“I was just clinically depressed, you know, clinically depressed, absolutely rock bottom. And I was playing sports arenas at the time. I had a number-one hit at the time. And that’s where I was.”
Episode summary:
In this episode, Nick speaks with Christian Ray Flores, an international recording artist, entrepreneur, and life coach, with a captivating story that spans four continents and multiple cultures. They discuss how, sometimes in life, we can get swept up in the positive and negative things going on around us and how God can still show up in the midst of it all.
What to listen for:
The story of Christian and his family going into hiding as a child while his father was placed in a concentration camp
The rise of a pop star and the story of calling off a tour due to his growing faith
What it’s like to help a mafia member get out of the mafia and change their life
How life lessons and pain help shape us as artists and how Christian put this to use
Tactful advice as to how to follow your dreams and make the impossible happen
“One that I’ve never mentioned anywhere that I’ve helped several Russian, Russian members of the Russian mafia clean up their act and get out of the mafia.”
How Christian gracefully handled a mafia member in his face, ready to throw down
What happened next with the mafia member and the budding friendship that came of it
Jesus role in the entire situation and how it shaped many lives around Christian and his new friend
How stardom didn’t stop Christian from speaking his truth
“We moved to Chile when I was like four years old, and my mom and dad were both Marxists, and at the time, they were about to elect the first socialist democratically elected actually socialist president in history, and he was elected in Chile. Well, the military didn’t like that, and they overthrew the president, bombed the thing, and bombed his presidential palace. He got killed, and they proceeded to arrest hundreds of thousands of people and put him in concentration camps. And so it was like mass persecution.”
How being a toddler in a new country at the beginning of a country collapsing
Hear about the trauma caused by the splitting of his family and how his parents handled the entire situation
Christian shares what the persecution felt like and how he now reflects on it
How this was the beginning of his long journey in life and how it lead him to Africa
“My theory is that artists usually have A, suffering in their past, right? Because there’s an emotional muscle that you develop over time. And then many artists have also, I think, a variety of experiences that are just different. I have this plethora of experiences and cultures. And I think those are the things that contributed to the artistry, and that’s my theory. I’m not sure, but I think that gives you these superpowers. The ability to connect to human nature.”
Learn how Christian put the struggles and chaos into action through music and created a platform for change
How he learned to tap into his superpowers through music and what it meant for those he impacted
Listen to life lessons from a pop star who did the simple thing we can all take note of
About Christian Ray Flores
Christian Ray Flores is an international recording artist, entrepreneur, and life coach with a captivating story that spans four continents and multiple cultures. From being a child refugee in Chile at the age of 5 to witnessing the fall of the Soviet Union in Russia and the civil war in Mozambique, his life experiences have shaped him into an extraordinary leader and communicator.
https://www.xponential.life/speaking
https://thirddrive.co/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianrayflores/
https://www.instagram.com/christianrayflores/
https://www.youtube.com/@christianrayflores-headspace
Resources:
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