Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rob Reger. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Rob , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
My personal mission is to bring awareness to different areas of society that are often stigmatized. PTSD in Veterans and Mental Health Awareness are two main topics that I delve into with my screenplays.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Rob Reger. I am happily married with 5 kids. 1 out of College, 1 in the Marines. 1 in College (Roll Tide). 1 in High School. 1 in Middle School. So, I pretty much run the gamut in terms of experience dealing with different people at different times. By trade, until recently, I was in Medical and Financial sales. Most of my professional writing and media has been about football with magazine publications, podcasts, and radio. When I turned 50 last year, I had an idea called the “Second Half Challenge”. What that challenge consisted of is to be known for more and accomplish more in the second half of my life than the first. My first screenplay “Sitting in New Hampshire” came to me in a dream. So, instead of letting it go and move on, I decided to go for it and write an entire feature screenplay. I started entering it into writing competitions and as of today, have won 15 screenwriting awards. This success inspired me to write my second full length feature screenplay “Internal Collusion”. That screenplay has currently won 5 screenwriting awards.
My screenplays all deal with certain areas of mental health and are meant to be thought provoking and bring attention to the certain topics. For example, without giving away too much of the plot, Sitting in New Hampshire deals with depression and how it not only effects the person, but also the people that love them. Internal Collusion deals with prescription drug addiction and PTSD.
I’m most proud of the fact that I stepped out of my comfort zone and followed my passion after I had turned 50. I also wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this without the love and support of my wife Brea, who has had my back during this whole journey.
Have you ever had to pivot?
When my friends and family heard that I decided to become a screenwriter, it completely shocked them. My degree is in business and almost all of my career has been as an entrepreneur, Medical Device sales, and Financial/Investment sales. Becoming a writer was never on my radar. So, the pivot was pretty extreme. One piece of advice that I decided to follow was to follow my passion, no matter what anybody else said. Too many people get stuck in a rut and end up just drifting through life. They don’t take risks or chances due to the fear of failure. I felt for a long time, due to having kids, a career, and other responsibilities, that my life path had been forged. Nothing was further from the truth. This new path has completely changed my outlook on life and given me new energy and passion that has been missing from my previous career.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of writing for me is bringing awareness and attention to areas often ignored. My screenplays deal with very personal aspects of people’s lives and the struggle to overcome demons. The goal is for these movies to be a change agent in the World. I feel like mental health (including PTSD), depression, and addiction impacts almost everyone in one way shape or form. Being able to share stories dealing with these issues is a huge part of why I have put so much time and energy into it. If I’m able to positively impact people and help them navigate life easier, I feel like I’ve won. My goals aren’t related to money or fame, only positive change.
