From Witness to Advocate: How a School Shooting Shaped Ryan Gallik’s Mission

In this profound and deeply human episode, Anne Bonney sits down with speaker and mental wellness advocate Ryan Gallik to explore a life shaped by trauma—and transformed by healing, purpose, and leadership.As a witness to and survivor of a middle school school shooting, Ryan’s journey through grief and trauma led him to a life of service—as a firefighter, paramedic, and now the founder of the Mental Hygiene Project  (www.mentalhygieneproject.com) , where he champions mental health, trauma-informed leadership, and organizational wellness.With striking vulnerability, Ryan shares his personal story of resilience, including his own struggles with mental health and the critical moment that led him to seek therapy and support. He introduces trammunicate—a trauma-informed communication framework designed to help leaders and teams navigate emotional complexity with empathy and skill. Through this approach, he highlights how real change happens not through surface-level wellness initiatives, but through culturally competent, emotionally intelligent leadership that meets people where they are.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why resilience and optimism aren’t traits—they’re skills we can buildHow trauma-informed leadership can create safer, stronger workplace culturesWhy communication must account for unspoken, written, and visual cues—not just wordsWhat it takes to create true psychological safety for teams and individualsThis is a powerful conversation about humanity, healing, and the kind of leadership that helps people feel seen, valued, and supported.Want more from Ryan?LinkedIn: http://linkedIn.com/in/ryangallikWebsite: www.mentalhygieneproject.comRyan Gallik is a professional speaker, trainer, and business consultant who helps leaders cultivate mental resilience, redefine their impact, and lead with purpose and passion. Ryan had an early career as a Firefighter/Paramedic and is the Founder and Developer of Traummunicate™ and Situational Traummunication™, and emotional intelligence and communication tool.