Learn From People Who Lived it Mathew Blades Media

From Alcoholism and Chronic Illness to Endurance Racing: Defying the Odds with Nick Klingensmith
In this episode, you'll hear:
How did Nick go from dealing with medical issues to being an extreme athlete? 
How can we shift out of the victim mentality? 
What do defensive feelings tell us about our role in the situation?
Are you drinking more than you’d like? Are your relationships not where you want them to be? Do you feel like medical issues are all you will ever know? If you are ready for a change, this is for you. 
In this episode, Mathew, Dr. Dave, and Nick discuss why making dramatic change is so hard for many people, how a rebellious kid became an adult rebelling against his own bad habits, and what it means to understand that “everything that happened to me is for me." Nick tells us he was abandoned, neglected, and rejected by his parents and the kids at school. His drinking started when he was young because it helped him feel like he finally fit in and turned off the part of his brain that made him care if they even liked him or not. Dr. Dave notes that these kinds of patterns will follow us into adulthood unless we go out of our way to change them. Fear controlled Nick's life when he was younger, and now he actively faces his fear to regain control. Nick sees failure as a prerequisite for moving forward and understands that when faced with a challenge, it is not a binary of “yes or no” or “can you or can't you." Instead, it's about how you can and what it will take. What do you want to do, and what is the price of admission? 
Nick Klingensmith is a 4x cancer survivor, type 1 diabetic, recovering alcoholic, has sleep apnea, nerve damage, 7 herniated discs from 2 rollover accidents, and almost died from meningitis. However, he defied it all and redefined his life when he became an obstacle course racer and is now living inspired to embrace purpose, overcome adversity, find belonging, and encourage others to do the same. After being thrown out of a Las Vegas hotel in a drunken haze, jeopardizing his career and relationships, Nick knew he had to make a change. After he beat cancer for the fourth time, his boss suggested he train for a Spartan race that was 9 weeks away. Nick had so many reasons he told himself he couldn't do it, but eventually, he decided to try. For him, it was about defying comfort and realizing that he could experience life. Refusing to accept his limitations, Nick has completed over 100 Spartan races, six major marathons, several ultras, and scores of other obstacle and endurance events. He left the logistics industry to pursue his career as a motivational speaker, using his experience in endurance racing and overcoming his personal adversity to inspire other achievement-driven professionals to push past self-limiting doubts, build resilience, and take purposeful action toward their goals.
“The superpower I embrace is vulnerability.”
Follow the podcast: 
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM) 
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE) 
 
Resources:
StrideMotivation.com
THROUGH THE FIRE 
Spartan Races
DavidGoggins.com
 
Connect with Mathew Blades: 
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/ 
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/ 
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
 
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

Hello, and welcome to a special one-off episode of our podcast. Today, I want to feature a podcast I helped produce called the Nourished Life Podcast. Ang and Claire host it, and their goal is to get you some life-giving nuggets to help you live the life you dream of.  Here is their explanation:
You are invited to listen to a journey focused on holistic wellness, the pillars of healthy eating, physical activity, and self-care. It is hosted by Ang and Claire, who have a passion for healthy lifestyles, personal experience, and educational background in these areas. They offer tips, debunk media health myths, and create an understanding that living a healthy lifestyle is not overwhelming!
The podcast dives into the importance of nourishing the body with whole foods, exploring topics such as the benefits of a plant- based diet, how to cut processed sugars, navigate the grocery store isles and prepping your food for the week to build success to reach your personal goals!
Ang and Claire address how to live an active lifestyle and what that means for you. They explore the benefits of why moving the body is key and offer a perspective on how to approach ”working out” as a positive and not something to dread. From walks to high-intensity interval training, we will help you find what movement is perfect for you!
Let’s not forget about the importance of self-care! Claire shares some of her favorite things to do when it comes to her self-care routines, and Ang offers some of her favorites to recharge her battery! Each of them goes over how to be mindful, get better sleep, slow down and be in the moment, shift your mindset, handle stress, and disconnect from tech!
Ang and Claire’s biggest goal is to get you nuggets to live your best life! Be encouraged that they are here to meet you where you are at, cheer you on with the small wins, and fuel your life to become a better you!
Find them on Apple here:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nourished-life-podcast/id1731931063
 

Come to a Ketamine Treatment with Me 
In this episode, you'll hear:
What is ketamine, why are people using it, and how it works
Why ketamine has a bad reputation and potential side effects 
What Mathew’s experience was like before, during, and after
Have you ever wondered what a ketamine therapy session is like? Well, wonder no more! There is always more to learn, and it’s not the right treatment for everyone, but today Mathew is heading down to inLIGHTen Wellness to visit Sandy and receive his first ketamine infusion.
Sandy Indermuhle is the founder and medical director at inLIGHTen Wellness, and today she is also Mathew’s transformational guide. She was an emergency medicine physician for 15 years before she started doing her own healing work with psychedelics and realized many of us have deep wounds that aren't being healed by traditional medicine. Psychedelics worked for her, she felt called to it, and now she shares the gift with others to help them find healing as well. 
Ketamine is a legal substance used in hospitals all over the world. It has been gaining in popularity over the past several years as we learn more about the proven impacts it has on helping people overcome PTSD, anxiety, depression, and a host of other issues. However, traditionally, it is used as a dissociative anesthetic to do painful procedures. Using ketamine as an anesthetic was common practice in Vietnam, and soon enough, they began to notice soldiers who had been given ketamine experienced decreased PTSD symptoms after they woke up from their procedures. When Mathew was in his early 20s, he witnessed the death of his father and tried to save his life, but couldn't. He entered this session looking for answers about the root of his addiction issues and a deeper understanding of what he is still holding onto from his father's death. 
Before the session, Sandy outlines how ketamine works on a biochemical, psychedelic, and ego level. She also gives us some more information about who should and should not try ketamine treatments, why some people fear it, potential side effects, and the most profound transformation she has seen.
Armed with his eye mask and headphones, Mathew states his intention, finds a comfy position, gets his shot, and then takes off with his guide, Sandy, by his side. In this episode, we get to hear a few clips from Mathew's journey, the conversation he had with Sandy after he came back, how he felt the next day, and what he took away from the whole experience.
Follow the podcast: 
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM) 
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE) 
 
Resources:
inLIGHTen Wellness
Caries Ep
Chads Ep
Link Mathews Ep
 
Connect with Mathew Blades: 
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/ 
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/ 
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
 
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

Quick Wins to Improve Teacher Retention and Student Experience with Dr. Paulie Gavoni and Anika Costa
In this episode, you'll hear:
Why are so many teachers leaving the field, and what can we do about it?
How can we use simulations to help educators be more prepared? 
Simple things you can do this week to improve your classroom
In this episode, Mathew, Dr. Paulie, and Anika discuss why we see so many teachers struggling in the classroom, ultimately leaving the field, and what can be done about it. Over 90% of teachers are feeling an unhealthy amount of stress, and nearly 50% are walking away from the profession after 3 to 5 years. Paulie and Anika are working hard to identify the root causes and provide real solutions to help teachers create systems, clear expectations, and consistent reinforcement that will lead to quick and impactful wins in the classroom. They have found the major contributors educators face are a lack of support from leadership, feeling unprepared to meet modern challenges, behavior issues in children, and the level of importance placed on testing rather than learning. 
Educators are the backbone of our nation and essential to our society. Still, unfortunately, they are being mistreated and not given the best tools and training to ensure they are successful. Over the past several years, there have been changes in education, technology, and how many people are parenting. However, teachers are not being taught new methods and, therefore, do not feel prepared to teach this new generation of children. If you are an educator struggling, you are not alone, and there is nothing wrong with you. There are steps you can take today to improve the situation in your classroom. Still, there also has to be alignment with leadership, administration, and parents if we are going to find long-term success with the issues we are seeing in the education system. Success has to start at the top with administrators, and unfortunately, blame often goes to the bottom and lands on the students. To bring out the best in students, we first have to bring out the best in teachers. 
Dr. Paul "Paulie" Gavoni is an esteemed behavior scientist, educator, and leader who has shaped human performance and organizational leadership over nearly three decades. In roles such as COO, Vice President, School Administrator, and School Turnaround Manager, he's unified his innovative approach through a dedication to human behavior science, aiming to enhance student behavior, educator performance, and school leadership across various sectors.
Anika Costa is a behavior analyst, professor, and former teacher in New York City Public Schools. Her specialized skill set has allowed her to effectively work with teachers and school leaders in classroom and school improvement efforts across the nation. A seasoned consultant and mentor, she is also passionate about applying principles of organizational behavior management during assessment, training, and coaching initiatives to support measurable performance improvement within the natural environment.
Follow the podcast: 
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM) 
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE) 
 
Resources:
Paulie’s bio and links
Anika’s LinkedIn
Quick Wins! Using Behavior Science to Accelerate and Sustain School Improvement (2nd Edition)
 
Connect with Mathew Blades: 
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/ 
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/ 
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
 
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

In this episode, Mathew and Tiffany discuss how her childhood shaped her beliefs today, what she has learned from having children, and the grieving process we go through as our children age. She talks about the roles of self-compassion, acceptance, and forgiveness in the healing process, gives tips for anyone struggling through those stages, and helps us think about how to encourage our kids to talk to us about their struggles.
Tiffany Stevens is here to share her story of healing, resilience, purpose, and power to inspire you to turn your loss, trauma, and tragedy into triumph. She is a mother, a wife, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, a Success Coach, and the visionary founder and CEO of Graceful Growth Counseling. Years ago, Tiffany blamed herself after she lost a close friend to domestic violence, so she went through counseling, began volunteering for a domestic violence shelter, and was inspired to start Graceful Growth Counseling in 2019. Today, they have 12 therapists helping women who are managing depression and anxiety and struggling with self-love. They utilize cognitive-behavioral therapy to help their clients understand that they do have the power to change the way they think, feel, and behave. 
“It’s important for me to exercise my power so that I am in a peaceful state.”
In this episode, you'll hear:
What having children taught Tiffany about herself
How she helps her clients understand that they do have the power to change
How parents can provide an environment where children will feel comfortable coming to them with their issues 
Follow the podcast: 
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM) 
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE) 
 
Resources:
GracefulGrowthCounseling.com
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns
 
 
Connect with Mathew Blades: 
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/ 
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/ 
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
 
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

In this episode, you'll hear:
The difference between typical kid behavior and serious school avoidance issues 
Underlying issues that contribute to school avoidance and how to overcome them 
Do's and don'ts for parents dealing with school avoidance
Jayne Demsky is an advocate, a mother, and the founder of the School of Avoidance Alliance. Jayne's son is now 27, but in 2009, his school avoidance started, and Jayne quickly found there was very little information available, a huge stigma around mental illness, and no help from the educators or administrators at the school. In fact, the pushback from the school was so extreme that she had to hire both an educational advocate and a special education attorney to get her son the help he needed. 
Contrary to popular belief, most children dealing with school avoidance are good students and do not deal with bullying issues, but rather have underlying issues like mental health issues or undiagnosed learning issues. Many kids dealing with school avoidance do not have awareness of the root cause and are unable to articulate why they are uncomfortable going to school, leaving parents and educators to become detectives to identify the reasons. Cognitive behavior therapy is essential to overcoming the issues and reintegrating children into school, but the worsening nationwide mental health crisis and lack of access to mental health professionals leave parents and schools in charge of recognizing and intervening appropriately. 
Over the past ten years, Jayne has been spreading awareness about the issue, helping families and schools navigate and overcome the challenges of school avoidance, and making sure parents know they are not alone in their struggles. 
In this episode, Mathew, Dr. Frank, and Jayne discuss what school avoidance is, how it differs from “just not wanting to go to school," the underlying issues that contribute to it, and how schools and parents must work together to solve these issues for our kids. She outlines what to do and what not to do if your child is having issues with school avoidance, her journey of learning about and navigating school avoidance with her son, and why school empathy is the number one factor determining successful reintegration. 
Follow the podcast: 
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM) 
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE) 
Resources:
SchoolAvoidance.org 
School Avoidance Masterclass for Parents
School Avoidance Educator Course 
Dr. Frank Bevacqua
Rogers Behavioral Health
School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised
The Negative Impacts of Youth Sports and What to Do About It with Scott Lancaster 
Connect with Mathew Blades: 
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/ 
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/ 
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson