I tell stories about the improbability and inevitability of meaningful connection

In December 2023, I was in year 5 of my CPTSD therapy. I weighed 361 pounds. I’d been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. I had trapped myself in a miserable story of self-destruction. And worse? I spread the misery around me. 

I needed to change my story. I read everything I could find about what happens to people who lose extreme amounts of weight quickly, and realized “eat less and exercise like a maniac,” was a path to failure and self-abuse. I chose kaizen instead, consistent, small improvement every day. I realized that if I lost no more than 0.5% of my bodyweight a week, then in one year, I’d weigh 257 pounds. And I learned that the root of my physical health was my mental health. If I wanted to change, I needed to heal my CPTSD. 

In July 2025, my weight was 220 pounds. For the first time in my life, the weight loss has stuck. Because I’ve healed my broken heart.

Compassionate resilience fueled my transformation. And I’ve been living happily in the quiet, peaceful afterwards of big change, through the gift of a new perspective I call ‘trauma-informed leadership.’ In the past 19 months, I learned growth and healing are possible at any stage of life. The physical signs of this are that I lost 141 pounds and am told I have a nice smile. The mental signs are full self-acceptance, of who I am, what I’ve gone through, without shame and with compassion. 

Since 2020, I’ve seen the same expression I had as a CPTSD survivor on the faces of so many people. I believe no one is broken, and we can all heal. I’m not here to heal anyone, save anyone, or fix anyone. I’m here to understand, to give perspective, to connect and to help. Your feelings matter. No one should tell you to shut down how you feel.

I’m a product management professional, because to be good at this profession, you have to be a master storyteller. I’m an executive leader, because I know crisp, impactful stories inspire and guide people. I’m a public speaker, because I know sharing stories with people helps them feel seen, heard, and understood. I’m a comedy performer, because showing people human moments of joyful abundance is wonderful. 

And I’m a writer, because I’ve been in love with words on paper since I was 9 years old. 

As a speaker, I give transformative stories of resilience, change, and joy

As an author, I give fun, dramatic, at times heart-wrenching true stories from my life, and wonderfully rich fiction and poetry.

As a leader, I give decades of wisdom coupled with skills to help people unlock their potential, and help organizations succeed. 

My name is Fred Chong Rutherford. I tell stories about the improbability and inevitability of meaningful connection through the power of bravery and laughter.

Let’s connect.

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Also posted to LinkedIn.