In this powerful episode of Momentum Shift, host Antonio sits down with pastor, counselor, and author Justin McNeil for a raw and deeply moving conversation about trauma, grief, faith, and the hidden battles high performers carry beneath the surface. Justin shares the story that changed his life forever, losing his best friend to cancer and spending a decade refusing to grieve. What began as strength slowly turned into panic attacks, emotional numbness, and a crisis of faith. Together, Antonio and Justin unpack what it really means to face pain instead of outrunning it, and how unresolved grief can shape our decisions, relationships, and identity. They explore the powerful framework of the Head, Heart, and Gut, how emotions serve as vital indicators rather than weaknesses, and why true healing doesn’t require losing your edge. Justin opens up about anger toward God, the danger of self-reliance, and the moment he learned that weakness is not failure but the doorway to transformation.INSTAGRAMhttps://www.instagram.com/antoniovaglicajrhttps://www.instagram.com/momentumshiftpodhttps://www.instagram.com/justincmcneil/CHAPTERS 00:00 - A Rare Temperament & Opening Prayer04:00 - What a Healthy Church Really Looks Like08:00 - Science, Faith, and the Search for Truth12:00 - When My Best Friend Was Diagnosed With Cancer16:00 - Angry at God and Refusing to Grieve20:00 - The Panic Attacks That Changed Everything24:00 - Finding God in Weakness28:00 - Why Emotions Are Not the Enemy32:00 - The Head, Heart, and Gut Framework36:00 - God Is Not Afraid of Your Questions40:00 - When Logic Turns Into Apathy44:00 - Knowing God Through the Heart48:00 - The Therapy Breakthrough Momen52:00 - Making Peace With Past Decisions56:00 - The Difference Between Grace and Excuses1:00:00 - The Gut Signal and Impulse Living1:04:00 - Scarcity, Speed, and Burnout1:08:00 - When Fear Takes Over1:12:00 - Healing Without Losing Your Edge1:16:00 - Father Wounds and Identity1:20:00 - Becoming the Father You Never Had1:24:00 - Choosing Your Hill to Die On1:28:00 - What Success Really Means#MomentumShift #Faith #Grief #EmotionalHealing #TraumaRecovery #ChristianPodcast #MentalHealth #Emotions #Leadership #SpiritualGrowth #Healing #OvercomingAnxiety #PersonalDevelopment #purposedriven #innerwork

In this heart breaking episode, Antonio Vaglica sits down with Chris Welton for a conversation about resilience, grief, and purpose.Chris opens up about being born with one arm due to his mother’s addiction, the moment he realized he was “different,” and the people who helped shape his belief that his story could become his strength. He then shares the heartbreaking loss of his son CJ, what the grieving process really looked like behind closed doors, and how his faith and family helped him move forward without pretending it didn’t hurt.From tragedy to fatherhood again, Chris also breaks down the mindset he calls the “adversity accelerator,” why he intentionally does hard things, and how he built a business around his family instead of building his family around business. This is a real conversation about what it means to keep going, even when life doesn’t make sense. LISTEN ON SPOTIFY 🎙️https://open.spotify.com/show/3yhTKf2Cot9exkajivTPGJ?si=WyQiUDjqQbmXJHKjSEImygINSTAGRAMhttps://www.instagram.com/antoniovaglicajrhttps://www.instagram.com/momentumshiftpodhttps://www.instagram.com/onehandatatime/Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@momentumshiftpod_CHRIS’ BOOKhttps://onejordanbook.comCHAPTERS:00:00 – Growing Up Different & Losing Family01:23 – Discovering He Was Born Without an Arm05:19 – Childhood Surrounded by Addiction08:54 – Resentment Toward His Mother10:03 – How Adversity Shaped His Identity10:52 – Losing His Son CJ12:13 – The NICU and Medical Crisis13:43 – Seeing His Son for the First Time15:41 – Making the Hardest Decision of His Life16:29 – Saying Goodbye to His Son18:41 – Finding Peace Through Faith20:09 – Fear of Becoming a Father Again23:11 – His Wife’s Strength in Surgery24:27 – A Family Miracle26:22 – Rebuilding His Relationship with God27:52 – Praying on the Hospital Floor29:21 – Turning Pain into Purpose31:14 – Refusing to Quit01:02:30 – Building a Business Around Family01:04:22 – Saying No to Protect What Matters01:05:23 – Regret From Missing His Older Kids01:09:42 – Losing Everything and Starting Over01:14:01 – Redefining Success01:15:42 – What I’d Say to My Son CJ01:18:12 – Final Reflections & Gratitude#grief #childloss #fatherhood #grievingfather #healingjourney #resilience #overcomingadversity #faithjourney #mentalhealth #traumahealing #lifelessons #personaldevelopment #podcastclips #inspirationalstories #purposedriven

In this episode of Momentum Shift, host Antonio sits down with Simon Lerner for one of the most raw and introspective conversations we’ve had on the show.Born and raised in Russia, Simon moved to the United States at just 12 years old without speaking English. What followed was a collision of cultures, loneliness, rejection, and an early obsession with figuring things out on his own. From showing up to football tryouts with a soccer ball, to hosting his first business event at 19, Simon’s story is a masterclass in resilience, self-education, and momentum built through adversity.Simon opens up about strained family dynamics, resentment toward his father, scarcity-driven motivation, and the internal pressure to prove himself at a young age. We dive into the emotional cost of entrepreneurship, the psychological toll of trading, losing nearly $2 million in crypto, and what it actually takes to rebuild confidence after your worst losses.LISTEN ON SPOTIFY 🎙️https://open.spotify.com/show/3yhTKf2Cot9exkajivTPGJ?si=WyQiUDjqQbmXJHKjSEImygINSTAGRAMhttps://www.instagram.com/antoniovaglicajrhttps://www.instagram.com/momentumshiftpodhttps://www.instagram.com/mrsimonlerner/Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@momentumshiftpod_CHAPTERS:00:00 – Growing Up Between Two Worlds03:45 – Moving to America Without Speaking English07:30 – Not Fitting In and Early Culture Shock11:45 – Loneliness, Video Games, and Escaping Reality16:10 – The First Taste of Making Money Online20:30 – Discovering Bitcoin and Early Risk-Taking24:55 – Trading, Investing, and the Illusion of Control29:40 – Losing Millions and Facing Reality34:20 – Scarcity Mindset and Family Resentment39:10 – Push vs Pull Motivation Explained43:30 – Identity, Ego, and Self-Worth48:15 – Why Momentum Matters More Than Motivation52:40 – Building Community When You Feel Alone57:25 – Dropping Out of College and Betting on Yourself1:02:10 – Creating Events and Becoming the Connector1:06:55 – Relationships as a Competitive Advantage1:11:30 – Managing Success, Pressure, and Expectations1:16:10 – Letting Go of Old Identities1:21:00 – What Success Actually Looks Like Now1:26:00 – Final Reflections on Momentum and Life#MomentumShift #SimonLerner #EntrepreneurMindset #PersonalDevelopment #BusinessPodcast #ImmigrantStory #Resilience #TradingPsychology #EntrepreneurLife #SelfGrowth #WealthMindset #CommunityBuilding #HighPerformance #LifeLessons #PodcastClips