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This episode is not a highlight reel. It’s a reckoning.

I sit down with retired firefighter and transformational speaker Rick Cheatham and his wife Kelly for a raw, two-hour conversation about addiction, loss, paralysis, forgiveness, and what it actually means to commit when walking away would be easier.

Rick shares the long road from sexual addiction and self-destruction to purpose and service. Kelly shares what it costs to stay, to set boundaries, and to become emotionally safe without abandoning herself. Together, they break down Rick’s “S.T.A.R.T. Where You Stand” framework, a fire-ground approach to rebuilding a life and a marriage from the exact place it’s burning.

This episode is about choosing responsibility over resentment, courage over avoidance, and forgiveness as a form of survival. It’s about rebuilding from reality, not fantasy.

If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t even know where to begin,” this conversation is for you.

DISCLAIMER:
After the Tones Drop has been presented and sponsored by Whole House Counseling. After the Tones Drop is for informational purposes only and does not constitute for medical or psychological advice. It is not a substitute for professional health care advice diagnosis or treatment. Please contact a local mental health professional in your area if you are in need of assistance. You can also visit our shows resources page for an abundance of helpful information.

ATTD Music Credits (Music from #Uppbeat):

• https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/adventure-is-calling License code: ANJCYVHRMULSNKQR
• https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/rise-of-the-hero License code: H4WTAGJZIXZCM8DM
• https://uppbeat.io/t/yeti-music/homewardLicense code: KO7FZAIJBAEAJLKE
• https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/the-heart-grows License code: KAID0ITO96GJZAPS
• https://uppbeat.io/t/philip-anderson/achievement License code: XZ4PMCKHW94GUR74
• https://uppbeat.io/t/tobias-voigt/nexus
  License code: MVMDRGHKHTJRABVR
• https://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/breakthrough
  License code: FYPM3OJF0NQ4OGTE

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In this episode, Cinnamon sits down with former Louisville Metro Police Sergeant John Mattingly to talk about what really happened the night of March 13, 2020, and what it cost him to survive it.

John was shot in the femoral artery while serving a warrant that was part of a larger drug trafficking investigation. He nearly bled out on the hallway floor. But the physical wound wasn’t the hardest part.

What followed was something far worse.

A national narrative formed almost overnight. One that erased facts, ignored evidence, and turned John and his family into targets. Death threats. Forced relocation. Zero support from leadership. An FBI investigation shut down for “optics.” A career stripped away. A five-year-old son afraid someone would come through his bedroom window.

John shares what the public was never told.

This was not a no-knock warrant. Officers knocked and announced.
They had the correct address.
Breonna Taylor was not asleep in her bed.
John was shot first.
And the investigation itself was rooted in political corruption tied to property acquisition.

This conversation is not about sides. It’s about truth.

It’s about what happens when media narratives replace facts.
When politics override justice.
And when a 21-year veteran is abandoned by the very system he served.

John now travels the country telling his story so other officers don’t walk blindly into the same betrayal, and so the public learns to slow down, ask better questions, and look beyond headlines.

This episode is raw. It’s uncomfortable. And it matters.

Because behind every viral story is a human family paying the price.

Listen with an open mind.
Question what you think you know.
And remember there are real people on the other side of every narrative.

DISCLAIMER:
After the Tones Drop has been presented and sponsored by Whole House Counseling. After the Tones Drop is for informational purposes only and does not constitute for medical or psychological advice. It is not a substitute for professional health care advice diagnosis or treatment. Please contact a local mental health professional in your area if you are in need of assistance. You can also visit our shows resources page for an abundance of helpful information.

ATTD Music Credits (Music from #Uppbeat):

• https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/adventure-is-calling License code: ANJCYVHRMULSNKQR
• https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/rise-of-the-hero License code: H4WTAGJZIXZCM8DM
• https://uppbeat.io/t/yeti-music/homewardLicense code: KO7FZAIJBAEAJLKE
• https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/the-heart-grows License code: KAID0ITO96GJZAPS
• https://uppbeat.io/t/philip-anderson/achievement License code: XZ4PMCKHW94GUR74
• https://uppbeat.io/t/tobias-voigt/nexus
  License code: MVMDRGHKHTJRABVR
• https://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/breakthrough
  License code: FYPM3OJF0NQ4OGTE

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In this episode of After the Tones Drop, Cinnamon sits down with AK Dozanti, former deputy sheriff, victim advocate, wellness coach, and author of The Responder Reset: 99 Real-Time Tactics for Frontline Regulation.

This conversation is for the people who do not have the luxury of slowing down when stress hits. The ones who need something that works in the moment, not after a weekend retreat or a six week program. AK breaks down how regulation actually works in the body, why most responders are taught to override it instead of support it, and how simple, science backed tools can help you reset without changing the facts of what you are facing.

Together, Cinnamon and AK talk about burnout, skepticism, muscle memory, nervous system regulation, and why these tools are not “woo” but basic human biology. They also explore how these skills translate beyond the job into parenting, relationships, and breaking generational cycles.

If you are burned out, running on fumes, or tired of being told to “just breathe” without being shown how, this episode will give you language, permission, and tools you can actually use.

DISCLAIMER:
After the Tones Drop has been presented and sponsored by Whole House Counseling. After the Tones Drop is for informational purposes only and does not constitute for medical or psychological advice. It is not a substitute for professional health care advice diagnosis or treatment. Please contact a local mental health professional in your area if you are in need of assistance. You can also visit our shows resources page for an abundance of helpful information.

ATTD Music Credits (Music from #Uppbeat):

• https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/adventure-is-calling License code: ANJCYVHRMULSNKQR
• https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/rise-of-the-hero License code: H4WTAGJZIXZCM8DM
• https://uppbeat.io/t/yeti-music/homewardLicense code: KO7FZAIJBAEAJLKE
• https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/the-heart-grows License code: KAID0ITO96GJZAPS
• https://uppbeat.io/t/philip-anderson/achievement License code: XZ4PMCKHW94GUR74
• https://uppbeat.io/t/tobias-voigt/nexus
  License code: MVMDRGHKHTJRABVR
• https://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/breakthrough
  License code: FYPM3OJF0NQ4OGTE