Health Tech: Chris Beck On How Soberlink Healthcare’s Technology Can Make An Important Impact On Our Overall Wellness
I do not think our technology will change the world, but it might help change the stigma around Alcohol Use Disorder. If this is our win, then we have done a small part in making a positive impact.
In recent years, Big Tech has gotten a bad rep. But of course many tech companies are doing important work making monumental positive changes to society, health, and the environment. To highlight these, we started a new interview series about “Technology Making An Important Positive Social Impact”. We are interviewing leaders of tech companies who are creating or have created a tech product that is helping to make a positive change in people’s lives or the environment. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Chris Beck, VP of Business Development, Family Law of Soberlink.
In 2016, Chris joined Soberlink Healthcare to assist in developing their Family Law market that supports empowering parents that suffer from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) to document sobriety and spend quality, uninterrupted or supervised time with their kids. The business resonated with Chris in how it creates a safer parenting environment without compromising safety or a child’s best interests. Over the last six years, Chris has been fortunate to share his advocacy for kids through his education and philanthropic initiatives with Family Law Professionals across the country. Due to these efforts, Soberlink has seen a significant rise in education over the last two years, helping position the system as an essential tool in every Family Law practice.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory and how you grew up?
Sure, I grew up in an affluent area in Orange County, California. My dad was an entrepreneur and if you asked him what he did for a living, he would say, “I am an inventor.” My mom managed the home and took great pride in keeping the house spotless and organized. Both parents worked hard, and everyone stayed on a routine — Breakfast at 7:15 am and dinner at 5:00 pm sharp. My dad’s business did well; therefore, I was able to spend my summers at the local country club, which built my passion for golf. Although neither my mom nor dad attended college, they stressed the importance of higher education and gave me any extra assistance outside of school when needed to achieve this goal.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
The most interesting story since I started my career is the growth of my family and how priorities, responsibilities, and availability has changed so dramatically for me over my career.
My career started right out of college, working long nights and having no life, and then I met my wife. We had two kids, making things feel like the pictured American Dream.
Now, I have five kids with 12 years between the oldest and the youngest, which is extremely difficult to manage for many different reasons. For example, two years from now, I will have two kids in Preschool, one in Elementary School, one in Middle School, and the oldest in High School. Still trying to prepare for that challenging carpool dynamic.
My large family has caused me to be more mindful of my time and how to properly balance work and family while not forgetting to give myself some time to recharge. This balance requires discipline and routine, which is not easy, but at least I was given guidance from my parents regarding routine and managing time from an early age.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Yes, my dad was a role model of mine. He ran a successful small business without a college degree and always stressed the importance of family. He always worked hard, and I always tried to mirror his work ethic and priority toward family.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I have always been a fan of Benjamin Franklin, who wrote, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”. My current boss also likes this quote and often reminds our team of it, so it is branded in my mind. I am an introvert, and public speaking is something I typically shy away from. Still, I knew my future career growth would be dependent on my ability to speak comfortably in public. Therefore, my long routine of preparing is the key to successful executions in public speaking, and this quote reminds me of the need always to prepare.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
- Be a good listener. One thing that I know, I am usually not the smartest person in the room. Therefore, I listen and make sure to hear everyone’s input. At Soberlink, we have a young marketing team, and it is even more important now to listen and understand what younger generations bring to the table. Marketing moves at a fast pace, and keeping current is not easy. I rely on this young team to execute; they have done an amazing job.
- Be a self-starter. I am a big believer in being a self-starter. I always like to take my job to the next level. I remember reading my first job description and taking it home and re-writing it. I never showed it to my boss, but I wanted to hold myself to a higher value with even more responsibilities. Fast forward 10 years into my career, and I became the VP of Business Development because of my ability to complete my current job task and add more value to the company through self-starting and exploring new ideas and ways to execute.
- Problem-solving. I always liked solving problems and asking questions. I tend to start with many options with hopes of collaborating and finding an option that will best solve the problem.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about the tech tools that you are helping to create that can make a positive impact on our wellness. To begin, which particular problems are you aiming to solve?
It is difficult to prove sobriety in recovery or when accused of abusing alcohol. Most often, the trust between the accused and significant others has been lost, and the accused becomes isolated.
How do you think your technology can address this?
Soberlink focuses on improving the lives of those who suffer from Alcohol Use Disorder. These individuals use our technology to document sobriety to those actively participating in their recovery.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
I personally started to feel passionate about our cause when my wife and I got into fostering. We saw a need in our area and decided that we had the means to assist. Shortly after getting certified, we took in our first child out of foster care and witnessed firsthand the power of addiction. In the state of California, foster parents must do the weekly supervised visits. At the time, we conducted 10 hours a week of supervised visitation with the bioparent, and many times, we had to end the visit before it started, or she would be a no show due to her addiction.
Technology like Soberlink would have been a great way to monitor her use, especially prior to her supervised visits with us. I think back and wonder if we had permission to use Soberlink, would she have stayed sober or felt more empowered to succeed? Maybe even reunified with her kids? Hmmm..
How do you think this might change the world?
I do not think our technology will change the world, but it might help change the stigma around Alcohol Use Disorder. If this is our win, then we have done a small part in making a positive impact.
Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?
Clients are going to test positive. Unfortunately, the disease is still being weaponized, and clients are losing their kids when they have a relapse. Therefore, we have placed emphasis on not weaponizing the disease and educating professionals on how to use it as an empowerment tool. Changing this paradigm is a huge effort, and we stress this narrative in every educational opportunity.
Here is the main question for our discussion. Based on your experience and success, can you please share “Five things you need to know to successfully create technology that can make a positive social impact”? (Please share a story or an example, for each.)
I did not have any input on the development of Soberlink, but I can share some of the fundamental things I have seen that have continued to make the brand succeed since its beginnings in 2011.
The founder clearly identified a problem that existed around Alcohol Use Disorder and the recovery model that was not being addressed by modern technology. The current solution consisted of anecdotal responses and/or testing in a lab. He gathered industry experts to better understand pain points and concerns for the future of Addiction Recovery. This led to a modern solution that could empower individuals suffering from Alcohol Use Disorder or Alcohol Abuse to prove their sobriety in real-time, eliminating any doubt of use.
- Identify a problem
- Ask questions (how is the problem being solved today)
- Listen to others (understand the variables and dynamics of the problem)
- Identify technology that can solve the problem
- Does the technology make it easier or solve the original problem? Does it create more success?
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
I would ask, what makes you happy? Most people do not know, but when you give back or create something that helps improve the lives of others, happiness and success follow.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I would like to have a private lunch with my dad at the same age I am now. I would like to hear what advice he would give me about my kids and future career. I am fortunate that both of my parents are still alive, but not sure what my 47-year-old dad would say versus what he tells me now at age 77. He continues to tell me to save and prepare for retirement, but looking back, he took risks and bet on himself to find long-term success. Yeah, I wonder what my 47-year-old dad would say to me today besides — you did what?????
How can our readers further follow your work online?
To learn more about Soberlink remote alcohol monitoring, visit www.soberlink.com/family-law
You can also find us on social media at –
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Soberlink/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/soberlink-inc-/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB4VQU9opg1VhhEaym0bcbg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soberlink
Twitter: https://twitter.com/soberlink
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success in your important work.
Health Tech: Chris Beck On How Soberlink Healthcare’s Technology Can Make An Important Impact On… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.