Who are you when the uniform comes off and the life you planned falls apart?

Cody Munn spent nearly six years in the United States Air Force. But coming home meant facing questions his military training couldn’t answer. Without the structure, responsibility, and identity he had known, what came next?

Cody joins BeTempered hosts Ben Spahr and Dan Schmidt for an honest conversation about military service, depression, grief, and the pressure of high-stakes security work. He opens up about the reality of suicide in the military community and the struggle to find purpose after leaving the service.

Back home in Ohio, rejected job applications and the isolation of COVID made starting over even harder. Cody shares how the GI Bill opened a door to welding, how a new career helped him find direction, and how meeting his wife, Kirsten, gave him someone to build a future with.

His journey toward faith began with questions. Curiosity led him to examine the evidence for Christianity, and simple prayers during car rides became part of a growing relationship with God. Cody walks through what brought him to surrender his life to Christ and take the next step through baptism.

Then came challenges he and Kirsten couldn’t work their way out of. Infertility. Painful conversations in doctors’ offices. A pregnancy they had struggled to imagine. An emergency C-section and a frightening moment in the NICU that brought the uncertainty of parenthood into sharp focus.

Through it all, Cody shares what trusting God looked like when he couldn’t control the outcome. His story makes room for the questions, the setbacks, and the hope that can grow while life is still uncertain.

If you’re starting over, wrestling with your faith, or struggling to see what comes next, this conversation is for you.

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A principal told us something we couldn’t unhear: “These kids don’t have any grit.”

Not as an insult, but as a reality check.

In this episode, Ben Spahr, Dan Schmidt, and Shawn Ruebush break down the BeTempered Standard, a new character-based development program designed to help students build resilience, self-awareness, confidence, discipline, empathy, and real connection.

The program is built around a 10-week series tied to the 10 letters in Be Tempered. Each letter represents a real choice students face, from Broken vs. Belief and Ethics vs. Entitlement to Empathy vs. Exclusion, Purpose vs. Pointless, and Discipline vs. Distraction.

This isn’t a one-time motivational assembly. The workshops are interactive, small-group based, and designed around reflection, real conversation, and challenges students carry with them between sessions.

For the 2026-2027 school year, the pilot program launches at Tri-County North High School in Lewisburg, Ohio, and Preble Shawnee Middle School in Camden, Ohio. The groups intentionally bring together high-performing students and students who may be struggling, creating an environment where different experiences and perspectives can challenge and strengthen one another.

At the high school level, students will ultimately take what they’ve learned and build a leadership-style day featuring breakout sessions and student stories, moving from personal growth into leadership and school culture.

Ben, Dan, and Shawn also explain the creation of the BeTempered Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit built to support scholarships, the program, and future expansion as they learn from the pilot year.

If you’re an educator, parent, coach, mentor, or simply someone who believes stronger communities start with stronger young people, this episode is for you.

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What does it look like to inherit a four-generation legacy and realize your job isn’t just to preserve it, but to make sure it survives for the next generation?

Steve Hayes Jr., executive director of Hayes Arboretum in Richmond, Indiana, joins Ben Spahr and Dan Schmidt for a conversation about family legacy, conservation, nonprofit leadership, and the responsibility that comes with caring for something much bigger than yourself.

Steve takes us back to the beginning with his great-grandfather, Stanley W. Hayes, a Cornell-trained engineer and prolific railroad industry inventor who began restoring native trees to land that would eventually become Hayes Arboretum. What started as a family estate grew into 466 acres of forest, prairie, wetlands, historic property, and environmental education that generations of people have experienced.

We talk about what makes Hayes Arboretum different, why native plants and ecosystems matter, and why spending time in nature can provide a kind of peace that’s difficult to find anywhere else. Steve explains the quiet work happening in a forest every day and how closely it mirrors the work of building a healthy community.

But preserving a legacy isn't always easy.

Steve opens up about the financial realities of running a nonprofit, the original endowment model, what happened as those resources were depleted, difficult decisions involving land sales, and the work required to change the organization’s trajectory. He shares how disciplined operations, volunteers, mission focus, and long-term planning have helped position Hayes Arboretum for the future.

We also get into the Playscape, future classroom plans, the Arboretum’s master plan, and Steve’s personal approach to leadership. From gratitude to running and physical discipline, he shares some of the practices that help him stay grounded when the responsibility gets heavy.

This is a conversation about trees, but it’s also about stewardship. It’s about taking care of what previous generations built, making difficult decisions when necessary, and leaving something worthwhile for the people who come after us.

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He walked into church to impress a girl. He left with a decision that would change the direction of his life.

On BeTempered Episode 119, Ben Spahr and Dan Schmidt are joined by Rondale Broome, Student Pastor at Salem Church of God in Clayton, Ohio.

Rondale grew up in Muncie, Indiana in a single-parent home with eight kids, surrounded by an environment where drugs, violence and jail could easily begin to feel normal. Expectations for his future weren't high, but along the way, a handful of people refused to let his circumstances determine where his story ended.

Rondale shares how show choir, sports and a few relentless adults gave him places to belong, and how a sudden school transfer stripped away much of that support. Then came a simple invitation to come play basketball at a church.

That invitation opened the door to youth ministry, new relationships and a completely different community. A pastor repeatedly greeting him with, "How you doing, Pastor?" initially felt like a joke. Eventually, Rondale began wondering if it might be something more.

He talks about the mission trip, a conversation with a man living the future Rondale feared for himself, and a foot-washing moment that turned what felt like God's whisper into a yell. He also opens up about the struggle of trying to grow while people and influences from his old life continued pulling him back.

Today, Rondale serves the next generation, and his own story has shaped how he approaches ministry. For him, reaching young people isn't about having the perfect program. It's about consistency, relationships and the power of simply inviting someone in.

This conversation is about faith, resilience, fatherlessness, breaking generational cycles and what can happen when someone refuses to give up on you.

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What starts as a lighter day in the studio quickly turns into a conversation about the things that shape who we are when nobody’s keeping score.

This episode of BeTempered is a little different. No guest. No single story driving the conversation. Ben, Dan, and Shawn work through rapid-fire questions that start with some friendly roasting and eventually lead into grace, imposter syndrome, parenting, faith, perspective, and legacy.

What do people see in us that we have a hard time seeing in ourselves? How have we changed over the last few years? And how much grace are we willing to give ourselves while we’re still becoming the people we want to be?

Parenting becomes a big part of that conversation. Our kids can teach us patience and unconditional love, but they also hold up a mirror. They’re paying attention to what we model far more than what we tell them. That raises a bigger question: when the careers, accomplishments, and work are eventually stripped away, what do we actually want our families to remember about us?

Even simple questions like beach or mountains open the door to something deeper. The guys talk about the places and moments that remind them how small they are and how big God is, from a sunrise run and a quiet walk through an arboretum to spending time with people rebuilding their lives through recovery.

Those experiences reinforce something we all need reminded of: you never know someone’s entire story by looking at them. Instead of judging from a distance, we can choose curiosity, stay humble, extend grace, and remember that every person we meet is carrying something we may know nothing about.

That perspective is a big part of what BeTempered continues to be about. Resilient faith, stronger character, honest conversations, and becoming better through the things that test us.

If this episode makes you think differently about your own life, share it with someone who needs the conversation.

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A cancer diagnosis changes more than your health. It changes the way you see your future, your family, your faith, and the role you've always played for everyone else. On this episode of BeTempered, Ben Spahr and Dan Schmidt are joined by Jeremy Duncan, superintendent of Fayette County School Corporation in Connersville, Indiana, to talk about leading a school district while facing one of the biggest battles of his life.

Jeremy shares the moment he was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer at just 46 years old, the difficult conversation with his wife and children, and the reality of hearing words like Stage 3C, Gleason 9, and radical prostatectomy. He explains why routine screenings matter, how a "normal" MRI didn't tell the whole story, and what life has looked like through surgery, hormone therapy, radiation, and recovery.

The conversation goes well beyond cancer. Jeremy reflects on what it means to accept help after spending a lifetime serving others, how leadership changes when you're carrying pain that no one else can see, and why faith isn't about getting the outcome you want. It's about trusting God, even if life doesn't unfold the way you hoped.

We also dive into the importance of PSA testing, annual checkups, and why too many men wait until it's too late because of pride, fear, or simply putting everyone else first.

Whether you're walking through cancer yourself, supporting someone who is, carrying the weight of leadership, or searching for hope in the middle of uncertainty, Jeremy's story is a powerful reminder that faith doesn't remove the struggle, but it can change the way you walk through it.

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Some moments divide your life into before and after. For Amy Cullum, that moment came on a dark roadside after a late-night crash involving her son, Alex. In the middle of fear and uncertainty, she heard four words she believes came from God: "Don't turn him over." She didn't know it then, but those words would carry a meaning she wouldn't fully understand until a phone call from the coroner days later.

Hosts Ben Spahr and Dan Schmidt talk with Amy about a life shaped by faith long before tragedy ever entered the picture. She reflects on growing up as an identical twin, the search for identity beyond comparison, her years as a Spanish teacher, and the lessons she's learned through endurance training and walking the Camino de Santiago. Along the way, she explains how perseverance isn't built in the easy moments, but in choosing the next faithful step when life doesn't make sense.

The conversation turns to the unimaginable loss of Alex and the years that followed. Amy shares how Psalm 32:8 became an anchor, how her family found purpose through organ donation, scholarships, and honoring Alex's legacy, and why authentic faith doesn't ignore grief but learns to carry it. She also discusses her books Welcome to the Banquet and Not Done Yet, along with a new project she's creating with her twin sister.

This episode is a reminder that God doesn't promise a life without heartbreak, but He does promise His presence through it. Whether you're walking through grief, searching for purpose, or simply need encouragement to keep taking the next step, we hope Amy's story reminds you that you're not walking alone.

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Some stories remind you that addiction isn’t a lack of willpower. It’s a battle that slowly steals your identity until you no longer recognize the person staring back at you. On BeTempered Episode 115, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr welcome Kara Harris for one of the most honest conversations we've had about addiction, trauma, recovery, and what it really takes to rebuild a life.

Kara shares her journey from experimenting with pills at a young age to years consumed by heroin, methamphetamine, arrests, abusive relationships, homelessness, and the constant fight to survive. She opens up about how bullying, trauma, untreated mental health struggles, and the loss of her identity fueled the addiction, and why telling someone to "just quit" completely misses the reality of what they're experiencing.

The conversation also explores the devastating impact addiction has on families, the heartbreak of losing Logan to an overdose, and the difficult balance between loving someone and enabling them. It's an honest look at the pain addiction leaves behind for everyone involved.

But this story doesn't end there.

Kara explains what finally changed, from probation and treatment to medication-assisted treatment, accountability, and the faith-based community at Another Chance Ministry that helped her discover a new purpose. Today, she's using her own experiences to help other women find hope, healing, and a path forward while pursuing a future in social work.

This episode is a reminder that no matter how dark life becomes, your past doesn't have to define your future.

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Some battles don't end when the mission is over. They begin when the uniform comes off.

BeTempered Episode 114 brings back Colonel George Glaze for a conversation that is noticeably different from the first time he joined hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr. The confidence is still there, but so is a level of honesty that only comes from doing the hard work. George shares how losing more than 50 pounds became about far more than a number on a scale. It forced him to confront the pain, fatigue, frustration, and anger that had quietly built over years of leadership, combat, and carrying the weight of everyone else's expectations.

The conversation moves into one of the greatest struggles facing veterans, first responders, and leaders: discovering who you are when your identity is no longer defined by your rank, title, or mission. George explains why ego can become a survival mechanism, how cynicism slowly creeps into everyday life, and why replacing constant noise with prayer, Scripture, and intentional presence has transformed the way he approaches each day.

One of the most powerful moments comes when George talks about holding his newborn grandson, Hudson. Looking into the eyes of a child with a completely blank slate, he realized he didn't want to pass down the cynicism he had carried for so many years. That moment became a challenge to leave behind bitterness and embrace a legacy built on hope, faith, and resilience instead.

Dan, Ben, and George also dive into survivor's guilt, vulnerability, spiritual warfare, and why "giving it to God" is often much harder than people make it sound. They explore the unseen battles that continue long after combat ends and why healing requires the same discipline, accountability, and intentionality that prepared soldiers for the battlefield.

Whether you've served in the military, worn a badge, led an organization, or simply find yourself carrying burdens no one else sees, this conversation offers practical wisdom, honest encouragement, and a reminder that your greatest battle may not be behind you, but neither is your greatest growth.

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Five pregnancy losses will either pull you apart or force you to discover a strength you never knew you had. For Mark Broeker, that journey became one of faith, perseverance, and learning how to keep moving forward when life refuses to make sense.

With Ben out this week, it's just me, Dan Schmidt, talking with Mark about a life that has been shaped by both incredible hardship and incredible resilience. We begin with his small-town upbringing, his father's battle with cancer, three torn ACLs, and the pressure of building a successful career while quietly struggling with anxiety, depression, and alcohol. It's an honest conversation about the weight many men carry without ever talking about it.

Mark also shares the deeply personal story of walking through five pregnancy losses alongside his wife. We discuss the grief that miscarriage brings to a marriage, what it looks like to support your spouse while you're hurting yourself, and the medical journey that ultimately led to the birth of their daughter, Annabelle. From counseling and faith to daily discipline and movement, Mark explains the habits that helped him rebuild his life. He also shares the unexpected blessing of welcoming a foreign exchange student, Lucia, whose presence brought joy and healing to their family during one of their darkest seasons.

The conversation then shifts to the 3 of 7 Project Rite of Passage, a grueling 24-hour endurance event through the mountains of North Georgia led by former Navy SEAL Chad Wright and his team. Mark takes us inside the preparation, the physical suffering, the mental battles, Copperhead Road, the infamous Wormhole, and the defining moment when an entire group of men refused to let anyone quit.

This episode is about far more than endurance. It's about faith when prayers seem unanswered, the importance of men's mental health, finding purpose through suffering, and discovering that resilience is built one difficult step at a time.

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