The Journey with Mark Astor

What happens when you score 139 on the LSAT three times and everyone tells you law school isn't for you? Kristen Gross proves that hard work beats talent every single time. As the founder of KWG Family Law and Mediation Services, Kristen's journey from struggling test-taker to successful attorney challenges everything we think we know about academic achievement and professional success. Her story reveals how her mother secretly applied to law school on her behalf, how she turned personal tragedy into professional purpose, and why she believes the collaborative law process can transform how families navigate divorce. From taking a four-year hiatus after her mother's death to building a practice that prioritizes children's well-being over courtroom battles, Kristen's path wasn't traditional, but it was authentic.In this conversation, you'll discover why standardized test scores don't predict real-world success, how personal loss can redirect your entire career trajectory, and what it really takes to help families heal instead of just win legal battles. Kristen shares the moment she realized litigation wasn't her calling, the collaborative approach that changes everything for divorcing families, and why she founded a nonprofit mentoring foster youth. Her insights on turning academic struggles into professional strengths will shift how you think about failure, persistence, and finding your true calling in life.Contact Mark Astor:Website: https://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/Phone number: 561-517-9405Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markastorTikTok: Mark G. Astor (@astorsimovitchlaw) | TikTok

What would you do if gunfire erupted around you and your family was running for safety? Todd Blyleven faced that exact moment at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, and his split-second decision changed everything. Instead of running with his wife and family to safety, Todd kissed his wife goodbye and ran back into the chaos - not once, but dozens of times over eight grueling hours. His actions that night saved over 30 lives and helped hundreds more escape one of America's deadliest mass shootings.Todd's story goes far beyond that horrific night in 2017. As a former MLB scout who signed 25 players to major league contracts and grew up in a Hall of Fame baseball family, Todd understood pressure and performance. But nothing prepared him for the moment he saw muzzle flashes from Mandalay Bay and made the choice to become a human shield for strangers. From carrying wounded victims to safety, to disarming a man with a knife in hotel corridors, to building makeshift triage centers on the street - Todd's journey through trauma, survivor's guilt, and ultimate healing offers profound insights into resilience, faith, and what it truly means to bounce forward rather than just bounce back.Contact Mark Astor:Website: https://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/Phone number: 561-517-9405Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markastorTikTok: Mark G. Astor (@astorsimovitchlaw) | TikTok

Not all trauma looks the way people expect it to and that misunderstanding may be holding more people back than they realize. What if the experiences you’ve brushed off as “not that bad” are actually shaping your behavior, relationships, and mental health in ways you’ve never considered? In this episode, Mark Astor sits down with Renee Calhoun to unpack the difference between “Big T” and “Little T” trauma and why both can have a lasting impact.As the conversation unfolds, Renee connects trauma to ADHD, addiction, family dynamics, and even physical symptoms many people overlook. From generational patterns to the role of dopamine, medication, and emotional processing, this episode challenges common assumptions about mental health and recovery. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of how trauma shows up, why it’s often misunderstood, and how recognizing it can completely change the way you approach healing for yourself or someone you love.Contact Mark Astor:Website: https://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/Phone number: 561-517-9405Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markastorTikTok: Mark G. Astor (@astorsimovitchlaw) | TikTok

There are moments in life that change everything and for Jeffrey Johnston, those moments came in ways no parent or partner should ever have to face. What happens when you lose not only your son, but years later, your wife to addiction as well? And how do you keep going when grief, guilt, and addiction begin pulling you under too? In this deeply raw and unfiltered conversation, Mark Astor sits down with Jeffrey to explore the reality of standing at the edge and what it truly takes to step back from it.What unfolds is not just a story of loss, but one of radical responsibility, resilience, and transformation. Jeffrey opens up about his own battle with alcohol, the breaking point that changed everything, and how he turned unimaginable pain into a mission to help others through advocacy, mental health innovation, and honest conversation. This episode will challenge how you think about addiction, recovery, and what it really means to rebuild a life when everything you once knew is gone and it may just leave you seeing your own struggles through a completely different lens.Contact Mark Astor:Website: https://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/Phone number: 561-517-9405Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markastorTikTok: Mark G. Astor (@astorsimovitchlaw) | TikTok

What happens when the life you worked so hard to build is the very thing that starts breaking you? In this deeply honest conversation, Wayne Basist shares how the relentless pressure of practicing law, combined with years of underlying anxiety, quietly pushed him toward a breaking point he didn’t fully see coming. But it wasn’t just burnout it was a devastating car accident that changed everything, setting off a chain reaction that would challenge him physically, mentally, and emotionally in ways he never imagined.As chronic pain led to opioid use and his world began to unravel, Wayne found himself facing moments that forced a life-or-death decision. What followed wasn’t a quick fix, but a long and deeply personal journey through trauma, recovery, and transformation. Today, he’s using those experiences to help other attorneys navigate the very struggles that nearly took him down. This episode invites you to rethink stress, resilience, and what it truly means to rebuild your life from the ground up.Contact Mark Astor:Website: https://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/Phone number: 561-517-9405Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markastorTikTok: Mark G. Astor (@astorsimovitchlaw) | TikTok

What happens when the identity that made you successful is the same one that nearly destroys you? In this raw and deeply personal conversation, Chris Nilan opens up about the life behind the fights both on the ice and far beyond it. From growing up in a tough Boston neighborhood to becoming one of hockey’s most feared enforcers, his story isn’t just about toughness… it’s about what that toughness was hiding. Beneath the surface was a battle few people saw coming one that didn’t end when the game did.As life after hockey set in, the loss of structure, identity, and purpose led Chris down a path of addiction, pain, and near-death moments that forced him to confront everything he had been running from. What followed wasn’t a quick fix but a long, honest process of rebuilding, accountability, and real change. This episode doesn’t just share what he went through it reveals what it actually takes to come back from it. You’ll walk away seeing resilience, recovery, and personal responsibility in a completely different light.Contact Mark Astor:Website: https://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/Phone number: 561-517-9405Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markastorTikTok: Mark G. Astor (@astorsimovitchlaw) | TikTok

What if everything we’ve been taught about mental health especially in movies and media is completely wrong? In this episode, Danielle Blum shares how her journey as an author evolved into something much deeper: a mission to challenge the harmful narratives surrounding trauma and dissociative identity. Through the creation of her psychological thriller Fragments of Affection, Danielle conducted over 100 interviews with individuals living with dissociative identity disorder, uncovering stories that are far more human, complex, and misunderstood than what we typically see portrayed.As the conversation unfolds, Danielle opens up about the emotional weight of those interviews, the unexpected community that formed from them, and the responsibility that comes with telling stories rooted in real lived experience. She also shares a deeply personal perspective on addiction through her best friend’s ongoing struggle, offering an honest look at the tension between love, support, and helplessness. This episode invites you to rethink what you believe about trauma, identity, and healing and to see the people behind the diagnosis with a new level of understanding.Contact Mark Astor:Website: https://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/Phone number: 561-517-9405Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markastorTikTok: Mark G. Astor (@astorsimovitchlaw) | TikTok

Why do people stay in abusive relationships even when the danger is clear from the outside? In this powerful conversation, Mark sits down with licensed clinical social worker Maggie Mccane to explore the complex psychological dynamics behind trauma, domestic violence, and healing. Drawing from years of experience working with survivors, offenders, and individuals navigating deep emotional wounds, Maggie explains why leaving an abusive relationship is often far more complicated than people realize. Financial control, manipulation, fear, isolation, and trauma bonds can all keep victims trapped in cycles of violence that are incredibly difficult to break.Maggie also shares insights into how trauma shapes the way we view ourselves and the world around us, introducing listeners to concepts like “stuck memories” and EMDR therapy a powerful approach that helps people process and heal from traumatic experiences. Together, Mark and Maggie discuss the role of community, faith, personal growth, and trauma-informed therapy in helping people reclaim their lives. This conversation offers both compassion and clarity for anyone seeking to understand the deeper realities of trauma, recovery, and the long journey toward healing.Contact Mark Astor:Website: https://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/Phone number: 561-517-9405Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markastorTikTok: Mark G. Astor (@astorsimovitchlaw) | TikTok

What does it really mean to lead with service in a world that often rewards self-promotion? In this episode, Mark Astor sits down with Steven Ramona to explore how genuine relationship-building, consistent value, and a servant-first mindset can open doors most people spend years trying to force open. Steven shares how serving others has shaped his approach to business, podcasting, and networking, and why the strongest opportunities often come from showing up for people before asking for anything in return. This conversation is a powerful reminder that meaningful success is rarely built alone.Together, Mark and Steven unpack the difference between transactional networking and transformational connection, why mindset matters at every level of growth, and how podcasting can become a tool for authority, impact, and long-term opportunity. They also talk about taking action, learning later in life, building the right inner circle, and creating relationships rooted in trust instead of urgency. If you’ve ever wondered how to grow your business without losing your values, this episode will give you a fresh perspective. You may walk away rethinking not only how you network, but how you serve, lead, and grow.Contact Mark Astor:Website: https://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/Phone number: 561-517-9405Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markastorTikTok: Mark G. Astor (@astorsimovitchlaw) | TikTok

In this powerful episode of The Journey with Mark Astor, Mark sits down with former prosecutor and civil litigator JoDee Neil to unpack one of the most misunderstood realities of workplace sexual harassment: retaliation. While many conversations focus on the misconduct itself, JoDee explains why retaliation after someone speaks up is often where the deepest damage occurs. Drawing on over two decades of legal experience including prosecuting crimes against children and leading complex civil litigation she shares what really happens inside organizations when someone tells the truth. The result is often isolation, career derailment, and emotional fallout that employers underestimate at their own risk.JoDee also brings a deeply personal lens to the conversation as a survivor and the author of Outcry Witness. She discusses how unresolved trauma follows people into the workplace, how silence compounds harm, and why courtrooms alone cannot solve what is fundamentally a cultural issue. Together, Mark and JoDee explore what accountability should look like, how workplaces can reduce liability while increasing humanity, and why protecting those who come forward is not political it’s essential. If you’ve ever wondered what really happens after someone reports harassment, this episode offers clarity, courage, and a path forward.Contact Mark Astor:Website: https://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/Phone number: 561-517-9405Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markastorTikTok: Mark G. Astor (@astorsimovitchlaw) | TikTok

A family home became a crime scene. What followed wasn’t just grief it was a reckoning. In this deeply personal conversation, Kacia Warren shares how losing her sister to a devastating combination of prescription medication and fentanyl forced her to confront the generational patterns of trauma and addiction that had shaped her family for decades. What began as unimaginable loss became the catalyst for a powerful mission: to break the cycle once and for all.Kacia opens up about growing up around alcoholism, navigating stigma after her sister’s death, and the emotional toll of silence within families struggling with addiction. She speaks candidly about fentanyl, advocacy, and the courage it takes to tell the truth even when others would rather keep it hidden. This episode is not just about loss. It’s about resilience, accountability, and what happens when someone decides the cycle ends with them.Contact Mark Astor:Website: https://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/Phone number: 561-517-9405Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markastorTikTok: Mark G. Astor (@astorsimovitchlaw) | TikTok

What happens when addiction isn’t something you stumbled into but something you were raised around?Joshua Pair grew up in a world where methamphetamine wasn’t hidden it was normalized. What began as exposure eventually became experimentation, then dependence, and ultimately a spiral that cost him his scholarship, stability, and relationships. But what makes Joshua’s story different isn’t just the depth of his struggle it’s what he now understands about addiction. In this conversation, he shares how substance use hijacks the brain, why addiction is more than “just a choice,” and how family systems are quietly reshaped by chaos, codependency, and survival roles.Today, Joshua is a licensed chemical dependency counselor helping individuals and families untangle the very patterns he once lived inside. From homelessness and warrants to sober living and leadership, his journey reveals what recovery actually looks like not perfection, but rebuilding. If you’ve ever questioned whether real change is possible, or struggled to understand how addiction reshapes both the individual and the family, this episode will shift how you see it and what healing can truly become.Contact Mark Astor:Website: https://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/Phone number: 561-517-9405Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markastorTikTok: Mark G. Astor (@astorsimovitchlaw) | TikTok

What if the very moment that threatened to derail your dreams… became the reason you built something bigger? At just 9 years old, Olivia Atkin was diagnosed with epilepsy a life-altering experience that forced her to trade Junior Olympic swim lanes for a new kind of purpose. In this powerful conversation, Olivia shares how one unexpected health crisis became the defining moment that shaped her mindset, her mission, and her journey into entrepreneurship.Now a globally recognized podcast strategist and founder of Achieving Success LLC, Olivia opens up about building a values-driven business, walking away from professional sports at the top, and how she helps others amplify their voice through podcasting. You’ll hear the mindset shifts, hard decisions, and quiet wins that rarely get spotlighted and walk away with a deeper understanding of what it really takes to turn challenge into credibility, and vision into authority.Contact Mark Astor:Website: https://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/Phone number: 561-517-9405Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markastorTikTok: Mark G. Astor (@astorsimovitchlaw) | TikTokContact Olivia Atkin:Calendar Link: MeetwithOlivia.meWebsite: Achieving-Success.comLinkedIn: achieving-success-llcInstagram: @_achievingsuccessTwitter: @_achievesuccessFacebook: @Achieving SuccessFacebook Community: thepodcastpowerhousecommunityPersonal Facebook: @olivia.atkinPersonal LinkedIn:  Olivia Atkin CP, CAPM, CPIM

What if the key to multiplying your business valuation wasn’t just hustle but a trademark? In this episode of The Journey, attorney Mark G. Astor sits down with brand protection strategist and IP litigator L.A. Perkins to explore the legal strategies that transformed one client’s business and helped her sell for 900% more than the original offer. From cease and desist letters to courtroom wins, L.A. reveals the unseen power of intellectual property in building generational wealth.But this conversation goes deeper than business. L.A. opens up about her path from teenage entrepreneur to nationally recognized super lawyer, and how a personal story involving addiction, mental health, and the Marchman Act changed the way she approaches advocacy. Whether you're a founder, legal professional, or just someone who believes in the American Dream, this episode will reframe how you think about ownership, protection, and legacy.Contact Mark Astor:Website: https://mentalhealthaddictionlawfirm.com/Phone number: 561-517-9405Email: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markastorTikTok: Mark G. Astor (@astorsimovitchlaw) | TikTok