Living Undeterred

<p>In this episode of Living Undeterred, Jeff Johnston sits down with attorney and mental health advocate Mark Astor for a powerful conversation on the intersection of law, addiction, and the realities of today’s mental health system.</p><p>Mark shares his journey from a high-volume courtroom prosecutor to building a law firm dedicated to helping families navigate behavioral health crises. Through personal setbacks, professional reinvention, and firsthand experience, he’s become a leading voice in advocating for better solutions—not just more systems.</p><p>Together, Jeff and Mark unpack the deeper issues driving today’s mental health epidemic, including the failures of reactive care, the lack of accessible treatment, and the urgent need to shift focus upstream—before crisis hits.</p><p>In this episode, they discuss:</p><ul><li>The reality of the criminal justice system vs. mental health care</li><li>Why “more treatment” isn’t the answer—but better treatment is</li><li>How families can take action when a loved one can’t help themselves</li><li>The impact of social media, prescription culture, and early exposure on youth</li><li>Why prevention and early intervention (ages 14–18) may be the key to long-term change</li><li>Mark’s personal journey through failure, rebuilding, and finding purpose in helping others</li></ul><p>This conversation is a raw, honest look at what’s broken—and what’s possible—when we stop reacting and start addressing the root causes.</p><p>If you or someone you love is struggling, this episode offers both perspective and hope—and a reminder that no one has to face it alone.</p><p>🎧 Subscribe to Living Undeterred for more conversations focused on mental health, resilience, and real solutions that make a difference.</p>

<p>In this episode of Living Undeterred, host Jeff Johnston sits down with Wes Bruns for one of the most powerful and emotional conversations yet—an unforgettable story of survival, loss, and what it truly means to keep going when everything changes.</p><p>Wes shares the unimaginable tragedy that altered his life forever—a carbon monoxide poisoning incident that took multiple members of his family and left him fighting for his own life. What follows is not just a story of survival, but a journey through grief, resilience, and the long road of rebuilding identity, purpose, and faith in the aftermath of loss.</p><p>From his roots in Iowa basketball to decades of coaching and mentoring young athletes, Wes opens up about the moments that shaped him—losing his father at a young age, the accident that nearly took everything, and the mindset that carried him through recovery. He reflects on the power of physical and mental strength, the role of community, and how storytelling has become a mission through his upcoming book When Life Changes the Game.</p><p>This episode goes deeper than tragedy—it’s about perspective. It’s about choosing growth over bitterness, action over sympathy, and purpose over pain. Jeff and Wes explore what it means to honor those we’ve lost by how we live, how we lead, and how we show up for others.</p><p>If you’ve ever faced loss, questioned your purpose, or needed a reminder of what resilience really looks like—this conversation will stay with you.</p><p>Listen now and share this episode with someone who needs it.</p><p></p>

<p>In this episode of Living Undeterred, Jeff Johnston sits down with Alexandra Miles, founder and CEO of Project Blackbird, for a powerful conversation about turning personal struggle into purpose. Alexandra shares how her own experience with mental health challenges led her to create a movement focused on helping individuals feel seen, heard, and supported—especially in spaces where it once felt unsafe to speak up.</p><p>Through storytelling, connection, and actionable support, Project Blackbird is reshaping how we approach mental health—moving beyond awareness and into real impact.</p><p>Alexandra’s journey from silent struggle to founding a national mental health nonprofit</p><p>How storytelling—through film and lived experiences—breaks stigma and builds empathy</p><p>Why feeling “seen” is the first step toward healing</p><p>The gap between awareness and action in today’s mental health system</p><p>The power of small, daily habits in building resilience and discipline</p><p>Rethinking therapy, prevention, and what it truly means to support others</p><p>Why there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to recovery—and what to do instead</p><p>This episode challenges the way we think about mental health, reminding us that no one is broken—and that real change starts with connection, curiosity, and courage.</p><p>If this conversation resonates with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it—and don’t forget to subscribe for more stories of resilience, growth, and living undeterred.</p>

<p>In this episode of Living Undeterred, Jeff Johnston sits down with Tony Glace for a conversation that is as raw as it is inspiring. What starts as a discussion around addiction and personal struggle quickly turns into something much deeper—a journey of transformation, healing, and discovering purpose through pain.</p><p>Tony opens up about the moment everything changed for him, sharing how his battle with alcohol led him down an unexpected path into plant medicine and ultimately into a completely new way of living. But this story doesn’t stop at personal healing. What emerged on the other side was a calling—to help others, especially veterans, find a way out of the cycles that keep them stuck.</p><p>That calling became One &amp; Done, a nonprofit built around the belief that true healing isn’t just about breakthrough moments—it’s about what happens after. Through intentional integration, Tony is working to create a system that supports lasting change for those who need it most.</p><p>Throughout the episode, Tony and Jeff dive into vulnerability, faith, trauma, and the idea that the hardest chapters of our lives often become the foundation for our greatest impact. It’s an honest, unfiltered conversation about what it means to rebuild, to believe again, and to step fully into the life you were meant to live.</p><p>If you’ve ever faced something that felt impossible to overcome—or wondered how pain can turn into purpose—this episode will stay with you.</p><p>Learn more about One &amp; Done and get involved:</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://oneanddone.org">https://oneanddone.org</a></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/oneanddone.healingheroes">https://www.instagram.com/oneanddone.healingheroes</a></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://givebutter.com/oneanddone">https://givebutter.com/oneanddone</a></p><p>🎧 Subscribe to Living Undeterred for more real conversations about resilience, healing, and the stories that shape us.</p>

<p>In this episode of Living Undeterred, host Jeff Johnston sits down with Ryan Hampton, a nationally recognized recovery advocate, author, and founder of Mobilize Recovery, for an honest and wide-ranging conversation on addiction, mental health, and systemic change.</p><p>Ryan shares his personal journey of long-term recovery and how lived experience has fueled his work confronting the opioid crisis head-on—from organizing families affected by addiction to taking on Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family from inside the historic bankruptcy case. He opens up about what he learned while helping negotiate one of the most consequential settlements in public health history, why true justice often gets lost in the process, and how victims’ voices are too often sidelined.</p><p>The conversation also explores Ryan’s current run for the Nevada State Assembly, the urgent mental health crisis facing states across the country, and why building a “care economy” is essential for both public health and long-term economic stability. Along the way, Ryan and Jeff reflect on personal accountability, prevention, recovery pathways, and what it really takes to live undeterred in the face of criticism, burnout, and political pressure.</p><p>This episode is a powerful reminder that advocacy isn’t abstract—it’s personal. And lasting change only happens when people with lived experience step into the arena.</p>