Flexing the Vulnerability Muscle: A Radical Call for Self-Love During Mental Health Awareness Month

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - April 16, 2025 - PRLog -- As Mental Health Awareness Month approaches, bestselling author and TEDx speaker Reggie D. Ford is challenging the status quo of personal and professional development with a bold message: transformation begins by flexing your Vulnerability Muscle.

Through his TEDx talk, "How Self-Love Heals What Self-Improvement Harms," and his podcast Vulnerability Muscle, Ford encourages audiences to stop chasing perfection and start embracing vulnerability as a powerful path to growth, healing, and connection.

"Vulnerability is the ultimate act of self-love," says Ford. "In order to love the person I am today, I have to love all the different parts of my past."

Ford speaks from lived experience. A former Division I football player at Vanderbilt University and founder of a thriving wealth management company, he appeared to have it all—until anxiety, depression, and unprocessed trauma forced him to reevaluate his definition of success. Now, through radical honesty and inner work, he teaches others how to reconnect with themselves and reclaim their mental well-being.

His podcast, Vulnerability Muscle, features unfiltered conversations on healing, leadership, emotional intelligence, and the courage it takes to be seen. Ford also recently co-authored Approaching the Red Circle Carpet V2, a #1 Amazon New Release that chronicles his emotional journey to the TEDx stage.

"Self-care is sacred, not selfish," Ford adds.

Through his keynotes and workshops, Ford has helped thousands—from corporate executives to high school students—reframe success through the lens of psychological safety, self-acceptance, and trauma-informed leadership.

Featured in Forbes, USA Today, ESPN, and Nashville Business Journal, Ford is a leading voice at the intersection of business, wellness, and social change.

About Reggie D. Ford

Reggie D. Ford is a TEDx speaker, bestselling author, and host of the podcast Vulnerability Muscle. A first-generation college graduate, former Division I athlete, and founder of RoseCrete Wellness Company, he is a nationally recognized advocate for mental health, emotional resilience, and trauma-informed leadership. His memoir, Perseverance Through Severe Dysfunction (PTSD), is a powerful account of breaking intergenerational cycles of trauma and redefining success from the inside out.

Reggie is available for interviews, keynotes, and podcast appearances throughout Mental Health Awareness Month.