Falling 35 Feet & Finding Faith: The Wheelchair Dad’s Story

What if your greatest setback became your biggest calling?
There are some moments in life that just stop you in your tracks&mdash;and this conversation is one of them. I sat down with Dan and Andrea Kotter, a couple whose journey through tragedy, faith, resilience, and relentless love has inspired me to my core. Dan fell 35 feet off a roof and was left paralyzed from the waist down. Andrea met him after the accident, while going through her own unimaginable heartbreak. But neither of them let their pain define them&mdash;they chose to build something even greater instead.
This isn&rsquo;t just a story about surviving. It&rsquo;s about rebuilding&mdash;physically, emotionally, spiritually. Dan could have given up. Instead, he pushed through years of surgeries, chronic pain, and loss, while Andrea stood by his side, not seeing the wheelchair, but the strength that conquered it. They&rsquo;ve blended families, faced down trauma, and raised six incredible kids, all while showing up on social media to shine light into other people&rsquo;s darkness.
We talked about what it really takes to choose joy when life hands you suffering. How faith&mdash;real, grounded, daily faith&mdash;can carry you through when nothing else makes sense. How sometimes your life falling apart is exactly what&rsquo;s needed to put you on the path you were meant for. And how you don&rsquo;t need some &ldquo;perfect&rdquo; story to make a difference&mdash;your real life is enough. Their content has saved lives. It&rsquo;s made broken dads rethink fatherhood. It&rsquo;s helped people believe in God again. That&rsquo;s the power of two people showing up, being honest, and refusing to quit.
Dan and Andrea reminded me&mdash;and will remind you&mdash;that no matter what you&rsquo;re facing, you&rsquo;ve got more in you than you think. And you&rsquo;re never alone in the fight.
&nbsp;
Key Takeaways:
<ul class="ql-rendered-list-container" data-is-root="true">
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-20800801-ba33-4625-9c9f-d7e8c1b12915">
The life-changing moment that left Dan paralyzed&mdash;and how he chose to respond.
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-960ac6cc-751c-4863-aa78-087db70c0845">
Andrea&rsquo;s decision to love a man in a wheelchair after her own heartbreaking trauma.
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-c4387ff4-ee68-4905-b1d7-144c9546c00d">
The unshakable role of faith in their healing, growth, and purpose.
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-421cc80c-1eff-4969-998d-6f5cede33b06">
How authentic social media content can literally save lives.
</li>
<li class="ql-rendered-bullet-list" data-block-id="block-041e5f32-6290-484c-8d8a-dbf265631357">
Why real strength means showing up in the struggle, not hiding it.
</li>
</ul>
Listen now and share this with someone who needs a reminder that their story still matters.
MAX OUT.
&nbsp;
- Also, get my&nbsp;exclusive Monday Motivation training in GrowthDay, the world&rsquo;s #1 app for advanced mindset and personal development. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://growthday.com/ed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-stringify-link="https://growthday.com/ed" data-cke-saved-href="https://growthday.com/ed">https://growthday.com/ed</a>. This show is sponsored by GrowthDay.

Shot 8 Times and Left for Dead: Marcus Stanley's Incredible Testimony

<h2 data-start="253" data-end="303">What Would You Do If You Were Shot Eight Times?</h2>
Today, I sat across from a man who shouldn&rsquo;t even be alive. Marcus Stanley was shot eight times at point-blank range, left for dead in the street, and in that moment, he saw what he believes was an angel standing between him and every bullet. I needed you to hear from this man because Marcus isn&rsquo;t just here to tell a story about survival&mdash;he&rsquo;s here to remind us what it means to keep going when everything around you says it&rsquo;s over.
Marcus and I talk about the dark years that followed his shooting, years where painkillers turned into addiction, and addiction turned into heroin. We talked about what it feels like when your life gets blown apart, and you have to learn how to walk again, literally and spiritually. Marcus told me it was forgiveness&mdash;real, hard, gut-wrenching forgiveness&mdash;that unlocked his freedom, even though the men who tried to kill him never paid for what they did.
And you&rsquo;ll hear how Marcus went from a man chasing fame as a musician to a man who wakes up every day asking, &ldquo;How can I serve?&rdquo; His faith became real not in the moment he was shot, but in the quiet, hidden years of service and surrender afterward, staying in a treatment center for four years to help others with no pay, no spotlight, just a calling to be there for the one person who might need hope that day.
Marcus&rsquo; story isn&rsquo;t about surviving a tragedy; it&rsquo;s about what you do after you survive. It&rsquo;s about taking one more step when you don&rsquo;t know if you can, believing that God&rsquo;s not done with you yet, and choosing gratitude for every breath, every step, even if you feel pain with each one. I want you to hear this conversation because if you&rsquo;re feeling like you&rsquo;re on your back right now, Marcus&rsquo; journey will remind you that you&rsquo;re never alone, and you can get back up.
<h3 data-start="2083" data-end="2101">Key Takeaways:</h3>
<ul data-start="2102" data-end="2488">
<li data-start="2102" data-end="2184">
Why Marcus believes forgiveness was the key that broke his chains of addiction
</li>
<li data-start="2185" data-end="2260">
What it felt like to see an angel while being shot at point-blank range
</li>
<li data-start="2261" data-end="2336">
The hidden years of service that shaped Marcus into the man he is today
</li>
<li data-start="2337" data-end="2410">
How to find hope and take one more step, even when you feel you can&rsquo;t
</li>
<li data-start="2411" data-end="2488">
Why your suffering can produce endurance, character, and hope if you let it
</li>
</ul>
If you&rsquo;ve ever questioned whether God is with you in your lowest moments, or if you&rsquo;re carrying your own scars&mdash;Marcus&rsquo; story is your reminder that you are held, you are loved, and you are here for a reason. Share this with someone who needs to know it&rsquo;s not over. God bless you.
&nbsp;
- Also, get my&nbsp;exclusive Monday Motivation training in GrowthDay, the world&rsquo;s #1 app for advanced mindset and personal development. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://growthday.com/ed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-stringify-link="https://growthday.com/ed" data-cke-saved-href="https://growthday.com/ed">https://growthday.com/ed</a>. This show is sponsored by GrowthDay.

Be the One Voice That Changes Someone’s Life

Have you ever thought about how one word from you could shift someone&rsquo;s entire day, maybe even their life?
In this episode, I break down what it truly means to become an encourager and why the world desperately needs you to step into that role. This isn&rsquo;t about throwing out empty praise or casual compliments. It&rsquo;s about choosing to infuse courage into others with honesty, specificity, and presence, and in the process, watch your own confidence and self-esteem rise. I share why encouragement is &ldquo;oxygen for the soul,&rdquo; how it creates ripple effects far beyond what you see, and how it becomes a seedbed for your relationships, your leadership, and your purpose.
We talk about how encouragement isn&rsquo;t tied to someone&rsquo;s results but to their effort and character, and why you need to be the person who notices and speaks into the small moments others overlook. It&rsquo;s not just about making people feel good; it&rsquo;s about transferring belief and equipping people to believe they can take the next step in their climb, even when they can&rsquo;t see the top of the ladder themselves.
If you want to stand out in a world full of critics, this episode will call you up to be different. This is your moment to decide to become the kind of person who changes lives, one conversation at a time.
Key Takeaways:
<ul data-start="1423" data-end="1869">
<li data-start="1423" data-end="1506">
Why encouragement is about &ldquo;infusing courage&rdquo; and not just complimenting others
</li>
<li data-start="1507" data-end="1577">
How encouragement builds your own self-esteem while lifting others
</li>
<li data-start="1578" data-end="1641">
The difference between flattery and authentic encouragement
</li>
<li data-start="1642" data-end="1701">
How to encourage effort and character, not just results
</li>
<li data-start="1702" data-end="1791">
The ripple effect of becoming an encourager in your family, friendships, and business
</li>
<li data-start="1792" data-end="1869">
Practical examples of encouragement that build others&rsquo; belief in themselves
</li>
</ul>
When you finish this episode, choose one person to encourage today. Watch how it changes them&mdash;and how it changes you.
Max out.
&nbsp;
- Also, get my&nbsp;exclusive Monday Motivation training in GrowthDay, the world&rsquo;s #1 app for advanced mindset and personal development. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://growthday.com/ed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-stringify-link="https://growthday.com/ed" data-cke-saved-href="https://growthday.com/ed">https://growthday.com/ed</a>. This show is sponsored by GrowthDay.

More Than Enough: The Journey Back to Self-Worth with Dr. Tiffany Moon

<h2 data-start="170" data-end="215">Are you living 90% of your life on repeat?</h2>
What if the relentless chase for achievement is robbing you of the joy you&rsquo;re working so hard to find? In this conversation with Dr. Tiffany Moon, we unpack what happens when you hit all the milestones, check all the boxes, and still feel something&rsquo;s missing. She&rsquo;s a board-certified anesthesiologist, entrepreneur, mom of twins&mdash;and yes, you might know her from The Real Housewives of Dallas&mdash;but today, you&rsquo;ll get to see the side of her that&rsquo;s about living fully, not just performing perfectly.
Tiffany shares how the pressure to be perfect nearly drained her of laughter and real connection, and what it took to reclaim her joy. We talk about what it&rsquo;s like to break free from family and cultural conditioning that says you&rsquo;re only loved when you&rsquo;re achieving, and how learning to embrace small moments&mdash;rolling on the floor with your kids, taking walks, having deep conversations&mdash;can transform how you feel about your life without sacrificing ambition.
We also hit on the fear of trying something new when you&rsquo;re already &ldquo;good&rdquo; at what you do, why we say no to opportunities that could open up our lives, and how stepping out of your lane doesn&rsquo;t mean failure, it means growth. Tiffany shares her experience from the O.R. to the Housewives stage and the mindset shift that allowed her to stop suffocating joy in the name of control.
You don&rsquo;t have to abandon your drive to be excellent, but you do need to learn how to find joy while you&rsquo;re achieving, not after. If you&rsquo;ve been running on empty while chasing &ldquo;success,&rdquo; this conversation will remind you to slow down, breathe, and remember how far you&rsquo;ve already come.
<h3 data-start="1848" data-end="1866">Key Takeaways:</h3>
<ul data-start="1867" data-end="2246">
<li data-start="1867" data-end="1941">
Why achievement alone doesn&rsquo;t equal fulfillment&mdash;and what actually does
</li>
<li data-start="1942" data-end="2025">
The cost of saying &ldquo;no&rdquo; too quickly and how to open yourself to new experiences
</li>
<li data-start="2026" data-end="2104">
How to break free from the pressure to be perfect so you can actually live
</li>
<li data-start="2105" data-end="2178">
Why small moments of connection can fuel your ambition, not hinder it
</li>
<li data-start="2179" data-end="2246">
The power of embracing pockets of joy in the middle of your climb
</li>
</ul>
Let&rsquo;s stop running the same chapter over and over. Your life is worth living fully, not just perfectly. Let&rsquo;s get it.
&nbsp;
- Also, get my&nbsp;exclusive Monday Motivation training in GrowthDay, the world&rsquo;s #1 app for advanced mindset and personal development. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://growthday.com/ed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-stringify-link="https://growthday.com/ed" data-cke-saved-href="https://growthday.com/ed">https://growthday.com/ed</a>. This show is sponsored by GrowthDay.

Scale Beyond Yourself: Why Thinking Bigger Isn’t Enough w/ Dr. Benjamin Hardy

Dr. Benjamin Hardy - Scale Beyond Yourself: Why Thinking Bigger Isn’t Enough w/ Dr. Benjamin Hardy

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#MAXOUT your life

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