Mining Minds

In this powerful episode of Mining Minds , firefighter and paramedic Gilbert "Junior" Aguirre shares his journey of resilience, family, and unshakable determination. From his early struggles and finding his calling in the fire service to battling leukemia head-on, Junior opens up about the mental strength it takes to face life's hardest moments. He speaks about the brotherhood of firefighting, the...

In this episode of the Mining Minds Podcast, we sit down with Ill Zakiel —a former underground miner turned hip-hop artist. Born in Guadalajara and raised in Carlin, Nevada, He shares his journey from haul truck operator to face miner and ultimately making the leap into music full-time .He talks about the adrenaline of his first cage ride underground, the heat and hazards of face mining, and the l...

In this episode of the Mining Minds Podcast, we sit down with Scott Arendt , a safety and health professional whose journey through mining has taken him from warehouse work to leadership in contractor safety and training. Scott shares how he broke into mining, the lessons he carried from his time at The Citadel military college, and the value of teamwork, leadership, and humor in building strong c...

Fresh off night shift, Hazen Mascaro sits down with the Mining Minds crew to talk mining life, dozer work, and the reality of keeping haul trucks safe on the dumps. From terrifying first days in a haul truck to mastering the craft of running dozers, Hazen shares the lessons, laughs, and close calls that shaped his career. Beyond the pit, he opens up about mine rescue, family, hunting adventures in...

Step inside the high-stakes world of mine rescue with the Mining Minds crew as they share raw stories, unforgettable training moments, and the realities of being first on the scene when everything is on the line. From grueling competitions and rope rescues to life-saving EMT calls and lessons learned in the chaos of real emergencies, this episode uncovers the grit, camaraderie, and problem-solving...

What happens when a third-generation miner trades his hard hat for a new career in real estate? In this episode of Mining Minds, Derrek Anderson takes us deep into his world—growing up in a mining family, cutting his teeth as an electrician, facing the pressure of shovel breakdowns with fleets on standby, and building lifelong friendships forged in dust and diesel. From late-night callouts and fro...

In this episode of the Mining Minds Podcast, we sit down with Kiwi Kaupa, an electrician, entrepreneur, and innovator who has taken his skills from New Zealand and Australia to the mining industry of Nevada. Kiwi shares how his love for fixing things began as a kid, how he built his career through an 8,000-hour apprenticeship, and why he sees mining as both a calling and an opportunity. He talks a...

Join Mining Minds as we sit down with Ramon Aguirre , an underground miner whose journey spans from the drifts of Nevada to serving his country in the U.S. Army. Ramon shares how his mining career began, what drove him to enlist in the military, and how the lessons of discipline, safety, and brotherhood have carried back into his life underground. Ramon opens up about the challenges of mining and...

Mining Minds sit down to tackle a topic that's  often considered taboo in the mining community: finances. From making good money at the mine to spending it just as fast, the crew opens up about personal struggles, lessons learned, and strategies for building financial stability . They dive into everything from impulse spending and "keeping up with the Joneses" to debt snowballs, budgeting with cas...

In this episode of the Mining Minds Podcast, we sit down with Tom Mann , a proud multi-generational miner whose journey began in Idaho and carried him to the pits of Nevada. From running haul trucks, dozers, and blades to earning his seat as a shovel operator, Tom shares stories of adapting to big iron, building crews, and navigating the challenges of man camp life while raising a young family. To...

In this episode of the Mining Minds Podcast , we sit down with Tim Chapman , a Georgia native whose journey took him from football fields and construction sites in the South to the gold mines of Northern Nevada. Tim shares how an accident shifted his path from athletics to heavy equipment, his first days operating haul trucks in a Nevada snowstorm, and the values that have carried him through a di...

In this episode of the Mining Minds Podcast, we sit down with Brad Stocks ( Stocks Mining Services ), known to many as the Rock Doctor and a true veteran of the underground. Growing up around mines with his father, Brad shares stories of cutting his teeth in small operations, driving declines into high-grade veins, and learning the hard lessons that shaped his career. From jacklegging at 19 to sup...

In this episode of the Mining Minds Podcast, we sit down with Nate Trujillo , a seasoned surface miner and supervisor out of Ely, Nevada. From his early days in construction and mining to his return home after years in Las Vegas, Nate shares his career journey, the challenges of mining copper, and the lessons he's learned along the way. Nate opens up about the values that drive him as a leader—coa...

The Mining Minds crew dives deep into the Barrick-Newmont joint venture—a monumental partnership reshaping the mining landscape in Northern Nevada and beyond. Dino, Chris, Derek, and a returning Jason James unpack the backstory, industry implications, miner concerns, and the potential for political and economic ripple effects. From wage competition and union dynamics to exploration potential and p...

In mining, the face is where the action happens—where the work is done, where the people are, and where the business begins. Mining Minds is a podcast based in one of the world's most prolific gold-producing regions. Drawing from our own experiences and those of miners working at the face, we explore the lives of the individuals driving the industry forward, the communities and companies that supp...