Winning Ugly

We are so thankful to be able to create such an encouraging podcast. 1 year of sharing inspiring stories. 1 year of helping make this world a little better. Our guest on this episode is also the guy that edits & produces the show. Zac makes his debut from behind the scenes to the very front. Thank you listeners for making our 1 year birthday a possibility. We discuss our most memorable episodes, man buns and Ron Swansons love for Chucky Cheese. This is a fun episode with an attitude of celebration! Happy Birthday to The Winning Ugly!Zac's SocialsFaceBook//Twitter//InstagramLinks for The Winning Ugly PodcastFacebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

Pat and Alice love Jesus, gas station burgers, and Auburn football. They are humble people with big personalities. But through all of those wonderful things, they have a powerful story to tell.A story of infertility. Infertility affects millions and yet it is often met with ignorance, shame and silence. Pat and Alice shed light on a topic not often enough shared.Pat’s SocialsFacebook // Instagram // TwitterAlice’s SocialsFacebook // InstagramFCF Link & SocialsFCFFacebook // InstatgramLinks for The Winning Ugly PodcastFacebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

Winning Ugly through Racism Salaam is a fun person and a huge fan of the often forgotten tater tot. She has a big heart and tackles the topic of racism in this episode.Salaam was able to sort out her depression through a very unique style of healing, literary arts. Salaam sat on a red couch week after week writing out her pain and anger that she experienced through racism. The word racism conjures up all sorts of thoughts and emotions. This world will always have racism, but the one way we can move forward is by educating people on the subject.LinksSalaam Green | TEDxBirmingham The Literary Healing ArtsLinks for The Winning Ugly PodcastFacebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

Winning Ugly through Auto Immune DiseasesSweet and sassy Emily Raines loves 6 count cookies & baby cow from Chick-Fil-A and Bama football. Life has dealt her some lemons early on but Emmy powers through and fights with a smile.Battling since she was 14 years old, sweet Emmy is still fighting a battle with Autoimmune diseases. Between Crohn’s disease and debilitating Rheumatoid Arthritis each day presents its own set of challenges. But looking at Emmy, you would never know it. With all she has been through, she shows up each day because there are others that are hurting and she wants to make a difference in some else’s life. Links For EmmyIf you would like to know more about Crohn's & Colitis Foundationhttps://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/ If you would like to donate to Crohn's & Colitis Foundationhttp://bndfr.com/cfdl2 Links for The Winning Ugly PodcastFacebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

Winning Ugly through Human TraffickingDixie is a strong woman who has had to battle through being sex trafficked at an early age. She is 8 years free from ‘The Life’, she radiates sunshine and refuses to let her past hold her down.Dixie uses her gut wrenching past each and every day to help others who have been down a similar path. Her smile is contagious and she has a heart of gold. Her story will keep you on the edge of your seat and cause you to do something to stop these horrible things from happening. It’s a story that embodies the human spirit and ends with a win. The WellHouse1-800-991-0948Trafficking HopeIdentify a VictimNational Human Trafficking Hotline1-888-373-7888The Winning Ugly PodcastFacebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

Nick is high energy and full of positivity. It has been a dark road to get to this point, but aren't most things that way? Anything worth it in life takes work and time to cultivate.Our show is about being authentic and that’s what this episode is. Nick shares passionately about his journey from Alabama to Mississippi and North Carolina. Come experience the trials and tribulations that life brings, but also the light that shines out of darkness.Nick's FacebookNick's InstagramThe Winning Ugly PodcastFacebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

These 2 really enjoy sharing this platform as a husband & wife team. In this episode they share their yearly live by, how they keep peace in their life, and what drives them crazy about each other. Oh, make sure you tune in to the end of the show and hear the most courageous thing Emory has ever done (lets just say it involves a text). The Winning Ugly PodcastFacebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

Life is tough but love and fried dough (churros) make the ride more enjoyable. Emory & Trish have lived an eventful life. It has taken them many places, including Colombia. Dive into this episode and let the fun begin. Disclaimer* This episode is best enjoyed with a hot cup of coffee. The Winning Ugly PodcastFacebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

In this episode we will be discussing everything from sharing an ice cream cone to rubbing a stranger's belly. Also you will be learning new words such as Rolos and bocadillo. Get comfy and enjoy an adventurous episode as Oscar takes you through life in Colombia.https://lifelinechild.org/The Winning Ugly PodcastFacebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

Follow Beth's journey as this southern girl dives into the wonderful world of Colombia. Beth is a passionate international social worker who is upbeat and has a contagious laugh. Following her own advice of being compassionate and seeking wisdom Beth shares just that as she navigates living overseas. She may not have the Spanish language down just yet, but her Colombian like personality allows her to connect in a way that is accepted there. https://lifelinechild.orginstantfamily.orgThe Winning Ugly PodcastFacebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

American football in South America? Listen as Renzo talks about how his beloved Colombia was able to reunite him with football. Renzo grew up in Queens. He loved sports and eventually fell in love with Football. His passion and determination led him to D1 football. Life was becoming what he always dreamed. Through twist and turns football remains a constant in his life. http://www.creadorpictures.com/http://facolombia.com/fecofa-presents-colombia-national-american-football-team/https://m.facebook.com/FootballAmericanoPumasDC/https://rawtravel.tvThe Winning Ugly PodcastFacebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

It's easy to get caught up with those who surround you, and when they start to tell you lies it's easy to believe them. That's exactly what happened with Trish. Yes, your host Trish has a Winning Ugly story herself. Before her podcasting days and even before she met Emory there were some lies Trish believed that affected her life.Listen to this week's episode where Trish tells her story and shares some details about meeting Emory, their friendship and a few things that inspired her to get into getting others to share their stories.The Winning Ugly PodcastFacebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

Anna was living the perfect life. Growing up in the Bible Belt she was taught and told to live by and do specific things, so that's what she did. But after a while one thing leads to another and then another, and then she's starts to wonder why these things are happening to her if she is living the perfect life. Was this the perfect life or was it just a facade. It started to come apart in 2007, America was in a recession, Anna and her family her struggling, so she started from scratch. She knew coffee and she had a house, so she opened up a coffee shop in her home and this led to bigger things. Listen to Anna tell her story here on The Winning Ugly Podcast.Links from the Show- Beacon People- Innova CoffeeThe Winning Ugly PodcastFacebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

Richard has conducted leadership classes and workshops for most of his adult life and he was a successful business executive, and he did all this alone.It took 41 years, but by the time Richard did get married, he was able to have a unique perspective and appreciation for life and his relationship. Listen to Richard tell his story here on The Winning Ugly Podcast.Links from the Show- The Center for Executive Leadership- The True Measure of a Man (Book)The Winning Ugly PodcastFacebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

Tara's always worked very hard, ever since her early days at Rally's flipping hamburgers. She worked hard trying to adopt and now she's working hard as a mother.After Tara discovered she could not have children the idea of adoption was always in the back of her mind. Then one day she was given the opportunity to adopt from an orphanage in the Philippines. But as it turns out, Tara didn't adopt just one child, she adopted four.Adoption is the focus of Tara's story but it is not the only part of her story, Tara is involved with many different missions and organizations and even started a thrift store. Listen to Tara tell her story here on The Winning Ugly Podcast.Links from the Show- Hope Extreme // Facebook- Hope Community ChurchThe Winning Ugly PodcastFacebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

If you've been diagnosed with cancer, chances are that will be a pivotal moment in your life. Cody shares his story of cancer and how he remained positive through treatment which led to his current catchphrase, "we'll make it work."Cody and Trish have known each other for many years. Being from the same small town, Trish used to babysit Cody, and Cody's first job also involved turtle eggs. Cody was one of the first people Trish thought of when conceiving the podcast, and now he is the featured guest.Also, you'll get to enjoy a nice side story about that one time Trish and Emory crash a wedding with the help of Uncle Pat.Links from the Show- White Car- White Car (Facebook)- White Car (Instagram)Winning UglyFacebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

When you're working in and industry you love sometimes your work becomes your life. Especially, when you try and work to distract you from what may truly be going on in your life. Wess, is an old friend of Emory's, and currently works as a guitar distributer and music producer. Listen to Wess share his story of Work/Life Balance and how he has been able to transform his ugly to a win.Links from the Show- Melancon Guitars- Melancon Guitars (Facebook)- Melancon Guitars (Instagram)Facebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

Maintaining balance in life is already a difficult thing, but Jennie found herself in an incredibly difficult situation when her husband shot her. After months of recovery, Jennie is here to talk about the before, the during, and the winning moments of her "ugly" story.This is also the first time for Winning Ugly to have a relative on the show. Jennie is Emory's sister.Facebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

Alcoholism was the solution to Robbie's problems. As someone who was abandoned by his birth parents, along with his brother and sister, Robbie had many things on his mind. Spending his childhood in and out of foster care, then his adulthood in and out of prison, Robbie felt as if the world had dealt him a losing hand and now owed him for this. But after too many failures in life, Robbie realized that alcohol wasn't the problem, he was problem. It's taken him many years and a few attempts but Robbie is now clean and sober. Links from the Showhttps://www.aporhouma.com/ https://www.dunklin.org/Facebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

Nate Frye, is one of the most persistent and determined athletes out there, he has struggled with his big dreams of making it to the NBA and seeing them come to fruition. His upbringing as a pastor’s kid kept him out of the limelight. When a parent can see the potential that their child is very athletic and is capable of making it to the NBA they usually do whatever it takes. Like enroll their child into the best schools, best trainers, and be in the public eye. For Nate that did not happen. His parents were more interested in how Nate turned out as a man of deep faith and profound spiritual foundation. Listen in on how he is reaching those big dreams and making his own way.alphaomega22.13@yahoo.comFacebook // Twitter // InstagramFreeway Productions

Hope, Hope, and more Hope; that is what got Maria through. She and her husband pursued adoption, in vitro, holistic approaches, nothing worked. There was anger, pain, sadness, and fear, but Maria held on to her faith. Ten long years of infertility and now Maria and her husband have a beautiful little girl, fostering to adopt a little boy, and is pregnant for the second time.

Becoming a successful broadcaster and working for a sister company of ESPN, Matthew stated he was “the best cocaine addict out there.” For a while, life was great, and then his life changed. While having a revolver in his mouth Matthew saw his mother's face in a mirror and his heart broke for how she must feel with his behavior. He turned his life around, but he still wanted more. He bridged the cocaine addiction to money and success. “The degree of addiction is not measured in gallons or grams, but in the destruction of one's relationships.” Matthew lost so many friends, but what keeps him going each day is the rise and fall of his children's heart beat and the grace of his Lord and Savior. Links from the Showhttp://www.aporhouma.com/home.htmlhttps://www.turningpointal.org/Connect with The Winning Ugly PodcastFacebook // Twitter // Instagram

Fear can be debilitating, as an artist, Yogi was determined to conquer her fear of not being accepted. She realized she had to dig down deep to that childlike fearless state and do it scared. Her love of art and for people was essentially what helped her conquer her fears. Do that thing you are called to do, take that first step, even if you can't measure or control it just do it! Links from the Showhttp://yogidadallc.com/https://www.facebook.com/YogiDadaWorld/https://www.instagram.com/yogidadaart/Connect with The Winning Ugly PodcastFacebook // Twitter // Instagram

The harsh reality Marissa was facing forced her to flee from her Nicaraguan home and seek refuge. She had to part from her husband and care for her 1 month old baby. The life she knew for 3 years was ripped away and slowly she had to figure out a new normal. She fled to safety, but her husband is still many miles awaiting his reunion with Marissa and his child. She gives wise advice to those that may be fleeing from something like a relationship or a job: stepping away and looking at the big picture helps you to have perspective. She had such built up lots of stress and fear that when she fled to safety she was able to see that and now strives to live in peace and thanksgiving.Connect with The Winning Ugly PodcastFacebook // Twitter // Instagram

At a very young age Jon knew he wanted to be an artist. He is a self-taught Birmingham based Contemporary Artist mainly working with acrylics. A bump in his relationship lead him down a path of homelessness. He lived in his car and made the best out of it. He found another family while living in the park and instantly his perspective changed. It was that hardship that made him step out of the norm and put his art out into the world which landed him an award of distinction.www.jonofart.com Facebook/Twitter/Instagram

People pleasing started when Mari Beth was a young girl. She received one compliment that made her feel validated and noticed. A few years down the road, she fell into the people-pleasing trap. She wanted to be the best performer as a cheerleader, make the best grades, never say no, chose everyone because she didn’t want to let anyone down. She was constantly striving to hit a higher mark. That turned into an eating disorder that brought her down a dark path and ended in a trauma and addiction treatment center. Mari Beth is now a successful life coach, sharing her knowledge with others who feel stuck in life and helps them move forward in confidence. Links from the Showhttps://www.mbpcoaching.com/https://seekingeden.org/https://anchor.fm/thenakedtruthpodcast

Working on his Master’s degree, Scott was somewhat forced to leave that behind and pursue another path to provide for his family. He mourned the life he would never have of becoming a pastor, but little did he know him dropping out though viewed as a negative turned out to be positive. He expanded his non-profit of handmade, fair trade African art, crafts, jewelry, and accessories to a storefront. Going beyond the church walls and into the storefront and alleys of Uganda, Scott is reaching and teaching in a different way than what the world would consider a pastor to be.Links from the Showhttps://kanzicraft.com/https://ornaments4orphans.org/Connect with The Winning Ugly Podcast https://www.facebook.com/thewinninguglypodcast/?ref=bookmarkshttps://twitter.com/winning_uglyhttps://www.instagram.com/thewinninguglypodcast/

The excitement and joy of being in a new country was something Hernan looked forward to, but he soon realized his new reality was not what he expected. He shares how immigrants from cultures all around the world arrive to the United States and are at a disadvantage. Personally, Hernan believes other immigrants fight through the same thing and he encourages his new neighbors to embrace this and extend a welcome.

Boy Band. Soap Opera Star. Actor. Oh My!! Richie was living the dream. He was celebrating many firsts a helicopter ride and his first concert in another country, and even bought a new Gucci tee to celebrate. Minutes after landing Richie found himself surrounded by blood and not a clue as to what happened. As you can imagine the thoughts going through his mind. “Will I be able to perform?” “Can I get back in the helicopter and return to my home in Mexico?” The trauma lasted for some years, but he finally conquered his giant.

Weariness and discouragement started when Betsy lived far away from home and trying to mother her 4 children she and her husband had in under 5 years. She noticed she was trying to follow what other moms were doing and the keeping up game was also causing her to become weary. She was very grateful and thankful to be a mother, but she began to feel she could not physically or emotionally parent the next day. She had to get use to the kids coming before her and she was use to being 1st not 5th. Her mothering days got better and she found encouragement in the body of Christ. Learning that encouragement enlarges the heart she found peace and joy in the small victories of mothering.

7,500 miles away from home, Scott paints us a picture of what life is like in China. He shares his favorite dishes & childhood memories. He settled into life in the Southeast U.S., and next thing he knew his grandfather had a stroke & his cousin suddenly died. Being so far away from his family, Scott blamed himself which turned into grief. He mainly grieved for his family back home which made him emotionally and spiritually broken. Listen in on how he had to win ugly & rests in knowing our physical life is too short in comparison to eternity.

An entrepreneur, Rondell was trying to provide for his family by opening a high end women’s boutique. Rondell started to slip into a deep depression due to the failing business. He had bills to pay, mouths to feed, and debtors to pay. On his knees crying out for mercy he asked why am I suffering so much? It wasn’t until he realized he was being refined and renewed which then made him unstoppable. Rondell’s fight was well worth it and now reaps the rewards of those trials and hard work.

Always striving to be the best that she can be, Georgia found herself turning to bad habits to self-prescribe her anxiety. She did have a turning point when she met her now husband, Aaron, but anxiety still followed her. It wasn’t until she was in an unhealthy job that exposed her deep wounds. Though Georgia still struggles today, she can catch an anxiety attack before it is full blown by following a few healthy approaches she has in place.

Spiraling into depression can be such a surprise when life is perfect. Meredith bought a new house, had a great job, and had a wonderful group of friends around her. The next thing she knew she could not get out of bed and the smallest thing like a smoke detector going off made her spiral out of control. She now lives in the Horn of Africa sharing hope & teaching English.