Chris Albert Palmitessa and Albert Carrasco discuss measures they've taken to deal with past trauma, raise their self confidence, and present their authentic selves to those around them. 

This is more of a rant than anything. We all face obstacles no matter who we are, and they only get more difficult the more we accomplish. 

I haven't done an episode in a bit, so I thought I'd update you guys on where I'm at. I recently purchased a second property, which is a big deal for me because just a few short years ago, I thought owning any property would never happen for me. 

Ernest Hemingway is both an icon of American literature and widely considered to be the epitome of a man's man. On top of being an accomplished hunter and fisherman, Hemingway was a boxer. He served in World War I as an ambulance driver, and was present at Normandy on D-Day during World War II as a war correspondent. 

Hemingway is also known for his alcoholism and the tragedy of his life. He was married five times, and he died by his own hand. 

What many people don't know, is that Hemingway suffered from 9 concussions throughout his life. This is in addition to being hit in the head countless times as a boxer, and being in proximity to numerous explosions during his service in World War I. 

This created a downward spiral that eventually left Hemingway unable to write a sentence.

With obvious parallels between the life of Hemingway and those of so many Veterans, I thought it important to discuss this Hemingway's TBI's on this podcast. 

A lot of us are stuck where we don't want to be because we have never taken the first step toward getting to be somewhere better. 

Rob Hyde is a US Marine Corps Veteran and business owner from Connecticut. He is currently running for US Senate. 

In this episdoe, we discuss Rob's service in the Marine Corps, his volunteer work to help Veterans, and why he's choosing to run for Senate. 

One of the biggest mistakes we make is waiting for the proper time to start. 

Kelsi Sheren is a combat veteran of the Canadian Army as well as the founder and CEO of Brass and Unity. 

Kelsi has been very public about her battle with PTSD. She began Brass and Unity as an art therapy project to put her mind off of the pain of losing friends in battle. 

Kelsi and Chris met at the Warrior Angels Foundation 4x4x48. Kelsi became connected to the Warrior Angels Foundation through the Heroic Hearts Project, which sponsored a healing Ayhuasca plant medicine journey she took. 

One of Kelsi's major concerns as of recent times are the increased government imposed limits on free speech and other rights in Canada. 

To learn more about Brass and Unity: https://brassandunity.com/pages/our-story

To listen to the Brass and Unity Podcast: https://brassandunity.com/pages/podcast

To follow Kelsi: https://www.instagram.com/brassandunity/

In August 2021, Lt. Col. Stu Scheller made a video that went viral and rocked the Marine Corps. Amidst the US Military's disastrous pullout from Afghanistan, and after the deaths of 13 service members, including 11 Marines, due to a suicide bomber, Scheller made a video demanding accountability from senior leaders for the failures of the US withdrawal. 

In the aftermath of this video, Scheller was relieved of command from his position as the battalion commander of the Advanced Infantry Training Batallion at the School of Infantry - East at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. 

Following this, Scheller posted several more videos criticizing Marine Corps leadership, and calling for accountability from the Presidents and Generals who oversaw the war in Afghanistan. 

Scheller, a combat Veteran with multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, was sent to the brig for defying a gag order. He remained there for eight days until a plea deal was struck. 

Lt. Col Scheller's story has been widely told. In this interview, I wanted to discuss what he is up to now. Scheller has since left the Marine Corps, and has created Authentic Americans which is "a virtual town hall where independent thinkers can network, think, and discuss critical issues facing the American representative democracy across all political ideologies, ethnicities, classes, and religions." Its goal is to reunite the United States. 

In this discussion, we also talk about the immense pressure Stu was placed under for criticizing the Administration, what his family was put through, and how he got through it. 

You can follow Stu on Instagram at www.instagram.com/stuartscheller

And you can catch up with Authentic Americans at www.authenticamericans.com. 

In addition to his music, Eric is fascinated with the art of story telling, and ran a popular live podcast called Uncle Scotchy's Storytelling in Miami. 

Eric is currently working on a one man performance he terms as a blues opera and will be performing it live in Miami. 

Eric is also a United States Army Veteran. Follow Eric on Instagram at www.instagram.com/unclescotchy

Kegan Gill has been through things that would kill most people. As a US Navy Fighter Pilot, Kegan was forced to eject into the sound barrier as his plane was going down during a training exercise over the Atlantic Ocean. 

In the process of ejecting, Kegan sustained catastrophic injuries that literally ripped his limbs apart along with a severe traumatic brain injury. 

His body landed in the ice cold waters of the Atlantic, and his wet suit had ripped open. With his parachute still attached, and unable to move his arms, Kegan was continuously dunked into the freezing water for two hours before his rescue. Luckily, his hypothermic condition kept him from bleeding to death. 

Kegan spent the following months focusing on his recovery, and despite his catastrophic injuries, was eventually able to score a perfect PFT and was able to return to flight duty. 

But his battle was not over. Due to his traumatic brain injury, Kegan began to experience severe, but temporary, psychosis. After being rushed to the emergency room during a psychotic episode, Kegan was admitted to a VA Mental Health Facility. 

Kegan did not react well to pharmaceutical treatments, and in many ways, they made him feel worse. After explaining this to his caregivers, they treated him as a trouble maker, and began doing things like keeping him up all night long by flashing a flashlight in his eyes every 15 minutes. 

Kegan has since been seeking alternative treatments for his brain health. He found the Warrior Angels Foundation several months ago and is on the path to recovery through nuttracutical and hormonal interventions. 

I caught up with Kegan in person at the Warrior Angels Foundation 4X4X48 in Texas. As he told me his story, my jaw hit the floor. In addition to fighting for his health, Kegan is also fighting to maintain his family. He has a wife and two young children. 

This is one of the most mind-bending, jaw dropping, and inspiring episodes I've ever done, and I really appreciate Kegan for being so open.

If you are dealing with issues related to trauma, depression, brain health, or anything of the like, head over to www.warriorangelsfoundation.org to learn more. You can also donate to the cause of helping Veterans get their lives back.

On March 3-5, 2022, Veterans and supporters from across the country got together in the Houston National Forest for the inaugural Warrior Angels Foundation 4x4x48. We ran 4 miles, every 4 hours, for 48 hours through the forest, while camping. Along the way, we went through healing rituals with the Four World's International Institute and Chief Phil Lane of the Dakota and Chickasaw Nations. It was an amazing and transformative experience.

Learn more at http://www.warriorangelsfoundation.org. 

Emily Cherniack is steeped in the traditions of servant leadership. From her service in AmeriCorps and employment with City Year AmeriCorps, to being part of the founding team of Be the Change — where she led a coalition of over 200 organizations to engage 250,000 people for a Day of Action in support of the $6 billion Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009 — Emily has worked tirelessly to serve our country and support others who serve. In 2018, Emily was named to the Politico 50 as one of the 50 "thinkers, doers, and dreamers driving politics."

Emily’s path to politics came when her boss and mentor, Alan Khazei, decided to run for the US Senate in 2009. Khazei asked Emily to become his Deputy Campaign Manager and, although he was defeated, Emily learned a great deal from his campaign and the power of political leaders who chose to serve country before self.

This experience led Emily to conclude that our current system for recruiting political talent is broken. The current talent pipeline is intentionally exclusive, and has significant barriers that prevent transformational leaders from successfully running for office; the only way to change that is to change the pipeline. New Politics was founded in 2013 to address exactly that.

Emily graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology and a Masters Degree in Education Policy. She lives in Boston.

Disclaimer: All political views expressed by Emily during the podcast are hers and do not necessarily represent the views of the Warrior Soul Podcast or its Host. The Warrior Soul Podcast is not affiliated with any specific political party or perspective and merely seeks to bring tools, tactics, strategies, and ideas to the US Military Veteran Community to help its members to live their best lives. That mission entails bringing on guests from multiple political perspectives whether the Host agrees with them or not. It is our hope that anyone who disagrees with Emily can look past that to see the tools she brings to the table to help the Veteran community get more of its members into public office.  

Emily Cherniack is steeped in the traditions of servant leadership. From her service in AmeriCorps and employment with City Year AmeriCorps, to being part of the founding team of Be the Change — where she led a coalition of over 200 organizations to engage 250,000 people for a Day of Action in support of the $6 billion Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009 — Emily has worked tirelessly to serve our country and support others who serve. In 2018, Emily was named to the Politico 50 as one of the 50 "thinkers, doers, and dreamers driving politics."

Emily’s path to politics came when her boss and mentor, Alan Khazei, decided to run for the US Senate in 2009. Khazei asked Emily to become his Deputy Campaign Manager and, although he was defeated, Emily learned a great deal from his campaign and the power of political leaders who chose to serve country before self.

This experience led Emily to conclude that our current system for recruiting political talent is broken. The current talent pipeline is intentionally exclusive, and has significant barriers that prevent transformational leaders from successfully running for office; the only way to change that is to change the pipeline. New Politics was founded in 2013 to address exactly that.

Emily graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology and a Masters Degree in Education Policy. She lives in Boston.

Disclaimer: All political views expressed by Emily during the podcast are hers and do not necessarily represent the views of the Warrior Soul Podcast or its Host. The Warrior Soul Podcast is not affiliated with any specific political party or perspective and merely seeks to bring tools, tactics, strategies, and ideas to the US Military Veteran Community to help its members to live their best lives. That mission entails bringing on guests from multiple political perspectives whether the Host agrees with them or not. It is our hope that anyone who disagrees with Emily can look past that to see the tools she brings to the table to help the Veteran community get more of its members into public office.  

Emily Cherniack is steeped in the traditions of servant leadership. From her service in AmeriCorps and employment with City Year AmeriCorps, to being part of the founding team of Be the Change — where she led a coalition of over 200 organizations to engage 250,000 people for a Day of Action in support of the $6 billion Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009 — Emily has worked tirelessly to serve our country and support others who serve. In 2018, Emily was named to the Politico 50 as one of the 50 "thinkers, doers, and dreamers driving politics."

Emily’s path to politics came when her boss and mentor, Alan Khazei, decided to run for the US Senate in 2009. Khazei asked Emily to become his Deputy Campaign Manager and, although he was defeated, Emily learned a great deal from his campaign and the power of political leaders who chose to serve country before self.

This experience led Emily to conclude that our current system for recruiting political talent is broken. The current talent pipeline is intentionally exclusive, and has significant barriers that prevent transformational leaders from successfully running for office; the only way to change that is to change the pipeline. New Politics was founded in 2013 to address exactly that.

Emily graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology and a Masters Degree in Education Policy. She lives in Boston.

Disclaimer: All political views expressed by Emily during the podcast are hers and do not necessarily represent the views of the Warrior Soul Podcast or its Host. The Warrior Soul Podcast is not affiliated with any specific political party or perspective and merely seeks to bring tools, tactics, strategies, and ideas to the US Military Veteran Community to help its members to live their best lives. That mission entails bringing on guests from multiple political perspectives whether the Host agrees with them or not. It is our hope that anyone who disagrees with Emily can look past that to see the tools she brings to the table to help the Veteran community get more of its members into public office.  

Emily Cherniack is steeped in the traditions of servant leadership. From her service in AmeriCorps and employment with City Year AmeriCorps, to being part of the founding team of Be the Change — where she led a coalition of over 200 organizations to engage 250,000 people for a Day of Action in support of the $6 billion Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009 — Emily has worked tirelessly to serve our country and support others who serve. In 2018, Emily was named to the Politico 50 as one of the 50 "thinkers, doers, and dreamers driving politics."

Emily’s path to politics came when her boss and mentor, Alan Khazei, decided to run for the US Senate in 2009. Khazei asked Emily to become his Deputy Campaign Manager and, although he was defeated, Emily learned a great deal from his campaign and the power of political leaders who chose to serve country before self.

This experience led Emily to conclude that our current system for recruiting political talent is broken. The current talent pipeline is intentionally exclusive, and has significant barriers that prevent transformational leaders from successfully running for office; the only way to change that is to change the pipeline. New Politics was founded in 2013 to address exactly that.

Emily graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology and a Masters Degree in Education Policy. She lives in Boston.

Disclaimer: All political views expressed by Emily during the podcast are hers and do not necessarily represent the views of the Warrior Soul Podcast or its Host. The Warrior Soul Podcast is not affiliated with any specific political party or perspective and merely seeks to bring tools, tactics, strategies, and ideas to the US Military Veteran Community to help its members to live their best lives. That mission entails bringing on guests from multiple political perspectives whether the Host agrees with them or not. It is our hope that anyone who disagrees with Emily can look past that to see the tools she brings to the table to help the Veteran community get more of its members into public office.  

Emily Cherniack is steeped in the traditions of servant leadership. From her service in AmeriCorps and employment with City Year AmeriCorps, to being part of the founding team of Be the Change — where she led a coalition of over 200 organizations to engage 250,000 people for a Day of Action in support of the $6 billion Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009 — Emily has worked tirelessly to serve our country and support others who serve. In 2018, Emily was named to the Politico 50 as one of the 50 "thinkers, doers, and dreamers driving politics."

Emily’s path to politics came when her boss and mentor, Alan Khazei, decided to run for the US Senate in 2009. Khazei asked Emily to become his Deputy Campaign Manager and, although he was defeated, Emily learned a great deal from his campaign and the power of political leaders who chose to serve country before self.

This experience led Emily to conclude that our current system for recruiting political talent is broken. The current talent pipeline is intentionally exclusive, and has significant barriers that prevent transformational leaders from successfully running for office; the only way to change that is to change the pipeline. New Politics was founded in 2013 to address exactly that.

Emily graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology and a Masters Degree in Education Policy. She lives in Boston.

Disclaimer: All political views expressed by Emily during the podcast are hers and do not necessarily represent the views of the Warrior Soul Podcast or its Host. The Warrior Soul Podcast is not affiliated with any specific political party or perspective and merely seeks to bring tools, tactics, strategies, and ideas to the US Military Veteran Community to help its members to live their best lives. That mission entails bringing on guests from multiple political perspectives whether the Host agrees with them or not. It is our hope that anyone who disagrees with Emily can look past that to see the tools she brings to the table to help the Veteran community get more of its members into public office.  

Adam Kokesh is a Libertarian activist, author, Veteran, and candidate for President of the United States.

Adam has a long history of challenging the status quo of American Politics. This began with protesting the Iraq War with Iraq Veterans Against the War.

Some of his most notable protests have ended in his arrest. These include dancing in the Jefferson Memorial and loading a shotgun in Washington, DC’s Freedom Plaza.

We caught up with Adam as he's been homesteading on his ranch in Arizona. We spoke about psychedelics, the legalization of drugs, and other current events. 

To catch up with Adam's show The Freedom! Line head to https://odysee.com/@adamkokesh:2

From making music to doing stand-up comedy, Lee Smith is an entertainer’s entertainer. Born and raised in Miami, FL, Lee was placed in Gifted classes in Elementary school. Goofing off in class was an everyday thing, as he still completed his assignments. Elected as Class Clown, he knew that comedy was in the cards dealt to him. Unsure of what to do after high school, Lee enlisted in the US ARMY. From there, he formed lifetime bonds and connections with people. Once out of the military, Lee focused on music, honing his craft. Incorporating lyricism with humor, comedy would still play a role somehow. While watching “Funny People”, an epiphany was had; try doing stand-up comedy. If the people like it, the shift will be towards comedy. Fortunately he received a standing ovation during his first show. Within a year, Lee won the Turkey Fest competition at the Miami Improv. From writing to performing, there isn’t much Lee Smith can’t do to keep you entertained.

Candyce Haynes-Forrester, known professionally as Candyce, is an American comedian, professional speaker, broadcaster, producer, host and actress. She first gained recognition as a United States Marine Corps Combat Correspondent.  Her ability to deliver command messages and tell the stories of the men and women of the armed forces gained multiple awards including the Navy Achievement Medal.  Additionally she is known for her work in professional speaking and development working with her mentor Emmy Awarding motivational guru Les Brown. Candyce began her transition into mainstream comedy and broadcast having a wealth of knowledge and experience sharing stages with other industry titans. As a former active Marine, her high energy, positive outlook and hilarious storytelling will keep your audience engaged and wanting more.

In this interview: 

We discuss Candyce's story, her service in the Marine Corps, her entrepreneurial journey, and how she got into comedy. Candyce is probably one of the smartest people I've brought onto the show and she drops some serious knowledge bombs on this episode, so be sure to listen with a pen and a piece of paper!

To keep up with Candyce: