What happens when the love of a mother meets the insidious grip of substance abuse disorder? In our latest heartfelt episode, recorded live at Sway Live, we sit down with Sheri Fitts, a single mother who opens up about the profound struggles and triumphs of her son Garrett’s battle with heroin addiction. Sheri’s candid recounting of Garrett’s time living under a bridge and the critical intervention by a Portland police officer using Narcan paints a vivid picture of the relentless challenges faced by families dealing with addiction. Sheri’s powerful story emphasizes the importance of empathy, understanding, and the fine line between hopelessness and helplessness in addressing this devastating issue.

We also celebrate the miraculous journey of sobriety within Sheri’s family, focusing on how one person’s recovery can create ripples of hope for future generations. Highlighting her father’s long periods of sobriety, which set a precedent for her brothers and ultimately her son Garrett, Sheri reflects on the resilience and enduring love that sustain their fight against addiction. Garrett’s story is one of struggle and redemption, from incarceration to obtaining subsidized housing and forming supportive bonds in prison. Join us as we honor the heroes among us who strive for recovery against all odds and explore the transformative power of physical health, emotional support, and unwavering familial love.

Guest Bio:
Sheri Fitts, founder/CEO, is a compelling public speaker and financial services marketing, sales and brand guru on a mission to amplify the heart of financial services. Sheri harnesses the power of emotional connection to help financial professionals create more trust in their client relationships and make their engagements more meaningful to their businesses, and more impactful to their bottom line.

Her deep expertise in the retirement plan and wealth management industries, gained over nearly 30 years on both the buy and sell side as well as starting two companies, gives her special insight into what drives investor behavior and sales. Her latest industry innovation, digitalEQ™ (Digital Emotional Intelligence), is Sheri’s highly personalized approach to helping financial professionals use thought leadership, branding, marketing, and presentations to be unforgettable.

Sheri wrote and published Deconstructing Digital: Simple Ways to Connect with Your Next-Generations Financial Clients, a guide for advisors navigating the digital realm. And, as the host of the Women Rocking Wall Street podcast, Sheri champions diversity, gender pay parity and the critical need to include women in corporate boardrooms.

A compassionate technologist and entrepreneur (at age five, she made and marketed rose-scented perfume door-to-door), Sheri is leading and demonstrating how to humanize financial services—the key to reimagining how advice can be delivered to more people with greater impact. As a young single mom, Sheri remembers struggling with financial insecurity. When she was hired as a graphic designer at an investment firm in the 1990s, she saw just how the financial services industry can make a real difference in people’s lives. Sheri realized her mission was to help financial professionals have more meaningful engagements with their clients, so they feel financially confident.

Follow Sheri on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherifitts

Or Visit Her Website: https://sherifitts.com

Connect with Theresa and Ivana:

Websites:

Theresa, True Strategy Consultants: https://tsc-consultants.com/

Ivana, Courageous Being: https://www.courageousbeing.com/

Instagram:

Ivana: https://www.instagram.com/courbeing/

Theresa: https://www.instagram.com/tscconsultants/

LinkedIn:

Step into the Pivot: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/step-into-the-pivot/

Theresa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tree-conti/

Ivana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivipol/