The Rollercoaster Podcast

They were only married for 3 months and 3 days and then everything changed.

Today on the Rollercoaster Podcast, I sat down with Gracie Laufenberg to hear the story of a love that felt like it lasted a lifetime and the moment it was taken from her in an instant. From believing in love at first sight to building what she calls a perfect marriage and the phone call that shattered her world, this conversation will stay with you.

Gracie opens up about the day her husband, Don, left for a flight and never came home, the moment she checked his location, and the words she’ll carry with her forever.

This episode is about love, loss, faith, and finding strength when your future disappears overnight.

If you’ve ever faced grief, heartbreak, or unimaginable loss, this one is for you.

If you feel it in your heart to support Gracie, here is the link to her GoFundMe page. ❤️ https://gofund.me/b87e4b424

👇 What part of Gracie’s story hit you the hardest?

Key Moments:
0:00 The Day I Met My Husband
3:48 The Moment I Knew He Was The One
7:36 The Proposal That Changed Everything
10:02 The “Perfect” Marriage We Built
15:04 I Checked His Location…
17:42 The Words That Broke Me
20:18 Seeing My Husband One Last Time
22:46 The Crash We Somehow Survived
27:40 The Last Call I’ll Ever Have
32:36 What Life Looks Like Now
37:32 Trying to Understand Why
42:28 Learning to Live With the Pain
45:00 Living Without My Future
47:30 The Message Everyone Needs to Hear

Guest Info:
IG: @gracie.laufenberg (https://www.instagram.com/gracie.laufenberg/)

I didn’t expect this story to hit this hard.

Because it starts with success and ends somewhere no one thinks they’ll ever go.

In this episode, I sit down with Brad White, who was making over $100K a year, building a business, and living what most people would call the dream until one decision pulled him into addiction, and everything began to collapse.

What started with pain pills turned into a spiral of opioids, meth, and a life he couldn’t recognise, losing his home, his marriage, and eventually becoming homeless.

But there’s a moment in this conversation that stopped me…

A moment where he looks around and realises: this isn’t who I’m meant to be.

If you’ve ever wondered how addiction really takes hold and what it takes to fight your way back, this episode will stay with you.

Watch till the end and share this with someone who needs it.

Key Moments:
0:00 From $100K Success to Losing Everything
3:12 The First Pill That Changed His Life
6:28 Building a Business While Secretly Using
9:41 When Drugs Started Taking Over Everything
12:55 I Knew I Was in Trouble
16:08 The Addiction I Couldn’t Escape
19:22 From Success to Homeless in 4 Years
22:36 Surrounded by the Wrong People
25:48 I Was Going to Die
32:18 Walking Away With Nowhere to Go
35:42 Why Rehab Didn’t Feel Safe
38:55 Starting Over With Nothing
42:10 Living With Addicts While Trying to Stay Clean
45:27 Fighting Temptation Every Single Day
48:41 The People Who Saved My Life
55:10 The Turning Point That Changed Everything

Guest Info:
IG: @bwhite1 (https://www.instagram.com/bwhite1/)

I woke up to 15 missed calls and in that moment, something in me already knew. Nothing prepares you for the call that changes your life forever.

In this episode, I sit down with Aleksei Archer, who shares the devastating morning she learned her father had died by suicide, and the quiet signs she now wishes she had seen sooner.

This isn’t just a story about loss. It’s about guilt, awareness, and learning how to show up for the people we love before it’s too late.

In this episode:
The hidden signs of suicide and mental health struggles

What grief after losing a parent to suicide really feels like

How to ask the hard questions that could save a life

Why checking in might matter more than you think

If this conversation hits close to home, send it to someone you care about…and don’t wait to reach out.

Key Moments:
00:00 The Call That Changed Everything
03:12 The Accident That Didn’t Add Up
06:03 I Woke Up to 15 Missed Calls
10:24 The Guilt Hit Me Instantly
13:09 My Life Split Into Before & After
17:48 How to Spot Suicidal Thoughts Early
20:05 10 Men Lost…Why This Keeps Happening
23:03 Commit vs Died by Suicide Explained
26:05 When Grief Becomes Complicated
31:06 The Simple Habit That Could Save a Life
35:22 Do People Who Die by Suicide Want to Die?
38:10 The Dangerous Short Window Before Suicide
44:15 The Hard Questions That Could Save Someone
47:08 How to Hold Space Without Fixing
50:12 What I Wish I Did Differently

Guest info:
YouTube:  @MourningGloryClubPodcast Instagram: @mourninggloryclub @alekseiarcher (https://www.instagram.com/alekseiarcher/)

I thought it was just a routine procedure, until we got the call that changed everything.

In this episode, I sit down with Danielle and Joey Orr, parents navigating a journey no family should ever have to face. What started as a simple hospital visit quickly turned into something far more serious, leading to a diagnosis that would completely reshape their lives.

Their son Joey has already defied the odds since birth, facing Down syndrome, heart complications, and now childhood leukemia. And yet, his strength will leave you speechless.

We talk about the fear, the unknown, the late-night phone calls, and what it really looks like to fight for your child every single day.

This is a story about resilience, faith, family, and holding on when everything feels like it’s falling apart.

If this story moves you, and you feel called to help, you can support Joey and his family here ❤️
👉 https://gofund.me/bce5c8e48

Watch this. Share this. It matters.

Key Moments:
00:00 It Was Just a Routine Procedure… Then the Call Came
03:12 The Moment You Hear Your Child Has Cancer
10:15 He Didn’t Cry Then They Took Him Away
16:20 Life in the NICU: Fear, Waiting, and No Control
19:45 Raising a Child with Down Syndrome, What No One Tells You
25:00 The Joy in the Chaos, Meet Joey
30:40 The Routine Surgery That Changed Everything
33:50 The Call Every Parent Dreads at Midnight
36:10 Walking Into Oncology And Knowing It Was Cancer
41:05 The 24 Hours That Turned Into a Nightmare
44:20 What It’s Really Like Inside Childhood Cancer Treatment
50:00 The Emotional & Financial Toll No One Sees
56:10 1 in 600 Million: Why Their Marriage Survived

Guest Info:
Instagram: @joeysfightclub (https://www.instagram.com/joeysfightclub?igsh=MWswMnZpMTdmb2V4Yw==)
Facebook: Joey's Fight Club (https://www.facebook.com/share/1ChPdrjH8m/)

Carl Angelo was never supposed to be a rapper.

He grew up in a Filipino immigrant family that came to America chasing stability, sacrifice, and the promise of a better life. Like many first-generation kids, the expectation was clear: follow the safe path, build a career, make the family proud.

But he felt something pulling him in a completely different direction.

In this episode of The Rollercoaster Podcast, I sit down with Carl Angelo as he shares the deeply personal journey behind his music, his viral rap video, and the painful choices that come with chasing a dream no one else around you fully understands.

He opens up about family pressure, identity as a Filipino-American, the struggle between security and passion, and the moment he realized nobody was coming to save him.

This conversation explores courage, sacrifice, and what it really means to choose your own path.

If you’ve ever felt torn between honoring your family and honoring yourself, this episode will hit close to home.

Watch, share, and let me know what resonated with you.

Key Moments:
00:00 The Viral Rap Video That Changed Carl Angelo’s Life
03:12 Telling My Immigrant Parents I Wanted to Be a Rapper
06:18 The Hidden Pressure of Filipino Family Expectations
12:05 The Truth About the American Dream for Immigrants
15:08 Are Poorer Countries Actually Happier?
18:12 How Karaoke Parties Shaped Carl’s Love for Music
21:02 The Moment I Realised I Had a Rap Talent
27:06 Why I Haven’t Gone All-In on Music Yet
33:05 What Happens When You Finally Commit to Your Dream
36:08 Why Social Media Can Change Everything for Artists
42:05 I Became the Person I Needed Growing Up
48:00 The Painful Choice Between Family and My Dream
51:22 Missing My Grandmother’s Final Moments
54:15 When Choosing Yourself Feels Like Betrayal
01:00:48 The Message I Want Filipino Kids to Hear

Guest Info:
Instagram: @‌carlangelomusic (https://www.instagram.com/carlangelomusic/)
YouTube: ‪@carlangelomusic (https://www.youtube.com/@carlangelomusic)