Oliver Trevena: Surviving Trauma, Building Brands, and Staying Sober in Hollywood

Oliver Trevena joins the Painful Lessons Podcast to share how he turned near-death trauma into triumph. The actor, producer, and Caliwater co-founder opens up about being beaten into a coma, rebuilding his face, and reclaiming his life through sobriety and entrepreneurship. From working with Vanessa Hudgens and Gerard Butler to launching wellness brands and indie films, Oliver’s journey is one of resilience, humility, and relentless hustle.

This candid episode covers:

• Rebuilding after brutal physical trauma

• Gerard Butler’s hilarious role in a tooth-related dating disaster

• The voice that tells creatives they're never enough

• How sobriety transformed his success and peace

• Starting Caliwater with Vanessa Hudgens & top investors

• Parenting, forgiveness, and emotional maturity

A raw and inspiring conversation for anyone walking the line between ambition and authenticity.

• Intro & Oliver’s Outlook on Humor and Pain

• The Gerard Butler “tooth” story

• Beaten into a coma at 22 — and what came after

• Winning Best Breakout Actor at 43

• The hustle of an actor/producer

• Mental patterns & battling the “not enough” voice

• Learning to pause and live in the now

• Sobriety, shame, and reclaiming joy

• Parenting, forgiveness, and self-compassion

• From ballet shoes to boardrooms

• Launching Caliwater with Vanessa Hudgens

• Brand integrity: product before celebrity

• New ventures: hot sauce, ice cream, and red light therapy

• Relationship building over networking

• Final reflections: living from the inside out