the10ninety

On this episode of The 10 Ninety podcast, Mason travels to Tennessee to talk with Nicole Hughes. Nicole shares the heartbreaking story of her son Levi's drowning. Nicole opens up about the stigma surrounding drowning, the immense grief she experienced, and her and her husband's journey to make impactful decisions in the wake of their loss. The episode explores their efforts to honor Levi's memory, Nicole's strategies for coping, and her advocacy work. Highlighting her collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics.  Nicole underscores the importance of seeking help, embracing vulnerability, and channeling grief into meaningful action. The conversation emphasizes resilience, relationship-strengthening, and transforming tragedy into a mission for drowning prevention.

In this episode of The 10 Ninety podcast, Mason sits down with Carlos Vasquez, an author, public speaker, podcaster, and entrepreneur. Carlos shares his harrowing journey from gang involvement and a 17-year prison sentence to finding redemption and purpose. After his father left the family, Carlos found himself entangled in gang life, leading to homelessness, drug addiction, and a life sentence by the age of nineteen.

In a turning point during a decade of solitary confinement, Carlos faced a profound decision to end his life. A chance encounter with a prison chaplain challenged him to seek out his purpose rather than giving in to despair. This pivotal moment spurred Carlos to delve deep into his past, uncovering the roots of his destructive mindset. His journey of self-awareness and transformation became the foundation for his book, "The Price."

In "The Price," Carlos outlines five practical principles for overcoming trauma and achieving personal success, drawn from his own transformative experiences. Join us as Carlos reveals how he broke free from his past and found his true calling in helping others navigate their own struggles.

Jaxen Christensen is 10 years old and is battling osteosarcoma—the same illness that Nixon Whatcott died from. Nixon’s parents, Janessa and Nick, were on our show in Season 1. Jaxen has undergone several surgeries, including the amputation of his left leg, lung thoracoscopy, and lung thoracotomy. Despite everything, Jaxen is fighting for his life with a smile on his face. He is a hero of mine. If Jax can get out of bed today and have a good day without complaining about all the unfairness in his life, then so can I.

Watching Jaxen, his brother Ryder, and his parents, Maggie and Corey, park their car and walk into our studio was amazing. They were fully present, appreciating every second, and not taking today for granted. It was both amazing and surprising how terrified I was to speak with a 10-year-old going through the unimaginable, and his parents, who were so happy and appreciative of what they had. It was not what I was expecting. It was a powerful example of how life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it.

We have attached some links that you can go to support Jaxen and others suffering from osteosarcoma. 

https://osinst.org/

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-jaxens-sarcoma-fight-squirrelsquad

On this episode of The 10 Ninety Podcast Mason talks with Kevin and Bethany Tenney.  The Tenney's share what it's been like navigating their grief from losing their four-year-old daughter, Brighton. They recount her illness, hospitalization, and the overwhelming support from their community during their tragedy. The Tenneys reveal how they honor Brighton's memory through the 'Brighton a Day' foundation, performing acts of kindness and aiding other grieving families. 

In this episode of The 10 Ninety podcast, Mason speaks with Danielle Ott, who recounts her life after the tragic drowning of her husband Wayne. The conversation delves into Danielle's initial shock, emotional challenges, and her journey of grieving while raising three children. Wayne's obituary is shared, highlighting his love for family and his roles as a husband and father. Danielle discusses how she informed her children about the loss, her adjustment to life without Wayne, and her experiences with dating again. The episode also explores the broader themes of accepting life's unpredictability, minimizing guilt, and the resilient human response to grief. It's emphasized that while society may focus on trivial matters, many quietly endure significant emotional pain, and finding beauty in life amid grief is paramount.

On this epsiode of The 10 Ninety podcast Mason talks with his girlfriend Sami.  They answer questions sent in by listeners about what it's like dating a widower, how Mason and Sami met, what it's like helping raise Blue, and how Sami navigates helping Mason with his grief.  

Riggins would have turned 9 today which is hard to believe. I still hear his sweet voice and cute laugh when he was 5 about to turn 6. I love and miss you so much Riggins. Happy 9th Birthday. 

I have my sister in law Keshia, niece Faith and nephew Ran on to talk about what July 25, 2021 was for each of us and what we were doing when we got the news. Talking about Trauma is hard. There is so much my family has not talked about still. The more you talk, the easier it becomes to find the right words. It takes effort, just like anything else in life. I'm so proud of my family in this episode. 

3 years later it still hurts the same, maybe worse. The more time goes on the more I havent seen them. That is really difficult to accept. What I have learned so far is how much I really loved Kortni, Riggins, Franki, Race and Rider. Death has shown me that. I have learned that the gratitude, the joy, the love, the growth to be had from this horror is located in the same place as the pain. I ran from the pain for so long but that was also causing me to run away from Kortni and Riggins and Franki and Race and Rider. It still hurts, really bad. Continuing to talk about them and how I feel on the inside as allowed me to also find gratitude and love along with the pain now. I didnt have that at the beginning. 

Kortni, Riggins, Franki, Race, Rider. We love you and miss you so much. I never thought this would be our life and journey together. But it is, so what are we going to do about it?

On this episode of The 10 Ninety Podcast Mason and Ryan talk with Destiny Allred.  Destiny talks to us about her experience growing up through poverty and neglect.  We talk about the difficulty of opening up to people when others have rejected you after sharing your pain with them.  Destiny talks about how growing up in poverty and neglect affects how she operates in the world today.  We talk about imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and the importance of opening up in spite of the feeling and idea that nobody cares or understands what you're going through.  

On this episode of the 10 Ninety podcast we talk with Destiny Allred.  Mason and Ryan talk with Destiny about her childhood and experience growing up through poverty and neglect.  We talk about her search for self-worth, coping mechanisms, and the complexity of Destiny's emotions towards her mother. The conversation also highlights strategies for overcoming self-criticism, fostering self-love, and the role of physical fitness as a discipline. Emphasizing the significance of vulnerability and sharing personal struggles, the episode offers insights on maintaining motivation and treating oneself with compassion.