Going in Blind with Zach Tidwell

Jack Hager is a Vietnam combat veteran, convicted drug/weapons smuggler, and minister who believes victim mentality is tearing our society apart.

Topics covered include how Jack survived on his own from 14 through graduating in the top 10% of his class, what Vietnam was like, how poorly American veterans were treated upon returning home, how prevalent drugs were amongst GIs in the Vietnam War, the effects of false flag operations like the Gulf Of Tonkin Incident, the parallels Jack saw between the Afghanistan pullout and Saigon pullout, how history repeats itself, why a lack of self-responsibility is the plague of America, why it’s so important to think freely, how a lack of thinking leads to a lack of understanding, how he turned his life around, and the difference between passive and active worship.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction: "It's Not My Fault" and Personal Responsibility

2:58 Why America Has a Victim Mentality

8:00 Addiction, Accountability, and Personal Choice

14:42 Human Trafficking, Moral Courage, and Taking Action

19:40 Lying to Join the Army During Vietnam

24:00 Military Intelligence and an Unexpected Career

31:55 Intelligence Work Then vs. Today

40:00 Coming Home From Vietnam and Public Backlash

47:55 The Vietnam War, Government Trust, and Difficult Questions

55:55 Why Critical Thinking Is Disappearing

1:04:03 Prison, Finding Faith, and Getting Sober

1:12:00 Why Jack Still Volunteers in Prison Ministry

1:25:55 Understanding the Bible Through Life Experience

1:35:55 Disability, Victimhood, and Personal Responsibility

1:41:45 Temptation, Integrity, and Raising the Next Generation

1:47:10 Passing Along Wisdom and Final Reflections

You can find Jack on his website: https://jackedup.blog/

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Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends.

Website: zachtidwell.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388

Instagram: @ZachCTidwell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/

X: @ZachCTidwell

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW

YouTube: @ZachCTidwell

#GIB #GoingInBlind

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Beth Kromer is the Co-Founder of FieldGuide9, a nonprofit organization that hosts guided Ayahuasca journeys rooted in ancient shamanic Ayahuasca practices that trace back to the Peruvian jungles via oral traditions thousands and thousands of years.

Ayahuasca is not legal in the United States, though it is starting to gain traction in Western cultures for journeys like the ones FieldGuide9 facilitates in small groups of no more than 6 participants. This is not medical advice. But the topics discussed in this episode include how the role of intentionality in Ayahuasca work, ancient Peru and the passing of oral shamanic traditions, why individuals seek out Ayahuasca and other plant medicines and the outcomes they experience, Ayahuasca research, Ibogaine research, how psychedelics affect spiritual beliefs, and more.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Ayahuasca & Field Guide 9

05:50 Ayahuasca, Addiction Recovery & Common Misconceptions

11:01 What an Ayahuasca Experience Feels Like

16:48 Inside an Ayahuasca Ceremony & Why Integration Matters

23:06 Beth Cromer's Journey from Corporate Success to Plant Medicine

31:45 Religious Upbringing, Trauma & Spiritual Transformation

39:48 Ancient Wisdom, Consciousness & Spirituality

49:10 Indigenous Traditions, Mental Health & Psychedelic Research

55:43 Safety, Screening & Who Should Consider Ayahuasca

01:05:27 The Legal Status of Ayahuasca in the United States

01:12:45 Building Field Guide 9 & Expanding Access to Healing

01:14:57 Suicide, Hope, Community & Finding Purpose

01:23:33 Final Reflections on Healing, Joy & Living Fully

You can find Beth and her team at FieldGuide9.com.

Follow And Support The Show

Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends.

Website: zachtidwell.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388

Instagram: @ZachCTidwell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/

X: @ZachCTidwell

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW

YouTube: @ZachCTidwell

#GIB #GoingInBlind

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Angela Harger Thompson is a documentarian, actress, and author exposing the darker side of Hollywood, and using her own experiences as a sexual assault survivor to help sex trafficking victims reclaim their lives.

In this conversation you’ll learn about the predators lurking in Hollywood and Hollywood’s terrible trend of drugging and sexually assaulting people chasing their dreams, how little support some sexual assault victims receive, how supports for sexual assault victims can be improved, how Angela’s intentional work facilitated her healing, what it’s like to be stranded at sea, how terrifying it can be to sail through the North Pacific, what it’s like to be in a financially and emotionally abusive relationship, the sex tourism in Thailand and Costa Rica, and more.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Introduction & Meet Angela Harger

06:08 Voice Acting, Hollywood & Career Goals

12:49 The Night Everything Changed

19:58 Reporting the Assault & The Justice System

29:39 Therapy, PTSD & The Long Healing Process

35:15 Helping Other Survivors & Lessons Learned

40:58 What Could Improve the System?

42:40 Leaving Hollywood for a Documentary Adventure

46:19 Sailing Into the COVID-19 Pandemic

53:17 Making Quarantined at Sea

59:07 Returning to Hawaii & Life After Lockdown

01:06:40 Escaping an Unhealthy Relationship

01:12:18 Online Harassment & Protecting the Film

01:20:05 Writing Worst Tits Ever

01:26:14 Why Sharing the Story Matters

01:31:39 Where to Find Angela & Closing Thoughts

You can find Angela and her work on her website: angelahargerproductions.com

Follow And Support The Show

Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends.

Website: zachtidwell.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388

Instagram: @ZachCTidwell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/

X: @ZachCTidwell

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW

YouTube: @ZachCTidwell

#GIB #GoingInBlind

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Sandi Griffin is a 10-year competitor in the world of international bodybuilding(IFBB), a strength and condition coach who worked to rehabilitate wounded special forces members during the Global War on Terror, and eventually even Olympians. Having had suicide contantly touch her and her family as she followed her husband around the world during his military career—and eventually almost losing two children—she’s now a leader combating the suicide epidemic in Colorado, which has the 7th-highest suicide rate in the country, despite being the 5th-healthiest state. She’s the Founder of the Colorado Springs Health And Fitness Expo, where she’s doing things a little differently; 100% of ticket proceeds are donated to mental health and suicide prevention programs, they’re mentoring other businesses along the way, and paving paths in the adaptive fitness world as well.

You’ll learn how a mother of three considering gastric bypass surgery transformed her life through bodybuilding, the power of accountability, how showing wounded soldiers perspective changed and saved lives, why the suicide warning signs we’re told about are incomplete, why construction workers are a high risk for suicide, how to save someone in crisis, and how you can form a mission-driven, charitable organization making a difference in the world.

You can find Sandi at SandiGriffin.com

Want To Know More About Zach

If you’re new to the show and haven’t heard his incredible story, go back and listen to the show’s trailer, or visit Zach’s website at zachtidwell.com, where you can also reach out to have him speak at your company or event. To get the big news when his book going to print, join his email list on the website.

Follow And Support The Show

Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends.

Website: zachtidwell.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388

Instagram: @ZachCTidwell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/

X: @ZachCTidwell

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW

YouTube: @ZachCTidwell

#GIB #GoingInBlind

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Bob Ginsberg is the Co-Founder of the Forever Family Foundation, a 100% volunteer-run organization dedicated to educating the public that we are more than our physical bodies, whilst providing support to those in mourning.

Bob was a straight-edged professional when he and his wife lost their daughter—and almost their son—in a car accident his wife had a premonition about. The loss, experiences during grief, and resulting research led him to change his beliefs. Today, the organization funds continued consciousness (life after death), near-death experience, and consciousness research, holds workshops for the bereaved, and has conducted rigorous testing to attempt to determine the validity of individual medium’s claims to be able to communicate with the dead. In over twenty years, they’ve only confirmed 30 mediums’ abilities—resulting in Bob’s belief that only 10-15% of mediums can really do what they claim.

Other topics include the limitations of the human body to perceive reality, losing a child, research into shared consciousness, life after death, religious implications of near death experiences, being saved by helping others, whether or not holding on to a deceased loved one may prevent someone from healing, victim mindsets, DMT and psychedelic research, navigating guilt after a suicide, and where consciousness might originate.

Timestamps:

00:00 Near-Death Experience That Changed Everything

06:12 Is There Proof of Life After Death?

15:19 Scientific Research on Consciousness & the Afterlife

24:34 CIA Remote Viewing Experiments Explained

33:46 Real Paranormal Experiences at Home

39:58 Do Psychic Mediums Actually Work? (Tested)

52:12 A Powerful Encounter That Defies Explanation

1:04:33 How Facing Death Changes Your Life Perspective

1:23:00 The Truth About Death, Grief, and What Comes Next

You can find Bob at foreverfamilyfoundation.org.

Follow And Support The Show

Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends.

Website: https://zachtidwell.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388

Instagram: @ZachCTidwell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/

X: @ZachCTidwell

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW

YouTube: @ZachCTidwell

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Dr. Laura Sicola is an educational/cognitive linguist, TED/TEDX speaker, former professor, Neurolinguistic Programming(NLP) practitioner, and Executive Communication Coach with decades of work in the field.

Topics covered include what cognitive linguistics is, the art of social sciences, how we process language, what’s wrong with academia, why most doctoral graduates don’t end up being professors, how to sound like a leader, how experts fail to communicate their expertise to people outside their field, what’s breaking down your communication, how much of our communication lies in things other than our words, how metaphors help us understand, what upspeak is, how to fix it, and Neurolinguistic Programming.

You can find Laura on her website: laurasicola.com

Want To Know More About Zach

If you’re new to the show and haven’t heard his incredible story, go back and listen to the show’s trailer, or visit Zach’s website at zachtidwell.com, where you can also reach out to have him speak at your company or event. To get the big news when his book going to print, join his email list on the website.

Follow And Support The Show

Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends.

Website: zachtidwell.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388

Instagram: @ZachCTidwell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/

X: @ZachCTidwell

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW

YouTube: @ZachCTidwell

#GIB #GoingInBlind

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Lynn Johnson is the Founder of All In Empowering Futures. A social worker by trade, her work in the penal/probation system has led her to work with the country’s most vulnerable populations. from leading an innovative program in Colorado to help guide families out of poverty, to being appointed in President Trump’s first term as the Assistant Secretary of the Administration for Children and Families in the US Department of Health and Human Services(HHS), where she worked to eliminate abuse and neglect, end child and human trafficking, and similar efforts showing impoverished families and individuals a way to a better life.

Today, her work through All In Empowering Futures is filling a crucial gap in serving young adults who have aged out of the foster care system—kids who, upon reaching the age of 18, are commonly left homeless and entirely on their own due to overlooked gaps in our foster care system.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Lynn Johnson

02:28 From Probation Officer to National Leadership

04:05 A Framework For Fighting Generational Poverty

08:40 Why Community Matters More Than Government Programs

17:45 Lessons From Probation, Parole & Social Work

24:00 The Child Trafficking Case That Changed Everything

36:50 The Scale of Human & Child Trafficking in America

43:00 Social Media & Online Grooming’s Role In Trafficking

46:30 Getting Presidentially-Appointed To Serve The Most Vulnerable Americans

51:45 Listening to Youth Who Aged Out of Foster Care

53:00 Founding All In Empowering Futures

56:00 Why Foster Youth Need Family, Not Programs

58:45 Stories of Transformation

1:17:30 What Should Happen After Foster Care Ends?

1:22:30 Why Aging Out of Foster Care Must Become a National Priority

1:25:20 How to Support All In Empowering Futures

You can find Lynn at allinempoweringfutures.org.

Follow And Support The Show

Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends.

Website: https://zachtidwell.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388

Instagram: @ZachCTidwell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/

X: @ZachCTidwell

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW

YouTube: @ZachCTidwell

#GIB #GoingInBlind

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Dr. Kevin Young is a historian, author, and professor specializing in Latin American history, Revolutions, and U.S. foreign policy in the region who believes the recent indictment of former Cuban President Raul Castro suggests potentially imminent American military action in Cuba, given the recent kidnapping of Venezuelan President Maduro following similar legal moves.

In this conversation, we explore whether the recent indictment could signal a new phase in U.S.-Cuba relations, and why many observers see parallels with recent events in Venezuela. Kevin explains the historical roots of American intervention in Latin America, the strategic relationship between Cuba and Venezuela, and why sanctions have become one of Washington’s most powerful foreign policy tools. We discuss the Monroe Doctrine, Cold War regime change operations, China's growing influence across Latin America, the humanitarian impact of economic sanctions, and the broader question of whether military intervention can ever achieve lasting political outcomes. Along the way, Kevin examines Cuba’s economic struggles, the legacy of the Cuban Revolution, the future of international law, and the geopolitical tensions shaping the Western Hemisphere today. This is a conversation about power, history, sovereignty, sanctions, diplomacy, and the forces that continue to shape global politics. Expect to learn why Cuba and Venezuela are strategically connected, how U.S. intervention in Latin America evolved over the last century, what sanctions actually do to civilian populations, how China is reshaping the geopolitical landscape in the region, whether military action against Cuba is a realistic possibility, and what these developments reveal about the future of American foreign policy. Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction: Could the U.S. Be Preparing for Military Action in Cuba?

08:06 – The Origins of U.S.-Cuba Relations and the Monroe Doctrine 12:15 – Why Cuba Remains a Target of American Foreign Policy

18:30 – The Geopolitical Importance of Cuba in 2026 22:05 – China’s Growing Influence in Latin America

23:40 – Chinese Investment, Infrastructure, and Regional Development Through The Belt And Road Initiative

36:26 – Economic Isolation, Sanctions, and Cuba’s Global Position 42:45 – The Humanitarian Consequences of Fuel and Food Shortages

49:07 – Regime Change: What Is the End Goal?

55:55 – What Happened in Venezuela After Maduro?

59:45 – Could a Cuba Intervention Create a Failed State?

01:03:18 – The Cuban Revolution and Land Reform 01:07:30 – Why Socialism Took Root in Cuba

01:11:16 – Cuba’s Healthcare Crisis and the Impact of Sanctions 01:13:30 –the Human Cost of U.S. Sanctions

01:18:12 – The Future of International Law and Global Stability 01:19:30 – Nuclear Risk, Diplomacy, and the Global Order

01:24:00 – What Americans Should Understand About Cuba

01:28:28 – Historical Lessons for the Future of U.S. Foreign Policy 01:30:36 – Closing Thoughts

You can find Kevin at KevinYoung.org

Follow And Support The Show

Website: zachtidwell.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388

Instagram: @ZachCTidwell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/ X: @ZachCTidwell

YouTube: @ZachCTidwell

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Dr. Betty Kovacs’ life’s work in comparative literature and theory of symbolic/mystic language has culminated in discovering that much of ancient history—and especially early spiritual teachings—may have been deliberately hidden, altered, or destroyed. The conversation dives into newly surfaced texts, the formation of religious canon, and how institutional power may have reshaped the original message of figures like Jesus.

Key Topics:

00:00 Introduction & Guest Background

26:27 Questioning Beliefs & Narratives

45:04 When the Church Gained Power

46:47 Who Decided the Biblical Canon?

49:51 The Nag Hammadi Discovery & Destroyed Texts

51:18 Reframing Jesus as a Mystic Teacher

51:50 Transhumanism & Modern Control Systems

52:16 “You Are Nothing” – The Loss of Human Divinity

01:03:41 Original Sin & Psychological Conditioning

01:10:00 Control Through Religion & Belief Systems (discussion continues)

01:18:00 Are These Control Patterns Still Happening Today?

01:25:00 Closing Thoughts

You can find Dr. Kovacs and her work here:

kamlak.com

Follow And Support The Show

Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends.

Website: https://zachtidwell.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388

Instagram: @ZachCTidwell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/

X: @ZachCTidwell

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW

YouTube: @ZachCTidwell

#GIB #GoingInBlind

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Sean Baptiste is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer(CCO) Of DreamKey Syndicate, where he and his team are reinventing the wheel of creative artificial intelligence platforms to ensure humans continue being the foundation of creative endeavors, whilst making sure they always get paid when their work is used, and setting a new precedent for ethical artificial intelligence implementations. A lifelong creator himself, Sean lost his career working as a writer, entertainer, animator, and more at some of the world’s biggest entertainment companies, like Bethesda, Harmonix, and Adult Swim to repetitive traumatic brain injuries(TBI) from abrain tumor and endless surgeries. But he’s built himself back up, and is now a leader in the space.

Other topics include LLM, transformer architecture, reinventing the wheel, reinvention, identity, purpose, creation, mental health, resilience, and creating a path for yourself no matter what the odds.

You can find Sean at dreamkey.ai

Zach’s book is on the way

it’s officially in the hands of an editor, and on the final path to publishing! If your new to the show and haven’t heard his incredible story, go back and listen to the show’s trailer, or visit Zach’s website at zachtidwell.com. To get the big news when it’s going to print, join his email list on the website.

Follow And Support The Show

Follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the episode with family and friends.

Website: https://zachtidwell.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556533676388

Instagram: @ZachCTidwell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-tidwell-9076852ab/

X: @ZachCTidwell

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/going-in-blind-with-zach-tidwell/id1787306128

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/51IxT43v95otwaXDkyr6FW

YouTube: @ZachCTidwell

#GIB #GoingInBlind

Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.