JD Dillaberry - Sobriety, Grief & Powerful Fatherhood Lessons

One phone choice can shape a relationship, and one hard season can reshape an entire life. I’m joined by Jason “JD” Diliberry, a former Florida State lineman and lifelong leader who has lived through divorce, addiction, sobriety, and the kind of grief that stops you in your tracks. What comes through most is not polish. It’s honesty, accountability, and a deep commitment to showing up for the people in his huddle. 

We talk about JD’s upbringing after his mom moved away, the quiet power of a dad and stepmom who never spoke badly about her, and how hard work became a value before it became a motivational poster. We also get into sports as a training ground for life: starting football late, learning toughness through wrestling, and why “belief” matters so much when your kids face a world that loves to tell them no. If you care about fatherhood, family values, and leadership at home, this part hits hard in the best way. 

Then the conversation turns toward recovery and loss. JD shares his journey to sobriety, the reality of addiction in a family system, and the painful story of losing his daughter Savannah to Fentanyl. We talk about faith, grace, forgiveness, and why being fully present is not a slogan, it’s a decision you make moment by moment. 

If this story helps you, subscribe, share it with a dad who needs it, and leave a review so more families can find these conversations. What’s one way you can be more present today?

Transcript

Welcome To The Quarterback Jackcast

SPEAKER_01 0:03

Hi, I'm Riley.

SPEAKER_00 0:04

And I'm Ryder. And this is my dad's show. Hey everybody, it's KCJ Cox with the quarterback.cats. Welcome to season seven. Can't wait for this season as there's a lot of great guests ahead. If you're new to this podcast, really it's simple. It's a podcast where we we interview dads, we learn about how they were raised, we learn about the life lessons that were important to them, we learn about the values that are important to them, and really we learn about how we can work hard to become a better quarterback or leader of our home. So let's sit back, relax, and listen to today's episode of the Quarterback Jackcast. Hey everybody, it's KCJ Cox with the Quarterback Jackcast here in season 7. Close to the tail end of season 7, which is actually kind of pretty cool to think about. And uh we're on the quest to reach a thousand dads. We've interviewed over 350. And this next gentleman, um, he is he's been uh he's been in the cube for a while, and we've we've I don't know if it's the NIL deals or just agents involved, but they're just it's been tough to get him to schedule, but we finally got him. His name's Jason Diliberry. Uh everybody calls him JD. And I gotta give a huge shout out to uh to Randall Thomas and Travis Webb uh for making this intro happen. But JD is a client partner at ISF. He's uh he's a former stud at Florida State. I'd like to learn a little bit more about that. Um, but more importantly, he's he's a dad just like you and I, trying to work hard to become an ultimate quarterback or leader of his household. So further ado, JD, welcome to quarterback.

SPEAKER_02 1:33

Right on. Well, thank you so much for having me. It's an honor to be here and looking forward to the conversation.

SPEAKER_00 1:38

It'll be fun.

Gratitude As The Starting Point

SPEAKER_00 1:40

All right, man. Well, we always start out each episode with gratitude. So tell me, what are you most grateful for as a dad today?

SPEAKER_02 1:46

Today I'm grateful for I've been able to uh see both of my kids and talk to them. And uh and then I'm gonna go to my grandson's soccer game, last soccer game of the season tomorrow.

SPEAKER_01 1:59

So I'm really looking forward to that.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Sweet. Um now are you uh are you the the the grandpa that just gets fiery? Are you the grandpa that just chills and lays back?

SPEAKER_04 2:09

It depends.

SPEAKER_02 2:11

Sometimes I find myself uh hollering at at Easton, uh I do this, do that, and then I'm I'm wait, that's the coach's job. So, but most of the time I'm chill and sitting back. Every once in a while you get caught up in it.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

Love it. Yeah, um, I'd say, man, we're recording in the the middle to end of April. Um, this episode will come out in uh in uh maybe a month or so. And hey, what I'm most grateful for today is a couple things. One, um, that I'm I know I said this before, but I'm gonna say it again because it happened right before I came on, everybody. I'm grateful for Snapchat and the ability to have a communication with my son each and every day. And um, shout out to Brad Rosen, former guest, who said, Man, when your kid gets in college, you're gonna have to get on Snapchat. I'm like, dude, no, I'm not. Almost 50 years old, I'm not getting on Snapchat. Well, he was right. And now I have like a 500 and something consecutive streak where it's like either we're sending a picture of each other, I'm I'm sending a message, and he's he was just on the golf, he plays golf in college, JD. So he was sending me a picture on the golf course, and the weather looked perfect down there. I'm grateful for that. And I'm also grateful for um my daughter's grit. Um, I see there's a sign behind you that says grit. Everybody can see because it's audio only, but there's also a sign in JD's office that says perseverance and grind and determination. So that that define that really describes my daughter, um Diddy, because she's she's week 12 post-surgery of a torn ACL. She lost her senior year of halfway through her senior year, she lost her senior year of basketball. Um and I lost my senior year 30 something years ago and didn't play football at all my senior year, but lucky enough to play D2 school, took a bet on me and I made the best of my opportunity. But anyway, I'm grateful for my daughter's grit and develop and mindset. Like I I went outside during a break today, came back in, she was doing her PT all by herself in our in her little home gym and just doing it with a good attitude, and so I'm I'm very grateful for her.

SPEAKER_03 4:09

So that's great. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 4:11

Those injuries can be tough, brutal, man.

SPEAKER_00 4:14

And she's handling it better than I did. Circa 94. Handle it better than I did, I'll tell you that. So well, bring me inside the uh the Diliberry huddle.

The Diliberry Huddle And Heartbreak

SPEAKER_00 4:22

Tell me who's on the squad.

SPEAKER_02 4:24

Alright, so we've got um besides myself, I have my wife, uh Desiree. Um we have our daughter Jazzy, uh, who is 23. We have my my son Logan, who is uh 31. And he's married, so his wife Lexi. And then my daughter Savannah, who passed away about four and a half years ago.

SPEAKER_03 4:54

Uh suddenly uh I have my grandson Easton through her, and then his father, and his stepmom, who now he's calling mom.

SPEAKER_02 5:07

Uh mom Easton's mommy is Savannah, but mom is Hannah. Super grateful for her in our life. So, you know, that clump of people would who I would say is in my huddle. Um now, I also have my parents who I'm very close with, and we do a lot of time, spend a lot of time with, but the folks that who I feel like are in the huddle, we're we're doing life together as much as possible and on the day-to-day, and who I'm kind of overseer of is is that initial crew.

SPEAKER_00 5:38

So yeah. Wow. Um, well, I'm sorry that happened. Savannah, you said. Yes. Wow. Um, I I'd love to I'd love to talk further about that, but I want if we can, I want to I want to pause there, but I want I want to go back and learn more about you um as a as a as a child. And I want to learn more about what was life like growing up for JD um and talk about the impact mom and dad had on you.

Divorce Childhood And Work Ethic

SPEAKER_02 6:07

Yeah, so um, you know, as a young child, my my parents got divorced when I was five years old. And my mother left and moved back to her home of Colorado. And my father, who is a fireman, and myself, and my brother, who's a year and a half younger than me, who has cerebral palsy, you know, my my father raised us um until he met my who we call Mima. Uh and they got married when I was, I think eight years old, eight or nine, I don't remember exactly. So she basically raised. I had a relationship with my mother um throughout life, but it was more of a distance, and we'd see her once a summer for a week or so, but you know, she wasn't in the day-to-day the bumps and great, you know, breaks and scrapes and all that. So uh so anyway, we um, you know, since since I was about eight years old, Mima and my dad got married, and my brother and I, and they raised us, and uh my father was a firefighter, and Mima is a dental assistant. And you know, we grew up with a a very loving family beyond that as well. Uh grandparents and my cousins and my aunts were all lived in the same area. We'd have family gatherings like once a month, and that included celebrating birthdays of the family, which is rather, yeah, we probably had at that time 30 to 40 people in the family between cousins and aunts and uncles, and so very close knit in that regard. And um, and then uh, but we didn't have a lot, you know. We were, I mean, my father was a firefighter, mother was a dental assistant, two kids. Uh we didn't have much of what we wanted, but it as I've gotten older, moved through life, I realized we had everything that we needed, and um so yeah, so that's just kind of a snapshot of my my youth. Um I learned a a lot from my parents of hard work and dedication. And as I said, my appreciation for that has grown as I've been a father adult, gone through challenges and understanding what it's like to have the responsibility of a family depending on you. And so uh, you know, I I have a little saying, I certainly do not coin it, but my father gets smarter as I get older. Um, and um, if I would have just listened to 25% of what he's tried to tell me, uh then uh you know there would be things in life that would be different, but that's okay too, because we're all on our our own path.

SPEAKER_00 9:04

But now are your dad and Mima still with us? They are, yeah. Yeah, awesome.

SPEAKER_02 9:10

And thankful that uh my wife and I moved to the town that I grew up in. Um and my parents live a mile away. So like this morning when I went down to do my watch the sunrise, you know, after that I popped right over there and spent some time with them on the back porch for 30, 45 minutes before I came home and got started with my work day. You know, I tried to do that kind of stuff as often. So I'm grateful to have hosts.

SPEAKER_00 9:36

That's so cool. I just literally saw that vision when you said that. That was so cool. What a I mean, what a like I I got goosebumps, brother, on that one. Like that was what a um my dad passed away December 29th, 2021. So um, and he unfortunately had a wrap sheet of health challenges. Um I've talked about times in the podcast. Um sometimes I you know it's funny, like memories are with you forever, and there's times I miss them and I wish he could see the kids and you know, because I know he'd be so proud of them. And um, just so I think it's it's cool that you get to do that with your with with your pop. Um how if you don't mind me saying, how how young are they right now?

SPEAKER_02 10:17

So my father actually just turned 77.

SPEAKER_00 10:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 10:20

And me mom, I think, is 75.

SPEAKER_03 10:24

Okay. And um so yeah, she's 74 or so.

SPEAKER_00 10:29

Okay. Um for what you remember, how how hard was see I mean seeing your mom move away as you reflect back on that? Was that ended at impact you later in life as a dad?

SPEAKER_02 10:41

Well, it did a big time. Um I always had this uh overwhelming desire to you know have a nuclear family, and and of course, as life would have it, it it took me, I mean, I went through a few marriages, and life is hard night in that regard. And I do think a lot of it kind of stems from my mother leaving, and and and she had a lot of struggles in her life of varying aspects, and she was very unreliable. And I mean, she loved us the best she could, and we actually the last five years of her life, we actually became much closer. She had moved back from Colorado down to Florida, and then ironically, within like three months of her moving here, she got diagnosed with stage four metastasized lung cancer, and then spent about four years fighting it with chemo and going through treatment through that whole time. We were all able to really, you know, reconcile completely and spend time together, and it was awesome. One thing I do a test to is my father and my meme mom never ever ever said one bad thing about my mother as a kid, and always did everything they could for us to be with her and available to her. Now she mother dropped the ball many times. However, that was something that always stuck with me. And as I've moved through life and gone through challenging relationships and marriages and divorces and all these things, it really helped me keep the eye on the ball when it comes to what's you know, the kids and their importance of you know their stability and mindset and mental health and all that kind of stuff. So, you know, I kind of tangented around a little bit there.

SPEAKER_03 12:38

But that's um good.

SPEAKER_02 12:40

Yeah, so um, but my parents were great, they were there for me, they supported me. Um and and like I said, I have very close, extended family who was also very supportive and encouraging.

SPEAKER_00 12:53

So when you say hard work and dedication, there were like values your parents taught you as you were growing up, can you think of a story that cemented those words inside you?

SPEAKER_02 13:06

Well, I don't know if I can remember a specific story, but I can give you some examples. So my father was a firefighter, and if anyone knows anything about firefighters, they often have a second job on the days that they're not working. And uh, so my father was in construction, and um, he was never, he did actually get his general contractor's license later, but when I was a child growing up, like we'd go to the work sites calling center blocks and you know, plywood, and that you know, I was the gopher and you know, all these kinds of stuff. So, so I, you know, my knowing how hard my father in retrospect worked being a firefighter and having that, and then on days off, there really were no days off. He'd be working construct, and and especially in the summertimes and during breaks with school, I would be out there working with you know I I that really stuck with me, and I've thought about that many times as an adult. Uh, you know, sometimes we can get a little complacent or comfortable, uh, and you know, and I don't subscribe to the theory that we should be redlining all the time. I actually think that's very unhealthy. However, we do need to make sure we're doing all that we can do um and that we should be doing. And so that work ethic really brought me through a lot as an adult.

SPEAKER_03 14:33

It's crazy to think about that. Like the days he was probably just smoked, but he didn't. He kept going. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

From Baseball To College Football

SPEAKER_00 14:43

Now, you uh I remember you play football, Hather Correct? I did, I did. Were you were you uh uh I'm guessing old lineman?

SPEAKER_02 14:51

That is correct, yeah. Offensive lineman, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:53

You had to be a hog up front with your pop with that kind of work ethic.

SPEAKER_02 14:57

Yeah, no, it was uh you know, but funny, I never I didn't start playing football until I got to high school. Really? Yeah, I so I've always been a big guy and big kid, and uh, but I played baseball. Started playing baseball when I was like five years old. It was actually a really good baseball and I played baseball all the way through until I was like 15 years old, and we got to high school. And uh I remember walking down the hallway one day, this shaved head, short, bald guy sticks his finger in my chest and is like, son, I want to see you on the football field today at three o'clock. How I remember all this, I have no idea, but I remember like I'm a baseball. Yeah, he goes, Not anymore, you're not. And I was like, And for some reason, I went out there on the practice field then and I was a freshman. A 30-year drill sergeant retired from the Marines, coached Brownley, and uh I mean, so I started playing football, and I was a big kid, but I didn't really have a lot of strength and balance and stuff, so it's an interesting story how that works out. And uh one of the other really cool things about that is there was a uh fellow firefighter of my father and who um Mr. Mooningham, who had known me as a baseball player but also saw my potential, and he told Brown to pin me in the hallway.

SPEAKER_03 16:29

Oh, that's funny.

SPEAKER_02 16:30

And uh, because I grew up playing sports with his son, right? And so anyway, so it's it's kind of cool how all that came together. And in my first couple years, I was pretty good. Um, but I was just a big kid moving around, and um, but the change for me really kind of took me to the next level was when I wrestled in high school. Uh Coach Brownlee was also not only the JV football coach, he was also the high school wrestling.

SPEAKER_04 16:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 16:53

I don't know if you have any experience with wrestling or any of the other folks who have talked about it, but wrestling is really difficult, challenging, demanding, physical. The football players didn't want anything to do with wrestling at high school because it was way harder. I mean, wrestling football was hard enough. And so I kind of put it off and put it off. And finally um I allowed him to talk me into it in the junior season after football got over, I wrestled and it turned me into you know a 6'5, 275 pound cat uh balance, strength, endurance at at different levels and really kind of catapulted uh to the next level.

SPEAKER_03 17:34

So you use tackle or guard or uh tackle, yeah. I played quarterback in college. I don't I don't love a guy like you.

SPEAKER_02 17:44

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it was fun. Grateful for that that journey.

SPEAKER_00 17:49

I had here's a little random tricky question. This is whenever I talk about football, JD, I gotta give love to Uncle Rico. I can throw a football over that mountain if you want me to, but hello. Um take a guess. Well, true or false. Well, actually, I'm not gonna get true false. I'm gonna ask you a question. How many take a guess how many all-league offensive linemen I had in my senior year in college? Three. Six. Dang. Think about it, and people are like, well, how is that possible, Casey? Only five offensive linemen play. Correct, everybody. But um, one of my my my weak guard, shout out to Evan Ayers if you're listening, he got injured, and we had a guy come in to uh play for him a couple games, and then another guy got hurt, and so he moved down the line to a different place. He could play guard and tackle. He ended up getting honorable mention. But we had a couple guys were first team all league, guys second team all league. Um, my running back was all league, I was all league, and so but it was such a cool thing. We actually, the beat reporter that used to interview me after like practices and games, um, he didn't even know about this at the end of the season. So I said, Hey, would you I called him, I talked to my offensive line coach. I said, I wanted I want them the the the brotherhood to get a O line brotherhood, we called him, to get a story about him, but I don't want it to be my idea. I'm gonna I'm gonna call Roger, but that was their beat guy, but I said, just don't tell him it's me. And uh so they they called my roommate. My roommate's like, dude, they the st they want to do a story on us. I'm like, really? No way, man, that's awesome. And uh so I played dumb, like I didn't know. And then freaking the Roger, the guy, he ends up throwing me under the bus in a nice way. He goes, Hey, hope you know none of this was happening. Like the quarterback didn't make his phone call. Damn, what are you doing? I still have that, I still have that article, and um That's awesome. Very, very proud of the boys up front.

SPEAKER_02 19:31

So yeah, the the hogs up front, you know, who worked the tail off.

SPEAKER_00 19:35

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:35

No glory, all guts and blood and all that.

SPEAKER_00 19:39

That's where did you play? Uh division two school called Central Washington.

SPEAKER_02 19:43

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 19:44

So there's a guy named John Kitna, remember that name? Yeah. Yeah. John Kitna put us on the map. But he I was the number three behind him his senior year, my red shirt freshman year. We would we tied for the national championship back for the head overtime back in 95, which is so dumb. Um, but uh then I split time my sophomore year in the start of my junior and senior year. But John had a 17-year career in the league. It's amazing. Yeah, that's awesome. Really, really cool.

SPEAKER_02 20:09

So yeah, there's uh talking about D2. So I played at Florida State for my first four years, and uh in my fifth year, uh it was there's a lot going on in my life, and the coach and I really didn't kind of see eye to eye. So I decided to transfer. Well, back then there was none of this uh transfer portal stuff, so you had to go down. I only had one year of eligibility, so you had to go down. So I went down to D2 and went out to Colorado to be closer to my mother, and I played for Northern Colorado my senior year. Okay, and um I tell you what, I quickly learned that there wasn't much difference. Uh it was like maybe quarter step, maybe half step on the speed, on the skill rolls, and the offensive line at Northern Colorado is actually bigger than the starting offensive line at Farda State. These guys were beasts. And uh I we had a ball, I had a ball. The most fun I had playing football since I played every snap, every game, played tackle, guard, center, wherever we needed, our center got hurt, and I had to step in and play. And just a great group of guys that just loved the game for football, which was a all of us at FSU did too, it was just a little bit different, right?

SPEAKER_00 21:30

No, I I I can that speaks to me. My um, so my cousin played football University of Washington back in like the late 80s. I remember when I was in high school, he told me, uh, hey, if you got a chance to play small, go do it. You're gonna have a lot more fun. And back then I was like, oh, but I want to go to UW and do what you did. And um unfortunately I got hurt. I was getting recruited by UW, and then I got hurt and they just said, Hey, we want you to walk on, which I they probably told that to 500 other guys. Um, but I just I remember Central was the one that gave. Me some love, and um it was the same, it was true. It was um it was just different. There was the love, it was not we weren't getting paid, we weren't. I mean you've got a few hundred bucks here and there, but nothing like full rides like that kids get now and um something like that.

SPEAKER_02 22:16

Yeah, now I was fortunate. Sorry to interrupt. I was fortunate they did give me a full ride scholarship.

SPEAKER_03 22:21

Oh, sweet.

SPEAKER_02 22:22

Because that the coach at that time had recruited in a few D1 transfer guys. There was a guy from Georgia, it was me. They were really building. We were supposed to have a really, really good year. We had a senior quarterback, DJ Leachman, who had been there, a bunch of returning starters. Actually, the reason why I got a slot is their starting left tackle blew out his knee in the summertime or the spring practice or something. So they had a slot open. So I was thankful to get full ride scholarship, all that good stuff. But um yeah, I was it was I still am in touch with a couple of the guys I played with from there. So and uh actually one of the guys in particular, he may be good for your show. He's he's uh he's got a great story and just an amazing man. But we can talk about that later.

SPEAKER_00 23:11

Yeah, you know, I'd love to. I love uh when when guests offer referrals, it's the it's the biggest compliment. And I'm I'm on a quest to get to a thousand dads, so I'll take all the if you got a good story and we can help another dad at home, I'm I'm game.

SPEAKER_02 23:24

So yeah, Bob would have a lot of things that would relate on many levels.

Sponsor Break Leadership Under Pressure

SPEAKER_02 23:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:30

Hey everybody, it's Casey Jaccox with the Quarterback Dadcast. I want to take a minute to introduce our newest sponsor on this podcast, which is the Five Coat Consulting Group, led by the one and only David Fivecoat. So, as you know, we talk a lot about on this show about what it means to be intentional as dads, fathers, and leaders, about showing up when people are counting on us. And one of the biggest challenges is how do we get people truly aligned when things get hard? That's why I think David and the Five Coat Consulting Group is worth knowing more about. So, who is David? Well, he's a dad, he's a retired Army colonel, and he's a former guest on the Quarterback Dadcast. He also is the founder of the Five Coat Consulting Group. He and his team take CEOs and executive teams to the Gettysburg Battlefield to transform their perspective on leadership, communications, and decision making. Now, this is not just another workshop. We've all heard about it, we've all seen them. Over the three days on this workshop in Pennsylvania, teams are gonna walk the grounds, they're gonna study leaders who have been under pressure before, and they're gonna come away with lessons and frameworks that they can use immediately and remember long after this workshop's over. So if your team needs more alignment, better decision making in uncertain situations, and a leadership development program that's really going to stick, contact David now at David.fivecoat. That's d-a-v-i-d. C-O-A-T at the fivecoat consulting group.com. Now, let's get back to today's episode.

Grit Signs Curiosity And Belief

SPEAKER_00 24:56

Um, tell me about the signs behind you. I know people you guys can't see him, but he has determination, grind, execution, success, perseverance, and grit.

SPEAKER_02 25:03

Yeah. And then there's three over here on this other wall you can't see hustle, persistence, and sacrifice.

SPEAKER_03 25:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 25:10

So um I bought these signs about eight years ago. Saw them on Amazon, you know, like Canvas sign. They're going through things in life, and and and when I saw this cluster of signs, I was like, you know what? Every one of these things resonates. And um, I wanted it to be a reminder. So, you know, I just uh I bought them and uh thankfully my wife has decorated that it look a whole lot better than the way I had, just sitting next to each other and stacked on top. Um, but uh, but I often will turn around, read these. I'm not gonna say every day, but quite frequently. Okay, that's right. This is where we're at. This is what the the day calls for, this is what this moment or this season, and and uh so they're great motivators. Yeah, I love them.

SPEAKER_00 26:04

When you see those signs, they trigger stories for you.

SPEAKER_02 26:09

You know, um I not that I would say off the top of my mind, like you know, I'm not a uh a creative type of person, uh and I actually need to get better at storytelling and that kind of thing. And certainly I will have memories or moments or things, but I wouldn't say when I look at these that it it reminds me of a story. I look at these when I'm in a moment and they are uh you know reinforce why it is I'm doing what I'm doing and what it's gonna take to get to the other side. So I wish I could tell you I got some cool story that I think of when I look at these, but it's really more about what I'm going through at the moment or what I'm feeling and trying to deal with it.

SPEAKER_00 26:53

Yeah, no, that's all good. I what I like about that is it's it's vision. And I think because we as humans, when we see things, it we um we learn them a lot quicker than we just read them, but we can see it. Like you can't see this, JD, but behind you or behind Peter on the wall it says, Be curious, not judgmental. It's a picture of Ted Lasso with a his face without eyes. Just skin. For those of people who've ever gotten an email from me, I end every email with Stay Curious. It just started doing it six years ago and that stuck, and now it's funny. People on me like, oh, you're that curiosity dude. I mean, I just I'm obsessed with curiosity because that's what you don't need AI, and AI will help you ask more questions, but if you're listening and you ask really good questions, that's I think how relationships form.

SPEAKER_02 27:36

And yeah, I noticed your belief sign.

SPEAKER_00 27:40

Ted Lasso.

SPEAKER_02 27:40

Huge fan of Ted Lasso. Uh that show is amazing. And uh and I do love how they talk about the curiosity piece.

SPEAKER_00 27:49

So that the belief sign, as much as it's from Ted Lasso, it's also it's actually the work I do. I mean, someone asked me, one of my mentors asked me at age 41, which is years ago, um, if I believe what I do matters. And it was a question that I had not heard of very often. Um and it's a question I ask my kids to remind themselves when they go compete. I just say, hey, do you you you believe you got a chance to do this? You believe in your and I said, if you don't, let's figure out why. But just try to make sure they're always just knowing them that I have the utmost belief in them. Um to to really dream big. And because life's gonna tell you what you can't do. And there's all these things. I think sometimes we as parents um they we just don't I don't think we talk about the word belief enough. I think it's a really powerful word that can offer so much so much for kids' potential if you if you just get out of the way.

SPEAKER_03 28:40

I agree. So yeah, so I assumed that so much.

SPEAKER_00 28:45

Well, it definitely it is from Ted Lasso, but that sign I actually got at a Mariner game, like Seattle Mariner game, like five years ago, right when Ted Lasso was coming out. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:53

Um and uh but yeah, definitely Ted Lasso theme, and I cannot wait for the season to come out. I love that concept of believing in what you're doing.

SPEAKER_02 29:06

I think it wraps in nicely with the you know the why. Um and uh life throws a lot at us, man. So we gotta sometimes we need to okay.

SPEAKER_03 29:16

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 29:17

Why what are we doing? Why are we doing this? Okay, yep, that's right. And then take the next step. So I love it.

SPEAKER_00 29:25

Well, that that might be a good segue.

Addiction Recovery And Losing Savannah

SPEAKER_00 29:27

If um, you know, one, I just want to thank you for for being vulnerable enough to be a guest. I love I love um I love when people come on to share stories because I think there's a lot of dads that continue to listen to this this podcast, and um, we've had a lot of vulnerable stories shared. And so if if for what you feel comfortable, I'd love to um understand what happened to Savannah for what you want to share. And maybe there's a data home that might have gone through something similar that we might be able to help.

SPEAKER_03 29:54

Yeah. Um well, if it's okay, like I'm gonna rewind because um it's more than just what happened to Savannah. And it was uh it really goes back a long time. So the my son's name is Logan, so that for my children by birth, or Logan and Savannah, their mother and I actually met at the University of North Colorado and um we got married pretty quickly, and um a couple years later had kids and all that kind of stuff. But sadly, their their mother and I got a divorce when they were very young.

SPEAKER_02 30:47

Uh I think Logan was like, I mean, Savannah was maybe a year old, Logan was two and a half, three, something like that. And she had a lot of addiction issues uh and mental problems, and I'm not casting shade on her at all. I I actually, you know, it's it's so sad. But she wound up passing away due to an overdose when Logan, I think, was seven and Savannah was five. There's a whole story around all of the lead up to that where I don't know how deep you want to go, but like I was in, it was a pretty intense period of time where there was a lot of accusations from her and her family towards me about things that were absolutely not true. And uh multiple, it was you could really make a movie of it, a lot of multiple years of back and forth support, all this kind of stuff. So it was a very uh uh tumultuous childhood uh for Logan and Savannah, and um, and so then when I finally was able to have them full time after us going through all the things we went through, uh I think they were eight and six at the time, and and um I also had my own struggles with alcohol and drugs, but not at the same level. I mean, I was a professional, I was a functioning, you know, functioning alcoholic, and if you if you want to call it that, and and my drug use is recreational for the most part. Um, I had gone through some really dark times and dealing with all the situations with their mother before she passed, but uh so you know, so there's so Savannah and Logan's youth was really tumultuous, and um a lot trauma and traumatic situations with the mother and the things that went there. Then me being a single father, um raising two children, who that's what I wanted. Like going back to earlier about having a nuclear family and things I did, and uh to back up a little bit further, their mother and the kids and I were living in Orlando, and she and my their mother was going through a lot of emotional things, and so she had gone out to Colorado to visit her for Christmas and then informed me that she was never coming back, and if I ever wanted to see the kids again, I'd have to move to Colorado. Well, it took me about six days when I was in Colorado because I was never not gonna be where my kids were.

SPEAKER_03 33:33

Wow, period.

SPEAKER_02 33:35

Um, and that goes back tying into my mother who left and the emotions around all that. So so anyway, so things were wild and crazy, and and like I said, you literally could make a movie of it or write a book or both, but but so I here I was a newly full-time single parent of two young children who had been through a lot, and I had two. And so, you know, we we navigated life together, and um I I I think I'm coming up on 15 years of sobriety this November 7th, and I quit drug use a couple years before that um completely. And so, you know, here I am. I'm 15 years sober coming up, 17 years clean coming up. But if you do the math, I mean, that's a lot of years of me not necessarily being the most stable, present, not the best version of me that I could be for the kids in their you know young, you know, child to young adult period, you know, teenage years. So I think a lot of things led into uh the emotional things that my son and daughter had to go through because of their dysfunctional parents, me being one. And uh so um unbeknownst to me, Savannah had uh acquired an addiction to pharmaceutical pills due to some medical procedures that she had around endometriosis, which is obviously a very painful thing. And um yeah, so she um and I sometimes I really struggle with how I didn't see it, being a former addict, an alcoholic, all these things, and I would ask her and I would talk to her and she wouldn't tell me the truth, but I should have known better. So I really struggle with that. Um, but um, you know, and then one night there was a lot of things she had gone to treatment for about 45 days, and I was raising Easton. He was seeing his father and spending time with Hannah, but he was still at Savannah's house full time, and I had moved in there to help. So it was a whole thing, and um and uh even after treatment, she got the they got the best of her and and she took something, and I don't think it was intentional by any stretch, but you know, you're playing with fire when you're messing, and it was fentanyl that took her, and um it was very sad, very tragic. Um the by far a lot of hard things in life that my own hand that I dealt with, and that took the cake times a gazillion. But I you know I'm I'm grateful that I'm the one that found her, and that she was there's a million different scenarios that could have been worse. And and um, the moment that I realized what happened, you know, God really spoke to my heart and spirit and said she's healed and with me. She was a strong believer. She actually had ministered to me before I came into my faith as a child. And I just the weekend before her and I um spent some time together, and you know, she wanted to share with me what she was reading in scripture. And so even though life was really messy for her, I do know that she had a belief and a faith. And I do believe that um in his own way and in his own purpose and wisdom, you know, he did rescue and heal my daughter as best he could given the circumstances. That's really got me through my faith in that. So there's a million details other than that. I don't know if any of that really kind of correlates, makes sense in timeline.

SPEAKER_00 37:43

Oh, I'm following it clearly, bro.

SPEAKER_02 37:45

I that was a um, so yeah, definitely the hardest thing ever.

SPEAKER_00 37:50

How's how's Logan doing?

SPEAKER_02 37:53

He's good. He's, you know, actually, like it's amazing. He's worked through a lot of the challenges he had, and um, he is now married, and is uh they're recently married and working on having a family, um, which is beautiful and amazing. So we're close, we've always been really close. I mean, Savannah and Logan and I, we we were the three amigos, like you know, it was like we were always close and together, and even though Logan and Savannah had a lot of friction um after Savannah passed, and that dealing with all of that, and you know he's grown a lot, and uh I mean they always loved each other, but it was the typical you know, brother-sister, you know, sibling rivalry stuff. But he's doing well and um super proud of him and I love him dearly and grateful to have him.

SPEAKER_03 38:50

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 38:51

Yeah, that is a lot of adversity for a family to go through. Um how um, you know, sometimes we we're we're the one thing we all have in common in life is we're all flawed humans. Yes, you know, and we're all trying to be the best version of ourselves. How how is would you say faith is the biggest reason that kind of prevents you from going down the path of why me? Or do you sometimes still struggle with that?

SPEAKER_03 39:18

I I know people do it, but I don't know how people would go through what I went through without faith personally. Um because life has uh chiseled me through hard hard times. You know, you know, I've I've pretty weathered and hardened.

SPEAKER_02 39:42

Um but I can't see having been able to get through that in a healthy stable way without I without God literally speaking in my spirit and say she's healed and knowing that was such an age.

SPEAKER_03 40:03

That must have been a powerful moment. It was it was super powerful and tragic and sad and all of it.

SPEAKER_02 40:10

It was uh so yeah, so Faith, I would because I have to believe on my own power, my own accord, and no matter how many things I've been through, like how I would be able to do that without leaning on God.

SPEAKER_00 40:26

So are you you're helping are they understanding right? You're helping Ray's Easton?

SPEAKER_02 40:31

So things have changed in that regard. So we see Easton all the

Grandfather Life With Easton Today

SPEAKER_02 40:35

time. Um, however, a book a couple of months after Savannah passed away, um Dakota maybe not even a couple months, it may have been a month or so.

SPEAKER_04 40:47

Maybe a couple months. Um said, Hey, look, we want to have Easton with us, you know, which is the best place for Easton.

SPEAKER_02 40:57

You know, that they have a family, he has a younger brother with him. And so so yeah, so they he spends most of the time. He he fully lives with them. I go have lunch with Easton probably once or twice a month to school because he's you know, one of those moments like I used to do with Logan in Savannah, and then someday it stops, and so I'm gonna soak it up for as much as I can. I know, and then and then he comes and stays with us a weekend planning. And then usually once or maybe twice a month, we'll have him for an extra night, either because we're having a family event that they allow him to come over or they're doing something, they ask if we can watch it. And then sometimes his brother Denver comes and stays. So it's cool. I mean, they're they both call me Papa, and I'm grateful for that.

SPEAKER_00 41:50

So what um as you reflect on father your fatherhood journey, and then now as a grandfather, um, what do you think the biggest thing you've learned or that you'll do maybe differently?

SPEAKER_04 42:03

Oh man, that's a big question. I think about it quite often.

SPEAKER_03 42:08

And I think the biggest it's hard to say, but I would say the most impactful thing slow down and be fully present in the moment. Yeah, that's a good one. Just soak it up.

SPEAKER_02 42:25

The day, the minute, how whatever it is, be fully dialed in, undistracted, and just be grateful for the moment and be in.

SPEAKER_00 42:37

It's easier, easier said than done. And I know um, but I think it's it's a choice. You know what's funny? I don't know if you've seen these things. I I when I was in the staffing industry, I did a lot of work um or consulting industry a little bit too. I did a lot of work with my friends at ATT. And uh they have some fantastic commercial print. And it's around um ATT if you're listening. I'm so proud of you. Like I think this is like what society needs. It's it it it talks about like it shows like a dude and a girl just doom scrolling on their phone. And then it says it gives a stat on Doom Scrolling. It says next time you think about doing that, FaceTime somebody. And and it just says that the moment of like FaceTiming, well, it's it's less time, but you're gonna get and there's like data that you're gonna get so much more out of it. And I'm like, yeah, hallelujah, man. We got like I am I'm working with my kids on you can yeah, you can text people, but you also can pick up the phone and call them.

SPEAKER_02 43:32

Yeah. And we should. I mean, I will call people. I'm one of those guys that will send my guys, you know, text in the day, hey, thinking of you or whatever. And then sometimes I'm like, I call my I'm gonna do things the old fashioned way, I'm gonna give you a phone call. You know, I was hoping to catch you, you know, and sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. But yeah, it's so important. We have just so many distractions in life and today's times certainly amplified with all the social media distractions and Content kind of stuff. But yeah, like I really when I even without Easton here, just in general, like my wife is home from work. I really want to put my phone down and I just want to be present. You know, I want to talk to her about her day. Even if she has her phone because she's been a nurse all day and hasn't been on her phone, I try to leave mine now, you know. And uh it's it's important.

SPEAKER_00 44:26

What do you think? Um what do you think the biggest thing that has helped either change you or fill your tank of joy or gratitude? I don't know what the emotion is when you are fully present. That maybe we could help a dad at home learn from you.

SPEAKER_04 44:42

Um I mean my relationships are deep.

SPEAKER_03 44:49

I can recall things that are said better because I'm not distracted.

SPEAKER_02 44:58

You can pick that question up because you know the especially the grandkids, like they the kids, they retain it all, right? So I so two days later, two weeks later, I can say to Easton, Hey, you remember when you were asking about that question about the mountain or the canyon or the bird? I did I I looked that up and I could go back to that and that just draws me. And it's good for me too. You know, it's it just makes the connection more authentic and genuine by when I'm not just if that's what you were asking. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:34

Well, I think I think that transition's probably helps you in your business world too. Why helps you build great great relationships with clients? Because you listen and you're asking great questions and you're making them feel special, which is what you know relationship building is all about. Like tell people be curious storytellers.

SPEAKER_02 45:50

Um I need to work on the storytelling. The president of our company is one of the most amazing storytellers. Like he's got a story. He it's not like overbearing, it just it's amazing, and I love it. So I need to work on reflection of moments to build storytelling uh connections.

Presence Phones And Deeper Connection

SPEAKER_00 46:09

We've only known each other, JD, for called 45 minutes or so, but I think we've over the last year we've had a couple of chats. I think you're a fantastic storyteller. I've been drawn into your story, and so I get I I I wish there's another sign up behind that wall that said Grace.

SPEAKER_04 46:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:25

You know, um, I think you're a great storyteller. So thank you. Um if you had to think of so besides being present, it is there is there maybe a so one question I always like to ask dads is you know, what's an area of your dad game that you don't quite like where it's at, but you're working hard to become better at? So for everything what you've gone through and you've shared a couple areas that were you you're you're you know that are f uh areas of focus for you, but um anything come to mind for you with that question that that might relate to another dad at home that you know that maybe there's a dad at home that feels like he's the only one that's impatient or the only one that isn't level headed that we can maybe talk to that says, no, hey man, you're not alone, brother. We're all working hard to become better dads.

SPEAKER_03 47:11

Yeah, and I a specific thing depends on the day. But I think the overall thing that I probably struggle with the most in here is just not feeling good in the like I'm I'm not, you know or what am I missing?

SPEAKER_02 47:35

Questioning, you know, that and and and honestly, in those moments, I will pray, I will remind myself that even though I'm not perfect, that I am doing the things that I need to do. Um I don't know if that answers your question clearly enough, but like I think just that overall feeling of not feeling equipped or ready or enough or doing all that I should be doing. Does that resonate with you? Yeah, yeah. What are your thoughts around that?

SPEAKER_00 48:10

I think it goes back to Grace. I think we all gotta like this. If we look at ourselves in the mirror and and um you're making me think of this question, I think I think it was Joe Montana's dad. His he asked his son, I think you're I'm pretty sure it was Joe Montana. It wasn't Tom Brady's Joe Montana. He said, son, do you want to be your best or do you want to be the best? And it's an easy answer. It's I want to be my best. That's all we have control over. I can't control JD's best, might be way better than my best. So I can't control that. But if I know that I look myself in the mirror and with what skills God gave me, and I can say, man, I tried my best to say, was it perfect? No. But I'm honest with myself and say, well, here's where I suck, be honest, and then get better tomorrow with that. Or go apologize to somebody, say, you know what, man, that was not the best version of me. I'm sorry. And sure, get it out of your system, which is all about forgiveness. Forgiveness just takes one, reconciliation takes two.

SPEAKER_04 49:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:10

You know, and so I think like um grace is something that is like the work I do, JD now is I do executive coaching, and I never thought in my wildest dreams I'd be doing this, but it's been a calling. And I have a client I'm working with now, and um this person, uh, we talk about a phrase that says, You were built for this. And we talk about a phrase that says, um grace. Because sometimes we all we all want to be the best, the perfectest, you know, and sometimes we we we get down on ourselves, but I think sometimes I just encourage myself when I'm not my best to be like I did my best and just be at peace with that.

SPEAKER_03 49:47

It's a big point. I mean, and those two forgiveness and grace, there's so much power and um of and it's an interesting dichotomy.

SPEAKER_02 50:00

I've talked about this a number of times with people. Like to our own selves, we we beat ourselves up worse than anybody else would. And at the same time, we will also forgive our behavior way quicker than we will in anybody else. We will we'll rationalize when I went through uh uh recovery through celebrate recovery. There was this you know rational lies that we tell ourselves, right? And it's just this weird thing, and but at the end of the day the grace that has been bestowed upon us by people, by God, circumstance has been so immense that anytime I start to get a little sideways, man, I just I really will come back to that. And then the through life, the challenges of things for me bestowing forgiveness to circumstances and people and myself, which is probably the hardest thing. Like I really struggle with the thing with Savannah. Like, how did I not see it? How did I not understand? How and then I go back to God's in control of all things. His understanding is greater than anything that we could ever imagine times affinity, and he has a plan, he has a purpose. Who am I to say my plan's better? So kind of went around a little bit there, but the that those grace and forgiveness are so important. I think if we freely receive and give those, then we get that ultimate peace that you can't manufacture. Yeah, you can't buy, you can't create. It is a gift. And and I I believe those are the two primary components to having peace and joy.

SPEAKER_00 51:59

Well said, well said. Um uh I could take I could talk three more hours with you, man, but I want to be I want to be sensitive to our your time and um keep us on track here. Um I want to

Career Turns Staffing To Consulting

SPEAKER_00 52:12

I want to transition. I'm always curious, how did you get in the wide world of staff?

SPEAKER_02 52:18

Well, I certainly didn't grow up wanting to be in staff.

SPEAKER_00 52:21

I did. I had I had pictures of K-force executives on the wall right next to Dan Marino.

SPEAKER_02 52:26

Oh, so great. Well, ironically enough, there were uh when I I went to northern Colorado, as I said, and there was a couple of guys there who um graduated, and they went to work for this burgeoning growing company called Era. This is back in 1993. Uh and uh I was kind of just bouncing around. I was working for MCI doing telemarketing sales and business sales, but not really finding my niche. And these guys, uh uh, the Moorlock brothers both uh worked for AeroTech.

SPEAKER_03 53:05

They told me about. And I was a young father, new you know, young husband and needing some uh stability in life.

SPEAKER_02 53:15

So, hey, let's go work 90 hours a week and make 30 grand and uh smile and dial. And I mean, that was back in the boiler room days of Aerotech, like they worked us like dogs. And uh, so yeah, that's that's how I got into it. Just relationships that I met at Northern Colorado, needing some direction and stability in my life, which from where I was at, that was. And uh, and somehow for the better part of the next 30 years, staffing kept sucking me back in and having me in it in one way or another. I escaped out a few times, um, and and pertinently not in staffing with the work that I'm doing now, which is but yeah, staffing is a big part of my life. A lot of great people did a lot of great work, and uh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 54:01

It's a fantastic industry. There's a lot of that's the one thing I've learned is um I was I spent 20 years at K Force and had amazing respect for them, had an amazing journey. I wish them nothing but the best. Um but it's it's amazing. There's 23,000 other staffing firms out there that are really, really good people that I've learned about. Um well tell us, what are you up to now so people can learn more about you?

SPEAKER_02 54:24

Yeah, so um I say I'm bivocational, so uh to rewind back to when I uh got sober uh after my third DUI in five years, you know, I was a special kind of knucklehead. It took me a long time to learn with teenagers at home and losing a job, all that kind of stuff. I remembered a buddy of mine from Colorado who I had done some freelance work for as an appointment setter at a credit card processing business. And uh, you know, the realities of no one's interested in hiring a six-figure sales guy who doesn't have a driver's license, uh, clear drinking problem. Uh I started my credit card processing business, Bright Star Merchant Services, then uh back in 2012. And I did that for about two years full-time, just growing it, building it. And then um, and then I got married at that time to a lady, and I went back into the corporate world, and that's when I started working with Travis. Uh, I think it was 2015, I think, is when I started there. No, 14. And uh so went back into staffing there and uh moved through staffing, have continued to do bright star merchant services on the on the backside. Uh this the side hustle is the new term for that. And about currently, my my corporate job is I work for a consulting company, a management consulting firm that's uh focused on state and local government business, and they've been working with the state of Florida for over 40 years and have a great track record, privately owned. You know, we do a lot of the same work that the big boys like Ernston Young and KPMG and all those guys do, but we do on a smaller, uh more boutique scale. And it's been an amazing experience for me. Very grateful for the opportunity.

SPEAKER_01 56:23

Uh, been with them for a couple of years now and uh really catapulted me into something I'd always wanted to do.

SPEAKER_02 56:31

I wanted to have the conversation about not just fixing the problem, but why is the problem here and let's solve it at a deeper level. And it's been oof, man, my brain hurts. I've learned so many things, and I still don't know anything compared to what the whole management consulting arena does. Uh, but we've got a great team, and I'm I'm you know, feel very thankful to have the position. At this point in my career, staffing had run kind of stale for me, and and uh to be able to do something that I really wanted to do and be challenged to learn and grow, you know, 55 years old. And and uh so I feel it's almost like a second lease on life uh professionally to be able to do something. So I'm grateful for that. And I'm grateful for Brightstar, and I I use Bright Star a lot for sponsoring nonprofit ministry organizations and thankful to not have to have that as my needing that uh from a financial aspect. So um, but I do have plans to get back to Bright Star full time. I don't know when that is, God does. So we'll we'll figure it out when that's gonna happen. But uh yeah, so that's what I'm doing for work these days.

SPEAKER_00 57:42

So cool. Um the the one thing that's been really, really fun about this journey as a podcaster that um is the thing that fills my tank more anything, JD, is connecting people. Sure. Um I I teach this to sales teams, I call it having a boomerang mindset, but you don't keep score. Um and I so that I know that I know that there's a lot of people that'd be like, holy shit, I gotta meet this JD. So if people want to learn about you, if they want to connect with you, are you uh are you on LinkedIn? I mean, can we can we can we can we link you in case people want to reach out and get to know you a little bit better?

SPEAKER_02 58:17

Yeah, absolutely. On LinkedIn, um search Jason Delaberry and there's only one of me and I'm out there.

SPEAKER_00 58:24

Perfect. We'll make sure it's easy for you to find. Them to find you, man. I um everybody, I started with a blank sheet of paper, and it looks like I just uh wrote a novel, uh, the amount of notes I took on this. So I'm very grateful for you sharing vulnerably your your story. I truly hope there's a dad at home or a mama home that um have listened to you and just realize hey you're not alone. And sometimes we're going through tough times. We feel like, you know, it's the worst thing ever. But there I always feel like there's someone else that's got it just as hard or maybe even difficult, more difficult. And um, I I love your mess, your message about staying present and um the the the words on your wall, everybody determination, grind, execution, success, grip, perseverance. Forgot the other three because I can't see them, but I want to add grace.

SPEAKER_02 59:09

Yeah, I like that. I'm gonna find me a grace, and I'm gonna find me a forgiveness to it because you can't be reminded of those two things too much. So love

Lightning Round And Closing Words

SPEAKER_02 59:19

it.

SPEAKER_00 59:19

JD, it's now time to go on what I call the lightning round. This is where I um uh I I I'm gonna ask you a lot of questions really, really quickly. I'm gonna show you the negative hits I'm taking too many hits and in college, not bong hits, but football hits. Uh your your job is to answer these questions as quickly as you can, and and my job is to uh try to get you to giggle.

SPEAKER_03 59:39

Okay. Let's go.

SPEAKER_00 59:41

All right. True or false, you're the only Northern Colorado lineman to return a punt for a touchdown. False. I almost laughed at that dumb joke myself. You're the only true or false, you're the only Northern Colorado lineman to kick a 50-yard field goal. False. That'd be a sweet visual, though, if it was. That would be awesome. Um the last book you read was the um I've got it behind me.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:10

It's the Stand Firm and Act Like Men book by Joby Martin's the pastor of our church. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:16

Okay. Great. Um, favorite comedy movie of all time is Comedy?

SPEAKER_02 1:00:23

Uh Paladega Nights.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:25

Okay, Ricky Bobby.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:27

Yeah, man. Let's go. Yay first or last. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:32

Um, what would be the one genre of music you listen to that might surprise your current colleagues?

SPEAKER_02 1:00:38

I I like me some hip-hop and rap.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:40

There we go.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:41

Nice. You got you got a favorite artist?

SPEAKER_02 1:00:45

Um I don't listen to a ton of it now. Um I listen to more Christian bass rap stuff, but uh, I like Trick Daddy.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:54

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:54

Old school rap.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:56

I I like old school too. A nineties rap is usually a go-to station when I work with it.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:59

I mean, Diggy's good, all the all those, you know, new, all of that back then.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:05

You can't get enough snoop back in the day. No, I agree. Um if let's see, if you were to take your wife on vacation, sorry, kids, we're you're staying home, just you and the missus. Um, where are you taking her?

SPEAKER_03 1:01:20

Her dream shit trip is good to Italy.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:23

So yeah. All right. Um, if there was to be a book written about your life, come with a title.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:32

Oh man. Uh man, I twisted roads, maybe.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:39

I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:40

Something like that.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:41

I like that title. Okay, now JD, Twisted Roads, believe it or not, is selling out everywhere. Amazon can't keep it in the warehouse. Uh Barnes and Noble can't print fast enough. Every airport's already sold out. We can't get we can't get the frick book anywhere. So Netflix is gonna make a movie about Twisted Roads. You're now the casting director. I need to know who's gonna star JD Dilaberry, can't be you, in this critically acclaimed hit new movie.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:05

Hmm, man. That's a good question.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:09

Um Robin Williams. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:13

I like Robin Williams, it's a solid choice. I don't know if we've ever heard that one before, but um, okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:18

He's such a good actor.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:19

He's amazing. What am I saying? Deadpociety.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:23

Dude, that is my favorite movie all time. Deadpools.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:26

Such a good movie.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:27

I have a my first tattoo says Carpe Diaz that I got when I was 20 years old, driving out from Florida to Colorado in my Jeep to change my life.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:37

Wow. That's a movie that I should make my kids watch. I won't. That's my homework, JD. That's my homework. Um, and then the last question, tell me two words that would describe your wife.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:48

Uh compassionate servant.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:52

Boom. Lightning round's complete. I think I laughed more at my my own dumb jokes, which means I lose the lightning round. I usually try to lose. I definitely have a screw loose, everybody. Um, man, this has been an honor talking to you. I'm so grateful for Randall and Travis uh for saying, man, you gotta get this cat JD on the podcast, and they sure as shit knew what they were talking about. Start the S bomb, everybody. But um I am um I'm inspired by you. I'm inspired by your story. Um adversity is there's a phrase someone said, adversity's life's life's golden ticket. I I think you're living it, man. You're you are on the other end of adversity, and I'm sure there's we all gonna face adversity, but just to see how you how you've attacked it and how you've leaned in on faith and how it's helped ground you and inspire you and guide you, I think it's really, really inspiring inspiration to you. So I want to thank you for being you. Thank you for showing up vulnerably because that's what the podcast is about now.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:41

No, you're so welcome. I'm grateful for the opportunity. And you know, I I'm a true believer in that our our testimony is unique and it connects with people in different ways. And I know as I've gone through life, me being able to connect with someone based on what they've gone through that I could, you know, connect with because what I was struggling with has been such an important thing. So, you know, uh hopefully there's someone out there that hears the story and it gives them hope. And it's for me, it's it's it's good to be able to talk about it. I don't always talk about these things, so it's a great reminder for me as well. Just thank you for having me on chat.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:23

Appreciate it, man. You bet, man. Have a great weekend, and I hope help Easton rips the hat trick tonight.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:30

Or tomorrow tomorrow, yeah. He uh he he's already had one this year.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:35

Let's go.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:36

Yeah, let's go.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:37

All right, man. Thanks again for your time. We'll talk soon. Okay, appreciate it.