Oct. 28, 2025

A Father’s Story of Domestic Violence and Hope with Dean Taylor I Ep. 92

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In this episode of 1 in 3 Dean shares the true story of helping his daughter escape domestic violence during a winter storm. A father’s gut feeling, a knock that wouldn’t stop, and a rescue that changed two lives. Dean walks us through the night he drove to a remote cabin and helped his daughter leave an abusive relationship—and the lessons every parent, partner, and friend should know about supporting someone in danger safely.

We talk about how early charm becomes control, how gaslighting distorts reality, and why leaving takes multiple attempts. Dean explains what helped most: staying calm, refusing to engage the abuser, and meeting disclosure with compassion instead of blame.

In the aftermath came healing from trauma—therapy, medication, rebuilding trust—and an unexpected new purpose. A nurse turned mentor, Dean now helps men who seem successful on the outside but feel stuck inside. Together we explore men’s mental health, defining values, and building a life of meaning.

If you’re seeking insight into domestic violence recovery, family support, or finding purpose after trauma, this episode offers hope and actionable guidance. Subscribe, share, and leave a review to help more people find stories that save lives.

Dean’s Links:

https://www.1in3podcast.com/guests/dean-taylor/

https://deantaylorofficial.com/

https://www.instagram.com/deantaylorofficial/

1 in 3 is intended for mature audiences. Episodes contain explicit content and may be triggering to some.

Support the show

If you are in the United States and need help right now, call the national domestic violence hotline at 800-799-7233 or text the word “start” to 88788.

Contact 1 in 3:

Thank you for listening!

Cover art by Laura Swift Dahlke
Music by Tim Crowe

00:00 - Framing The Conversation

01:46 - Dean’s Background And Family

03:43 - The Jiu-Jitsu Instructor

06:13 - Isolation And Control Escalate

11:13 - The Valentine’s Trip

14:43 - The Midnight Drive And Rescue

18:33 - Disclosure And Aftermath

22:43 - Why Leaving Takes Time

26:43 - Healing, Therapy, And Forgiveness

31:13 - From Crisis To Purpose

34:53 - Midlife Pivots And Fear

38:53 - Vision, Values, And Alignment

42:23 - Learning Through Failure

45:53 - Childhood Grit And Adult Growth

48:33 - Resources, Links, And Closing

WEBVTT

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Hi, Warriors, welcome to One in Three.

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I'm your host, Ingrid.

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Since this is the last episode dropping for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I wanted to close out by sharing a different perspective we don't often hear.

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What it's like for family members, especially parents, walking alongside a loved one who is being abused.

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The worry, the fear, the hope, and how a family's response can carry so much weight in a victim's journey.

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Today's guest is Dean, who shares his experience standing next to his daughter as she endured abuse at the hands of her partner.

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Our conversation then takes a turn into mental health and what Dean is now doing to help others navigate their lives and find fulfillment.

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Let's get started.

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Hi, Dean.

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Thank you for joining me today and welcome to the podcast.

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Thank you so much for having me.

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I'm excited to be on the show today.

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Thank you.

00:01:21.259 --> 00:01:23.659
Yes, I'm very excited to have you on as well.

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Uh, could you go ahead and give a brief background just so we can get to know you a little bit?

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Yes, thanks.

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Yeah, I am uh my wife and I have been married for gosh now 32 years.

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It's pretty exciting.

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And we have five children and three grandchildren.

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I have worked in uh worked in healthcare for a long time, have a background in nursing.

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I was a nurse in the newborn ICU for about seven years, and then I got into healthcare IT and then did some a little bit of real estate in my background as well, and along that path and journey of some discovery and learning about myself, discovered my passion for uh mentoring and and helping other career fathers like myself who felt a little bit unfulfilled or stuck in life and wondering what am I gonna do?

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And uh so yeah, that's a little bit about me.

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I don't know that we talked about this.

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I'm a nurse practitioner.

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I don't know that we did we I don't think we did.

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I don't think we did.

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No.

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Okay.

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So both nursing backgrounds, it makes sense that you would want to do something to to help others.

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You can't get that one that like it's been great, it is, it really is.

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Okay, so and we're going to get into the mentoring and coaching in a little bit, but you have an interesting take or an interesting perspective, I suppose, on domestic violence, a different view than I've typically been sharing on the podcast.

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Do you want to go ahead and get into that?

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That would be great.

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Absolutely.

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So we have my perspective on it.

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I have a have a daughter.

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Uh we have two daughters, and one of our daughters was uh experienced domestic violence in in her life, and this is about six years ago.

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So she would, and uh she was it's so crazy how some of these things, it seems like it's uh they they start, at least our her experience was uh she'd she was in a had had a previous uh boyfriend and had they broken up, and so she was feeling a little bit of the the sorrow from that, and she had gone to with a with a group of friends, they went to uh I can't remember why they decided to do this, but they went to a jujitsu class.

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And so they they went there and and a couple of one of her friends, they they loved it.

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They thought, oh, this is really cool, and they wanted to go back, and so they started going back to the to the class and made a connection with uh the instructor, uh, who ended up being the person who was uh her became the the abuser of her.

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Uh and it was just kind of crazy how that whole story sort of unraveled a little bit.

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Her and her friend were going, and almost immediately uh he began sort of pitting her against her friend uh in terms of how he would advance her friend and advance her through the the different levels of progression in jujitsu, and kept telling her she wasn't quite doing it well enough, or even though she was our daughter was in whatever exercises or matches they were having, she was usually winning, but he was kept telling her that she wasn't doing it well enough, or there's some more she needed to do, a different technique, or whatever it was.

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And um, but this was after they had this connection, she she felt initially felt this real bond and connection with him.

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He he seemed to know uh how just the right things to say, the things that she needed to hear because he knew she was coming out of this relationship where she felt heartbroken.

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And I think he might now looking back, preyed on it because and when I I when I first met him, he seemed to be like the the perfect solution to all of her problems uh in terms of her heartbreak, and he was so kind and doing these things.

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And then it wasn't too long after that that we began to notice that she started to want to not do as many things with the family.

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It was she was seemed to be being pulled further and further away from us, and we didn't understand it.

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We're like, well, what's what's going on here?

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Why are why are she prioritizing spending time here with him over doing things with us?

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And that was wasn't her nature.

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It was just not she always was so connected with family and wanted to do things with us, and and uh I mean it was a little bit harder because she was she was an adult.

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I mean, she was in her uh she would have been 20 uh at the time, and so I didn't really feel like I, you know, I I kind of understood that having raised teenagers that they in older kids and they do things on their own, but it just seems really out of the ordinary uh the the distance that seemed to be happening with us, and uh and my my wife had all of us on this there's this app called Life 360.

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I don't know if you've ever heard of that, but it's a way to kind of track and keep track of people where I don't know if you keep track of them, but you just kind of know their location.

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And uh there was a a night that uh I or morning I woke up, it was a Sunday morning, and I noticed that her car wasn't out in front of our house.

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It was early morning, and I thought, where is her car?

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And I looked up on live 360 and I could see that she was still over at the gym.

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And I thought, why is she at the gym at this time of day?

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And so I I went over there and I I I knocked on on the gym door and I thought, Where are you at?

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And I and she came out and she says, Oh, well, we were here, we were just kind of talking all through the night, and but that was really odd.

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Like she had never done anything like that.

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So it kind of just made me think uh a little bit about uh you know, I just felt a little nervous about it.

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It just seemed odd to me, the behavior, and so I began to watch Live 360 a little more closely and just think, like, where is she spending her time?

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And then and then I started noticing uh because she had a uh uh room downstairs that our basement door was unlocked.

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I went and I checked our and so she but learned I eventually learned that she had been sneaking out at night or leaving at night.

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I shouldn't say sneaking, she's an adult, but that she was leaving the house and she would be and she didn't want us knowing about it.

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And uh, but I didn't it was just it and this went on for a while, and I didn't really know all the what all that was happening, but I it the thing that was so apparent to me is and besides the distance and the the the less time she spent with family was just how unhappy she seemed to be.

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Like I there was a different change in her countenance.

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I could just see it in her face, and and I would try to talk to her about it, and she would just try to assure me that everything was fine and it was all okay.

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And um, but I just my wife and I became, we just began to be more and more nervous and and and sad a bit about the the time that less time that she was spending uh with home with us at home, which was again out of the ordinary for her.

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And then there was where we kind of began to really piece together more of the what was what was happening, that we she wasn't confiding in us at all, uh what she was experiencing.

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Uh it was on Valentine's Day in it would have been in 20 what I think was, yeah, but it would have been 2020.

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Uh she she was she wanted to borrow our truck and and and go on.

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She said she was gonna go on uh uh a trip with this with this guy.

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And they had a uh uh we live in Utah and they were gonna go up to Bear Lake to this cabin.

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And it just I can't really uh explain it, other than there's just there was a there was a gut feeling in me that just felt like there's something off.

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And I just and so I started to ask her, well, what are they were gonna do and where are they gonna be?

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And I just was inquiring and sometime during that conversation, she just happened to mention to me, uh, well, I I was trying to encourage her not to go.

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I just said, you know, it's it's snowy, it's the middle of February, we live in Utah in the mountains, and it just doesn't seem like a great time.

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It was snowy, and there was snowstorms, and uh I just tried to, and the more I tried to mention to her about, well, maybe could you just go a different day?

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This it was there was some storms, and but she seemed to be really panicked about she's like, I just can't tell him that we're not going.

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I can't tell him that we're not going.

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Like, why can you not tell him?

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Like, why she said, Well, he'll just be upset.

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And I'm like, Well, why I don't this doesn't make sense.

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Like, why I could just see the panic in her face.

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And the more I try to encourage her not to go, the more she just I could just see the fear in her that she and that's when I started thinking, well, what something must be going on here more than I'm than I really know.

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And I said, Well, well, can you just at least let us, you know, let us know that you got there safely.

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Uh and and on, and because it was kind of it was a bit of a trip to get to where they were going.

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And my wife had texted her while they were driving up and said, Noticed again, we were we kind of had watched on the Life 360 app, and they were not exactly where the route should have taken them.

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They were and my wife said, and she was nervous about the whole thing and about how upset he was going to be with her not going.

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My wife said, I don't know why she asked her this, but she said, Hey, would you just send us a picture of where you're at?

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And the picture that we got back we we it it's so crazy.

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It was not even a pic we knew the clothes she left in.

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And the picture that she that they that we received, she wasn't wearing the same clothes as what she had left in.

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And so we said, when was this picture taken?

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And it was a picture that she had taken weeks before in a different so it wasn't even so now we're really nervous.

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We're like, okay, we're we're we where is she at?

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She's doesn't this picture she is it's not we we just it this doesn't make any sense at all.

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So we began to really feel really uh scared about what was where she was at and what might be happening, and um and then it was about midnight, uh a little after midnight, we got a call from her older sister, and she said, uh I got a text from Madeline and she asked me if I could come pick her up.

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Or I thought, she goes, Do you know where she's at?

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And we said, Well, yeah, we we she was told us she was going to the cabin up at uh a cabin up at Bear Lake, but she said, Well, she just asked me if she could come if I could come pick her up, and she said, I I can't leave.

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I don't want to drive in the night in the storm.

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And so I began texting our daughter and asking her, Hey, what's going on?

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Why are you needing me to come pick you, or why are you asking to be come uh someone to come pick you up?

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And and there was no it we didn't get a message back, and and I'm like, I just had this sinking feeling, and it's like this I you want to call it parental instinct, whatever it was, it's like something is not right, and I need to go, I need to go get her.

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And so I I began the the trip up and uh I I'm on I'm driving and as I'm I I got I was probably about I don't know 45 minutes away from from where they were at.

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I got she called me and she said, Hey, uh there's it's you don't need to keep coming.

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There's a we know it's stormy up here.

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I don't want you to keep risking driving up here in the storm.

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We're we're actually we know it's uh pretty snowy, so we're we're packing up when we're going to we're gonna come home.

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And I said, No, I'm I'm I'm close enough.

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I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna keep coming.

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And she's like, no, Dad, really, really you don't need to come.

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We're we're I don't want to miss you, and I don't want you to risk.

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And I said, No, it's okay.

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I'm totally good.

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I'm I'm already into the drive.

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I'm coming.

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I'll come get you.

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Well, I arrived at their cabin and I found out where their leave fortunately I found out where the cabin was because I was I had her address.

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I could see where she was at from the Life 360 app.

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And I saw her truck parked outside the one side of the cabin, and I knocked on the door and there was no answer.

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So I thought, okay, well knock again, and I tried it, and it was a side door, and I knocked because that's where the truck was parked, and so then I went around to the front and I knocked again and waited and knocked again and waited, and then eventually she opened the door.

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And of course I was very relieved to see her.

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Uh, but she was she looked like a complete mess.

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She was in tears.

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She was she just uh it is uh oh this the image of just remembering what she looked like uh and how how terrified she looked.

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And and then he came to the door, uh, this her boyfriend, and uh was just started railing on me about how controlling I was as a father, and how controlling I why would I come get my adult daughter and how much and was trying to convince her to show her, tell her that you see how controlling your dad is, he won't let you go stay any place by yourself, and and he was trying to invite me into the house uh or into the cabin.

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He said, I've been wanting to talk to you for so long.

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And he said, Because I love your daughter, and I can't believe how you you don't love your daughter, and I'm the only one that loves her, and you you and he was just going on, and and the other part of the story that was so interesting to me was I was so panicked, and I just thought, if something's happened to her, there was all these feelings of a father welling up inside of me about if something's happened, how what am I gonna do?

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Uh and I just had this this feeling, this and this clear, distinct impression come into my mind that just said, don't look at him, don't engage him.

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And so I I just didn't pay any attention, I just ignored him, didn't act like he was even talking to me.

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I just kept talking to my daughter.

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I just I kept saying, just grab your stuff, let's go.

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But we had two vehicles there.

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It was our vehicle that she drove up, and and I asked her, I said, Well, can you uh get in the are you able to drive home?

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And and then I quickly realized she was not in any sort of an emotional state to to drive.

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And my my my goal at that point was I thought, I I I want him to find his own way home.

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I don't really care.

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Uh but I eventually she said, Well, just can we just leave the keys here and and let him drive home and return the truck on his own?

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And so she and I got in our car and we began to drive home, and she just broke down in tears crying.

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And began, that's when the story really began to unravel about all the stuff that had been happening to her.

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And I learned that the reason she didn't come to the door right away when I knocked the first time is because he had her in a chokehold on the floor, holding her with his black belt and jiu-jitsu capabilities.

00:18:05.339 --> 00:18:07.259
Uh, and how she got out of it.

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She said, I honestly don't know, Dad, how I got out of the hold he had me in.

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But I knew you were at the door and I wanted to get to you.

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And knowing that you were at the door waiting for me was what I wanted.

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And so sorry, I'm a little emotional.

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Of course you are.

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But but knowing that she was safe um was was all that really mattered to me at that point.

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Um and one of one of her favorite places to eat was uh Chick-fil-A.

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So we went and we went to there to get something to eat, and we just sat in the car and talked.

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And uh the most frightening thing about the whole part of this story was um the reason she had texted our daughter uh that night to come pick her up, and she she she got her phone away from him.

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Um and and he had fallen asleep, and and when he had fallen asleep, she'd crawled underneath the bed and texted her sister to say, Can you come pick me up?

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And she was afraid of being discovered by him uh being on her phone.

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Uh and she said that he had told her his plan for the next morning was to take uh to go on a hike and to take them and into the woods on a hike and to kill her and to kill and kill himself.

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Oh my gosh.

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And that's why she was so panicked and wanting to get out of there, but didn't know how she was gonna get out and s and needed someone to come get her.

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And he had the key.

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She couldn't get the key to the truck.

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She felt she was stuck in his house the whole night.

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And so I'm I'm there's no question in my mind that the the overwhelming feeling I had to leave and to go when I did was because her life was was in danger.

00:20:20.619 --> 00:20:23.980
Oh and you showed up at just the exact right time.

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Yeah.

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My gosh.

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Yeah, and and I guess another thing that part of the story I I forgot was when I was having that conversation with her before she left, uh I can't remember exactly how it came up, but she had mentioned to me that uh her friend Cameron, her boyfriend, would would would read her text messages.

00:20:50.940 --> 00:20:59.339
And I asked her the question, I said, Well, who over who else of your friends ever takes your phones and reads your text messages?

00:21:00.859 --> 00:21:04.059
It never had occurred to her that that was an odd behavior at that point.

00:21:04.220 --> 00:21:12.380
I think she was at that point so emotionally I didn't know anything about narcissism and this abusive behavior.

00:21:12.460 --> 00:21:26.940
It was such a new world for my wife and I that but when she just mentioned that he was reading and monitoring her messages, I just I asked her that question and said, Why why would you allow him to do that?

00:21:27.099 --> 00:21:29.900
She said, Well, he he just takes my phone.

00:21:30.220 --> 00:21:35.420
And I said, Why did that that doesn't seem odd to you?

00:21:35.660 --> 00:21:39.339
Like who and and it hadn't ever occurred to her at that point.

00:21:39.740 --> 00:22:09.180
And so I think she was thinking, she was that was kind of the first now that she's kind of told me this and had was sharing the story, that that stuck in her mind uh about how that, how, how controlling of behavior that was, because he was always feeding her information about me, about how controlling I was as a father, and that's why she couldn't be around me because I was trying to control her life.

00:22:10.059 --> 00:22:12.619
So that's why she was sneaking out and not letting you know.

00:22:15.980 --> 00:22:21.420
And even another really sad part of the story was she has uh soy allergy.

00:22:22.859 --> 00:22:29.259
And one of the things that she had done prior to going up to this cabin was she had made this Valentine's Day dinner.

00:22:29.339 --> 00:22:34.380
She had spent all this time making this thing, was and and preparing for this.

00:22:35.019 --> 00:22:45.420
And then on their way up there, uh on their way to the cabin, he was making fun of her cooking, of the food.

00:22:45.579 --> 00:22:47.500
He didn't want to eat any of this stuff.

00:22:47.660 --> 00:22:53.180
He actually went and ate at a Chinese restaurant because he knew of her allergies.

00:22:53.339 --> 00:23:05.500
He knew that she couldn't eat, and she was so sad because of him not wanting to eat the meal she had prepared, how much fun he was making of what she had cooked.

00:23:05.980 --> 00:23:10.779
Um, and so she left him at the restaurant and went someplace else to get something to eat.

00:23:10.859 --> 00:23:52.859
And when she it was some fast food place that was nearby, and uh she just started crying in in the in this other place, and the people behind the counter felt so sorry for they just gave her food for free because she's telling them this story about how her boyfriend had just totally rejected her meal, and so there's all these things like that that were happening that we we weren't aware of, and um and and when she related to me later the story of her uh when I picked her up and how much peace she felt, she said just being in the car and us driving.

00:23:53.500 --> 00:24:03.019
Uh she said, I one of the things that we love to do as a family in her growing up was we would watch college football on Saturday mornings together.

00:24:03.099 --> 00:24:11.099
And she said, and the she said, I felt back at I I felt like I was back at that same place again when I was a little girl, just being with you.

00:24:11.259 --> 00:24:19.180
And she said, I felt she said, your reaction to me was one of pure love.

00:24:19.420 --> 00:24:24.220
You didn't ever question me, you didn't get upset with me, why was I there?

00:24:24.700 --> 00:24:29.339
You just loved me and comforted me and helped me.

00:24:29.579 --> 00:24:40.460
And she said that was such a contrast to the way I had was being treated and all the lies he'd been telling me that I had been believing all this time.

00:24:41.819 --> 00:24:53.500
She said it was that was the first time that it really was beginning to settle into her mind that this relationship she was in was not healthy, which is so crazy to think about.

00:24:54.059 --> 00:25:10.940
But she said that because of all the things that he had sort of convinced me of about you, and now actually seeing how you were reacting with me was so opposite of what he was telling me how you were and how you would be.

00:25:11.900 --> 00:25:21.180
Uh and anyways, that that that was that was that was the first, that was the beginning of but that I thought, okay, well, now it's all over.

00:25:22.140 --> 00:25:31.339
And we're gonna, she's she's she's now realizing that this is not good, she's not gonna talk to him, but it wasn't.

00:25:31.900 --> 00:26:04.700
She kept going back, and I just it was so hard to finally get her uh to do that, and and and part of part of the way that this we further understood all of what was was happening was um she she had uh gone to our our church bishop and and was was sharing with him what had happened and and actually shared with him uh that she had been raped.

00:26:05.980 --> 00:26:08.220
And he said, Do your parents no?

00:26:09.500 --> 00:26:12.460
And do you know anything about what's happening with you?

00:26:12.539 --> 00:26:13.420
And she said they didn't.

00:26:13.500 --> 00:26:18.940
He said, Well, I'll I'll go with you to your house and we can we can talk with your parents together.

00:26:20.140 --> 00:27:12.299
And uh so they did and uh again I just felt complete I wasn't upset with her, and she said, That's another one of the things, Dad, that helped me to break away from him was because when we told you what had happened, you said you just dropped to your knees and hugged me weren't you weren't angry with me, you weren't she said I just never felt so much love in that moment than I felt from you at that time.

00:27:15.819 --> 00:27:24.140
But even at that point, after all of that, it still wasn't she still had other encounters with him.

00:27:25.980 --> 00:27:34.380
Um and eventually the way that we I was so at that point really worried about any any contact with him.

00:27:34.460 --> 00:27:38.299
I kept trying to keep her away from him.

00:27:38.940 --> 00:28:06.539
She had um she was she was learning to play uh the organ uh or the uh the organ at our uh at our church and she'd go over to practice, and one of the there was a lady that was helping her uh learn, and she knew about the situation at that point, and we we shared with her because we were trying to help have other people help us uh protect her.

00:28:07.420 --> 00:28:14.140
And I got a call from her saying that she was over at the church to help, uh, was supposed to meet with her.

00:28:15.500 --> 00:28:33.660
Uh and and and she said she wasn't there, and I said, Oh, well, I I can see on the app that she's there, but what she was doing, she was leaving her phone, and then she would go with him, and I I was so panicked at that moment.

00:28:33.740 --> 00:28:47.900
I thought, oh no, we've got to find her, but I didn't know how to, I couldn't find her, and so we were looking all around, and eventually she came back and uh and I back to the church.

00:28:47.980 --> 00:28:58.539
I was still there, and she said that she had gone with him to tell him that she was ending everything with him, and I'm like, oh my gosh, why would you ever be alone with him again?

00:28:58.779 --> 00:29:02.940
But she I just felt like I had to just share all my feelings and get it all out of me.

00:29:03.019 --> 00:29:16.460
And uh but that was eventually that that was their last encounter that they they and but by I just I was so distraught.

00:29:16.539 --> 00:29:38.059
I just I the the panic and the fear of not being able to just knowing that she had again uh and it really and I felt like it was just why why why would she go back, knowing all that she had been through, why and uh whatever have that even be around him again?

00:29:38.299 --> 00:30:02.779
But I've learned a lot about how these relationships and how hard it is to to f eventually break away from them and the emotional dependence that that she felt on him and she that he had created within her that she only felt like he was the only one that could really support her and and anyway.

00:30:02.859 --> 00:30:05.099
So that that's pretty much the story.

00:30:05.660 --> 00:30:14.059
It's that that dependence is really it's just it's so crazy when you look back on it to to see it.

00:30:14.220 --> 00:30:21.180
But when you're in it, it's they build you up, then they rip the rug out from underneath you, but then they come in and they're your hero.

00:30:21.420 --> 00:30:23.339
And like, oh my gosh, I you're down.

00:30:23.900 --> 00:30:25.980
Here, let me help you, let me comfort you.

00:30:26.140 --> 00:30:29.420
Nobody knows you the way I do, nobody loves you the way I do.

00:30:29.500 --> 00:30:39.819
And it's they just create that that constant back and forth to where there is, it's like a dependence, it's almost like a chemical, like a drug dependence on them.

00:30:40.700 --> 00:30:52.779
She said that what one of the things that was so what she realized afterwards was that because it started out so almost picture perfect.

00:30:52.940 --> 00:31:07.819
It started out so like he was the answer to all her heartbreak, all the things that she was, and she kept thinking through all the times of abuse, she kept thinking, Well, if it was that way at the beginning, we can get back to that place.

00:31:09.259 --> 00:31:10.539
And it never did.

00:31:10.779 --> 00:31:11.339
That's right.

00:31:11.579 --> 00:31:14.380
And it only got worse, and it got worse, and it got worse.

00:31:14.539 --> 00:31:22.299
And but but there were all these moments of discontinual, it was like he would build her up to break her down, build her up to break her down.

00:31:22.380 --> 00:31:34.700
And that just and that cycle continued over and over to where she became so emotionally dependent that he was the only thing that could help her feel any sort of joy or any sort of happiness.

00:31:35.099 --> 00:31:39.259
Yeah, and it gets to the point where they don't even have to knock you down anymore.

00:31:39.579 --> 00:31:46.299
Just uh the fact that they're not knocking you down ends up feeling like a comforting place to be.

00:31:46.700 --> 00:31:47.019
Yeah.

00:31:47.180 --> 00:31:47.420
Yeah.

00:31:47.500 --> 00:31:49.259
That's something something didn't happen today.

00:31:49.339 --> 00:31:51.579
I didn't some yeah, he didn't get upset today.

00:31:51.660 --> 00:31:53.500
So it's that that that's that's a win.

00:31:54.140 --> 00:31:54.619
Exactly.

00:31:54.779 --> 00:31:55.099
Exactly.

00:31:55.180 --> 00:31:59.819
And they're very, very tricky about at first, you know, building you up.

00:31:59.900 --> 00:32:04.539
And then the first knockdown, you think it's your your own fault.

00:32:04.700 --> 00:32:09.180
Like, what did I do to make them change the way they feel about me?

00:32:10.059 --> 00:32:10.700
So true.

00:32:10.859 --> 00:32:14.220
She's expressed that so many times about she felt like everything was her fault.

00:32:14.299 --> 00:32:17.180
And then he convinced her that it was her fault and everything.

00:32:17.339 --> 00:32:27.900
It was never, ever him that was it was always something she did, or something she said that was the cause of him doing or saying something that he did.

00:32:28.299 --> 00:32:28.619
Right.

00:32:28.859 --> 00:32:29.980
Like, of course I did this.

00:32:30.059 --> 00:32:30.859
Of course I said this.

00:32:30.940 --> 00:32:32.220
Look what you did to me first.

00:32:32.539 --> 00:32:32.779
Yeah.

00:32:32.940 --> 00:32:39.819
Or she would believe, or she would share something about something he said, and then he would act like he never said it.

00:32:39.900 --> 00:32:41.660
And so she thought she was completely crazy.

00:32:41.980 --> 00:32:42.220
Yes.

00:32:42.380 --> 00:32:43.259
There was that too.

00:32:43.420 --> 00:32:43.980
Yeah.

00:32:44.220 --> 00:32:48.140
That never happened, or you're overreacting, you're embellishing.

00:32:48.380 --> 00:32:49.660
I was just kidding.

00:32:49.819 --> 00:32:50.619
All of those.

00:32:50.779 --> 00:32:51.420
All of those.

00:32:51.819 --> 00:33:05.339
Yeah, when when he when I was telling you about when he when she was at the the fast food place and was crying, uh, he came and found her and started telling all of them that oh, she was, she just thought she overreacts, this really wasn't that big a deal.

00:33:05.500 --> 00:33:15.579
She's and he was actually laughing at her about her and telling her that she was just she just needed to stop being so emotional and getting upset about such little things.

00:33:15.900 --> 00:33:16.460
Mm-hmm.

00:33:16.779 --> 00:33:17.259
Mm-hmm.

00:33:17.500 --> 00:33:18.460
Oh my goodness.

00:33:18.700 --> 00:33:34.779
Well, I commend you and your family and the entire community of support you had around her because you guys reacted exact and you particularly reacted exactly the way that will help somebody who's in one of those relationships.

00:33:35.019 --> 00:33:39.500
Because, you know, if you were the dad that's coming to the door saying, What are you doing here?

00:33:39.579 --> 00:33:55.500
I don't understand, or gets into a fight, either verbally or physically with the boyfriend, you are only reinforced reinforcing all of those negative things that he had said about you that would, you know, push her closer to him and further apart from you.

00:33:55.819 --> 00:34:10.059
And I can't emphasize enough how important it or how important it is for people in that circle to just support and validate, understand, and be patient.

00:34:10.220 --> 00:34:11.819
Oh my gosh, the patience.

00:34:11.900 --> 00:34:15.900
It I I mean, I was I was, you know, one of the victims.

00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:27.260
So I wasn't the, you know, the family on the outside watching, but I imagine it has to be so frustrating to see that returning and returning and returning.

00:34:27.819 --> 00:34:30.059
Yeah, there uh yes.

00:34:31.500 --> 00:34:33.019
It's an understatement, right?

00:34:33.340 --> 00:34:38.139
Yeah, and I and I would think, okay, we've had this conversation.

00:34:39.340 --> 00:34:41.900
Uh she's got to get it now.

00:34:42.699 --> 00:35:00.219
And it just wasn't, and and I, and and I and I think one of the things that helped me was I I began to educate myself about the the pattern of of abuse and and and how narcissism, how people with narcissistic behaviors do things.

00:35:00.380 --> 00:35:04.780
And then I began to think, how is it possible that they all read the same?

00:35:04.860 --> 00:35:06.780
Is that there's a textbook that they all read?

00:35:07.019 --> 00:35:07.739
Isn't that weird?

00:35:08.059 --> 00:35:10.300
They all pick up the same behavior and they act the same way.

00:35:10.539 --> 00:35:17.659
How is it possible that they all and then you once you experience it, you can you can spot it.

00:35:18.940 --> 00:35:21.659
And it's like I did, but I didn't ever see that before.

00:35:21.980 --> 00:35:23.420
Like, oh my gosh.

00:35:24.059 --> 00:35:37.500
Yeah, I was actually just having a conversation with a friend the other day about, you know, maybe everyone talking about these behaviors or the documentaries that show abusive behavior, maybe these abusers are learning what to do from there.

00:35:37.579 --> 00:35:41.420
And I'm like, no, that they just it's in them, they know it.

00:35:41.980 --> 00:35:42.380
Yeah.

00:35:42.619 --> 00:35:43.260
It's weird.

00:35:43.340 --> 00:35:44.139
It is really weird.

00:35:44.219 --> 00:35:54.780
Like every story may not be exactly my story, but it's so parallel, and I can find so many commonalities between every single story.

00:35:55.260 --> 00:35:56.780
Yeah, yes.

00:35:58.219 --> 00:36:03.980
Yeah, and and and and one of the things that I I'm so proud of her.

00:36:04.139 --> 00:36:15.980
Uh, I mean, she and and I guess I guess one of the things I'm I'm proud of her because of what she the the work she's done to overcome all that she experienced.

00:36:16.139 --> 00:36:23.739
I mean, she I mean the therapy that she went through, uh medications, etc.

00:36:24.219 --> 00:36:44.940
Uh, she has made such tremendous progress, which is just but that was one of the things that was so I if I think about uh from my perspective, the relationship I had with her, uh and the the I felt like there was this I I I worried at times, would I ever get my daughter back?

00:36:45.260 --> 00:37:23.980
Would that relationship ever be what it was in terms of just who she was as a person because I felt like she was she was just different and and rightly under I understand, but I I this is one of the things that was hard for me that I felt like almost felt like a death in a way that I felt like I've lost this daughter, I felt like I've lost this relationship that's been so such a treasure to me in terms of just who she was, but now helping her and being with her on this other side of all of it, the relationship we have now is uh more beautiful and strong than than ever.

00:37:24.139 --> 00:37:31.179
And that's one of the things that I I've treasured and treasure now and looking back on on all of it.

00:37:31.739 --> 00:37:52.219
Yeah, it I mean, it is hard to find like the the silver lining of and I don't even know that that would be the right term, but the after healing from the aftermath, just the relationships that you can develop with people that were in your life and still are in your life is incredible.

00:37:52.539 --> 00:37:54.380
And again, I commend you guys.

00:37:54.460 --> 00:38:05.739
I mean, to for a victim to know that there is this lifeline that's just sitting there waiting, and it like you go you leave the relationship and they're welcoming you with open arms.

00:38:05.820 --> 00:38:09.420
You go back and they're still there waiting, and they're we're going to be here for you.

00:38:09.579 --> 00:38:23.980
We are going to support you to know that is all the difference between having the outcome that you have now versus you know, a much more tragic outcome that could have could have happened.

00:38:24.139 --> 00:38:27.500
And um, I mean, amazing.

00:38:27.579 --> 00:38:34.940
Like without the fact that you guys did all this before you did the research on everything is amazing.

00:38:35.099 --> 00:38:37.980
I mean, you guys really made a the difference.

00:38:38.699 --> 00:38:39.420
Well, thank you.

00:38:39.579 --> 00:38:45.579
I and I I mean if I look back, my my feeling is I I honestly felt like I was just guided by God.

00:38:45.820 --> 00:38:53.980
I I don't I can't explain it other like the the feeling that I had to go, the feeling I had and how to interact with him.

00:38:54.139 --> 00:39:11.500
Uh, because I know that drove him completely crazy that I would not even make eye contact with him and engage him and acknowledge I because I thought I I just have this feeling he wants to he wants to get you wrapped up into his vortex of words and argument.

00:39:11.900 --> 00:39:17.340
And I just wasn't I just have the kept having the feeling don't do it.

00:39:17.659 --> 00:39:18.380
Oh, for sure.

00:39:18.539 --> 00:39:25.340
And I think he probably would have twisted it and somehow convinced your daughter to stay and that look, your dad is the bad guy.

00:39:25.500 --> 00:39:28.380
I mean, he started out with it trying to say that you were controlling.

00:39:28.619 --> 00:39:31.260
He would have definitely played into that more.

00:39:32.139 --> 00:39:33.579
Yeah, yeah.

00:39:34.699 --> 00:39:39.900
Well, I'm glad you listened to that voice or that gut or whatever you want to, the guidance.

00:39:40.300 --> 00:39:40.940
Yes.

00:39:41.179 --> 00:40:14.059
Well, and and and uh another part for me, uh you know, a different you know, from the outside non-victim perspective was uh it my feelings well the only thing I did ever say to him was he he he he he kept asking me to look at him and to he won because I and he kept wanting me to talk and to look and the only thing I did is I did look at him and I did one thing I said I said to him was you don't really want to know what I think about you.

00:40:16.460 --> 00:40:17.099
Yeah.

00:40:18.460 --> 00:40:26.219
And I had to go through my own process of forgiveness.

00:40:26.460 --> 00:40:43.739
My could my those feelings and and and I my feelings at that point as a father wanted to protect and a role of protecting and providing from my family, and feeling that I had failed in some way was a really difficult thing.

00:40:43.900 --> 00:40:48.619
And to feel that I had I I would ask myself what was my role?

00:40:49.179 --> 00:40:51.260
Why did I spot this sooner?

00:40:51.500 --> 00:40:53.099
How could have I seen this differently?

00:40:53.260 --> 00:40:56.139
What could I you know, the blaming of myself?

00:40:56.300 --> 00:40:59.579
Like why didn't I pick up on the signs?

00:40:59.739 --> 00:41:11.019
Why did and learning to forgive myself and to forgive him because it was I there was there, I mean I was angry for sure.

00:41:11.900 --> 00:41:17.099
Um at him, but it wasn't serving me in any way.

00:41:17.260 --> 00:41:41.820
And eventually I began to realize that if I'm ever going to what I really realized was if I'm going to do the best I can for her and help her get to where and and heal, I he's not worth my time spending my energy and my effort and my emotion on him that if I want the best outcome for her, my energy needs to be focused on her.

00:41:42.380 --> 00:41:43.900
Well, and that's exactly right.

00:41:44.059 --> 00:41:52.619
I think that I I even found with myself trying to understand my abuser and why did he do those things, was it just me or is it something about him?

00:41:52.780 --> 00:41:55.500
And then I realized I'm never going to understand it.

00:41:55.739 --> 00:42:00.300
And all I'm going to do is burn myself out, trying to get inside of his head.

00:42:00.460 --> 00:42:02.139
So I'm I'm glad you did that.

00:42:02.219 --> 00:42:15.420
And I I want to use this as kind of a segue into the next part of our conversation because I'm sure there are a lot of factors that made you look at men specifically in mental health and burnout.

00:42:15.500 --> 00:42:23.420
But I'm sure this may have played a little bit of a role in that as far as like you mentioned being the protector of the family and the provider for the family.

00:42:23.739 --> 00:42:32.619
So do you want to discuss a little bit about what got you into what you you are doing, the mentoring and the coaching and and what you are doing with that?

00:42:33.099 --> 00:42:34.059
Yeah, thank you.

00:42:34.219 --> 00:42:42.300
And and and you know, I I had sometimes uh well I often say that we dots sort of connect when we look back.

00:42:42.699 --> 00:42:48.219
And this until just this moment, I don't know that I didn't make that connection necessarily.

00:42:48.300 --> 00:42:52.860
That part of this experience probably is one of those things that's wanted to help me to do that.

00:42:53.500 --> 00:43:15.099
Um, but besides that, one of the things that I I felt in my life is uh like I think a lot of men who've worked in a career for a while, uh had some level of success in what they've done, uh look back and start quite wondering, well, is this it?

00:43:15.579 --> 00:43:18.940
Uh is is there a legacy that I'm that I'm leaving?

00:43:19.099 --> 00:43:21.420
What legacy am I am I leaving?

00:43:21.659 --> 00:43:29.659
And I had an experience uh probably about seven years ago.

00:43:29.900 --> 00:43:42.780
My my mom had passed away in 2015, and uh it was now it was in 2018, and my dad's health had was deteriorating, and so we realized that he couldn't live on his own.

00:43:42.860 --> 00:43:58.300
And so, like uh if you haven't experienced it yet, at some point most of all will experience the opportunity to go help take care of parents and uh prepare a house for sale or whatever we need to do to help them.

00:43:59.019 --> 00:44:04.300
And uh my my dad had a dream when he was or when he was younger.

00:44:04.460 --> 00:44:07.099
When I was young, I was probably 10 years old.

00:44:07.420 --> 00:44:12.059
He wanted to own his own small engine repair business.

00:44:12.619 --> 00:44:14.699
And I was so excited for him.

00:44:14.940 --> 00:44:17.739
I thought, oh, my dad's gonna do this thing he's always talked about.

00:44:17.900 --> 00:44:33.900
And I remember him going and getting I come on with the with this with the manuals and he would study, and and then I remember he had this engine that he would take apart and put back together, and saw him do that many times.

00:44:34.139 --> 00:44:38.860
And for whatever reason, I don't know exactly why this business didn't really take off for him.

00:44:39.099 --> 00:44:45.179
It just never materialized in the way I at least I know that he envisioned and I that I was excited about.

00:44:45.500 --> 00:45:05.579
So here we are in 2018 clearing out his garage, and I found these old manuals sitting there, and I found the old engine buried under all this pile of stuff, and now we're literally taking all this stuff and we're putting it into a dumpster.

00:45:05.900 --> 00:45:11.659
And I literally felt like I'm throwing my dad's dreams at a I'm throwing my dad's dreams away.

00:45:12.539 --> 00:45:15.900
And I thought, am I on the same path?

00:45:16.860 --> 00:45:18.940
Am I doing the same?

00:45:19.179 --> 00:45:30.460
Am I what am I doing with my own passion and dream and am I feeling living the life that I've always imagined myself living?

00:45:31.340 --> 00:45:34.139
And the answer to that question was, I wasn't.

00:45:34.539 --> 00:45:37.500
And I began to think, well, what's gonna change?

00:45:37.739 --> 00:45:39.019
How am I gonna change this?

00:45:39.179 --> 00:45:56.860
And so that that was that was a pivot point in in my my life and my thinking, and began me realizing I don't want to get to the end of my life with with a level of regret that says I didn't do the thing that I was feeling like I wanted to do.

00:45:56.940 --> 00:46:02.219
And so that that was that was the beginning for me, was a moment with that experience.

00:46:02.699 --> 00:46:07.980
What I imagine that has to be difficult too, because you're not 20 coming to that realization.

00:46:08.940 --> 00:46:18.619
You know, to be to be in your career and comfortable in your career and realize that you want to and you need to to make that pivot.

00:46:19.340 --> 00:46:19.900
Exactly.

00:46:20.059 --> 00:46:29.260
And that was one of the limiting beliefs, and one of the things that I struggled with earlier was I thought, well, man, and if I share this, what are people gonna think of me?

00:46:29.739 --> 00:46:33.980
Are people gonna think he's lost his mind, that he's he's going through this crisis?

00:46:34.539 --> 00:46:36.619
I was gonna say midlife crisis, yeah.

00:46:37.019 --> 00:46:38.780
It's just a phase.

00:46:39.260 --> 00:47:12.380
And then I but I thought, no, no, and I and I as I spent time reflecting and thinking about uh impactful stories in my life and moments of my life, I began to realize that this this feeling was in my heart, and and and what I've learned and continue to learn in my life is when I have that feeling that's in my chest, and I think we all have that, that we're we want greater expansion and fuller expression in our lives, and we're meant to do something more.

00:47:13.659 --> 00:47:37.019
And yet we will let these beliefs in our minds keep us down, and we'll we'll let fear or being unfamiliar, like the things that we want to do, because what I've what I'm continuing to learn is the thing that we that we want to do, it may feel unfamiliar to us, and our brains are sort of wired to protect us.

00:47:37.900 --> 00:47:48.699
And so when we're experiencing that feeling of unfamiliarity, we think, oh, well, if I go back to this safe zone, well, that means that this thing I was thinking about must not be right.

00:47:49.980 --> 00:47:53.099
And it's only we only feel that because it's unfamiliar.

00:47:53.980 --> 00:47:54.139
Right.

00:47:55.820 --> 00:48:00.300
As I step into doing the things that maybe stretch me.

00:48:00.699 --> 00:48:05.659
I think about a rubber band is really most useful when it's being stretched.

00:48:07.179 --> 00:48:14.139
And so as I stretch myself, my my my uh area of comfort begins to expand.

00:48:14.380 --> 00:48:20.460
And I feel what used to be unfamiliar and not less comforting now feels familiar.

00:48:20.539 --> 00:48:27.099
I'm just thinking, probably when you first started your podcast, it probably felt really scary and unfamiliar.

00:48:27.420 --> 00:48:30.059
And now you go, it's not scary at all.

00:48:30.380 --> 00:48:30.860
Right, right.

00:48:31.260 --> 00:48:42.860
I was actually just thinking that I remember thinking, I'm going to push myself out of this comfort zone because I felt that I was very complacent with where I was in life.

00:48:43.019 --> 00:48:52.300
I was in a good spot in my life and it was fine, and I probably could have continued that that track and been satisfied.

00:48:52.460 --> 00:48:57.820
But then I feel like there would always have been this piece of me wondering, well, what if I would have done that?

00:48:57.980 --> 00:48:59.659
Or what if I would have tried that instead?

00:48:59.820 --> 00:49:02.380
And so, yeah, definitely I felt that.

00:49:03.420 --> 00:49:04.059
Yes.

00:49:04.619 --> 00:49:09.099
And so that that was uh and and and I tried it.

00:49:09.420 --> 00:49:18.780
One of the things I I've done as I began to think about that, I thought, well, okay, what I I wasn't wasn't really clear on exactly what I was going to do.

00:49:19.099 --> 00:49:22.059
I I heard and had seen people flipping houses.

00:49:22.139 --> 00:49:24.619
So I thought, can I flip a house?

00:49:25.019 --> 00:49:26.699
Never done that before.

00:49:27.019 --> 00:49:33.420
And so I went to some meetups and I learned a little bit about what people do and how you find houses.

00:49:33.500 --> 00:49:35.420
And I I flipped a house.

00:49:35.579 --> 00:49:39.340
Uh well, I'll tell you, talk about being uncomfortable and familiar.

00:49:39.739 --> 00:49:43.019
I uh it was kind of the I felt this chicken and egg thing.

00:49:43.099 --> 00:49:50.059
I thought, well, I need to be able to have people to help me do this, but if I don't have a house that they can actually work on, then how do I get them?

00:49:50.539 --> 00:49:55.900
So I ended up with this house before I had anybody to really help me do anything with it.

00:49:56.139 --> 00:49:57.500
But now it was all real.

00:49:57.900 --> 00:49:59.739
I thought, okay, now the show is really on.

00:49:59.820 --> 00:50:00.940
I gotta figure out how to do it.

00:50:01.019 --> 00:50:02.059
And I did it.

00:50:03.260 --> 00:50:09.659
And so, and now as I look back on, I may had some, I made some money, lost some money, and you learn.

00:50:09.980 --> 00:50:24.619
But what it what that experience helped me to realize is that if I just take a step and I just do something, uh it's like driving at night with your lights on.

00:50:24.780 --> 00:50:26.780
You'll do you keep driving to the end of the light.

00:50:26.860 --> 00:50:33.420
You're the path isn't always exactly clear, but if you just keep driving, you just drive to the end of the light.

00:50:33.579 --> 00:50:37.099
You keep driving, and it becomes the path becomes clear as you keep moving.

00:50:37.260 --> 00:50:44.780
And that's what I've just been discovering is that I the movement is what has helped me to get more clear on this.

00:50:45.900 --> 00:50:52.780
I couldn't really define the the the necessarily with great clarity the what I was feeling called to do.

00:50:53.099 --> 00:50:57.099
But I as I began to move, that began to take shape and became became clear.

00:50:58.059 --> 00:51:04.940
Now, did you talk to other men, other friends or family members to see if that if they had been feeling the same same way?

00:51:05.420 --> 00:51:06.860
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

00:51:07.260 --> 00:51:25.820
So I love your question because I uh I had a uh a dear friend that uh had had was talking with, and uh he he said to me, he said, I'm always telling my kids, live your dreams, you can be anything you want to be.

00:51:26.380 --> 00:51:31.980
And he said it smacked me right in the face when my son turned to me and said, Well, dad, are you living yours?

00:51:33.659 --> 00:51:34.940
Wow, yeah.

00:51:35.340 --> 00:51:39.579
And he said, I was like, I realized I was not.

00:51:40.219 --> 00:51:55.659
And so, as I've definitely talked with other fathers, men that in careers that that felt very similar uh and had a similar feeling experience that yeah, I'm I'm I'm I'm feeling a little bit stuck.

00:51:55.739 --> 00:52:13.579
And what I've discovered is that when to me to me uh purpose is like fuel and vision is like a the the well you have a vision and then the the purpose is the fuel that gets you there.

00:52:14.139 --> 00:52:18.539
And and we we all have these these things we carry around.

00:52:18.699 --> 00:52:19.980
Oh there we go.

00:52:21.260 --> 00:52:23.019
You can't get away from them, right?

00:52:23.340 --> 00:52:26.380
And they have this wonderful thing in them called a GPS.

00:52:27.579 --> 00:52:31.260
Uh but they're really only very useful when they have an address.

00:52:32.300 --> 00:52:33.900
And that's what vision to me is.

00:52:34.059 --> 00:52:37.179
Vision is like an address and a GPS.

00:52:37.739 --> 00:52:41.420
And once I have the address and I know where I'm going, then it's much easier to get there.

00:52:41.500 --> 00:52:43.820
But what if I don't put an address into it?

00:52:44.539 --> 00:52:47.420
It's you you do stay stuck.

00:52:47.659 --> 00:53:01.500
So I that's that's why I feel like having a clarity of your vision and understanding what that is and getting clear on it is putting the address, and now you know where you're gonna where you're where you're going.

00:53:02.139 --> 00:53:03.659
So what do you do with your services?

00:53:03.820 --> 00:53:10.300
You're not like a trade, you know, let's learn a new trade and I'll teach you how to flip a house and I'll teach you how to do all these other things.

00:53:10.460 --> 00:53:13.099
What is it that you specifically offer?

00:53:14.059 --> 00:53:25.340
Yeah, one of the things that I uh help helping people get clear on on that, on vision and understanding uh purpose.

00:53:25.420 --> 00:53:35.340
Because I I've just that's the thing I've discovered in my own life is when having clarity of my the purpose and then creating the vision.

00:53:36.059 --> 00:53:48.139
And the other thing is I've learned is that whatever I'm desiring to do, if it doesn't align with my values, my values are always going to win out.

00:53:48.940 --> 00:54:04.780
And I feel like that's where a lot of people become stuck is because the things that you you're if if if there if there's conflict between values and desires, you're always gonna feel this tension and and and the feeling of stuck in the values will win.

00:54:04.860 --> 00:54:17.500
And but when you have values and desires and your strengths in alignment, now you're really moving with clarity and with flow and uh life.

00:54:17.980 --> 00:54:35.739
Not that there's not challenges, but those things become much easier to and those obstacles are easier to overcome when those things are all in alignment, because when they're not, that's when you experience this dissonance between where you're trying to move to and and and and your values.

00:54:36.219 --> 00:54:39.420
So becoming clear on those, those, those things is really, really helpful.

00:54:39.820 --> 00:54:46.139
Oh, I love it because you know in high school you have guidance counselors, in college you have, you know, different counselors that help guide you.

00:54:46.219 --> 00:54:48.059
Like what career path do you want to go down?

00:54:48.219 --> 00:54:51.179
What do you want to where do you see yourself in the future?

00:54:51.340 --> 00:55:06.059
And then when you you get into that career and you're like, okay, this is what I've wanted, but then you have like this next part of your life experiences that might be influencing you to think that's actually not what I wanted to do.

00:55:06.219 --> 00:55:16.619
I it's you know, having that extra guidance, one for somebody to say it's okay to not feel totally satisfied with where you are right now.

00:55:16.860 --> 00:55:17.659
And I love that.

00:55:17.820 --> 00:55:25.420
I love that you're offering those services to help somebody guide that like guide people to what they actually really want.

00:55:25.980 --> 00:55:26.380
Right.

00:55:26.619 --> 00:55:47.500
Yeah, and and I and and that realization that that my life and my experiences, yeah, I always felt like for a lot of my life that oh well I I had this limiting belief that I wasn't enough, that I'd have enough experience, enough education.

00:55:48.380 --> 00:56:13.739
And now looking back at life, I realized how limiting I and that's I think it's allowing those limiting beliefs to are what hold a lot of us back and and the feeling of fear and uh and and and we we often will look at failure as this negative, and failure really is just your uh it's a first attempt at learning.

00:56:14.539 --> 00:56:14.940
Right.

00:56:15.179 --> 00:56:16.860
You can't learn if you don't fail.

00:56:17.179 --> 00:56:17.579
Yeah.

00:56:17.739 --> 00:56:32.699
And you think about how how many inventions were made, or if I if I were in in and thinking about perfection, I mean I just held up my phone, but this phone that I have is not the first version that was ever made.

00:56:34.059 --> 00:56:39.420
The the cars we drive are not the first version of cars, but it's always evolving and improving.

00:56:39.579 --> 00:56:52.539
And so sometimes just feeling like, well, if I don't do it perfectly, if I if I make an attempt and it doesn't turn out exactly perfectly, well, then I failed somehow and it's not good, and therefore I should stop.

00:56:53.659 --> 00:57:07.659
And it's if we look at if we look at those things, is it that if we look at life and experience and and things that don't turn out exactly like we want is a failure and and we stop that then then then that's when it becomes.

00:57:07.739 --> 00:57:13.340
But if we're continuing to move forward and continue to learn, it's never a failure, it's just a learning.

00:57:13.659 --> 00:57:15.179
You can turn that into learning.

00:57:15.980 --> 00:57:16.460
Yeah.

00:57:16.780 --> 00:57:22.059
I actually I asked my kids the other day uh what their definition of failure was.

00:57:22.699 --> 00:57:30.059
And they it was I have three kids, and the consensus was failure is when you stop after messing up the first time.

00:57:31.019 --> 00:57:34.699
And I was like, oh, I'm gonna write that one down.

00:57:36.139 --> 00:57:36.300
Yeah.

00:57:36.699 --> 00:57:37.900
Yeah, and they're young.

00:57:38.059 --> 00:57:39.579
I have no idea.

00:57:39.739 --> 00:57:49.739
You know, um maybe it's because you know, when you're a kid, you don't have all those experiences that have taught you that you can't do something or that you're not good enough, or you are going to fail.

00:57:49.980 --> 00:57:54.539
You're still, you still have this like wide open mind of I can do anything.

00:57:54.780 --> 00:58:00.219
So maybe that's why they're able to come up with something a lot more profound than I could have come up with myself.

00:58:00.539 --> 00:58:15.420
Yeah, I I feel like sometimes life, uh I the way I just describe it, sometimes we we have we start off with this this dream or and then life sort of happens, experiences, and the the dream sort of gets knocked out of us a bit.

00:58:15.579 --> 00:58:18.780
Uh and and we at some point we we stop.

00:58:19.260 --> 00:58:39.659
And one of the things and then looking back now with some life experience, uh, I mean, we raised five kids, but one of the things I love is as a grandfather is watching our grandkids and seeing life a bit through uh a different with experience and different lens and realizing uh what we're talking about.

00:58:39.820 --> 00:58:52.460
I how when when they stand up to walk or when they want to start learning to climb up a ladder or a slide, the the stairs to a to a slide, there it's never perfect.

00:58:52.699 --> 00:59:03.420
There's bumps, there's bruises, there's times when they may they miss a step or they fall, but then they're right back up doing it all over again.

00:59:04.139 --> 00:59:04.460
Yeah.

00:59:04.860 --> 00:59:17.500
There's so much that we we as adults will sometimes we could learn a great lesson from watching them, how they how they learn about their life and and and and we all have experience it.

00:59:17.579 --> 00:59:25.579
And and and I guess the other thing is I mean that that's a huge leap to go from crawling to walking to running.

00:59:27.260 --> 00:59:29.179
And we've all experienced it.

00:59:30.460 --> 00:59:39.340
And and I think sometimes it's taking a moment to realize we've all taken big quantum leaps in life, and you can keep doing that.

00:59:40.539 --> 00:59:40.860
Yeah.

00:59:41.099 --> 00:59:43.099
I mean we're an adult.

00:59:43.420 --> 00:59:43.739
Right.

00:59:43.900 --> 00:59:48.940
If only we can look at ourselves like our child selves would have looked at us, like go do it.

00:59:49.019 --> 00:59:50.059
You can totally do that.

00:59:50.139 --> 00:59:54.059
And or believe in ourselves like the people around us believe in us.

00:59:54.539 --> 00:59:56.380
Yeah, so so true.

00:59:56.619 --> 01:00:07.420
And and and there's yeah, there's and that reality exists and and and uh so often we'll we'll we convince ourselves that there is only one reality.

01:00:09.340 --> 01:00:14.380
And there's a there's a totally opposite and just I mean what we were talking about earlier with our with our daughter.

01:00:14.460 --> 01:00:22.860
I mean, you she could have totally become convinced that that was that was now reality of life, and and there was a completely different world for her.

01:00:23.659 --> 01:00:31.980
That's uh she's realized and and she's married and has a child and doing amazing things.

01:00:32.539 --> 01:00:33.500
I love that.

01:00:33.820 --> 01:00:38.860
Um do you think, Dean, that we've missed any topics that we wanted to cover?

01:00:40.539 --> 01:00:43.179
No, this has been amazing for me.

01:00:43.340 --> 01:00:52.059
I'm so grateful that you uh invited me here to be on on the show and be able to share some of my experience and to share this experience.

01:00:52.139 --> 01:00:53.340
So thank you very, very much.

01:00:53.739 --> 01:00:54.219
Well, thank you.

01:00:54.300 --> 01:00:55.739
This has been a really great conversation.

01:00:55.900 --> 01:01:01.340
Um, before we go, do you have any links or anything that you'd like to share if people want to get in touch with you?

01:01:01.820 --> 01:01:03.260
Yeah, thank you so much.

01:01:03.500 --> 01:01:07.659
Yes, my uh website is dean taylorofficial.com.

01:01:08.059 --> 01:01:13.099
You can also find me at uh Instagram on Instagram at Dean TaylorOfficial.

01:01:13.420 --> 01:01:17.820
Uh on my website I have a few, a couple of free resources that people could download.

01:01:17.900 --> 01:01:33.739
I've I've shared some of my own life lessons and things that uh I've experienced and also included in there if they want to take a little deeper dive on if that triggers uh uh or helps them see uh fill uh an own life experience to go deeper on it.

01:01:33.820 --> 01:01:36.059
They there's some journal prompts to to do that.

01:01:36.219 --> 01:01:45.179
I also have a free guide about discovering purpose and vision and in three simple steps how you could you could make that happen today.

01:01:45.980 --> 01:01:56.460
Well, we have covered a lot of topics uh in this conversation, but what do you have any final words of encouragement or wisdom that you would like to leave listeners with?

01:02:00.300 --> 01:02:02.380
I uh yes.

01:02:02.780 --> 01:02:05.659
I uh say that it's never too late to stop.

01:02:05.820 --> 01:02:08.619
Start dreaming again, but always too early to stop.

01:02:09.900 --> 01:02:11.500
Oh, that's awesome.

01:02:11.820 --> 01:02:12.780
I like that.

01:02:13.019 --> 01:02:15.420
Well, Dean, thank you again so much.

01:02:15.500 --> 01:02:17.420
This was really an enjoyable conversation.

01:02:17.579 --> 01:02:19.739
I loved everything we talked about.

01:02:20.300 --> 01:02:20.940
Well, thank you.

01:02:21.099 --> 01:02:21.579
I appreciate it.

01:02:21.659 --> 01:02:22.059
I have to.

01:02:22.300 --> 01:02:25.980
I've I've enjoyed being a uh guest here and appreciate the opportunity.

01:02:26.380 --> 01:02:27.099
Thank you.

01:02:27.420 --> 01:02:32.460
Thank you again, Dean, for joining me today, and thank you, Warriors, for listening.

01:02:32.619 --> 01:02:37.980
I've included the links Dean was referring to as well as his one in three profile in the show notes.

01:02:38.139 --> 01:02:41.500
I will be back next week with another episode for you.

01:02:41.739 --> 01:02:43.739
Until then, stay strong.

01:02:43.820 --> 01:02:49.739
And wherever you are in your journey, always remember you are not alone.

01:02:52.300 --> 01:02:59.179
Find more information, register as a guest, or leave a review by going to the website onein3podcast.com.

01:02:59.340 --> 01:03:03.739
That's the number one, in the number three podcast.com.

01:03:03.980 --> 01:03:08.699
Follow one in three on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at one in three podcast.

01:03:08.940 --> 01:03:13.019
To help me out, please remember to rate review and subscribe.

01:03:13.260 --> 01:03:15.900
One in three is a.5 Pinoy production.

01:03:16.300 --> 01:03:19.019
Music written and performed by Tim Crow.
Dean Taylor Profile Photo

Father/Grandfather/Leader

Dean Taylor is a speaker, coach, and former healthcare leader on a mission to help men of faith live abundantly, lead boldly, and build a life of legacy. After 26 years in healthcare—including leadership roles in nursing and IT—Dean made a bold transition to pursue his long-held dream of inspiring others. He now helps working fathers overcome discouragement, rediscover their purpose, and take practical steps toward a fulfilling life. Dean blends personal experience, faith, and proven mindset tools to encourage lasting transformation.