Resilient Mental State

Zach Homol is a husband, father, entrepreneur, gym owner, coach, athlete, and founder of the Do Hard Things community. Raised in West Virginia, Zach worked as a coal miner while building a reputation as an elite powerlifter. In 2016, he took a chance and moved to Indianapolis to open Iron Valley Barbell. Despite early challenges, Zach’s consistency, creativity, and relentless effort transformed th...

Benjamin Davis is a former Navy SEAL, husband, father, veteran advocate, and writer of The Transition , a Substack newsletter that includes essays, fictional short stories, and some of the best long-form interviews you will find online, all focused on life during and after significant change. Ben is the Executive Director of the Veterans' Outdoor Advocacy Group whose mission is to promote the bene...

Michael Woudenberg is a mixed mental artist who breaks down complex ideas into practical wisdom for thriving in the octagon of life. The writer behind one of my favorite Substack accounts, Polymathic Being , Mike explores both conventional and controversial concepts relating to humanity. I grew up reading primarily fiction. These days, the majority of my reading is nonfiction; however, when I lear...

Kit Perez | Grey Cell Systems is a mother, wife, counterintelligence and deception analyst, liberty activist, trauma counselor, teacher, homesteader, writer on Substack of The Shepard Scale , host of Change the Game podcast, co-author of Basics of Resistance and author of The Mindset of Resistance . She holds two master’s degrees, one in Intelligence and the other in Trauma Counseling and Crisis I...

Patrick Van Horne co-authored one of the best books I’ve ever read — Left of Bang . Since it was released over a decade ago, he has continued to evolve his company and work to create and apply this powerful concept at an organizational and team level. Now offering Left of Bang Strategic Briefs and advisory work focused on preparedness as a capability , he has made getting left of bang actionable b...

Peter Maguire is a bestselling author and influential, independent writer/editor. The experiences that led up to the creation of his books and profession as a writer, however, are what make him truly fascinating. In this conversation, we discuss many of the interesting aspects of and lessons from Peter’s life. After nearly drowning as a one-year-old, Peter’s mother forced him to learn how to swim...

William C. Spears is a US Navy Submarine Warfare Officer with over 25 years of service and author of Stoicism as a Warrior Philosophy . It is one of the best modern interpretations of Stoicism I have read. As a husband, father, and military leader, Will has grown to use virtue — excellence of character grounded in reason — as a core standard for all actions within each role of life. In this conver...

Chris Lee is a former Army Green Beret of ten years specializing as a Combat Medic. Embracing the wisdom he gained from this decade of experience, he transitioned into the private sector to become an entrepreneur, coach, and author. His first book, Beyond The Battlefield, is one of the best modern self-improvement books I’ve read. He’s also one of the best guys I know. Chris is uniquely skilled in...

Conor Heffernan is a professor of the sociology of sport at Ulster University in Ireland, a historian specializing in physical culture and fitness, and the author of several books including The History of Physical Culture in Ireland , The History of Physical Culture , Indian Club Swinging and the Birth of Global Fitness , and When Fitness Went Global . He is also the writer behind the outstanding...

James Freitas is a writer, photographer, birder, and outdoorsman. It’s these passions, along with support of loved ones and medical professionals, that saved his life. On January 14th, 2022, James Freitas’s car was hit by an 18-wheeler forever altering the course of his life. Suffering a diffuse axonal brain injury, a severe form of traumatic brain injury causing tearing of nerve fibers throughout...

Sarah | Profound Autism Mom is one of the most powerful voices and writers in the realm of neurodiversity. Rebelling against the common, linear milestone system for development, her Substack and podcast are called Inchstones. Progress is unique to us all. Mother to one typically developing child and two profoundly autistic, non-verbal children, Sarah has experiential wisdom to back her deep knowle...

Sam Alaimo is my favorite living writer. His exploration of the human condition through stories of extraordinary individuals in extreme conditions throughout time encourage deep and uncomfortable reflection. Rather than provide how-to guides, Sam digs into what is possible despite adversity of all kinds. Leaving readers with questions, not specific answers, he allows us each to grapple with our ow...

Michael D. Ostrolenk has been working in various fields of resilience development for over 30 years. Founder of Resilience Optimized, he is continually exploring and applying methods for individuals, couples, and businesses to build physical, mental, social, and spiritual resilience. In this conversation, we discussed: * Domains and pillars of resilience * Nuance * Pursuing productive discomfort *...

Chris DeMuth Jr is an incredibly successful hedge fund manager for Rangeley Capital, the investment company he founded in 2007. As impressive as he is in the financial realm, it’s his personal life that makes him truly remarkable. A husband, father, mixed martial arts practitioner, fitness enthusiast, outdoorsman, writer, and interviewer, Chris invests in all domains of life. In this conversation,...

Vicente Júnior is a 5th degree Black Belt, IBJJF World Champion, and multiple time IBJJF Pan American Champion. At 15 years old, Gabriel Silva is a 3x IBJJF Pan Kids Champion, 3x European Kids Champion, and a AJP Abu Dhabi World Youth Pro Champion. In 2023, Gabriel was ranked #1 in the IBJJF Kids Gi rankings followed by being ranked #1 in the Kids NoGi rankings in 2025. Both are widely regarded as...

Lara ”LJ” Johnson is the founder of the Global GRIT System, a published author of the bestselling book “Hunt or be Hunted,” an international keynote speaker, a competitive Hyrox athlete, an executive coach, and a 9x Stevie Award winner to include “Woman of the Year,” “Female Executive of the Year,” and “Female Entrepreneur of the Year.” What she has overcome in her life, however, is even more impr...

Shane Copeland is the writer behind the fantastic Substack newsletter - In Contrast. A man who has lived through many of life’s extremes, his work illuminates the benefit of the fulfilling middle between self-indulgent chaos and rigid order, specifically in the areas of fitness and nutrition. As entertaining as he is wise, Shane understands the nuance. I constantly look for knowledge from experts...

Chris Wojcik is a professional jiu-jitsu athlete, published author, and extremely wise man. At only 28 years old, he’s had success at the highest level in the biggest grappling competitions, recently was on the winning team of a $1M tournament, is known to be one of the best leg lockers in the world, and even has a move named after him - the Woj Lock. You rarely find an elite athlete, especially o...

Dr. Julie Gurner is one of the world’s leading executive performance coaches. With more than 15 years in the arena, she has become a credible expert who helps high performers become exceptional. In this conversation, Julie delivers insights as powerful as her writing. We discuss: * Her origin story * Clinical psychology concepts on the spectrum of performance * The importance of caring * Prioritiz...

Some conversations will stay with you for a lifetime. I just had one with one of my favorite living authors, Donald J. Robertson . No one is better at explaining the connection between ancient philosophy and modern, evidence-based psychotherapy. There are levels to understanding and integration of concepts just like there are levels to writing. In this discussion, Donald demonstrated why he’s at t...

Danny Cieniewicz is my brother-in-law and a man who has significantly impacted my perspective and life in countless ways. His energy, passion, faith, character, and love of life continuously motivate me to be a better man. I’ve written on an experience with a close friend who lost his daughter as well as my own experiences with losing babies through miscarriage that have changed me. Danny and his...

John Dailey epitomizes the power of the mind, body, and spirit. At 56 years old, he continues to pursue feats that demonstrate how vast the human capacity can be. Following his remarkable military career as a Marine, John began serving as the Director of Training and Education for the Marine Raiders - the special operations unit of the Marine Corps. He continues operating in this role today while...

Mark McGrath | OODA Strategist epitomizes a continuous learner. What I like to call a savage student, he is a man who isn’t afraid to be authentic while always looking to improve. Mark is the Chief Learning Officer at AGLX , a global consulting and coaching group that specializes in strategy, development, and performance of teams within any organization. In short, they teach companies how to be mo...

Lou Tamposi is an equally unique and beautiful writer that regularly demonstrates the power of presence. Lou has a gift of drawing you into his world through the written word. His posts illuminate the subtle beauties of his developed skill to notice them in everyday life. As I told him on our podcast, reading his essays regularly brings me peace and makes me want to live more presently. In our con...

Like me, Craig Kasper is an Audiologist - a clinical doctor of hearing and balance. Unlike me, Craig is one of the top experts in the world on tinnitus. With over 25 years of experience, he has become a spokesman for our field appearing on Dr. Oz, Katie’s Take with Katie Couric , and every other major news outlet in existence. He founded New York Hearing Doctors (NYHD) Institute for Hearing & Bala...