All Or Nothing with Guest Speaking Coach and Author David Thomas. Looking Back at S2E40.

He's not a professional comic but laughter comes easy for David Thomas. It's actually one field that he hasn't tried professionally, but would love to some day.  Thomas is a Global Professional Speaker and a CEO Presentation Skills Coach. In case you haven't heard about his crazy memory abilities,  he's also an International Grandmaster of Memory, broken Guinness record for reciting Pi to 22,500 digits, became US Memory Champion and so much more.  

From the age of 4, David recalls the nightly sexual abuse  he suffered  from his alcoholic mother, Gillian and then the years of physical abuse from his step-father.  David had a younger brother to protect, so he kept this secret to himself to be certain that his younger brother would not be exposed to any of it.

Unfortunately, David's mother died in her early 50's, almost 21 years since the time of this recording. She died at a young age due to an alcohol induced heart attack.  David was happy that he had put  his neglect behind him in order to move forward prior to his mother's death. They had rekindled their relationship.

 As if the abuse wasn't enough, David also attempted suicide twice, but was not successful.  When asked if this was life changing or a sign that he was meant to live a long life, his response was,  "no, not at all, it meant that I was just terrible at trying to kill myself." Again, gallows humor, but it's easy for him to make light looking back so many years later.

David  wanted to help others who had suffered abuse under the hand of loved ones, so he wrote what turned out to be a #1 bestselling book in the UK, "Tell Me Why Mummy"- An inspirational  true story of one man overcoming enormous odds including sexual abuse from his alcoholic mother to choose his own path in life and become  and become a truly exceptional human being.

Thomas says "you only have 3 choices in life as far as moving on after an abusive, challenging upbringing-

Therapy and researching and writing his book help free himself from the horrors of his childhood.

Website: https://www.themotivationspeaker.com/david-thomas

Website: https://www.creatingpresentationrockstars.com/ppl-homepage

"Should Have Listened To My Mother" is an ongoing conversation about mothers and the roles they play in our lives. And my guests answer the question, 'are you who you are today because of, or in spite of, your mother'? You'll be amazed at what the responses are.

"Should Have Listened To My Mother" would not be possible without the generosity, sincerity and insight from my guests. In getting ready to launch my podcast, so many were willing to give their time and share their personal relationships with their mother.

Some of my guests include Baritone Singer Christopheren Nomura, Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist Tim Wacker, Activist Kim Miller, Freighter Sea Captain Terry Viscount, Film Production Manager Peg Robinson, Professor of Writing Montclair State University Dr. Bridget Brown, Tammy Steckler, attorney and family advocate @CUNY Law; NYC First Responder/NYC Firefighter Mark Heingartner, Child and Adult Special Needs Activist, Maryellen Valyo Cole and Roger Evens, Property Manager in New Jersey and so many more talented and insightful women and men.

I've worked in the broadcasting industry for over four decades. I've interviewed so many fascinating people including musicians, celebrities, authors, activists, entrepreneurs, politicians and more.

A big thank you goes to Ricky Soto, NYC based Graphic Designer, who created my logo for "Should Have Listened To My Mother".

Check out my website for more background information: https://www.jackietantillo.com/

Or more demos of what's to come at https://soundcloud.com/jackie-tantillo

Find audio versions of the podcast here: https://shltmm.simplecast.com/

Spotify Link: https://open.spotify.com/show/60j14qCcks4AP3JUrWrc2M

Link to website and show notes: https://shltmm.simplecast.com/

Spotify Link: https://open.spotify.com/show/60j14qCcks4AP3JUrWrc2M

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