Guest: Gary Roberts - 20-Year Firefighter & Founder of Neurovus

Host: Julie Riga

Julie sits down with Gary Roberts, a 20-year Fort Lauderdale firefighter who transformed personal tragedy into mission. After losing his daughter to an opioid overdose on her 27th birthday, Gary created Neurovus, an AI-powered mental health platform combining biometrics, voice-driven AI, and evidence-based therapies to provide support before crisis hits.

Gary shares three essential ingredients for building unbreakable resilience: consistency, continuous learning, and mental toughness. Whether you're an entrepreneur, leader, or anyone overcoming obstacles, this episode offers actionable insights on moving forward when life knocks you down.

Gary is a 20-year veteran firefighter and founder of Neurovus. His journey includes breaking nearly every bone in his body, being stranded in Florida with nothing, building multiple fitness studios, and facing devastating loss. As a hazmat special operations team member, Gary combines fitness discipline, firefighting mental toughness, and compassionate understanding from profound personal loss.

Fun Fact: Despite being a fitness professional, Gary's favorite food is strawberry cheesecake!

1. Consistency: Moving the Needle Forward

• Do one thing daily to create momentum
• Take one step at a time (staircase principle)
• Track progress visually
• Focus on the end result, not difficulty

2. Continuous Learning: Every Experience is Education

• Treat failures as curves to overcome, not mistakes
• Listen more than you speak
• Build partnerships through genuine curiosity
• Learn from every experience

3. Mental Toughness: Work Through What You Don't Want to Do

• Physical and mental fitness work together
• Focus on post-completion feelings
• The 100 pull-ups principle: if you can do one, you can do 100
• Practice breathing techniques for decompression
• Teach loved ones to ask for "help" not present "problems"

Gary reveals harsh truths: no formal mental health training, "suck it up" culture, 24/7 alertness, constant worst-case thinking, high divorce rates, and PTSD indicators. First responders live in perpetual readiness, impacting home life.

"It's not how hard you get punched down, it's how many times you get back up."

"Think of the end result first, not what you're doing to get there."

"Resilience becomes part of you, not an obstacle to overcome."

Innovative platform using biometric integration, voice-driven AI, and evidence-based therapies for proactive mental health support—designed for first responders and high performers.

Website: www.neurovus.com

Instagram: @GRoberts_PIR

Email: garyroberts@neurovus.com

1. Consistency beats intensity
2. Learn from failures
3. Mental and physical health connect
4. Visualize end results
5. Resilience is built through persistence
6. Your story determines outcomes
7. Seek help before crisis
8. Take one step at a time

Legacy: Honoring Gary's daughter and Julie's father, whose teaching "seven times down, eight times up" captures resilience.

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This episode marks an exciting milestone for the podcast. After launching in 2022, the show has officially begun charting on Apple Podcasts, and the momentum is just getting started. The focus for this year is clear and ambitious becoming a Top Ten podcast in the Entrepreneurship category.

Listeners are invited into the Before I Lead community on Skool, a free space designed for small business owners who want greater visibility, stronger leadership skills, and real connection. The community offers weekly networking and conversations centered on growing and leading a business with intention.

The heart of the podcast is learning directly from small business owners and experts who share their real world ingredients for success. Topics include marketing, sales, lead generation, podcasting, social media visibility, and using speaking as a powerful accelerator for business growth.

This episode also highlights the importance of visibility through podcasting and stages both local and virtual, along with a behind the scenes look at attending Podfest in Orlando to deepen conversations around podcast monetization and audience growth.

Rooted in legacy, the podcast continues to honor the influence of Julie’s father, Ennio Riga, whose mentorship and impact shaped generations. His legacy inspires the mission to help others share meaningful messages that create transformation.

The episode closes with insight into the Before I Speak program, which supports emerging speakers in building confidence, presence, and a powerful internal story before stepping onto any stage.

This podcast exists to educate, inspire, and equip listeners to grow intentionally, lead boldly, and stay on course as they build businesses and legacies that matter.

To learn more about Julie Riga and her mission to help you stay on course and lead with confidence and clarity, visit:

🌐 www.julieriga.com

🌟 Explore transformative coaching sessions at www.beforeilead.com

🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/julieriga

I'm Julie Riga—a leadership coach, speaker, certified trainer, author, voice actor, and proud host of the Stay On Course podcast. With over 20 years of experience in the pharma, biotech, and life sciences industries, I specialize in empowering high-achieving professionals to lead with clarity, purpose, and resilience.

I work with:

• CEOs, Founders, and Executives who want to lead with authenticity and impact
• C-suite leaders and senior managers looking to improve executive presence and public speaking
• Entrepreneurs and business owners navigating growth, leadership challenges, and career fulfillment
• HR and operations leaders seeking strategic development tools and confidence coaching

Many of my clients come to me when they feel stuck, overwhelmed, or out of alignment. They’re looking to:

• Boost leadership clarity and overcome self-doubt
• Develop executive presence and master public speaking
• Reignite their purpose and unlock their full potential
• Balance career ambition with personal fulfillment
• Stay resilient in high-pressure environments

Whether you're a tech founder, a service-based business owner, or a corporate executive ready to elevate your leadership game, my programs—including Before I Lead, Before I Speak, Before I Sell, and Before I Calendar—are designed to help you take action, grow sustainably, and leave a lasting legacy.

Discover your purpose. Stay on Course. Leave a Legacy.