TARGETED Podcast

What happens when one of the most feared fighters in UFC history discovers that his greatest battle isn’t inside the cage? In Part 1 of this exclusive two-part Targeted Podcast interview, UFC Hall of Famer Mark ”The Smashing Machine” Kerr joins retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Atlas Aultman for a powerful conversation about the hidden cost of fighting, addiction, sobriety, mental health, and rebuilding life after professional sports. Known for his legendary career in the UFC and PRIDE Fighting Championships, Mark Kerr became the subject of the groundbreaking documentary The Smashing Machine, later inspiring the feature film starring Dwayne ”The Rock” Johnson. But behind the victories, the fame, and the image of an unstoppable fighter was a man fighting battles the public couldn’t see. In this conversation, Mark shares how years of competition affected his life, why he struggled with addiction, what eight years of sobriety have taught him, and how he’s working to help other retired MMA fighters. IN THIS EPISODE: The untold story behind The Smashing Machine documentary Mark Kerr’s relationship with filmmaker John Greenhalgh How addiction and the pressure to perform affected his career The moment Mark finally opened up about his struggles His experience with brain mapping, TMS, and neurological treatments Why mental health matters for UFC fighters and military veterans How mountain biking became part of his recovery journey Working with Dwayne ”The Rock” Johnson on The Smashing Machine His vision for bringing retired UFC fighters together Why sharing your struggles can give someone else the courage to speak WATCH PART 2 Next week, OR, REQUEST THE LINK This is Part 1 of our two-part conversation with Mark Kerr. Want to continue the interview or request access to the full conversation? 📩 Email [email protected] with the subject line: MARK KERR FULL EPISODE We’ll help you get the link to continue watching and connect you to other amazing FULL EPISODES with UFC, MLB, Strongmen, celebrities, and other champions. ABOUT TARGETED PODCAST Hosted by retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, international bestselling author, and leadership speaker Atlas Aultman, Targeted Podcast explores the mindset, discipline, resilience, and decisions that shape extraordinary lives. Through conversations with elite athletes, military leaders, entrepreneurs, and remarkable individuals, Targeted helps you develop the strength to overcome adversity and take control of your future. Subscribe for real conversations about mental toughness, personal development, leadership, and what it takes to win in life. ****CONNECT WITH MARK KERR**** Instagram: @markkerrtsm Absoulute Wellness: https://absoulute-wellness.com/ Upcoming book: *The Healing Machine* (availability to be announced) ****CONNECT WITH ATLAS AULTMAN**** Website: https://leaders-kit.com Instagram: @atlas_aultman ****GET INTO OUR INNER CIRCLE:**** Email: [email protected] DISCLAIMER: This episode discusses addiction, neurological health, and treatments from Mark Kerr’s personal experience. The conversation is not medical advice. Treatment experiences and outcomes vary. #MarkKerr #TheSmashingMachine #UFC #TargetedPodcast #DwayneJohnson DISCOUNTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY: https://gravity-force.com - best electrolytes, discount code: ATLAS15 https://www.buckedup.com - creatine+ 20% discount: ATLAS25 https://leaders-kit.com - leadership, management, media consultations https://blackeaglecustoms.us/collections/targeted-podcast - Merch https://www.getfightscrub.com - all natural disinfectant, code: FIGHTSCRUBATLAS GUEST APPLICATIONS: [email protected] Share this with someone who would love it. Aim for excellence AND stay on target, thank-you for tuning into TARGETED Podcast.

Jojo “$moke” Griffin is a rising MMA star fighter who always finishes a fight and keeps a relentless training schedule with one goal: UFC. In this episode of Targeted with Atlas Aultman, Jojo SMOKE Griffin opens up about his journey from a small California town to becoming one of the most exciting MMA prospects to watch. He talks about training multiple times a day at Red Hawk Academy, preparing for his professional MMA debut, studying fighters when everyone else is relaxing, and developing the mindset required to step into a cage believing you cannot be broken. But this conversation goes much deeper than fighting. Jojo discusses his faith in God, growing up in a Catholic family, losing his opportunity to play college football during COVID, discovering MMA, and how his first loss inside the cage ultimately became one of the most important moments of his career. He also explains the psychology of fighting, entering a flow state, dealing with fear and negative thoughts, visualization, gratitude, sacrifice, film study, adapting during a fight, and why he believes the mind often quits before the body does. Jojo’s philosophy is simple: “Don’t let anyone break your spirit.” This is a conversation about MMA—but it’s also about what happens when a young man becomes completely committed to mastering his craft. In this episode: • Jojo “Smoke” Griffin’s MMA journey • Training with UFC fighters and shooting with Badger Asher • 100% finish rate • Preparing for his professional MMA debut • Training at Red Hawk Academy • The transition from football to MMA • How losing changed his mindset • Faith, God, risk, and opportunity • Training two to three times per day • Film study and gaining an advantage over opponents • Developing an MMA flow state • Mental preparation before entering the cage • Why gratitude is part of his training • Turning setbacks into fuel • His goal of reaching the UFC • Why “the scars make the man” • The mentality of becoming impossible to break Targeted is hosted by Atlas Aultman and features conversations about leadership, resilience, mindset, performance, adversity, and the people willing to do difficult things in pursuit of excellence. Subscribe for more conversations with fighters, veterans, leaders, athletes, authors, and high performers. Aim for excellence. Stay on target. LINKS: https://www.instagram.com/jojomma/ https://redhawkacademyaz.com/ https://www.guntvshows.com/ DISCOUNTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY: https://gravity-force.com - best electrolytes, discount code: ATLAS15 https://www.buckedup.com - creatine+ 20% discount: ATLAS25 https://leaders-kit.com - leadership, management, media consultations https://blackeaglecustoms.us/collections/targeted-podcast - Merch https://www.getfightscrub.com - all natural disinfectant, code: FIGHTSCRUBATLAS GUEST APPLICATIONS: [email protected] Share this with someone who you know would like it. Aim for excellence AND stay on target, thank-you for tuning into TARGETED Podcast.

STRONGER MEN ARE HARDER TO KILL, Period. Not just physically. Mentally. Emotionally. Spiritually. In this episode of Targeted Podcast, Atlas Aultman breaks down what it takes for men to become stronger, better disciplined, more resilient, purposeful, and harder to break. Drawing from his experience in making warriors stronger for decades through innovation AND his conversations with UFC legends, professional athletes, military veterans, champions, bestselling authors, TEDx speakers, entrepreneurs, and men who have survived extraordinary adversity, Atlas explores the different dimensions of strength every man should be developing. This episode examines: • Physical strength, fitness, muscle, and longevity • Mental toughness and resilience • Discipline when motivation disappears • Forgiving yourself and moving beyond guilt • Overcoming trauma and adversity • Building confidence through difficult experiences • Faith, spirituality, and finding your compass • Purpose and direction for men • Raising your personal standards • Learning from champions and high performers • Becoming the man your younger self needed • Building a legacy your older self will respect Targeted Podcast was built around one central mission: helping people become stronger through the experiences of those who have already been tested. If you’re a man in your 20s or 30s trying to become stronger, more disciplined, more confident, more capable, and more intentional about your life, start here. You don’t need a military badge, championship ring, professional sports contract, bestselling book, or million-dollar company to develop strength. You need to put in the work. Your body matters. Your mind matters. Your faith and purpose matter. Your standards matter. And the decisions you make today determine the man you become tomorrow. Get strong. Aim for excellence. Stay on target. Subscribe to Targeted Podcast for long-form conversations that matter to men who are working on something bigger: men’s mindset, mental toughness, masculinity, leadership, fitness, discipline, faith, resilience, military experiences, MMA, entrepreneurship, success, and overcoming adversity. Hosted by Atlas Aultman. Recorded in SLAP Studios, Hollywood, Florida - 2026, all rights reserved. #MensMindset #MentalToughness #selfimprovement CHAPTERS: 00:39 – Stronger Men Are Harder to Kill 01:17 – Why Men Need Strength 01:54 – What Champions Taught Me About Mental Toughness 02:24 – Forgiving Yourself After Trauma 04:25 – How Hardships make men stronger 05:38 – What makes a Man Strong? 05:49 – Physical Strength Is the Foundation 06:10 – What builds Mental fortitude 06:46 – Faith, Purpose & Your Spiritual Compass 07:34 – Why We Study Winners 08:10 – Your 8-Year-Old Self vs. Your 80-Year-Old Self 08:25 – Raise Your Standards 08:36 – Get Strong, Man 08:46 – How Targeted Podcast is set up to help men ages 25-39 09:17 - Targeted Podcast Closing 09:51 - Why Podcasting is the best marketing for entrepreneurs and thought leaders DISCOUNTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY: https://gravity-force.com - best electrolytes, discount code: ATLAS10 https://www.getfightscrub.com – natural disinfectant, code: FIGHTSCRUBATLAS https://www.buckedup.com - creatine+ 20% discount: ATLAS25 https://leaders-kit.com - leadership, management, media consultations https://blackeaglecustoms.us/collections/targeted-podcast - Merch GUEST APPLICATIONS: [email protected] Share this with someone who would love it. Aim for excellence AND stay on target, thank-you for tuning into TARGETED Podcast.

This is one of the most personal episodes of Targeted Podcast I have ever recorded. For the first time on this show, I share stories from my grandfather, SFC Gary L. Frye, his service during the Vietnam War, his connection to the early Special Operations community, the 1st Cavalry, combat trauma, and experiences he carried with him for the rest of his life. Some of these stories were never openly discussed while he was alive. My grandfather served during an era when American forces were developing tactics, missions, and capabilities that would help shape generations of U.S. Special Operations. His experiences included helicopter warfare, unconventional missions in Vietnam, the loss of friends in combat, earning the Purple Heart, and living with the psychological consequences of war. His story also intersects with an era of Vietnam history many people recognize through the book We Were Soldiers Once... and Young and the 2002 film We Were Soldiers. This episode isn’t about glorifying war. It’s about what happens to the people who survive it. Years later, while I was deployed to Iraq, my grandfather reached out to me with a simple message: if I ever needed to talk about what I was experiencing, he might understand. Only after his death did I fully understand how much he had carried himself. This episode is about combat, family, PTSD, the warrior mindset, Special Operations history, and one lesson my grandfather left behind: Get it out of your head. If something is eating at you, talk to someone. Write it down. Put it in your phone. Tell someone you trust. Don’t allow the battle inside your mind to become one you fight completely alone. ⚠️ MENTAL HEALTH / SUICIDE PREVENTION If you are in the United States and are contemplating suicide, self-harm, or harming someone else, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. ***FILM & BOOK RECOGNITION / COPYRIGHT NOTICE*** This episode discusses and references historical events portrayed in the motion picture We Were Soldiers (2002) and documented in the book We Were Soldiers Once... and Young: Ia Drang—The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam. Book: We Were Soldiers Once... and Young Authors: Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (Ret.) and Joseph L. Galloway Originally published by Random House. Film: We Were Soldiers (2002) Directed and written for the screen by Randall Wallace Distributed by Paramount Pictures Based on the book by Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway. All film footage, imagery, audio, characters, trademarks, and other copyrighted material from We Were Soldiers remain the property of their respective copyright holders. Targeted Podcast does not claim ownership of third-party copyrighted material. Any referenced or incorporated material is presented in the context of historical discussion, commentary, criticism, education, and personal storytelling. No affiliation with or endorsement by Paramount Pictures, the filmmakers, authors, publishers, or other rights holders is implied. LINKS: Watch ”WE WERE SOLDIERS” the movie, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC1SzvhVAM0 Read ”We were soldiers once and young” book - buy anywhere books are sold SPECIAL OFFERS: getFIGHTscrub.com– 10% off with code FIGHTSCRUBATLAS BUCKEDup.com Supplements: 20% off with code ATLAS25 LEADERS-KIT.com: 10% leadership, management, media consultations when you mention the show Targeted MERCH: https://blackeaglecustoms.us/collections/targeted-podcast GUEST APPLICATIONS: [email protected] Share this with someone who needs it and Thank you for supporting TARGETED Podcast. Aim for excellence and stay on target - that’s living targeted.

What really happened around Extortion 17—and what can still be learned from the deadliest loss of American Special Operations forces in U.S. history? In Part 2 of this extraordinary Targeted Podcast interview, Atlas Aultman sits down with New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Eric Blehm to go deep inside his new book, Haunted by Heroes. Blehm is the bestselling author of Fearless, the story of Navy SEAL Adam Brown. While researching that book, he interviewed members of Brown’s elite SEAL team. Seven of the men Blehm spoke with would later be killed in the Extortion 17 helicopter shootdown in Afghanistan. Years later, Blehm returned to those interviews, recordings, documents, memories, and sources. What emerged became Haunted by Heroes. In this conversation, Blehm discusses Extortion 17, Adam Brown, DEVGRU, Gold Squadron, the Rangers operating in the Tangi Valley, mission planning, the CH-47 Chinook, the questions that remained after the official investigation, and information he says changed his own understanding of the mission. Atlas brings a unique perspective to the discussion as a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel who served in Afghanistan and worked in the White House during this era. This isn’t a conspiracy-theory discussion. It’s a conversation about history, brotherhood, sacrifice, leadership, mission planning, institutional learning, and remembering the Americans behind the names. Eric also tells the emotional story of learning that the SEALs he had recently interviewed had been killed. After being told something had happened to the men downrange, he asked whether one of them had died. The answer: ”No. All of them did.” The conversation also explores: • Why the Extortion 17 mission remains so heavily discussed 15 years later • What Eric Blehm learned that he says he had never previously seen reported • Why the Rangers were already operating in a dangerous part of Afghanistan • Questions surrounding the mission planning and landing zone • Why the SEALs were aboard the same aircraft • The difference between documented facts and Extortion 17 conspiracy theories • The personalities behind the operators—not simply the mythology • Adam Brown and the story behind Fearless • Brian Bill, Kevin Houston, John ”Fozy” Faas, Heath Robinson, Chris Campbell and other fallen warriors • How elite Special Operations teams operated after years of combat • The enormous loss of experience and mentorship caused by Extortion 17 • Why Blehm waited years to return to this story • Jack Carr and the origins of The Terminal List • Blehm’s concerns about AI rewriting history • Why primary sources and serious long-form research still matter • The responsibility authors carry when writing about fallen service members • Why the families of fallen warriors still want their names spoken Haunted by Heroes is scheduled for release December 1. If you read the book and learn the story of one of these men, Eric has a simple challenge: remember his name—and let his family know he hasn’t been forgotten. Subscribe to Targeted Podcast for long-form conversations with military leaders, Special Operations veterans, bestselling authors, fighters, champions, and people who have lived the lessons most of us only read about. *SUBSCRIBE:* More of the Eric Blehm interview is on the way. #EricBlehm #HauntedByHeroes #Fearless #AdamBrown #NavySEALs #SEALTeamSix #SpecialOperations #MilitaryBooks #MilitaryHistory #TargetedPodcast LINKS: https://www.ballastbooks.com/ballast-bookstore/haunted-by-heroes IG: ericblehmofficial SPECIAL OFFERS: getFIGHTscrub.com– 10% off with code FIGHTSCRUBATLAS BUCKEDup.com Supplements: 20% off with code ATLAS25 GUEST APPLICATIONS: [email protected] As host Atlas Aultman says ”Aim for excellence. Stay on target.”