This episode: When Talk Therapy Isn’t Enough: How Anissa Hudak Turned Unimaginable Trauma Into a Blueprint for Healing.

Here’s what you’ll learn about:

Introduction and Purpose of the Podcast (0:00)

• Host Drew Deraney introduces the podcast and thanks Mike Wiener for introducing him to Guest Anissa Hudak.
• Drew discusses the linear nature of life and how external adversities can disrupt this linearity.
• He categorizes people into three types: those who ignore adversity, those who see it as a barrier, and those who see it as an opportunity for growth.
• Drew invites Anissa to share her transformation journey and how it impacted her personally and professionally.

Anissa's Personal Transformation Journey (2:06)

• Anissa recalls a yoga therapy class where she and her clients discussed the ineffectiveness of talk therapy.
• She shares her personal experience of being date raped multiple times and the subsequent years of talk therapy without resolution.
• Anissa describes her realization that she needed to work on herself before helping others, leading to her journey in yoga therapy and PTSD.
• She talks about being raped again in 2014-2015 and how she used her training in yoga therapy to help herself.

Creating a Support Community and Self-Care Master Plan (4:45)

• Anissa explains the creation of an online community for women to support each other without needing to discuss their issues.
• She discusses the lack of a comprehensive care plan for mental health and the need for a self-care master plan.
• Anissa highlights the importance of understanding the brain's role in processing trauma and the limitations of talk therapy.
• She introduces the concept of using DNA tests like GeneSite to find the most effective mental health medications.

Advocating for Mental Health and Self-Advocacy (6:24)

• Anissa shares her experience of advocating for herself and her son in getting the right mental health medications.
• Drew and Anissa discuss the importance of self-advocacy and understanding the medical system.
• Anissa emphasizes the need for patients to be advocates for themselves and not rely solely on doctors.
• Drew and Anissa discuss the challenges of teaching self-advocacy to children and young adults, especially those with special needs.

Anissa's Work and Client Success Stories (9:50)

• Anissa talks about her work with yoga therapy for PTSD and trauma, focusing on moving trauma out of the body.
• She describes a client success story where a woman had an emotional release during a yoga therapy class.
• Drew and Anissa discuss the benefits of yoga therapy and how it connects the brain and body.
• Anissa explains the different types of yoga, including fitness-based yoga and yoga therapy for specific conditions like PTSD.

The Science Behind Yoga Therapy (15:22)

• Anissa explains how yoga therapy helps the brain and body reconnect, especially in cases of chronic stress.
• She describes the muscle groups that hold trauma, such as the hip flexors, and how yoga therapy works to exhaust these muscles.
• Anissa shares a story about a yoga class for Kansas State University football players a...

• (00:00:00) - Anissa Hudak on How to Heal From Trauma & The
• (00:03:16) - There Are Three Types of Women On This Show
• (00:05:07) - Anissa on her journey to recovery from date rape
• (00:12:02) - Mental health care: The Genesight Test
• (00:15:32) - Advocates for PTSD and healing
• (00:17:55) - Try new things first, then stick with them
• (00:20:39) - What was your biggest support system during ptsd yoga classes?
• (00:25:48) - How yoga can help with PTSD and TBIs
• (00:29:49) - Former yoga teacher talks about her work with PTSD patients
• (00:31:48) - How to Move Trauma Out of the Brain
• (00:35:34) - How to get the trauma out of your soul with yoga
• (00:37:29) - Anissa Hudak on How to Sleep After Trauma
• (00:38:52) - Listen to Your Gut
• (00:43:21) - Living the Life You Want to Live

This episode: From Broken to Built for Purpose: How Tawana Lowery Turned Her Pain Into a Powerful Calling.

Here’s what you’ll learn about:

Introduction and Purpose of the Podcast (0:05)

• Host Drew Deraney introduces the podcast, thanking Mike Weiner of NRG for the introduction to Guest Tawana Lowery.
• Drew discusses the linear view of life taught to us by society and how external circumstances can derail our paths.
• He categorizes women into three types: those who are unaware of adversity, those who see it as a barrier, and those who see it as an opportunity for growth.
• Drew identifies Tawana Lowery as Woman number three, who sees adversity as an opportunity for growth and transformation.

Tawana Lowery's Transformation Journey (5:21)

• Tawana Lowery reflects on her journey from Woman number two to Woman number three, emphasizing the impact of her upbringing in a dysfunctional environment.
• Tawana shares a series of traumatic events: her mother's sudden death, her husband's infidelity, and her father's heart attack.
• She describes how these events led her to feel like a victim and consider giving in to despair.
• Tawana recounts a pivotal moment when she felt God's presence and realized her life experiences were not liabilities but qualifications for helping others.

From Victim to Overcomer (5:57)

• Tawana explains how she transformed her perspective from seeing her life as a list of liabilities to recognizing it as her resume.
• She shares how this realization led her to start a blog, become a life coach, and write a book to help others overcome their challenges.
• Tawana discusses the importance of taking small steps towards recovery and giving oneself credit for progress.
• She highlights the significance of her faith in guiding her through her transformation and helping her see her life experiences as opportunities for growth.

Tawana's Work and Impact (8:40)

• Tawana talks about her work in women's empowerment coaching, starting a nonprofit, and volunteering at various organizations.
• She explains how her story and experiences have helped her connect with and empower others.
• Tawana shares her recent pivot to helping small business owners and solopreneurs leverage their stories to grow their businesses.
• She emphasizes the power of storytelling in building trust, forming connections, and differentiating businesses in the market.

Success Stories and Market Research (10:19)

• Tawana shares a success story of a client in the financial investment space who overcame business challenges by sharing her story of money trauma.
• She discusses the impact of storytelling on consumer behavior, citing market research that shows stories influence purchasing decisions.
• Tawana explains how brain science supports the effectiveness of storytelling in making information more memorable and engaging.
• She highlights the importance of sharing one's story professionally and strategically to connect with the ideal client.

Advice for Younger Versions of Tawana (14:13)

• Tawana advises her younger self to believe in herself and seek God's perspective rather than relying on others' opinions.
• She emphasizes the imp...

• (00:00:00) - Fooled by Story
• (00:00:50) - There's Only One Woman on the Show
• (00:04:08) - Domestic abuse victim reveals how she overcame her abuser
• (00:10:04) - Rock It Forward: A Woman's Journey
• (00:11:59) - Volunteer Work for Women
• (00:13:18) - In the Elevator With Drew Brees
• (00:16:01) - Tell Your Story to Your Clients
• (00:19:03) - How to Tell Your Story to a Clients
• (00:20:45) - The Story Sharing Workshop
• (00:21:37) - Tawana Lowry on Giving Advice to Kids
• (00:22:30) - Wonders of the World
• (00:24:06) - Living the Life You Want to Live

This episode: From Amnesia to Awareness: How at 13-Years-Old, Crash Survivor Kira Shishkin Rebuilt His Mind—and His Mission.

Here’s what you’ll learn about:

Introduction and Initial Setup (0:00)

• Host Drew Deraney welcomes Guest Kira Shishkin to the show, expressing excitement about the conversation.
• Drew thanks Lea Pantas for introducing Kira and introduces the concept of life's linear path versus the reality of adversity.
• Drew introduces the three types of men: one who doesn't see adversity, one who sees it as a barrier, and one who sees it as an opportunity for growth.

Kira's Transformation Journey (9:57)

• Drew invites Kira to share his transformation story, from being one of the first two types of men to the third type who sees adversity as an opportunity.
• Kira shares his experience of being on autopilot as a child, feeling emotionally and intellectually unaware.
• He recounts a tragic car accident at age 13 in Ukraine, which led to long-term amnesia and significant physical and mental disabilities.
• Kira describes the cultural shock of moving to Israel for medical treatment and the challenges of recovering both physically and mentally.

Struggles and Resilience (10:15)

• Kira discusses the emotional and mental struggles he faced during his recovery, including feelings of victimhood and suicidal thoughts.
• He describes the turning point when he decided to take responsibility for his recovery and stop feeling like a victim.
• Kira shares the impact of his sister's strength and resilience during the same traumatic experience.
• He reflects on the importance of celebrating small victories along the way to build confidence and resilience.

Academic Pursuits and Early Career (17:07)

• Kira talks about his passion for learning and his decision to attend the University of Chicago, where he earned three bachelor's degrees in economics, abstract mathematics, and philosophy.
• He explains his interest in high finance and his career in investment banking, private equity, venture capital, and corporate strategy.
• Kira describes his transition from high finance to building tools that help people regain their attention and focus.
• He shares his motivation for creating a software tool to help people stay informed and engaged with world news.

Current Ventures and Future Goals (27:51)

• Kira introduces his current company, Informed Now, which provides world news via SMS, aiming to help people regain their attention and critical thinking skills.
• He explains the unique approach of Informed Now, which delivers news without bias, clickbait, or dramatization.
• Kira discusses the importance of staying informed and the impact of media on public perception and decision-making.
• He reflects on the lessons learned from his past experiences and how they inform his current work and future goals.

To learn more about Kira’s mission, go to his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirashishkin/ or his website at https://informed.now.

Kira Shishkin Bio

About Kira Shishkin

Kira Shishkin is the CEO of informed, the news concierge service to beat misinforma...

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