The Adverse Effect

Being a burn survivor has many challenges: many people see the physical scars, however, there are also mental and emotional scars, which can be even more difficult to accept. Shawn Simmons was an inner-city youth from Newark, New Jersey who, despite violence, drugs and bad influences in his neighborhood, used education as a tool to get out of those conditions.

As a first-generation college student, Shawn attended Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ in the fall of 1999 on a full-ride scholarship.

It would be the morning of January 19, 2000 whilst Shawn and roommate Alvaro Llanos slept, that a drunken fraternity prank gone wrong would change their lives and futures forever.

When two fraternity college students set fire to a banner on a bulletin board and slipped away without pulling any alarms or alerting residents, no one could have foreseen the devastation this one act would result in. Three students perished and 58 others were injured due to their actions; Shawn and Alvaro were amongst the most severely burned and injured, almost losing their lives.

Today, Shawn and Alvaro travel the country speaking to college and high school students about the most difficult time of their lives and the importance of fire safety and prevention, both, on and off campus. Their story is one of overcoming adversity — becoming comfortable in their burned skin — and how their bond with each other helped them get their lives back. It's also a journey of forgiveness towards the individuals convicted of starting the fire.

"I always tell people that...a burn survivor or any survivor of any type of accident or any type of illness is still a human being." — Shawn Simmons

"I always tell people, if you see a burn survivor — if you're curious to know what happened to that person — ask them their story, they'll most likely open up." - Shawn Simmons

"Our scars are our story, so if you want to know my story and you see my scars, just ask me." - Shawn Simmons

"... the question comes — if you could have changed the direction in which you went to avoid the fire would you have done it and I always answer...absolutely not. I always feel if we didn't go that way, if we would have made the left instead of made the right, I wouldn't be here to share this journey right now and I survived for a reason." - Shawn Simmons

"You can never know what your adversity is going to be, but it's how you persevere through your adversity." - Shawn Simmons

"I survived because the fire inside me burned brighter than the fire around me." - Shawn Simmons

Today on The Adverse Effect:

• Shawn talks about his journey out of the inner city and adjusting to the diversity of college campus life.

• Listen as Shawn retells the harrowing events on the night of the fire.

• Hear about some of the difficulties people encounter in supporting a burn survivor.

• Discover some of the positives that resulted from Shawn's tragedy.

• Shawn shares his unexpected journey into becoming an inspiring national speaker and advocate for fire safety.

• We leave with a surprise guest.

The Homework: Take less than 30 minutes today to change your perspective:

1. 5 minutes: Watch a clip from the movie "After the Fire", which covered the incident. (Caution: Some scenes might be too realistic for younger children

1. 5 more minutes: Review the Healthy Children website on burn safety. Make one change to make your home a safer place.

1. 5 more minutes: Take a quiz on burn safety and treatment. For any questions that you got wrong or were unsure about, find a website to get more information.

1. 11 minutes: Watch an interview with Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos.

1. 2 minutes: See what the sprinkler laws are in your state.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Ready Foundation

• "After the Fire: A True Story of Friendship and Survival" by Robin Gaby Fisher - New York Times Bestseller
• Documentary "After the Fire: A Story of Heroes and Cowards" directed by Guido Verweyen.

Connect with Shawn Simmons:

• Alvaro and Shawn's website
• Alvaro and Shawn on Instagram

Thanks for tuning in!

Thank you for joining us on today's episode of The Adverse Effect! If you like what you hear, remember to rate us highly on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Don't forget to check out our website, or hang out with us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on what's in store for you!

The Adverse Effect podcast with Ken Cheadle is proudly produced by Podcast Wagon.

Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar international industry. The State Department estimates there are 30 million people living in slavery or slave-type conditions across the world.

In today's hard-hitting episode of The Adverse Effect, we speak to Nancy Hartwell, an internationally recognized authority on human trafficking and the twenty-first-century slave trade. She has carried out 719 radio and TV interviews in 30 countries trying to educate people about this harrowing subject and has written a series of three "faction" books featuring the victims of this crime.

This mouth-dropping episode is an education into the mafia factions behind this highly organized industry.

With eye-opening accounts, Nancy gives details of just how widespread trafficking is, both domestically and internationally. Listen to some shocking revelations of states that serve as trafficking headquarters.

This is an important episode showing some of the predatory techniques used to entrap vulnerable people and useful tips on how to safeguard your family against internet crime and exploitation.

"After illegal drugs, human trafficking is the biggest criminal enterprise on the planet." — Nancy Hartwell

Today on The Adverse Effect:

● Nancy details the organizations behind trafficking including who they target and how they operate.

● Listen to what is being done to tackle trafficking.

● Hear about Nancy's book, Harem Slave, which reached number 7 on Amazon.

● Nancy describes techniques that predators use and key ways to safeguard your family.

● What you can do to help?

Resources Mentioned:

● Harem Slave - by Nancy Hartwell

● Prince Ibrahim's Harem

● Voices from the Harem

Connect with Nancy Hartwell:

● Nancy Hartwell's website



Thanks for tuning in!

Thank you for joining us on today's episode of The Adverse Effect! If you like what you hear, remember to rate us highly on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Don't forget to check out our website, or hang out with us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on what's in store for you!

The Adverse Effect podcast with Ken Cheadle is proudly produced by Podcast Wagon

Navigating the minefield of parenting throws up its daily challenges, but what if your children are blind ... and you are too?

In today's episode, Ken Cheadle explores the world of Ashley Wayne, a wife, mother and writer who happens to be totally blind. She and her sighted husband are raising two internationally adopted blind children and are in the middle of their third international adoption.

Born in Florida but now living in Utah, ocean-loving Ashley recalls the anguish her parents faced with her early arrival — followed by the heartbreaking revelation that in the three months after coming home from the neonatal intensive care unit she had become blind.

Ken delves into Ashley's school days, from attending a public high school to the not-so-smooth introduction of her now husband.

Intrigued? Join Ken and guest Ashley Wayne as they discuss overcoming the processes of international adoption, caring for children with special needs and how to treat someone who may be blind at … The Adverse Effect.

"Asking for help does not make you weak or less of a person, it just makes you human." — Ashley Wayne

Today on The Adverse Effect:

• Learn how Ashley's parents dealt with her early arrival and the discovery that their beloved new baby had become blind.

• Hear how Ashley negotiated her school years.

• Discover her battle through the international adoption process while also dealing with discrimination.

• Find out about the challenges and the beauty of living with children with special needs.

• Listen to Ashley share techniques on how to avoid the victim mentality and some useful tips on how to speak to someone else who is blind.

Connect with Ashley Wayne:

• Read her blog @ Life the Braille Edition
• A Blind View on Facebook

Thanks for tuning in!

Thank you for joining us on today's episode of The Adverse Effect! If you like what you hear, remember to rate us highly on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Don't forget to check out our website, or hang out with us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on what's in store for you!

The Adverse Effect Podcast with Ken Cheadle is proudly produced by Podcast Wagon

Do you have a dream to be the founder of a Fortune 100 company, or develop an organization so successful that it is acquired by one?

If so, today's guest has some great advice for you.

In this episode, Bryan Shannon recounts his personal journey from the perils of inner-city life to his current status as Managing Director of ORDP, powered by TicketRX .

As the eldest of 5 — growing up in inner-city St. Louis — life for Shannon wasn't easy. But with a burning desire to achieve and be a shining example for the rest of his siblings, he fought hard to stay on the right path.

With his aunt as a point of reference for how to succeed in life, he thought his only hope was to become a doctor. It wasn't until a chance encounter with one of his mother's Black Enterprise magazines that his true calling presented itself… as a business owner!

With a growing family and a lucrative career, Shannon lost sight of his goals, until one day, on the search for a document, a chance find brought him right back to his old dream.

What Shannon didn't know was that the most exciting journey of all was about to begin.

"It basically went from an idea on the back of a napkin to something that got acquired by a Fortune publicly-traded company..." — Bryan Shannon

Today on The Adverse Effect:

• Hear about life growing up in the inner-city.

• Shannon discusses college life and his successful career.

• Hear about the accidental rediscovery of his old business plan for TicketRX.

• Find out about the steps he used to bring his startup business concept to life.

• Listen to where TicketRX is now.

• Shannon's advice on how to maximise the process of being "acquired" as a business.

• Hear some great tips for the right mindset.

Resources Mentioned:

• E scholars
• Ticket RX on Facebook
• The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho

Thanks for tuning in!

Thank you for joining us on today's episode of The Adverse Effect! If you like what you hear, remember to rate us highly on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Don't forget to check out our website, or hang out with us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on what's in store for you!

The Adverse Effect Podcast with Ken Cheadle is proudly produced by Podcast Wagon.

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The Conversation: In this episode, we talk with Cera Byer about the lesson of body acceptance and self-care. Cera shared her powerful story of moving past childhood abuse, excessive diets, and negative thinking sparked by her own family to become a mentor to others needing help to achieve body confidence.

Insights: Here's what Cera shared:

• How her parent's negative relationship with food started a chain of dieting at age 6, insecurity,, obesity, and an eating disorder
• Her powerful breakthrough moment in the shower that caused her to pivot towards a new level of body acceptance
• Her legal emancipation from her parents as a teenager and how that affected her body
• The conversation she had with her mother about body confidence and self-esteem
• The message she would want to pass onto her mother about accepting your body
• Her new work built on her wisdom as a trainer, lived experience as a person experiencing abuse and shame, and mentorship as a person who made it through her obstacles

Memorable Quote: "I was put on a diet at 6."

The Homework: Take some time today to do these 3 simple things:

1. Take a moment to list at least 5 things that you like about your body.
2. Find a place where you can read the 5 things you wrote out loud.
3. Notice how your body feels when you read these 5 things. Throughout the day, repeat these things every time you have a negative thought about your body.

6 Pillars of Body Love

Pillar #1: Radical Self-Acceptance

Pillar #2: Body Care

Pillar #3: Positive Self-Talk

Pillar #4: Cultivating Pleasure

Pillar #5: Boundaries & Self-Advocacy

Pillar #6: Body Advocacy

About Our Guest:

Cera Byer is a coach, teacher, and trainer who turned her struggles with body insecurity, childhood abuse, anorexia, parental neglect, and more into a mission to teach others how to accept and love their bodies throughout their lifetime.

LiveJournal

Dr. Joe Dispenza

Intuitive Edge Coaching

Cera Byer on Instagram

The 5 Love Languages

GoFundMe for Body Love Lab

Check out kennethcheadle.com for more information, podcast episodes and blog posts!

➡️ The Adverse Effect Podcast with Ken Cheadle is proudly produced by Podcast Wagon

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The Conversation: Nikita Graves talks with Ken about living a multi-layered life with discussions about creativity, anxiety, and entrepreneurship. Nikita shares her journey through creativity, anxiety, and entrepreneurship while living a constantly upward-moving and expanding life.

Insights: Here's what Nikita shared:

• Balancing transparency with privacy: How to share personal information without giving away your secrets
• Pursuing your creativity: Following your creativity
• Dealing with anxiety as a performer and in everyday life
• Encouraging creativity in children and in community
• Balancing work, art, and business in a multi-layered life

Memorable Quote: "I've always had a love for the arts and expressing me, even when I didn't know I was doing so...."

The Homework: Take some time today to do at least three things:

1. Write down everything you feel that you have to do today.
2. Beside everything on your list, write down the role that the activity requires for. For example if one of your tasks is to "Pick up kids from school". That role would be "Parent".
3. Review your list and remove any activity without an important role.

About Our Guest: Nikita Graves is a creative who has works in various creative spaces including singing, writing, painter, mompreneur, nurse, mental health advocate, and blogger as a person with a multi-layered lifestyle.

Jay-Z 444 Album on Genius

The Calming Canvas

The Calming Canvas on Instagram

The Sandi Blonde Chic Blog

Sandi Speaks on Instagram

Check out kennethcheadle.com for more information, podcast episodes and blog posts!

➡️ The Adverse Effect Podcast with Ken Cheadle is proudly produced by Podcast Wagon

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The Conversation: In this episode, we talk with Reggie Calhoun Jr. about his experiences as a college student athlete (the good and the bad) and how those experiences led him to develop an innovative program aimed to help college athlete evolve beyond sports. Reggie how his experiences in the military, college, and beyond helped him reach the point where he can now mentor others.

Insights: Here's what Reggie shared:

• Why his non-traditional upbringing as a kid in a military family prepared him to adapt to the confusion of college
• How he learned to navigate the maze of being a college student athlete
• Why college athletes need to control the game while they're in college and expand their options when they are out in the real world
• Reggie's vision for a more empowered student athlete

Memorable Quote: "Our saying here is 'The platform is sports. The project is life."

The Homework: Take at least 15 minutes today to do four simple things

1. Name one thing that you achieved in the past that you once considered impossible.
2. Find some inspirational music and begin playing for at least the next 5 minutes
3. While the music is playing, close your eyes and mentally walk through the moments you achieved something impossible
4. Now, open your eyes. Think about anew problem that you consider impossible right now.. Free write for the next 5 minutes about ways you can conquer that impossible dream.

About Our Guest

Reggie W Calhoun Jr. is a former college student athlete who turned his experience into a movement. He is the founder of RPA College and The Rezolution Conglomerate who also worked as a combat engineer in the Army National Guard

Links

Reggie Calhoun Jr. on LinkedIn

Reggie Calhoun Jr. on Twitter

RPA College

RPA College on Instagram

Additional Info

FAFSA

NCAA Information on Student Athletes

Applying to College as a Student Athlete

Check out kennethcheadle.com for more information, podcast episodes and blog posts!

➡️ The Adverse Effect Podcast with Ken Cheadle is proudly produced by Podcast Wagon

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The Conversation: In this episode, we get introduced to the life-transforming journey of Tekisha Harvey, a burnt-out marketing professional who took a leap of faith out of the office to manifest her dreams. Tekisha Harvey shares the financial, and emotional steps she took to arrive at life of travel, high-value consulting, and living on her own terms.

Insights: Here's what Tekisha shared:

• Dealing with the "itch", the vague feeling that you have more in store than you currently see
• The steps Tekisha took to maintain financial discipline and reach a large savings goal
• How to build your own entrepreneurial journey, whether you're starting a business or side hustle
• The power of networking to achieve your vision
• Learning to define success on your own terms

Memorable Quote: "My definition of success is no longer the things. It is "Do I feel like I'm growing or expanding, yes or naw?'."

The Homework: Take some time today to 3 these three simple things:

1. Imagine that you had to create a vision board within 5 minutes. Name at least 3 items that you would put on that board.
2. Spend 5 writing down all of the excuses or obstacles that would get in your way.
3. Now destroy the paper you wrote the excuses on. Find one way to get closer to something on your vision board (even if it's just researching the ideas for 5 minutes on Google).

About Our Guest: Tekisha Harvey is a marketing professional and brand consultant with experience for some of the top Fortune 500 Companies including Macy's, ConAgra, and Coach. who left the corporate world to design her own happiness on her terms. In addition to working as a consulting on her own projects, she is the Marketing & Strategy Lead of AClara Research, an organization providing insights into the cannabis and hemp industry.

Links

Tekisha Harvey's website

Tekisha Harvey on LinkedIn

Tekisha Harvey on Instagram

Additional Info

AClara Research

How to Make a Vision Board (via Jack Canfield)

Check out kennethcheadle.com for more information, podcast episodes and blog posts!

➡️ The Adverse Effect Podcast with Ken Cheadle is proudly produced by Podcast Wagon

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The Conversation: In this episode, Joshua Proby shares his story about overcoming abuse, 12 years of prison, and the baggages from his past to become a mentor passionate about helping others turn their life's pain into a blessing. Joshua shares his story, his struggle, and the wisdom he gained from everything he went through-an abusive household, prison, Atlanta, and writing a book.

Insights:

• The negative cycle of pain and abuse that led Josh into 12 years of prison
• Why Joshua Proby says the pain in our life's story is key to transformation
• The advice that Joshua Proby would give to a 18-year old self
• Moving forward when you have baggage
• The advice that Joshua Proby would give to a 34-year old

Memorable Quote: "It wasn't until I was sentenced to my time that I started to understand who I was."

The Homework: Take a few minutes today to do one of the following:

1. Write a letter to your 18-year old self.
2. Write a letter to your 34-year old self.
3. Write a letter to your 74-year old self.

As you write one of these letters, notice the emotions that come up. Do you feel hopeful or nervous, anxious, or regretful? Take a little time to reflect on what that means and what you can do now to change.

About Our Guest: Joshua Proby is an entrepreneur, minister, life coach, author, and motivational speaker who shows other people how to release the emotional baggage that keeps them trapped in negative cycles.

Links

"When Opposites Attract"

JoshuaProby.com

The 30-Day Journey From Prison to Spiritual Peace

Joshua Proby on LinkedIn

Joshua Proby on Instagram

T.P. Hearn joke on carrying burdens

Check out kennethcheadle.com for more information, podcast episodes and blog posts!

➡️ The Adverse Effect Podcast with Ken Cheadle is proudly produced by Podcast Wagon

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The Conversation: In this episode, Tiffany Southerland shares her journey, how she got to wear she is today as well as intriguing insights we can all learn from. We talk about everything from being your best self to determining your identity and so much more.

Insights: Here's what Tiffany shared:

• We all have our own process
• Our feelings are real but they aren't always true
• Our feelings can lead us away from the truth
• The best people in this world are constantly improving and learning
• Shedding expectations of the past to become the fullest version of yourself
• What is your identity?
• Acknowledging what is true for you what is not true for someone else
• A fulfilling career starts with fulfilling lives
• Starting with self-reflection

Memorable Quote: "If I don't seek to understand myself, how will I seek to understand other people?"

The Homework: Take some time today to do these three simple things:

1. Get up close and personal with your emotions and experiences
2. Sit still and ask yourself "What am I feeling?", "Why am I feeling this?"
3. Figure out who you can ask to help you figure out what you want to do next

About Our Guest:

Tiffany Southerland is from Hempstead, Long Island. She now lives in Philadelphia and has been there since she finished her undergrad at Cornel University in social work. She completed grad school and started her career in Philadelphia as Lawyer. Eventually she realized that wasn't fulfilling her and stepped out to pursue a different path. Tiffany is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and has carried that with her throughout her journey. Learn more about Tiffany during this episode.

Links

How Does She Do It Podcast

Twitter: @tiffsouth – https://twitter.com/tiffsouth

Instagram: @tiffsouth https://instagram.com/tiffsouth

Check out kennethcheadle.com for more information, podcast episodes and blog posts!

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➡️ The Adverse Effect Podcast with Ken Cheadle is proudly produced by Podcast Wagon

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