Christopher Weedon

Some people stop the moment life gets heavy, but others choose to rise. This episode is a raw and powerful look at what happens when pain becomes purpose and faith becomes fuel. If you have ever felt held back by your own doubts or wondered how to keep moving when your body hurts and your mind wants to quit, this conversation will speak directly to your season. It is an invitation to rethink resilience, redefine discipline, and remember that your next step might be the one that changes everything.Today’s guest, Chris Avery, is a husband, father, and endurance athlete who has transformed struggle into a mission. His journey includes a running streak of more than fourteen hundred days and a bold plan to run the entire perimeter of the United States with his family beside him.

Some journeys begin with a whisper, but others start with a breaking point, the moment you realize the pain you’ve been carrying is no longer sustainable. In this powerful conversation, we explore what it looks like to rise from addiction, abuse, shame, and survival mode and step into a life built on worth, healing, and conscious transformation. This episode is an invitation to anyone who has ever felt stuck, small, or disconnected from their own value. It’s a reminder that even the most imperfect step forward can become the beginning of a completely new chapter.Today’s guest, Deborah Yager, is a transformational coach and trainer who rebuilt her life from the ground up. Her work blends personal development, conscious language, belief systems, and spiritual intuition to help people reclaim their identity and step into emotional resilience.

Your mindset, language, and self-talk may be the hidden ceiling keeping you from more money, better relationships, and real freedom.Brandon Yager reveals how he went from watching his father lose job security to building a life around entrepreneurship, NLP, and the kind of emotional resilience most people never learn. Brandon’s story is a wake-up call for anyone who feels stuck repeating the same year over and over. He shares how early lessons from his grandfather, hours of daily cassettes and business articles, and a brutal real estate setback shaped the way he thinks about success, discipline, and identity. But this conversation goes far beyond motivation—it gets into the exact mental patterns that keep people working harder without getting ahead.You'll discover:

What happens when the identity you spent your entire lifebuilding suddenly disappears? And what if the next version of you can only emerge when you stop running from the things you have been avoiding?Former professional footballer Matt Young knows what itfeels like to lose the identity that once defined him. When his football career ended, Matt found himself confronting anxiety, fear, uncertainty, and the difficult question of who he was without the game. That season eventually became the catalyst for rebuilding his mindset, understanding his emotionalpatterns, and discovering a deeper sense of purpose. Today, Matt helps people break through limiting beliefs andemotional barriers that keep them stuck. His own pursuit of growth has taken him from professional football to completing 18 marathons and 17 ultramarathons, including five races of 100 miles or more. But as Matt explains, the real transformation was never about the miles. It was about learning to stop running from something and start running toward so

What if the thing you hated most about yourself became theplatform for your greatest purpose? Elyse Tilley spent years battling anorexia, addiction, and deep emotional pain until she found freedom through faith. This episode is a raw and redemptive look at what it means to heal from the inside out and finally become who you were created to be.

What if the pain you've carried could become your greatest source of power? In this raw and deeply inspiring episode, we sit down with veteran, entrepreneur, and business coach Jim Shields, a man who transformed childhood trauma and military discipline into a mission of impact, purpose, and human-centered leadership. From food stamps to Fortune 500, Jim’s journey is one of resilience, forgiveness, and the belief that who you are matters more than what you do. Jim shares how embracing faith, fatherhood, and emotional healing led him to build a life and business rooted in integrity. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or someone on a personal growth journey, this conversation will shift your perspective and challenge you to show up fully, scars and all. Guest Spotlight:Jim Shields is a multi-branch military veteran, business owner, and coach helping leaders build sustainable companies with values that last. His core message? Lead with humanity or don’t lead at all. 

Before the ball drops, before the resolutions rush in, pause.This episode is your space to reflect, release, and realign. It’s a gentle, soul-centered meditation designed to help you honor everything this year held…and powerfully choose what you're calling in next. The people. The energy. The doors. The you that’s ready to rise.In this special solo episode, your host guides you through a7-minute meditation to help you close out the year with peace and step into the new one with grounded clarity and fresh intention.

What if the pivot you’re resisting is the exact path to your purposeIn this transformative Growth Accelerator episode, Christopher Weedon welcomes back the ever-authentic Keesha Starr for a raw, faith-filled conversation on surrender, identity, and navigating the unknown. Whether you’re facing a career shift, a relational crossroads, or just questioning your next step, this episode meets you where you are.Keesha shares powerful stories from her upbringing on a farm, where riding horses became a sacred space of trust andcommunion with God. Christopher opens up about letting go of his dream to be a professional soccer player and how releasing that vision made space for a deeper calling. Together, they remind us that you don’t need all the answers to move forward. You just need to trust the pivot.

"I took a life in the line of duty and almost lost mine in the aftermath." This isn’t just a story. It is a raw, unfiltered journey through trauma, silence, and redemption. In this powerful episode, we sit down with Adam A. Meyers, a 23-year law enforcement veteran and former U.S. Army MP, who opens up about the 2016 critical incident that shattered his world and how he fought his way back to purpose.Adam’s courage to relive his darkest days, abusing alcohol, masking pain with casual sex, lying to avoid work, and spiraling into self-harm, will leave you breathless. But his recovery through therapy, faith, vulnerability, and honesty will leave you inspired.

The holidays can be beautiful but also emotionallyoverwhelming.Between family dynamics, perfectionism, and pressure toplease everyone, it’s easy to lose yourself in the chaos. This week on Mentally Shredded, we’re joined by therapist Maria Dimova to help you reset the narrative and reclaim peace during the season.

Before the holiday chaos begins… pause.

What if your pain was invisible and no one believed it was real?This powerful episode dives deep into the lived experience of Shannon La Douce, a veteran, CrossFit coach, single mother, and licensed psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Her journey from being the only girl on all-boys hockey teams to becoming a voice for trauma-informed care is one of grit, heart, and undeniable purpose.Raised in male-dominated spaces and shaped by high-pressure environments like collegiate athletics and active-duty military, Shannon learned early how to fight for belonging. But it wasn’t until a wounded soldier wished he had “lost a limb” instead of sustaining a traumatic brain injury that her calling became clear.The mission: to change the way we see mental health especially the parts we can’t see.

What if the very thing you thought was holding you back…was actually your greatest strength? In this eye-opening episode, we break the stigma around ADHD and discover how it can fuel success, not failure. Whether you're a student, entrepreneur, or parent, this conversation will shift how you view neurodivergence and personal growth.

What if the very thing you thought was holding you back…was actually your greatest strength? In this eye-opening episode, we break the stigma around ADHD and discover how it can fuel success, not failure. Whether you're a student, entrepreneur, or parent, this conversation will shifthow you view neurodivergence and personal growth.

We’ve all been there. You show up to a networking event,exchange business cards, make small talk, and leave feeling... disconnected.In this powerful Growth Accelerator episode, Christopher andleadership coach Keesha Starr unpack why authentic connection always wins over transactional networking. They dive into the three grounding principles of Growth Accelerator: no selling, no pressure, no long-term commitment. Thesesimple expectations are redefining how professionals build real trust and collaboration.You’ll hear real stories, honest lessons, and a look insidehow this monthly mastermind creates safe space for personal and professional growth. Whether you're a business owner, creative, or leader, this episode will challenge how you think about community and purpose. 

⚠️ Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of childhood abuse, mental illness, suicidal ideation, and trauma. Listener discretion is advised. If you are in crisis or need support, please call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.What if the trauma that tried to break you actuallyrevealed your strength?In this powerful and unfiltered conversation, Unbroken author Adriene Caldwell shares her remarkable journey through childhood abuse, generational mental illness, foster care, and years of emotional and physical trauma. She opens up about surviving schizophrenic family dynamics, living in extremepoverty, and the moment a failed suicide attempt became the turning point toward healing.Adriene’s story is not just about pain. It’s about resilience, purpose, and the choice to live. Her transparency around therapy, medication, and faith will leave you inspired and empowered to reclaim your own story, no matter how heavy your past may be.

What do you do when everything goes wrong?Missed flights. Lost bags. No backup clothes. That was my reality for six days during our recent UK trip, but instead of frustration, I found peace. In this solo episode, I share how daily habits like meditation, journaling, and intentional living helped me stay grounded while leading our RX program with almost nothing but a backpack and mindset. This isn’t just a story about travel. It’s a deeper reminderthat the energy you carry affects every space you walk into. And sometimes, the baggage weighing you down isn’t even yours to carry.If your energy’s been feeling off lately, this might be why. 

What if your breakthrough isn’t about doing more butbecoming more?In this soul-stretching Growth Accelerator episode, hostChristopher DeShawn Weedon and transformational coach Keesha Starr unpack the internal pivot that challenges your identity, mindset, and belief systems.This conversation goes deeper than business strategy. It’sabout the courage to confront the roots beneath your routine, to finish the year strong, and to let go of the things keeping you from peace, purpose, and personal power.Chris shares how the word “thrive” shaped his year not bybringing abundance, but by building discipline and self-control. Keesha offers powerful reflection tools and a mirror exercise that will help you realign with your seed, your purpose, and your next-level self. 

Saying no can feel uncomfortable, even isolating, butit is one of the most powerful tools you have to protect your energy and stay aligned with your purpose. Every time you say no to what doesn’t serve you, you’re actually saying yes to clarity, growth, and your future self. On the flip side, every careless yes becomes a silent no to the life you really want.In this motivational episode of Mentally Shredded, we dive deep into the courage of saying no, the hidden strength in seasons of loneliness, and the discipline of staying faithful while you wait for alignment. If you’ve been consistent, if you’ve been showing up, if you’ve been doing the right things but feel overlooked or tempted to settle, this message is for you.