Living Undeterred

On this week's episode, Jeff speaks with Nick Jonsson. Nick is the Co-Founder and MD of one of Asia's premiere networking organizations. He built a caring community that provides hundreds of executives and business owners a safe haven to share their challenges, and receive support and learn from each other. Nick shares his own battles with mental health and addiction, and how he now works to help...

On this week's episode, Jeff speaks with seasoned front line clinician turned CEO of the country's first medically run substance abuse treatment facility. With over a decade in the field as one of the most innovative clinicians followed by directing the nation's leading recovery lifestyle organization, Peter is an outlier in the field of addiction treatment with a unique perspective at the interse...

On this week's episode, Jeff speaks with drug prevention educator, Rocky Herron. After spending 31 years as a DEA Special Agent investigating drug trafficking at the local, national, and international levels, Rocky strongly believes that youth education is the only true way we can get our society to move away from so much suffering from drug abuse. He uses his career experiences, as well as his ex...

On this week's episode, Jeff speaks with Larry Kenemore. Larry is the North American Task Force Leader for the Rotary Action Group for Addiction Prevention. The RAG AP's is building out programs, like their PROJECT SMART aimed at addressing the Opioid Crisis and addiction. The five-step Program of Project SMART is like no other program addressing the Opioid Crisis. Using research from the eradicat...

On this week's episode, Jeff speaks with artist William Stoehr. After 40 years in his career, William retired and became a full-time artist. William's work focuses on victims, witnesses and survivors of opioid/substance use and the stigma which inhibits prevention, diagnosis, treatment and recovery. ​Exhibited internationally at universities, art centers, museums and galleries, he has participated...

On this week's episode, Jeff speaks with Debra Gonsher Vinik, PhD. Dr. Gonsher Vinik is a film producer, writer and director who founded Diva Communications in 1985. She has produced and written 21 documentaries, including six Emmy winners. Dr. Gonsher Vinik’s newest feature film, Attention Must Be Paid: Women Lost in the Opioid Crisis is a call-to-action for more women-specific addiction treatmen...

On this week's episode, Jeff speaks with Ryan Hampton. A prominent advocate, speaker, author, and media commentator, Ryan Hampton travels coast-to-coast to add solutions to our national addiction crisis. In recovery from a decade-long opioid addiction, Hampton has rocketed to the center of America’s rising addiction recovery advocacy movement. An alumnus of the Clinton White House, he’s worked wit...

On this week's episode, Jeff speaks with Kristin Sparks. Kristin is the Founder & CEO of WRAR Inc, a communications and connections company that empowers individuals and executives through corporate and personal growth guidance and specialized retreats. As a trainer in the Jack Canfield Methodology and a Trauma and Shame Recovery Specialist, she has made it her life's work to empower women ent...

On this week's episode, Jeff talks with Larry Sprung. Larry is a financial advisor and mental health advocate. Larry talks about losing his brother-in-law to suicide, and how he integrates mental health into his financial practice. Follow Larry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencesprung/ https://twitter.com/Lawrence_Sprung https://www.instagram.com/larry_sprung/ https://www.facebook.com/lawrences...

On this week's episode, Jeff speaks with Robert Jones Black. Robert is the great-grandson of golf legend, Bobby Jones. Robert shares how he uses his personal experiences and his love and lineage for golf to maximize the impact of the game of golf while exploring new ways to enhance the visibility of sport’s greatest game. Robert started the Generation Next Project to address the youth mental healt...

On this week's episode, Jeff speaks with Recovery Advocate and Co-Founder of I Love An Addict, Elissa Tierney. Elissa shares her journey with recovery, and how educating herself on addiction and your body helped her in the process and led her to a bigger purpose - helping others. Elissa works to end the stigma surrounding addiction by approaching it from a place of love and compassion. Follow Elis...

On this week's episode, Jeff speaks with award-winning television journalist, producer and multimedia host, Hilary Russo. Hilary shares how a shift in her life presented her with a unique opportunity where she blends her media expertise and storytelling with her love of health and wellness. Follow Hilary: https://www.hilaryrusso.com/ http://www.facebook.com/HilaryRussoTVPersonality http://www.twit...

On this week's episode, Jeff speaks with Joe Colavito. Joe Colavito has lived life both ways chasing after success, and running with Purpose. He boldly proclaims there is no comparison. He is dedicated to helping others define and live out their unique purpose in all aspects of life. He and his team share my passion for protecting, developing and supporting youth. He and Debbie recently celebrated...

CW: This episode contains discussion of suicide & suicidal ideation. On this week's episode, Jeff speaks with author, speaker, advocate, and man in recovery, Tim Ryan. Tim shares his journey through addiction, which led him to prison, and eventually recovery. Following the death of his son, Tim founded A Man in Recovery Foundation (AMIRF), a nonprofit anti-addiction organization. He is current...

On this week's episode, Jeff speaks with Raquel Borras. Raquel founded RAQVISION powered by XXO Connect. RAQVISION is a safe social network for our future Creators, Innovators, Disruptors, Changemakers and Educators 17 and under to project their voice and protect their reality. She also hosts Raq the Boat, a weekly livestream featuring candid conversations with our youth. Her goal is to create a s...

This week Jeff speaks with Rev. Ryan Canaday, Pastor & Executive Director of FREE Spiritual Community. Ryan shares his struggles with alcoholism and how getting sober and sharing his story opened a new world for him. Despite the fear of the stigma and judgement, Ryan made the decision to go public with his story. In 2018 Ryan and his wife, Tami, began to think about what it would be like to st...

On this week's episode, Jeff talks with Taryn Hiatt. As a dedicated advocate, Taryn shares her story and passion to give hope and educate our communities about suicide. She is a survivor of her own attempts as well as a survivor of suicide loss, losing her father Terry Aiken on October 5, 2002. Taryn is a founding member of the Utah Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and cur...

Jeff talks with President and Founder of 2 End the Stigma, Jill Cichowicz. Jill lost her twin brother, Scott, to accidental overdose in 2017 and has been on a mission to end the stigma surrounding addiction ever since. Jill shares her journey through grief to advocacy, and what she is doing now in her home state of Virginia, and beyond to effect change. Follow Jill: www.2endthestigma.org https://w...

On this week's episode, Jeff talks with Suicide Prevention Speaker, Frank King. Frank shares his journey with depression and suicidal ideation. Frank's background in stand-up comedy coupled with his lived experience brings a unique perspective to the world of mental health education. Frank talks about his passion for speaking on the topic of mental health and helping others realize that they are n...

On this week's episode, Jeff speaks with founder of the Karma Box Project, Grant Denton. Grant shares his journey through addiction and recovery. In 2018, Denton founded the innovative Karma Box Project that installed about 50 donation boxes across Northern Nevada. People place nonperishable foods, hygiene products and other items in the boxes, and folks remove what they need. The boxes are painte...

In this week's episode, Jeff talks with Rob Lohman. Sober since 2001, after a suicide attempt, Rob has helped thousands of people find FREEDOM from substance abuse and feeling "stuck in a rut" to living a transformed life at LiftedFromTheRut.com. He does this through sharing his testimony, Interventions, Coaching, Speaking, and being the host of both Beyond The Bars Radio and Addiction, Freedom &a...

Jeff speaks with Doctor & Best-Selling Author Arun Gupta. Dr. Gupta wrote the book, "The Preventable Epidemic: A Frontline Doctor's Experience and Recommendations to Resolve America's Opioid Crisis." Dr. Arun Gupta has practiced medicine for 35 years. Throughout decades of treating addiction patients, he has seen firsthand the devastation and heartbreak caused to their families. He recently fo...

On this week's episode Jeff speaks with Author, Speaker, Founder and Executive Director of Florida Recovery Schools of Tampa Bay, Inc., Tina Miller. Tina is a woman in long-term recovery, celebrating 24-years substance free. Tina shares how her father starting recovery when she was 4 years old and losing her best friend at 7 years old impacted her. Tina began drinking at 14-years old, and by 18 sh...

On this week's episode, Jeff talks with Ken Graham. Ken is an entrepreneur and businessman, who's life changed on July 4, 2021 when he lost his son, Tyler, to fentanyl poisoning. Ken shares his journey through grief, the importance of talking to your kids about the dangers of fentanyl, and how parents can navigate their own grief in the face of losing a child. Jeff and Ken talk about the importanc...

This week, Jeff talks with Charlie Ray. Charlie Ray is a leading expert in generational trauma and how your environment creates emotional traumas. In 2010 Charlie's life changed forever. His 14 year old son, Kristopher, took his life because he was misdiagnosed with depression and put on Zoloft during the beginning of the school year. Kristopher started cutting himself and within two weeks after a...