A Crusade of Hope from Addiction to Global Action | Episode 115

A Crusade of Hope from Addiction to Global Action | Episode 115
Embarking on a journey from personal struggles to global outreach, I, Justin Alan Hayes, reveal the raw and transformative path of mental health recovery on Voices for Voices. My story is one of resilience, a testament to the strength found in seeking help and the irreplaceable support of family. This episode peels back the layers of my life, once shadowed by the grip of substance abuse, to uncover the profound impact of turning pain into purpose. Listeners will find themselves immersed in a candid discussion about the challenges of sex trafficking and the opioid crisis, as well as my experience in the heart of Ukraine during the turmoil of war. As we navigate these powerful narratives, the episode stands as a beacon of hope and an invitation to those wrestling with similar demons to embrace the possibility of change and the potency of sharing one's story.

The globe becomes our stage as we strategize our mission trip to Australia in 2024, aiming to sow seeds of resilience in new soil. Hear about the meticulous preparation, from the crucial Zoom call with the University of Sydney's deputy chancellor to the tactical networking with educational insiders across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. The episode dissects the orchestration of international speaking engagements, revealing the realities of biding time for committee feedback, the calculated cancellation of flights, and the pivotal role of adaptability and patience. This narrative is not just about the logistics of planning; it's an intimate look at personal growth within professional undertakings. Prepare to be inspired by the unyielding drive to spread our message—and perhaps, discover the courage to embark on your own quest for making a difference in the world.

Voices for Voices is the #1 ranked podcast where people turn to for expert mental health, recovery and career advancement intelligence.

Our Voices for Voices podcast is all about teaching you insanely actionable techniques to help you prosper, grow yourself worth and personal brand.

So, if you are a high achiever or someone who wants more out of life, whether mentally, physically or spiritually, make sure you subscribe to our podcast right now!

As you can see, the Voices for Voices podcast publishes episodes that focus on case studies, real life examples, actionable tips and "in the trenches" reports and interviews from subscribers like you.

If that sounds like something that could help you grow personally or professionally, then make sure to join me by subscribing!
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Thanks for listening!

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Chapter Markers
0:00 Voices for Voices TV Show Introduction
11:29 Mission Trip Planning in Australia
18:51 Navigating International Speaking Engagements

#MentalHealthRecovery #Podcast #VoicesForVoices #OvercomingFear #AddictionRecovery #PodcastLife #MentalHealthMatters #GlobalOutreach #Australia2024 #Singapore2024 #Japan2024 #MissionTripPlanning #Resilience #GlobalAdvocacy #Japan #Tokyo #Osaka #Singapore #Malaysia #Australia #Sydney #Melbourne #Brisbane #KualaLumpur

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to the Voices for Voices TV show and podcast. I am your host, justin Alhaze, also founder and executive director of Voices for Voices, also an individual going through recovery myself, so we'll go get into that a little bit as well. As you can, refer back to episode 106 and if you can do us a big favor and like and share and subscribe to this particular episode, that will help us continue that positive trajectory to help three billion people over the course of my lifetime and beyond. Voices for Voices is the number one ranked podcast and TV show where people turn to for expert mental health recovery and career advancement intelligence. Our Voices for Voices show is all about teaching you insanely actionable techniques to help you prosper, grow your self-worth and your personal brand. So if you or somebody you know is a high achiever or someone who wants more out of life, whether mentally, physically or spiritually, please make sure to subscribe to our TV show and podcast right now. So, as you can see, the Voices for Voices show publishes episodes that focus on case studies, real-life examples, actionable tips and in-the-trenches reports and interviews from subscribers like you. So that sounds like something that could help you or somebody you know personally or professionally help grow. Then please again join me by subscribing to this show, this podcast, and helping us reach our goal of helping three billion people over the course of my lifetime and beyond, across the world.

Speaker 1: 2:06

So this is a pickup, let's say part two, from an earlier episode that we filmed and aired, where we talked about fear, how it manifested itself in my life, different inflection points or, I guess, milestones that tended to point me in a negative direction and not positive way. So we're gonna continue that conversation as well as get into some actionable scenarios that have happened recently to me and the thought process that I went through as these situations were evolving versus where I would have potentially, you know, 20 years or so ago, without the the learnings of going through my story, my mental health, my mental illness is which, again, I'm not just the host for the show and podcast. I am a person, a human, that is also going through recovery from you know more, the most recent being the alcohol abuse of again just having, you know, they call binge drinking, and so the times that I would drink, that was kind of what would happen, and I found myself in a very, very dark place and luckily ended up at a hospital and being admitted for five days to be able to be diagnosed, which again here's a visit form from a recent visit where I still have the diagnoses of major depressive disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. So I just feel it's helpful because we've received some feedback that I'm a host, which I am, and what's in voices for me, and so what's in it for me, is to be able to not only share my experience, to hopefully resonate and help. Even if I can just help one person out of that dark place that goes, seek help to work through a tough time in their life, that's success. But what we're really trying to do is to, as I alluded to at the outset, is to this huge goal of wanting to help three billion people over the course of my lifetime and beyond. So we're really looking to make a big impact. So that's why the different guests we have and the topics that we cover from the mental health, the sex trafficking, the overdosing, the opioid epidemic, the healing celebrity such as Tyrus, talking about his life and what he has gone through to get to the point of success that he has now, where he can pretty much dictate the different TV shows and media appearances that he can do. So all of that to really come together to really help. And so that's first and foremost what our organization, voices for Voices, is about.

Speaker 1: 5:49

Me as an individual, I've passed through kind of that 100% narcissistic side of myself, and that mindset still manifests itself from time to time, but more times than not. Now I am looking to help others and find ways to do so that may be a little bit unique, such as last year traveling to Ukraine during the time of war, speaking to a Ukraine parliament member, speaking to a head of the university American University, keev, hearing and being around when the air raid sirens are going off, hearing the missiles being intercepted, and all that. So we're really trying to reach as many people as possible. So at the outset I asked if you'd be able to subscribe or like or share this particular show or podcast episode. That would help us immensely to continue towards that goal.

Speaker 1: 6:58

So again, in episode 106, it's titled His Story, his story, lived Experience of Justin Allen Hayes. So that will be the spot where you'll be able to see me being interviewed and I'm going to call it kind of like the flip the script in a way, where I'm being asked questions about my childhood, growing up as a young adult and then as things are now in my life, and so I'm able to again go into much more detail than we will in this particular episode. But we will in each episode try to touch on bits and pieces so that you know and everybody that's watching, listening, understands that yes, I am a host and there's obviously, organizational wise, a ton of content that we procure and when we put out and see me as kind of face of the organization, and that's true and that's right. But I'm also an individual going through recovery myself. So I am just like many of the guests that we bring on, going through things still to this day and still go through struggles, still go through the fear of missing out of like, oh, I could be out at the club right now. Now I'm married and so I went from kind of that single life to wanting to start a family, marriage and now having a beautiful five year old daughter, and so those are things that really overtook me in my mind of being worth, value to me. Then the single, the party and all that.

Speaker 1: 8:55

So, taking all that aside, having that five day inpatient stay being diagnosed, I was that fear of, oh my gosh, I'm going to be in hospital people, hopefully, because in my mind somebody's in a psych ward there might be violence, so I hope nobody tries to get in a fight with me. I'm fearful of that. I'm fearful of my diagnosis, what that was going to be I was fearful of. Am I going to have to take medication? And if I'm taking medication, am I going to have to take it the rest of my life? And how does that impact?

Speaker 1: 9:32

Going back to my party days, and so at that lowest point in my mind, made the decision that I needed to either, kind of in the third eye blinds, put the past away in a song jumper. So I had to just put the past away and move on into what I had hoped to be bigger and better things, more positive, more healthy for me, and then the people around me not taking advantage of family members for different situations, that not blowing off family get-together so I could go out to the bar, the club, the pregame, or I was going to sleep in, and so things now again with the family is 1,000% better than what I had imagined it would be. So again, please check out episode 106. That's where you're going to find out many things in greater detail about me and my experience and hopefully that'll help shed some light on, as you're watching and listening, the future episodes, that even if I don't touch on specific areas of my story each episode, you'll know that I'm coming from a place of recovery and I'm still actively going through recovery, whether I mention it overtly in the episode or not. So I'd like to move on into the outset, talk about actionable tips, and so I want to talk about a real-life situation that was kind of an ongoing situation that had come about.

Speaker 1: 11:29

So, as we went to Ukraine last year and then previously to Poland to help the Ukrainian refugees, the look here in 2024 was what could we do? Where could we go and visit as a type of a mission trip or to get in front of faculty or students to be able to again share the message of we started up or started from the bottom. We're working our way up. We got knocked down but we got up again, and so, with that thought process coming to form its shape, I have a few connections. So obviously we're here in the United States just a level set. I have a few connections from some of the work we've done in the past in the country of Australia. And so the thought had come to mind of, well, maybe Australia could be that for 2024, that it could be that trip and where we could again reach more people in person.

Speaker 1: 12:43

So, as the idea was kind of manifesting itself through my mind, I went ahead and a book flight is kind of randomly in February to and from Sydney, australia, knowing that I would probably be heading to Melbourne and Brisbane as well. So I kind of had the flights getting there and coming back. And so then the idea from a strategy wise, is how do I fill my time, the organization's time, in a healthy way of you'll be in here for after time changed and all that maybe six total days. And so the thought process was OK, now I need to reach out to those contacts. And so I reach out to some of the contacts I have, and the one contact gave me probably about five of their connections, from media to different schools, high school, college, and so I had this information my brother-in-law, one of his good buddies that he grew up with from his hometown, him and his wife and his family, they live in Brisbane and they are in the education industry, both the husband and the wife, and then so that's kind of out there on the horizon. So, as far as that goes from a city-wise, that's where the Brisbane would come in. And then Melbourne would be another connection that I was on a podcast with, and so he's from Melbourne and so that city had kind of its list of straight connections, like direct email addresses. I could use his name and say so and so mention that I could reach out and potentially be a guest on a TV show or radio show or speak to the students or the faculty.

Speaker 1: 15:00

And then there's a school in Sydney. It's the University of Sydney, so it was real easy to remember. Anyways, it's a large and diverse school. From looking at enrollment numbers, which is something I do when I'm looking at who I should reach out to, the goal is obviously to reach a lot of people, and so if we reach out and we're able to have discussions with the schools that have the most enrollment, then I say that helps. So let's say there's an enrollment of 50,000 in one school and 10,000 in five different schools, it would be making the arrangements for those five schools to reach that 50,000 or whatever that hypothetical number is. So situation is so.

Speaker 1: 15:58

That's kind of the backstory, the overview, so what had just happened yesterday from or filming today, but the day before we're filming had a Zoom call with their deputy chancellor From like a title wise. In Australia they use different terminology than we do Usually in the US we do like president or headmaster, and then down the line for as far as who's at the top chairman of the board, chairwoman of the board. So had this connection and had this call with one of the gatekeepers. So the gatekeeper for a job interview would be the HR department. If you called directly and want to reach out to a hiring manager, the gatekeeper could be an admin who could be screening calls or emails. It could be AI, digitally. So the first gatekeeper was to speak to this deputy chancellor. So I did that and through the conversation I'm sharing what the presentation that I have set up, the key points of what I would be sharing in the discussion and presentation to the students. And then through the conversation, it was brought up that because so obviously here in the United States and Australia we're two different seasons. They're kind of in their summer season. Coming out of that, we're kind of in the midst of the winter, even though it just kind of kicked off in earnest yesterday.

Speaker 1: 17:48

But anyways, coming back to the story, so I have this call and we're talking and the deputy chancellor says this is great, this is great information. Can you send me some links of some of the shows? So I was able to send. One of the links was 106, all about me, all about my lived experience, kind of from A to Z, and there's a couple other episodes that I added as well, as well as some photos from different media. So one of the photos is of me speaking to a local high school and there's probably I don't know 200 or so students and faculty in the stands in the gym and then I'm speaking to them and the photos behind me, and so you can see the back of me and then the layout of the students. And then there's another photo from another speaking engagement where you can see from like a personal branding standpoint, the areas that I touch on.

Speaker 1: 18:51

So I included all that information, sent it on, and the students themselves. They have actual committees set up that the students make the decisions on who they bring in and who they don't to speak, and so, while I have, like I said, I have Brisbane, I have Melbourne kind of on the burners here, but I wanted to see how the conversation went with the University of Sydney, and so the conversation went great, but because of the seasons and when schools in session and the students really aren't going to be getting back on campus in earnest, meaning usually athletes will most likely stay at a university year around, but other students they'll move out in the summertime, then they'll move back at the start of the term, and so that was happening, or will be happening, in the February, early March, and so the flights I have set up originally are in the middle to the end of February. So the actionable tip of so what was my thought process? So my thought process is I want to see how this happens, see what progresses, before I go ahead and reach out to these more sure things what we'll call it where the likelihood is high to be able to have these engagements and the like, and so that's what I'm doing. So I'm gonna be canceling the flight that I have and I get the refund of the money, and then, once we hear back from the committees and whether end of February and March, yay or nay, and again I have a fear of, oh my gosh, what if they come back and say, no, is there something wrong with me, and so I just have to keep myself busy doing the things that I love, like this, to be, sharing stories like this and so, again, cancel the flights. The dollars are there.

Speaker 1: 21:16

Once we hear back from the committees yay or nay then we can look at dates and I can reach out to those other connections in Brisbane and Melbourne. And so that's kind of how the thought process in my mind worked, and once the conversation happened yesterday, it was an easy action for me to take by going ahead and canceling the flights and waiting and hearing. So then I'm able to potentially hit those three big cities and Perth is also an opportunity as well. So the extra time isn't all bad, because I'm able to continue to grow my network on LinkedIn through the various channels the different, through the government officials to potentially meet, interview one or several of them, mental health organizations, additional schools, additional contacts, and so 20 years ago, if I'm going through this situation, I would have been so upset, so mad, like, oh my gosh, now I got away six weeks or whatever to even get any feedback, and then the plan, the trip, and then I it would just put me in a tough bind, but I kind of in the back of my mind, thought there might be some type of lag time between meeting, you know virtually, and a committee or somebody has to make the decision that that was gonna happen.

Speaker 1: 22:55

That I didn't reach out to the contacts in Brisbane, in Melbourne, because otherwise I would have, you know, like maybe ten different conversations, and I'm like, oh wait a minute, I know I told you this, but we're gonna pivot, but I don't know when exactly it's gonna be. So that's my action of a, you know, a 10,000 or so mile trip from the United States to to the other side of the world, of going through a thought process of you know, kind of where I Was, that and kind of an earlier part of my life, and then where I'm at now, that it was easy just to kind of move on and again to cancel the flight and and and have the contact information still stored in a word doc. So when the time comes I'm able to pivot and jump right in. So it's yay, yes, then okay, what are the dates? What do I have available, what? What? The school, and in that, if it's Great information, but for whatever reason it doesn't fit right now, that's okay. So I have to be okay with a no, and so I do have that fear of a no, but I am in a much better place of just continuing to to move on, because I already have contacts in two other cities in In the country. So, again, worst-case scenario, I hit two out of the three cities. Best-case scenario, I hit three out of the three Cities that I want and potentially again a perf might be the fourth or the third if a Sydney doesn't doesn't work out.

Speaker 1: 24:41

So this episode, hopefully, I believe, is enlightening to Again actionable tips, an actual real life Experience situation that is occurring. You know we can talk about hypotheticals and that you know all day long and and sometimes we do on the show, but I felt that it was important, given the timing of when we're filming this and and all that put together, that it was a good spot for us to share with, with you that maybe you're going through Something similar. Maybe it's not traveling into a you know a country 10,000 miles away, maybe it's deciding to go out to the bar with a few friends or go on a Blind date with with somebody, and you know you're, you're making those Decisions and you know both are happening kind of same time but different areas, and so that's just kind of where that thought process comes in and it comes back to. But I cover in episode 106 when I'm talking about my lived experience. I had to get to a point to accept myself, accept my flaws, the Understanding and I knew I wasn't perfect before but really just taking that to heart and going, okay, I'm gonna do the best I can.

Speaker 1: 26:09

It's like yesterday in class when the tech issues were happening. There's nothing I can do. I had to wait till the computer rebooted. If, like the second class when we were trying to pull zoom and because the roads were bad and one of our students wasn't able to make it, so Last minute change, get zoom booted up, it froze the computer system. So had to reset it Still didn't work. Had to call IT. They came and it took kind of you know, one individual and then the manager to fix it and I just had to go on with with with class. So as far as other things I could do that I didn't need the projector for.

Speaker 1: 26:50

So I really hope that this episode has been helpful and enlightening about me, about what we're trying to do and what not. What we're trying to do, what we are doing with voices for voices and I have no doubt that we'll reach our goal at at some point in future of helping Three billion people over the course of my lifetime and beyond. We've already reached close to that With kind of awareness of being kind of a product placement In a television show that you know touch four to five hundred million households across the world on three different occasions. And so we're, you know, the, the brand is out there and we are just very excited Because we just received the news yesterday that voices for voices Is going to be, you know, trademarked or, you know, registered, so we're gonna be able to put the, the R with the circle after voices for voices, and so we're gonna be protected under law and In the work that we're doing.

Speaker 1: 27:58

So we're we're taking, we're taking serious steps for longevity, longevity that we want this organization not only to be here when I'm here, but we want it, I want there to be a legacy and to continue. So if you can, please subscribe like share Comment, we would really appreciate it, and we are a 501c3. If you can make a donation, we'd appreciate. Every cent helps. So until next time. I am your host and and recovering Alcoholic substance abuser, justin Allen Hayes. This has been another episode of the voices for voices TV shown podcast. Thank you for joining us and until next time, please be a voice for you or somebody in need.