In this episode of Keep Hustling, host Aaron Gordon speaks with former Australian detective Craig Semple about his journey from dreaming of marine biology to a 25-year law enforcement career in New South Wales. Craig shares gripping stories from his time combating organized crime and homicides. He also opens up about the psychological toll of police work, including his struggles with PTSD, burnout, and depression that led to his medical retirement and a suicide attempt. Through vulnerability and resilience, Craig rebuilt his life. He now focuses on advocacy, mental health, and teaching resilience. He offers practical advice on planning for adversity and highlights the importance of seeking help early. The episode closes with a powerful quote on choosing to positively impact others, echoing Craig Semple's mission to turn pain into purpose

Get To Know Craig Semple Craig Semple is a former Detective with the New South Wales Police Force, where he served for 25 years. His career focused on high-risk investigations, including drug operations, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and homicides. Leading teams in this demanding environment gave Craig deep insight into the impact of chronic stress, heavy workloads, burnout, depression, anxiety, and PTSD on frontline personnel. He developed a strong understanding of workplace mental health, its connection to safety, productivity, and resilience, and the requirements of occupational health and safety legislation. In 2013, Craig medically retired after his own battle with work-related psychological injury, including PTSD and burnout. Drawing on this lived experience, he gained authentic insight into the causes, effects, treatment, and recovery pathways of mental illness in high-pressure professions. Since 2015, Craig has worked as a mental health educator and presenter with the Black Dog Institute. He has delivered training and keynote presentations to more than 30,000 people across Australia. A fully accredited Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) instructor, he specialises in building mentally healthy and resilient workplaces. In 2016, he was appointed as an inaugural Mentor for the NSW Police Legacy program "Backup for Life," supporting injured officers and their families. Craig is the founder and director of Mentality Plus Pty Ltd. He is the author of two books - The Cop Who Fell to Earth and Getting Back Up Again - and is a highly regarded speaker and educator on resilience, mental health awareness, and stigma reduction in high-stress professions.

Official website (Mentality Plus): https://mentalityplus.com.au/

Full bio: https://mentalityplus.com.au/my-story/

Buy his books: https://mentalityplus.com.au/buy-book/

LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/craig-semple-b216b115a

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/semple_mentality/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mentalityplus/

Contact: https://mentalityplus.com.au/contact-us/

3 Key Listener Takeaways 1. Resilience Is Learned by Facing Fear: Craig Semple emphasizes that running toward challenges - not away from them - cultivates real resilience. His journey from avoiding conflict in youth to tackling violent gang investigations highlights how grit is built through exposure to adversity. 2. Early Intervention Matters: A major lesson is the importance of addressing mental health struggles early. Craig Semple's experience reveals that seeking support before issues escalate can prevent burnout and long-term hardship. It shows that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. 3. Make a Game Plan for Hard Times: Developing and maintaining a personal "recovery game plan" is vital. Craig Semple advises listeners to prepare strategies and self-care routines in advance, so when adversity hits, you're ready to adapt, stay in control, and keep hustling with purpose.

Show Overview

00:00 Deciding to join the police

03:20 Starting out as a police officer

10:08 Solving homicides and supporting families

13:19 Coping with burnout and PTSD

17:11 Reflecting on missed early intervention

20:54 Embracing resilience and positivity

21:43 Creating a personal recovery plan

25:13 Connecting with our listeners