STARTING OVER: A Hallmark producer shares how he overcame personal struggle to produce some of the happiest films on Earth.

• Author: Phillips, Jarrod

I've been fortunate to produce, co produce, or associate produce 11 cable Christmas movies, most of them for Crown Media's Hallmark Channel. These movies follow a familiar formula and are universally adored by their devoted fans. They are fun, lighthearted, and always promote a sense of happiness and wellbeing.

So how did an ex Mormon and recovering addict start producing Christmas Movies for cable networks?

Here's my story.

MY ROAD TO ROCK BOTTOM

My family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints not long after I was born My father held a position of responsibility as city manager in Vail, Colorado, and was the president of his branch there, but I always sensed religious life wasn't for me.

Then in my early 20s, I found myself at a crossroads. I was married with a young son, and working my first job as a manager of business development in Orem, Utah The work was fun, educational, and my ideas were valued But I also felt out of place. Traveling and entertaining were part of the job, and I constantly found myself awkwardly declining drinks at work functions. Eventually, I gave in. I started drinking at the age of 25 and wouldn't stop completely until the age of 44.

We moved to Los Angeles where I took a job at House of Moves Motion Capture Studios. We had another child, a daughter, and adapted to life in Southern California. But it was there that I felt as though I'd found my secret weapon: alcohol. Alcohol helped me avoid difficult feelings and feel charming in social situations. I also got into smoking cigarettes.

Eventually, I developed a cocaine habit. Over the course of several years, I sold my marriage and my children, for fractions of ounces of blow. My drinking and drug use took over my life and my work. My employer very kindly asked me to leave and even offered to pay for treatment, but I demurred, denying there was a problem I thought I had hit rock bottom, but it was only the beginning.

At that point, I left Los Angeles in 2005 and moved back in with my parents Around the same time, the movie "Failure to Launch" was released. In it, a man in his thirties was still living with his parents That situation was the crux of the comedy in the film, but nothing about my own situation seemed funny During my first three months in Colorado, I managed to get an other DUI-my second arrest--and almost totaled my car in the process.

I had run out of options I figured that I was either going to die or end up in jail unless I made a...