Drew Sullivan is an entertainment executive, seasoned talent agent and marketing representative with over 12 years of entertainment and speaking industry experience. Drew is a Senior Vice President at American Program Bureau, Inc. (APB) where he has been on both the marketing and the sales side since he started in 2015. However, outside of his professional success, Drew battled alcohol and cocaine addiction for over 15 years before getting sober in August 2020. He is the host and executive producer of Small Steps. Big Change. Podcast where he shares his own recovery journey, and highlights the stories of others who have used small steps to create their big change.
At APB, Drew specializes in working with colleges, universities, independent schools and non-profits, helping them find the perfect speaker for their next event or conference. With over 50 years of industry experience, APB was founded to provide an open forum for individuals to voice their opinions and points of view. Today APB has the largest speaker roster in the industry, from entertainers and politicians to business leaders and renowned public intellectuals. Drew’s direct talent roster includes NYT best-selling author Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr., activist David Hogg, ABC’s Nightline’s Juju Chang and Byron Pitts, public intellectual Bishop William J. Barber, II, and ABC’s The View’s Alyssa Farah Griffin to name a few.
Drew’s story was almost cut short due to a 15-year battle with alcohol and cocaine. In August 2020, Drew hit rock bottom, and was arrested for his second DUI in 10 years. Not knowing where to turn, and having already ran out of luck with most of his loved ones, Drew needed to find a solution before his life was ruined forever. Finding a strategy that would work for him had never been successful as both rehab and AA had failed in the past, and thinking they would suddenly work was unrealistic. Drew found that the answer was to slow down, get still, and start by making the first right move, or as Drew likes to call it, the first small step. By repeating this process and focusing on small steps, big change started to happen.
It wasn’t long before Drew realized that this mentality is what everyone needs to do if they want to make a big change in their life, especially when traditional ways to solving problems doesn’t work. Whether it is substance use abuse, gun violence prevention, mental health struggles, racial equity, social media, etc., adversities in life are meant to be experienced together. Without community, we have nothing, but with it, anything is possible. Drew highlights his story as well as the stories of others on his podcast, Small Steps. Big Change. The second season of Small Steps will be available wherever you get your podcasts in March 2023.
Drew is an alum of the University of Connecticut, and a passion advocate for social justice and human rights. In the future, he has hopes to write a book about his story and specifically about the struggles that LGBTQIA+ folx go through with mental health and substance use abuse. He is an avid sports fan and will never turn down a plate of pasta. Drew lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts with his partner Bradley, and their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Belle.
More about Drew:
Personal Instagram - @andrewjamessull
Podcast Instagram - @thesmallstepspod
Personal Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/andrew.sull
Podcast Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SmallStepsBigChangePodcast/
Personal Twitter - @andrewjsull
Podcast Twitter - @smallstepsarmy
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewjamessullivan/
TikTok - @thesmallstepspod
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