Libsyn Directory

47. The Gift Of Gratitude: A Conversation with Chuck and Clint

Release Date: 11/23/2021

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 Warriors Unmasked! If you are like us, Thanksgiving and this time of year is about more than just turkey, traveling, and family traditions. It’s a time to reflect on all the things we’re thankful for in this life.

This week in honor of the Holiday we decided to take a different approach to our episode. Instead of introducing you to another incredible guest, we want to invite you to grab your favorite Thanksgiving snack or drink and join us at “the table” for a conversation about gratitude and thankfulness.

Looking back at our past guests there’s a recurring theme that we’ve noticed. No matter how down and out, how much they struggled, or the trauma that our guests had experienced, they were always thankful for where their journey led them. In our opinion, this isn’t a coincidence. Gratefulness is one of the strongest tools you have in your mental toolbox! Listen in as we share our own experience with thankfulness and how taking as little as ten minutes a day to focus on gratitude has changed our lives.

We also want to take a moment today and honor the people who have helped mold us into the men we are today, the gift this show has given us, and the amazing guests we’ve had the honor of talking to. You’ll hear about comparison and the joy it can rob you of, as well as some tips to find thankfulness in any scenario you find yourself in. We know the holidays are not easy for everyone, but our hope is that this episode can give you just a little comfort, companionship, and encouragement to find something you are grateful for in your life.

So hit play, pull up a chair (or an earbud), sit back, and join the conversation.

PS: Creating this show for our listeners, for YOU, is one of the things we are most grateful for.

Always in your corner,

Chuck and Clint

More Of What’s Inside:

Why you should start a gratitude journal
Intentionally taking time to give thanks
Shedding the mask of being “strong”
Being thankful for the small things
The importance of staying away from comparison
Finding thankfulness no matter what
Becoming vulnerable to help serve others
Why kindness is so important
Being grateful for the people in your life
Our gratitude towards YOU
And much more!

LINKS:

Episode Minute By Minute:

0:02 - What we cover today!
1:31 - The power of gratitude
3:20 - How gratitude journaling changed our lives
5:47 - A great way to change perspective
7:28 - The magic of Thanksgiving in the U.S.
9:57 - Finding gratefulness during the holidays
13:20 - How comparison kills gratitude
17:50 - Gratitude’s impact on making tough decisions
20:51 - The people who got us here today
26:13 - Closing thoughts

TOPICS