What happens when a man teetering on a hotel balcony, ready to end his life, screams out to a God he doesn't believe in — and everything changes?

In this powerful episode of The Teaching Journeys Podcast, host Dave Roberts sits down with Peter A. Colter — musician, author, and survivor — for a raw, unfiltered conversation about addiction, mental illness, faith, and the moment that changed everything.

Peter opens up about growing up deaf, undergoing over a dozen ear surgeries, and discovering music as a lifeline. By 14, he was touring in bands — and struggling with drugs. For the next two decades, bipolar disorder, alcoholism, and repeated suicide attempts defined his life. Seven attempts. In and out of rehabs. Lost in depression so deep he couldn't see his own kids as a reason to stay.

Then came November 14, 2024. A balcony in South Carolina. A last-ditch cry to a God he didn't believe in. And a heart that was changed in an instant.

Now three years sober and walking in faith, Peter has channeled his survival story into The Endless Fall — a young adult novel about addiction, abuse, and the battle for belief — and Carrion Creek, a retro horror anthology series tackling mental health and trauma, set to film in August.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• Living with bipolar disorder and what it really feels like from the inside
• How addiction masked pain — and what finally broke the cycle
• The balcony moment: a spiritual awakening that stopped a suicide attempt
• Writing The Endless Fall as an act of healing
• Why Peter answers every message from people who are struggling
• The upcoming horror anthology Carrion Creek and its mental health mission

If you or someone you love has faced addiction, depression, or thoughts of suicide, this episode is essential listening.

Peter’s Bio and Contact Information

Peter A. Colter was born in Utica, New York, and raised in the small village of Clinton, where the quiet streets held both beauty and chaos. A lifelong musician, writer and creative soul, Peter found expression through art and music even in his darkest moments. He has lived with manic depression and bi-polar disorder for most of his life. Weathering storms that many never see and never hear. After writing many screenplay's he decided to start working on novels. His writing comes from a place of raw emotion, real experiences and renewed hope. He lives surrounded by the family he cherishes and continues to grow in faith each day. His hope is that his work reaches others who feel unseen, unheard and lost.

Connect with Peter Colter: Facebook (Peter A. Colter), Instagram (@peter.colter), and find The Endless Fall and Abused on Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com

To connect with Dave, go to davidrobertsmsw.com

What happens when you lose your father and your job on the same day?

For Thomas Scaria, resilience coach and founder of Steps Along the Way, April 6, 2020 was that day — and it became the catalyst for a complete life transformation.

In this powerful episode of The Teaching Journeys Podcast, host Dave Roberts sits down with Thomas to explore how grief, loss, and a relentless pursuit of purpose can forge unshakeable resilience. From running five solo marathons during COVID lockdown to raise money for cancer research, to nearly finishing an ultra-marathon in South Africa with a bloody, dislocated kneecap — Thomas's story is a masterclass in what the human spirit is capable of.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The PACE framework (Patience, Accountability, Commitment, Excellence) and how to apply it to your career and personal life
• Why resilience is a muscle — and how anyone can build it
• How the Marathon Mindset Method helps professionals move from existing through life to living it
• The difference between managing people and truly developing them as leaders
• Why connecting to a cause greater than yourself is the ultimate performance fuel

Thomas also shares insights from his book Resilience + Rise, his coaching practice for program and project managers, and his upcoming Olympic triathlon — which he's preparing for despite learning to swim less than a year ago.

Whether you're navigating career loss, grief, or simply searching for your next chapter, this conversation will remind you: don't just exist through life — live it.

Thomas Bio and Contact Information

Based in Vancouver, BC, Thomas Scaria is a Resilience & Accountability Coach and the Founder of Steps Along The Way, a personal development initiative that provides coaching services aimed at fostering growth mindsets for program and project managers. His expertise lies in helping individuals navigate life’s challenges with resilience while offering them the tools for accountability to reach their personal and professional goals. Through his innovative approach—The Marathon Mindset Method—Thomas has made significant strides in transforming how professionals perceive success, fulfillment, and resilience in their careers. Discover more about his unique coaching method here. Discover more here.

As an advocate for personal growth, Thomas believes in the power of vulnerability and accountability in fostering meaningful change:

“Growth happens when we embrace vulnerability and take responsibility for our journey,” Thomas shares.

Connect with Thomas Scaria:

🌐 Website: resiliencerisemindset.com

💼 LinkedIn: Thomas Scaria

🎙️ Podcast: Resilience Plus Rise (Spotify & YouTube)

Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

To connect with Dave go to davidrobertsmsw.com

What if you brought Fortune 500 CEO energy into your cancer treatment? That's exactly what Farla Efros did.

After receiving an aggressive breast cancer diagnosis mid-client call, Farla — president of HRC Retail Advisory and former interim CEO of True Religion — refused to be a passive patient. Instead, she built an "executive board" of healthcare providers, walked into oncology appointments with printed agendas and highlighters, and developed the Healing Rebel Protocol: a step-by-step system for patients to take control of their own care.

In this raw and deeply honest conversation with host Dave Roberts, Farla shares:

• Why hope is not a strategy — and what to do instead
• How she navigated chemo, multiple surgeries, and the deaths of her mother, father, and sister simultaneously
• The role of exercise, nutrition, and integrative medicine in her recovery
• How to advocate for yourself when fear and shock make it nearly impossible
• The mindset shift that transformed cancer from her greatest weakness into her greatest strength

Farla is also the author of Fuck Cancer — a no-nonsense guide that hands readers the exact protocol she used to survive and thrive.

Whether you're a patient, caregiver, or healthcare professional, this episode will change how you think about the doctor-patient relationship and what it truly means to fight for your life.

🎙️ The Teaching Journeys Podcast — Learning through conversations with extraordinary guests.

Farla’s Bio and Contact Information

Farla Efros is President of HRC Retail Advisory (Accenture), former Interim CEO of True Religion, and author of F*ck Cancer. After receiving an aggressive cancer diagnosis on a client call, she applied 30 years of Fortune 500 turnaround strategy to her own treatment.

Now she teaches patients to bring "CEO Energy" to the exam room through her Healing Rebel Protocol.

📖 CONNECT WITH FARLA EFROS:

🌐 Website: farlaefros.com

📖 Fuck Cancer — Available on Amazon

To find out more about Dave, go to davidrobertsmsw.com

What if the key to extraordinary leadership was already inside you?

In this powerful episode of The Teaching Journeys Podcast, host Dave Roberts sits down with Randall Ian Thames — CEO, author, executive coach, pastor, and speaker — to explore how leaders at every level can discover, develop, and display their unique "executive superpower."

Drawing from 35+ years of corporate experience across Fortune 10 companies and his proprietary Discover, Develop, Display Your Best framework, Randall shares the deeply personal journey that sparked his life's mission — and what it means to truly Rise to the Role.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why identity-driven purpose is the foundation of authentic leadership

• The 5-step awareness-to-action framework (Awareness → Acknowledge → Assemble → Analyze → Approach)

• How to create inevitable outcomes through a proven system of success

• What "dragons" are silently dragging you down — and how to slay them

• Randall's daily habit tracker: Wake Up, Worship, Why Up, Wise Up, Work Up, Win Up

• Why writing your own eulogy may be the most powerful leadership exercise you'll ever do

• How Inspirit Institute helps executives align vision with execution and unlock their full potential

Whether you're a C-suite leader, an educator, an entrepreneur, or someone simply searching for more meaning in your work and life, this conversation will challenge you to stop living as ordinary — and rise to the role you were born to play.

Randall’s Brief Bio and Contact Information

As CEO, Author, Speaker, Pastor, Executive Coach & Advisor, Adjunct Instructor, and Athlete, Randall Ian Thames empowers global audiences—from large-scale conferences and C suites to leadership teams and classrooms—through transformational experiences delivered across presentation, platform, podcast, pulpit, and podium.

Drawing from 35+ years of corporate leadership experience across multiple Fortune 10 companies, combined with his role as an adjunct instructor at a top global business school, Randall brings uncommon credibility, clarity, and conviction.

Through his proprietary Discover · Develop · Display Your Best™ Framework, Randall equips leaders to uncover their identity-driven purpose, cultivate it with intentional discipline, and activate it with courage and consistency—resulting in Inevitable Outcomes™ that impact organizations, communities, and generations.

Randall has blended his decades of experience into his book, Rise to the Role: How to Discover, Develop, and Display Your Executive Superpower

As CEO of Inspirit Institute, Randall helps executives align vision with execution, elevate leadership presence, and maximize both professional and personal potential.

Connect with Randall Ian Thames:

Website: inspiritinstitute.com

LinkedIn: Randall Thames

Book: Rise to the Role — available on Amazon and major book retailers

Email: rthames@inspiritinstitute.com

To find out more about Dave go to davidrobertsmsw.com

What happens to your sense of self when grief turns your world upside down?

In this powerful follow-up conversation, host Dave Roberts welcomes back journalist, attorney, and author Ashley Jordan to explore one of grief's most overlooked dimensions: the deconstruction and rebuilding of identity after devastating loss.

Ashley shares her deeply personal journey through repressed traumatic grief, which resurfaced unexpectedly at age 37, nearly 24 years after losing her childhood sweetheart Daniel at just 12 years old. Together, Dave and Ashley unpack what it truly means to "unbecome" — to shed the false versions of ourselves forged in the aftermath of tragedy — so that a truer, more loving self can emerge.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• What "deconstruction of self" and "unbecoming" really mean in the context of grief

• Why relationships change after loss — and why that's not always a bad thing

• How to set healthy emotional boundaries while at your most vulnerable (the armadillo lesson)

• Practical, gentle strategies for navigating identity shifts: nature walks, journaling, movement, books, and transient angels

• Why grief is ultimately an expression of love — and how to transmute it into a life of abundance

Whether you've lost a child, a partner, a friendship, or a version of yourself, this conversation offers a compassionate companion for the journey into darkness — and back into light.

📖 Mentioned: Unhappy Achiever by Ashley Jordan | Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom | Medicine Cards by Jamie Sams & David Carson | The Afterlife of Billy Fingers

Ashley’s Bio and Contact Information

Ashley Jordan has done many things throughout her life. She’s been a feminist activist, licensed attorney, public speaker, and a stay-at-home mother. Most notably, however, she’s a well-published journalist with her works appearing in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and HuffPost, among others. Today, she lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her three children.

🔗 Connect with Ashley Jordan: ashjordan.com | @msashjordan on Instagram

Check out Episode 233 with Ashley on YouTube

Apple, Spotify

Tio connect with Dave , go to davidrobertsmsw.com

What happens when suffering becomes your greatest teacher?

In this powerful episode of The Teaching Journeys Podcast, host Dave Roberts sits down with Kelsey Dunbar and Marc Rogala — co-founders of the Suffer to Tougher resilience and mental wellness movement — for an honest, raw conversation about trauma, addiction recovery, and transformation.

Kelsey shares how childhood abandonment, military school, and obesity-driven suicidal ideation led him to a 30-year career as a fitness and mindset coach. Marc opens up about battling alcohol and opioid addiction — including multiple overdoses, a near-fatal car accident, and losing his family — and how a 45-minute conversation from a stranger in psychiatric care changed everything.

Together, they discuss:

• How early childhood experiences shape mental health and addiction

• Breaking the stigma around asking for help

• The connection between diet, brain chemistry, and recovery

• Why sobriety is a lifestyle — not just an absence of substances

• Their best-selling book Suffer to Tougher and children's book You're Not Broken

• The Rebuild and Fulfill Podcast and their growing coaching community

Whether you're in recovery, supporting someone who is, or simply navigating life's harder moments — this episode is a reminder that if there's a pulse, there is hope.

Kelsey Dunbar & Marc Rogala

Kelsey Dunbar and Marc Rogala are the co-founders of Suffer To Tougher, a resilience and mental wellness movement dedicated to helping people overcome life's challenges and build stronger, healthier lives.

Kelsey is a bestselling author, speaker, coach, and fitness professional with over 30 years of experience helping individuals transform their health and mindset. His personal journey from childhood obesity, addiction struggles (parents), and adversity fuels his passion for helping others discover that lasting change is possible.

Marc's story is one of recovery, rebuilding, and redemption. After battling alcohol and substance addiction, Marc transformed his life and now uses his experiences to inspire others who are facing similar struggles. His authenticity and willingness to share both the victories and setbacks have made him a powerful voice for hope and resilience.

Together, they host the Rebuild & Fulfill Podcast, where they have honest conversations about mental health, addiction recovery, personal growth, and overcoming adversity. They are also co-authors of the bestselling book Suffer To Tougher and are committed to helping people realize that their struggles do not define them—their response to those struggles does.

Connect with Kelsey & Marc:

Website: suffertotougher.org | Facebook: S2T Nation | Podcast: Rebuild and Fulfill (YouTube)(Apple) (Spotify)(Amazon)

LinkedIn: Kelsey Dunbar

• LinkedIn: Marc Rogala Marc Rogala, CIC, LUTCF

To find out more about Dave, go to davidrobertsmsw.com

In this powerful episode of The Teaching Journeys Podcast, host Dave Roberts welcomes back executive coach and former CEO Becca Pearce — author of You Don't Have to Achieve to Be Loved — for a raw, honest conversation about mourning the past, redefining success, and choosing who you want to be after tragedy.

Becca survived a brain tumor that left her with lasting disabilities and forced her to walk away from a high-powered career. Dave lost his daughter. Together, they explore what it truly means to grieve not just people, but the versions of ourselves we can never return to.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What "mourning the past" really means — and why it's a necessary phase of personal reinvention

• How to release an old identity without losing the parts of you worth keeping

• Why the people closest to you often can't give you what you need during transformation

• How to redefine success on your own terms (and write it down)

• Why failure is not the opposite of success — and how to fail forward

• The surprising research on what Americans say success means vs. what they really believe

Whether you're navigating loss, a career pivot, a health crisis, or simply feeling stuck, this episode will challenge you to stop chasing someone else's definition of success — and start building your own.

Becca’s Bio and Contact Information

Becca Pearce understands firsthand how hard change can be. Two life-altering events forced her to realize that what she once wanted no longer felt right. The resulting journey reshaped her path, upending everything she had believed about success and happiness.

Over the last twelve years, Becca has learned the value of vulnerability, the importance of optimism and the imperative to find the life you want to live now because we're never promised tomorrow. A former CEO and state official, she is now the president of Extend Coaching & Consulting, a firm dedicated to helping people find the courage to live the life they've been dreaming of.

Connect with Becca Pearce: morebekkapearcce.com | You Don't Have to Achieve to Be Loved available now.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beccapearce/

Links to Episode 248 with Becca: YouTube, Apple, Spotify

The Teaching Journeys Podcast | Hosted by Dave Roberts : Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or your favorite podcast platforms.

Dave's Personal Website: davidrobertsmsw.com

In this powerful episode of The Teaching Journeys Podcast, host Dave Roberts sits down with Christine Olson, founder of TIFF's Initiative (To Inform Families First) — a program that has helped over 22 million people in Florida alone ensure their emergency contacts are embedded directly in their driver's license.

On December 7, 2005, Christine's daughter Tiffiany was killed in a motorcycle accident. What followed was a nightmarish six-and-a-half-hour ordeal of fragmented communication, unanswered questions, and a law enforcement system unprepared to notify next of kin. That experience became the catalyst for a grassroots movement that is now before the U.S. Congress.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The harrowing events of the night Christine lost her daughter

• Why the national average for notifying families after a death or emergency is six hours

• How a server on a tiny Florida island sparked a nationwide legislative movement

• What TIFF's Initiative is, how it works, and why it costs taxpayers nothing

• How to check if TIFF is in your state — and how to advocate for it if it isn't

• The legacy of Tiffiany Olson and the love that drives this mission forward

Whether you're a parent, caregiver, or someone who simply wants to make sure your family can be reached in a crisis, this episode will move you — and motivate you to take action.

Christine's Bio and Contact Information

Christine Olson was born in Milwaukee Wisconsin.

But she heard the waves of change calling her to Florida

in 1999 and joined her brother and son who already relocated to the beautiful island of Anna Maria. Tiffiany her daughter decided to stay in Milwaukee and finish high school while living with her father.

In 2000 Tiffiany couldn’t wait any longer and the three of three of them started a new adventure of life on a beautiful seven mile long barrier island.

Volunteering at Mote Marine Aquarium’s whale and dolphin program as well as the island turtle patrol Christine felt life just couldn’t get better.

Then December 7th 2005 happened. Tiffiany was involved in a fatal crash with her boyfriend and in the blink of an eye Christine’s life as she knew it would be forever turned on its head.

This is Christine’s story of how she was forced to make a choice. To literally die or do something so no one would have to endure the horrific events she did that night.

Tiffs Initiative was born……………..

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

🌐 Register with TIFF's Initiative: https://toinformfamiliesfirst.org

📘 TIFF on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToInformFamiliesFirst

Register your emergency contacts today: toinformfamiliesfirst.org

To connect with Dave go to davidrobertsmsw.com