This episode: When Adversity Hits a Family—and Becomes Their Greatest Teacher: The Kristina & Herb Heagh-Avritt Story.
Here’s what you’ll learn about:
Introduction and Purpose of the Podcast (0:00)
- Host Drew Deraney initiates the recording and introduces Kristina and Herb Heagh-Avritt.
- Drew thanks the guests and mentions the rarity of having a couple on the show, highlighting the synchronicity and alignment in their relationship.
- Drew discusses the linear view of life taught at a young age and how external circumstances can derail this path, leading to three types of people: those who don’t see adversity, those who see it as a barrier, and those who see it as an opportunity.
- Drew introduces Kristina and Herb as examples of the third type of people who see adversity as an opportunity and take massive action to become stronger individuals.
Kristina and Herb’s Background and Defining Moments (2:37)
- Drew asks Kristina to share her defining moment that transformed her from a woman who didn’t see adversity to one who sees it as an opportunity.
- Kristina shares that having a son on the autism spectrum changed her and her husband’s perspective on life, leading them to look at things differently and grow together.
- Drew inquires about the preparation for this new path, and Kristina explains that they were not prepared initially but learned to adapt and see adversity as an adventure.
- Herb shares his journey of moving from a level two person who saw adversity as a barrier to a level three person who takes control of his life, mentioning various defining moments such as a Health crisis and a mountain accident.
Impact of Adversity on Their Lives (6:53)
- Herb discusses the impact of a mountain accident on his life, including brain damage and the subsequent involvement in psychedelic medicines to help with his recovery.
- Kristina shares the additional challenges they faced, including her father’s death, her son stopping communication with them, and their granddaughter being taken away.
- Herb and Kristina talk about how these challenges led them to help other families communicate and stay strong through adversities.
- Drew highlights the importance of resilience and communication in families, especially when dealing with neurodivergent children.
Their Business and Mission (9:20)
- Kristina explains their business mission to help families communicate and stay strong through adversities, focusing on Education.
- Herb adds that they also help entrepreneurs incorporate their families into their daily lives through homeschooling.
- They discuss the importance of Personal Development and how it can be integrated into family life and education.
- Drew and the guests delve into the differences between traditional education and individualized education, emphasizing the need to teach children based on their strengths and interests.
Challenges and Solutions in Education (13:30)
- Drew and the guests discuss the limitations of the current education system and the need for a more personalized approach.
- Kristina shares her experience as a teacher and the frustrations she faced with the rigid curriculum and lack of support for special needs children.
- Herb and Kristina talk about the increase in homeschooling during the pandemic and the benefits it brings to families.
- They emphasize the importance of early education and the need to teach children how to read and write from a young age.
Advice for Younger Versions of Themselves (19:29)
- Drew asks Kristina and Herb to give advice to their younger selves.
- Kristina advises her younger self to focus on building a strong Marriage and commitment, as it makes life easier.
- Herb advises his younger self to not take life too seriously and to focus on Relationships and feelings rather than societal expectations.
- They also share advice for their younger entrepreneurial selves, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and learning from failures.
Final Thoughts and Contact Information (21:37)
- Drew thanks the guests for their insights and encourages the audience to visit their website for more information.
- Kristina and Herb share their contact information and express their willingness to help other families.
- Drew wraps up the podcast, expressing gratitude for the guests’ contributions and encouraging the audience to take action based on the discussion.
- The podcast ends with a reminder to keep in touch and continue the conversation.
To learn more about Kristina & Herb’s mission, go to their LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-heagh-avritt/ or their website(s) at http://www.vibrantfamilyeducation.com/.
Kristina & Herb Heagh-Avritt Bio
Kristina and Herbert have been partners in life for 34 years, raising two boys and blending her 27-year teaching career with his business and entrepreneurial expertise.
Together, they founded Vibrant Family Education and the Bringing Education Home podcast to help families reimagine learning, strengthen relationships, and raise happy, healthy, successful children—building better communities and a better world, one family at a time.
About your host: I’m Drew Deraney, the proud father of three children. For most of my life I’ve been concerned with what people thought of me and how I was supposed to act. I learned not to be my authentic self and instead became a people pleaser, a man wearing a mask.
In a 9-month span a few years ago, I endured four faith-shaking life events that caused me to question my existence.
I became determined to find a better way to live. Through intense self-reflection and awareness, I realized that in order to be happy, I must adhere to my standards of honesty, integrity and truth and needed to break free from the belief system that was anchored in me for close to 50 years.
I now believe that success happens when we find a better way and are willing and able to share it. HOW I do that is by challenging the status quo and thinking differently. Ultimately, WHAT I bring to the table is a way to contribute and add value by having an impact on the lives of others.
My company, Profit Compassion LLC consists of 3 paths:
The Caregiver Family Health Coach: coach for caregivers of individuals with special needs, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). For Caregivers who are open to a conversation about how I can support you on your Caregiving journey: I help caregivers find balance, build resilience, and rediscover their own well-being. Through personalized Coaching, I provide practical strategies, emotional support, and the tools to reduce Burnout, strengthen relationships, and navigate the challenges of caregiving with confidence. My goal is to empower you to care for yourself as compassionately as you care for your loved one.
The Mindful Man Movement: men’s self-discovery coach, speaker, podcast host, author. For Men Seeking Answers Within: Imagine having crystal clear knowledge of your purpose in life where you make confident decisions, and are assertive, productive, and at peak Mental Health. Corporate executives hire me to guide them to tap into their natural power through self-discovery so they may write their own story and live the life they want to live.
WealthPath Strategies & Solutions: health/wellness and financial services to support individuals and businesses.
Join me in transforming challenges into opportunities for Growth. Let’s embark on this journey together.
HOW TO CONNECT WITH COACH DREW:
Website: https://profitcompassion.com/
Email: [email protected]
Book a discovery call: https://link.mavericksystems.online/widget/bookings/netweaving/connect30
Pick up a copy of Drew’s book: https://amzn.to/40dsbyR or https://bit.ly/BandNDrew
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtwMTiiZvnhTpsaCYMK6oqg?sub_confirmation=1
Drew Deraney now travels the world both to Live and Virtual Events showing mostly men the steps needed to strengthen self-identity and self-worth, to overcome self-limiting beliefs, and to build confidence while being authentic, maintaining boundaries and to transcend people pleasing skills to become the person they are destined to be. Drew challenges them to reach deep inside and make a lasting impact.
In a 9-month span, Drew experienced a grueling divorce, job loss, his son’s suicidal ideations, and his father’s death which devastated Drew emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. It is a commonality for men to consider any challenge as a weakness as well as to show emotion and ask for help. While writing his book, Drew realized he was not the only man suffering in silence. With more clarity of purpose than ever, he began asking for help. Drew Deraney’s mission is to help especially men, release their inner greatness by showing vulnerability, keeping in integrity of their power, and making a great impact on the people in their lives both personally and professionally.
Drew Deraney was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ where he still lives to this day caring for his elderly mom and his 3 adult children Matthew, Nicholas, and Emma. Drew earned his B.A. in Psychology, M.A. in Applied Psychology, and two psychology research publications while at Fairfield University; a scholarship from the Healthcare Financial Management Association; and his M.B.A. in Health Care Administration from Baruch College / Mount Sinai School of Medicine in NY. His hospital career spanned 24 years where he was co-chair of the Leadership Institute, spoke at JD Power, was one of three leaders interviewed by The Commonwealth Fund, received his Communicating with Empathy Trainer certification and is a Certified Patient Experience Professional. Four years ago, Drew founded Profit Compassion LLC, an entity to coach and empower mostly men to create resiliency and authenticity as Chief Resilience Officer. Drew is the podcast host of ‘From Caving in to Crushing It’ and recently became a best-selling author with his book ‘I’ll Have What She’s Having’ - Memoir of a reformed People Pleaser.
