The Mountain in My Mind

From Survivor to Thriver

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In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we had the privilege of sitting down with John Padilla to talk about how his life was changed forever by a tragedy. The devastating loss of his brother to suicide during his high school years changed the trajectory of his life.

John shares how he turned his pain into purpose and embarked on a path of healing alongside his brother's friends. Inspired by their collective resilience, he created YouTube films centered around mental health in the mountains.

Join us as John shares his deeply personal story, showing the impact of community in navigating through life's most challenging moments.

In 2019, John Padilla lost his teenage brother, Jack, to suicide. John’s background as a professional skier and photographer prompted him to create Mountain in My Mind, the first video production company focused on mental health awareness in ski towns. This project has resulted in two, award-winning, feature length films that have been viewed by millions across the world. He and his team are currently on location in Montana shooting the third film which is set for release in the Fall of 2024.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• How to check in with loved ones who might be contemplating suicide
• John’s experience with a brother who committed suicide
• How he started a nonprofit to help others struggling with their mental health
• The impact of social media and bullying on the mental health of young adults
• The power of community
• The healing that John and the other kids found through making movies
• The stigma around mental health in ski towns
• The topics covered in John’s movies
• 
  

We hope you enjoyed this conversation with John! If you want to check out his movies for yourself, head over to his YouTube and follow him on Instagram.

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Links:

Check out the films on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MountainInMyMind

Follow Mountain in My Mind on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mountaininmymind/

Follow John on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/john.padilla/
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Get in touch: [e-mail]

Quotes:

“No suicide doesn’t have a heartbreaking end to it. It just doesn’t.” -Marc

“​​It's very simple. Ask bluntly, but politely, ‘Do you have a suicide plan?’ That's it. And if the answer is yes, or if I even sense that the answer is not no, I'm going to start making calls.” -John

“Community was probably the one thing that saved us and saved all of Jack’s friends.” -John