Some stories don’t fade to black. They burn, they rebuild, and they teach.

This week, Erin sits down with Keith Hanks, retired firefighter, author, speaker, and walking proof that post-traumatic growth isn’t just possible it’s earned.

Keith has lived through the kind of pain that reshapes a person from the inside out. He opens up about the car accident that took his first wife’s life, the years of trauma that followed, and the work it took to finally face what he’d been running from.

Now, amid the unraveling of a second marriage complicated by addiction, Keith is learning what recovery and healing really mean when life keeps testing you.

This episode isn’t about tragedy it’s about truth. It’s about the hard conversations, the accountability, and the choice to rebuild even when you’re not sure you can.

Because real growth doesn’t come from surviving the fire. It comes from walking back into the ashes and deciding to start again.

IN THIS EPISODE

• The car accident that changed everything
• How trauma shaped Keith’s identity, relationships, and recovery journey
• What it means to rebuild when the second chapter breaks too
• The difference between surviving and healing
• How journaling, breathwork, and connection became his lifelines
• Why telling your story out loud matters—for you and for others
• The legacy behind his memoir Allen and documentary First Responders in Crisis

MENTAL FIREPOWER

Healing doesn’t mean it stops hurting.
It means you stop running from the parts that need your attention most.

WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR

• First responders facing loss, guilt, or major life changes
• Spouses and partners trying to understand the fallout of trauma
• Anyone learning how to rebuild after life gets leveled
• People who need to see what strength looks like without armor

Allen by Keith Hanks available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart
First Responders in Crisis streaming free on Tubi and YouTube

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/needmospace/chill-power

License code: QUUZB4TP7STKMLJN