Through The Rough

What happens when the cost of being accepted is losing yourself?

In this episode, Emily shares what it means to grow up as a pastor’s kid inside a system that traded love for obedience. From spiritual control to unspoken trauma, her story isn’t about blame—it’s about clarity. It’s about realizing that some cages are built with scripture, and some awakenings begin the moment you start asking “Why?”

Emily breaks open the silence around...

What happens when your trust gets broken early in life—and how does it follow you into adulthood, relationships, and even your own self-talk? In this episode, Sam and Lindsay get honest about childhood experiences, betrayal, friendship breakups, and how hard it can be to trust again… even when you want to. This one is for anyone who’s ever said “I’m fine” but kept everyone at arm’s length.

We talk about:
• Why broken trust as a k...

Season 2 kicks off with Sam and Lindsay unpacking two questions that shape every adult’s life: Why do we lose our childhood curiosity—and how do we get it back? Then, they dive into why setting goals matters, but more importantly, how to set them without overwhelming yourself. From childhood memories to motorcycle lessons, real stories fuel this honest conversation about staying curious, growing forward, and not waiting for the “ri...

This isn’t a story told after the storm—Kim is still in it. When her son Ezra was diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome, everything changed. From navigating medical systems to grieving the milestones that might never come, Kim shares what it’s like to live inside a reality most people only discuss once they’ve survived it.

She’s honest, emotional, and real about what it takes to show up every day for a child whose needs the world rarely ...

What happens when your dream comes true—but no one seems to notice? In this episode, fantasy romance author Emmy Christie (Emily Smith) opens up about what it really means to be a writer in today’s world. From self-publishing and imposter syndrome to AI plagiarism and burnout, she walks us through the unspoken battles behind the books. But this isn’t just about writing—it’s about identity, self-worth, and the risk of being fully se...

In this season finale, Sam and Lindsay sit down—just the two of them—to look back on the moments that cracked something open, changed the way they see life, and made Through the Rough what it is.

From Tessa’s resilience after trauma to Cyrus’ legacy-building journey through war and survival… from Drew’s search for identity without alcohol to Harvey’s heartbreak over his daughter’s sudden passing—every story carried weight, and every...

What if your earliest memory was watching five helicopters shot down—and knowing yours was next?

In this raw, expansive conversation, Cyrus Jaffery shares the unfiltered journey from war-torn Afghanistan to building a multi-million-dollar insurance empire in the U.S. He opens up about escaping the Taliban as a child, surviving sexual trauma, working fast food at 14 to pay his family’s bills, and what it really means to stop running ...

What happens when the place you were born doesn’t recognize you… but it’s still the only place that’s ever felt like home?

In this powerful episode, Sam Idra shares what it meant to return to East Africa after growing up in the U.S.—not as a tourist, but as a man searching for something deeper. What he found wasn’t just family or culture—it was joy in its purest form.

We talk tribal roots, identity loss, the myth of Western success, ...

Neicy thought she had a solid marriage—20 years of shared life, laughter, and trust. But when her granddaughters needed a safe home, she was asked to make an unthinkable choice: “It’s them or me.”
In this raw and powerful episode, Neicy walks us through what it means to lose your partner, your stability, and almost your identity—all for doing what’s right. From betrayal and heartbreak to rebuilding life in her 50s, this is a sto...

What happens when life hands you five kids, two sets of twins back-to-back, a full-time nursing career—and then takes your mother away without warning?

In this raw and revealing conversation, Sydney shares what it’s like to raise multiples while grieving the sudden loss of the woman who raised her. We talk postpartum breakdowns in silence, the guilt of divided attention, spiritual signs from the universe, and what ego sounds like wh...

Former NFL player Buck Rasmussen thought he knew adversity—until his four-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, and just six weeks later, his pregnant wife was diagnosed with cancer.

What followed was a seven-year storm of fear, sleepless nights, identity collapse, and brutal lessons in what it really means to be a man, a father, and a caregiver.

In this powerful episode of Through the Rough, Buck shares the moment he...

At six years old, Taylor entered therapy for fear she couldn’t explain. By sixteen, she was fighting cancer. As the years unfolded, so did a series of unravelings—addiction in her family, a marriage that broke under the weight of silence, and a rock-bottom moment where she found herself sleeping in her car to protect her son.

But this isn’t just a story of survival.

It’s a story about what happens when surviving becomes your whole id...

Hunter’s story is one of perseverance, transformation, and leadership. From delivering auto parts as a teenager to owning a top-performing Scooters Coffee franchise, his journey is filled with challenges, failures, and breakthrough moments. In this episode, Hunter shares the struggles of starting a business from scratch, the lessons he learned in leadership, and how he navigated self-doubt, burnout, and rapid growth.

We dive deep in...

Epilepsy almost took his life. Twice. But that wasn’t the only battle Sean McKenna had to fight. From losing control of his own mind and body to surviving near-fatal seizures and a moment where he saw the other side—Sean’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. In this gripping episode, he shares the terrifying experience of waking up with no memory, the brutal emotional toll of being called a burden, and how faith, love, and r...

"When a crisis unfolds in front of you, do you act—or do you freeze? Most people assume they’d step up in an emergency, but studies and real-world events show that hesitation is far more common than we realize. Why do people instinctively wait for someone else to take charge? What drives inaction? And more importantly—how can we break free from it?"

In this episode of Through the Rough, Sam and Slade dive deep into the bystander eff...

"Grief is a road no one asks to walk, but what happens when you have no choice?"

Harvey lost his 17-year-old daughter in a tragic car accident—a moment that changed his world forever. In this deeply moving conversation, he shares his raw experience of loss, resilience, and what it means to survive after losing a child.

What you’ll hear in this episode:
The moment everything changed and how he coped in the days after
The unexpected les...

What happens when survival isn’t the hardest part?

Born at 1.5 pounds, Lori wasn’t expected to live. She faced four battles with cancer, built a career as a nurse, and became a single mother through international adoption. But after years of fighting, she found herself lost—facing an identity crisis, loneliness, and the weight of an empty nest.

In this episode, Lori shares: Beating the odds—four times Why surviving wasn’t enough The ...

In this special episode of Through the Rough, Sam sits down with his brother Slade for a raw, unfiltered conversation about life, self-awareness, and personal growth. This isn’t your traditional guest interview—this is two brothers reflecting on everything from the challenges of fatherhood to the deep philosophical questions that keep us up at night.

Do we truly have free will, or is life predetermined?

How does childhood trauma shap...

What does it mean to wear the badge, to walk the thin line between order and chaos, knowing every shift could be your last? Matt spent nearly three decades in law enforcement, seeing the darkest corners of humanity—drug busts, violent crimes, and the trauma that lingers long after the sirens fade. But nothing prepared him for the moment he took a bullet on duty.

In this gripping 6.5-hour conversation, Matt takes us through his journ...