Francisco Padilla's Road From Prison to Doctor of Physical Therapy

Francisco Padilla's Road From Prison to Doctor of Physical Therapy

Francisco Padilla's path to becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy started about as far from a classroom as possible. He grew up in a rural part of Mexico where he didn't know anyone in a medical or professional career, dropped out of high school, and ended up serving five years in prison, where he earned his GED. Less than a year after his release, while working in the oil fields, he was in a car accident that left him with burns over nearly 80% of his body. He spent months in an induced coma, underwent 30 surgeries, lost the digits on his hand, and remained hospitalized for over 10 months. In this episode, Dr. Civelli talks with Francisco about how that experience became the turning point of his life. He shares what it was like to relearn how to walk, the depression and brain fog that followed, and the moment his own physical therapists encouraged him to go back to school instead of returning to his old life. As a first-generation college student with no roadmap, he sold his car, his motorcycle, and his jet skis to study full time, retook classes he failed, and prepared for the GRE while working a near full-time job. He talks candidly about how his criminal record became a "red flag" in nearly every program application, how some interviewers questioned whether he'd even be able to get licensed, and why he pushed forward anyway. Francisco now owns Padilla Physical Therapy and Fitness Incorporated, a family-run practice in Wasco, California, where his mother and nephew both work, and is preparing to open a second location in Bakersfield. He and Dr. Civelli also dig into the recovery tools he uses and recommends to patients, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, peptides like BPC-157 and TB-500, sauna, cold plunge, and why he believes movement is often the most underused medicine in physical therapy.

The Album I Owe Myself | Ep. 17

SHOW NOTES About This Episode Brandon Benjamin Benavidez — known as B3 — is a Bakersfield native, hip-hop artist, and labor foreman in the film industry. He's worked on major productions including Twisters, Elevation, and Sponsor, managing large crews on location across the country. He's also a husband, a father to a four-year-old daughter with autism and a history of febrile seizures, and a musician with four albums out — with his best work, he says, still ahead of him. Topics Covered * B3's background: from football dreams to film sets to the Bakersfield rap scene * Why he almost didn't take music seriously — and what changed his mind senior year * Working as a labor foreman on Twisters, Elevation (Anthony Mackie), and Sponsor (John C. Reilly) * His daughter's autism diagnosis and febrile seizures — 16 seizures by age four * The gut-brain axis and its connection to autism, seizure thresholds, and neurological health * Why he chose not to medicate, and how ABA therapy and speech therapy have shaped her daily life * Dr. Civelli on ketogenic diet and glucose stability as tools for seizure management * The perfectionist artist: rushing album four (Neapolitan), and what "letting God write it" looks like now * Being the sole provider, managing chronic stress, and the gray beard that showed up during Twisters * What accountability in health actually looks like — and why B3 is ready to start Mentioned in This Episode * Twisters (2024) — film, directed by Lee Isaac Chung * Elevation (2024) — film with Anthony Mackie * Sponsor — film with John C. Reilly * Neapolitan — B3's fourth album (released August 2024) * Bricktown, Oklahoma City * ABA therapy and speech therapy for autism * Ketogenic diet and febrile seizure management * Love on the Spectrum — Netflix series * Baylen Out Loud — YouTube creator with Tourette syndrome * Buc-ee's Connect * B3 on Instagram: @b3astof661 [https://www.instagram.com/b3astof661/#] | https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mbxGBNS_FeHurJ4O9RFVzbpKRNVqr4fsU [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mbxGBNS_FeHurJ4O9RFVzbpKRNVqr4fsU] * Dr. Valerie Civelli / Trifecta Medical: trifectamedical.org | (661) 677-2623 * Guest inquiries: justin@thebeaconstudios.com [justin@thebeaconstudios.com]

Your Body Is Keeping Score — and It's Time to Listen | Ep. 16

SHOW NOTES Dr. Valerie Civelli welcomes Dr. Anna Marie — known as the Mindset Doctor — for a conversation that moves from entrepreneurship and ego vs. soul alignment all the way to tongue analysis, quantum fields, and the emotional roots of thyroid disease. It is one of those episodes where the clinical and the spiritual keep meeting in the middle. Topics covered: * Ego vs. soul-led decision making in business and health * Metacognition — why less than 30% of people think about their thoughts * The Flexner Report and how Western medicine shifted away from holistic roots * Why mindset outranks diet and exercise as the primary driver of health * Tongue analysis and iridology as diagnostic tools * The connection between emotional suppression and physical disease * Dr. Anna Marie's personal history with psychiatric medication at age 22 and how she healed * Bioregulators and plant stem cells * Thyroid issues, the throat chakra, and speaking your truth * Why placebo works 30% of the time — and how to use that Mentioned in this episode: * Happy Whole You (Bakersfield, CA) — happywholeyou.com * Dr. Masaru Emoto's water consciousness research * The Flexner Report (1910) * 528 Hz — the frequency associated with love in sound therapy * Iridology and blue lymphatic iris constitution About Dr. Anna Marie: Dr. Anna Marie, known as The Mindset Doctor™, is a leader in mindset transformation, human performance, and holistic wellness. With over two decades of experience in education, health, and well-being, she helps individuals and organizations bridge the gap between external success and internal fulfillment. Blending neuroscience, neuropsychology, and epigenetics with a mind-body-spirit approach, she empowers people to break through limiting beliefs, reconnect with purpose, and elevate their performance from the inside out. As the founder of Happy Whole You™, she has helped countless individuals and teams move from burnout and disconnection to alignment, resilience, and lasting transformation. Connect with Dr. Anna Marie: * Happy Whole You: happywholeyou.com * Instagram: @dr.anna.marie  Connect with Dr. Civelli + Trifecta Medical: * trifectamedical.org * 7702 Meany Ave #101, Bakersfield, CA 93308 * (661) 677-2623

Forged in Fire: Vinni Morais on Hunger, Discipline, and the Long Road to the Arnold Classic | Ep. 15

SHOW NOTES Intro Vinni Morais grew up in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Brazil, using jujitsu as a survival tool before it became a career. He came to the US on a soccer scholarship, earned degrees in sport management and international business, won a BJJ world title in 2021, placed ninth at Mr. Olympia in 2024, and won both his division and the overall at the Arnold Classic, one month after losing his mother. Topics Covered * Growing up in poverty in Brazil and how sports became a way out * The soccer scholarship pipeline and why he walked away from soccer permanently * BJJ black belt journey (15 years) and the 2021 World Championship * The transition to competitive bodybuilding and what his first show taught him * Losing his mother one month before his 2025 competition prep, and competing anyway * "Impossible" tattooed on his abdomen with the end scratched out to read "I am possible" * Peptides vs. PEDs: why the distinction matters and how the industry gets it wrong * The three-dose problem: what the coach prescribes, what the athlete actually takes, and what they tell people they take * MOTS-c, SS31, NAD+, IGF-1, SAOPP, Retatrutide, and GHK-Cu, how they work and when to use them * Why MOD-GRF should be taken in the morning, not at night * Mitochondrial function, aging after 30, and why NAD+ supplementation isn't a stimulant * Cycling off peptides and why continuous use can blunt receptor response * Why sweating more doesn't equal fat loss Mentioned * Arnold Classic * Mr. Olympia * Panic! at the Disco, "High Hopes" * Freddie Mercury, "The Show Must Go On" * "Pressure Creates Kings" (song referenced by Vinni) * Flame and Fire (Arnold Classic sponsor) * Trifecta Medical Connect * Trifecta Medical: trifectamedical.org | (661) 677-2623 | 7702 Meany Ave #101, Bakersfield CA * Guest inquiries and episode submissions: justin@thebeaconstudios.com [justin@thebeaconstudios.com]

A PI, a New Dad, and a Doctor Walk Into a Podcast | Ep. 14

Intro Miguel Morales is a California-licensed private investigator, content creator, new father, and self-proclaimed aspiring Norteño accordion performer. He was born in Florida, found love in Bakersfield on St. Patrick's Day at McGarry's, became a father at 27 to a son named Makai who was almost running as of the recording date, and bought a $1,200 accordion as a birthday present to himself before he knew how to play it. He is currently episode 13 of White Coat Black Sheep, which he would like noted for the record. Topics Covered Fatherhood at 27 — what changes the moment you realize there is a literal half-you in the world, and how every week brings a new chapter. Medicine and performance — why getting the degree does not mean you stop answering to someone, and why the bosses just multiply. Private investigation work — what Miguel actually does day to day, why infidelity is the most common individual case, and why the hardcore criminal work is a building phase. The marriage scale — why six to ten is a green light, five is a dead zone, and the Malta family tree moment that reframed everything. Accordion at a quinceañera — buying a $1,200 instrument before you can play it, performing before you are ready, and why that is the right move every time. Sunday as a non-negotiable — how faith, family, and zero work became the structure that grounds the rest of the week. Fitness with real life — why 20 minutes of air squats in the living room after a 12-hour shift counts, and why consistency beats intensity every time. Legacy over logistics — why keeping the bigger mission in mind is the only way to survive both parenting and partnership. The hormonal cycle explained — Dr. Civelli's rapid-fire relationship advice to close out the episode. Mentioned in This Episode  McGarry's Irish Pub — Bakersfield, CA Fitology Wellness Center — Florida Bakersfield College, CSUB, University of West Florida, Adventist University of Health Sciences The Epstein files and child safety conversation Follicular, LH, and luteal phases of the female hormonal cycle Connect Miguel Morales https://www.instagram.com/miguelangelmorales [https://www.instagram.com/miguelangelmorales__/] https://www.tiktok.com/@miguelangelmorales [https://www.tiktok.com/@miguelangelmorales__] https://www.facebook.com/miguel.morales.363540 [https://www.facebook.com/miguel.morales.363540] Dr. Valerie Civelli — trifectamedical.org Trifecta Medical — 7702 Meany Ave #101, Bakersfield CA 93308 | (661) 677-2623 | info@trifectamedical.org [info@trifectamedical.org] Services: HRT, Peptides, Health Optimization, Botox, IV Hydration, Functional Medicine, Dermatology, Aesthetics, Regenerative Medicine, Hair Loss Treatments, Psychiatry, Clinical Trials Guest intake: justin@thebeaconstudios.com [justin@thebeaconstudios.com]