When I was a freshman at St. Peter’s I had the pleasure of meeting the Director of Campus Ministry, Dan Colgan. I quickly realized that Dan is uniquely talented with an amazing ability to bring people together, no matter the obstacles or the differences that tend to keep us apart. He's dedicated his life to this mission and we're lucky to have him share his story on this episode.

Dan Colgan is the founder of Rock Paper Team, LLC, a team building company that blends customized, interactive experiences with clients’ goals and objectives. Dan leads events and offers workshops for organizations to facilitate team building and effective communication. Dan has 20 plus years experience with youth and adults. Some clients include University of Arkansas, Priceline Group, JP Morgan and Facebook. He is also a Stand-up Comedian who uses his performance skills to engage audiences with both professionalism and humor.

In this episode, Aaron and I talk with an old friend about challenging relationships, both with others and with ourselves. Sam Forney joins us to share some of his observations and experiences with relationship dynamics throughout his journey, from female to male. We even had a unique opportunity to look back on our own challenging relationship! 

In this episode, we’ll be diving into my own heroic journey, as Aaron and I leave the studio for a ‘lounge’ episode, complete with live music, adult beverages and a very special guest.

In episode 5, we are joined by Britta Dornan of the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases. Britta is the Director of Marketing and Communications for EverLife, as well as a rare disease patient, herself. Join Britta and Joseph, as they discuss the importance of sharing our journeys with others. From storytelling in a personal setting, to addressing members of Congress, it is our journeys that often effect change. 

Find out more about EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases HERE

Leona deVinne joins us for a broad discussion on learning how to flourish and live your best life. We delve into meaningful steps to take in order to retrain your brain and find happiness.

Leona's book "Finding Your Joy Spot" is available on Audible and Amazon - FINDING YOUR JOY SPOT

The caretaker is a role that is often undervalued. These special people in our lives tend to focus so much on others that they forget about taking care of themselves. Marirene Puente Heisler knows this all too well. It took her many years to let go of the idea that she had to save her children and husband after they were diagnosed with Von Hippel-Lindau.

In this episode, Joseph and Aaron discuss the idea of Victim-Survivor-Navigator; a concept that has helped Joseph to acknowledge the changes and adaptations necessary to navigate life with von Hippel Lindau.

Later in the show, we’re joined by special guest, Chandra Clark, executive director of the VHL Alliance. Chandra helps us shed light on this shared path from circumstance and trauma to recovery and a return to living our hero’s journey.

For more information on the VHL Alliance visit VHL.org

Welcome to Very Heroic Living. In this pilot episode, host Joseph Heisler introduces himself and his journey living with von Hippel-Lindau aka VHL. Diagnosed at a young age, Joseph has been through many stages of life having to navigate extraordinary circumstances for himself and his family.

Joined by an old friend and show producer, Aaron Hodges, Joseph opens up about some of the dark days and experiences that have shaped his life and how he manages a lifestyle he never imagined.