Wes Chapman | Overcoming Trauma & Finding Self-Worth

This week, Mitch talks with Wes Chapman, the Founder of A HUMAN PROJECT. Wes is also the recipient of Apple’s “App of the Year” award multiple times and consultant to Fortune 500 companies. Plus, he holds patents on numerous medical devices. In the episode, they discuss how Wes was able to take the trauma of his childhood and turn it into something that would fuel his success. More importantly, they talk about how he’s learned to shut down the cycle of abuse and negativity to live a loving, fulfilling incredibly fruitful and peaceful life with his wife and their kiddos. Listen To The Podcast: As someone who attempted suicide 12 times before the age of 16, Wes Chapman knows all about trauma and overcoming it. Chapman believes that human beings are capable of overcoming any challenge if they understand their inherent self-worth and move forward in that understanding. He’s the founder of A Human Project, which gathers the greatest minds to find creative, scalable solutions to global issues in education, health, and society. Time-Stamped Show Notes [01:50] Introduction and background of Wes Chapman. [04:20] Snapshot of Chapman’s daily life. [06:30] Chapman’s favorite aspects of the back-to-school season. [09:01] Chapman’s childhood. [16:35] Shifting your thinking and self-worth. [26:00] Practical tips to reprogram the brain. [32:51] Self-worth. [37:27] Your brain is a highway. [43:43] Overcoming pre-conditioned feelings. [53:50] We’re chemical beings. HOW ABOUT YOU? Listen in and let us know what stood out to you from Wes’s story and the strategies he offers. Comment below and share your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you! Keep bringing your awesome. Mitch Now… here are some show notes from today’s episode too! Enjoy!     Chapman’s Backstory Wes Chapman’s childhood was fraught with trauma. He endured alcohol abuse in the womb and at three months old was diagnosed with Failure to Thrive. At a year old his father abandoned the family, and when he was six years old, his mother left as well. “At a very young age, I was without the community that we’re supposed to start with, and the community that had taken me in and adopted me was abusive,” says Chapman. He and his younger siblings were abused physically, sexually, spiritually, and emotionally, and that abuse continued throughout his childhood. It was so bad that by the time he was 16 years old, he had attempted suicide 12 times resulting in documented hospitalizations. “That was my childhood. That was my reality,” says Chapman. However, awful as it was, he would never change it. “That experience and what I went through was key to what I am now doing,” he says. “I look at what happened to me and I look at what I’m now doing, and I look at the ability that I had to endure that, and now I’ve got this responsibility to share my story and how I actually overcame all of that.” Bringing Change to Others Chapman’s work with A Human Project focuses on youth and their families and giving them more opportunities to succeed. He has no typical day, and instead lives in two work spaces. When he’s on the road, he’s out in the communities having conversations with schools and community leaders, working with psychiatrists, and having face-to-face interaction with the youth he’s helping. When he’s at home, it’s more relaxed work on the business side and making sure that they’re rooted, strong, and building sustainable and scalable solutions. “I have to wear these two hats, the on-the-tour Wes and then the founder Wes,” he says. “It’s very hectic, whether I’m home or on tour.” It may be hectic, but it’s also exciting and rewarding for him. Working on a school-year calendar instead of a Gregorian calendar allows Chapman to see the kids he worked with the previous school year. “To see them completely picking up the pieces and changing their trajectory — some are miraculous changes and some are microscopic,