Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Chase Skylar DeMayo.
Dr. Chase Skylar, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in Central Florida and joined the United States Air Force after 9/11, where I served as a public affairs journalist, telling the stories of our nation’s service members. At 21 years old, my life changed forever when I suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and had a profound near-death experience that completely reshaped how I viewed life, purpose, and what truly matters.
That experience sent me on a lifelong journey to better understand healing, spirituality, and the common threads that connect us all. Since then, I’ve earned degrees in alternative medicine and holistic counseling, become an international speaker on near-death experiences, and am writing a book centered on what I call “Chasing the Light,” helping people find hope, purpose, and resilience, especially during life’s darkest moments.
Today, I have the privilege of serving as Senior Audio Strategy Lead at Audacy, where I help organizations connect with communities through the power of trusted voices and storytelling. I’m also honored to serve on the Board of Directors for the Camaraderie Foundation, supporting veterans and their families, a cause that is deeply personal to me.
Above everything else, I’m grateful to share life with my wife, Sarah, and our two boys, Declan and Lachlan. They remind me every day that our greatest impact isn’t measured by accomplishments, but by how we love, serve, and bring light into the lives of others.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all. Like most people, my journey has included seasons of incredible joy alongside moments of profound hardship. After my near-death experience, I was medically retired from the military in my early twenties and suddenly had to redefine who I was. There were years of physical recovery, questions about purpose, and learning how to move forward after a life-changing event that very few people could relate to.
For more than a decade, I kept my near-death experience largely private because I worried about how it would be received. It wasn’t until I finally shared my story that I realized how many people were quietly searching for hope themselves. That changed everything.
I’ve also learned that service doesn’t erase struggle. Whether it’s balancing family life with my wife, Sarah, and our two young boys, serving my community through organizations like the Camaraderie Foundation, or building a career while pursuing my mission, there are always challenges. But those experiences have reinforced the message I now share: we don’t have to wait for life to become easy before we choose to chase the light. Sometimes it’s in the hardest moments that we discover it most clearly.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Today, my work sits at the intersection of storytelling, service, and hope. Professionally, I serve as the Senior Audio Strategy Lead at Audacy, where I help organizations and brands connect with communities through the power of trusted voices, local radio, podcasts, and digital media.
Outside of my career, I’m best known for my work researching and speaking about near-death experiences and what they can teach us about living more meaningful lives. I don’t see my mission as simply sharing what happened to me, but helping people discover hope, purpose, and resilience in their own lives. That’s the heart behind my upcoming book, Chasing the Light, and the message I share with audiences around the country.
I’m also honored to serve on the Board of Directors for the Camaraderie Foundation, supporting veterans and their families, because I believe investing in our community is one of the most meaningful ways we can make a difference.
What I’m most proud of isn’t any degree, title, or speaking engagement. It’s when someone tells me they found hope after hearing my story, or that they chose to keep going because they realized they weren’t alone.
If there’s one thing that sets me apart, it’s that I don’t claim to have all the answers. My goal isn’t to tell people what to believe. It’s to encourage meaningful conversations, bridge perspectives, and remind people that, no matter what they’ve been through, there is always light worth chasing.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success means leaving people better than you found them. Early in my life, I measured success by achievements, titles, or milestones. After my near-death experience, my perspective changed completely.
Today, I define success by impact. If I’ve helped someone find hope during a difficult season, strengthened my community, served veterans and their families, been present for my wife Sarah and our boys, Declan and Lachlan, or inspired someone to choose compassion over fear, then I’ve had a successful day.
At the end of our lives, I don’t believe we’ll remember our job titles nearly as much as we’ll remember the lives we touched. That’s why I try to live by a simple philosophy: keep chasing the light, and help others find it too.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chasedemayo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drchaseskylar/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaseskylardemayo/
