The Business Journal’s annual report on young entrepreneurs, some of whom entered the working world while in their teens.
When a family member or loved one is addicted to drugs and refusing treatment, who are you going to call? One possibility is Mike Bayer, 29, who turned his own addiction into the business of helping others overcome theirs.
His Santa Monica-based company is Mike Bayer & Associates, which offers three basic services: intervention on behalf of families attempting to persuade loved ones to enter residential treatment, live-in support after the treatment’s completion and case management for as long as required.
Though Bayer and his employees can’t legally force an adult to get help, he said, “I’m pretty gnarly. It’s hard to say no when grandma flies in from New York and your best friend flies in and there are eight to 10 people there who love you more than anyone else in the world.”
The cost: $2,900 to $4,500 for an intervention (which Bayer claims is successful 90 percent of the time), $1,000 a day for live-in companionship and about $1,000 per month for case management.
Bayer was an addict himself from 15 to 22; he said he overcame it after attending a residential treatment program in Minnesota. As for his company, Bayer said he started it out of personal necessity.
“My parents used to give me quite a bit of money,” he said, “and when I got clean they just cut me off” to foster independence. “I didn’t know what to do for work, so I became a drug and alcohol counselor.”
One thing led to another, Bayer said, and today the company he founded in 2007 helps more than 400 families a year.
Bayer said his youth has both hurt and helped, noting, “It depends on the client. I do much better with young adults; if it’s a 65-year-old woman, I’m probably not the right guy.”
Would he ever consider working for someone else?
“No,” he said, “it’s not as much fun. I’d rather make less money and work for myself.”
FAST FACTS:
– Mike Bayer, 29, chief executive, Mike Bayer & Associates, Santa Monica
– Business: Addiction intervention and consulting
– Employees: 6 full time, plus 12 contract employees
– Financials: Annual revenue $650,000-$750,000 with modest profit
– Fact: Bayer hopes to expand by offering support for people undergoing sex-change operations
