#45 Wrestling with Identity: Navy SEAL to Storyteller

Former Navy SEAL Ben Davis joins us to talk identity, transition, and mental health. After a decade in the teams, Ben faced TBIs, depression, and the difficult shift to civilian life. He shares how childhood struggles, wrestling, and military service shaped him—and how writing and the outdoors helped him reclaim purpose. Now a full-time writer and director of the Veterans Outdoor Advocacy Group, Ben helps other vets find healing beyond the battlefield.

Links & Resources:

• Ben’s Substack – “The Transition” – bldavis3.substack.com

• Veterans Outdoor Advocacy Group – voag.org

• Polestar Coffee – polestarcoffee.com

• Finance4Vets – Nick O'Kelly – finance4vets.com

• Alone and Unafraid – aloneandunafraid.org

Guest Bio:

Ben Davis is a former Navy SEAL, full-time writer, and Executive Director of the Veterans Outdoor Advocacy Group. His Substack, The Transition, explores the unseen side of leaving service and rebuilding purpose.

Standout Quotes:

• “Writing didn’t fix me—it gave me purpose.”

• “Mental health doesn’t come with a cast.”

• “You don’t realize how much of you is tied to the mission until it’s gone.”

🎧 Listen to Alone and Unafraid wherever you get your podcasts
🌐 Visit: aloneandunafraid.org
☕ Support the show: polestarcoffee.com
💼 Finance help for vets: finance4vets.com
✍️ Read Ben’s writing: bldavis3.substack.com