About this episode
Episode SummaryIn this special episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, host Chris Schembra welcomes Drew Sullivan, a purpose-driven dealmaker, speaker advocate, and Senior Vice President at APB Speakers, for a raw and hope-filled conversation about the courage it takes to stop hiding and start living authentically.Drew’s story is both ordinary and extraordinary. Growing up as a middle child with ADHD in a sports-obsessed town, he was labeled as “wrong” more often than he was encouraged to be curious. Teachers told him to be quiet, behavioral charts measured his worth, and well-intentioned parents and doctors tried their best but often focused on what he did rather than why he felt what he felt. Those early messages led to decades of self-doubt, addiction, and feeling “othered.”But Drew’s life didn’t end there. Sobriety became his turning point, not just quitting substances but rebuilding identity from the inside out. He realized the same curiosity and big-heartedness he was punished for as a child had become his superpowers as an adult: the ability to connect deeply, ask better questions, and champion others’ voices.Chris and Drew unpack big ideas that apply to everyone, whether you’re a parent trying to raise emotionally healthy kids, a leader navigating change with your team, or someone working on your own healing. Together, they talk about how to move beyond trauma without ignoring it, how to strengthen relationships through curiosity and vulnerability, and how connection isn’t just nice to have, it’s essential for growth.They dive into practical tools and powerful frameworks:The Military-Style Debrief — After any event or risk, ask three questions: What went well? What could have gone better? What will we do differently next time? From What to Why — Lasting growth comes not from obsessing over what happened but from exploring why it happened and using that insight to break harmful cycles. Ubuntu Philosophy — “I am because we are.” Success is never a solo act. Long-term fulfillment comes from shared humanity and supporting each other’s growth. Inside-Out Living — Stop chasing outside validation (titles, applause, perfection) and build a life anchored in authenticity and personal truth.This episode also wrestles with one of today’s cultural tensions: the “cult of trauma.” We live in a time where looking backward has become a primary mode of healing, therapy, revisiting wounds, and retelling past pain. That work is necessary but incomplete. Chris and Drew challenge listeners to balance reflection with forward momentum, to ask not just what went wrong, but how do we build what’s next?Their conversation is deeply practical yet profoundly human. Drew
