Meet Kevin

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kevin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kevin below.

Hi Kevin, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

Purpose has been an ongoing search from a very early age. When you grow up in a household filled with trauma and abuse, you start to believe all the things you hear and become what you’re told to become. You’ll think that if you can just be good enough, thin enough, athletic enough, smart enough that somehow this will keep the abuse at a minimum. You start to question whether the things that are happening to you are because you are not good enough.

Throughout my life, I’ve searched for my purpose and failed many times. Often looking in the wrong direction and never having success. Once I removed myself from my household at the age of 17 the search for purpose became at the forefront of everything that I do. At one time, I felt deeply tied into educating the youth and becoming a teacher. At another time, I felt compelled to preach the gospel in church. Many other roads were taken, and none led to the destination that I had hoped.

When a chance opportunity came to become a police officer, and I found out what the job really was I knew in an instant that I had found my purpose. To be the person that people look to for assistance when they had no other option. For 13 years being a police officer was ingrained into my soul and all I ever wanted to do.

All of that changed on July 10, 2013 when a police involve shooting during a domestic incident change the trajectory in my life. In an instant that purpose, I felt so tied to got taken away. And when you put your purpose into something that has an expiration date, you run the risk of failure, confusion, and depression.

The cure for depression and that feeling of being lost is found in purpose. After struggling for years with depression, addiction, and suicide attempts, I finally discovered my purpose was sharing the difficulties in my life with others and showing them that it is possible to recover. That purpose in being a police officer that I felt was my life calling was only a conduit into finding the real beauty of life is overcoming adversity and giving that knowledge and experience to others around you.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Surviving post traumatic stress and multiple suicide attempts, Kevin P. Donaldson found resiliency in the embrace of his trauma. Retiring from the police department in New Jersey in 2014 after being involved in a shooting during a domestic incident, Kevin struggled to find peace inside his own chaotic mind dealing with feelings that were foreign and new while fighting through the difficulties that life threw his way.

Kevin now Chronicles his struggles by speaking out and destigmatizing mental health to find resiliency in facing suffering head-on by showing that there is a way to find your smile once again.   Find Kevin’s work and dedication to face the truth as the host of The Suffering Podcast.
His work now includes his dedication to repaying the assistance that was given during his most trying of times as the co-founder and President of  the Non-Profit organization The Suffering Podcast’s Dented Development Project which helps repair dents caused by Suffering in those who have overcome adversity.  In 2022, Kevin was honored by being named to Who’s Who in America. 

In 2024, Kevin went up against 20 criminals in a debate to defend the profession that he loves and almost gave his life in the viral 1 Cop Vs 20 Criminals byJubilee Media.  At times contentious but ultimately many issues are often a miscommunication between both parties.

In 2024, Kevin partnered with Sherrie Allsup who is a sexual assault and trauma survivor and expert providing trauma-informed training to law enforcement that is engaging and efficient.
Together they deliver a power and engaging presentation for law enforcement on dealing with some of the rigors of police work from sexual assault to mental health

In 2022, Kevin was a guest on Soft White Underbelly detailing his story which led to being one of the creator Mark Laita’s favorite interviews on his channel as mentioned on “The Joe Rogan Experience”.

Kevin writes for a variety of periodicals and has been a former Executive Contributor forRich Man Magazine, Rich Woman Magazine, and Sovereign Global Magazinehighlighting stories on a variety of topics and individual.

In 2024, Kevin is co-authored the groundbreaking book Man You Are Crazy, a book with Detective Chris Anderson chronicling his journey into and out of the darkness exploring Mental Health in the Police world. Man You Are Crazy quickly became a #1 Best Seller on Amazon.

An Inspiring Motivational Speaker, Kevin P. Donaldson is known for transforming the lives of audiences. His talks are attended by people of all ages and backgrounds. Kevin’s approach toward finding success and healing is approached by embracing your pain and running towards it head on.

“There is always hope, you maybe scared, maybe scarred, 
but you will make it through and ultimately you will be alive”
Kevin P. Donaldson

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Three skills that I developed overtime:
Hard work
Overcoming adversity
The willingness to be vulnerable

Avoiding problems never makes them go away. I use the analogy of the prairie fire. When danger approaches, it’s human instinct to run in the opposite direction. For example, if a bear attacks, you will instinctually run away in the case of a prairie fire if you turn and run away from that prairie fire is going to grow and grow until ultimately, it will consume you and you’ll die. In order to counteract the prairie fire, you must turn around and run directly into the flames. You will get through to the other side, you will be scarred and you will be charged, but you’ll be alive.

Life is exactly the same way and on a very basic level don’t pay your credit card bill this month and see what happens, don’t pay your credit card bill next month and see what happens before you know what the interest payments alone will be more than you can bear

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

Too many people will tell you to play to your strengths. This may be the worst advice anybody ever gave. Your strengths are what you’re good at, what’s your profession at and can easily achieve. I challenge you to play to your weaknesses to become profession in the things that you are not good at. That is the only way you’re gonna grow. Is to constantly challenge yourself with things you need work on getting better at.

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