Addiction is perhaps one of the most controversial and challenging things to talk about. While many have embraced a more open mind about the topic, it cannot be denied that a lot of people still consider it taboo. Cognizant of this, motivational speaker Brandon “B McFly” Chastang has made it his mission to help spread awareness and bring forth a more productive conversation around the subject of addiction.
The Philadelphia-born thought leader is no stranger to hardships and has had a rough childhood. Having teenage parents who were addicted to crack and cocaine, he was raised by his grandmother.
Determined to change the course of his life, the young dreamer graduated from Lincoln University in 2004 with a degree in Criminal Justice. Everything seemed to be going well until he was shot two months after graduation. He spent a week in the hospital and was prescribed Percocet.
Before long, he found himself addicted to the medication, which eventually led to his downfall. B McFly battled his addiction for 14 long years. Looking back, he shared, “Towards the end of my addiction, I wanted to die. I constantly asked God to let me overdose from drugs, but it didn’t work.”
With the help of his girlfriend and the mother of his children, Aocean Clarke, he finally decided to get help. So in 2018, he committed himself to Armes Acers, a drug and alcohol rehab facility.
Even though he struggled during his first two weeks, the determined man stayed. In his last two weeks in the program, he resolved to help others struggling with addiction and other mental health issues.
When he got out, B McFly immediately went to work on his newfound mission. He started with creating and uploading various skits that have collectively amassed a whopping 30 million views. This allowed him to build a social media following of over 250,000.
From there, he shared his story of redemption and was featured on Fox, Yahoo, Google, and several magazines across the country. In addition, he addresses crucial issues such as mental health, gun violence, and especially addiction to his thousands of followers.
He hopes that his messages of encouragement and motivation will show those who are going through similar experiences that change is possible. But most importantly, he aims to help the inner-city youth in poverty-stricken communities who are addicted to drugs.
Aside from being an inspirational speaker, B McFly also founded the first and only Black-owned dental academy called COYS Dental Academy, which helps students become dental assistants in 12 weeks.
On top of that, he conducts other outreach programs in Philadelphia, Queens, and New York alongside Life Camp INC. Moving forward, the outstanding man plans to continue his advocacy and widen his reach even further to change the lives of more people.
When asked to give people an important piece of advice, he insightfully replied, “Your past doesn’t define who you are today. So don’t be ashamed of your story, be ashamed if there’s no ending to your story. Instead, learn from your life, the ups and downs, the lefts and rights. Actions speak louder than words, but character speaks louder than actions.”Visit his official website to learn more about Brandon “B McFly” Chastang. You can also follow him on his social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
