Imperfectly Human™

How Garrison Carter Built Mental Toughness Beyond Basketball

In this episode of Imperfectly Human, Rachel sits down with Garrison Carter for a powerful conversation about identity, discipline, leadership, and resilience. As a senior student-athlete at Illinois Institute of Technology, Garrison shares the realities behind competing at a high level while balancing academics, personal growth, and life beyond basketball. Together, they discuss overcoming injury, losing 40 pounds during COVID, handling pressure as a college athlete, and learning how faith and family helped shape his mindset. Garrison opens up about mental toughness, the fear of failure, and how he learned that success is not just about performance on the court, but about growth, consistency, and staying true to yourself. This episode is an inspiring reminder that we are all more than the titles, achievements, or expectations placed upon us. Meet my Guest Garrison Carter is a senior at Illinois Institute of Technology from Island Lake and a four-year captain of the men’s basketball team. A Dean’s List student and one of the top scorers in program history with more than 1,000 career points, Garrison has earned First Team All-Conference honors along with multiple all-conference selections throughout his college career. Outside of basketball, Garrison serves as President of the Black Student Athlete Association and has previously served as President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. He is also a Resident Advisor and mentor who is passionate about leadership, community, and helping others grow both on and off the court. Through his experiences as an athlete and leader, Garrison continues to inspire others with his humility, discipline, and commitment to personal development. Connect with Garrison: Instagram, [https://www.instagram.com/garrisonc.30/]Linkedin [http://www.linkedin.com/in/garrison-carter-b88812250]  Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-blogg-lcsw-47799434/], Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@RachelBlogg-LCSW], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/RachelBloggLCSW], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/rachelblogglcsw/], TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelwblogg] ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

From Rock Bottom to 15 Years Sober: What Finally Made It Stick

Rachel Blogg sits down with Meghan Brooks, a recovery advocate and treatment professional with 15 years of sobriety, who shares the honest, unglamorous truth about what it actually took to get sober and stay that way. Meghan opens up about growing up with addiction in her family, bouncing between cities trying to outrun her disease, and the moment she got kicked out of her own IOP group, which turned out to be the day everything changed. This conversation goes deep on the early struggles of sobriety that nobody talks about, including why the first two years felt awful, how Meghan intentionally surrounded herself with women who had decades of time, and why doing the steps more than once can completely shift your perspective. They also touch on the misconceptions around AA, higher power, and what it really means to protect your recovery without guilt. If you or someone you love is waiting for the "right moment" to ask for help, this episode is a reminder that the window of willingness is real and worth walking through. Connect with Meghan on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/Meghan.brooks] Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-blogg-lcsw-47799434/], Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@RachelBlogg-LCSW], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/RachelBloggLCSW], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/rachelblogglcsw/], TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelwblogg]   ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

Why Kindness Starts With Saying No

Rachel Blogg sits down with Dido Balla, CEO of Kindness Matters, for an honest conversation about what kindness actually means and why it has nothing to do with always saying yes. Together they explore the difference between being kind and being nice, why self-kindness is the foundation, and how setting boundaries can be one of the most generous things you do for yourself and others. Dido shares the four guiding beliefs behind Kindness Matters, including the idea that every human being is born with a capacity for good, and explains how negativity bias quietly shapes the way we see the world and raise our kids. From training teachers and parents to taking kindness programs to Cameroon, the work is as practical as it is deeply human. The episode closes with a reminder about gratitude that cuts right to the core: if your heart is beating, you have already hit the jackpot. Whether you are a parent, educator, or someone who has been a little harder on themselves than they deserve, this conversation meets you right where you are. Connect with Dido: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dido-balla/], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/didoballa/], Website [https://www.didoballa.com/] Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-blogg-lcsw-47799434/], Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@RachelBlogg-LCSW], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/RachelBloggLCSW], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/rachelblogglcsw/], TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelwblogg]   ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

From Perfectly Imperfect Me 365 to Imperfectly Human: A New Conversation on Strength

In this episode, the podcast enters a new chapter as Perfectly Imperfect Me 365 transitions into Imperfectly Human—a name that reflects the deeper conversations that have naturally unfolded over time. What began as a space for growth, self-awareness, and releasing perfection has evolved into something more focused: understanding strength in its most honest and transferable form. Not the kind of strength that is performative or visible on the outside, but the kind that shows up in how we handle pressure, relationships, identity shifts, and the moments no one else sees. This episode explores a central question that will guide every conversation moving forward: Is your strength working everywhere in your life, or only where it’s rewarded? Through reflections drawn from performance psychology, endurance sports, therapy work, and lived experience, the discussion unpacks why many high performers appear strong in one area of life while quietly struggling in another. It highlights how discipline can sometimes mask emotional avoidance, how success in sport or career doesn’t always translate to connection at home, and why incomplete strength eventually shows its limits. Ultimately, this episode sets the foundation for what Imperfectly Human is becoming—a story-driven space where lessons from sport, relationships, and personal growth intersect. It’s an invitation to rethink strength, not as perfection or constant control, but as something that must be able to transfer across every part of life if it’s going to hold up over time.   Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-blogg-lcsw-47799434/], Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@RachelBlogg-LCSW], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/RachelBloggLCSW], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/rachelblogglcsw/], TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelwblogg] ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

When You Die, You Look Like Your Decisions

What if your life isn’t defined by your past—but by your decisions? In this solo episode, I challenge the idea that your childhood gets a lifetime vote over your future. This isn’t about blame—it’s about agency, and what you choose to do with what you were given. I talk about how your nervous system is shaped not just by trauma, but by repeated patterns, why insight alone won’t change your life, and the hidden cost of staying loyal to old stories. Healing isn’t a one-time realization—it’s a practice. And if patterns are practiced, they can be changed. The question is: if someone met you today, would your life reflect your past—or your decisions? Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-blogg-lcsw-47799434/], Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@RachelBlogg-LCSW], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/RachelBloggLCSW], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/rachelblogglcsw/], TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelwblogg]   ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.