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Sergeant Kevin Briggs is a retired California Highway Patrol officer known as the Guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge. For more than 20 years, Kevin patrolled the Golden Gate Bridge, where he saved more than 200 people from suicide. Today, Kevin shares how his own battles with abuse, cancer, and depression gave him a unique compassion, and the unforgettable lessons he's learned from hundreds of conversations with those on the edge of despair. In a world where societal pressures and personal pain can drown out hope, Kevin's story reminds us that a simple, empathetic presence can rekindle the courage to choose life. My friends, as suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States, this conversation reminds us that even in our darkest moments, there's light—and a way forward.
Sergeant Kevin Briggs is a retired California Highway Patrol officer known as the 'Guardian of the Golden Gate.' He spent years patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge, where he compassionately convinced hundreds not to take their lives. A trained negotiator and mental health advocate, his story has been featured in TED Talks, major media outlets, and his book, “Guardian of the Golden Gate.” Now, through his organization, Pivotal Points, Kevin travels the world promoting mental health awareness, sharing his personal journey, and teaching others how to communicate with those in crisis. The full show notes, with links, resources we mention, and podcast sponsors can be found HERE.
Sergeant Kevin Briggs is a retired California Highway Patrol officer who spent many years patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. While on patrol, he encountered numerous individuals clinging to life by a thread – individuals who had lost hope and could see no way out of their current situation - ready to jump off the bridge to what they assumed was a sudden death and ending of their pain and hopelessness. His TED talk entitled, "The bridge between life and death", has had millions of views. He is the author of the book, "Guardian of the Gate". Thanks to our sponsor, Paired, the relationship app for couples. You and your partner download the app, “Pair” together, and every day Paired gives you questions, quizzes and games to have fun, stay connected and deepen your conversations. It's simple and often hilarious and heartwarming! Each day you get a quiz to play, or a question to answer and you can't see your partner's answer until you answer yourself. Whether you're just a few dates in or have been together a long time, it's time to lighten the mood and have fun with your partner by using Paired. Paired has a special offer for our Nobody Told Me! listeners. Head to PAIRED.COM/NOBODY to get a 7-day free trial and 25% off if you sign up for a subscription. Thanks to our sponsor, Lomi, the world's first Smart Waste Appliance. If you've struggled with composting and feel it's too much work, or feel bad that you're not doing your part to help the environment, you have to check out Lomi, the countertop electric composter. Just about anything you'd put into the kitchen disposer can be put into the Lomi on your countertop and turned into dirt in four hours. Use that dirt in your garden! There's no smell when Lomi runs and it's really quiet. Turn your food waste into dirt with the press of a button with Lomi. Lomi will make the perfect gift for someone on your shopping list! Just head to LOMI.COM/NTM and use the promo code NTM to get $50 off your Lomi!
Sergeant Kevin Briggs is the founder and CEO of Pivotal Points. Kevin is a retired highway patrol sergeant who spent many years patrolling the Golden Gate bridge. He encountered numerous individuals clinging to life by a thread. These individuals had lost hope and couldn't see a way out of their current situation. They were ready to jump off the bridge to end their pain and hopelessness. One of the people Kevin Briggs saved was Kevin Berthia, a previous guest on the Mitlin Money Mindset™. Throughout his career, Briggs' compassion, gentle voice, eye contact, and innate ability to listen encouraged more than 200 individuals not to jump. Kevin earned the nickname, “Guardian of the Golden Gate.” Briggs retired early and has dedicated his life to promoting mental health awareness across the world through his organization, Pivotal Points. He trains people in suicide prevention, de-escalation, and negotiation techniques. Listen in for some great takeaways about how to listen to understand and Kevin's impact on the world. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... Learn more about Kevin Briggs and why he founded Pivotal Points [3:33] How his experience saving Kevin Berthia's life impacted him [5:54] How training for first responders has evolved over time [8:00] How family members reaching out to Kevin has impacted him [12:17] Why Kevin cares so strongly about suicide prevention [13:41] What Kevin wants people to know about suicide prevention [15:11] How to identify if someone is struggling with suicidal ideation [16:06] Kevin shares why it's so powerful to “listen to understand” [21:41] What you can do today to improve your mental health [24:27] The next big thing on the horizon for Kevin Briggs [28:19] What brought Kevin joy and put him in the mindset for success [28:59] Resources & People Mentioned The reMarkable 2 Connect with Kevin Briggs The website On Instagram On Linkedin On Facebook Bio Briggs, a retired California Highway Patrol sergeant, spent many years patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge. While on patrol, he encountered numerous individuals clinging to life by a thread – individuals who had lost hope and could see no way out of their current situation - ready to jump off the bridge to what they assumed was a sudden death and ending of their pain and hopelessness. Briggs, through his compassion, gentle voice, eye contact, and his innate ability of “listening to understand” encouraged more than 200 individuals over his career to not end their life, but to begin a new chapter. These challenging but rewarding efforts earned him the nickname “Guardian of the Golden Gate.” After spending 3 years in the United States Army, 3 years with the California Department of Corrections and 23 years with the California Highway Patrol, Briggs retired to dedicate his life to promote mental health awareness across the globe through Pivotal Points, an organization he founded. Today, Briggs is mapping a movement as he speaks and trains others in suicide prevention, de-escalation, and negotiations. He shares his “Listening to Understand” skills followed up with key active listening points and discusses in depth his own personal mental health struggles. Briggs spends the majority of his time speaking/teaching at conferences, community events and seminars worldwide. His first book, Guardian of the Golden Gate: Protecting the Line Between Hope and Despair, was released in July 2015. A series of Wellness workbooks are currently in production and will debut in 2022. Guests on the Mitlin Money Mindset Show are not affiliated with CWM, LLC, and opinions expressed herein may not be representative of CWM, LLC. CWM, LLC is not responsible for the guest's content linked on this site. Connect With Mitlin Financial podcast(at)MitlinFinancial.com - email us with your suggestions for topics or guests https://mitlinfinancial.com Follow on Twitter Follow on Instagram Subscribe on Youtube Follow on Linkedin Follow on Facebook Subscribe to Mitlin Money Mindset™ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts
Sergeant Kevin Briggs (also known as the Guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge) was a California Highway Patrol officer noted for his work in suicide intervention, having dissuaded more than two hundred people from jumping off of the Golden Gate Bridge into the San Francisco Bay. He retirement from the California Highway Patrol in 2013...
Sergeant Kevin Briggs is an international crisis management and suicide prevention expert. His Ted Talk – “The bridge between suicide and life” has been viewed over 6 million times. Kevin is a retired California highway patrol Sergeant. He has spent many years patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, where he witnessed many individuals clinging to life by a thread, people who had lost hope and could see no way out. Through his compassion, gentle voice, eye contact, and his ability to listen, encourage them not to go over the rails of the bridge or come back to solid ground and start a new chapter in their life. His nickname is the Guardian Angel of the Golden Gate Bridge. Listen for free
On today’s episode we’ll be sharing some recommended listening from our friends at Lemonada Media. We’re inviting you to take a listen to the first episode of Season 2 of the Last Day podcast. “We open Season 2 of Last Day with a tale of two Kevins. One is Sergeant Kevin Briggs, also known as the guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge. The other is Kevin Berthia, an Oakland native who drove to that bridge on March 11, 2005 with the intent of ending his life. This week, we tell the larger story behind a moment of intervention — what led up to it and what happened in the 15 years since.” To hear more of Last Day Season 2 and to check out all of Season One, head to smarturl.it/lastdaypodcast Download a transcript of this episode at www.twloha.com/podcast. Follow TWLOHA on social media at: https://twitter.com/TWLOHA https://www.instagram.com/twloha/ https://www.facebook.com/towriteloveonherarms/ Visit our FIND HELP page of mental health resources at https://twloha.com/find-help/. Get connected for free, 24/7 to a trained crisis counselor via Crisis Text Line by texting TWLOHA to 741741. Connect with our team by emailing podcast@twloha.com. Learn more about the podcast and previous episodes at twloha.com/podcast.
We open Season 2 of Last Day with a tale of two Kevins. One is Sergeant Kevin Briggs, also known as the guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge. The other is Kevin Berthia, an Oakland native who drove to that bridge on March 11, 2005 with the intent of ending his life. This week, we tell the larger story behind a moment of intervention — what led up to it and what happened in the 15 years since. We’re also joined by Courtney Knowles, our advisor at the Jed Foundation, who’s here to poke holes in our narrative. Season 2 of Last Day is created in partnership with The Jed Foundation. The Jed Foundation (JED) empowers teens and young adults with the skills and support to grow into healthy, thriving adults. You can find tips, tools and resources for taking care of your emotional health available at: www.jedcares.org/lastday Resources from the episode: Kevin Berthia has a new foundation! Check it out here. Kevin Briggs can be booked to speak about crisis management and suicide prevention through Pivotal Points. To learn more about recommendations for reporting on suicide, visit https://reportingonsuicide.org/ If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally or feeling hopeless, it’s important to talk to someone about it now. Contact one of the resources below for a free, confidential conversation with a trained counselor anytime. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Text line: Text “Connect” to 741-741 The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386 Support the show by checking out our sponsors: The Jane Club is a community for women, mothers, and caretakers. Their all-inclusive virtual membership, the Connected Jane, offers daily meditations, fitness classes, community check-in’s and evening social gatherings for only $50 per month. Head to janeclub.com and use the code INSIDER JANE FF for $10 off your first month. What you put on your face matters. True Botanicals is MADE SAFE® certified - meaning they are made without toxic ingredients. Try them for yourself! Head to truebotanicals.com/lastday to get 15% off your first purchase. Look no further than Rothys for a shoe that’s all about comfort and sustainability. They’re knit from repurposed plastic water bottles - and they’re machine washable! Head to rothys.com/lastday to check them out. To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/last-day shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We open Season 2 of Last Day with a tale of two Kevins. One is Sergeant Kevin Briggs, also known as the guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge. The other is Kevin Berthia, an Oakland native who drove to that bridge on March 11, 2005 with the intent of ending his life. This week, we tell the larger story behind a moment of intervention—what led up to it and what happened in the 15 years since. We’re also joined by Courtney Knowles, our advisor at the Jed Foundation (a nonprofit devoted to emotional health and suicide prevention), who’s here to poke holes in our narrative. If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally or feeling hopeless, it’s important to talk to someone about it now. Contact one of the resources below for a free, confidential conversation with a trained counselor anytime. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Text line: Text “Connect” to 741-741 The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386 Season 2 of Last Day is created in partnership with The Jed Foundation. Transitioning into adulthood can bring big changes and intense challenges. The Jed Foundation (JED) empowers teens and young adults with the skills and support to grow into healthy, thriving adults. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We open Season 2 of Last Day with a tale of two Kevins. One is Sergeant Kevin Briggs, also known as the guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge. The other is Kevin Berthia, an Oakland native who drove to that bridge on March 11, 2005 with the intent of ending his life. This week, we tell the larger story behind a moment of intervention—what led up to it and what happened in the 15 years since. We’re also joined by Courtney Knowles, our advisor at the Jed Foundation (a nonprofit devoted to emotional health and suicide prevention), who’s here to poke holes in our narrative. If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally or feeling hopeless, it’s important to talk to someone about it now. Contact one of the resources below for a free, confidential conversation with a trained counselor anytime. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Text line: Text “Connect” to 741-741 The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386 Season 2 of Last Day is created in partnership with The Jed Foundation. Transitioning into adulthood can bring big changes and intense challenges. The Jed Foundation (JED) empowers teens and young adults with the skills and support to grow into healthy, thriving adults. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We open Season 2 of Last Day with a tale of two Kevins. One is Sergeant Kevin Briggs, also known as the guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge. The other is Kevin Berthia, an Oakland native who drove to that bridge on March 11, 2005 with the intent of ending his life. This week, we tell the larger story behind a moment of intervention—what led up to it and what happened in the 15 years since. We’re also joined by Courtney Knowles, our advisor at the Jed Foundation (a nonprofit devoted to emotional health and suicide prevention), who’s here to poke holes in our narrative. If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally or feeling hopeless, it’s important to talk to someone about it now. Contact one of the resources below for a free, confidential conversation with a trained counselor anytime. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Text line: Text “Connect” to 741-741 The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386 Season 2 of Last Day is created in partnership with The Jed Foundation. Transitioning into adulthood can bring big changes and intense challenges. The Jed Foundation (JED) empowers teens and young adults with the skills and support to grow into healthy, thriving adults. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ross Patterson and Dan Hollaway sit down with special guest Sergeant Kevin Briggs to discuss his life long work of helping those who are contemplating suicide. Sergeant Briggs has saved over 200 people from jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in his career. September is Suicide Prevention Month, so if you or a loved one are in need of someone to talk to, please call 1-800-273-8255. ghostbed.com/drinkinbros buyraycon.com/drinkinbros
Ross Patterson and Dan Hollaway sit down with special guest Sergeant Kevin Briggs to discuss his life long work of helping those who are contemplating suicide. Sergeant Briggs has saved over 200 people from jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in his career. September is Suicide Prevention Month, so if you or a loved one are in need of someone to talk to, please call 1-800-273-8255. ghostbed.com/drinkinbros buyraycon.com/drinkinbros
After my interview with first responder, Sergeant Kevin Briggs, I KNEW I had to track down Kevin Berthia, 'the man on the bridge', to hear more of his story.Listen in as Kevin shares his story of adoption, loneliness, helplessness, love, hope and self-worth - all punctuated by his very-public attempted suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge.Berthia made international headlines in 2005 when that gut-wrenching 90-minute ordeal went viral (Google 'Kevin Berthia' to see the harrowing photo). Find out why it took YEARS after the attempt to finally find hope.This episode was powerful - prepare to be inspired. The discussion tackles toxic masculinity, the issues around men showing emotion, why men suppress their feelings, and what Kevin wishes others had done to help support him when he was suicidal.Kevin is a sought-after public speaker and a passionate advocate for suicide prevention, acting as a example that depression recovery is possible for everyone.Keep up-to-date with Kevin's advocacy work here:https://twitter.com/KevinBerthiahttps://www.facebook.com/kevin.berthia.7https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-berthia-980519a7/
Heidi speaks with retired California Highway Patrolman Kevin Briggs (aka: The Guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge) about his suicide prevention work, his time as a crisis negotiator, managing depression on the job, talking people back from the edge, and his post-CHiPS life. This fascinating look at the life and work of Sergeant Briggs is the first in Heidi’s new podcast series, Tell The Others.Learn more about Sergeant Briggs and his work below:http://www.pivotal-points.com/http://www.facebook.com/PivotalPointshttps://twitter.com/pivotalptskevinbriggs@pivotal-points.com
Kevin Briggs spent 18 years stopping 200+ Golden Gate Bridge suicides. Kevin has story after story, tactic after tactic, lesson after lesson. In this episode we cover A LOT. Kevin shares what he learnt in his years both saving and sometimes losing lives on the bridge. What is the first thing Kevin would say? It is probably not what you expect. What about the things you should avoid saying, well, Kevin has his four comments that he always avoids. Even though Kevin became educated and trained on deescalation it wasn’t those skills that allowed him to help guide over 200 people back onto the safe side of the bridge. It was listening, it was understanding, it was patience and authenticity. It was being honest and true, staying away from cliches and talking human to human allowing the individual to clear the darkest thoughts possible and think with some instance of clarity and rationale. Kevin doesn’t consider himself a hero. I will let you hear his story and decide for yourself. Pivotal Points Guardian of thee Golden Gate - Book Kevin Briggs TedTalk Heroic Clothing Send me an email: ben@heroicminds.live
Sergeant Kevin Briggs is a retired California Highway Patrol officer who spent many years patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. While on patrol, he encountered numerous individuals clinging to life by a thread – individuals who had lost hope and could see no way out of their current situation - ready to jump off the bridge to what they assumed was a sudden death and ending of their pain and hopelessness. His TED talk entitled, "The bridge between life and death", has had more than two and a half million views. He is the author of "Guardian of the Gate".
Sergeant Kevin Briggs is known by many as the “Guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge.” An army veteran with no formal suicide prevention training, Kevin Briggs dissuaded more than 200 people from jumping off the bridge over his 23 years with the California Highway Patrol. With a gentle voice and compassionate lens on the world, Kevin shares his experiences working with people who are in tremendous pain and how his innate ability of “listening to understand” has been his greatest tool in encouraging people to come back over the rail onto solid ground. Retired, Briggs is now dedicating his life to promoting mental health awareness and suicide prevention across the globe.Benefitting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
As an international Crisis Management, Suicide Prevention, and Leadership Skills presenter, Sergeant Kevin Briggs’ story and lived experiences have been featured at the Technology, Entertainment, and Design 2014 Conference as a TED Talk. His first book, Guardian of the Golden Gate: Protecting the Line Between Hope and Despair, was released in July 2015. Briggs, a retired California Highway Patrol sergeant, encountered numerous individuals clinging to life by a thread – individuals who had lost hope and could see no way out of their current situation - ready to jump off the bridge.
Dr. Narketta Sparkman-Key provides psychological insight into the reason middle-age white men are the most at-risk population for suicide. Sergeant Kevin Briggs shares his experience working for the California Highway Patrol on the Golden Gate Bridge--saving upwards of 200 would-be jumpers. He now works exclusively on suicide prevention and intervention at www.pivotal-points.com
Sergeant Kevin Briggs is a retired California Highway Patrol officer who spent many years patrolling the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. While on patrol, he encountered numerous individuals clinging to life by a thread – individuals who had lost hope and could see no way out of their current situation - ready to jump off the bridge to what they assumed was a sudden death and ending of their pain and hopelessness. His TED talk entitled, "The bridge between life and death", has had more than two and a half million views. He is the author of "Guardian of the Gate". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sergeant Kevin Briggs is a retired California Highway Patrol officer who spent most of his time on the Golden Gate Bridge encouraging people not to commit suicide by jumping. He was nicknamed the guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge and has helped over 200 people make the decision not to end their life. After retiring, he continued his work by traveling worldwide to speak on the subjects of crisis management, suicide prevention, and leadership skills. He speaks and teaches at conferences and law enforcement departments, as well as consulting and advising major companies and corporations. His story has been featured in numerous magazines and newspapers, which includes him being a cancer survivor, dealing with heart issues, and going through a divorce. He is currently working on his autobiography set to release in July of 2015. Kevin joins Charlie on the show today to discuss his work and knowledge of crisis management, share some personal stories, and much more. Key Takeaways: 02:35 – Kevin’s first encounter on the Golden Gate Bridge. 06:01 – The little amount of training Kevin had received before taking his first suicide call and why that is. 08:43 – The emotional journey Kevin goes through when taking a suicide call and how it changes his perspective on life. 11:06 – Kevin’s second suicide encounter. 12:57 – Handling compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma and Kevin’s own depression. 15:55 – The importance of police officers and others in that field of work getting help for their stress and depression they may feel after seeing the things that they see. 19:14 – What the Quality of Life Triad is and where that came from. 21:43 – The importance of self-care and the resistance Kevin faces from fellow officers. 25:14 – Why people are so reluctant to seek help. 27:55 – Kevin’s RELEASE model. 31:55 – Tips on how to listen to someone and help them without judging or telling them what they need to do. 33:45 – Kevin’s own personal situation he dealt with when finding out his son was cutting. 38:44 – The importance of communicating and talking with your family and friends. Mentioned In This Episode: The New Yorker Magazine People Magazine USA Today Pivotal Points Quality of Life Triad RELEASE model