Dan Beard was born September 15, 1956 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He was raised in Mantua, Ohio until age 12, when his family moved to Oklahoma City. Until this time, Dan had basically been a model student and athlete but, at age 13, he began to make some poor choices. Not knowing until approximately thirty years later that he had Bipolar Disorder, which includes symptoms of drastic mood changes and risk-taking behavior, he experimented with alcohol, marijuana and other drugs, compulsive gambling and occasional criminal behavior.

Although he was raised in a Christian home, by age 17 Dan was an avowed atheist, and believed that his luck was so bad that, if God did exist, He must be unfair. Through his mother's prayers, however, one night Dan simply asked "If there is a God, show me what You want me to do." The next day, Dan became ill and, instead of running with his friends, he saw Billy Graham on television, and went to bed. That night, the answer came, as Dan sensed God calling him to Himself, and to a ministry. At that moment, the addictions were broken, and he began attending church, reading the Bible, and trying to reach out to his friends, but the disease was still present.

The next seven years, Dan finished high school and attended three colleges, earning a bachelor's degree in Missions and a master's in Religion. While in school, he worked at a variety of jobs, mostly in the area of construction, and he married in 1983. Strangely, the misfortune was still often present as he nearly died in a natural gas leak incident, several companies he worked for collapsed or took wage cuts, he began to experience depression and back pain, and investments he tried lost money. Ministry opportunities were very few, he resigned a volunteer position as youth pastor of a large church due to stress and financial problems, and eventually he lost his ordination due to a small change in his beliefs. Knowing, however, that he had a purpose, Dan cried to God and asked for more guidance.

Shortly afterward, his closest friend at the time came by and asked, "are you going to keep driving nails the rest of your life," and invited him to come with him to speak to a career counselor at the University of Central Oklahoma. Having always been interested in Psychology, and having no clear direction from God, Dan decided to keep learning, and earned a second master's degree in Community Counseling.

Still having no clear direction from God, Dan decided to continue to learn and work hard, and began working as a home based therapist for children and adolescents who were at risk of being removed from their homes due to severe mental, emotional and behavioral disturbances. He eventually became a "Gatekeeping Supervisor," assessing children and adolescents who were referred for inpatient treatment and trying to help their parents or guardians explore outpatient options to keep as many as possible in their communities.

It was during these years that Dan saw firsthand how the horrors of abuse, neglect, poverty, trauma such as the Murrah Building bombing and powerful tornadoes, lack of education, and lack of positive role models frequently keep people locked in vicious generational cycles, where the solutions employed sometimes create more and greater problems. Also during these years he realized how every human being has incredible gifts, strengths and potential which, when uninterrupted by severe addictions, enables many people to escape these cycles.

During these years, the Beard family was blessed with two lovely and strong willed children, and they made a commitment to love and discipline them to the best of their ability. Through parenting, Dan learned how the daily sacrifices of giving and loving actually benefit the giver more than the recipient; that it truly is "more blessed to give than to receive" (Jesus Christ), and he tried to convince every young parent he encountered in his practice to simply do their best, whatever that might be. He also began teaching classes on how to parent children after divorce in the most positive manner possible in each situation, never dreaming that one day he would need this information himself.

After three years in the mental health field, seeing and hearing firsthand the horrors many people experience and having in himself a genetic predisposition to mental illness; depression and anxiety began to take control of Dan's body, mind, and worse, his spirit. At one time, he even began to have suicidal thoughts, and, at age 40 realized for the first time that it was Bipolar Disorder which had plagued him since age 13, and he went to his professional mentor for advice and immediately began medical treatment.

There was no simple or total cure for the illness, however, and soon his wife of seventeen years decided she could no longer live with him in good conscience, and decided to divorce. Dan sank deeper into spiritual confusion, but knew he must continue loving his children, working hard, learning and trying to enjoy life, and he accepted a position as clinical supervisor for the Norman office of Chisholm Trail Counseling, where he could be close to his children and share custody of them. For three and one-half years he served in this capacity, learning in middle management how to lead as well as follow, and the general workings of a not-for-profit organization. He also learned the challenges of single parenting after divorce: seeing children cry both as they have to leave their mother and when leaving him, trying to set aside anger and overcome depression enough to focus on what is best for the kids, paying monthly child support, feeling a need to pacify guilt for divorce by making life as "fun" as possible for the kids during visits, attempting to provide both nurturing and discipline, daily routines of cooking, cleaning and appointments, and so onŠ

At one point during the early stages of the divorce, Dan was so hurt and confused that he began to seriously doubt God's existence again, and certainly doubted his own worthiness to be used by God. Again, he cried to out and this time asked, "Is this all there is to life"? Immediately he saw what he believed to be the gateway to eternity; a tunnel filled with colors, movements, and warmth which both drew him in and frightened him in the same instance (because of the sudden, unexpected and unusual nature of the moment). The vision, though very brief, was enough to inspire Dan to continue to believe and seek guidance.

Again, his mentor gave Dan words of inspiration which also served as motivation: "Dan, you can look at this (divorce) as a disaster or as a new adventure, and the way you approach it will determine how your children also adapt." Dan decided to try to look for the positives each day, to be determined to continue to work hard, and to try to have fun working and parenting.

The initial calling to ministry, which had occurred when Dan was seventeen years old, had laid dormant like a seed in the ground for thirty years. It was out of the travail and pain of thirty years that Dan waited on God's direction, trying to love God, himself, family and others, becoming both a leader and follower, continuing to labor, to learn in many areas of life, and to laugh at himself, that High Five Foundation was born.