Brett discovered his passion for helping other recovering persons early and at age 18 landed his first job at a residential treatment program. He went on to work at a number of programs including two of Atlanta’s prominent mental health hospitals.

Joel, already with a successful corporate career, began contemplating how he might shift his career to recovery. After many conversations with addiction professionals he was drawn to the idea of operating a recovery residence.

In 2001, Brett and Joel’s individual dreams began to merge as they began the process of becoming certified addiction counselors. By 2002, they started serious planning about creating a recovery residence and on May 1, 2003 their dream became a reality with the opening of Purple.

Brett and Joel, co-founders of Purple, are a father-son team. Brett’s drug use as a teenager led them both into the recovery experience. The transformative power of that experience challenged both of them to want to do more.