Team Never Quit

In this week's episode, we're joined by Dr. Martín Polanco and Marine Ryan Roberts to discuss the clinical psychedelic program specializing in the use of Ibogaine, 5-MeO-DMT, and Psilocybin that is being used to treat veterans and their family members. Dr. Martín Polanco has been successfully treating people with traumatic brain injury, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and addiction using psychedelic medicines for over a decade. He is the founder of The Mission Within, a clinical program in Mexico and Costa Rica helping veterans with issues resulting from military service experiences. His mission is to conduct research to prove its effectiveness – with the end goal of its legalization. Marcus speaks from his first-hand experience with Dr. Polanco’s treatment, in an effort to educate and make psychedelic therapy available to every veteran that needs it.  In this episode you will hear: We do psychic surgery. [Melanie] “It’s like a car wash for your brain.” So many people come out of the medicine and we wanna get on the biggest mountain and yell: “C’mon, we can help.” My dad was a hippie and involved with some peyote circles. At 21, I had an experience with mushrooms, and everything I saw was infused with source energy. There is a delusional mindset where people can justify their drug use. [Marcus] “The best joy you’ll ever have is in gratitude.” [Melanie] “The medicine took a lot of walls down.” [Melanie] “We were unbreakable before, but now we’re an unstoppable force.” If we can heal the veteran, we can heal the home. Support their Mission:  TMW Website: https://www.missionwithin.org Sponsor a veteran's treatment: https://missionwithin.org/sponsor-a-vet/ Donate to Research: https://bit.ly/psychedelicsDellMed Follow Us: https://www.instagram.com/marcusluttrell/ https://www.instagram.com/andrewbrockenbush/ https://www.instagram.com/team_neverquit/

In this week’s Team Never Quit Podcast, Marcus has an entertaining conversation with Caleb Francis, a hilariously funny content creator on TikTok who has over 1.5 million fans and over 36 million likes. Caleb has built a brand reaching the globe via Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Cameo. He has a blast doing what he does – speaking his mind with a humorous perspective. Caleb also shares valuable information on getting started in that arena and tells the listener how anyone can get their voice out there, regardless of who they are or where they live. In this episode you will hear: I got my first computer at 9 or 10, although I was never much of a computer person. Watching your favorite personality is like someone watching Netflix, but it’s someone you can interact with. [Marcus] “There’s only a few people that can get away with talking smack: Comedians and the Military.” My favorite parts of childhood were technology, treehouses, and camping, but we were still nerds, too. We did both. My videos are usually brought on by something I’m doing in life. If you want to get started, make the TikTok and post whatever you’re doing. It will be recycled onto every other platform there is. We would do stupid stuff like getting hurt and film it. Then we’d do skits. I just kept doing it after everyone moved away. I’d get inspiration from delivering parts for Advance Auto Parts. I’d get ideas just by talking to myself. I would observe everyday stuff and imagine what was being said and thought, and develop that. Videos are endless. They just keep coming, like recommendation videos. When my friends and I watched Talladega Nights, we were losing our minds laughing so hard.

In this week’s riveting episode, Marcus has a fascinating discussion with Eric O’Neill, former FBI counter-terrorism and counterintelligence operative. Eric played a major role in the arrest, conviction, and imprisonment of one of the most notorious spies in U.S. history - FBI agent Robert Hanssen - who was spying on behalf of the Soviet Union and Russia. Eric’s first-hand accounts of some of his day-to-day activities are events that movies are made of. He has written about his experiences in Gray Day: My Undercover Mission to Expose America's First Cyber Spy. Eric is also a public speaker and security expert who lectures internationally about espionage and national security, cybersecurity, fraud, corporate diligence and defense, hacking, and other topics.   In this episode you will hear: My job at the FBI was to go undercover. I never came out of cover. There were foreign intelligence officers (spies) who sometimes were some of our own who were spying for other countries. My father told me “You have to chase your dreams, whatever they might be.” I’m going to stop spies & terrorists before they kill our citizens. I was at Quantico [Marine Corps Training Base]. You earn it and you feel like you earned it. When my wife and I were dating and people would ask me what I do, I would say “I work for the Justice Department as a Geo-Political Analyst.” That would immediately end the inquiry. There was an instance where a high-level spy was about to be arrested, and disappear, which told us there was a mole in our intelligence community. The FBI went on a 22-year manhunt for a guy code-named Gray Suit, the biggest spy in U.S. history. Each time you go after somebody who might be the target you’re after, you give them a derivative code name. What made Robert Hanssen such a successful spy, is that he was a hacker. He learned how to break into computer systems. When the FBI had not given him the role he wanted, he volunteered his services to the Russians and gave up 2 of our top spies in Russia for no money to prove he had access. One of them was executed, and the other was sentenced to hard labor. Analysts are the cream of the crop in figuring out how to catch spies. Hanssen was the best, most notorious spy in US history. He was the Michael Jordan of the spy world. Nobody did the damage he did. I was always a bit of a hacker – fascinated by computer systems. Breaking security, not to steal, but so I could understand how to make them stronger. My mother holds the record for the most time watching the movie “Breach.”

“Go One More.” That’s the Nick Bare mantra. That’s his way of life. Nick Bare is this week’s Team Never Quit guest, and he’s encouraging us all to:  work one more hour on your business… make one more sales call… run one more mile… one more set at the gym… one more chapter you read… The magic starts to happen when you “Go One More.” From meager beginnings, founding Bare Performance Nutrition in 2012 out of his college apartment while studying nutrition to being commissioned into the US Army as an Infantry Officer, Nick learned the values of leadership, integrity and team building. His biggest passion in life is helping people reach their greatest potential, because most of us severely underestimate our capabilities. Listen in as Nick Bare shares his life’s journey with Marcus and Morgan. Success requires uncompromising consistency. In this episode you will hear: When I first started my business, it was Christmas every morning. There was so much passion in it. There’ve been so many highs and lows, it’s been amazingly rewarding I told my dad, I’m gonna take out this loan, and I’m gonna make a million dollars my first year. His response was, “If it was that easy, everyone would be doing it.” I didn’t take a paycheck from my business for five years. My original plan was to be a chicken farmer. When you get your first win, it builds your level of confidence. [Marcus] The minute you get the idea to do something, the good Lord gives you what you need to be it. Running in the mornings and evenings, I have complete solitude – no distractions. My best business ideas have come during my morning runs. Sometimes you’re lucky enough to turn your passion into a career. Success is a result of compounded consistency. When you want to quit, just show up and keep going. You’ll finally push past your goal with the “one more” mentality.

How does one go from Martial Arts to owning a manufacturing business? Just ask this week’s TNQ Podcast guest, Pete Roberts. He realized that in Martial Arts, the same uniform had been used for over 200 years, so Pete created his own opportunity to build a fresh brand of Jiu Jitsu wearables. He wanted to have control over research and development, textiles, and the design process, and because he knew that Franklin County in Maine had a rich manufacturing heritage, he took action. But his endeavor was seemingly derailed as Pete could not find a U.S. manufacturer who could create his unique line of products. What to do? Pete decided to take matters into his own hands – literally. He built a manufacturing warehouse - spinning yarn, weaving fabrics, textiles, and designs, and began sewing his own line of uniforms and began his marketing efforts with simple, low budget ads. Pete’s company, Origin USA, now has multiple manufacturing facilities, incorporating the ancestry of manufacturing, hiring the older generation and millennials alike. This is the true American entrepreneur spirit at its finest. In this episode you will hear: • My wife and I have been together since we were 16. You do that by buying into each other’s personal goals and ambitions. • I use my ADHD as a superpower. • I’ve used the tools of Jiu Jitsu - timing, leverage, opportunity and applied it to reinventing gear for it. • I started with old, cast iron sewing machines, and no bathroom. • If you embrace the power of the American spirit, you can truly do anything. • Corporate greed chose profit over people. • If we can own the supply chain, we can protect it. • [Morgan] You brought something that was lost and brought it back to life. • Some folks will invest $75,000 in a vehicle. Why not invest that money in yourself? If you have an idea or a dream, don’t be scared of the unknown. • The single most valuable thing is keeping a singleness of purpose. Stay focused on one thing and be great at it. • I know that what we are doing hasn’t been done in 100 years. It’s not unique – it’s hard. • People are born every day that will be more talented than you, but what they don’t have is the ambition to go all in and invest in themselves. • Be a savage of the body, a pioneer of the heart, and an operator of the mind.

For some people, hardships inspire them to do great things. Such is the case with this week’s Team Never Quit guest, Brooke Keaton. She is a Gold Star wife, as the result of her Navy SEAL husband, Charlie being killed in action in Afghanistan. Brooke is the Vice President of The C4 Foundation, which provides neuroscience programs for Navy SEAL families at their San Diego-based ranch. She and her friend Tara Crenshaw have also launched The Gold Star and Stripes Podcast, bringing awareness to the spouse’s military life and now life as civilians. Listen in as Brooke speaks from the heart about her challenging life journey and her relentless pursuit of helping others. In this episode you will hear: If I were in a movie, my animal sidekick would be an elephant. As pets go, dogs are the best. Charlie always had to go wherever the fun was, so it was exhausting but so fun. He lived a mile a minute. We lived on a boat, and every morning, Charlie would jump in the water and go surf. Charlie was very passionate about his family. Charlie was a sniper on a roof fighting against ISIS and was shot near his heart, and continued shooting and holding his ground until he died. The Gold Star community in Virginia Beach is very tight-knit and immediately pulled me in. I thought: “How can we support other Navy SEAL families?” We ended up with a 560-acre ranch, where families can “decompress” after deployment. Fly fish, hike, ride horses, etc. I’m able to talk about Charlie every day. It’s helpful and therapeutic for me to talk about him. We came up with a fun idea of the podcast to help other spouses as a sisterhood - to network with families where you can find any help with anything you may need. I want to bring everyone together and build relationships.

A man on a mission. That is this week’s Team Never Quit guest, Marine veteran Brian Tally. What started out as sudden, severe back pain quickly became an incredible life-threatening ordeal he endured for years after a bad diagnosis at a VA hospital emergency room. His spine was being eaten alive by what turned out to be a tissue-eating staph infection. Because of a law enacted in 1946, Brian was unable to sue for malpractice as the law did not allow independent contractors at the VA facility to be sued. But by the time the VA suggested he pursue legal action in a state court, the state’s statute of limitations had just expired. What to do? If you’re Brian Tally - with no legal background - you draft your own legislative bill and go door-to-door on Capitol Hill until the procedural loophole is closed, ensuring that VA is transparent and fully accountable. https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/4526  In this episode you will hear: It was a cold, gloomy morning when I couldn’t get out of bed, in severe pain – pain I can’t describe - after feeling normal when I went to bed. I’m not anti-VA but I was one of those veterans that slipped through the cracks. The only time I ever saw a doctor was when I was laying open on an operating table four months later, and they found a surprise – my spine was oozing with inflammation. I was so doped up and in so much pain, I didn’t even know what was going on. I spent four months in my chair. I became an absolute broken man. The doctor told my wife. “Your husband’s spine looks like it’s been moth-eaten.” I was being eaten alive for four straight months, before finally having life-saving surgery. By then my physical, mental, and emotional health was gone. I have never slandered anyone. I have only operated in an honorable way. I would never dishonorably yell someone’s name. Because we all make mistakes. I had to operate in a different way than I was being treated. Just when I thought they would do the right thing, the VA did an about face, and they left me and my family holding the bag. My wife is the glue that holds everything together. There are tens of thousands of veterans, who have been destroyed by this egregious practice from a 1946 law. The VA is using more and more independent contractors to see their way out of malpractice cases. I went to my bathtub and I knelt down and said “God I’m about to expose made men, and I’m gonna need You for the strength and endurance to draft my own bill – my own solution. I was in a place I knew nothing about. The never quit mentality is what kept me going. I was representing 20.2 million American veterans with my bill. That’s what God has led me to be and to do.  You can engage congress and make a difference. I know I’m where God wants me to be.

Backcountry hunting, anyone? If ever a man wanted to discover what it takes to become an elite man – mentally, physically, and spiritually tough, training for such a high-end hunt may just be the ticket. This week’s Team Never Quit Guest, Dustin Diefenderfer, explains in detail the grueling athletic training and grit it takes to hunt Deer, Elk, Moose, or Caribou In the backcountry. If you’re looking for an easy way to get there, stay home. When the hunt experience is over, you’re left with the mental and physical ability to reach your personal and professional goals by applying the principles learned in this endeavor – a better life by learning to be comfortable in being uncomfortable. In this episode you will hear: Getting comfortable being uncomfortable is teaching men to handle adversity. If you can handle adversity in the gym, you can handle it better in the field. If you can handle it in the field, you can handle it a lot better at home. When you’re more used to adversity and spend more time outdoors, it makes for a better man. If you’re fortunate enough to harvest an animal on a backcountry hunt, you’re coming out with 80-100 pounds per trip for 3 or 4 trips. Adversity building is one baby step after another. It makes you way tougher than you used to be. It’s cool looking back on God’s footsteps that have brought us to creating Mountain Tough. You don’t need to chase the corporate America stuff; You don‘t need to do what everyone else is doing. Living in Africa taught us not to worry so much about money & finances. The people living there with nothing are pretty happy. They’re not distracted like Americans are, with cell phones and the like. I knew I was gonna do something I was passionate about, and I knew I would do something outside, away from the computer, and engage with building a community. When we’re going thru something stressful, God looks at us like “Do you realize that what you’re looking at right now is ‘this big’ in the grand scheme of life.” We went to Ethiopia on a short mission trip and worked for two weeks where kids lived, slept, and ate in a landfill all day long. It was complete re-entry depression after watching those kids live in the dump. They would rescue the child soldiers and teach them some life skills. We’re creating elite men. Dustin's Website mtntough.com use promo code TNQ for 20% off you first year!  Follow Us: https://www.instagram.com/marcusluttrell/ https://www.instagram.com/andrewbrockenbush/ https://www.instagram.com/mojoluttrell/  https://www.instagram.com/team_neverquit/

A CEO with PTSD. That encapsulates the world of this week’s Team Never Quit guest, Brian Reese. Here’s a military veteran entrepreneur serving other military veterans – over 15,000 vets needing a vast array of help – mental, disability ratings, compensation, and more. Brian, Marcus, and Morgan get “in the weeds’ as it relates to maximizing many forms of help for the veteran through his program, VA Claims Insider. Listen in to Brian’s vulnerable revelations of his personal challenges, and his ability to overcome and create a company whose prime directive is to teach and serve others. It’s okay not to be okay… In this episode you will hear: I’m sort of an amateur singer/songwriter. A lot of vets have never filed a claim because they think “I’m not that disabled. Others have it worse, so I don’t deserve these benefits.” That’s complete bullsh*t. There’s a mental barrier we have about getting help. One of the core values of the Air Force is “service before self”. That doesn’t mean service at the expense of self. If you can’ take care of anybody else, then you’re no good to the mission. It takes less than 5 minutes to get yourself enrolled in VA health care. Get a medical diagnosis of your condition ASAP. First and foremost: Get yourself in VA health care, get a primary care provider, and get your stuff medically diagnosed in a medical record. We’re trying to meet the military veteran before they even take off the uniform, then serve them at every point of life. If I were king for a day, I would completely gut and overhaul the VA disability system. I’d take the word disability out of it. I would call Elon Musk, and ask him to come help me solve our problems. Government organizations are not built for radical innovation. It’s never too late to take advantage of everything veterans have worked for. The VA disability process & the VA benefits process is never over unless you quit.

How does a near-fatal parachute accident equate to becoming an entrepreneur? Ask this week’s Team Never Quit guest, Travis Wilson. He served 21 years in the U.S. Army as a Green Beret and in the Special Forces. When his chute’s canopy collapsed and he “burned in,” Travis spent his recovery time developing his own line of supplement products. Listen in as Travis tells of his life transitions; his successes and failures. From a broken back, knee replacements and over a dozen surgeries to launching Alpha Elite Performance and serving as an Ambassador for the Green Beret Foundation, Travis is a picture of motivation and perseverance. Check it out. In this episode you will hear: • I was on a free-fall team the majority of my military career. • On a night jump, the right side of my canopy collapsed. I was a right below 500’, so there’s no pulling reserve – just pray. • I thought I had landed on a fence post. I broke my back, so I felt like I was impaled. • I went to school for Exercise Science. But did I graduate? No, because “I’m not gonna miss this war.” • I was an Army Medic. • I stated a non-profit – Alpha Elite Performance. It’s a way for me to give back to veterans. • My dad didn’t care if I failed or I succeeded, as long as I tried. • My dad’s attitude was: “You’re not gonna grow up and quit.” • When I got hurt, I thought I was gonna get kicked out, so that’s when I started my nutrition company. • It’s a super challenge owning your own business. • I was a security manager for Five Finger Death Punch, because I had a medical background.  • I lost 2 wives and 2 Harleys.