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Middle of the Fence
Welcome to Middle of the Fence, the podcast hosted by Andre Spruell that explores what it means to grow up between two different worlds.
Raised in one of New Jersey’s highest-crime areas while attending private school in one of the wealthiest counties in the country, Andre experienced firsthand the contrast between environments, perspectives, expectations, and identities. But Middle of the Fence goes beyond just one story.
This podcast dives into the experiences of people who have had to navigate different sides of life...whether socioeconomic, cultural, racial, religious, professional, or personal and the lessons, struggles, and growth that come from living between those worlds.
Through authentic solo episodes, thought-provoking interviews, and honest conversations, Middle of the Fence tackles topics such as identity, mental health, personal growth, relationships, success, social pressure, faith, culture, and self-discovery.
At its core, the podcast is about finding common ground in a divided world and reminding people that no matter what side of the fence we grew up on, we’re all more alike than we think.
New episodes every Wednesday.
Middle of the Fence
The Survival Mindset | Ep. 35
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Many people think trauma comes from one major life event.
But what if trauma is something that slowly forms through the environments we grow up in?
In this episode of Middle of the Fence, Andre explores the survival mindset — the mental patterns that develop when peace, stability, or emotional safety aren’t guaranteed.
Growing up in difficult environments can build resilience and strength, but those same survival traits can follow us into adulthood in ways we don’t always recognize.
Andre discusses how hyper-independence, guarded emotions, and always preparing for the worst can become ingrained survival mechanisms, and how awareness allows us to shift from simply surviving to truly evolving.
Your past explains why you move the way you do. But it doesn’t define your future.
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Episode Reflection Question
What’s something you experienced growing up that you didn’t realize affected you until later in life?
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Follow the Podcast
Instagram
@middleofthefence
Host
@andrespruell
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