Épisodes

  • Rich Spalla

    Rich Spalla
    Nov 17 2025
    Rich Spalla joined the Army at thirty five, walked into Afghanistan with men ten years younger than him, and carried the weight of July 7th long after he came home. This episode goes deep into identity, guilt, transition failure, VA pills, the struggle to feel human again, and the long road back through faith, discipline, jiu jitsu, and fatherhood. If you’ve ever felt like the world kept spinning while you fell apart, Rich’s story will hit hard. We talk about rebuilding identity, why purpose matters more than rank, and what it takes to finally stop running from yourself. This is one of the most honest conversations I’ve had on this show. • The day that broke our company and what it took to climb back • Why identity collapses after service and how to rebuild it • The danger of the VA pill conveyor belt • How faith and physical discipline saved his life • Amakaya Retreat: https://amakaya.org • Heroes Media Group: https://www.heroesmediagroup.com • Ramshorn Coffee: https://ramshorncoffee.com • The Strategic Veteran: https://thestrategicveteran.com • Listen on Megaphone: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/the-strategic-veteran • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3U8FOupOu070V00PXR4DSd • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-strategic-veteran/id1743039436 • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thestrategicveteran
    Voir plus Voir moins
    1 h et 11 min
  • Marsha Cleff

    Marsha Cleff
    Nov 3 2025
    What do you do when the one job that made you feel useful gets wiped out overnight? Marsha Cleff spent seven and a half years as a TAP counselor, helping high-ranking military folks find their footing in civilian life. Then one day, she was told it was over. No backup plan. No warning. Just “reallocation of funds.” Instead of folding, she built Six Star Resume Strategy from the ground up, channeling everything she knows about identity, purpose, and making the invisible visible on paper. The moment she realized the transition system failed her, too Why “you’re a veteran, you’ll be fine” is one of the biggest lies we tell The new-girl sickness that hit her at a job fair What happens when your resume makes you feel small How her husband’s joke became the name of her company Why a six-figure salary isn’t worth your soul https://6starresume.com https://linkedin.com/in/marshacleff marshacleff@6starresume.com
    Voir plus Voir moins
    1 h et 10 min
  • David Richards

    David Richards
    Oct 27 2025
    What if the very identity that made you successful is the same one keeping you stuck? How do you rewrite your life when the script you’ve followed since birth suddenly stops working? David Richards grew up steeped in the Marine Corps—it was the family business. He led troops in combat during Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, then spent 17 years climbing the corporate ranks at Cisco. But the real battle started when he realized he didn’t know who he was outside the uniform. Now a bestselling author, executive coach, and purpose-driven creator, David helps others find meaning on the far side of success. Felt like a failure the day he got promoted Stopped partying to earn back a legacy he thought he’d already inherited Carried the same anger at his father into his marriage—and watched it collapse Was scared to write because it meant confronting who he really was Burned the boats when it was time to go his own way https://davidrichardsauthor.com https://instagram.com/davidrichardsauthor https://a.co/d/aaAXxDw
    Voir plus Voir moins
    1 h et 2 min
  • Mental Perk

    Mental Perk
    Oct 13 2025
    What happens when the fight never ends — not on the battlefield, but inside your own head? Carla Hutcherson and Brandy Mock, the women behind Mental Perk, have spent years walking alongside people at rock bottom. Carla’s a licensed therapist who’s seen every side of the system — courtrooms, hospitals, and private practice. Brandy’s a straight-talking entrepreneur who’s lived the civilian toll of military life up close. Together, they’re tearing the mask off mental health — no sugarcoating, no shame, just the truth about what it takes to find your way back. When he realized he wasn’t broken — just buried under lies he’d told himself When she finally let go of control and learned to trust the process When therapy stopped being weakness and started being strength When asking for help became the most dangerous thing a soldier could do — and the bravest When healing meant sitting in the pain, not running from it Mental Perk Links: Website – https://www.mentalperk.org Email – info@mentalperk.org YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@MentalPerkPodcast My name is Adam Peters, and I’m here to unf*ck the transition.
    Voir plus Voir moins
    1 h et 3 min
  • Bhargav Patel

    Bhargav Patel
    Oct 7 2025
    What happens when the science of psychiatry collides with the future of AI and the timeless wisdom of healing? Dr. Bhargav Patel is a physician, psychiatrist, wellness entrepreneur, and CEO of My Peak. He’s also a leader in AI healthcare solutions through Sully AI and the author of Trauma Transformed. In this conversation, we explore the full arc of healing—from childhood adversity and PTSD, to plant medicine, to building systems that empower both patients and doctors. We dig into: The truth about psychiatric medications, trauma therapy, and why the VA often misses the mark Plant medicine, psychedelics, and the emerging science behind healing PTSD and moral injury The role of nutrition, fasting, and supplements in creating sustainable change Why ADHD and curiosity can actually be superpowers for entrepreneurs How AI is reducing physician burnout and transforming healthcare workflows Dr. Patel’s “core four-step framework for healing”: trauma processing, neuroplasticity/neurogenesis/epigenetics, overriding experiences, and post-traumatic growth This episode is a raw, evidence-based look at what it actually takes to move from surviving to thriving.
    Voir plus Voir moins
    1 h
  • Brett Baker

    Brett Baker
    Sep 29 2025
    What happens when the mission you’ve given your whole life to suddenly ends? When the uniform comes off and all that intensity has nowhere to go? Brett Baker knows that moment well. After thirteen years and nine combat deployments as an Army Ranger, his body gave out before his will ever did. What followed was a storm of loss, faith, rebuilding, and the fight to create a new mission outside the wire. Today he’s the co-founder of VA USA, a faith-driven company building jobs and community for military spouses, and his story is proof that purpose doesn’t die with transition—it just changes shape. The thrill of war colliding with the emptiness of coming home Losing identity when the one thing you’re best at is taken away Starting over with nothing but faith, family, and a broken knee Turning failure into feedback and fear into fuel Finding out purpose isn’t found—it’s built, brick by brick Guest Links: Website: https://www.hirevausa.com
    Voir plus Voir moins
    1 h et 3 min
  • David Maulsby

    David Maulsby
    Sep 22 2025
    This week on The Strategic Veteran, Adam Peters sits down with David Maulsby, Executive Director of the PTSD Foundation of America, and Anthony Muro, Afghanistan war veteran and graduate of the Camp Hope program. David shares how his calling as a minister led him to walk the streets of Houston in 2009, supporting homeless veterans long before there was a program to back him. That leap of faith grew into Camp Hope, a six-to-nine-month peer-to-peer, faith-based residential program that has saved countless lives. Anthony brings the raw truth of lived experience—his near decade-long prison sentence was diverted when the foundation stepped in. He opens up about hitting rock bottom, how peer mentorship at Camp Hope turned his life around, and why he now helps other veterans reclaim their lives. Together, we explore: How faith and moral injury shape the healing process Why peer-to-peer mentorship is a cornerstone of Camp Hope The role of family education and support in breaking cycles of trauma Alternative healing modalities, from equine therapy to plant medicine The urgent need for veteran and family-centered programs across America If you or someone you know is struggling, call the Combat Trauma Helpline at 877-717-PTSD (7873). You are not alone. Learn more at PTSDUSA.org.
    Voir plus Voir moins
    58 min
  • Kim Woods

    Kim Woods
    Sep 15 2025
    What if the thing you think you want—a “dream franchise”—is the very thing that will eat your nights, your weekends, and your sanity? What if the right fit is the one that feels boring on paper but quietly prints freedom? Kim Woods has spent two decades in the trenches of franchising, turning ambition into action for people who don’t want a boss anymore. Navy veteran, relationship builder, and franchise development lead at Clear Pest Pros within BELFOR Franchise Group, Kim speaks in straight lines: proven systems, honest screening, and grit over hype. He thought owning a gym was purpose—until he saw the lease, the churn, and the weekends She learned the hard way that “franchise fee” isn’t profit—it’s the cost of a real support system If you won’t work the model, the model won’t work for you Your LinkedIn is a weapon; TAP won’t save you “Can I make a million?” isn’t a question—it’s a mirror Buy with an exit in mind, build something your kids could run or you can sell
    Voir plus Voir moins
    50 min