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We sit down with MJ and David to unpack how a provocative Instagram brand turns into a surprisingly sincere way to connect veterans and civilians through humor, dating, and service. We talk about the hard parts of reintegration and why feeling seen can be the first step toward real relationships. 
• the origin story behind the brand and why it took off around Valentine’s Day 
• turning dark humor into a bridge between veteran and civilian communities 
• why dating after military service can feel like a perishable skill 
• the role of Team Red, White, and Blue and giving back with every purchase 
• misconceptions civilians hold about veterans and how to ask better questions 
• what the follower mix looks like and why civilians engage so strongly 
• recognizing spouses of veterans after service and the “imposter syndrome” piece 
• success stories, meetups, and why real-life events matter 
• scaling beyond Instagram with a website while managing scams and censorship 
If this episode made you think, made you reflect or see things differently, please share it with someone else out there 
Make sure you follow F*ck Veterans on TikTok and Instagram 

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We pick up with Mike Keevil after Afghanistan and follow the long, messy timeline of coming home, staying wired, and finally learning what it takes to heal. The thread running through combat, competitive shooting, jujitsu, and Warhammer 40K is decision-making under pressure and the courage to be a beginner again. 

• the delayed crash after deployment and why it often hits in your 30s 
• learning to spot high-strung behavior and stop calling it “fine” 
• meeting an elite shooter and letting ego die in real time 
• USPSA as a controlled adrenaline lab for performance and self-awareness 
• handloading ammo as discipline and a barrier against drinking 
• failing chrono and turning loss into process and preparation 
• retirement realities and the cost of being away from family 
• workups, overtraining, and using intensity as a coping tool 
• marriage strain, divorce, and not knowing how to be home 
• nonprofit veteran support, crisis fatigue, and resentment you do not expect 
• building a life with mentors, peers, and younger men you mentor 
• chasing approval, reservist stigma, and the drive to prove worth 
• Warhammer 40K as community, identity repair, and leaving the bubble 
• delayed consequences as a life framework and the backbone of a new book 
• faith, forgiveness, and learning to be present 
• therapy, trauma as trauma, and what “grounded” actually looks like 
• Dunning-Kruger, fear of failure, and putting ego in check 
• a father’s message to his sons: say yes and take risks 

If you've got value from this episode, make sure you share it with someone who needs to hear it. Make sure you follow Mike on Instagram and also I'll slam the links for the Instagram and the YouTube down in the show notes. 

Follow Mike on IG: https://youtube.com/@40kdirtbags?si=1tI6DVHZRXORe0CT

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@40kdirtbags?si=1tI6DVHZRXORe0CT

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A lot of military stories get polished into highlight reels. We wanted the version that still has grit under the fingernails. I’m joined by Mike Keevil, a retired Recon Marine who served through multiple wars and carried those lessons into training, instruction, and the long process of figuring out who you are when the mission changes.

We dig into identity and the facades we build in different environments: peer versus coach, instructor versus friend, leader versus the person who quietly doubts himself. Mike tells the early moments where leadership found him anyway, including being pulled forward in Marine Corps boot camp, and how a drive for standards can push people to grow while also boxing them in.

Then the story takes a hard turn. Mike explains how he signed up as a cook while chasing a chef dream, realized he wanted something different, and volunteered for Iraq through mortuary affairs. He describes body recovery, processing personal effects, and why photos and keepsakes can hit harder than gore. Those experiences became the catalyst for a brutal, methodical reinvention: Olympic pool training in gear, retaking the ASVAB to meet recon requirements, and grinding through reconnaissance indoctrination where the fear of falling behind never goes away.

We close with combat decision making as it really feels: not always fast, often slow, confusing, and unforgiving, including immediate action drills like the Australian peel and a firefight where a simple grenade mistake changes everything. This is part one of a two-part series, with part two picking up on decision making, strategy, and what comes next.

Subscribe for part two, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review if the conversation hits home.

Follow Mike on IG: https://youtube.com/@40kdirtbags?si=1tI6DVHZRXORe0CT

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@40kdirtbags?si=1tI6DVHZRXORe0CT

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We talk with Phil Nozaki about growing up in a faith-centered home, serving his community, and facing a hereditary kidney cancer diagnosis that turns daily life into a long fight. He shares what it’s like to navigate surgery, monitoring, an NIH clinical trial, and the question of legacy while still showing up as a dad.
• Getting Phil’s last name right and why names carry stories 
• Phil’s Japanese American family background and World War II internment 
• Parents’ work ethic and church as the moral bedrock 
• School years, early adulthood, and taking the long road through college 
• Learning skilled trades through church connections and mentors 
• Volunteering on a CCTV security camera install for a Christian school 
• The first warning sign of kidney cancer and the near-canceled ultrasound 
• Second opinions and why genetic testing matters with family history 
• HLRCC hereditary kidney cancer and what “clear margins” really means 
• Recurrence risk, ongoing CT scans, and later growth in the lungs 
• Joining an NIH clinical trial and the realities of a 21-day treatment cycle 
• Immunotherapy basics and how it is explained to patients 
• Support systems through prayer, friends, and faith in Christ 
• Parenting through uncertainty and the message he wants his kids to carry 
• Choosing forgiveness, avoiding grudges, and valuing time over stuff 
• Why talking openly about illness can be therapeutic and rally real support 
I hope that anyone else listening to this out there help us out with the prayers.

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We talk with therapist Becky DeStefano about mental survivability and why mental readiness is tactical readiness for police, first responders, and military veterans. We break down stigma, trauma, proactive wellness checks, and how real strength looks like honesty and vulnerability under the uniform. 

• Becky’s path from civilian supporter to emergency responder and military psychology clinician 
• Blue Love and the value of visible community support 
• The morale hit of public judgment and how it compounds stress 
• What “holding space” means in practical counseling terms 
• How trust is earned with first responders and veterans 
• Common therapy misconceptions including fear of judgment and labels 
• Barriers to treatment including stigma and men’s mental health pressure 
• Why PTSD and police suicide research still feels new 
• What proactive police wellness checks look like day to day 
• Why suicide risk is not always obvious and why check-ins matter 
• The neurobiology of trauma including adrenaline, hypervigilance, and recovery 
• Dark humor as a coping mechanism and when suppression becomes risky 
• Why Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and fitness build resilience and connection 
• The collateral damage of untreated trauma across sleep, health, and relationships 
• Strength as vulnerability and finding the right therapist fit 

If something in this conversation resonates with you, take the first step, reach out, have the conversation. 

Connect with Becky on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/holdingspaceforheroes/

Connect with Becky on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/blueloveRI

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We sit down with filmmaker Michael Mateo Rossi to unpack the creative spine of Censor Addiction, a near-future sci-fi thriller shaped by pandemic-era pressures, mental health fallout, and the pull between obedience and autonomy. From set culture to distribution, we trace his two-decade journey, core influences, and why he champions physical media alongside streaming.

• LA roots, early theater, shift to writing and directing
• first features, self-financing, painful lessons that shaped his team
• directing as the most fulfilling role, trust and set culture
• pandemic influence on Censor Addiction’s themes and timeline
• villains inspired by 80s action-sci-fi dynamics
• collaboration with recurring DP, composer, and cast
• pacing choices, critic praise, and sequel potential
• authenticity over box-ticking trends in filmmaking
• mentors, legacy, and steady leadership on set
• release details: VOD and DVD, Walmart and libraries

Check out Censor Addiction on March 3 on VOD and DVD.
Follow Michael
IG: https://www.instagram.com/michaelmatteorossi/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelmatteorossi

“Stay tuned, stay focused, and stay motivated. Warriors fall out”

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We sit down with filmmaker Jeremy “Films More” to trace his arc from Monterey Park art kid to world-traveling storyteller, a harrowing night in Rio’s favelas, and the stroke at 33 that forced sobriety, focus, and a new path into tattooing. We talk craft, business, AI pressure, and why freedom and health now define success.

• art-driven upbringing and early graffiti roots
• finding direction after dead-end jobs
• mentors, networking and first big travel gigs
• near-miss in Rio’s favelas and street rules
• culture shocks and filming risks in Dubai
• deposits, cancellations and valuing your time
• burnout signs and pivot toward tattooing
• stroke, sobriety and rebuilding habits
• redefining success as health and freedom
• documentary goals and tattoo storytelling

If this episode resonated with you, make sure you follow Jeremy on Instagram, on TikTok, on YouTube as well

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremy.filmsmore
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremy.filmsmore/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jeremyfilmsmore4947

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A 16-year-old founder walks us through the rise of Ella’s Angels, from beach cleanups to feeding 237 families and launching scholarships. We explore youth leadership, time management, and a new veterans initiative shaped by her family’s service.

• origin of Ella’s Angels and youth-led mission
• early projects from cleanups to toy drives
• the Thanksgiving pivot to 237 families served
• building partnerships with local churches and donors
• scholarships for trade school and college pathways
• recruiting and empowering teen volunteers
• overcoming age bias and learning to ask for help
• balancing school, sports, and nonprofit work
• veterans support and family service legacy
• published books on teen finance and rights
• goals for 1,000 Thanksgiving meals
• ways to volunteer and get involved

“Check out her work online and consider how you can be a part of the movement as well.”

Check out Ella's Main Website: https://ellasangels.org/

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We trace a path from Federal Air Marshal to entrepreneur, exploring faith, brotherhood and the hard work of rebuilding identity and income after burnout. We talk about men’s mental health, multiple streams of income, and why mentorship and family are the real wealth.

• early lessons from being bullied, football captaincy and work ethic
• air marshal service as purpose, training and community
• corporate shock, backstabbing cultures and remote burnout
• faith-driven surrender and finding tribe beyond the badge
• Caveman Combine as team grit, vulnerability and prayer
• why residual income matters more than a title
• mentorship as strategy, network and service
• reframing self-worth, failure and daily discipline
• veterans, stigma, the VA and real intervention
• legacy as raising strong, compassionate daughters

Stay tuned, stay focused, and stay motivated. Warriors, fall out

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We welcome Elaine Venez Whitehead, a veteran, spouse, Guard behavioral health officer, and LCSW, for a clear-eyed look at military families, hidden stress, and the resource map that too often stays invisible. We talk resilience without clichés, practical help for spouses and kids, and what growth looks like after hard truths.

• veteran-to-social-worker journey and mission
• what an LCSW does and why it matters
• Guard behavioral health and readiness roles
• realities behind the curtain for spouses and kids
• the tribe model for support and access to care
• unseen stressors in relationships and reintegration
• abuse, stigma, and how to seek safe help
• school-based supports and USO community resources
• special education insights on behavior and emotion
• education, translation of MOS, and transition gaps
• concrete programs like Zero 800 and Operation Purple
• owning mistakes, building structure, and consistent growth

For everyone else out there, Formation Nation, remember survivability starts with awareness, and sometimes the strongest warriors are the ones holding the home front together

Links for Eleni:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleni-venieris-whitehead-429890aa?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homegrownecho?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Veteran Resources:

 http://www.va.gov/

https://211la.org/

https://211sandiego.org/

https://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/services/outreach/vrc

https://dpss.lacounty.gov/en/community/veterans.html

https://www.campcorral.org/

https://www.militaryfamily.org/state-of-the-military-family-programs/operation-purple/operation-purple-camp/

https://www.uso.org/

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We sit down with Joshua “JMach” Mach to talk burnout, identity after service, and how honest conversations can save a life. From raising resilient kids to setting standards in mentorship and sobriety, we unpack what it means to lead at home and in the community.

• asking twice to get real answers
• social media masks versus real burnout
• redefining success around family and service
• boundaries with content, algorithms and rest
• values stack of God, country, family
• feeling alone while carrying others’ burdens
• parenting for resilience not comfort
• mentoring standards and meeting halfway
• service identity without combat experience
• therapy, sobriety and doing the work
• tracing trauma back to childhood
• authenticity costs and protecting sanity
• legacy as giving back and staying humble

Make sure you follow Joshua on Instagram, YouTube, JMach Podcast. Go to www.JmachPodcast.org or find him on all social media at "JMach Podcast."

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