The Chris Voss Show - The Chris Voss Show Podcast – Triggered To Change: A Life Full Of Turbulence by John Carter

Episode Date: August 21, 2025

Triggered To Change: A Life Full Of Turbulence by John Carter https://www.amazon.com/Triggered-Change-Life-Full-Turbulence/dp/B0DWLVRWW5Turbulencebook.com What if the worst thing that ever happened to you became your greatest turning point? At just 17, John Carter was a rising enforcer in the Worcester Mafia — until a point-blank gunshot to the head changed everything. Triggered To Change is the raw, unfiltered memoir of how a near-fatal injury, a decade of addiction, and a prison sentence became the foundation for a life of resilience, purpose, and service. From the ICU to incarceration to owning a gym and giving a TED Talk, Carter’s journey is a gripping reminder that transformation is always possible, even from the darkest starting points. What You’ll Learn Inside: How to find inspiration in the face of overwhelming challenges. Ways to stay motivated, even when life seems to be at its toughest. Practical tools for healing trauma and overcoming life's obstacles. How to cultivate resilience and stay committed to your goals. The transformative power of embracing gratitude for emotional healing. This book isn’t just a story, it's a guide for those looking to rebuild their lives after facing adversity. Whether you’re working through addiction recovery, tackling mental health challenges, or simply seeking inspiration, Triggered To Change offers a deeply personal and empowering approach to self motivation. Carter's journey is not only a story of personal redemption, but also a call to action for anyone looking to take control of their narrative. The book’s unique combination of honesty and vulnerability allows readers to connect deeply with its message. Triggered To Change encourages readers to see adversity as an opportunity to grow, heal, and thrive. A Quick, Transformative Read: At just 60 pages, this resilience book is perfect for readers who need a quick but profound reset. Within a few hours, you'll gain the tools and mindset needed to shift your perspective and start making changes in your life. A Cause That Matters: In addition to its personal impact, proceeds from the book go to the Service Dog Project, a nonprofit organization that provides service dogs to individuals who have experienced both mental and physical trauma. If you're ready to transform your challenges into strength, Triggered To Change is the perfect companion on your journey of healing trauma, personal growth, and self-motivation. Get your copy today and start your path to resilience, healing, and empowerment.About the author John Carter is a personal trainer, motivational speaker, and owner of Titanium Health and Fitness, a private gym in Boston. After surviving a near-fatal gunshot, battling addiction, and enduring the trials of prison, he rebuilt his life and found purpose in helping others overcome their own challenges. Through his fitness programs and speaking engagements, John inspires others with his story of resilience, healing, and transformation. Triggered to Change is his first book, sharing his journey from despair to empowerment and the power of second chances.

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Because you're about to go on a moment. Monster Education Roller Coaster with your brain. Now, here's your host, Chris Voss. Hello, folks, Voss here from thecris Fos Show.com. Ladies gentlemen, welcome to the big show. As always, for 16 years, 24 and episodes, we've been bringing the Chris Voss show. What's amazing guests of mine sharing the journeys of life and stories, things that you can utilize to make yourself and your life be better or just entertain you as well.

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but it is not an endorsement or review of any kind. Today, very amazing a man joining us today, and boy, does he have a hell of a journey we're going to get into? His book came out February 6, 2025, called Triggered to Change, A Life Full of Turbulence. John Carter joins us on the show. We're going to get into with him. He published his book, an inspiring autobiography, which tells the story of how he was shot and partially paralyzed as a young member of the Worcester Mafia.

He was put in a coma for 90 days, addicted to drugs, and sentenced to prison. That's Friday's around. here. Through the hardships, he found a passion for health and fitness and decided he wanted to be a fitness trainer. He now owns titanium health and fitness in Brookline, Massachusetts. Welcome the show. How are you, John? Hey, Chris, thank you for having me, but it's a pleasure to be here. Hey, thanks for coming. Give us your dot coms. Where do you want people to know you better on the internet? My author, my website is turbulencebook.com. Tedbrilymouthbook.com.

That's all my information. And brings you my gym website, it brings to all my websites. There you go. And actually, my TED Talk, I did a TED Talk previously, and that's on there, too. So if your audience would like to listen to it, a TED Talk. Nice. Way to go with the TED Talk there on top of the book. You got to love it.

So give us a 30,000 overview of what's inside your new book. My book is a very inspirational, motivational book. I wrote this book. I was involved in a hectic accident, and it changed my life, Chris. And I wrote about it to tell people how it changed my life and how the things I went through, the choices that I made, the bad choices I made. And then how on my head. King Claire, and the drugs came out of my system, how the choices became better, and my life

got a lot better, Chris. Wow. There you go. This is a memoir. Is that what you would say? It's a bit of a memoir there? Correct. Mm-hmm.

And it's a very short book, Chris. My book is 60 pages. But Chris, I did not graduate high school. I dropped out in the 11th. And I did not pay attention. you to the previous 10. So Lord knows, I'm no scholar, Chris. So it's my book, but I'm not a writer.

I'm an author, but I would consider myself a writer. Uh-huh. And so this is your first book then you've written. Correct. And so give us a rundown. This is since this is a memoir, let's get into your bio, your life. How did you grow up and what were some of the influences

that led you down these pathways of turbulence? Chris, I grew up in a very unconventional child. my father was in the mob the mafia organized crime and chris i loved by that he was the best father in the world never missed the ball game was always there was my best friend and so when he died i wanted to be like him i wanted to wear his shoes but chris i was not his size and I found out well quick that I was not cut out for this mafia stuff I found myself in a world of trouble

this man instead of paying a gambling debt he owed me decided to attempt to murder me and he shot me in the back of the head and Chris and my story being shot in the head was the easy part

as my life as my life spiraled out of control with drug addictions, alcohol addiction, food addictions, and even prison stank, Chris. Wow. Let's get in this a little bit more. Let's delve into this because this is a great story. Not everyone has an opportunity to change your life through getting shot in the head. So did you, you joined the mob because you grew up with it with your father. Is that correct?

Correct. Well, I didn't join the mob. My father was a wannabe. I wanted to be like him, but I wasn't. I was not welcome at all. But it sounds like you were doing activity, right? If you were loaning money or was that just kind of a favor for a friend? Correct.

I was involved in it. Okay. So this man, he owed me money for gambling. You're under debt. Got to pay the big. Instead of paying me, he looted me into his home. And he shot me in the back of the head. Chris.

Wow. It was awful. And I went down, and luckily, luckily, I lived. Yeah. Luckily, I lived. So they must be the hospital. So let me, let me break this down a little bit more because we want to, they're details and people are going to be left hanging.

How do you escape that situation or stay alive in that situation? Usually when the mob wants you dead, they shoot you in the head and they cut you into pieces and put you in a bag and, you know, take you to, I don't know, pick farmer or dump. So how do you survive? Like what, what, and I hate to, I didn't mean this as a joke, but I mean, what goes to your head when you get shot in the head? Like, what's going on? I mean, tell us, give us the play by play, if you would. He walked behind me. He walked behind me.

He said, I have to show up the security alarm to my home because we're going to enter his home. And he walked behind me, and boom, that's the last thing I knew. Wow. I didn't know what happened to me. So did you lose consciousness? Oh, yes. I went right down. And he thought I was dead.

Oh, okay. He thought I was dead. My partner that I was with at that time in the house was able to escape the house without getting hit by the bullet. Oh, wow. So he tried to kill him, too. And he was able to call help for me. And so they rushed me to the hospital.

And Chris, this is the messed up pot. This was a messed up pot. Mm-hmm. My coma was 90 days. 90 days, wow. And it was one long dream. One long dream, like I lived a whole life. Chris, but it was not an ordinary dream where it's hazy.

You don't remember it? This dream was vivid. Real vivid. Like, of course, this happened in 1992. December 15th, 1992 was when I got shot. And I can remember this dream like it was yesterday. Wow. The midst of this dream was in the hospital, and I was chained to a bed.

But I had no idea why I was in the hospital. And I was in a room with a bunch of people I didn't know. And you're chained to a bed. And every day. they got us this is a dream now remind you okay

every day they had unchanged the side of bed and got us into a swimming pool now the winner of this race got to go home

Chris it hurt like hell to get in this pool remember this is a dream now it hurt like hell and I kept losing and this is the first time I said my life

I quit That's it I'm not getting out of this bed again I'm not swimming again This is crazy That night An old man Who I have no idea who it was

Set my bed next to me He said John You're not gonna quit You're not alone And I'm gonna coach you And I'm gonna help you Chris He took me to that pool daily

and he trained me and he trained me and he trained me so now it's the day of the big race he gets me down for the pool he gives me this big pep talk he gets me gone gets me all get up I remember swimming like a bed out of hell I hit the wall and I woke out of my coma Chris really and I woke wow thank God you win the race technically is that I won the race And I remember that like it was yesterday, Chris. Remember like it was yesterday. So that was a crazy, crazy thing. Yeah.

So now I spend 90 days in a coma and that was six months on top of that in a hospital. So nine months total. Now I get discharged from the hospital. I go home to Worcester Mass to my mom's baby. basement apartment. And this is where depression set in big time. In the hospital, I was never alone. There are people all around me. Now I'm in the basement apartment alone. Chris, it wasn't before long. I started drinking. I added drugs to it. Before I knew what was going on, my life was out of control.

I was 330 pounds sitting in a wheelchair and I just thought my life was over. But Chris, I could not afford my drug habit. So my bright ideas after just getting shot in the head,

my idea was to become a drug dealer. I'm just not dealing drugs. Yeah. Imagine it. Imagine us. I just get shot in the head And I wanted to stop dealing drugs. Yeah.

But the police did not find this too amusing, Chris. And they... That should have been the title of your book. The police did not find this too amusing. Hey, Tom there was. Put that in your second book. So, boom! My door comes crashing.

Ten cops come rolling in. And I, Chris, I thought I was dead. I thought I was being mugged. But then I heard the wall. walkie-talkies. And I said to myself, oh, thank God. Seriously, I said to myself, oh, wow, this is over. My life was in such a mess. It's not usually some of you hear from criminals. Thank God. It's the police.

And then I remember the cops saying to me, because they see me smiling. He said, kid, what are you laughing at? You don't have trouble you're in here? I said, sir, you have no idea. This is a good thing. That's a good thing. So they find drugs and money in my apartment, and they take me to jail. But I made bail. I remember getting out of jail.

I was in the pocket a lot now. I was 330 pounds. No more drugs, no money, nowhere to go. My one-law says to me, my brother-in-law says to me, you need to get sober of course at that time I had no options I have a lot of options

so I said okay I'll do whatever it takes so you drove me in detox now after about a week in detox my head started clearing up drugs started coming out of my system I started getting a little clearer and I want to say sober

I wanted to And when you're in detox, if you want to go on and stay sober, you have to go to a halfway house. Now, a halfway house has to accept you. You have to be interviewed. So now I go to this halfway house. I roll into the office and waiting for the executive director to come interview me. And this is where my life changed, Chris. this woman

comes walking into the room and I could see there was something wrong she sits down and she tells me about her story how she was in a cocaine accident and it always cost her her life and she was in a wheelchair for years now this is in 1992

when I met her and she was already sober for 20 years when I met her I couldn't believe it. I was looking at her in awe. Chris, the wheelchair was hell. Hell. And this woman just told me she got out of it.

I couldn't believe it. I was in awe, and she was glowing, she was happy. I said, I want what this woman has. This woman, her name was Deb, became, One of my best friends in life, she's actually the woman who wrote the forward in my book triggered to change. She wrote the forward in this book. She changed my life, Chris. That is awesome.

That is awesome. What an influence. And so you started work to get out of the wheelchair then? Chris, unbelievable. This woman was like God to me. I believe every word she said. But just because you were getting sober doesn't mean your life gets better. All your problems do disappear?

Because I still had this court case over my head. Yeah. So Deb took me to court. And I remember I'm saying to myself, I'm in a wheelchair, I'm with Deb, my first offense. This judge is going to have leniency on me. There's no way he's going to put me in prison. I rolled up to him He was about 80 at the time

He put his glasses down He said Mr. Carter He said We don't discriminate in this courtroom You Will get the same sentence As any drug dealer

And my community debts Oh Chris he gave me 10 years Oh wow At that time Chris I was so mad And upset

This man just put a first time offender in wheelchair in prison with mass murderers. But that all changed to being being positive, Chris. And I'll tell you about that in a minute. So now,

Deb looks at me. She says, John, many in your shoes would run. Face your fears. You are not alone. I'll be with you. So Chris, this woman's

Word to me was gold. So right after prison I went, without a hitch, right after a person, I'm a big guy, I'm 6'2, Chris, those big metal doors slump behind me. I was in a cell six by six for another 10 years. Chris, I cried like a baby. I cried and cried. I could not believe I did this to myself. Couldn't believe it. Chris, this is where my life goes into fitness now.

The next morning, three convicts into myself. And I said, oh, boy, I'm in trouble here. And they said to me, we're friends of your dads. And we're here to help you. Oh, wow. And we're going to start by getting that you out of that wheelchair. Wow. I said, I've been in this wheelchair for years.

They said, we don't care if we have to carry you. You are not going to use that wheelchair in here. Chris, for months, they took me to the prison gym. They trained me and trained me. I was getting stronger and stronger using that. care less and less. And who would have thought three convicts in jail

would have taught me a lesson like this? Unbelievable. Unbelievable. Chris, I got to put this point in here. In prison, there's a lot of recidivism. A lot of people coming in and getting out. A big revolving door. And I was in jail for years now.

and I noticed this and I seen this a person and I seen this you know I didn't see him for a long time and he tells me

the story how he got out and it came back in I went back to my cell that night and I'm talking to my dad who's in heaven I said

dad please help me here guide me and run away a lesson he taught me lots of lessons in life Chris and they're all in the spark

but one lesson he taught me plan to feel fail to plan and I said oh my goodness I'm going to make a plan here because I'm not coming back here immediately I get in the phone with Deb

from the halfway house and she says I've been waiting for this call she says I'm going to help you you're not alone. And Chris, thank God. Because I got a GIL at 32 with $100 to my name and a bus ticket.

My chances of going back to Worcester and making it with zero. I would never made it. I would have been a bottle of trouble. So I got on the bus and I walked by my fears. I took that lot. I went to Boston to our halfway house. And thank God, Chris. Thank God.

Thank God. All that good stuff. And so from there, I believe you have your own gym now. Is that correct? Correct. Tell us about that. How did you get involved in getting your own gym and how long has it been going and some of the details there?

It started in prison, like I told. told you when they got me, when the prisoners got me in shape, but I did not put the dots together how it really helped me mentally. It really, I was getting stronger physically, but I could not understand why I was feeling so good about myself. I could be in my little cell and I would feel real good about myself. And I'm like, I'm in prison. I'm not supposed to feel good. What's going out of here? So I did a lot of research. I learned

the endorphins being released into my blood from working out makes me feel better. Yeah. So now I get out of prison and I know I want to be in fitness. I know I want to do this.

I went to every big gym in the Boston facility and they wouldn't give me the time of day. I slur I walk with a limp When I'm going for interviews I'm kind of dressed up so you can't really see my physique

I'm a pretty muscular guy so my slight speech and my date of my walk are not so apparent because I'm in good shape so my friend asked me you want to go to the gym with me I said sure

and he was going to Boston Sports Club and that was one of my Jim's on the list that I want to apply for that I have not yet. So when I'm in by Jim Close, I'm working out, and I spot the manager. He's a big, muscular guy, very intimidating. I should have, maybe I'm not going to approach him. But then I seen him smiling, very friendly, giving people towels, being very friendly. I said, this is my chance.

I'm going to approach him, and I'm a. talk to him. I approached him, Chris, he says to me, I have a few minutes. Why don't we sit down in my office? That few minutes turned into an hour-long conversation of my story. And he looked at me and he said, can you start tomorrow? Wow. And I still have not told him about the prison part yet. I told my whole story, but I left out the prison part. And he hears me the application. said, my theory is the quarry. I said, oh, boy, what am I going to do here? I said, I'm going for it.

I'm going to be truthful and honest, and I'm going to go for it. Chris, I told him the story, and with our battery of the idol, I should look right at me. He says, can you start tomorrow? Really? I said, didn't you just hear me? I just told you I was a felon. He said, first of all, thank you for being honest. And second of all, I do just wish my mom was alive to speak to you.

His mom had passed away a few years earlier of alcohol addiction. And he said, if he heard you talk, she just might make a plan and not have a little drink. And so that's how that started. So now I go home. and that night I get the phone call it's my new boss saying my morning person

just called in sick and I'm an hour away can you open my gym for me I said sure this is my first day Chris he tells me the combination to his gym I couldn't believe

he just trusted an ex-felon with the combination of his gym couldn't believe it So now I go away and I open up, and that boss of sports club press, when you join that, you get what's called a PFW, a private free workout. And so it's my job as a trainer when the person gets a free workout to then sell them to a package of training sessions. So it becomes my client. So this man comes walking He's at 6 in 1 now

He's looking for the kid I'm replacing And I said You know I have a few minutes I can take care We can sit down, talk And go from there Chris, he's 60 years old

He's overweight He proceeds to tell me how he is diabetes How he has a L5 Slip this He has a neck for arms saying, oh my God, I'm talking about first. Well, I'm trying to have to show him I'm nervous.

I says, too, I says, I can go have a little workout. I take him to the floor, I give him a little light workout. Now I'll bring him back to my office, and it's time for me to sell him so it becomes my client. So I hand him a menu of the prices, and he says, I'll take one of these 50 packs. Chris is $6,000. Oh, yeah. I'm looking at him.

I'm trying to keep a straight fit. I have no idea what to do. I see my manager walk in now. It's about 6.30. He comes in. I said, sir, can you excuse me? And I went to my manager. I says, David, this guy wants to buy a big package.

I need help. Follow me, he says. You walked in the office? He closes the deal like nothing, like a magician. The guy leaves, and he turns to me and he says, you know, here on the Postal, that package has been available for three weeks. You are the first person of Boston to sell one. Good for you.

Talk about the first day. And now that gentleman that I signed in 2011, I'm sorry, 2001, at Boston Sports Club is still my client. I train him, his wife, his daughter, and his son. That's awesome, man.

I love it. So my manager, this is how I opened up my own gym now. My manager, the one who hired me, was leaving Boston Sports Club to open his own private gym. And it wasn't long after I got the phone call, asking me if I would come work and help them out.

So I came, I looked at it, and I made a big decision, Chris. I'm going to leave Boston Sports Club, and I'm a single dad, I'm a single father, and I have a guaranteed income coming in. Now I'm going to go to my own private gym, and I have to do all the marketing, and I have to do all the getting my clients. So that was a challenge for me. but I did it. And how many years ago was that?

That was in 2009. And I worked with him for two years before I owned it. I worked with him for two years. And at that time, it's when he decided he wanted to make the gym more public, more clients, and more trainers. Right now, the gym was completely private. And my clients loved that. They could talk, they could get inspired and train. So I had to make a choice.

What was I going to do? Buy them out? That's what I did. Chris, I said I have to do it. Chris, when I bought him out, the office in the gym was my bedroom. I had $18 to my name when I bought him out.

I said, you know what? I'm going for it. And I did it. And thank God, because I opened it in 2012, Chris, and here I am today, Thriven. I love by Jim, love my clients, love inspiring. All right, so I did not tell people my story. I wasn't going to tell somebody that's coming in to check out by Jim.

Oh, I was in the mob. I got shot in the head. I was in prison. I was a drug dealer. But joined my gym. It's a great gym. Chris, they'd run. So I came up with a story.

And I did not want to lie. So I told people I was in a hunting accent. I was shot in the head. And that really wasn't a lie, Chris, because I was shot in the head. I just left out the pot that I was the one being hunted. I just leave that part off, Chris. So that's where my tent talk came in. Because I had this client, and after a while, when you work with somebody for three times a week for months, you build a rapport and you start trusting them.

So I started devoting a little bit of my story each time to her. And finally, she said to me, she says, boy, she says, I just thought you were in a car accident. She said, I had no idea you went through all there, she says, you have to tell people your story. and you can start with a TED talk. Yeah. And she had the connection to a TED talk. So she got me an interview. I remember walking out of an interview.

I paid to myself, what the hell did she just get me involved with him? There was no way I could do this. Yeah. And she looked at me. She says, John, you are not alone. I'm going to help you. Chris, for months, she came to my gym.

and she coached me on doing this TED Talk. It was awesome. I remember hitting the stage I got a standing ovation my first time talking Chris, the adrenaline pump that I got from that.

I felt like I was back on the football team again. It was incredible. So I said after, I said to myself, I see my clients getting inspired. They love talking to me. Now I see a whole audience

receiving my message well I have to tell my story in a different way. So that's why I wrote my book Triggered to change, Chris. And my book, I

always talk about not being alone. For years I felt alone, Chris. I volunteer for a charity called Service Dog project, we raise, train, and donate great Danes to the mobility and peer with first responders and veterans getting priority. And Chris, my book, The Proceeds are going to help the farm.

And Chris, they've given so much, so much to me, I needed to give back. And that was a big inspiration of this book because they are so, Chris, they are such a great charity. I've met so many veterans that came back with mobility problems and not only are they getting a great support dog for their physical means. They're getting an emotional dog that's going to be their best friend. My dog is with me 24 hours a day, Chris. He is my. He is my, best friend. I have two of them. My first one, Jagger, he got very sick. And I saved his life and I retired him from my service dog and made him my pet. But Chris, my 83-year-old mom with dementia live with me. I had no idea Jagger was going to be her service dog. She'll be in her

wheelchair and she'll start crying for no apparent reason Jagger will see that he gets right up because right over puts this big head he's 200 pounds put this big head right in her lap she totally forgets

why she was crying smile from ear to ear oh anybody dealing with a family member with all the dementia any kind of member you from, I'll tell you what a godsonness is. Unbelievable.

So as we roll out the show, give us your final pitch out on people, how to get to know you better, to buy the book, et cetera, et cetera, and to get to know your story more. You want to go to turbulencebook.com. Turbulance book. Turbulance is my dog's name. So WIFEL Terpins made sense And I'll tell you guys something It's a great charity

An awesome charity If you want to support them Go to Amazon And get the book And please leave review They change lives And they start with me Boy, they changed my life

It's unbelievable well you've had so many great stories and great opportunities and so many people who helped you along the way it's great that you give back so thank you for coming on the show and sharing your story and journey we certainly appreciate it oh chris thank you my friend you guys have a great day and thank you for listening thank you john thanks for tuning in order john's book up wherever fine books are sold called triggered change a life full of turbulence out february 6 2025 Thanks for tuning in. Go to Goodreads.com, Fortress, Chris Foss. LinkedIn.com, Fortress, Chris Foss, Chris Foss, one, the TikTokany, and all those crazy places in the internet.

Be good to each other. Stay safe. We'll see you next time. And that should have us out. Great show.