Apr 12, 2021
Twenty-some years ago, as Erik Allen tells it, his life was going nowhere fast.
He’d been raised in a broken home, learning how to defend his mother from an abusive, alcoholic boyfriend physically and, after moving in with his absentee dad, getting into drugs and trouble with the law in his teens. By age 21, he’d been in jail, was $28,000 in debt, had filed for bankruptcy, and was plagued by addictions — something his lifestyle as a Universal Records employee and regular concertgoer wasn’t helping.
But then, Erik had a come-to-Jesus moment — literally. Working nights in a coffee shop, he was on the clock one evening when a woman came in and asked if he’d like to go to church with her. Not long after, a dreadful night led him to consider the offer more deeply.
“I woke up Easter morning in my buddy’s basement surrounded by 15 passed-out guys, and at that moment I just felt God say, ‘Man, you’re done,’” he recalls. “I quit cold-turkey drugs, drinking, cigarettes, everything right there. I gave my life to Christ at that moment. And I called that girl up.”
Now, at this stage in his life, Erik is celebrating few pretty significant milestones — including 16 years of marriage to the girl from the coffee shop, 219th episode as a podcaster, and a successful entrepreneur. As he puts it, “Our past does not define our future.” That’s the mantra he likes to remind himself as he continues working toward his ultimate future goal — becoming a full-time speaker, podcaster, content creator, and coach.
In this episode of the Working For a Dream Podcast, Erik tells Patrick about growing his two podcasts, Top Rated MMA and The Erik Allen Show, from the days of recording in walk-in closets and the power of rewriting your legacy.
What You’ll Learn:
Favorite Quote:
“I had to become a quitter. I had to quit being lazy. Quit complaining. I had to quit being around negative people. I had to quit thinking that I wasn't deserving of money or deserving of success, and I had to quit being a quitter.”
— Erik Allen
How to Get Involved:
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