​YOUNG FIRECRACKERS

Brian is an architectural designer, artist, and global director for one of the world’s leading brands. His life journey has included ten stints in jail, ten trips to rehab, thirty funerals, and the loss of his rights to his first daughter; all reminders of the steep consequences of his decisions. While navigating the wreckage, he drifted through life focused on creative projects, ascending the corporate ladder, and, in recent years, embracing his new passion of running. It’s been a decade since he has turned to a drug to solve his problems, but the struggle continues…and so does his growth. Now, he’s dedicated to creating a brighter future with his family, two kids, and friends.

Ashley is a single mother of two boys, works as a legal assistant, and has seventeen years clean. Once upon a time, Ashley’s big plans were to be a movie star and marry a rock star—and her tale would end up with her being zipped into a bag after overdosing in a hotel. By the grace of whatever universal power exists, she managed to outlive her big dreams and create new ones. She chased dope for a few years, she chased men and relationships for longer, and now she’s chasing the elusive dream of self-fulfilled peace.

Ryan, his wife, and three children live on the outskirts of Marietta, GA. After eighteen years in and out of jails, prisons, and rehab facilities, wrecking more than twenty vehicles, countless overdoses/resuscitations, and, to top it off, a grueling divorce and custody battle, he steered his way back to a life filled to the brim with reward and clarity. He works in the trade show industry for a family-owned and operated business. That old-world “la cosa nostra” vibe keeps things oiled and tight in both work and family arenas, making them essentially one and the same. Although the dream of becoming a rock star faded nearly two decades ago, opportunity and purpose presented themselves differently over time.

True to her roots, Brooke has never left Marietta’s East Cobb County. The immediate Graham family has always lived within five miles of each other in East Cobb, and the family’s history dates back two hundred years in the area. Her child is now continuing the tradition, being raised in the same school district that Brooke grew up in. Brooke has been a nurse in the East Cobb area for twenty years. Her daughter, her faith, and a lot of therapy have saved her.

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