EPISODE 636 - Gil Merrick - Haunted Victory, Come September, Olympics and Horses

Born in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Gil Merrick attended Hiram College, earning a BA in International Finance and German. Upon completing his MBA at Cleveland State University, he began a forty-year career managing companies throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia. An avid horseman with credits as Team Leader for the U.S. Equestrian Federation at the 2007 Pan American Games and the 2008 Olympic Games, he now devotes himself full-time to writing in South Florida.​

Book: Haunted Victory: Healing From Childhood Sexual Abuse and the Decades of Addiction That Followed - A small and effeminate boy—bullied for years while growing up in an alcoholic family in suburban Cleveland—Gil finds refuge in the equestrian world. A coach instills in him the dream of going to the Olympics and becomes his mentor, his guide—and his predator.

Gil survives rape, betrayals, setbacks, and the loss of family and friends—all while on a quest to fulfill his dream. This book is not only about surviving; it's about the resilience of the human spirit and the pursuit of dreams against all odds. Gil makes it to the Olympics, but not in the way he imagined. He discovers what happens when a dream ends, and all you have left are your addictions.

What does it take to finally realize that our lives can’t go on as they are? How do we put an end to our self-destructive ways? Is it even possible to grasp the complexities of untreated and unrealized trauma? How do we come to terms with the cost of the abuse we suffered?

Gil tells his story with a breadth of detail and thought-provoking insights rarely shared by male victims of sexual abuse. Readers will find a story of hope, determination, and the transformative power of confronting one's past.

Book: A small and effeminate boy—bullied for years while growing up in an alcoholic family in suburban Cleveland—Gil finds refuge in the equestrian world. A coach instills in him the dream of going to the Olympics and becomes his mentor, his guide—and his predator.

What does it take to finally realize that our lives can’t go on as they are? How do we put an end to our self-destructive ways? Is it even possible to grasp the complexities of untreated and unrealized trauma? How do we come to terms with the cost of the abuse we suffered?

Gil tells his story with a breadth of detail and thought-provoking insights rarely shared by male victims of sexual abuse. Readers will find a story of hope, determination, and the transformative power of confronting one's past.

Book: Come September - Ryan Jackson is a shy, scrappy teenager from a poor Appalachian town. Kip Reynolds is a talented high school polo player from a wealthy family living in the suburbs of Detroit. Sharp and stunning, Claudia Kinzler wins the admiration of both young men before her world is shattered by her father’s death in the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks.

With unforgettable characters and emotionally charged storytelling, this novel explores what binds us and what breaks us, the power of strength and perseverance, and how truth and forgiveness can be the key to reconciling the pain of our past and building a new life.

https://www.gilmerrick.com/

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podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/

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EPISODE 635 - Deb Coviello - The CEO’s Compass - Your Guide to Get Back on Track

Deb’s soothing voice, both spoken and written, reflects her hard-won equilibrium, having emerged from her own tumultuous childhood with peace of mind. She accomplished this through much reflective work; it’s something she now imparts to leaders the world over as an in-demand as a professional moderator, speaker, and podcast guest. Deb’s dulcet tones are complemented by her dynamism as a communicator, with wit and playfulness to spare.

Her first book, “The CEO’s Compass: Your Guide to Get Back on Track” (2021), follows the CEO’s Hero Journey through the unknown, guiding them to their own Peace of Mind. The journey continues with her follow-up, “Secrets of the C-Suite,” due next year. Deb’s work as an author is complemented by her Top 1.5% Apple podcast “The Drop In CEO,” where she sits down with CEOs and industry leaders who are doing the work of transforming their businesses from the inside out.

The Founder of Illumination Partners, Deb has served as a Fractional Quality Leader, CQO, and COO, having earned her bachelor’s in biomedical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, America’s first technological research university.

Deb relishes her roles as a mom, wife, foodie, and world traveler. She is also a medaled curler, receiving the 2017 Arena National Curling Silver Medal issued by United States Curling Association.

The CEO’s Compass: Your Guide to Get Back on Track

Imagine facing a crisis and knowing the exact areas you need to assess in order to find and resolve your organizational problem.

When you create a personal compass, you have the ability to lead your team with confidence and find your own path to peace of mind.

In this book you will find:
- The real reason you’re feeling off track…
and no, it has nothing to do with your expertise!
- A seven-point assessment you can use to find the problem in days…not months!
- Why your peace of mind is critical for the success of you and your organization

https://dropinceo.com/

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podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/

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EPISODE 634 - Kelly Farley - He Lost His Baby Too, Survival Guide for the Grieving Dad and Grieving Dads

If you have ever loved a child, then you understand what it’s like to love someone more than you love life itself. If you have ever lost a child, then you understand more about hell than anyone could possibly be expected to know. This isn’t something you get over. Only those who have lost a child can understand the depths to which this pain travels. Like most of the men who will read these books, I too am a grieving dad.

The message I want bereaved fathers to understand is that I know it’s hard, I know it hurts, I know it’s scary — but you can get through this. You can survive. It will be the hardest thing you will ever experience; it will drain you physically, mentally, and emotionally. You can come out on the other side of this very long and lonely tunnel, but you will be a different person when you do. There is no going back to the old you.

You also need to know that you are not alone in your grief. Other men have been through this and that the emotions they keep inside are the same emotions all of us experience, even if we don't talk about them. The best thing you can do is to reach out for help and to know it is not a sign of “weakness” to do so. Instead, it’s a sign of courage and strength — the kind that’s required to face this battle head on.

Book: He Lost His Baby Too
Survival Guide for the Grieving Dad

This book was written specifically for fathers grappling with the unbearable aftermath of losing a baby. It is all too easy for a bereaved father to succumb to a haunting sense of isolation after such a loss. However, within these pages lies a lifeline—a survival guide infused with wisdom, providing a roadmap through the complicated path of grief.

In the wake of a tragic loss—whether it be a miscarriage, a stillbirth, or the untimely passing of an infant—this invaluable resource unravels the layers of anguish that overwhelm grieving fathers. Written by a grieving dad, this book offers unflinching honesty and poignant insight, it also delves into the raw pain that accompanies such a profound loss, assuring these men that their emotions, however overwhelming, are both valid and shared by others who have walked a similar path.

Book: Grieving Dads
To the Brink and Back

A collection of candid stories from grieving dads that were interviewed over a two-year period. The book offers insight from fellow members of, in the haunting words of one dad, “this terrible, terrible club,” which consists of men who have experienced the death of a child. This book is a collection of survival stories by men who have survived the worst possible loss and lived to tell the tale.

They are real stories that pull no punches and are told with brutal honesty. Men that have shared their deepest and darkest moments. Moments that included thoughts of suicide, self-medication, and homelessness. Some of these men have found their way back from the brink, while others are still standing there, stuck in their pain. The core message of Grieving Dads is “you’re not alone.” It is a message that desperately needs to be delivered to grieving dads who often grieve in silence due to society’s expectations.

https://www.grievingdads.com/

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https://livingthenextchapter.com/
podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/

Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!
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