Service, Surviving & Thriving

Starting From Scratch To Build A Place Worth Belonging To

A farm can be just land, or it can become a magnet for connection. We sit down with Donnie, a former trucking-world colleague who’s now the force behind Kraby Farm Bog, a mud bogging weekend in Brook Park that has grown from a friends-only hangout into a full-blown community event with a stage, bands, camping, and hundreds of attendees. Donnie shares the real reason it works: the kind of people it attracts, the relationships that form over time, and the pride he takes in doing it in a way that respects the place and the crowd. We also go personal. Donnie talks about raising four sons into independent adults and why that success can still feel bittersweet when you miss seeing them as much. From there, we dig into giving and service, including his efforts to help a friend recover from a housing deal gone wrong. The conversation turns to expectations, grudges, and why “expectations are a happiness killer” if you want more peace in your day-to-day life. Then we get into health and habits. Donnie explains his experience with type 2 diabetes, what didn’t change for him on medication, and what he says changed quickly once he committed to a carnivore approach, including how he eats, how his energy feels, and why satiety matters for metabolic health. We close with a simple spiritual lens, plus a segment where we reflect back how the people closest to Donnie describe him, and what that reveals about building a life that brings others along. If you like thoughtful conversations about community, personal growth, parenting, volunteering, and health mindset shifts, hit subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review. What part of Donnie’s story stuck with you most? 0:00 Welcome And Guest Backstory 0:26 Karaoke Roots And Favorite Song 1:45 Krabby Farm Bog Starts Small 7:03 Raising Four Sons Into Adulthood 9:40 Giving That Cannot Be Repaid 12:15 Expectations As A Happiness Killer 15:31 Carnivore Diet And Diabetes Turnaround 24:05 Spiritual Beliefs And Feeling Awe 25:16 How Others See Donnie 28:18 What He Hopes Grandkids Learn 30:31 Emergency Response Work Today 31:44 Senior Living Fundraiser Announcement 32:27 Closing Thanks

Still Waters Build Strong Men

A dream is like a river, and Shaun Joy has actually lived that line. We sit down as old high school friends and trace how an outdoors-first kid from rural Minnesota becomes a man who’s guided thousands of hours on the water, survived the oil fields, and built a career in construction GPS and heavy equipment technology sales without losing his sense of wonder. Along the way, Shaun shares the mindset that keeps him moving: expect the unexpected, give credit to every stop behind you, and treat every so-called failure like paid training.  We go deep on faith and awe, including why Alaska hit him so hard and how nature helps him feel grounded, present, and clear. We also unpack the fork-in-the-road choices so many of us face: chasing money, chasing approval, or choosing the path that actually fits your values and your family. If you’re wrestling with a toxic job, feeling stuck in comparison, or questioning what the “good life” even is, this conversation offers a practical reset built on gratitude, courage, and time.  Shaun also gets real about habits and integrity, including his decision to rethink alcohol because routine can quietly become a trap. We talk about self-trust, small daily decisions, and why being fully present with your kids and your people matters more than any checklist. If this hit home, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave a review with the one choice you’re making to swim upstream. 0:00 Song Choice And River Metaphor 2:29 Roots Sisters And Early Mentors 5:34 Alaska Faith And Bigger Worlds 8:59 High School To Podcast Courage 12:38 Big Fish And Choosing Growth 22:35 Guiding Handshakes And People Skills 31:26 Career Switches From Retail To Road 39:50 Oil Fields Love And Risk 49:13 GPS Tech Career And Family Priorities 56:08 Loss Gratitude And The Good Life 1:01:30 Church Service And Taking Kids Fishing 1:04:55 Alcohol Self-Trust And Small Decisions 1:13:25 How Friends Describe Sean 1:21:06 Presence Conversation And Closing Wisdom 1:30:09 Goodbye And Final Toast

Saving Myself One Small Decision At A Time - Arin

A craving isn’t always “I want a drink” so much as “I don’t want to feel this.” Arin gets brutally honest about what alcohol did for him at first, what it started costing him, and what changed when he decided enough was enough. With more than 200 days sober, he walks us through the emotional roots of drinking, the triggers that still show up, and the small decision that matters most in the moment: pause before you react. We talk about the real mechanics of alcohol addiction recovery, not the highlight-reel version. Aaron describes stress cravings, feeling disrespected, and the mental tug-of-war that can hit out of nowhere, then shares the coping skills he learned in treatment that help him reset. We also get into AA and NA, why “addiction is addiction,” and how the idea of a higher power can be personal and nonjudgmental. If you’ve ever felt weird about meetings, rehab, or asking for help, this conversation gives you language that makes it feel reachable. The story expands into faith, family trauma, and rebuilding identity after survival mode. Aaron opens up about setting boundaries, the slow path toward forgiveness, and using self-affirmations to change his inner voice. We also pivot to purpose and community: his axe-throwing venture as a sober way to have fun, and his long-term dream of building a homeless shelter because he knows that struggle firsthand. If you’re working on sobriety, supporting someone who is, or trying to build a better life from a hard past, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review with the one tool that helps you stay steady. 0:00 Welcome And Aaron's Sobriety Reset 0:13 Why "Dear Alcohol" Hits Home 4:15 Cravings, Triggers, And The Pause 6:13 A Sunday Morning Wake Up Call 10:20 Inside Treatment: Skills That Stick 12:28 AA, NA, And Higher Power 21:20 Starting Young And Finding Real Friends 23:47 Family Pain And Boundaries For Now 30:37 Faith Means Taking The Next Step 41:16 Axe Throwing As Sober Fun 44:08 How Others See Aaron Now 50:43 Affirmations And Reparenting Your Mind 56:31 Why A Homeless Shelter Matters 59:04 Final Reflections And Gratitude

Service, Surviving & Thriving

Some people come home from war and never fully come down from the adrenaline. Cody Knox knows that feeling from the inside. He joined the military at 17, became a combat medic, deployed to Iraq as a teenager, then chased the same intensity in EMS and nursing, all while trying to outrun what he had seen and what he felt. Along the way, alcohol became the most reliable switch in the room, until it stopped being a choice and started being survival. We talk about what reintegration really looks like when nobody teaches coping skills, when there are no debriefings after the worst calls, and when trauma follows you through a small town you cannot avoid. Cody opens up about a bipolar diagnosis, self-medicating, and the moments that pushed his drinking into freefall. He also shares what actually helped: treatment, veteran community, relapse lessons, and a sober mindset built on boundaries like sleep, food, and slowing down. If you care about veteran mental health, PTSD, EMS burnout, nurse addiction recovery, and trauma-informed care, this conversation puts language to what often stays hidden. We also get into meaning: choosing happiness over pleasure, rebuilding identity when people miss the “fun” version of you, and how to support first responders with specific, human gestures that land. Cody explains why peer support matters, including nurse-focused recovery spaces, and why checking on veterans hits differently during heavy news cycles. If this resonates, subscribe, share it with someone in healthcare or the military community, and leave a review so more people find it. What is one boundary you could set this week to protect your mind? 0:00 Welcome And Hard-Won Perspective 0:35 A Song That Holds A Memory 1:45 Why He Joined At Seventeen 6:54 Recon Life And Iraq Deployment 11:22 Coming Home Without Coping Skills 12:35 Bipolar Diagnosis And Self-Medicating 14:25 EMS As Purpose And Belonging 17:23 The Calls That Never Leave You 21:50 How Drinking Took Over 28:59 Malibu Rehab And Choosing Nursing 35:50 Relapse And Healing With Veterans 37:58 Happiness Over Pleasure Plus Boundaries 46:30 Nursing Trauma And Facing Death 54:40 How To Support First Responders 56:36 War News And Social Media Overload 1:01:53 Overstimulation And Losing Yourself 1:07:21 North Star And Daily Persistence 1:11:12 Faith And Why We Are Here 1:12:33 The Words Others See In Him 1:17:52 Veteran Suicide Ruck And Nurse Support 1:22:43 Hopes For His Future Grandkids

Showing Up Rewires Your Mood And Mindset - Seth

Your morning routine might be the most powerful mood lever you have, and Seth has proof in his own life. We talk about what happens when you miss the gym for a few days, how fast your mindset can slide, and why a simple “keep showing up” philosophy can beat hype every time. Along the way, we get into the real work of changing your inner voice by curating what you listen to, what you practice, and what you repeatedly tell yourself when results are not showing up yet. Seth also opens up about fatherhood after a long infertility journey, what it means to be steady for your partner, and how growing up without knowing his biological dad shaped him without defining him. We dig into the “village” idea of role models, why wrestling builds a different kind of discipline than school ever did, and how that grit translates into sustainable fitness, identity-based habits, and a healthier relationship with mistakes. Then we go full health and curiosity mode: peptide therapy like BPC-157 for injury recovery, mind-muscle connection, genetic tradeoffs, and why the gym is mental health maintenance more than a mirror. We also talk about drinking less without turning it into a shame story, plus a wild spirituality rabbit hole that touches Bob Lazar and the importance of staying open to new evidence. If you got something from this conversation, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review so more people can find Supernaut. 0:00 Motivation Speeches And Self Talk 13:53 Meeting Seth And Contagious Energy 14:42 Six Years Trying For Kids 15:58 What Fatherhood Changes In You 17:39 Growing Up Without Knowing Dad 22:52 The Village That Raised Him 28:11 Time Money And Anti Aging 30:21 Wrestling Built Discipline For Life 37:47 Peptides And Healing A Torn Calf 44:53 Mind Muscle Connection And Genetics 48:50 Gym As Mental Health Baseline 53:18 Coaching Kids With Tailored Support 1:05:23 Health Buzz From Peptides To RFK 1:06:41 Drinking Less And The Real Why 1:15:23 Aliens Faith And Staying Open 1:25:30 The Words Friends Use For Seth 1:29:46 Insurance Work And Networking Group 1:30:36 Final Questions On Family Legacy