn’t happened… eventually we had to start making money.”
Patience, careful capital management, and mission-aligned investors kept the business stable until scale caught up with expenses.
“You gotta be patient, man. People aren’t going to trust you on day one just because you opened your doors.”
Founders’ financial guide:
Budget for slow growth; reputation compounds slowly in behavioral health.
Align with investors who understand mission-driven metrics.
Track referral ROI and alumni engagement, not just census.
For Trey, the most rewarding metric isn’t financial—it’s transformation. More than a thousand clients have gone through The Lighthouse, with many staying connected through alumni networks.
“Most of our alumni do want to stay connected with us. They enjoy staying connected.”
He recalls one client in particular:
“Mike came to The Lighthouse from Miami… He stayed 18 months. Today, he’s married with a family in New Canaan. He’s leading our alumni council.”
These stories reaffirm the model’s success: people leave stronger, stay engaged, and become mentors themselves.
Asked about future plans, Trey resists overpromising. Expansion will happen organically—whether through more residences in New Canaan or replication in other affluent markets.
“If we give our clients great experiences… we’ll get a lot of opportunities. I could see us doubling or tripling locally or expanding geographically—but only if we stay true to who we are.”
That humility and focus on service over scale has kept the organization steady and respected.
After 23 years on Wall Street, Trey’s life looks very different—but more fulfilling.
“For 23 years, my identity was as a Wall Street guy. Today, it’s not. Starting The Lighthouse has given me a new identity and the opportunity to really help people.”
The entrepreneurial journey didn’t just change his career—it reshaped his sense of purpose and presence with his family.
“It’s given me much better home life. I’m much more present for my family because my business is five minutes from my house.”
Start with lived experience. Authentic pain points make powerful business models.
Design for dignity. Comfort can be therapeutic.
Diversify referrals early. No single partner should define your survival.
Hire carefully and align culturally. Peer credibility builds trust.
Let data and feedback drive innovation. Clients will show you what they need next.
Stay public and human. Transparency combats stigma and strengthens brand trust.
Trey Laird’s journey—from Wall Street trader to founder of one of the nation’s most respected executive recovery residences—illustrates how mission, empathy, and business discipline can coexist.
The Lighthouse’s story is a blueprint for behavioral health leaders: listen to your clients, set uncompromising standards, and build teams that embody the mission.
Because when people feel seen, supported, and safe, recovery becomes not just possible—but sustainable.