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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A kid tries to play basketball while limping, then pulls off his shoes and reveals socks soaked in blood. That single moment became the catalyst for everything Kris Horlacher would build through Shoes 4 The Shoeless. What started as one heartbreaking realization has grown into a nonprofit that has provided properly fitting shoes and socks to well over 200,000 children across Southwest Ohio, restoring dignity one child at a time. 

Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with Kris to hear the story behind the mission and the lessons she's learned while leading one of the region's most impactful nonprofits. From her years as a registered nurse working in emergency medicine, trauma care, disaster relief, and public health, to mentoring children living in poverty, Kris explains how those experiences prepared her to recognize a need almost everyone else overlooked. She shares why correctly measuring every child's feet is non-negotiable, why socks are often the greatest need, how volunteers make school distributions run like clockwork, and why something as simple as a new pair of shoes can dramatically change a child's confidence, health, and future.

The conversation also dives into the realities of nonprofit leadership. Kris opens up about criticism from people who think they know better, navigating legal challenges as a faith-based organization serving public schools, building trust with school districts, and why deciding who is "deserving" of help often misses the point entirely. She also explains why empathy isn't something we're born with, but something that must be intentionally taught and practiced through what she calls "eye-to-eye service."

Whether you're passionate about serving your community, leading a nonprofit, raising empathetic children, or simply looking for a reminder that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference, this conversation offers both practical wisdom and genuine hope. Sometimes changing a life starts with something as simple as making sure a child has shoes that actually fit.

Learn more about Shoes 4 The Shoeless or find ways to volunteer and support their mission at shoes4theshoeless.org. 

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There are coaches who win games, and there are coaches who change lives. Mark Hoffman spent 46 years doing both, but ask the people who know him best and they’ll tell you the scoreboard was never the point. From small-town football fields to classrooms and communities across Ohio, Coach Hoff built a reputation for demanding excellence while never losing sight of the person behind the player.

Hosts Dan Schmidt, Ben Spahr, and special guest host Shawn Ruebush sit down with Coach Hoff to explore the lessons that shaped him long before he became one of the most respected coaches in the region. He shares stories from his upbringing, the family values that became his foundation, the mentors who influenced his path, and the experiences that formed his approach to leadership, discipline, and service.

The conversation goes far beyond football. Mark reflects on coaching at 12 different schools, adapting to changing generations, and why standards still matter in a world that often looks for shortcuts. He also opens up about helping students facing difficult circumstances, advocating for kids who needed someone in their corner, and the responsibility adults have to notice what others miss.

At the heart of the episode is Coach Hoff's simple but powerful mission for every player he coached: be a good citizen, be a good man, and be a good dad. It's a philosophy that reaches far beyond sports and offers a blueprint for building stronger families, teams, and communities.

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A lot of people can tell you what combat looks like. Fewer can tell you what happens when the war follows you home.

Caleb Hutcheson spent his deployment in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, conducting route clearance missions as a combat engineer. Every day meant searching for hidden IEDs where a single mistake could cost lives. He shares what it was like driving the Buffalo, surviving an explosion beneath his vehicle, and discovering a second device nearby that could have made an already terrifying situation even worse.

But this conversation goes far beyond Afghanistan. Caleb opens up about the difficult transition back to civilian life, the depression that crept in after military service, and the identity crisis that can come when you go from having a clear mission to wondering where you belong. He discusses alcohol, dark thoughts, comparison, and the spiritual battles that often happen long before anyone else notices.

Caleb also shares how faith became more than something he believed. Through conviction, surrender, Bible study, prayer, and unexpected opportunities, God began redirecting his life toward ministry. What started as small steps of obedience eventually led him to Bible college and serving at Community of Faith Church in Lewisburg, Ohio.

Hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with Caleb Hutcheson for an honest conversation about combat, purpose, faith, resilience, and finding hope when life looks fine on the outside but feels empty within.

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What happens when the thing you've built your identity around gets taken away?

Carson Brower shares a story that goes far beyond baseball. Born with VATER syndrome affecting his right arm, Carson grew up learning how to adapt, solve problems differently, and push through obstacles most people never have to face. Those lessons eventually helped him achieve his dream of becoming a Division I pitcher at Bellarmine University, but the greatest challenges of his life weren't on the field.

Inspired by Jim Abbott, Carson became obsessed with finding ways to make what others viewed as a disadvantage work at the highest level. He takes us through growing up in Eaton, Ohio, the frustrations and victories that came with doing everyday tasks differently, and the moment he returned to baseball after walking away from the game at age 12.

Hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr dive into the darker side of competitive athletics as Carson openly discusses the depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts that developed when his identity became tied to performance. He shares the phone call from his mother that changed everything, the community that rallied around him, and how his faith in Christ helped him rebuild his foundation when baseball could no longer define who he was.

The conversation also explores the wrist injury that ultimately ended Carson's pitching career, the difficult decision to prioritize his long-term future over one more season, and the perspective he carries today about gratitude, purpose, pressure, and resilience.

If you've ever struggled with identity, mental health, adversity, faith, athletics, or finding your purpose beyond achievement, this episode will stay with you.

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At five years old, Mason Shrout made a decision that most kids only dream about.

He was going to play Division I basketball.

What followed was years of sacrifice, long drives, early mornings, pressure, criticism, and expectations that most people never see. Mason grew from a kid in rural Ohio into Preble County's all-time leading scorer, a historic Final Four participant, and eventually a Division I athlete at Purdue Fort Wayne. But the road was anything but easy.

In this episode, Mason shares what it was like growing up with strict parents who pushed him to be his best, the AAU experiences that humbled him early, and the criticism he faced after making the decision to reclassify. He explains how he learned to block out negativity, trust the people closest to him, and use doubt as motivation instead of allowing it to become a limitation.

Mason also takes us behind the curtain of the recruiting process, the pressure of being one of the most talked-about athletes in the area, and why he chose loyalty to his community over opportunities that could have taken him elsewhere. He reflects on the unforgettable Final Four run at UD Arena and the lessons learned from carrying expectations on and off the court.

Hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr then dive into the realities of college athletics, including balancing a demanding Mechanical Engineering degree with Division I basketball, redshirting, fighting through disappointment, and learning how comparison can rob athletes of joy and purpose. Mason also discusses his faith journey, baptism, and how staying grounded in something bigger than basketball has helped him navigate success, setbacks, temptations, and pressure.

This episode is about much more than sports. It's about identity, resilience, humility, discipline, and what happens when the dream you've chased your entire life finally becomes reality.

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A fighter jet drops out of the clouds at 300 miles an hour, the controls stop responding, and the pilot has seconds left to decide what to do. David Wheeler lived through that moment and what happened next still challenges everything he thought he knew about life, purpose, and survival.

In this episode of BeTempered with Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr, David takes us from his 1950s Cincinnati childhood and early fascination with aviation to flying the Air National Guard F-100 Super Sabre while balancing life as an architect and family man. He breaks down the intense reality of pilot training, low-level flight routes, military discipline, and the medical obstacles he had to overcome just to earn the chance to fly.

Then everything changed.

David walks us through the terrifying seconds of his fighter jet crash and the unexplainable peace he experienced as the aircraft went down. He describes hearing what sounded like singing, feeling overwhelming love, and waking up with questions that would shape the rest of his life.

We also explore what it means to live a “second life,” how trauma can transform purpose, and why David eventually returned to the crash site decades later searching for answers. The conversation expands into prison ministry, servant leadership, radical forgiveness, hospice experiences, faith, and the moments that quietly redefine what matters most.

Whether you love aviation stories, military history, leadership lessons, near-death experiences, or conversations about faith and meaning, David’s story stays with you.

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A single decision at 100 miles per hour can ripple through families, friendships, faith, and the rest of your life. In Episode 106 of BeTempered, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with Tony Talbert to unpack the night a drunk driver changed everything. What started as a celebration of his friend David’s recovery journey through addiction and service ended in tragedy just minutes from home, leaving Tony and his wife Donna carrying grief, trauma, and questions that don’t disappear when the headlines fade.

Tony opens up about the realities of PTSD, survivor’s guilt, panic, flashbacks, nightmares, and the pressure many people feel to “move on” before they’re actually healed. He shares how EMDR therapy, honest prayer, and eventually visiting the young man responsible for the crash became part of a healing process that challenged everything he thought he knew about justice, forgiveness, and redemption.

Then the conversation takes a turn none of us expected. On a freezing day in Richmond, Indiana, a homeless man asks Tony for help and leaves behind a freshly cut green crown of thorns. Weeks later, Tony receives a message he believes came directly from Jesus, and suddenly the nightmares stop. What follows is a powerful conversation about faith, suffering, purpose, and the kind of charity that restores dignity instead of creating dependency through practical support, accountability, and love.

This episode is raw, emotional, hopeful, and deeply human.

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What happens when your normal life disappears overnight? In this episode of BeTempered, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with Kateryna Tabota to hear the real human side of the Ukraine war through the eyes of a wife, mother, and woman of faith. Her story moves from growing up in post-Soviet Ukraine, to serving in the medical field, to suddenly facing air raid sirens, uncertainty, and separation from family as war closes in around them.

Katya opens up about raising children during chaos, leaving Ukraine for Poland while her husband was legally required to stay behind, and the emotional weight of wondering if your family will ever be reunited again. She shares how faith became her anchor during the fear, confusion, and constant uncertainty surrounding everyday life.

The conversation also dives into the unexpected moments that changed everything. A scooter accident eventually creates the medical exemption that allows her husband to reunite with the family. Church relationships and the United for Ukraine sponsorship program lead them to Ohio, where complete strangers prepare a home for them before they ever arrive. From beds and groceries to a full tank of gas, Katya reflects on the kindness that helped her family begin rebuilding their lives in America.

Dan, Ben, and Katya also talk about culture shock, learning English through customer interactions, rebuilding a career through nail licensing, and the hope of returning to medicine in the United States someday. It’s a conversation about resilience, faith under pressure, family sacrifice, and gaining a deeper appreciation for freedoms that are often taken for granted.

This episode will challenge perspective, deepen gratitude, and remind listeners how powerful faith and community can become in life’s hardest moments.

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