I am an experienced Sober Coach and Mentor, speaker, and consultant deeply committed to supporting those walking the path to recovery with compassion and accountability.
- Dr. Paul Hersh, MFT, PsyD
“I have been a specialist in addiction for over three decades. In all my years, I have never seen a better example of living in recovery than Mark Donalson.
I have known him as a trusted source of wisdom in the field.
I have referred to him consistently as a solid sponsor for appropriate clients, and he has never faltered…
His ethical map is highly evolved. The balance of kindness and firmness is ideal. This man is a leader. “
- Jim, Former Mentee
“Through Mark’s patience, tolerance, kindness, and love, I have not only achieved and maintained sobriety and serenity, but I have also done so while going through some of the most difficult challenges of my life, personally and professionally.
I sit here almost six years later a changed and grateful man.”
- Amanda Martinez, RTC/CTRS/CYC-P Supervisor, Recreation Therapist Resident Trainer for Therapeutic Crisis Intervention at Casa Pacifica
“I highly recommend Mark Donalson as a mentor for programs supporting the health and wellness of others. Mark was exceptional at building positive relationships… and he was influential in ways the day to day staff could not be.”
Why work with me?
There are some life lessons one can only learn by walking through its many seasons.
Those in recovery have more seasons than most.
It is my great professional honor to be an experienced companion and guide for the journey.
I am a lucky man.
I am a lucky man because I have walked an intentional path of sobriety for nearly twenty years.
I am a lucky man because I have lived a long life - one colored by both triumph and tragedy - and through it all, I have continued to learn. I know what it is to maintain sobriety through changing seasons, and it has taught me that sobriety and recovery do not happen in a vacuum. I spent many years in consistent therapy learning to better my marriage, my family, my business, and myself. I have been a young man, a father and husband, a sole provider and business owner, a caretaker, a bereaved brother and son, and a family patriarch.
While I am not blessed with a formal degree, I have earned an education no institution can offer. After two decades of coaching hundreds of unique individuals, I know that while there is no substitute for trained professional care, there is often a painful missing piece for those in recovery - someone with hard-won, long-term lived experience to come alongside as a reliable, relatable guide. Someone who can truly see them and meet them right where they’re at.
With a plethora of past mentees maintaining sobriety (from CEOs, pastors, and business owners to professional actors, musicians, and athletes), hundreds of young folks I’ve been able to help, and a long history of being a leader in A.A., I am humbled to know my work creates lasting, healing impact.
It is my great honor to pass on the skills, tools, strategies, behaviors, and compassion I have found in my own walk on to those who might need them.
And I would be a lucky man to create that impact for as many people as possible.
Please get in touch to discuss how I can add value and support your important work.
20 Years Sober on Jan 4, 2025
Led over 300 A.A. meetings, mentored over 400 people ages 14-75
Mentored men from all walks of life professionally and personally - including LGBTQIA+ folks, youth programs, and those in high pressure professional roles
President and Founder of Coastal Logistics Inc., 2001-present
Volunteer at Casa Pacifica Center for Children and Families 2010-2016, Volunteer of the Year 2013
Volunteer Jr. Olympic Volleyball Coach, 2000-Present
Eagle Scout