Jason and Alex are pleased to be joined this week by Director of Operations for Catalyst Recovery, Diana Beals. From an early age, Diana always described herself as a thrill-seeker. She would jump her bike off an unfinished deck in her backyard as a young girl because the feeling of inner peace she achieved was something she would continually strive for. She believes that this was an early indicator that the addict gene was in her all along…it was just waiting to be kindled. She eventually was introduced to hard drugs by an unlikely source, and it was only a matter of time before she dove headfirst into addiction. Diana discusses the circumstances that led to her first experience with hard drugs and how long after it took for her to become dependent on the substance. She talks about how she has never blamed the person who first introduced her to hard drugs because she believes it was her own mindset that led her to those circumstances. Furthermore, Diana talks about her parents’ reaction to the situation/her addiction and how early childhood trauma may have played a part in her struggles down the road.   Next week, in Part 2, Diana talks about her experience going through a plethora of different treatment centers, how she was finally able to make a lasting change, and what has been most effective in helping her maintain long-term.   catalystrecovery.com   Instagram: @catalystrecovery   Twitter: @CatalystRecover   Facebook: @Catalystrecovery     For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org   If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org/donate   Follow us on Instagram at: @redsongbirdfoundation     New episode every Thursday!   Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast     Please subscribe, rate, and review!   Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, Alex Meschi and Jaana Woodbury are joined by speaker, entrepreneur, app developer, author, and CEO of Goldratt Research Labs, Dr. Alan Barnard. From an early age, Dr. Barnard was always fascinated by human decision making. He would wonder what would influence individuals to make the decisions they did and why many good people made bad decisions. He has since dedicated his work to the study of behavioral psychology and decision science to hopefully find an answer to these questions. He discusses with Alex and Jaana the idea of positive/negative responses in accordance with life events and explains why reacting rather than responding to a situation may not render the best results. Additionally, he explains how his research in decision making can also be applied to addiction treatment. He asserts that addicts are good people by nature in that they have identified a problem within themselves or something they are suffering from, but their decision making has simply resulted in them choosing a negative coping mechanism to deal with the root complication. Finally, Dr. Barnard talks about how overcomplicating addiction treatment by adding more and more steps in some instances can ultimately increase failure rates and produce negative results.   You can find Dr. Barnard and his work at the following:   dralanbarnard.com   goldrattresearchlabs.com   YouTube: DrAlanBarnard   Harmony Decision Maker App:   - About   - Get it here!     For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org   If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org/donate   Follow us on Instagram at: @redsongbirdfoundation     New episode every Thursday!   Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast     Please subscribe, rate, and review!   Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, Veronica Valli: author, recovery coach, and host of the Soberful Podcast, celebrating her 22nd year of sobriety, joins Alex Meschi and Jaana Woodbury. Veronica was introduced to alcohol and drugs at an early age. She discovered substances seemingly went hand in hand with a few other things she adored: partying, dancing, and going to nightclubs. Things began taking a dark turn, however, when she found herself hospitalized after a bad hallucinogenic experience and compromising her integrity and dignity while under the influence. All the while, Veronica was completely bought into the idea that she could not enjoy herself without alcohol. Life continued to evolve into a constant state of fear; fear she was not good enough, fear she was not lovable, fear of what people thought of her, and she was desperate to put an end to these feelings. Finally, after visiting with nearly every specialist under the sun, she pinpointed that alcohol was the root of all her problems, and she hasn’t looked back since. Veronica talks about how, in her first year without alcohol, she built a habit of sobriety that would stick with her the rest of her life. She also talks about how, for her, sobriety has not been difficult, being an alcoholic was. She goes on to explain how there are four specific things people with an alcohol problem do: they drink, they think about drinking, they think about not drinking, and they recover. All these things take up bandwidth in one’s mind and an individual can spend their whole life fixated on this one problem, missing all the important moments that come along the way. She also discusses how the life experiences she thought were being enhanced by substances have become even more meaningful in a clear state of mind. After 22 years of sobriety, Veronica says that life does not get any better than what is right now for her, and she credits the early habits she adopted to get her where she is today.   You can find Veronica and all her work at the following:   veronicavalli.com   soberful.com   Instagram: @veronicajvalli   Her book: Soberful: Uncover a Sustainable, Fulfilling Life Free of Alcohol   Her Podcast: Soberful     For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org   If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org/donate   Follow us on Instagram at: @redsongbirdfoundation     New episode every Thursday!   Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast     Please subscribe, rate, and review!   Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, Hilary and Jaana conclude their conversation with Ocean Recovery CEO, Cade Saurage. The previous week we left off with Cade describing the moment he finally surrendered, and we pick back up this week as he describes how things went from there. Both Cade and his then-wife were battling addiction, going through treatment at the same time, and raising kids amid their struggles. With over 15 years of sobriety under his belt now, he discusses the differences between short-term and long-term sobriety and how much his routine has changed over the years. For Cade, having a relationship with God and mentoring others who are in the same position he once was in are the key components to maintaining his recovery today. He also talks about how important self-care and particularly therapy have been in continuing his path of sobriety. Finally, honesty has been a huge piece in transforming himself, so Cade suggests to anybody keeping something inside to reach out to that particular someone and get whatever it is off their chest.   oceanrecovery.com     For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org   If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org/donate   Follow us on Instagram at: @redsongbirdfoundation     New episode every Thursday!   Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast     Please subscribe, rate, and review!   Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, in Part 1 of a two-part episode, Hilary and Jaana Woodbury are joined by Ocean Recovery CEO, Cade Saurage. Growing up surrounded by drinkers, Cade discovered his liking of alcohol at an early age. Lots of drinking in high school eventually evolved into a liking for cocaine later in his college years. It all seemed like fun at the time in his early 20s, but he found out how difficult things would become after college when he had to “grow up”. Cade thought he could do all the right things for himself and his family while also maintaining a thriving party lifestyle. He found; however, this mixture was a recipe for disaster. Sadly, Cade’s mother passed away from cancer while he was in his mid-20s and it turned his whole life upside down. Tumbling further into drinking and partying, he found himself in and out of jail and suffering significant consequences. He recalls never being able to stay sober for a significant amount of time and tells the story of his father asking him, “if you can’t stay sober for yourself, why can’t you stay sober for your kids?”; a question he didn’t have the answer to. Cade also recalls how rediscovering his faith in treatment and the dedication of one particular woman from Child Protective Services would go on to change his life. Today, as the CEO of Ocean Recovery in Newport Beach, CA, Cade has been able to maintain his sobriety for nearly 15 years by sharing his experiences with those currently suffering from the disease and utilizing all the lessons he has learned along the way.   oceanrecovery.com     For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org   If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org/donate   Follow us on Instagram at: @redsongbirdfoundation     New episode every Thursday!   Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast     Please subscribe, rate, and review!   Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, Hilary and Jason welcome Bring The Light Ministries Founder, Pastor Earl Fitzsimmons. Feeling out of place in his younger years, Earl just wanted to be “one of the guys”, believing that drinking was the answer. He quickly found out, however, that his drinking was different than that of his peers and that he was drinking alcoholically. Things progressed, as they do, into his early twenties to the point in which Earl would plan his whole day around his drinking and he would be "poured" into a cab by the end of the night. Yet, one day, something snapped within Earl, and he finally was able to recognize that he didn’t want to live this life of drinking and drugging any longer. He explains how getting reacquainted with his faith is what ultimately turned his life around and eventually led him to becoming a pastor. Earl also talks about how, although there may be people close to you trying to point out a problem, the change will only start when a person can identify within themselves that they are struggling. Finally, Earl shares the story of how a simple desire to be of service spawned into something much bigger!   To learn more about Pastor Earl and Bring The Light Ministries, please visit:   bringthelight.org     For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org   If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org/donate   Follow us on Instagram at: @redsongbirdfoundation     New episode every Thursday!   Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast     Please subscribe, rate, and review!   Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

A few weeks earlier, Danielle Provot was kind enough to share the story of losing her husband to addiction and having to overcome her own struggles with the same disease soon after. During this time, Danielle had two young girls…Mataya was one of them. Today, Mataya Mandarino joins Hilary and Alex to give her perspective of what it was like losing her father at such a young age and how her parents’ struggles with addiction affected her. Losing her father and watching her mom work through it put her into a state of constant anxiety. Mataya felt like she had to be the mother of the household and talks about how she subconsciously became overbearing and overprotective of her mom as she had already lost one parent and did not want to lose another. Eventually, Mataya made her way into therapy and has not looked back. She discusses how therapy helped her establish boundaries she never would have been able to formulate herself and how it has made her relationship with her mother better than ever. In addition to highly recommending therapy to younger individuals, Mataya stresses the importance of being honest with your doctor because even though therapy was helping significantly, things didn’t truly take a "major turn" until she was additionally prescribed anti-anxiety medication. Mataya also talks about how, even though she may be genetically predisposed to addiction, she feels ahead of the curve. By putting her past experiences and traumas at the forefront of her mind when it comes to substances in the outside world, she feels she is better prepared than most to handle them. Finally, Mataya leaves the audience, especially any younger individuals listening, with the simple action of having hope. She expresses how even though whatever you’re going through right now may seem like it is never-ending, it will pass and you will be stronger because of it.     For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org   If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org/donate   Follow us on Instagram at: @redsongbirdfoundation     New episode every Thursday!   Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast     Please subscribe, rate, and review!   Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Life and Business Coach, Angie Wisdom, joins Alex and Ariel Gale this week, as they fill in for Hilary and Jason. Stemming from a desire of always wanting to help people, Angie began an early career in nursing. She quickly found out, however, that this was not the right fit for her. She also grew up loving numbers and finance, so she then transitioned into a career as a financial adviser, recognizing this as another method to help people by way of establishing a solid financial well-being. After doing this for many years, she made her way into life and business coaching and has been successfully navigating her clients into futures they never thought possible. She talks about how one of the biggest roadblocks to overcome for her clients is identifying values. With so much hustle and bustle throughout our daily lives, Angie believes the things that truly make us happy can get lost in the shuffle. Once her clients are able to strip everything down to the core and to what really matters for them, she can help guide them to that goal and fulfill those values daily. Also, although many aspects of each can overlap, Angie discusses the difference between life coaching and therapy. She describes therapy as recovering from things experienced in life while coaching is aimed more toward the future and what steps can be taken to get there. Whether you are looking to take your business to a new level or are just simply trying to get the most happiness out of your life, Angie works with her clients to reach the ultimate goal.   You can find more about Angie and her practice at:   Website: angiewisdom.com   Instagram: @angiewisdomlifecoach     For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org   If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org/donate   Follow us on Instagram at: @redsongbirdfoundation     New episode every Thursday!   Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast     Please subscribe, rate, and review!   Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Hilary and Alex are joined this week by Behavioral Health Care Consultant, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and Psychotherapist, Gil Carmona, in preparation for RSF’s Community Town Hall on Mental Health & Suicide this upcoming Sunday, April 10th. At an early age, Gil endured a trauma that would turn his whole life upside down. When he was only 14 years old, his father committed suicide, leaving his entire family in a state of shock and disbelief. Gil, for one, had an enormity of questions, beginning his quest and desire to get to the bottom of “why” his father had done such a thing. One of his life’s lowest moments turned into one of his greatest strengths, however, as he began seeking education to help others going through similar circumstances, culminating into a Master of Social Work and over 30 years’ experience as a Clinical Social Worker. With so many people having endured difficult events and circumstances, Gil stresses the importance of getting help and talking through traumatic experiences through therapy and those you trust. He also discusses the prioritization of daily self-care and how one can begin to identify symptoms that they may be struggling with. In a day and age in which mental health is now taking a bigger priority, it is Gil’s passion and purpose to help marginalized populations afflicted with the disease of mental illness and/or drug addiction find their place, speak their voice, and master their specialized needs for a more confident and healthier individual.   (We apologize in advance for audio quality in parts of the episode. We experienced some technical difficulties with Hilary’s microphone. We should be back to normal next week!)   Website: gilcarmona.com   For more information and to RSVP for this weekend’s Town Hall, please visit: redsongbird.org/townhall     For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org   If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org/donate   Follow us on Instagram at: @redsongbirdfoundation     New episode every Thursday!   Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast     Please subscribe, rate, and review!   Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

This week, RSF team member, Ariel Gale, fills in alongside Alex as the two are joined by content creator, Danielle Provot. Danielle is an individual who has truly experienced addiction from a variety of different angles. She talks about what it was like witnessing her late husband’s struggle with opioids and an untreated bipolar disorder all the way up until the disease of addiction took his life. Losing her husband and the father of her two young girls at the time understandably proved to be one of the most difficult things she had ever endured, which soon progressed her own drinking and furthered her own path into addiction. She later recalls a particular moment during her struggle when she thought about how her two girls had just lost their father and that if she went any further into her own addiction, they might one day lose their mother. This was the moment in which she knew things had to change and that she not only needed to get sober for her children, but more importantly, for herself. Danielle discusses how getting sober has changed everything for the better in her life, especially the dynamic with her children. By looking at how much early damage she had done, she credits family therapy as one of her most significant pieces of healing and how it has created a level of communication between her and her two girls that she never would’ve imagined. Finally, she stresses the importance of service and prayer, as these are two actions that can not only help others but allow her to get out of her own head.   Instagram: @dprovot     For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org   If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org/donate   Follow us on Instagram at: @redsongbirdfoundation     New episode every Thursday!   Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast     Please subscribe, rate, and review!   Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.