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Your body can be exhausted while your mind keeps sprinting. That gap is where stress turns into insomnia, jaw clenching, doom thinking, and feeling disconnected from the people right in front of you. I’m Gary Wise, and I sit down with Tim Thomas, a veteran of the Australian Armed Forces who worked alongside special forces teams and spent time in the early underground era of mixed martial arts before stepping into a high tempo military career.

Tim shares what selection, deployment cycles, and military culture taught him about identity, belonging, and nervous system load, including the hidden cost of “speaking your truth” when a group rewards conformity. We talk candidly about how pain often morphs into loneliness before it becomes dangerous, and why that isolation flips on fight or flight, hijacks sleep, and drives people toward short term fixes like alcohol, pills, or checking out.

Then we get intensely practical. Tim walks me through simple breathwork techniques you can do in bed to downshift fast, including nasal breathing for nitric oxide, jaw and vagus nerve release, humming for vibration, and a quick “three breath” reset that changes your state in minutes. We also dig into his Breath Working Bed app and the idea of winning the five minutes before sleep and the five minutes after waking so better sleep becomes the foundation for better mood, recovery, focus, and resilience.

If you want calmer nights, steadier mornings, and tools you can use anywhere, hit play. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs better sleep, and leave a review with the one breathwork step you’re trying tonight.

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A single phone call can reroute your entire life, especially in the Navy. We share the true story behind how I got handpicked orders to the USS George Washington, the forward-deployed nuclear aircraft carrier in Yokosuka, Japan, and why the road there started with a major shipboard fire and a deep-dive investigation. From my years at Afloat Training Group San Diego, I learned how carrier readiness really gets built: damage control training, firefighting standards, drill packages that actually work, and the uncomfortable truth that complacency can hide inside “normal” until it doesn’t. 

The investigation introduced me to Master Chief Damage Controlman Mark Weathers, a mentor who shaped how I think about accountability. Instead of chasing pure punishment after a casualty, he pushed for learning the full chain of causes and fixing culture, training, and leadership expectations. That perspective matters later, when I’m asked to bring a training framework to Guam and help align how a forward-deployed team supports a carrier. 

Then the career opportunity collides with family reality. My wife Erica is dealing with the strain of a newborn, sickness, and sudden trips, and I’m weighing an overseas move we didn’t plan for. When the detailer calls early and the George Washington wants me as their next Damage Control Chief, we have to decide fast. What I walked into onboard was even wilder: leaders rotating out, a thin bench, and a training program that needed a reset right now. We talk through taking ownership, fixing admin before ATG arrives, pushing back professionally when standards drift, and rebuilding manning by growing our own junior sailors. 

If you’re into military leadership, Navy Chief Petty Officer stories, damage control culture, and what it really takes to lead on an aircraft carrier, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share it with a shipmate, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

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55% of adults are struggling and not receiving treatment, and the scariest part is how easy it is to miss the moment when someone needed us to lean in. I’m joined by Justin Goodman, an insurance industry leader and mental health advocate, for a grounded conversation about what it really takes to support people without pretending we’re clinicians or having the perfect words ready. He shares the personal turning point that pushed him into this work, including chronic pain, addiction risk, and the intervention that changed his life. 

We also get surprisingly tactical about learning and performance. We talk the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, why most training fails without spaced repetition, and how AI tools can weaken memory, focus, and executive function when we use them as a shortcut instead of a tool. If you’re a parent, teacher, coach, or leader, the ideas here translate directly into better study habits, stronger onboarding, and clearer communication under stress. 

Then we break down Project 55, Justin’s free online mental health first responder training built to remove the excuses that keep people silent. We cover stigma at work, fear of being labeled a liability, why “help” might be the bravest four-letter word, and how saying no can pull you out of the red zone. If you want practical mental health resources, leadership lessons, and a way to show up for the people you care about, this is for you. Subscribe, share this with one person who needs it, and leave a review, then check out the free training at Project55.org.

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Judas is one of the most recognized names in history, yet most of us never stop to ask a simple question: if the crucifixion is essential to Christianity, was Judas Iscariot destined to betray Jesus, and if so, what does that mean for free will, guilt, and redemption? We wrestle with that tension alongside Ocala author Steve Marks, whose faith-based fiction novel Judas Otherwise reimagines Judas with a backstory, real motives, and a human struggle rather than a cardboard villain. 

We also talk about the courage it takes to stop hiding creative work, especially after years of doubting yourself. Steve shares how he chased different careers, learned what didn’t fit, and kept coming back to storytelling. Along the way we get into education and work ethic, why “learning how to learn” matters more than the title on your diploma, and how on-the-job reality can challenge your values fast. 

Steve’s entrepreneurial streak shows up too, from QR-code business ideas shaped by pandemic-era change to a QR medical alert band built to help first responders access critical info in seconds. That leads into a practical discussion on execution, networking, and building partnerships with people whose skills complement yours. 

If you like Christian fiction, biblical retellings, theology-adjacent “what if” questions, and honest conversations about faith journeys, this one will give you a lot to think about. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves big questions, and leave us a review. After you listen, do you think Judas had a choice?

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Ocala is growing fast, and the veteran community is changing with it. That sounds like opportunity, until you realize how many veterans still fall through the cracks between “here’s a number to call” and actual help that shows up. We sit down with Navy veteran, father, nonprofit builder, and serial entrepreneur Chad Walker to talk about what happens after the uniform comes off and why follow-through matters more than good intentions.

Chad walks us through his path from a rough high school track to walking into a Navy recruiter’s office, choosing the AECF pipeline, and becoming a Fire Controlman working systems like CIWS. We get into the reality of fleet life after 9/11, deployments that include Unitas and counterdrug ops, and why force protection and VBSS changed the day-to-day for sailors. Then the story turns hard and honest: divorce during a rapid turnaround window, full custody of three kids, and the moment the Navy couldn’t offer the shore duty option he needed. He chooses his children and separates, then rebuilds in Florida.

From working technical roles at Disney to navigating TBI, seizures, and VA disability, Chad explains how he finds purpose again through volunteering at Vets Helping Vets and eventually stepping into operations leadership. He also breaks down veteran entrepreneurship as structured problem solving, the creation of VetNet to connect veteran-owned businesses, and the launch of Cadre, a coalition built to close the gaps where veterans get lost. We dig into his “Battle Buddies” concept for trauma-informed crisis response and de-escalation, plus what a changing Ocala housing market and shifting veteran demographics mean for the next generation.

If this conversation helps you think differently about veteran resources, PTSD support, VA benefits, veteran-owned businesses, or building a stronger local network in Ocala, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review. What’s the biggest gap you’ve seen in veteran support where you live?

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Trust is getting harder to hold onto, and it’s not just because people disagree. In 2026, AI-generated content, deepfakes, and polished “thought leadership” have made a lot of listeners wonder: is any of this real, and who is actually behind the message? I sit down with Gabrielle Dolan, a global authority on authentic storytelling and the author of Story Intelligence: The Craft of Authentic Storytelling Made Smarter With AI, to unpack what leaders can do when credibility feels fragile.

We dig into why storytelling is not a soft skill or a performance trick, but a leadership communication tool that helps people understand the message, remember it after the meeting, and retell it without losing the meaning. Gabrielle breaks storytelling into four practical types you can choose from on purpose: personal stories, professional stories, public stories, and parables. You’ll also hear a powerful example from a risk leader who finally got her message across by using a simple childhood story as a metaphor for risk management.

Then we go straight at the AI question. Gabrielle shares how to use AI to brainstorm, refine, and speed up your work without losing your voice or outsourcing your judgment. Her “letter to AI” is a clean framework for accountability: AI can support, but it cannot drive. If you lead teams, teach, sell, present, or write online, this conversation will sharpen your authentic storytelling, workplace communication, and trust-building skills.

Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a leader who cares about credibility, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

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A Hollywood career can look like the dream while quietly draining the life out of you. We sit down with Preston Zeller, an award-winning filmmaker and growth leader, to talk about the moment he realized the “successful” path wasn’t making him whole and what it took to rebuild his faith, his work, and his sense of purpose.

Preston walks us through growing up with music and storytelling, getting indoctrinated into film culture, and then colliding with the realities of the entertainment industry: politics, image, and the pressure to chase power instead of peace. From there, we get into the leadership side, including how he learned marketing technology by testing ideas in the real world, how reputation creates unexpected opportunities, and why communication is the skill that keeps teams healthy when the stakes are high.

The heart of the conversation is grief. After losing his brother to a sudden drug overdose, Preston commits to painting every day for a year and eventually turns that process into his feature-length documentary, The Art Of Grieving. We talk about art as a practical way to process emotion, the cost of unresolved grief, and what it looks like to grow through loss instead of getting stuck.

We also explore Psalm Log, Preston’s AI-powered Bible app built for Christian journaling and reflection. He explains why most prayer journals get abandoned, how AI can surface patterns and scriptural guidance responsibly, and what it takes to design with empathy and safety around sensitive topics. If you care about faith-based leadership, mental health, grief support, and responsible AI, this one goes deep. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

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He helped test the hardware that made Mars landings possible, then turned around and started helping leaders land the hard stuff in their own minds.

We sit down with John Mollura, a former NASA contractor and test operations engineer who spent years in mission-critical environments, including testing the giant airbags used to land Mars exploration rovers. John shares what that work really looked like, how an unexpected resume detail led him into test operations, and why high performance can still come with anxiety, imposter syndrome, and a constant need to “prove” yourself. We also talk candidly about the toll unpredictable travel can take on family life and how communication becomes survival, not just a soft skill.

The turning point is personal. John walks through a rock-bottom season marked by grief, fear, and a rediscovered faith that forced him to look inward and rebuild. From there we unpack self-sabotage, the lone-wolf mindset, and why some people are secretly afraid of success because it feels impossible to sustain. John then lays out his Elite Action Framework for high-impact leaders: legacy as a North star, confidence built through action and bravery, simple accountability that drives action, focus in a world of nonstop apps, structure through boundaries that protect time energy and values, and momentum that makes progress easier.

If you’re leading a team, building a business, or carrying pressure in silence, you’ll walk away with practical language and tools you can use immediately. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

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Coaching sounds simple until you try to turn it into a real post-military career. Ronnie Netter comes back on the mic to talk with us about life after service, finding a calling, and what it looks like to take years of Navy mentorship and translate it into civilian coaching, leadership development, and consulting without feeling fake or salesy.

We get straight into the hard parts: coaching is sales, time has a price, and veterans often struggle with charging for something we used to give away for free. We break down why locking in stable income first can protect your family and your peace, then let you build a coaching business on your terms. We also talk about skipping the “smooze” culture, using content marketing on YouTube and podcasts to become easy to find, and playing the long game by building proof that your leadership works outside the military.

From there we go deep on motivation vs discipline, setting standards, and why accountability systems do not matter if the commitment is missing. We also cover coaching civilians with the right awareness of workplace dynamics, HR realities, and legal boundaries, plus practical moves like starting a business, thinking about branding, using Navy COOL wisely, and proving credibility through your work not just certifications.

If you’re a veteran, service member, or leader building a coaching path after military transition, hit play and take notes. Subscribe, share this with someone planning retirement, and leave a review with the biggest lesson you’re taking from the conversation.

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She wanted overseas orders and got Camp Lejeune. She wanted aviation and landed in engineering utilities. And somehow, that’s exactly why this conversation works: it’s an honest look at how a young Marine turns disappointment into direction without losing her edge.

We’re joined by Ashley Smith aka "Smitty", one of my former NJROTC cadets, calling in from Marine Corps schoolhouse as a water purification specialist. We talk about switching schools, finding the right NJROTC program, getting reset in rank, and learning to earn trust the slow way through standards, boards, and showing up when it counts. If you care about leadership development, military mentorship, and what it actually takes to stand out without burning bridges, you’ll hear the real stuff, not the highlight reel.

Smitty also breaks down Marine Corps boot camp takeaways you can use right now: why running endurance matters more than you think, how breathing can make or break your pace, and why mobility and functional strength are not optional when you’re trying to stay healthy. We get into the mental side too, including the hard lesson that sometimes the best leaders get pulled from leadership roles so they can learn followership, patience, and discipline.

From there we zoom out into Marine Corps career planning: promotions, retention, pride in “unsexy” jobs that keep units alive in the field, and her long-term goal of doing 20 years with a possible drill instructor tour and maybe ROTC instruction down the road. If you’ve ever questioned your path, this one will help you tighten your plan and keep moving.

Subscribe for more conversations like this, share it with a future recruit or a former cadet, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What part of the transition from student leader to service member do you want us to talk about next?

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