Going in Blind with Zach Tidwell

Kevin Carr is an Air Force veteran and inventor who broke outside the bounds of America’s engineering pipeline to carve his own path. And today he’s using his talents to break down barriers for others with his company, Creating Ability, by developing some of the world’s leading edge adaptive sports equipment. But behind it all is a beautiful story of trails and triumphs that you won’t want to miss...

George Visger is a former Super Bowl champion whose career was cut short by lifelong subjection to head trauma. What ensued was a gnarly web of grand mal seizures, nine emergency brain surgeries, and a 38 year legal battle for compensation and elevation of the risks of the sport. Today, George is a wildlife biologist, entrepreneur, speaker, consultant, and author of a new book: “Facing Giants: My...

Stop for a second and consider how crucial a role both purpose and character play in the outcomes of our lives. One is a driving force and the other is a framework forged through the challenges we’ve taken on and the values we hold. Chris Christie has recognized that through his own successful career as a 15-year PGA pro and elite-level ski coach, and after a waking that occurred following the los...

Ever wonder what it takes to get on Shark Tank. Or better yet, have you ever wondered what it’s like? Look no further—Josh Thurmond, Founder and CEO of LavaBox went from starting his business out of his garage, to over $1,000,000 in sales in just two years before striking a deal with Laurie Greiner on the world-renowned show. But that’s not all—this episode is full of laughs, peaks into what Josh...

From shooting meth at 16 to becoming a federally appointed judge, Mary Beth’s story is yet another example that we don’t have to fall victim to our circumstances, and that we’re never out of the fight unless we decide to quit. But in addition to her accomplishments, she’s a wealth of knowledge. Listen to today’s episode to get the inside scoop on what’s wrong with the substance use disorder treatm...

Travis Holzum is a regenerative agriculture entrepreneur who founded both the Food Forest Design Network and Food Forest Design Minnesota. He and Zach had a rather eye-opening discussion about the reality of America’s corrupt food system and what Travis aims to build both in the country and the wider world. You can find Travis below: Food Forest Design Minnesota: https://foodforestabundancemn.com/...

Doug Gresenz is a Marine Corps veteran working to improve the lives of servicemembers, veterans, first responders, and their families through outdoor recreation. After battling his own struggles after returning home from Iraq, Doug found healing on the water. This breakthrough ultimately led to the founding of the Redford Ranch Foundation, through which Doug aims to create a one-of-a-kind adaptive...

Keegan Schafer is a Division Chief of the Tahoe-Douglas Fired Department in Nevada, and has been a firefighter for more than 25 years. He and Zach take a deep dive into the industry in the wake of the Palisades fires in Southern California before delving into living a life of balance and service. The show wraps up with a peek into the uncanny dream world of Southern California’s rehab culture and...

Justin Martinez is a retired Army Chief Warrant Officer 2, tattoo artist, entrepreneur, and a man who has committed his life to serving others. While there’s plenty of laughing in this episode, Zach and Justin spent a lot of time discussing the challenges so many veterans face when transitioning to civilian life before following Justin’s path to discovering purpose outside the armed forces. You ca...

Seth Dahl is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who found his passion after serving in Iraq in the earlier years of the war. He and Zach discussed how Seth got into the industry, his future endeavors, and how his award-winning film about disabled veterans Lonnie Bedwell, Russel Davies, and Aaron Howell navigating some of the deadliest whitewater in the world despite the fact that Lonnie is com...

Guy Zuck is a lifelong outdoorsman and world-renowned turkey caller/guide now focused on making a dent in veteran suicide. Zach and Guy discussed a lot of heavy topics on this episode, including addiction, mental health, and Guy’s discovery of his faith whilst living a life he didn’t want for himself. You can find the “encounters” Guy mentioned here: https://encounterministry.org/ Follow And Suppo...

As you’ll see in this week’s episode, Jeff Circle has worn too many hats to encapsulate in one blurb, so we’ll summarize the first half of the conversation as taking a stroll down memory lane. But thing’s took a turn into some heavier subjects that more people need to know about, including former US shortcomings in US screenings for security clearances, the Afghanistan pullout, and other shocking...

Ross Izard is a political entrepreneur, author, and backcountry fly fisherman. This week, he and Zach dive into some heavy topics surrounding mental health and the value of doing difficult things whilst exploring the impressive path Ross has carved for himself. You can find Ross in the following places: Backcountry Fly Fishing Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDYM1qu1zoDOk9GZsAaJ5Sd...

Tom Kranz is a man with quite the broad background—from journalism and broadcasting, to writing nonfiction and serving as a volunteer EMT for two decades. Now he’d exploring the creative spark of others and finishing his seventh novel. As usual, Zach dives into some heavier topics with Tom whilst exploring his story and progression through these different chapters of Tom’s life. You can find Tom o...

Thomas Jones is a self-proclaimed prophet also known as “The Woke Prophet”, and has written a book that shares his title. Given Thomas’ claims and the wide array of services he offers associated with his gifts, he and Zach had plenty to explore- from the origins of Thomas’ gifts to a back-and-forth exchange centered around his offerings of deliverances, spatial cleansing, spiritual counseling, men...

Evan Barrett is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt, instructor, and fierce competitor from Colorado. His record currently includes 37 wins by submission, 9 by points, and 2 by decision. You can find him on Instagram @evanbarrettjiujitsu. Follow And Support The Show Subscribe, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. And if that happens to be on YouTube, like this video too before sharing the e...

Dave Jones has worn an incredible number of hats in his professional career and he dove into it all with Zach this week. His Air Force career spanned from the Gulf War through 2011, and his positions ranged from Criminal Investigator to Chief of the European Antiterrorism Specialty Team, and eventually things came full circle as he was helping train other antiterrorism-focused OSI agents to deploy...

Steve Baskis is a retired Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient who has pursued more adventure in the 17 years since he lost his sight than most do in a lifetime. And what was expected to be a conversation delving into Steve’s musical escapades, mountaineering trips, paralympic athlete pursuits, and ventures as a nonprofit Founder transpired into something greater altogether. You can support the...

Ally Wolski is a Nicky Ryan Purple Belt and rising Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete. She and Zach cover her entry into the sport and the rapid rise she’s made on her way to the top— from finding BJJ through overcoming a catastrophic injury, to taking her training seriously with a real team to back her up and even her recent controversial win over Nathalia Santoro. You can keep up with Ally and her new...

Joe Mornini is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit kayaking organization Team River Runner. Wearing many hats in his life, from adventurer and boater, to educator, father, and grandfather, Joe and the Team River Runner crew have built what started as a way to get wounded combat veterans out of their hospital rooms at Walter Reed into an international organization getting veteran...

Host and completely blind Marine Corps veteran Zach Tidwell introduces himself and his miraculous story before breaking down what the show is all about and announcing the official release on January 13, 2025 at 0500 EST. Zach has overcome more in the past several years than most do in a lifetime, and he shares his story in hopes of saving lives and getting our society having the tougher conversati...