Mental health struggles can often go unspoken, especially within the military and first responder communities. Tim Roberto, Marine veteran and founder of the nonprofit Stomping Out the Stigma, intimately understands the pain of addiction and the urgent need for support. In this episode, we delve into his journey — from battles with alcoholism to finding redemption through recovery. Tim's candid narrative highlights not only his personal struggles but also the mission behind his organization, which aims to eliminate stigmas surrounding mental health issues, empowering those who serve our communities.
We explore the inception of Stomping Out the Stigma and its focus on providing a safe haven for veterans and first responders, where they can seek help without the fear of being judged or losing their jobs. Tim speaks passionately about his recent 71-mile walk that raised awareness and funds for mental health services. This endeavor brought together countless individuals, emphasizing the importance of connection, community, and dialogue regarding mental health.
During our discussion, Tim shares insightful stories of hope and resilience that remind us that healing is possible. He breaks down the misconceptions surrounding addiction and highlights the importance of seeking help. Encouraging listeners to engage with the mission of Stomping Out the Stigma, Tim emphasizes that we are all part of this vital journey together.
In a world where silence often prevails, Tim’s work is a powerful reminder that sharing our stories can foster healing and support. Head over to SOTSinc.org to learn more, donate to the cause, or join one of Tim’s upcoming events. Let's work together to stomp out the stigma surrounding mental health and create a supportive community for those who need it most. Your engagement can and will make a difference — don’t hesitate to be part of the change.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Scott McLean (00:00):
Welcome to the podcast.
I'm Scott McClain.
My guest today is Tim Roberto.
Tim is the founder and CEO ofStomping Out the Stigma.
How you doing, tim?
Hey, scott, I'm doing well, man, thanks.
Welcome to the podcast.
Welcome to the big pink couch.
Yeah, yeah, thanks for havingme.
It's comfy.
Mike Foundation Studiosponsored by Willow and Palm
(00:23):
Construction.
Willow and Palm Construction,south Florida's premier builder.
Willow and Palm Constructionfrom driveways to roofs to
buildings, if you need it,they'll do it.
You can find them atwillowandpalmcom.
They're very good to me, it'sgot a nice ring to it.
Yeah yeah, there's a whole storybehind the Willow and Palm name
(00:44):
Willowandpalm it.
Tim Roberto (00:44):
Yeah yeah, there's a whole story behind the Willow
and Palm name WillowandPalmcom.
Yeah.
Scott McLean (00:47):
Yeah, yeah, they love being in the veteran space,
and so we have a goodpartnership, yeah Great people.
Tim Roberto (00:55):
So, tim, where are you from?
Originally?
I was born in Brooklyn and thenmom and dad moved out to North
Jersey.
It was the area I was in evenback then, because I was born in
62 by 65, the area we in wewere in, as we would say, from
brooklyn or north jersey.
It was getting a little fugazi,yeah, yeah, so mom and dad were
, you know, and then we went tonorth jersey, bergen county,
(01:19):
okay, yeah, okay, and you're aveteran, I am all right.
When did you go in and what didyou go into?
I went into the Marine Corps in1982.
Ah, 1982.
A year after I graduated highschool.
Yeah, I'm getting old, scott.
Yeah, I'm 62 now, man, it'sokay, I'm 61.
Scott McLean (01:36):
It's okay.
Tim Roberto (01:37):
Oh, you're doing the creep right with me.
Scott McLean (01:38):
Yeah, yeah, it's okay.
I love this part of my life.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I haveno issues with it.
Yeah, so you went in theMarines, I did 82.
Okay, hurrah.
Tim Roberto (01:49):
Where were you stationed?
Down in Camp Lejeune?
Lejeune, Pendleton and Foster.
Okay, yeah All right.
Scott McLean (01:55):
Like me, you were a Cold War veteran.
Yeah, never saw any combat.
No, I was in that transition.
Yeah, I was in from 87 to 97.
And I was it was.
I saw that like happen right infront of me.
I was stationed in Sacramento.
It made the Air Force Baseweird.
Tim Roberto (02:10):
I mean I was getting close.
Yeah, Because I was.
When I was at Lejeune, I was atCamp Geiger.
It was like a you know it's anoffshoot of Lejeune on the same
property.
All the guys were coming backfrom Beirut.
You know the rotation,especially after the barracks
blew up and they were all coming.
I thought I was just convincedit was a matter of time.
Yeah.
Scott McLean (02:29):
Yeah, you know, I think this is episode 43 of this
podcast and of all thefoundations that I've
interviewed and the veteransthat I've interviewed, the
majority seem to be Marines.
I it's it.
Majority seem to be Marines.
It's baffling to me.
I love it, I love it, but likethen, there's Army, army comes
(02:50):
in second, and then Air Forceand, I think, one Navy person so
far but.
Marines just seem to be reallyinvolved in these things.
Tim Roberto (02:59):
Well, if you're going to do it, you know you got
to.
Scott McLean (03:01):
Yeah.
Tim Roberto (03:01):
Marine Corps is the way to go.
Scott McLean (03:03):
Yeah Well, I'm an air force guy, so I don't yeah,
we'll have a debate about that,as I always say, the the marines
ate in the chow hall, the airforce ate in the dining facility
.
Yeah, you lived in the barracks.
We lived in the dormitory 100and we had a real military style
beautiful dress, uniform, wehad a suit, we had a blue suit.
Tim Roberto (03:28):
So those are a lot of big differences and we got
all you guys hand-me-downs.
Scott McLean (03:32):
That's true too.
We had better food.
We had better equipment.
Tim Roberto (03:36):
We had better living facilities.
Yeah, we got all the stuff thatwas used.
Yeah yeah, it's all right,though, yeah it's all good,
we're all in it together.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's allright though.
Yeah, it's all right.
Yeah, it's all good, we're allin it together.
Yeah, we are.
Yeah, so do you get out?
Right, I get out.
What year gosh I got out?
I was on the two and a half yearplan, okay, yep.
(03:57):
Yeah, I struggled a lot withmental health and a lot of
addiction issues and, you know,as a marine, I struggled being
able to communicate my feelingsand how I felt.
This has gone back to when Iwas a young boy.
So, just, you know, came intofruition in the Marine Corps.
There was a lot of expectations, a lot of things that needed to
be accomplished.
(04:18):
Of course, you're a Marine, youaccomplish them, but my mental
health wasn't doing as good as Iwould have liked it to be.
So I struggled and that createda two-and-a-half-year plan for
me, okay, and then, you know,that was probably one of my
first, my greatest losses, yeah,with my alcoholism, and that
crushed me and I really spiraledafter that because, you know,
(04:41):
it gave me a lot of guilt and alot of shame, a lot of men that
I had in my lives that I wasseparated from.
I hang my head in shame.
You know it was a title that'searned an earned title and yeah,
that was a very difficult, verydifficult time in my life.
Scott McLean (05:00):
Yeah, so the struggle is real, as they say oh
my gosh, yeah.
The struggle is real, as theysay oh my gosh, yeah, struggle
is real.
So you what just kind of movedalong through it with it.
Tim Roberto (05:12):
They helped me move along.
Scott McLean (05:14):
Yeah.
So when you got out, you kindof went through it on your own.
There was no real, yeah, it wasbrutal.
Tim Roberto (05:20):
No brotherhood, no sisterhood, no, no, it was just
kind of You're out there, I'mout and you know, little did I
know.
I always thought something waswrong with me, you know, and I
was really.
When you boil it all down, it'sjust like I have this bug and
with me that bug.
It's kind of like theundisputed champ.
I don't like how I feel, it'sjust the way it is.
(05:42):
I stopped a thousand times inmy life but I couldn't stay
stopped, you know, and I alwayslooked at it as weakness.
I always looked at it aswillpower.
You have lack of willpower.
You were a Marine.
You know how could you be soweak?
And all this stuff and theseconversations I would have would
just really F me up.
Yeah, and my whole life was,from the Marine Corps on was the
(06:04):
greatest battle I've ever beenin and that was liking who I was
and the body I was in and I didwhatever I did.
I did whatever I had to to getout of it.
I couldn't live life on life'sterms.
That's what it is.
I couldn't live life on life'sterms.
I didn't have an eating.
I didn't eat my feelings, Ididn't sexually act out my
(06:25):
feelings.
I didn't go to the racetrack.
Ba ba, ba ba ba.
I drank a lot of booze Drugs.
Oh yeah, yeah, the 80s, 80stons of blow.
Yeah yeah, it was all over theplace.
Plus I was growing, washingtonBridge and the Spanish Harlem
Right there it's crazy.
Yeah, you know.
Scott McLean (06:45):
Yeah, no different , growing up in Boston back then
yeah.
Same right, yeah, yeah.
It was everywhere.
So at what point did you sayenough is enough, Like years
later?
And what was?
If you don't mind me askingthis, what was the bottom?
Don't mind me asking this whatwas the bottom?
What was the?
Was there ever any ideologies,like suicidal ideology or
(07:09):
anything like that, or was it?
Tim Roberto (07:10):
just yeah, I had thoughts, I just never had a
plan Right.
So, thank God, thank God, yeah,yeah, I never crossed that line
.
I crossed the line with withalcoholism, because that led me
to cocaine and then I could,yeah, but people, you know, I'll
be celebrating 18 years thisApril 15th.
Beautiful, beautiful and it'sfunny, you know, like I'm big in
(07:33):
recovery here and a lot ofpeople know me and I've given my
heart to it because, you know,what I have today is something I
always wanted.
I just didn't know how to getit.
So I'm really grateful for that.
But one of my nicknames here isTax Day, tim.
Scott McLean (07:48):
Well, you know, the listeners have to know what
that's all about, right?
Tim Roberto (07:53):
And it's a great lead-in for me because I have
the honor to speak a lot.
You know, and I'll say I'llintroduce myself as, hey, I'm a
recovered alcoholic.
My name's Tim.
I'm also known as tax day timaround here and some people just
look at you with a blank faceand some people crack up like
you do it.
So I go to the guy with theblank face.
I say, okay, you don't pay yourtaxes because you have no idea
(08:13):
what I'm talking about.
You over there, aka scott,you're laughing.
You know what I'm talking.
It's a great icebreaker, right?
And then I started getting intomy story.
Scott McLean (08:24):
So at what point do you decide to like because
and I've said this a number oftimes to start a nonprofit you
have to be a different kind ofbird man, like you got to be a
different cat, I should say Tosay I'm going to do, I'm going
to start a nonprofit becauseit's not easy, right, and I'm
right at the a nonprofit.
Because it's not easy, right,and I'm right at the beginning
(08:47):
stages of it.
I've been fortunate, but it'snot easy, right, and it's a.
It is an extreme commitment andmyself, being a recovering
alcoholic, I understandcommitment isn't the easiest
thing.
It's not really.
We're not.
We weren't wired for commit.
We were committed to drinkingand drugging but we weren't
committed to really much ofanything else because we're
(09:09):
selfish by nature, alcoholics.
You know the whole thing.
So when did you just say youknow what, I'm going to start a
nonprofit and then take us intothat?
Tim Roberto (09:20):
That's a great question, man.
It's like just so deep.
You know what I mean.
And when I was able to findmyself.
So you said you know you're analcoholic in recovery.
So it's people like you, like Isaid before, that gave me what
I have.
Somebody like you showed me howto stop going to Home Depot for
ice cream.
I don't know any other way toput it.
It's a good way to put it.
(09:41):
As long as I was going to HomeDepot for ice cream and I
couldn't find it, I'd get pissed, take my ball, stomp my feet
through the parking lot and then, of course, I drank.
So for me, you know this Marine,this guy that I was in the
Marine Corps with.
When we got out he went to be aNewark cop.
(10:02):
I said gosh, charlie, what areyou doing?
Are you nuts?
He's like Tim, it's just theway it is.
I understood that he was a copfor six years in Newark.
It broke him down and the citydoctor you know Newark, whatever
you go through, yeah, and theyput him on Klonopin and take the
.
I think within under a year I'mpretty sure it's within under a
year he was to the needle, losthis.
(10:25):
Pretty sure it's within under ayear.
He was to the needle, lost hisjob as a police officer for six
years, so he was the guy thatwas already in treatment.
He dropped me off and so youknow people ask me so what do
you think happened?
I'll tell you exactly whathappened.
My pain outgrew my fear and inthis incredible gift oh amazing
gift I've been giving back,because that's part of, for me,
my 12th step.
Right, because I'm a-step guyand the 12th step is after
(10:47):
overcoming, right.
Yeah, so we give it away whatwas so freely given to us.
We carried a message to thealcoholic that's still suffering
.
So I wanted to start doingsomething.
I have a lot of friends who areLeos and first responders and
we were kind of talking one day.
I live in Palm Beach county,florida, and we're talking and
(11:08):
one guy was like, yeah, this iscrazy man.
He's like like you know, palmbeach county has the highest
suicide rate out of any othercounty in florida.
Yes, for first responders, yes.
So I said him, what are wedoing about it?
And he's like nothing, thehighest rate.
So it just so happened.
(11:33):
Again, I was coming up on my15th anniversary and I wanted to
do something and for me I foundGod in my recovery and said all
right, god, I want to dosomething big for you.
This is 15.
I'm going to commit tosomething I don't know what yet.
Scott McLean (11:47):
It's that word.
Tim Roberto (11:48):
Yeah, commit right, yeah, well when I was drinking
and drugging, I was the mostundisciplined guy I knew, yeah.
So I created little disciplinesin my recovery, you know, and I
still do and practice themtoday.
So I live in Boynton Beach.
I got sober in Deerfield Beach.
I'm looking on my phone, I saidto my wife.
I said, man, this is thestrangest thing.
She's like what are you talkingabout?
(12:08):
I said I'm actually looking uphow far Boynton Beach is from
Deerfield.
She's like that is kind ofweird.
Why are you doing that?
I said I don't know.
I was just having thisconversation with God like I
want to do.
I'm looking up on my phone, Isee 20 miles.
But then it clicked, man, likeafter a couple of days I heard
and you know, I think, a lot ofbelievers or people who've had
(12:29):
these extraordinary shifts intheir lives.
You know they understand whatI'm saying.
I just heard Take it back towhere you got sober.
Ah, ah, god, I'm going to walk20 miles.
I'm going to bust my butt.
I'm going to walk 20 miles.
I'm going to bust my butt.
I'm going to praise you.
I'm going to go all the waydown and show you how committed
I am and grateful I am.
That was like eight and a halfhours, nine hour walk.
(12:51):
And then the next thing I heardwas I love you too, tim, and I
know your heart is good, butyou're going to have eight and a
half nine hours to walk, butyou're going to have eight and a
half nine hours to walk.
I want you to bring attentionto mental health, alcoholism and
first responders.
And as that started marinating,I was like, well, they struggle
(13:15):
with all of them.
I'm just going to make it firstresponders.
And then the next thing, youknow, it's starting to get legs.
I'm like, wow, man, this isreally, this is happening.
I'm like what am I going tocall it?
I have no idea what I'm goingto call it.
Dude, it's crazy.
Every time I tell this story Istart getting goose bumps, like
(13:36):
all those little fuzzies.
You know I do Because it was sodeep and the only way I can
explain it, whether you believeit or not, I'm not responsible
for that, but I just tell it andyeah, man, so I'm just going to
stop it out because there's abig stigma, not only to mental
health, alcohols, but even theculture you know whether you're
a veteran first responders, thatculture, everything's good and
(13:58):
fine, and that was.
That was the catalyst of myspiraling in the Marine Corps.
That's all I kept saying.
Good and fine, good and fine,everything's good and fine.
Meanwhile inside I wascrumbling.
Next thing, you know, it'sshowtime and I'm walking from
Boynton Beach.
I started out at a firehouse inBoynton Beach and I ended up at
(14:19):
a firehouse in Deerfield and bythe time I got to Deerfield I
had somebody on the PA system inone of the fire trucks going
you can do it.
Get up, because by the time Igot down it was hot and I was oh
my God, man.
I just tanked what?
Scott McLean (14:33):
time of the year did you do?
Tim Roberto (14:34):
it April, april, april 15th, wow, okay.
So I trained.
It took a lot of training andthis is why I have a beard.
I say, like I said, you knowI'm 62.
I never had a beard in myentire life until three years
ago.
Because when I was training,you know, I was like as a Marine
, I was like, I know, I got tostart training, I got to get
through the blister stage.
All right, I'm going to getblisters, and I did.
(14:55):
I got them twice, my first fiveor six mile walk and then, I
think, in in my first 10-miletraining, I got blisters again
to get through that.
This one day it was hot, as youknow what, and I was just I
don't know if I washallucinating or just whatever.
I'm like God, Timmy, where'dyou get yourself into?
I had to sit down over.
I was doing my first 15-milewalk.
I said God, please help me,give me a second.
(15:18):
This was building up to the bigwalk.
Scott McLean (15:26):
Correct the walk.
Correct 20 miles, 21 miles.
Yeah, you don't want to shortyourself any.
A foot on something like that,oh, literally 12 inches.
Tim Roberto (15:30):
You want to give yourself the whole 21.
A hundred percent, bro.
A hundred percent, yeah.
So I was really frustrated, man.
The last couple of miles werereally tough and I, you know I
just needed help.
I asked God for help again.
So the next day you know, it'sonly three years ago, so I'm 59.
I shaved my whole life.
I'm going to shave again thenext morning after I lost my
(15:53):
you-know-what and just before Iwas going to stroke.
Don't shave until the walk.
That will remind you every daywhen you look at what you're
doing, like playoff hockey.
Scott McLean (16:03):
Don't shave NHLoff hockey.
Tim Roberto (16:04):
Don't shave NHL these players don't shave,
they're in the playoffs and thenyou know my guys, you, my wife,
wow, I really like it.
I got all these compliments,but the best compliment was from
my wife, so I've kept it eversince.
That is, yeah, I kept it eversince.
Scott McLean (16:19):
So you're working up to this.
In that time, are you lookingfor sponsors?
Are you looking for donors?
You're just going to do this asa thing right, because it's you
, it's just you doing it.
Your idea Correct All organic,all organic.
Okay.
Tim Roberto (16:37):
And then I did know an organization that I was
going to give the proceeds to,because you could sign, you
could register at a walk.
I also put together a hero'sdinner.
I have this phenomenal Italianfriend of mine from Brooklyn,
hey, dina, she's also a licensedmental health counselor, family
(16:57):
and marriage, and she's a I'vebeen working with her for years.
Wow, and she's dude.
Her and her sister cooked usthis meal at the women's club in
Deerfield Beach, right acrossfrom a firehouse.
So I sold tickets to that and Iraised a lot of money and I
gave it to this organization twotimes in a row.
But then, you know, there was acut, I think, for somebody
(17:20):
else's, yeah, and I was like cutno.
So the third year I made it myown 501c.
Scott McLean (17:29):
So you're doing this each year, each year, and
so after the first year it wasthe first year kind of on the
house you just did it to do it,and then you built up to getting
donations.
Hey, I'm doing this again, youknow, this year.
So now I want sponsors, now Iwant donations, know, and it's
going to go toward.
Tim Roberto (17:47):
Yeah, I didn't even ask.
This is going to be my fourthone, right?
I haven't even asked forsponsors.
I still get these, I getdonations, but how do you
advertise it?
How do you?
Word of mouth, word of mouth,that's it, that's it.
And I've had some wonderfulpeople in my life.
Yeah, first responders, leos,vets.
That help get the word out yeah,because I would do the same for
(18:09):
them too.
It's just, you know, thecamaraderie and the brotherhood
that we have.
You know, no one left behind,kind of meant.
You know, so, yeah, so.
Scott McLean (18:18):
So you raise the money and then you do it the
next year and it's a little bitmore attention, more word of
mouth, more formulated right, itgets right, carved differently
each year.
We learn from our mistakes, youknow, yeah, doing this stuff
and now the last one I did withlast april.
Tim Roberto (18:37):
I walked 71 miles.
I was like I'm going big man,because something's happening
here, and if something'shappening here, I and if
something's happening here, Iwant more people to know about
it.
And where did you walk to?
This time?
I walked from Green Acres,florida, all the way down to
Surfside Memorial in Miami.
Yeah, surfside, yeah.
So I left on a Sunday in GreenAcres at like 8, 830.
(18:59):
Had a huge send off man Cops,first responders, council
members, mayor chiefs, like dudeman.
It was like sick, it wasincredible.
And I ended up all the way downat Surfside Memorial, had a big
, you know, bunch of peoplewaiting.
That's where the condominiumcollapsed.
(19:19):
It was very surreal, scott.
It was like a little mini, likea little mini Vietnam wall
there.
Scott McLean (19:25):
I can't.
Tim Roberto (19:26):
Imagine 98 people, yeah, and then the closer I got
to the memorial, was there morepeople, more of the first
responders I was talking to inmy journey.
They actually showed up on the,you know, the initial calls and
then, of course, they were downthere for a very long time and
even green acres were sendingpeople.
Yeah, it was, they were.
Scott McLean (19:44):
A lot of people got affected by that how long
does it take you to plan out theroute that you're gonna walk?
Tim Roberto (19:49):
I had some phenomenal people that were just
like you said.
You know, they the, the, therallying cry, yeah, yeah was
going, and these guys rallied.
Man, I had a guy talk to me.
We were in hollywood, I'm, I'mwalking, this guy, a big fire
truck pulls up.
This dude jumps out hey, man,you little company, and we're
(20:10):
talking, and he told me somestuff US1, a1a, that kind of
that side of the.
Yeah, when I left Green Acres, Iwent, like I wiggled a little
to get to federal, okay, federal, yeah, federal all the way
until I even took it.
It splits down there by theairport.
I walked behind the airport,okay, and then I went over an
(20:32):
inlet, yeah, and then my lat.
My next stop was in hollywood.
Right was hollywood, hollandale, yeah, hollywood, then
hollandale, yeah, hollandale.
I had a big meal.
Yeah, oh, they were.
They were incredible.
Okay, dude, it changed my lifeand that took you.
How many hours it took me.
I left on a Sunday here inGreen Acres at 8.30 in the
(20:55):
morning.
I got down there on Fridayaround 4 o'clock in the
afternoon.
Scott McLean (21:01):
So you walked for almost a week, yeah, five days.
Yeah, six days, six days, yeah,five days, yeah, six days.
Six days, yeah, all night.
No, I would rest.
How did that work out?
How did that go Like?
How does that work, I shouldsay.
Tim Roberto (21:13):
It was intense.
So the goal was to stop at allthe fire stations all the way
down.
Okay, yeah, yeah, but this isthe funny thing.
So, boynton, the first day out,I did three fire stations
Stopped by three fire stations?
Correct?
Hey, you know they were.
Oh, we're so grateful for youthat you're doing it.
(21:35):
Do they know you're coming oris this a?
Scott McLean (21:37):
walk-in, a lot of them Dropping.
No, hey, what's up guys?
Tim Roberto (21:42):
No, they knew I was coming and it looked like it
anyway.
Yeah, yeah, because I had anescort the entire way.
Scott McLean (21:48):
So that was another question I had, because
this is pretty interesting stuff.
Yeah, yeah, dude, it was deep.
Tim Roberto (21:54):
I had people pulling up into Lowe's parking
lots.
Yeah, hey, man, I heard aboutyou.
My son's a fire person.
My son's a police officer InLighthouse Point.
I'm walking down the road andI'm a Marine the cop I hit.
If you look at some of thepictures on the website, you'll
see the cop from LighthousePoint.
He was a Marine.
I'm just hoofing it, man.
This guy's escorting me andhe's got his window open.
(22:16):
We're just BSing.
You know, on the way down it wasdeep.
But the first day, you know, mylast stop was boynton and they,
you know the guys were gettingemotional.
They took me to their hallwaybefore you get to the kitchen
and they had one of their guysthat they lost to suicide.
That was my one of manyconvictions.
I felt convicted when I seenthat, like I am responsible to
(22:41):
bring a message to this culture,to to this section.
You know they're only 2% of thepopulation's first responders
but they're responsible for 20%of death by suicide and Palm
Beach County has the highestsuicide rate out of any other
county in Florida.
So I knew I was on a mission.
I knew as soon as I made thecommitment that day.
(23:03):
The rest was in God's hands.
As soon as I made thecommitment that day, the rest
was in God's hands, and so, yeah, so anyway, though.
But that third stop, after 15miles, everything was really
loud.
You had sirens, you had bellcalls, you know, for a call.
You had all engines startingand I'm thinking, man, I'm like
(23:24):
you know, I was what?
61?
I'm like I need to get rest.
Like I don't think I'm reallygoing to get rest here, I'm
going to collapse, probablyhalfway down.
So I said chief, I said I mightneed to regroup.
He's like what do you meanregroup?
Like I think I need to go homeand sleep in my own bed.
(23:46):
It's like that's a great idea.
That's about the message wedon't want you to stop, you know
, to lose the ability to carrythis.
What you've been doing is great, you know.
He's like I'll work it out.
Wherever you end up stopping,I'll get somebody to grab you
and they'll take you back homeand pick you up in the morning.
They'll drop you back home andpick you up in the morning.
Scott McLean (24:06):
They'll drop you back, Drop you back down when
you stopped last year.
You can't live outside.
It's not safe.
Number one Like you could be amadman.
Be like I'm going to fuckingsleep on the side of the road.
I'm like in it.
I got my backpack.
Like you can't do that.
Tim Roberto (24:21):
No, you need rest.
Yes, and you need hydrationyeah, and you need food.
Scott McLean (24:25):
And you know, and, like you said, it's about the
message You're still doing it.
You're not sure that you'regetting dropped off where you
left off, correct.
And you continue that.
And then I would just continue,and then do that, and someone
drives you back up Correct,drives you back down Correct.
Tim Roberto (24:47):
Pick up.
It's a great strategy.
It couldn't have gone anybetter.
Yeah, and I just did that thewhole way down and by the time I
got down there, like each day,it seemed like the attention
grew, it grew.
I met in a parking lot inDeerfield Beach where I went for
treatment.
There was a program there andthere was about 60 of them out
in a parking lot waiting for me.
With the first respond, theygot permission to be, you know,
because they're their clients,and I told them it was the same
(25:10):
place I showed up in April of2007 that this guy was in the
Marine Corps with at CampLejeune, dropped me off there.
The guy that was the cop andyou should have seen how that
lit them up when they becausenone of them knew that and to
hear a guy that's walking 71miles, he's about into deer
(25:30):
field, he's still got to get tomiami.
And to hear a guy hey, I camehere just like you, april, blah,
blah.
I believe in you.
It's treatable.
I'm here to show you it is.
And they all walked with me.
I think they got permission, Ithink it was about a quarter,
and they all walked with me.
I think they got permission.
I think it was about a quartermile.
They all just for thatceremonial, you know so.
And then at the end we had ahere I call them the heroes
(25:53):
dinner.
We had it at the green acresmunicipal complex.
It holds 125 people who arestanding room only, but my goal
was to get professionals wearingthe badge.
I also know personal, you knowprior first, but my goal was to
get professionals wearing thebadge.
I also know personal.
You know first responders inrecovery that I met because I'm
very into it.
I'm a counselor too.
(26:14):
One guy I had speak.
He's phenomenal.
I had him in my groups nineyears ago and so over.
So I had professionals that areadvocating for the mental
health needs and we need how, weneed to change the conversation
.
And I had a hashtag real shit,that's right.
First responder up there.
This is what it was like, thisis what happened, this is what
(26:35):
it's like now.
And everybody was just like, ohmy God.
But the real touching thing was, too, that this battalion chief
man, gosh I loved him to death,his name's Sam.
What a phenomenal chief man,gosh.
I loved him to death His name'sSam.
What a phenomenal dude man.
Like no wonder he was abattalion chief.
Everything was like just likeunbelievable.
Some people say it's OCD Justbeing a good leader, 100%.
(26:57):
Yeah, you know, I justcommitted.
Yeah, he was droning the wholething.
Wow.
And then at the dinner theyintroduced, you know, we said
and he said now I want to showyou a little bit about what
happened this last week and whywe're all here.
And so he said I asked Tim,these songs that I picked are
(27:17):
Tim's songs, not mine.
And when we were down atSurfside, when it was all said
and done, he's like hey, I wantyou to give me three songs that
are important to you.
Oh boy, I want you to give methree songs that are important
to you.
Oh boy, I know I was like, wow,that's deep.
Scott McLean (27:30):
Yeah, there's a lot of music out there that
we've grown up listening to, butI rattled it off real quick.
Tim Roberto (27:34):
What were they?
Sometimes I feel like my ownfriend.
Scott McLean (27:39):
Oh yeah, that's not.
Tim Roberto (27:39):
Chili Peppers Under the Bridge.
A Creed song Higher.
Scott McLean (27:44):
No, the other Creed song, no, it was that.
I think that was a big hit.
Tim Roberto (27:48):
And then Justin Moore, if Heaven Wasn't so Far
Away.
Okay, so you gave him thosethree songs and the way he
edited it sounds like he's gotskills, thank you, I had no idea
this thing was being droned.
He droned the whole thing.
So, like I'm going over thisbridge in Miami before I get to
(28:09):
Surfside, I got all thesefirefighters and cops that are
walking with me because theywere the first I was by, you
know, outside of Surfside.
They were the first guys on thescene and it was deep man, that
conversation going over thatbridge was deep.
And then this beautiful,beautiful fireboat boat shows up
(28:29):
and they're blowing all theirjets.
I'm just getting emotionalbecause it's like, wow, that was
really cool, you know, and butI didn't know, because in the
video, yeah, that's one of thethat's the highest honor a fire
service can give any anybody.
I didn't know.
So, yeah, but they're not mysongs.
Tim picked them, so he playsthis video.
It's on the website.
(28:49):
It's about 13 minutes of allthese little Is it a YouTube?
Scott McLean (28:53):
Is it on YouTube?
It's on my website on the.
Tim Roberto (28:55):
SOTS website.
Oh, it's awesome and therewasn't a cry eye, cry eye, cry
eye in the house and I wasn'texpecting it.
Scott McLean (29:04):
So you did that and you raised money Very good
money, very good money.
Tim Roberto (29:09):
This is my biggest year yet.
Scott McLean (29:10):
Okay, do you mind saying how much?
Tim Roberto (29:12):
It was about a little over 10.
Beautiful, yeah, beautiful, andit was worth every stomp,
absolutely Every stomp.
It's still not enough either.
No, yeah, no, because it keepsgrowing and it tells me Timmy,
you're doing the right thing andGod's given me an incredible
gift to create a space to whereI'm an outside agency.
(29:33):
You know, for a cop to telltheir superiors that they're not
doing well, the first thingthey do is take their weapon
away.
Scott McLean (29:40):
Oh, I know that I was law enforcement for 32 years
.
Tim Roberto (29:44):
Okay, and I think that's.
I've seen it, yeah, and Iunderstand it.
But you know, when you're in,it's hard, correct.
When you're in that darknessman, that's a big hit.
It makes things worse.
It's a big hit.
Yeah.
It's kind of like when theMarine Corps asked me Like Tim,
we can't do this anymore.
Scott McLean (29:59):
It's like taking a fireman off a truck, correct,
you know.
It's like what do you mean?
I can't go do my job, you know.
And so that actually adds tothe mental health issue.
Tim Roberto (30:14):
It's like the demoralization too, you know.
Scott McLean (30:17):
It's for the yeah Right, you have to understand
and it takes a lot to understandthat it's doing the right thing
for the right reason, but it'sjust, it's a hard truth.
It's a hard truth and a lot ofus wouldn't, didn't want to deal
with that.
Like there's a talk about astigma, a stigma within your
department, a stigma within yourfamily.
You think everybody's talkingabout you and you think
(30:39):
everybody thinks you're a loser.
I mean, oh, I, yeah, it'sbrutal.
It's brutal, yeah, for real.
So you raise the money and sowhere does stomping out the
stigma come into this wholething?
Tim Roberto (30:52):
Well, what we've done is we've created a space to
where it's an outside agency.
So, rather than somebody hurtthemselves or become another
statistic this is one otheravenue that you don't have to go
through your EAP, you don'thave to run your insurance card,
you don't have to jeopardizeyour life insurance, you don't
(31:14):
have to do any of that because Ido no diagnosing, I do no
reporting, we do no backinvoicing, nothing.
We don't report to your agency,nothing.
So, for example, chief Scottcalls me and says Tim, we got
somebody we're really concernedabout.
Can you talk to them?
In most cases, I want to meetthem because I want them to see
(31:36):
me.
I feel I'm a pretty genuine guy.
So you know, game recognizesgame and real recognizes real.
And I think if I can lower thatthat guard just a, tad,
something might get through thebarrier.
You know, yeah, and then I havethese cards, I just put on the
table, I explain what we do andI pretty much wrap it up and
split.
(31:56):
You know, if they call, then Iknow they really want to take
advantage of they.
Don't?
I get that too, because they'rewalking in your shoes a hundred
percent.
Oh, I know, and this is my wayof making one, one of my living
amends, and that's to the marinecorps, to the other men and I
didn't really have any womenmarines in my life but to the
(32:16):
men that I felt so guilty ofthat I left you, you know,
because of my selfish needs.
I didn't like how I felt.
You know all that, yeah, soit's kind of like a living
amends for me.
So, like I'll give you anexample, I had somebody not too
long ago reach out and I wastelling them about, you know,
they got it through theirneighbor or something like that,
or maybe my Facebook page, Idon't know.
(32:37):
And he's telling me what'sgoing on law enforcement.
And I told him what we do andhow we do it, why we do it and
you're safe and all that.
And so he said, okay, I'm in,I'm in.
What do you want?
He goes what do you want?
My date of birth and all that,like we always do, like we
always do.
I got a little chuckle inside.
(32:58):
I got to admit.
I said no, bro.
I said you're good, I got yourfirst name, that's all I need.
Yeah, he's like are you shit?
I said no, I'm not, he's like,wow, this really is, I really am
lucky.
So clinically I'm a counselor,I'm not a therapist, but I do
understand, obviously, aclinical modality.
(33:18):
And so we agreed I deal withonly licensed clinicians because
you know, that's, that's acommitment to be a licensed
clinician.
So I have like a you know I'lla commitment, yes, to be a
licensed clinician.
So I have, like you know, Ihave a mental health clinician,
I have a licensed substanceabuse.
I have a licensed marriage andfamily.
Because, let's face it, man, wetake it home, yeah, and the
kids and the wife get some brunt.
Scott McLean (33:40):
Oh yeah, or the brunt, Unfortunately.
I know that yeah.
Tim Roberto (33:43):
Or being the that guy, right that guy.
Scott McLean (33:46):
Yeah.
Tim Roberto (33:53):
And I have a trauma therapist, a couple trauma
therapists that I've known, oneof them over 16 years.
So it's all God, it's allorganic, it was born good.
Scott McLean (34:00):
So let me ask you this Now I know from living the
AA world for many, many yearsthat people get spooked by the
religious aspect of AA, and I'vetaken more than a few people to
their first meeting and they'relike I'm not religious and I'm
like AA is not.
(34:20):
We use the word God or higherpower or whatever you want it to
be, but they get a littlespooked by that.
Now, stomping out the stigma isnot a.
Is it a religious-based thing?
Okay, just so they know.
Tim Roberto (34:34):
It doesn't matter to me.
What matters to me is if I cancontribute to the quality of
your life.
There you go, and if you're aMuslim, a Jew, an atheist, I
could care less.
It doesn't matter.
Yeah, that's just me.
Personally, you know, I look atGod as good, orderly direction
you know.
Scott McLean (34:52):
So let's get a call to action right now.
What is the website?
And let's start going down thelist of things that you offer at
Stomping Out the Stigma.
So what's the website?
Tim Roberto (35:00):
The website is the acronym SOTS, s-o-t-s Inc.
Dot org.
Okay, acronym sots,s-o-t-s-incorg.
Okay, pull it up.
You'll see this video of mylast walk.
You'll see some flyers up there.
I call them rat cards so you'llsee, stomping out the stigma
first responder colors, my phonename, my phone number, because
(35:20):
then you'll see I'm pointing atyou, yeah, on the rat card, my
big fingers pointing at you, andunderneath that I say my big
finger's pointing at you andunderneath that I say you matter
, because you do, gosh darn it.
You're always there for us andit's time somebody's there for
you.
Because it's not, it's not ajob thing.
Like, yes, do some positions inlife contribute A hundred
(35:44):
percent?
And being a police officer, aveteran first responder, yes,
there's a lot of life situationsthat contribute 100%.
But I don't want to look at itlike this.
You know, like I wear a badge,I should be better than the
da-da-da.
It's a human concern, it's ahuman experience, you know.
So I look at it like that.
(36:05):
I don't look at it as anoccupational, I look at it as a
human thing, and it's stompingout the stigma, not stomp out
the stigma.
Scott McLean (36:11):
Stomping out, yeah , yeah, if you want to google it
stomping out the stigma.
Yeah, yeah, so you have, uh, onthe on the website and on the
the rat card, you have theculturally competent therapists,
right?
Individual therapy fordepression, anxiety, ptsd,
addictions, burnout, etc.
Is couples therapy and familytherapy available 24?
(36:35):
7 365 100 the number that's onthe website, right, if a veteran
or first responder or an activeduty member or an active first
responder wants to reach out,there's no, no doors will get
shut.
No, I suppose they identifythemselves right away.
I'm a veteran, I'm a firstresponder, you know that way.
(36:58):
It's like, okay, right off thebat, we know what you're dealing
with, right?
Yeah, a hundred percentconfidential.
Hipaa is like the thing there,right, there's no, no talking.
No, it doesn't go.
Like the thing there, right,there's no talking, it doesn't
go outside between the therapistor the counselor or whoever.
Tim Roberto (37:13):
Yeah, because I'm a certified addictions counselor
with the Florida CertificationBoard, so I took an oath, yeah,
and then, of course, my personaljourney, because without
anonymity the whole thing fallsapart.
It collapses.
Scott McLean (37:26):
Yes, so there's no invoices with names.
Tim Roberto (37:31):
no reporting back to your agency.
It's one of those things that'stoo good to be true, yeah, but
gosh darn it.
It's true.
Yeah, I've had first responders.
You know, do a little test,call their EAP, and some of them
didn't even get a call back.
Yeah, it just blows, my, itjust blows me off yeah.
And then if you get somebody,you get two sessions.
(37:53):
So between my background andthese therapists I've known for
multiple years, we've agreed on10.
Wow, and I work out thefinances with them, wow.
So we give them 10.
And then the person can maketheir own decision up.
If they still want to keep itoff the record, then pay the you
know cash yeah, then it's justwhatever after that, but you're
(38:13):
getting 10 free, correct, it's alot it's a real lot.
A lot of good work can get donein 10 sessions.
Yeah, it's two and a halfmonths, no doubt so you have
callbacks within 24 hours.
Scott McLean (38:25):
So if you are in need of the services of stomping
out the stigma and you leave amessage, please, please wait.
They will get back to youwithin 24 hours, that's, and I
I'm sure tim doesn't have topromise that it's it's
guaranteed, it's a givenguarantee.
(38:46):
Given appointments can be madewithin 48 hours.
Right, correct, so very quick,that's pretty fast, that's
pretty fast.
So if, if you're in thatsituation and you need help and
there's any, just just know thatsomebody will get back to you,
absolutely someone will get backto you, no insurance needed,
the confidential, life-changingcounseling that speaks for
(39:09):
itself 100.
That speaks for itself 100, andit's at no cost to you as a, as
a uh, as a person calling andneeding the help yeah, but I can
guarantee you your anonymitybecause even though it's a, you
know it's a.
Tim Roberto (39:25):
It's a charitable organization behind it.
All the red tape is out, blah,blah, blah blah.
But you know they also havelicenses and a lot of them have
student loan debts and I canguarantee you they're not going
to risk their license so theycan be out there spreading your
business around.
Scott McLean (39:46):
Absolutely.
I can guarantee you that youknow there's a lot of veteran
non-profit.
I deal with a lot of nonprofits.
I talked a lot that I haven'tinterviewed yet.
There's a lot on the list, yeah, but to a, to an organization
most I'd say 99 of them are not.
They don't venture out likethere's no, like we talk about
(40:08):
this.
Oh yeah, this so-and-so came tomy foundation.
You know which is, which is.
It's a lot of trust.
There's a lot of trust when yougive yourself up to that it's
nobody's business, it's no.
And then that's usually what agood non-profit does.
Tim Roberto (40:21):
It's sacred for me it's sacred.
Like you're, you're allowing meinto your life further than you
might even allow your own wifeinto your life or your own
husband into your life or your.
You know, brother, whatever you, we go places like you're bad.
I'm sure you've had the talks Ilike I was telling before.
I don't think I ever got to it.
I was in hollywood a guy jumpedout of a truck man, and I just
(40:43):
had to ask him after he walkedwith me a good five, eight miles
, wow, yeah, because he, we weregetting into it and I said can
I ask you a question?
I said a personal question.
He's like, yeah, sure, like whydid you get so vulnerable like
that?
It's like you really justopened up the key and he said,
really.
I said, oh man, then I'd likepiss him.
(41:04):
I said yeah.
I said yeah.
He said really.
I said, oh man, then I'd likepiss him off.
I said yeah.
I said yeah.
I said yeah, he goes.
Well, he goes.
You're about 40 miles into a70-mile, 71-mile wall.
You're a Marine and you'redoing it for us.
I felt comfortable with you andthere was, like I was saying
Scott, before there was anotherexample of a conviction that
(41:26):
just made me that more convictedthat I was onto something yeah.
Scott McLean (41:32):
Yeah, because it only takes one person.
That's it, if you help.
So I say this, and here comesand I had mentioned before the
podcast my cheap plug for myfoundation the.
One man, one Mic Foundation.
Well, we work with veterans, weteach them how to podcast, in
the art and neuroscience ofstorytelling, because those are
very important things, and so myfoundation is kind of the
(41:53):
opposite.
I want you to be known, I wantyour podcast to be out there and
be heard by other veterans andfirst and anybody that wants to
listen.
So it's kind of like we go, Igo the 180 in that direction.
But I also tell them this whenyou create your podcast and you
will, and it's going to be agood quality podcast don't get
(42:16):
caught up in the downloads,which podcasters do.
It's just something thathappens to them when they
publish that first, second,third.
They want to know how manypeople are listening, and I tell
them this it doesn't matter ifyou get 10,000 or if you get one
, just know that that one, thatone person listened to you.
That's all that matters.
That one person listened to youand you might've changed their
(42:40):
life.
I don't care if you're talkingabout building bikes.
Somebody listened to you,somebody connected with you, and
that's what we want, right.
Tim Roberto (42:51):
That's why I look at it, man, yeah, purpose
belonging and connection Correctthat one guy, one guy.
Scott McLean (42:57):
So you know, if you help that one guy in that 71
miles it was fucking worth it,hell yeah 1,000% worth it, and
that's what we have to look at.
A lot of us get caught up innumbers and that's with
nonprofits in general, like howmany veterans are we helping?
Are we helping more of that?
Well, some nonprofits can workthat way and they can help
(43:18):
multiple, multiple people.
Then there's the nonprofitsthat help three at a time.
It's slow but steady.
You know, movement forwardhelps.
Three at a time, three at atime, one at a time Doesn't
matter.
You're helping somebody, right?
And that one person that walkedwith you.
(43:39):
He walked with you that longfor a reason and I'm sure that
is a part of his life story.
Now I walked with this guy forseven miles.
He talked about that.
I love that.
That's the story, that's hisstory.
He has that story to tellpeople and we don't know you'll
never know, maybe what he tells.
(43:59):
Like it changed my life.
I went home and maybe I wasgoing to do something, but I
walked with him for seven milesand now I'm not.
You know.
Tim Roberto (44:10):
I know it changed mine.
Scott McLean (44:12):
Yeah, cause you talked about it.
Yeah, right, so that's a hugeconnection right there.
Yeah, huge connection.
Tim Roberto (44:19):
Actually, yeah, it was.
I'm telling you, man, it wasdeep.
Actually.
There's a guy jumping out ofthe truck in the video.
Scott McLean (44:27):
Yeah, and that gave him purpose to do that,
Like so it's all.
Yeah, like you said earlier, itgets really deep.
It gets really deep, but it'sall good yeah, it's all.
Tim Roberto (44:37):
Good yeah, if you go to the website sotsincorg and
just watch the video.
If you have 13 minutes, makeyour own.
Scott McLean (44:44):
Send me.
If you can send me that file,I'll put it on my website.
Okay, On my Vets Connectionpodcast website, if you don't
mind.
No, and I'll give you all theyou're on the website anyways.
Tim Roberto (44:56):
Can you pinch it off, sots.
Scott McLean (44:58):
I'll try.
Tim Roberto (44:59):
I'll try yeah, I'll send you through a Rumble.
Can you pinch through a Rumble?
I think I can, yeah.
Scott McLean (45:04):
I don't want to say that I know how to pirate
videos, because that's illegal,oops.
Tim Roberto (45:09):
Sorry.
Scott McLean (45:10):
I would never do something like that off of.
Tim Roberto (45:12):
YouTube Never.
Scott McLean (45:14):
That's not proper.
Yes, I would never havesoftware that knows how to do
that.
No, not me.
I would agree.
I would agree, but I'd put that.
I would love to put that on mywebsite.
I think that's something thatpeople would want to see and it
just it's heavy because mywebsite is all about promoting
all these nonprofits.
I'll put anything on my website.
Yeah, good Thank you, I don'tcare.
Tim Roberto (45:35):
Thank you for that.
Scott McLean (45:36):
Yeah, man, yeah, so, other than your, your
endurance.
This is funny because I justdid a, an episode, and it might.
It just aired.
Actually it's my, it's mylatest episode.
It's organization out inoklahoma called 104, 22 and it's
fore and they do 100 whole golfmarathons, like, and they'll,
(45:58):
they'll leave, like this forthem.
They live around the country,they're veterans, they'll go to,
like boca raton, if there's afundraiser and they'll do a
hundred polls.
That's like an 11 hour day,right, just like what you were
saying, right, and there's a lotthat goes into that.
It's not just swinging theclubs, right, and they get paid
for every Eagle Birdie, dah, dah, dah.
(46:19):
So my question to them and it'sfunny, I'm going to ask you
this question, going to ask youthis question.
So you're 61, 62, 62.
Do you see, down the road, maybefinding somebody that wants to
kind of step up and continueyour legacy?
Maybe a younger woman or manwants to continue your legacy
(46:41):
and do this endurance walk forthe first responders?
Do you?
Do you have that in the plans?
Have you ever thought about it?
Like, cause you know it willcome a time we are human.
Now you could be that lunaticguy that's like 84 and he's
running marathons Like you seeit all the time.
Right, or you can be the guythat's like I did my time I set
(47:04):
this up.
This is my legacy.
If somebody younger wants topick up the torch and and do
this, do you have you thoughtabout that, or is that something
you think would be in yourplans in the future?
Tim Roberto (47:15):
absolutely.
I believe in the spirit ofrotation.
Yeah, I would, I would love.
You know, I got dreams, man.
Scott McLean (47:21):
I would love to go nationally or even if someone
wants to walk with you as partand they, you know, as part of
fundraiser, and that way they'rein it, like now they get to
immerse themselves in it, andthen they can kind of you're
like, all right, we did it.
Tim Roberto (47:35):
I'm literally handing you the torch?
Yeah, 100%.
I think walking it's not onlygood therapeutically, it just
creates that bond you weretalking about.
That's part of that guy's storynow.
His belonging and connectionCorrect yeah, and it just
creates that bond like you weretalking about.
That's part of that guy's storynow his belonging and
connection correct, yeah, and itjust keeps living.
You know like it has life to it.
So, like I have.
(47:55):
I just partnered with a lawyer,a dash cam lawyer up in Palm
Beach, phenomenal guy, andunfortunately and I'm just
saying what he, you know what hesays publicly he's lost a
couple people dear to him todeath by suicide and he was
looking to do something.
So somebody told him about usme stomping out the stigma.
So he, he wants he's, wepartnered and then we're
(48:19):
auctioning his car.
Scott McLean (48:21):
It's live now oh, you had said that that's right.
When we met at the uh, johnnyschray introduced us.
Yep, johnny, did you go on thispodcast?
Yeah, we met at the missionunited yeah, outreach last week,
and you were mentioning aboutthe car.
Tim Roberto (48:34):
Yeah, yeah, so we're gonna.
You know the the cutoff is may1st because we're gonna announce
it may 2nd.
I've seen this car.
When I met him he brought it to, we had some lunch and I'm
telling you, man Scott, becausehe's a car guy too, it is mint,
(48:55):
it's a Lexus mint.
It's like, you know, got thedoors closed by themselves, the
headlights moved by themselves,like it's air conditioned seats.
It's only got about 90,000 onit, I'm telling you, which, for
Alexis, is still not even brokenin yet.
It's cherry.
So the tickets are $25 for aticket and five for a hundred,
and then that's going to be tiedinto a fundraiser on May 1st at
(49:17):
the what was that?
The international hotel upthere, pga, pga international.
Scott McLean (49:24):
Yeah, yeah, so we're going to have a big, so
it's $25 a ticket.
Does the person have to be onsite to purchase a ticket or?
Tim Roberto (49:31):
Nope, there's a QR code.
I have an event break, you knowlink.
I'm going to buy one of those.
Scott McLean (49:36):
I want that Lexus.
Oh my God, my wife and I arewith Lexus people.
Are you she?
I'm a Lexus girl, but I Dude ifyou're a.
Tim Roberto (49:44):
Lexus guy.
If you're a Lexus guy, this guy, he's so in love with this car.
You know it changed a littlebit but in order for him to
finalize it, because you saidokay, if you can get a garage,
I'll start looking for a new car, but if you can't get a garage,
because this is May 1st- yeah.
(50:05):
I'm not.
I was like man, this guy lovesthis car, but it shows, yeah.
So lo and behold, you know,there's so many good people in
this dark world.
There's so many good people outthere.
Yes, and I believe you.
You attract what you know yesand I found the garage and I was
like what else you gonna comeup with, scott?
It's a wrap, bro.
(50:25):
This, this car is gonna besomebody's car.
And I'm telling you man for $25, like you just want to cruise
around town.
I don't know a little.
You know your kid's going tocollege, whatever.
Scott McLean (50:38):
Yeah, it's perfect .
Yeah, all right, all right, didwe miss anything?
Is there anything else you wantto touch on before we wrap this
up?
Shout out the website againSOTSinc, S-O-T-S-incorg.
Tim Roberto (50:53):
It's the acronym for stomping out the stigma and
remember stomping Stomping.
Scott McLean (50:58):
Out the stigma, yeah.
Tim Roberto (50:59):
We are a safe place .
Like I said, there's noreporting, it's just 100%
confidentiality and amenity.
It was born good, it was bornorganically.
A bust in my ass to raise money71 miles.
Scott McLean (51:15):
Does the website have a donation spot?
Tim Roberto (51:18):
Yeah, you can donate one time monthly.
Scott McLean (51:21):
Well, this is where I always step in and I say
all right, if you like whatTim's doing, give them your
money.
Give them your money.
Go to the website and give themyour money.
If you love what stomping outthe stigma is doing, give them
your money.
Tim Roberto (51:36):
That's an order and if you need a receipt from me,
just email me.
Yes, sotsync24 at gmailcom andI'll send you to 1099.
Scott McLean (51:45):
Also, if you are a person who thinks that they
could someday pick up the torchand carry on Tim's legacy and do
these endurance walks, reachout to Tim.
You can find him.
He's right there on the website, his number's right there on
the website.
And talk to him and see ifthat's something that would work
out for Tim, because I'm surethere's going to come a time
(52:07):
when Tim wants to hand thattorch off.
Tim Roberto (52:10):
Well, I got another walk April 15th.
April 15th, Okay, yep, I'mwalking myself to work that day,
okay, and that's about just shyof 15.
Yeah, all right, so you candonate, sponsor whatever you
want to do, have some people I'mnot going to say who, but some
people coming and it's going tobe a wonderful day.
(52:32):
There's going to be a lot ofcamaraderie, a lot of bonding,
and we're going to have a littleparty at the end.
From what I understand, I'm notthat kind of guy, but, yeah,
exactly other people want totake it there.
I I just want to bring, keepbringing the awareness because
we need to man it's.
It's really an epidemic rightnow.
Scott McLean (52:49):
Yeah, yeah, Well, all right, Tim, thanks for
coming on the podcast.
I appreciate your time.
I appreciate what you do, andhang in there.
I'm just going to do my outroand then we'll talk after.
So well, we built anotherbridge.
Today.
This is when there's a walkingbridge.
That's the first walking bridgethat we had, Stomping out the
stigma.
Tim's doing great work in a veryhard situation for people, but
(53:16):
they're there.
I think everybody that I'veinterviewed we're all
compassionate people.
If you like what they're doing,like I said, go to their
website Again.
Thank you, Willow and PalmConstruction for giving me the
opportunity to do this in aprofessional setting.
I appreciate what you guys dofor the veteran community also,
(53:40):
and, yeah, I think that's aboutit.
Oh yeah, there's a publicservice announcement that I it's
at the end of every episode.
Listen to the end.
It's it's a very informativePSA on 988 and 211.
It's good for veterans, familymembers of veterans, friends of
veterans or first responderspretty much anyone in general.
So listen to it.
It's informative and I will seeyou or you will hear me next
(54:03):
week with a new episode.
Welcome to the podcast.
I'm Scott McClain.
My guest today is Tim Roberto.
Tim is the founder and CEO ofStomping Out the Stigma.
How you doing, tim?
Hey, scott, I'm doing well, man, thanks.
Welcome to the podcast.
Welcome to the big pink couch.
Yeah, yeah, thanks for havingme.
It's comfy.
Mike Foundation Studiosponsored by Willow and Palm
(00:23):
Construction.
Willow and Palm Construction,south Florida's premier builder.
Willow and Palm Constructionfrom driveways to roofs to
buildings, if you need it,they'll do it.
You can find them atwillowandpalmcom.
They're very good to me, it'sgot a nice ring to it.
Yeah yeah, there's a whole storybehind the Willow and Palm name
(00:44):
Willowandpalm it.
Tim Roberto (00:44):
Yeah yeah, there's a whole story behind the Willow
and Palm name WillowandPalmcom.
Yeah.
Scott McLean (00:47):
Yeah, yeah, they love being in the veteran space,
and so we have a goodpartnership, yeah Great people.
Tim Roberto (00:55):
So, tim, where are you from?
Originally?
I was born in Brooklyn and thenmom and dad moved out to North
Jersey.
It was the area I was in evenback then, because I was born in
62 by 65, the area we in wewere in, as we would say, from
brooklyn or north jersey.
It was getting a little fugazi,yeah, yeah, so mom and dad were
, you know, and then we went tonorth jersey, bergen county,
(01:19):
okay, yeah, okay, and you're aveteran, I am all right.
When did you go in and what didyou go into?
I went into the Marine Corps in1982.
Ah, 1982.
A year after I graduated highschool.
Yeah, I'm getting old, scott.
Yeah, I'm 62 now, man, it'sokay, I'm 61.
Scott McLean (01:36):
It's okay.
Tim Roberto (01:37):
Oh, you're doing the creep right with me.
Scott McLean (01:38):
Yeah, yeah, it's okay.
I love this part of my life.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I haveno issues with it.
Yeah, so you went in theMarines, I did 82.
Okay, hurrah.
Tim Roberto (01:49):
Where were you stationed?
Down in Camp Lejeune?
Lejeune, Pendleton and Foster.
Okay, yeah All right.
Scott McLean (01:55):
Like me, you were a Cold War veteran.
Yeah, never saw any combat.
No, I was in that transition.
Yeah, I was in from 87 to 97.
And I was it was.
I saw that like happen right infront of me.
I was stationed in Sacramento.
It made the Air Force Baseweird.
Tim Roberto (02:10):
I mean I was getting close.
Yeah, Because I was.
When I was at Lejeune, I was atCamp Geiger.
It was like a you know it's anoffshoot of Lejeune on the same
property.
All the guys were coming backfrom Beirut.
You know the rotation,especially after the barracks
blew up and they were all coming.
I thought I was just convincedit was a matter of time.
Yeah.
Scott McLean (02:29):
Yeah, you know, I think this is episode 43 of this
podcast and of all thefoundations that I've
interviewed and the veteransthat I've interviewed, the
majority seem to be Marines.
I it's it.
Majority seem to be Marines.
It's baffling to me.
I love it, I love it, but likethen, there's Army, army comes
(02:50):
in second, and then Air Forceand, I think, one Navy person so
far but.
Marines just seem to be reallyinvolved in these things.
Tim Roberto (02:59):
Well, if you're going to do it, you know you got
to.
Scott McLean (03:01):
Yeah.
Tim Roberto (03:01):
Marine Corps is the way to go.
Scott McLean (03:03):
Yeah Well, I'm an air force guy, so I don't yeah,
we'll have a debate about that,as I always say, the the marines
ate in the chow hall, the airforce ate in the dining facility
.
Yeah, you lived in the barracks.
We lived in the dormitory 100and we had a real military style
beautiful dress, uniform, wehad a suit, we had a blue suit.
Tim Roberto (03:28):
So those are a lot of big differences and we got
all you guys hand-me-downs.
Scott McLean (03:32):
That's true too.
We had better food.
We had better equipment.
Tim Roberto (03:36):
We had better living facilities.
Yeah, we got all the stuff thatwas used.
Yeah yeah, it's all right,though, yeah it's all good,
we're all in it together.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's allright though.
Yeah, it's all right.
Yeah, it's all good, we're allin it together.
Yeah, we are.
Yeah, so do you get out?
Right, I get out.
What year gosh I got out?
I was on the two and a half yearplan, okay, yep.
(03:57):
Yeah, I struggled a lot withmental health and a lot of
addiction issues and, you know,as a marine, I struggled being
able to communicate my feelingsand how I felt.
This has gone back to when Iwas a young boy.
So, just, you know, came intofruition in the Marine Corps.
There was a lot of expectations, a lot of things that needed to
be accomplished.
(04:18):
Of course, you're a Marine, youaccomplish them, but my mental
health wasn't doing as good as Iwould have liked it to be.
So I struggled and that createda two-and-a-half-year plan for
me, okay, and then, you know,that was probably one of my
first, my greatest losses, yeah,with my alcoholism, and that
crushed me and I really spiraledafter that because, you know,
(04:41):
it gave me a lot of guilt and alot of shame, a lot of men that
I had in my lives that I wasseparated from.
I hang my head in shame.
You know it was a title that'searned an earned title and yeah,
that was a very difficult, verydifficult time in my life.
Scott McLean (05:00):
Yeah, so the struggle is real, as they say oh
my gosh, yeah.
The struggle is real, as theysay oh my gosh, yeah, struggle
is real.
So you what just kind of movedalong through it with it.
Tim Roberto (05:12):
They helped me move along.
Scott McLean (05:14):
Yeah.
So when you got out, you kindof went through it on your own.
There was no real, yeah, it wasbrutal.
Tim Roberto (05:20):
No brotherhood, no sisterhood, no, no, it was just
kind of You're out there, I'mout and you know, little did I
know.
I always thought something waswrong with me, you know, and I
was really.
When you boil it all down, it'sjust like I have this bug and
with me that bug.
It's kind of like theundisputed champ.
I don't like how I feel, it'sjust the way it is.
(05:42):
I stopped a thousand times inmy life but I couldn't stay
stopped, you know, and I alwayslooked at it as weakness.
I always looked at it aswillpower.
You have lack of willpower.
You were a Marine.
You know how could you be soweak?
And all this stuff and theseconversations I would have would
just really F me up.
Yeah, and my whole life was,from the Marine Corps on was the
(06:04):
greatest battle I've ever beenin and that was liking who I was
and the body I was in and I didwhatever I did.
I did whatever I had to to getout of it.
I couldn't live life on life'sterms.
That's what it is.
I couldn't live life on life'sterms.
I didn't have an eating.
I didn't eat my feelings, Ididn't sexually act out my
(06:25):
feelings.
I didn't go to the racetrack.
Ba ba, ba ba ba.
I drank a lot of booze Drugs.
Oh yeah, yeah, the 80s, 80stons of blow.
Yeah yeah, it was all over theplace.
Plus I was growing, washingtonBridge and the Spanish Harlem
Right there it's crazy.
Yeah, you know.
Scott McLean (06:45):
Yeah, no different , growing up in Boston back then
yeah.
Same right, yeah, yeah.
It was everywhere.
So at what point did you sayenough is enough, Like years
later?
And what was?
If you don't mind me askingthis, what was the bottom?
Don't mind me asking this whatwas the bottom?
What was the?
Was there ever any ideologies,like suicidal ideology or
(07:09):
anything like that, or was it?
Tim Roberto (07:10):
just yeah, I had thoughts, I just never had a
plan Right.
So, thank God, thank God, yeah,yeah, I never crossed that line
.
I crossed the line with withalcoholism, because that led me
to cocaine and then I could,yeah, but people, you know, I'll
be celebrating 18 years thisApril 15th.
Beautiful, beautiful and it'sfunny, you know, like I'm big in
(07:33):
recovery here and a lot ofpeople know me and I've given my
heart to it because, you know,what I have today is something I
always wanted.
I just didn't know how to getit.
So I'm really grateful for that.
But one of my nicknames here isTax Day, tim.
Scott McLean (07:48):
Well, you know, the listeners have to know what
that's all about, right?
Tim Roberto (07:53):
And it's a great lead-in for me because I have
the honor to speak a lot.
You know, and I'll say I'llintroduce myself as, hey, I'm a
recovered alcoholic.
My name's Tim.
I'm also known as tax day timaround here and some people just
look at you with a blank faceand some people crack up like
you do it.
So I go to the guy with theblank face.
I say, okay, you don't pay yourtaxes because you have no idea
(08:13):
what I'm talking about.
You over there, aka scott,you're laughing.
You know what I'm talking.
It's a great icebreaker, right?
And then I started getting intomy story.
Scott McLean (08:24):
So at what point do you decide to like because
and I've said this a number oftimes to start a nonprofit you
have to be a different kind ofbird man, like you got to be a
different cat, I should say Tosay I'm going to do, I'm going
to start a nonprofit becauseit's not easy, right, and I'm
right at the a nonprofit.
Because it's not easy, right,and I'm right at the beginning
(08:47):
stages of it.
I've been fortunate, but it'snot easy, right, and it's a.
It is an extreme commitment andmyself, being a recovering
alcoholic, I understandcommitment isn't the easiest
thing.
It's not really.
We're not.
We weren't wired for commit.
We were committed to drinkingand drugging but we weren't
committed to really much ofanything else because we're
(09:09):
selfish by nature, alcoholics.
You know the whole thing.
So when did you just say youknow what, I'm going to start a
nonprofit and then take us intothat?
Tim Roberto (09:20):
That's a great question, man.
It's like just so deep.
You know what I mean.
And when I was able to findmyself.
So you said you know you're analcoholic in recovery.
So it's people like you, like Isaid before, that gave me what
I have.
Somebody like you showed me howto stop going to Home Depot for
ice cream.
I don't know any other way toput it.
It's a good way to put it.
(09:41):
As long as I was going to HomeDepot for ice cream and I
couldn't find it, I'd get pissed, take my ball, stomp my feet
through the parking lot and then, of course, I drank.
So for me, you know this Marine,this guy that I was in the
Marine Corps with.
When we got out he went to be aNewark cop.
(10:02):
I said gosh, charlie, what areyou doing?
Are you nuts?
He's like Tim, it's just theway it is.
I understood that he was a copfor six years in Newark.
It broke him down and the citydoctor you know Newark, whatever
you go through, yeah, and theyput him on Klonopin and take the
.
I think within under a year I'mpretty sure it's within under a
year he was to the needle, losthis.
(10:25):
Pretty sure it's within under ayear.
He was to the needle, lost hisjob as a police officer for six
years, so he was the guy thatwas already in treatment.
He dropped me off and so youknow people ask me so what do
you think happened?
I'll tell you exactly whathappened.
My pain outgrew my fear and inthis incredible gift oh amazing
gift I've been giving back,because that's part of, for me,
my 12th step.
Right, because I'm a-step guyand the 12th step is after
(10:47):
overcoming, right.
Yeah, so we give it away whatwas so freely given to us.
We carried a message to thealcoholic that's still suffering
.
So I wanted to start doingsomething.
I have a lot of friends who areLeos and first responders and
we were kind of talking one day.
I live in Palm Beach county,florida, and we're talking and
(11:08):
one guy was like, yeah, this iscrazy man.
He's like like you know, palmbeach county has the highest
suicide rate out of any othercounty in florida.
Yes, for first responders, yes.
So I said him, what are wedoing about it?
And he's like nothing, thehighest rate.
So it just so happened.
(11:33):
Again, I was coming up on my15th anniversary and I wanted to
do something and for me I foundGod in my recovery and said all
right, god, I want to dosomething big for you.
This is 15.
I'm going to commit tosomething I don't know what yet.
Scott McLean (11:47):
It's that word.
Tim Roberto (11:48):
Yeah, commit right, yeah, well when I was drinking
and drugging, I was the mostundisciplined guy I knew, yeah.
So I created little disciplinesin my recovery, you know, and I
still do and practice themtoday.
So I live in Boynton Beach.
I got sober in Deerfield Beach.
I'm looking on my phone, I saidto my wife.
I said, man, this is thestrangest thing.
She's like what are you talkingabout?
(12:08):
I said I'm actually looking uphow far Boynton Beach is from
Deerfield.
She's like that is kind ofweird.
Why are you doing that?
I said I don't know.
I was just having thisconversation with God like I
want to do.
I'm looking up on my phone, Isee 20 miles.
But then it clicked, man, likeafter a couple of days I heard
and you know, I think, a lot ofbelievers or people who've had
(12:29):
these extraordinary shifts intheir lives.
You know they understand whatI'm saying.
I just heard Take it back towhere you got sober.
Ah, ah, god, I'm going to walk20 miles.
I'm going to bust my butt.
I'm going to walk 20 miles.
I'm going to bust my butt.
I'm going to praise you.
I'm going to go all the waydown and show you how committed
I am and grateful I am.
That was like eight and a halfhours, nine hour walk.
(12:51):
And then the next thing I heardwas I love you too, tim, and I
know your heart is good, butyou're going to have eight and a
half nine hours to walk, butyou're going to have eight and a
half nine hours to walk.
I want you to bring attentionto mental health, alcoholism and
first responders.
And as that started marinating,I was like, well, they struggle
(13:15):
with all of them.
I'm just going to make it firstresponders.
And then the next thing, youknow, it's starting to get legs.
I'm like, wow, man, this isreally, this is happening.
I'm like what am I going tocall it?
I have no idea what I'm goingto call it.
Dude, it's crazy.
Every time I tell this story Istart getting goose bumps, like
(13:36):
all those little fuzzies.
You know I do Because it was sodeep and the only way I can
explain it, whether you believeit or not, I'm not responsible
for that, but I just tell it andyeah, man, so I'm just going to
stop it out because there's abig stigma, not only to mental
health, alcohols, but even theculture you know whether you're
a veteran first responders, thatculture, everything's good and
(13:58):
fine, and that was.
That was the catalyst of myspiraling in the Marine Corps.
That's all I kept saying.
Good and fine, good and fine,everything's good and fine.
Meanwhile inside I wascrumbling.
Next thing, you know, it'sshowtime and I'm walking from
Boynton Beach.
I started out at a firehouse inBoynton Beach and I ended up at
(14:19):
a firehouse in Deerfield and bythe time I got to Deerfield I
had somebody on the PA system inone of the fire trucks going
you can do it.
Get up, because by the time Igot down it was hot and I was oh
my God, man.
I just tanked what?
Scott McLean (14:33):
time of the year did you do?
Tim Roberto (14:34):
it April, april, april 15th, wow, okay.
So I trained.
It took a lot of training andthis is why I have a beard.
I say, like I said, you knowI'm 62.
I never had a beard in myentire life until three years
ago.
Because when I was training,you know, I was like as a Marine
, I was like, I know, I got tostart training, I got to get
through the blister stage.
All right, I'm going to getblisters, and I did.
(14:55):
I got them twice, my first fiveor six mile walk and then, I
think, in in my first 10-miletraining, I got blisters again
to get through that.
This one day it was hot, as youknow what, and I was just I
don't know if I washallucinating or just whatever.
I'm like God, Timmy, where'dyou get yourself into?
I had to sit down over.
I was doing my first 15-milewalk.
I said God, please help me,give me a second.
(15:18):
This was building up to the bigwalk.
Scott McLean (15:26):
Correct the walk.
Correct 20 miles, 21 miles.
Yeah, you don't want to shortyourself any.
A foot on something like that,oh, literally 12 inches.
Tim Roberto (15:30):
You want to give yourself the whole 21.
A hundred percent, bro.
A hundred percent, yeah.
So I was really frustrated, man.
The last couple of miles werereally tough and I, you know I
just needed help.
I asked God for help again.
So the next day you know, it'sonly three years ago, so I'm 59.
I shaved my whole life.
I'm going to shave again thenext morning after I lost my
(15:53):
you-know-what and just before Iwas going to stroke.
Don't shave until the walk.
That will remind you every daywhen you look at what you're
doing, like playoff hockey.
Scott McLean (16:03):
Don't shave NHLoff hockey.
Tim Roberto (16:04):
Don't shave NHL these players don't shave,
they're in the playoffs and thenyou know my guys, you, my wife,
wow, I really like it.
I got all these compliments,but the best compliment was from
my wife, so I've kept it eversince.
That is, yeah, I kept it eversince.
Scott McLean (16:19):
So you're working up to this.
In that time, are you lookingfor sponsors?
Are you looking for donors?
You're just going to do this asa thing right, because it's you
, it's just you doing it.
Your idea Correct All organic,all organic.
Okay.
Tim Roberto (16:37):
And then I did know an organization that I was
going to give the proceeds to,because you could sign, you
could register at a walk.
I also put together a hero'sdinner.
I have this phenomenal Italianfriend of mine from Brooklyn,
hey, dina, she's also a licensedmental health counselor, family
(16:57):
and marriage, and she's a I'vebeen working with her for years.
Wow, and she's dude.
Her and her sister cooked usthis meal at the women's club in
Deerfield Beach, right acrossfrom a firehouse.
So I sold tickets to that and Iraised a lot of money and I
gave it to this organization twotimes in a row.
But then, you know, there was acut, I think, for somebody
(17:20):
else's, yeah, and I was like cutno.
So the third year I made it myown 501c.
Scott McLean (17:29):
So you're doing this each year, each year, and
so after the first year it wasthe first year kind of on the
house you just did it to do it,and then you built up to getting
donations.
Hey, I'm doing this again, youknow, this year.
So now I want sponsors, now Iwant donations, know, and it's
going to go toward.
Tim Roberto (17:47):
Yeah, I didn't even ask.
This is going to be my fourthone, right?
I haven't even asked forsponsors.
I still get these, I getdonations, but how do you
advertise it?
How do you?
Word of mouth, word of mouth,that's it, that's it.
And I've had some wonderfulpeople in my life.
Yeah, first responders, leos,vets.
That help get the word out yeah,because I would do the same for
(18:09):
them too.
It's just, you know, thecamaraderie and the brotherhood
that we have.
You know, no one left behind,kind of meant.
You know, so, yeah, so.
Scott McLean (18:18):
So you raise the money and then you do it the
next year and it's a little bitmore attention, more word of
mouth, more formulated right, itgets right, carved differently
each year.
We learn from our mistakes, youknow, yeah, doing this stuff
and now the last one I did withlast april.
Tim Roberto (18:37):
I walked 71 miles.
I was like I'm going big man,because something's happening
here, and if something'shappening here, I and if
something's happening here, Iwant more people to know about
it.
And where did you walk to?
This time?
I walked from Green Acres,florida, all the way down to
Surfside Memorial in Miami.
Yeah, surfside, yeah.
So I left on a Sunday in GreenAcres at like 8, 830.
(18:59):
Had a huge send off man Cops,first responders, council
members, mayor chiefs, like dudeman.
It was like sick, it wasincredible.
And I ended up all the way downat Surfside Memorial, had a big
, you know, bunch of peoplewaiting.
That's where the condominiumcollapsed.
(19:19):
It was very surreal, scott.
It was like a little mini, likea little mini Vietnam wall
there.
Scott McLean (19:25):
I can't.
Tim Roberto (19:26):
Imagine 98 people, yeah, and then the closer I got
to the memorial, was there morepeople, more of the first
responders I was talking to inmy journey.
They actually showed up on the,you know, the initial calls and
then, of course, they were downthere for a very long time and
even green acres were sendingpeople.
Yeah, it was, they were.
Scott McLean (19:44):
A lot of people got affected by that how long
does it take you to plan out theroute that you're gonna walk?
Tim Roberto (19:49):
I had some phenomenal people that were just
like you said.
You know, they the, the, therallying cry, yeah, yeah was
going, and these guys rallied.
Man, I had a guy talk to me.
We were in hollywood, I'm, I'mwalking, this guy, a big fire
truck pulls up.
This dude jumps out hey, man,you little company, and we're
(20:10):
talking, and he told me somestuff US1, a1a, that kind of
that side of the.
Yeah, when I left Green Acres, Iwent, like I wiggled a little
to get to federal, okay, federal, yeah, federal all the way
until I even took it.
It splits down there by theairport.
I walked behind the airport,okay, and then I went over an
(20:32):
inlet, yeah, and then my lat.
My next stop was in hollywood.
Right was hollywood, hollandale, yeah, hollywood, then
hollandale, yeah, hollandale.
I had a big meal.
Yeah, oh, they were.
They were incredible.
Okay, dude, it changed my lifeand that took you.
How many hours it took me.
I left on a Sunday here inGreen Acres at 8.30 in the
(20:55):
morning.
I got down there on Fridayaround 4 o'clock in the
afternoon.
Scott McLean (21:01):
So you walked for almost a week, yeah, five days.
Yeah, six days, six days, yeah,five days, yeah, six days.
Six days, yeah, all night.
No, I would rest.
How did that work out?
How did that go Like?
How does that work, I shouldsay.
Tim Roberto (21:13):
It was intense.
So the goal was to stop at allthe fire stations all the way
down.
Okay, yeah, yeah, but this isthe funny thing.
So, boynton, the first day out,I did three fire stations
Stopped by three fire stations?
Correct?
Hey, you know they were.
Oh, we're so grateful for youthat you're doing it.
(21:35):
Do they know you're coming oris this a?
Scott McLean (21:37):
walk-in, a lot of them Dropping.
No, hey, what's up guys?
Tim Roberto (21:42):
No, they knew I was coming and it looked like it
anyway.
Yeah, yeah, because I had anescort the entire way.
Scott McLean (21:48):
So that was another question I had, because
this is pretty interesting stuff.
Yeah, yeah, dude, it was deep.
Tim Roberto (21:54):
I had people pulling up into Lowe's parking
lots.
Yeah, hey, man, I heard aboutyou.
My son's a fire person.
My son's a police officer InLighthouse Point.
I'm walking down the road andI'm a Marine the cop I hit.
If you look at some of thepictures on the website, you'll
see the cop from LighthousePoint.
He was a Marine.
I'm just hoofing it, man.
This guy's escorting me andhe's got his window open.
(22:16):
We're just BSing.
You know, on the way down it wasdeep.
But the first day, you know, mylast stop was boynton and they,
you know the guys were gettingemotional.
They took me to their hallwaybefore you get to the kitchen
and they had one of their guysthat they lost to suicide.
That was my one of manyconvictions.
I felt convicted when I seenthat, like I am responsible to
(22:41):
bring a message to this culture,to to this section.
You know they're only 2% of thepopulation's first responders
but they're responsible for 20%of death by suicide and Palm
Beach County has the highestsuicide rate out of any other
county in Florida.
So I knew I was on a mission.
I knew as soon as I made thecommitment that day.
(23:03):
The rest was in God's hands.
As soon as I made thecommitment that day, the rest
was in God's hands, and so, yeah, so anyway, though.
But that third stop, after 15miles, everything was really
loud.
You had sirens, you had bellcalls, you know, for a call.
You had all engines startingand I'm thinking, man, I'm like
(23:24):
you know, I was what?
61?
I'm like I need to get rest.
Like I don't think I'm reallygoing to get rest here, I'm
going to collapse, probablyhalfway down.
So I said chief, I said I mightneed to regroup.
He's like what do you meanregroup?
Like I think I need to go homeand sleep in my own bed.
(23:46):
It's like that's a great idea.
That's about the message wedon't want you to stop, you know
, to lose the ability to carrythis.
What you've been doing is great, you know.
He's like I'll work it out.
Wherever you end up stopping,I'll get somebody to grab you
and they'll take you back homeand pick you up in the morning.
They'll drop you back home andpick you up in the morning.
Scott McLean (24:06):
They'll drop you back, Drop you back down when
you stopped last year.
You can't live outside.
It's not safe.
Number one Like you could be amadman.
Be like I'm going to fuckingsleep on the side of the road.
I'm like in it.
I got my backpack.
Like you can't do that.
Tim Roberto (24:21):
No, you need rest.
Yes, and you need hydrationyeah, and you need food.
Scott McLean (24:25):
And you know, and, like you said, it's about the
message You're still doing it.
You're not sure that you'regetting dropped off where you
left off, correct.
And you continue that.
And then I would just continue,and then do that, and someone
drives you back up Correct,drives you back down Correct.
Tim Roberto (24:47):
Pick up.
It's a great strategy.
It couldn't have gone anybetter.
Yeah, and I just did that thewhole way down and by the time I
got down there, like each day,it seemed like the attention
grew, it grew.
I met in a parking lot inDeerfield Beach where I went for
treatment.
There was a program there andthere was about 60 of them out
in a parking lot waiting for me.
With the first respond, theygot permission to be, you know,
because they're their clients,and I told them it was the same
(25:10):
place I showed up in April of2007 that this guy was in the
Marine Corps with at CampLejeune, dropped me off there.
The guy that was the cop andyou should have seen how that
lit them up when they becausenone of them knew that and to
hear a guy that's walking 71miles, he's about into deer
(25:30):
field, he's still got to get tomiami.
And to hear a guy hey, I camehere just like you, april, blah,
blah.
I believe in you.
It's treatable.
I'm here to show you it is.
And they all walked with me.
I think they got permission, Ithink it was about a quarter,
and they all walked with me.
I think they got permission.
I think it was about a quartermile.
They all just for thatceremonial, you know so.
And then at the end we had ahere I call them the heroes
(25:53):
dinner.
We had it at the green acresmunicipal complex.
It holds 125 people who arestanding room only, but my goal
was to get professionals wearingthe badge.
I also know personal, you knowprior first, but my goal was to
get professionals wearing thebadge.
I also know personal.
You know first responders inrecovery that I met because I'm
very into it.
I'm a counselor too.
(26:14):
One guy I had speak.
He's phenomenal.
I had him in my groups nineyears ago and so over.
So I had professionals that areadvocating for the mental
health needs and we need how, weneed to change the conversation
.
And I had a hashtag real shit,that's right.
First responder up there.
This is what it was like, thisis what happened, this is what
(26:35):
it's like now.
And everybody was just like, ohmy God.
But the real touching thing was, too, that this battalion chief
man, gosh I loved him to death,his name's Sam.
What a phenomenal chief man,gosh.
I loved him to death His name'sSam.
What a phenomenal dude man.
Like no wonder he was abattalion chief.
Everything was like just likeunbelievable.
Some people say it's OCD Justbeing a good leader, 100%.
(26:57):
Yeah, you know, I justcommitted.
Yeah, he was droning the wholething.
Wow.
And then at the dinner theyintroduced, you know, we said
and he said now I want to showyou a little bit about what
happened this last week and whywe're all here.
And so he said I asked Tim,these songs that I picked are
(27:17):
Tim's songs, not mine.
And when we were down atSurfside, when it was all said
and done, he's like hey, I wantyou to give me three songs that
are important to you.
Oh boy, I want you to give methree songs that are important
to you.
Oh boy, I know I was like, wow,that's deep.
Scott McLean (27:30):
Yeah, there's a lot of music out there that
we've grown up listening to, butI rattled it off real quick.
Tim Roberto (27:34):
What were they?
Sometimes I feel like my ownfriend.
Scott McLean (27:39):
Oh yeah, that's not.
Tim Roberto (27:39):
Chili Peppers Under the Bridge.
A Creed song Higher.
Scott McLean (27:44):
No, the other Creed song, no, it was that.
I think that was a big hit.
Tim Roberto (27:48):
And then Justin Moore, if Heaven Wasn't so Far
Away.
Okay, so you gave him thosethree songs and the way he
edited it sounds like he's gotskills, thank you, I had no idea
this thing was being droned.
He droned the whole thing.
So, like I'm going over thisbridge in Miami before I get to
(28:09):
Surfside, I got all thesefirefighters and cops that are
walking with me because theywere the first I was by, you
know, outside of Surfside.
They were the first guys on thescene and it was deep man, that
conversation going over thatbridge was deep.
And then this beautiful,beautiful fireboat boat shows up
(28:29):
and they're blowing all theirjets.
I'm just getting emotionalbecause it's like, wow, that was
really cool, you know, and butI didn't know, because in the
video, yeah, that's one of thethat's the highest honor a fire
service can give any anybody.
I didn't know.
So, yeah, but they're not mysongs.
Tim picked them, so he playsthis video.
It's on the website.
(28:49):
It's about 13 minutes of allthese little Is it a YouTube?
Scott McLean (28:53):
Is it on YouTube?
It's on my website on the.
Tim Roberto (28:55):
SOTS website.
Oh, it's awesome and therewasn't a cry eye, cry eye, cry
eye in the house and I wasn'texpecting it.
Scott McLean (29:04):
So you did that and you raised money Very good
money, very good money.
Tim Roberto (29:09):
This is my biggest year yet.
Scott McLean (29:10):
Okay, do you mind saying how much?
Tim Roberto (29:12):
It was about a little over 10.
Beautiful, yeah, beautiful, andit was worth every stomp,
absolutely Every stomp.
It's still not enough either.
No, yeah, no, because it keepsgrowing and it tells me Timmy,
you're doing the right thing andGod's given me an incredible
gift to create a space to whereI'm an outside agency.
(29:33):
You know, for a cop to telltheir superiors that they're not
doing well, the first thingthey do is take their weapon
away.
Scott McLean (29:40):
Oh, I know that I was law enforcement for 32 years
.
Tim Roberto (29:44):
Okay, and I think that's.
I've seen it, yeah, and Iunderstand it.
But you know, when you're in,it's hard, correct.
When you're in that darknessman, that's a big hit.
It makes things worse.
It's a big hit.
Yeah.
It's kind of like when theMarine Corps asked me Like Tim,
we can't do this anymore.
Scott McLean (29:59):
It's like taking a fireman off a truck, correct,
you know.
It's like what do you mean?
I can't go do my job, you know.
And so that actually adds tothe mental health issue.
Tim Roberto (30:14):
It's like the demoralization too, you know.
Scott McLean (30:17):
It's for the yeah Right, you have to understand
and it takes a lot to understandthat it's doing the right thing
for the right reason, but it'sjust, it's a hard truth.
It's a hard truth and a lot ofus wouldn't, didn't want to deal
with that.
Like there's a talk about astigma, a stigma within your
department, a stigma within yourfamily.
You think everybody's talkingabout you and you think
(30:39):
everybody thinks you're a loser.
I mean, oh, I, yeah, it'sbrutal.
It's brutal, yeah, for real.
So you raise the money and sowhere does stomping out the
stigma come into this wholething?
Tim Roberto (30:52):
Well, what we've done is we've created a space to
where it's an outside agency.
So, rather than somebody hurtthemselves or become another
statistic this is one otheravenue that you don't have to go
through your EAP, you don'thave to run your insurance card,
you don't have to jeopardizeyour life insurance, you don't
(31:14):
have to do any of that because Ido no diagnosing, I do no
reporting, we do no backinvoicing, nothing.
We don't report to your agency,nothing.
So, for example, chief Scottcalls me and says Tim, we got
somebody we're really concernedabout.
Can you talk to them?
In most cases, I want to meetthem because I want them to see
(31:36):
me.
I feel I'm a pretty genuine guy.
So you know, game recognizesgame and real recognizes real.
And I think if I can lower thatthat guard just a, tad,
something might get through thebarrier.
You know, yeah, and then I havethese cards, I just put on the
table, I explain what we do andI pretty much wrap it up and
split.
(31:56):
You know, if they call, then Iknow they really want to take
advantage of they.
Don't?
I get that too, because they'rewalking in your shoes a hundred
percent.
Oh, I know, and this is my wayof making one, one of my living
amends, and that's to the marinecorps, to the other men and I
didn't really have any womenmarines in my life but to the
(32:16):
men that I felt so guilty ofthat I left you, you know,
because of my selfish needs.
I didn't like how I felt.
You know all that, yeah, soit's kind of like a living
amends for me.
So, like I'll give you anexample, I had somebody not too
long ago reach out and I wastelling them about, you know,
they got it through theirneighbor or something like that,
or maybe my Facebook page, Idon't know.
(32:37):
And he's telling me what'sgoing on law enforcement.
And I told him what we do andhow we do it, why we do it and
you're safe and all that.
And so he said, okay, I'm in,I'm in.
What do you want?
He goes what do you want?
My date of birth and all that,like we always do, like we
always do.
I got a little chuckle inside.
(32:58):
I got to admit.
I said no, bro.
I said you're good, I got yourfirst name, that's all I need.
Yeah, he's like are you shit?
I said no, I'm not, he's like,wow, this really is, I really am
lucky.
So clinically I'm a counselor,I'm not a therapist, but I do
understand, obviously, aclinical modality.
(33:18):
And so we agreed I deal withonly licensed clinicians because
you know, that's, that's acommitment to be a licensed
clinician.
So I have like a you know I'lla commitment, yes, to be a
licensed clinician.
So I have, like you know, Ihave a mental health clinician,
I have a licensed substanceabuse.
I have a licensed marriage andfamily.
Because, let's face it, man, wetake it home, yeah, and the
kids and the wife get some brunt.
Scott McLean (33:40):
Oh yeah, or the brunt, Unfortunately.
I know that yeah.
Tim Roberto (33:43):
Or being the that guy, right that guy.
Scott McLean (33:46):
Yeah.
Tim Roberto (33:53):
And I have a trauma therapist, a couple trauma
therapists that I've known, oneof them over 16 years.
So it's all God, it's allorganic, it was born good.
Scott McLean (34:00):
So let me ask you this Now I know from living the
AA world for many, many yearsthat people get spooked by the
religious aspect of AA, and I'vetaken more than a few people to
their first meeting and they'relike I'm not religious and I'm
like AA is not.
(34:20):
We use the word God or higherpower or whatever you want it to
be, but they get a littlespooked by that.
Now, stomping out the stigma isnot a.
Is it a religious-based thing?
Okay, just so they know.
Tim Roberto (34:34):
It doesn't matter to me.
What matters to me is if I cancontribute to the quality of
your life.
There you go, and if you're aMuslim, a Jew, an atheist, I
could care less.
It doesn't matter.
Yeah, that's just me.
Personally, you know, I look atGod as good, orderly direction
you know.
Scott McLean (34:52):
So let's get a call to action right now.
What is the website?
And let's start going down thelist of things that you offer at
Stomping Out the Stigma.
So what's the website?
Tim Roberto (35:00):
The website is the acronym SOTS, s-o-t-s Inc.
Dot org.
Okay, acronym sots,s-o-t-s-incorg.
Okay, pull it up.
You'll see this video of mylast walk.
You'll see some flyers up there.
I call them rat cards so you'llsee, stomping out the stigma
first responder colors, my phonename, my phone number, because
(35:20):
then you'll see I'm pointing atyou, yeah, on the rat card, my
big fingers pointing at you, andunderneath that I say my big
finger's pointing at you andunderneath that I say you matter
, because you do, gosh darn it.
You're always there for us andit's time somebody's there for
you.
Because it's not, it's not ajob thing.
Like, yes, do some positions inlife contribute A hundred
(35:44):
percent?
And being a police officer, aveteran first responder, yes,
there's a lot of life situationsthat contribute 100%.
But I don't want to look at itlike this.
You know, like I wear a badge,I should be better than the
da-da-da.
It's a human concern, it's ahuman experience, you know.
So I look at it like that.
(36:05):
I don't look at it as anoccupational, I look at it as a
human thing, and it's stompingout the stigma, not stomp out
the stigma.
Scott McLean (36:11):
Stomping out, yeah , yeah, if you want to google it
stomping out the stigma.
Yeah, yeah, so you have, uh, onthe on the website and on the
the rat card, you have theculturally competent therapists,
right?
Individual therapy fordepression, anxiety, ptsd,
addictions, burnout, etc.
Is couples therapy and familytherapy available 24?
(36:35):
7 365 100 the number that's onthe website, right, if a veteran
or first responder or an activeduty member or an active first
responder wants to reach out,there's no, no doors will get
shut.
No, I suppose they identifythemselves right away.
I'm a veteran, I'm a firstresponder, you know that way.
(36:58):
It's like, okay, right off thebat, we know what you're dealing
with, right?
Yeah, a hundred percentconfidential.
Hipaa is like the thing there,right, there's no, no talking.
No, it doesn't go.
Like the thing there, right,there's no talking, it doesn't
go outside between the therapistor the counselor or whoever.
Tim Roberto (37:13):
Yeah, because I'm a certified addictions counselor
with the Florida CertificationBoard, so I took an oath, yeah,
and then, of course, my personaljourney, because without
anonymity the whole thing fallsapart.
It collapses.
Scott McLean (37:26):
Yes, so there's no invoices with names.
Tim Roberto (37:31):
no reporting back to your agency.
It's one of those things that'stoo good to be true, yeah, but
gosh darn it.
It's true.
Yeah, I've had first responders.
You know, do a little test,call their EAP, and some of them
didn't even get a call back.
Yeah, it just blows, my, itjust blows me off yeah.
And then if you get somebody,you get two sessions.
(37:53):
So between my background andthese therapists I've known for
multiple years, we've agreed on10.
Wow, and I work out thefinances with them, wow.
So we give them 10.
And then the person can maketheir own decision up.
If they still want to keep itoff the record, then pay the you
know cash yeah, then it's justwhatever after that, but you're
(38:13):
getting 10 free, correct, it's alot it's a real lot.
A lot of good work can get donein 10 sessions.
Yeah, it's two and a halfmonths, no doubt so you have
callbacks within 24 hours.
Scott McLean (38:25):
So if you are in need of the services of stomping
out the stigma and you leave amessage, please, please wait.
They will get back to youwithin 24 hours, that's, and I
I'm sure tim doesn't have topromise that it's it's
guaranteed, it's a givenguarantee.
(38:46):
Given appointments can be madewithin 48 hours.
Right, correct, so very quick,that's pretty fast, that's
pretty fast.
So if, if you're in thatsituation and you need help and
there's any, just just know thatsomebody will get back to you,
absolutely someone will get backto you, no insurance needed,
the confidential, life-changingcounseling that speaks for
(39:09):
itself 100.
That speaks for itself 100, andit's at no cost to you as a, as
a uh, as a person calling andneeding the help yeah, but I can
guarantee you your anonymitybecause even though it's a, you
know it's a.
Tim Roberto (39:25):
It's a charitable organization behind it.
All the red tape is out, blah,blah, blah blah.
But you know they also havelicenses and a lot of them have
student loan debts and I canguarantee you they're not going
to risk their license so theycan be out there spreading your
business around.
Scott McLean (39:46):
Absolutely.
I can guarantee you that youknow there's a lot of veteran
non-profit.
I deal with a lot of nonprofits.
I talked a lot that I haven'tinterviewed yet.
There's a lot on the list, yeah, but to a, to an organization
most I'd say 99 of them are not.
They don't venture out likethere's no, like we talk about
(40:08):
this.
Oh yeah, this so-and-so came tomy foundation.
You know which is, which is.
It's a lot of trust.
There's a lot of trust when yougive yourself up to that it's
nobody's business, it's no.
And then that's usually what agood non-profit does.
Tim Roberto (40:21):
It's sacred for me it's sacred.
Like you're, you're allowing meinto your life further than you
might even allow your own wifeinto your life or your own
husband into your life or your.
You know, brother, whatever you, we go places like you're bad.
I'm sure you've had the talks Ilike I was telling before.
I don't think I ever got to it.
I was in hollywood a guy jumpedout of a truck man, and I just
(40:43):
had to ask him after he walkedwith me a good five, eight miles
, wow, yeah, because he, we weregetting into it and I said can
I ask you a question?
I said a personal question.
He's like, yeah, sure, like whydid you get so vulnerable like
that?
It's like you really justopened up the key and he said,
really.
I said, oh man, then I'd likepiss him.
(41:04):
I said yeah.
I said yeah.
He said really.
I said, oh man, then I'd likepiss him off.
I said yeah.
I said yeah.
I said yeah, he goes.
Well, he goes.
You're about 40 miles into a70-mile, 71-mile wall.
You're a Marine and you'redoing it for us.
I felt comfortable with you andthere was, like I was saying
Scott, before there was anotherexample of a conviction that
(41:26):
just made me that more convictedthat I was onto something yeah.
Scott McLean (41:32):
Yeah, because it only takes one person.
That's it, if you help.
So I say this, and here comesand I had mentioned before the
podcast my cheap plug for myfoundation the.
One man, one Mic Foundation.
Well, we work with veterans, weteach them how to podcast, in
the art and neuroscience ofstorytelling, because those are
very important things, and so myfoundation is kind of the
(41:53):
opposite.
I want you to be known, I wantyour podcast to be out there and
be heard by other veterans andfirst and anybody that wants to
listen.
So it's kind of like we go, Igo the 180 in that direction.
But I also tell them this whenyou create your podcast and you
will, and it's going to be agood quality podcast don't get
(42:16):
caught up in the downloads,which podcasters do.
It's just something thathappens to them when they
publish that first, second,third.
They want to know how manypeople are listening, and I tell
them this it doesn't matter ifyou get 10,000 or if you get one
, just know that that one, thatone person listened to you.
That's all that matters.
That one person listened to youand you might've changed their
(42:40):
life.
I don't care if you're talkingabout building bikes.
Somebody listened to you,somebody connected with you, and
that's what we want, right.
Tim Roberto (42:51):
That's why I look at it, man, yeah, purpose
belonging and connection Correctthat one guy, one guy.
Scott McLean (42:57):
So you know, if you help that one guy in that 71
miles it was fucking worth it,hell yeah 1,000% worth it, and
that's what we have to look at.
A lot of us get caught up innumbers and that's with
nonprofits in general, like howmany veterans are we helping?
Are we helping more of that?
Well, some nonprofits can workthat way and they can help
(43:18):
multiple, multiple people.
Then there's the nonprofitsthat help three at a time.
It's slow but steady.
You know, movement forwardhelps.
Three at a time, three at atime, one at a time Doesn't
matter.
You're helping somebody, right?
And that one person that walkedwith you.
(43:39):
He walked with you that longfor a reason and I'm sure that
is a part of his life story.
Now I walked with this guy forseven miles.
He talked about that.
I love that.
That's the story, that's hisstory.
He has that story to tellpeople and we don't know you'll
never know, maybe what he tells.
(43:59):
Like it changed my life.
I went home and maybe I wasgoing to do something, but I
walked with him for seven milesand now I'm not.
You know.
Tim Roberto (44:10):
I know it changed mine.
Scott McLean (44:12):
Yeah, cause you talked about it.
Yeah, right, so that's a hugeconnection right there.
Yeah, huge connection.
Tim Roberto (44:19):
Actually, yeah, it was.
I'm telling you, man, it wasdeep.
Actually.
There's a guy jumping out ofthe truck in the video.
Scott McLean (44:27):
Yeah, and that gave him purpose to do that,
Like so it's all.
Yeah, like you said earlier, itgets really deep.
It gets really deep, but it'sall good yeah, it's all.
Tim Roberto (44:37):
Good yeah, if you go to the website sotsincorg and
just watch the video.
If you have 13 minutes, makeyour own.
Scott McLean (44:44):
Send me.
If you can send me that file,I'll put it on my website.
Okay, On my Vets Connectionpodcast website, if you don't
mind.
No, and I'll give you all theyou're on the website anyways.
Tim Roberto (44:56):
Can you pinch it off, sots.
Scott McLean (44:58):
I'll try.
Tim Roberto (44:59):
I'll try yeah, I'll send you through a Rumble.
Can you pinch through a Rumble?
I think I can, yeah.
Scott McLean (45:04):
I don't want to say that I know how to pirate
videos, because that's illegal,oops.
Tim Roberto (45:09):
Sorry.
Scott McLean (45:10):
I would never do something like that off of.
Tim Roberto (45:12):
YouTube Never.
Scott McLean (45:14):
That's not proper.
Yes, I would never havesoftware that knows how to do
that.
No, not me.
I would agree.
I would agree, but I'd put that.
I would love to put that on mywebsite.
I think that's something thatpeople would want to see and it
just it's heavy because mywebsite is all about promoting
all these nonprofits.
I'll put anything on my website.
Yeah, good Thank you, I don'tcare.
Tim Roberto (45:35):
Thank you for that.
Scott McLean (45:36):
Yeah, man, yeah, so, other than your, your
endurance.
This is funny because I justdid a, an episode, and it might.
It just aired.
Actually it's my, it's mylatest episode.
It's organization out inoklahoma called 104, 22 and it's
fore and they do 100 whole golfmarathons, like, and they'll,
(45:58):
they'll leave, like this forthem.
They live around the country,they're veterans, they'll go to,
like boca raton, if there's afundraiser and they'll do a
hundred polls.
That's like an 11 hour day,right, just like what you were
saying, right, and there's a lotthat goes into that.
It's not just swinging theclubs, right, and they get paid
for every Eagle Birdie, dah, dah, dah.
(46:19):
So my question to them and it'sfunny, I'm going to ask you
this question, going to ask youthis question.
So you're 61, 62, 62.
Do you see, down the road, maybefinding somebody that wants to
kind of step up and continueyour legacy?
Maybe a younger woman or manwants to continue your legacy
(46:41):
and do this endurance walk forthe first responders?
Do you?
Do you have that in the plans?
Have you ever thought about it?
Like, cause you know it willcome a time we are human.
Now you could be that lunaticguy that's like 84 and he's
running marathons Like you seeit all the time.
Right, or you can be the guythat's like I did my time I set
(47:04):
this up.
This is my legacy.
If somebody younger wants topick up the torch and and do
this, do you have you thoughtabout that, or is that something
you think would be in yourplans in the future?
Tim Roberto (47:15):
absolutely.
I believe in the spirit ofrotation.
Yeah, I would, I would love.
You know, I got dreams, man.
Scott McLean (47:21):
I would love to go nationally or even if someone
wants to walk with you as partand they, you know, as part of
fundraiser, and that way they'rein it, like now they get to
immerse themselves in it, andthen they can kind of you're
like, all right, we did it.
Tim Roberto (47:35):
I'm literally handing you the torch?
Yeah, 100%.
I think walking it's not onlygood therapeutically, it just
creates that bond you weretalking about.
That's part of that guy's storynow.
His belonging and connectionCorrect yeah, and it just
creates that bond like you weretalking about.
That's part of that guy's storynow his belonging and
connection correct, yeah, and itjust keeps living.
You know like it has life to it.
So, like I have.
(47:55):
I just partnered with a lawyer,a dash cam lawyer up in Palm
Beach, phenomenal guy, andunfortunately and I'm just
saying what he, you know what hesays publicly he's lost a
couple people dear to him todeath by suicide and he was
looking to do something.
So somebody told him about usme stomping out the stigma.
So he, he wants he's, wepartnered and then we're
(48:19):
auctioning his car.
Scott McLean (48:21):
It's live now oh, you had said that that's right.
When we met at the uh, johnnyschray introduced us.
Yep, johnny, did you go on thispodcast?
Yeah, we met at the missionunited yeah, outreach last week,
and you were mentioning aboutthe car.
Tim Roberto (48:34):
Yeah, yeah, so we're gonna.
You know the the cutoff is may1st because we're gonna announce
it may 2nd.
I've seen this car.
When I met him he brought it to, we had some lunch and I'm
telling you, man Scott, becausehe's a car guy too, it is mint,
(48:55):
it's a Lexus mint.
It's like, you know, got thedoors closed by themselves, the
headlights moved by themselves,like it's air conditioned seats.
It's only got about 90,000 onit, I'm telling you, which, for
Alexis, is still not even brokenin yet.
It's cherry.
So the tickets are $25 for aticket and five for a hundred,
and then that's going to be tiedinto a fundraiser on May 1st at
(49:17):
the what was that?
The international hotel upthere, pga, pga international.
Scott McLean (49:24):
Yeah, yeah, so we're going to have a big, so
it's $25 a ticket.
Does the person have to be onsite to purchase a ticket or?
Tim Roberto (49:31):
Nope, there's a QR code.
I have an event break, you knowlink.
I'm going to buy one of those.
Scott McLean (49:36):
I want that Lexus.
Oh my God, my wife and I arewith Lexus people.
Are you she?
I'm a Lexus girl, but I Dude ifyou're a.
Tim Roberto (49:44):
Lexus guy.
If you're a Lexus guy, this guy, he's so in love with this car.
You know it changed a littlebit but in order for him to
finalize it, because you saidokay, if you can get a garage,
I'll start looking for a new car, but if you can't get a garage,
because this is May 1st- yeah.
(50:05):
I'm not.
I was like man, this guy lovesthis car, but it shows, yeah.
So lo and behold, you know,there's so many good people in
this dark world.
There's so many good people outthere.
Yes, and I believe you.
You attract what you know yesand I found the garage and I was
like what else you gonna comeup with, scott?
It's a wrap, bro.
(50:25):
This, this car is gonna besomebody's car.
And I'm telling you man for $25, like you just want to cruise
around town.
I don't know a little.
You know your kid's going tocollege, whatever.
Scott McLean (50:38):
Yeah, it's perfect .
Yeah, all right, all right, didwe miss anything?
Is there anything else you wantto touch on before we wrap this
up?
Shout out the website againSOTSinc, S-O-T-S-incorg.
Tim Roberto (50:53):
It's the acronym for stomping out the stigma and
remember stomping Stomping.
Scott McLean (50:58):
Out the stigma, yeah.
Tim Roberto (50:59):
We are a safe place .
Like I said, there's noreporting, it's just 100%
confidentiality and amenity.
It was born good, it was bornorganically.
A bust in my ass to raise money71 miles.
Scott McLean (51:15):
Does the website have a donation spot?
Tim Roberto (51:18):
Yeah, you can donate one time monthly.
Scott McLean (51:21):
Well, this is where I always step in and I say
all right, if you like whatTim's doing, give them your
money.
Give them your money.
Go to the website and give themyour money.
If you love what stomping outthe stigma is doing, give them
your money.
Tim Roberto (51:36):
That's an order and if you need a receipt from me,
just email me.
Yes, sotsync24 at gmailcom andI'll send you to 1099.
Scott McLean (51:45):
Also, if you are a person who thinks that they
could someday pick up the torchand carry on Tim's legacy and do
these endurance walks, reachout to Tim.
You can find him.
He's right there on the website, his number's right there on
the website.
And talk to him and see ifthat's something that would work
out for Tim, because I'm surethere's going to come a time
(52:07):
when Tim wants to hand thattorch off.
Tim Roberto (52:10):
Well, I got another walk April 15th.
April 15th, Okay, yep, I'mwalking myself to work that day,
okay, and that's about just shyof 15.
Yeah, all right, so you candonate, sponsor whatever you
want to do, have some people I'mnot going to say who, but some
people coming and it's going tobe a wonderful day.
(52:32):
There's going to be a lot ofcamaraderie, a lot of bonding,
and we're going to have a littleparty at the end.
From what I understand, I'm notthat kind of guy, but, yeah,
exactly other people want totake it there.
I I just want to bring, keepbringing the awareness because
we need to man it's.
It's really an epidemic rightnow.
Scott McLean (52:49):
Yeah, yeah, Well, all right, Tim, thanks for
coming on the podcast.
I appreciate your time.
I appreciate what you do, andhang in there.
I'm just going to do my outroand then we'll talk after.
So well, we built anotherbridge.
Today.
This is when there's a walkingbridge.
That's the first walking bridgethat we had, Stomping out the
stigma.
Tim's doing great work in a veryhard situation for people, but
(53:16):
they're there.
I think everybody that I'veinterviewed we're all
compassionate people.
If you like what they're doing,like I said, go to their
website Again.
Thank you, Willow and PalmConstruction for giving me the
opportunity to do this in aprofessional setting.
I appreciate what you guys dofor the veteran community also,
(53:40):
and, yeah, I think that's aboutit.
Oh yeah, there's a publicservice announcement that I it's
at the end of every episode.
Listen to the end.
It's it's a very informativePSA on 988 and 211.
It's good for veterans, familymembers of veterans, friends of
veterans or first responderspretty much anyone in general.
So listen to it.
It's informative and I will seeyou or you will hear me next
(54:03):
week with a new episode.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!