About Follow the Leader

My name is Zach Troutman.

I was born and raised by my grandparents Loretta and Louis Troutman in Naples, Florida.

Growing up, my parents were in and out of prison multiple times, leaving my siblings and me in the custody of my paternal grandparents. Life was tough. By the grace of God, my Grandmother’s prayers, and positive mentorship relationships, I was able to beat the odds that were stacked against me.

I graduated from Naples High School in 2005. I attended college at Evangel University in Springfield Missouri, where I graduated with my Bachelors in Family Relations and Masters in School and Guidance Counseling. I married my college sweetheart Samantha, the mother of my two sons Zach Jr (7) and Zion (5). Life was better than I ever dreamed that it could be, as a young boy.

On March 18, 2015, the life I thought I had created came crumbling down.  

I received a call that my best friend Adam “Train” Hull had just died by suicide. Nothing I had ever been through prepared me for what was to come. Through many sleepless nights, one thought continued to control everything, “What could I have done to keep him alive?” The amount of darkness I entertained and level of neglect my wife and kids endured while I battled these thoughts and feelings was dangerous.

Adam knew everything about me, well almost everything.

What he didn’t know was that almost a year before his death, I was diagnosed with depression. I was too embarrassed and ashamed to share. It made me angry. I was confused because I had worked so hard to get to where I was in life but could never fully enjoy it. I can’t help but think that, had I been honest with Adam about my own struggles, maybe he would be here today. Perhaps he wouldn’t have felt alone had he known that someone close to him knew how he felt and that he could partner with to overcome this struggle and this illness.

Adam’s death represents the greatest tragedy of my life. While I now know there’s nothing I can do to bring him back there’s plenty I can do to keep families and friends from feeling what I felt on that day and years to follow.  I have always had a passion for mentoring youth as well as learning to be an effective leader. Those things have been vital to my success and have assisted me in overcoming adversity throughout my life. Leadership was the basis for any speaking event I was fortunate to be a part of in the beginning.

Now my platform has expanded. My mission is to normalize the discussion of mental health. I want to be a part of the movement that removes the stigma; that if you are struggling with anxiety, depression, and or suicidal thoughts that you are weak or should pretend to be happy. NO! Let’s talk about it.