“From Crash to Calling: Ethan A. Poetic on Surviving, Healing & Leading with Purpose”

The CJ Moneyway Show.

Ethan, the poetic, the poetic, the poetic.

Welcome to the CJ Moneyway Show, where legacy is currency and purpose is the blueprint. Today's guest shouldn't be here. Doctors gave him a 1% chance.

One. One.

One. Most People don't survive it. Some survive it but never live past it. Ethan the Poetic did something different. He took pain and turned it into discipline, took recovery and turned it into responsibility, took survival and turned it into service. This isn't a motivation story. This is a decision story. Because the real question isn't why did this happen to you?

It's what are you gonna build now that you're Still here, still here, still here, still here.

This is the CJ Moneyway Show, and this is Ethan A Poetic.

What's up, my good people? Welcome to the CJ Moneyway Show, powered by GI, the state's capital, CJ Moneyway Entertainment, and Planting Seeds with CJ, where legacy and currency its purpose to the blueprint. Today's guest is a walking miracle. Ethan A. Poetic is a two-time college graduate, keynote speaker, and a self-published author of the inspirational story of Ethan A. Poetic: Chronicles of Adversity, Education, Sports, Relationships, and Resilience. With only a 1% chance of survival after a devastating car crash, Ethan has flipped his pain into power. From being a victim to becoming a victor. He's here to show us all how to rise from adversity and build something meaningful. Hey, Ethan, man, what's up, dawg? Welcome to the show.

Hey, thanks for having me on. I appreciate the invite. I look forward to getting it in.

Hey, man, I appreciate it. I appreciate it. So, Eman, let me ask you, man, the moment everything changed, man, take us back to the day that changed your life forever. And what do you remember about that moment, and how did it begin to shift your perspective on life?

Well, the honest truth is, like I tell a lot of people on these interviews, I don't remember the situation. It was more me had to face everything, as in when I was writing my book, I had to dive in deep, like looking at that actual newspaper article where it said I was in critical condition, looking at that television interview where it shows the footage of a car cut in half. With the jaws of life. And then me visiting the fire department, looking at what that tool looks like in person, going to the EMT people and realizing, you know, they had to do certain procedures to me while inside the ambulance and putting a neck brace on me. And, you know, understand the police protocols of putting up the yellow tape because I wasn't supposed to be here. Like I said, this is based off, you know, me researching it. I remember it's like you being at a party, you got that experience.

Yeah.

And you remember the next day. In this situation, my near-death experience, I was there when it happened, but I don't remember.

So what were you actually at, man? Was you on like a— was you on the highway? Was you on a regular road or what?

It was Route 30. It was in Paradise, Pennsylvania. It was a nice day. The last thing I remember seeing prior to the car accident was the Hess gas station. Then it was the shopping outlets, like Tanger Outlet, Rockville Outlet. And then bam, I wake up 2 times. The first time was more like a cloud 9 state, but I don't remember that. The second time was more less medicine. So basically what happened was my driver unfortunately ran into an 18-wheeler head on.

Mm.

And he died instantly on impact.

Wow.

My little cousin, who was 2 or 3 at the time, he died. Then my other cousin, who was on the far side of me, and my aunt, who was in the driver's passenger side, they survived. But I was that man who was in a critical condition, a 99% chance of death versus 1% chance of life. And as I explained to people, that mathematical equation of 99 is higher than the divorce rate, a failed business, someone dropping out of college, high school. Um, let's see, there's also a miscarriage, struck by lightning, caught in tsunami. Well, that 1% represents something different— the supernatural, the calling of prayers. And the faith of a mustard seed. So as it relates to other people's lives, no matter how small the percentage is, you still have an opportunity to make the most of your life or change your situation. Because most adversities, traumas, wounds, and scars that people experience have already been experienced before, and we get to decide whether we want to be the victim or victor. So moving forward, the blueprint's already there. The question is, which one do you want to follow?

I feel you, I feel you, and I like that too. If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can tell these mountains to be thou removed, same way as death. Get away from me, Satan. God got me in a purpose for my life. So let me ask you, man, rebuilding from the ground up after surviving what many wouldn't wouldn't have, as you say, that 1%. How did you start rebuilding mentally, physically, and spiritually? And what was the hardest parts of that healing journey?

Well, since we're on your show, I got to keep it 100, 100. I'll give people like a snippet of the book. Basically, it's one thing to overcome a car accident with an 18-wheeler. Here I am in the ICU unit with two IVs in my veins, a left black eye, I lost over 80 pounds, I couldn't eat, I'm walking with a limp, then I get put on this feeding tube for several months, then I go to rehab. And while that's going on, you know, people were visiting me, put me on their prayers list. But it's like this old saying, basically, it gets worse before it gets better. Here's how the situation gets worse, and I'm being serious with this, and I'm speaking as a member of a protected class and standing on principle. My mom was devastated and everything. She had plenty of people to talk to, but the reality is this, and I talk about this in my book, and this is documented in court. Later down the road, when I start to eat, I get summoned to court for over $2,000 in back rent. Mm. And the honest truth is, as I told in court when we went there the fourth time after trying to mediate with my mom, she was actually giving money to a man over the internet.

Mm.

For working wages, because her job was right across the street from the courthouse, and there was a shopping center right down the street where she was sending money orders to this guy. And you know, that was just devastating. And to make things worse, my stepmom called me, said she wanted to have lunch with me. She brought my younger brother. We was eating at Perkins. And in the middle of me eating, she tells me my dad's not going to help me get my life back together. And this is a man who was the right-hand man of the pastor, being in that program that said that he's a— person in charge, like the finances. Yeah. But eventually everything turned itself around over time, even though I hit rock bottom on top of rock bottom. Basically, it was this married couple that helped me get my driver's license. And eventually I started working again and went to college, community college. Then I was able to get a car, '95 Ford Taurus. Eventually I upgraded to a 2016 Honda Civic. 2 things happened, you know. I eventually did have a conversation with my mom, thanks to this guy. And I did give her a ride around the block because out of all 5 of her kids at the time, I was the only person with not only a driver's license, but also with a car.

Hmm.

The first and foremost. As for the other situation, I went back to Coatesville, get my picture taken in front of the Welcome to Coatesville sign. And all the cars stopped at the red light. As I'm walking back to my car, I hear someone yelling for me. And I see my strange dad there. And I flipped the switch to my car, to the trunk. His mouth dropped. He couldn't believe I made the comeback when he tried to cause a setback. Yeah. And I try to— I say all those situations tell you that life is going to happen. And people are going to say things to discourage you from coming back from your near-death experience or anything else. Some people who are in your inner circle are going to like, how I say this, just pretty much going to be not looking for you to go above them.

Mm-hmm.

The spiritual part, you know, it was just more just keeping my name in prayer. The physical part, I was invited to this camp out in York County somewhere, and then I was having fun. 2 things happened. They started to do 2-hand touch football. I got picked. And then from there, you know, I thought I'd just take it easy, just jog, because I didn't know how my body was. It had been at least a year. And eventually, when the guy threw the pass to me, I ran, and I regained my speed back. I was on cloud nine on a— on a more natural way.

Yeah.

Later on, I go to the video game room. I'm dominating. Everyone leaves. I'm one of the last people to leave. The guy who invited me over there, turned out his alternative motive with having me over there was to share my testimony. I wasn't planning on talking about what I went through. I was planning on just going about my life, but life has a way of pushing me outside my comfort zone, and he was one of the people And when I shared my testimony at the fire camp, it was just humbling where I needed to be away to myself because it's just so much trauma at the time. But I realized that was one of many situations that helped me be prepared to speak about it now in my book. There's a hardcover, softcover, ebook, audio, as a keynote speaker, mental health advocate, certified restorative justice facilitator. And I realize every time I celebrate an anniversary, it's bigger than me. It's about showing other people that they can overcome their own mental health challenges, life challenges, and come back from it. The question is, who's in your circle? Who's your mentor? Who's your life coach? And are you on a winning team or a losing team?

Yeah. Whenever you dealing with the world and dealing with Satan devices, you always on the losing team. But when you know whose you are, You know what I'm saying? Like you say, you had people that was praying for you, putting you on their prayer list, and that's what we need in the times of adversity, man. But you know, I feel for you too as far as your movement, when you was talking about your father and all the stuff that he did, well, you know, serving the man of God and things of that nature. We would think that we would have more empathy towards somebody, especially one of our own. But like you say, man, the family, sometimes your inner circle, they be the hardest ones, man. They be the ones that be sitting on the sidelines when you trying to put everything together, like you say, hoping or sometimes praying for your downfall. Don't want to see you get above where you are, man. But you know, the devil is a lie. What God got for me is for me, you know what I'm saying? What the Bible says, say, what man can close the door that God opens, and what man can open the door that God is shut, man. So we got to keep it moving. And talk about keeping moving, man, let me ask you, E, the resilient mindset in your own words. What does true resiliency look like, and how can someone develop that type of mental toughness when everything feels stacked against them?

It's a matter of facing things for what it is. You have to really address it, whether it's in a text, an email, a video chat, your DMs, counseling, therapy. Then there's also Alcohol Anonymous. There's also being with the fellas, being with the women, and being able to have that honest conversation, no filters needed. And I'm telling you that from experience. And I'm speaking from a position of— you can Google my name and see that car is cut in half, but yet here I am standing. By me facing resiliency— I mean, facing what I need to face, and developing that resiliency, people saw me in a different light than what I originally saw. They saw something in me that I didn't see in myself. Like when I was going to college and working the after-school sports programs, you know, parents and guardians want to know who is working with my child. Because sometimes HR makes mistakes or doesn't do a thorough investigation on a person. So parents would Google my name, show up to me with the, this is you from the car accident? What I didn't know was what they saw was inspiration, a comeback story, and seeing someone who's down on the opioids, seeing somebody that's, wow, they went from the hospital bed to working in sports programs. He went from having IVs in his vein to Going to community college, going to Mills University, he went from a single-parent household to being the first to graduate from college out of all of them, including the other siblings. For me, what I saw when people pulled up that newspaper article and the car cutting out was just humility and me being vulnerable with an open heart, which when I'm at the sports program, I just want to focus on the sports, do my job. But I realized, you know, Life happens. And this is part of stepping outside my comfort zone, which got me prepared to speak about certain things. And I'm saying all that to say is that people out there are going to have to step outside their comfort zone to heal themselves. I did the work. Like, for example, two things happened. I would always have these waves of emotions during my anniversary, up and down. I didn't know what was going on. When I got interviewed by the Southeast Times newspaper, I thought it was just going to be a regular interview where I get featured on the front page of the newspaper and I get a nice pat on the back, compliments and everything. That wasn't the case. Two words stuck out in that article towards the end, survivor's remorse. Then this year when I got my NAACP Award from the Lancaster branch, I got interviewed on television next day, CBS 21 of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and the focus was on Survivor's remorse. It was a touching situation, but at the same time, it relates to a lot of people. So it was gonna be a lot of fun.

Además, ahorra $80 en un kit de 2 herramientas de Volt de 20 voltios max por $169. Y en el Pro Desk de Lowe's, trae tu lista de materiales escrita o en una foto y recibe una cotización en minutos. Agiliza tus proyectos mientras sigues ahorrando con Lowe's. Válido hasta 7/8 hasta agotar existencias. Selección varía por lugar.

An ally, an associate, maybe even a coworker. And I was able to do the work on an individual level. And I share all this to say that that's an example of something I faced and became resilient at. Mm-hmm.

Check out the movement. Family real quick. Lean in. If you're listening to this right now, then you already know The Moneyway ain't just a podcast, it's a movement. So make sure you tap into everything we building. Yeah, yeah, it's a Moneyway movement. Music, new tracks dropping every week. It's the CJ Moneyway Show, global Purpose-driven voices, Moneyway mindset, daily inspiration, real talk, no fluff. You can find it all right now on Instagram, YouTube, and everywhere you stream. Just search @simoneyway. That's what purpose lives. That's where the next level starts. And that's what we leveling up together. Now let's get back to the show.

Yeah, that's pretty cool, man. Like you say, Against— and as we fit to go into this next question, man, you know, against all odds, man. So let me ask you, man, Focus Plus Faith Against All Odds. When you were up against what looked like impossible odds, as you said, 1%, what kept you going and what role did faith, discipline, or your inner circle play in keeping you grounded?

A lot of things. When the situation happens I think my grandma was in the nursing home. I'm not sure if anybody told her or not, but I didn't see her for, wow, a good year. And it was just, I don't know, when I did see her in that nursing home, you know, she was happy to see me, put on her glasses, get into that rocking chair or sitting inside the wheelchair where I push her outside when we talk. There was times where, when I was going through those waves of emotions, I didn't want to go to college or go to work. I would have the blanket covered over my head and just, you know, I didn't want to do anything that day, just feeling that survivor's remorse without actually knowing it. My cousins would tell me I need to go to work or I need to go to college. Keep going. And then I remember that promise I made to my grandma that, you know, she's going to see me as her first grandchild to graduate from college at the Johns Center. And I had it all mapped out to just, I got to keep going. Because life does happen in any situation you're in, college, work, or any place that's, you know, where you're at physically. Emotionally. Unfortunately, you know, two things happened moving forward, which was I was at the college, Harrisburg Area Community College. And basically when I met with my academic advisor, her eyes lit up. She had a big smile on her face. She looked at my degree audit and she noticed that I had not only that I had more than enough credits to transfer, but also apply for graduation. And I realized I'm ready to fulfill this promise to my grandmom. Told her everything was looking good that final semester. There was two other situations that happened, but I'll save that for another time. And then about less than a month before I was supposed to graduate, unfortunately, I got the phone call that she passed away. So I still had to run my race. I still made it to her funeral, was the pallbearer. I still visit her grave to this day. But she was there in spirit. That's part of one situation where life happens. Also in that college journey, I lost an uncle where he served in the military. He was happy that I was making my comeback story. But unfortunately, on my journey to college, he passed away.

Mm.

And that's just how things happen in life where you can't allow certain people to hold you back even though they're not here physically.

Mm-hmm.

Then I can also relate to me giving my testimony at the church where my dad was the right-hand man in the financing. He normally would sit up high with the pastor on the higher part where everyone sits in the pew. I showed up there before he did. His wife, my younger brother made it, and other people there. And the difference between me at that moment versus a kid is that as a kid, you know, a kid can be a victim because they don't know any better. Because, you know, there's times my dad just wasn't showing up to certain things. IEP meetings, parent-teacher conferences, never celebrated my birthday. And all this stuff is documented by educators, and I have copies of that stuff. But moving forward to the testimony, you know, it's a situation where I'm a victor, and I got two choices. I could focus on someone that's not present, who's supposed to be present, or I can just focus on the people who are present inside the church, the congregation. And that's what I did, focus on the present of who is here. And that's how you have to be in life, where you have to focus on the present. Who is really looking out for your best interests? Who is willing to give you the time of day? Who's willing to return your phone calls, texts, or direct messages in a timely manner?

Mm-hmm.

Because life happens, and you have to be willing to just accept that some people are not going to show up. Some people just going to miss certain things.

Mm-hmm.

So I got done my testimony, did a wonderful job. My dad shows up late. He missed it. But I mean, he missed it. Missed the mark.

Yeah. Man, you have been through a lot, young man. You have been through a lot. Hey, E, man, before I got this quickfire round, man, we almost done. Tell us a little bit about your book, man, and where can we pick it up, and where can we follow you on social media, man?

My book is called The Inspirational Story of Ethan A. Poetic. Chronicles of Adversities: Education, Sports, Relationships, and Resiliency. If you want a signed autographed copy, you can buy it directly through me. Contact me on my website, ethanspeaks.com. I accept electronic payments, you know, Cash App, Venmo, Apple Pay, Zelle, through my cell phone number, 717-690-4445. Once you pay me, I'll mail it out. I do charge for shipping, and I'll give you a screenshot of the tracking number. That way we both know where it is. In good faith and good understanding. If you're looking for the audio and ebook, it's available on all major platforms. Amazon, Kobo, Apple, and then there's Spotify. You name it. The audiobook is very good for those who may be illiterate want something for your kids to listen to at night, or something you want to listen to for your workout, or play at your school, college, use for professional development where you can emphasize on mental health, any other thing. My book is used in juvenile facilities. My book is used for those who are on parole and probation, and they have to not only write about what they— per chapter, they also have to talk about it with their parole and probation officer. And the book's about, you know, overcoming adversity. But at the same time, it's worth the investment, it's worth the support because I wrote the book, but I also speak it as well personally. You get to hear my own voice. As for my social media handles, my username is @ethanpoetic23 on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Threads, Lemon8, Then on— let's see, my name is Ethan Poetic on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter. And of course, if you want to book me for your speaking engagement or maybe a restorative justice in circles facilitator at your school, colleges, workplace, you can book me through my website, ethanspeaks.com. Click on Ethan Poetic. Fill out the intake form. And as I tell people all the time, I value my services and my products because this is time I master my craft. I got the right people in my corner. And please understand, as I say on my website, I will just simply say, when I leave, you will be better than how I arrived. You'll feel the energy The nuances, the essence that I'm investing in not only just you but also other people to become better versions of yourselves.

I like that, man. I like that. Hey, so, E, man, got this little game I've been playing, man, since the beginning of the year. It's called Quick Fire Round with EP. So I'm gonna ask you 5 questions, man. You just answer the first thing that comes to your mind, okay?

Got it.

All right. One word that describes you today?

Proud uncle.

Proud uncle. Uh, what's the quote that kept you going through your hardest times?

There's multiple quotes. Don't invest more you can afford to lose. I'll give you beauty for your ashes.

Beauty for your ashes, I take that one. So let me ask you, man, your favorite chapter title from your autobiography and why?

Honestly, I don't have a favorite chapter because the whole book is my favorite thing, even though I didn't want to write the book or speak on it. The reason why I say that is because every chapter, intro, the multiple forewords, the back cover reviews, I put my heart into it, time, in the midst of COVID going to college and going to work at the same time. The entire book is full of immersed value from beginning, middle, and end. I'm being vulnerable with a capital V and just telling it like it is. How many people do you know that overcome a near-fatal car accident, that went to college, overcome, you know, parent situations, and still come out on the other side as an inspiration, start his own LLC, and much more. And the best is yet to come. Yeah, because I'm working on my part 2 book.

Um, man, like you say, resilience, that's your thing, man. That's your thing. So let me ask you, man, one song that would play during your comeback moment, one song that you would play during your comeback moment?

Oh man, it's hard to choose just one. I have to go with multiple. There's, uh, The Show Goes On by Lupe Fiasco, uh, the clean version. Then there's Days Like This with Kenny Lattimore.

Mm.

I'll just leave it at those two since it's off the top of my head.

Okay. So let me ask you, man, last question. Best advice you ever received and who gave it to you?

A lot of people involved. I'd like to shout out, you know, the late, great Claude E. Brown II. You know, he was very pivotal in my life when I was moving from coastal Pennsylvania to Lancaster. Our relationship evolved over time, but it turns out our families already knew each other. Mm-hmm. So it was very— him and a lot of my coaches were very key with that transition. Because here I am in the middle of my eighth grade year, where I remember like it was yesterday, I was one of many people, or shall I say student athletes, projected to start varsity. For football and track by my 10th grade year. And it just got taken away from me in Coastal Area School District just because my mom decided to move out of the city, out of the school district, starting over. And, you know, the coaches welcomed me in like their own for football, wrestling, and track. But there's a certain part of my book where I talk about where I wasn't able to do varsity sports the last 3 years. And I'll just leave that as a cliffhanger. Some of the advice is, you know, never giving up, taking those skills and teachable moments in sports and apply it to my life to the point where, you know, even though my college coaches weren't able to make it to my graduation ceremonies, I would show up at their home, the weight room, the football field, or their workplace and dress up in a cap gown, tassel, have my college degree, and bring the experience to them.

Mm-hmm.

That way they can tell their wives, this is what I was invested into in the early 2000s, and here's one of my student athletes. The relationship has more so evolved. Now coaches can use my story to tell them, as in the student athletes and other parents, this type of relationship I want, where it's bigger than just the X's and O's or wins. I want you to become a productive member of society. I want you to become resiliency. And one of the biggest moments was I'm at the booster club, you know, just contributing behind the scenes, showing support. And there was this teacher and her married husband. As we're talking, they said, "I'm going to speak at one of these schools in Coatesville Area School District." Flash forward, not even a year later, I emailed this guy who works at 6ABC Action News. His name is Mateo. I contacted him through Facebook Messenger. Less than an hour later, he told me, "Choose any school you want in Coatesville. I'm on board." Hmm. I contacted a teacher who believed in me. She contacted the principal. And our families have known each other well over 50 years. Her name is Dr. Bridget Miles. She contacted the superintendent at the time. Superintendent gave the green light. Me and the principal talked over the phone as an overview. And after that, it was showtime. I showed up to the school dressed in a suit, and I was able to speak to the third graders while the producer was recording everything.

Mm-hmm.

And then about a month and a half later, I was down, back down in Coastal to do the enactment of Martin Luther King, where we did that walk from First Ave all the way to Fifth Ave, going inside the church. And there, people give different speeches. The next day is when I got featured on 6 ABC Action News, and my cell phone blew up. My email, my DMs. I recorded that interview from my laptop, posted it on my social media, emailed it to everyone, posted it on all social media platforms. And I say all that to say is that was a win for the community of Coatesville, the city of Coatesville, the school district of Coatesville, as somebody who came from a similar environment like those kids and still became a success story. And later on, I got recognized by the city council members with a letter of recognition during city hall. I was number one priority for the agenda. And I say all that to say is that even though I didn't play the varsity sports, I was able to contribute in a different way with my story, which contributes to sports.

Man, you heard it from my man, one of Coachville's finest, Ethan Poetic, man. Hey, I appreciate you, E-man, coming on the show, man. Uh, you just didn't survive, you strived, and you striving. And if you're out there wondering whether your story matters, let Ethan be your reminder that your setback might just be the setup. This has been another legacy-level episode of the CJ Moneyway Show, powered by GI, the state's capital, and Planting Seeds with CJ. Be sure to share, subscribe, and most importantly, keep planting seeds that grow legacy, like my man EP. Hey, man, appreciate you coming on the show, man. This has been your boy CJ Moneyway with EP. Out there. Like I say, Coachville's finest. We out of here.

Peace. Before you go, let me leave you with this. Every story shared here It's a reminder that your story matters too. Keep your faith sharp, keep your focus steady, keep your vision clear. And if this episode gave you wisdom, hope, or a push forward, share it with somebody you love.

Tap in with me on all platforms, @corwincjmoneyway. And stay locked into the movement because God's not done writing your chapter. This is the CJ Moneyway Show. Brick by brick and always Moneyway Johnson.

If you like the show, please take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe. It really does help the show to grow. Thank you for listening.