Can't Be Broken

He’s a lefty college pitcher with First Team All-Conference honors and a Reliever of the Year trophy, but the stat line is only the surface. We’re joined by Michael Guerrero, a student athlete at Glendale Community College, to unpack what it takes to keep showing up when your body has given you every reason to stop. Michael opens up about living with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), a ra...

She was the kid who always wanted to win, then a single injury forced her to redefine everything. Nikki Smith grew up in Yucaipa, found her identity in soccer, and even played on a boys traveling team before a torn ACL ended the path she’d imagined. What happens next is the part most people miss: the quiet decision to keep moving anyway. Nikki walks us through how lifting, coaching, and chasing ha...

A lot of people dream about making it in music, but nobody talks about the part where you’re sleeping in studios, missing the “grown man” basics, and still showing up to create. My guest Matthew “FU” Day is a music producer and entrepreneur who goes from a tough childhood in Minnesota to getting left in Atlanta, then grinding his way into real rooms with real stakes. We trace how mixed culture, po...

What if the party wasn’t the point, and the real win was who you became when the music stopped? We sit down with Johnny “Mr. Krudo” Rosales to trace a raw, unfiltered journey from a tough LA childhood and immigrant beginnings to addiction, two DUIs, and a breaking point that forced a choice. He chose sobriety—and then built a brand rooted in culture, community, and connection that thrives in the v...

If talent is evenly distributed but opportunity isn’t, who actually gets recruited? I sit down with our friend Francis Gonzaga to unpack how youth sports tilted toward pay-to-play—and how Level Play Foundation is working to bend it back toward merit, academics, and real exposure. From cross-country showcases during COVID to the quiet costs stacked on families today, Francis shares the hard math be...

What if the moment you feared most became the fuel for everything you’d become? Destiny’s story starts with instability—homelessness with her mom, hunger that never quit, and an early slide into alcohol and pills. It runs headlong through five DUIs, a felony sentence, and the brutal reality of women’s prison. And then something simple but seismic happens: she starts running laps, reading anatomy a...

What does it take to turn years of pain into a platform for power? We sit with nutritionist, trainer, and competitive bodybuilder Maria Beretta to unpack a journey that starts with teenage loss and spirals into chronic symptoms before snapping into clarity: if the system won’t solve it, she will. Maria breaks down the real face of PCOS—cystic ovaries, acne, mood swings, insulin resistance—and the...

What if the turning point isn’t a big speech or a perfect plan, but a quiet morning where you finally tell the truth? We sit down with Brianna, a six‑year law enforcement professional, for a raw, grounded conversation about mental health, hyper‑vigilance, and the honest work of rebuilding from the inside out. She takes us from a “normal” SoCal childhood to the academy’s rewiring of awareness.  The...

What if your goals stopped being optional and started feeling like oxygen? We dig into a no-fluff framework for winning that blends obsession, sharper self-talk, and vivid visualization—so your work shows when the lights go on. The theme is simple: do so much of the right work that the people who love you tell you to slow down, not speed up. First, we unpack obsession with the process. Not the gla...

Have you ever been told you're not good enough? That dream you're chasing—too big, too far, too impossible? Ryan Gusto's remarkable journey from high school reject to Major League Baseball pitcher demolishes these limiting beliefs. Gusto was cut from his high school baseball team multiple times, barely making varsity his senior year. Where most would see a dead end, he saw an opport...

When former pro baseball player Bobbo Marcial hung up his cleats after five seasons in the Atlanta Braves organization, he discovered his true calling wasn't just teaching the game—it was transforming young lives through it.  Marcial takes us behind the curtain of modern youth baseball, revealing how the explosion of travel teams and showcases has fundamentally changed the landscape for young...

Today we explore the five key attributes coaches look for beyond physical talent when recruiting athletes. These intangible qualities often make the difference between getting noticed and getting passed over. • Body language matters - coaches evaluate how you present yourself before seeing your athletic abilities • Responding positively to failure shows mental toughness and resilience • Self-drive...

Ever wonder how a devastating life change could become the catalyst for an extraordinary transformation? Meet Arlene and Mark Cherry, the inspiring husband-and-wife team behind A2F Gym in Rancho Cucamonga, whose personal journeys through heartbreak, depression, and physical injuries led them to create something truly special in the fitness world. At 50, Arlene found herself in the depths of depres...

What happens when life throws you a curveball so devastating it brings you to your knees? For Amber Lynne, a former LA County Sheriff's Department custody assistant of 17 years, that moment came in the form of a panic attack while trying to navigate her son's challenges. Feeling like she couldn't breathe and couldn't control anything, this wake-up call became the catalyst for a...

When was the last time you truly invested in yourself? In this captivating conversation with Monique Lawson, we explore how one woman's decision to prioritize her own well-being completely transformed her life trajectory. Monique shares her remarkable journey from growing up in a large family with a single mother to becoming a successful hair stylist, business owner, and fitness competitor. W...

Do you ever scroll through social media and wonder why everyone else's life seems perfect while yours feels like a constant struggle? C - Monster dives deep into this modern phenomenon, exposing the carefully crafted illusions that dominate our digital landscape and impact our self-worth. With raw honesty and zero filter, this episode challenges our cultural obsession with influencers and cel...

What happens when someone who "hated PE" transforms into a passionate fitness enthusiast? Angie Quintero, a recent Cal Berkeley graduate with a sociology degree, joins host C-Monster to share her remarkable journey from disordered eating to strength training advocate. Angie candidly reveals how body changes during high school led her down a path of excessive cardio and calorie restrictio...

Mental toughness isn't born—it's forged through adversity, failure, and the deliberate pursuit of challenge. As I return for Season 4 of the Can't Be Broken podcast, I'm diving headfirst into what truly creates resilience in both athletics and life. Your mind functions exactly like a muscle. When weightlifters target their biceps, they deliberately create microscopic tears thro...

A reflective journey through the closing of the Can't Be Broken Podcast highlights gratitude, resilience, and the importance of tough love. The episode emphasizes personal responsibility in achieving success while cherishing the memories made along the way. • Reflecting on the journey and emotional farewell  • Gratitude for EA Essence and podcast supporters  • Acknowledging the vulnerability...

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation with the insightful EA Essence, who's been a cherished voice on our show for almost three years now. This episode starts with an intriguing look at high cholesterol, a common issue often tackled with medication in the U.S. medical system. With the help of human biologist Gary Brekka, we explore the potential of natural remedies such as fasting, min...

What happens when a college athlete's passion for sports leads to an unexpected, life-altering journey? Meet Jamie Whitmore, a phenomenal athlete whose story captivates with tales of resilience, humor, and triumph over adversity. From swimming laps as a child and running cross-country in high school to making a pivotal career decision influenced by a chance encounter with a triathlete, Jamie’...

What if shielding our children from failure is actually setting them up for a harder fall? This episode of Can Be Broken Podcast dares to question the conventional methods of parenting and personal growth, advocating for a tough love approach that embraces adversity and learning from failure. We argue that true development springs from overcoming challenges, not avoiding them. By providing honest...

Can proper nutrition really transform your athletic performance? Discover the secrets to achieving peak performance in this invigorating episode of the Can't Be Broken podcast with me, C Monster. We break down the indispensable elements of athletic success, focusing on strength, agility, endurance, and the often-neglected aspect of nutrition. Imagine your body as a high-performance Ferrari—wh...

Get ready to be inspired as we welcome Olyvia and Priscylla Rutter, two exceptional young athletes, who share their journeys on and off the softball field. Olyvia, fresh from graduating Providence High School, is set to pitch for NYU while pursuing a career in dentistry. Meanwhile, Priscylla, a talented first baseman or designated hitter at Dominican University in Chicago, sheds light on her studi...

What does it really mean to work hard, and are you truly giving your best effort? Join me, C Monster, as we kick off Season 3 of the Can't Be Broken Podcast with a fresh perspective and a renewed sense of purpose. After a brief hiatus to explore new endeavors and recover from personal injuries, I'm excited to share my journey and the lessons learned along the way. In this opening episode...