For the first time on the WTTA podcast, we’re joined by a researcher, and not just any researcher. Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with Kerri Raissian, Senior Research Scientist at the Yale School of Public Health’s Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative. Kerri shares her path from growing up on a cattle farm in Texas, to working in a district attorney’s office and running one of the largest domestic violence shelters in the country, to becoming a researcher focused on what actually reduces injury, trauma, and death. This conversation goes straight to the real tension points, without the usual talking past each other: <ul><li>The difference between reducing firearm deaths vs reducing overall deaths and why substitution matters</li><li>What gun owners worry about with ERPOs, and what it would take for policies to be trusted and usable</li><li>Why secure storage keeps showing up as a high-impact solution, including the reality of firearm theft from vehicles</li><li>How research funding changed after 2020 and why more universities are building firearm research initiatives now</li><li>Why storytelling and lived experience still matter even in data-driven policy work</li></ul>It’s candid, nuanced, and exactly what it looks like when the research community and firearm community sit at the same table and actually try to build answers together.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1269383/open_sms">Send a text</a><h1> <a href='https://walkthetalkamerica.org/'>Walk the Talk America</a> would like to thank our partners who make these conversations possible and would like to highlight our top two partner tiers below! Platinum Tier: <a href='https://www.ruger.com/'>Ruger</a> <a href='https://www.armscor.com/'>Armscor</a> <a href='https://bleeckerstreetpublications.com/'>Bleeker Street Publications</a> Gold Tier: <a href='https://nasgw.org/'>NASGW</a> <a href='https://www.lipseys.com/'>Lipsey&apos;s</a> <a href='https://www.davidsonsinc.com/'>Davidson&apos;s</a> </h1>

<description>&lt;p&gt;For the first time on the WTTA podcast, we’re joined by a researcher, and not just any researcher.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with &lt;b&gt;Kerri Raissian&lt;/b&gt;, Senior Research Scientist at the Yale School of Public Health’s Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative. Kerri shares her path from growing up on a cattle farm in Texas, to working in a district attorney’s office and running one of the largest domestic violence shelters in the country, to becoming a researcher focused on what actually reduces injury, trauma, and death.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This conversation goes straight to the real tension points, without the usual talking past each other:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;The difference between reducing firearm deaths vs reducing overall deaths and why substitution matters&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;What gun owners worry about with ERPOs, and what it would take for policies to be trusted and usable&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Why secure storage keeps showing up as a high-impact solution, including the reality of firearm theft from vehicles&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How research funding changed after 2020 and why more universities are building firearm research initiatives now&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Why storytelling and lived experience still matter even in data-driven policy work&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;It’s candid, nuanced, and exactly what it looks like when the research community and firearm community sit at the same table and actually try to build answers together.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1269383/open_sms"&gt;Send a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h1&gt; &lt;a href='https://walkthetalkamerica.org/'&gt;Walk the Talk America&lt;/a&gt; would like to thank our partners who make these conversations possible and would like to highlight our top two partner tiers below! &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Platinum Tier:&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.ruger.com/'&gt;Ruger&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.armscor.com/'&gt;Armscor&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://bleeckerstreetpublications.com/'&gt;Bleeker Street Publications&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Gold Tier:&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://nasgw.org/'&gt;NASGW&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.lipseys.com/'&gt;Lipsey&amp;apos;s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.davidsonsinc.com/'&gt;Davidson&amp;apos;s&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/h1&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

For the first time on the WTTA podcast, we’re joined by a researcher, and not just any researcher.   Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with Kerri Raissian, Senior Research Scientist at the Yale School of Public Health’s Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative. Kerri shares her path from growing up on a cattle farm in Texas, to working in a district attorney’s office and running one of the largest domestic violence shelters in the country, to becoming a researcher focused on what actually r...

Ep 164: Bridging the Gap: A Yale Researcher, Gun Owners, and What Actually Reduces Harm

In this episode of the Guns &amp; Mental Health podcast, Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with Charles Anderson, CEO in the firearms media world behind <a href='https://bleeckerstreetpublications.com/'>Bleeker Street Publications</a>, <a href='https://athlonoutdoors.com/'>Athlon Outdoors</a>, and its family of brands.What starts as a chance bar conversation at NASGW turns into a powerful, honest discussion about what it looks like to live with mental health struggles while building a high profile career. Charles shares his path from growing up poor in a wealthy New York town, to the high pressure brokerage world later portrayed in The Wolf of Wall Street, to venture capital, and eventually to becoming one of the most influential voices in firearms media.Along the way, he breaks down the reality of imposter syndrome, why “success” does not protect anyone from dark moments, and the coping framework that helped him survive when nothing else felt believable. Michael and Kevin connect the conversation to WTTA’s “Cause a Pause” mindset, and explore why the firearms industry has often been hesitant to engage tough topics like suicide prevention, and why that is finally changing.If you’ve ever looked successful on paper but felt like you were one bad day away from unraveling, this one is for you.Resources:If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 in the U.S. for the Suicide &amp; Crisis Lifeline. Chapters00:00 — Welcome and introductions01:10 — How Michael and Charles met at NASGW03:20 — The phrase that stopped Michael in his tracks04:10 — Charles’ background, Detroit and “keeping it real”05:30 — Normalizing mental health talk in gun culture06:40 — Growing up poor in a wealthy town07:40 — From teenage stockbroker to Wolf of Wall Street reality09:20 — Pressure, substance abuse, and the crash10:20 — 9/11 grief, New York’s collective trauma, and leaving for Michigan12:10 — First gun, training, and starting a blog13:40 — When the blog started outranking major gun companies14:50 — From agency life to running major publications16:20 — Why authenticity matters, especially in this industry18:10 — Imposter syndrome, image, and the pressure to “fit in”21:20 — Chat question, why so little 2A legal coverage in publications23:50 — Why “facts only” content struggles to get attention27:10 — Why the gun industry avoided mental health for so long31:40 — “You could kill yourself tomorrow”, what it really means35:10 — The link to addiction recovery and getting through the next minute38:30 — Why it works in conversation, but not as a slogan41:10 — Permission, options, and Dr. Conte’s framework44:30 — How imposter syndrome shows up, even during success48:10 — What helps, therapy, self-awareness, and catching it earlier57:40 — External “pull backs”, friends, helping others, and connection01:01:30 — The “doom scroll” problem and a surprising coping tool01:08:40 — The gambler mindset vs stability, and why some people must build01:17:30 — How Charles<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1269383/open_sms">Send a text</a><h1> <a href='https://walkthetalkamerica.org/'>Walk the Talk America</a> would like to thank our partners who make these conversations possible and would like to highlight our top two partner tiers below! Platinum Tier: <a href='https://www.ruger.com/'>Ruger</a> <a href='https://www.armscor.com/'>Armscor</a> <a href='https://bleeckerstreetpublications.com/'>Bleeker Street Publications</a> Gold Tier: <a href='https://nasgw.org/'>NASGW</a> <a href='https://www.lipseys.com/'>Lipsey&apos;s</a> <a href='https://www.davidsonsinc.com/'>Davidson&apos;s</a> </h1>

<description>&lt;p&gt;In this episode of the Guns &amp;amp; Mental Health podcast, Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with Charles Anderson, CEO in the firearms media world behind &lt;a href='https://bleeckerstreetpublications.com/'&gt;Bleeker Street Publications&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href='https://athlonoutdoors.com/'&gt;Athlon Outdoors&lt;/a&gt;, and its family of brands.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;What starts as a chance bar conversation at NASGW turns into a powerful, honest discussion about what it looks like to live with mental health struggles while building a high profile career. Charles shares his path from growing up poor in a wealthy New York town, to the high pressure brokerage world later portrayed in &lt;em&gt;The Wolf of Wall Street&lt;/em&gt;, to venture capital, and eventually to becoming one of the most influential voices in firearms media.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Along the way, he breaks down the reality of imposter syndrome, why “success” does not protect anyone from dark moments, and the coping framework that helped him survive when nothing else felt believable. Michael and Kevin connect the conversation to WTTA’s “Cause a Pause” mindset, and explore why the firearms industry has often been hesitant to engage tough topics like suicide prevention, and why that is finally changing.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you’ve ever looked successful on paper but felt like you were one bad day away from unraveling, this one is for you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Resources:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text &lt;b&gt;988&lt;/b&gt; in the U.S. for the Suicide &amp;amp; Crisis Lifeline.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chapters&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:00 — Welcome and introductions&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:10 — How Michael and Charles met at NASGW&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;03:20 — The phrase that stopped Michael in his tracks&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;04:10 — Charles’ background, Detroit and “keeping it real”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;05:30 — Normalizing mental health talk in gun culture&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;06:40 — Growing up poor in a wealthy town&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;07:40 — From teenage stockbroker to &lt;em&gt;Wolf of Wall Street&lt;/em&gt; reality&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;09:20 — Pressure, substance abuse, and the crash&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;10:20 — 9/11 grief, New York’s collective trauma, and leaving for Michigan&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;12:10 — First gun, training, and starting a blog&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;13:40 — When the blog started outranking major gun companies&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;14:50 — From agency life to running major publications&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;16:20 — Why authenticity matters, especially in this industry&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;18:10 — Imposter syndrome, image, and the pressure to “fit in”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;21:20 — Chat question, why so little 2A legal coverage in publications&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;23:50 — Why “facts only” content struggles to get attention&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;27:10 — Why the gun industry avoided mental health for so long&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;31:40 — “You could kill yourself tomorrow”, what it really means&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;35:10 — The link to addiction recovery and getting through the next minute&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;38:30 — Why it works in conversation, but not as a slogan&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;41:10 — Permission, options, and Dr. Conte’s framework&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;44:30 — How imposter syndrome shows up, even during success&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;48:10 — What helps, therapy, self-awareness, and catching it earlier&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;57:40 — External “pull backs”, friends, helping others, and connection&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:01:30 — The “doom scroll” problem and a surprising coping tool&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:08:40 — The gambler mindset vs stability, and why some people must build&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:17:30 — How Charles&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1269383/open_sms"&gt;Send a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h1&gt; &lt;a href='https://walkthetalkamerica.org/'&gt;Walk the Talk America&lt;/a&gt; would like to thank our partners who make these conversations possible and would like to highlight our top two partner tiers below! &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Platinum Tier:&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.ruger.com/'&gt;Ruger&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.armscor.com/'&gt;Armscor&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://bleeckerstreetpublications.com/'&gt;Bleeker Street Publications&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Gold Tier:&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://nasgw.org/'&gt;NASGW&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.lipseys.com/'&gt;Lipsey&amp;apos;s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.davidsonsinc.com/'&gt;Davidson&amp;apos;s&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/h1&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

In this episode of the Guns &amp; Mental Health podcast, Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with Charles Anderson, CEO in the firearms media world behind Bleeker Street Publications, Athlon Outdoors, and its family of brands. What starts as a chance bar conversation at NASGW turns into a powerful, honest discussion about what it looks like to live with mental health struggles while building a high profile career. Charles shares his path from growing up poor in a wealthy New York town, to...

EP 163: Causing a Pause for the High Performers with Charles Anderson

In this special episode, Kevin Berry sits down with Kerri Raissian, Senior Research Scientist at the Yale School of Public Health, Kenny Barlow from Regal Products, and WTTA founder Mike Sodini to recap a week that moved the conversation forward in meaningful ways. The National Research Conference for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms brought together researchers, public health leaders, industry partners, clinicians, and advocates who all share a common goal. Reduce negative outcomes and save lives.For the first time, WTTA and the ROOTS initiative were represented on the exhibitor floor. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Attendees were curious, supportive, and eager to learn how voluntary secure storage, mental health tools, and trusted community partnerships fit into the broader prevention landscape. Our team heard again and again how important it was to have firearm owners and industry voices present, willing to listen and willing to engage in good faith.In this conversation, we break down key themes from the conference, share insights from panels and hallway conversations, and talk about what it means when different perspectives finally have a chance to connect. This episode highlights why cultural understanding matters, what ROOTS is building, and how collaborations across disciplines can create practical, real-world solutions that help families, communities, and firearm owners.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1269383/open_sms">Send a text</a><h1> <a href='https://walkthetalkamerica.org/'>Walk the Talk America</a> would like to thank our partners who make these conversations possible and would like to highlight our top two partner tiers below! Platinum Tier: <a href='https://www.ruger.com/'>Ruger</a> <a href='https://www.armscor.com/'>Armscor</a> <a href='https://bleeckerstreetpublications.com/'>Bleeker Street Publications</a> Gold Tier: <a href='https://nasgw.org/'>NASGW</a> <a href='https://www.lipseys.com/'>Lipsey&apos;s</a> <a href='https://www.davidsonsinc.com/'>Davidson&apos;s</a> </h1>

<description>&lt;p&gt;In this special episode, Kevin Berry sits down with Kerri Raissian, Senior Research Scientist at the Yale School of Public Health, Kenny Barlow from Regal Products, and WTTA founder Mike Sodini to recap a week that moved the conversation forward in meaningful ways. The National Research Conference for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms brought together researchers, public health leaders, industry partners, clinicians, and advocates who all share a common goal. Reduce negative outcomes and save lives.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For the first time, WTTA and the ROOTS initiative were represented on the exhibitor floor. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Attendees were curious, supportive, and eager to learn how voluntary secure storage, mental health tools, and trusted community partnerships fit into the broader prevention landscape. Our team heard again and again how important it was to have firearm owners and industry voices present, willing to listen and willing to engage in good faith.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this conversation, we break down key themes from the conference, share insights from panels and hallway conversations, and talk about what it means when different perspectives finally have a chance to connect. This episode highlights why cultural understanding matters, what ROOTS is building, and how collaborations across disciplines can create practical, real-world solutions that help families, communities, and firearm owners.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1269383/open_sms"&gt;Send a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h1&gt; &lt;a href='https://walkthetalkamerica.org/'&gt;Walk the Talk America&lt;/a&gt; would like to thank our partners who make these conversations possible and would like to highlight our top two partner tiers below! &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Platinum Tier:&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.ruger.com/'&gt;Ruger&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.armscor.com/'&gt;Armscor&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://bleeckerstreetpublications.com/'&gt;Bleeker Street Publications&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Gold Tier:&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://nasgw.org/'&gt;NASGW&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.lipseys.com/'&gt;Lipsey&amp;apos;s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.davidsonsinc.com/'&gt;Davidson&amp;apos;s&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/h1&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

In this special episode, Kevin Berry sits down with Kerri Raissian, Senior Research Scientist at the Yale School of Public Health, Kenny Barlow from Regal Products, and WTTA founder Mike Sodini to recap a week that moved the conversation forward in meaningful ways. The National Research Conference for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms brought together researchers, public health leaders, industry partners, clinicians, and advocates who all share a common goal. Reduce negative outcomes an...

Ep 162: When Worlds Come Together: ROOTS, Research, and Real Conversations at the National Research Conference

In this episode of Walk the Talk America, Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with firearms instructor and <a href='https://www.firearmtrainerpodcast.com/'>Firearm Trainer Podcast</a> host Rob Beckman to discuss his candidacy for the NRA Board of Directors and his vision for “NRA 2.0.” Rob shares how the organization is changing under new leadership, how instructors can bridge the gap between gun ownership and mental health, and why collaboration—not division—will shape the future of the Second Amendment.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1269383/open_sms">Send a text</a><h1> <a href='https://walkthetalkamerica.org/'>Walk the Talk America</a> would like to thank our partners who make these conversations possible and would like to highlight our top two partner tiers below! Platinum Tier: <a href='https://www.ruger.com/'>Ruger</a> <a href='https://www.armscor.com/'>Armscor</a> <a href='https://bleeckerstreetpublications.com/'>Bleeker Street Publications</a> Gold Tier: <a href='https://nasgw.org/'>NASGW</a> <a href='https://www.lipseys.com/'>Lipsey&apos;s</a> <a href='https://www.davidsonsinc.com/'>Davidson&apos;s</a> </h1>

<description>&lt;p&gt;In this episode of &lt;em&gt;Walk the Talk America&lt;/em&gt;, Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with firearms instructor and &lt;a href='https://www.firearmtrainerpodcast.com/'&gt;&lt;em&gt;Firearm Trainer Podcast&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; host &lt;b&gt;Rob Beckman&lt;/b&gt; to discuss his candidacy for the NRA Board of Directors and his vision for “NRA 2.0.” &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Rob shares how the organization is changing under new leadership, how instructors can bridge the gap between gun ownership and mental health, and why collaboration—not division—will shape the future of the Second Amendment.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1269383/open_sms"&gt;Send a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h1&gt; &lt;a href='https://walkthetalkamerica.org/'&gt;Walk the Talk America&lt;/a&gt; would like to thank our partners who make these conversations possible and would like to highlight our top two partner tiers below! &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Platinum Tier:&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.ruger.com/'&gt;Ruger&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.armscor.com/'&gt;Armscor&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://bleeckerstreetpublications.com/'&gt;Bleeker Street Publications&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Gold Tier:&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://nasgw.org/'&gt;NASGW&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.lipseys.com/'&gt;Lipsey&amp;apos;s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.davidsonsinc.com/'&gt;Davidson&amp;apos;s&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/h1&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

In this episode of Walk the Talk America, Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with firearms instructor and Firearm Trainer Podcast host Rob Beckman to discuss his candidacy for the NRA Board of Directors and his vision for “NRA 2.0.”  Rob shares how the organization is changing under new leadership, how instructors can bridge the gap between gun ownership and mental health, and why collaboration—not division—will shape the future of the Second Amendment. Send a text  Walk the Talk Am...

Ep 161: Bringing Back Trust: Rob Beckman on the Future of the NRA

Former infantry Marine and brand strategist Waco Hoover joins Michael to dig into the impact of lip service. We cover the <a href='https://www.legion.org/'>American Legion</a>’s “<a href='https://www.legion.org/advocacy/be-the-one'>Be The One</a>” suicide-prevention effort, Columbia Protocol training, and VA Veterans Health Venture Studio work building real tools for care. Then we preview <a href='https://mcon.live/about-mcon'>MCON</a>, a celebration of military culture with range day, First Shots, and a timed secure-storage retrieval competition that reframes safety as readiness. Bring your questions, bring your team.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1269383/open_sms">Send a text</a><h1> <a href='https://walkthetalkamerica.org/'>Walk the Talk America</a> would like to thank our partners who make these conversations possible and would like to highlight our top two partner tiers below! Platinum Tier: <a href='https://www.ruger.com/'>Ruger</a> <a href='https://www.armscor.com/'>Armscor</a> <a href='https://bleeckerstreetpublications.com/'>Bleeker Street Publications</a> Gold Tier: <a href='https://nasgw.org/'>NASGW</a> <a href='https://www.lipseys.com/'>Lipsey&apos;s</a> <a href='https://www.davidsonsinc.com/'>Davidson&apos;s</a> </h1>

<description>&lt;p&gt;Former infantry Marine and brand strategist Waco Hoover joins Michael to dig into the impact of lip service. We cover the &lt;a href='https://www.legion.org/'&gt;American Legion&lt;/a&gt;’s “&lt;a href='https://www.legion.org/advocacy/be-the-one'&gt;Be The One&lt;/a&gt;” suicide-prevention effort, Columbia Protocol training, and VA Veterans Health Venture Studio work building real tools for care. Then we preview &lt;a href='https://mcon.live/about-mcon'&gt;MCON&lt;/a&gt;, a celebration of military culture with range day, First Shots, and a timed secure-storage retrieval competition that reframes safety as readiness. Bring your questions, bring your team.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1269383/open_sms"&gt;Send a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h1&gt; &lt;a href='https://walkthetalkamerica.org/'&gt;Walk the Talk America&lt;/a&gt; would like to thank our partners who make these conversations possible and would like to highlight our top two partner tiers below! &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Platinum Tier:&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.ruger.com/'&gt;Ruger&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.armscor.com/'&gt;Armscor&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://bleeckerstreetpublications.com/'&gt;Bleeker Street Publications&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Gold Tier:&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://nasgw.org/'&gt;NASGW&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.lipseys.com/'&gt;Lipsey&amp;apos;s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.davidsonsinc.com/'&gt;Davidson&amp;apos;s&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/h1&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Former infantry Marine and brand strategist Waco Hoover joins Michael to dig into the impact of lip service. We cover the American Legion’s “Be The One” suicide-prevention effort, Columbia Protocol training, and VA Veterans Health Venture Studio work building real tools for care. Then we preview MCON, a celebration of military culture with range day, First Shots, and a timed secure-storage retrieval competition that reframes safety as readiness. Bring your questions, bring your team. Send a t...

Ep 160: Waco Hoover on American Legion and MCON

The Walk the Talk America Podcast is where firearm culture and mental health meet with curiosity, not confrontation.&nbsp;Each episode brings together voices from the firearm community, mental health professionals, researchers, and everyday gun owners to have honest conversations about suicide prevention, culture, and practical solutions.&nbsp;We focus on education over outrage, nuance over noise, and collaboration over division, because reducing negative outcomes requires diverse perspectives.&nbsp;&nbsp;And because this work is personal, every episode closes with a simple but powerful question: How do you stay mentally healthy?

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