Latest / Daily Influence / 679. A Bad Day Doesn’t Make a Bad Life: From Incarceration to Impact

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679. A Bad Day Doesn’t Make a Bad Life: From Incarceration to Impact · Daily Influence

• 0:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to Daily Influence, your daily dose of positive influence.
• 0:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Brian Smith founder of IA Business Advisors and co-author of the Iain team series.
• 0:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Each day we share stories and insights to help you find be and build your influence in a positive and responsible way.
• 0:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm Greg Clino, partner at IA Business Advisors, and co-host of Daily Influence.
• 0:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Be sure to follow, subscribe, and share Daily Influence with someone who could use a little extra positivity today.
• 0:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: And make us part of your Daily routine, whether it's during your commute, on a walk, or an quiet moment just for you, because you're influenced matters.
• 0:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome to Davian Fluence, I'm Grecollino.
• 0:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Today, I'm honored to introduce you to someone who's story is a true testament to resilience, responsibility, and the power of choosing a different path.
• 1:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: Laura Townlinson grew up in a small town with strong roofs and big drains, but life took her through addiction.
• 1:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: incarceration and profound personal reckoning.
• 1:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: Rather than letting those chapters define her, Laura chose to transform them into purpose.
• 1:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Today she is the CEO of a Substance Abuse Treatment Center, a licensed professional, a leader, and a passionate advocate for helping others see their own potential, often before they can see it themselves.
• 1:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Laura's journey reminds us that influence isn't about where you start, but how intentionally you choose to show up for yourself and others.
• 1:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: Laura, welcome to Daily Influence.
• 1:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you for having me.
• 1:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Laura, your story has so many chapters that shaped who you are today.
• 1:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Could you share a bit about your background of what led you to where you are today with our listeners?
• 1:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: Absolutely.
• 1:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I'm an only child.
• 1:55
  [SPEAKER_02]: I grew up in a really small town here in Texas.
• 1:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: I played college basketball.
• 2:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: And when I was 21, I got involved with substance abuse.
• 2:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: I got addicted to method and fedamine, fast forward a few years.
• 2:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: In 2023, I was actually arrested for possession and I spent seven and a half years in federal prison.
• 2:15
  [SPEAKER_02]: And whenever I got out of prison, I knew that there was a better way and a different way and I wanted to help other people see that change was possible.
• 2:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for sharing that.
• 2:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: One of the themes we talk about often is how influence starts internally before it ever reaches others.
• 2:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Was there a moment during your journey when you realized that real change had to start with you and how did taking responsibility in that moment shift
• 2:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I think it was in a moment when I was actually in prison.
• 2:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: I just had a moment of clarity, it felt like that this wasn't the life that was meant for me.
• 2:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: I believe that I had to go through the things that I went to to see what my true potential was and to see exactly where I was meant to be in life.
• 3:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: And it was in those moments in prison.
• 3:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: Go in through a program that really helped me take a look at my life and the things that I had gone through that I wanted to use that to help other people so it was when I was in prison that I really decided hey when I get out of here I'm going to help others.
• 3:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's amazing, you know, once we begin doing the internal work in nature shows up and how we impact people around us.
• 3:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: Can you tell us about a moment or experience where you felt you made a positive impact on someone's life and how that experience reinforced your purpose?
• 3:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so whenever I got out of prison, actually, that's when I decided to be a counselor and when I started working with the clients, it was in those moments when the family members would call me and tell me, thank you, the families would call me and they would say, because of you, I have my son or my daughter back now and that was so powerful because I remember in my addiction, my parents would tell me, I don't even recognize you anymore.
• 3:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: So whenever I started making a difference with the clients that I worked with, it was the family members that really made me realize the work that you're doing is meaningful and it's powerful and this is working and you could actually help people.
• 4:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's beautiful and what a positive influence you had on not only the individual, but their families and it sounds like it had a positive influence on you as well.
• 4:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely.
• 4:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Leadership is a big part of your role now, and leadership is influenced in motion.
• 4:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: As a leader in recovery and treatment, how do you help people see their own potential, especially when they may feel defined by their past or current struggles?
• 4:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I decided that I wanted to be in leadership, because I went to different treatment centers and I had different experiences being a counselor.
• 4:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: And it was a moment that one of my supervisors really helped me see the difference in what true leadership could be.
• 4:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: My mentality is I'm not going to ask someone else to do something that I'm not willing to do myself.
• 5:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I think that's so powerful because a lot of time leadership sets behind the desk or they're not out in the community, they're not seeing what's going on day to day with their people and what I say, they're people they employees, sometimes leadership might not even know the employees names and I think that that is that makes, that makes a program what it is it all starts at the top and I feel that.
• 5:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: If the leadership can be involved with their people, a lot of times, people think the client is a number one person that they're supposed to be working with, but if we don't take care of our people, we don't take care of the clients.
• 5:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I truly believe that being in a leadership role, it's vulnerable, you know, and it's also about compassion and empathy and making sure that our people are taking care of.
• 6:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: happens because there are places that you can go or there's leaders and positions that they don't really care about their people, you know, and I don't think, I don't know, it just, I get repassioned about it because I've been into several different places where it's like you don't even know the CEO or you don't even know the clinical director, but I think that that's that's important.
• 6:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: I agree.
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  [SPEAKER_01]: It is really important.
• 6:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: So many people listening may be navigating their own hard seasons right now.
• 6:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you could go back and offer advice to your younger self, what would you share and how might that guidance help others who are early in their journey today?
• 6:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: I would say a bad day doesn't make a bad life.
• 6:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: Someone told me early on, especially when I started in the leadership position, smooth sailing never made a good captain.
• 7:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I hold on to that because life can get rough and life is going to life but it doesn't mean that life is bad and I think if I could tell my younger self that you can get through this if you lean in and you ask for help because help is there and it's about support and having a good support system.
• 7:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that's not only for people in recovery, it's for life in general, you know, life is going to life, bad days are going to come up, but it doesn't make it a bad life, and that's what I would like to tell myself if I were younger.
• 7:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: That is really good advice and for anybody.
• 7:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Your story carries weight and with that comes responsibility.
• 7:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: How do you approach sharing your story in a way
• 7:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: vulnerability and integrity and honesty.
• 7:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: Any time that I'm asked to share my story, I just make sure that I'm vulnerable about it.
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  [SPEAKER_02]: It's nothing to be shameful of.
• 7:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's a big part of why I'm where I'm at today.
• 8:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: And the more vulnerable I am, I believe that people connect to me, and they they can see a while that we really can do something different.
• 8:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's beautiful.
• 8:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: And as we begin to wrap up, what message your words have been encouragement?
• 8:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Would you like to share with our listeners who aspire to make a positive difference in the world, especially those who may doubt their ability to do so?
• 8:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: I would like to say that change is uncomfortable, but it's also a necessary for growth.
• 8:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: And in the moments of change, lean in to those around you
• 8:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for sharing your journey so openly and intentionally.
• 8:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Your story is a powerful reminder that our past does not disqualify us.
• 8:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: It can actually become the foundation of our greatest influence.
• 8:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: And your leadership courage and commitment to helping others rise and bodies exactly with daily influences all about.
• 9:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're so grateful for the work that you're doing and the lives you continue to impact.
• 9:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you so much for being with us, Laura.
• 9:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for having me.
• 9:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in to daily influence.
• 9:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: I hope today's conversation brought you insight and inspiration.
• 9:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: If it's spoke to you, share with someone who could use a little positivity today.
• 9:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Remember, small actions create big impact.
• 9:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Keep showing up, leading and growing one day to time.
• 9:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Until next time, stay inspired and keep having a positive, responsible influence.
• 9:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Bye-bye.