How to Turn Pain Into Strength Instead of Letting It Break You
Release Date: 04/12/2025
The Hardest Battle Was Coming Home | Craig Harrison on War, PTSD & Life After the British Army
Next Level Guy
The Hardest Battle Was Coming Home | Craig Harrison on War, PTSD & Life After the British Army ““The world knows the shot. But the hardest battle was learning how to live after the war.”” The world knows Craig Harrison for the longest confirmed sniper shot in military history. But the real story begins after the war — when the mission ends and a man has to rebuild his identity from scratch. Soldiers train for war. Very few are trained for what happens when the war ends. And you don’t have to be a soldier to recognise that feeling — the moment when the mission that...
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Win the Decade, Not just the Round | Redefining Success in BJJ
Next Level Guy
“You’re not in competition with anybody — you’re just trying to get better than the person that walked in on day one.” What if the reason you’re burning out, getting injured, or quietly losing confidence… isn’t your age — but the way you define success? Most men step on the mat trying to prove something. They leave years later either broken, bitter, or gone entirely. Most men don’t quit Jiu-Jitsu because they’re too old — they quit because their ego can’t handle not winning. This week with Rick Ellis, we break down why recovery is training, why intensity isn’t...
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Loneliness Isn’t a Flaw: A Psychologist Explains the Signal Most Men Ignore
Next Level Guy
I recorded an episode this week that stayed with me long after we stopped recording. I sat down with James K. Ellis, a clinical psychologist known as The Loneliness Doctor, and we talked about something a lot of men feel but rarely say out loud — that quiet, gnawing sense of not quite fitting, even when life looks fine from the outside. One of the biggest shifts from this conversation was realising that loneliness isn’t a personal failure. It’s not proof that you’re broken. It’s a signal — information your system is giving you about connection, meaning, and how your life is...
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Real Confidence Is Built When You’re Under Pressure
Next Level Guy
How to build Real Confidence through Pressure | Discipline, Fatigue & Mastery with Owen Livesey “You don’t rise to the occasion — you default to whatever you’ve trained when you’re exhausted.” — Owen Livesey What if the reason most men fail isn’t talent, technique, or motivation — but their inability to stay consistent when nobody’s watching? 🎙️ Meet Owen Livesey — world-class pressure grappler, former elite judoka, and coach known for breaking opponents with simplicity, fatigue, and control rather than flashy techniques. In this conversation, Owen Livesey...
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Why Learning Butchery Builds Real Confidence (Skill, Control & Self-Reliance)
Next Level Guy
Primal Eats: How Learning to Butcher Meat Builds Confidence, Skill, and Control in all areas of your life! “Confidence doesn’t come from talent — it comes from repetition, patience, and knowing what you’re doing when it matters.” Welcome to 'The Next Level Guy Podcast', a show built around one mission: helping men rebuild themselves from the ground up. We cover 🧩 Identity 🔥 Emotional Mastery ⛓️ Discipline ⚙️ Capability 💪 Physical Mastery 🎯 Purpose and so much more. What if one of the most expensive mistakes you’re making with food has nothing to...
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How Pressure Forces You to Find Your Purpose
Next Level Guy
From Self-Doubt to World Stage: Andy Black on Pressure, Purpose & Progress “What if the people hyping you up are the very reason you’re stuck? You don’t need hype — you need people honest enough to tell you when you can do better.” What does real strength look like when the hype is stripped away? In this episode of The Next Level Guy Podcast, I sit down with elite Scottish strongman and World’s Strongest Man competitor Andy Black to talk about what actually drives long-term progress — in training, performance, and life. Meet Andy Black — elite Scottish strongman and...
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How Champions Build Mental Toughness Under Pressure
Next Level Guy
Michael "The Monster" Todd: Faith, Grit & Finding Your Way Back “Mediocrity disgusts me. Being normal never made sense.” — Michael “The Monster” Todd 🎙️ Meet Michael “The Monster” Todd — world champion arm wrestler, founder of The Monster Factory, and proof that grit, faith, and consistency can turn pain into power. Level Up with the Show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/michaelthemonstertodd230/ This isn’t just about arm wrestling — it’s about what it takes to rebuild yourself when life breaks you. Michael “The Monster” Todd has faced shattered bones,...
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The White Belt in Your Head Is Holding Back Your Progress
Next Level Guy
The White Belt in Your Head: Overcoming Self-Doubt at Every Level “You can’t have negative self-talk while someone’s trying to strangle you.” — Daniel Schuardt Level Up with the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/danielschuardt229/ 🎙️ What if the secret to silencing your inner critic… was letting someone try to strangle you? Today, Daniel Schuardt joins me to talk ego death, imposter syndrome, and how getting choked can actually change your life. 🎙️ Meet Daniel Schuardt — elite jiu-jitsu black belt, ADCC veteran, and creator of The Man Child, whose mix...
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Stop Making Dumb Mistakes in BJJ – Train Smarter, Progress Faster
Next Level Guy
BJJ Ain't that hard; Stop over-complicating it! “BJJ isn’t that hard — people just make it hard by chasing fluff. If you focus on movement and fundamentals, everything else falls into place.” What if Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu isn’t actually that hard? My guest today says the problem isn’t the art itself — it’s the way we’ve been taught to overcomplicate it. Meet Randy William — BJJ black belt, police officer, and straight-talking coach who’s on a mission to cut through the fluff and show you why “BJJ isn’t that hard.” From teaching as a...
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What Sheepdogs Teach About Leadership, Responsibility & Control
Next Level Guy
The Shepherd's Code: Leadership, Legacy, and Life with Working Dogs 💬 “They’re not forced to work — they live for it. A dog without purpose isn’t happy, and I don’t think people are any different.” Level Up with the show-notes at: In a world chasing hacks and highlight reels, there’s one man who never left the land. Sean Hannah — better known as Sean the Sheepman — has built more than a following. He’s built a legacy. This isn’t just about sheepdogs — it’s about leadership, loss, loyalty, and what it means to live with purpose. This one’s...
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#218 Cracked Open – Carly Wopat on Turning Pain Into Purpose!
🎙️ Meet Carly Wopat — Athlete. Fighter. Soul-Seeker.
"Every time I’ve gone through something difficult, it’s cracked me open—and from that space, something new could grow."
— Carly Wopat
What happens when everything you thought defined you—athlete, twin, high achiever—is suddenly gone?
For Carly Wopat, the answer wasn’t to break. It was to rebuild.
After the devastating loss of her twin sister, Carly didn’t just survive—she started a relentless journey of transformation. From volleyball stardom to the deep introspection of breathwork, from raw grief to the mental and physical grind of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and firefighting, Carly has reinvented herself time and time again. Every challenge became a doorway to another version of who she could be.
You can review the show-notes at: https://www.nextlevelguy.com/carlywopat218/
Carly Wopat is no stranger to pressure. A former U.S. National Team volleyball player and 3-time First-Team All-American at Stanford, Carly excelled at the highest level of sport while earning a degree in Human Biology. But it was personal tragedy—not podiums—that would shape the most important chapter of her life.
In the years since, Carly has become a hybrid athlete and a force of nature. From boxing and BJJ to trail running and earning the Top Recruit Award in fire academy, she’s proof that strength isn't just built in the gym—it's built in the moments you choose to keep going. Whether she’s coaching, competing, or serving her community as a firefighter, Carly brings a rare blend of heart, grit, and wisdom to everything she does.
In this episode, Carly shares her powerful story—of loss, resilience, reinvention, and what it means to live a life of real impact. If you’re navigating change, chasing purpose, or trying to find your way through pain, this one’s for you.
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