Max Bush grew up in small-town Illinois chasing football dreams before finding his way into the Navy SEALs. The Teams gave him purpose and belonging, but leaving that world brought isolation, injuries, and struggles he never expected.
In this conversation, Max talks about the failures that pushed him toward the Navy, the lessons that carried him through BUD/S, and the dark transition that followed. He shares the turning points, including mentorship, coaching, and a meditation retreat that changed his life, and the moment he realized his story could help others.
Today, as Head of Customer Engagement at Sharp Performance, Max is the one standing in front of firefighters, police, and military professionals. Through raw honesty and the sword and sheath analogy, he connects his own journey to theirs and shows what it takes to stay sharp in the face of demanding careers.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction and Early Life in Illinois
3:33 Football Dreams and Struggles in School
4:54 A Family of Sailors and Military Influence
7:00 What the SEAL Movies Get Wrong (And the One That Gets It Right)
8:26 Failures, Partying, and Choosing the Navy
10:43 How to Become a SEAL
12:45 Lessons from BUD/S: One Meal at a Time
14:43 Rising to the Level of Your Peers
18:06 Misconceptions Around Mental Health
20:40 The Dark Transition Out of Service
22:21 From SEAL to Salesman
25:31 Injuries, Stress, and Operator Syndrome
28:23 The Path to Sharp
29:28 Breakthrough at a Meditation Retreat
33:12 Benefits of Learning Meditation from a Professional
34:36 From SEAL to Storyteller
36:33 The Sword and Sheath Analogy
41:39 A New Sense of Purpose
42:39 The Foolish Mindset
45:10 Find Someone to Show Up For