The Unarmored Project Podcast

Sometimes support begins before someone ever reaches a therapist, a peer team, or a formal resource.

It begins when someone notices a gap.

It begins when someone decides the gap matters enough to do something about it.

In Episode 5 of The Unarmored Project, Abraham sits down with Mel Mesmer, founder of Foundation 1023, for a conversation about the experiences that shaped her, the needs she began seeing in the first responder community, and what ultimately led her to build an organization around connection, access, and mental wellness.

This isn’t an organizational profile as much as it is the story behind the bridge.

Mel shares what she has learned from working alongside first responders and their families, the barriers that can make asking for help difficult, the role trust plays in support, and why simply having the conversation can sometimes be the most important first step.

Foundation 1023 supports the emotional and mental wellness of first responders and their support networks through access to culturally competent care, funding for services, peer-supported activities, training, and other wellness resources. Foundation 1023

If this conversation brings someone to mind, maybe that is the invitation.

You do not always have to know exactly what to say.

Sometimes you just have to be willing to start the conversation.

The Unarmored Project
Creating space for the conversations we were never taught to have.

Foundation 1023:
Learn more about Foundation 1023

Just because a chapter is ending, it doesn’t mean the story is done.

When life changes, our minds often rush to fill in the blanks.

What if this is the end? What if I got it wrong? What if things don’t work out the way I hoped?

In Episode 4 of The Unarmored Project, Abraham reflects on grief, uncertainty, changing routines, crew connection, parenting, and the ordinary things that can help us find our footing again.

Sometimes grounding looks like the gym. Sometimes it looks like sitting outside. Sometimes it looks like getting the kids back into a rhythm. Sometimes it looks like playing cards around the firehouse table after a hard day.

And sometimes getting grounded gives us enough space to ask a different kind of question:

What if I choose trust? What if I choose hope?

We may not get to choose every “what if” that appears in our minds — but we can begin choosing which ones we keep returning to.

Sometimes the bridge back isn’t to someone else.

Sometimes it is back to yourself.

The Unarmored Project
Creating space for the conversations we were never taught to have.

In Episode 3 of The Unarmored Project Podcast, we move from the conversations that do not happen into what comes next: learning how to hold space when honesty finally enters the room.

For many of us in military, fire, EMS, law enforcement, healthcare, leadership, and service-based work, we were trained to respond. We were trained to perform, assess, decide, act, and keep moving.

But many of us were never trained to receive honesty.

This episode explores what it means to hold space for ourselves, our families, our peers, and the people we lead without rushing to fix, defend, explain, or escape.

Holding space does not mean becoming soft. It means becoming steady.

The goal is not to become someone’s therapist. The goal is to become someone who does not punish honesty.

This conversation also connects to the growing Resource Bridge work of The Unarmored Project — because sometimes holding space well means knowing when the space needs more support than we can provide alone.

If there is a resource, story, or conversation you believe belongs in this space, you can reach out through the contact card at:

unarmoredproject.net

Key Topics:

• Holding space
• Leadership and honest presence
• First responder and military culture
• Emotional discomfort
• Function mode
• Self-awareness
• Peer support
• Resource Bridge
• The human side of service

Suggested Tags / Keywords:
first responder mental health, military mental health, veteran support, leadership, peer support, emotional resilience, responder wellness, The Unarmored Project, holding space, honest conversations

Some of the most important conversations in our lives are the ones we never have.

Not because we don’t care.

Not because we don’t know they matter.

But because somewhere along the way, we learned that staying quiet felt safer than being honest.

In this episode, I reflect on the conversations I avoided throughout my military service, my career in the fire service, my relationships, and within myself. We explore how those unspoken conversations slowly become unspoken rules—and how those rules can quietly shape the way we lead, connect, and live.

This isn’t an episode about having all the answers.

It’s an invitation to become curious about the conversations that may still be waiting in your own life.

Because sometimes healing doesn’t begin with finding the perfect words.

Sometimes it begins by finally being willing to have the conversation.

If something in this episode resonates with you, I’d love to hear from you.

Thank you for being part of The Unarmored Project.

Together, we’re creating space for the conversations we were never taught to have.

In the first episode of The Unarmored Project Podcast, Abraham shares the personal story behind the project and why this space was created. This episode explores the difference between carrying and healing, the armor many first responders and military members learn to wear, the difficulty of finding support that actually fits, and why honest stories can become a bridge to resources.

The Unarmored Project is not therapy or crisis care. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you are thinking about suicide or need immediate emotional support in the United States, call or text 988. Veterans and service members can call 988 and press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line.

Content note: This episode includes discussion of mental health, suicidal thoughts, military experience, first responder culture, and help-seeking.