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Robert O\u2019Brien started stuttering at 8 and struggled with his speech into his adult years, discovering speech therapy, Toastmasters, and eventually acting school in Vancouver BC. At the same time, he was dealing with being gay and hiding his sexuality until finally coming out at 32. His focus throughout was to \u201cfix\u201d himself. After a failed suicide attempt, he was inspired to write a memoir called Just One More Drive: The true story of a stuttering homosexual and his race car to help others deal with issues around mental health and acceptance. His book is on sale globally and he has given various workshops sharing his experiences. He currently resides in Vancouver, BC working as a teacher and co-instructor for \u201cThe Unblockables\u201d, an improv acting course for people who stutter with Tightrope Theatre. Other written works include The MINI: A Strategic Relaunch of a Dormant Brand (Lambert Academic Publishing, 2016).

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Episode Highlights

0:00- 07:28\xa0 Intro

07:28 -10:40 \u201cFear, Exhaustion, Lost.\u201d\xa0

10:40 - 18:09 Writing O\u2019Briens\u2019\xa0 memoir

18:09 - 21:34 Feedback on the memoir

21:34 - 27:44 O\u2019Brien\u2019s coming out journey

27:44 - 29:01 Dealing with stuttering today

29:01- 37:27 Dealing with Mental health (men)

37:27 - 40:04 Mental Health self-care routine

40:04 - 47:54 \u2018The unblockables\u2019 Improv course for people who stutter.

47:54- 49:36 TS Toolbox (resources on stuttering)

49:36- 51:06 Robert\u2019s message for the world

51:06 -52:10 Outro

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Best Quote

\u201cGet out of the mindset that because I have a stutter, there are certain things that I cannot do well.\xa0 It's a way of thinking in the moment, it's a way of keeping it real.\u201d\xa0 - Robert O\u2019Brien

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RESOURCES

Website: https://justonemoredrive.com

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Book: \u201cOne More Drive\u201d by Robert O\u2019 Brien https://www.amazon.com/Just-Drive-Robert-James-OBrien/dp/1775165949

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Book Reviews:

Brett Grubisic (The British Columbia Review)

https://thebcreview.ca/2021/11/16/1287-grubisic-obrien-memoir/?fbclid=IwAR2F8AV1RacxkW46ei-2zlH3iBDyOsVinKe9jxHhI-bW5tTAyQpnkmu7E8I

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Paul Blezard ( Lovereading.co.uk) https://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/9781990160028/isbn/Just-One-More-Drive-by-Robert-James-O-Brien.html?fbclid=IwAR268Fn0l8FR5FsWMFTo-la_XDr2BSdbMwNQADnPqxO0y77QnE0B7JPNJxA

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Tightrope Theatre - The Unblockables (Improv for people who stutter) https://tightropetheatre.com/improv-for-stuttering

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Uri Schneider, M.A. CCC -SLP is co-founder and leader at Schneider Speech; creator and host of Transcending Stuttering; and faculty at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine.

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Episode Notes: See more on our blog

http://www.schneiderspeech.com/ourblog

and

http://www.transcendingx.com/podcast