Podcast Summary
Becoming UnDone | Episode 131
Guest: Nick Peck
Host: Dr. Toby Brooks
Released: August 22, 2025
Title: Finding Purpose and Healing Through Storytelling and Faith
Episode Overview
In this episode of Becoming UnDone, Dr. Toby Brooks hosts author and former collegiate athlete Nick Peck. Through the lens of Nick’s debut novel, Only Way Out, they explore overcoming deep personal trauma, the search for purpose post-athletics, and the healing power of storytelling and faith. Nick shares candidly about his tumultuous upbringing, the drive and setbacks of his athletic career, and how writing became both his therapy and mission. Their conversation is a moving testament to resilience, vulnerability, and transformation—from falling apart to “falling in place.”
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Nick’s Background and Early Trauma
- Upbringing in California:
- Nick describes a profoundly difficult childhood marked by abuse, alcoholism, and frequent trauma and loss.
"I grew up in California. I grew up in an abusive alcoholic household... grew up around a lot of trauma, a lot of death, a lot of things like that my whole life. I was just kind of looking for a way out of my situation." (00:04)
- Nick describes a profoundly difficult childhood marked by abuse, alcoholism, and frequent trauma and loss.
- Sports as Salvation:
- Football provided escape, structure, and surrogate family.
"Luckily, early on, I found sports." (00:04)
- Football provided escape, structure, and surrogate family.
- Setback in Athletics:
- Earned a full ride football scholarship, which was revoked at the last minute—forcing him to reinvent both body and direction.
"The school that I had committed to initially called me, said, hey, we gave away your scholarship to someone else. Would you be willing to walk on?" (00:04)
- Earned a full ride football scholarship, which was revoked at the last minute—forcing him to reinvent both body and direction.
2. The Drive to Write — Purpose Through Storytelling
- Lifelong Aspiration:
- Always wanted to be a journalist and author, inspired by writers from a young age.
"Honestly, I'm living the dream right now." (04:10)
- Always wanted to be a journalist and author, inspired by writers from a young age.
- Turning Personal Pain Into Art:
- Writing Only Way Out was both an act of self-therapy and a means to reach others.
"I wanted to tell a story that was loosely rooted on experiences and stuff that I went through first... I believe that you can feel that in art when it's not genuine." (05:09)
- Writing Only Way Out was both an act of self-therapy and a means to reach others.
- Therapeutic Process:
- Engaged a “flow state” when writing, which made confronting trauma feel transformative rather than triggering.
"Luckily for me, I was just kind of in a flow state the whole time... that kind of made it more therapeutic for me." (07:07)
- Engaged a “flow state” when writing, which made confronting trauma feel transformative rather than triggering.
- Dedication:
- Dedicated the book to his sister and their shared resilience, symbolized by matching “all of it” tattoos.
"I wrote the book initially for me and my sister... the dedication page says dedicated to all of it." (12:07)
- Dedicated the book to his sister and their shared resilience, symbolized by matching “all of it” tattoos.
3. Identity, Setbacks, and Transformation
- No Single Shaping Event:
- Nick credits the combination of all his struggles—trauma, weight loss, family dynamics—for forging his identity.
"I think it's the combination of everything, because I think, you know, had I not gone through my weight loss journey, I wouldn't have been able to be there." (10:04)
- Nick credits the combination of all his struggles—trauma, weight loss, family dynamics—for forging his identity.
- From Surviving to Gratitude:
- Expresses newfound gratitude for hardships, retrospectively recognizing their role in his growth.
"Now that I'm kind of on the other side of it... I'm more grateful for it because it made me the person I am." (10:04)
- Expresses newfound gratitude for hardships, retrospectively recognizing their role in his growth.
4. The Book’s Broader Purpose
- Universal Relatability:
- Wrote in third person to allow readers of any background to relate.
"I wrote the story in third person on purpose... because I wanted the reader, whether it's male, female, young, old, regardless of sexuality, religions, anybody can kind of put themselves in the shoes of Jalen Pierre." (12:07)
- Wrote in third person to allow readers of any background to relate.
- Seeking Impact, Not Sales:
- Hopes that inspiring even one person is worth the effort.
"If I can have just one person, that it resonates with them some way or another. To me, that's the biggest blush in the world." (32:54)
- Hopes that inspiring even one person is worth the effort.
5. Sports and Finding Connection
- Emotional Life Raft:
- Sports provide both structure and chosen family, especially for kids from chaos.
"It gives you that created family... through the way of coaches... professors and teachers... and then even teammates." (15:50)
- Sports provide both structure and chosen family, especially for kids from chaos.
- Advice for Young Athletes:
- Don’t let sports be your only plan; leverage the opportunity to build networks and explore alternative passions.
"I was able to leverage sports... I built a network of connections... built a brand off of being an athlete." (18:37)
- Don’t let sports be your only plan; leverage the opportunity to build networks and explore alternative passions.
6. Healing, Therapy, and the Power of Journaling
- Writing and Therapy:
- Book writing functioned as therapy, but true healing also required professional help and ongoing work.
"I think it's the combination of both... using that to go into my therapy sessions, say, hey, I wrote this really hard chapter today..." (20:15)
- Book writing functioned as therapy, but true healing also required professional help and ongoing work.
- Advocacy for Journaling:
- Strongly encourages daily journaling—even outside of trauma—for reflection and mental “prehab.”
"Even if you are in a good place... you have to do the prehab... Writing is one of those outlets." (24:55)
- Strongly encourages daily journaling—even outside of trauma—for reflection and mental “prehab.”
7. The Role of Faith
- Evolving Spirituality:
- Found comfort in faith (despite a non-religious upbringing), especially in recent years.
"Nights that I would go to bed and be scared for my life... I'd always for some reason sleep with a Bible... having faith in God has really helped me." (27:48)
- Found comfort in faith (despite a non-religious upbringing), especially in recent years.
- Faith as Anchor:
- Sees faith as a daily companion and grounding force through hard times.
"There's always one person on my team and that's God every single day." (27:48)
- Sees faith as a daily companion and grounding force through hard times.
8. Looking Back & Advice to Young Self
- Message to 15-Year-Old Self:
- “Don’t quit”—perseverance distinguishes those who make it through hard times.
"I think there's one thing that separates all great people from everyone else and it's just that they don't quit." (29:57)
- Practice daily gratitude, even for the simple things.
"Just add a sense of gratitude into everything that you're doing." (29:57)
- “Don’t quit”—perseverance distinguishes those who make it through hard times.
9. Music, Motivation, and Ongoing Purpose
- Life Montage Song:
- Chose “Perfect 10” by Nipsey Hussle & DJ Mustard as his life’s anthem of resilience.
"...in it, there's a piece... Nipsey... he's like, I just didn't quit. That's the one thing that separated me between everyone else. I just didn't quit." (31:32)
- Chose “Perfect 10” by Nipsey Hussle & DJ Mustard as his life’s anthem of resilience.
- What’s Left UnDone:
- Continuing to write and impact as many as possible, focusing on lasting meaning over numbers.
"I'm just going to continue to chase this dream of being an author... and see how many lives that I can impact. Because at the end of the day, that's the most important thing." (32:54)
- Continuing to write and impact as many as possible, focusing on lasting meaning over numbers.
Memorable Quotes
-
On Authenticity in Art:
"I'm a big believer in any kind of art. You can tell when it's genuine or not... I wanted to tell a story that was loosely rooted on experiences and stuff that I went through first."
— Nick Peck (05:09) -
On Dedication and Sibling Bond:
"Whenever we're growing up in our life, we look at each other and be like, what's wrong? You know, we just go all of it."
— Nick Peck (12:07) -
On Not Giving Up:
"I just didn't quit. That's the one thing that separated me between everyone else. I just didn't quit."
— Nipsey Hussle as quoted by Nick Peck (31:32) -
On the Function of Sports:
"I think it kind of just gives you that structure that you may be missing... But then also... it gives you that created family."
— Nick Peck (15:50)
Notable Timestamps
- 00:04–03:28: Nick’s introduction, early trauma, athletic beginnings
- 04:10–07:43: Inspiration to write, connection to personal experience
- 08:09–10:49: Nick’s life journey, key formative experiences
- 12:07–14:35: Book dedication, universality of trauma and healing
- 15:50–16:35: Sports as emotional lifeline and chosen family
- 18:37–19:48: Advice for young athletes—sports as a platform, not just an end
- 20:15–21:58: Writing, therapy, and the necessity of professional support
- 24:55–25:29: The case for daily journaling for reflection and healing
- 27:48–29:08: Faith’s evolving role and spiritual anchoring
- 29:57–30:57: Advice to younger self—perseverance and gratitude
- 31:32–32:23: Life anthem—Nipsey Hussle’s “Perfect 10”
- 32:54–33:42: Purpose moving forward—impact over accolades
- 34:24: Nick Peck’s contact info and final thoughts
Final Thoughts
Nick Peck’s story embodies the Becoming UnDone ethos: setbacks do not define us, but what we do with them can. Through candid reflection, vulnerable storytelling, and hard-won faith, Nick has carved out a new path as both a writer and a mentor. His journey underscores the power of authenticity, the necessity of perseverance, and the ways in which all of our experiences—good and bad—become the raw material for resilience and meaning.
Where to Find Nick Peck
- Website: nickpeckauthor.com
- Instagram: @nickpeckauthor
- Book: Only Way Out on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers
Episode in a Sentence:
Scarred but not broken, Nick Peck is proof that through story, faith, and unyielding perseverance, even the hardest chapters can lead to a powerful new narrative.