Today’s guest is Johnny Crowder, who at 19 seemed to have what any kid in a metal band could dream of.  He just got signed to a major record deal and was embarking on a career of recording and touring with a band he helped form and who'se name was tattooed on the body of many of his fans.  But celebration was not in the cards.   Johnny, who is an abuse and suicide surviver, with a mounting list of mental health diagnoses started to look at the business, the pressures, and the priorities of those who managed his career to  make some sense of it all. From there, despite continuuning as a heavy metal singer (or was it death metal or black metal?), Johnny has found new ways to define himself and finds another, equally compelling path. 

Johnny has subsequently become a mental health and sobriety advocate, who has graced the TEDx stage and who founded and is CEO of Cope Notes, which uses daily text messages that combine peer support and positive psychology to help improve mental and emotional health. In this episode he opens up about his journey and provides some really powerful messages that help us explore what it's really all about and how to keep our priorities focused on what is important.

COPE NOTES:  https://copenotes.com/

Johnny Crowder on TEDx: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56Zb_TLhPOw

The Forbes article about Cope Notes:
 https://www.forbes.com/sites/shamahyder/2021/01/19/the-next-evolution-of-digital-mental-health-support/?sh=2b469af758f8

Twitter - @copenotes
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Facebook - @copenotes

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Kites and String's is produced and edited by Steve Ploum at Turning Stones Counseling, Inc.
Our theme music is by Harrison Amir, and all other original music by purple planet music at https://www.purple-planet.com