The Warrior Soul Podcast

In this episode, Chris and Albert begin the new format of the Warrior Soul Podcast, discussing mental and physical health, and delivering tools and tactics for becoming a better version of you.  Chris discusses his recent trip to Europe and the dark thoughts he had while traveling alone. Albert discusses his struggle dealing with his own negative thoughts and how he's picked up hobbies like music and drawing to fill the void. Additionally, the guys talk about their latest fitness journies and what they're doing to stay in great shape.   

In this episode, Chris and Albert discuss the importance of living like you're dying. Far too many people go through life believing that they actually have something to lose. This holds them back from being their true selves. 

This week, Chris and Albert continue to address the question of understanding when we need to make a change. Albert delivers his insights on the major question that everyone should be asking themselves before they undertake anything.   

Contrary to popular belief, there's times in our lives when we should quit. There's also times when we should push through. There's also a time when you can restart something you haven't finished.  In this episode, Chris takes you through the logic he's used through his life in determining these situations. Big thank you to the listener who emailed this question!

Chris Albert Palmitessa and Albert Carrasco discuss measures they've taken to deal with past trauma, raise their self confidence, and present their authentic selves to those around them. 

This is more of a rant than anything. We all face obstacles no matter who we are, and they only get more difficult the more we accomplish. 

I haven't done an episode in a bit, so I thought I'd update you guys on where I'm at. I recently purchased a second property, which is a big deal for me because just a few short years ago, I thought owning any property would never happen for me. 

Ernest Hemingway is both an icon of American literature and widely considered to be the epitome of a man's man. On top of being an accomplished hunter and fisherman, Hemingway was a boxer. He served in World War I as an ambulance driver, and was present at Normandy on D-Day during World War II as a war correspondent.  Hemingway is also known for his alcoholism and the tragedy of his life. He was married five times, and he died by his own hand.  What many people don't know, is that Hemingway suffered from 9 concussions throughout his life. This is in addition to being hit in the head countless times as a boxer, and being in proximity to numerous explosions during his service in World War I.  This created a downward spiral that eventually left Hemingway unable to write a sentence. With obvious parallels between the life of Hemingway and those of so many Veterans, I thought it important to discuss this Hemingway's TBI's on this podcast. 

A lot of us are stuck where we don't want to be because we have never taken the first step toward getting to be somewhere better. 

Real estate is a cornerstone of building wealth, and for a long time, I believed that it wasn't going to be accessible for me. That was until I came in contact with Active Duty Passive Income, a company that teaches Veterans and active duty military members how to invest in real estate.    Following their principles, I was able to purchase my first property in Florida, and begin earning cash flow from that property immediately.    Now ADPI has a new product coming out that makes it even easier for Veterans to gain the benefits of real estate ownership.    Our guest today is Adam La Barr of Active Duty Passive Income.    Adam La Barr is a proud father, an Air Force veteran, a commercial multifamily investor, and co-owner of Active Duty Passive Income where he helps coach and mentor other military members, veterans, and their families how to invest in real estate. He is also the President of ADPI Capital that provides access to large multifamily real estate for anyone!      

Rob Hyde is a US Marine Corps Veteran and business owner from Connecticut. He is currently running for US Senate.  In this episdoe, we discuss Rob's service in the Marine Corps, his volunteer work to help Veterans, and why he's choosing to run for Senate. 

One of the biggest mistakes we make is waiting for the proper time to start. 

Kelsi Sheren is a combat veteran of the Canadian Army as well as the founder and CEO of Brass and Unity.  Kelsi has been very public about her battle with PTSD. She began Brass and Unity as an art therapy project to put her mind off of the pain of losing friends in battle.  Kelsi and Chris met at the Warrior Angels Foundation 4x4x48. Kelsi became connected to the Warrior Angels Foundation through the Heroic Hearts Project, which sponsored a healing Ayhuasca plant medicine journey she took.  One of Kelsi's major concerns as of recent times are the increased government imposed limits on free speech and other rights in Canada.  To learn more about Brass and Unity: https://brassandunity.com/pages/our-story To listen to the Brass and Unity Podcast: https://brassandunity.com/pages/podcast To follow Kelsi: https://www.instagram.com/brassandunity/  

In August 2021, Lt. Col. Stu Scheller made a video that went viral and rocked the Marine Corps. Amidst the US Military's disastrous pullout from Afghanistan, and after the deaths of 13 service members, including 11 Marines, due to a suicide bomber, Scheller made a video demanding accountability from senior leaders for the failures of the US withdrawal.  In the aftermath of this video, Scheller was relieved of command from his position as the battalion commander of the Advanced Infantry Training Batallion at the School of Infantry - East at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.  Following this, Scheller posted several more videos criticizing Marine Corps leadership, and calling for accountability from the Presidents and Generals who oversaw the war in Afghanistan.  Scheller, a combat Veteran with multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, was sent to the brig for defying a gag order. He remained there for eight days until a plea deal was struck.  Lt. Col Scheller's story has been widely told. In this interview, I wanted to discuss what he is up to now. Scheller has since left the Marine Corps, and has created Authentic Americans which is "a virtual town hall where independent thinkers can network, think, and discuss critical issues facing the American representative democracy across all political ideologies, ethnicities, classes, and religions." Its goal is to reunite the United States.  In this discussion, we also talk about the immense pressure Stu was placed under for criticizing the Administration, what his family was put through, and how he got through it.  You can follow Stu on Instagram at www.instagram.com/stuartscheller And you can catch up with Authentic Americans at www.authenticamericans.com.       

Kegan Gill has been through things that would kill most people. As a US Navy Fighter Pilot, Kegan was forced to eject into the sound barrier as his plane was going down during a training exercise over the Atlantic Ocean.  In the process of ejecting, Kegan sustained catastrophic injuries that literally ripped his limbs apart along with a severe traumatic brain injury.  His body landed in the ice cold waters of the Atlantic, and his wet suit had ripped open. With his parachute still attached, and unable to move his arms, Kegan was continuously dunked into the freezing water for two hours before his rescue. Luckily, his hypothermic condition kept him from bleeding to death.  Kegan spent the following months focusing on his recovery, and despite his catastrophic injuries, was eventually able to score a perfect PFT and was able to return to flight duty.  But his battle was not over. Due to his traumatic brain injury, Kegan began to experience severe, but temporary, psychosis. After being rushed to the emergency room during a psychotic episode, Kegan was admitted to a VA Mental Health Facility.  Kegan did not react well to pharmaceutical treatments, and in many ways, they made him feel worse. After explaining this to his caregivers, they treated him as a trouble maker, and began doing things like keeping him up all night long by flashing a flashlight in his eyes every 15 minutes.  Kegan has since been seeking alternative treatments for his brain health. He found the Warrior Angels Foundation several months ago and is on the path to recovery through nuttracutical and hormonal interventions.  I caught up with Kegan in person at the Warrior Angels Foundation 4X4X48 in Texas. As he told me his story, my jaw hit the floor. In addition to fighting for his health, Kegan is also fighting to maintain his family. He has a wife and two young children.  This is one of the most mind-bending, jaw dropping, and inspiring episodes I've ever done, and I really appreciate Kegan for being so open. If you are dealing with issues related to trauma, depression, brain health, or anything of the like, head over to www.warriorangelsfoundation.org to learn more. You can also donate to the cause of helping Veterans get their lives back.

On March 3-5, 2022, Veterans and supporters from across the country got together in the Houston National Forest for the inaugural Warrior Angels Foundation 4x4x48. We ran 4 miles, every 4 hours, for 48 hours through the forest, while camping. Along the way, we went through healing rituals with the Four World's International Institute and Chief Phil Lane of the Dakota and Chickasaw Nations. It was an amazing and transformative experience. Learn more at http://www.warriorangelsfoundation.org. 

Creighton Bayer is a US Army Veteran and Standup Comedian who currently works for the Miami Improv. 

Emily Cherniack is steeped in the traditions of servant leadership. From her service in AmeriCorps and employment with City Year AmeriCorps, to being part of the founding team of Be the Change — where she led a coalition of over 200 organizations to engage 250,000 people for a Day of Action in support of the $6 billion Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009 — Emily has worked tirelessly to serve our country and support others who serve. In 2018, Emily was named to the Politico 50 as one of the 50 "thinkers, doers, and dreamers driving politics." Emily's path to politics came when her boss and mentor, Alan Khazei, decided to run for the US Senate in 2009. Khazei asked Emily to become his Deputy Campaign Manager and, although he was defeated, Emily learned a great deal from his campaign and the power of political leaders who chose to serve country before self. This experience led Emily to conclude that our current system for recruiting political talent is broken. The current talent pipeline is intentionally exclusive, and has significant barriers that prevent transformational leaders from successfully running for office; the only way to change that is to change the pipeline. New Politics was founded in 2013 to address exactly that. Emily graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology and a Masters Degree in Education Policy. She lives in Boston. Disclaimer: All political views expressed by Emily during the podcast are hers and do not necessarily represent the views of the Warrior Soul Podcast or its Host. The Warrior Soul Podcast is not affiliated with any specific political party or perspective and merely seeks to bring tools, tactics, strategies, and ideas to the US Military Veteran Community to help its members to live their best lives. That mission entails bringing on guests from multiple political perspectives whether the Host agrees with them or not. It is our hope that anyone who disagrees with Emily can look past that to see the tools she brings to the table to help the Veteran community get more of its members into public office.  

Adam Kokesh is a Libertarian activist, author, Veteran, and candidate for President of the United States. Adam has a long history of challenging the status quo of American Politics. This began with protesting the Iraq War with Iraq Veterans Against the War. Some of his most notable protests have ended in his arrest. These include dancing in the Jefferson Memorial and loading a shotgun in Washington, DC's Freedom Plaza. We caught up with Adam as he's been homesteading on his ranch in Arizona. We spoke about psychedelics, the legalization of drugs, and other current events.  To catch up with Adam's show The Freedom! Line head to https://odysee.com/@adamkokesh:2  

From making music to doing stand-up comedy, Lee Smith is an entertainer's entertainer. Born and raised in Miami, FL, Lee was placed in Gifted classes in Elementary school. Goofing off in class was an everyday thing, as he still completed his assignments. Elected as Class Clown, he knew that comedy was in the cards dealt to him. Unsure of what to do after high school, Lee enlisted in the US ARMY. From there, he formed lifetime bonds and connections with people. Once out of the military, Lee focused on music, honing his craft. Incorporating lyricism with humor, comedy would still play a role somehow. While watching “Funny People”, an epiphany was had; try doing stand-up comedy. If the people like it, the shift will be towards comedy. Fortunately he received a standing ovation during his first show. Within a year, Lee won the Turkey Fest competition at the Miami Improv. From writing to performing, there isn't much Lee Smith can't do to keep you entertained.

Candyce Haynes-Forrester, known professionally as Candyce, is an American comedian, professional speaker, broadcaster, producer, host and actress. She first gained recognition as a United States Marine Corps Combat Correspondent.  Her ability to deliver command messages and tell the stories of the men and women of the armed forces gained multiple awards including the Navy Achievement Medal.  Additionally she is known for her work in professional speaking and development working with her mentor Emmy Awarding motivational guru Les Brown. Candyce began her transition into mainstream comedy and broadcast having a wealth of knowledge and experience sharing stages with other industry titans. As a former active Marine, her high energy, positive outlook and hilarious storytelling will keep your audience engaged and wanting more. In this interview:  We discuss Candyce's story, her service in the Marine Corps, her entrepreneurial journey, and how she got into comedy. Candyce is probably one of the smartest people I've brought onto the show and she drops some serious knowledge bombs on this episode, so be sure to listen with a pen and a piece of paper! To keep up with Candyce:  Website: Www.CandyceHaynes.com   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candyceofficial/   Linked In:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/candycehaynes   Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/candycemhaynes

Andrew and Adam Marr are the founders of the Warrior Angels Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing healing solutions to veterans afflicted by traumatic brain injury.  Andrew served as a US Army Special Forces Green Beret on multiple deployments to Afghanistan. He was a breacher, and consistent indirect exposure to explosions created massive inflamation that turned off most of his brain activity.  A once thriving man, Andrew fell into a pit of sickness and despair while trying to support his wife and five children at the time. Andrew was medically retired from the Army with few options for continuing and no help to heal his unseen wounds.  After months of suffering while trying to find a solution, Andrew found Dr. Mark Gordon, who put him on a protocol of restorative nutriceuticals that healed his brain and his body. Today Andrew is back to life as a high-functioning individual, capable of excellence.  Andrew's story is outlined in the book, Tales from the Blast Factory, which he coauthored with Adam. He is also the subject of the award-winning documentary Tales from the Blast Factory.  Adam, who served as an Army Aviation Officer, came up with the idea to create a 4x4x48 challenge modeled after David Goggins grueling four mile run, every four hours, for forty-eight hours to raise money for the Warrior Angels Foundation. They will be running the challenge in March at their home-base in Texas, in conjunction with teams simultaneously running it around the country.  To learn more about the challenge and how you can participate: https://warriorangelsfoundation.org/4x4x48/ To get the book Tales from the Blast Factory: https://warriorangelsfoundation.org/product/book-tales-from-the-blast-factory/ To watch Quiet Explosions: https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Explosions-Healing-Joe-Rogan/dp/B08MWV5VP8/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=quiet+explosions&qid=1607110014&sr=8-1    

CWO3 Mark Pellon is an active duty Marine, K9 decoy, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Purple Belt. Mark currently serves as Band Director for the Parris Island Band at MCRD Parris Island.  Mark's journey in leadership began as an enlisted Marine. It was during this time that he began to understand the importance of being a good leader and a good follower.  As he was making his transition to Warrant Officer, he began to understand the importance of having a vision as a leader. We get into what a vision is, why it's important, and important lessons in both leadership and followership during this outstanding conversation.  To follow Mark on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mark-pellon-120348b9 To follow Mark on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.pellon.7  

New Year's Resolutions work for some people and fail badly for others. Regardless of what you choose to do resolution-wise, these are underlying principals to follow so that you have a successful 2022. 

Josh Guerrero is a Marine Corps Veteran, archeologist, podcaster, and adventurer.  In his day to day life, Josh travels the world unearthing remnants from the past and has dedicated much of his time to training others to do the same.  The last time I had Josh on the Warrior Soul Podcast, he was prepping for a trek through South America to raise money for American Veterans Archeological Recovery (AVAR), an organization that provides training for Veterans in Archeology.  When the Covid 19 pandemic took the world in its grasp, Josh could no longer head to South America. Like a good Marine, he pivoted, and decided to hike across the state of Michigan along the North Country Trail.  Josh started the trek in late summer, and completed his journey in the second week of December. Assisted by "Trail Angels,"who provided him with food, supplies, and sometimes shelter, Josh averaged 15 miles a day during his trek.  Along the way, Josh raised money for AVAR through his GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme.com/f/wolverinewalk.  He has left the GoFundMe open to continue to raise funds for this outstanding organization.  I caught up with Josh just a few days after he'd finished his trek. His powerful mindset and desire to help others through his passion for archeology and adventure is truly amazing, and I'm proud to have him as a Marine brother.  You can follow Josh on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/allaroundadventure    

It's a crazy time out there and a lot of people aren't happy with what's going on. If you're in that category, the best way of doing something about it is to take control of your physical, mental, and financial life. 

The holidays are a hard time for many people who have struggles within. It's a difficult time to be alive, but there's a lot of cause for optimism. Don't let the negativity get you down and never let go. 

In a time when freedom of speech and public get togethers are being made illegal in formerly free places around the world, it's more important than ever that you get up there and speak your mind. Comedy is one way of doing that. 

Geraint Jones is an author, podcaster, and Veteran who served as an infantry soldier in both Iraq and Afghanistan for the United Kingdom.  Geraint has written a historical fiction series about the roman legions, and his Afghanistan memoir Brothers in Arms was published in 2019.  Geraint is also the host of the Veteran State of Mind Podcast where his discusses current events, veteran success stories, and life with fellow Veterans from around the world.  I've been wanting to speak with Geraint for a while. He has two of the most thought provoking Instagram pages in the veteran community and we had an excellent conversation.  To follow Veteran State of Mind on Instagram click here.  To follow Geraint's personal page, click here.   

Since the beginning of the Global War On Terror, we have started chronicling the story of this conflict. The history of warfare is typically written by generals. They give their thousand foot view, talk about the big strategic picture, and pay little homage to the perspective of those who actually fought the war.  In recent history, we have seen much more of the perspective of the average warfighter. This is largely due to the increased opportunities technology affords the average person to tell their story.  Yet, we have seen very little perspective on what happens after the war is over. How does a Veteran carry on after serving in combat? Despite the efforts of podcasts and other media outlets like this one, very few media outlets have covered these stories.  The Twenty Year War by Dan Blakely, Tom Amenta, and Beau Simmons is unique for this reason. It is a photo book that chronicles the post-service stories of over 70 veterans. Rather than focusing on combat, the book focuses on the trials, tribulations, and lessons learned from these veterans' transitions into the civilian world.  Beau Simmons is a professional photographer who grew up in the high desert in California. He got his start in the fashion industry, but has since transitioned his work to focus on classic Americana and the American landscape. He gained his commitment to telling authentic stories about veterans through the nonprofit, Heroes and Horses.  Dan Blakeley served in the United States Army's 2nd Batallion, 75th Ranger Regiment. He went on to get an engineering degree from Appalachian State University where he helped start the school's Solar Power Racing Team. Dan's transition out of the military was not easy, and he has a passion for telling the stories of veterans who've succeeded, which is what inspired him to create The Twenty Year War. Tom Amenta also served in the 75th Ranger Regiment. After leaving the Army, Tom spent 8 years as COO of the veteran clothing brand Ranger Up and was an Executive Producer on the film Range 15. Tom's passion for helping and advocating for veterans led him to coauthor The Twenty Year War.  You can find The Twenty Year War at twentyyearwar.com. When you use the code VET21, you can get 20% off your purchase through Sunday November 14. 

Most cultural depictions of the Devil are as some sort of anthropomorphic beast with cloven hooves, a pointy tail, and horns.  In Napoleon Hill's work Outwitting the Devil, the Prince of Darkness is something different: a formless force that can invade the mind of any human being on Earth. He thrives by instilling negative thoughts, aimlessness, and self-doubt into the masses.  Regardless of what your religious beliefs are, you probably have a negative side, filled with thoughts that hold you back. In this episode, I take you through steps to defeating this Devil and moving your life forward. 

In this episode I talk about people I consider to be on the front line of fighting for values and against government overreach. In this episode I discuss Ryan Michler of Order of Man, Eddie Gallagher, The Marine Rapper, Bryson Gray, Hire the Zapper, and others who are using their voices to fight against mandates. 

Eddie Gallagher is a retired US Navy Seal who was falsley accused of war crimes, and then nearly railroaded by the military and the media.  He, his wife Andrea, his brother, and his legal team successfully fought off the Navy's attempt to put him away for life, but at great personal and financial consequences.  In the aftermath of his ordeal, Eddie and Andrea decided that they would keep this from happening to anyone else, and so they created The Pipe Hitter Foundation. Through their nonprofit, they are helping both military and law enforcement to navigate the legal system while supporting their families as they do so.  Most recently, Eddie and the Pipe Hitter Foundation worked with Marine Lt. Colonel Stu Scheller, who was punished by the military for publicly calling for accountability from high ranking officials for the botched Afghanistan withdrawal that resulted in the deaths of 13 service members.  You can learn more about the Pipe Hitter Foundation at https://pipehitterfoundation.org/ You can get Eddie's book The Man in the Arena at https://eddiegallagherbook.com/ For the Seek Battle Series: https://www.ptarms.com/product-page/SEEKBATTLERIFLE To follow Eddie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eddie_gallagher  

Daniel Gade enlisted in the Army in 1992 and deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom as a company commander in August 2004. He was wounded by enemy fire twice and decorated for valor; the second wounding resulted in the amputation of his entire right leg. After retiring from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2017, he accepted a political appointment as a Senior Advisor at the US Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS). In 2019, he ran unsuccessfully for United States Senate in Virginia, but garnered more votes than any Republican candidate in Virginia history. Daniel's military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, the Combat Action Badge, Ranger Tab, Presidential Service Badge, and both Airborne and Air Assault wings. He and his family reside in Mount Vernon, Virginia. Daniel's book Wounding Warriors: How Bad Policy Is Making Veterans Sicker and Poorer explores the ways in which the VA Healthcare System creates incentives for veterans to stay sick and poor.   

Michelle Black lost her husband Bryan in 2017. Bryan was serving with a team of his fellow Green Berets in Niger when his team of 11 was ambushed by between 100 and 200 ISIS militants.  From the moment she learned of Bryan's death, her life, and the lives of her two sons, were turned completely upside down. Bryan's death became a national incident due to political issues, and this turned the nation's attention away from the men who died and onto political discord.  Then, a ISIS released a propaganda video of Bryan and his teammates being killed. CBS news promptly published the video and put it into the public domain, putting Michelle and Bryan's family into the awful position of having to witness his death on a TV screen.  Through it all, Michelle never quit. She rallied to take care of her two sons while also searching for the truth about Bryan and his teammates' death. To this day, no high ranking military official has answered for the fact that this team of 11 was sent into hostile territory without support.  To get a copy of Michelle's book: https://www.amazon.com/Sacrifice-Gold-Widows-Fight-Truth/dp/0593190939 Follow Michelle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelleblack71  

Many of us grew up hearing stories about our grandparents and great grandparents in World War II, and wished we could have been part of something like that.  The truth is, that we do have a chance to save our country. The ideas laid out in the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence are under threat and can be lost in a generation. We can all participate in making sure this doesn't happen. 

Over the past few years, there has been an unprecedented collision between medical science and politics. Some would say that politics has perverted science, and it seems that many people are viewing specific scientific view points as a religion.  I brought my good friend, Dr. Kirk Parsley on to help us sort through the weeds of this debate. I'd like this to get out to as many people as possible, so I've excluded several key words related to the subject matter. Nevertheless, you can probably figure it out.  Dr. Kirk Parsley served as a US Navy Seal. After his enlistment, he rejoined the Navy as a doctor and helped to create Naval Special Warfare's Resiliency Clinic. He is one of the world's foremost experts on sleep, and is the inventor of Doc Parsley's Sleep Remedy.  To learn more about Dr. Kirk Parsley, or to purchase his sleep remedy, you can visit http://www.docparsley.com.  To follow Doc Parsley on Instagram: https://www.kirkparsley.com      

Mike Kurland is the founder and CEO of the Branded Group, a facilities service company based out of California. Over the past 8 years, Mike and his team built the Branded Group into one of the fastest growing companies in the country.  Nevertheless, things weren't always easy for Mike. He started his company from nothing after a heart-breaking divorce, after which, he had to hit the reset button.  Mike came onto the Warrior Soul Podcast to discuss his story and his advice for Veterans who are transitioning into new phases of their lives.  To listen to Mike's Be Better Podcast: https://www.branded-group.com/be-better-podcast/ To learn more about working for the Branded Group: https://www.branded-group.com/team/ To connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikekurland/ 

Mike Taylor and Alex Roodhouse served as officers in the United States Navy's Riverine Units, patrolling the Euphrates River during the war in Iraq.  Fitness was always an important part of their job, but as the demands of the job changed, so did the fitness requirements. When they first entered the military, the focus was on long runs and calisthenics. Yet jobs in the military increasingly called for a more functional, weight bearing, approach to fitness.  Additionally, many service members ended up getting completely out of shape when they went on deployment.  So after they got out of the military, Mike and Alex came up with an idea: all in one container gyms that could be shipped and placed anywhere.  That idea became Beaverfit, which today is a rapidly growing multi-million dollar a year business. You can find Mike and Alex's gyms today in places as diverse as Camp Pendleton and Miami Beach.  In this conversation, I talk with Mike and Alex about their journey from the military to entrepreneurship and how they're growing Beaverfit to meet the increasing demand for functional fitness. Learn more about Beaverfit at: https://www.beaverfitusa.com/

Baktash Ahadi was born in Afghanistan and raised in the United States. After college, he joined the US Peace Corps and went to Mozambique. As the US war in Afghanistan ramped up, Baktash decided to return to Afghanistan as an interpreter who worked alongside the US Marines.  In this episode, Baktash and I discuss the tragedy in Afghanistan and what led to it. We discuss the bureaucratic system, and lack of incentive to ever actually get anything done. We also discuss the repercussions of what this means for the Afghan people, and for American Veterans.  To learn more about Baktash Ahadi: https://www.baktashahadi.com/ To follow Baktash on Twitter: https://twitter.com/baktashahadi  

Like many Veterans, I'm angry and appalled at the United States' hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan.  If you're angry, that's completely justified. You should be.  But to change things, we need to move beyond anger toward action. Veterans need to step up in society to ensure this never happens again. We do that by building our lives, and putting ourselves in position to exact change. 

I listened to this video a few weeks ago as part of my morning motivational routine called "No Zero Days."  I'm not sure who put it together, but the concept really spoke to me. Essentially, the video encourages you to never have any "zero days" again.  A Zero Day is a day where you've done nothing to get to your goal. Instead, you should do something: read a book, do some exercise, take some form of small action to get to your goal everyday.  Watch the original video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxtv5XB7eIA  

Mike Robillard is a US Army Veteran and author who earned his Ph.D in Philosophy from the University of Connecticut before doing a post-doctoral fellowship at Oxford.  Mike has since left academia to co-found an organization called Christian Veterans United, which seeks to restore the values of discipleship in Christ, duty to country, and masculine virtue to the American psyche.  Mike joins a number of former academics who believe that the American university system has become derailed. In this interview, we try to deliver some practical advice as to how this situation can be fixed. 

The financial decisions you make as an early adult can follow you for much of your life. In this episode, Chris discusses the mistakes he made with money, how to avoid them, and how to fix them if you've already made them. 

As veterans move into the civilian world, many of us feel innate insecurities about our experience and education in the new context. In this episode, I discuss overcoming this insecurity and beating imposter syndrome. 

Dustin Robinson is the Founding Partner of Mr. Cannabis Law – a full-service law firm exclusively focused on cannabis and psychedelic industries. Dustin is licensed in Florida as an Attorney, a Certified Public Accountant, and a Real Estate Agent. He focuses his practice on providing legal, accounting, financial, and business consultation to various businesses operating in the hemp, marijuana, and psychedelic industries. Dustin has worked at one of the largest national accounting firms – Deloitte – as well as one of the largest national law firms – Holland & Knight. After working at Holland & Knight, Dustin applied his legal and accounting background in the business world while running a multi-state manufacturing company. Dustin is deeply involved in the cannabis industry through his law firm – Mr. Cannabis Law – and various cannabis-related organizations, including CannabisLAB, ASTM D-37 Global Standards for Cannabis, Leafstyle360, and Broward County Medical Marijuana Advisory Board. Dustin also serves as the Legal Director for NORML of Palm Beach; he is on the Legal Committee for the Florida Hemp Council; and he is on the Operations Sub-committee for Hemp Industries Association. As a member of the Board of Directors of Minorities for Medical Marijuana, Dustinadvocates for social equity and inclusion in the cannabis industry. Dustin is also the co-founder of Mr. Psychedelic Law – a 501(c)(4) focused on using medical and spiritual research to drive responsible legal reform in Florida for psilocybin mushrooms and other entheogens. Dustin has drafted Resolutions for psychedelic decriminalization for various cities in Florida and hopes to build a responsible legal framework in Florida for the commercialization of psilocybin mushroom and other entheogens. Dustin has built a team at Mr. Psychedelic Law that consists of the top lawyers, lobbyist, doctors, scientists, and spiritual leaders in the state of Florida. Dustin is also represents various psychedelic non-profits including Mind Army and Ketamine Fund. In April 2021, in partnership with seasoned private equity investor Robert Velarde, Dustin launched Iter Investments, a venture capital firm that aims to deploy capital primarily in businesses operating in and around the burgeoning psychedelics industry. Recently, Dustin drafted and filed the Florida Psilocybin Legalization Bill, together with Florida State Representative Michael Grieco. He was also recognized as “100 Most Influential People in Psychedelics” by Psychedelic Invest. Dustin has been regularly profiled and featured as an expert in the media, including in Bloomberg News, Dazed, Forbes, VICE, The Florida Bar, The Miami Herald, The Sun Sentinel, The Wall Street Journal, Authority Magazine, Thrive Global, Benzinga, StratCann and more. Dustin is a triple gator having earned his Bachelors in Accounting, Masters in Accounting, and Law Degree from University of Florida.

Gratitude is popular, and helpful, but it can lose it's meaning. To keep the ritual working for you, you need to dig down deep.