‘LOUD KRAZY LOUD’ Wins Best Feature Documentary Audience Award at Dallas International Film Festival

Film Chronicling Life, Family and Career of KoRn Founding Member Receives High Praise, Standing Ovation during Texas Premiere

DALLAS, May 11, 2018 – “LOUD KRAZY LOVE,” the unconventional true-life story chronicling the chaotic and unexpectedly uplifting life of guitarist and co-founder of KoRn Brian “Head” Welch, received the 2018 Dallas International Film Festival Audience Award for Best Feature Documentary. The film was one of 35 documentaries shown at the Festival, which ran May 3-10.

Caption: (L to R) I Am Second President Lance Villio, Lane Ditore, Producer Sam Ditore, KoRn Founding Member Brian “Head” Welch, Ditore Mayo Creative Director Kevin Shivers, Director Trey Hill, Director Scott Mayo and Producer John Humphrey walk the Red Carpet at the Dallas International Film Festival prior to the Texas Premiere of “LOUD KRAZY LOVE.”

“LOUD KRAZY LOVE” subverts the standard sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll narrative. The 86-minute film explores Brian’s identity as a father and the complicated relationship he shares with his daughter Jennea.

The film had its Texas Premiere on May 5 to a sold-out audience and received the first standing ovation of the Dallas International Film Festival. The film’s encore screening on May 6 also played to a sold-out crowd that stayed into the early hours of the morning.

“This film is bigger than just KoRn,” said Dallas International Film Festival Artistic Director James Faust. “It gives a good warm feeling that we can all work together and make a better place. That’s what I loved about the film, and I think that’s what the audience loved about it.”

“LOUD KRAZY LOVE” is directed by first-time Dallas-based feature filmmakers Trey Hill and Scott Mayo and produced by Samuel Ditore of Ditore Mayo Entertainment and John Humphrey of I Am Second Media.

Production covered four years of exclusive access of Brian on tour and at home as well as in-depth interviews with him, his family and his bandmates and two decades worth of never-before-seen material from Brian, his family and KoRn.

“This has been years in the making, so being honored with this award from audiences at the Dallas International Film Festival is both overwhelming and remarkable,” said Trey Hill, director of “LOUD KRAZY LOVE.” “We have an amazing team behind this and are grateful to Brian and Jennea for allowing us to dive into their personal lives – past and present – to tell their intimate story.”

Humphrey, vice president of I Am Second, added, “It has been a pleasure collaborating with this team, from the initial conception to collecting hours of interviews and footage, to create this unique film. We’ve known Brian for almost a decade and are beyond grateful to both him and Jennea that they allowed us to share such a personal and emotional story.”

The sound Brian pioneered with KoRn in the early ‘90s helped provide identity to a generation of misfits and made him a global rock star. Famous, wealthy and worshipped in the spotlight, a relentless self-loathing haunted him in the shadows. Until the day a tiny miracle reset the course of his life.

Seven years later, desperate to kick a devastating crystal meth habit, Brian walked out on a $23 million dollar record deal and severed ties with the band.

“This movie is really special to me,” said Brian. “It’s not really my story, it’s Jennea’s. Rock ‘n’ roll is just the backstory. It starts with her coming into the world and ends with a beautiful restoration.”

“LOUD KRAZY LOVE” takes viewers through a tumultuous coming-of-age journey filled with chaos, doubt, and unconventional faith. The story grapples with teenage depression, the quest for identity, and the dedication of an imperfect but present father willing to do anything for the one he loves.

“You don’t have to be a KoRn fan to love this movie,” said Scott Mayo, director of “LOUD KRAZY LOVE.” “It’s themes are universal – fatherhood, unconditional love, redemption. The fact that the diverse audience of the Dallas International Film Festival voted this Best Documentary Feature proves it is a film for everyone.”

“LOUD KRAZY LOVE” will receive its Southeast Premiere at the Nashville Film Festival on May 11. Wide release of the film is expected in the fall. For additional information, visit LoudKrazyLove.com.

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Brian “Head” Welch is a New York Times best-selling author, sought-after speaker, co-founder of the Grammy Award winning band KoRn and proud father of Jennea Marie Welch. (brianheadwelch.net)

Trey Hill (Director/Executive Producer) is a documentary and commercial director. His work has taken him to five continents tell the stories of the planet's most revered and most overlooked people. This is his first feature film. (squarerootofnine.com)

Scott Mayo (Director/Writer/Editor) is a two-time Emmy-nominated filmmaker who’s work across all mediums is unified by emotionally potent, non-fiction storytelling. This is his first feature film.

Ditore Mayo Entertainment is a Dallas-based filmmaking studio with an affinity for pursuing beautiful human experiences through cinema on any size screen. (ditoremayo.com)

I Am Second Media curates and distributes first person storytelling through a variety of platforms, including via its flagship site, iamsecond.com. I Am Second stories can be found in books, blogs, 130 short films, two short documentaries and social media. (iamsecond.com)

Film about Life, Family & Career of KoRn’s Brian ‘Head’ Welch to Debut in May

‘Loud Krazy Love’ Premieres at Dallas, Nashville Film Festivals

NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 17, 2018 – “Loud Krazy Love,” an unconventional new documentary chronicling the chaotic and unexpectedly uplifting life story of Brian “Head” Welch, best known as guitarist and co-founder of KoRn, will premiere during two film festivals in May.

The 86-minute film directed by first-time feature filmmakers Trey Hill and Scott Mayo will make its Texas premiere at the Dallas International Film Festival May 3-10 and its Southeast premier during the Nashville Film Festival May 10-19, with multiple screenings occurring at each festival.

Photo Credit: Sean Berry

Featuring exclusive access on tour and at home, as well as in-depth interviews with Brian, his family and his KoRn bandmates, “Loud Krazy Love” subverts the standard sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll narrative to explore his identity as a father and the complicated relationship he shares with his daughter Jennea.

“The intimate details of Brian and Jennea’s life during the years he was absent from KoRn are turbulent,” said Mayo. “‘Loud Krazy Love’ is really a backstage pass to heartache and triumph. You don’t have to be a KoRn fan to empathize with Brian’s decision to sacrifice all his success in an attempt to be a good father.”

The sound Brian pioneered with KoRn in the early ‘90s helped provide identity to a generation of misfits and made him a global rock star. Famous, wealthy and worshipped in the spotlight, a relentless self-loathing haunted him in the shadows. Until the day a tiny miracle reset the course of his life.

“The day Jennea was born was like the most euphoric, miraculous, unconditional love – like total purity in the room,” Brian says in a scene from “Loud Krazy Love.” “But, I think deep down inside of me, I knew I was incapable of being what she needed and deserved.”

Seven years later, desperate to kick a devastating crystal meth habit, Brian walked out on a $23 million dollar record deal and severed ties with the band.

“Loud Krazy Love” takes viewers through a tumultuous coming-of-age journey filled with chaos, doubt, and unconventional faith. The story grapples with teenage depression, the quest for identity, and the dedication of an imperfect but present father willing to do anything for the one he loves.

“In my life I’ve done so many things I regret and wish that I could change,” said Brian. “It can feel haunting. But seeing my entire life with KoRn and my family play out before my eyes in this film, and seeing the positive that has come from my most embarrassing and devastating failures – there are no words to express my gratitude. Our team created a very special film here, and I can't wait for the world to see it.”

Production of the film covered four years and includes two decades worth of never-before-seen material from Brian, his family and KoRn. The result is a remarkable cinematic experience of amplified emotion, rock ‘n’ roll access and restorative love.  

"This film explores the way we, as human beings, need each other – warts and all,” said Hill. “In that way, I believe every dad, mom or teenager that sees the movie will walk out feeling hopeful that the pain they’ve experienced or the hurt they feel guilty for causing won’t be wasted. There’s a purpose, restoration is possible, and if we hang in there the people we care for most can be healed.”

“Loud Krazy Love” is directed by Hill and Mayo, who also wrote and edited the film. It is produced by Samuel Ditore of Ditore Mayo Entertainment and John Humphrey of I Am Second Media.

Wide release of “Loud Krazy Love” is expected in the fall. For additional information or to buy tickets to the Nashville or Dallas International Film Festivals, visit LoudKrazyLove.com.

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Brian “Head” Welch is a New York Times best-selling author, sought-after speaker, co-founder of the Grammy Award winning band KoRn and proud father of Jennea Marie Welch. (brianheadwelch.net)

Trey Hill (Director/Executive Producer) is a documentary and commercial director. His work has taken him to five continents tell the stories of the planet's most revered and most overlooked people. This is his first feature film. (squarerootofnine.com)

Scott Mayo (Director/Writer/Editor) is a two-time Emmy-nominated filmmaker who’s work across all mediums is unified by emotionally potent, non-fiction storytelling. This is his first feature film. (ditoremayo.com)

Ditore Mayo Entertainment is a Dallas-based filmmaking studio with an affinity for pursuing beautiful human experiences through cinema on any size screen. (ditoremayo.com)

I Am Second Media curates and distributes first person storytelling through a variety of platforms, including via its flagship site, iamsecond.com. I Am Second stories can be found in books, blogs, 130 short films, two short documentaries and social media. (iamsecond.com)
 

MEDIA CONTACT:
Kristin Cole
615-289-6701
kristin@alarryross.com

Kathie Lee Gifford Shares How She Found Joy through Infidelity, Loss and Loneliness

New White Chair Film details life of author, actor and television host

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 20, 2018 – Kathie Lee Gifford, author of three New York Times bestselling books and three time Emmy-winning cohost of the fourth hour of NBC TODAY, stepped in front of the camera to declare herself “Second” in the newest film from I Am Second, a global storytelling organization.

In the film, available on iamsecond.com, Gifford shares about the ups and downs of her life, from her beginnings in the entertainment industry and her 29-year marriage to her husband Frank to the biggest struggle she currently faces and how she maintains her joy.

“I’ve been in the desert as many times as I’ve been on a mountaintop, but I’ve learned my deepest lessons from the deserts,” Gifford recalls.

Gifford only ever wanted to be an entertainer and has been in the business since she was 10 years old. Since then, she enjoyed a diverse and successful career, but it has not been without its challenges.

“To be a young woman in that industry is brutal because of the rejection and because it’s nonstop,” she says. “Spotlights are tough because some people die under them. I came to life under them.”

Throughout the film, Gifford opens up honestly about the times in her life when God took horrible situations and wove them into something beautiful, including overcoming rumors and wrong accusations, restoring her marriage after her husband’s infidelity and experiencing the death of the love of her life.

“My biggest struggle at this point in life is loneliness,” Gifford admits. “I’ve lost my parents, my husband is gone now and my children live far away. I still live in same big house where we made a gazillion, million memories, and there are times when I am overwhelmed with loneliness. But I’ve discovered if I just keep thinking about what I’ve lost, I don’t pay attention to what I still have. I don’t want to live my life in hopelessness.”

Gifford shares in the I Am Second film how she found her unique purpose and joy in life and encourages others to do the same.

To see the full film, visit iamsecond.com.

About I Am Second

I Am Second is a non-profit launched in 2008 that ignites hope and inspires people to live for God and for others. Its website, iamsecond.com, features written and film-based stories of more than 100 athletes, actors, models, musicians, cultural influencers and everyday people who have stepped in front of the camera and declared, “I Am Second.” For information, visit iamsecond.com.

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Media Contact:
Kristin Cole
kristin@alarryross.com
972-267-1111

US Cycling Champion, Former Tour de France Rider Reveals Hidden Secret of Male Performance Athletes

New I Am Second Film Shares Story of Ben King

PLANO, Texas, Sept. 6, 2017 – Professional Road Cyclist and former Tour de France rider Ben King, is opening up about a hidden secret of male performance athletes in a new film released today on I Am Second, a non-profit organization sharing stories of hope.

The film, which releases as the high school sport season begins, offers a wake-up call not only to athletes but also parents, who may not realize the pressures on children in performance sports.

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“Cycling is one of the most demanding sports in the world,” King said. “You’re bumping elbows, bumping handle bars. And you don’t get to determine the pace. The pace is set. It’s like getting pulled along on a choke collar, in and up these climbs, and when you get dropped, it’s a very explosive, intense knock-out punch and then you’re off the back and your day is done.”

King won the USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship in 2010, becoming the first person under the age of 23 to win the event. But his road to the top nearly wore him down – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

When King was in his teens, he took his first trip to Europe to compete. He admits he had never experienced such suffering just to finish a race. It was then he decided he needed to work harder to improve his sport.

King began studying the exercise and eating regiments of professional cyclists. “I started believing the lighter I got, the faster I would get,” he said.

His life soon became a constant cycle as he strove for perfection: cycling in the morning, lifting weights in the afternoon, track practice immediately after school followed by a short break for homework before heading off to swim practice. King admits he would go to bed extremely exhausted every night only to wake up the next morning to start again.

King couldn’t train any more than he was, but he quickly found a new physically damaging habit that gave him a false sense of control.

“I was totally beating my body into submission,” King said. “But the thing I was trying to control was beginning to control me.”

In the I Am Second film, King shares his journey and how a habit quickly spiraled, causing physical damage and shame. In the end, it was his faith that saved him.

To see King’s full film, visit IAmSecond.com/benking.

About I Am Second

I Am Second is a non-profit launched in 2008 that ignites hope and inspires people to live for God and for others. Its website, iamsecond.com, features written and film-based stories of more than 100 athletes, actors, models, musicians, cultural influencers and everyday people who have stepped in front of the camera and declared, “I Am Second.” For information, visit iamsecond.com.

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FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Kristin Cole, 972-267-1111
kristin@alarryross.com

Online Newsroom:
http://alarryross.com/newsroom/i-am-second-newsroom-home/

I Am Second Launches #HelpingHouston to Support Hurricane Harvey Rebuilding

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Sept. 1, 2017 – I Am Second, a non-profit organization sharing stories of hope, is now taking donations through the Second Helping initiative to help Hurricane Harvey victims receive assistance with household tasks through Takl, the on-demand home services app, as the rebuilding process begins.  

“Living second isn’t just a motto for us, it’s a lifestyle,” said Lance Villio, executive vice president for I Am Second. “Our hearts are heavy for all who are affected by this catastrophic storm. As the floodwaters recede, we want to help people rebuild. Providing an avenue to fund practical rebuilding needs is a small way we can all stand united in Helping Houston. “

Through the collaboration with Takl, Second Helping will fund needed household projects – from cleaning homes, removing tree limbs, hauling away waste, washing windows and more – free of charge for approved recipients in the Houston area affected by Hurricane Harvey.

Individuals can donate to the project by texting “HelpingHouston” to 555-888. Additionally, money can be given after ordering a chore in the Takl app or by visiting the SecondHelping.org website.

Second Helping officially launched in July 2017 and has already begun providing practical household assistance to veterans, single-parent families, seniors and those experiencing financial difficulties around the nation. For more information about Second Helping, visit SecondHelping.org.

About I Am Second

I Am Second is a non-profit launched in 2008 that ignites hope and inspires people to live for God and for others. Its website, iamsecond.com, features written and film-based stories of more than 100 athletes, actors, models, musicians, cultural influencers and everyday people who have stepped in front of the camera and declared, “I Am Second.” For information, visit iamsecond.com.

About Takl

The Takl app is an on-demand mobile platform that connects self-employed providers with users who need chores and small jobs completed. The app is currently in 17 cities, including Houston, and is registering providers in additional cities. For information, visit Takl.com.

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FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Kristin Cole, 972-267-1111
kristin@alarryross.com

Online Newsroom:
http://alarryross.com/newsroom/i-am-second-newsroom-home/

I Am Second ‘Takls’ Small Jobs to Meet Big Needs through Second Helping

NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 24, 2017 – I Am Second, a non-profit organization sharing stories of hope, today announced the launch of Second Helping, an initiative to bring practical household help to veterans, single-parent families, seniors and those experiencing financial difficulty. I Am Second is working with Takl, the on-demand home services app, to facilitate Second Helping’s charitable mission.

“The essence of I Am Second is to inspire life transformation,” said Lance Villio, executive vice president for I Am Second. “Second Helping is an expression of love in action that allows us to partner with kind-hearted individuals to fund small jobs to meet big needs.”

Second Helping was born out of I Am Second’s desire to offer individuals a tangible way to live Second by putting God and others before themselves. Through the collaboration with Takl, Second Helping will fund needed household projects free of charge for approved recipients.

Tasks can range from assisting a veteran by cutting his grass because he lost a limb while serving in the Armed Forces to helping an elderly woman change the batteries in her smoke detector or cleaning the apartment of a single mom working two jobs to provide for her three small children.

“At Takl, we are all about impacting people and communities,” said Willis Johnson, Takl CEO and Chairman. “Through Second Helping, I Am Second provides a trusted way for our users around the nation to give back and make a difference in people’s lives.”

Individuals can donate an amount of their choice to Second Helping after they order a chore in the Takl app or by visiting the SecondHelping.org website.

Additionally, each time a new Takl customer uses the promo code “Second2017,” Takl will make a donation to Second Helping.

Takl is currently available in Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee; Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona; Miami and Tampa, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Los Angeles, Sacramento, the Bay Area and San Diego, California; Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, D.C.; Boston, Massachusetts; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Denver, Colorado.

For more information about Second Helping, visit SecondHelping.org.

About I Am Second

I Am Second is a non-profit launched in 2008 that ignites hope and inspires people to live for God and for others. Its website, iamsecond.com, features written and film-based stories of more than 100 athletes, actors, models, musicians, cultural influencers and everyday people who have stepped in front of the camera and declared, “I Am Second.” For information, visit iamsecond.com.

About Takl

The Takl app is an on-demand mobile platform that connects self-employed providers with users who need chores and small jobs completed. The app originally launched in Nashville, its hometown, in the summer of 2016 and is currently in 17 cities with plans to roll out across America in the coming year. For information, visit Takl.com.

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FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Kristin Cole, 972-267-1111
kristin@alarryross.com

Online Newsroom:
http://alarryross.com/newsroom/i-am-second-newsroom-home/

Author, Speaker Esther Fleece Shares of Abuse & Her Difficult Path to Forgiveness on I Am Second

New short film available on IAmSecond.com

PLANO, Texas, March 16, 2017 – I Am Second, a storytelling movement meant to inspire others, today released the newest White Chair Film on IAmSecond.com featuring Esther Fleece, speaker and author of “No More Faking Fine.”

From the outside, Fleece’s life looks ideal. She has enjoyed a more than decade-long successful career writing and speaking about faith and family issues. CNN called her one of “Five Women to Watch in Religion,” USA Today named her one of the “New Faces of Evangelicalism,” and Christianity Today deemed her one of the “Top 50 Women Shaping the Church and Culture.”

Yet, in the midst of success, Fleece kept quiet the past details of her childhood abuse and abandonment. “I didn’t want to bother anyone with my pain. I thought I was supposed to leave my past in the past,” Fleece said.

Growing up, Fleece’s family regularly attended a suburban church, despite the dysfunction and violence occurring behind the closed doors of their home. This juxtaposition led to confusion about God and religion for Fleece. “I remember the police being at our house so frequently that I thought they were friends with my dad,” she said. “I just started seeing those violent episodes more and more … it was like my hero was becoming the most unsafe man I had ever been around.”

Fleece was often summoned to court to testify, sometimes finding partial reprieve, though simultaneous grief when her father was sentenced to jail. As she approached her teenage years, Fleece’s entire biological family was no longer in the picture.

Though she found success in her career, Fleece’s past caught up with her nearly 20 years later in 2010, as she was speaking at a conference on marriage and family. She received word that her biological father was actively stalking her, and his already unstable mental health, had further deteriorated.

Fleece abruptly stepped aside from her thriving international platform of speaking and teaching to make sense of what was happening and find healing.

“The nightmares were terrible and none of my coping mechanisms worked anymore. Busyness didn’t work. Being performance-driven didn’t work anymore, because I just didn’t even want to get out of bed in the morning,” she said.

Fleece’s story is ultimately about forgiveness – of herself and others – and one that is still evolving. “There’s just not a Tiffany’s bow at the end of my story, but in the midst of the heartache and in the middle of it all, I’m okay,” she said. “I have this incredible hope that my story isn’t over yet, but that’s so not dependent on me.”

She hopes to encourage others to be honest in their pain so they realize they are not alone.

Her first book, “No More Faking Fine: Ending the Pretending,” invites readers to be honest about their pain. One of Zondervan’s major releases for 2017, the book reached the top 25 on the Evangelical Christian Press Association (ECPA) bestseller list.

To watch Fleece’s short I Am Second film, visit http://www.iamsecond.com.

About I Am Second

Headquartered in Plano, Texas, I Am Second is a movement centered on raw, authentic and transparent stories of living Second to inspire others to do the same. For information, visit http://www.iamsecond.com.

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FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Kristin Cole, 972-267-1111
kristin@alarryross.com

Online Newsroom:
http://alarryross.com/newsroom/i-am-second-newsroom-home/

Blackhawk’s Dave Robbins Reveals the Secret that Nearly Destroyed Him in a New Short Film

Full story available on IAmSecond.com

PLANO, Texas, February 14, 2017 – I Am Second, a storytelling movement meant to inspire others, today released a short film on IAmSecond.com featuring country music writer and Blackhawk founding band member Dave Robbins. The film, which is part of I Am Second’s White Chair Film Series, features Dave and his wife Mary Lynn sharing honestly about the struggles that nearly ended their marriage.

Dave Robbins has been in the country music business for more than 25 years, writing songs that have fueled the careers of artists who illuminate his body of work through the refracted light of their own interpretations. In 1983, he helped pen his first No. 1 hit, “All My Life,” which crossover-king Kenny Rogers took to the top of the AC charts. Dave Robbins soon became instrumental in the success of country band Restless Heart, composing several of their hits including “The Bluest Eyes In Texas,” which was a No. 1 hit in 1988 and remains a country standard today.

Dave Robbins is best known as a founding member of the multi-platinum country band, Blackhawk, which he joined in the early 1990s and for whom he plays keyboards and occasionally sings. He also co-wrote the band’s No. 1 hit song, “Every Once In A While,” which catapulted Blackhawk to fame and spurred sales of more than 7 million albums. Today, in addition to Blackhawk, Dave Robbins also tours with the Southern rock band, The Outlaws.

But while Dave Robbins has had great success in the public eye, his personal life has been a different story.

“Fifteen months ago I thought my life was over,” he confesses in the new I Am Second short film.

Dave Robbins said he has spent an entire lifetime struggling with temptation including alcohol, sex and porn. Seven years into his marriage with his wife Mary Lynn, his infidelity nearly ruined the couple’s marriage.

“I got sober and thought that would fix everything and all the other stuff would stop as well,” Dave Robbins said. “Eventually, going down the path I was and the more success I got in my career, I thought I could have what I wanted and do what I wanted to do. I created this dual life.”

His behavior led him to relationships with other women outside of his marriage.

“I kept my wife in the dark about everything … I was present but not present,” he said.

Before he knew it, he was in too deep. Having run out of lies, his wife figured out what was happening.

“I’ve read that infidelity is – next to the death of a child – the worst pain,” Mary Lynn Robbins said in a cameo in the I Am Second film. “You’re in this pit and you don’t feel like there’s any way out. And then you have to tell your kids …

“It is so hard to believe that anyone can come home to their family and lie to them like he did,” she continues.

Dave Robbins admits it was a tough time of not knowing what they were going to do. Mary Lynn received conflicting advice from friends; a lot recommended she leave her husband but a few reminded her God can do anything – even heal a marriage.

In the end, Mary Lynn made a decision most do not. She chose to fight for her marriage, which forever changed the Robbins’ life.

“As painful as it was, as heartbreaking as it was, I still knew that I would be committed to my marriage vows. I knew I had to forgive him, and I was going to walk out that forgiveness,” Mary Lynn Robbins said.

To see how this forgiveness impacted the Robbins, watch the full film on http://www.iamsecond.com.

About I Am Second

Headquartered in Plano, Texas, I Am Second is a movement centered on raw, authentic and transparent stories of living Second to inspire others to do the same. For information, visit http://www.iamsecond.com.

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FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Kristin Cole, 972-267-1111
kristin@alarryross.com

Online Newsroom:
http://alarryross.com/newsroom/i-am-second-newsroom-home/

In-N-Out President Lynsi Snyder Gets Candid in New I Am Second Short Film

IN-N-OUT PRESIDENT LYNSI SNYDER GETS CANDID IN NEW I AM SECOND SHORT FILM

Rare interview released today on IAmSecond.com

PLANO, Texas, January 11, 2017 – I Am Second, a storytelling movement meant to inspire others, today released a short film on IAmSecond.com featuring Lynsi Snyder, president of In-N-Out Burger. The film, which is part of I Am Second’s White Chair Film Series, provides a rare look into the past struggles and present success of the very private owner of the 318-store burger chain.

In the film, Snyder discusses her late father and his profound influence on her life, and how his early and tragic death impacted her own relationships.

“My dad was really funny. He was a little bit eccentric. Loved to make people laugh; loved to laugh at himself,” Snyder said. “He spoke to me like I was an adult when I was four years old. Somehow he had wisdom and discernment that I was going to be exposed to so many different things in life and I was going to need that straightforwardness and honesty.”

But Snyder’s memories of her father also include the sorrow of visiting him in rehab and the pain of her parents’ divorce.

“It was really hard for me to see him fail . . . I knew how badly he wanted to be a good husband and a good father,” she said.

After his death, Snyder could not bear to be alone. She married at 18 and when that marriage failed, she briefly turned to pot and alcohol to mask the pain of the lost time and love she had had with her father. She searched for love and respect but instead found herself in relationships with men who mistreated and cheated on her. Feeling more isolated and less worthy than ever, she responded to the pain and neglect with adultery of her own, behavior that only deepened her despair.

Grateful now for the lessons offered by those dark times, in the I Am Second film Snyder describes how it was only when she found her true identity and strength in Christ that she was led to her loving, God-fearing husband and to her commitment to live with purpose, sharing knowledge of His love with others to help them transform their lives as she was transforming hers. 

In keeping with her belief that media and public attention should be focused on her company rather than on herself, Snyder’s interviews are usually centered on her business or her non-profit foundations.  This is one of the few times she has discussed the very personal aspects of her life and spiritual growth.

“I wanted to share hope with others, the knowledge that God can turn anything – broken lives, heartbreak, anything – to good,” Snyder said. “I felt this was the time and place to be transparent and to tell the truth.  Sharing my story might help others; I know it has helped me.”

To see where Snyder’s journey has led her today and to view her full I Am Second film, visit http://www.iamsecond.com. 

About I Am Second

Headquartered in Plano, Texas, I Am Second is a movement centered on raw, authentic and transparent stories of living Second to inspire others to do the same. For information, visit http://www.iamsecond.com.

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FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Kristin Cole, 972-267-1111
kristin@alarryross.com

Online Newsroom:
http://alarryross.com/newsroom/i-am-second-newsroom-home/

NHL’S Mike Fisher Shares Personal Story in New Short Film on IamSecond.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 23, 2014 – A short film featuring NHL hockey player Mike Fisher, No. 12 for the Nashville Predators, released today on iamsecond.com. Fisher, who plays center for the Predators and is married to award-winning country musician, Carrie Underwood, is the first NHL hockey player to join the elite roster of I am Second films, which includes athletes, actors, models, musicians, pastors, politicians and everyday people.

In the iamsecond.com film, Fisher shares about his personal and professional life struggles. Growing up in the hockey town of Peterborough, Ontario, Fisher’s childhood dream was to become an NHL player. Raised in a Christian home, as a child he sought to balance school, faith and hockey.

At age 17, Fisher moved away from home to pursue his dream and by 19, the NHL Ottawa Senators drafted him.

“I’ve made it to the NHL and made my childhood dream,” said Fisher. “Everything was great on the exterior but the interior was not good at all.”

Fisher describes his next few years as a time filled with bad decisions and masquerading his values and faith, in an effort to pretend everything was all right.

“I remember signing my first contract. I was 19 years old,” Fisher said. “It’s kind of a little bit unbelievable. You know, that should have been … that’s every kid’s dream, to sign a contract, and I remember going out that night to a bar … gettin’ drunk … making a bad decision … I was letting people down.”

It wasn’t until he realized despite reaching his dreams, he had been searching for answers in the wrong places. It was then he started on a track to change his life and return to his faith.

Over 14 seasons, Fisher has overcome various injuries to forge a notable career in the league. In 2012 he received the NHL Foundation Player Award, which recognizes commitment, perseverance and teamwork on and off the ice.

I am Second, launched in 2008, features more than 100 films of individuals who have stepped in front of the camera and declared, “I am Second.” The website iamsecond.com and its Spanish counterpart yosoysegundo.com feature stories of hope and transformation. Based in Dallas, I am Second launched one of its multimedia city campaigns in Nashville in 2012. Fisher’s film is one of several films involving Nashville residents featured at iamsecond.com. He is the first native Canadian to be filmed, supporting I am Second’s social media outreach in Canada.

For more information and to watch Fisher’s film, visit http://www.iamsecond.com.

Media Contact:
Kristin Cole
kristin@alarryross.com
972-267-1111

Online Newsroom: 
www.alarryross.com/i-am-second