Sean Hagerty: From Special Operations to Author- Why Special Forces Never Say “We Can’t”

CARLY EVANS — DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, EMOTIONAL TRAUMA - THE COURAGE TO BREAK THE CYCLE Carly Evans is a coach and energy practitioner with more than 20 years of experience helping people work through trauma, emotional baggage and the patterns that keep them stuck. She spent 18 years working in corrections across London, Sydney and Perth, including working with serious family violence offenders, before leaving the system to focus on helping people who genuinely want to change. Her understanding of abuse comes from both her professional experience and her own history of abusive relationships. Carly explains how childhood experiences, emotional neglect, shame and a lack of self-worth can shape our adult lives, influence the relationships we choose and keep us trapped in destructive patterns. We discuss why abuse isn't always physical, how coercive control, gaslighting, manipulation and isolation gradually erode a person's identity, and why intelligent, capable people can find themselves in abusive relationships. Would you believe that leaving an abusive relationship can take an average of seven attempts and victims are 70 times more likely to be killed by their partner when leaving, highlighting the importance of safe, consistent support and careful planning? We get into the uncomfortable realities of domestic violence, why leaving can be so difficult and dangerous, the challenges facing frontline corrections and justice workers, and the systemic failures that can leave victims and their children at risk. Carly shares practical advice for supporting someone experiencing abuse: don't judge them, don't ask why they don't just leave, and don't assume you have all the answers. Instead, become a consistent, safe person they can trust. We explore male victims of domestic violence, the shame that stops men from speaking out, the importance of calling out unacceptable behaviour, and how strong male role models can help change the culture. Carly explains how rebuilding self-trust starts with small actions — setting boundaries, learning to say no without guilt and accepting a compliment without deflecting it. This is a conversation about personal responsibility, compassion and courage, and how changing one person's life can create a ripple effect through families and the wider community. 🔗 CONNECT WITH CARLY EVANS Official Website: https://www.coachcarly.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachcarlyevans/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/coachcarlyevans

Sarah Meyer is a two-time world champion powerlifter, seven-time world record holder and tested lifetime-natural athlete who has built an extraordinary career by focusing on the process rather than chasing outcomes. Her path to the top wasn't conventional. Before powerlifting, Sarah spent around 15 years as a musician and piano teacher, and she never grew up playing competitive sport. She eventually found strength training almost by accident and, rather than starting with some grand ambition to become a world champion, simply chased the next five pounds, the next personal best and the next opportunity to improve. That philosophy ultimately took her to the highest levels of drug-tested powerlifting. Sarah has achieved so far- Certified Personal Trainer through the National Strength & Conditioning Association, a Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coach, and a Certified Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism Coach. She was the World Champion and best lifter at the IPF Drug-Tested World Championships in 2023 and 2024. But Sarah's story goes far beyond lifting. We talk about her 16-year battle with Lyme disease, including periods of severe pain, neurological symptoms, nausea, insomnia and being largely confined to her home — while continuing to train and compete. She explains how years of dealing with chronic illness changed the way she thinks about resilience, flexibility and coaching. We also get into her history with food and dieting, the mistakes she made when she was first learning to train, and how years of self-education, coaching, mentorship and eventually thousands of hours of hands-on experience transformed the way she approaches strength training. We spoke about former guests on the show like Dr. Dani Antonellos, All Black Rugby legend Conrad Smith, Dr Caroline Packard and Anne Desjardins. Sarah now runs StrongHer Lifts, where she combines powerlifting/powerbuilding, bodybuilding, biomechanics, nutrition and individualised programming to help women become stronger and more confident athletes. We get deep into what actually makes a good coach, why online coaches need real-world experience, how she identifies the bottleneck holding a lifter back, her approach to powerbuilding, training during pregnancy, and why she believes there is always something you can do. Ultimately, Sarah's message is bigger than lifting weights: don't build your life around the outcome — learn to love the process, keep improving, and build something you can sustain for the long term. 🔗 Connect with Sarah: Main Website: https://the-reboot-mentorshipsprint.com Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/sarah_strongherlifts/ I am Damian Porter , Former NZ Special Forces Operator, Subject Matter Expert from www.hownottodieguy.com and www.saferthanyouarenow.com And you are listening to my STRAIGHT TALK MIND AND MUSCLE PODCAST sponsored by www.mystait.com - the ultimate daily formula for optimum hormone health, stress management, energy and performance. 100% natural and clinically proven ingredients, it provides everything you need to raise your game, in a convenient gut-friendly capsule. Links for my former shows are here- WATCH on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpt-Zy1jciVn7cWB0B-y5WATyzrzfwucZ LISTEN on: spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1rlAGRXCwLIJfQCQ5B3PYB?si=UmgsMBFkRfelCAm1E4Pd3Q Itunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/straight-talk-mind-and-muscle-podcast/id1315986446?mt=2 Join our community now for more amazing tips, interviews and wisdom from phenomenal guests ------- And get your ** FREE Video Workshop here- https://www.hownottodieguy.com/

Kelley is the mom of two kids, one with autism. When not podcasting, Kelley is the marketing director of Brain Performance Technologies, a clinic that provides brain stimulation treatment for people ages 3 and up with diagnoses including autism spectrum disorder. She is an autism advocate, podcast host, mother and veteran advocate whose journey began with her own son. After her 22-year-old autistic son developed severe anxiety, OCD, depression and compulsive behaviours, Kelly began relentlessly investigating options beyond the medications he was already taking. That search led her to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and, specifically, EEG-guided MeRT treatment. What followed were changes she could see in everyday life—from reduced compulsions and better sleep to eating foods he previously refused, abandoning long-standing routines and eventually having his first meaningful conversation with a neighbour. Those experiences ultimately changed Kelly’s mission from simply helping her own son to helping other families and veterans access brain-health solutions. In this conversation, Kelley explains the history behind her podcast Refrigerator Moms, a name reclaiming the cruel “refrigerator mother” theory once used to blame mothers for their children's autism. We discuss autism diagnosis, changing diagnostic criteria, misinformation, the importance of parents investigating the evidence for themselves, and why Kelly believes there is unlikely to be one simple cause or one magic treatment for autism. We move into veteran brain health, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, depression, sleep disruption and the transition from military service back to civilian life. Kelly explains how TMS works, what EEG-guided treatment involves, why sleep can be such a critical first step in recovery, and why she believes brain stimulation should be considered alongside—not necessarily instead of—medication, therapy and the work required to rebuild your life. Today, Kelley is the driving force behind Brain Performance Technologies, helping expand access to TMS and other neuromodulation treatments while advocating particularly for veterans, active-duty military personnel and families affected by autism. Her message is ultimately about looking beyond the obvious answer, understanding the connection between biology and psychology, and giving people more tools when conventional approaches haven't been enough. This is a fascinating conversation about autism, the brain, veterans, mental health, sleep, treatment and one mother's determination to find a better path for her son—and then make that path available to others. 🔗 Connect with Kelly Jensen Brain Performance Technologies: brainperformancetechnologies.com Refrigerator Moms: refrigeratormoms.com Email: [email protected] I am Damian Porter , Former NZ Special Forces Operator, Subject Matter Expert from www.hownottodieguy.com and www.saferthanyouarenow.com

Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan Maclean are three brothers who have turned an extraordinary appetite for adventure into a mission with a purpose far beyond themselves. After rowing across the Atlantic in a record 35 days, they reunited six years later. They rowed 9,750 miles- First team ever to row this route unsupported and non-stop and raised over £1 million to bring safe, clean water to more than 40,000 people in Madagascar by spending 139 days rowing, by themselves, across the Pacific Ocean from South America to Australia. In this conversation, we get into the physical and mental demands of spending four and a half months at sea, including preparation, nutrition, hydration, sleep deprivation and dealing with setbacks that suddenly added hundreds of miles to their journey. We also talk about brotherhood, resilience, purpose and what happens when you finally return to normal life after an experience that completely consumes you. I hope you enjoy this show as much as I did — an incredible story of three brothers pushing themselves beyond their limits while pursuing a purpose bigger than themselves. 🔗 Connect with Ewan, Jamie & Lachlan Maclean Website: https://www.themacleanbrothers.com/ Instagram: @themacleanbrothers Maclean Foundation: www.themacleanfoundation.org Book — Three Brothers in a Boat: https://www.themacleanbrothers.com/shop/three-brothers-in-a-boat I am Damian Porter , Former NZ Special Forces Operator, Subject Matter Expert from www.hownottodieguy.com and www.saferthanyouarenow.com And you are listening to my STRAIGHT TALK MIND AND MUSCLE PODCAST sponsored by www.mystait.com - the ultimate daily formula for optimum hormone health, stress management, energy and performance. 100% natural and clinically proven ingredients, it provides everything you need to raise your game, in a convenient gut-friendly capsule. Links for my former shows are here- WATCH on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpt-Zy1jciVn7cWB0B-y5WATyzrzfwucZ

Anne Desjardins is a Lyme disease survivor, educator, podcaster and holistic health practitioner. She is also the creator of The Silver Lyming, a podcast and educational resource focused on Lyme disease and tick-borne illness, providing information, hope and practical guidance for people navigating their own health journeys. Her life was dramatically changed by a tick-borne illness that left her battling crippling fatigue, neurological symptoms, insomnia, cognitive problems and a loss of normal physical function. This became a seven-year search for answers, during which she was repeatedly told that nothing was wrong, eventually reaching a point where she feared she was dying. After finally receiving a Lyme diagnosis and beginning treatment, Anne began the long process of rebuilding her health and understanding the relationship between infection, the nervous system, stress, lifestyle and mental wellbeing. What emerged from that experience was a new purpose: using what she had learned to help others who find themselves facing the same uncertainty and isolation. Anne opens up about the darkest and most confronting parts of her journey, including the financial and emotional cost of years of treatment, the hypervigilance that followed repeated tick exposure, and the point where she seriously considered taking her own life. We discuss resilience, faith, intuition, personal responsibility and the importance of listening to yourself when conventional answers don't explain what you are experiencing. Anne explains how supportive communities and connecting with people who had walked similar paths helped her regain hope, and how she ultimately transformed her own struggle into an opportunity to educate and support others. Her story is ultimately about refusing to give up when the answers aren't obvious, finding the strength to keep searching, and recognising that sometimes the experience that nearly breaks you can become the foundation for your next mission. Today, Anne works with individuals through personalised programmes focused on rebuilding the nervous system, gut health and healthier relationships with themselves. I hope you enjoy this show as much as I did- Anne shares not only what she learned from surviving Lyme disease, but what she discovered about resilience, purpose and rebuilding a life after believing she might never get her health back. 🔗 Connect with Anne Desjardins Website / The Silver Lyming: https://thesilverlyming.com/ Instagram: @anne.desjardins15 Linktree- https://linktr.ee/thesilverlyming Email: [email protected]