*Please note: Today’s episode has a content warning for mental health and self-harm discussions. We hope this content will inspire you to practice self-compassion and share your story because you are not alone. For resources, please see our episode show notes.  

David Hollenbach has walked through the fire. Now, he helps others fan the flames of their own self-compassion and rise from the ashes of their limiting beliefs.

David Hollenbach is a retired Fire Department Battalion Chief, an international best-selling author, professional speaker, member of the National Speakers Association, John Maxwell certified speaker and DISC Method Trainer. His most recent book, Fireproof: Your Grand Strategy for Transforming Failure into Fuel for Your Future was released in 2022. 

David owns and operates David Hollenbach Consulting, LLC and hosts the popular podcast From Embers to Excellence – with over 170+ episodes featuring inspiring guest speakers. His brand was built on the foundation of helping others, speaking up and creating a legacy of good. 

Additionally, David is a Veteran of the United States Navy with a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Barry University. A major focus of research for his capstone was how strong, positive leadership can influence the culture of a large organization. While studying at Barry University he published “The Firefighter’s Creed” and “Women in the Fire Service: A Diverse Culture Leads to a Successful Culture,” an article highlighting the importance of gender diversity within the fire service in Fire Engineering Magazine. He has spent years as an instructor, coach and mentor helping others define and realize their personal goals. 

There is strength in adversity

David Hollenbach had read about trauma and studied philosophy. But during his time in the fire service, he experienced it for the first time – and it nearly broke him. 

Like many who work in emotionally difficult careers, David saw horrific things during his time in the fire department. He struggled with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and even considered taking his own life. In this deeply moving episode of The Business of You, David authentically shares his personal story with us, reminding us that we are not alone. 

During the depths of his despair, David reached inside himself and found a spark – committing fully to his own healing, no matter what. He began to do meaningful and consistent work on his emotional and mental health. Now, he encourages other veterans and service members to do the same, paving a path for them to speak up and talk about their experiences. Breaking the code of silence, David reminds us that our value is found not just in what we do, but in who we are… and our intrinsic self-worth. 

Uncover your core values

As a coach and mentor, David Hollenbach helps leaders create a grand strategy for their lives. 

He believes strongly that without direction, we will never arrive where we want to go, or become the person we’re meant to be. This begins with discovering your core values. 

Through his coaching and speaking services, David helps others create a roadmap for their lives. Despite their failures, regardless of where they are, he teaches others to rediscover their passion for life and reconnect with the best parts of themselves.

Forging a better future

When David was working on himself, he finally discovered a term that he had been seeking to define for years: Emotional intelligence. 

Studying emotional intelligence, he noticed that women consistently  received much higher emotional intelligence scores than men. That explained why the fire service, notoriously lacking women, was an industry with room for improvement in emotional intelligence and communication. But it also explained why women weren’t joining the fire service – and certainly weren’t being retained. 

Even when women become firefighters, they frequently  leave for careers  in which their emotional  intelligence, skills and abilities are more highly valued. Now, David writes and speaks about opportunities for better gender equality in service careers, and what that could mean for improving outcomes. 

Quotes

“I really try to help veterans and first responders with PTSD. I had my own struggles.”

“People who spend their adult life who spend their adult life in fields like combat, law enforcement, EMS, and the fire department – you end up seeing horrible things. If you don’t deal with and process that, it can fester and lead to PTSD.”

“I went to a really dark place. I hadn’t accepted that I was as bad as I was. It wasn’t until I almost took my own life, in the moments and days after that experience, that I committed to myself that I would do everything that I could to heal and become the person I knew I could become – someone my daughter could be proud of.”

“I felt like – nobody’s gonna read this. Who am I to write a book? I came very close to deleting the entire thing. Then I realized that sharing the lessons I learned could help somebody avoid taking their own life.”

“Ultimately, I believe that we’re all seeking the same thing: Happiness, a sense of fulfillment – and one of the purest forms of fulfillment comes from helping others succeed. If you can, find your purpose helping others succeed by doing the things you’re gifted at.”

“The fire service is lagging behind even every male-dominated industry in the United States. Paid firefighters – in 2010, the workforce was 3.7% female, and other occupations that were similar had 17% females or higher. Ten years later in the 2020 census, they achieved success in bringing it up to 4.7%. The work needs to be done on the culture so that it’s more inclusive.”

“While the fire service is hiring more women,  they’re not retaining them. Most women may do 6-10 years but ultimately they’ll leave for a career where their skills and experience are valued to a higher degree. You can’t fault anybody for that!”

Links mentioned in this episode:

Podcast Resources

Visit David Hollenbach’s website at https://hollenbachleadership.com/ 

Follow Hollenbach Leadership on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hollenbachleadership 

Connect with David Hollenbach on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-hollenbach-author-speaker/ 

Find David on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HollenbachLEAD 

Listen to the Hollenbach Leadership podcast at https://hollenbachleadership.com/from-embers-to-excellence-podcast 

If you or someone you love are considering self-harm or you find yourself struggling with your mental health, you are loved – and you are never alone. Please call the National Suicide Hotline at 988 and visit their official website for support, resources and completely confidential support.
https://988lifeline.org/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=onebox 

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