523. A Nudge Toward Her Vision

Megan Peterson

Megan, an addiction counselor, long had a vision for a better, more client-friendly way of matching chemically dependent people with appropriate caregivers, but she had resisted taking it to the marketplace. Finally her husband gave her the nudge she needed to put her concept—and herself—to the test.

After working in the addiction field for more than 15 years as a counselor and pharmaceutical representative, Megan Peterson knew there was a better way for patients to get help. So, she took action and started 2nd Chance Counseling Service. Her passion is to help patients who need that second, third and tenth chance. “As long as you are willing to put in the work, we will be there to help.” The telemedicine platform she developed breaks barriers such as schedules, work and family, making it easier for clients to get the help they need.

How Did You Start Using Your Talents?

Megan’s love of sports—softball in particular—carried her through her university years. She says sports harnessed her competitiveness and kept her focused and out of trouble. Partly influenced by the TV series, Profiler, she felt drawn to a job at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) but sensed a government job would control too much of her life. As an undergraduate, she did focus on criminal justice, but with a minor in addiction studies.

The Most Impactful Turning Point?

After years of working and loving her job as an addiction counselor—often with the most challenging, relapsing clients—Megan’s perspective dramatically changed when she became a mother. Living with the discrepancy between the way she was trying to parent her own children and the damage caused by inadequate parenting she saw in her clients, she was becoming disillusioned about the effectiveness of her work. A solution arrived in the form of a pharmaceutical company representative, who saw Megan’s potential for educating physicians about treating opiate addiction.

The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?

As seductive and easy as her high-paying pharmaceutical company job was, Megan found she was unfulfilled. She’d long had a vision for an improved way of matching chemically dependent clients with appropriate caregivers but had resisted putting her concept to the test in the marketplace. Finally her husband got through to here: “I will support you in whatever you decide, but I don’t want to hear any more about your idea until you put it into action.” It was the nudge she needed to launch her innovative idea.