E46 - Andy Izard - When A Podcast Helped, NICU Moments, and The Raft Project

Our Guest - Andy Izard Also a Phoenix native, as a baby Andy was always connecting with strangers…even from his stroller. You’d almost think he's always had “I care about you” written across his forehead. Growing up, Andy did everything: sailing, scuba diving, flying, climbing trees, riding motorcycles, target shooting, and playing sports. He still loves to be outside – surrounded by pine needles. Andy is one of the safest people in the world for the gritty stuff. The shit that makes other people laugh uncomfortably and change the subject. Probably because in his teens and early 20s, Andy struggled with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and addiction. He understands not being ok. That’s one of the reasons he got his BA in Psychology. In the many jobs Andy has worked, from security to sales to business ownership, his goal has been helping people feel seen, heard, and safe. And no one more than his wife Kayla and son Sammy. His greatest loves. The Raft Project https://www.theraftproject.com/ Official Bios Kayla and Andy Izard are authors, speakers, founders, and facilitators changing the way the world does connection. Their movement, The Raft Project, is making support normal and expected. Along with creating a safe space for real conversations in their community, they've poured their hearts into a book, Good, and You? How to Get Real Support Instead of Faking It, which released spring 2023. Good, and You? explores support and community in a real, practical, lively way. After Andy’s prolonged mental breakdown in 2018, they doggedly pursued an open support group concept to process what they were experiencing. They knew they needed support – what they didn’t expect was so many others looking for the exact same thing. While Kayla has BA in Communications and Andy in Psychology, this movement is built mostly on lived experience and an unwavering passion to do good for other people and themselves. The Book: Good, and You? launching April 4th! Why is connection, vulnerability, and support so damn hard sometimes? How can we have more access to each other than ever, and still be so lonely? What will it take for us to open up about the things that actually matter? In this lively manifesto/guidebook on connection, we'll talk about: How to find safe people If anyone even wants to support us Why self-care isn't enough How to protect ourselves and connect How to start those deep conversations If you’re ready to start working towards a new normal, this may be the book for you. Build your raft. We'd love for you to be a part of ours. ___ https://dadspace.ca/

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