An entrepreneur in the Valparaiso, Indiana, food industry, Rod Gardin owns a food trailer called Butter & Grace and a hot dog cart called Dr. Dawg! Since launching his food business in 2021, Rod Gardin has served thousands of customers. He has also helped the homeless population in his local community by offering free food and drinks.
After retiring from his previous job in public education, Dr. Gardin embraced his new career as an entrepreneur while also returning to university to pursue further education. He already held a master’s degree in educational administration and a PhD in leadership from Purdue University, and, in 2024, he obtained his master’s degree in counseling from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Since starting his career in counseling, he has led group therapy sessions for clients with alcohol use disorder, developed mental health presentations, and co-facilitated therapy sessions for clients with diverse issues ranging from generalized anxiety disorder to grief and trauma.
Rod Gardin completed specialized training in critical incident desensitization protocols to help people in the wake of crises and natural disaster. He also trained in acute traumatic incident processing, which uses bilateral eye movement to desensitize trauma survivors. Furthermore, he trained in mental health first aid and youth mental health first aid to help adults and adolescents experiencing mental health or addiction challenges.
Dr. Gardin is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. His hobbies include cooking, baking, woodworking, restoring furniture, and reading. In his free time, he volunteers at a local men’s shelter.