BeTempered

Cindy Lee shows up with energy, humor, and a presence that lights up the room. But behind that is a story most people would never guess. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at 28, battling relentless fatigue, surviving a head-on crash that left her with guilt she couldn’t shake, and walking through a career shift that pushed her into a level of depression she didn’t think she’d come back from.

In this conversation with Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr, Cindy opens up about what MS actually feels like day to day. The triggers. The mental fog. The constant adjustments just to function. But more than that, she talks about choosing not to let it define her outcome.

This episode goes deeper than just illness. It hits on burnout, purpose, and the quiet weight of holding everything in while looking completely fine on the outside. Cindy shares the moment she finally told the truth after years of silence, and how leaning into service became the thing that kept her going. From probation work to leadership roles, she believes people only change when they feel seen and held accountable.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re barely holding it together behind the scenes, this one is going to hit.

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Rock bottom doesn’t always look like chaos. Sometimes it looks like a normal life slowly coming apart behind the scenes. In this episode, that’s exactly where the story begins before everything spirals.

Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with Donald Reed, whose journey didn’t start with addiction, but with identity loss, divorce, and depression that cracked the door open just enough. What followed was a rapid descent into cocaine, pills, meth, dealing, and ultimately the needle. Donald breaks down the real psychology of addiction, the constant bargaining, the shame that fuels the next hit, and how each return pulls you deeper than the last. From trap houses to an overdose that should have ended everything, his story doesn’t hold back.

Then comes the moment no one expects. Arrested in his own hometown, handcuffed on a front step, Donald feels something he hadn’t felt in years…peace. That moment becomes the turning point into a faith-driven recovery shaped by jail ministry, confession, Scripture, and real accountability.

Now over eight years sober, Donald and his wife Joni Reed are helping others find their way out through Crossroad Christian Recovery Center for Women, a no-cost residential program in Richmond, Indiana. Supported by donors, churches, volunteers, and prayer, their mission is restoring lives and rebuilding families.

If you or someone you love needs help or wants to support the mission, visit https://www.crossroadchristianrecovery.org/

If you feel stuck, this conversation is a reminder that change can start with one honest moment.

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Some stories do not build slowly. They hit you with the reality of what trauma and addiction actually do, and they force you to sit in it before showing you what redemption can look like.

Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with Joni Reed for a raw and honest conversation about a life shaped early by chaos, fear, and instability. Growing up in a home marked by severe mental illness, repeated suicide attempts, and abuse, Joni learned how to survive long before she ever had the chance to just be a kid. What looked normal from the outside was anything but on the inside. This part of the conversation puts words to the kind of pain that often stays hidden and unspoken.

As the years go on, the story moves into addiction. What started as early substance use turned into opioid addiction, IV drug use, and a cycle that took over everything. This is an honest look at what that life actually feels like. The physical pain of withdrawal. The mental obsession that never shuts off. The constant loop of trying to get out while being pulled right back in. Joni shares what it was like to lose her nursing school dream on the final day, why consequences alone never created change, and how addiction slowly strips away everything that once mattered.

The conversation also dives into the role of Suboxone, the complexity around recovery paths, and how grief can become fuel for relapse. There is a turning point where things get even darker as meth enters the picture, leading to the loss of nearly everything, including custody of her children. This episode does not soften any of it. It tells the truth about how far things can fall.

Then everything shifts.

At her lowest point, when there seemed to be nothing left, a prison Bible shows up and something begins to change. Through conviction, repentance, fasting, and learning to truly listen for God’s voice, a different path starts to form. This is where the story moves from survival into transformation. Not just sobriety, but a complete change in identity and purpose.

Joni Reed now has more than eight years of sobriety and serves as the Executive Director of Crossroad Christian Recovery Center for Women in Richmond, Indiana. She now walks alongside women who are facing the same battles she once fought, helping them find real freedom through faith, structure, and support.

This episode is for anyone who has struggled with addiction, experienced trauma, loved someone in that fight, or wondered if change is still possible.

If this conversation impacts you, share it with someone who needs it and help us continue to bring these stories to light.

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Learn more about Crossroad Christian Recovery Center:
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Tracy Nutt shares the painful and powerful truth about surviving childhood sexual abuse, the manipulation that kept her silent, and the shame that followed her into school, relationships, and her mental health. Joined by hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr, Tracy opens up about the reality many survivors carry behind closed doors. This conversation includes discussion of suicide and may be difficult to hear, but Tracy’s courage to speak openly brings hope to anyone carrying a story they have never felt safe enough to say out loud.

Tracy talks with Dan and Ben about what happens when the adults who should protect you fail to see the signs or refuse to believe them, and how that kind of abandonment can shape a lifetime of depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts. She shares the turning point that came during a hospital stay when she felt the presence of God and realized her life still had purpose. From there, the conversation traces the long road of trauma recovery, including panic attacks, hypervigilance, and the exhausting “what if” mindset that many survivors carry for years.

They also explore breaking generational cycles through trauma informed parenting, rebuilding a relationship with her mother later in life, and grieving a loss that reopened old wounds. Tracy explains why forgiveness is not the same as excusing evil, why forgiving herself was the hardest step of all, and what she hopes every child and every adult understands about boundaries, protection, and speaking up. She also shares an update on her upcoming book, What Survived Was Me.

If you care about protecting children, understanding trauma, and seeing how faith and resilience can lead to real healing, this is an important conversation.

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A 0.1 percent chance can sound impossible until you hear Cheyanne’s story. In this episode, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with Cheyanne Mitchell and her aunt Maria to talk about a journey marked by resilience, faith, and the relentless hope for a second chance. Cheyanne shares what life has looked like since being diagnosed with a rare genetic condition, including a kidney transplant, the heartbreak of rejection, and the reality of now undergoing dialysis three times a week. Through it all, her determination remains unshaken and her belief that the right living donor is out there continues to fuel her fight.

We also break down the medical side of Cheyanne’s story in clear, understandable terms. Because of extremely high antibody levels, finding a direct donor match is rare. However, paired kidney exchange programs create new possibilities. Your kidney could help another recipient while their donor provides the kidney that matches Cheyanne. We talk about how the donor process works, the extensive screening that protects donor health, how insurance coverage is handled, and the privacy options available for those who choose to remain anonymous. The conversation also addresses common myths about living donation and explains why blood type alone does not determine compatibility.

Cheyanne’s story is part of a much larger reality. More than 90,000 people in the United States are currently waiting for a kidney transplant. That number includes people like Ben’s cousin Jordy, who is balancing dialysis while raising her one year old son. This episode becomes a reminder that hope often begins with a single act of courage. Cheyanne dreams of returning to a normal rhythm of life, stepping away from dialysis, building a career she loves, and eventually returning to school to become a veterinary technician. Faith, family, and community continue to carry her forward.

If this story moves you, consider taking the first step to see if you could help.

Start the living donor screening process here
https://www.osuwexmedlivingdonor.org/


Choose Named Recipient and enter Cheyanne Mitchell.

Even if you are not a direct match, programs like paired kidney exchange may allow your donation to help another recipient while their donor provides the kidney Cheyanne needs.

Find out if you may be a match
https://www.osuwexmedlivingdonor.org/


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What if the most important thing you steward isn’t wealth, but identity? Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with financial planner and community builder Brett Guiley to unpack a journey rooted in small town values, deep curiosity, and the courage to step away from comfort to chase purpose. Brett reflects on how watching his dad make a bold career change and his mom return to school shaped his understanding of sacrifice, and how early days of cold calling taught him humility, persistence, and respect for every no. Over time, conversations with local business owners became the education that truly formed his approach to service and leadership.

From his time at Merrill and Raymond James to launching Vista Investment Partners, Brett shares why independence mattered and how betting on people others overlooked became a defining theme. In conversation with Dan and Ben, he opens up about confronting labels he carried for years like fear, guilt, and impostor syndrome, and how faith helped him embrace a new identity as a connector. That shift reshaped the way he leads, mentors, and serves clients. We also talk about the launch of Orange Horizon Wealth and his vision for helping clients understand emerging assets like Bitcoin with clarity and responsibility.

At the heart of it all is family. Regular Sunday dinners and yearly trips to Lake Michigan remind Brett that legacy is built in the moments that repeat, not the ones that impress. His reflections on his grandfather in law offer a powerful picture of wisdom, intentional listening, and the kind of presence that leaves a lasting mark.

You’ll walk away with practical insight on building relationships with humility, growing a business through service, listening for your calling, and taking risks that align with faith. If you are navigating a career pivot, leadership pressure, or the tension between ambition and purpose, this conversation will meet you where you are.

Subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a quick review to help more people discover stories that build resilience and real wealth.

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What starts as a foggy morning hike with his daughter turns into a life saving chain of events Dennis never could have planned. At 69, the firefighter, EMT, chaplain, and tool and die craftsman found himself facing multiple iliac aneurysms on the brink of rupture. What followed was a series of moments that felt anything but random: a hurricane delay that shifted their trip, swelling that refused to be ignored, a chiropractor who kept asking deeper questions, a rare Saturday scheduling call, and a surgical team suddenly available after a last minute cancellation. Hours later, Dennis woke up with rebuilt arteries, grafts, and stents and a story that reframes coincidence as something far more meaningful.

Hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr walk with Dennis through the full arc of his journey. From childhood loss and the early roots of faith, to decades of steady service helping others navigate their worst moments, Dennis shares what first responders carry long after the sirens stop. He opens up about the mental discipline required in chaos, the quiet rituals of grief and prayer, and the peace that grounded him when he heard the words, “go to the ER now.”

This conversation reaches beyond survival. It explores how purpose evolves, why community matters when seconds count, and how the interruptions we resist can become the very lifelines we need. Dennis offers practical wisdom on advocating for your health, listening to your body, and seeking answers when something does not feel right. More than anything, he speaks to a deeper calling that did not begin after surgery, but was clarified by it: serve more, love more, and show up where people are hurting.

If you have ever questioned whether a detour in your life might actually be direction, this episode will stay with you. Listen now and share it with someone who needs hope today. If the conversation resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and join the discussion. Was it coincidence, or was it providence?

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What happens when the crash you never wanted becomes the wake up call you needed?

On this week’s episode of BeTempered, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with Zac Shisler for one of the most raw and redemptive conversations we have had yet.

Zac shares the moment everything came to a head. High behind the wheel after a speedball. Blacking out at a stop sign. Waking up to sirens, charges, and consequences he could not outrun. But the real story started years before that. A childhood marked by chaos. Alcoholism in the home. A father who left. Early drinks at a bar. A first joint at eleven that felt like relief instead of rebellion.

What began as escape slowly became survival.

Zac takes us deep into the neuroscience of addiction, explaining how the brain rewires and how the limbic system can scream for a fix like it is oxygen. He does not offer excuses. He offers clarity. We unpack the hard truth that treatment can stabilize you, but only transformation can sustain you.

Outpatient programs checked boxes. Inpatient detox cleaned him up. But real change began when grace met grit. A church that hugged him when he still smelled like alcohol. Worship music that reached his heart before theology did. Mentors who spoke truth without shame.

After losing his grandfather, Zac relapsed. Not long after, his brother lost the same fight. In a Florida rehab facility, a letter from a friend he once encouraged brought him to his knees. Surrender was not a single emotional moment. It became a daily practice. Sponsor. Meetings. Prayer. Boundaries. Cutting ties with people, places, and patterns that kept dragging him back.

Now six years sober, Zac lives what we call the slow miracle of consistency. He rebuilt trust with his wife and five daughters by showing up emotionally, not just physically. He confronted hidden habits that dulled conviction and blocked intimacy. He found purpose in co-founding Recovery Chance Maintenance, a remodeling company that hires men from sober living and gives them more than work. It gives them a second shot.

This episode is about addiction, responsibility, faith, relapse, restoration, and what it really means to temper your life through surrender.

If you are fighting relapse, loving someone who is, or wondering if your story can still be redeemed, this conversation is for you.

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Your share might be the letter that changes a life.

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Pain does not ask permission before it reshapes a life. On this episode of BeTempered, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with Lisa Chandler to talk about what it looks like to stop running and start rebuilding when survival has been the default for decades.

Lisa’s story moves through constant childhood instability, overwhelming debt, and a traumatic brain injury from a car accident in 1984. Searching for security, she joined the Navy, only to face pregnancy, abandonment, and the reality of starting over as a single mother with almost nothing. Faith entered quietly when a church bus began picking up her daughter, but it came tangled with legalism, shame, and the belief that love had to be earned. Everything shifted when Lisa encountered a simple truth that dismantled years of striving. She was already saved. Forgiveness became necessary, not optional, and identity began to form around truth instead of past mistakes.

The conversation also explores calling in everyday obedience. After restarting cosmetology from the ground up, Lisa built Off The Top Salon in Eaton, reviving a name she dreamed up years earlier and turning it into a mission. By bringing haircuts to shelters and recovery centers and training a team rooted in empathy and excellence, her work became a living expression of faith. This episode challenges common church narratives and asks what real love looks like when it shows up practically, consistently, and without conditions.

If you have wrestled with shame, struggled with forgiveness, or wondered if your past disqualifies your future, this conversation offers clarity and hope rooted in lived experience.

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If this hits home, share it with someone who needs it and keep walking forward.

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What if the thing you are most ashamed of becomes the bridge that helps someone else survive? That question frames this conversation as hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with Mandy Turner, a teacher, coach, photographer, and woman of deep faith whose life has been shaped by resilience, integrity, and hard decisions.

Mandy’s story begins on an Ohio farm where her parents modeled discipline, budgeting, and a church-rooted sense of community. A college drop-off for her sister sparked comparison that quietly grew into anorexia and bulimia. What changed everything was not correction or control, but her mother meeting her with love, trust, and dignity. Those words became a turning point that still echoes through Mandy’s life today.

That same heart for seeing people carried her into cosmetology, where she learned that helping someone feel confident can matter as much as technical skill. But years of chemical exposure took a hidden toll. Steroids masked the damage until her adrenal glands failed, forcing her to walk away from a salon family she loved and rebuild from the ground up.

Reinvention led Mandy into the medical field, where a single request for her “clean” urine exposed serious ethical issues. Faced with a defining crossroads, she chose integrity and reported a physician’s misconduct, living with both the weight and peace that comes from doing the right thing. Coaching cheer revealed a deeper calling, and a last-minute flight to an interview placed her exactly where she belonged. Today, she teaches cosmetology with high standards, real-world professionalism, and a classroom culture built on trust, accountability, and safety. She also worked at Greene County Career Center, shaping students far beyond technical skills.

Mandy shares how a severe corn allergy and visible scars became unexpected tools for connection, helping her reach students who struggle in silence. During long lockdown drives, photography emerged as a creative outlet and became Skip to My Lou Photography, a joyful return to her roots and a way to honor the people she lifts up.

This episode is a story of faith under pressure, resilience after loss, and choosing integrity when the cost is real. If you have wrestled with self-doubt, burnout, disordered identity, or holding a moral line, this conversation offers clarity and hope.

Listen, learn, and share this episode with someone who needs courage today.
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