3 years ago I started this journey of storytelling. To be honest, story sharing, is probably more accurate. This journey was started on the heels of the most intense thing I have endured as a person and as a parent, and so I decided to share "Our Story" in Episode 1. My daughters diagnosis of Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) and the 97 day hospital stay to follow shaped our future more than we would know at the time. Coming home from the hospital didn't take away the problems, and it made me want to know how to move forward in life. I wanted to talk with people who had endured all that life could throw at them and who walked away with their heads held high. Those who had looked life in the eye and decided to fight back. Those who were TRULY - Focused on Forward. And for 3 years you have joined me on this journey. You have heard these amazing stories from truly inspirational people who are choosing to be Focused on Forward. These people are the stars of this show and I am forever thankful that they entrusted me, just a guy Michigan who had been through some stuff to help them share that story. I am deeply honored.

Today though, we close out the show. This is the series finale. And I say WE for a reason - today I am joined by my daughter Kendall and we talk about Our Story Part 2. How we got from there to here ...

And again ... from my family to yours, THANK YOU!

This week's guest has chosen to remain anonymous, and we will only call him Sam. Sam is a recovering Alcoholic with years of sobriety, still attending his AA classes. He tells us about his small town, religious upbringing. He talks about how that affected his outlook on life, his relationship with his parents and resulted in his being sent to boarding school. He tells us about how he started drinking, how it sent him to rock bottom. He also tells us about his struggles with his own mental health, the need for counseling and why the stigma around mental health hospitals needs to go away. There is a lot here to unpack and there are parts of this story that you have to hear to understand. Please share Sam's story with those you know who either need to enter recovery, or who are fighting for their sobriety.

For more information - Alcoholics Anonymous - www.aa.org Narcotics Anonymous - www.na.org Suicide Hotline - suicidepreventionlifeline.org or call 800-273-8255

Find us on Social Media - Instagram - @focusedonforward Twitter - @podcastfof

buy us a Coffee here - https://ko-fi.com/focusedonforward

Support Focused on Forward by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/focused-on-forward

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We talk with serial entrepreneur Tal Zlotnitsky about moving past heartache and looking to love and wellness. Tal tells us about moving from Israel with his family at a young age to America. He moved from his home country and experiencing some level of fame on Israeli TV to the UNited States and being an unknown. He talks about feeling like an outcast, being the new kid and treated unkind by his schoolmates. He talks about falling in and out of love and being a single parent at an young adult age. But most importantly, he tells us how he has moved past these things to be successful in his life, his businesses and why he feels that love is needed more now than ever before. Please check out his company, which specializes in love and wellness - Our.Love

For more on Tal Zlotnitsky, please check out the following - www.talzlotnitsky.com our.love on your app store Instagram - @taljzlotnitsky Twitter - @tjsmind

Find us on Social Media - Instagram - @focusedonforward Twitter - @podcastfof

buy us a Coffee here - https://ko-fi.com/focusedonforward

Support Focused on Forward by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/focused-on-forward

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

I talk with author and podcaster Anthony Jae Gonzalez about his transformation in life from being a drug dealer who was in and out of prison to man who can accept his shortcomings and what he did that got him into negative situations in life. We talk about how his former street life impacted him, his family and his children. We talk about how he began writing his book, why he wrote his book and what he's doing now. He certainly does not glorify drug dealing or his street life, but he explain things that everyone else may not understand about that life and what he changed to become Focused on Forward.

For more on Anthony Jae Gonzalez, please visit the following - His Book - https://amzn.to/3E9fnyY Instagram @papi_jai73

Find us on Social Media - Instagram - @focusedonforward Twitter - @podcastfof

buy us a Coffee here - https://ko-fi.com/focusedonforward

Support Focused on Forward by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/focused-on-forward

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We welcome author and podcast host Sara Gullihur-Bradford to Focused on Forward this week to talk about her series of children's books and her podcast - The SJ Childs Show, but also to talk about Neurodiversity and how a little bit of education for non-neurodiverse folks can really go a long way. We talk about Sara's husband and children, all of whom are on the spectrum. We talk about experiences they had with one of their children being non-verbal and how they sought to communicate with them and the steps taken. We talk about why she writes those books and hosts her show, and how she shines a light on Autism.

For more on Sara Gullihur-Bradford, please the following - Website - https://sjchilds.org/ Links for her books and the SJ Childs Show are available there.

Find us on Social Media - Instagram - @focusedonforward Twitter - @podcastfof

buy us a Coffee here - https://ko-fi.com/focusedonforward

Support Focused on Forward by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/focused-on-forward

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

From Susan Omilian's website - "Susan Omilian is an attorney, author, motivational speaker and nationally recognized expert who has worked to end violence against women for the last forty years. In the 1970s, she founded a rape crisis center and, in the early 1980s, represented battered women in divorce proceedings. She also litigated sex discrimination cases, including helping to articulate the legal concept that made sexual harassment illegal in the 1990s."

After the murder of her beloved niece, Susan decided that she would extract her revenge by helping women everywhere to avoid or overcome abuse and sexual harassment. Enjoy the story of this trailblazing woman.

Find out more about Susan Omilian, please visit the following - Her website - www.thriverzone.com

Find us on Social Media - Instagram - @focusedonforward Twitter - @podcastfof

buy us a Coffee here - https://ko-fi.com/focusedonforward

Support Focused on Forward by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/focused-on-forward

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

I talk with Kim Muench about her work as a coach, author and podcaster for her show and book entitled - Becoming Me While Raising You. But I also talk to KIm as a Mom and how she helped her oldest son overcome his addiction to Alcohol. We talk about how she realized there was a problem, how they moved forward in life and how hes fighting for his sobriety 12 years later. Kim shares some of her own misconceptions about Alcoholism and addictions and what recovery looks like.

For more on Kim Muench, please visit the following - website - https://reallifeparentguide.com

Find her book here - https://amzn.to/3tqoW8V

Find us on Social Media - Instagram - @focusedonforward Twitter - @podcastfof

buy us a Coffee here - https://ko-fi.com/focusedonforward

Support Focused on Forward by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/focused-on-forward

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Today we speak with Author, Speaker and podcast host - Kevin McNulty about Transitions. We may not think that transitions in life are something that we need help overcoming, but these times of uncertainty can cause added stress, anxiety and even bouts of depression. We listen to Kevin compare this area to being a gap between two worlds and how to navigate that gap successfully, even in times of distress.

For more on Kevin McNulty, please visit the following - www.kevinmcnultyspeaks.com For his Book - A Gap Between Two Worlds - https://amzn.to/3Ibbytt Grow Yourself Podcast - available on all podcast providers Kevin McNulty Speaks YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7il9thEehy7kpDVH8bjszQ

Find us on Social Media - Instagram - @focusedonforward Twitter - @podcastfof

buy us a Coffee here - https://ko-fi.com/focusedonforward

Support Focused on Forward by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/focused-on-forward

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.