Learn From People Who Lived it

From Struggles to Songs: Music and Resilience with Gene Moran

Turning Struggles into Songs: Music and Resilience with Gene Moran
In this episode, you'll hear: 
The power of letting someone believe in you
The need for humor when facing hard times
How cerebral palsy isn’t the end—it just requires more creativity to overcome challenges
In this episode, Mathew, Dr. Dave Leicken, and Gene Moran dive into the creative process behind Gene’s songwriting and the deeper themes that shape his music. Born with cerebral palsy, Gene reflects on how his father instilled in him the belief that he was capable of doing hard things. Gene shares how he overcame his fear of looking foolish on stage and the transformative power of having someone believe in you. The conversation also highlights the role of humor in overcoming hardships and the importance of letting go of expectations to embrace personal growth.
Gene Moran is a singer-songwriter and musician based in Mesa, Arizona, born with cerebral palsy, which affects his fine and gross motor skills, Gene has developed a distinctive playing style that sets him apart. Before fully immersing himself in music, he dedicated 21 years to teaching 5th and 6th grade in public schools. Transitioning from the classroom to the stage, Gene has been involved in various musical projects, including Mean Gene and the Soul Scorchers, Rockin' Chair, The Blinding Suns, and Mean Gene and the Green Sardines. His songwriting resonates with everyday issues of poverty, addiction, despair, and love, delivered with an authenticity that reflects his personal experiences and resilience.
“You give off good energy, you get back good energy.” - Gene Moran
“There is a split where you could on the one hand embrace the disability and say well I can’t do this I can’t do that…then you end up limiting yourself but I think the right way to do it is the way your dad encouraged you is, how can we…you have to do things a little differently then other people but the hard ‘no’ isn’t there, you just have to find a way to make it work.” - Dr. Dave Leicken
Follow the podcast: 
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM) 
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE) 
 
Resources:
Gene Moran’s Website
Dead Man’s Guitar by Gene Moran
Dr. Dave Leicken
 
Connect with Mathew Blades: 
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/ 
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/ 
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
 
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by IMS LLC
 
A note from our partner, Better Than Bitter:
Divorce isn’t just a life transition - it’s a full-blown identity shift. One day you’re a partner, a parent, and a planner for the future. The next? You’re staring at paperwork, lawyer fees, and the overwhelming question: ‘What now?’
 
I know it’s hard. That’s why we’ve created these courses - to give you courage, clarity, communication tools, and the support you need to move forward with confidence
(and maybe even a little hope)!
 
Reality check! Divorce is expensive - but battling in court is even more costly. For less than the price of an hour of an attorney’s time, you’ll gain the tools, support, and strategies to create a peaceful path forward. This program will pay for itself by helping you save thousands in legal fees and emotional stress! Hit these links to sign up today.
Premium 5-Step Game Plan Course w/ Chat Coaching
https://tanialeichliter.ontralink.com/t?orid=1049&opid=7 
Standard Course 5-Step Game Plan Course
https://tanialeichliter.ontralink.com/t?orid=1049&opid=8 
 

Humor, Healing, and Resilience with Elaine Lindsay

Humor, Healing, and Resilience with Elaine Lindsay
In this episode, you'll hear: 
How our belief system about ourselves is formed—and how to shift it
What it's like to live with suicidal ideation
Strength in accepting what you can and cannot change
In this episode, Mathew, Dr. Dave Leicken, and Elaine Lindsay explore the power of humor as a therapeutic tool, highlighting its ability to bring lightness to even the heaviest of struggles. They discuss the importance of beginning the healing process while emphasizing that it doesn’t have to follow a specific timeline. The conversation also delves into the realities of living with suicidal ideation, offering insights into navigating these challenges with compassion, resilience, and support.
Elaine Lindsay is a Canadian speaker, podcaster, and digital integration specialist dedicated to mental health advocacy, particularly suicide prevention and awareness. As the host of the Suicide Zen Forgiveness podcast, she fosters open and honest conversations to break the silence, stigma, and shame surrounding suicide loss, ideation, and mental health. Her personal journey is one of profound resilience—having lost a friend to suicide at 16, turned to substance use, and endured a life-altering car crash in her 20s that resulted in the loss of a pregnancy. Despite facing multiple personal losses and numerous surgeries, Elaine has found strength in community support, storytelling, and even humor. Writing for Medium and performing stand-up, she uses laughter as a healing tool, bringing a unique perspective to discussions on grief, trauma, and recovery.
“Don’t keep everything inside. You are not a one person army.” - Elaine Lindsay
“When you realize that some of these things are temporary, and the fact is, I lived through all that pain, I can go through one more thing.” -Elaine Lindsay
“If you can just keep moving forward and keep plowing through, things eventually settle down. And when you get on the other side of it, there is gold. There are lessons to be learned, and there are things you can draw out of the pain that make you stronger, wiser, better equipped to help other people going through it.” - Dr. Dave Leicken
Follow the podcast: 
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h) 
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM) 
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE) 
 
Resources:
Elaine Lindsay Website
Suicide Zen Forgiveness Podcast by Elaine Lindsay
Elaine Lindsay Linkedin 
Dr. Dave Leicken
 
Connect with Mathew Blades: 
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/ 
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/ 
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
 
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by IMS LLC
 
A note from our partner, Better Than Bitter:
 
Divorce isn’t just a life transition - it’s a full-blown identity shift. One day you’re a partner, a parent, and a planner for the future. The next? You’re staring at paperwork, lawyer fees, and the overwhelming question: ‘What now?’
 
I know it’s hard. That’s why we’ve created these courses - to give you courage, clarity, communication tools, and the support you need to move forward with confidence
(and maybe even a little hope)!
 
Reality check! Divorce is expensive - but battling in court is even more costly. For less than the price of an hour of an attorney’s time, you’ll gain the tools, support, and strategies to create a peaceful path forward. This program will pay for itself by helping you save thousands in legal fees and emotional stress! Hit these links to sign up today.
 
Premium 5-Step Game Plan Course w/ Chat Coaching
https://tanialeichliter.ontralink.com/t?orid=1049&opid=7 
Standard Course 5-Step Game Plan Course
https://tanialeichliter.ontralink.com/t?orid=1049&opid=8 
 
 

A micro-dose investment in you - Money as Frequency (part 9)

In our final episode in this series, we focused on two main topics: understanding money as a frequency and flow, emphasizing the importance of money movement.
In this episode, you'll hear:
Money is not the ultimate supply; it's a frequency and a flow of energy.
Currency comes from 'corrente', meaning flow, emphasizing the importance of money movement.
Stagnant money doesn't build or serve its purpose; it needs to flow like energy.
Cortney McDermott, a returning guest and a beloved voice on the show, is an international speaker and TED Talk presenter, Cortney is also a bestselling author. Her latest book, Give Yourself Permission: Be Confident. Be Happy. Be You., is out now.

A micro-dose investment in you - Success (part 8)

This episode explores success as a subjective, evolving concept influenced by life stages (20s, 30s, 40s), emphasizing internal fulfillment through relationships, self-awareness, and alignment with personal purpose over external validation like wealth or career status.
In this episode you'll hear:
Success is framed as a subjective, evolving concept that shifts across life stages (20s, 30s, 40s, etc.), emphasizing relationships, self-awareness, and internal fulfillment over external validation.
Personal definitions of success include emotional connections (e.g., family, friends), self-alignment with "intelligence" (inner purpose), and daily effort toward doing one’s best.
Societal pressures and external markers (career status, wealth) are contrasted with internal metrics of success, such as self-worth and freedom from societal expectations.
Cortney McDermott, a returning guest and a beloved voice on the show, is an international speaker and TED Talk presenter, Cortney is also a bestselling author. Her latest book, Give Yourself Permission: Be Confident. Be Happy. Be You., is out now.