The Carleena Show

Veronica Slack: Addiction Recovery, Motherhood & A Message of Hope

October 5th, 2018  |  1 hr 48 mins

addiction recovery, carleena angwin, chattanooga, chattanooga state community college, hero's journey, philadelphia, recovery journals, serenity prayer, tennessee, the carleena show, traumatic brain injury, treatment centers, unity on the bridge, veronica slack

Veronica Slack is the author of a recovery journal series, mother, and an active member of a 12-step recovery program.

During our conversation, Veronica talks about the events that led her down a dangerous path of addiction she didn’t think she could escape. But after several tries, she did escape and every cell of her being propelled her on a path to help others quit their addiction and find the support they need.

"I had no idea what was on the other side of those doors. I had never made it through a treatment program. But I knew what was waiting for me on the streets of Phillie--those horrors of addiction. For the grace of God I walked through those doors. This is why I have such a respect for recovery and institutions. If you only remember one thing from my recovery story, remember that no matter how bad something may seem, if you are still breathing, you can still choose to recover." - Veronica Slack

The Carleena Show Podcast https://carleena.net/podcast/ | Ordinary People Share Their Hero’s Journey | Hosted and Produced by Carleena Angwin | Video Editing and Graphic Design by http://stevenllorca.com/ | Connect with Episode 11 Guest Veronica Slack https://www.recoveryjournals.org/

Rayna DuBose: “Without struggle there is no progress!”

August 22nd, 2018  |  1 hr 2 mins

amputee, bacterial infection, basketball, blacksburg, carleena angwin, coach, d 1, division 1, football, frank beamer, hero's journey, hokie hardwood club, hokie sports, hokies, howard county, joseph campbell, marriotts ridge high school, maryland, meningococcal meningitis, motivational speaker, rayna dubose, tennessee, the carleena show, varsity, virginia, virginia tech, virginia tech athletics, virginia tech women’s basketball, youth

In 2002, Rayna DuBose was a star athlete on Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball team when she was diagnosed with a rare bacterial infection and lost her four limbs.

In today’s episode, Rayna recounts her journey and discusses the mentors who encouraged her to get back in the game and share her inspirational story with others.

Rayna has been recognized with many prestigious awards in sports and has appeared in several national news outlets. Among them: HBO Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, CBS Sports, the CBS Early Show, and local news stations. Currently, she is a basketball coach and motivational speaker. She has keynoted events with NCAA schools, youth leadership groups, doctors, troubled youth, fortune 500 companies, etc.

The Carleena Show Podcast | https://carleena.net/podcast/ | Ordinary People Share Their Hero’s Journey | Hosted and Produced by Carleena Angwin | Video Editing and Graphic Design by http://stevenllorca.com/

Dameon Berry: Army Veteran & Working Dog Trainer

August 9th, 2018  |  1 hr 1 min

andrew simmons, army veteran, carleena angwin, dameon berry, dog handler, dog trainer, dutch shepherd, east tennessee k9, hero's journey, ipo, joseph campbell, knoxville, malinois, military dog, military police, police dog, protection dog, service dog, swat, tennessee, the carleena show, veteran, working dog

Dameon Berry is a US Army veteran, husband, father, and owner of East Tennessee K9, located just north of Knoxville, Tennessee.

Since 2003, Dameon has trained working dogs for military and police forces; service dogs for veterans, children with special needs, and older adults; and search and rescue dogs to detect missing persons.

His working dogs have been placed all over the world and have helped save and protect lives.

In today’s episode, Dameon recounts the journey that led him to start training dogs.

We also have a couple special appearances - his children tell us why they love their father, and his friend Andrew Simmons talks about Dameon’s mentorship and their unique friendship.

The Carleena Show Podcast | https://carleena.net/podcast/ | Ordinary People Share Their Hero’s Journey | Hosted and Produced by Carleena Angwin | Video Editing and Graphic Design by http://stevenllorca.com/

Shannon Gilmore: TBI Does Not Define This Writer

August 2nd, 2018  |  1 hr 30 mins

173rd airborne, army, arteriovenous malformation, baltimore, carleena angwin, goucher college, hero's journey, horse lessons, joseph campbell, london, maryland, memoir, memory loss, mfa nonfiction, mount st. mary's, shannon gilmore, short term memory loss, tbi, the carleena show, towson, traumatic brain injury, vietnam veteran, writing

When Shannon Gilmore was 15 years old, a tangle of arteries burst inside her skull and she was put in a medically induced coma for 3.5 weeks. Ten years after her brain bleed, she completed an MFA in Nonfiction and a thesis manuscript that is the beginning of her memoir. In our conversation today, we talk about the journey of who Shannon was before her brain trauma, who she was in the initial recovery, and who she is now.

"I think everybody has a story that matters, but you have to figure out how and why it matters. My professor in college made me feel that my story mattered and needed to be told in its truth." - Shannon Gilmore

The Carleena Show Podcast | https://carleena.net/podcast/ | Ordinary People Share Their Hero’s Journey | Hosted and Produced by Carleena Angwin | Video Editing and Graphic Design by http://stevenllorca.com/

Bridget Frank from Interviews With Exes

July 29th, 2018  |  55 mins 11 secs

acting, actor, anxiety, bridget frank, canada, carleena angwin, chattanooga, creativity, depression, director, empath, empath survival guide, empathic, hero’s journey, highly sensitive person, hsp, interviews, interviews with exes, joseph campbell, maria bamford, mental health awareness, new podcast, oprah, outside the box, painting, podcast, podcaster, producing, relationships, starting a podcast, tennessee, the carleena show, therapy, toronto, writer, writing

Bridget Frank hosts and produces the Interviews with Exes podcast based out of Toronto. In today’s discussion, Bridget tells us why she went on a journey to interview all of her exes. She talks about depression, anxiety, being an empath, and how those three attributes, when left unmanaged, have impacted past relationships. We talk about insights Bridget has gained in the process, and the plans she has for protecting herself, and her creative ambitions in future relationships. If you are an empath, or if you are in a relationship with an empath, this episode is for you.

The Carleena Show Podcast | https://carleena.net/podcast/ | Ordinary People Share Their Hero’s Journey | Hosted and Produced by Carleena Angwin | Video Editing and Graphic Design by http://stevenllorca.com/

Interviews With Exes website: https://soundcloud.com/interviews-with-exes-podcast

The Empath Survival Guide, by Judith Orloff M.D.: https://drjudithorloff.com/empath-survival-guide-description/

Benjamin David: From Maximum Security To Youth Mentor And Entrepreneur

July 11th, 2018  |  2 hrs 53 mins

benjamin david, carleena angwin, coming of age, inspirational, memoir, mental health, mental health awareness, our hero within, personal development, prison system, self help, teen, the carleena show

My guest, Benjamin David (https://ourherowithin.com/) was sent to maximum security prison shortly after his 18th birthday. 14 years later, he sat across from me via Skype and told me he had needed it. He's not the same man today and only wishes his mom could have seen his transformation. Today, Benjamin is an author, youth mentor, and fitness entrepreneur.

The Carleena Show Podcast | https://carleena.net/podcast/ | Ordinary People Share Their Hero’s Journey | Hosted and Produced by Carleena Angwin | Video Editing and Graphic Design by http://stevenllorca.com/

[16:27] Take us back to your childhood and when things started to change for you as a teen.
[33:00] Describe the day you were sent away to Mexico.
[44:00] Are these U.S. kids? Where are they from?
[54:10] You were able to leave when you turned 18? Tell me about that day.
[1:01:06] What were your initial impressions of prison?
[1:24:00] When did you meet your mentor?
[1:45:00] Do you feel comfortable talking about your mom?
[1:57:00] Tell me about the birds that started to appear.
[2:09:00] “I thought maybe the world would give me a fresh start. That wasn’t the case.”
[2:15:00] “I face rejection and stress by stepping outside that door.”
[2:18:44] When did you decide that you wanted to write a book?
[2:35:00] I’m writing it for teens and young adults who are lost like I was. Maybe a parent or friend can show them my book before it is too late.
[2:38:00] What are your goals for the next few years?

Jennifer Silver: The Journey Of A Young Artist

June 21st, 2018  |  45 mins 10 secs

artist, atlanta, carleena angwin, chattanooga, comedy, directing, director, faculty, film, florida state university, fsu, georgia, humor, jen silver, jennifer silver, journey, mentors, ohio, plays, professor, teachers, tennessee, theater, travel, video camera, writer

Today's guest moved from her small town in Ohio to downtown Atlanta to pursue her dream of directing and writing. She talks about the journey of discovering her passion at a young age and working diligently towards that goal ever since. But pursuing an artistic dream comes with its challenges. Jen unpacks those challenges with insight and humor.

[14:10] "Creating art that speaks to people is an incredibly unique opportunity. I’ve been pursing that very diligently, much to my own dismay. Because it’s exhausting sometimes."
[20:50] "Walk me through the highs and lows of a project cycle."
[31:15] "How do you take your experiences from life and incorporate them into your art?"
[37:00] "I’ve talked to so many people who can point to one year in their 20s and say, ‘this year sucked.’ For me, it was definitely 25. I hit rock bottom in a lot of areas in my life all at once. The day I turned 26, I said goodbye to something really big."

The Carleena Show podcast is hosted by Carleena Angwin | Ordinary People Tell Their Hero's Journey

Connect with us:

Podcast Website: https://carleena.net/

Subscribe on iTunes: https://apple.co/2JnNFRI

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carleenashow/

Stephanie Jones: Trauma Survivor and Wounded Healer

June 12th, 2018  |  49 mins 14 secs

anxiety, carleena angwin, counseling, death, depression, half moon yoga, hero's journey, jack kornfield, joseph campbell, meditation, pema chodron, post traumatic stress, ptsd, ram dass, scad, shamanic yoga, stephanie jones, therapy, thich nhat hanh, toes yoga, trauma, trauma center, trauma sensitive yoga, yoga, yoga therapy

As a trauma survivor and wounded healer, our guest Stephanie Jones personally understands the mind-body-spirit journey of trauma recovery, and she firmly believes that healing from trauma is possible [1:20]: What is a Wounded Healer? [2:00]: Stephanie takes us back and tells us her hero's journey [17:55]: “The bridge between yoga and counseling for me is trauma. I identify as a trauma survivor." [21:00]: What brings people to a Trauma Sensitive Yoga workshop? [33:00]: How do you use the hero’s journey in a trauma workshop? [45:00]: "This is an opportunity for me to share my gifts and medicines with the world, to spread some light, to spread some hope, to reassure people who are suffering, whether silently or out loud, that healing is possible. I’m living proof that healing is possible."

The Carleena Show podcast is hosted by Carleena Angwin | Ordinary People Tell Their Hero's Journey

Connect with us:

Podcast Website: https://carleena.net/

Subscribe on iTunes: https://apple.co/2JnNFRI

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carleenashow/

Tom Bodkin: "People in recovery are valiant warriors."

June 2nd, 2018  |  45 mins 46 secs

addiction, army, carleena angwin, chattanooga, ironman, journey, mentors, na, narcotics anonymous, recovery, sponsee, sponsor, tom bodkin, training, triathlon, veteran, warriors, yoga

Tom Bodkin went from former addict in a high stress career to Ironman triathlon finisher in addiction recovery. He is a US Army veteran, former forensic anthropologist for a medical examiner office, and former adjunct professor of anthropology at four year university.

Tom talks about his journey from recovery to completing the 70.3 Ironman. We talk about the ten years he has spent sponsoring people in Narcotics Anonymous, the sponsor/sponsee relationship, what families should do if a loved one is using, and his decision to make the story of this journey more public. "People in recovery are valiant warriors," Tom says. Join us for this inspiring conversation. Tom gives shout-outs throughout our talk today.

Note: Tom's views and experiences are his own and he is not speaking on behalf of the Narcotics Anonymous organization.

The Carleena Show features in-depth conversations with guests from around the world. Host Carleena Angwin is a writer, public health professional, and former Peace Corps Volunteer based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. https://carleena.fireside.fm/

Connect with us:

Subscribe on iTunes: https://apple.co/2JnNFRI

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carleenashow/