3rd Act

Our guests Justin and Alexis Black are remarkable. They are great examples for many teenagers and young adults, trying to find their identity in toxic family relationships that illustrate that courage and self-belief that is necessary to learn and develop successful life skills to remake a better life.

Show Notes

Coming up on the one-year anniversary of their Book "Redefining Normal" Justin and Alexis update our audience what they have been up to and what is coming up for them.

Growing up, they didn’t believe they had a future. Together, they are building forever.
 
Alexis Black was six when her mother died and thirteen when her father went to prison for child endangerment.  After subsequently surviving a long and abusive relationship, the college junior promised her foster parents that she would avoid romantic entanglements for at least a year. But when she met incoming freshman Justin on the first day of their scholarship program, they both felt the world melt away, leaving just the two of them in the room. 
 
Justin Black lived in abandoned houses in the poorest section of Detroit before his parents surrendered him to CPS at the age of nine. He stayed in the child welfare system until he was graduated from high school. Determined to be the first in his family to pursue higher education, Black attended Western Michigan University, where he met beautiful third-year Alexis. At first,  their past traumas--and their age difference--conspired to complicate their attraction. But the joy each took in the other eventually conquered those obstacles, and these two survivors journeyed hand-in-hand toward healing.
 
In their stark and often shocking story,  Alexis and Justin reveal how two people brutalized in childhood managed to defy the odds, get healthy, and build a new life together. Guided by hope and a sense of purpose, as well as a desire to help others who have similarly suffered, they learned to reject the abusive patterns of their past, thereby breaking the cycle of generational violence and neglect. 
 
Written in alternating accounts,  Justin and Alexis offer a thoughtful exchange of ideas and personal experiences illustrating how anybody, no matter their background, can heal and find joy.

We talk to them about how they met and started their romantic relationship. They are now working as full-time entrepreneurs.

They started an organization called Redefining Normal to talk about mental health boundaries, healthy relationships, definitions of love, community success, and all of the things in the books.

They have several workbooks, graphic novels, and other items in the works. Justin has a podcast called ROSE from Concrete.

You can reach out at info@re-definingnormal.com or follow them on social media
| Facebook | Instagram | Tick tock @re.definingnormal




Creators and Guests

Host
Roger Steed
Investor, vinyl seeker and promoter of good works from compassionate volunteers, donors, and teachers. Learn more about 3rd Act: 👇👇👇
Producer
Joe Woolworth
Owner of Podcast Cary, the Studio Cary, and Relevant Media Solutions in Cary, NC Your friendly neighborhood creative.

What is 3rd Act?

Welcome to the third act podcast. Shining a spotlight on individuals, charities, and small business owners suffering from illness, economic shutdown, or lack of support and funding. Meaningful conversations that generate compassion and financial support from listeners compelled to join us on this journey to share life experiences that improve the lives of others.