The Warrior Soul Podcast

Mike Robillard is a US Army Veteran and author who earned his Ph.D in Philosophy from the University of Connecticut before doing a post-doctoral fellowship at Oxford. Mike has since left academia to co-found an organization called Christian Veterans United, which seeks to restore the values of discipleship in Christ, duty to country, and masculine virtue to the American psyche. Mike joins a number of former academics who believe that the American university system has become derailed. In this interview, we try to deliver some practical advice as to how this situation can be fixed.

The financial decisions you make as an early adult can follow you for much of your life. In this episode, Chris discusses the mistakes he made with money, how to avoid them, and how to fix them if you've already made them.

As veterans move into the civilian world, many of us feel innate insecurities about our experience and education in the new context. In this episode, I discuss overcoming this insecurity and beating imposter syndrome.

Dustin Robinson is the Founding Partner of Mr. Cannabis Law – a full-service law firm exclusively focused on cannabis and psychedelic industries. Dustin is licensed in Florida as an Attorney, a Certified Public Accountant, and a Real Estate Agent. He focuses his practice on providing legal, accounting, financial, and business consultation to various businesses operating in the hemp, marijuana, and psychedelic industries. Dustin has worked at one of the largest national accounting firms – Deloitte – as well as one of the largest national law firms – Holland & Knight. After working at Holland & Knight, Dustin applied his legal and accounting background in the business world while running a multi-state manufacturing company. Dustin is deeply involved in the cannabis industry through his law firm – Mr. Cannabis Law – and various cannabis-related organizations, including CannabisLAB, ASTM D-37 Global Standards for Cannabis, Leafstyle360, and Broward County Medical Marijuana Advisory Board. Dustin also serves as the Legal Director for NORML of Palm Beach; he is on the Legal Committee for the Florida Hemp Council; and he is on the Operations Sub-committee for Hemp Industries Association. As a member of the Board of Directors of Minorities for Medical Marijuana, Dustinadvocates for social equity and inclusion in the cannabis industry. Dustin is also the co-founder of Mr. Psychedelic Law – a 501(c)(4) focused on using medical and spiritual research to drive responsible legal reform in Florida for psilocybin mushrooms and other entheogens. Dustin has drafted Resolutions for psychedelic decriminalization for various cities in Florida and hopes to build a responsible legal framework in Florida for the commercialization of psilocybin mushroom and other entheogens. Dustin has built a team at Mr. Psychedelic Law that consists of the top lawyers, lobbyist, doctors, scientists, and spiritual leaders in the state of Florida. Dustin is also represents various psychedelic non-profits including Mind Army and Ketamine Fund. In April 2021, in partnership with seasoned private equity investor Robert Velarde, Dustin launched Iter Investments, a venture capital firm that aims to deploy capital primarily in businesses operating in and around the burgeoning psychedelics industry. Recently, Dustin drafted and filed the Florida Psilocybin Legalization Bill, together with Florida State Representative Michael Grieco. He was also recognized as "100 Most Influential People in Psychedelics" by Psychedelic Invest. Dustin has been regularly profiled and featured as an expert in the media, including in Bloomberg News, Dazed, Forbes, VICE, The Florida Bar, The Miami Herald, The Sun Sentinel, The Wall Street Journal, Authority Magazine, Thrive Global, Benzinga, StratCann and more. Dustin is a triple gator having earned his Bachelors in Accounting, Masters in Accounting, and Law Degree from University of Florida.

Gratitude is popular, and helpful, but it can lose it's meaning. To keep the ritual working for you, you need to dig down deep.

This is your chance to tell me how you've been impacting your community and your world.

Tom Kubiniec is a leading authority in military weapon storage and armory design. His company, SecureIt Tactical Inc. is recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in America. SecureIt is the largest supplier of weapons storage systems to the Defense Industry and now the fastest growing supplier of residential gun safes in America. Tom has developed storage systems for special operations units using his own patented technology. He's brought innovation and invention to an industry that has not changed in decades. Learn more about SecureIt Tactical at https://www.secureittactical.com/weapon-storage/ Or visit their YouTube Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZb3HLZuU80PVoAFxf_UDLQ

This episode discusses how the 24/7 news cycle is killing your time and eating up your life.

The most important thing you can do in life is decide where you want to go.

The most difficult thing to deal with in life is uncertainty. In this podcast, Chris gives you a plan for overcoming uncertainty with a mission.

Whether you know it or not right now, you are blessed.

Bastards' Road is a documentary that follows US Marine Combat Veteran Jonathan Hancock on his walk across the United States visiting his fellow Marines while wrestling with his own demons. After serving with Second Battalion, Fourth Marines, in the bloody Battle of Ramadi, Jonathan finished out his 8 and a half year Marine Corps career in military intelligence. As a civilian, he began attending the University of Maryland. During this time, Jonathan began to deteriorate. Drinking all the time, missing class, and wrestling with the demons in his head, Jonathan was at the end of his wits. After attempting suicide, Jonathan decided that enough was enough, and he decided that he was going to walk cross the country visiting the Marines he'd served with and the families of his fallen brothers. Partway through the journey, a classmate of his from high school who had gone on to be in filmmaking caught wind of Jonathan's journey. He reached out and offered to help Jonathan document his journey in a movie. This is what eventually turned into the movie Bastards' Road. Bastards' Road is coming out May 11, 2021, and you can learn more about how to stream it at https://www.bastardsroad.com/.

We all have a negative voice in our heads. In this episode, Chris gives you some basic moves you can make to overcome them.

Andrew Marr is a Special Forces Green Beret Veteran and the founder of the Warrior Angels Foundation. Andrew also recently wrote the book Tales from the Blast Factory, chronicling the ways in which his life was affected by Traumatic Brain Injury and the road to recovery he took using a unique therapy delivered by Dr. Mark Gordon. That book was recently turned into a documentary called Quiet Explosions with the help of Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jerri Sher. LOGLINE Traumatic brain injury (TBI) impacts 2 million people per year. Professional athletes, military, veterans, and first-responders share their recovery stories after suffering severe PTSD and depression. Joe Rogan and Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien, NFL running back Anthony Davis and Ben Driebergen, Marine veteran and winner of CBS's 35th "Survivor" season, are featured in this enlightening documentary. SYNOPSIS Special Forces Green Beret, Andrew Marr, returned from his third deployment, a quietly broken man. The explosives expert suffered a multitude of concussions while detonating hundreds of blasts in Afghanistan. Unable to cope with his illness, he fell into a spiral of drug and alcohol abuse; even contemplating suicide at one point. When it was nearly too late, he met Neuroendocrinologist Dr. Mark L. Gordon, who properly diagnosed his condition as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Since then, Gordon has been helping veterans impacted by Post Traumatic Syndrome (PTS)and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)through the Warrior Angels Foundation founded by Adam and Andrew Marr and supported by podcast personality Joe Rogan. Professional athletes Mark Rypien (Washington Redskins Super Bowl XXVI MVP) and Anthony Davis (running back USC, Tampa Bay Buccaneers), candidly share their methods of coping with TBI and PTS, which they experienced from repetitive blows to the brain. Renowned big wave surfer Shawn Dollar and Ben Driebergen, a Marine veteran and winner of CBS's 35th "Survivor" season, reveal their struggles toward brain health. A former gymnast, a 9/11 first responder, and the victim of military sexual trauma (MST) offer insights into their healing process from the disease which is estimated to have impacted 80 million people in the past 40 years. Additional hope and insightful methods are offered from experts Dr. DanielG. Amen, Dr. Scott Sherr, and Dr. Robert Sammons in this growing field. Click HERE for the Quit Explosion's trailer. Click HERE for the Quiet Explosion's Website

Ryan Chaw didn't know much when he jumped into real estate investing. He just knew that he watched his grandfather build wealth by buying and holding properties. Impatient and eager to move beyond his job as a pharmacist, he bought his first property without doing the proper due diligence. When a sewer piper broke, he was responsible for thousands in damages. But he took this experience as a lesson, and today, he has 17 tenants and is earning positive cash flow on his properties. He came onto the Warrior Soul Podcast to talk to the veteran community about his experience. Learn more about Ryan and Newbie Real Estate Investing at the following links:

Take care of your finances. Take care of your body. Surround yourself with good people.

With light at the end of the tunnel concerning this pandemic, think about how you're going to come out of it. Strategize when it comes to spending your money.

Goals are only as good as the actions you take to get to them. In this episode, Chris discusses a process you can take to do something everyday to get to your big goals in life.

Author Marc Cameron has written many books including his vastly popular Jericho Quinn and Arliss Cutter series. He's also taken up the pen to continue Tom Clancy's work in the Jack Ryan series. But if there's any secret to Marc Cameron's success beyond his extraordinary dedication to his craft, it's that he's lived a very full and rich life. Marc served for decades as a United States Marshall after doing a stint as a local police officer. He comes from the great state of Texas, and chooses to live in the beautiful and wild state of Alaska. He holds a second degree black belt in Jiu Jitsu, and enjoys sailing. Marc is able to write such amazing stories because he's created amazing stories for himself throughout his life. In this episode, you'll learn how Marc became a top selling novelist, why he chooses Alaska as his home and for the setting of many of his novels, and some amazing life lessons that only experience can bring. If you would like to learn more about Marc's work or pick up a copy of his latest book in the Arliss Cutter series, click here: https://marccameronbooks.com/. To follow Marc

Author Marc Cameron has written many books including his vastly popular Jericho Quinn and Arliss Cutter series. He's also taken up the pen to continue Tom Clancy's work in the Jack Ryan series. But if there's any secret to Marc Cameron's success beyond his extraordinary dedication to his craft, it's that he's lived a very full and rich life. Marc served for decades as a United States Marshall after doing a stint as a local police officer. He comes from the great state of Texas, and chooses to live in the beautiful and wild state of Alaska. He holds a second degree black belt in Jiu Jitsu, and enjoys sailing. Marc is able to write such amazing stories because he's created amazing stories for himself throughout his life. In this episode, you'll learn how Marc became a top selling novelist, why he chooses Alaska as his home and for the setting of many of his novels, and some amazing life lessons that only experience can bring. If you would like to learn more about Marc's work or pick up a copy of his latest book in the Arliss Cutter series, click here: https://marccameronbooks.com/. To follow Marc

Lieutenant Colonel Keith B. Brace received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from The Citadel and was commissioned an Infantry Officer as a Distinguished Military Graduate in 1991. He also earned a Masters Degree in Business Administration from The Citadel in 2002. His military education includes the Infantry Officers Basic and Advanced Courses, Combined Arms Services Staff School, and the Command and General Staff College. Lieutenant Colonel Brace joined the Commandant's Department at The Citadel in 2011 after retiring from a 20 year Army career. He started his career as a Lieutenant in the 82nd Airborne and finished as the Professor of Military Science at Wake Forest University. His deployments include a tour in Bosnia from October 1996-April 1997 and a tour in Iraq from October 2006-August 2007. His military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Ranger Tab, and the Senior Parachutist Badge.

The pervading view amongst the media, government, and elites seems to be that you are not capable of making your own decisions. Here is what to do as they try to limit your ability to do so.

Negative self-talk will keep you in loser mode. This episode discusses how to stop it.

It's not about hitting a home run. It's about the little things you do every day that carry you to greatness.

In the modern world, our attention is everywhere. We see thousands of social media posts and emails everyday, and this is affecting our ability to communicate clearly. Joe McCormack is an expert in "lean communication." He helps people communicate their meaning in the most efficient and effective way possible to conserve energy and maximize attention. Joe's insights will help you in your job and your personal life, and you'll be sure to get a lot out of this conversation. To learn more about Joe, head over to https://thebrieflab.com/

As a human being, I can't imagine what Hell is like, but Hell on Earth to me looks a lot like being bitter about someone else's success.

The world doesn't care about you. Understanding this is the key to your success and happiness.

Eddie Gallagher is a retired US Navy Seal who was acquitted of war crimes after being falsely accused by his team mates. For three years, Eddie and his family were put through absolute hell. He served nine months in jail, his children were dragged out of the house at gun point, and his wife waged her own war to save Eddie and their family. Once he was acquitted, his problems did not let up. The Navy tried to take away his retirement and his Seal trident. Nevertheless, Eddie persisted in getting his name cleared, and today, he is working to help fellow service members who were falsely accused or harshly punished by the UCMJ through the Pipe Hitters Foundation. Eddie is also the author of a soon to be released book called The Man in the Arena, that tells the story of his and his family's ordeal. Pre-order Eddie's book at https://theeddiegallagher.com/.

In this episode, I discuss what I would do if I were 20 years old again.

The negative voices in your head are there for a reason. They served you at one point. Recognize them for that, and you'll be able to move beyond them.

If you said most of the stuff you told yourself to a friend, that person wouldn't be your friend anymore.

Whether we like it or not, there is veteran stereotype out there that's pretty negative. There's nothing we can do about that, but there is something we can do about what we put into the world.

To say that Dr. Hal Bradley has had an interesting life is a massive understatement. Hal has been a soldier, a pastor, a meta physicist, and a sought-after Department of Justice Contractor. In the middle of that, he was a high-ranking drug smuggler for the Mexican Drug Cartel for twenty years. Hal has since given up that life, and he's made it his mission to help people survive and thrive through the most horrific life experiences. His new book, Crisis Victory, teaches readers to transcend their difficult circumstances to victory. To learn more about Hal Bradley: http://drhalbradley.com/ To get Crisis Victory: https://www.crisisvictory.com/gift

Dr. Dan Bornstein is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance at The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. Dan began working at The Citadel after completing his Ph.D in Exercise Science from the University of South Carolina. Dan is not a conventional professor. Prior to earning his Ph.D, Dan was the CEO of two fitness companies in Arizona. His research focuses on lack of physical preparedness in the United States as a national security issue. US military organizations are having a difficult time recruiting qualified candidates because of a lack of physical preparedness amongst the population. Dan came on the show to speak about the programs The Citadel offers in Exercise Science and Tactical Readiness. Though The Citadel is primarily a military college with an active Corps of Cadets, it has opened it's doors to active duty military members and Veterans who want to attend the institution without being members of the Corps of Cadets. This leaves a world of opportunity open to Veterans who want to get an education from one of the best colleges in the country. To learn more about The Citadel, and it's Exercise Science program, head over to Citadel.edu.

Regardless of what you do in life, if it's worth it, it will be difficult. You cannot be scared to fail if you want to accomplish anything.

You're never going to get to where you want to be if you just try to hit home runs.

Living your best life as a Veteran might come with this mind shift.

In order to get anywhere in life you need to know what you're working toward.

Will Carroll is a former US Navy Seal and Roland Cordova is a lifetime entrepreneur. Together, they've built Veterans Canna-Biz, which is a business incubator for Veterans who want to enter the Cannabis industry. Learn more at http://www.veteranscannabiz.org.

If you have goals, reaching them will require short term sacrifice for long term gain.

Fear can either turn you in to the worst version of yourself, or the best version of yourself.

Time is far more valuable than money, but we waste it like water.

In this episode, I discuss the events of the last year in my life and the existence of the podcast.

Senior Chief Thom Shea served as a US Navy Seal for 23 years over three wars, earning a Silver Star and a Bronze Star with a "V" device amongst other honors. Thom entered Navy Seal training after failing out of the United States Military Academy at West Point, determined that he would never fail out of anything ever again. His position in the Seal Teams was hard-won, surviving five Hell Weeks, more than any Seal candidate has ever gone through. Today, Thom has authored two books: Three Simple Things: Leading During Chaos and Unbreakable: A Navy Seal's Way of Life. Thom is also the founder of Unbreakable Leadership, and he has trained thousands of people to overcome chaos by applying the rules of "three simple things" to their lives and businesses. In his off-time, Thom hunts and competes in ultra-marathons. In this conversation, Thom and I discuss his amazing life, the rules that helped him thrive and survive, and how he transitioned to helping others in his post-military career. To learn more about Thom and his work, visit https://www.unbreakableleadership.com.

We all have a choice: to throw out the greatest experiment in freedom and liberty ever created, or to create a future for our children and our childrens' children.

2020 brought many changes, but there are still opportunities to move yourself forward.

Decide to be a participant in your life, and not just an observer, in 2021.

Perfection is often the enemy of progress. Don't fall into the trap of trying to be perfect when you just need to get started.

Chad Lennon is a US Marine Corps Officer and a lawyer who works to help veterans get their VA benefits Chad Lennon grew up in Bayville, New York and graduated from Wagner College, Adelphi University, and Touro Law Center. He was commissioned in the Marine Corps as a Second Lieutenant in 2008. Today he is a Major in the Marine Corps Reserves serving as the Company Commander for Bravo Company. Chad has served in a number of billets including a platoon commander, intelligence officer, and international engagements officer. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 and received the Purple Heart Medal. After graduating law school Chad worked as a criminal defense attorney in Maryland and a prosecutor in Suffolk County, New York. While as a prosecutor Chad worked in the Veterans Treatment Court for the District Court and East End court. In February 2019 Chad was appointed Director of the Veterans and Servicemembers' Rights' Clinic at Touro Law Center. Chad works with a number of charitable organizations focused on assisting veterans and holds the world record for pulling a 400lb chain for 1 mile in 63 minutes and 18 seconds while raising money for the Semper Fi Fund. He resides in Rocky Point with his wife, Denni, son, Gunnar, daughter, Thalia, and their two Siberian Huskies.