The SwagAbility Show -With Stephen Wagstaff

Why does one addiction often become another—even after we believe we have finally broken free? Rose Ann Forte spent years appearing successful on the outside while privately struggling with cigarettes, alcohol, shame, and the feeling that she should have enough self-control to stop. When she finally overcame one dependency, she discovered that the same pattern could quietly migrate to processed su...

Kelly Tuttle thought she could shake off her concussion and return to normal life. She even went back to work the day after the car crash. But her brain was not fine. Before the accident, Kelly was a cardiology nurse practitioner, mother, martial artist, Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor, and self-described Energizer Bunny who regularly managed 16- to 18-hour days. After another driver pulled into he...

Has New Age spirituality entered the Christian church under new names? Practices such as manifestation, visualization, divination, spiritual guides, and the pursuit of secret revelation may promise peace, healing, power, or spiritual enlightenment. Returning guest Tom Snow believes some of these ideas are now appearing in Christian spaces—sometimes disguised in language that sounds positive, harml...

Can a person sincerely follow Christianity while remaining trapped by religious expectations, controlling leadership, and beliefs they have never examined for themselves? Author Tom Snow believes some Christians are living in what he calls spiritual captivity—following religious systems without experiencing the personal relationship and freedom God intended. But Tom’s story begins long before he b...

Millions of people have questions about bladder leakage, urinary urgency, kidney stones, sexual health, prostate screening, recurring infections, and catheter care—but embarrassment often prevents them from asking for help. Dr. Jill Hudson is a urologic surgeon and the first woman to practise urology in New Brunswick. In this candid and practical conversation, she joins Stephen Wagstaff to answer...

Neil Jurd survived daily mortar attacks in Iraq. But nothing in his military training could prepare him for the phone call that changed everything. Just weeks after leaving the British Army, Neil learned that his wife, Michelle, and their two young daughters had been involved in a serious car crash. The accident happened on the evening before his 40th birthday. Michelle was kept alive until Neil r...

Most families do not make an eldercare plan until a fall, diagnosis, hospital stay, or late-night phone call forces them to act. By then, important choices may already be disappearing. Amy Friesen is a bestselling author, eldercare expert, and founder of Tea & Toast. For more than 20 years, she has helped older adults and their families navigate senior living, long-term care, caregiver burnout, an...

Russell Van Brocklen finished college while testing at a first-grade reading and writing level. After being removed from mainstream classes, placed in special education, underestimated by educators, and later given 15 failing credits despite earning a recommended A-minus, Russell decided he had experienced enough discrimination. He went to law school—and discovered that the same brain educators st...

I Thought God Was a Myth… Until the Evidence Changed My Mind For years, Doug believed believing in God was irrational. As a former atheist, MIT graduate in mathematics and physics, and attorney, he trusted evidence above everything else. Then something unexpected happened. The more he studied science, philosophy, history, and Christianity, the more convinced he became that the evidence pointed tow...

What if your greatest source of healing came on four legs? In this powerful episode of The SwagAbility Show, Stephen Wagstaff sits down with Lee Atherton, who shares her incredible journey through childhood trauma, PTSD, panic attacks, family rejection, and the remarkable service dog that helped change her life. For years, Lee lived with invisible emotional wounds that few people could see. Night...

What happens when your body stops supporting the life you imagined? In this deeply honest episode of The SwagAbility Show, Stephen Wagstaff sits down with psychologist and chronic illness expert Dr. Jeff Bone, a man who spent decades helping others navigate chronic pain—before finding himself living through the very struggle he had spent his career treating. After becoming chronically ill himself,...

In this inspiring episode of The SwagAbility Show, Stephen Wagstaff sits down with former Silicon Valley CEO Nancy Deyo to explore an extraordinary journey of resilience. After years of success leading in the corporate world, Nancy's life changed forever following an injury while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. What followed was nearly fifteen years of chronic pain, countless medical appointments, opi...

She Lost Her Son… Then God Met Her in the Grief On January 1, 2019, Lisa Espinoza's life changed forever when her youngest son, Chandler, suffered a traumatic brain injury and passed away. No parent ever expects to face that kind of loss. In this deeply moving episode of The SwagAbility Show, Lisa shares her journey through unimaginable grief, how faith sustained her when nothing made sense, and w...

Have you ever been surrounded by people and still felt invisible? In this powerful conversation, Stephen Wagstaff sits down with relationship expert, counselor, and disability advocate Cathy O'Connell to explore one of the deepest human needs we all share: the desire to be truly seen, known, and loved. Together they discuss disability, dating, vulnerability, belonging, authentic connection, identi...

What happens when your spouse is diagnosed with cancer, financial pressure is mounting, and it feels like everything you've worked for is slipping away? In this powerful episode of The SwagAbility Show, Dick King shares his remarkable story of faith, resilience, and perseverance through one of the most difficult seasons of his life. From infertility struggles and overwhelming financial challenges...

70% of Americans live with at least one chronic condition. But almost nobody talks about what chronic illness can do to a marriage, a family, or the emotional connection between two people trying to survive it together. In this deeply honest and emotionally important episode of The SwagAbility Show, Stephen sits down with psychotherapist and author Lisa Gray to discuss the hidden emotional toll ch...

Football has long focused on protecting the head. But what about the vulnerable area just below the helmet? In this episode of The SwagAbility Show, Stephen sits down with Brian Williams to discuss the TriAxis football safety invention — an innovation designed to help reduce devastating cervical neck injuries in football before lives are changed forever. CHAPTERS 00:00 – The hidden danger below th...

The Weight Of Being Unwanted What does it feel like to carry the belief that you were never meant to be chosen? In this deeply honest conversation, we unpack the silent weight so many people carry — rejection, identity, and the search for worth in a world that often overlooks pain. This episode isn’t just about being unwanted… it’s about what happens when you decide your story still matters anyway...

What if something as simple as playing a video game was taken away from you? For millions of people living with disabilities, that’s the reality. In this powerful episode of The SwagAbility Show, Stephen sits down with Zach Runyan from AbleGamers, an organization dedicated to making gaming accessible for everyone—regardless of physical limitations. After losing access to gaming himself, Stephen sh...

What if the thing you thought would break your life became the very thing that gave it meaning? In this episode of The SwagAbility Show, Stephen Wagstaff sits down with Patti Bevilacqua for a powerful conversation about mindset, resilience, identity, and purpose. Patti was a young athlete, valedictorian, and new physical education teacher when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at just 22 y...

At one point, he was at the top of his game. Ranked, focused, and doing what he loved. And then… everything changed. In this conversation, Tim Malm shares the journey from life in the rodeo arena to a moment that forced him to confront something far bigger than competition. This isn’t just a story about sports. It’s about resilience. Identity. And what happens when life strips everything familiar...

For a lot of people, coffee isn’t just a drink—it’s a ritual. A routine. A daily necessity. So what happens when you walk away from it? In this conversation, Steve Frazier shares what led him to break that habit, what he discovered on the other side, and why something so normalized might not be as harmless as we think. This isn’t about extremes or quick fixes. It’s about awareness… and understandi...

What if the foundation of your health wasn’t as complicated as you’ve been told? In this conversation, Dr. Paul breaks down something most of us overlook—how the quality of the water we drink affects how our bodies function, recover, and heal. Not from a trend perspective…but from a physiological one. We talk about hydration at a deeper level—what’s actually happening inside the body, why so many...

What happens when real-world experience turns into something you can hold in your hand? In this episode, we hear the story behind the Nulu Knife — a product built not in theory, but through lived experience. FOLLOW PODCAST From military service to innovation, this conversation with Doug Kratz explores how discipline, problem-solving, and firsthand challenges led to the creation of something practi...

He had the opportunity. The future. The scholarship. And then… everything changed. In this episode of The SwagAbility Show, Stephen sits down with Hakeem to talk about what happens when life takes a turn you never saw coming. From athletic promise to unexpected setbacks, Hakeem shares how his journey didn’t end when things fell apart — it began. This is a story about losing direction… and finding...