Would you like to read this post where Jerry talks about going from a career in criminology to an online business, then motivational speaking, because everything is possible?
I moved in with my parents, got my life back on track, went to graduate school, which is how I got here. I got my masters. I was working on my PhD in criminology.
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Again, another choice.
You have a very safe career path. You're doing great at the university. You can follow through with this and you will never have to struggle again for work.
You're doing great in research. You've got great connections. You'll have a job, your whole rest of your life, your money and all will be easy.
Path two, you can follow your little business online you created, which you've spent like $10,000 more than you've made. You can try that.
I'm like, "That sounds like fun. I don't know how it's gonna work, but I have so much passion there. I have to do that."
It was nice to be able to leave that position honorably instead of kind of getting kicked out of the police department saying, "Look, I'm going to leave and doing it in time, so that another person could have the position I was in."
That felt great, and that's how I made a business online. I've done that for a long time.
Then in 2014, I found myself in an unbelievable position. I had the exact life I'd always wanted. I had a beautiful wife, the perfect wife you could hope for. We had our own house with a pool, two bedrooms for kids, which one was for my office, and then a big, huge master bedroom for us, and two bathrooms.
I've got my own business online that somehow I made it work and actually even made money. When I kind of went online with criminology skills, I didn't know anything. I just learned stuff and found people I could help.
In 2014, my dad died and that was rough going through that. I got this place in April 2014, one of the lowest points of my life, along with 2009.
I've got the life of my dreams and I hate myself.
I see that I'm on track like when I was talking with my mom's trajectory, I'm on track to lose everything. I don't know when that's going to happen, but it looked like it was going to happen soon. I prayed to God. I said, "Please I'll do anything to get sober" because I could see as long as I drank, there was no hope.
I'd go on a diet, and then I'd get drunk and I'll go through the diet. I'd schedule personal training. I'd get drunk and forget the personal training. Although I did go with a hangover sometime, that was miserable.
There were some pushups trying not to vomit, "I'm gonna try not to act like I'm hung over either."
I prayed to God, and one of the thoughts that came across my mind was, "Well, going to Alcoholics Anonymous might be a part of the 'anything' you just offered."
I'm like, "Okay, that doesn't sound too bad. I can do that."
That got me in person with people who could help me and who understood me. That has been working really good for me for the last six years.
I'm unrecognizable from six years ago, I weigh 80 pounds less. My body doesn't hurt anywhere. I get a little tension before a massage and that's as bad as it gets. I used to have a lot of pain, chronic back pain, neck pain.
My life is fantastic now and I keep thinking, "How can I help other people? How can I help other people?"
I want to help people that aren't alcoholics or who can drink reasonably or who don't care about drinking. I want to have something that can help everybody, that there's a space for it.
I'm so grateful that this show gives me the space to do that.
It also challenges me because I looked at the same choice. My online business is safe. I know I can just film videos and if I focus, I can make lots of money.
This show is not safe. This show can utterly fail.
Now, this to me is success. We've got a full room here. Frank is kind enough to video it. This is success to me. We're here, we're working together and we're helping each other.
That's magical, especially with all that's going on in the world. You all actually came out today. Some of you like Chip just came out. Nicole, you never even met me before. You just had people say, "Why don't you come out to this today?"
That's magical and I'm so grateful. You all have made this possible. I wouldn't have done this show.
Nancy was the first person who told me that she'll come out to the show. She said pretty much like "Whatever you want to do, I want to come see it."
All your love and support is what's made this possible.
I want you not just for me, but I want you to meet people here that can help you with what you need to do because when we just reach out and ask each other for help and honestly share what we're going through, what we've learned and what we want to do and need help with, anything's possible.
I love you.
You’re awesome.
I appreciate the chance to serve you today and I will see you again soon.
Love,
Jerry Banfield
Edits from video transcript by Michel Gerard.
