107: Todd Bradley
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About This Episode
Today, we’re speaking with Todd Bradley, a former music artist turned recovery coach. Todd shares his passion for helping those struggling with addiction find their way back to life. His story takes us from the bright lights of the music industry to the shadows of addiction, and finally, to a place of redemption and purpose. Join us as we explore Todd's path to reaching those in need, the challenges he faces, and the genuine connections he's determined to make.
About Our Guest
Todd Bradley is a dedicated individual who collaborates with people from all walks of life, especially those in or out of recovery, whose lives are chaotic and unmanageable. He provides a safe and productive space for individuals aiming to reclaim and enhance their lives, ensuring they achieve long-term peace, clarity, and freedom. As a certified life and recovery coach, Todd offers tools and solutions to help people manifest real transformation, helping them get unstuck and create the life they deserve. He passionately works with individuals in the entertainment, music, and sports world, alongside others, guiding many to find their path to strength, spiritual freedom, peace, and healing.
Rejecting traditional labels, Bradley defines himself with a heart-centered coaching approach. He views his role as a co-creator, working in true partnership with his clients to build a robust path to recovery and fulfillment. His methods, infused with sensitivity, grace, and humor, prioritize real-life, practical solutions and insights. Todd’s extensive experience, including his personal journey through addiction, recovery, and diverse life phases, accentuates his straightforward and compassionate approach. Based in Nashville, TN, his impact extends globally, ready to assist anyone eager to step towards recovery, healing, and a life truly deserved.
Learn more about Todd here
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TAE-107-Todd Bradley
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[00:00:00] Jude Schweppe: Hi there. I'm Jude Schweppe.
[00:00:04] Gabe Ratliff: And I'm Gabe Ratliff.
[00:00:05] Jude Schweppe: Welcome to the Artful Experience where we have conversations with creative entrepreneurs and business owners, giving them as much support and value as we can pack into 60 minutes.
[00:00:15] Gabe Ratliff: So tell us what's been keeping you up at night? What's been nagging at you?
[00:00:20] Jude Schweppe: What challenges are you facing in your business that you could use some outside perspective on?
[00:00:25] Gabe Ratliff: Maybe you've got an amazing idea. But you're not sure how to bring it to life. We are here to help
[00:00:31] Jude Schweppe: you bring the topic and we'll bring the ideas.
[00:00:34] Gabe Ratliff: Our goal is to give you clarity on your chosen topic and some exciting ideas that you can start implementing right away.
[00:00:45] Jude Schweppe: Today we are speaking with Todd Bradley, a former artist turned recovery coach. In this episode, Todd shares his passion for helping those struggling with addiction find their way back to life. His story takes us from the bright lights of the music industry to the shadows of addiction, and finally to a place of redemption and purpose. Join us as we explore Todd's path to reaching those in need, the challenges that he faces and the genuine connections he's determined to make. Let's dive in.
[00:01:17] Gabe Ratliff: Todd, welcome brother. Thank you so much for being here.
[00:01:21] Todd Bradley: Yeah, man, it's great to be here with you.
[00:01:24] Gabe Ratliff: So what's the topic that you'd like to dive into?
[00:01:29] Todd Bradley: Uh, I think, I think the topic is finding my, uh, I don't wanna say audience, but finding my ideal clients and reaching them, uh, is really the topic. And that goes deep for me because I, as you know, in our conversations previously, I wear some different hats in life. Um, but I always seem to be, uh, drawn to and a magnet for, uh, the creatives of the world in my business, uh, whichever hat I'm wearing at the time.
[00:02:10] Um, but in my coaching business, uh, I have found it really difficult even though people know me, know my story. Know, my years of recovery. Um, I'm just having a very difficult time finding my, uh, you know, core, um, clients. It's kind of, it's kind of weird to me to be honest, and that might be my ego talking, but it really is weird that I, you know, that I don't have a thousand clients right now.
[00:02:53] Gabe Ratliff: Just so you know, I'm also, I'm taking notes if you wonder what I'm looking down at, um, just so that you're aware, just so I, I wanna make sure to be transparent about that. Um, well, I have a couple of questions around that. So you just mentioned this question about why I don't have a thousand clients. curious.
[00:03:13] That's a, that's a big number.
[00:03:14] Todd Bradley: Uh, that, that's an exaggeration. Uh, my goal, I. Would either be, uh, maybe six to seven clients a day, five days a week. If I were to do one-on-one, uh, I would be super open to speaking engagements and also doing group settings. Um, when I first got into recovery, uh, music cares here in Nashville, had an amazing music cares, uh, aftercare group.
[00:03:49] So once you got through treatment, uh, if you were in the music industry or entertainment industry, uh, they would point you towards this group. So once a week, uh, we met at a, at a brick and mortar and kind of shared, you know, um, so I would be open, I would be down with that. Um, however that looks, you know, So a thousand was an exaggeration.
[00:04:13] I'm, I'm just saying, you know, I'd love to have enough clients to have a sustainable business and to reach a certain number, uh, uh, per year for myself so that I could devote my whole life into coaching.
[00:04:29] Gabe Ratliff: And what about what is important about this for you?
[00:04:31] Todd Bradley: And, um, well, I will say it gets a bit emotional when I talk about it. So, um, you know, I spent my whole life, um, you know, running around the world, um, as an artist and I was chasing this, uh, this big brass ring and it felt so important to me. I wanted, uh, not my literal voice to be heard, but I wanted my voice to be heard in a way that I was reaching out to people and touching them.
[00:05:15] And, you know, as a result of a lot of baggage that I carried and, um, the disappointments that, that life, uh, brings to you, I turned into an addict and an alcoholic, and I really should be dead. And so, um, when I finally had the courage to ask for help, um, first to God, and then secondly to be willing to take the help to go to treatment,
[00:05:58] it was instantaneous for me that my life was. That life was over and a new life was beginning. And so it's important to me because I know how important it is to millions of people every single day in the world, um, to be helped in the way that I was helped. And I think over my 17 and a half years of recovery, I have found a realistic real life way to reclaim my life and help people reclaim their lives.
[00:06:34] And so it's important to me for those reasons and so many more, uh, that I could speak about if we were in a TED Talk right now, but we're not. So, um, you know, man, it just is that thing. I'm passionate about it. Um, I know what it's like to live that way and I would love to help as many people as I can touch not have to live that way anymore.
[00:06:58] Gabe Ratliff: Heard. Thank you. Thank you for sharing that. I mean, yeah, we're definitely aligned, brother. You know, and the, you know, I know when we, when we first spoke, you shared a whole lot about your journey, you know, and some of the crazy stories, uh, I had shared with Jude before we spoke, just not the stories, but just that you, you had a lot of stories and that you had been through a lot with your journey, um, and how that. You can really feel that, especially in what you just shared, like how that connects to your mission, you know, and your purpose. And, know, you've done so much, right? You've got all of the music work and all the artists you've worked with there, and the work you've done yourself, and then you've got, um, the real estate work, and then you've got this purposeful work that's like connected to some, I mean, deep, deep, deep stuff.
[00:07:57] So I, I just, I honor you for this choice that you've made, you know, to, to give back in this way, you know, and to like use this 'cause you know it, right? You've lived it. Um, I remember you sharing the, I believe it was the Atlanta story where it was like your big wake up call and how that one was just like, you know, and how the police basically saved your life, calling them.
[00:08:25] So, where would you like to get to relative to this? Where would you like to get today? What do you want to, what do you wanna shoot for?
[00:08:34] Todd Bradley: Um, I think I'd just love to find a way to make it, you know, to reach, try to find a way to discover a way, uh, to reach out to people in a way that they're receptive and, um, inspired to reach back out to me.
[00:09:00] Um, it's interesting, Gabe, because, uh, while we've been talking, I've been getting these, been getting hit by this, uh, admissions guide at an, at a treatment center, and this is such a great, um, Example of how it seems that my life goes right. I think I shared with you that I was approached by the executive director of Music Cares, who now works for a boutique treatment center here in Middle Tennessee.
[00:09:31] It's called Onsite, and she's now the executive vice president of the Entertainment and Music Division of Onsite. And the whole idea was, Hey, I wanna bring you on, Todd, uh, you're gonna be our coach and we're gonna refer out all of these clients to you. Um, that started January of last year and I've yet to receive a client, which is mind blowing to me.
[00:10:00] Um, so another treatment center I reached out to and I sent them a bunch of my stuff and they know who I am and I've worked with them before and this guy like ghosted me for a couple of months. It was kind of crazy. You know, yeah, man, I wanna do it. Let's do it. Let's get together, let's have lunch. And then two months go by and I don't hear from this guy.
[00:10:22] And so I've been reaching back out to him and like, Hey man, what's going on? Oh my God. You know, he had the craziest story of, you know, I got blocked on his phone somehow, and all this stuff. All that to say, it's like, it's very frustrating for people that know me. They know my heart, they know my skillset, they know who I am, they know what I've been through, they know who I've worked with, and yet I can't seem to reach that client.
[00:10:49] You know? So I think that's, you know, if you can teach me how to push that button, let's go. I'm ready.
[00:11:00] Jude Schweppe: I have a question. Sorry, this has just popped into my head. 'cause oftentimes I'm a really big believer that when things just aren't happening,
[00:11:12] Todd Bradley: Yes.
[00:11:13] Jude Schweppe: sometimes it's because they're not meant to be happening in that particular way. If that was the case here, would the, what would this sort of lack of motion or lack of forward motion be, be redirecting you to, if that makes sense.
[00:11:31] Do you think.
[00:11:34] Todd Bradley: Um,
[00:11:37] you know, this is a very fortunate part of my life, but it's also a very unfortunate part of my life. Um, when I was an artist, I tell my wife this all the time. I was a singer and people used to tell me where to go, where to stand, how long I'm playing. This is your schedule. This is where you're going for the next 18 months.
[00:11:59] This is what it's, and we just did that. And I did that. And every night I was fulfilled in, you know, an egocentric way and, um, But it was simple and I didn't even have to do anything. All I had to do is what I do, and my agent and managers took care of everything. When I got sober and I let go of that life, I realized like, I don't, I don't know how to do anything else. I'm smart enough. I've worked for some huge entertainment corporations, but I had to kind of reinvent myself, and I started working in the Nashville system and within the labels and all that kind of stuff. And so I kind of learned how to, I had a reputation, so it was like, oh, call Todd for this. Call Todd for that, you know?
[00:12:52] And that was great for them. But leaving that world, it's been very hard for all of those people to see me as I want to be seen now.
[00:13:02] Jude Schweppe: Hmm.
[00:13:03] Todd Bradley: Right. So I don't know the answer to that question because I agree with you. I feel the same way, like in my life, um, as Gabe alluded to, like, there are times when I literally say to the universe, or God, this is what I need, and all of a sudden it's like, you know, like it just happens, right?
[00:13:29] Um, but I do realize like there are, there is a unique timing to everything and um, you know, it's not always in my time. So I don't know what it redirects me to,
[00:13:49] Jude Schweppe: Yeah.
[00:13:49] Todd Bradley: uh, you know,
[00:13:51] Jude Schweppe: I, I have another question around, um, where your clients are at or where your ideal clients are at, because I would imagine have to be at a certain point in your recovery to know that you need the kind of help that you can offer or to be ready to do the work that you want to do. So I'm wondering, where do you meet?
[00:14:15] Where do you meet those clients when they're at that stage? Like, what's going on for them when they're ready to do the work that you can do with them?
[00:14:24] Todd Bradley: Um, it depends. I mean, you know, recovery for me, once I got to treatment, I was so ready to be finished with the life I was living because it was awful. And I never turned around and looked back, like I never thought about, oh, maybe I'll relapse or something. Uh, and I was pretty ready from the jump to, to get some additional help or seek therapy or, you know, whatever, whatever the next step was for me, it became, you know, three meetings a day, you know, for, for almost a year and a half just going to meetings and finding just ridiculous little jobs to keep me and money so that I didn't have to carry any stress or pressure on myself.
[00:15:22] So I was ready from the beginning, um, but it didn't occur to me until probably a couple of years later. Hey, there's, I have a lot more work to do.
[00:15:36] Jude Schweppe: Mm.
[00:15:38] Todd Bradley: Like, I've been separated from the chemicals and I, and I've been trying to live a right life and all of those things. But it was a while before I actually got into a, into like real therapy with someone and started discovering what it was that, um, had led me to my addictions, right? And then it was probably, gosh, I mean, five years ago, I've been sober 17 years, five years ago, I met a woman, uh, who was, um, a coach. She's the one that put me on this path to coaching by telling me this is what you should be doing, right? So at any of those intervals of life from the beginning of coming out of treatment to today, even, um, there are many times when I could have used a coach or a therapist, so I, I don't really have that.
[00:16:38] Oh, I only wanna work with people that are new to recovery, or I only wanna work with people that are sober for three or four years because, um, I think everybody can use a coach at any stage of that, and I'm equipped to work with any of those people.
[00:16:55] Jude Schweppe: Hmm. So I guess it's, it's about when do they know that they need you or is there a particular point where they're like, I need some help with this. So, for example, what Gabe and I do, I think we work with people at a certain stage in their business where they're like, I need some help with this. I can't do this on my own.
[00:17:15] I'm too close to it. I'm, you know, wood for the trees kind of situation. I need to get some clarity. And I think in terms of the practicalities of getting clients, it's, it's easier to get them when they know that you, they need you and you're offering a very specific. Solution to a problem that they're very aware of.
[00:17:39] So it's, it's about communicating to them at a point where they're like, oh my God, I need this, I really need this. So I'm wondering where do you kind of sit in terms of the clarity of your messaging? Mm-hmm.
[00:17:56] Todd Bradley: Well, it's interesting because I had not been in therapy for years when I found the coach that I'm speaking about, right. And I literally found her, um, I don't wanna say by accident, I don't believe in that. But, um, I never, through Facebook and watch videos, and I just happened to see this woman who was talking and she was smiling and very vibrant.
[00:18:27] And so I clicked on her video and I. It spoke to me and she was a head songwriter that was now a coach. And, um, I thought, I've, I have to call her like I, what she's saying, I want some of that, you know? And so that's how I found her, that's how I started working with her. Right. Um,
[00:18:56] I think, you know, maybe I'm, maybe I am too close to it, as you say. Maybe I do think about it, like the way that I thought about it, which was I knew I needed help. I knew I needed to be intervened on or I was gonna die. I knew I needed help once I got through treatment because I, I wasn't on my feet. Um, and I think that the same could be said for therapy or coaching.
[00:19:26] Like I, I was never resistant to it. I always knew I. I'm gonna benefit from this along the way. And I think that most addicts and alcoholics and, you know, anyone that's in crisis or anyone that needs focus or balance in their life or whatever, I think, you know, it's just a matter of accepting it. That's the, that's the key, is accepting.
[00:19:57] And if you can't accept it, then you're not gonna get the help that you need anyway, because you're gonna keep pushing that help away. And so I think, you know, sometimes I feel like it's one of those things where if I'm standing in a room, I've, I've spoken to treatment centers before and I've had people come up to me at the end and say, man, I've been here for 30 days and you're the first guy that I actually relate to. And when I get outta here, I really want to come talk to you, you know? So I think it's kind of like one of those things where you're in front of people and all of a sudden they go, Hey, I, I think I might need that, that, that, that sounds like a good idea to me. You know,
[00:20:43] Jude Schweppe: Yeah.
[00:20:43] Todd Bradley: that's how, that's what I, how I think people could find me.
[00:20:48] But I have to have the opportunity to be in front of those people because web presence and sticking great, you know, statements up on the web and all of that kind of stuff. Um, I can put, uh, you know, awesome little sayings all over Instagram, but that's not what I think is gonna bring people to me.
[00:21:13] Jude Schweppe: Can you bear with me one second while I deal with this small child and I will be back.
[00:21:18] Todd Bradley: Sure.
[00:21:22] Gabe Ratliff: So I have a couple questions relative to what we're talking about. It feels like this is a great place to ask this. You were talking about this woman who was a, you know, a successful singer and she popped up and she was smiling and you connected with her, right? And you were like, I'm gonna play this video.
[00:21:51] So the question that came up for me is, are you sharing your journey so that people can self-select to work with you, just like you self-selected to work with her?
[00:22:03] Todd Bradley: No, no, I'm not. I am,
[00:22:13] you know, it's the, it's kind of crazy because I would say, Hey, it's so simple to, uh, Get up and sing in front of a bunch of people, right? This is how I think about it. So easy. Um, but the idea of either coming up with content or sitting in front of this laptop and, um, doing that feels like climbing a mountain to me.
[00:22:43] It's weird to me that I shouldn't, I don't feel like I should have that resistance, I guess. Um, but I tend to be a very on my feet thinker and speaker. Um, and so I think that's part of it, you know, uh, when I'm relating to people or even when I'm coaching, um, I'm a very on my think feet thinker, and I'm rolling with the conversation on how I'm going to actually address what we're talking about.
[00:23:16] Eventually when I get the moment. So, um, that's the long answer. The short answer is, no, I'm not doing that.
[00:23:24] Gabe Ratliff: Well, and so my, my immediate, I have another, I think, bigger question, um, that I want to ask in a moment, but the, what, what I'm hearing there is it's really just around giving yourself the permission to show up in a way that feels right for you.
[00:23:43] Todd Bradley: Yeah.
[00:23:43] Gabe Ratliff: And so that's where I'm at with a question is like, how do you wanna show up? It doesn't have to be like this woman, right? It doesn't have to be like whoever. Renee Brown, Mel Robbins. Tony Robbins, right? Like any of these other people who help people through how they support, right? They have their method. What's yours?
[00:24:12] Todd Bradley: I, let me say, I'm not resistant to that, by the way. Like, I'm not resistant. I, I'm only self resistant. If somebody would help me do it, I definitely would do it. Um, and I'd figure it out. But I do feel like the best way that I show up is, um, for example, if I were to go to a treatment center on Saturday, uh, morning, and I would speak to the clients, um, that's the best way for me to show up.
[00:24:45] Um, being able to tell my story, um, and then talk about how I have been able to live my life, uh, without any, um, without any, uh, turning around or any, uh, Thoughts of relapse or any of that? Just being able to talk about how I do it and how I work with people and the collaboration that it is together, you know?
[00:25:22] Um, and it's unique and individualized because I think that in coaching, in life, definitely in recovery, definitely in addiction circumstances, we all are common. We have very many common things, but it's very unique to a, to a human, to a person, to a soul. And so, um, I can connect with a broad audience of people, but when it comes to doing it one-on-one, the way I show up is, Hey, man, this is all gonna be about you tailored for you, um, in, in the way that we're gonna collaborate together to get to where you wanna be.
[00:26:04] Gabe Ratliff: So, um, you, I just heard you saying, and thank you. This is, this is great. I mean, I feel like this is really starting out. Unlock things, at least in my mind for, I mean, what, how you wanna show up, right? It's not sitting in front of your laptop, it's being in person. I heard showing up at a center on a Saturday and speaking and getting to connect.
[00:26:26] 'cause that's, that's how you show up, right? As a singer is in front of people, not in front of a screen. We had to do what we had to do when shit got weird.
[00:26:37] Todd Bradley: Yeah.
[00:26:38] Gabe Ratliff: Right? And we've been having these conversations with a lot of people. There are a lot of us that really wanna reconnect with people in person. I've just gotten to do that myself
[00:26:49] Todd Bradley: Good for you.
[00:26:50] Gabe Ratliff: it's been amazing to like hug.
[00:26:53] It's also been really overwhelming. I had to take, I, I went to a friend, uh, two friends who got married recently. They had their wedding celebration Saturday and, and I was, we were exhausted. I hadn't talked that much. My throat was hurting so bad. I, I couldn't hardly sleep Saturday night 'cause it hurt so bad and it was like swelling up and it was on fire.
[00:27:13] I could barely breathe. It was freaking me out. I was like, oh my God, what happened? But I hadn't used it like that. And I was having to talk over music, you know, and talking, you know, that kind of projecting that you have to do with all the white noise and PE and I wasn't used to it
[00:27:26] Todd Bradley: Sure.
[00:27:27] Gabe Ratliff: for, for years. And so I, I just wanted to share that of like the, there's this like yearning for people to give back, especially for artists like us.
[00:27:38] 'cause we connect with another, with other humans. Right. And if you're that you said like I would, I, they told me what to do, when to do it. How long, right. You had your set list and you play and you're like, where am I, I'm at this venue. Okay. Uh, you know, do I know the sound guy here? Right. And that's what you're used to. And so I was hearing that, first of all, is that like, I don't wanna do it through this inanimate object. It's not connecting. And so what I was hearing is I, I wanna speak in person. So my question is, how, how many centers do you have access to? I mean, you're in Nashville, how many you got there?
[00:28:15] Todd Bradley: Oh man. Like, enough
[00:28:19] Gabe Ratliff: Okay.
[00:28:19] Todd Bradley: enough. There's, there's a
[00:28:21] Gabe Ratliff: sounds like some homework.
[00:28:23] Todd Bradley: yeah, I mean, but the, but I've been doing that. I mean, that's, that's the thing. It's like, uh, I've
[00:28:29] Gabe Ratliff: How many have you reached out to, because
[00:28:32] Todd Bradley: uh,
[00:28:33] Gabe Ratliff: I heard music Caress, and then, uh, and then I heard a second one is, how many more have you
[00:28:37] Todd Bradley: at the moment I've reached out to three, I reached out to the, uh, to the place where I went, which is Cumberland Heights. I went, I've reached out and have made, I bought. O insurance for, uh, onsite. They wanted me to have insurance, so I bought it. I went to Master Certification to become a master certified life and recovery coach.
[00:29:00] Um, so I provided them with all that documentation. But I've gone to onsite Cumberland Heights in a place called Integrative Life Center. Those are the top three. There's another one that I actually used to work for, for a little bit as a resident assistant early in my recovery. Um, and that's called the Recovery Ranch.
[00:29:18] Now, the people that I, you know, these people all move around, like they all go to work at a different place because, you know, it's kind of like, uh, a quarterback in a football of a football team. Oh, it's time, time to move on, go to another team. So that's what they do. They move around. So I literally have reached out and said, Hey man, this is what I'm doing.
[00:29:42] And, um, They kind of ghost me. And maybe I'm not doing it in the right way, maybe I'm not reaching the right person. Uh, definitely at onsite, I'm at the top of the food chain at that place. There's no nowhere else to go there. Uh, integrative Life Center, I would say I'm very close to the top of the food chain there.
[00:30:02] 'cause I'm talking to the admissions director. Um, I reached out to Cumberland Heights, which I am an alumni of via Facebook because they were chatting and they said, Hey, thanks for the props or whatever. And I said, Hey, you're welcome by the way. This is who I am and I'm an alumni and I'd love to talk to you about being a referral partner.
[00:30:24] And they stop typing. So, uh, I just feel like I need to do more of that and be more persistent, and I have to figure out who do I need to be talking to, you know?
[00:30:41] Jude Schweppe: What do you need to be saying to them?
[00:30:43] Todd Bradley: Right? Yes.
[00:30:46] Jude Schweppe: I, I have another question. Where else? Might you find your ideal clients? Where else are they going to be, if not in still in re in recovery centers or in treatment centers?
[00:31:00] Todd Bradley: Uh, well, interesting. You would bring this up again. No, no coincidence. My wife and I just found this banging new church in Nashville. I mean, it's amazing. Um, it's all inclusive. Non-denominational Christians like so far so good. Everything they say we're aligned with, you know. So I went and introduced myself to the pastor yesterday and I told him what I do.
[00:31:28] Um, I didn't even mention real estate, which was really hard for me not to do, you know? Um, but I just told him what I do and I told him that I would love to know more about. Uh, him and his wife is a psychologist and the church, and I'd love to be, uh, a resource for anyone at the church that might need it. So that's one place. Um, a place that I've been resistant to actually going and speaking, um, openly about it is in 12 step meetings because I feel like that would be predatory, even though I believe that there are probably people there that I could help for sure. Uh, but I think that would be predatory.
[00:32:16] And some of the other places might be honestly like management companies here in town, record labels here in town, um, production companies here in town. Uh, those would be some other places, um, that I could go. Um, I just have to figure out a way how to get in, you know? Uh, there's no shortage of people vying for that business.
[00:32:48] And what I mean by that is not necessarily, Hey, I could coach your artist because I was an artist and I know all the traps and so I could help. And if you have an artist in crisis, I could definitely help. But there are also treatment centers and there are people that are the face of some of these places that are constantly knocking on that door in a way that is unlike the way that I wanna knock on the door.
[00:33:22] Jude Schweppe: Hmm.
[00:33:23] Todd Bradley: I wanna knock on the door and say, Hey, I literally have lived through hell and I know how not to do it. I'm not trying to get you to send your A-list artist to my treatment center for $45,000. You know what I mean? Like,
[00:33:42] Jude Schweppe: Yeah.
[00:33:43] Todd Bradley: I just want to be like, Hey man, let's talk about what's happening and let me help you out.
[00:33:49] Right? So it's a different way of showing up, but getting in the door is probably the same way and they have a lot of people trying to get through that door. And so for me to, you know, I'd love to be able to find a way to, um, craft some sort of introduction or even way of saying what I do that's different from what others are doing.
[00:34:17] Jude Schweppe: And is there a way that you can get directly in front of the client, the client who's gonna need you? So going through their management company or their record label might be one way, but wh where do these people hang out? Where you can connect with them in a way that feels really authentic for you? Or is that possible?
[00:34:40] Todd Bradley: Um, I think it's, I think it's only possible, like I have, for example, I have two friends that are big writers here in town and they mainly write for the pop world. But, um, but they're writers here in town and I have worked with one of them as my client for years. And so she will say, Hey, I have a friend who needs your help.
[00:35:14] I gave her your number. They never call. Um, but that would be another way, like, Hey, I know. This guy Todd, and he's amazing and he knows how to navigate life and he, he's re in recovery and he's a coach and whatever. Um, it could be like that. It could be, but to meet these artists one-on-one, they're so insulated.
[00:35:42] Um, so you have to really, that's, that's kind of where I think the online piece comes in, to be honest, is I, I think that, although I find it to be a very inauthentic way, uh, I, I say this all the time when I'm sitting in churches, it's like, you know, you see these big screens and now they're into big production and, you know, all the old people are like, ah, this is, you know, crazy and it's too loud.
[00:36:14] And I'm thinking, well, you know, if you're gonna get kids to buy into God, you gotta meet kids where kids are, and this is where they are. This is where they, how they communicate, how they absorb. And so I think even millennials to a big degree, like even though Gabe, I, I do believe you're right. I think that people want to get back to like hugging each other and being like, put your hand on his shoulder.
[00:36:37] Hey man, how have you been? God, I've missed you. You know? And, but I also think that we are so conditioned to living inside the box now that, you know, you have to be willing to go there. So I think that I need to, yes, get into these places, get in front of people, but I also think a way to get in front of a lot of people is right here.
[00:37:02] Like we are doing only live on Instagram or live on Facebook, or, you know,
[00:37:07] Gabe Ratliff: TikTok where a lot of musicians are.
[00:37:10] Jude Schweppe: So what if you could use the social space, the online space as a tool for inviting people into. A real space with you?
[00:37:22] Todd Bradley: Yeah, man, I would, that would be awesome. It would be awesome.
[00:37:29] Jude Schweppe: So I'm thinking of, let's, let's, let's kind of take it back a step and imagine that you're still an artist and you, you wanna get out on, on stage, in front of people, connect with them, you know, tell them a story, take them on, you know, give them an experience. So how would you integrate the two? How would you use the online space?
[00:37:53] People scrolling through TikTok, people scrolling through Facebook to invite them into a space where they get to have an experience with you. event.
[00:38:03] Todd Bradley: That's a fantastic question. Um, I. My problem. My problem is I am so used to doing everything at this level up here, right? So my mind immediately goes to, okay, I need a production through, I need to go into a really cool space and I need to put this whole thing together, and then I gotta go get a publicist and I gotta get this publicist to blast this thing out to everybody in the industry so everybody sees it, because they'll pay attention to that, right?
[00:38:43] This is where I go in my brain, because that's what I'm used to. And then I tell myself, yeah, but I mean, that's gonna cost a ton of money, a production crew. You know what I mean? Like, I, I go there, I'm like, I can see the whole thing, um, and how to do it. And then I'm like, uh, that's, I can't do that. I can't do that.
[00:39:09] Jude Schweppe: So what is the radically simple. Fringe version of that. And by fringe, I mean like off, off, off Broadway version, you know, when we started out as performers and we were in a tiny little room above a pub and we had like five people in the room.
[00:39:23] Todd Bradley: Yeah,
[00:39:24] Jude Schweppe: You know, if you, if you can kind of go back to that kind of stage of your career because you're kind of starting again, right?
[00:39:31] You're starting again with this, with this whole new, um, skillset, this whole new way of connecting with people, this whole new purpose, you know, and way of serving. So what's the radically simple, you know, basic is not the word I want to use, but honest way of just getting people to be with you, to be present with you and for you to share their story, share your story, and invite them to share yours, theirs.
[00:40:00] Todd Bradley: well this like just sitting here.
[00:40:08] Jude Schweppe: Hmm.
[00:40:09] Todd Bradley: Um, yesterday I was waiting for my wife to sit down with me to watch a show that we've been watching and catch up on, and I'm scrolling through Instagram or something and I see this songwriter who I know, and I'm like, oh, and this guy's got hits. And I'm like, oh, he's live. I think I'll just pop on and see what he's doing.
[00:40:45] And there's one other person watching this guy, and all of a sudden a second person came on and he said, Hey, what do, he's talking like he's talking to a thousand people. Hey, what do you guys want to hear? You know? And then somebody said, oh, this song. And he goes, oh, well I played that 20 minutes ago. But since nobody was here, I'll play it again for you now. And that's where my head goes is like if I were to get off of this podcast with you guys and go on Instagram live right now, which probably would be the worst time in the world to do it timing wise, but go on Instagram live right now and start talking to people. Uh, long do I wait? How many people do I wait for?
[00:41:41] And am I gonna have to go back? Now that the numbers are stacking up, do I have to start all over? Oh, now that we have more people, I probably should go back and start over. You know what I'm saying? Like those are the hurdles that I put in front of myself to do these, to do, do these things, and I feel like I really need help with that. Like, I feel like I need, um, you know, like in real estate, when I was first really trying to buy into the social media aspect of it, I was posting all this stuff all the time and the marketing director at my company said, gosh, man, you post some amazing content, like really cool stuff that nobody else is doing, but you're doing it at the wrong time. I'm like, oh, well great. I've been doing this for two years and you're finally telling me I'm doing it at the wrong time.
[00:42:40] Gabe Ratliff: What does that mean at the wrong time?
[00:42:43] Todd Bradley: because there are certain times of the day when people are actually looking at social media, for example, to reach people at a certain demographic, uh, you have to reach them.
[00:42:55] Usually people go to work between, you know, they get their nine o'clock, they don't really wanna work, so they usually scroll. So social media, For a number of minutes before they actually start working. Right. So the idea is catch 'em at that time. So the question is, when do I catch a bunch of alcoholics that really need my help?
[00:43:16] Like when are they not at the bar? You know what I mean? I mean, I'm being funny, but I'm actually being honest. Like how do I know when that is? Yeah, Sunday morning. Yeah. Like,
[00:43:28] Gabe Ratliff: and I, I also, I, I actually don't follow that school of thought. I'm kind of anti algorithm bullshit personally. Um, because w what for me works is I follow the people that speak to me I follow what speaks to me. And it's not about what time. I know that all the marketers want us to believe that.
[00:43:56] And I want, I know all the apps have continued to tweak the algorithms to like follow our psych. I know all that stuff is happening, AI and blah, blah, blah, all that crap. And I know that I follow the people I choose to follow and I open what I choose to open. I watch what I choose to watch. That's me. And I also unsubscribe from the people that I'm like, you know what?
[00:44:17] You're just trying to like get me to buy your new course or you're just trying to get me to do this. Right? And if you show up, like he was saying, you're putting out really cool content and if you keep putting out really cool content, your people will show
[00:44:32] Jude Schweppe: You're training them, you're training them to tune in to what you are sharing and to want to come back and to want to engage and to want to, oh, wonder what, you know, I wonder what Todd has shared today. I'm gonna jump onto his Instagram account. So it's not necessarily always about what's coming up in the feed, but if I, if I'm really into somebody, for example, I love Liz Gilbert.
[00:44:55] So I will go to her Facebook page and I'll go to her Instagram to see what's going on with her, because everything that she shares with me has a massive impact on my life. So it's about, it's about starting. Finding a way that feels good for you, that feels like I can show up as the artist that I am. I can show up as the recovering addict that I am.
[00:45:16] I can show up as the amazing coach that I am. And I think there's, there's something really powerful in detaching yourself from the outcome initially and just going, I have things that I want to say to people. I have things that I want to share and I'm gonna trust that the right people will find that.
[00:45:34] And, you know, trying to tweak, to tweak the algorithms and to play the tech companies at their own game will get us into such a HeadSpin about all of these things that aren't massively important. They are important, but the most important thing for you, I think at this point, is to find a way for you to engage regularly and consistently and just share your brilliance and share your story and build it from there.
[00:46:01] You know, taking all the pressure off, um, because. I know what artists are like, uh, we can be contrary. We can be really contrary, and we can stamp our foot and go, I'm not fucking doing that. So if you can find a way that allows you to do what you want to do and that works for you, then you start with there, and then you build on extra layers of, I should probably be looking at this time, or I should probably doing X, y, and Z on top of it.
[00:46:29] But the, the, the best way is just to dive in and just experiment and get things wrong and, you know, and then start checking your analytics and seeing what people are responding to. But I also wanted to just, just go back to, to this idea of, um, a few years ago I wanted to learn transcendental meditation.
[00:46:49] I wanted to learn meditation. I wanted to, you know, to really start taking control of my mind. And I came across, uh, an ad on Facebook. Literally that evening, once I had spoken it out loud to my husband and he was like, I really think meditation will help you. That evening I found an ad for transcendental meditation.
[00:47:09] It was a quote shared by Hugh Jackman, who's a big, um, a big advocate for the practice. And that got me into an in-person event where I went to, I went to hear somebody speak and explain the principles of transcendental meditation, you know, and really get me hooked into the idea of learning. So it wasn't necessarily that I was engaging with the Tmm teacher, but he was inviting me to a personal space where I wanted to be.
[00:47:38] I wanted to have that personal connection. So that's also potentially something you could think of. And it just needs to be a room, you know, it just needs to be a room where you can stand up and, and be who you want to be and tell your story. And even if you've got five people into that room, that's a start.
[00:47:56] That's five people that you've touched. In a certain way that could lead on to other things. So I I, I, I really hear you on, but I'm gonna go to like the absolute biggest production value that I can, but if you could, you know what I mean? I, I totally get that. And I need a, a sound engineer and I need a, you know, a PR person and I need to have like a, you know, a thousand cedar stadium, a thousand cedar State.
[00:48:22] Um, but you don't, you really don't.
[00:48:26] Gabe Ratliff: Not for this work.
[00:48:27] Jude Schweppe: to be not for this work.
[00:48:30] Todd Bradley: No. And, and I
[00:48:30] Jude Schweppe: really simple way of doing it, I think. Yeah.
[00:48:33] Todd Bradley: I feel that a hundred percent. Like I don't even, I, I want, let me say, I don't even mean like I'm trying to go do that. What I mean is, I, I mean, I'm talking about putting that together to literally edit down and put up on Facebook, you know what I'm saying? Or Instagram. And I get it.
[00:48:54] Like, I feel like the most, um, the best way to touch people is the, the most authentic that you can possibly be. Right? Um, it what, it's what? Um, Not to digress, but it's how I found Gabe. Right. I watched Stutz and I loved it. I was like, holy shit. This is a psychologist that's saying he actually wants to give somebody something they can walk out of his office with.
[00:49:28] That's crazy. Everyone should be doing this. But he's the first guy I've ever heard that actually like built his whole career around it. Right. Against everyone else's advice. Right. So I got so into that that I went looking for people that were into Stutts that I could actually talk to because he's not easy to get to without a lot of money and he's busy.
[00:49:54] Right. And Gabe was one of the first people that popped up and it was that he had been doing this for eight months and like all this stuff. And I was like, oh wow. Here's a guy that's actually doing it. I should hit this guy up and see if he'll talk to me. You know? And it was that authenticity that actually brought me to Gabe, right?
[00:50:18] So I totally get it. Um, I think I just get hung up on, uh, old ways of thinking, of doing things and, uh,
[00:50:31] Gabe Ratliff: It's comfortable, right? I mean, you've, you've, you've also accomplished so much and there's that, so I have a question for you. I've been waiting to ask, and I think this is extremely relevant to where we're kind of circling right now. Are you ready to be the champion for these clients? I.
[00:50:52] Todd Bradley: Yeah, man, I am more than ready, like more than ready. Um, I also have this like, uh, self-deprecating, these thoughts like. I know my value to, and I know my passion about it, and I don't mean that in an egotistical way. I know where I've been and I know how people can benefit from hearing it because I never heard it from anyone. Um, and so I know how I want to serve people and I'm totally ready to do it. I'm, I'm more than ready to do it.
[00:51:51] But then there are times when I think, Ugh. You know, what are you thinking, man? Like, what, what are you, what are you thinking? The coach that I had been referencing in this conversation kept saying to me, this is, this is your calling. This is what God wants you to do, and you need to be doing it. I had seven friends die in a span of six months.
[00:52:14] Did I tell you that? Gabe? Did I tell you that story? And she said, if not you, who like God is screaming at you right now, like you've got, you know, he wants you to do this. So I got all, you know, jazzed up and I, I believe it. But then I think to myself, like the nerve, like how dare I think that I had a real hard time coming to the idea of even charging for this service.
[00:52:48] And she was like, what are you talking about? What you have is invaluable to people, you know? And so sometimes I think, uh, it's just never gonna happen. It's not. So when you say, am I ready? I'm ready with what I know. I'm ready with my passion. I know I can do it. I know I can help. Am I ready? Yeah, man. I'm, I've been ready.
[00:53:15] I went and got a piece of paper that I don't even need, just so people would feel that I was legitimate rather than just saying, oh, I'm a coach and I've been through all of this shit in my life, and trust me, I should be dead, but let me tell you how I can help you and be of service. I thought people, there's so many people that are coaches, coaches everywhere, right?
[00:53:36] So I was like, all right, I'm gonna go get certified. She told me, don't do it. She said, I haven't been certified. I, I started 15 years ago and I have more clients and you know, you don't need that. And I was like, Hmm. I don't know. I feel like I do.
[00:53:52] Gabe Ratliff: That's
[00:53:52] Todd Bradley: it was,
[00:53:54] Gabe Ratliff: That's why I asked.
[00:53:55] Todd Bradley: I know it's a sh See what you did. Yeah. I mean,
[00:54:05] Jude Schweppe: The passion with which you speak is palpable. It's, it's, it, there's such an energy in the space right now. If you can take even a fraction of that and start to share it and see the ripples start to ripple out and you, you, you know, starting to reach the people that need to hear your message. I just have this really strong sense that, as Gabe said, the people who need to hear you will find you.
[00:54:35] And it's just about deciding. Okay. There's a couple of places that I feel like these people might hang out because everybody hangs out in social media, one platform or another.
[00:54:46] Todd Bradley: yes.
[00:54:46] Jude Schweppe: And as you said, you were intrigued. By the energy or the vibe or whatever it was about this particular coach. I happened to see an ad that had a picture of hug Jackman and it was like, I'm gonna click on this 'cause I'm intrigued.
[00:55:01] And when you share your story and the way that you share it and you know the knowledge and experience that you can also share, you are gonna speak directly to so many people. Be who feel alone, who feel as though other people don't get it, who feel as though I'm, I'm gonna have to go through this all by myself because I can't possibly share with the people who love me because of the shame.
[00:55:28] Because of, you know, the, the loneliness of living with an addiction, the loneliness of living with everything that goes on inside your head. It's a lonely place
[00:55:38] Todd Bradley: Yeah.
[00:55:39] Jude Schweppe: and you are going to that port in the storm for so many people. Just by being you, just by sharing. So I guess my question would be taking it down to the radically simple launching points.
[00:56:01] How can you start showing up, sharing, serving? That's all you have to do. It's not marketing. This is not marketing. This is you doing what you do and serving people. You just happen to be using a marketing platform where would feel most comfortable for you.
[00:56:19] Todd Bradley: Uh, I think the most comfortable I would feel is in a room with, uh, people,
[00:56:25] Jude Schweppe: Okay?
[00:56:26] Todd Bradley: it's, uh, you know, probably honestly like, you know, at a treatment center would be great, uh, because I mean, it's. I say this in a way, just joking half-heartedly, but like, you don't have to, you don't have a choice. Like you have to go to that room.
[00:56:48] Doesn't matter who's speaking, there at nine o'clock on Saturday morning. Right. So you have to be there. And that would, you know, those are the places where I have actually been very successful at touching people because, and especially the, the treatment center that I went to, like, I mean, I know it, I lived there for 33 days, you know what I'm saying?
[00:57:15] Like, I, I know the grounds, I know what they do there. I know the clientele and um, you know, that would be true of any, but that really would be the place. Um, because that's what I know.
[00:57:30] Jude Schweppe: And are you willing to travel?
[00:57:33] Todd Bradley: Absolutely. I've done it. I have traveled, yes.
[00:57:36] Jude Schweppe: Okay,
[00:57:37] Todd Bradley: I've traveled as a, I've traveled as a, uh, this guy fell off the wagon and he is been blacked out drunk for three days and we need somebody to go, so they fly me to go. Um, or I'd be, I'd love to come to England or Ireland and, uh, chatted up with some folks over there.
[00:57:57] Um, you know what I mean? Like, I would, I would love to do it anywhere. Anywhere that can be useful.
[00:58:03] Jude Schweppe: And have you just, this is kind of getting down to sort of brass tack now. Have you, um, thought about what your speaking fee is or your appearance fee?
[00:58:11] Todd Bradley: No.
[00:58:12] Jude Schweppe: No. So I'm wondering if there's, if there's a, a, a piece of work to be done around what, what that initial product is. And, you know, Gabe and I use the, the product as a term to basically describe what you're selling or what you're offering, what your service is.
[00:58:30] Todd Bradley: Mm-hmm.
[00:58:31] Jude Schweppe: So I'm wondering if. It's about getting really clear on this. This is the first touchpoint with me, and you've said that you wanna get into a room with people. So deciding, I'm gonna, I'm selling a 60 minute talk, or a 90 minute talk, or a two hour workshop, whatever it is. This is, this is where I want to be.
[00:58:53] These are the, the sort of types of numbers of people I want to be in the room with. And then literally, it does come down to numbers and going, I'm identifying every single potential place where I could show up and sell this talk and do this talk. Um, and getting a really solid pitch together, having your pricing nailed.
[00:59:13] If you wanna make sure that your, the cover, the cost of your travel is included, then work that into your pricing. And then persistence, polite, persistence until people start answering the door when you're knocking. How
[00:59:28] Todd Bradley: Yeah, with the.
[00:59:29] Jude Schweppe: sound?
[00:59:30] Todd Bradley: It sounds great. The, um, the, uh, the speaking at a treatment center would almost always and certainly be free. Um, and because they, they consider that part of your 12 step service.
[00:59:56] Jude Schweppe: Mm-hmm.
[00:59:57] Todd Bradley: You know, go out and give what you've gotten kind of thing for free, freely give what you've gotten. Um, but as far as like, I would love to be able to build some sort of, uh, platform that I could take to, let's say Warner Brothers and work with their radio promotions team, because I happen to know that all of those guys.
[01:00:25] Are deeply embedded in substance all the time with program directors and all of that. Um, and I'd love to be able to work with people and kind of help them through that because a lot of them get burnout and they flame out. So that would be something I think I could monetize, um, because it's a corporate level type situation.
[01:00:51] Um, so I would have to figure out how to put that together and do that,
[01:00:55] Jude Schweppe: Yeah. And it's, it's about nailing your proposition. It's about nailing the proposition to get kind of a bit marketing about it so that people read an email or whatever it is that you're sending out and just go, that sounds like it would be really, really helpful. And the other thing I wanted to, to put to you was, I mean, how many people at really senior high levels within corporations are living with addiction?
[01:01:21] You know, probably, probably functioning. But still, nevertheless, living with addiction. Um, so there, there are so many different places that you could be showing up and, and sharing your experience and sharing your knowledge and putting the ask out there. And it, it may be that you, you sort of come in at a, a company wellness type approach as well. Um, and then, you know, you're giving people the opportunity to connect with you privately because obviously it's not gonna be something that people want to broadcast throughout the company. Um, but, but I feel like if you could, if you could nail that initial proposition of this is, this is the information I want to share, this is the knowledge and experience I want to share, and, and really making something of your story, um, because that's how we connect with people, right?
[01:02:15] It's, it's storytelling. It is, it is seeing ourselves reflected in another person's experience. Then it's about getting out there to as many possible different organizations, companies, anywhere that you can show up and speak and just start building, you know, building that network of people that have, that have seen you and that have heard you, and building your confidence as well. Um, and being with your people, being with the people who can really use your help because there's so many of them.
[01:02:50] Todd Bradley: That's a fact.
[01:02:51] Jude Schweppe: That is a fact. Yeah. Um, it feels like there's a, a little bit of work to do around the proposition then and, and the product as it were, and what, who you're charging for the product, who you're not charging for the product, and then how you're taking people from that initial touchpoint through to an, uh, a one-to-one experience with you.
[01:03:16] Todd Bradley: Yeah.
[01:03:17] Jude Schweppe: For an initial, you know, discovery chat, just to see, you know, where are you right now? How can I help you, how can I support you? And then this is, this is what I do, this is how it works. We spend three months, we spend six months, 12 months together, whatever it is. But just getting really clear on your customer journey, again, to use, you know, that awful marketing speak, but that's kind of what it is from initial meeting or experience with Todd all the way through to, I need this man in my life.
[01:03:50] Todd Bradley: Yeah, I get that.
[01:03:53] Gabe Ratliff: Also what aligns with you, right? And the experience you want to take people on. Like where do you fit in that, in their journey and for yourself and your journey? Like where do you, where are all your strengths, right? Like you said, some of the most successful stuff has been standing up in front of people in a room.
[01:04:12] You know, they have to be there, you know, it's like they're, they're, they're, it's, it's for their benefit. They're, they're push to be in this situation and, and it's not like something that they're. Being forced. Well, that language and I don't like that language, but you were saying like, you know, they, they're, they're there, right?
[01:04:32] They, they're, they're, they're, they're there doing the work. So they're in that mental space, but they're not being like, forced to be there.
[01:04:41] Todd Bradley: Right.
[01:04:42] Gabe Ratliff: And so, and I, I would just wanna make sure to clarify that distinction like, that's something that's working. And you've also been in this industry for so long, and you've said some people aren't connecting with this new version of yourself, and that's for them to deal with, not you.
[01:05:01] Right? 'cause there are people, regardless of where they are, whether they're heads of Warner Brothers, whether they're like brothers and sisters, who are, you know, singers, musicians, artists, right? Producers, those level. Whether it's people in the production crew, right? You get it, you understand all of it, and you've been homies with all of them.
[01:05:23] And so you get the whole experience. You've been flown out to places. These are all things you get to talk about. You get to say, this is what makes me fucking credible. Right? Because what you were just sh you're telling us all this stuff where you're like, I've been flown here to talk. I've done this, I've spoken in front of these, I've done this work with treatment centers, you know, this is how I give back 'cause I'm in recovery.
[01:05:45] Right? And you're painting this beautiful canvas of like, I got you. I've done, I've lived this. And look, I'm, that's the key word. I've lived it. I'm still here. And this is the, this is where I am as Todd now here serving you. Right. And that's why I was asking, I hear you're ready to be this champion. You said, I'm ready to be this champion.
[01:06:12] But it's all about the doing brother.
[01:06:14] Todd Bradley: Yeah.
[01:06:15] Gabe Ratliff: Because what I kept hearing you say is, I, I, you kept using the word thought, think, not, do, not act like I did. Right. It was i'll, I'll think, and I just wanted to, that was the last thing that I wanted to kind of reflect back that I heard is what was stopping you is up here not in the real world, like not what you're doing, not the action.
[01:06:36] And so it's you that's holding you up. And that's why I asked, are you ready to be the champion?
[01:06:42] Todd Bradley: Yeah, if I could, if I could speak to that real quick. I mean, again, um, I have reached out to these people. I've sent, you know, I've had all these brochures printed up, booklets printed up of my services, ship them because I literally couldn't get this person to meet me in town. Like, how crazy is this? Right?
[01:07:02] You're in town. We all work in town. Can't we just meet up and I'll hand you these things? No, I, you know, I don't have the time. Alright, well I'm gonna mail 'em to you. This is how, like, action oriented I've been on this deal, right? And it's, and picking up the phone and texting people and
[01:07:21] Gabe Ratliff: Have you gone to the place
[01:07:25] Todd Bradley: No, because they are very, they're very, uh, you have to, so I've been met with, man, this is something we really wanna do, and I'm going to get your, you know, we're gonna hand these people off to you. And I've said, Hey man, I would love to come out and just interact with your clients. I'd love to come out and just tell my story.
[01:07:50] And I mean, my, my addiction story, not even, and by the way, I'm a coach. Just tell my story,
[01:07:57] Gabe Ratliff: Hmm.
[01:07:58] Todd Bradley: um, as you've heard my story, right? Because people think it's powerful, right? Um, but it's always, uh, no, we're gonna, we're gonna, when the time comes, we're gonna send them to you, right?
[01:08:13] Gabe Ratliff: Hmm.
[01:08:14] Todd Bradley: So the way that I really think I'm gonna have to do it is say, Hey, I would love to come and tell my story.
[01:08:23] And at the end of my story say, and by the way, now I've created a whole business and life around knowing how to deal with this, you know, and not
[01:08:35] Gabe Ratliff: if you just told them the story? What if you just record your story like you did with me? I mean, this will also be shared, right? And what if you just record your story and then share that and say, Hey, and, and this could also, this doesn't have to be a one-off piece. It's what we were just talking about earlier, about you showing up.
[01:08:57] However, online and just, it can be little soundbites, little, little short videos where you tell this story and then you tell another story and then you tell another story. And then you can say to people, if you go to this platform, I have done 15 videos that tell my story, and if this sounds interesting to you, let me know.
[01:09:19] Let's work together. You know what I mean? 'cause then you're doing things, you're showing up and you're saying, 'cause I I was not disputing that you're doing things at all. 'cause I hear that brother, right. The, the pamphlets, the calls. Right. You're, you're doing the work and you're hearing like, yes, yes, yes.
[01:09:33] But their act, their action is a no or a not yet.
[01:09:38] Todd Bradley: And for me, that's the, that's the thing, uh, that I want to say. Um, and I know we're running along, so I don't wanna hold you guys up, but, uh, that's the thing for me, it gets frustrating. It feels like, you know, Jude, you said this in the beginning, and I, the, this is the, what resonates with me. It's just like when I knew I needed to get sober, I knew I needed to, I.
[01:10:04] I actually wanted people to intervene on me because I didn't have the strength to do it myself, you know? And because I was the money maker, nobody would intervene on me. How fucked up is that? Oh, Todd, man, you look like shit. You don't, you don't look healthy, brother. Well, no shit. I mean, you know what's been going on, but you won't, you know, we can't take this 30 days off or whatever.
[01:10:33] It was never even a conversation. So what I'm saying is it gets frustrating to, to, I think people in general, this is where I think business coaches or you know, maybe what you guys do, it's a great way to help people not lose the passion. It's like, well, what do I have to do? Like, do I have to go to a treatment center and tackle some dude just to listen to me?
[01:10:56] Do I have to sit on his chest and go, okay, man, listen, I've been trying to get ahold of you for a year. Just, you know me, you know what I've been through. Let me just talk to your people. You know, like I don't, I agree with you that my people are out there somewhere. I know that. I know they are. And all the people that I know, where the fuck are they?
[01:11:20] Like, you know, this is what I go through. So I, I hear what you're saying. I, you guys have given me a lot of great insight and I agree with you. Um, I think I just have to find a way to get in a room. Any room, just one to start with. Any room.
[01:11:45] Gabe Ratliff: One of the things I wanted to ask is, what if you create the room? What if you have the room and it's not the room that they've had, you know, they're electing to be in, but it's the room that you, you create the space, you give them permission 'cause you are taking permission for yourself.
[01:12:02] Todd Bradley: So I did
[01:12:03] Jude Schweppe: people to your gig. Invite people to your gig, Todd.
[01:12:06] Todd Bradley: yeah. Uh, well, so I did, I, so this woman from Music Cares that now works at Onsite, she was the one that started this Music Cares aftercare group. I don't even think they do it anymore. And I recently texted her, she went to the ACMs in Austin or something. She had just gotten back and she said, we've yet to be able to find a client that's willing to work with a coach.
[01:12:32] They want, they all wanna do onsite programs, which I'm quite sure, since they're not getting a cut of my business, they probably only want them to do onsite programs. But, you know, so I said, you know, I, I would like to do, uh, like a Music cares group. She and I said, I think that that could be useful, but also very helpful because she's asking me, how's my business going?
[01:13:01] And I said, I, I think I would like to do that. I'd like to put one together. And she said, oh, something like that would be amazing. What I really am going to follow up with is I'm going to say, well, how do, how did you do it? And can you give me some insight on how I could do it? And then, you know, see if I can put something together like that.
[01:13:29] Jude Schweppe: Is there a, a room or a venue or a little room above a pub? I dunno if you guys have that in the States, but it's a very big thing here in the uk. Um, and I'm gonna, I'm gonna share a really quick story. Um, 10 years ago, when, over 10 years ago, what I wanted to put a show on in the uk, um, I knew it was a show that I'd wanted to do for a long time. And the first thing that I could think of to do to get the whole process in motion was I booked the theater. So I booked the theater for three months down the road and I was just like, I'm gonna have to figure out everything else after that and trust that people will come and trust that I'll figure out a way to market this show and get the right audience in and have the experience that I wanna have with this whole piece.
[01:14:20] So my challenge to you would be, what is the equivalent for you of booking the theater?
[01:14:29] Todd Bradley: Uh, that's a good question. I, I, at one point started a recovery group and I. I convinced a local Episcopal church to let me use the church. And it got weird because they started worrying about liability and what if a sex offender showed up or a sex addict, you know? And I said, well, you know, we're, we're all gonna be in a circle talking.
[01:15:04] It's not like we're gonna be downstairs in the basement watching movies. Like, and I tried to make light of it because I thought they were making it so serious, you know, like, everybody needs help, so what if, you know who caress? But anyway, um, and I did not market that outside of the church. I tried to keep it
[01:15:27] Jude Schweppe: Mm-hmm.
[01:15:28] Todd Bradley: within the church and if anybody in the church wanted to come and they circulated that through, and I think one guy showed up, um, However, this new church that I was talking about, I really, really, really have a deep feeling inside about this place. Um, the, it's just, it's hard to explain it, but when you're there, you know it, like, you just feel it. And the people, you know, they're very open. They support the gay community and it's all inclusive. Everyone's invited, and so that could be the place
[01:16:16] Jude Schweppe: Hmm.
[01:16:17] Todd Bradley: because it's awesome, you know?
[01:16:19] Jude Schweppe: And what about if it's just a talk? It's just a talk so you're not, you know, start with something really simple. I would like to invite you to come. Let me share my story. I. Let me share some of my knowledge and experience so that it's like an easy point of entry for people. They're not under any pressure necessarily to interact or engage.
[01:16:39] They're just gonna go and listen to somebody, share their story, and maybe open something up for them so that it's, it doesn't require a huge amount of courage or a huge leap. It's just I can go and be in a room and listen to this amazing person speak.
[01:16:55] Todd Bradley: Sure. Yeah. I mean, all I can do is, you know, present the opportunity and see what happens. Um, I need to, I need to probably have more conversation with the pastor and his wife and talk about it. And because I'm new to it, um, it's, I, I, you know, I've met, I've, I've done this before where I've gone to a pastor and said, Hey, man, and a very progressive like, What I thought was progressive.
[01:17:29] I found later that they're super, um, strictly religious and, but I was like, Hey, I'd love to talk to your people, you know about my story. And he said, well, I don't let anybody talk to my congregation but me. was like, okay, all right. Well, I guess we know whose message they're gonna get, you know? I mean, regardless of the message, it's only yours.
[01:17:55] Um, I don't think this guy is this way the, or the, or his wife. So I really wanna pursue that. I've been thinking about it since yesterday. We went again for the second time and I met them. So I definitely plan on doing that.
[01:18:10] Gabe Ratliff: Do you know, do you have something that already has a talk? I mean, you've shared your story, but do you already have, like, when you go and like these treatment center talks you've mentioned, like, is that kind of the same talk? For the most part, that's already been developed. So you could just pitch this and it's not something that needs to be developed.
[01:18:27] Mm-hmm.
[01:18:29] Todd Bradley: Yeah, I don't feel like it needs to be developed because it actually is super organic, uh, the way that it kind of happens. Um, it's kind of,
[01:18:42] Gabe Ratliff: It's just wanting to get to know him more and like show up more. Like just kind of not just be like, Hey, I want to, you know,
[01:18:48] Todd Bradley: yeah, like I've been here twice I want Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's,
[01:18:52] Gabe Ratliff: it's just more of a give, give, ask kind of a thing.
[01:18:55] Todd Bradley: that, yeah. And you know, it's kind of like, um, you know, when I, it's, it's almost like the talk is almost like, uh, when I coach, right? It's like, here's my story. I'm not gonna spend, you know, I'm 60 minutes telling you all the stories I'm gonna tell you, you know, Who I am and where I came from, what it was like when I was addicted, and what my life is like now, and how amazing my life is because I made a change. Right? And these things are possible for you too. But then what ends up happening is just like in my coaching, I'll be like, Hey, you know, any questions? Do you, do you have anything you want? You know, do you have a feeling of something that you wanna say, you wanna talk about? Anything that we could touch on briefly while we're here?
[01:19:48] Do you wanna talk to me after what ends up happening is this amazingly beautiful, organic moment where people just feel like, yeah, dude. As a matter of fact, I do wanna know that. Like Gabe, I'm telling you. And Jude, the day I got outta treatment, I was 33 days in there. I drove myself there and I drove myself out.
[01:20:11] It was like I had never driven in my life before. It was bizarre. I went to a grocery store. It was like I had never been in a grocery store. I was walking down the aisles like, you know, like a toddler on my feet for the first time. And I'm like, what do I like to eat? I don't even know what I, you know, it was nuts. And I'm like, I'm 45 years old, man. Like, how do you know? And I feel like I'm three years old.
[01:20:39] Gabe Ratliff: Mm.
[01:20:40] Todd Bradley: And so when you can tell somebody like, man, it's a whole new world. It completely changes Jude. You hit it on the nail. You hit the nail on the head. This is the thing. I lived my whole life at a level of success and I was miserable and uncomfortable, but I sure didn't have to think about a whole lot.
[01:21:09] And I had all the money that I needed, and I. When you say, well, you're starting over, sort of, but the starting over is what scares the shit out of me, because I don't wanna do anything else anymore, ever. This is what I want, and I have a lot of responsibility in my life. I have my wife and I have seven kids, you know, from 11 to 33. And my mother-in-law, who's coming down on her chair lift right now lives with us.
[01:21:51] You know?
[01:21:52] Jude Schweppe: Hmm.
[01:21:52] Todd Bradley: And I think to myself all the time, like, you know, Gabe, you and I got into this. It doesn't have to be one or the other, but man, I wish it could be.
[01:22:03] Jude Schweppe: Yeah,
[01:22:03] Todd Bradley: If I never had to show another house in my life, I would be so blessed and ecstatic and. Because I really believe this is what I'm supposed to do.
[01:22:20] Jude Schweppe: a, a great piece of advice that was shared with me when I was kind of at that really frustrated phase of, can I not just do the thing now? Can I not just do what I want to do? Um, and somebody said to me, well, this is like a 20, 30 year, you know, business plan.
[01:22:39] Todd Bradley: Ugh.
[01:22:39] Jude Schweppe: This is, this is gonna continually evolve and change and grow and change with you.
[01:22:45] It, it, it doesn't have to happen tomorrow. You know, and I think it's, it's. It's allowing yourself the grace to be patient with it and to trust that you've gotta go down certain avenues and they might turn out to be cul-de-sacs and there might be things that are, you know, redirecting you and rerouting you, but trusting that in 20 years time I can still be doing this.
[01:23:08] I get to still do this in 20 years time and think of all the people I'm gonna have touched and, and helped and supported and how I'm gonna continue to grow. So it's, it's hard at the beginning. I just wanna, I just wanna really acknowledge that it's really hard because you feel like. found your purpose, you found the thing you're really good at, and that you really just wanna get out there and do.
[01:23:32] And now it's about like building a really solid foundation and getting really clear so that your purpose is aligned to some, some structure and process and clarity around your messaging and you're pitching, and who you're showing up to, and how you're showing up and where you're showing up. All of those things.
[01:23:49] Um, but once you get that foundation rock solid, you just continue to grow from there. So I'd love to ask you, if you were to pick three actions that you're gonna take, sort of based on what we've spoken about in this last, uh, almost 90 minutes, what would those three actions be?
[01:24:12] Todd Bradley: Um, probably reaching out more to, uh, some treatment centers. Uh, definitely developing this relationship and trying to reach this pastor and his wife. Um, and then I think I really need to overcome my, um, aversion to doing this alone on some live session or recording something for, you know, to be viewed later by some folks.
[01:24:48] So those three things, um, are probably things that I need to take action on for sure.
[01:24:57] Jude Schweppe: Great place to start. And I would love to, to push you to think about one platform that you feel like you could show up on, on a reasonably consistent basis. And just share yourself. Just share yourself. Share your story, share your experience. Just put it out there for the people who need to hear what you have to say, because I really believe they'll find it.
[01:25:26] Todd Bradley: Yeah, I can do that.
[01:25:28] Jude Schweppe: I'll leave that with you to think about where, where do I feel reasonably confident showing up in terms of social? And I'll follow you. I'll for 100% follow you and and hear what you have to say.
[01:25:44] Todd Bradley: That's great. I would love that. Yeah.
[01:25:47] Jude Schweppe: Awesome.
[01:25:48] Gabe Ratliff: Ditto.
[01:25:50] Jude Schweppe: Yeah, you've got your first two followers.
[01:25:52] Todd Bradley: Right on.
[01:25:55] Gabe Ratliff: Yeah.
[01:25:55] Jude Schweppe: you so much, Todd, for sharing all
[01:25:58] Todd Bradley: Man. Thank you. You guys
[01:25:59] Jude Schweppe: And that brings us to the end of another episode of The Artful Experience,
[01:26:08] Gabe Ratliff: whether you're a first time listener or a diehard fan. We want to thank you for being here.
[01:26:14] Jude Schweppe: We hope you enjoyed today's show and got loads of value from the conversation.
[01:26:18] Gabe Ratliff: And hey, if you're itching for more, don't worry. You can find all the juicy links in show notes for this episode at theartful.co.
[01:26:26] Jude Schweppe: But before you go, we have a little favor to ask If you haven't already, please hit that subscribe button and leave a rating or review wherever you get your podcast fix. And do tune in for our next episode.
[01:26:39] Gabe Ratliff: Your support means the world to us, and it helps us reach even more amazing artful entrepreneurs out there like you.
[01:26:46] Jude Schweppe: Thanks again for joining us. We appreciate every single one of you.
[01:26:50] Gabe Ratliff: Until next time, keep unleashing your creative genius and stay artful.
