“Every single time you put yourself out there authentically and you’re real and you’re genuine and you’re raw and you’re vulnerable with the world— every single time you do that, do you realize there’s somebody in the shadows who is thanking God right now that you did? Because you are their hero that day.”

Steve Gamlin Brings Humor, Inspiration, and Vision to BIAAZ’s First Survivor Sunday of 2022

By Kristin O’Shaughnessy

The road to being a motivational speaker and entertainer is surely one of many twists and turns. If you have ever had the pleasure of hearing Steve Gamlin speak, it might be easy to assume he comes by it naturally, but the truth might surprise you.

Steve first glimpsed his passion while watching an episode of WKRP in Cincinnati. Inspired by the character Dr. Johnny Fever, he knew from the age of 10 he wanted to be a radio DJ. Additionally, he realized he wanted to own his own recording studio, write books, be a standup comedian, and teach people outside of the classroom setting. Amazingly, by the age of 43, he achieved every last one of these dreams.

Steve is the first one to tell you that this was not a smooth climb. As he puts it, “I’ve crashed and burned my life on a couple of occasions.” Through those downs, he tried to seize the chance at a fresh start and rise from the ashes like a phoenix, but as he puts it, “my phoenix rides a pogo stick.” When a new path emerged, he decided he would try to bounce higher with each turn and branch in the road. 

The pandemic proved particularly challenging for Steve. As an extrovert and public speaker, he was forced to perform from behind a screen and miles away from his audiences, often unable to see or hear their reactions. This is where his ten years as a radio DJ gave him the ability to be “on” even when his audience is invisible to him. Steve has an uncanny ability to make it feel like he’s talking right to you in his Zoom webinars and video calls. 

However, he found his need for personal connection with others wasn’t quite being met. Through various tech tools, he began crafting short, recorded messages to people with a memory of their times together. He was purposeful in reaching out to a specific person about a specific moment to let them know he was thinking about them. This is almost always met with a thank you and message back to Steve which brightens his day. “It’s funny because even though we feel a little more isolated, I’ve actually gotten to connect with more people in a meaningful moment than before,” Steve shares. 

While Steve’s creativity and optimism are inspiring, they’re also intentional. He has conscientiously incorporated a life-changing practice into his daily routine— GRATITUDE. He recognizes some people may have a skewed idea of what this entails and warns that it’s not a comparison game. “People will say ‘you should at least be thankful that you have this,’ but that only works for so much.”  

He suggests to instead examine each day for specific things to be grateful for, such as a particularly good hamburger or a mesmerizing sunset. “Don’t ‘broad-brush’ and say the same thing every day like, ‘I’m thankful for my car, and my job,’ because those will lose impact over time. It’s more about those unique moments from the day and consistently taking the time to recognize them,” Steve believes. “Those can become building blocks to the foundation that help us recover from the blows life hands out at times.” Although he acknowledges this approach doesn’t solve everything, or prevent challenges from arising, it can often be enough to feel you have a more foundational perspective on the direction you’re heading. 

When it comes to his work with vision boards and life coaching, consistency and small actions are what Steve stresses to his clients. Often when someone sets a goal, it can seem huge, even insurmountable. So, he helps them break it down into smaller parts. He likens it to a roller coaster: the baby steps someone takes toward their goal may feel insignificant, and they may grow impatient. But that’s just the slow, steady click of the roller coaster rising. “It’s not until you look over your shoulder and, ‘oh my gosh, I came all this way! It didn’t feel like much when I was clicking.’”  

This concept of small but steady consistency works for building social connections, gratitude, and pretty much any goals you set. If you have physical goals you’d like to achieve, it can be a challenge to add three more steps or one more push up each day. Making it a daily exercise with just a tiny increase is how it becomes a habit and gets you moving toward your goal.  

One way Steve likes to help keep his clients motivated is by providing visual representation to their climb. For one person he worked with, she wanted to go on safari to Africa but it was going to take a long time to save enough money for it. They decided to create a giraffe visual, and with set amounts saved, she would add an additional spot on the giraffe. With each new spot she could celebrate and post the milestone online for others to follow her progress. 

Steve likes to encourage the people he works with to put their authentic journey out there for others to see. “Every single time you put yourself out there authentically and you’re real and you’re genuine and you’re raw and you’re vulnerable with the world— every single time you do that, do you realize there’s somebody in the shadows who is thanking God right now that you did? Because you are their hero that day,” he affirms. “The people who are willing to do that, because it helps them grow, also inspires all those people who are in the shadows wondering if they’re strong enough to do it…whether you like the title or not, you get to be a hero.” 

ABOUT BRAIN INJURY ALLIANCE OF ARIZONA

The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona (BIAAZ) is the only statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of adults and children with all types of brain injuries through prevention, advocacy, awareness and education. BIAAZ also houses the Arizona Brain Health Resource Center, a collection of educational information and neuro-specific resources for brain injury survivors, caregivers, family members and professionals.

What began in 1983 as a grassroots effort has grown into a strong statewide presence, providing valuable life-long resources and community support for individuals with all types of brain trauma at no charge.

The Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona:

• Works with Congressional Brain Injury Task Force
• Houses Arizona Brain Health Resource Center
• Hosts Statewide Opioid Use Disorder & Cognitive Impairment Workgroup
• Has Statewide Opioid Use Disorder & Cognitive Impairment Response team with peer support, training, and family wraparound services
• Facilitates Brain Health Advisory Council
• Manages statewide Neuro Info-Line: 888-500-9165