The Next Level Guy Show

Caleb Watson is a personal coach and founder of Reformed Fitness who has faced cancer three times while rebuilding his life beyond alcoholism, depression and aggression. His work combines physical training with the deeper challenge of creating discipline, responsibility and an identity capable of lasting change.

You can level up with the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/calebwatson246/

Caleb Watson has faced cancer three times, but this isn't a conversation about manufacturing inspiration from illness. It's about what happens when the habits and defences that once kept a man alive begin damaging the life he is trying to build. Caleb speaks candidly about alcoholism, aggression, depression, fatherhood and learning to take responsibility without allowing shame to become another identity. The real challenge isn't simply surviving what happened to you. It's recognising when the person you became to survive is no longer the person you need—and proving, through repeated action, that you can become someone different.

#CalebWatson #NextLevelGuy #CancerSurvivor #MensMentalHealth #Sobriety #SelfTrust #PersonalGrowth #SecondChances #ReformedFitness #FitnessJourney #Discipline #StartingAgain #cancer #youdefinewhoyouare

The World Is Made of Fire - Sam Sheridan on why comfort is the real risk

""Modern men don't lack courage. They lack opportunities to prove to themselves that they're capable.""

Level up with the show-notes at https://www.nextlevelguy.com/samsheridan245/

Most people spend their lives trying to avoid discomfort, hoping that safety will eventually bring confidence, happiness and peace of mind. Instead, many end up feeling stuck, anxious and disconnected from who they could become. Sam Sheridan has spent decades deliberately walking towards difficult experiences—from professional fighting and survival to writing and Hollywood—not because hardship is noble, but because experience reveals truths that comfort never can. This conversation explores why capability changes identity, why fear isn't the enemy, and why choosing the harder path might be the safest decision you ever make.

Sam Sheridan is an author, screenwriter and lifelong student of human performance whose work spans combat sports, survival, elite performers and storytelling. Through books like A Fighter's Heart and The Fighter's Mind, he's explored what difficult experiences reveal about identity, fear and personal growth.

• You're comfortable on the outside but quietly wondering if you're capable of more.
• You avoid difficult conversations, challenges or new experiences because fear keeps winning.
• You want more meaning in your life but aren't sure what to pursue next.

#NextLevelGuy #SamSheridan #Podcast #MensDevelopment #PersonalGrowth #Confidence #SelfImprovement #Mindset #Resilience #Courage #Capability #Purpose #GrowthMindset #Leadership #VoluntaryHardship

"What happens when a man stops trusting himself?"

Donny Dust isn't on The Next Level Guy because he teaches survival. He's here because he teaches something far more valuable: self-reliance.

His journey—from the Marines, through a life-changing heart attack, to rebuilding himself in the wilderness—isn't really about learning to survive. It's about earning the kind of confidence that only comes from becoming genuinely capable.

Level Up with the Show-Notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/donnydust244/

What happens when a man stops trusting himself?

Not because he's weak, but because he's spent years outsourcing every challenge, every problem and every discomfort to someone else.

Donny has spent his life doing the opposite. A former Marine, primitive skills expert, survival instructor and father, Donny has spent his life exploring one simple idea: the more capable you become, the more you trust yourself.

This conversation isn't about making fire or living in caves. It's about why capability creates confidence, why resilience can't be downloaded, and why so many men feel like something is missing without ever knowing what that something is.

If you've ever felt like something is missing but couldn't explain what it is, this conversation might help you find the words.

#NextLevelGuy #DonnyDust #SelfReliance #ModernMasculinity #MensMentalHealth #Confidence #Resilience #PersonalGrowth #Capability #SelfImprovement #Leadership #Mindset #Purpose #PrimitiveSkills #OutdoorLife

Level up with the show-Notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/izziemiller243/

You can't change what you don't understand.

Most people don't need another productivity hack. They don't need more motivation or another morning routine. They need to understand why they keep repeating the same thoughts, emotions and behaviours that leave them feeling anxious, burnt out or never quite enough.

Drawing on her work with hundreds of clients, mindset strategist Izzie Miller strips away the clichés around personal development to reveal what actually creates lasting change—and why insight alone is never enough.

If you've ever known exactly what you should do but still found yourself stuck, this episode isn't about changing your life overnight. It's about finally understanding what's been getting in your way so lasting change becomes possible.

#MindsetCoach #BehaviourChange #SelfTalk #Confidence #MentalHealthForMen #PersonalDevelopment #NLP #SelfImprovement

#NextLevelGuy #NLGPodcast #MensPersonalDevelopment #MensMentalHealth

#InnerCritic #SelfSabotage #EmotionalIntelligence #Authenticity #IdentityWork #SelfWorth #MindsetShift #GrowthMindset

#PodcastInterview #MentalHealthPodcast #SelfDevelopment #LifeCoach #Podcast #MindsetMotivation

Izzie Miller is a mindset strategist, coach, speaker and founder of Project You, helping people build lasting confidence and emotional resilience through practical behavioural change. Drawing on her own journey alongside years of coaching individuals and groups, she focuses on tools that create real-world transformation rather than temporary motivation.

• You know what you should be doing but keep slipping back into the same habits.
• You spend more time criticising yourself than understanding yourself.
• You've achieved things externally but still don't feel like yourself anymore.

• Why confidence is built through behaviour rather than positive thinking.
• How curiosity beats self-criticism when you're trying to change.
• The hidden patterns that keep people stuck without realising it.
• Why most people focus on fixing the wrong problem.
• How small daily actions create lasting emotional change instead of short bursts of motivation.

Richard Whitehead MBE is a Paralympic gold medallist, world-record marathon runner and founder of the Richard Whitehead Foundation. Beyond sport, he has dedicated his life to challenging perceptions around disability and helping people realise their own potential through purpose, leadership and inclusion.

Level up with the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/richardwhiteheadmbe242/

Richard Whitehead has spent his life proving doctors, doubters and society wrong—but this conversation isn't about medals. It's about what happens when other people decide who you are before you've had the chance to discover it for yourself.

We talk about purpose, grief, resilience, leadership, disability and the quiet question that still drives him despite everything he's achieved:

Have I done enough?

More than anything, this is a conversation about refusing to accept limits that were never yours to begin with. Whether you've been underestimated, written off or simply feel stuck, Richard's story is a reminder that your future doesn't have to be defined by someone else's expectations.

Richard Whitehead MBE is a Paralympic Gold Medallist, world record holder, marathon runner, professional athlete and a global advocate for diversity and inclusion. Born with a double through-knee congenital amputation, Richard has defied expectations from an early age, embracing sport as a way to live without limits, a philosophy instilled by his parents and one that continues to shape his life and inspire others.

Driven by ambition and resilience, Richard set his sights on the marathon over two decades ago, completing the New York Marathon and proving that no dream is too bold. His athletic journey soared from there, winning gold in the T42 200m at the London 2012 Paralympics on home soil and subsequently adding further medals to his ParalympicsGB legacy.

In 2024, Richard broke the world record for athletes with bilateral knee amputations at the TCS London Marathon and then smashed his own record later that year in Chicago, finishing in an astonishing 2:41:36.

2025 saw Richard complete a remarkable global challenge - 20 marathons across the world, culminating in his 100th career marathon in New York. But this feat wasn't just about endurance, it was about connection. Through every mile, Richard championed inclusion, accessibility, and community, using sport as a bridge to bring people together. Richard's 2024 world record has already been surpassed twice in 2026. He first smashed the record at the Milano Marathon in April, finishing in 2:40:47, before pushing the standard even further just two weeks later with a remarkable 2:40:25 at the TCS London Marathon. In 2021, he founded The Richard Whitehead Foundation, a charity dedicated to empowering disabled people through sport and physical activity. The foundation works to remove barriers and unlock potential, reflecting Richard's unwavering belief that everyone, regardless of age or ability, has a gift worth nurturing. 2026 saw Richard also become an ambassador for Mental Health UK, a charity which champions the UK's mental health.

Richard is officially the fastest amputee runner in the world, and his story is one of grit, positivity, and boundless possibility. He continues to inspire generations to dream bigger, run further, and live without limits. www.richardwhiteheadmbe.com

This episode is for you if...

• you've ever felt other people's expectations have become your own.
• you're trying to build a life with purpose rather than simply collect achievements.
• you need reminding that progress starts long before confidence arrives.
• you've spent too long living inside other people's expectations.
• you've achieved things but still wonder if you're doing enough.
• you're trying to build a life driven by purpose instead of chasing the next achievement.
• you need reminding that your circumstances don't get the final say.
• you want to stop borrowing limits that were never yours in the first place.

#Richard Whitehead #disability #running #amputee #NextLevelGuy #Podcast #MensDevelopment #Mindset #Purpose #Resilience #Leadership #PersonalGrowth #Paralympics #DisabilityAwareness #BetterMen

""The strength was already there. I just took away the handbrake.""

Most men do not realise they are training themselves into the body they will later regret. They chase strength, size and performance while quietly accepting stiff backs, aching knees and shoulders that "just do that now." Tom Morrison has lived the other side of that story: pain, diagnosis, fear, rebuilding and a completely different understanding of what strength really means. This is not a stretching episode. It is a conversation about building a body you can still trust decades from now. The real question is simple: are you training for now, or for the man you still need to be later?

Tom Morrison is a mobility specialist and creator of The Simplistic Mobility Method, helping people understand pain, rebuild movement and get back to doing what they love. For the Next Level Guy listener, his work matters because it reframes strength as something deeper than numbers in the gym — it is the ability to keep living fully.

Level up with the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/tommorrison241/

This episode is for you

• If you want to Build a body that still says yes to life thirty years from now.
• If your body keeps sending warning signs and you keep pretending they are normal.
• If you train hard but feel less capable than you used to.
• If you want to still move, play, lift and live properly in thirty years.

#tommorrison #buildabodythatsaysyestolife #podcast #mobility #health #injuries #moveproperly #buildabodythatlasts #achesandpains #simplisticmobilitymethod #warningsigns #pain #notjuststretching

The Adopted Kid Who Built His Own Tribe | Chris Burns

"It's less about what goal can I conquer and it's more about what makes me feel right in being alive."

This conversation starts with jiu-jitsu but quickly moves into much bigger territory. Chris and I talk about adoption, belonging, depression, fatherhood, purpose, service, and what it means to build a life that feels meaningful rather than merely successful. If you've ever felt like an outsider or wondered what actually makes life worth living, there's a lot here to think about.

Level up with the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/chrisburns240/

Chris 'Bones' Burns is a Rickson Gracie black belt, educator and founder of Academy Jiu-Jitsu in Sydney. Known for his obsession with fundamentals and his refreshingly honest take on life, Chris helps people think more deeply about self-defence, purpose, belonging and becoming more fully themselves.

Most people will look at Chris Burns and see a jiu-jitsu black belt. What they might miss is the deeper question that has driven much of his life: what actually makes being alive feel worthwhile? In a world obsessed with status, followers, achievement and constant optimisation, Chris offers a different perspective. One built around belonging, service, presence, family and finding the things that make you feel right in yourself. This conversation explores what happens when you stop chasing what looks impressive and start paying attention to what feels meaningful. The answer may be simpler than most of us expect.

• This episode is for you if you've achieved things in life but still feel like something important is missing.

• This episode is for you if you're tired of chasing what looks impressive and want to figure out what actually matters to you.

• This episode is for you if you've ever struggled to feel like you belong, even when you're surrounded by other people.

#chrisburns #bjj #adoption #findyourself #belonging #depression #fatherhood #purpose #service #grappling #ricksongracie #academyjiujitsu #betruetoyourself

"You can't outrun yourself, but you can choose a different direction."

Level up with the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/tomjenkins239/

What if the habits ruining your life aren't the real problem?

For years, Tom Jenkins blamed the drinking, gambling, porn, failed relationships and reckless behaviour.

But underneath it all was something far deeper:

A man who didn't believe he was enough.

The uncomfortable truth?

Tom knew something wasn't right for years.

He knew he wasn't happy. He knew the behaviours weren't helping. He knew he wanted more from life.

But awareness alone wasn't enough to change.

🎙️ Meet Tom Jenkins — author of The Drunk Gambler with Erectile Dysfunction, entrepreneur, traveller, conservationist, and a man who spent years searching for meaning in all the wrong places.

After decades of alcohol, gambling, pornography, failed relationships, self-sabotage and chasing the next escape, Tom eventually discovered that the thing he was really searching for wasn't out there — it was within himself.

In this brutally honest conversation, Tom shares the mistakes, regrets, lessons and turning points that helped him stop running from himself and finally build a life worth living.

We explore self-worth, loneliness, addiction, intimacy, masculinity, purpose, and why so many men spend years searching for answers everywhere except within themselves.

This isn't a story about addiction.

It's a story about self-worth.

It's a story about facing yourself.

And it's a story about discovering that no amount of success, pleasure, travel, or distraction can fix a problem you refuse to confront.

#TheNextLevelGuyShow #MensMentalHealth #SelfWorth #PersonalGrowth #MensWork #MentalHealthAwareness #SelfImprovement #PurposeDrivenLife #Masculinity #Confidence #MindsetShift #OvercomingAddiction #GrowthMindset #PodcastLife #TomJenkins #podcast

He looked fine on the outside — but was writing "I want to die" on his school papers.

🎙️ Meet Sam Eaton — once battling depression in silence, now helping thousands of men take their first step back into life.

This episode will help you realise you're not broken — you've just never been shown how to deal with what's in your head.

You'll finally understand why you feel stuck, flat, or disconnected — even when life looks fine on paper.

This will help you name what's actually going on inside you — instead of just calling it "stress" or ignoring it.

Level up with the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/sameaton238/

You'll walk away with a way to start again — without needing to fix your entire life first.

You'll feel less alone, less ashamed, and more capable of taking your first step forward — even if you've been stuck for years.

Sam Eaton is an author, speaker, and founder of Recklessly Alive, a suicide prevention organization sprinting toward a world with zero deaths by suicide. Sam has spoken at over two hundred and fifty events throughout the U.S. sharing his story of battling depression and suicidal thoughts. Sam holds a master's degree in educational leadership which he utilized to create the Recklessly Alive Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to bringing mental health awareness to young people.

Sam's first book, Recklessly Alive, was released in January 2021 and reached the top 200 best-selling books on Amazon. He has amassed more than 175,000 followers on Instagram and over 90,000 followers on TikTok. His newest book, You Can Do This: Daily Affirmations to Live Recklessly Alive published by Harper Collins is available now. Sam currently resides in Minneapolis, MN, where he enjoys collecting vinyl records, lifting moderately heavy weights, and trying every flavor of Oreos.

#podcast #nextlevelguy #sameaton #recklesslyalive #newbook #author #youcandothis #suicide #changeyourlife #itsworthit #mentalhealth #depression

"You don't have a discipline problem — you're just trying to follow someone else's plan."

🎙️ Meet Alex VanHouten — exercise scientist and coach helping high performers cut through the noise and actually make progress that sticks.

Coach Alex's personal journey started with him wrestling with a painful genetic disorder called Ehlers Danlos yet still achieving his deams. This taught him the discipline of 1% BETTER Daily and gave him a passion to help others do the same.

Coach Alex completed his undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt University in 2010 focused on chemistry and psychology. In the years since, he has earned certifications in personal training, corrective exercise, performance enhancement, and behavior change through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). He's also written multiple peer-reviewed articles for the International Sport Science Association (ISSA) and published over 500 5-Star podcast episodes. He is a certified nutritionist and health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), and has been a professional coach and personal trainer since 2005.

He works with everyone from everyday men to elite operators — showing them how to train, eat, and live in a way that actually fits their life.

This episode will help you feel less overwhelmed and finally understand why nothing seems to stick — even when you know what to do.

It will help you release the pressure to follow perfect plans, and instead focus on what actually works for you.

You'll feel more in control and more grounded, with a clearer sense of where to start — without needing to overhaul your entire life overnight.

Most importantly, you'll feel less alone in the struggle, and realise that real progress doesn't come from doing more — it comes from doing the right things consistently, with the right support.

#AlexVanHouten #EverydaySpy #personalfitness #performance #tier1 #covertintel #eliteoperator #activeduty #military #intel