185: Release Your Victim and Wake Up Your HERO with Wes Chapman

I came across my guest, Wes Chapman, as I was preparing for my TedX Talk and couldn’t stop thinking about his story. With a tumultuous childhood from day one including abuse in numerous forms and being told that he was too broken to fix, Wes is walking proof that we are only who we choose to believe we are.   Now Wes has committed his life to helping others who feel or have been told they are “broken” and encourages everyone to take control of their lives, ditch the victim mentality and get into hero mode. Listen in as Wes vulnerably takes us through his journey of rediscovering his self-worth and identity and how it led him to an entrepreneurial career of helping others.   --      Questions Asked in This Episode: How do we start to tap into or figure out our self-worth? Did you have something that was holding you back and if so, how did you go about taking the steps to move past it? What is something you are most excited about? Is there anything in your life that you’re still grabbing at even though it’s not making you happy? What are some of your favorite ways to connect with family and friends?   In This Episode We Talk about: Wes’s tumultuous childhood and how he gained both his self-worth and identity back and how it led him to help others How to tap into your self-worth Why we need to truly understand empathy Letting go of the past and taking your power back Self-control and self-understanding Taking responsibility for the past in order to take control of your life The power of labels, how they create your identity and how limiting they are Why environment is crucial to your well-being Getting back to where you find peace and comfort Disconnecting from technology (and how Wes suggests doing it)   Quotes:   “Put the victim to bed and wake the hero up instead.”   “Your brain only understands what it’s experienced.”   “Anything that’s in the rear-view mirror you can 100% take ownership of that.”   “If you can positively think your way into a great life, you can negatively think your way into a crappy life.”   “Rip the labels off – you are what you choose to be.”   “The day of excuses is over.”   “I don’t believe in controlling other people; I believe in people controlling themselves.”   -- Wes’s message of “waking up the hero” has been adopted by thousands of people around the world. He draws from his unique life experiences to deeply connect with people of all backgrounds, creeds and beliefs. He is the founder of A HUMAN PROJECT, an organization that incubates creative, scalable solutions to systemic problems and gathers together the greatest minds to solve global issues in education, health and society.   With a background in technology, design and entrepreneurship, Wes has worked with clients like Verizon, Microsoft, A&E and has been the recipient of multiple “App of the Year” awards from Apple. He holds patents on several medical advancements. His work has been covered in multiple media outlets and publications, including: INC, CBS, TechCrunch, ABC, Forbes and many others.   As a speaker, Wes has shared the stage with eminent business owners and thought leader alike, including: Robert Herjavec, Sheri Salata, Gary Vaynerchuk, Randy Jackson, Peter Diamandis and many others.   And as co-creator of THE HUMAN GATHERING – named “The #1 Leadership Conference” by Forbes, Wes is consistently bringing together today’s foremost leaders in business, technology, philanthropy and the arts.   Resources: AHumanProject.com WakeTheHero.com   IG: @wesleydchapman FB: facebook.com/wesleydchapman   Checkout my website at https://loriharder.com. Follow me on social media @LoriHarder on Instagram and Lori Harder on Facebook. .