From Rock Bottom to Rockin' It explores personal stories about those who hit absolute rock bottom. Then got back up, wiped off the dust, kicked failure to the curb, and now they're rockin' it like you'd never believe. These interviews are intended to inspire, motivate, and give hope and vision to those in their rock bottom by sharing stories, tools, and the resources that our guests used to create their 'rockin' it' moments. Host Eric Gilbert-Williams is a Canadian Entrepreneur who faced hardships as a youth like bullying, learning disorders, drugs, and crime before discovering success through his entrepreneurial pursuits. During his times through these teen social challenges, he found self-esteem and the passion to change his life through listening to the inspirational stories of others who overcame deep hardships to create great success in their lives.
Brock Bevell is a well-regarded family man with 7 children, six daughters and one son. He is a retired Police Officer who was run over on duty and ultimately retired from the injuries. The injuries caused him to endure numerous knee surgeries and constant rehabilitation. To deal with the pain, he was prescribed Opioids. After months and months of therapy, the department and doctors made the determination that his injuries would prevent him from doing the job effectively and could place others at risk. It was decided that he would be medically retired from the department.
For the next few years, Brock struggled with being retired. The day after turning in his equipment, he felt ostracized and not a part of the brotherhood. This was a huge blow to his ego. One day you're chasing bad guys and the next you're picking up your kid's toys. It was a difficult transition. It was at this time, that Brock's addiction took control of his emotions and he began to spin out of control, and he proceeded to self-medicate himself. During the height of his addiction, he went through a very difficult divorce. He lost time with his children and made poor decisions costing him his children's trust.
His detox lasted 7 days. At no time did he have a visitor or help from friends or family. He was alone. He had alienated most friends and was too embarrassed to share the process with his family. He walked the journey alone, but the detox set him up for the comeback. For the first time in years, the need, want or desire to use opioids was gone. He did not want to use it ever again. The process he went on prepared him for the battles he was going to face. Since recovering from his addiction, Brock has helped hundreds of men and women combat addiction. He utilizes an unconventional approach to recovery. This approach continues to lead men and women to lasting sobriety.
*** For Show Notes, Key Points, Contact Info, Resources Mentioned, & More on this episode please visit our website: RockBottom2RockinIt.com. ***
Feedback? Questions? Comments? I would love to hear from you! Contact me at us via: Email (eric@ericgilbertwilliams.com), LinkedIn (@ericgilbertwilliams), Twitter (@ericgilbertw), or Instagram (@ericgilbertwilliams).
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Dre Baldwin turned one year of high school basketball and a Division 3 college ball career into 9 years of pro basketball. In 2005, he began blogging and publishing to a new website called "YouTube." That's where the brand started. Dre created his first products in 2008, and introduced the phrase "Work On Your Game" in 2009. His first book "Buy A Game" published in 2010.
Dre stopped playing basketball in 2015 – the same year he did the first of his 4 TEDxTalks. The daily Work On Your Game Podcast launched in 2016. Today, between Speaking, Coaching, Authoring and Podcasting, Dre serves an audience of entrepreneurs, professionals and athletes on mastering Discipline, Confidence & Mental Toughness.
*** For Show Notes, Key Points, Contact Info, Resources Mentioned, & More on this episode please visit our website: RockBottom2RockinIt.com. ***
Feedback? Questions? Comments? I would love to hear from you! Contact me at us via: Email (eric@ericgilbertwilliams.com), LinkedIn (@ericgilbertwilliams), Twitter (@ericgilbertw), or Instagram (@ericgilbertwilliams).
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Zac Stracener is a popular social media personality who gained his popularity for his videos with the theme of mental illness and anxiety. His TikTok account, Zac.Stracener, has over 1.4 million followers. One of his most well-known TikTok videos, which has the song "Overwhelmed" by Royal & the Serpent, earned more than 2 million views.
Creating striking and poignant vignettes on TikTok, Zac has also proven himself with award-winning short films as well as engaging commercial pieces. Bringing magnitudes of creative insight, he has given himself a name in content creation as well as artistic vision in cinema. Zac lives in Los Angeles, California where he creates weekly videos for social media along with working on Films.
*** For Show Notes, Key Points, Contact Info, Resources Mentioned, & More on this episode please visit our website: RockBottom2RockinIt.com. ***
Feedback? Questions? Comments? I would love to hear from you! Contact me at us via: Email (eric@ericgilbertwilliams.com), LinkedIn (@ericgilbertwilliams), Twitter (@ericgilbertw), or Instagram (@ericgilbertwilliams).
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Marie Johnson is the co-creator of Nadia, the first AI digital human for service delivery and the creator of the AI digital human cardiac coach. She is a writer, commentator and international speaker on artificial intelligence, digital transformation, cyber, technology, ethics and the human experience. Her expertise is the human interface in complex servicing systems.
Described as a "public entrepreneur", "crazy brave", Marie is a trailblazer with a track record for tackling wicked problems head-on. Marie says she prefers the "edge" because it's uncomfortable and that's what sparks innovation. An impatient optimist, Marie is a relentless advocate for women on STEM, and is recognized for her groundbreaking work on inclusion and accessibility led innovation.
Across government and internationally, Marie has delivered significant technology, innovation and digital services transformation programs across revenue, business, health and human services, payments, identity, immigration visa operations, and disability services. Her advocacy and expertise in identity was influential in the Australian Financial Systems Inquiry recommending the need for a federated digital identity framework as a critical element for the future robustness of Australia's financial systems.
*** For Show Notes, Key Points, Contact Info, Resources Mentioned, & More on this episode please visit our website: RockBottom2RockinIt.com. ***
Feedback? Questions? Comments? I would love to hear from you! Contact me at us via: Email (eric@ericgilbertwilliams.com), LinkedIn (@ericgilbertwilliams), Twitter (@ericgilbertw), or Instagram (@ericgilbertwilliams).
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Dame Stephanie Shirley CH is a successful IT entrepreneur turned ardent philanthropist. Having arrived in Britain as an unaccompanied child refugee in 1939, she started what became Xansa plc (now part of the Sopra Group) on her dining room table with £6 in 1962. In 25 years as its Chief Executive, she developed it into a leading business technology group, pioneering new work practices and changing the position of professional women (especially in hi-tech) along the way. Her Dameship in the Millennium honours was for services to IT.
She was awarded the Order of Companions of Honour in the Queen's Birthday Honours in June 2017. She served on corporate Boards such as Tandem Computers Inc. (1992-7), the John Lewis Partnership plc (1999-2001) and AEA Technology - previously the Atomic Energy Authority (1992-2000). Her philanthropy is based on her strong belief in giving back to society. She focuses on IT and autism (her autistic son Giles died age 35 in 1998).
Dame Stephanie was the first woman Master of the IT livery company; the first woman President of the chartered British Computer Society; and the UK's Ambassador for Philanthropy in 2009/10. Her charitable Shirley Foundation spent out in October 2018. It made over £67m grants and initiated a number of projects that are pioneering by nature, strategic in impact and significant in money terms. This included three autism charities: Autism at Kingwood (support); Prior's Court (education); and Autistica (research) which together employ over 1000 staff. In 2001 she co-founded the Oxford Internet Institute which focuses on the social, economic, legal and ethical issues – not the technology – of this network of networks.
*** For Show Notes, Key Points, Contact Info, Resources Mentioned, & More on this episode please visit our website: RockBottom2RockinIt.com. ***
Feedback? Questions? Comments? I would love to hear from you! Contact me at us via: Email (eric@ericgilbertwilliams.com), LinkedIn (@ericgilbertwilliams), Twitter (@ericgilbertw), or Instagram (@ericgilbertwilliams).
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Zane Novak is our very first returning guest and we are so glad to have him back on our show. If you haven't listened to his story yet, please check out his interview - Episode 12: Double Family Tragedy To CEO & Political Influencer // The Story Of Zane Novak. He is currently running for mayor and hoping to win the election this coming October in Calgary. You can get to know more about his platform and vision for Calgary by visiting his website: Zane4Mayor.ca
Twenty years ago, Zane Novak made the inspired move to Calgary because he was drawn to the energy and passion of this great city. His more than 23,000 volunteer hours serving Calgarians has driven him to pursue a higher service to this city. Whether as the president of the Kerby Centre or the Big Hearted Mavericks, an entrepreneur, or as a father and amateur baker, Zane is always looking for a better way forward. Zane brings dynamic leadership to Calgary and a plan to invest in its communities. He wants to enhance economic opportunity for Calgarians while bringing new energy to downtown.
Zane has created the Calgary 2.0, which is a platform for Calgarians to voice their concerns and opinions. Calgary 2.0 follows a grassroots approach, operated entirely by volunteers and concerned Calgarians. Now that the Zane4mayor has been formally announced, Calgary 2.0 will continue to be used as an outreach platform for the community. Calgarians can provide their feedback, thoughts, concerns, and visions for Calgary's future.
*** For Show Notes, Key Points, Contact Info, Resources Mentioned, & More on this episode please visit our website: RockBottom2RockinIt.com. ***
Feedback? Questions? Comments? I would love to hear from you! Contact me at us via: Email (eric@ericgilbertwilliams.com), LinkedIn (@ericgilbertwilliams), Twitter (@ericgilbertw), or Instagram (@ericgilbertwilliams).
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Toronto native, Jas Takhar, has been in the sales and service industry for over 25 years. Soon after deciding to try his hand in real estate, he co-founded the REC, and in the course of 15 years, has successfully propelled his team to the 1st place position in Canada under Royal LePage.
With 25 realtors and 10 support staff, the team advises and assists over 700 buyers, sellers and investors, yearly, across the Greater Toronto Area, resulting in a total of over $1.5B in transactions. Jas' area of expertise is in helping investors build out their real estate portfolios. Wanting to share his knowledge and experience with the masses, he wrote a book titled Real Estate Intelligence, which teaches others how to buy or sell real estate on their own.
Furthering his pursuit to educate and motivate, he now hosts one of the top business podcasts in the country, the REC Experience; here he interviews guests who share their success stories on real estate investing, entrepreneurship and leadership. He also hosts a daily Instagram Live show called "Nite Cap with Jas" where he answers his follower's most frequently asked questions. His hope is to provide inspiring content to aid others in removing the friction for their own life, in order to help them get from where they are to where they want to be.
*** For Show Notes, Key Points, Contact Info, Resources Mentioned, & More on this episode please visit our website: RockBottom2RockinIt.com. ***
Feedback? Questions? Comments? I would love to hear from you! Contact me at us via: Email (eric@ericgilbertwilliams.com), LinkedIn (@ericgilbertwilliams), Twitter (@ericgilbertw), or Instagram (@ericgilbertwilliams).
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Anya Katsevman is an acclaimed award-winning dancer and performer with over 20 titles in the International Latin circuit. Her many international performance credits include tours with well known shows such as Burn the Floor and Dancing With the Stars. Together with partner Luis Aguilar she also holds numerous titles in salsa. Among them, she is a two-time World Champion as well as the San Francisco International Salsa Congress and New York Salsa Congress Champion.
Anya is a passionate teacher who's popular workshops often include philosophical musings as well as detailed and technical dance instruction. She is also a talented designer who's dresses and costumes have been popular with other top dancers around the world. Born in Kiev Ukraine, Anya Katsevman has been living in New York City for 17 years. She has danced in the films La Epoca and Dancing Scared and in numerous TV productions.
*** For Show Notes, Key Points, Contact Info, Resources Mentioned, & More on this episode please visit our website: RockBottom2RockinIt.com. ***
Feedback? Questions? Comments? I would love to hear from you! Contact me at us via: Email (eric@ericgilbertwilliams.com), LinkedIn (@ericgilbertwilliams), Twitter (@ericgilbertw), or Instagram (@ericgilbertwilliams).
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Muyinza Kasirye is a highly experienced artist, songwriter, producer, and videographer. He is the founder of APRT Media, which is a digital marketing agency that helps customers thrive in today's digital environment. This company is composed of all black individuals from diverse backgrounds that have combined their skill sets to assist fellow black businesses to grow.
Being an immigrant from Uganda has been very challenging for Muyinza, especially during his early teenage years when they moved to Boston. Growing up with little money but armed with a lot of knowledge and passion for music, Muyinza made his way to the top of the entertainment industry. Today, he is an accomplished artist, producer, and media creator who has built and runs his own professional-grade recording studio in Los Angeles. You can check out one of his best-produced music videos on YouTube entitled Cold Blooded.
*** For Show Notes, Key Points, Contact Info, Resources Mentioned, & More on this episode please visit our website: RockBottom2RockinIt.com. ***
Feedback? Questions? Comments? I would love to hear from you! Contact me at us via: Email (eric@ericgilbertwilliams.com), LinkedIn (@ericgilbertwilliams), Twitter (@ericgilbertw), or Instagram (@ericgilbertwilliams).
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Sheldon Kennedy won a Memorial Cup, World Junior Gold Medal and skated for three teams in his eight-year NHL career. He is best known for his courageous decision to charge his Major Junior Hockey league coach with sexual assault for the abuse he suffered over a five-year period while a teenager under his care. Through this disclosure, and the important work that Sheldon continues to do, he has become an inspiration to millions of abuse survivors around the world.
In 1998, he in-line skated across Canada to highlight the issue of child abuse and donated 100% of the proceeds ($1.2M) towards abuse prevention programs. During this skate he was presented with the keys to the cities of Ottawa, Toronto, and Winnipeg. His life story was made into an Award-Winning TV movie.
Sheldon was Co-Founder of the Calgary Child Advocacy Centre, the first-of-its-kind in Canada, offering full wrap-around services for victims of child abuse. He is also the Co-Founder of Respect Group, which provides empowering online abuse, bullying and harassment prevention education to sport organizations, schools and the workplace.
*** For Show Notes, Key Points, Contact Info, Resources Mentioned, & More on this episode please visit our website: RockBottom2RockinIt.com. ***
Feedback? Questions? Comments? I would love to hear from you! Contact me at us via: Email (eric@ericgilbertwilliams.com), LinkedIn (@ericgilbertwilliams), Twitter (@ericgilbertw), or Instagram (@ericgilbertwilliams).
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Jessica Minhas is a human rights advocate, author, social entrepreneur, and media commentator who makes complex human rights issues relevant, understandable and actionable for audiences of all ages. For the past 12 years, Jessica has worked in media, carefully producing inspiring media content on complex human rights issues; and the survivor advocacy space, crafting economic empowerment programs and investigations on behalf of sex trafficking victims.
In addition to her humanitarian work, Jessica is the Founder and CEO of I'll Go First, a nonprofit organization dedicated to leveraging media and technology in order to provide remote psychosocial care to marginalized trauma populations throughout the developing world, and is working on her first book- an investigative memoir entitled, "I'll Go First"- following her personal journey of searching for her biological family and finding her life's calling.
Jessica graduated from the University of Central Florida, and has completed graduate studies work in Journalism at NYU, and in Global Mental Health Trauma and Refugee Recovery with Harvard Medical School. She has been honored as a Rising Leader by the Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards, is a recipient of a Noble Award on behalf of The Blind Project, and is currently a Hive Global Leader, a New York New Abolitionist, a Global Shaper on behalf of the World Economic Forum and a United Nations Global Accelerator.
*** For Show Notes, Key Points, Contact Info, Resources Mentioned, & More on this episode please visit our website: RockBottom2RockinIt.com. ***
Feedback? Questions? Comments? I would love to hear from you! Contact me at us via: Email (eric@ericgilbertwilliams.com), LinkedIn (@ericgilbertwilliams), Twitter (@ericgilbertw), or Instagram (@ericgilbertwilliams).
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