Mind Medicine

During these solo pods, host and founder of The 38 Challenge, Brandt McCartney will speak on the lessons he has learned from losing his brother, Captain Mathew Brewer to suicide. The first lesson is that life is precious, and Brandt speaks on Matt's life and legacy. Brandt also speaks on the reason behind the podcast, why he is suited to lead discussions on vulnerability, and the darkest moments in his own life.

WARNING: This podcast gives insight into suicide, a topic that may be triggering or inappropriate for some listeners.

Jon Macaskill is a retired Navy SEAL Commander who is now focused on helping others improve their mental health and live their best lives through mindfulness and meditation.  He is the cohost of the Men Talking Mindfulness podcast and lives on a small farm in Colorado Springs with his wife and three young children. 

Brandt and Jon start the podcast with a quick grounding meditation practice, and quickly get into a very raw and vulnerable conversation. Jon talks about how vulnerability helped him become a better leader and human, and how he escaped a deep depression following the death of his comrades during Operation Red Wing.

Joel "Thor" Neeb is a Former F-15 Mission Commander, USAF. As an F-15 pilot, Thor escorted the U.S. President through the sky and flew missions to ensure the safety of the country after the attacks of 9/11. He was the tactical leader of 300 of the most senior combat pilots in the Air Force and he oversaw the execution of a $150M/year flight program. 

In 2010, Thor was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer and had a 15% chance of living. Today, Thor competes on America Ninja Warrior and is leading strategic transformation at the fourth largest software company in the world, VMWare. 

On this episode, Thor and Brandt talk about the similarities between cancer and depression, the importance of faith, and how to utilize vulnerability in order to turn the "bitter" into "better".

This week’s episode is with Joe Cardona, the starting long snapper for the New England Patriots. The Super Bowl Champion was a teammate with Captain Brewer and considered Matt to be a mentor, and “a warrior in every sense of the word”. Joe opens up about a moment during Super Bowl 52 where he had a bad snap, and how that play led him into a depression that ultimately taught him how to be a better player and person.

Brandt and Joe talk about the importance of vulnerability, especially in professional athletes where perfection is expected in imperfect people.

Nate Boyer has a one of a kind story and has worn numerous hats in his young life. Boyer served five tours in the United States Army where he earned his Green Baret. After years of service, Nate attended the University of Texas – Austin where he later received a football scholarship after walking on. Nate then continued his childhood dream of playing in the NFL where he became the oldest NFL rookie in history while playing for the Seattle Seahawks.

Nate cofounded Merging Vets and Players, a non-profit focused on creating community for combat veterans and retired professional athletes. In this episode, Brandt and Nate talk about the challenges both veterans and athletes face when the uniform comes off, and Nate shows vulnerability through sharing his experience with these same troubles.

Clint Bruce is often described as a "larger than life" individual, but like any man, Clint has gone through his fair share of mental battles. Clint played linebacker at the United States Naval Academy where he was then drafted to play in the NFL. After serving his country as the second heaviest Navy Seal in history, Clint has become a very successful speaker and entrepreneur, known for founding Carry The Load and Trident Response Group. Check out how one of the baddest dudes on the planet shows vulnerability and emphasizes the importance of working out your mind.

Tony Nash is a current Officer in the United States Army, the host of the Got Your 6 Podcast, Ten Thousand athlete, and a passionate servant leader. Tony and Brandt talked about their unfortunate shared experience of a family member committing suicide, as well as some of Tony's toughest battles he's faced in his life. This raw conversation emphasizes the importance of making hard decisions in difficult times, and how necessary it is for leaders to be vulnerable.

Matt is a former Green Beret in the United States Army. Matt was injured in the line of duty due to the blast of an IED. Matt had a strong penchant for service from a young age wanting to give back to the country and eventually found himself as a service member. Tune into listen to Matt as he talks about the scars Matt endured both on the battlefield and off the battlefield, and he overcame these trying battles.

In this episode we talked with Don Tran. Don is a former Marine Raider and since getting out of the military has founded Deep End Fitness. It is a underwater fitness league that focuses on workouts both in and out of the pool to help with overall fitness and mental strength training. Don trains both his body and mind vigorously day in and day out you can check him out on his instagram @DDOOONNN or Deep End Fitness @deependfitness to learn more about him!