Latest episode
Season 2
S2:E3 – Free Range Adult ft. Wil Wilson
Wil Wilson is an up and coming actor with a backstory. But what I like about Wil is that he acknowledges the challenges in his past, but doesn’t allow them to hold him back or slow him down. Enjoy this incredibly candid conversation and be sure to look up Wil Wilson on IMDB.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/focused-on-forward/support
S2:E4 – Aspergers and FANG! ft. Richard Burgin
Today we talk with Richard Burgin. A Chicago based filmmaker who also has Aspergers Syndrome - a high functioning level of Autism. We talk about how this affects his day to day - both positively and negatively, but we focused on how Richard chooses to be Focused on Forward. We also talk about his new movie - FANG!
(excerpt)S2:E5 – 100 Acres of Hell ft. Stacey Toy
Stacey Toy is a filmmaker with a backstory that is hard to explain. It has to be heard. We discuss her addiction, her sobriety, her loss of her husband to heroin, and how she forgave the man who shot him up with heroin that lead to his death. Be sure to check out Stacey’s movie called “100 Acres of Hell” on Amazon and other streaming services.
(excerpt)S2:E6 – Surviving a Pandemic ft. Timothy McLaughlin
In this episode we talk with Timothy about surviving the year 2020. What it took mentally and emotionally, and how he and his family dealt with loss of family and friends. We also talk about being an actor and how he views rejection, as well as the lessons he learns from it.
(excerpt)S2:E1 – Concrete Cowboy ft. Liz Priestley
To start Season 2 - we have the pleasure of talking with Liz Priestley. She’s starring in a movie soon to be released on Netflix called Concrete Cowboy, co-starring Idris Elba. But also, we have a very genuine and enjoyable conversation about the challenges she has had on the way to seeing her dream come true.
(excerpt)S2:E7 – The Littlest Peanut ft. Shannan Wilson
We are talking with Shannan Wilson, the singer, actor and author of a wonderful book called "The Littlest Peanut". Shannan wrote this book for other parents of premature born children. Since both of Shannan's children were born premature and required time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, also referred to as the NICU, she unfortunately had plenty of
(excerpt)S2:E8 – Dealing With Cancer and Grief ft. Chris Johnson
In this episode we talk with Chris Johnson, or Official Anime Pops, as he’s known on TikTok. We talk about his wife getting sick with cancer, her fight and how he lost his soul mate Wendy. But he also talks about hope, and how he hopes this story can help someone else going through the grieving process and fighting for the life of their loved one.
(excerpt)S2:E9 – Surviving Sexual Abuse ft. “Vicky”
Our guest today, we call her “Vicky” at her request, suffered through years of sexual and emotional abuse at the hands of her step father. She talks about the process of healing, the importance of speaking up and telling someone who will listen, and how she became Focused on Forward.
(excerpt)S2:E10 – Defying the Darkness ft. Dylan Sessler
In this episode we talk with mental health advocate and military infantryman, Dylan Sessler. If you aren’t already following him on TikTok, you should be. Dylan openly talks about his father taking his own life when he was 6 years of age, the impact that had on him, and how it set a chain of suicidal ideation into effect for him.
(excerpt)S2:E11 – The Trouble with Rett Syndrome ft. Ceceilia Baker
Today we are talking to Ceceilia about her daughter Delilah, and her condition called Rett Syndrome. According to the website rettsyndrom.org - "Rett syndrome is a rare genetic neurological disorder that occurs primarily in girls and more rarely in boys. Rett syndrome leads to severe impairments, affecting nearly every aspect of the child’s life."