Back to Life

Often times, we watch others achieving our dreams but for some reason think that those dreams are unreachable for us. Sometimes risk, uncertainty, and the lack of self-confidence stirs our doubt, but once you've established your goal, you can change your mindset to allow life to bring the opportunities you desire to you. Today's guest, Matt Javit, was a Division 1 All American Athlete who went straight from college to achieve major corporate success. He then left his job to go travel the world with his wife for 27 months.

In this conversation, Matt shares what inspired them to finally go after their dreams and how to overcome the fear and doubt that often holds us back. Matt discusses his experiences traveling, transitioning back into daily life, and how you too can shift your mindset to achieve anything you want. Join Danny Bader in this conversation to hear more about Matt's inspiring and entertaining adventures.

Show Highlights:

• Matt shares his childhood, life as an athlete, and then how he was led to corporate America
• Matt shares how he and his wife were able to travel full time
• Having so much access to information can be overwhelming but if utilized properly can help you cultivate any life opportunity you want
• Money is important but finding external factors that fuel you are vital to keep your passion going
• Matt shares what the process of transitioning from corporate America to traveling for 27 months looked like
• Matt shares strategies to avoid negative thinking and go for your dreams
• Setting goals is the first step to put them in motion
• Matt discusses what inspired the World Barber Shop Adventures and how it's grown
• What the process of transitioning back into daily life after traveling looks like
• Traveling is crucial to expand your horizons and expose you to other cultural differences
• Strategies for handling mental and emotional fear of the unknown
• Preparation is a crucial element to manage fear
• Matt shares what his next endeavor is and how he's going to continue travel in the future
• Getting clear on the what, writing it down, and taking crazy action
• Understanding you deserve to achieve your goals is crucial to make them happen

Links:

https://www.dannybader.com

Contact Matt:

https://mattjavit.com

https://passportjoy.com

Sometimes life happens to us in ways that we could never anticipate, but we have to find ways to see the light in every situation. Today's guest, Zach Schmitz, currently works at SC Johnson and is studying for his MBA. 2 years ago, Zach experienced a traumatic injury that shifted the course of his life forever.

In this interview, Zach shares his story, along with his recovery process and his journey to finding a new sense of normalcy. He discusses how to shift your mindset to find positivity in dark moments, and how to maintain a sense of realism within that normalcy.

Join Danny Bader in this conversation to hear more about Zach's inspiring story and how he chooses to find positivity every day.

Show Highlights:

• Zach talks about who he is and what he's currently doing in his career
• Zach shares a traumatic experience he had after college that altered his life forever
• Zach discusses what his surgery and recovery process from his spinal cord injury entailed
• Maintaining a sense of realism and positivity can be the most difficult part of recovery
• There can be dark times when trying to accept a new sense of normalcy, but once you recognize this there are strategies to help you move forward
• Having supportive family and friends can make a huge impact on maintaining positivity
• Being support is just as important as seeking support
• Reprogramming your thoughts to find the best in every situation is crucial to overcome negative thoughts
• Zach talks about this current position at SC Johnson and how they've supported him
• Everything happens for a reason and sometimes we just have to trust God's plan
• Zach shares basic principles to help you get through difficult situations

Links:

https://www.dannybader.com

Contact Zach:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zach.schmitz.73

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zschmitz2013/?hl=en

Developing a strong sense of self-worth and acceptance can be a long and difficult journey for many people. It is often particularly difficult for those who struggle with depression and anxiety. Often times, people who struggle with mental health strive for unachievable levels of perfection, which only leaves them more discouraged. Today's guest, Dr. Margaret Rutherford, is a clinical psychologist and author of Perfectly Hidden Depression.

In this interview, Dr. Margaret shares her exploration of anxiety, depression, and perfectionism, and how you can learn to change some of the habits that are holding you back from vitality. She discusses the difference between depression and anxiety, as well as signs to identify someone who is struggling, and her methodology for a framework to change perfectionist habits.

Join Danny Bader in this deeply educational and enlightening conversation to learn more about how you can tap into your emotions and cultivate the life you want.

Show Highlights:

• Dr. Margaret shares how she shifted her career to discover her passion
• Life circumstances often don't bring out the best of us and sometimes we have to explore outside of our comfort zone to find our passion
• Depression is more complex than a definition, but Dr. Margaret shares the symptoms and categories of depression to identify it
• Dr. Margaret shares what motivated her to write a book and further explore depression and perfectionism tendencies
• Anxiety is the number one mental health problem but depression is increasingly effecting middle-aged men and women
• How to differentiate between anxiety and depression
• Self-acceptance is being proud of what you do but also understanding there is room for self-improvement
• There are different stages to overcome anxiety and becoming aware is the first step to move through those stages
• Committing to treatment is necessary to change how you interact with perfectionism
• Human connection is heavily impacted by emotions and past trauma's and you often have to work through those in order to develop relationships
• Behavior change is the only hopeful solution to work through perfectionism
• Developing a mantra is important for self-development
• Spirituality can effect individual's feelings of greater purpose and success
• People can tap into a power to get through things that feel impossible
• We can learn how to work through sadness in a healthy and powerful way
• Taking responsibility for your own actions is the first step to overcome bitterness and avoid a victim mentality

Links:

https://www.dannybader.com

Contact Dr. Margaret:

https://drmargaretrutherford.com

The Self Work Podcast - https://drmargaretrutherford.com/selfwork/

Get Perfectly Hidden Depression: https://drmargaretrutherford.com/perfectlyhiddendepressionbook/

Facebook Group: https: //www.facebook.com/groups/selfwork

When faced with hardship, it can be easy to succumb to negative thoughts. In order to find peace and grow as individuals, it's important we reframe our way of thinking. Today's guest, Lizzy Bader, freshman at the University of Pennsylvania and athlete, shares how COVID-19 directly impacted her daily and emotional life, and how she is able find peace through the unanticipated disruption.

Lizzy reveals many thoughts and struggles that many of us likely experienced, and possibly still are. She also discusses how she has been able to create a sense of normalcy and routine within this major shift through practicing thankfulness, reframing her mindset, and having a clear vision of the future. Join Danny Bader in this hopeful conversation and get tangible tips on how you can find resilience through crisis.

Show Highlights:

• Lizzy shares when she got news about the campus closing for the semester
• Going through the stages of grief and processing initial negative thoughts
• Sometimes we have to surrender to bigger forces in order to find resilience
• We often have to use gratitude in order to find a new perspective
• It's important to create space that supports what you need to accomplish
• There's a difference between surrendering and giving up
• Figuring out how to continue your plans and live life as aligned to your goals as possible through disruption
• Having a vision is important to stay inspired and work hard

Links:

https://www.dannybader.com

Our guest for today's podcast is Vince Pappas, and he tells his story of growing up, getting his first job, going to night-school while working full-time, and then having a moment of decision where he knew that he was going to start his own company.

When Vince began a business with his two partners, they turned $35,000 in their first year. Over the years, he and his team weathered the storms of two recessions and they grew the company to a whopping $100,000,000. Be sure to tune in, to find out more!

Vince is a great entrepreneur and a wonderful family man! Today, you will hear him talk about the things that really matter, like curiosity, mindset, vision, leading with your heart, and being of service to others. This kind of wisdom is very valuable, not only when applied to a business, but also in the way we build our families and friendships, and how we live our lives in general. Listen in today, to hear Vince sharing his wisdom and insights for living a successful and fulfilling life!

Show Highlights:

• Vince talks about his life growing up, going to high school, and going to college.
• In 1975, when Vince was 20 years old, he started working for Philadelphia Resins. He worked in their Phillystran division, and there, he was introduced to Kevlar before it even had a name.
• Something clicked for Vince when he was first introduced to Kevlar.
• Between 1975 and 1983, Vince gained invaluable experience working for Philadelphia Resins. He eventually became the general manager of the company.
• While working at Philadelphia Resins, Vince also attended night school. He would learn something at night school and then go into work the next day and put it directly into practice.
• Failure is part of life, so you have to experience failure before you find success.
• Vince talks about the best leader that he ever studied under. He taught Vince the human side of what works in business.
• At 26-years old, Vince was running the company he worked for. He found this very challenging because he lacked the educational background.
• Doing some incredible problem-solving for a Dutch company earned Vince a fantastic job.
• Vince talks about the birth, and the first five years, of his company, Fiber-Line.
• Treating people right is the key to success.
• The start of the fiber optics cable market was something big for Vince.
• Throughout the 1990s, Fiber-Line grew 30-40% every year.
• Vince shares his philosophy about profit-sharing with his employees.
• Aligning the goals of the employees with those of the company creates a win-win situation for everyone.
• Empathy is a key component to success. Always treat other people in the way that you would like to be treated.
• Although Vince and his partners recently sold Fiber-Line to a private equity company, they have still retained 30% of the business.
• Vince distills his years of experience into three valuable lessons.
• Internal confidence is the difference between failure and success.

Vince Pappas shares his personal story on Facebook

Sometimes life throws things at us that we could never anticipate, some especially unthinkable during your first month of college. When Jessie began experiencing severe headaches her first month as a college Freshman, she assumed it was stress or a side-effect of her transitional period. That was until her pain became debilitating, and no doctor seemed to be able to figure out the cause. After a multitude of doctor's appointments and tests, they discovered a malignant brain tumor very close to her speech center.

In this interview with Danny Bader, Jessie Williamson shares her journey with her cancer diagnosis and how she's been able to persevere and find her identity despite such a huge obstacle. She opens up about how her support systems and passion for helping others has carried her through her journey, and the many blessings she's found along the way. Tune into this inspiring and uplifting interview to hear more about Jessie's encouraging story.

Show Highlights:

• Who is Jessie Williamson and the different activities she's been involved in
• Jessie began experiencing extreme headaches her first month of college and none of the doctors could figure out why
• Once her tumor was discovered, she underwent emergency surgery
• Jessie shares how she was able to maintain a positive attitude and what her recovery process looked like
• Jessie's official prognosis is rare for her age and has her in a clinical trial
• Having a large support group has been the most uplifting aspect of recovery and helped her when dealing with people who are ignorant to her situation
• How Jessie's passion for serving others helps her connect spiritually
• Maddie, Jessie's roommate and best friend, shares how they met and her experience of walking through Jessie's journey with her
• Jessie shares how she's moved forward and embraced her identity outside of her illness
• The power of being grateful and paying attention to the goodness around you

Links:

https://www.dannybader.com

Every day offers trials and tribulations that push us to grow into stronger versions of ourselves, but sometimes it feels like we may never get through it. After Jennifer Lynn Robinson experienced a life-threatening and traumatic accident that shook her world, she not only exceeded doctors' expectations for her future but was led down a journey that brought her to her purpose.

Jennifer sheds vulnerable insight on her recovery process, how she dealt with depression and victim mentality, and how it led her to a life of helping others. Join Danny Bader in this moving conversation about perseverance and the innate strength we all possess.

Show Highlights:

• Embracing opportunities to be inspired by other's resilience
• Jennifer's survival story from her tragic accident
• The recovery journey from physical injuries
• What inspired Jennifer to persevere and make it to her sisters' wedding
• Navigating anger that accompanies trauma through therapy
• What influenced Jennifer to become an entrepreneur
• Teaching people methods to network authentically
• How Jennifer's accident enabled her to find her purpose
• Encouragements for people searching for inspiration

Links:

https://www.dannybader.com

Contact Jennifer:

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/areyounetworked/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/areyounetworked?lang=en

https://www.purposefulnetworking.com

Jack Rabbit T-shirts:

https://www.dannybader.com/shop

Practicing the jckrbbt principle, be still, in life can be difficult, but it's an impactful practice to implement into your life. Today's special guest, Pat Croce, shares his journey from athletic trainer to an entrepreneur to a meditation & mindfulness disciple. He also discusses what his seasons of transition have looked like throughout his life and how practicing mindfulness has enhanced his life and created more peace, love joy, focus and awareness. Join Danny Bader in this episode to hear more about how you can surrender your ego to live a more present life.

Show Highlights:

• Pat's educational and sports journey
• How Pat got involved with the Philadelphia Sixers
• What Pat's relationship with Allen Iverson was like
• Giving people the tools to achieve their fullest potential and simultaneously match your vision
• Transitioning from leaving the Sixers
• Learning to breakdown your vision into achievable steps
• Finding mindfulness in stillness
• The benefits of stillness for "busy people"
• Embracing vulnerability and your internal energy
• What is ego and how to step outside of it
• Basking in silence and creating in likeness
• Acknowledging emotions and embracing sadness when it arises

Links:

https://www.dannybader.com

Contact Pat:

https://twitter.com/pat_croce?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Often times, we don't know what we have until it's gone. Today's guest, Kevin Reilly, shares his story of how unexpected circumstances changed his life in miraculous ways. Going from a college football player to an NFL player, to an amputee, to an author and speaker, Kevin has an abundance of advice to live a more grateful and fulfilling life.

Danny Bader and Kevin discuss what it looks like to maintain tenacity through adversity, the challenges people frequently face in day-to-day life, and how to find silver linings in these challenges. Join Danny and Kevin in this inspiring and encouraging episode of Back to Life.

Show Highlights:

• Unexpected circumstances that turned Kevin's life around
• What life looked like for Kevin after having major surgeries
• How Kevin's faith supported him through hardship
• Finding the strength to move through tribulations and recalibrate your approach
• Struggling through mental and physical exhaustion after extreme tragedy
• Finding a silver lining through adversity
• How taking advantage of opportunities changed Kevin's life
• Challenges that Kevin encounters in others
• Tangible tips that Kevin lives by

Links:

https://www.dannybader.com

Contact Kevin:

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/tackling-life-how-faith-family-friends-and-fortitude-kept-an-nfl-linebacker-in-the-game_kevin-reilly_john-riley/19096588/#isbn=0692960139&idiq=30921099

https://www.kevinreilly52.com

Life is full of ups and downs, but it's how we look at it that matters. In this episode, Tracy Davidson, a Philadelphia news anchor, shares her journey of establishing her career in TV and how she's gotten to where she is now.

Tracy talks about the power of gratitude and how she's overcome hardship throughout her life. She not only gives an array of insight on reframing our mindsets, but how to integrate stillness into our everyday practice. Join Danny Bader in this fulfilling conversation about compassion, leading with love, and living in the moment.

Show Highlights:

• The journey that led Tracy to her career in TV
• How to move through fear and earn peoples trust
• The impact of following your faith and instinct
• Experiences and challenges Tracy faced as a news forecaster
• The power of thankfulness
• Pushing yourself through to the other side of hardship
• Doing a digital detox to be fully present
• How to integrate calmness and stillness into your daily life
• People who inspire Tracy and her favorite organizations to work with
• Upcoming projects and retreats Tracy is working on
• Investing more time in things that fill your soul up
• Focusing on remembering and acting from a place of love
• The importance of looking at life as a gift and using kind words

Links:

https://www.dannybader.com

Contact Tracy:

https://www.facebook.com/tracydavidsonNBC10/