What Broke Me Built Me (With Maddison Sharp)

This episode gets real.

Maddison Sharp joins the show to share a deeply personal part of her story — opening up about her relationship with her mom, her journey through motherhood, and the moments she knew God was working in her.

We talk about the mess-ups, the hard conversations, and the weight of trying to grow while still healing.

But more than that, we talk about how those messy moments shape who we become.

This isn’t a perfect story. It’s an honest one.

To close the episode, Maddison shares a powerful, stripped-down performance — singing and playing guitar — bringing everything we talked about full circle.

If you’ve ever felt like your mistakes define you… this episode might change that.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome everybody. Robert the realist back. Can everybody hear me okay? Uh-huh. I sound loud. I sounded louder. When I was whispering. Can you guys hear us? I sound better. Yeah. All right. Today I am with Madison Sharp, which we hope she will be my co-host of this podcast, Robert the Realist, and we'll have to think of something cool for her. And we do have Gia.

SPEAKER_02 0:27

Hey.

SPEAKER_00 0:30

And that takes you all back to the cha Chia pet. But um, yeah, so we got Madison in here today, and she's super nervous because we are going to learn the story about Madison, and I'm hoping that it ends with um like a famous songwriter, artist. But take us back as far as you want that got you to where you're at today. And there may be a few things that you know happened. Um, you know, maybe when you were younger. You don't have to, I mean, this is going out, so you don't have to get like detail, or when you stay pretty 10,000-foot view, but what got you to right now?

SPEAKER_03 1:18

Well, God, obviously, but um I uh I remember like my love for music always has been there. So I remember being like getting my first karaoke machine at like five and just singing all the time. My mother struggled with addiction uh most of my life, and that um that strengthened me and humbled me and also made me make some really stupid decisions growing up. But we learned. Um she thankfully is sober now, but I feel like that whole experience definitely shaped a lot of the person that I am today. Um, because when you go from being, I'm gonna cry already, um when you go from being like your mom's mom, you know what I mean? Um my best friend, but uh like taking care of her and like watching her like literal demons. Like, I mean, I am one of those people that truly believe that addiction is demonic, like it's demons, like it's um I feel like it's a partial, like um partial takeover of your body. It's not you when you're doing it. And um I saw her just struggle with all that, and that um it really just strengthened me as a person definitely got me off track a little bit, but um God put me back on track.

SPEAKER_04 2:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:42

Um I think that's why um I was blessed with my children was to be like, hey, like it's time to get real. Like life, life is good and you need to it needs to change. I have forgiven my mother um completely because it I I know that it's just fight like you're literally fighting demons when you're here, you're fighting spiritual. And it took me a long time to um to forgive her. Um and I don't mean for this to be all about her, but it's just a big chunk of my life.

SPEAKER_00 3:13

Yeah, absolutely. So I know what you're talking about. Um I kind of grew up poor bad decisions since I'm the real estate. Um jail, repos, foreclosures, divorces, you name it, and I've been down that road too. I've tried several drugs, I drank every type of alcohol. But kind of like what you're doing, and then my dad just died two or three months ago. I didn't have a real great relationship with him. He left twenty-five years ago. But what you're talking about and what I've seen happen to me is it strengthens us, it pushes us closer to God. And then with God, all things are possible. Whether we want to write a song or try to kick off a podcast or you know, become professional and something. But I think that that's why I wanted to know your story, because I wanted to see where you got today because you are so strong. Um and you are thanks, mom. Yeah, well, and and you know, I watch you on stage and how you perform, and that's not easy. I can't even get on stage and do an offering message. They've asked me multiple times, like I ain't getting up there. I like when I throw up thinking about it. But you're yeah, but I can sing too, yeah. But that's that's a lot. So that's why I was kind of just you know, not trying to bring up bad memories, but it's the it's those um valleys that get us to the peaks.

SPEAKER_03 4:54

I'm thankful for them. I never want her to like like I don't want her to have her have to go through that again, or like not saying that she should have gone through that, but um I feel like everything does happen for a reason most of the time, you know, and uh I just think we were I was supposed to be there to help her through that and yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:15

Well you were there to help. I wasn't. I chose not to to help my dad when I found out that he was even sick and in the hospital and gonna die. Never went there, never visited him. Made that decision and it hurt a little bit after he died, but it it was you know, it was just to me. It was just it was just a chapter. I mean, we're all gonna die, unfortunately. Um hopefully we get the you know the best parts of our life out before that happens.

SPEAKER_03 5:38

But no, yeah, and I'm I thank God she's sober. She's sober today, she's been sober for like seven years.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Amen.

SPEAKER_03 5:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:44

Um she's probably learned a lot too.

SPEAKER_03 5:46

Oh yeah, yeah. But yeah, just going through and that because that was a whole spiritual experience. Like I mean, there was crazy things that happened, like crazy things that you can't explain. Like um, so just being around it and knowing, like, I'm glad that I was uh raised in that life so my children didn't have to be.

SPEAKER_00 6:03

Right.

SPEAKER_03 6:03

And now my children get that's right, get the sober of my mom.

SPEAKER_00 6:08

That's right. Yeah, that's right. That's the other thing we look at too is what we went through. We don't want our kids to go through. And that might spoil them a little bit, but we don't want them to have to go down the same path. Now, I want my you know, I don't want my kids to have hard times, but I want my kid to have hard times at some point. I mean, you know, they gotta build a callus, they gotta get stronger. You know, we don't want them to grow up and be weak-minded and weak hearted and never faced anything that wasn't tough on them because I like to say it builds character. Um some people call it bullying, I call it building character. Or rage baiting, I call it building character, whatever. Sometimes I need to, you know, act 47. But um no, I and and I think you're right. And that's uh those type of things is what push us closer to God once we get like a little feeling of what it feels like to be a a Christian and and uh go through those things. And now you say, you know, she's been sober seven years. You probably thought you'd never say she's sober for seven years.

SPEAKER_03 7:14

No, I I really didn't. I yeah, I was just expecting her to, you know, yeah. But God said, here's Blaze.

SPEAKER_00 7:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:23

And um she I mean, she helped me when had Blaze. I remember her doing something one time before Blaze was born. And then she after Blaze was born, she didn't touch anything. And um Blaze truly like is a like so is Stella. I was telling, I know, I was I well, I was telling my aunt this the other day. I'm like, it sucks that we have to learn lessons through our children. And not everybody does, but like I know I did. I just feel like with Blaze, like I had him so young, and there's things that I wouldn't have done medically that changed a lot of his life and grieved that a lot because I know like it could have been prevented.

SPEAKER_00 8:06

Um part of the plan.

SPEAKER_03 8:08

Part of the plan, definitely part of the plan. He was meant to he I I I fully think like before we come here, like we have like we kind of know, like we say yes to our mission, but we don't remember. You know what I mean? Blaze is literally like just a gift. I moved to Texas. My mom was um really heavy on drugs, moved to Texas, had Blaze, came back. Uh he just came in and changed everything. Like I was still a little wild, but um my mom picked up the slack for me.

SPEAKER_04 8:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:40

And then I knew I had to be a little wild for a little bit because it gave me Stella, and Blaze needed Stella so much. I just thank God every day for my babies and just watching like how even how my how Blaze's story like how Blaze is working through me to change people's lives. And and so Estella, because Stella, um Stella just doesn't, I feel like, get enough of me sometimes. And like, what do you do though? Because but thank God I have my mom. Like she picks up the slack, she's the ages of the ship.

SPEAKER_00 9:14

Pretty much raises Stella, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 9:17

Um, seven and nine.

SPEAKER_00 9:18

Let's talk about Madison and how she sings and where'd this where'd this start? What happened? When when did you start singing?

SPEAKER_03 9:23

What first karaoke machine at like six, my mom bought it for me, and I never stopped singing after that. And we would go to the grocery store and she'd be like, Sing a song, Madison, and I'd be like, No, mom. But um, they always had me in like competitions and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_00 9:38

Oh, so you did do some competitions.

SPEAKER_03 9:40

Yeah, I did like a few local ones. I won uh reclaimed idol a few years ago, but um in Centralia.

SPEAKER_00 9:48

But that's cool.

SPEAKER_03 9:49

Yeah. I was doing singing so like for the wrong reasons for so long in my life, I think that that's why I wasn't really going anywhere. Like and then once I gave it all to God, it kind of just uh exploded. I got that writing retreat scholarship, and history was made after that.

SPEAKER_00 10:08

Yeah. So you didn't obviously start singing Christian music, right? What what did you sing before Christian music?

SPEAKER_03 10:16

Well, my mom raised me on like Aussie and and I sang country like Carrie Underwood and Shania, all that stuff. Like, um I don't listen to much secular music anymore, but um yeah, I remember when I would pull up to a gas station and be like, I gotta turn my music now because I got the worship station on.

SPEAKER_00 10:32

Now I'm like full blast. Yeah, everybody hears it.

SPEAKER_04 10:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:36

Hope you can hear me now.

SPEAKER_03 10:38

It's different from like I remember where I was at in my faith a couple years ago and like when I went to church and how it felt when I went to church, and now how it feels when I go to church.

SPEAKER_02 10:47

And yeah, and it's a complete flip. It is, it really is.

SPEAKER_00 10:52

It's fun watching people grow in the church. I mean, also people see people come and go, also bad things happen, and yeah, but it's to me, it's just all part of it.

SPEAKER_03 11:04

There's yeah, especially, and I believe that there's different people for different chapters, and sometimes people have to go.

SPEAKER_00 11:09

Yeah, chapter's my favorite word.

SPEAKER_03 11:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:13

When people say something happened, something wrong, something it's like it's just a chapter.

SPEAKER_03 11:16

It is, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:17

I just gotta turn the page. I can't look at yesterday. Gotta worry about today.

SPEAKER_01 11:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:22

Well, I know Madison plans on doing a little singing for us today.

SPEAKER_01 11:25

Always.

SPEAKER_00 11:26

Yeah. What you have to but give us a little bit of uh backstory on this song. You just sent it to me a couple days ago, so it's pretty fresh.

SPEAKER_03 11:38

We were at a small group a couple weeks ago when Tempra was talking about being connected to the vine and like how you wanna stay connected to God. You want to stay connected to the vine, and then it sparked this song. So thanks, Tempra.

SPEAKER_01 12:05

I wanna stay connected to the vine. Let me wither, don't leave me behind. I wanna be where you are. I don't deserve it, but you set me apart. Oh, you set me apart. I wanna grow in your light. Keep shining on me, can't get enough of your fight. I'ma lifting my hands up high, reaching for heaven, praising the one who paid the price. The one who paid the price. In any weather, you're my protector, Jesus. I give you everything I give you everything, I don't deserve it, I couldn't earn it. Your love is all I need in any way You're my protector, Jesus I give everything. I give you a be. I give you everything.

SPEAKER_00 14:13

Yeah, no, that was great. I was that was like just my own little concert in my ears or anything.

SPEAKER_03 14:18

I'll come, I'll give you a concert anytime.

SPEAKER_00 14:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:20

You guys just call me like that and we're on lunch.

SPEAKER_00 14:23

But you have to you have to remember us when you're famous.

SPEAKER_03 14:27

Yeah, you guys aren't gonna be here. I don't I'm not going anywhere. I don't know. I don't have a tour life. Like, I'm not there's no way I'm gonna be able to go on like it would be nice. Like I would the money would be cool.

SPEAKER_02 14:38

You're putting it out there right now, so well I would love it, but I don't know how I'm gonna it's always good to speak life. Never say never. Never say never. That's true.

SPEAKER_00 14:45

I mean, if it's in the plans.

SPEAKER_02 14:47

That's true.

SPEAKER_00 14:48

I mean, we're right here right now at this moment for some reason.

SPEAKER_02 14:51

Yeah, that's true. That's true. Despite everything.

SPEAKER_00 14:53

And we just spoke it out to all 16 followers on my podcast.

SPEAKER_03 14:58

It would be cool. I would love to be able to like take everybody on tour, like all the kids, and just go. It would be so fun.

SPEAKER_00 15:05

That would be so fun. Well, you know, you're not the only artist that has kids or I limit myself a lot because I feel like I'm Blaze's person and it's hard to like.

SPEAKER_03 15:16

Yeah, I have a good team, but like it's a lot to ask people to watch him for a long time. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 15:22

No, 100%.

SPEAKER_00 15:28

It's part of what they do.

SPEAKER_02 15:30

That's true.

SPEAKER_00 15:30

Yeah, you're getting I think you got the voice and the song right, even if it was just songwriting, you don't have to tour a songwriting.

SPEAKER_02 15:37

So I couldn't help but hear that you made that song in a couple days.

SPEAKER_03 15:43

Yeah, girl, girl, I'm telling you, the Holy Spirit made it.

SPEAKER_00 15:46

That's what I was saying.

SPEAKER_03 15:47

When he I'll I'll like these come from like the just a phrase in the Bible or like um they just come and then I just build off of them. Like I can't thank God enough for like God has given you a gift.

SPEAKER_02 16:02

Because I can't, I I could not even imagine doing something like that.

SPEAKER_00 16:07

That's a huge gift. Yeah, that's huge.

SPEAKER_02 16:09

Yeah, God is good, God is so good.

SPEAKER_00 16:11

I think like playing the guitar is huge, and then a person playing the guitar and singing, and then you're playing the guitar and singing a song that you just wrote like two days ago. Like, I won't even know where to start.

SPEAKER_03 16:24

I know what I always send you guys like the little snip it says I'm writing, and I'm like, hey, I already came up with this today. I gotta share it with someone.

SPEAKER_00 16:32

Yeah, I thought you were gonna like like pitch a couple bars at it too.

SPEAKER_02 16:36

Whenever you are writing a song, do you just like you're just thinking about it and you're like, I just got the light bulb on the phone.

SPEAKER_03 16:41

It's like a it's like a flow state. Like I have to be in like the flow state. Like I have to I love the flow state. I can't explain it. He sends them when I mean I've wrote songs on the toilet before, I'm not gonna lie to you guys. So like I think that would be a really peaceful place to do that. Like, I mean, so I just have notes full, like I'll show you my phone later. It's just notes and notes and notes of little phrases or I love it, I love it.

SPEAKER_02 17:05

That's so awesome.

SPEAKER_00 17:06

That is crazy. God is good. That was good, and you sounded so good. Thanks.

SPEAKER_03 17:11

Can you believe I chain smoked from like 16 to three years ago, two years ago?

SPEAKER_00 17:18

Mm-mm.

SPEAKER_03 17:18

Yeah, isn't that ridiculous?

SPEAKER_00 17:20

I mean, I was a smoker too, but it's been a long time, like 20 years ago.

SPEAKER_03 17:23

Well, I look back, I'm like, how did I sing then? And then I look at my voice and I'm like, mm-mm, maybe you can hear a little rasp. Maybe, uh Madison, you should have been a smoker. Maybe you shouldn't have done that. But he he gave me my voice back.

SPEAKER_00 17:35

That's right. You can regenerate those lungs after you give it up for a while if you haven't damaged them too bad.

SPEAKER_03 17:40

I just look back and I'm like, why was I trying so hard to sing and smoke at this like I Right.

SPEAKER_00 17:45

I don't know. Probably that time frame, that's how it worked.

SPEAKER_03 17:48

Just stressed. What's that one meme of the guy just holding the like just stressed?

SPEAKER_00 17:54

Yeah. Maybe it relaxed you a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 17:56

Yeah, during that time frame, it feels like it I mean to me looking back on it, especially because my dad listens to a ton of older artists, like he loves Ozzy Osborne, all of them. All of them did that. That was really common.

SPEAKER_03 18:11

Well, my mom was a smoker too, and I remember I remember being at a sleepover, and uh the girl stole her mom's cigarettes, and that was all it took. So don't be smoking no cigarettes at party time. Yeah, or sleepovers or anything else. Don't be going to sleepovers where they're smokers.

SPEAKER_00 18:27

I don't really feel like smoking's is is a cool thing anymore.

SPEAKER_02 18:31

It's not as much now as it what it used to be.

SPEAKER_03 18:33

But vaping, vaping, I vaping got me off of cigarettes, but then that hurt like my lungs way more. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:41

I've I've I've hit a vape a couple times with a buddy of mine vapes, and I was like, holy.

SPEAKER_03 18:46

I feel like the addiction on that was harder, like it was intense because you couldn't find your vape. You're like like freaking out. I'm like, this is not good. It's it's stupid. But I'm not judging anybody.

SPEAKER_00 19:00

My buddy that vapes is a just vapes like it's going out of style. Like it's I'm like, it's addicting.

SPEAKER_03 19:07

It's really addicting. Like now I'm glad that I don't I don't crave that, but like, yeah, it's don't vape kids or smoke. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:15

Or drink for that matter, if you can just stay away from all.

SPEAKER_03 19:18

Drinking's really overrated, guys. It really is. Like, I have no desire.

SPEAKER_00 19:22

I could tell you all the things drinking has done for me. They're not good. That's a whole other potential.

SPEAKER_03 19:26

I've never, yeah, I've never like, yeah, we have fun times in high school or whatever, but like look back and I'm like, I'm surprised we didn't die. Yeah. Literally.

SPEAKER_00 19:33

And there wasn't cameras. Yeah. So one cameras. That's okay. Then there's that. That's a good thing.

SPEAKER_02 19:38

I definitely had my moments in high school.

SPEAKER_00 19:41

Yeah. Me too.

SPEAKER_02 19:42

I'm not so proud of.

SPEAKER_00 19:44

But we're all still here. Yeah. We're all still here and we are who we are because of that.

SPEAKER_02 19:49

Yeah. Yeah. That is so true. I say that all the time. I'm like, yeah, you know, I've messed up in the past, but I wouldn't trade it for anything because it allows me to relate to people who are in that position or have been in that position. Exactly. So it helps me touch them with a little bit of God now. No regurts. No regurts.

SPEAKER_00 20:06

No regurts. No regurts. I like that because that's what I tell people too is like, like, you're a Christian? I'm like, yeah. And they're like, well, I can't be. I'm like, bro.

SPEAKER_03 20:14

Bro, let me tell you.

SPEAKER_00 20:17

Tell me a couple things that you've done, and I probably can check mark those boxes. So yes, you can.

SPEAKER_03 20:22

I well, I think too, as people like coming in as new Christians, you're like, you think everyone is perfect. Like I remember thinking that. I remember being like, oh my gosh. Like I can't, I can't slip up. Right. Yeah. No, and now Gia no Gia knows, but like in the bathroom.

SPEAKER_02 20:37

That was so funny. It was like, oh thank gosh, she's so real.

SPEAKER_03 20:40

She's so real.

SPEAKER_02 20:41

I had a naughty.

SPEAKER_03 20:42

I'm gonna admit it because I feel like I need to confess it. I had a naughty word slip at church, okay?

SPEAKER_02 20:46

In front of me in the bathroom talking to the group. It honestly made me feel better because it's not like I don't do that. Yeah. No, it's like I'm like, okay, like I'm not the only one. I said, dang it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_00 21:02

The disciples were all sinners. Okay, guys. He's right. He's we're all sick.

SPEAKER_03 21:07

I can just see God in the world, like, man, then. Madison. Yeah, come on, Madison.

SPEAKER_00 21:12

Yeah, no, he's he's it's okay.

SPEAKER_02 21:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:14

We don't we're not supposed to, but we we will.

SPEAKER_02 21:17

We will sin and there was only one perfect person.

SPEAKER_00 21:20

There was only one.

SPEAKER_02 21:22

That's true.

SPEAKER_00 21:22

There's only one. That's true. That's when I hear Pastor talking about it. I'm like, there's only one. Like we're not perfect.

SPEAKER_03 21:28

Just don't cuss in the church bathroom, guys.

unknown 21:32

Sorry.

SPEAKER_03 21:33

Just don't make a habit. Sorry, sorry, Pastor Vick. Just don't make it a habit. They're gonna watch us and be like, Madison! Madison!

SPEAKER_00 21:39

Madison. Madison Sharp.

SPEAKER_03 21:42

Everyone's gonna be like, Madison, what did you stay in the bathroom?

SPEAKER_00 21:45

Uh-huh. Hopefully they're gonna be a good thing. Oh, so you did listen to the podcast. Good. Good.

SPEAKER_03 21:51

Oh, God is good.

SPEAKER_00 21:52

That's good. I appreciate you sharing.

SPEAKER_03 21:54

I know some of it was emotional, but I feel like I didn't really even give you a full story. I just like vented.

SPEAKER_00 22:01

No, that's that's what it's about.

SPEAKER_03 22:02

That's what it's all about. I know.

SPEAKER_00 22:04

One of these times I'll give you part of mine. I we don't have enough time to do it all, but because I've actually used AI to chronologically put my life in order. So like I would just a couple days in a row spit out it what happened, and it would, you know, I'm not gonna create a book out of it because it was AI written, but yeah, I've got chronological order as I kind of remember things in my life, good and bad. So we'll get to know me a little bit too.

SPEAKER_04 22:28

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:29

Let you guys ask me some questions. Well, I'm sure you mean we've all got 'em, but that's my thing with my story. I think I even got an older podcast in there that talks about that. So gotta let people know that it's it's real.

SPEAKER_02 22:42

Yeah, man. Robert the realist.

SPEAKER_00 22:44

Robert the realist the alter ego. Yeah, I didn't think I wanted to get too real with Robert the Realtor, so had to change it up a little bit. Roberta.

SPEAKER_04 22:52

Roberta the realtor.

SPEAKER_00 22:54

Roberta the realtor. Now you're gonna start something. All right.

SPEAKER_02 22:59

I'm putting a wig on your uh an altar, alter ear picture.

SPEAKER_00 23:02

Alter ego, ego. Wow, going deep. Hey, I can make those female realtor videos then, you know, with my skirt on and Roberta the Realtors.

SPEAKER_02 23:14

Walking down the side.

SPEAKER_00 23:17

Your jumpsuit. Yeah, I need to shed a couple more pounds. I don't look like that in that.

SPEAKER_04 23:21

Sparkly jumpsuit.

SPEAKER_00 23:22

I don't look like that in that thing. That thing made me look good.

SPEAKER_03 23:25

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 23:25

Yeah, with my little sucker.

SPEAKER_03 23:29

I was like, oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_00 23:30

Did you see that?

SPEAKER_03 23:31

No. You didn't see that post? Oh goodness.

SPEAKER_00 23:33

That's where she comes up from Robert Roberta, the realist or Roberta the realtor.

SPEAKER_02 23:38

I'm gonna have to go Facebook Stock.

SPEAKER_00 23:39

Yeah, check that out.

SPEAKER_02 23:40

We'll clip a picture. No.

SPEAKER_00 23:42

Yeah. We are doing video today. Just this picture the whole time. Yeah, the entire time. Just this picture, the whole podcast.

SPEAKER_04 23:50

Oh, that's funny.

SPEAKER_00 23:52

Well, I won't keep us much any longer if if that's all you had to say about what you wanted to say, because I put you on the spot today.

SPEAKER_03 24:00

So well, I didn't mean to tell like all my mom's story, but I love you, mom.

SPEAKER_00 24:04

Yeah, no, mom's are cool.

SPEAKER_03 24:06

Hey, made me who I am. She made she definitely made me who I am. We went through the struggles together, but yeah, it's my best friend.

SPEAKER_00 24:15

That's good. Thank you for sharing. I will uh wherever you get this at, make sure you like, subscribe, comment, share. And if you have any ideas of anything you want us to um talk about on the podcast or anybody you want on the podcast, let us know. And we appreciate you guys tuning in. Thank you. Robert the Real is out.