Podcasts about choose your struggle podcast

Season Three, Episode 16: Against All Odds, Jay Shifman Is Still Alive By the age of twenty-three, Jay Shifman had a life-threatening opioid addiction, twice been hospitalized for an overdose, twice attempted suicide, and spent a significant amount of time in an inpatient hospital and a rehab facility. Clearly that rehab facility didn't do the trick.  But, today, Jay is a husband, the host of the Choose Your Struggle Podcast, a public speaker, and an advocate for Mental Health and Substance Misuse and Recovery. You hear me correctly. Substance Misuse. See, Jay believes that there is a huge different between Substance Abuse, Substance Misuse, and life-destroying addiction.  I found my conversation with Jay absolutely fascinating, and I hope you will too! Be sure to check out Jay's podcast, Choose Your Own Struggle, and you can also find him on Facebook at Choose Your Own Struggle, on Instagram at Jay Shifman, and on Twitter at CYS_Jay --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/neuroticnourishment/support

This week's podcast brings us Jay Shifman, a fellow podcaster and a storyteller with the Choose Your Struggle Podcast. In the episode Jay shares his struggles with mental health and addiction, reflects on his Ted talk on the history of substance misuse and why words are so very important.  Join us for an interesting conversation with Jay.   Visit Jay's website https://www.jayshifman.com/ and https://www.chooseyourstruggle.com/Visit our website for more content: https://mentalhealthmamas.com/Leave us a voice message: 607-288-3382Claim your FREE Self-Care Workbook by joining our mailing list: https://mentalhealthmamas.com/connectReceive 10% off any Cope Notes subscription: copenotes.com/?affiliate=MHMamasMental Health Resources:Suicide Prevention Lifeline: The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. Visit https://988lifeline.org/ for a chat option or call 988 in the United States.Crisis Text Line: Our goal is to help texters move from hot moments to a cool calm. Sometimes, that means we give our texters a resource – like a breathing GIF to help them slow down or a link to finding a support group near them.Website: www.crisistextline.orgUSA text 741741Canada text 686868UK text 85258Ireland 50808NAMI HelpLine: The NAMI HelpLine is a free, nationwide peer-support service providing information, resource referrals and support to people living with a mental health condition, their family members and caregivers, mental health providers and the public. HelpLine staff and volunteers are experienced, well-trained and able to provide guidance.To contact the NAMI HelpLine, please call 800-950-NAMI (6264), Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., ET, or send an email to info@nami.org.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Helpline            SAMHSA's National Helpline is a free, confidential, treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. Available 24/7, 365 days a year. 1-800-662-HELP (4357)Mama's Comfort Camp: a peer support network where moms of all ages and stages, from around the world (and across the street) lift up each other. Our lovingly moderated forums are always on: 24/7/365. Find us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mamas.comfort.camp/National Parent Helpline®  Call the National Parent Helpline® to get emotional support from a trained advocate and become empowered and a stronger parent. Available 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday. 1-855-427-2736 (4APARENT)Our listeners receive 10% off any Cope Notes subscription: copenotes.com/?affiliate=MHMamas

On this special feed drop episode of the Choose Your Struggle Podcast, Jay plays a story from the podcast Abortion, With Love Titled To My Strength followed by a conversation between Omkari Williams and Renee Brown Sherman on Ms. Williams' podcast Stepping Intro Truth. Ms. Williams is a storyteller who teaches women how to use their stories to make a change. Ms. Brown Sherman is the Founder and Executive Director of We Testify, an organization dedicated to the leadership and representation of people who have abortions, increasing the spectrum of abortion storytellers in the public sphere, and shifting the way the media understands the context and complexity of accessing abortion care. After Monday night's leak, Jay didn't feel comfortable putting out the episode intended for this week. This moment is too big; too important. We have to be honest with what's happening in this country. This ruling will simply be the latest attack on everyone who isn't white, rich, and male in this country perpetrated by the Republican Party and allowed by the ineptitude and/or willful ignorance of the Democratic Party. Our system is broken and we're seeing real consequences. Jay and his wife Lauren attended a march Tuesday night in their city of Philadelphia that was sponsored by the organization behind the series of Women's Marches, and the Socialist Party. The march called for numerous outcomes including protecting the riot of abortion for all and the formation of a new party that accurately represents those the Democrats pretend to represent. If you or someone you love needs more info on an abortion, please visit your local Planned Parenthood. We'll be back with a regular episode (and talking about the success of Made It, Season 1) next week. Choose Your Struggle. To find this original conversation (and every other episode of the Stepping Into Truth podcast): https://www.steppingintotruth.com/e/talking-bringing-abortion-stories-out-of-the-shadows-and-more-with-renee-bracey-sherman/.And Abortion, With Love https://www.abortionwithlove.com/abortionloveletters/lettertomystrength.This episode is part of the Abortion Love Letters Mini-Series, releasing every Monday.Content warning: mention of blood and medical traumaAbortion, with Love is a podcast dedicated to reclaiming the ways that we talk about abortion.Website: www.abortionwithlove.comInstagram: @abortionwithloveTwitter: @abortionwithluvDonate: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/abortionloveBringing Down The Flowers is a free monthly newsletter where Hannah Matthews shares writing, art, ideas, and media in support of everyone's abortion experiences. Hannah's writing has been featured in ELLE, Esquire, Teen Vogue, and other outlets, and her book about community abortion care and support work is forthcoming from Atria Books in 2023. You can subscribe to the newsletter at bringingdowntheflowers.substack.comLooking for someone to wow your audience now that the world is reopening? My speaking calendar is open! If you're interested in bringing me to your campus, your community group, your organization or any other location to speak about Mental Health, Substance Misuse & Recovery, or Drug Use & Policy, reach out to me at Info@jayShifman.com. Tank Tops are in! You can see what they look like on the website (thanks to Jay's wife for modeling the women's cut). Reach out through the website to order. If you're looking for something a little less expensive, magnets are in too! Check them out on the website or Instagram. Patreon supporters get a discount so join Patreon!But that's not all! You can now buy even more merch! Check out our store on Teepublic at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/choose-your-struggle?ref_id=24308 for shirts, mugs, stickers, phone cases, baby onesies and much, much more!Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ChooseYourStruggle Leave us an audio message to share feedback and have a chance to be played on the show: https://podinbox.com/CYS Review the Podcast: https://ReviewThisPodcast.com/Choose-Your-Struggle.Support the Podcast, a different way: https://podhero.com/401017-ikv.Learn more about the Shameless Podcast Network: https://www.shamelessnetwork.com/ Our Partner Bookshop (Support Local Book Stores and the Podcast in the Process!): https://bookshop.org/shop/CYS Our Partner Road Runner (Use Code CYS for 10% off): www.roadrunnercbd.com/ref/CYS As always, you can find more at our links: https://jay.campsite.bio ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

INTRODUCTION:Heather Wylde Smith is a native of North Georgia, raised in the birthplace of NASCAR and the Moonshine Capital of the World. She jokes that she's a highly evolved Redneck/Hillbilly. Although she has a Tragedy Resume a mile long, she is living proof that our pasts only define us — if we let them. She often says: “Therapy kept me from jumping off a building. Personal Growth made me stop wanting to jump off a building.” Through relentless pursuit of health and happiness, she has overcome: •  Stage 3 Breast Cancer•  Mental/Emotional/Sexual Abuse and Trauma•  Drug Addiction•  And more! Her tremendous success with personal growth lead her to become a coach. She received her initial coaching training through Coach U in 2009.Today, she is the CEO and mad genius behind Wylde Coach LLC.  She's a Biz Coach for ambitious purpose-driven coaches, healers and service providers who want to expand into their next-level selves in order to attract dreamier clients, raise their prices & restructure their businesses for maximum impact, profit and fulfillment. She's available as a Guest Speaker/Expert and for Podcast interviews. Her blend of biz expertise, practical tips and outlandish humor make her a dynamic guest that your audience will eat up with a spoon! INCLUDED IN THIS EPISODE (But not limited to):·      Fake orgasms!!!·      Cum·      Insider look at the escorting industry ·      Warning Signs of Scandalous Sales-hoes·      Shitty employers·      The Spirit of a Hustler·      Republican bullshit·      Surviving cancer·      Surviving abuse·      What would Jesus really do? CONNECT WITH HEATHER: Website: www.HeatherWylde.comLinktree: https://linktr.ee/HeatherWyldeCoachFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherWyldeEthicalSales/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherwyldecoach/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WyldeRomanceLinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3pwrmANYouTube: https://bit.ly/3JrNO6c CONNECT WITH DE'VANNON: Website: https://www.SexDrugsAndJesus.comYouTube: https://bit.ly/3daTqCMFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/SexDrugsAndJesus/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sexdrugsandjesuspodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/TabooTopixLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devannonEmail: DeVannon@SexDrugsAndJesus.com DE'VANNON'S RECOMMENDATIONS:·      Choose Your Struggle Podcast & Coaching with Jay Shifmano  https://www.jayshifman.com ·      Pray Away Documentary (NETFLIX)o  https://www.netflix.com/title/81040370o  TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk_CqGVfxEs INTERESTED IN PODCASTING OR BEING A GUEST?:·      PodMatch is awesome! This application streamlines the process of finding guests for your show and also helps you find shows to be a guest on. The PodMatch Community is a part of this and that is where you can ask questions and get help from an entire network of people so that you save both money and time on your podcasting journey.https://podmatch.com/signup/devannon TRANSCRIPT:[00:00:00]De'Vannon: You're listening to the sex drugs and Jesus podcast, where we discuss whatever the fuck we want to! And yes, we can put sex and drugs and Jesus all in the same bed and still be all right. At the end of the day, my name is De'Vannon and I'll be interviewing guests from every corner of this world. As we dig into topics that are too risqué for the morning show, as we strive to help you understand what's really going on in your.There is nothing on the table and we've got a lot to talk about. So let's dive right into this episode.De'Vannon: Happy new years, Eve, Eve, everyone. Thank you so much for tuning in for the final show of the year it has been a phenomenal year. And I want to thank you for your kindness and for your support for your love. And I send that all right back to you. Here's to a fantastic 2022 Today, I'm going to be talking with a Bad Bitch by the name of Heather Wylde y'all. This woman is a transformational business and life coach. [00:01:00] But before that she was a hooker, she was raped. She was a college dropout and she was a drug addict amongst several other things, which we will talk about in the show.This woman is living proof that your trauma in your past doesn't have to be what defines you today. And in this episode, we're going to talk about fake orgasms cum, your going to get an insider look at the escorting industry. We're going to talk about some bullshit ass employers and we, you know, what would Jesus really do about several things that are going on in this world?And we hit on this and a lot of other things, I hope you enjoy this episode. And I look forward to seeing you in the new year. Hi, baby. Thank you So much, Heather, for coming on the sex drugs and Jesus pod, hallelujah, tabernacle and praise. And my bitches, y'all been here up [00:02:00] in here all a bit here. The Heather, I'm looking forward to this time that we're about to spend together. We're two beautiful women from perverted backgrounds who are incredibly productive individuals trying to share some shit with society so that they can help their own assets to improve and get better or tell a bitch that they know. And we're going to talk about how you're a great coach and the, the crazy things you've been through surviving cancer and beating an addiction and being an escort coming about of that life. You know, Not to mention all the beautiful heels that you were in. We're going to talk about all the value that you have to add to society and especially entrepreneurs and people who are trying to take what they do to that next level.And you do it in a very unique way, but before we get into all of that productive, , productive shit about you, girl. I want to talk about these fake orgasms. I heard it through the great [00:03:00] vine. I heard it all the way through the great vine two and fail into five. And I, I want to know what, where did you start using fake orgasms?Where did this come from?Heather: So I don't advocate using February. People, people need to know when they're doing well and when they're not. And it's really sad when you meet somebody who thinks they're way better in bed than they because a bunch of people have faked it. Right. But you're an escort, knowing how to fake a realistic, fake orgasm is really a good skill to have. Because sometimes your agency's wound up your phone and they need you to get the fuck out of wherever you are and go see somebody else. Or sometimes you just find somebody who has got a lot of stamina and you're just fucking over it and you need them to come. So you do big orgasm to like encourage male orgasm. So yeah, so when I was [00:04:00] on Jay's podcast, that's how we met Jay Schiffman introduced us. We were, I was talking about. Funny stories from my escorting life. And one of them involved me faking orgasms. So I gave a little quick tutorial about what not to do and what to do. Do you want, you want a demonstration?De'Vannon: Yeah. And I bought, I bought a props has set today, which is one of my, this is one of my home grown cucumbers. We began our fall harvest of this is just the first round. They get much bigger than this. And actually my boyfriend and I are going to be inserting this into my assholes at night. And that's the one that's the Y here in my bedroom, where, where recording from, because I bought this in case we need some inspiration .Heather: [00:05:00] over the top. My favorite, one of my favorite quotes from this sex education book I read was learning to.By watching more is like learning to drive by watching chases. Like cartoons are fun to watch, but you don't want to learn from them way on the watch. It's not necessarily educational, so she's a little bit more understated. So it's just like,De'Vannon: Okay. Well, fortunately in the gay world, we, I mean, there's no really faking needed. It's not like we can, if there ain't nothing coming out the tip of [00:06:00] your Dick, well, then you didn't come in as dollars to it.So Heather: there's, there's no escorts that learn how to fake orgasms, because if they come too much, you know, it's harder for them to get them up, get it up on the next client. So it's something that's done. Just probably not by normal society.De'Vannon: I could feel that.  I can see where we're a male escort. We need to fake an orgasm in order to make that money. Know but you know, me, I'm such a cum whore. They burn that faith with me. If you're going to stick your Dick in me, better feel this asshole of what that good baby gravy, because that's what I'm in it for. Heather: I I'm not, I'm not comfortable, but I don'tcum calm. I have a limit, like if there's too much calm, it freaks me out. But I dated, and I actually had a couple of clients like this too, but it, but I dated a guy if calm got on him at all, he freaked out and I'm sure it's, I'm sure it's a trauma [00:07:00] thing. Tom or like yours. either one.Yeah, Nope.De'Vannon: Well, I hope that he gets healed of that In the name of Jesus. Heather: In the name of Jesus. Yeah. Like you have sex. And he was like jumping up immediately to like clean off. And like I said, it's probably a trauma response. Yeah. And you know, I ran across men that don't like blow jobs. It happens.De'Vannon: He just likes to get it right to the point. I don't blame him. You know, can't judge him for that. Not at all. So what made, explain to us exactly what sort of coach you are. You have a very cute website which all that's going to be in the show, and that was in everything like that. But in your own words, tell us what sort of coach you are and what your target market is.Heather: So I am all about helping people that are [00:08:00] mission-based coaches, healers, or service providers. Like in other words, not just in this to make a lot of money. They're actually in this because as a part of their higher purpose, they're really here to serve people to really be a change, an agent of change for positive change in the world.And the problem with those of us that are really mission-based is that you come into the online world, you pretty quickly figured that you've grouped pretty quickly figured out that you can't do it on your own. That there's, there's just too much to know to try to do it on your own. So you start investing in most of the ways that are taught about marketing and sales in the online world.Some really sleazy elements to it. I call it sociopathic sales. You know, where people are being very pushy and manipulative and the way they're selling. There's a lot of really hype-y and manipulative marketing. And my is I help people that are mission-based to learn to market and sell in a way that feels really good to them, but it, and, and that is also effective and gets their mission out there and gives them the money to lead like really interesting [00:09:00] lives. goal in life is to live in a McMansion and you know, drive a Mercedes and know, have a Louis Vuitton purse, you're probably not my client. I w I like working with the people who have kind of a quirkier and more collectic, you know, dreams of like traveling around the world to visit caves or, or, you know, living, living like luxury off grid or something like that. But yeah, it's, I'm, I'm for the people that really want to know how to sell a market in a way that don't feel like they're selling.De'Vannon: Okay. I want you to speak more to the whole selling.your soul because that's the recurring theme throughout your website ethics, integrity, and, and you, you did touch on it, but can you give me a specific example or examples of some sort of treachery that you saw? So, you know, we could be on the lookout for it.What did you see that, that makes us such a repetitive theme for [00:10:00] you? Heather: Yeah, happy to. And I'm actually writing my first book. It's going to be out in January and it's, it's about how to spot the predators and scammers online so that you can make good investments that actually grow your business. So what happened with me is that I kept investing in these big, good programs.And one of the things I didn't know was that it's a, it's a group program and they're aiming all their marketing at new entrepreneurs. People who are, are newer to the business, they might not even know their niche yet. They're probably not making sales and use testimonials and say, you know, this person went through my program and they've doubled their ROI, their return on investment in the first month.Well, what they don't tell you is that that person was actually a one-to-one. And that person already had 4,000 Facebook connections and was already making sales of 2000 plus a month. for that person who already has a somewhat established business, it's nothing for them to double their ROI. I mean, it's impressive, you know, but it's a lot easier to do that now for somebody who's brand new and they barely know their niche, or they don't know their niche [00:11:00] yet that's not going to happen.And so they're using these very, I call it toxic testimonials, these very misleading testimonials to market, to people. So that that's something that's very common. One of the most obnoxious things that I directly experienced is this course that taught you to sell with a sales script. And which, you know, that's kinda common. I don't really advocate scripts, but you know, they're not in themselves in and of themselves toxic. Well, this one, they wanted you to use it for word, for word, because it was written in NLP, which is neuro-linguistic programming. It's a form of hypnosis. So you're hypnotizing people without their permission.And then pitching to, for them to send thousands of dollars at the end of that call, I did not find that at the bowl. And when I, you know, raised as an issue, I was like, yeah, I just don't quite feel comfortable with this. I was told that it was my success mindset. I needed to go work on my success mindset, that it wasn't unethical that it was my own problem.And that's a very big thing in the coaching [00:12:00] industry is, you know, you go through somebody's program. If it doesn't work they'll tell you, it's your mindset, that's the problem. And it's like, if you showed up and you did everything they told her to do, and it didn't work, it's not a mindset issue. That's the program sucked, you know, but a lot of this, there's just, there's a lot of sleazy stuff.There's a lot of really great people that are in this for the right reasons that are doing amazing things and personal growth saved my life therapy kept me from jumping off. Personal growth made it so that I didn't want to jump off buildings anymore. So I know the power of this is my so passionate about it, and it's why I want to help the people that are in this for the right reasons to get out there and get their work, because I know the power of it. But unfortunately there's a lot of people that are just in it to get paid and there's nothing wrong with money, nothing wrong with making great money. But you don't have to be a sleazy asshole in order to do it.De'Vannon: Hey Manny, many men on a Tuesday evening. NLP is true. The newer neuro-linguistic [00:13:00] programming. Cause you know, I'm certified as a hypnotherapist, you Heather: Yeah. De'Vannon: so I studied all about that and it's true. There is a lot of the low key hypnotherapy and all kinds of all kinds of ads for everything you see in churches, out of pulpits, everywhere you go, they're trying to mind fuck you in. That's why I always preach as important to know why you believe what you believe and be sure that you know where you're coming from and that it's not something somebody else put into your head without you being aware of it because the shit can be done real slick. Give me an example, like what would be the name of like a profession or a sort of business cause healers service providers.And I know that people listening to this, they're gonna, you know, if you're speaking to them, they're gonna know that you're talking to them, but I'm just a detailed bitch. And I just want to know. Heather: No, it's good. And I actually, I need people to challenge me on this because I'm really good at helping other people do this. But when I get to my own stuff, I'm like, , which is the curse. Like most people, if they're great copy writer, they can't write copy for themselves. They're great. [00:14:00] You know, mindset coach.They can unbind fuck anybody, but they can't unwind fuck themselves. So let's see some examples of people that I've worked with. I worked with an amazing Reiki healer and spiritual coach or she worked with me rather. I worked with a, a brilliant young man that is a business coach primarily for LGBTQ plus community. I've worked with a woman who has her own HR company for she outsourced she's the outsource HR for small businesses. I've worked with a copywriter. There's some other people yeah, that's a pretty good, you know, representative, you know, my big thing is. It's not so much the type of coach or healer that they are.It's really just what's in their heart. You know, are they doing this because they just want to make $10,000 on my God in 30 days, which ain't, ain't going to happen no matter how much you see that on Facebook. Or are they in this because, you know, they've, they have something that's been laid on their heart, you [00:15:00] know?And they're, they, there's a soul contract that they're fulfilling. You know, that they're out, they're here to make a difference for people. That's the people that I work with says is that VR is that mission-based, I will say this. One of the things about me that really sets me apart from other business coaches is that so many business coaches don't know how to help you find the value and the ROI for your program, unless you're a business coach or a money coach.Right. I am brilliant at helping people turn their intangible results. Your happiness coach, you make people happy and it's like, okay, well, how do I explain the value of that? I'm really good at taking that intangible and showing you how fucking valuable it is, and actually turning it into a dollar amount that you can even, you can talk to your, your potential clients about cause one of the most common sales objections is I can't afford it.Well, if you can show somebody how much money is costing them being unhappy, it's going to make your program look like a deal. Right? So I'm really good at working with non-business coaches. Although I have coached and business coaches,[00:16:00]De'Vannon: Okay. Excellent. sounds totally kick ass. So you, you talk about on there, how now people can attract and sign their dream clients. You talk about this on your website, which is beautiful. And I've said that a thousand times, I'm sure I'll say it again. pretty in pink and it's not overly pink.Cause it's like just right in very, very Olivia Newton, John grease, Heather: Ooh. De'Vannon: to me. And so, but you're talking about damaging and karma. So, so this is speaking to the bad business practice. So, so can we take a moment because maybe some people who are doing bad business practices might not be aware of how it's actually hurting them, which you have any advice for such people who are more on the predatory side of things, but don't see it that way. Heather: Well, I think a lot of people, you know, of when I learned that in LP sprint, I didn't feel like it was right, but I had, [00:17:00] you have to have a beginner's mindset, you know, you can't go into everything thinking that, you know something right. Otherwise you're not going to learn. Right. So it's a fine line.Holding onto what you know, you know, and then being, but also being too stubborn to learn. Do you get what I'm saying? You kind of have to, you have to walk that line. Right? So with that, I tried it for a while and because it didn't feel aligned for me before, because it felt really gross to me. I didn't really make many sales.I did make a few sales, but then I was always like, did they really want to work with me? Or did I mind coming to working with me? And that didn't feel good. A lot of it is, you know, people will pay thousands of dollars to work with a mentor and that mentor will really influenced them and just be like, no, you know, this is the only way your business is going to get started.Or they'll, you see a lot of this rationalizing of, know, this person needs your program. So it's okay for you to bully them into buying them, buying from you because it's for your own, for their own good. So you see a lot of this rationalization, right? So people really like go with your gut and if it doesn't feel right to you, then it doesn't [00:18:00] feel right to you.One of the biggest things is you'll see people that are still doing this cold pitching, you know, where they'll come into the DMS on Facebook or, or Instagram, wherever. And they haven't even said hello to you, but they're like, I've got this great product or this program, but it's going to be perfect for you.And you're like, fuck you, you, you haven't even said, hello, you've known nothing about me. And you know that they're just sending out hundreds of those messages a day. A lot of times they've paid thousands of dollars to learn this technique from somebody who swears that it's the only way for them to do business.So most of the time I keep my cool about it. It depends on how they come at me. I have gotten kind of nasty with people that but yeah, I mean that it, if you do that, People there's going to be a lot of people that are going to be turned off. Another thing people will do this really underhanded that a lot of people teach you to do they say, get people on a coffee, chat, get them on a networking call.And then when you get on the call with [00:19:00] them, you try to turn it into a sales call. And it's, it's a, it's a pet peeve. People fucking hate it. And what that tells me if you're doing that is that you don't have the strength of conviction about what you do and how good you are at it and the product or the service that you're offering.Because if you did have that strength and conviction and that competence, then you would approach me and say, you know, Hey Heather, I've got this thing. I think it would be really good for you. Let's let's have a consultation about it, you know, but you're trying to sneak the call on me like that. Just reeks of desperation.De'Vannon: Oh sneaky, like. Heather: It's just, it's gross. It's just gross. You know? No, don't do it. De'Vannon: don't do it.People don't do it because it only hurt yourself. You get back what you send out and if you send out deception and everything like that, well, you know, you will have your day and that's not something that I wish upon you. You know, I've done bad shit in my day. It's come back to bite me in the [00:20:00] ass, you know Just cause it's cloaked in pretty poor for clothes.Does it make it great. So we gotta really be careful of what we into.Heather: Just because it's legal doesn't mean that it's clean. I know when I went to real estate, And I got my real estate license and the first broker I went to talk to, he was such a good salesperson. He made me high. Have you ever talked to somebody that was such a good salesperson that you already felt high after talking to them?So this guy was just like, and I got home and I was telling my boyfriend about it at the time. And I was like, ah, this and this and this. And as I was saying it, I was like, wait a minute. That's not good. But the way he put it, the way he mind fucked me with it, you know, it took it, me saying it out loud and talking to somebody else to be like, wait a minute.That's not in my best interest. And I thought about it and I was like, he's a pimp, he's a fucking pimp. I'm like, if I'm going to have a pimp, I'll stay doing what I'm doing. You know, I'm not going to go into real estate and fuck.[00:21:00]De'Vannon: Oh, my God, you know, that reminds me, this might be a little shady, but I don't care. I'm going to say this, this, this, this new business model that I've seen popping up where you will have somebody who oh my God. Say they don't actually, for instance, know how to garden or some shit like that. they'll go and find the whole bunch of people who can establish.The infrastructure around it and get clients and say, I want to hire a gardener within the person who doesn't know how to garden, who owns the business. We'll charge the customer a hundred dollars for the gardener and then pay the gardener like 10, you know, and you see this in all kinds of industries.And they're like, well, I don't have to know what I'm doing to make money. I'm just hire people who do know what they're doing. Okay. I can, I can meet you half way on that. As long as you're splitting the money, 50 50, because without them, you wouldn't have anything. And if they got, got [00:22:00]more courage and had a more entrepreneurial spirit, then they would need your ass to begin with you don't have the skill do the job.You're just pimping people out. And that's something I see a lot and I'm all like, I wouldn't do the job for $20. And then this bitch is making 80 off of me with each client now,Heather: And this is how this backfires on you. So before I got full-time into coaching, I was a limo driver there was a guy that I met, like limo driving is so much like It's hilarious. So I met this dude through a company we both worked for, he had his own little company and I would go and I would do runs for him, but he was cheap.He was so fucking cheap. And his, his clients, his really good clients, he had, he had been in another driver and it was an older gentleman and the older gentlemen fucked up all the time. Not because he was older, he just, he just fucked up all the time. Like he just didn't, you know, but he was only getting paid like $30 a ride.Right. And [00:23:00] I was making the guy pay me a little bit more and I was really good with his clients. Well, his clients. The, the guys, the guys named George, they were like, no, you can't send me George anymore. Like, we'll take Heather. If you're not available, we'll take Heather. But we're like, we're not doing it.I stopped doing a lot of rides from him because I got, I got other, you know, better sources of, of of trips. he was like, I don't understand why you, you know, come work with me. And I'm like, because you don't patient. And that's why the only person who ever sticks around for you is this one guy.But he's a fuck up. Like if you pay people better, the better people would stick around and your life would be a lot easier. But because you're trying to be cheap, your customers are constantly getting pissed off and you're having to like retrain and like run after people all the time. I'm like just fucking pay people, a decent wage, right.It's not that hard.De'Vannon: As we've seen demonstrated with the pandemic because people working and now you see these signs popping up. McDonald's $10 an hour, this place 15 an hour. Okay. [00:24:00] You could have been doing that the whole time. now people still are not wanting to go back to work. Those government benefits, you know, are being cut off or have been cut off, but people still are not returning to those old jobs because they had like a whole epiphany, a spiritual awakening and everything like that.And it's too late for the employers who have been paying their CEOs and managers. the money they've had people setting their on the ground on food stamps and stuff like that who couldn't even afford to feed their babies. But to them, managers are making six figures. used to be Multiple six figures.right. People, people don't know that I was employment counselor in Texas for the Texas workforce commission for a while, and would hire for the service industry.Shit. I mean, you could manage a fast food restaurant and make upwards of 90,000 to start it. Meanwhile, the person there was making minimum wage, the fry cook [00:25:00]Heather: Yup. De'Vannon: looked then, and that's not talking about the bonuses and everything, you know, by the time it's all said and done there, they fucking lot of money in, in the things that Americans really like to consume.Bullshit my opinion, but treating the workers so bad, like that is, is one thing that I love about the pandemic. Cause it all came out. People really their life and they told their employers to go fuck themselves. And they're not going back to that abuse, no matter how much money they're offered.Heather: and it is, it is abusive. And, you know, it's all the worst when you're like, you're struggling at home because you can't pay your bills. And, you know, for the people who are parents, you know, I think a lot. And like my, my, my, my dad got help him is, is a Trump fan. And he's like, I don't understand where, you know, I don't understand why these people just won't go to work.And I'm like, well, a lot of them, if they go back to work, then they've got to pay for childcare and you can't pay. At least, if they're sitting at home getting a government check, they're actually can do something with that money other than just give it to childcare. You [00:26:00] know, I'm like there's extenuating factors.It's not that people are lazy. It's just, they're sick of the abuse. They're sick of the bullshit. And you know, living is expensive and if you, you know, bust your ass at a minimum wage job, you still won't be able to make ends meet. Like it's ridiculous.De'Vannon: But things are changing and they're changing for the better. So. Speaking into keeping it with the spirit of working. You've had a lot of jobs. I was when I was researching you. see you worked at Wendy's. I worked at Wendy's I ate up all that shit. And McDonald's you did Walmart Kroger clothing store. I was a bartender. So you were a bartender, you're a stripper.I took some pole dancing classes. Once a limo driver comes to the heirs, your apartment leasing agent and an Uber Lyft driver, you know, very seldom do I meet somebody who's had just about as many jobs as I have had. [00:27:00] You know, I, you know, I've worked every fucking were under the sun, so I want you to speak to a, to include raising canes.Wendy's I've worked in the mall and been a model, a model for mall stores. Like company, I've been a janitor food delivery drivers, several different restaurants, a drug dealer, selling everything under the sun, a massage therapist, podcast hose off there. So I want you to speak to this, to the spirit of a hustler you know, and how that is not how that is a great attitude to have that grind and how that ties into your coaching. Heather: Okay. So I love the term hustler, the way that your high school track coach talked about it, like get out there and hustle, De'Vannon: Right. Heather: get out there, give it your, give it your all you know, do the damn thing. Right. And, and, and be, be about it. Like my favorite. I love this pimp isms. My favorite pimp ism is don't talk about it.Be about it. Don't sit around talking [00:28:00] about all the shit you're going to do and go fucking make it happen. Right. So that kind of hustle I'm with the team hustle till you drop team, you know, no hashtag no sleep and all that bullshit. I'm not with that level of hustle. Like that's, that's crazy. But the spirit of hustle to me is like, if you don't like, what's going on, fucking change it don't sit around bitching about it.Don't you know, you go change it. If you don't like this fucking. This is my rule. Like somebody can bitch to me about a job. They don't like as long as they are actively doing something to change the situation. And that's not just about jobs, it's it's anything. Right. But people that just want to bitch and bitch and bitch, like no is interesting.A friend of mine recently quit a job after two months, she thought it was going to be great. She moved to a different state for it shows me amazing. She got in there, the management was shit. It was a nightmare. And so she chose to leave after a couple of months. Well, another mutual friend of ours was like she was like, yeah, I don't, I don't understand why she changes jobs so often, [00:29:00] but this is, you know, she's somebody that she will stay in a job.She doesn't like, and there's, there's those of us that will put up with that. And there's those of us that are like, I don't care about fuck what this looks on my like on my resume, I will lie on the next resume if I have to, I'm getting the fuck on, you know, and, and that's, that's how I've always been.Like, I'm, I'm a good employee for the first, like three days. Until I start to see the holes in the policies and procedures. And I started to see how it can be done better. Not that I know of ever know everything, you know, but there's just some things that like, I don't know, it just, there's just so much stupidity as you know, and, and they won't listen, you know, there's just, most people will show up to a job just to get a paycheck and they have this ability to just kind of put their head down and they know what they're being told to do is retarded, but they keep doing it anyway because that's what they were told to do.And they just want to get their paycheck and they don't give a fuck. I don't have that switch. I can't turn that off. Like, I don't mind being told what to do as long as it makes sense, but if it's fucking stupid or if I feel like you're not treating me [00:30:00] correctly, or you're not treating my coworkers correctly or not treating the customers correctly, out, you know, what, what is that kind of, it's the spirit of why you quit your jobs and moved on to other things.De'Vannon: Yeah.because it was just, it wasn't who I really was, you know, was isn't really at the core of it. I think a lot of people stay on jobs and they, and they really killing their soul because they, it's not really their life purpose or calling these I probably was only ever truly happy when I was a military recruiter.And then when I was a recruiter for the Texas workforce commission, because those two jobs involved with mission work ministry in the sense that you're taking somebody from a less advantageous situation and putting them in a more advantageous situation, which is the heart of everything Jesus spoke about.So it wasn't a spiritual jobs specifically, but it [00:31:00] is, it did good work, benefits came to people that Heather: Yeah. De'Vannon: elevated economic status. And so. Those are the only two jobs that I ever had and maybe working in the mall because I am a fashion diva, but, you know that was like, great. But the supervision sucked ass at both of them.And I was clashing. I would've got kicked out of the military, you know, and everything like that, but, you know but yeah,you know, but that's why I, love that about the pandemic is it calls people to face it. Heather: Um, De'Vannon: not gonna move forward unless they're actually happy with what they're doing, Heather: yeah, De'Vannon: else be damned.And I commend the world for taking the bold step. Yeah. God at the push push, just out there with the pandemic, hasn't been all bad, you know, it's has been terrible, but a lot of good has come from it too. So.Heather: I, I almost, I agree. I agree. 100% and I think it was almost like a soul conspiracy because I [00:32:00] was, I was limo driving at the time and I was, you know, picking up C-suite executives that they're on the road. 40 weeks out of the gear. Like, and they, and people think business travel is a vacation. It's fucking, not people on business travel work anywhere from 12 to 16 or 18 hours a day, not including the travel, like it's fucking brutal.And they, I had several clients who were like, almost wish things would shut down just so I could get some rest. And I feel like it's like, all our souls kind of got together and they're like, okay, these assholes are not going to stop on their own. We got to do something let's manifest a pandemic.De'Vannon: Well, we did well, Heather: Well, we did. I mean, we had dolphins and Dennis, I mean, how brilliant are we? You know, like,De'Vannon: our dolphins around. Heather: so yeah, the Venice canals were, were sewers. And I think they still are to some degree sewers and people like the, the decrease in pollution and the decrease in, in what was probably for them, not so much [00:33:00] pollution as decrease in traffic in the canals. They actually saw dolphins in the Venice canal.Never, I don't, I don't know. At another time in history ever been reported.De'Vannon: Yeah. I heard the in Venice is dis ungodly.Heather: Yeah. I want to go before it completely sinks, you know, just because it's the greatest cortisones, the greatest, like most sought after prostitutes in the world came from Venice and like 14th, 15th century. So I got to make a pilgrimage there at one point, but yeah, it stinks. That's, that's what I hear those things.De'Vannon: So I don't on your website, you have a few mission statements that are really cool. And one of them talks about how you're not, you're saying that you're not out to force change in the world. You're saying that you're here to, it says that you're here to invite people, to see that they have options to create the lives.They want to lead that they are not chained to the status quo. When I read that, [00:34:00] it reminded me of Jesus. It did. And David I'll totally take that.because he said. That if he said referring to himself, that if I be lifted up, I will draw all men onto me, which is not a statement of force. What he w he was telling people who were going to follow him is to simply talk him up and then he will do the rest.And so my ministry, and the way that.I approached the world is the same way. I'm not trying to force anybody to believe one way or the other, but I am provoking spiritual conversation, least we abandoned a very important part of ourselves. And I don't give a damn if somebody wants to go be a Buddhist, I love hanging out with them.Other ball, people who love vegetarian food. Great. Oh, if they wanted to be a towel is or whatever, it's just about having some sort of conscious, conscious spirituality about you, whatever that may be. And but it's not forced, you know, I like to throw [00:35:00] information shows out there, write my blogs, write my books if it's for you, it's for you.It's not as not, I don't care if you suck Satan's Dick, we can still go have my Moses on Sunday. That's great. You know, at least you have a fucking perspective, you know, spiritually. And and, and I, and I thought that that statement was so humble of you. And then I think about like Republicans, know, making say like laws in Texas try to force the women to live the way they think that they should. And And I want you to talk about this because you, you have a statement on your website that you want shaved like half of your head off because your parents were trying to force you to go to church. And so I want you to talk about why you did that, what happened and tie that into everything I just said about how Jesus was not forceful how, when people try to become forceful, they're actually stepping out of the will of Christ. [00:36:00]Heather: Okay. So I don't know if I can hit on everything. I, I love it. One of the things that people don't realize about Jesus is that he was not trying to start a new religion. Not really. He didn't look from Christian came about later. He was trying to my words are failing me today. Re re re repurpose the Jewish faith.Right. And I think very much was about this is a term that they talk about a lot in recovery is attraction rather than promotion. Right. And that had, you know, when you try to show your views in somebody's face, you're going, all they're going to do is dig their heels in. Right. So this is why. When I, when I had cancer, I didn't say I was fighting cancer, but people would say, oh, you know, you're fighting cancer.You're going to win. And I was like, no, no, no, no, no, no, anything fight fights back. I am politely asking cancer to leave my body. That was my perspective. Right. And you know, you think about it, like what is more likely to get [00:37:00] you curious about another way of life or another perspective, seeing somebody else living from that perspective or that different way of life, somebody coming to you and telling you you're wrong for doing it the way you're doing it, and you should be doing it their way.It doesn't work. Right. And that's part of the problem. Our culture today is everybody is so fucking polarized. And I'm just like, if we could get the people on the far ends of the extremes of both quote unquote sides, and I'm like, there are no fucking sides, we're fucking Americans, right? if we get the people screaming loudest on both sides to shut the fuck up, the rest of us could figure it out.the people on the they had no interest in finding a solution. They want more book deals. They want more people on their YouTube channel. These people have a vested interest in keeping the chaos and the bullshit going because it's, it's lining their pockets. And I think half the times they don't even believe what they're saying, but they just know that if, Hey, if I say this, I'm going to get more hits on my Facebook page or on my YouTube or, [00:38:00] you know, whatever. So as far as my personal experience, so I grew up in a very small. Rural Georgia town. it's, it's not that way anymore, but you know, 40 years ago, back in the late seventies, early eighties, it definitely was. And I would go to church and I was always just very aware. And when they preached hellfire and brimstone constantly, I was like, I don't know what I did that.I guess I'm going to hell. You know, I was like, I'm not like, what could I possibly have done? But this, this very learned, man, supposedly is assuring me that I'm going to hell. And that I'm a worthless center. And I was like, oh,and so I didn't enjoy it very much. And I, and I tried very hard. When I was 12 or 13, I tried very hard to become a good Christian and I'm a cheerleader. And with the whole thing I had to hire higher the hair closer to God, like clog going on with my hair and everything. And I was. [00:39:00] And after that, I was like, fuck it.I was like, I'm just gonna, you know, be who I am. And I actually started reading about paganism, which actually honors females and, and the small town that I was in. Not only was it hellfire and brimstone, but it was like, you're a sinner. You're always going to be a sinner. You're nothing but a center in the eyes of God.If you're a woman that goes double, if you're gay, you need to die. That was basically the order of it's like, you're all shit. But if you're these part of these groups, you're super shit. So I was like super, super shit because I was a female and I was bisexual. And I hated it, you know? And so I would sleep late.I would do all these things to try to avoid church. And my parents wanted me to go to church. That's what you do. And I really wanted to shave my head. I really liked that it was a skater cut, you know, and I just thought it looked really cool to have like partial part of your haircut. And so I wanted to do it anyway, but I had asked my parents like a good kid, if I could do it.And they're like, no, but I knew that if I did it, they wouldn't make me go to church because they would be ashamed of me. And [00:40:00] so when, you know, but I wasn't being that defiant yet. But the final straw was we went to this, one of the more Backwoods, small churches in the area and probably like one step above snake handlers.And the preacher actually had the audacity to say that women had no place in church. And in my mind I was like, fuck it. I don't want to be here anyway. Like, I don't have a problem with Jesus. Jesus is amazing. But the Jesus saved me from your fucking followers, like so many of them. Right. And so I shaved my head and my parents sure enough were embarrassed and they did not make me go to church.So when for Heather.De'Vannon: You know what it is, what it is. You gotta do what you gotta do. Heather: Yeah.Yeah. De'Vannon: another one of your, I'll say mantras is the UL. You want to show folks, but checkered past you know, it was possible to recover. And you know, to, to basically [00:41:00] thrive after you've been broken down. So we won't get deep into your history here. Drug addiction. You mentioned cancer before on your site talks about mental, emotional sex abuse trauma. So this is the part of the show where we want to get into all of the darkness that has plagued you go. Heather: So bare yourself, just, you know, no, no. no. I'm happy to do it. I'm happy. It's, it's one of my, it's one of my gifts that I'm very comfortable, you know, talking about stuff. So from a very young age, I knew that I didn't belong where I was. I was, I was very confused. The, you know, my parents and my families and my town's beliefs did not mesh with mine. If you if anybody cares to remember in the, sometime in the eighties, I forget exactly when there were two, two marches, two civil rights marches on my town because there was red lining going on. They would [00:42:00] show African-American families, houses in the area and act as if they would sell them that the banks would always turn down the loans.And so my town was all white and you know, my family would tell you they're not racist. They're certainly not like cross burners, but they were still racist. They might've made no fucking sense to me. I mean, very, very young, like eight years old. This is stupid. This makes no sense. So, you know, stuff like that.And at a very young age, I knew actually, I didn't think it was anything wrong with being gay. It was when I was nine. mom was having a conversation with my sister. I have no idea why, but she was like, you know, if a girl starts telling you that you're pretty, or, you know, trying to like touch you, she's jumped.And if you said it out loud, like one would just spring up from the floor.And so, you know, that put me in the closet and again, you know, going to these churches, like nothing made sense. I was like this, like, I know I could tell, like there was some good stuff in [00:43:00] the Bible, but there was also a lot of fucking nonsense. And I was like, no, no, you know, I, I just, I didn't have this sense of belonging. I had a lot of depression and a lot of anxiety. When I was six or seven, an older neighbor molested me. He was only. 12, you know, so he wasn't an adult, but that age gap, that, that developmental gap, it, it qualifies as molestation. And that was, that was very confusing. Because I had gone through the good touch, bad touch program at school. my mother was a teacher, so I went in and I told her you're supposed to tell a trusted adult. And she said, that's normal and just turned around didn't do anything to stop it. So that fucked me up. Pretty good. Let's see. Yeah, so just it, you know, so many people that I dated were what I now realize were, were narcissists. And just very emotionally manipulative just had no self-esteem. [00:44:00] And the only thing that I, where I derived my self-esteem was my grades and my academic accomplishments and my school's accomplishments, you know, I was a soccer player. I was I was in drama. I was a co editor of the yearbook, you know, that kind of stuff.And then also from letting people just dump their problems on me, you know, I was, I was a good listener. Right. And these people, this is where I get my thing about people. Can't talk to me about something that they're not actively trying to change because I would just let people go on and on for hours.And they would be like, oh, Heather, you're such a good friend. I don't know what I would do without, you know, it gives such great advice and then they would not take any of it or they'd be have you ever heard the term askhole? De'Vannon: Yeah. Heather: doesn't ask. All right. They ask all the time, but they don't really do anything.So there was a lot of that. So I took on a lot of people's problems and you know, I'm, I'm empathic as well. So I was really just storing all this really, really negative. And my home life was like subtly fucked up. Like it wasn't [00:45:00] like screaming and yelling and like fighting and like drama and cops and all that stuff, you know, and, and all, all to say it could have been worse. But there was just a tension in the house. Like my parents didn't really get along. And so I got out, I'm like, well, this is one of the reasons why I was so focused on my academics is because I knew that come hell or high water. If I got a scholarship, I could get the fuck out of this town. And I really lived in here that like any second people were going to find out really who I was and how much I didn't belong.And I was going to be stoned to death. And that was awful, you know, so I pushed myself, I graduated second in my class. I got full scholarships. Got out. Thank you. got out, went to school and I thought once I got out, everything was going to be okay. But what happens a lot of times when. Working so hard to let get away from something.When you finally get away from it, you get a small reprieve, but then it's like, your psyche is like, oh, it's safe now to process all this crap that you push down and you're run over with it. [00:46:00] Right. So I entered into therapy. Well I started doing psychedelics. Psychedelics are amazing things. But not when you're depressed and you're already like off balanced and everything and it put me off more off balance. I think the depression and the kind of breakdown were coming anyway. But I got into therapy and I was in therapy for about three months when I just, I woke up one morning. I couldn't stop thinking about killing myself. And I was like, I was going to be alone that weekend in my dorm because my was going home to see your boyfriend or something.And I kept having this thing about, like, I was going to hang myself from our loft bed, which I don't even know if that's possible, but that's what kept going through my head. And it scared the shit out of me. I ended up going to a local mental hospital and checking myself in and you know, did they do the intake and everything?And they're like, yeah, you should stay here. And I was like, fuck. The funny thing with that though it was a Friday night, so I had to stay on suicide ward all weekend before they can really evaluate me on Monday [00:47:00] morning and I was pissed and I was like, look, if I wanted to kill myself, I would have stayed at home and done it for free.Give me my fucking belt. I wanted to kill myself. I would have done it at home. The other really funny thing, or kind of fucked up thing it was movie night. Like Friday night was movie night and they're like, yeah, we know we're going to watch a movie in a little while. We're going to watch Thelma and Louise.And I was like so I go to the office and I was like, you know, they kill themselves at the end. Right.It was suicide ward. I was like so that, you know, that got me into, I got me on psych meds, which I hated, but I took and you know, continued in therapy and therapy again, it kept me from jumping off a building was a good like release. It was a safe place for me to talk, but there wasn't enough challenging me to actually change and do something about it. And then from there, [00:48:00] after my second year of college, my family went fucking crazy. Like went like Jerry Springer, fucking crazy. And I don't even want to get, it was so bad. I don't even want to give any examples. Like it was just fucking nuts. And, you know, I had always been curious about sex work, but I was like, I come from a good family.I come from a good family. I can't go do that. I'm smart. I can't go do that. And my family went just really fucking crazy, I was like, you know what, I really don't. I didn't do it to hurt them, but I was like, I don't really care what they think anymore. I'm going to go have this adventure. that's when I got into sex work. comments, questions, concerns point?De'Vannon: No, not at all. Everything is isn't going wonderfully. I'm waiting for you to get to the drugs, man. Heather: Oh, the drugs man. Okay. So so, you know, because I was already doing psychedelics like once a month I moved out to Hawaii briefly. I had married a friend of [00:49:00] mine from high school. He was in the military and he couldn't live off base. Who's gay. He couldn't live off base unless he advanced to ranks or got married.And so we got married and it meant that when all this crisis was going on, I got to move to Waikiki. And so while I was there, I. Yeah, I did ecstasy for the first time. All that was there, did asset a couple of times you know, which is fun and amazing, you know, but I wasn't, it wasn't fucking up my life at this point. When I came back to Atlanta and sort of escorting again, I got around people who were, you know, daily pot smokers, all day pot smokers. I was just smoking a little bit at the end of each night. And then I got around some people, the roll blunts. And once I learned how to roll blunts, it was on and crack.And so within two years of, within three years of starting to do drugs, I had like an ounce a week pot habit. Like I was smoking like seven blocks a day and I could, I could smoke an entire block by myself and turn around and have a conversation with you. And you wouldn't even know I was high. Like I was like that kind of fucking druggie.[00:50:00]And, you know, with escorting. You know, they were frequently drunk. You love, I love to get Coke heads, like, well, it, within a certain range, like people that hadn't gone too far, so we'll not be in by too far. Is the people who are like picking through the carpets. Well, once they're out of Coke, it's time to go.That's just the thing, like they're picking their carpets. It's fucking time to go. But the people that they've got plenty of blow and they just keep checking the windows and they'll come back to the bed and they'll be like, I gotta go close the door and they go close the door. And then after two and they come back to the bed and like two minutes later, they're like, I got to open the door.Like that shit is fucking them. Not just people that are just like partying. It's like babysitting and you can be with them for hours and make shit tons of money. So like, those were great. I was allergic to Coke if I, if I did it, it shut down my nostrils for like a month and it didn't matter, the cut, whatever.Like there's something in it I'm genuinely allergic to. And so I would put it on my gums and stuff, but like, I wasn't, I never got [00:51:00] addicted to it because of that. You know, smoking a lot of weed, I could never find acid, which is like my favorite thing ever. So I started doing a lot of ecstasy and that's what I ultimately bottomed out on was ecstasy marijuana.And the only person I know who hit bottom on hippie drugs. And I wound up in AA for that. And that really pissed me off. I was last person. That was the last place I wanted to be, but actually turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me. But one of my funniest drug stories actually happened after I was after I was sober.So I went to see this client. And this is one of the things, first things that me and De'Vannon of bonded over because the name of his podcast, as you know, is sex, drugs and Jesus. So I went to see this guy and he was smoking crack and I was sober at the time. But you know, you can't, you can't get away from crack fumes.So I had like a second PM, like crack high basically, but this guy [00:52:00] was like, he was sitting in a bed and he was watching, we're watching like hardcore porn and a lot of men on, on Coke. Can't no I'm in on Coke. Can't get it up. So they can't, they can't have sex. So he was jerking off for having me jerk him off.You know, I'm just like sitting there with my loo, just, you know, going and I'm watching this hardcore porn and he's jerking off and he's witnessing to me about. Like he's telling the story and I could never really quite get the gist of it because he was very high, but he was telling this story about, I think, picking up a hitchhiker and witnessing to him about Jesus.But he's telling the story, like, while he's jerking off the hardcore porn with a hooker, I was like, this is fucking weird. But the thing I didn't tell you about yet De'Vannon was that while I'm sitting there and I mean, I was with this guy for probably three, four hours. And you know, I mean, he was like a middle-class white guy, you know, he wasn't like the stereotype of what you think [00:53:00] about, you know, crack smoker.But nonetheless, he was quite high, definitely smoking some crack. And but yeah, we're sitting there and we're sitting there and I'm, you know, I'm kind of bored, but I'm making good money and whatever. And but throughout my life, I have had what I describe as thoughts that are so loud that they, that I know they're not mine.It's like a thought comes to me. Okay. Well, that wasn't me, you know? And it's, it's God, it's God talking to me. I'm not a prophet. I'm not claiming anything like, crazy like that, but I've just, I've had instances where I'm just like, oh, okay. So I'm sitting there, this guy's, you know, doing his thing and I get this thought and it was.Tell him tell this man that you love him. And I was like, no, absolutely not. I don't know this person. Like there were people that I saw enough that I did actually form emotional attachments to them. I saw them for a long time and I saw them know over the course of years and, and we really hit it off, but this was the first time I'd ever met this person.And I was like, no, I'm [00:54:00] not doing that. And he would not leave me alone. It just kept pestering me and pestering me and pestering me until finally I was like, how do I do this? And not come across as a crazy person or get this? Cause it's gotta be a fucking stalker or something. And finally, I like got up on my, like on my, on my knees, on the bed.I was like kneeling beside him. And I like put my hands on his shoulders and I looked at it and I said, as one child to have a God to another, I want you to know that I love you. And I, it really touched something in him. And you're talking about how your job. As a recruiter wasn't ministry, but it was, there were times that I was definitely used by God to deliver a message as an escort.So there were times that that had a spiritual significance and that was, that was one of them. Six drugs and Jesus, baby.De'Vannon: There's no reason for us to, to try to play God in a box. Or a cube or rhombus or trapezoid or triangle or any fucking [00:55:00] shape that we can come up with because he simply just will not Heather: Hm. there's okay. Don can walk right into a crack house. He can talk to us when we're high it's happened to me and stuff like that before some people feel like you're drunk or high, or you're in certain places that are darker than the forest, that God is not there, but God's actually everywhere.Everywhere. De'Vannon: the Bible says, he's as near to us as the air we breathe on and there's air Everywhere.Heather: W. De'Vannon: you got conservative folks out there who want to say, he's only going to be here because he can only do this. I don't get do that, that's just their opinion. And they're going to try to sell it to you as fact and law and the only way, but that's That's just one way of looking at things. Heather: Well, it's crazy. You know, I had an aunt that she went Pentecostal and I love Pentecostal churches, the, the feeling in them, you know, but I just can't do get down with like, you know, a lot of the message, but she stopped hanging out with the family because we were [00:56:00] sinners and I'm like, Jesus hung out with sinners.this has no biblical basis.De'Vannon: But that's the way Pentecostals are. I grew up Pentecostal. I agree with you. I love the way it's failed, but I don't get down with the message because the message is very like church. People are better than everyone else, because I used to sit there thinking, God, how did I end up so lucky to be here? And the whole world is going to burn in hell, but just not the Pentecostal people like that.That is exactly what they believe with how they think, and everything is a problem and it's wrong. And you know, it's, it's very. You know, the grounded in a lot of insecurity because people could really make themselves feel great about themselves, the way they step on other people in Pentecostal churches.And I wanted to touch on something that you were saying about the sort of person who was smoking this here, crack, because it was as if, yeah, I've smoked crack in my day too. Heather: smoked crack crack [00:57:00] rocks.De'Vannon: It literally crack rocks. and, and this is something that I really like to talk about a lot is because crack heads and the drug use in general is not like it's done, like on documentaries are like saying Dave Chappelle and his whole Tyrone begins, know, not every crack head is homeless with white powdery lips and a beanie.And all of that. I used to sell crack to white men who lived in huge and. Houses. This is one house we went to closet was so big that me, the four dope boys who came with me and all of us could set in there with plenty of space to smoke the crack off of a mirror and everything like that. And this dude, I was lived in a damn good neighborhood in Houston, Texas, and it was not what you would think he Heather: Right. De'Vannon: teeth, know, and all of that and everything like that.And it's not. It's like governor Chris Christie. He likes, he likes cracking prostitutes. That's when he [00:58:00] was in the news for, you know, he's overweight and fat and white in a governor and he wants him some crack bitch. Heather: Yeah. Hi, I you know, Paul politicians I didn't did I say, I don't remember if I saw a politicians. I, it probably just didn't stick cause I don't give a fuck. Like high powered jobs, you know, lawyers, lawyers, love Coke, love Coke, love, crack doctors, love, Coke, love, crack you know, CEOs, you know that there's, there's, there's kind of a profile that goes with, you know, jobs and the type of drugs that people are more commonly going to do in them.And a high power bite, man. Love, love some fucking blow. They do. I can, I can confirm that.De'Vannon: I know I can sell so much cocaine and upscale bars and stuff, you know, they'd call me, I'd pull up with like an eight ball go in there. It's just a group of probably Caucasian people partying it up in VIP. That shit sold so [00:59:00] fast. know, they can Heather: Yeah. De'Vannon: it. It's a quick high, you got to keep more to say getting high.It's a smart bet. You know, you're going to be a drug dealer, Heather: Well the problem being like the, the penalties were, are so high. It was one of the reasons why I love selling pussy because it was missing. You know, I, I can, you know, I, it, that you've got it. You sell it, you still got it. You have to re up.De'Vannon: Well, you can go to Oregon now, know, and you know, you don't, the penalties are less severe, you know, there's no more going to jail for simple possession. there is for like dealers, but Heather: Yeah. De'Vannon: general attitude in the state of Oregon is like lenient towards the drugs in general. Heather: Well, because the thing is like the war on drugs, again, we're back to this. What you fight fights back. The war on drugs does not work. You know decriminalization has been shown in, in other places to be much better for all consensual crimes, you know, D decrim [01:00:00] criminalizing, it doesn't help anything. It just makes it worse and just drives it underground.Like these are basic human desires, and they're not going anywhere. They're just going to be subverted where it's going to be a lot more dangerous for everybody involved.De'Vannon: It makes it taboo and people love danger. People love what they can't have. Heather: That, that too, I've actually read studies where they said that kids were less likely to go get high in places that there wasn't a stigma around it. It was like, oh, I can just go to the store and buy weed. But it's like, okay, we've got to call my cousin and he's got a call his best friend's girlfriend so that we can find, you know, this dude that she knows, you know, and then we get there and we can't just buy the weed.We gotta go find him. A pair of JordansDe'Vannon: It's a whole thing, Heather: becomes like an adventure. Right. It was like all implicated, you know, but if we, if you could just, you know, walk into a store and be like, give me an eight, you know, like that's not very exciting, whatever.[01:01:00]De'Vannon: One of the drugs, one of the meth suppliers that I used to give my meth from that he would, he would say that was, that was probably the main reason why he stayed supplying crystal meth in Houston was because of the, the thrill of almost getting caught. So tells me if you make it illegal, Hey, everyone can just sell whatever.the fuck they want.He probably shut it down because there's no more thrilled with the chase. There's no more Tom and Jerry, more Wiley coyote in the road runner and there's. Heather: My shit I do. I miss. I that's one of the things I missed about escorting was that j

Jay is a speaker, story teller and host of the Choose Your Struggle Podcast. He has dedicated his life to making a difference around the topics of Mental Health and Substance misuse & recovery. Now currently in long term recovery of his own, he encourages difficult conversations and honest education for those going through similar struggles. The Mental Corner Podcast is a show hosted by Harry Potvin where guests from all different backgrounds come on weekly and discuss the many different aspects of Mental Health and how we can change society, and ourselves for the better. Jay's Socials: Podcast, website and more: https://jay.campsite.bio Harry's Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thementalcorner/

Season 2, Episode 80Monday Motivation: So It's Come To This, A Choose Your Struggle Flashback ShowToday's Monday Motivation is a flashback to the 5th episode of this podcast, the first with a guest, featuring Kristen Zavo. One, because I love Kristen, and two because I want y'all to hear how far we've come in the last almost two years. I recorded this in a closet in Charleston, South Carolina while we were in the early, EARLY days of the Covid lockdown.Holy shit the original theme! My first give away! Awful sound quality! Thinking an episode dropping a week later is a long wait AMAZING!The title of this episode is a wink at a famous episode of a TV show. Know what it is? The first person to reach out and tell me the right answer will get a Choose Your Struggle tank top sent to them for being just so dang smart.  As a special bonus, anyone who leaves The Choose Your Struggle Podcast a review on the site of their choice and show us proof will get 25% off a tank top or, if you already own one, a care package of other Choose Your Struggle items on the house! Just take a screen shot or a pic with your phone and send it to info@jayshifman.com with your address and your choice.What do you think? Everyone who responds, either by social media or my website, will get a sticker mailed to them. The first person to respond each week will get a magnet! So reach out or post something on your personal social media and tag me (and maybe share the show in the process?)!If something in this episode upsets you, or makes you feel a certain way, take a moment and do some mindfulness. When you have the words, the thought thrashed out, send it to me! Share the podcast, tell the world your thoughts. That's how we make change.No Good Egg or Card on Monday episodes.Looking for someone to wow your audience now that the world is reopening? My speaking calendar is booking up fast! But if you're interested in bringing me to your campus, your community group, your organization or any other location to speak about Mental Health, Substance Misuse & Recovery, or Drug Use & Policy, reach out to my strategist Ryan Holzhauer at ryan@jayshifman.com.Tank Tops are in! You can see what they look like on the website (thanks to Jay's wife for modeling the women's cut). Reach out through the website to order. If you're looking for something a little less expensive, magnets are in too! Check them out on the website or Instagram. Patreon supporters get a discount so join Patreon!But that's not all! You can now buy even more merch! Check out our store on Teepublic at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/choose-your-struggle?ref_id=24308 for shirts, mugs, stickers, phone cases, and much, much more!Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ChooseYourStruggle Leave us an audio message to share feedback and have a chance to be played on the show: https://podinbox.com/CYS Review the Podcast: https://ReviewThisPodcast.com/Choose-Your-Struggle.Support the Podcast, a different way: https://podhero.com/401017-ikv.Learn more about the Shameless Podcast Network: https://www.shamelessnetwork.com/ Our Partner Bookshop (Support Local Book Stores and the Podcast in the Process!): https://bookshop.org/shop/CYS Our Partner Road Runner (Use Code CYS for 10% off): www.roadrunnercbd.com/ref/CYS As always, you can find more at our links: https://jay.campsite.bio ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 2, Episode 79Phenomenal And Phenomenally Autistic With Ayanna DavisOn this week's episode of the Choose Your Struggle Podcast, Jay chats with autistic advocate Ayanna Davis. Ayanna was diagnosed later in life and talks to Jay about how she was always labeled as different when she was a child and how she fights for those in the community now. You can learn more about Ayanna at her IG: https://www.instagram.com/phenomenallyautistic/?hl=en and her FB https://www.facebook.com/Phenomenally-Autistic-110085974722339/.Today's Good Egg: Give Someone A Hug! Looking for someone to wow your audience now that the world is reopening? My speaking calendar is booking up fast! But if you're interested in bringing me to your campus, your community group, your organization or any other location to speak about Mental Health, Substance Misuse & Recovery, or Drug Use & Policy, reach out to my strategist Ryan Holzhauer at ryan@jayshifman.com.Tank Tops are in! You can see what they look like on the website (thanks to Jay's wife for modeling the women's cut). Reach out through the website to order. If you're looking for something a little less expensive, magnets are in too! Check them out on the website or Instagram. Patreon supporters get a discount so join Patreon!But that's not all! You can now buy even more merch! Check out our store on Teepublic at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/choose-your-struggle?ref_id=24308 for shirts, mugs, stickers, phone cases, and much, much more!Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ChooseYourStruggle Leave us an audio message to share feedback and have a chance to be played on the show: https://podinbox.com/CYS Review the Podcast: https://ReviewThisPodcast.com/Choose-Your-Struggle.Support the Podcast, a different way: https://podhero.com/401017-ikv.Learn more about the Shameless Podcast Network: https://www.shamelessnetwork.com/ Our Partner Bookshop (Support Local Book Stores and the Podcast in the Process!): https://bookshop.org/shop/CYS Our Partner Road Runner (Use Code CYS for 10% off): www.roadrunnercbd.com/ref/CYS As always, you can find more at our links: https://jay.campsite.bio ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 2, Episode 76Monday Motivation: Spiderbite JayToday's Monday Motivation is the audio-only replay of Jay telling a story on his social media platforms to test out a new streaming software and to entertain you all!This story is about how Jay followed the band Erin Zindle and The Ragbirds around the summer of 2009 and at a nudist festival in the woods of Ohio he was bit by a brown recluse spider, ending up in the hospital and missing one of the bands performances. When someone else from the festival told the band about this, they dedicated a song at their next show, Tarantella (conveniently about dancing out a spider's venom) to 'Spiderbite Jay'! Learn more about Erin Zindle and The Ragbirds at their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/theragbirds, check them out wherever you listen to music, and consider supporting them on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theragbirds.As a special bonus, anyone who leaves The Choose Your Struggle Podcast a review on the site of their choice and show us proof will get 25% off a tank top or, if you already own one, a care package of other Choose Your Struggle items on the house! Just take a screen shot or a pic with your phone and send it to info@jayshifman.com with your address and your choice.What do you think? Everyone who responds, either by social media or my website, will get a sticker mailed to them. The first person to respond each week will get a magnet! So reach out or post something on your personal social media and tag me (and maybe share the show in the process?)!If something in this episode upsets you, or makes you feel a certain way, take a moment and do some mindfulness. When you have the words, the thought thrashed out, send it to me! Share the podcast, tell the world your thoughts. That's how we make change.No Good Egg or Card on Monday episodes.Looking for someone to wow your audience now that the world is reopening? My speaking calendar is booking up fast! But if you're interested in bringing me to your campus, your community group, your organization or any other location to speak about Mental Health, Substance Misuse & Recovery, or Drug Use & Policy, reach out to my strategist Ryan Holzhauer at ryan@jayshifman.com.Tank Tops are in! You can see what they look like on the website (thanks to Jay's wife for modeling the women's cut). Reach out through the website to order. If you're looking for something a little less expensive, magnets are in too! Check them out on the website or Instagram. Patreon supporters get a discount so join Patreon!But that's not all! You can now buy even more merch! Check out our store on Teepublic at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/choose-your-struggle?ref_id=24308 for shirts, mugs, stickers, phone cases, and much, much more!Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ChooseYourStruggle Leave us an audio message to share feedback and have a chance to be played on the show: https://podinbox.com/CYS Review the Podcast: https://ReviewThisPodcast.com/Choose-Your-Struggle.Support the Podcast, a different way: https://podhero.com/401017-ikv.Learn more about the Shameless Podcast Network: https://www.shamelessnetwork.com/ Our Partner Bookshop (Support Local Book Stores and the Podcast in the Process!): https://bookshop.org/shop/CYS Our Partner Road Runner (Use Code CYS for 10% off): www.roadrunnercbd.com/ref/CYS As always, you can find more at our links: https://jay.campsite.bio ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 2, Episode 76Monday Motivation: Chopping It Up With Anna DeShawnThis week's Monday Motivation is Jay chatting with the entrepreneur Anna DeShawn. Anna is the founder of E3 Radio and, more recently, the Qube podcast app. E3 radio describes itself as "Queer Radio Done Right". The Qube is a podcast app specifically for shows "created by BIPOC and QTPOC" people. Jay and Anna talk about the necessity of intentionality and why it's so important to preserve stories of those who came before us.Anna specifically asked that anyone of color or part of the LGBTQ community who has a shown reach out to pitch their show for The Qube! Check out The Qube at https://theqube.app/ and E3 Radio at https://e3radio.fm/ and follow Anna at her FB https://www.facebook.com/annadeshawn83, her LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/annadeshawn/, her IG https://www.instagram.com/annadeshawn/, and her Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@annadeshawn?. As a special bonus, anyone who leaves The Choose Your Struggle Podcast a review on the site of their choice and show us proof will get 25% off a tank top or, if you already own one, a care package of other Choose Your Struggle items on the house! Just take a screen shot or a pic with your phone and send it to info@jayshifman.com with your address and your choice.What do you think? Everyone who responds, either by social media or my website, will get a sticker mailed to them. The first person to respond each week will get a magnet! So reach out or post something on your personal social media and tag me (and maybe share the show in the process?)!If something in this episode upsets you, or makes you feel a certain way, take a moment and do some mindfulness. When you have the words, the thought thrashed out, send it to me! Share the podcast, tell the world your thoughts. That's how we make change.No Good Egg or Card on Monday episodes.Looking for someone to wow your audience now that the world is reopening? My speaking calendar is booking up fast! But if you're interested in bringing me to your campus, your community group, your organization or any other location to speak about Mental Health, Substance Misuse & Recovery, or Drug Use & Policy, reach out to my strategist Ryan Holzhauer at ryan@jayshifman.com.Tank Tops are in! You can see what they look like on the website (thanks to Jay's wife for modeling the women's cut). Reach out through the website to order. If you're looking for something a little less expensive, magnets are in too! Check them out on the website or Instagram. Patreon supporters get a discount so join Patreon!But that's not all! You can now buy even more merch! Check out our store on Teepublic at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/choose-your-struggle?ref_id=24308 for shirts, mugs, stickers, phone cases, and much, much more!Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ChooseYourStruggle Leave us an audio message to share feedback and have a chance to be played on the show: https://podinbox.com/CYS Review the Podcast: https://ReviewThisPodcast.com/Choose-Your-Struggle.Support the Podcast, a different way: https://podhero.com/401017-ikv.Learn more about the Shameless Podcast Network: https://www.shamelessnetwork.com/ Our Partner Bookshop (Support Local Book Stores and the Podcast in the Process!): https://bookshop.org/shop/CYS Our Partner Road Runner (Use Code CYS for 10% off): www.roadrunnercbd.com/ref/CYS As always, you can find more at our links: https://jay.campsite.bio ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 2, Episode 74Special Episode! Jay on the I'm The Villain Podcast with Isabel Knight and Deondre' JonesThis week's Monday Motivation is a special episode! We haven't put out one of these in a while. On today's episode, you'll hear Jay interviewed by Isabel Knight and Deondre' Jones for their show, I'm The Villain. Isabel and Doendre' are two millennials who are tired of being told "just don't eat so much avocado toast!" So on their show, they interview experts on ways previous generations fucked us over. On this episode, they talk with Jay, who shares with them many of the intentional and unintentional lies and and misdirections we were given growing up on drugs, and how racism shaped the drug war.  Listen to the original broadcast and subscribe to their show at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/im-the-villain/id1466012587 or wherever you get your podcasts. As a special bonus, anyone who leaves The Choose Your Struggle Podcast a review on the site of their choice and show us proof will get 25% off a tank top or, if you already own one, a care package of other Choose Your Struggle items on the house! Just take a screen shot or a pic with your phone and send it to info@jayshifman.com with your address and your choice.What do you think? Everyone who responds, either by social media or my website, will get a sticker mailed to them. The first person to respond each week will get a magnet! So reach out or post something on your personal social media and tag me (and maybe share the show in the process?)!If something in this episode upsets you, or makes you feel a certain way, take a moment and do some mindfulness. When you have the words, the thought thrashed out, send it to me! Share the podcast, tell the world your thoughts. That's how we make change.No Good Egg or Card on Monday episodes.Looking for someone to wow your audience now that the world is reopening? My speaking calendar is booking up fast! But if you're interested in bringing me to your campus, your community group, your organization or any other location to speak about Mental Health, Substance Misuse & Recovery, or Drug Use & Policy, reach out to my strategist Ryan Holzhauer at ryan@jayshifman.com.Tank Tops are in! You can see what they look like on the website (thanks to Jay's wife for modeling the women's cut). Reach out through the website to order. If you're looking for something a little less expensive, magnets are in too! Check them out on the website or Instagram. Patreon supporters get a discount so join Patreon!But that's not all! You can now buy even more merch! Check out our store on Teepublic at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/choose-your-struggle?ref_id=24308 for shirts, mugs, stickers, phone cases, and much, much more!Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ChooseYourStruggle Leave us an audio message to share feedback and have a chance to be played on the show: https://podinbox.com/CYS Review the Podcast: https://ReviewThisPodcast.com/Choose-Your-Struggle.Support the Podcast, a different way: https://podhero.com/401017-ikv.Learn more about the Shameless Podcast Network: https://www.shamelessnetwork.com/ Our Partner Bookshop (Support Local Book Stores and the Podcast in the Process!): https://bookshop.org/shop/CYS Our Partner Road Runner (Use Code CYS for 10% off): www.roadrunnercbd.com/ref/CYS As always, you can find more at our links: https://jay.camps ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 2, Episode 72Special Episode! Monday Motivation: Choose Your Struggle Presents Rock Bottom Storytellers IIIThis week's Monday Motivation is a special, audio only replay of Choose Your Struggle Presents Rock Bottom Storytellers III! This incredible event has been watched over 300 times because, duh! The amazing storytellers were Amanda Elise Love, Anu Wat, DawnSherine Bernard, and Amy Minh Hanh Corey! The musician was Riolanza who blew us away!You can watch the original broadcast at: https://www.facebook.com/ChooseYourStruggle/videos/265868065117001/.As a special bonus, anyone who leaves The Choose Your Struggle Podcast a review on the site of their choice and show us proof will get 25% off a tank top or, if you already own one, a care package of other Choose Your Struggle items on the house! Just take a screen shot or a pic with your phone and send it to info@jayshifman.com with your address and your choice.What do you think? Everyone who responds, either by social media or my website, will get a sticker mailed to them. The first person to respond each week will get a magnet! So reach out or post something on your personal social media and tag me (and maybe share the show in the process?)!If something in this episode upsets you, or makes you feel a certain way, take a moment and do some mindfulness. When you have the words, the thought thrashed out, send it to me! Share the podcast, tell the world your thoughts. That's how we make change.No Good Egg or Card on Monday episodes.Looking for someone to wow your audience now that the world is reopening? My speaking calendar is booking up fast! But if you're interested in bringing me to your campus, your community group, your organization or any other location to speak about Mental Health, Substance Misuse & Recovery, or Drug Use & Policy, reach out to my strategist Ryan Holzhauer at ryan@jayshifman.com.Tank Tops are in! You can see what they look like on the website (thanks to Jay's wife for modeling the women's cut). Reach out through the website to order. If you're looking for something a little less expensive, magnets are in too! Check them out on the website or Instagram. Patreon supporters get a discount so join Patreon!But that's not all! You can now buy even more merch! Check out our store on Teepublic at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/choose-your-struggle?ref_id=24308 for shirts, mugs, stickers, phone cases, and much, much more!Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ChooseYourStruggle Leave us an audio message to share feedback and have a chance to be played on the show: https://podinbox.com/CYS Review the Podcast: https://ReviewThisPodcast.com/Choose-Your-Struggle.Support the Podcast, a different way: https://podhero.com/401017-ikv.Learn more about the Shameless Podcast Network: https://www.shamelessnetwork.com/ Our Partner Bookshop (Support Local Book Stores and the Podcast in the Process!): https://bookshop.org/shop/CYS Our Partner Road Runner (Use Code CYS for 10% off): www.roadrunnercbd.com/ref/CYS As always, you can find more at our links: https://jay.camps ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 2, Episode 70Monday Motivation: The Real Ayoka!This week's Monday Motivation is Jay chatting with the soulful singing goddess Ayoka on her upbringing, how spirituality factors into her music, her influences, recording process and a mutual love of Kanye! Check her out on IG at https://www.instagram.com/ayokamusic/ and search for Ayoka on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you're hearing this right now!As a special bonus, anyone who leaves The Choose Your Struggle Podcast a review on the site of their choice and show us proof will get 25% off a tank top or, if you already own one, a care package of other Choose Your Struggle items on the house! Just take a screen shot or a pic with your phone and send it to info@jayshifman.com with your address and your choice.What do you think? Everyone who responds, either by social media or my website, will get a sticker mailed to them. The first person to respond each week will get a magnet! So reach out or post something on your personal social media and tag me (and maybe share the show in the process?)!If something in this episode upsets you, or makes you feel a certain way, take a moment and do some mindfulness. When you have the words, the thought thrashed out, send it to me! Share the podcast, tell the world your thoughts. That's how we make change.No Good Egg or Card on Monday episodes.Looking for someone to wow your audience now that the world is reopening? My speaking calendar is booking up fast! But if you're interested in bringing me to your campus, your community group, your organization or any other location to speak about Mental Health, Substance Misuse & Recovery, or Drug Use & Policy, reach out to my strategist Ryan Holzhauer at ryan@jayshifman.com.Tank Tops are in! You can see what they look like on the website (thanks to Jay's wife for modeling the women's cut). Reach out through the website to order. If you're looking for something a little less expensive, magnets are in too! Check them out on the website or Instagram. Patreon supporters get a discount so join Patreon!But that's not all! You can now buy even more merch! Check out our store on Teepublic at https://www.teepublic.com/stores/choose-your-struggle?ref_id=24308 for shirts, mugs, stickers, phone cases, and much, much more!Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ChooseYourStruggle Leave us an audio message to share feedback and have a chance to be played on the show: https://podinbox.com/CYS Review the Podcast: https://ReviewThisPodcast.com/Choose-Your-Struggle.Support the Podcast, a different way: https://podhero.com/401017-ikv.Learn more about the Shameless Podcast Network: https://www.shamelessnetwork.com/ Our Partner Bookshop (Support Local Book Stores and the Podcast in the Process!): https://bookshop.org/shop/CYS Our Partner Road Runner (Use Code CYS for 10% off): www.roadrunnercbd.com/ref/CYS As always, you can find more at our links: https://jay.campsite.bio ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 2, Episode 68Monday Motivation: Michael Pollan's New Book and The True Meaning of Media HypeThis week's Monday Motivation is Jay chatting about Michael Pollan's new book, This Is Your Mind On Plants. It's not a bad book. In fact, as one listener put it, parts of it were compelling, other parts simply were not. Which is fine! Jay's feelings about the book actually have little to do with the book itself. More, he was frustrated with how much press this book got as we only get a few books on drug use and drug policy a year that get any sort of focus. In summation, Jay's frustration was with how the media picked a very SAFE book on drug use by an old, rich, white guy to be one of the few that got support. Which, let's be honest, isn't surprising. And, as Jay shares, he's simply DONE with any conversation about these topics being labeled a positive. We need to move on to the next step, where simply talking about this isn't good enough. We need to go further.  For other, better, options, check out the Bookshop link below! As a special bonus, anyone who leaves The Choose Your Struggle Podcast a review on the site of their choice and show us proof will get 25% off a tank top or, if you already own one, a care package of other Choose Your Struggle items on the house! Just take a screen shot or a pic with your phone and send it to info@jayshifman.com with your address and your choice.What do you think? Everyone who responds, either by social media or my website, will get a sticker mailed to them. The first person to respond each week will get a magnet! So reach out or post something on your personal social media and tag me (and maybe share the show in the process?)!If something in this episode upsets you, or makes you feel a certain way, take a moment and do some mindfulness. When you have the words, the thought thrashed out, send it to me! Share the podcast, tell the world your thoughts. That's how we make change.No Good Egg or Card on Monday episodes.Looking for someone to wow your audience now that the world is reopening? My speaking calendar is booking up fast! But if you're interested in bringing me to your campus, your community group, your organization or any other location to speak about Mental Health, Substance Misuse & Recovery, or Drug Use & Policy, reach out to my strategist Ryan Holzhauer at ryan@jayshifman.com.Tank Tops are in! You can see what they look like on the website (thanks to Jay's wife for modeling the women's cut). Reach out through the website to order. If you're looking for something a little less expensive, magnets are in too! Check them out on the website or Instagram. Patreon supporters get a discount so join Patreon!Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ChooseYourStruggle Leave us an audio message to share feedback and have a chance to be played on the show: https://podinbox.com/CYS Review the Podcast: https://ReviewThisPodcast.com/Choose-Your-Struggle.Support the Podcast, a different way: https://podhero.com/401017-ikv.Learn more about the Shameless Podcast Network: https://www.shamelessnetwork.com/ Our Partner Bookshop (Support Local Book Stores and the Podcast in the Process!): https://bookshop.org/shop/CYS Our Partner Road Runner (Use Code CYS for 10% off): www.roadrunnercbd.com/ref/CYS As always, you can find more at our links: https://jay.campsite.bio ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 2, Episode 66This week's Monday Motivation is the audio replay of a Choose Your Struggle Presents: A Day in the Life featuring Swiyah Whittington of Stamp Love first recorded in July.*** this episode contains some tough topics *** (Editor's note: we ran out of time to fully edit this one. Let us explain: we always edit and then give the show one final listen. We weren't able to do that final listen this week. So if there's any glitches, well, just know we did our best!) TUNE IN TO ROCK BOTTOM STORYTELLERS III ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25TH AT 8:30 EST!As a special bonus, anyone who leaves The Choose Your Struggle Podcast a review on their site will get 25% off a tank top or, if you already own one, a care package of other Choose Your Struggle items on the house! Just take a screen shot or a pic with your phone and send it to info@jayshifman.com with your address and your choice.What do you think? Everyone who responds, either by social media or my website, will get a sticker mailed to them. The first person to respond each week will get a magnet! So reach out or post something on your personal social media and tag me (and maybe share the show in the process?)!If something in this episode upsets you, or makes you feel a certain way, take a moment and do some mindfulness. When you have the words, the thought thrashed out, send it to me! Share the podcast, tell the world your thoughts. That's how we make change.No Good Egg or Card on Monday episodes.Looking for someone to wow your audience now that the world is reopening? My speaking calendar is booking up fast! But if you're interested in bringing me to your campus, your community group, your organization or any other location to speak about Mental Health, Substance Misuse & Recovery, or Drug Use & Policy, reach out to my strategist Ryan Holzhauer at ryan@jayshifman.com. Tank Tops are in! You can see what they look like on the website (thanks to Jay's wife for modeling the women's cut). Reach out through the website to order. If you're looking for something a little less expensive, magnets are in too! Check them out on the website or Instagram. Patreon supporters get a discount so join Patreon! Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ChooseYourStruggle Leave us an audio message to share feedback and have a chance to be played on the show: https://podinbox.com/CYS Review the Podcast: https://ReviewThisPodcast.com/Choose-Your-Struggle. Support the Podcast, a different way: https://podhero.com/401017-ikv. Learn more about the Shameless Podcast Network: https://www.shamelessnetwork.com/ Our Partner Bookshop (Support Local Book Stores and the Podcast in the Process!): https://bookshop.org/shop/CYS Our Partner Road Runner (Use Code CYS for 10% off): www.roadrunnercbd.com/ref/CYS As always, you can find more at our links: https://jay.campsite.bio ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 2, Episode 64This week's Monday Motivation was recorded in a booth at Podcast Movement! Joining me were my home base, the core 4, the rocks: past guests on this show Jenn Trepeck of Salad with a Side of Fries and Imran Ahmed of Great Pods, and new friend Cory Zechmann of HarkAudio. So many people made this conference incredible (I mention some of the others on the intro) but these three were the realest! We get real nerdy on industry stuff and discuss what we learned at the conference. You can hear that we really enjoyed ourselves and our time together. I'm thankful for these three! As a special bonus, anyone who leaves The Choose Your Struggle Podcast a review on their site will get 25% off a tank top or, if you already own one, a care package of other Choose Your Struggle items on the house! Just take a screen shot or a pic with your phone and send it to info@jayshifman.com with your address and your choice.What do you think? Everyone who responds, either by social media or my website, will get a sticker mailed to them. The first person to respond each week will get a magnet! So reach out or post something on your personal social media and tag me (and maybe share the show in the process?)!If something in this episode upsets you, or makes you feel a certain way, take a moment and do some mindfulness. When you have the words, the thought thrashed out, send it to me! Share the podcast, tell the world your thoughts. That's how we make change.No Good Egg or Card on Monday episodes.Looking for someone to wow your audience now that the world is reopening? My speaking calendar is booking up fast! But if you're interested in bringing me to your campus, your community group, your organization or any other location to speak about Mental Health, Substance Misuse & Recovery, or Drug Use & Policy, reach out to my strategist Ryan Holzhauer at ryan@jayshifman.com. Tank Tops are in! You can see what they look like on the website (thanks to Jay's wife for modeling the women's cut). Reach out through the website to order. If you're looking for something a little less expensive, magnets are in too! Check them out on the website or Instagram. Patreon supporters get a discount so join Patreon! Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ChooseYourStruggle Leave us an audio message to share feedback and have a chance to be played on the show: https://podinbox.com/CYS Review the Podcast: https://ReviewThisPodcast.com/Choose-Your-Struggle. Support the Podcast, a different way: https://podhero.com/401017-ikv. Learn more about the Shameless Podcast Network: https://www.shamelessnetwork.com/ Our Partner Bookshop (Support Local Book Stores and the Podcast in the Process!): https://bookshop.org/shop/CYS Our Partner Road Runner (Use Code CYS for 10% off): www.roadrunnercbd.com/ref/CYS As always, you can find more at our links: https://jay.campsite.bio ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 2, Episode 62Monday Motivation: A Honest Look At The Nonprofit Industry with Serena Hope Sun of Breaking TabooOn this special Monday Motivation episode of the Choose Your Struggle podcast, Serena Hope Sun of Breaking Taboo returns to chat with Jay about the good and the bad of running a nonprofit. Learn more about Breaking Taboo at: https://breaking-taboo.org/The Ted Talk we talk about by Dan Pallotta: https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_about_charity_is_dead_wrong?language=enAs a special bonus, anyone who leaves The Choose Your Struggle Podcast a review on their site will get 25% off a tank top or, if you already own one, a care package of other Choose Your Struggle items on the house! Just take a screen shot or a pic with your phone and send it to info@jayshifman.com with your address and your choice.What do you think? Everyone who responds, either by social media or my website, will get a sticker mailed to them. The first person to respond each week will get a magnet! So reach out or post something on your personal social media and tag me (and maybe share the show in the process?)!If something in this episode upsets you, or makes you feel a certain way, take a moment and do some mindfulness. When you have the words, the thought thrashed out, send it to me! Share the podcast, tell the world your thoughts. That's how we make change.No Good Egg or Card on Monday episodes.Looking for someone to wow your audience now that the world is reopening? My speaking calendar is booking up fast! But if you're interested in bringing me to your campus, your community group, your organization or any other location to speak about Mental Health, Substance Misuse & Recovery, or Drug Use & Policy, reach out to my strategist Ryan Holzhauer at ryan@jayshifman.com. Tank Tops are in! You can see what they look like on the website (thanks to my wife for modeling the women's cut). Reach out through the website to order. If you're looking for something a little less expensive, magnets are in too! Check them out on the website or Instagram. Patreon supporters get a discount so join Patreon! Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ChooseYourStruggle Review the Podcast: https://ReviewThisPodcast.com/Choose-Your-Struggle. Support the Podcast, a different way: https://podhero.com/401017-ikv. Learn more about the Shameless Podcast Network: https://www.shamelessnetwork.com/ My Partner Bookshop (Support Local Book Stores and the Podcast in the Process!): https://bookshop.org/shop/CYS My Partner Road Runner (Use Code CYS for 10% off): www.roadrunnercbd.com/ref/CYS As always, you can find more at my links: https://jay.campsite.bio ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 2, Episode 60Monday Motivation: Hotter Than Health with Eliza GellmanOn today's extra special Monday Motivation episode of the Choose Your Struggle podcast, Jay chats with his sister in law, Eliza Gellman, the host of the Hotter Than Health podcast! Learn more about Eliza at: https://www.instagram.com/elizag_wellness/ and listen to the Hotter Than health podcast at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hotter-than-health/id1428759268.As a special bonus, anyone who leaves The Choose Your Struggle Podcast a review on their site will get 25% off a tank top or, if you already own one, a care package of other Choose Your Struggle items on the house! Just take a screen shot or a pic with your phone and send it to info@jayshifman.com with your address and your choice.What do you think? Everyone who responds, either by social media or my website, will get a sticker mailed to them. The first person to respond each week will get a magnet! So reach out or post something on your personal social media and tag me (and maybe share the show in the process?)!If something in this episode upsets you, or makes you feel a certain way, take a moment and do some mindfulness. When you have the words, the thought thrashed out, send it to me! Share the podcast, tell the world your thoughts. That's how we make change.No Good Egg or Card on Monday episodes.Looking for someone to wow your audience now that the world is reopening? My speaking calendar is booking up fast! But if you're interested in bringing me to your campus, your community group, your organization or any other location to speak about Mental Health, Substance Misuse & Recovery, or Drug Use & Policy, reach out to my strategist Ryan Holzhauer at ryan@jayshifman.com. Tank Tops are in! You can see what they look like on the website (thanks to my wife for modeling the women's cut). Reach out through the website to order. If you're looking for something a little less expensive, magnets are in too! Check them out on the website or Instagram. Patreon supporters get a discount so join Patreon! Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ChooseYourStruggle Review the Podcast: https://ReviewThisPodcast.com/Choose-Your-Struggle. Support the Podcast, a different way: https://podhero.com/401017-ikv. Learn more about the Shameless Podcast Network: https://www.shamelessnetwork.com/ My Partner Bookshop (Support Local Book Stores and the Podcast in the Process!): https://bookshop.org/shop/CYS My Partner Road Runner (Use Code CYS for 10% off): www.roadrunnercbd.com/ref/CYS As always, you can find more at my links: https://jay.campsite.bio ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

We interview Jay Shifman, Jay is a Mental Health and Substance Misuse & Recovery Speaker, Coach, and Advocate, and the Host of the Choose Your Struggle Podcast. The link Jay refers to is this: http://www.jayshifman.com/ If you want to know more about Savvy Duty, The Savvy Method or The Savvy Podcast visit: https://savvyduty.com

Season 2, Episode 58Monday Motivation: Drug Use In The OpenInspired by a question from a friend and listener of the show, Jay talks about why you may be seeing more use in the open and why you should think about how to support drug users. As a special bonus, anyone who leaves The Choose Your Struggle Podcast a review on their site will get 25% off a tank top or, if you already own one, a care package of other Choose Your Struggle items on the house! Just take a screen shot or a pic with your phone and send it to info@jayshifman.com with your address and your choice.What do you think? Everyone who responds, either by social media or my website, will get a sticker mailed to them. The first person to respond each week will get a magnet! So reach out or post something on your personal social media and tag me (and maybe share the show in the process?)!If something in this episode upsets you, or makes you feel a certain way, take a moment and do some mindfulness. When you have the words, the thought thrashed out, send it to me! Share the podcast, tell the world your thoughts. That's how we make change.No Good Egg or Card on Monday episodes.Looking for someone to wow your audience now that the world is reopening? My speaking calendar is booking up fast! But if you're interested in bringing me to your campus, your community group, your organization or any other location to speak about Mental Health, Substance Misuse & Recovery, or Drug Use & Policy, reach out to my strategist Ryan Holzhauer at ryan@jayshifman.com. Tank Tops are in! You can see what they look like on the website (thanks to my wife for modeling the women's cut). Reach out through the website to order. If you're looking for something a little less expensive, magnets are in too! Check them out on the website or Instagram. Patreon supporters get a discount so join Patreon! Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ChooseYourStruggle Review the Podcast: https://ReviewThisPodcast.com/Choose-Your-Struggle. Support the Podcast, a different way: https://podhero.com/401017-ikv. Learn more about the Shameless Podcast Network: https://www.shamelessnetwork.com/ My Partner Bookshop (Support Local Book Stores and the Podcast in the Process!): https://bookshop.org/shop/CYS My Partner Road Runner (Use Code CYS for 10% off): www.roadrunnercbd.com/ref/CYS As always, you can find more at my links: https://jay.campsite.bio ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Season 2, Episode 56Monday Motivation: Finding Your Next Podcast, A Conversation On Podcasting With The Captain, Imran Ahmed, of Great PodsJay goes deep into the nitty gritty and evolution of podcasting with The Captain, Imran Ahmed, the founder of Great Pods! But first, Imran talks about his decade plus in the industry and why he decided the time was right to jump off on his own and give birth to the platform. Check out Great Pods at their website https://greatpods.co/ and follow Imran at his LinkedIn. And here's a link to the critic review of this show, as mentioned in this discussion!As a special bonus, anyone who leaves The Choose Your Struggle Podcast a review on their site will get 25% off a tank top or, if you already own one, a care package of other Choose Your Struggle items on the house! Just take a screen shot or a pic with your phone and send it to info@jayshifman.com with your address and your choice. What do you think? Everyone who responds, either by social media or my website, will get a sticker mailed to them. The first person to respond each week will get a magnet! So reach out or post something on your personal social media and tag me (and maybe share the show in the process?)!If something in this episode upsets you, or makes you feel a certain way, take a moment and do some mindfulness. When you have the words, the thought thrashed out, send it to me! Share the podcast, tell the world your thoughts. That's how we make change.No Good Egg or Card on Monday episodes.Looking for someone to wow your audience now that the world is reopening? My speaking calendar is booking up fast! But if you're interested in bringing me to your campus, your community group, your organization or any other location to speak about Mental Health, Substance Misuse & Recovery, or Drug Use & Policy, reach out to my strategist Ryan Holzhauer at ryan@jayshifman.com. Tank Tops are in! You can see what they look like on the website (thanks to my wife for modeling the women's cut). Reach out through the website to order. If you're looking for something a little less expensive, magnets are in too! Check them out on the website or Instagram. Patreon supporters get a discount so join Patreon! Support the Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ChooseYourStruggle Review the Podcast: https://ReviewThisPodcast.com/Choose-Your-Struggle. Support the Podcast, a different way: https://podhero.com/401017-ikv. Learn more about the Shameless Podcast Network: https://www.shamelessnetwork.com/ My Partner Bookshop (Support Local Book Stores and the Podcast in the Process!): https://bookshop.org/shop/CYS My Partner Road Runner (Use Code CYS for 10% off): www.roadrunnercbd.com/ref/CYS As always, you can find more at my links: https://jay.campsite.bio ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Robert Lee Yates Jr. had a normal upbringing, and grew up to have a large family of his own. Family man, church goer, and awarded army veteran was the outward appearance of Yates, all the while he was terrorizing Spokane as one of the worst serial killers in Washington State history. PNW Wine of the week: Clearwater Canyon Cellars 2019 Merlot Thanks to this week's sponsors: Choose Your Struggle Podcast https://www.jayshifman.com/choose-your-struggle-podcast Elite Executive Services https://www.ee-services.com/ Sources: https://www.karisable.com/skazyates.htm https://thecinemaholic.com/where-is-robert-lee-yatess-wife-now/ http://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/Psyc%20405/serial%20killers/Yates,%20Robert%20Lee.htm http://www.murderpedia.org/male.Y/y/yates-robert-lee.htm https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20001018&slug=4048483 http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,49462,00.html https://serialkillersinfo.com/serial-killers/robert-lee-yates-jr-serial-killer/ https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/dec/30/police-prove-mothers-worst-fears-true-bodies-of/

In this episode I am joined by public speaker, coach, and host of the choose your struggle podcast Jay Shifman. Jay has survived two suicide atemps and one over dose due to substance misuse. Jay talks about his long-term recovery, and how the drug use policy needs to change in order to help end stigma and normalize difficult conversations through empathy and vulnerability. You can check out what Jay is doing to have a positive impact at www.jayshiftman.com

In this episode of the podcast Keana W. Mitchell talks with Jay Shifman host of Choose Your Struggle podcast about mental health, social justice, drug laws, substance misuse, sucide, and what you can do if you or someone you love is abusing drugs. If you or someone you love is thinking about sucide please contact the national sucide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 For more information about Music and Therapy with Relationship Coach Keana W. Mitchell go to   https://keanawmitchell.club If you need affordable marriage counseling, then the counselors at Better Help are there for you. To find out more about their counseling services go to https://betterhelp.com/musicandvibes and use the promo code *"musicandvibes" to get 10% off your first month of services. * How to contact Jay Shifman!!! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Y3WGwH3TA0gU0vgl791qJ?si=LgmBLZN9Sa2NwQuJvmrtfw Facebook: @chooseyourstruggle Instagram: @chooseyourstruggle Join me on Social Media!!!!! Facebook: @musicandtherapykwm Music and Therapy Facebook Group Music and Therapy Podcast | Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/398054458153110 ) Instagram: @musicandtherapykwm Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/musicandvibess-podcast1443/donations

Jay Shifman, the host of “Choose Your Struggle” Podcast joins me for an open discussion about forbidden topics. Sometimes we come across individuals who may think differently than us but are seeking the exact same thing. Nothing new happens unless you can have great communication with those that have differing ideas. That is what todays episode is about. For the very first time in our podcast where we have a guest; I am not running this as an interview but instead a discussion about those very topics that nobody seems to want to talk about . Why? My guess is that people believe that If we don't discuss them then maybe it doesn't exist? The less we talk about it, the easier it is to sleep at night or maybe we don't talk about it, especially around our children because we believe it will taint their innocence. I doubt it, because, most likely they have seen those things we pretend don't exist, with suicide rising they most likely have had friends who took their lives, and sex; which is usually a forbidden act creates a confusion between right and wrong since they are told it is wrong but for many males and some females, it probably runs through their heads. All of these things that we don't want to talk about are left for them to deal with, alone, and maybe scared. Sometimes our perceptions of what is right and what is wrong can be based on biases, opinions, or perceptions that are flawed. Maybe we are anxious or nervous, or uncomfortable about discussing certain things so we don't for selfish reasons. Jay is a public speaker, and a coach. We have a similar mindset. He had pointed out in his request to me to come on this show that Each year, over 125,000 Americans die from overdose and suicide combined. Not including murders, dui deaths and all the other preventable losses from substance abuse. The changes needed are extensive from our legal standpoint, educational systems looking at the vast misinformation. Honest communication is needed to save lives which is our focus today around these topics. I am very excited to have him on here because we are going to discuss ideas and different ideas with a very open mind. For those that know me, know that I am extremely open minded to things. The changes needed are extensive from our legal standpoint, educational systems as we are flooded with vast misinformation. Honest communication is needed to save lives which is our focus today.

Jay Shifman's been deeply involved in helping people understand substance addiction for years. Recently he started up a public speaking business, but COVID put a damper on that. In today's episode, as we talked about the challenges of Jay getting to where he is today, we got to go pretty deep into some different things about addiction that many people don't realize, and also how vulnerability leads to empathy. Too often we think that sharing about our struggles is oversharing, when it's not really. And too often we go too long without opening up about what we're dealing with, and it goes unhelped. You'll get some cool insights about mental health, entrepreneurship and recovery in this episode. After listening, reach out to Jay at jayshifman.com, and listen to his podcast called The Choose Your Struggle Podcast. Also find him all over social media under the names jayshifman or chooseyourstruggle. Let's listen in now. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/archdevops/support

The Recovery Atheist discusses Recovery with Jay Shifman of the Choose Your Struggle Podcast via Zoom from the TRA Entertainment Studios!!!

In this episode, Eric Skwarczynski sits down with Jay Shifman, host of the Choose Your Struggle Podcast.Launched in February 2020, the Choose Your Struggle podcast seeks to educate listeners on the issues of Mental Health, Substance Misuse & Recovery, and Drug Use & Policy, and in doing so help end the stigma around these topics. Only by telling our stories; only by talking about these issues without shame, without hesitation, and without pause, only then will we create a society where those who struggle to feel comfortable speaking out. The podcast is published weekly, on Friday mornings, with the occasional special episode on Mondays. Each episode features me chatting with an incredibly knowledgeable person on one of these topics. Or at least something in relation to one of these topics! Past guests include former Congressmember Katie Hill, Comedian Frank King, The Addiction Doctor Robb Kelly, Ultramarathoner Greg Nance, and many others. The first season of the Choose Your Struggle Podcast closed in November. This season saw the podcast break into the top 200 Health and Wellness list on Apple and was streamed in more than thirty countries. Over 40% of listens this season came from outside the US.Find more stories regarding the IFB movement by visiting:preacherboysdoc.comhttps://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdochttps://twitter.com/preacherboysdochttps://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/To connect with a community who share the Preacher Boys Podcast mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jay Shifman was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University with a degree in Psychology. He also has certifications in Psychological First Aid, Drug Policy, and the Social Contexts of Mental Health and Illnesses, Suicide Prevention, and Coaching. Throughout his adult life, Jay Shifman has been struggling with a debilitating issue of mental health. He continued to struggle with mental health problems until his late 20s. After several years, he was able to recover and rehabilitate himself. He decided to dedicate his life to helping others coping with mental health and substance abuse. He succeeded in creating non-profit fundraising roles including the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Cincinnati Ballet. He served as the Political Director for the bipartisan consulting organization Mainstream Strategy. He also wrote publications including David's Voice, New York Magazine, and Guy Talk. He is also a Principal Consult at Ornelas Station Consulting. In addition, he is the founder of the Choose Your Struggle Podcast, a podcast that seeks to educate viewers on mental health, substance abuse, and recovery. Website: https://www.jayshifman.com/jayshifmanbio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChooseYourStruggle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenextshifman/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayshifman/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CYS_Jay ------------------------- Thanks for watching The Funky Brain Podcast with Dennis Berry. Dennis is a Life Coach for Addiction Recovery and Life Mastery. If you are struggling with any type of addiction like alcohol, food, porn, drugs, or shopping, reach out for help. Asking for help is the first step in solving the addiction puzzle. Maybe you're not struggling with an addiction, but you are simply “stuck” in life and don't know how to push through. Dennis is the master in helping people get laser-focused, accomplishing their goals and dreams, and achieving life mastery on every level. Dennis works with people worldwide and currently has clients in England, Australia, and India. Zoom is a beautiful tool for helping people all over the world. If you like what you see, and you'd like to hire Dennis to speak at your next event, he is the best motivational keynote speaker on the planet. He brings a ton of energy, experience, motivation, and inspiration to the table. His fun, witty, unique spin on life, with a touch of humor, will leave you motivated to get out there and improve yourself. Website: https://www.DennisBerry.com Email: contact@dennisberry.com LinkedIn: dennisberry1 Facebook: @LifeCoach.DennisBerry You can buy his best-selling book on Amazon - Funky Wisdom: A Practical Guide to Life

Jay Shifman is a Mental Health, Substance Misuse & Recovery Speaker. He is also a coach, advocate and host of the Choose Your Struggle Podcast. Jay strives every day to end the stigma around the topics of Mental Health and Substance Misuse & Recovery by telling his story and helping others tell theirs. Jay has certifications in Psychological First Aid, Drug Policy and the Social Contexts of Mental Health and Illnesses, Suicide Prevention, and Coaching, among others. Jay has decided to dedicate his life to making a difference around the topics of Mental Health and Substance Misuse & Recovery. After years of having his struggle chosen for him—to simply make it through the day—He finally chose what to struggle for. In this episode we discuss: Jay's incredible story, a misdiagnosis, substance misuse, 2 suicide attempts and an overdose and his journey to recovery. Why there is so much stigma around mental health and substance use and misuse and how we can overcome it. Unhealthy Addictions. Legalisation of certain substances. Normalising conversations around mental health. Therapy and holistic health for mental health. Why health practitioners and therapists should drop the ego and work together to help more people. Sharing stories in the right way to the right people. Jay's methodologies for helping others. Jay's mantra of chasing your struggle. Plus much much more. https://www.jayshifman.com/ https://www.instagram.com/thenextshifman/ https://www.kinetikfitness.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/aliwestcoach/ Booking a coaching consultation: https://westcoachingconsultcall.as.me/consultation --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thekinetikfitnessshow/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thekinetikfitnessshow/support

Tonight I had the pleasure of speaking with Jay Shifman! Jay is a mental health and substance misuse and recovery speaker, coach, advocate, AND the host of his own podcast called the Choose Your Struggle Podcast! We discussed the stigmas surrounding mental health, finding happiness wherever you can, and how Mel Brooks is a cinematic genius! Please make sure to check out Jay's website below! Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to the show! Jay's website: JayShifman.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app