Professor of Perseverance Podcast

In 2010, Michael Gomoll's 4-year-old son Joe died after battling a rare form of epilepsy, Dravet's Syndrome, his entire life. After years of misdiagnosis and wrong medications, Joe was finally able to be seizure-free. Upon his passing, they as a family decided they needed to do what they could to help "the next family". Somewhere, there is a set of parents in a neurologist's office getting a terri...

  Davis Bain sustained a concussion in Air Force ROTC training that turned into Post-Concussion Syndrome. His injury has affected everything in his life from relationships to work to generally not feeling like himself. Despite this, he feels more alive than ever and is passionate about trying to help others who are also struggling with chronic conditions. He just finished writing Chronic Pain Warr...

Nancy Deyo, at 16,000 feet on Mount Kilimanjaro, collapsed in pain so severe she thought she was dying. That moment marked the start of a fifteen-year medical odyssey. As doctors told her she was “fine,” chronic pain took over her life. She lost the ability to sit and lived lying down.’ Website: https://nancydeyo.substack.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancy.deyo.5 You may also contact Pr...

In September of 2024, Katie Rizzo lost her firstborn son to addiction. In a tragic irony, she found that grief mirrored pregnancy. After joining grief groups, listening to podcasts, and reading everything she could get her hands on, Katie carried her grief as long as she could. Finally, she found ways to help cope with the trauma and deliver this ‘grief baby.’ Her memoir, The Trimesters of Grief,...

At 18 years old, John Thompson had both arms ripped off below the shoulders when his shirt became caught in a tractor's power takeoff shaft on his family’s North Dakota farm. After his arms were ripped off, he walked to his home, used his mouth to dial for help, and was later successful in having his arms reattached. Get inspired, learn to persevere, and order his book. Website: https://linktr.ee/...

On January 6, 2000, Sam Schmidt, who had just won his first IndyCar Series race in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas, backed his racecar into a wall at the Walt Disney World Speedway. He did so at around 200 mph, and the impact broke his neck. Sam spent six months in rehab before going home to his new life with his loving wife, Sheila, and two young children, Savannah and Spencer. Get inspired, le...

Merry Korn was fired and as she was falling into a professional abyss, Merry chose to build a social enterprise employing 1,300 people, giving hiring priority to people with the greatest barriers to work: disabled veterans, veterans, military spouses, people with disabilities and people living in economically challenged areas. Website: https://firedtoinspired.com/ Free WorkBook: https://firedtoins...

Joe Gonzalez is a modern day Alchemist who’s knocked on heaven's door 3x and was turned away. Fought thru depression, rage, PTSD and is dedicated to helping other vets heal. Joe Gonzalez aka Scuba Joe a disabled Navy Seabee who’s seen his share of tragedies both on the battle field and off. Tragedies that have not only crushed him, his spirit, complete altered his way of life for the worse. After...

Jesse Crosson was sentenced to 32 years in prison when he was 18 years old. While inside, he earned a bachelor's degree, became a journeyman electrician, taught yoga and Spanish, and helped start a peer support mental health program. Since coming home in August 2021, he has built the Second Chancer Foundation to help formerly incarcerated people and at-risk youth find their footing. Website: https...

Sandy Cohan, mindset coach: audience won’t just get inspiration; they’ll leave with tools they can use the very next time they’re under pressure. Website: https://sandycohan.com/ You may also contact Professor of Perseverance through email, Jamesperduespeaks@comcast.net

Rick Hill, one of the longest‑living documented survivors of advanced cancer without chemo or radiation, has become a vital voice calling for public awareness of alternative treatments for cancer. Website: https://www.owwc.org/b17works/ https://rncstore.com/ Use Rick 10 to get a 10% discount You may also contact Professor of Perseverance through email, Jamesperduespeaks@comcast.net

In 2018, Joe DiMeo got in a car crash that left his body 80 percent burned. Two years later, he received a historic face and double hand transplant at age 22. His donor was 47 years old. Website: https://www.thecoremediagroup.com/product-page/eighty-percent-gone Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/80PercentGone Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/80percentgone/reels/ You may also contact him throu...

Chris Moore used the tragedy of the loss of his wife of 33 years to lung cancer in July of 2022 to lead him to reassess his entire life. Website: https://ageoutloudbook.com/ https://seniorremodelingexperts.com/ Email: cmoore@seniorremodelingexperts.com   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.moore.616651/about/?id=100005452758215&sk=about Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seniorremodelin...

As Stanley Bronstein was turning 50, he had a "right now" moment and realized that if he did not start eating better, exercising, and stopping a few other bad habits, He would be dead within five years - so he changed his life and never looked back, losing 220+ pounds naturally - no drugs or surgery - going from a max of 367 to around 145 today through healthy nutrition and daily walking. Website:...

B-Cide, rapper, album about multiple sclerosis is coming out March 1st, and he is also doing a live event on TikTok, a show, a concert on March 1st at 7 PM EST/6 PM CST on TikTok live. TikTok: @BCIDE 7PM March 1st To Support B-Cide: shop.b-cide.com You may also contact him through email, Jamesperduespeaks@comcast.net

Adaku Mbagwu has overcome brief homelessness, depression and a failed suicide attempt. She works with high-achieving first-born daughters who are entrepreneurs and executives - women who are often the go-to person for everyone else but silently struggle with burnout, perfectionism, and pressure to always "hold it all together." Website: https://healedhero.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/...

Cam Cordin, at 46, after 25 years of corporate stress destroying his body and mind, he signed what he called a death contract. 911 days to completely transform — or he was done. Not metaphorically. He meant it. Website: https://savagechillstyle.com/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GNQ4C56Y?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_DQ1H4Q2GHVE726AMN2BC&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_DQ1H4Q2GHVE726AMN2BC&so...

Stephen Wagstaff, at 19, was paralyzed in a diving accident that left him a C5 quadriplegic — but that moment became the start of his mission, not the end of his story. Today, he is the founder and CEO of SwagAbility, a nonprofit empowering people with disabilities and caregivers to thrive wherever life finds them. Together with his wife Julie — a cancer survivor and full-time caregiver — they sha...

Jody Hudson's story is a symphony of love-one that inspires, empowers, and reminds readers to never give up on life or those we love. When eleven-year-old Alex complained to her mother that her legs hurt, her mother, Jody, thought it was just growing pains. But for the next ten years, Alex battled with what perplexed doctors deemed a medical mystery. Refusing to let this ambiguous label define her...

Katie Baker overcame childhood trauma and addiction, and later found profound healing through therapeutic psychedelics and integrative practices. Website: https://www.peaceandfirehealing.com/universebook You may also contact him through email, Jamesperduespeaks@comcast.net

John DeDakis inspires people who are struggling with grief to use writing as a way to heal. Grief and loss undergird all 6 of his novels, which are derived from his sister's suicide and his son's fatal heroin overdose. Website: https://johndedakis.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.dedakis Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dedakisjohn/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-dedaki...

Jay Setchell, The Strength Within You: It's Always Too Soon to Quit, a multi time death, and near-death survivor and has had 73 surgeries to date. Website: https://neverquittrying.com/ You may also contact him through email, Jamesperduespeaks@comcast.net

Adrian Jones, surviving two widowmaker heart attacks—each one with less than a 10% chance of survival—he walked away with more than just a second chance at life. He walked away with unfinished business. Website: https://www.bemorealigned.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/more-career-wellness/?viewAsMember=true Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/more_starts_here/ You may also contac...

Charissa Halonen from bad relationships, obesity, struggles with alcohol, a life altering car accident that resulted in an undiagnosed brain injury causing post concussive syndrome to a story of triumph, self-development and self-actualization leading to huge success. The story of relentlessly pushing herself forward and out of hard situation after hard situation. Each chapter had a lesson that ca...

Kelsey Green speak on digital boundaries, for success in both business and life. She thinks this could be a great topic for your listeners! In an age where we are becoming more and more addicted to our devices, our dreams, our focus, our creativity, our work, and our relationships all suffer. She offers listeners strategies for setting some digital boundaries in their life (starting with baby step...