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Rick Cheatham on Surviving Grief, Healing Marriage, and Leading Men
Manage episode 486848796 series 2968201
Sponsored by Maryland Pickers
Rick Cheatham’s story is one of incredible resilience, raw honesty, and deep transformation. A former firefighter and current marriage coach, Rick opens up about his battles with addiction, his near divorce, the murder of his son, and a devastating injury that left him temporarily paralyzed. Through it all, he found healing in forgiveness, faith, and purpose, and now helps other men do the same. This is a must-listen for anyone navigating trauma, broken relationships, or spiritual healing.
Guest: Rick Cheatham
Rick Cheatham is a former fire captain from Anaheim, California, and now a transformational speaker and marriage coach. After overcoming decades of personal struggle, including addiction, near-divorce, and the tragic murder of his son, Rick dedicates his life to helping men heal from trauma, rebuild their marriages, and live with authenticity and courage. He is the creator of the Start Where You Stand method and is currently writing two books to share his story and framework with a broader audience.
Main Topics:
· Rick’s military service and transition to firefighting
· His descent into addiction (pornography, promiscuity, escapism)
· Rebuilding trust and saving his marriage
· The role of faith and spiritual vibrational healing
· The emotional impact of losing his son to murder
· Forgiveness: of others, himself, and his past
· How trauma shapes identity and behavior
· His mission to help men heal, especially in fire service communities
· The “Start Where You Stand” framework
· Courage vs. fear as life lenses
Resources mentioned:
· Discovering the Mind of a Woman
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Chapters
1. Rich’s intro and Rick’s background (00:00:00)
2. From baseball dreams to military life (00:02:31)
3. Construction and joining the fire service (00:05:41)
4. Struggles post-military: addiction begins (00:09:01)
5. Sexual addiction and emotional pain (00:14:01)
6. Praying for the perfect wife—and getting her (00:15:46)
7. How addiction almost destroyed his marriage (00:19:31)
8. Vibrational healing and breaking addiction cycles (00:21:31)
9. Early childhood trauma and adult decisions (00:26:31)
10. Learning to forgive himself (00:36:31)
11. Losing his son and battling depression (00:38:31)
12. Forgiving his son’s killer (00:41:31)
13. Returning to serve the fire family (00:45:31)
14. A firefighter’s suicide prevention story (00:49:31)
15. Living life through fear vs. love (00:53:31)
16. Finding purpose through adversity (00:58:11)
17. The most powerful memory of his son Michael (01:00:31)
18. Final thoughts and how to connect with Rick (01:08:31)
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