PerfectWhelm with Eric Slivoskey: The Podcast That Helps Enhance Your Life

More about my guest Roger Mitchell:

Roger  is currently a Track Inspector/ Foreman at Amtrak, where he has worked for 12 years

He served in the US NAVY as a Master at Arms and then in the Maryland Army National Guard as a construction engineer 

He serves in his community as a volunteer firefighter and in his church 

He is married and has 4 kids
Austin
Paul
Claire
Step daughter Ellie

His hobbies include:
Model railroading
Target shooting
Road trips 
Camping at NASCAR races.

What You Will Find In This Episode:

Episode Overview

What happens when a child grows up in an environment marked by neglect, emotional and physical abuse, uncertainty, and trauma—and then finds hope in some of the most unexpected places?

In this powerful episode, Roger shares the story of a difficult childhood, the struggles that followed him into his teenage years, and the people who helped change the trajectory of his life.

Growing up, Roger experienced challenges at home that left him struggling with anxiety, low self-worth, instability, and uncertainty. He often acted out at school and in his community, finding himself in trouble and struggling to understand how to deal with the emotions he carried.

At times, Roger tried to protect his sister from what was happening around them. He also found himself minimizing or downplaying the circumstances at home, in part to protect those who were responsible for the abuse.

But his story didn't end there.

Finding Belonging on the Railroad

One of the turning points in Roger's life came through an unexpected passion: railroading.

Roger began spending time around train stations, railroad yards, and maintenance departments. There, he encountered railroad workers who saw something in him that he didn't always see in himself.

They took him under their wings.

They gave him odd jobs and opportunities to earn money. They listened when he needed someone to talk to. They taught him about the railroad and, perhaps most importantly, provided something he desperately needed—a sense of structure, stability, accountability, and belonging.

The railroad became more than an interest. It became a place where Roger felt accepted and valued.

He eventually found another important community at local fire stations, where he discovered that same sense of acceptance and purpose.

Teachers and mentors at school also played a critical role. Rather than allowing Roger's early struggles to define him, they encouraged him to listen, learn, and recognize that he could build a different future.

From Troubled Teen to Military Service

Roger graduated from high school and went on to serve his country, joining the military and participating in combat operations in the Middle East.

He served in both the Navy and Army National Guard, experiences that brought new challenges and opportunities.

During his service, Roger participated in tsunami relief efforts and survived a helicopter crash—another life-changing experience in a life already shaped by adversity.

His military service also provided him with valuable skills, including construction and heavy equipment training. Those skills would later open doors to employment in Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Montana.

Coming Full Circle

In 2014, Roger applied to Amtrak through the Hiring Our Heroes program. Not long afterward, he was hired as a general laborer trackman.

For Roger, the opportunity was more than a new job. It represented a return to the world that had helped him find direction when he was young.

As a fifth-generation railroader, Roger has built a successful career and now leads as a track foreman supervisor .

The young man who once struggled to find stability and purpose ultimately found both on the railroad.

Today, he makes a living doing the work he loves while being a devoted husband and a caring father of four children. He also serves his church and volunteers as a firefighter.

The Power of a Mentor

Perhaps the most powerful part of Roger's story is the credit he gives to the people who stepped into his life when he needed them most.

He believes his teachers—and especially the railroad workers who took an interest in him during his youth—helped him make it through some of the darkest periods of his life.

They provided stability, structure, compassion, encouragement, and accountability.

They listened to him.

They believed in him.

And they helped him begin to see himself differently.

Roger eventually learned to use the hardships of his childhood not as a definition of who he was, but as motivation to create a better life for himself and his family.

His journey is a powerful reminder that sometimes a single person taking the time to listen, teach, encourage, or simply make a young person feel like they belong can have an impact that lasts a lifetime.

Roger's Message to Young People

For young people facing difficult circumstances, Roger's advice is simple but powerful:

Find something you enjoy doing. Find a good support system. Don't be afraid to trust the right people—and don't be afraid to ask for help.

His story demonstrates that where you come from does not have to determine where you are going.

Sometimes the road from surviving to thriving begins with finding one positive person, one meaningful interest, and one place where you finally feel like you belong.

Key Highlights of the Interview 

• Growing up with neglect, abuse, and trauma
• Protecting a sibling while navigating a difficult home environment
• The connection between childhood trauma and behavioral struggles
• Anxiety, low self-worth, and learning to see yourself differently
• The teachers and mentors who refused to give up on Roger
• Discovering the railroad and finding a sense of belonging
• The railroad workers who became mentors and role models
• Finding community and acceptance at fire stations
• Graduating high school and joining the military
• Combat operations and military service
• Tsunami relief and surviving a helicopter crash
• Building a career through construction and heavy equipment skills
• The Hiring Our Heroes program and joining Amtrak
• Becoming a fifth-generation railroader
• Going from trackman to supervisory track foreman
• Fatherhood, marriage, faith, and community service
• Turning adversity into motivation
• The lifelong impact of mentors
• Moving from surviving to thriving
• Why young people should find something they love and build a strong support system

The Bigger Lesson

Roger's story isn't simply about overcoming adversity. It's about the power of people who choose to invest in someone else's life.

A teacher who listens.
A mentor who offers encouragement.
A railroad worker who gives a teenager a chance.
A firefighter who provides a place to belong.
A friend who says, “You can do better, and I believe you can.”

Those seemingly small acts can change the course of a person's life.

Roger's journey is a testament to resilience, second chances, mentorship, service, family, and the power of finding your people.

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

Email: [email protected]

I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

More to Know about Kyle:

Kyle was an evangelical mega-church pastor for 15 years until he was fired for being LGBTQ+ affirming. He has a masters degree and is writing the dissertation for the final stage of earning a doctorate in ministry.

After ministry, he owned a small business which grew 300% until his family sold it just last year. Kyle has two teenage sons and has been married to his best friend for 23 years.

Kyle currently serves as a substitute teacher and soccer coach while he simultaneously is developing a new business.

His Instagram with new content is @NotQuiteCompassion

What you will hear in this episode:

In part 2, Kyle and I dive into his experiences in the evangelical church and how his affirming stance towards the LGBTQ+ community impacted his standing in the church and ultimately his employment as a pastor. 

Kyle talks about the impactful loss of community and relationships that hit him so very hard after he was let go from his position with the church. He mentions friendships literally ending overnight. Kyle shared about feeling depressed and processing his grief.  He faced many challenging feelings that were related to the emails, texts, and phone calls stopping… and the isolation associated with not feeling needed anymore. 

He elaborates on moving on from active ministry in the church and how his capacity to love has expanded. He mentions being proud of himself and being the kind of dad that his boys can view as a positive role model and as a loving parent who his children can feel safe with. 

Kyle shares that the LGBTQ+ community has inspired him, especially their resiliency, their joy for life, and their collective abilities to set healthy boundaries. 

Near the end of our conversation, we chat about potential signs of hope that may be present in evangelical communities. He shares that things will get worse before they get better and that the qualities of individualism and consumerism will gradually filter out of evangelical culture. The hope is for things to be more communal and less focused on money and financial bottom lines. 

We close out the episode discussing entrepreneurial life and Kyle’s experiences in the business world after he left the ministry. He shares his view that ministry and business are both about serving and helping people. 

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

Email: [email protected]

I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

More to Know about Kyle: 

Kyle was an evangelical mega-church pastor for 15 years until he was fired for being LGBTQ+ affirming. He has a masters degree and is writing the dissertation for the final stage of earning a doctorate in ministry.

After ministry, he owned a small business which grew 300% until his family sold it just last year. Kyle has two teenage sons and has been married to his best friend for 23 years. 

Kyle currently serves as a substitute teacher and  soccer coach while he simultaneously is developing a new business. 

His Instagram with new content is @NotQuiteCompassion

What you will hear in this episode:

Kyle and I explore his early journey into Christianity and ultimately his decision to pursue the ministry and become a pastor.  He discusses his decision to follow Christ and his experience of becoming a Christian in his early teenage years. 

Kyle reflects on the idea that his religious faith provided a foundation in his teens that offered meaning, certainty, and comfort in the world.  Furthermore, he shares that his desire to help others and finding a sense of self-worth and identity through Christian service were impactful ideals that steered him into ministerial life and leadership.

He talks about the educational path he embarked upon to become a pastor. Along the way, he discovered improv, played sports, and worked various jobs to scrape up the funds to attend Bible college.

We shared about what it was like for him to be so young and suddenly placed in a position of authority in various ministry roles, and how that is so often a common practice in evangelical circles. 

We discussed the performative nature that is often associated with ministry and the pressures that can come with it. Specifically, there are the pressures to look like you have it all together when you are a leader and an expectation to have the answers to the challenging questions. 

The conversation also moved into deeper questions about spirituality and embodiment and what can happen when faith teaches us that we are bad and unworthy of God’s love. The underlying principle of the faith is to accept, believe, and confess certain truths, while simultaneously submitting and surrendering to God. When the doctrine teaches us that we are inherently sinful, our hearts are desperately wicked, and we are deserving of eternal conscious torment and suffering in hell from the moment we are born… it can lead to a deep mistrust of ourselves as well as the reality of disconnecting from our own feelings, bodies, and inner knowing. 

Kyle and I examine the idea of spiritual bypassing and the experience of living a spiritual life that can become increasingly dismissive of our own experiences. 

We also unpack what he actually believed at the core of his faith—including the belief that God is personal and desires relationship—and the formulas and practices that shaped his early understanding of Christianity.

Kyle’s curiosity, particularly during graduate school, opened the door to asking questions that would eventually challenge some of his most deeply held assumptions and beliefs. In part 2, we will get into more details about when the certainty began to crack and how his views relating to his LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters factored in to his faith shift. 

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

Email: [email protected]

I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

A Few Things To Know About My Guests:

Tanner and SaraLi Twigg are the owners of TPT Fitness in Ellendale, North Dakota, where they are passionate about helping people build strength, confidence, and lasting health.

Tanner is a personal trainer, USTAF-certified distance coach, and part-time video game streamer who enjoys empowering others to reach their fitness goals both inside and outside the gym.

SaraLi specializes in helping women find peaceful, natural healing by supporting healthy skin, balanced hormones, and mindset through a holistic approach.

Together, they believe true health extends beyond the gym and is built through intentional habits. They love encouraging others to pursue growth in every area of life. They also prioritize creating memorable experiences together through travel, especially visits to their favorite place-Disney World.

Tanner and SaraLi are grateful for every opportunity to share their journey and inspire others to pursue a healthier, more fulfilling life.

Tanner's Programs:
 - Online Personal Training Coaching
 - Online Run Coaching
 - eBooks workouts

 SaraLi's Programs:
 - Open to connect with women needing support and guidance in natural healing

What You Will Find In This Episode:

In this conversation, we talk more in depth about mindsets and core life values. We also go into more detail on the power of stacking habits and the benefits this consistent practice can provide you with. 

Tanner and SaraLi share their perspectives on the lessons they have learned from their respective pasts and also the importance of not putting limits on themselves regarding the possibilities of their future. 

We also dive into the impact that sports coaching has had on their lives and worldviews. Specifically, we discuss the challenges and adversity that athletes experience and how a growth mindset can be cultivated in the presence of working through the obstacles. The significance of building relationships is a key component of coaching and offering encouragement to those we work with goes a long way in supporting the athletes we serve. The idea of bringing curiosity and asking the deeper questions of those we spend time with is a powerful way to enhance our understanding of one another. 

Where you can connect with Tanner & SaraLi:

 SaraLi Instagram handle:
 @saralitwigg
 https://www.instagram.com/saralitwigg/

 Tanner Instagram handle:
 @twiggpt
 https://www.instagram.com/twiggpt/

 Tanner Facebook: Twigg Personal Training https://www.facebook.com/lwiggTraining

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

Email: [email protected]

I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

A few things to know about my guests:

Tanner and SaraLi Twigg are the owners of TPT Fitness in Ellendale, North Dakota, where they are passionate about helping people build strength, confidence, and lasting health.

Tanner is a personal trainer, USTAF-certified distance coach, and part-time video game streamer who enjoys empowering others to reach their fitness goals both inside and outside the gym.

SaraLi specializes in helping women find peaceful, natural healing by supporting healthy skin, balanced hormones, and mindset through a holistic approach.

Together, they believe true health extends beyond the gym and is built through intentional habits. They love encouraging others to pursue growth in every area of life. They also prioritize creating memorable experiences together through travel, especially visits to their favorite place-Disney World.

Tanner and SaraLi are grateful for every opportunity to share their journey and inspire others to pursue a healthier, more fulfilling life.

Tanner's Programs:
- Online Personal Training Coaching
- Online Run Coaching
- eBooks workouts

SaraLi's Work:
- Open to connect with women needing support and guidance in natural healing

What You Will Find In This Episode:

In part 2 of our interview, we talk about the impact that travel has had on their lives, including more details about their favorite travel destinations and experiences. 

We discuss how travel has had an effect on their life perspectives, and how they incorporate the lessons they’ve learned on the road into their everyday life experiences back at home. 

My guests also share in depth about their lives as entrepreneurs and what they are learning in their respective businesses as well as their experiences with running their newly acquired fitness business. They talk about the challenges and benefits of business ownership. 

Tanner and SaraLi also discuss the importance of being authentic as it relates to creating content, business, and in everyday life situations. 

Where you can connect with Tanner & SaraLi:

SaraLi Instagram handle: 

@saralitwigg
https://www.instagram.com/saralitwigg/

Tanner Instagram handle: 

@twiggpt

https://www.instagram.com/twiggpt/

Tanner Facebook: Twigg Personal Training
https://www.facebook.com/IwiggTraining.

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

Email: [email protected]

I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

A few things to know about my guests:

Tanner and SaraLi Twigg are the owners of TPT Fitness in Ellendale, North Dakota, where they are passionate about helping people build strength,confidence, and lasting health. 

Tanner is a personal trainer, USTAF-certified distance coach, and part-time video game streamer who enjoys empowering others to reach their fitness goals both inside and outside the gym. 

SaraLi specializes in helping women find peaceful, natural healing by supporting healthy skin, balanced hormones, and mindset through a holistic approach. 

Together, they believe true health extends beyond the gym and is built through intentional habits. They love encouraging others to pursue growth in every area of life. They also prioritize creating memorable experiences together through travel, especially visits to their favorite place—Disney World. 

Tanner and SaraLi are grateful for every opportunity to share their journey and inspire others to pursue a healthier, more fulfilling life.

Tanner’s Programs:

- Online Personal Training Coaching

- Online Run Coaching

- eBooks workouts

SaraLi’s Programs:

- Open to connect with women needing support and guidance in natural healing

What You Will Find In This Episode: 

In this conversation, my guests Tanner and SaraLi discuss how they met, their early relationship, and how important it is to invest  time getting to know your partner, and how that so often involves asking tough questions.

We talk about the impact that travel has had on their lives, even the lessons to be learned when trips don’t go smoothly. Tanner and SaraLi do a deep dive into how adversity can truly test our commitments of trust, teamwork, and communication when things don’t go as planned. 

They share specific details about a really challenging travel experience they endured while traveling from the Midwest to Georgia for a wedding last year. 

There are many insightful takeaways from this conversation, and one that stands out to me is when they elaborate on the importance of being intentional with your mindset when encountering obstacles as well as the reminder that we are free to choose how we respond to the negative events that impact our lives. 

Where you can connect with Tanner & SaraLi: 

SaraLi Instagram handle: @saralitwigg

https://www.instagram.com/saralitwigg/

Tanner Instagram handle: @twiggpt

https://www.instagram.com/twiggpt/

Tanner Facebook: Twigg Personal Training

https://www.facebook.com/TwiggTraining

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

 Email: [email protected]

 I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

Before I get into describing part 3, here is a little bit more to know about Ben & Jonna

Benjamin Jones-
Retired 6 year professional football player who played RB / QB
Founder and creator of the LionFactory, personal development company
World Traveling Adventurer.
Travelled all over the world with his family, including 40 + countries, and lived in 6 different countries
Early crypto adaptor, bought his first bitcoin at $200
Husband, father, leader of men
Follower of Christ

Jonna Jones-
Originally from Finland
Mother of 3
Ex-model, co-ran a modeling agency in Europe
Director of operations for the Jones family- aka Chaos Coordinator
Travel fanatic
Follower of Christ
"It's not one more day it's one less. Go be someone"

What You Will Find Inside Of This Episode: 

In this conversation, Ben and I talk about his early start in the business world and how he became inspired by the intangibles that it takes to break out of the rat race.

Ben and Jonna are the founders and the driving force behind the Lion Factory, their personal development company that provides training, support, and community in an environment that encourages exploring creativity, exercising courage, practicing discipline, and taking intentional action in the pursuit of one’s personal and professional goals.

Ben shares about the importance of having a supportive community behind you that also holds you accountable. Ben talks about the necessity of action and how it serves as both a path and bridge to positive change. Specifically, Ben elaborates on how action cures fear and when fear dies… it returns as confidence.

We also discussed how in leadership it is our consistency that leads to credibility. Being an entrepreneur is challenging and it requires a lot of swimming upstream against the current. We both agree that courage can be the fuel of our actions and it’s the implementation that greases the wheel and ultimately leads to progress and transformative growth. 

Ben also expands on the idea that starting out as a new business developer or owner is hard and how network marketing can often provide a great benefit of guidance and also offers space for leverage too.

To summarize the mission that Ben and Jonna are on, they want you to know that their businesses are based on the foundational principles of gratitude, growth, and giving.

To learn more about Ben & Jonna’s work and the projects and business ventures they are passionate about, then connect with them online. You can find them on Facebook 

@thelionfactory

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

Email: [email protected]

-I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

First, A Little Bit More About Ben & Jonna:

Benjamin Jones- 

Retired 6 year professional football player. RB / QB

Founder and creator of the LionFactory, personal development company

World Traveling Adventurer.

Travelled all over the world with his family, 40 + countries, lived in 6 different  countries

Early crypto adaptor, bought his first bitcoin at $200

Husband, father, leader of men

Follower of Christ

Jonna Jones-

Originally from Finland

Mother of 3

Ex-model, co-ran a modeling agency in Europe

Director of operations for the Jones family aka Chaos Coordinator

Travel fanatic

Follower of Christ

"It's not one more day it's one less. Go be someone"

What You Can Find Inside This Episode:

- A Discussion on Personal Values like Curiosity, Courage, Variety, Adventure, and Appreciation for our partners and the ways those behaviors produce goodness and abundance in our lives

- We talk about the impact of travel and how seeing and experiencing the world both impacts our lives and influences our behaviors and world 

- Ben & Jonna share more about the 1 year trip they took a few years ago with their 3 young children. This around the globe adventure was primarily focused on visiting Asia and exploring different places that involved both elements of risk and reward

- Jonna shares about the importance of learning to regulate our nervous systems and the benefits of better understanding how to be more in charge of our emotions matters, so that we might deal with challenges that we encounter in healthier ways. 

- They both dive into many of the obstacles they faced during their year on the road in Asia and how much of that trip was not planned beforehand. In particular, they share one heartwarming story best described as the best of times and the worst of times, where total exhaustion, no place to stay, a  KFC experience and fireworks in Malaysia in the midst of torrential rains are characterized by the kids as… “the best day of our lives.”

- Ben talks about the importance of being aware of your physiological state and how energy is life, energy creates energy, and the importance of movement and staying active.

- We also discussed the realities of responding to naysayers and dealing with people who attempt to write scripts for our lives, and how that often springs from fear and the unknown.

-There is a brief chat about submission and the negative consequences of living out of alignment with one’s values and goals and we briefly touch on the issue of religious faith and questioning traditional systems. 

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

Email: [email protected]

-I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

In this short form episode I discuss the three elements of my professional life. I talk about the creation piece, which involves the writing and podcasting content that I design. 

I also share about my stand-up comedy work in clubs, at festivals, and at corporate events. I elaborate about my Infotainment programming where I pair a talk/lecture/engaging presentation/workshop on an educational or personal development topic like communication, leadership, resilience, etc… with a stand-up comedy set to follow as part of the presentation. I talk about how learning can be enhanced when matched with the joy and laughter associated with comedy. 

Towards the end of the conversation, I chat about my personal development coaching business, and how my life experiences, education, research, and coaching training has prepared me to help people. I talked about my specific programs and who I help. Coaching is such a powerful tool and a great way to transform your life, accelerate your growth, and essentially help build a better version of yourself. 

I also listed my pricing options in my coaching business and reminded everyone that a 30 minute discovery call with me is absolutely free! It enables us to learn more about one another, offers a place to ask and answer questions, a chance for me to better understand your goals and the change(s) you are seeking, and help determine if we are a good fit to work together. 

Consider reaching out to me if you have any questions about my coaching services or if you’d like to explore the possibilities of setting up your free discovery call and beginning to work with me. 

My rates are as follows:

- $300 For a package of 6 (1 hour sessions) via face to face, phone, or zoom meetings… and this will also include email support

- For pre-purchased packages of more than 6 sessions, meetings are priced at a lesser rate of $45 per 1 hour sessions 

- Non-package hourly rates are $55 per hour

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

Email: [email protected]

-I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

First, A Little Bit More About Ben & Jonna:

Benjamin Jones - 

Retired 6 year professional football player. RB / QB

Founder and creator of the LionFactory, personal development company

World Traveling Adventurer.

Travelled all over the world with his family, 40 + countries, lived in 6 different countries

Early crypto adaptor, bought his first bitcoin at $200 

Husband, father, leader of men, follower of Christ

Jonna Jones- 

Originally from Finland

Mother of 3

Ex-model, co-ran a modeling agency in Europe

Director of operations for the Jones family aka Chaos Coordinator 

Travel fanatic

Follower of Christ  

"It's not one more day it's one less. Go be someone"

 What You Can Find Inside This Episode:

- How 2 people from opposite ends of the globe and very different upbringings crossed paths in Finland and joined together to begin building a beautiful life

- A Discussion on Personal Values like Curiosity, Courage, Variety, Adventure, and Appreciation for our partners and the ways those behaviors produce goodness and abundance in our lives

- We talk about the impact of travel and how seeing and experiencing the world both impacts our lives and influences our behaviors and world view 

- We chat about how Ben and Jonna view “growth and giving” as northstars and the transformation that occurs when we seek to create and contribute 

- Towards the end of the conversation, we begin to get into the 1 year trip that Ben & Jonna took a few years ago with their 3 young children. This around the globe adventure was primarily focused on visiting Asia and exploring different places that involved both elements of risk and reward

- A general theme of this first episode can best be summed up with a quote that Jonna shared during this interview.   “Travel is the only thing that you can buy that can make you richer.”

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

 Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

 Email: [email protected]

 -I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.