Libsyn Directory

27. Living Proof That Recovery Is Possible with Nicole DePalma-Carson

Release Date: 07/06/2021

229: Why Transition Is So Hard — And What Veterans Can Teach Us About Purpose and Identity with Matt Smith

Warriors Unmasked

The hardest battles don’t always happen in combat. For Major General (Ret.) Matt Smith, the real challenge began after the uniform came off. After 32 years of service leading thousands in high-stakes environments, he found himself facing a different kind of question, Who am I now? This conversation goes beyond leadership and into something much deeper. It’s about what happens when your identity has been built around purpose, structure, and mission… and then suddenly, all of that changes. Matt shares what it actually feels like to transition out of military life, why so many veterans...

228: When You Can’t Carry It Anymore: A Marine’s Story of Burnout, Surrender, and Healing with Keith Cole

Warriors Unmasked

There’s a point where pushing through just doesn’t work anymore. For Keith Cole, that moment didn’t come in combat. It came decades later — after war, loss, responsibility, and years of carrying more than anyone could see. A Vietnam Marine veteran, CPA, husband, and provider, Keith spent over 50 years holding it all together… until one night, alone in his office, everything finally broke. This episode is about what happens when the weight becomes too much to carry, and what can happen when you finally let it go. Keith shares his journey from combat and trauma to decades of silent...

227: The Cost of War, The Power of Truth: Sean Martin on Trauma, Healing, and Finding His Voice Through Music

Warriors Unmasked

What happens when you come home from war… but your mind doesn’t? Sean Martin didn’t just serve in the military, he went searching for meaning, purpose, and truth at the highest level. What he found came with a cost. After his service, he was left navigating PTSD, disillusionment, and a reality that no longer felt like home. This conversation goes beyond the surface of “life after service.” It explores what it actually feels like to carry those experiences, the internal battles that follow, and the long road back to clarity. Sean shares how he moved from self-medication and breakdown...

226: How Eric Mazzeo Rebuilt His Life and Now Leads the Next Generation

Warriors Unmasked

Sometimes the life you’re living doesn’t feel like your own. Before becoming a leader in youth substance use prevention, Eric Mazzeo was stuck in a cycle he couldn’t break: addiction, jail, loss, and a constant battle with himself. On the outside, he came from a good home and had real opportunities. On the inside, he was overwhelmed with fear, anxiety, and a deep sense of not feeling like he belonged. What changed wasn’t one single moment. It was a decision to try something different when everything else had failed. In this conversation, Eric shares what it really looks like to live...

225: What Happens When You’re Forced to Fight for Your Own Life? Shannon Ivey on Self-Advocacy and Survival

Warriors Unmasked

When Shannon Ivey was diagnosed with late-stage colorectal cancer at 42, she was a single mom in a new city with no built-in support system. What followed wasn’t just a medical battle. It was a crash course in self-advocacy, resilience, and learning how to navigate a system that wasn’t designed for someone in her position. In this episode, Shannon shares what it really looks like to face a life-threatening diagnosis while holding everything else together. From recognizing the symptoms she almost dismissed, to building her own medical team, to making the decision to fight when she wasn’t...

224: How to Finally Build Confidence with Simone Knego

Warriors Unmasked

Confidence is often seen as something you either have or don’t. But what if that’s not true at all? Simone Knego has spent years helping women unpack the stories that keep them stuck in self-doubt, overthinking, and the constant pressure to be “more.” In this conversation, she shares how confidence isn’t built through perfection, achievement, or external validation — it’s built by learning to trust yourself exactly as you are. Chuck and Simone dive into the hidden patterns that quietly shape how we see ourselves, why so many high-achieving women still feel “not enough,” and...

223: Healing From the Inside Out — Trauma, the Body, and the Power to Recover with Bob Ross

Warriors Unmasked

What if the body already knows how to heal, and the missing piece is learning how to get out of its way? Bob Ross has spent a lifetime at the intersection of science, medicine, emergency response, and human potential. With a background in physics, medical research, and decades of hands-on experience helping people survive trauma, Bob has seen firsthand how unresolved emotional shock can quietly shape physical health, behavior, and identity. In this episode, Bob Ross and Chuck Thuss explore the deep connection between emotional trauma and the body’s biological responses. From cancer research...

222: A Second Chance at Life — Identity, Resilience, and Rebuilding After Hockey with Robert Pallante

Warriors Unmasked

Losing your way can sometimes be the beginning of finding who you really are. Robert Pallante’s life revolved around hockey from a young age. Growing up in the Toronto area, he played at the highest levels, earned a college scholarship, and chased the dream so many young athletes believe defines them. But when his hockey journey didn’t unfold the way he expected, Rob was left struggling with identity, confidence, and unanswered questions that followed him long after he left the game. Years later, a near-fatal motorcycle accident forced Robert into stillness, reflection, and a complete...

221: When the Uniform Comes Off — Identity, Purpose, and Hope After Service with Jeremy Stalnecker

Warriors Unmasked

When the mission ends, the questions often begin. Jeremy Stalnecker spent years building his identity around service, leadership, and responsibility as a United States Marine infantry officer. But when combat ended and the uniform came off, Jeremy found himself facing a different kind of battle, one marked by anger, isolation, loss of identity, and a quiet belief that he was completely alone. This episode traces Jeremy’s journey from combat leadership to personal collapse, and ultimately to clarity. Through painful self-reflection, accountability, faith, and community, Jeremy discovered that...

220: Thriving by Choice — How to Rewrite Your Story with Rand Selig

Warriors Unmasked

What if thriving wasn’t about having more, but about choosing differently? Rand Selig has spent a lifetime studying growth, leadership, relationships, and what it truly means to live well. With decades of global experience in business, service, and personal development, Rand believes thriving is not accidental. It’s the result of intentional choices made over time. This episode explores how self-reflection, forgiveness, resilience, and personal responsibility shape the quality of our lives. Through thoughtful dialogue, Rand Selig and Chuck Thuss unpack why thriving starts with the...

More Episodes

Welcome back to Worries Unmasked! Wow, are you in for a power-packed episode today.

As soon as you hit play, we want to introduce you to a woman whose journey is unfortunately all too common in the world today...a story of how childhood sexual abuse led to a young life of self-medication, addiction, lies, and isolation.

However, the story doesn’t end there.

In this episode, get to know our guest Nicole DePalma-Carson! Nicole is a recovering addict, sexual assault survivor, wife, and mother of two boys, and community recovery specialist at Dream Life Recovery.

Hear Nicole’s incredible journey of going from a blur of drugs and drinking anything to numb the pain, to a life of service, gratitude and helping others get free. This episode will leave you with goosebumps from head to toe and the hope you need to get through any dark day on your journey.

If you know someone who has a similar journey to Nicole or anyone who needs to hear this story, please share this episode with them and be sure to check out the links below!

Always in your corner,

Chuck and Clint

More Of What’s Inside:

The results of growing up too fast
Numbing yourself from the good and the bad
Breaking free from the shame
Healing after sexual abuse
What happens when you choose self-forgiveness
Beating the inner voices and self chatter
The time commitment of sobriety
The importance of self-check ins
Getting to know yourself after addiction
And much more!

GUEST LINKS:

LINKS:

Episode Minute By Minute:

0:02 What to expect today
2:12 Conversation starts: Get to know Nicole
12:12 When Nicole had her first son
14:41 The journey of losing yourself
17:48 Why Nicole found it important to forgive
22:08 Winning the battle of your mind
28:47 What withdraws are actually like
31:23 When Nicole knew it was time to make a change
44:21 How to connect with Nicole
48:00 Finding your hobbies

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