Author & Speaker
Hunt for color.
You don't get a say in what happens to you, but what you look for changes everything. Trey Toler is the author of Good Damage.
Featured In
Mission
"Although Toler's absorbing volume doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of life, it is relentlessly optimistic."— Kirkus Reviews
Trey Toler teaches people how to hunt for color in what broke them. He's an author, keynote speaker on mental health and post-traumatic growth, and stand-up comedian — best known for Good Damage, the memoir born from finally putting down the vulture and picking up the hummingbird.
He spent years circling his own story like a vulture — clocking what broke, and what wasn't coming back.
Now his mission is teaching other people to trade the vulture for the hummingbird — faster than he did.
"People don't connect because you're flawless or fascinating. They connect because the honesty underneath it lets them recognize themselves."— Trey Toler, Good Damage
The Book
Good Damage
Tragedy. Lightly Polished, with a Side of Optimism
Devastating and funny. Dark and light. Good and damage. A memoir that refuses to separate them. Good Damage is the debut memoir from Trey Toler about the messy, unscripted "after" — after the illness, the loss, the burnout, and the exhausting performance of recovery.
At the heart of the story is his mother — her fierce beauty, her harrowing brain surgery, and her eventual absence. Instead of reframing the past with empty optimism, Trey writes from the messy space where many of us actually live, channeling the dark, earned humor of a stand-up comic who has learned that nothing pulls strangers into a room faster than the truth you didn't plan to admit.
Get the book →
Speaking
Keynote speaker on mental health, grief, and post-traumatic growth — and the author of Good Damage.
Through humor and hard-won honesty, Trey helps audiences build a life on the other side of impact — not by fixing the before, but by learning to run the after. His talks turn lived experience into something usable: trading why did this happen for OK, what now?
"Trey writes the way he performs: honest, funny, and completely fearless."— Marshall Chiles, Comedian and Owner of Whiplash Comedy
Signature Talks
What Happens to You Doesn't Decide Who You Become
Mental health and post-traumatic growth after loss.
The Vulture and the Hummingbird
You don't get a say in what happens to you, but what you look for changes everything.
The Truth You Didn't Plan to Admit
Why a room opens up faster for honesty than for a punchline.
Available for corporate keynotes, bookstore and reading events, and in-person book club visits.
Book TreyFAQ
Common Questions
What does Trey Toler speak about?
Mental health, grief, and post-traumatic growth — how to build a life on the other side of impact instead of trying to fix the before. His signature talks include "What Happens to You Doesn't Decide Who You Become," "The Vulture and the Hummingbird," and "The Truth You Didn't Plan to Admit."
What speaking formats is Trey available for?
Corporate keynotes, bookstore and reading events, and in-person book club visits.
How do I book Trey for a speaking engagement?
Reach out through the contact section below with your event details — date, format, and audience — and you'll hear back about availability.
What is Good Damage about?
Good Damage: Tragedy. Lightly Polished, with a Side of Optimism is Trey's debut memoir about the messy, unscripted "after" — after the illness, the loss, the burnout, and the exhausting performance of recovery. At its heart is his mother, and the humor Trey found on the other side of losing her.
Is Good Damage appropriate for corporate or professional audiences?
Yes. While the book doesn't shy away from hard truths, Trey's keynotes are shaped for the room — balancing candor with humor that lands for corporate teams, healthcare organizations, and general audiences alike.
Where can I buy Good Damage?
Good Damage is available through Ripples Media and wherever books are sold.
Media
Watch
@Toler_the_Trey
Follow along for updates, behind-the-scenes, and more.
