EP 047 - Letting go of the man I thought I had to be, to become the man I’ve always wanted to be w/ Frankey Renaud

Comfort Via Discomfort

Welcome to EP 047 of the CVD Podcast!!
Frankey Renaud is a retired CFL player turned transformational leadership coach. Pretty awesome, right!?
Well, there's A LOT more to Frankey's story than just that.
Frankey spent the first 25 years of his life trying to become the man he thought he had to be: tough, muscular, big beard, football player, hiding behind his armor, never choosing to be vulnerable or emotional (I'm sure many men out there can relate to this).
After retiring from the CFL due to two knee injuries and a limited mindset, Frankey experienced a period of depression and considered taking his own life.
He thought he had it all ( many others looking from the outside would think this, too)... and now, he wasn't sure who he was. Football was his identity and now, without it, he didn't know who he was. On the inside, there was so much turmoil and uncertainty.
Step by step, Frankey started to let go of who he was to try to discover who he wanted to become. And now... Frankey is a transformational leadership coach and speaker on a mission to help others live their best life by focusing on their mindset, self empowerment, and mental health. He's even started the Gamechangers Leadership Academy to help adolescents do the same and learn from his mistakes.
Frankey has become the man he wished would have been present while he was growing up. He never wants anybody to experience what he did, and it's truly inspiring!
In this episode, Frankey talks about:

• Growing up in a dysfunctional household
  • Being the "man of the house" at 8 years old
• Male figures that believed in him and the impact they had in his life
  • How this got him started playing football
• His football journey - the highs and lows
  • Playing for the University of Windsor and getting recruited to the CFL
  • Relentlessly pursuing his dream of playing professionally
  • Experiencing and recovering from two knee injuries
  • Bouncing from team to team due to his injuries and his own issues
• Life after playing in the Canadian Football League
  • Experiencing a period of depression and suicidal thoughts
  • Leaving "signs" to his partner that he was in trouble
  • How he started to overcome his depression one step at a time
• Redefining who he wanted to be for himself and for others
  • Becoming a transformational leadership coach
  • Focus on himself and what was inside, before looking outside
  • Letting go of a version of himself to become who he needed to be

Where you can find Frankey and his company online:

• Frankey: Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
• Gamechangers Leadership Academy: Website
• Article: Frankey now looks at his bipolar diagnosis as a gift

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