Surviving the Suck

Jake and Joe Sharp are two young brothers who are fitness coaches in Arizona, They are identical twins who are in their early twenties, but have experienced much life in their young years. As we all have, they too have learned to survive the suck. Jake and Joe lost their little brother, Sam, to suicide when he was sixteen. They took to Tik Tok to share Sam's story and the outreach has been incredi...

I'm BACK with an icon: Ryan Jenkins. Ryan is one of my best friends. We met at Augustana College, the home base of The Gray Matters Collective NFP. He is now an Anchor and Enterprise Reporter for TMJ4 News, the NBC-affiliate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He currently leads TMJ4's weekend evening newscasts. Ryan is new to Wisconsin, but not the Midwest; he was born in Elgin, Illinois. He comes to TMJ4 a...

Yasmin Irfani is a Pakistani Muslim American currently serving as Program Manager of Counseling Services at ICNA Relief in Southern California. She received her M.S in College Counseling & Student Services in 2019 and has been working in the non-profit world since. Prior to ICNA Relief she was serving as Youth Programs Director at NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) in San Fernando Vall...

I am thrilled to announce season 3 is launching with the one and only, Zak Williams. When Zak lost his father, Robin Williams, to suicide, his mental health struggles went into overdrive. His wife, Olivia June, turned him on to amino acid therapy after she had success regulating her mood with amino acid dietary supplements that her doctor recommended. Zak and Olivia spent the next two years workin...

Season 3 is here. Let's do more than just survive. Let's move in the light.

You've heard it -- season 2 has officially come to its end. But don't worry.... I'll be back. Faster than you might expect. With some HUGE news. Stay tuned...

Hang in there. Life IS beautiful -- remember that. Love is everywhere. Ellys Stasinski is living proof that recovery is possible. You can recover from mental illness, eating disorders, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts, It IS possible. Don't forget it. If you need extra support, listen to this episode. Call the suicide hotline if you need to. Talk to someone. People are here for you. You can surviv...

We are edging the end of season 2 and I know many of you are -- dare I say -- in the suck. Don't worry, I am too. That's why I'm bringing a good friend of mine on the pod, Ryan Nesbit. Ryan is the co-chair of Iowa’s Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, is a QPR suicide prevention trainer, and founded "Alive & Running Iowa" for suicide awareness and prevention. For most of...

Balance is key -- right? In this episode, my good friend Ainsley and I talk about finding balance in unstable times. Especially as we enter into a new year, we talk about navigating loneliness, self-care, child-like faith, and being a young adult today. 2021 wasn't easy, but we survived the suck. I'm proud of you! NOW, 2022, please be good to us... Maybe this year, we will thrive in the suck. Who...

Isaiah Raya's favorite quote is: "Everything happens for a reason." So that means he's on this episode for a reason. To discuss mental illness, social media, and living with mental health issues in today's world. We laugh, we dive deep into hard topics, and we discuss real world issues in this episode. Listen to episode 9 with my good friend, Isaiah, out now.

Warning: emotional episode I had a horrible day and this was one way I could cope with it. You are on this journey with me, so I felt it was only fair to share the reality of "the suck" with you. Keep fighting, I'm right there with you.

Ketsia Faraja is such a light to this world. She is truly one of the kindest, loving, genuine people I know. She was there for me through some of my darkest moments and I can't wait for you to hear from her. In this episode, she teaches US how to survive the suck, be genuine, be intentional, and find what we're looking for on the other side of fear.

Caitlyn Lecour is a young scientist, philosopher, writer, and model. After graduating from Augustana College in 2020, she began working on her career and making preparations for graduate school. At the same time she was preparing for her future, she was surviving in her abusive childhood home. She managed to leave in the winter of 2020 and began therapy during the process. Since leaving, she has c...

WOW. Talk about a powerful episode with one of my favorite people, Kevin Atwood (founder of Foster's Voice - Suicide Awareness). Foster’s Voice was created in the memory of his beloved son, Foster Atwood, who he lost to suicide in 2017. Kevin is a fierce leader and advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention. He won’t stop fighting for an end to suicide and invites you to join him....

Rumaisa Khawaja, also known as Coach Ru, is a warrior and survivor. She's Certified in Social Emotional Intelligence for Leadership and Coaching and is a First Generation Indian American. When Rumaisa was very young, her mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia and depression. Growing up in this environment affected Rumaisa’s perception of self and the world around her, but it also pushed Rumaisa t...

Eric Kussin is the founder of We're All A Little "Crazy", a 501c3 non-profit. As a 15-year professional sports executive, Eric uses his experience to bring together athletes, celebrities, and expert practitioners to be part of societal change. After a successful career that started at the NBA League Office (and led to senior management positions with a number of professional sports teams) Eric’s m...

Ben Bruster is one of my favorite people. He's an author, a creative, a comedian, and a full-time world changer. By his example, he's taught me how to survive the suck by allowing himself to be seen for who he is, exactly as he is. So, let the light shine. Remember, storms don't last forever. Check out his blog piece referenced in this episode: https://benbruster.com/2021/06/26/what-ive-always-wan...

It's SEASON 2 time and I'm letting the light in. More joy, more color, more beauty. Isn't that what life's about? Join me in a conversation about starting over, the healing journey, and (most importantly) surviving the suck.

Transitioning from season 1 to season 2. I'm excited for this new journey as life continues to change and evolve. Listen to this short episode to hear what has been and what will be. Keep surviving -- I'm rooting for you.

WE ARE BACK! After a much needed break, I'm back to bring you some positivity with Jaawan Arrington. Jaawan is founder of the 100 Series, a brand that uses everyday people to promote positivity, inspiration, and motivation. He's such a joy to this world. Listen as he shares a bit of his creative journey and finding his way through loss, grief, and (as always) keeping it 100.

This is a very special episode. This week we have Kevin Hines with us -- a man who has become a dear friend of mine and a pure inspiration for millions of people. Kevin gained nationwide fame for surviving an attempt at taking his own life by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. Since his attempt, he has been committed to his recovery, brain health, and traveling the w...

You have the power -- give yourself permission to cultivate it. BOOM. When Sarah Stevens says "take up space", we listen. We take up space. We learn our power in survival. In 2016, Sarah left a successful, decade-long career in corporate healthcare in favor of work that better aligned with her passion and purpose. After serving for two years as a freelance consultant to small businesses and start-...

YOOO, this episode features my bestie, Michael Anthony. Michael is someone who's taught me how to survive the suck over and over again. He went to Augustana College with me, graduating in 2020. Now he's a Tik Tok star with over 641K followers and 52.8K followers on Instagram. He uses his platform to spread mental health awareness because of his own struggle and seeing the people around him struggl...

COLLAB? What what! This podcast would not be here if it wasn't for our episode 5 guest, Hannah Molina. Hannah is a 24 yr old Latina mental health activist from Chicago, IL. She has battled with bipolar depression and anxiety for a decade and uses her experiences to help others, and educate her Hispanic community about mental health. Hannah is also the host of the Laughing Out Of Depression podcast...

I AM THE STORM -- say it with me! Episode 4's guest is Brie Kunstman. Brie is 19 years old and a Stage two cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with Stage two Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a blood cancer, at age 18 during her freshman year of college. She shifted from being a super involved student on campus to spending days at the hospital doing rounds of chemotherapy. Rather than hiding her diagnosis, she b...