Life's Valleys and Mountaintops

Through multiple devastating experiences, Carol has never ever given up Hope. She is resilient and strong and helps Women create the life of their dreams. Today, may you be inspired and take one step closer to creating the life of your dreams.

Carol Graham has survived the challenges of major illnesses, devastating personal losses including the loss of a child, and financial ruin more than once. Yet she has refused to become a victim. Her goal is to share with others how to survive and thrive.

Carol Graham is the author of a fast-paced award-winning memoir, Battered Hope, the blog Never Ever Give Up Hope, and a regular contributor to numerous magazines, including her own column Matters of the Heart.  She has been published in several anthologies including a best-seller. In 2015, Carol received the Woman of Impact Award from Focus on Women Magazine and Author of the Year for her memoir, Battered Hope. In 2018 Carol received the global award for One Woman – Fearless which is given to women who have let go of their fears to create the life of their dreams.

Carol hosts a bi-weekly talk show Never Ever Give Up Hope in which she interviews people with remarkable stories of how they conquered overwhelming obstacles and achieved success. Never Ever Give Up Hope has an international audience in over 140 countries.

In addition to motivational speaking, hosting a talk show and writing, Carol owns two jewelry stores, is a certified health coach, a wife, mother, grandmother and together with her Husband have rescued over 30 dogs.

Could you imagine what it would be like to write your first play, share it with your school and then have your peers and teacher tell you it was the worst thing they ever wrote? LeRon was a young man overcoming the challenge of speaking with a stutter while being faced with serious rejection. He is here today to share how he overcame his stutter and was able to move past the rejection to create the life he enjoys today as a writer and speaker.

Welcome to the Valleys and Mountaintops podcast. Today we talk about getting past the hold that childhood trauma has on our lives. I am talking with Kat McLead, she is the creator of the Stay at Home Mom Entrepreneur where he helps Mom's create a highly profitable business they love working only 2 hours per day. From the mucky mud of life to a 6 figure entrepreneur she has helped many leave behind drugs, eating disorders and the sex trade industry.

We cover:

When most boys are choosing their education path and graduation Timothy was having Chemo and overcoming Cancer. This young man demonstrated courage, faith and encouraged others. He shares how to get through cancer and some great tips to help your loved ones along the journey.

Jessie Ace was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, referred to as MS, in her early 20's. Undoubtedly shocked, she went through a difficult time while she learned about it and figured out what to do. Instead of considering herself disabled, she chose to see her self as an enabled warrior and founded a group to support others diagnosed with a disease and devastating conditions. She is a podcast host, entrepreneur blog writer and illustrator. Join us as she shares her journey on the Podcast.

Craig waited for 7 years before he was able to receive a kidney transplant. Throughout that time, he ran businesses, started a family and even played football, or soccer, depending on where you are in the world. Although he had many difficulties throughout his journey, he never gave up, made it through and stopped by to share his journey with you.

Daeyna teaches English in Japan and is the host of the, She is a Mess Podcast. After discovering her husband was gay, going through a painful divorce and starting over from scratch she decided to helps others embrace the mess and share their message one story at time.

Topics We Talk About:

Welcome to the Valleys and Mountaintops of life podcast. We share real life stories to give you hope and inspire you to take action with whatever you're facing. No matter how difficult your life circumstances are, never give up. These words are peppered through the conversation today. Our guest began his journey in India, working in a factory as a teen,12 hours a day. It’s a love story about two people whose families believed in different religions and forbid them to marry. As he walks through some of life's darkest valleys he shares the ups and downs that led him to the success he enjoys today.

Engel and his wife Amanda traveled across North America this summer. They met with people along the way and shared their inspiring stories. Not long before their trip, Engel's ended up off work without a paycheck. He shares with us how the difficult time ended up propelling him to get out of debt and change course.

You will hear the highs, the lows and everything in between. Engel is the podcast host of 12 minute convos. He was born and raised on the Caribbean twin island of Trinidad and Tobago. He wears many hats as a Financial Advisor, Podcaster, Entrepreneur, loving husband, and dedicated father.

For years Kaylene experienced many medical symptoms and illnesses. After a long journey, she was diagnosed with Complex PTSD. While in treatment she was able to link the medical challenges she had been faced with to the trauma from the abuse she endured as a child.

Today on the show, From Diagnosis to Dreaming Again with Dr. Jennifer “Kaylene” Carter, we share her courageous journey to heal from Complex PTSD, Fibromyalgia and overcome the hold it had on her life. She began dreaming again, wrote and published her first book and shares her journey with anyone that would like to overcome their own challenges in life.

Kaylene has a passion for poetry and songwriting. She is a singer and songwriter and is working as a Professor and Life Coach for entertainers. She is the author of the book: WHEN THE MIRROR SHATTERS, Breaking the Bondage of Performance Mentality.

MJ is the first guest on the show that has not only beat cancer but is currently overcoming it now. She has a fearless faith mindset and came on the podcast to share her testimony of just how much can be overcome for anyone that is facing something challenging.

MJ Callahan is an award-winning and 7times author, member of the National Speakers Association as well as a keynote speaker.

After surviving three life-altering crises, she shares her setbacks and how toBounce Up higher and stronger.

On today's episode you will learn about:

MJ has overcome 3 major traumas including divorce, overcoming cancer and . Tune into the interview to hear her heartfult story.

CJ's Powerful Question

What can I do with I have?

Scripture Mentioned:

Welcome back to the podcast after a long summer break. The leaves are quickly falling off the trees, the nights are coming sooner, it is getting colder at night if you are in Canada.

If you are a first-time listener feel free to skip to the next episode, our first interview of the season.

Welcome back to all of you that have been long-time listeners of the show. In this short episode, I am going to tell you a bit about my summer and what to expect moving forward.

My favorite part of the summer was spending time sitting on the beach admiring the beauty of the mountains and nature around me. The stress fizzled away and I was left with peace and awe.

My family and I moved to a new city just as the summer began. It made for a summer packed with to do's and a lot of driving. I had taken a course over the summer and continued to drive back an forth to complete it.

It was a summer of contemplation. I had posted to see who was listening to the podcast and spent a lot of time deciding if I wanted to keep it going. I prayed on what God's plan for my life is and what path is the one for me.

After the last boxes were unpacked, my course completed and my home became settled, I took the last two weeks off to spend with my family. We enjoyed eating meals together, sitting out on the patio late into the night, fun at the beach, the zoo, and the park.

I re-evaluated my values and my goals for the next while. One huge realization I came to is that I love hosting this podcast and I get a lot out of it myself. Each guest shares a story of courage, lessons learned and resources that helped them to get through. Over the years, many guests have influenced many of the choices I have made and it is thanks to them that I am able to keep this show going and now have a Life Coaching business.

In the beginning, the podcast was called A Second Chance. Each person would ask me which second chance story they should share.  It became clear that most people have been given multiple chances at life:

Then I started my Life Coaching Business and made the podcast the name of the business, Synergy Mindset Coaching. I realized quickly that being a business coach alone was not what God made me to do.

After praying over it all summer I came up with the name:

Valleys and Mountaintops

Most of our guests have told us stories about how they walked through valleys and climbed mountain tops in the sense of:

There are so many individual experiences yet many share a few things in common:

As we begin a new season we will hear stories from people that have climbed life's mountains, walked through the valleys and share to inspire those that are in a difficult situation.

Stay tuned, coming up is a Fearless Faith Mindset with MJ Callaway. She has overcome cancer and is facing a battle once again. You will hear her share her success story as well as her battle plan to overcome it once again.

Denny Krahe of Diz Runs Radio shared my story on his podcast. We talked about quitting smoking, loosing weight and the relentless pursuit of achieving your dreams. You can find the show notes he wrote up at:

Many of us grow up feeling invisible or not good enough. Some of us are aware of it and others have yet to discover it. If we are faced with trauma or have parents that faced difficulties in coping in life, we may interoperate that in a negative way within ourselves. 

Today we talk about what it is like to be a highly sensitive person. 

If someone is feeling anxious, angry, sad or depressed can you intuitively feel and sense it?

You may have a gift of high sensitivity. About 1/5 people are blessed with this gift. If they are not aware of this gift it can be used against them. Michael teaches them how to use this gift in a positive way. 

Michael specializes in helping people heal anger, anxiety and depression from the ground up. He helps them get to the root of the problem. 

What you will learn about from this interview

- How to stop feeling responsible for others

- Ways to identify when you are feeling someone else’s emotions vs. your own

- How to honour what you need

- How to speak up

- Quit worrying about making others angry

- How to know your true self

- Speaking your needs respectfully

- How to create an identity 

Aaron was a Police Chief, Husband and Father when he experienced a close call with death. After realizing he could have suffered a heart attack, mini-stroke or aneurism he experienced a change in his life. He shares his journey through more than a decade of personal growth and a shift from surviving to now living an intentional life that is thriving.

Throughout his career, he was often asked, "Why did this happen to me"?  He shares his experience answering this for himself as well as how he helped others navigate through this process to understanding.

Life is full of twists and turns and ups and downs. For our guest today, there has been no exception. He shares the story of his life; from being raised by a Single-Mother on Welfare to becoming an unfulfilled millionaire. 

He tells us how he bought his Porche 911, home and became a Millionaire only to realize that the vision he had created for his life didn't include happiness. 

Through this journey, he shares how he was able to create a deep and meaningful vision that includes helping kids that are entrepreneurs. 

Topics Discussed:

Resources Mentioned:

How do you free yourself from the struggles and pains that started in the generations before you were born? What happens when a parent is not equipped with everything they need to parent well, and they are not able to learn the skills necessary? Our guest today shares his story of a difficult and dark start to life, followed by struggle nearly ending with suicide. He takes us on his journey where he found God, hope and healing. We will hear how he found forgiveness, love and freed himself from the chains of addiction and anger. 

Have you ever made a mistake that took a while to get over? You asked yourself questions such as how did this happen and why? How about losing a couple hundreds of thousands of dollars? Join me as we walk along Misha’s journey through life as he learned a hard lesson by losing a lot of money. He has a curious mindset and looked for the answers to learn what he needed to change to make sure he didn’t make the same mistake again. 

Tune in to hear the whole story, learn about crypto currency and if you are interested in buying it yourself, a few tips and resources to help you along your way. 

John began life as an adventurer. He took on climbing mountains that have never again been climbed, was active in wars, revolutions and many thrill-seeking adventures that brought him near death a dozen times.

In the midst of a war, he had a light bulb moment and realized that all the thrill and adventure had not brought him meaning in life. He shares his story and journey of how he found the life of serving and helping others that he lives today.

Some areas of discussion:

· Life as an adventurer 

· Taking enormous risks in the battle in Vietnam

· Solving difficult public problems  

· Life in the Foreign Service 

· Life as a Diplomat 

· The power of story to change people 

· Creating curriculum for students to provide the best service-learning free on the planet.

· Realizing the fullness of who you are

· Overcoming PTSD

· Life’s moral compass in asking big questions such as: what will build justice, end pain?

· Men struggling to find their feminine side

-Loving your kids is meaningful

-Playing catch, being a coach to your kids team, taking your grandkids for a while

-Being compassionate to someone that hates your guts

· Finding what your meant to do

· Creating meaning that lasts in your life 

Mindset Monday

Wade hosts the 4-Day Work Week Entrepreneur podcast and is committed to helping 4,444,444 people create their own 4-day work week lifestyle. Wade has a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, a Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling Psychology, and

has been a Certified Integrative (Life) Coach with the (Debbie) Ford Institute.

When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling the world, coaching youth sports and playing beach volleyball on Fridays.

He lives happily with his wife, children, and dog in Naples, Florida.

In this episode, he shares his journey to living the life of the 4-day work week as well as the mindset shift that is needed to start working towards this.  It is a process he tells us that should usually take time and starts with the first step.

Louise had just completed 4 years of university and began her dream job as a Dental Hygienist when she was given a cancer diagnosis and only 4 years to live without life-changing surgery.

In this interview, she courageously shares her story for the first time.

Chris Shea tells us about a low point in his life and then shares what he learned from it and how he found inner peace. Sharing a few coaching tips, he tells us how we to can begin the journey to find inner peace. 

C.J. Huff is a Husband, Father, Inspirational Speaker and Professional Consultant living in Joplin USA.  For 7 years he was Superintendent of Joplin Schools. He led his district of 1,100 employees and 7,700 students through the recovery effort of one of the most devastating tornadoes in U.S. history.

Connie Strasheim is a health care researcher and writer sharing natural and holistic methods of healing. She focuses on helping others with Cancer and Lyme disease and in some cases helps shorten their treatment.

She shares her story of how she lived with Lyme Disease for many years. Never, did it stand in her way of writing, helping others and loving God. She shares her story as an inspiration to others overcoming difficulty as well as hope.

The doctors told Miklós Szigeti's Mother that her son would not attend law school or function in any normal capacity by the doctors helping him after he was involved in a horrible car accident in Hungary.

Despite the doctor's opinions, his mother refused to believe this about her son. She would not allow anyone to convince her that her son was would not recover and told others that God didn't bring him through it if he didn't have a plan for her son.

Her faith was strong, and she never gave up believing that he would recover. The doctors tried to have others convince her that she should have less hope, despite their attempts, she kept on praying and believing.

Praise the Lord, her son did recover and ended up becoming a Christian. He ended up changing his path from becoming a lawyer to becoming a Minister. He shared the difficulties he experienced in overcoming his physical injuries, a love story, and the good news Jesus brought into his life.

No one survives a plane crash.... this is what Dave thought as the plane went down and he watched out the window to see when his last seconds would be.
Dave heard his mom say, "If you do the right thing God will take care of you". His mom had passed away in 1997 but he heard her say this and that's why he waited in the back of the plane to make sure everyone else got out. Once he knew everyone was off the plane he got off himself.
Why do some people get PTSD and others experience Post-Traumatic Growth? Dave was asked this question and he has been really looking into this. He will be giving a TED talk called Jolt and sharing how you can use your own personal experience to go up. The movie shows quite vividly what PTSD looks like as the Capitan of the plane would see troubling images over and over again.

Are you in search of real happiness, joy fulfillment, and perhaps satisfaction? Could you imagine what life would be like if you had good jobs, relationships, and friends all around you?

Perhaps you like many others think that this is not possible and that is is not for you............ What if it was, what if it is?
Today we learn about how Angus went from lying under his Christmas tree, all alone, wishing he would die ............ To a family man, helping fortune 500 companies, writing books, and traveling.

Melissa Marshall, of the, No You Cant'cer Foundation, was diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer and ended up receiving a colostomy bag in 2013. This meant that, for the rest of her life, she would be living with an ostomy bag.

Today she is here to share her journey through this difficult time and the beautiful story of how she defeated Cancer created the No You Cant'cer Foundation. She was able to overcome the odds and return to her singing career.

Claire Yeung contracted a mysterious virus that took her out of life for over 6 months. Looking back she tells us she believes it was caused by career burnout. She quit her job as a lawyer with no plan, thankfully with the support of her partner. Today she is certified as a Whole person coach, speaker, and teacher at the Justice Institute in Canada.

Hear the story of how she made it through the tough time and healed, turned her life around and now, is using her experience to help others as the author of, The Eighty-Year Rule.

David Rachford wanted to get off the farm and joined the military. He had a dream of going to explosive ordnance disposal school. First, he had to do some time as a Naval Fire Fighter, stationed on the USS Abraham Lincoln, which was an aircraft carrier, on the Persian Golf.

An unfortunate accident happened while training and took away his chances leaving him crippled and devastated at only 23 years old. David slipped into depression and ended up facing a narcotic addiction.
Today he is a successful web developer, host of two podcasts and a blog. He has succeeded in healing and has come today to share the story of his difficult journey. He tells us how he overcomes his injury and addiction, weight loss of over 70 lbs, and how he created a healthy lifestyle.

There seems to be a definite link to mental and physical health. By listening to others, my hope is that you may be able to avoid going down some of these dark allies by finding positive people to surround yourselves with and finding ways to keep your head up while you follow your own healing journey.

Listening to Davids story is sure to help you get a good leg up on your own journey!

This Family Shares Their Pain And Miracles So You Never Have To Feel Alone John John Genovese shared his story of how he healed from Degenerative Disc Disease and Gastric Bypass in the last episode. After months of hard work he lost a lot of weight and was able to strengthen his back and live a healthy life.

John John and his wife decided it was time to fulfill their dream to start a family. They went on a trip to Europe as they knew it would be a long time before they would get away alone again. Once they arrived his wife became very ill.

Their first baby girl was conceived but before she was born, they found out she had suffered two massive strokes in utero. She lost 70% or the right half or her brain and 90% of the left half of her brain. That was devastating news and the family they had imagined would never happen the way they imagined it. They were told that she would be deaf and blind and would only live to be 5 months old.

After she was born they miscarried twice before having a healthy and beautiful baby girl. Once she was a year old they became pregnant with another baby girl and were told she has Down Syndrome.

Through all of the difficult challenges that they have lived through, John John shares a story full of hope and optimism with the message, "No matter what you are going through, there is someone else that is going through something similar that shares your pain. The worst thing is to be alone".

John John Genovese dreamed of living the good life of being a newlywed and starting a family. Having an early start to his working career, his life should have taken off and he should have excelled!

However, at only 27 years young, John John was walking on crutches and canes and using a wheelchair to get to the store due to Degenerate Discs Disease.

He was told back surgery was his only solution to be able to walk again. Since he was only a year into his marriage it left him struggling with wanting to provide for his wife and navigating months of medical decisions and healing.

Over time, he watched his weight creep up higher and higher making the pursuit of health even more difficult. He decided to have gastric bypass surgery and with time, dedication and hard work, overcame his disc pain to enjoy his marriage and start a family.

Healing From Physical Abuse by Creating Music
with Lori Finnila

Imagine having seizures as a child from abuse at a young age, then being abused by the father of your child and suffering very physical injuries. The wonderful women we interview today opens up and shares the hard truth of the abuse in her life.

Passionately driven by an intense love for her child, she turns to other women's horrifying stories of survival that end with great strength and inspiration! She finds music and falls in love with creating it and singing, bringing herself closer to healing.

This interview is an incredible story of healing, single parenting and the courageous decision to go back to school. She learns screen write, becomes a singer and songwriter and all while healing her brain injury and the scars of abuse that can only fade over time, becoming a memory far less than the joy that now fills its place.
Links:
Lori's facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Lori-Jean-aka-Finnila-1409627002672898/?fref=ts
website http://lorijean.org/
website, with free excerpt, from her book: https://lorifinnilawrites.wordpress.com/

He was raised in two parent home with good morals and values yet slipped into the street culture and made some poor choices in his early years. Eugene ended up in prison and found his passion, chess.

The "Chess Man", in prison told him he would always be a loser if he didn't accept responsibility for his own actions. He told him, "you are the king, you're responsible for every rule that is made on your side of the board, stop blaming people. Until you accept your kingship you are always going to be in and out of prison."

These were the seeds that were planted and a paradigm shift happened. Today Eugene is the father of an inner-city chess club that helps children stay off the streets and make wise decisions.

His story was made into a movie, Life of a King, starring Cuba Gooding Jr. Hear the story and all the details here!
http://www.everydayisasecondchance.com/the-big-house-to-the-chess-house/

Links

Eugine's website http://www.bigchairchessclub.org/index.htm
Email xsolo3@comcast.net
Phone: 202.396.1780
Speaking: http://www.chessmaneugenebrown.com/

Imagine taking medicine that your doctor prescribed and then suddenly finding yourself in the hospital suffering an adverse reaction, that burns two layers of your skin from your body.

Then surviving to end up having sleepless nights full of nightmares, a fear of taking medication or worse a fear dying from a reaction to anything you put in your body.

Michele had only a 30% chance of survival and after surviving she lived with PTSD for decades. She went on a healing rampage and was able to completely heal her PTSD, being symptom-free for over 10 years.

If you are living with PTSD or supporting someone who is, it may be hard to believe this is possible. Michele dedicated years of her life learning about PTSD and now helps others overcome it. By listening to this interview, or reading this blog post, my hope is it brings you a light of hope in the darkness you may be living in now.

Join us as Bobbi Parish, A Trauma Recovery Coach, shares her own personal story of overcoming sexual abuse.
She struggled with shame, depression, feeling unloved and went through a period of homelessness.
Bobbi found the strength and courage to walk down the path of healing, stand up and say, no more, no more shame!
She united forces with two other ladies and has created many different methods of supporting others, healing from sexual abuse.
Today she shares her personal story and tells us why we heal best with support and love from others.

Have you ever felt as if life has handed you too many problems and felt like you would never be able to break away from the darkness? Perhaps you have lost a child, and understand what it is like to live with heart wrenching grief, end up with bills that are more than you can deal with, and then have your marriage come to an end. Perhaps you have had cancer and been through the battle, with children depending on you to raise them.
Today we interview a man who has been through all of this in just one lifetime. What came as a surprise to me, is that I requested to interview him about meditation........ Ok, I am a little embarrassed to admit..... from first impressions on the outside he looked to me like someone who had a great, perfect life that surely let to his success today.

Well, I WAS WRONG, and I AM GRATEFUL that he was so honest, and so transparent, because his story INSPIRES me, MOVES me to try harder, LIFTS me up, makes me feel HOPE and I hope after listening that you feel ready to tackle whatever it is that is blocking your way! (I am learning that people don't become successful because they had a great perfect life, but because they learned from their mistakes and misfortunes and used them to help others.)

I would like to welcome our guest, Bruce Van Horn from Life Is A Marathon http://www.lifeisamarathon.com/

Fidel shares a story about how his life hit rock bottom, and he wanted to disappear into the shadows. It is hard to find hope when you're in that place, but he did, and today he tells us how. With the support of his wife, he paid off his debt, lost over 75 lbs, and was able to find success and enjoy his loving family. Find out how he did it!

Have you ever been in a relationship that failed and been left with feelings of hurt, anger, frustration or wondered Why? I know I sure have, and so has Paul Colaianni. We talk about subconscious behaviors that can sabotage our relationships.

Find out how you can improve the quality of your relationships with Personal Development Coach Paul Colaianni. In this episode, he shares his own personal failures and how he used them to his advantage by asking this question; "If I was the problem in this relationship? What could it be?"

We are talking with Mike Moreno on the show and he talks about spirituality, the war in Iraq, and shares some topics that may be difficult for some listeners.

He is a Navy Chaplin and shares his experience with us and guides us through some of these tough questions.

I've taken a life, how does that change who and what I am?
The sticky wicket, Do you believe that God will protect you?
What makes someone feel safe?
Can spirituality strengthen personal resilience?
How does one know who and what god is?
What is my purpose here?
I did not die, what is the meaning I am going to attach to that.
How can you help someone after a near death experience?
How can we be good at listening to someone that has experienced a loss?
How can you share your faith, your view in a constructive way?
How can you listen to someone whose stories and memories make me feel sad and sick?
What is a moral injury?

Could you imagine if your child was playing in the backyard, and the next thing you know, his friend has come to get you, to let you know he has been shot?
Imagine you are in the hospital wondering if he is going to be alright. How would this affect your family and how would this affect your child? Chris shares his experience for the first time on the radio, a story of hard times, strong family, healing and then a journey to help others.

NICOLE WIPP, ESTATE PLANNING IS AN ACT OF LOVE PART 2

Timothy lives in The District of Columbia. He has lived in about a dozen different places over the last 10 years but came from the Greater North West.  He spent about 5 ½ years in the Marine Corps, serving as a marine security guard.

He was diagnosed with cancer as a teenager and overcame it to share his story with others. 

Joel shares such an impactful and moving story, that I found myself tearing up during the interview a few times. Tissue alert, he was only 5 years old when he slipped from a train trestle and somehow escaped death. Joel was truly given a second chance at life and how grateful am I. Today he helps thousands of people Relaunch their life with confidence.

Joel and his wife co-host together Relaunch. They do daily shows throughout the week. They bring in the hottest and in-demand authors. They share inspiring ideas and practical steps to help people set themselves up and get ready for their own relaunch.Joel shares such an impactful and moving story, that I found myself tearing up during the interview a few times. Tissue alert, he was only 5 years old when he slipped from a train trestle and somehow escaped death. Joel was truly given a second chance at life and how grateful am I. Today he helps thousands of people Relaunch their life with confidence.

Joel's parents separated when he was 3 years old. He lived with his mom and spent weekends and holidays with his dad.

When he was 5, his dad took him hiking in the Texas hill country. He wandered off with the other kids and started their own hike. They climbed to the top of a cliff and found a bridge.

At 5, the bridge represented a jungle gym. He walked to the middle of the bridge with the other kids. They laid down on their stomachs and called to their dad's below.

Joel doesn't remember, but the bridge started shaking and a whistle sounded. It was a train trestle. The train has screeched to a halt, and Joel was nowhere to be found.

He was laying in a pile of his own blood on the jagged rocks on the bottom. Through heroic and divine intervention, they were able to get him to the hospital.

Les overcame vast medical problems and lost over 300 lbs. Join us in this inspiring interview!

In 2010 Les weighed 510 lbs. He was having difficulty breathing, and when he couldn't take 6 steps without being out of breath, he went to the hospital.

He had 6 blood clots and needed emergency surgery immediately.  His options were given to him and he ended up having surgery while he was awake.

Jordan is only 19 years old!! He works in a marketing company that has an incredible culture. He has a podcast, a mastermind group and has recently earned his black belt in Taido.
Religious Beliefs 
Jordan was raised in a Christian family. went to Christian school and church every Sunday. The accident did not have any bearing on his religious beliefs. He did begin to question them around 17 years old. Today he is searching what it is he finds to be true but labels himself as agnostic when people ask.
Near-Death Experience
Jordan's brother was driving down a regular 2 lane road in Georgia. Jordan was a passenger and egging his brother to go faster. They came to a yellow light and tried to stop, causing the breaks to lock.

They skidded and hit a car making a right-hand turn onto the street, and hit the back going 50- 60 mph. Thankfully there were no passengers in the car.

They hit a tree and it stopped the car. They were wearing their seatbelts, and that was what saved them from being thrown from the car.

No one was seriously injured. Jordan may have broken a rib, they had bruising and the other driver had a mild neck injury.
After Effects and Inside the Experience
Jordan saw a massive white flash, which may have been the airbag. They heard a hissing sound in the engine and thought it may blow up.  It was hard to get out because the car was facing 90 degrees downward.

Jordan laid on the sidewalk, it was about 10:30 at night. They saw a man come from nowhere and asked if everyone was OK, and told him he called the police. Then he disappeared. In 5 seconds he came and disappeared.  Jordan's brother said it may have been an angel.
 Moving On
Jordan was scared to get into a car for a while. He was disappointed for doing something so stupid, and I am thankful he is so honest in sharing this as it may help others avoid this situation.

He tried to put it out of his mind, so he could drive and move past it. It had an impact on him, he told me,

"We have one life and one opportunity to live, and it can be taken from us in one instance. We need to live life each day intentionally and passionately, and realize this may be the last time we get to do whatever we are doing."



His Dad took his brother driving that next day, so he could get past that fear.

This experience helped Jordan conquer his fears and be able to get past fear when it comes.  There was fear to start a podcast Jordan pushed past, thankfully as Teenage Entrepreneur inspired me to start a podcast!