Ashes & Oil is led by April N. Barksdale, a recovery strategist with years of frontline experience in addiction treatment and community-based recovery work. Her work is rooted in real-world recovery dynamics—not theory alone—having worked closely with individuals in detox, families navigating confusion, and organizations responding responsibly. She believes repeated cycles are not about a lack of desire, but a lack of daily structure, building steadiness where instability has become familiar.