1 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:11,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Good Stuff. I'm Jacob Schick and I'm 2 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: joined by my co host and wife, Ashley shik. 3 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 2: Jake is a third generation combat Marine and I'm a 4 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 2: gold Star granddaughter. And we work together to serve military veterans, 5 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 2: first responders, frontline healthcare workers, and their families with mental 6 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 2: and emotional wellness through traditional and non traditional therapy. At 7 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:29,880 Speaker 2: One Tribe Foundation. 8 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 1: We believe everyone has a story to tell, not only 9 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: about the peaks, but also the valleys they've been through 10 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:36,880 Speaker 1: to get them to where they are today. 11 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 2: Each week, we invite a guest to tell us their story, 12 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 2: to share with us the lessons they've learned that shape 13 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 2: who they are and what they're doing to pay it 14 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 2: forward and give back. 15 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: Our mission went to show is to dig deep into 16 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:50,480 Speaker 1: our guest's journey so that we can celebrate the hope 17 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 1: and inspiration their story has to offer. 18 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 3: We're thrilled you're joining us. 19 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: Again, Welcome to the Good Stuff. 20 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 2: We want to introduce ourselves and our show to the audience, 21 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:04,399 Speaker 2: and it's important to us that listeners know who we 22 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 2: are and why we're making this podcast. 23 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:09,759 Speaker 1: Absolutely. Our show invites guests to tell us their stories, 24 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: which is always a vulnerable undertaking, so we thought it 25 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 1: was only necessary and right that we do the same, 26 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: which is both scary and freeing and frightening exhilarating because 27 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: we know firsthand the therapeutic nature of telling your story 28 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:31,759 Speaker 1: and more importantly, listening to other stories without further ado. 29 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 1: Here's us today's guests as a severely wounded marine returning 30 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,400 Speaker 1: from combat with multiple wounds, amputation on my right leg, 31 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: dramatic brain injury, being a government issued drug addict, what 32 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: name boy's fault is the way it works out, and 33 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: doing eighteen months in the hospital, trying to figure out 34 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: my new norms, trying to learn to love myself again. 35 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: Well new to me I discovered through being voluntold by 36 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: my grandma. Telling my story was going to be my 37 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: first step in my journey of healing. That was something 38 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: that played a big role and saving my life, which 39 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 1: is empowering at the same time because it took me 40 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: walking through my fear and embracing my vulnerability to start 41 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: that journey, because we all suffer with that fear of 42 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 1: ridicule and judgment and all those things that they're the 43 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: constant extremely loud bullhorns and megaphones in our head telling 44 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: us you can't do this because of XYZ and being 45 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 1: able to embrace my inner warrior, not the marine one, 46 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:40,960 Speaker 1: the one that everybody's born with. Is I think what 47 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 1: gave me the courage to say, you know what, I 48 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: need to do this one. I can't tell my grandmother 49 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 1: I'm not doing something that's not a thing. And I've 50 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:54,639 Speaker 1: got to be able to walk through this valley regardless 51 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:58,080 Speaker 1: of feeling like I was naked and people were shooting 52 00:02:58,080 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: at me. I had to walk through the. 53 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 3: Valley and ultimately it made you stronger. 54 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 1: Still does. 55 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 2: We believe in this show because we know firsthand, not 56 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 2: only through the work that we do, but through both 57 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 2: of our own journeys, the healing power of accessing your 58 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:14,079 Speaker 2: truth and telling your own story. 59 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 3: And we know how difficult it can be. 60 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,239 Speaker 1: That's the point. Anything we're doing, it is supposed to 61 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: be hard. It's by design. 62 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 3: You're exposing your emotions. 63 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 2: You feel like you're walking naked in front of the world, 64 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:26,919 Speaker 2: But there's power in that and being able to speak 65 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 2: your truth freely. 66 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:29,799 Speaker 3: It's very empowering. 67 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, And that's the thing is that in everybody's story 68 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: there's still the victories, right there's still the triumph the winds, 69 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: because that's a daily basis thing, right, right, We wake 70 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: up and we decide as soon as our feet hit 71 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: the ground, our foot in my case, you're a victim 72 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: or a victor. 73 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 3: You have two feet. The government just owns one, that's right. 74 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: One of them is a loner. And that's okay. People 75 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: ask me how I feel about it. It's just a 76 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: tool for me to do the things I need to do. 77 00:03:57,480 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: That's all it is. 78 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 3: It's just like being vulnerable. 79 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, and that's why I do what I 80 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 1: do still. Yeah, all over the world, I go in 81 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: front of complete strangers and I unzip my chest cavity, 82 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 1: and I spill my soul all over them with truth 83 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: and conviction and not really giving it damn who likes 84 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:23,280 Speaker 1: me or not in the process, because it's my. 85 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 3: Truth and it does inspire people. 86 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 2: I've seen it firsthand because along with all of the 87 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:31,039 Speaker 2: heartache and along with all of the loss comes the 88 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 2: triumphs and the victories and the celebrations. 89 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 3: And that's what this podcast aims to do. 90 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:37,919 Speaker 1: All it is is just like you'll hear from so 91 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 1: many of our guests, and we've talked about so much. 92 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: It's mindset perspective. You know, you were your biggest advocate 93 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: or your own worst enemy. You. Every day you wake up, 94 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:50,479 Speaker 1: you versus you, not you, versus your spouse not you, 95 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 1: versus your boss not you, versus your kids to you 96 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 1: versus you. The side victory as soon as your feet 97 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 1: hit the ground or foot and borrowed foot, whatever the 98 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 1: case is. 99 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 2: And while I never enlisted in the military or the 100 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:06,279 Speaker 2: Armed Forces, I grew up in a household where it 101 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 2: was extremely important to our family to have love of 102 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:12,280 Speaker 2: country and respect the military and the sacrifices that they make. 103 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:14,919 Speaker 2: We're a gold Star family, which means we lost a 104 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 2: family member while they were serving in our Armed forces. 105 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 2: My grandfather, Lieutenant Larry Dwayne Voss, was actually killed when 106 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 2: he was twenty four years old serving for the United 107 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 2: States Air Force. He was killed in a T thirty 108 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,840 Speaker 2: three plane crash in Fairbanks, Alaska, and he left behind 109 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 2: his widow and his young two year old daughter at 110 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:35,840 Speaker 2: the time, that daughter being my mother. Even through this 111 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 2: very tragic situation, you know, my mom still was a 112 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 2: forever patriot. 113 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 1: Still blows my mom to this day what she instilled 114 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: in you and your sister considering what happened right like, 115 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:50,360 Speaker 1: it's just so very admirable. 116 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 2: And that was the household that we grew up in. 117 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:55,839 Speaker 2: And I found myself later in life after college working 118 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 2: in media in Austin and got the opportunity to do 119 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:01,839 Speaker 2: a radio show to tell people's stories, and that was 120 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:05,280 Speaker 2: really important to me to be able to share the 121 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 2: stories to the ninety nine percent of what the one 122 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 2: percent went through. We highlighted military members from the Austin, 123 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 2: Texas area. And while this work was rewarding, I was 124 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:18,359 Speaker 2: always telling other people's stories. I was never vulnerable myself. 125 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 2: I never came out and told my truth and my story. 126 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 2: I found myself years later in an airport in Austin, Texas, 127 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 2: sitting across from a friend and being vulnerable, not by choice, 128 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,039 Speaker 2: but that conversation is one that really changed my life 129 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 2: because that conversation and that friend was you. 130 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 1: I'm here to help, always have been, and I get that. 131 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 1: I understand the difficulty in being vulnerable and telling your 132 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:55,359 Speaker 1: truth that's unadulterated, unmitigated, there's no boundaries. I know the 133 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: difficulty in doing that and asking people to do that, 134 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:01,839 Speaker 1: but people will find that if they try it not 135 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 1: worried about who's going to show up to their funeral. 136 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:06,919 Speaker 1: You shouldn't care. You'll be dead anyway. Like you're not 137 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:08,919 Speaker 1: trying to get more people there, You're not trying to 138 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 1: be cooler. If people try to walk through that valley 139 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: of their own truth, they will see it is And 140 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: I'm speaking from life experience here. This isn't from a 141 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 1: book I read. It is the first step to you 142 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 1: not being a prisoner in your own mind anymore. 143 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 2: And everybody's got a story, and those stories can often 144 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 2: provide the inspiration that we need or the perspective we 145 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 2: need to check ourselves to be inspired to go achieve 146 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:42,239 Speaker 2: everything that we can achieve as human beings. Someone else's story, 147 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 2: someone else's trauma or tragedy can help. That's why we 148 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 2: want to make this show. We want to inspire people, 149 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 2: and we want people to know that they can live 150 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:53,640 Speaker 2: their life to the fullest extent. 151 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 1: All while I embracing their humanality. I have generation after 152 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 1: generation after generation of people that served in the military, 153 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: and I was raised in a house that didn't really 154 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 1: talk about it much. But luckily I spent pretty much 155 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 1: all my free time with my grandmother, who was if 156 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: I could idolize somebody. It was her Memi, Memi, like 157 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: Gunna used to always say about certain marines. She was 158 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 1: harder than would pick her lips. But I loved her 159 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 1: and she loved me, and it was boundaryless love. She 160 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: was my ultimate example of service and sacrifice on what 161 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 1: that looks like, and being a servant leader and giving 162 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 1: of yourself to help others. And I was with her 163 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 1: every step of the way, and I learned so much 164 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 1: from her about being kind, staying humble, and working hard. 165 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 1: That was me me. If she loved you, you knew it. 166 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:52,959 Speaker 1: If she didn't, you knew it. That was as used 167 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: to always say, what I suffer from, what comes up 168 00:08:55,080 --> 00:09:00,480 Speaker 1: comes out syndrome. She had no filter, and I loved 169 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: that about her. I got to see at a very 170 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:06,400 Speaker 1: early age why things got done, how things should get done. 171 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:10,199 Speaker 1: There shouldn't be sugarcoating or fluff. There shouldn't be emotions involved. 172 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 1: You have an objective. To accomplish that objective, you have 173 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:16,080 Speaker 1: to straight line it. That's what Mimi was and I 174 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:19,400 Speaker 1: got to see that on the regular. And I remember 175 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:24,319 Speaker 1: Mimi being so convicted and me knowing and understanding how 176 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 1: much she loved and was devoted to my grandfather, who 177 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:29,440 Speaker 1: unfortunately died a couple of years before I was born 178 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 1: and was the first generation marine in our family. And 179 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 1: how she would talk about him and her eyes would 180 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 1: light up, literally, her eyes would light up, and her 181 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 1: chest would swell with pride, and she would always tell 182 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 1: me she reminded me up until the day she died. 183 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 1: So maybe ever since your papa died, I never so 184 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 1: much to dance with another man. 185 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 3: That was her soulmate. 186 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:52,600 Speaker 1: That was where I learned loyalty, That was where I 187 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: learned faithfulness and dedication, all those things. It almost all 188 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:05,920 Speaker 1: of dare I say, everyone takes for granted today, and 189 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 1: I'm grateful. There was a guy in her neighborhood everybody 190 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 1: called Red. I'm pretty sure what was his name, but 191 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 1: everybody called him Red. And she said, come on, baby, 192 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:19,960 Speaker 1: we're gonna go down to Red's house. And I just said, yes, ma'am. 193 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 1: We went to Red's house. I think I was five 194 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:24,959 Speaker 1: when this happened. I'm pretty sure I was five years old. 195 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:30,400 Speaker 1: It's one of my only memories at that age. Whether 196 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: that's from Trump, from childhood and trying to block things 197 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 1: out or what have you, but I remember going to 198 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:37,560 Speaker 1: Red's house with me and me she sat me on 199 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:42,680 Speaker 1: his lap and Red pulled out the scrap book. Well, 200 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:46,240 Speaker 1: and it turns out Red was a combat photographer in 201 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:49,600 Speaker 1: World War Two. And he started flipping through the scrap 202 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 1: book and I was looking at all these pictures from 203 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:55,319 Speaker 1: all over the world, and then he got to this 204 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 1: one spot and he went to turn the page, but 205 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: he stopped and he placed his hand on the page 206 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:03,079 Speaker 1: so I couldn't turn it. And he looked at her, 207 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: and she looked at him, dead in his eyeballs like 208 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:10,520 Speaker 1: it was high noon, and said show him. And he 209 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:14,079 Speaker 1: turned the page and it was pictures of a liberated 210 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:20,240 Speaker 1: concentration camp and just the piles of emaciated bodies and 211 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:27,040 Speaker 1: the destruction and showing how evil humans can be. And 212 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:30,560 Speaker 1: I remember that like it pierced my soul. It was 213 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:35,040 Speaker 1: something that spoke to me, almost at a spiritual level, 214 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 1: like Okay, you've got to do something. You have to 215 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 1: do something to be a part of something bigger than 216 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:44,840 Speaker 1: you'll ever be, to help stop something like this happening 217 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 1: ever again. And then just a few years later, the 218 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:50,200 Speaker 1: age of eight, is when I made the absolute determination, 219 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:52,079 Speaker 1: all right, I'm going to be a marine, come hell 220 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:52,640 Speaker 1: or high water. 221 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 3: Eight years old, I felt. 222 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 1: It in my bones that this is what I was 223 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:00,280 Speaker 1: supposed to do. I was put on this earth do 224 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: this thing. And I felt it and it never left me, 225 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:06,680 Speaker 1: you know. And I played sports growing up and excelled 226 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:09,679 Speaker 1: as a football player here in Texas, and but I 227 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:13,320 Speaker 1: which yeah, which is here. It's a religion. But I 228 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 1: knew this is what I want to do, and I 229 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 1: was so convicted in it, but I just never talked 230 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,679 Speaker 1: about it. Yeah, and then the beginning of my senior year, 231 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:25,080 Speaker 1: I signed up and just didn't tell anybody. I'm so 232 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: grateful I did that. I have zero regrets about any 233 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 1: of my service to this day. 234 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 3: Can you signed up in two thousand and one? 235 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:38,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, it was actually two thousand. It was actually beginning 236 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 1: of my senior year was two thousand because I graduated 237 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:45,079 Speaker 1: no one, so clearly it was like August two thousand 238 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:52,559 Speaker 1: and I went in took the asvab My recruiter, awesome recruiter. 239 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:54,719 Speaker 1: I mean a lot of guys don't can't say that 240 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:57,679 Speaker 1: guys and girls have been screwed by the recruiter. I'm 241 00:12:57,720 --> 00:12:59,520 Speaker 1: not one of them. I had a really locked on 242 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: recruiter who actually tried to taught me how to going 243 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:04,200 Speaker 1: if tree. He was like, Jake me, you know you 244 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:06,360 Speaker 1: don't have to do that. You're never really crappy living 245 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:08,600 Speaker 1: conditions and it's going to suck. And I'm like, that's 246 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:11,199 Speaker 1: the point. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to experience 247 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 1: the conditions of Eugima, which your grandfather did, right Like, 248 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:18,720 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure it's not going to be that bad. 249 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:22,719 Speaker 1: And quite frankly, like I kind of need to have 250 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:26,679 Speaker 1: my ass kicked because I'm just kind of spinning out 251 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:30,560 Speaker 1: of control right now. I'm young, and I'm stupid, and 252 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:33,120 Speaker 1: I know that I don't have enough self discipline to 253 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:36,120 Speaker 1: go be in a college setting and be productive and 254 00:13:36,160 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 1: all those things. And besides that, I've wanted this since 255 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: I was a little kid. You're not talking me out anything. 256 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 1: And so I did, and then of course not loving happened, 257 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: and that was a huge, huge awakening for me. When 258 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 1: I watched that second plane at the South Tower, I knew, 259 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 1: you know. I looked at Danny and I said, we're 260 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 1: going to war. Yeah, and we did. I was nineteen 261 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:01,960 Speaker 1: at the time, and it was like, Okay, tough guy 262 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:04,440 Speaker 1: about to see how talk you really are. 263 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:07,760 Speaker 2: And I remember I was in college in sam Marcus 264 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:10,720 Speaker 2: on nine to eleven and I was in an eight 265 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 2: am psychology class and some kid came running into the 266 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:17,760 Speaker 2: room and I immediately left the class and ran down 267 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 2: to the quad to watch this tiny little TV and 268 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 2: saw the second plane hit the South Tower and I 269 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:25,800 Speaker 2: just remember, you know, the day the world stopped turning, like, 270 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:30,080 Speaker 2: how helpless and how vulnerable and how scared we all 271 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 2: were back then. And I had two friends deploy immediately, 272 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:36,880 Speaker 2: one Marine and one Army. And I remember I was 273 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 2: just this broke college kid in sam Marcus, Texas. But 274 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 2: I wanted to help, right, I wanted to do something. 275 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 2: And I knew I wasn't going to go put on 276 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:48,320 Speaker 2: a uniform and serve because I was on a different path. 277 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 2: But I wanted to contribute, so I just I started 278 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 2: writing letters like for me, and it was probably you know, 279 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 2: more for me, but I just thought, well, this is 280 00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:00,040 Speaker 2: a way I can contribute, right, what's the cost of 281 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:00,640 Speaker 2: a stamp? 282 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 1: And that mindset that was why we won World War 283 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: One and World War Two because it was a collective effort, right, 284 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:10,280 Speaker 1: everybody came together, raised color, creed, religion, was all irrelevant. 285 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 1: Everybody came together and supported the war effort, and so 286 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 1: you doing that it had more of an impact than 287 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:19,600 Speaker 1: you realized. Not only was it therapeutic for you, but 288 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 1: it was therapeutic for the people receiving the letters. 289 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,480 Speaker 2: I would probably be so embarrassed if I read any 290 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 2: of the letters today, because I'm sure that it was mundane. 291 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 2: It was just, you know, this is what happened today 292 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 2: back here in college. 293 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:33,320 Speaker 1: But speaking for someone who's been on the receiving end, 294 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,120 Speaker 1: didn't matter. You didn't want to hear about I saw 295 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 1: on the news blah blah blah. Right, you wanted to 296 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 1: hear about the mundane seemingly doesn't matter to ubs that 297 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:50,320 Speaker 1: the everyday people were doing because for a moment, it 298 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:51,560 Speaker 1: took you out of the place you. 299 00:15:51,560 --> 00:15:52,840 Speaker 3: Were, and that was the goal. 300 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:57,080 Speaker 2: That's honestly where the tiny little spark that was already 301 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:00,240 Speaker 2: inside of me to serve really grew. That was the 302 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 2: fanning of the flame that hey, this is something I 303 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:05,720 Speaker 2: want to do. And I started getting more involved, and 304 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:07,160 Speaker 2: that's really where it began for me. 305 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 1: You know, for me, the more time we spent in 306 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:15,600 Speaker 1: the workup and then eventually deploying and going to Iraq, 307 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: and the more we went through, the more hardships. And 308 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:21,600 Speaker 1: we were already a tight knit unit even when we 309 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 1: got to twenty nine Palms. Every day we got tighter 310 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: and tighter and tighter. I mean, we were a straight 311 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 1: up family, no doubt about it, no questions asked, none 312 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 1: of us shared DNA, and we had an unbreakable bond. 313 00:16:35,120 --> 00:16:40,960 Speaker 1: You know. It was something that is extremely hard to 314 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 1: replicate on the civilian sector. It is so very difficult, 315 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:48,040 Speaker 1: and I think that's because essentially we flow around in 316 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 1: our little bubbles, that's our own reality. Comfortable, yeah, no doubt. 317 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:59,080 Speaker 1: And we were able to have human to human connection 318 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 1: in a way that we otherwise didn't because of very 319 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: high highs and super low lows. Yeah, and we had 320 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 1: to find some type of commonality to get us back 321 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 1: to what was somewhat our middle baseline in order to 322 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 1: be effective for the next and then the next and 323 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 1: then the next. And it was a constant You're going, going, going, going, going, going, going, 324 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:28,119 Speaker 1: and you don't have time really to sit back and 325 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:30,720 Speaker 1: go hmm, oh no, what my parents have for dinner. 326 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 1: That type of stuff doesn't like, it didn't even cross 327 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,120 Speaker 1: your mind. You're just like, Okay, what's the next thing. 328 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:40,400 Speaker 1: You just keep moving, moving, moving, just a. 329 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:43,520 Speaker 3: Huge adrenaline dump, exactly. 330 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 1: It's hard to describe. And it's one of those things 331 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:48,159 Speaker 1: that's like unless you've been there and done it, Like 332 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:52,400 Speaker 1: it's really hard to explain. Right, I remember the day 333 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:56,479 Speaker 1: that I got hit, because I always say I got 334 00:17:56,520 --> 00:17:59,440 Speaker 1: blown blown thirty feet the top of the Humbee when 335 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:04,399 Speaker 1: are our lead vehicle hit the ied. I landed on 336 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:06,679 Speaker 1: my head because I'm a marine and we believe in 337 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 1: good form because we're the best. But I never lost 338 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:12,400 Speaker 1: consciousness and I never wanted a shock. And it took 339 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:14,199 Speaker 1: the black Hawk forty two minutes come and get me, 340 00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:15,800 Speaker 1: and it was a really long day at the office. 341 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 1: I get ruined my whole day. But I remember, to 342 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:22,879 Speaker 1: this day, I can see it, just like when I 343 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:25,359 Speaker 1: was on Red's lap, Like I still see it in 344 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:30,240 Speaker 1: my mind's eye, like it literally happened yesterday when the 345 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:34,040 Speaker 1: pilot took off and he dipped the bird and I 346 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:36,760 Speaker 1: could see my guys, my family out of the corner 347 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:41,880 Speaker 1: of my eye looking up. And that to this day 348 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:46,119 Speaker 1: is the hardest part of all of it. By leaving 349 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:52,119 Speaker 1: my fellow warriors behind, it felt like it was worse 350 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:57,239 Speaker 1: than death. And to this day I can say that 351 00:18:57,400 --> 00:18:59,720 Speaker 1: is a fact, which I think is why I dealt 352 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 1: with some anger. And I was such a awesome patient. 353 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:07,760 Speaker 1: I felt like I was robbed of the one thing 354 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 1: I wanted since I was a little boy. And I 355 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:15,920 Speaker 1: didn't get the quote God given right unquote to die 356 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:19,040 Speaker 1: as a gladiator on a field of battle. And even 357 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: though I told God, just don't take me in front 358 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:25,320 Speaker 1: of my brothers, I'll ask, it's so contradictory. But there's 359 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: a lot. It's a lot. 360 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:31,120 Speaker 2: You just had that absolutely unbreakable bond that so you're right, 361 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:32,960 Speaker 2: so many people don't experience that. 362 00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:36,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, And it's sad to me because the global pandemic 363 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 1: has proven we're herd animals. We need interaction with each other, right, 364 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 1: and when you do it at an extreme level, you 365 00:19:47,359 --> 00:19:51,160 Speaker 1: get a taste of that, and then that becomes the 366 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:53,439 Speaker 1: definition of what you need and who you are and 367 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:55,440 Speaker 1: all those things and your why. 368 00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 3: And I started to experience that. 369 00:19:57,160 --> 00:19:59,440 Speaker 2: At the time, I had just gotten out of college 370 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:02,160 Speaker 2: and I was working a media in Austin, and that 371 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 2: led to me working for one of my clients who 372 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:08,000 Speaker 2: was a national homebuilder, which led to me going to 373 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:10,879 Speaker 2: Fort Hood, Texas and working with a Congressional Medal of 374 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:14,520 Speaker 2: Honor recipient at Fort Hood, Texas helping military families. And 375 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 2: that's when my eyes were really opened to what military spouses, 376 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:25,560 Speaker 2: military families, military individuals themselves, and veterans, wounded veterans were 377 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:27,960 Speaker 2: coming back and really what they were dealing with and 378 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:28,920 Speaker 2: what they were lacking. 379 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:31,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, you got a front row seat to the other 380 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:34,119 Speaker 1: side of the ball that most people don't think. 381 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:39,160 Speaker 2: About, absolutely being there at Fort Hood and working firsthand, 382 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:42,760 Speaker 2: not only employing military spouses with the organization that I 383 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 2: was running, but just all of the ones that would 384 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:46,359 Speaker 2: come into the office and sharing with us. 385 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:47,440 Speaker 3: Some of these kids. 386 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:50,440 Speaker 2: Were fresh out of their hometown. They'd never left their hometown. 387 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:52,320 Speaker 2: Then they got married to their high school sweetheart. Now 388 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 2: the high school sweetheart's deployed and they don't know basic 389 00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:58,480 Speaker 2: stuff like banking or how to find housing. 390 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:00,480 Speaker 3: Then there were the extremes. 391 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:03,160 Speaker 2: Stories where the guy was over in Afghanistan with two 392 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:05,040 Speaker 2: young children back home and the wife took off and 393 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:08,399 Speaker 2: took everything and left the kids at home, and he 394 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:10,679 Speaker 2: had to come home from Afghanistan because his kids were 395 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 2: at home unattended you know, it's it's again, it's what 396 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:18,160 Speaker 2: do we do well? We can adopt them for Christmas? 397 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 2: And having the little girl go to church and say, 398 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:24,120 Speaker 2: you know, I heard Santa's not coming to our house 399 00:21:24,119 --> 00:21:26,199 Speaker 2: this year. Stuff like that that it was like, okay, 400 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:29,880 Speaker 2: if not me, who if not? Now went That's when 401 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 2: the heart for service grew because there was the need 402 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:37,359 Speaker 2: and it wasn't just the basic stuff at forehood. It 403 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 2: wasn't just the extreme circumstances. It was even our veterans 404 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:42,880 Speaker 2: coming home and finding out that some of them weren't 405 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:46,000 Speaker 2: getting paid what they were doing, so they were struggling 406 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:48,119 Speaker 2: to make ends meet while they were in the hospital 407 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 2: recovering from a double imputation. It was all kinds of stories, 408 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,000 Speaker 2: and we've got to do better as a country to 409 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:57,679 Speaker 2: this day. Even though we've been at this for years 410 00:21:57,720 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 2: and we've already done the draw down overseas in both 411 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,320 Speaker 2: of the major locations we were in, we still have 412 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:06,520 Speaker 2: to do better. I knew from my own personal experience. 413 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 2: Gold Star families don't get treated as well as they should. 414 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 2: Their loved one gave their ultimate, gave it all in 415 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:17,280 Speaker 2: service to this country. We've got to step up and 416 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:17,840 Speaker 2: do better. 417 00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:19,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, I'm not going to disagree. 418 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:21,720 Speaker 3: You better not. 419 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 1: And it's important for me to state though that I 420 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:28,439 Speaker 1: come from a place that is obviously a much different 421 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 1: perspective than yours for obvious reasons. But I don't I 422 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:36,400 Speaker 1: didn't do anything I did for somebody to owe me anything, right, 423 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:39,080 Speaker 1: And I think that's important too, is that we have 424 00:22:39,119 --> 00:22:41,680 Speaker 1: to have ownership and accountability of the fact that nobody 425 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:45,639 Speaker 1: made us do anything. You know, that's important that people 426 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 1: remember everything has a price. Yeah, nothing's free. Free is 427 00:22:51,119 --> 00:22:55,639 Speaker 1: a made up marketing word. Period. Someone somewhere, somehow paid 428 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 1: for it some way. Nothing's free to include our freedom. 429 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:04,159 Speaker 1: And regardless of how you feel about this nation, regardless 430 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:07,960 Speaker 1: of the faults, the division, the politics, it is the 431 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 1: freest country in the world. 432 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:13,920 Speaker 2: Yes, guaranteed you know the struggles because you first hand 433 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:16,440 Speaker 2: dealt with them. Eighteen months you spent in the hospital. 434 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 1: I found myself in the hospital, and I found myself angry, 435 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: reverting back to all I knew fighting just everything was 436 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:30,520 Speaker 1: a fight, and I feel like that's where, for whatever reason, 437 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 1: growing up, like that's what I did. When I'm backed 438 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:34,640 Speaker 1: into a corner, I'm going to fight my way out 439 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:37,720 Speaker 1: and I went from fighting in a combat zone to 440 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:43,320 Speaker 1: fighting from a hospital bed, and a lot of relying 441 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:45,720 Speaker 1: on my grit to get me to the next minute, 442 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 1: and then the next minute, then the next minute, because 443 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 1: it was not a day by day thing. Yeah, especially 444 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:53,359 Speaker 1: the first several months I was home. It was a 445 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:56,480 Speaker 1: minute by minute thing where even when I blinked hard, 446 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:59,040 Speaker 1: it felt like getting blown up all over again. And 447 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:02,680 Speaker 1: dealing with the people I dealt with. The loss and 448 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:06,440 Speaker 1: the trauma and the tragedy didn't stop when I got 449 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:12,960 Speaker 1: back home, meaning to America, because it seemed like once 450 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 1: a week, every week I was in the hospital, I 451 00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:19,840 Speaker 1: was paying my respects to a flag great body in 452 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:23,200 Speaker 1: a hospital room, and then talking to the families and 453 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:27,920 Speaker 1: telling them I'm sorry, knowing that a lot of them 454 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:31,000 Speaker 1: were looking at me and thinking how come you lived, 455 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:37,000 Speaker 1: not having an answer for that. That's an interesting position 456 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:39,199 Speaker 1: to be in, because then you feel guilty, and then 457 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: you feel shame, and then you feel all these things 458 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:44,840 Speaker 1: of Okay, well, why did I live? Why was I spared? 459 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:49,320 Speaker 1: Why did I get to keep carrying on regardless of 460 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 1: the fact that I'm a now drug addict soon to 461 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:57,119 Speaker 1: be alcoholics, Like why now I'm able to answer that. 462 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: I think it was a lot more conviction through truth 463 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:03,320 Speaker 1: and with the pure heart where was before? You know, 464 00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:05,240 Speaker 1: I couldn't because I was lost for a long time. 465 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:07,399 Speaker 1: And I remember the first time I was asked to 466 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,400 Speaker 1: go speak, and it was by my grandmother. You know 467 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:13,600 Speaker 1: that you can't say no to even if she said 468 00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:18,560 Speaker 1: something crazy, which to me, I need you to come 469 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:22,760 Speaker 1: speak to my rotary club, Like that was crazy. It's like, 470 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 1: are you crazy? And of course I didn't say that, 471 00:25:25,119 --> 00:25:26,119 Speaker 1: but I'm thinking it. 472 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:28,320 Speaker 3: Yes, ma'am, What the hell are you? 473 00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:33,399 Speaker 1: Why are you asking me to do this? Completely forgetting 474 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:36,960 Speaker 1: the fact that she has been on this earth way 475 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:41,119 Speaker 1: longer than me and has a ton more wisdom. And 476 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:42,760 Speaker 1: so of course I went and did it, and it 477 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:46,280 Speaker 1: was horrible and I was high and all I thought 478 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:49,440 Speaker 1: about was getting more high. I'm pretty sure eighty percent 479 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 1: of the room fell asleep because I was probably about 480 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:55,639 Speaker 1: fifty years the junior in the room, and it was 481 00:25:55,760 --> 00:25:59,160 Speaker 1: just a horrible, horrible deal. Like I was sitting there, 482 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:01,639 Speaker 1: I was sweating grind aids, and I was just like 483 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:03,720 Speaker 1: I just ready for this to be over. With the 484 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:06,120 Speaker 1: fact that I even do question and answer now when 485 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:09,080 Speaker 1: I do public engagements is crazy to me because when 486 00:26:09,119 --> 00:26:12,960 Speaker 1: I was done, I remember, like, I walked off the 487 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:19,479 Speaker 1: back part of this podium inside a white room with 488 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:22,480 Speaker 1: a lot of white hairs, and I walked out the 489 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:25,320 Speaker 1: back doors and when I finished, I don't even remember 490 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:27,760 Speaker 1: how I finished, but I'm pretty sure. I'm like, that's it. 491 00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:31,680 Speaker 1: And I was already walking out, you know, not well 492 00:26:31,720 --> 00:26:36,280 Speaker 1: because I was still healing, but I couldn't get a 493 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:40,080 Speaker 1: cigarette fast enough, right, And I walked outside and I 494 00:26:40,160 --> 00:26:44,920 Speaker 1: burned one, and my grandmother walked out there and she said, so, 495 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:47,480 Speaker 1: how do you feel. I looked at her and I said, 496 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:50,959 Speaker 1: you know what, actually knowing that it was it was crap, 497 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:53,760 Speaker 1: and that it was just me tripping over myself. But 498 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:56,199 Speaker 1: it was the first time I told my story, and 499 00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 1: it was the first time I told my truth and 500 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:00,200 Speaker 1: how it had happened. And I left a lot of 501 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:04,400 Speaker 1: stuff out because I wasn't fully embracing my vulnerability yet. 502 00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:06,359 Speaker 1: And I just said, you know, I feel lighter, I 503 00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:08,159 Speaker 1: feel a little bit better. And she just looked right 504 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 1: at me and said, good, that was a point and 505 00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:15,880 Speaker 1: walked away. And I was like, damn it, freaking brain ninja. 506 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:18,680 Speaker 1: But now I totally get it well for sure. It 507 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:20,479 Speaker 1: was just like when people ask you, how long are 508 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:23,040 Speaker 1: you going to do this speaking stuff? Because inevitably I 509 00:27:23,119 --> 00:27:25,760 Speaker 1: bitch about having to do it because we're so spoiled, 510 00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:28,280 Speaker 1: and I'm like, you know, you hear me do it 511 00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:30,199 Speaker 1: weekly when I'm like, oh, I don't want to go 512 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:33,720 Speaker 1: do this thing or whatever because there's so much going on. 513 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:35,040 Speaker 1: And then I get done and I look at you 514 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:37,480 Speaker 1: and I'm like, hey, I'm so glad I did this thing. 515 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:40,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, because you feel lighter because every time it's. 516 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:44,000 Speaker 1: Therapy, it's therapeutic, it's cathartic. And when people ask me, 517 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:45,919 Speaker 1: and you've heard me say it to him, how long 518 00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:47,119 Speaker 1: are you going to do this? When are you going 519 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:49,320 Speaker 1: to stop doing this? And I always say, when I 520 00:27:49,359 --> 00:27:52,200 Speaker 1: walk off of a stage or I leave a place 521 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:56,280 Speaker 1: and I don't feel lighter, is the day all stop? 522 00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:56,760 Speaker 3: Right? 523 00:27:57,680 --> 00:27:59,880 Speaker 1: But now I'm just very honest with the audience. Isn't 524 00:27:59,880 --> 00:28:02,600 Speaker 1: like tell him like, hey, I'm here for me just 525 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:05,440 Speaker 1: as much as you're here for me, exactly. 526 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:07,960 Speaker 2: And by the time we had met in twenty fourteen, 527 00:28:08,119 --> 00:28:11,160 Speaker 2: you had been public speaking for years and had really 528 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:13,480 Speaker 2: honed your craft. I'd been doing my real hero show 529 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:16,320 Speaker 2: for a couple of years at that point, and we 530 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:19,439 Speaker 2: actually met at a veterans event in Fort Worth. It 531 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:22,119 Speaker 2: was just such a great thing to meet you. And 532 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:25,760 Speaker 2: I remember, and I remember Jackson, your oldest was three 533 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:27,600 Speaker 2: at the time, and he looked so cute in his 534 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:30,880 Speaker 2: little cowboy outfit, and we were at the stockyards and 535 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:33,439 Speaker 2: I just remember walking up to him and saying, you're 536 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:37,080 Speaker 2: gonna push me around the dance floor later, and he did, 537 00:28:37,119 --> 00:28:39,360 Speaker 2: and that was the well I carried him. But I 538 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:41,520 Speaker 2: was the first person he ever danced with. That's super 539 00:28:41,560 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 2: special to me. 540 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:47,520 Speaker 1: I remember that as hammered as I was, I remember 541 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:51,560 Speaker 1: that it was a beautiful moment. That is something that 542 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:54,760 Speaker 1: it's almost like God knows what he's doing. Yes, I'd 543 00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:57,600 Speaker 1: been speaking for a while, and I'd been doing a 544 00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:03,440 Speaker 1: lot of work and trying to discover things about me 545 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:06,160 Speaker 1: that made me do things that I did, or decisions 546 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:08,680 Speaker 1: I made or whatever. And I was very much in 547 00:29:08,760 --> 00:29:11,520 Speaker 1: my journey to healing. And it was not pretty because 548 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:15,520 Speaker 1: I was definitely abusing alcohol, doing the occasional drug, not 549 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:19,000 Speaker 1: yet living the way I needed to live. Yeah, I was, 550 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:25,320 Speaker 1: by no means being an effective example to my son. 551 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:29,800 Speaker 1: I was by no means being an example to my family, 552 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:34,160 Speaker 1: my community, And it was something that I really struggled 553 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:37,000 Speaker 1: with because we all deal with this form of hypocrisy 554 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:38,800 Speaker 1: when we say one thing and we know that we're 555 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:41,400 Speaker 1: not doing the thing, you know, which makes it harder 556 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 1: for us to ultimate goal love the person staring back 557 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:48,640 Speaker 1: at him in the mirror. Only then can you truly 558 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 1: be effective in your fight for the greater good. Doesn't 559 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 1: mean you can't have grit, doesn't mean you can't get 560 00:29:57,200 --> 00:30:00,160 Speaker 1: things done. It doesn't mean you can't be effective for 561 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:02,560 Speaker 1: other human souls, because I did all that for years. 562 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:06,000 Speaker 1: But how much was I truly fighting for the greater 563 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 1: good while I was fighting myself every step of the way. 564 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 1: Now that I'm able to most times be in a 565 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 1: peaceful place and be convicted who I am and love 566 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 1: the person inside this skin or what's left of this skin, 567 00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:27,640 Speaker 1: like I feel it now more than I ever have. 568 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:34,680 Speaker 1: And now that I'm clean and sober and understand human 569 00:30:34,720 --> 00:30:36,959 Speaker 1: psychology and the human element the way that I do 570 00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:39,200 Speaker 1: because of my own demons, I'm taking the bull by 571 00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:42,640 Speaker 1: the horns, if you will, and understanding why my mind 572 00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 1: works the way it works, and what post traumatic stress 573 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:50,200 Speaker 1: really means and what that is, which ultimately for everybody listening, 574 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:52,959 Speaker 1: is nothing more than a normal reaction to an otherwise 575 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 1: abnormal situation. Does it mean like you're completely messed up 576 00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:01,280 Speaker 1: and there's no turning back. It's not what that means. 577 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:03,719 Speaker 1: It means that was completely normal. 578 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:06,680 Speaker 2: And I know veterans are the ones that were that term, 579 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:09,640 Speaker 2: and that kind of got coined initially. We don't own it, 580 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:11,440 Speaker 2: but veterans don't own PTS to. 581 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:12,560 Speaker 1: You've been around a long time. 582 00:31:12,840 --> 00:31:15,600 Speaker 2: It doesn't matter what you've been through diabetes, or if 583 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:19,000 Speaker 2: you've been raped, or you've gone through family abuse or what. 584 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:24,280 Speaker 1: Anything, anything, It makes you normal. Our bodies have things 585 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:28,960 Speaker 1: that are built in to help us survive these situations 586 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:33,120 Speaker 1: in order to thrive. That's all that means. And that's 587 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:35,320 Speaker 1: why you hear me say all the time to people 588 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:37,640 Speaker 1: all over it's okay to not be okay. That makes 589 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:38,200 Speaker 1: you normal. 590 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:38,920 Speaker 2: Yep. 591 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:43,600 Speaker 1: You're not going to ever wake up every day the 592 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 1: rest of your life and ride on your unicorn on 593 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:50,120 Speaker 1: the rainbow to and back from the office. That's not 594 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:53,400 Speaker 1: real life. That's not reality. But the more that you 595 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:57,640 Speaker 1: can embrace it and fill it, which through my journey 596 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 1: through sobriety. It was very free and I learned a 597 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:03,600 Speaker 1: lot of these things at the Center for Brain Health 598 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:07,440 Speaker 1: and Brain Performance Institute well before I actually got into 599 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:11,760 Speaker 1: the nonprofit realm. It was a constant discovery of my 600 00:32:11,840 --> 00:32:14,240 Speaker 1: own soul. It was like an onion pill in the 601 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:18,040 Speaker 1: layer's back and then having all of these epiphanies like, oh, 602 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:22,560 Speaker 1: that's why I did that thing, was to counteract that thing, right, 603 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:24,720 Speaker 1: probably happened when I was a little kid. 604 00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:25,560 Speaker 3: Childhood trauma. 605 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:28,680 Speaker 2: But you also had veterans they're working with you that 606 00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:30,480 Speaker 2: you were able to kind of start some of that 607 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:31,640 Speaker 2: peer to peer support. 608 00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:37,640 Speaker 1: Absolutely, that's something that I think doesn't get enough praise, 609 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:42,040 Speaker 1: and it doesn't have to be just through veterans. And 610 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 1: that's what I think is really important for our listeners 611 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:48,040 Speaker 1: to understand is this is not a show about veterans. 612 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:50,360 Speaker 1: This is not what that has to do with. This 613 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:53,720 Speaker 1: is a show about human beings dealing with human issues 614 00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:59,400 Speaker 1: in order to thrive and what tools they utilize to 615 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 1: get them through the valley. It's not just about veterans. 616 00:33:04,280 --> 00:33:06,760 Speaker 1: And I was very adamant from the very beginning, like 617 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:08,600 Speaker 1: it doesn't need to be veteran heavy. I don't want 618 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:12,440 Speaker 1: this to be veteran heavy because I need people to 619 00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:15,920 Speaker 1: understand we're all relatable through pain and suffering. That's the 620 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:19,520 Speaker 1: thing that we all are on the same playing field. 621 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:23,240 Speaker 2: I'm uncomfortable right now. I am so used to telling 622 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 2: other people's stories. I've been doing for decades. 623 00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:30,000 Speaker 1: But I really appreciate you right now, and I've got 624 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:32,720 Speaker 1: to just I've got to say my gratitude. I'm really 625 00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:36,360 Speaker 1: grateful to you for owning that shit right now because 626 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:39,560 Speaker 1: I know how much you've been stressing about this, and 627 00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:42,680 Speaker 1: it's so huge to me. I want people to feel 628 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:44,880 Speaker 1: what I feel when I walk off the stage. I 629 00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:49,160 Speaker 1: want people to feel the freedom of embracing their humanality 630 00:33:50,680 --> 00:33:55,280 Speaker 1: in the truest way that you possibly can, because that 631 00:33:55,680 --> 00:33:59,360 Speaker 1: is the first step to reaching your full potential. Right, So, 632 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:02,880 Speaker 1: gratitude moment, and I just want to give that to 633 00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:06,880 Speaker 1: you realquick. Yeah, you're exactly right about that peer to 634 00:34:06,920 --> 00:34:08,799 Speaker 1: peer thing, and I think that that's something that is 635 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:12,719 Speaker 1: really really vital to people's growth forward. I've been in 636 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:15,520 Speaker 1: so many different situations, in so many different rooms with 637 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:20,400 Speaker 1: my fellow brothers and scissors in arms, having these conversations 638 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:24,120 Speaker 1: and being able to watch their soul actually get lighter 639 00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:28,680 Speaker 1: through this period of peer talking about and sometimes and 640 00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:31,360 Speaker 1: oftentimes actually it doesn't have anything to do with combat, 641 00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:35,240 Speaker 1: doesn't have anything to do with a wartime experience, doesn't 642 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:39,839 Speaker 1: have anything to do with what the media is obsessed 643 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:43,440 Speaker 1: with showing over and over and over and over, because 644 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:46,680 Speaker 1: for a lot of us, we were really prepared to 645 00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:50,440 Speaker 1: know because of what we volunteered to do, it's highly 646 00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:52,800 Speaker 1: likely we're going to be in a very volatile situation 647 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:55,960 Speaker 1: that's going to be memorable. There's a lot of us 648 00:34:55,960 --> 00:34:58,759 Speaker 1: that were a lot more prepared that the media gives 649 00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:01,400 Speaker 1: us credit for. But what we don't talk about is 650 00:35:01,440 --> 00:35:03,840 Speaker 1: the demons we had before we put on the uniform. 651 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:08,759 Speaker 1: That's not talked about, like what was there before, the 652 00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:10,759 Speaker 1: gnarliness from the military, the. 653 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:13,440 Speaker 3: Childhood trauma, and then you just exacerbate it. But that's 654 00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:14,600 Speaker 3: putting on that uniform. 655 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:17,760 Speaker 2: And you're right because there are so many resources out there. 656 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:20,319 Speaker 2: One of our best friends, Renee McQuillan, she lost her 657 00:35:20,400 --> 00:35:22,600 Speaker 2: husband two years ago who was a very very dear 658 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:25,719 Speaker 2: friend of mine for twenty years and it was extremely 659 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:29,160 Speaker 2: traumatic and she got up and forced herself to go 660 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:32,440 Speaker 2: to one of the grieving widow's support groups, and I 661 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:35,600 Speaker 2: know her soul felt lighter after that. Whatever you're facing, 662 00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:38,080 Speaker 2: there are resources out there. That is one of the 663 00:35:38,120 --> 00:35:42,439 Speaker 2: beautiful things about the peer to peer and reaching out 664 00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:45,279 Speaker 2: and sitting in a room with like minded people that 665 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:47,160 Speaker 2: just have the opportunity to talk it out. 666 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:50,839 Speaker 1: Yeah, And I mean I remember the column though I 667 00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:53,439 Speaker 1: had with Renee, pacing in my office back and forth, 668 00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:55,319 Speaker 1: back and forth because I was like, I have no 669 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:58,680 Speaker 1: idea how this is going to end. But I remember 670 00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:02,719 Speaker 1: her telling me after the fact that was the springboard 671 00:36:02,719 --> 00:36:05,520 Speaker 1: I needed to take that deep dive into the journey 672 00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:08,759 Speaker 1: of healing. And that was a prime example of peer 673 00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:13,280 Speaker 1: to peer. That was somebody who's experienced significant trauma giving 674 00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:17,960 Speaker 1: someone else, empowering someone else to take that first step. 675 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:20,160 Speaker 2: And it's one of the things that I think about 676 00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:22,360 Speaker 2: and I try to think about often. You have to 677 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:25,000 Speaker 2: be so careful, just like people with diets and who 678 00:36:25,040 --> 00:36:27,480 Speaker 2: want to be fit and be healthy. You watch what 679 00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:30,480 Speaker 2: you put in your body. That goes the same with words, 680 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:32,719 Speaker 2: that goes the same with music that you listen to. 681 00:36:32,840 --> 00:36:36,160 Speaker 2: You have to be so protective over your environment and 682 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:38,399 Speaker 2: over what you're putting into your body. And I think 683 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:41,319 Speaker 2: that's part of the reason. You know, after we met 684 00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:44,200 Speaker 2: in our friendship blossomed more. I came to really admire 685 00:36:44,280 --> 00:36:47,719 Speaker 2: you as a speaker because it was so powerful and 686 00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:50,160 Speaker 2: so effective, to the point that I mean, you remember 687 00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:52,360 Speaker 2: anytime I had an event, because then I had gotten 688 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:55,480 Speaker 2: really involved down in the Austin, Texas area with all 689 00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:57,919 Speaker 2: of the military and veteran events going on in the area, 690 00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 2: and I had you come down multiple times and speak, and. 691 00:37:01,760 --> 00:37:04,080 Speaker 1: I wouldn't charge you too, And he took full advantage 692 00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:04,239 Speaker 1: of that. 693 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:07,880 Speaker 3: Damn right, I'd free ninety nine. Oh marketing word. There 694 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:08,200 Speaker 3: it is. 695 00:37:08,800 --> 00:37:11,160 Speaker 2: But you know, it was one of those things where 696 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:14,680 Speaker 2: I knew the power of the spoken word, and I 697 00:37:14,719 --> 00:37:17,400 Speaker 2: knew that you spoke your truth. And so yeah, you 698 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:19,360 Speaker 2: came down a couple of times. You know, you stood 699 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:20,400 Speaker 2: me up a couple of times. 700 00:37:20,600 --> 00:37:23,800 Speaker 1: There's look, if you know what, if you're going to 701 00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:26,680 Speaker 1: talk about that in front of God and everybody, tell 702 00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:28,680 Speaker 1: the whole story, tell the whole story. 703 00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:30,240 Speaker 3: Okay, Well here's what happened. 704 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:33,239 Speaker 1: Okay. The first time it was because I just got 705 00:37:33,360 --> 00:37:35,880 Speaker 1: completely schmamwork. There was no way I was going to 706 00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:36,200 Speaker 1: make it. 707 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:38,279 Speaker 3: Assent, thank you for your ownership. 708 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:39,520 Speaker 1: For a second time. That's not what happened. 709 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:42,799 Speaker 2: For seven years, I ran the military appreciation night at 710 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:45,400 Speaker 2: the Round Rock Express, which is the Triple A affiliate 711 00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:47,680 Speaker 2: to the Houston Astros at the time and now the 712 00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:50,319 Speaker 2: Texas Rangers, and I asked Jake to come and throw 713 00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:52,960 Speaker 2: out the first pitch one year, and he called and 714 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:54,160 Speaker 2: canceled on me the day of. 715 00:37:54,360 --> 00:37:55,640 Speaker 3: So the next year I put. 716 00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:58,880 Speaker 1: Him back, and then first year totally my fault, one 717 00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:02,960 Speaker 1: hundred percent accountabil I got completely hammered and I knew, 718 00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:04,839 Speaker 1: like I woke up and I was it was a 719 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:06,000 Speaker 1: timing thing. I was like, there's no. 720 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:07,480 Speaker 3: Way, thank you for owning it. 721 00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:08,279 Speaker 1: Yeah. 722 00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:11,319 Speaker 2: The second year, I put him in the slot to 723 00:38:11,360 --> 00:38:13,320 Speaker 2: throw out the first pitch again, and everybody on the 724 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:15,319 Speaker 2: planning team was like, are you sure. You know he 725 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:17,200 Speaker 2: canceled on us last year he was a no show, 726 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:20,000 Speaker 2: and I was like, yeah, shickle, pull through. He called 727 00:38:20,040 --> 00:38:21,680 Speaker 2: me the day of and I said, you are not 728 00:38:21,840 --> 00:38:25,840 Speaker 2: canceling on me again, and sure enough, and of course, I, 729 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:28,600 Speaker 2: you know, just started give him all kinds of heck. 730 00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:31,640 Speaker 1: But then I interrupted you and told me why. Yeah. 731 00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:33,000 Speaker 3: Then I felt like a jerk. 732 00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:36,239 Speaker 1: As you should. Yeah. I said, oh, by the way, 733 00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:39,280 Speaker 1: just so you know, my cousin died this morning. And 734 00:38:39,360 --> 00:38:41,799 Speaker 1: you were like, oh my god, I'm so I'm like, no, no, no, 735 00:38:41,880 --> 00:38:44,320 Speaker 1: it's fine. But I get it. You know, I'm terrible. 736 00:38:44,400 --> 00:38:47,840 Speaker 1: I'm horrible. I totally turned it back on you. But 737 00:38:47,880 --> 00:38:50,760 Speaker 1: then ultimately you got the last laugh when I actually 738 00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:51,480 Speaker 1: did show up. 739 00:38:51,560 --> 00:38:55,160 Speaker 2: There are times the charm so to get him back, 740 00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:57,840 Speaker 2: of course, the first pitch goes out and stands on 741 00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:00,000 Speaker 2: the pitcher's mound, and I had him standing out there 742 00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:03,040 Speaker 2: and I made them read however bio. 743 00:39:03,160 --> 00:39:05,120 Speaker 1: It was the never ending bio. 744 00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:06,000 Speaker 3: It was amazing. 745 00:39:06,080 --> 00:39:08,719 Speaker 1: It was like I would rather be prison shanked than 746 00:39:08,840 --> 00:39:10,480 Speaker 1: have to go through something like that again. 747 00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:12,480 Speaker 3: I think I added extra sentences just. 748 00:39:12,520 --> 00:39:17,920 Speaker 1: To guarantee you did that. That's that's I know you did. 749 00:39:17,960 --> 00:39:20,239 Speaker 1: Like you put in You put in craft that didn't 750 00:39:20,280 --> 00:39:22,400 Speaker 1: need to be in there. And I was I remember 751 00:39:22,520 --> 00:39:25,799 Speaker 1: standing up there on the mountain thinking of myself, I 752 00:39:25,840 --> 00:39:28,160 Speaker 1: wonder if I could hit or with this baseball. 753 00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:31,760 Speaker 3: Nope, nope. 754 00:39:32,040 --> 00:39:34,440 Speaker 2: But it was at that time that I was really 755 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:37,960 Speaker 2: involved with a lot of different military nonprofits and veteran nonprofits, 756 00:39:37,960 --> 00:39:42,440 Speaker 2: and you were also doing the work just across the 757 00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:45,640 Speaker 2: board up here in the DFW area. And you know 758 00:39:45,719 --> 00:39:47,880 Speaker 2: that if you remember at that time, there were a 759 00:39:47,920 --> 00:39:52,000 Speaker 2: lot of nonprofits that were being exposed for misappropriated funds 760 00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:54,640 Speaker 2: or not not not doing what they were saying they 761 00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:57,680 Speaker 2: were doing. And so that was a time where we 762 00:39:57,680 --> 00:40:00,399 Speaker 2: were grateful because there were so many resources that were 763 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:04,160 Speaker 2: becoming available for military and veterans, you know that were returning. 764 00:40:04,600 --> 00:40:09,480 Speaker 2: Guys that survived Iraq and Afghanistan probably would have bled 765 00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:12,239 Speaker 2: out in Vietnam. Right, So the technology has gotten better, 766 00:40:12,239 --> 00:40:14,680 Speaker 2: the response time has gotten better, and so we have 767 00:40:14,840 --> 00:40:19,360 Speaker 2: more wounded coming back. Well, fortunately there were nonprofits stepping 768 00:40:19,520 --> 00:40:20,239 Speaker 2: up to do that. 769 00:40:20,600 --> 00:40:22,000 Speaker 3: I always knew that if we. 770 00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:26,600 Speaker 2: Had a veteran in need, in distress, that I could 771 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:28,080 Speaker 2: call on you, that you would be there. That was 772 00:40:28,600 --> 00:40:31,879 Speaker 2: something that was very comforting for me to have, and that's, 773 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:34,760 Speaker 2: you know, part of the reason our friendship continued to blossom. 774 00:40:34,840 --> 00:40:39,120 Speaker 1: Yeh through tragedy. You ever thought about huh, Yeah, I 775 00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:41,759 Speaker 1: knew anytime it hurts me it wouldn't and be like, hey, 776 00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:45,879 Speaker 1: just seeing how you're doing, immediately went into all right, 777 00:40:46,239 --> 00:40:49,560 Speaker 1: next step mode. Right. It was something that I poured 778 00:40:49,560 --> 00:40:52,399 Speaker 1: myself into and I did that via twenty two Kill Right, 779 00:40:52,440 --> 00:40:56,160 Speaker 1: which was started by a group of warriors and a 780 00:40:56,200 --> 00:41:00,879 Speaker 1: couple of business people here in Dallas years ago, and 781 00:41:02,239 --> 00:41:04,359 Speaker 1: it was started because of the study that came out 782 00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:08,040 Speaker 1: in twenty twelve that where the VA stated that on average, 783 00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:11,879 Speaker 1: twenty two veterans died by suicide every day. I've caught 784 00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:14,239 Speaker 1: so much flak over the years, Like Jake, there's not 785 00:41:14,280 --> 00:41:16,799 Speaker 1: the real number, and that's not the point. It's not 786 00:41:16,840 --> 00:41:20,799 Speaker 1: the point. One is too many, period of story. Suicide 787 00:41:20,840 --> 00:41:24,359 Speaker 1: is just a word, just like hero that it's been 788 00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:27,520 Speaker 1: diluted and doesn't have the original meaning that it was 789 00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:31,400 Speaker 1: intended to have. But I tell people suicide is just 790 00:41:31,400 --> 00:41:33,400 Speaker 1: a word until you get punched in the mouth by it. 791 00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:35,959 Speaker 1: Then it becomes a very real thing. And I pray 792 00:41:36,040 --> 00:41:38,640 Speaker 1: to God you never know what that feels like. Yeah, 793 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:41,360 Speaker 1: Because I've buried over thirty of my friends who have 794 00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:44,480 Speaker 1: died by suicide. And this is something that affected me 795 00:41:44,600 --> 00:41:47,680 Speaker 1: years before the study came out, when I knew it 796 00:41:47,719 --> 00:41:52,040 Speaker 1: was a thing, not only struggling with mown suicide ideation, 797 00:41:53,239 --> 00:41:57,120 Speaker 1: but burying friends over and over and over and over 798 00:41:57,360 --> 00:42:01,799 Speaker 1: and over, finding myself speaking at funerals, because having the 799 00:42:01,840 --> 00:42:04,680 Speaker 1: widow ask me, Jake, will you be the first one 800 00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:08,040 Speaker 1: to speak is like having my grandmother say I need 801 00:42:08,040 --> 00:42:11,239 Speaker 1: you to do this thing. It's an automatic yes, regardless 802 00:42:11,239 --> 00:42:14,120 Speaker 1: of how much I don't want to do it, because 803 00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:17,239 Speaker 1: then I have to focus on not falling apart and 804 00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:21,520 Speaker 1: being stoic and pillar of strength and all the societal 805 00:42:21,600 --> 00:42:24,480 Speaker 1: things and all the labels, and when ultimately I just 806 00:42:24,480 --> 00:42:26,279 Speaker 1: need to get up there and tell my truth. We 807 00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:29,560 Speaker 1: put all this undue pressure on us to be something 808 00:42:29,600 --> 00:42:31,840 Speaker 1: that we don't need to be, Like we need to 809 00:42:31,880 --> 00:42:34,240 Speaker 1: wake up and just do us. Everybody else is taken 810 00:42:35,719 --> 00:42:39,440 Speaker 1: and be okay with that. And I remember it was 811 00:42:39,560 --> 00:42:42,120 Speaker 1: five and a half years ago somewhere in there. You're 812 00:42:42,160 --> 00:42:45,560 Speaker 1: the human calendar or not. It was like God poked 813 00:42:45,560 --> 00:42:47,560 Speaker 1: his head through a ceiling and said, if you don't 814 00:42:47,600 --> 00:42:51,200 Speaker 1: stop drinking, you were going to be the next one 815 00:42:51,200 --> 00:42:54,480 Speaker 1: they bury. And I mean I felt it to my core, 816 00:42:54,760 --> 00:42:58,040 Speaker 1: just like the day we got hit and I knew 817 00:42:58,120 --> 00:43:00,520 Speaker 1: we were going to get hit. I felt it that much. 818 00:43:01,640 --> 00:43:05,080 Speaker 1: And that was the last day I had a drink 819 00:43:05,120 --> 00:43:10,560 Speaker 1: of alcohol or the occasional line or joint or whatever, 820 00:43:10,760 --> 00:43:12,759 Speaker 1: et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. That was the last 821 00:43:12,760 --> 00:43:20,040 Speaker 1: time that has completely changed my journey. It's completely changed 822 00:43:20,080 --> 00:43:24,080 Speaker 1: my path so much so that I was hitting the 823 00:43:24,080 --> 00:43:29,880 Speaker 1: face with reality about the name twenty two kill. You know, 824 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:32,800 Speaker 1: twenty two vets. That's where the twenty two comes from, 825 00:43:33,160 --> 00:43:35,759 Speaker 1: and then the kill, because suicide's and act, regardless of how 826 00:43:35,800 --> 00:43:38,200 Speaker 1: you slice it. I got told so many times by 827 00:43:38,280 --> 00:43:40,160 Speaker 1: so many people, you're never gonna get anywhere with that name. 828 00:43:40,200 --> 00:43:43,480 Speaker 1: It's too strong of a name. Well, the more I 829 00:43:43,520 --> 00:43:45,960 Speaker 1: hear that you're just feeding my ego, the more you 830 00:43:46,000 --> 00:43:48,960 Speaker 1: tell me I can't or you won't, the more I'm like, 831 00:43:49,080 --> 00:43:53,000 Speaker 1: hold my salad and watch this, like, the more you're 832 00:43:53,080 --> 00:43:58,040 Speaker 1: just feeding the internal beast that doesn't understand. Stop all gas, 833 00:43:58,040 --> 00:44:01,239 Speaker 1: no break, Like that's who I am, Like I suck 834 00:44:01,280 --> 00:44:04,560 Speaker 1: at anything in moderation, it's all go or I just 835 00:44:04,600 --> 00:44:08,160 Speaker 1: don't even show up, which I mean, you've witnessed them 836 00:44:08,320 --> 00:44:12,359 Speaker 1: all different aspects, and that's ultimately it'll be a hell 837 00:44:12,360 --> 00:44:14,560 Speaker 1: of a show either way, good, better, indifferent, It'll be 838 00:44:14,600 --> 00:44:19,000 Speaker 1: a show. Let's just hope way less Jerry Springer more, 839 00:44:19,080 --> 00:44:25,080 Speaker 1: Tony Robbins. But I got a very tough phone call 840 00:44:25,160 --> 00:44:28,799 Speaker 1: right before the world shutdown. It was a very tough 841 00:44:28,800 --> 00:44:34,560 Speaker 1: phone call about an officer from a very large department 842 00:44:34,680 --> 00:44:36,879 Speaker 1: that we would we've done a lot of work with. 843 00:44:38,320 --> 00:44:40,440 Speaker 1: And you remember this phone call, I mean you were 844 00:44:40,440 --> 00:44:43,759 Speaker 1: in the living room and I was told that this 845 00:44:43,840 --> 00:44:48,400 Speaker 1: officer had started his beat, took a handle of liquor, 846 00:44:49,760 --> 00:44:53,400 Speaker 1: went out in the middle of nowhere, drink almost the 847 00:44:53,400 --> 00:44:56,879 Speaker 1: whole bottle, called his wife from a cell phone, pulled 848 00:44:56,920 --> 00:45:01,759 Speaker 1: out a service pistol, and he shot himself. And I 849 00:45:01,800 --> 00:45:04,960 Speaker 1: remember being dumbfounded because I was like, he knew all 850 00:45:05,000 --> 00:45:07,040 Speaker 1: about us, why wouldn't he come to us? And I 851 00:45:07,160 --> 00:45:10,640 Speaker 1: was told, Jake, because he was non veteran, think about it. 852 00:45:10,640 --> 00:45:12,680 Speaker 1: Your name is twenty two kill. That has nothing to 853 00:45:12,719 --> 00:45:17,840 Speaker 1: do with law enforcement, right, And I was like, Okay, 854 00:45:19,120 --> 00:45:21,680 Speaker 1: it's time to stop being a hostage to my pride. 855 00:45:22,040 --> 00:45:25,440 Speaker 1: It's not about me. And I called them mercracy board 856 00:45:25,440 --> 00:45:30,319 Speaker 1: meeting and told him it's time to change the name. 857 00:45:31,239 --> 00:45:33,359 Speaker 1: I remember one of them said right away, like, Jake, 858 00:45:33,360 --> 00:45:36,319 Speaker 1: did you start drinking again? And he was He wasn't 859 00:45:36,400 --> 00:45:39,960 Speaker 1: joking because that's how convicted I was in that name 860 00:45:40,040 --> 00:45:42,960 Speaker 1: not changing And I said, it's time for me to 861 00:45:42,960 --> 00:45:46,440 Speaker 1: put my ego to bed and stop being a hostage 862 00:45:46,440 --> 00:45:50,200 Speaker 1: to my pride because it's not about me, and this 863 00:45:50,239 --> 00:45:52,080 Speaker 1: will be the last time I get a phone call 864 00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:57,799 Speaker 1: like that because of me. And so that's when One 865 00:45:57,840 --> 00:46:02,279 Speaker 1: Trap foundation was birthed. And it's very simple. People are 866 00:46:02,320 --> 00:46:05,000 Speaker 1: like one tribe. What's that mean? Human trib? We all 867 00:46:05,040 --> 00:46:07,880 Speaker 1: bleed red, We're all connected by default. I want to 868 00:46:07,920 --> 00:46:12,160 Speaker 1: help everybody, not just certain demographics, because I feel like 869 00:46:13,480 --> 00:46:18,640 Speaker 1: ultimately we end up segregating people that have one thing 870 00:46:18,680 --> 00:46:21,920 Speaker 1: in common, pain and suffering, and I think it is 871 00:46:22,160 --> 00:46:26,279 Speaker 1: an equation that we have fallen victim to that needs 872 00:46:26,280 --> 00:46:29,359 Speaker 1: to change. We got to remember the one thing we 873 00:46:29,400 --> 00:46:34,040 Speaker 1: all have in common. We're humans first, everything else secondary 874 00:46:34,040 --> 00:46:37,560 Speaker 1: to that. That's the whole idea behind this foundation is 875 00:46:38,960 --> 00:46:40,719 Speaker 1: one tribe, one fight. 876 00:46:42,000 --> 00:46:43,160 Speaker 3: We're all in this together. 877 00:46:43,360 --> 00:46:46,840 Speaker 1: That's it. You know, when I started my journey through sobriety, 878 00:46:46,880 --> 00:46:49,120 Speaker 1: and I'm sure you remember, for the whole first year, 879 00:46:49,120 --> 00:46:50,840 Speaker 1: I wouldn't say I was sober. I would say I 880 00:46:50,840 --> 00:46:53,120 Speaker 1: wouldn't drinking, because I think those are two different things, 881 00:46:53,600 --> 00:46:56,280 Speaker 1: living a sober lifestyle and not drinking or two different things. 882 00:46:56,960 --> 00:47:02,640 Speaker 1: And that's where I really begin to fill everything that 883 00:47:02,719 --> 00:47:05,120 Speaker 1: I had gone out of my way to numb. That's 884 00:47:05,160 --> 00:47:07,640 Speaker 1: where I really started to grow. And it was uncomfortable 885 00:47:07,640 --> 00:47:10,680 Speaker 1: and ugly and not pretty, and I'm so grateful for 886 00:47:10,719 --> 00:47:14,160 Speaker 1: all of it because that's how I begin to truly 887 00:47:15,239 --> 00:47:19,040 Speaker 1: start tapping into my full potential without crutches. In regardless 888 00:47:19,040 --> 00:47:20,879 Speaker 1: of the fact that I'd gone through a divorce and 889 00:47:22,040 --> 00:47:26,839 Speaker 1: which majority of said divorces because of me and the 890 00:47:26,840 --> 00:47:29,800 Speaker 1: decisions I was making to go out of my way 891 00:47:30,040 --> 00:47:32,839 Speaker 1: to numb and not feel and then at the very 892 00:47:32,920 --> 00:47:34,960 Speaker 1: same time go out of my way to feel anything. 893 00:47:35,160 --> 00:47:38,800 Speaker 1: I was a walking, eating, breathing contradiction because I wasn't 894 00:47:38,840 --> 00:47:44,399 Speaker 1: dealing with my demons. I was avoiding. And so this 895 00:47:44,560 --> 00:47:50,440 Speaker 1: journey through being clean and sober has really opened my eyes. 896 00:47:51,360 --> 00:47:54,520 Speaker 1: It's really expanded my spirituality. I feel like my walk 897 00:47:54,560 --> 00:47:57,759 Speaker 1: with God is as close to being in lockstep as 898 00:47:57,760 --> 00:48:01,000 Speaker 1: it's ever been, and I'm grateful that I feel like 899 00:48:01,080 --> 00:48:03,000 Speaker 1: the rides you're just starting agreed. 900 00:48:03,160 --> 00:48:06,600 Speaker 2: And while at the time I wasn't dealing with PTSD 901 00:48:06,760 --> 00:48:09,640 Speaker 2: or addiction, I certainly was drinking a lot. I was 902 00:48:09,680 --> 00:48:12,920 Speaker 2: trying to numb, and I was hiding, and I was 903 00:48:13,040 --> 00:48:17,080 Speaker 2: avoiding vulnerability. Right, my life on social media looked amazing. 904 00:48:17,120 --> 00:48:19,040 Speaker 2: I was traveling the world, and I was involved in 905 00:48:19,080 --> 00:48:21,719 Speaker 2: all these things, and I was still serving. I was 906 00:48:21,760 --> 00:48:24,600 Speaker 2: still doing work for others, but I wasn't working on myself. 907 00:48:24,640 --> 00:48:27,879 Speaker 2: I was in a toxic relationship that was truly eating 908 00:48:27,960 --> 00:48:31,880 Speaker 2: me alive, and I needed to step up, and I 909 00:48:32,000 --> 00:48:38,120 Speaker 2: needed to take that step to be vulnerable. Unfortunately, I 910 00:48:38,200 --> 00:48:40,920 Speaker 2: was able to do that across from you. 911 00:48:40,800 --> 00:48:41,680 Speaker 3: At a cafe. 912 00:48:41,960 --> 00:48:44,799 Speaker 1: I'm not sorry in an airport when you look at 913 00:48:44,800 --> 00:48:50,080 Speaker 1: me and you lied, just straight up, that's what you did. 914 00:48:50,400 --> 00:48:52,400 Speaker 2: We hadn't seen each other in a little while, and 915 00:48:52,440 --> 00:48:54,480 Speaker 2: you just texted me and said, heyes. 916 00:48:54,160 --> 00:48:56,160 Speaker 1: Like I always did going through Austin. 917 00:48:56,040 --> 00:48:58,560 Speaker 2: Hey, camerath, I'm coming to Austin. And we literally found 918 00:48:58,680 --> 00:49:01,920 Speaker 2: this one that we both happened to be at the airport. 919 00:49:01,960 --> 00:49:04,480 Speaker 2: I was flying out, you were flying in, and we 920 00:49:04,520 --> 00:49:07,120 Speaker 2: sat down across from each other at the cafe for 921 00:49:07,160 --> 00:49:09,160 Speaker 2: this one hour that we had and you looked at 922 00:49:09,160 --> 00:49:10,520 Speaker 2: me and said, so, how are you doing? And I 923 00:49:11,120 --> 00:49:14,120 Speaker 2: said I'm great, everything's fine, and you looked at me 924 00:49:14,160 --> 00:49:18,640 Speaker 2: and you said, bs, how are you doing? 925 00:49:19,440 --> 00:49:20,959 Speaker 1: Yah? Eyes are the windows of the soul. 926 00:49:21,320 --> 00:49:24,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm pretty sure mine watered up at that point. 927 00:49:24,480 --> 00:49:30,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, you definitely were like right, Row, you got me. 928 00:49:31,360 --> 00:49:34,000 Speaker 2: But you know, that was the first time that I 929 00:49:34,080 --> 00:49:39,040 Speaker 2: was able to start speaking my truth and stop hiding 930 00:49:39,760 --> 00:49:42,279 Speaker 2: behind everything that I was going through at the time, 931 00:49:43,560 --> 00:49:44,480 Speaker 2: And I'm. 932 00:49:44,320 --> 00:49:47,479 Speaker 3: So grateful for the ability to. 933 00:49:47,480 --> 00:49:50,759 Speaker 2: Open up and be honest with you, the strength that 934 00:49:50,760 --> 00:49:53,799 Speaker 2: that conversation gave me after the fact to go and 935 00:49:54,160 --> 00:49:56,480 Speaker 2: change my life for the better, get out of the 936 00:49:56,520 --> 00:50:00,680 Speaker 2: toxic relationship, and start focusing on me so that I 937 00:50:00,680 --> 00:50:02,000 Speaker 2: could reach my full potential. 938 00:50:03,400 --> 00:50:08,400 Speaker 1: The beautiful thing about that night in the airport and 939 00:50:08,440 --> 00:50:11,640 Speaker 1: that conversation we were able to have is that because 940 00:50:11,640 --> 00:50:15,040 Speaker 1: of the decisions that I've made to live with truth 941 00:50:15,040 --> 00:50:20,080 Speaker 1: and conviction, I was able to be ever present for you. 942 00:50:20,600 --> 00:50:28,480 Speaker 1: Our relationship was purely a platonic friendship, and I'm grateful 943 00:50:28,520 --> 00:50:33,120 Speaker 1: because that night, because of decisions I made and the 944 00:50:33,160 --> 00:50:36,920 Speaker 1: ways that I chose to start living my life on 945 00:50:36,960 --> 00:50:40,879 Speaker 1: a daily basis, I was able to be there for 946 00:50:40,920 --> 00:50:43,200 Speaker 1: you in a capacity that I'd never been able to 947 00:50:43,239 --> 00:50:44,440 Speaker 1: be there for you before. 948 00:50:44,680 --> 00:50:48,120 Speaker 2: And your friendship was so important and vital to me 949 00:50:48,239 --> 00:50:50,880 Speaker 2: at that time. For months when I was dealing with 950 00:50:50,920 --> 00:50:53,040 Speaker 2: everything that I was dealing with, and I'm so grateful 951 00:50:53,080 --> 00:50:54,319 Speaker 2: for that because it was hard. 952 00:50:54,440 --> 00:50:55,719 Speaker 3: It's hard to share it right now. 953 00:50:56,400 --> 00:50:59,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, because nobody likes sharing their scars, right, especially 954 00:50:59,520 --> 00:50:59,799 Speaker 1: ones you. 955 00:50:59,800 --> 00:51:01,279 Speaker 3: Can't see, but they're there. 956 00:51:01,880 --> 00:51:04,600 Speaker 1: But it starts with empowerment, right, That's the first step 957 00:51:04,680 --> 00:51:06,560 Speaker 1: is having the courage to take the first step in 958 00:51:06,600 --> 00:51:10,439 Speaker 1: that valley. That's scary and it's full of a bunch 959 00:51:10,440 --> 00:51:13,320 Speaker 1: of unknowns, but you know, you have to make the 960 00:51:13,400 --> 00:51:16,600 Speaker 1: journey in order to get to the peak, because if 961 00:51:16,600 --> 00:51:18,960 Speaker 1: you don't, you will never ever ever be able to 962 00:51:19,120 --> 00:51:22,400 Speaker 1: enjoy the view from the top, right, not truly, not 963 00:51:22,440 --> 00:51:27,239 Speaker 1: the way God intended. And that precisely is what this 964 00:51:27,320 --> 00:51:28,520 Speaker 1: podcast is all about. 965 00:51:29,280 --> 00:51:31,240 Speaker 2: And we came up with the idea for this podcast 966 00:51:31,320 --> 00:51:34,400 Speaker 2: not too long after we got together, that the world 967 00:51:34,480 --> 00:51:37,600 Speaker 2: needs more positivity. We've both led interesting lives where we've 968 00:51:37,600 --> 00:51:40,480 Speaker 2: come in contact with so many people that have a story. 969 00:51:40,640 --> 00:51:44,000 Speaker 2: Everybody's got a story going through this trauma, going through 970 00:51:44,000 --> 00:51:46,360 Speaker 2: this tragedy, and then coming out on the other side 971 00:51:46,400 --> 00:51:49,080 Speaker 2: a victor, not a victim, coming out on the other 972 00:51:49,160 --> 00:51:51,640 Speaker 2: side with lessons that they can share with others to 973 00:51:51,760 --> 00:51:55,760 Speaker 2: inspire others. And we all need it on a daily basis. 974 00:51:55,800 --> 00:51:59,160 Speaker 2: We all need inspiration, we all need perspectives like bathing. 975 00:51:59,440 --> 00:52:01,000 Speaker 1: It's good, have it daily. 976 00:52:00,840 --> 00:52:04,719 Speaker 2: Every single day, and we're so excited to bring this 977 00:52:04,760 --> 00:52:07,640 Speaker 2: to you. Not only are we inspired on the daily, 978 00:52:07,680 --> 00:52:09,799 Speaker 2: when we go back and listen to episodes and ed 979 00:52:09,800 --> 00:52:12,719 Speaker 2: of episodes, we're inspired by the words that come from 980 00:52:12,760 --> 00:52:15,360 Speaker 2: our guests. This season on The Good Stuff, we feature 981 00:52:15,840 --> 00:52:20,480 Speaker 2: some truly amazing people telling incredible stories of overcoming hardships. 982 00:52:20,480 --> 00:52:22,960 Speaker 2: And many of these guests that we have are people 983 00:52:23,000 --> 00:52:25,400 Speaker 2: that we're honored to call friends and family. And each 984 00:52:25,480 --> 00:52:29,000 Speaker 2: episode is a lived experience of us getting to know 985 00:52:29,239 --> 00:52:31,720 Speaker 2: fellow human beings on a deeper level. 986 00:52:32,080 --> 00:52:35,360 Speaker 1: Not only us, but our entire team has worked incredibly hard, 987 00:52:35,680 --> 00:52:40,160 Speaker 1: yes to make this podcast straight up soul food. Yes, 988 00:52:41,000 --> 00:52:42,160 Speaker 1: it is food for the soul. 989 00:52:42,440 --> 00:52:43,640 Speaker 3: Stories of triumph. 990 00:52:43,760 --> 00:52:47,719 Speaker 2: I mean some absolutely hilarious moments, stories I promise you've 991 00:52:47,800 --> 00:52:48,520 Speaker 2: never heard. 992 00:52:48,360 --> 00:52:52,280 Speaker 1: Before in every guest. Every guest is just the roller 993 00:52:52,320 --> 00:52:57,160 Speaker 1: coaster of human life. It's awesome and that's why we 994 00:52:57,239 --> 00:53:00,279 Speaker 1: come away from it better every single time. Like, I 995 00:53:00,320 --> 00:53:03,640 Speaker 1: can't believe we get to do this, Agreed, It's amazing 996 00:53:03,760 --> 00:53:08,279 Speaker 1: and moreover, I can't believe we get to give this 997 00:53:08,440 --> 00:53:09,200 Speaker 1: to other people. 998 00:53:09,400 --> 00:53:12,760 Speaker 2: But that's the whole point. That's the good stuff. Thank 999 00:53:12,800 --> 00:53:15,840 Speaker 2: you so much for listening. If this episode touched you today, 1000 00:53:15,880 --> 00:53:18,360 Speaker 2: please share it and be part of making someone else's 1001 00:53:18,480 --> 00:53:19,040 Speaker 2: day better. 1002 00:53:20,080 --> 00:53:22,800 Speaker 1: Put on your bad ass capes and go be great today, 1003 00:53:23,040 --> 00:53:26,440 Speaker 1: and remember you can't do epic stuff without epic people. 1004 00:53:27,120 --> 00:53:35,600 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to the good Stuff. The Good 1005 00:53:35,640 --> 00:53:39,600 Speaker 1: Stuff is executive produced by Ashley Shick, Jacob Schick, Leah 1006 00:53:39,680 --> 00:53:43,360 Speaker 1: Pictures and q Code Media. Hosted by Ashley Shick and 1007 00:53:43,440 --> 00:53:48,920 Speaker 1: Jacob Shick, Produced by Nick Cassilini and Ryan Kountzhouse post 1008 00:53:48,920 --> 00:53:53,920 Speaker 1: production supervisor Will Tindi. Music editing by Will Haywood Smith, 1009 00:53:54,960 --> 00:53:56,400 Speaker 1: Edited by Mike Robinson,