The Comeback Chronicles Podcast

Send a text The final obstacle holding many back from success is waiting for the "right time" to pursue their dreams. By exploring personal stories of loss and unexpected achievements, Terry Fossum reveals why taking immediate action—even imperfectly—leads to far greater progress than perpetual planning. • The hardest step in any journey is the first one out your front door • "Somed...

Send a text Syreta Toson shares her extraordinary journey from prison to purpose after serving 14 years for second-degree murder in a case stemming from an abusive relationship. Released in 2022, she's now creating an app to help formerly incarcerated people find housing and jobs while becoming a TEDx speaker. • Growing up in poverty after parents' divorce led to exposure to drugs and al...

Send a text Self-limiting beliefs and self-doubt can hold us back from reaching our full potential, but understanding how they form and learning strategies to overcome them can transform our lives and prospects for success. • Self-doubt stems from being our own worst critic and knowing our shortcomings better than anyone else • We often focus on past failures, trauma, or negative circumstances tha...

Send a text Gemma Serenity Gorokhoff shares her powerful journey from surviving 15 years of domestic violence to becoming a multi-award winning entrepreneur helping others rebuild their lives after abuse. She reveals how imagination, a spiritual awakening, and the revolutionary idea that happiness is a duty led to her escape and transformation. • Trapped in abusive relationships by believing &quot...

Send a text Steven Pemberton shares his inspiring journey from rock bottom to building multiple seven-figure businesses despite early failures and setbacks. His story demonstrates how persistence, hard work, and the willingness to learn can transform even the most challenging circumstances into extraordinary success. • At 20, Steven launched a business, got married, became a father, and then lost...

Send a text Sascha Gorokhoff  defies medical impossibility, transforming from a child given no chance of survival to an internationally recognized executive with prestigious academic credentials. His story demonstrates how rejecting others' limitations and choosing your own path can lead to extraordinary accomplishments despite overwhelming odds. • Born with rare medical conditions including...

Send a text We blow the doors off the belief that we don't have enough time to do important things in life and provide practical methods to better use our time and focus on what truly matters. • Americans spend an average of 38 hours per week (over 5 hours daily) on their phones • Online content creators use clickbait and algorithms to manipulate us into wasting more time • Never confuse acti...

Send a text We explore the "fifth bolt" that holds people back from success: lack of motivation to stick with goals over time. Traditional goal-setting methods often fail because they rely on single-factor motivation rather than harnessing both positive desire and fear of negative consequences. • The famous "Harvard goal-setting study" that's repeatedly cited in motivation...

Send a text Attitude is the single most important factor in survival situations and in everyday life success. Your mental approach determines your outcomes far more than education, background, or even physical resources. • Protecting your attitude like your life depends on it is essential because it truly does • Attitude reserves function like a gas tank that needs regular filling to keep you goin...

Send a text Failure isn't the opposite of success - lack of failure is. Understanding this distinction can be the key to unlocking your greatest potential and achievements. • Failure ingredients like disappointment, letdown, and catastrophe are actually critical components of success • Thomas J Watson's formula for success: double your rate of failure • Failure is temporary only if you d...

Send a text Excuses are masters at convincing us that something untrue is true, acting as a form of brainwashing that keeps us from reaching our goals. Success doesn't care what your excuse is—there are only two things: results or excuses. • Growing up in McAllen, Texas, America's poorest city, with traumatic experiences including staring down the barrel of an assault rifle at age 14 • L...

Send a text Breaking through fear isn't about facing it head-on but looking past it to focus completely on your goals. Fears lose their power when we recognize them as False Experiences Appearing Real, giving us the courage to achieve what once seemed impossible. • Fear is not the problem - letting fear stop you is • Admiral Farragut's "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" men...

Send a text We explore the eight crucial factors that hold people back from achieving their goals and how to break free from these restraints. Using the space shuttle launch as a powerful metaphor, this episode reveals how even with tremendous potential, small obstacles can prevent us from soaring to our full potential. • Powerful space shuttle metaphor: 16 million horsepower held back by just eig...

Send a text Terry shares powerful strategies for overcoming the fear of public speaking by shifting focus from yourself to your message and the impact it can make on others. He reveals how accessing your most powerful emotional states and connecting deeply to your cause creates confident, influential speaking experiences. • Public speaking is a critical skill for career success, helping Terry rise...

Send a text Nathaniel Mahowald, founder of Pickaxe, shares his remarkable journey from living in a van for over two years while pursuing entrepreneurship to building an AI company serving over a million monthly users. • Transforming from data scientist intern to CEO in just six years • Living in a van to save money while college friends took jobs at Google • Starting multiple failed companies befo...

Send a text Bradley Rausch shares his journey from debilitating anxiety to helping entrepreneurs build million-dollar businesses through personal branding and referral systems, revealing powerful frameworks for overcoming mental health challenges and building resilience. • The CRAFT method: a framework for accomplishing things when you don't yet have proof you can succeed • How to break down...

Send a text Larry Kasanoff, legendary Hollywood producer behind Mortal Kombat, True Lies, and Terminator 2, reveals why the best innovations require "a touch of madness" and how stepping outside conventional thinking leads to breakthrough success. • Embracing "a touch of madness" as essential for innovation and success • Fighting against the current that pulls everyone toward m...

Send a text Hap Klopp, visionary founder of The North Face, shares his remarkable journey transforming a small retail operation into a $4 billion global brand while navigating significant business setbacks along the way. His insights on brand building, crisis management, and learning from failure offer a masterclass in entrepreneurial resilience that applies to business challenges in any era. • Bu...

Send a text In this fun but impactful episode of the Comeback Chronicles, Terry tells the story behind the story of getting on a Survival Reality Show - representing all of Boy Scouts of America!  Riddled with absolute gold nuggets, this episode will entertain and inspire, and leave you with a feeling of hope.  You're here for a reason! Support the show

Send a text Ryan Dusick shares his transformative journey from founding drummer of Maroon 5 to licensed therapist and mental health advocate after losing his music career at the height of the band's success. • Started Maroon 5 (originally Cars Flowers) at age 16 with high school friends including Adam Levine • Signed their first record deal at 18, experienced initial failure before finding th...

Send a text NASA's journey of cultural transformation after the Columbia disaster reveals profound leadership lessons applicable to any organization facing challenges. • The Columbia accident created a deeply personal sense of loss and responsibility within NASA's community • Success and confidence had bred organizational arrogance where rigorous questioning had diminished • Small, seemi...

Send a text Curt Jones shares the fascinating journey of how he invented Dippin' Dots using cryogenic technology from his microbiology background, built it into a $47 million business, then lost it all during the 2008 recession before making his comeback with 40 Below. • Starting as a pig farmer in southern Illinois before studying microbiology at university • Using liquid nitrogen technology...

Send a text Valerie Bowden shares her incredible journey from social worker to entrepreneur, transforming her life through a seven-month solo backpacking trip across Africa before building a business connecting African talent with global companies. • Left a 9-to-5 social work job to backpack the Cape to Cairo route through 13 African countries • Lived in Ethiopia for eight years, where she met her...

Send a text This episode features an in-depth interview with Larry Namer, the visionary creator of E! Entertainment Television. Namer shares his remarkable story, from growing up in the rough Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn to becoming one of the most sought-after media pioneers in the world. Listeners will be inspired by Namer's perseverance, creativity, and unconventional path to succ...

Send a text You've seen her on TV, she's VIRAL online, she even has an Emmy Award-winning documentary about her.  But did you know she was shredding on stage days after a double mastectomy with hidden drain tubes?  Hear the amazing Paula Jo Taylor story. Support the show