Couple O' Nukes: Self-Improvement For Mental Health, Addiction, Fitness, & Faith

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Ryan Penley—author of Man Up, Sober Up and host of The Next Fix —to map out what real recovery looks like. Mr. Penley walks me through a hard-earned story: early wins, a move to Las Vegas, a catastrophic injury, and a doctor-driven opioid spiral that ends in diabetes, and eventually a coma with blood sugar off the charts. We talk about dry versus sober, why...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I confront a devastating story that is some of the latest Navy news: the loss of Navy Sailor Jose Antonio Rivera Lynch IV , a 19-year-old aviation boatswain’s mate serving aboard the USS George Washington (CVN 73). Officially, Rivera was reported missing at sea during operations in the Banda Sea near Australia. However, sources close to the situation claim this was not a si...

Send us Fan Mail Suicide Hotline: 988 Today, I open season eight of Couple O’ Nukes with a solo episode that explores the heavy but necessary topic of courage and morality in the face of suicide prevention. As we celebrate the milestone of more than 200 episodes and approach the three-year anniversary of this podcast, I take a moment to reflect on my own journey — not just as a host, but as someon...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Noah May, the creator and host of the Lethal Venom podcast and a journalism graduate from Auburn University. He shares with us the origins behind Lethal Venom, including why he chose a name that embraces hard truths, how his struggles with depression and anxiety shaped his voice, and the practical skills from journalism—especially interviewing—that now power...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Ken Webb — retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, former American Airlines professional, and now debut author of Trapped in Deception . Mr. Webb brings a lifetime of service, travel, and life lessons into a conversation that blends military experience, civilian transitions, and the art of turning real-life betrayal into a gripping novel. We explore Mr. Webb’s...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Janine Hernandez — a bestselling author, speaker, and founder of the Book Publishing Academy — to talk about the power of storytelling as a tool for mentoring troubled youth. Ms. Hernandez has dedicated years to helping people share their stories, from first-time authors to incarcerated teens. In this episode, we explore how giving young people the opportuni...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Timothy Wienecke, a licensed mental health clinician, men’s advocate, and host of The American Masculinity Podcast . Mr. Wienecke brings nearly a decade of clinical experience working with men, veterans, and first responders, combined with his years of service in the Air Force advocating against interpersonal violence and sexual assault. In this conversation...

Send us Fan Mail 988 Suicide Hotline Today, I sit down with Pete Dalke, host of Pete Vs Anxiety!!! He shares with us trauma, a severely toxic relationship, and the journey of self-discovery. Mr. Dalke opens up about his childhood abandonment, years of living with undiagnosed anxiety, and the 15-year relationship with a narcissist that left him emotionally, mentally, and financially depleted. We di...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down for a somber but necessary conversation with Joshua Daniel, a retired Green Beret and the founder of Counter Culture Solutions and the Hero Games Charity. Mr. Daniel spent nearly 21 years in Army Special Operations, first with the 75th Ranger Regiment and then with the Green Berets.  We open this episode discussing his upbringing in rural Bedford, Virginia where...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Jenn Robb, a mother, nurse practitioner, and the author of Warrior Mom Rising. Ms. Robb shares the story of how her daughter’s battle with anxiety, depression, and a traumatic assault forced her to re-evaluate not only how she parented but how she relied on God through one of the darkest seasons of motherhood. We unpack the mental health crisis among Gen Z a...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Alan Lazaros and Emilia Smith — hosts of The Conscious Couples Podcast and founders of a growing movement aimed at helping people get off autopilot and build deeply intentional, growth-oriented relationships. This isn't your typical love talk. We dig into the science, psychology, and strategy behind what it truly means to be a conscious couple. Mr. Laza...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Steve Wilson, a 76-year-old author and mental health advocate who shares a powerful and heartbreaking account of trauma, bipolar disorder, and navigating misdiagnosis. Mr. Wilson’s story begins with childhood sexual assault — something he didn’t speak about for 30 years. That trauma sent him into a lifelong battle with depression, suicidal ideation, and late...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Joanna Lilley, a therapeutic consultant and founder of Lilley Consulting, who’s spent the last decade helping young adults navigate one of the most chaotic transitions in life: ages 18 to 29. Ms. Lilley works with clients all over the world to help them build real-life skills, develop self-awareness, and get the tools they need to launch into adulthood with...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Marc Koehler, a former U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine Officer and the founder of Lead With Purpose. Mr. Koehler’s story begins with an “eighth-of-an-inch” moment—disqualified from becoming a fighter pilot due to the length of his thighbone, he found himself unexpectedly entering the elite world of the nuclear submarine force. In this episode, we explore how tha...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Emma Lyons, a transformational guide helping people—especially women—break free from the toxic grip of shame and the control of the inner narcissist. We get into the roots of self-sabotage, how shame becomes embedded in our nervous system, and why it continues to limit our visibility, voice, and vitality throughout adulthood. Ms. Lyons introduces us to a pow...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Trent Carter, a nurse practitioner, entrepreneur, and founder of Renew Health—an addiction and mental health clinic network dedicated to changing how we treat substance abuse. Mr. Carter saw a massive gap in addiction care across rural New Mexico and decided to do something about it. What began with a vision and a leap of faith has now grown into a statewide...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Sara Buckler, a recovery advocate and marketing professional who's spent more than a decade working in addiction treatment. Ms. Buckler shares her powerful personal story, from entering recovery after years of struggling with substance use that began at eighteen, to becoming a marketing specialist helping recovery programs reach those still trapped in a...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down for a solo episode where I share something personal: my chapter from The Book of Frequency: Love and Gratitude . I'm honored to be a contributing author in this powerful anthology of over 30 voices, each reflecting on the transformative power of love, gratitude, or both. My chapter is titled Bending Time With Love , and it’s a story about how love—true love—...

Send us Fan Mail *Please note that what is discussed in this episode does not cure addiction but is used as a part of recovery. Today, I sit down with Katie Lain, founder of Thrive Alcohol Recovery, to talk about one of the most unique methods for overcoming alcohol addiction I’ve ever encountered — the Sinclair Method. Ms. Lain walks us through her personal journey from years of daily binge drink...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Tom Snow, a powerful believer whose decades-long journey in faith cuts through the noise of manmade religion, denominations, and legalism, getting straight into the heart of spiritual truth.  In this episode, Mr. Snow and I cover a topic that’s close to both of us—what it really means to follow God outside the constraints of denominations and religious syste...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Debbie Dobbins, an entrepreneur and author of "Your Inner Billionaire"— to uncover the real secrets behind abundance and prosperity. Ms. Dobbins shares her journey from building million-dollar businesses to losing it all during a battle with cancer, only to rebuild from the ground up using spiritual and scientific principles. She opens up about how...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Mista Yu, a man of many titles — podcast host, music minister, community builder, nonprofit director, and above all, a father and mentor. Our conversation goes into a 30,000-foot overview of his life: from surviving a near-death experience to discovering his personal relationship with God, and ultimately walking into his calling with purpose and integrity. W...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Willie Handler, a memoirist and researcher whose family history traces back to the Holocaust. Mr. Handler’s parents were both Holocaust survivors — one imprisoned in seven concentration camps and the other deported to a Ukrainian ghetto. What began as a personal memoir turned into a mission to uncover how that trauma shaped not only his own life, but the liv...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Andy Dietrich, a Marine Corps veteran, IT professional, and author of Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes —a book full of life lessons, absurd stories, and comedic reflections. We kick off the episode talking about the role of humor in both mental health and military life. From non-jokes and dad-jokes to the dark humor that gets you through deployment, we d...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I sit down with Chris Milson — host of Voice for the Voiceless and founder of the Mental Health Movement — to unpack a life journey defined by trauma, betrayal, and ultimately, transformation. This conversation, set up by our mutual friend and past guest Dr. Brian Licuanan, dives deep into Chris’s childhood growing up in a broken, abusive home and how those experiences led...