What really happens at the NRA Annual Meeting, and how is the firearm industry evolving its approach to mental health and suicide prevention?

In this special recap episode, Michael Sodini, J Hood, and Kevin Berry reflect on their experience at the 2026 NRA Annual Meeting, sharing what stood out from dozens of meetings with firearm manufacturers, media outlets, and industry leaders. They discuss how conversations about mental health ...

What happens when a licensed therapist falls in love with shooting sports?

In this episode of the Guns & Mental Health Podcast, Stanford Spurlock shares his journey from working in the music industry to becoming a mental health counselor, competitive shooter, and advocate for reducing the stigma between firearm ownership and seeking therapy.

The conversation explores why many responsible gun owners hesitate to seek mental health ...

Ton Jones is known by many as the larger-than-life personality from Auction Hunters, but behind the television career, firearms expertise, and decades in the outdoor industry is a story shaped by loss, resilience, responsibility, and human connection.

In this deeply personal conversation, Ton joins Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry to discuss the unexpected rabbit holes he discovered while listening to the Guns & Mental Health podc...

Jared Buchanan shares his personal journey through grief, mental health advocacy, and ultra running, all inspired by his father's suicide. Discover insights on recognizing signs, the importance of connection, and how resilience and humor can aid healing.

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In this episode of Guns and Mental Health, Mike and Jake sit down with the Allegiance Project Foundation to discuss a different approach to school safety.

The conversation explores how Allegiance Project Foundation hires and trains veterans for school security, helps schools build a security mindset, and supports veterans as they transition out of military service and into a renewed sense of purpose.

From threat assessment and school...

In this deeply human episode of the WTTA Guns and Mental Health Podcast, Michael Sodini sits down with Nelba Márquez-Greene, mother of Ana Grace, who was murdered in the Sandy Hook shooting.

This conversation is not about politics or taking sides. It is about listening. Nelba shares her story as a mother, wife, clinician, educator, and survivor of unimaginable loss. Together, she and Michael discuss grief, community, storytelling, f...

Michael Sodini recaps his experience last fall at Rutgers University, where he was invited to close out a summit hosted by the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center. 

In this conversation, Michael and Kevin break down what happened when Walk the Talk America brought a firearms industry perspective into a room full of researchers, social workers, and advocacy groups. They discuss the disconnect between policy conversations and...

Firearm storage is not just about what you buy, it’s about what you know. In this episode, Mike and Nicky Zabetian from Kinisium join Mike to break down Kini Safe Alert, a small, discreet motion/tampernotification device that texts (or app-notifies) you when something you care about is moved, opened, or accessed.

They talk through the real stories that inspired the product, why “my kids know better” is not a plan, ...

In this conversation, Seth Hendricks shares his transformative journey from a decade-long career in law enforcement to becoming a financial advisor. He discusses the impact of mental health on police officers, the importance of self-reflection, and the challenges of balancing personal and professional life. The conversation delves into the unconscious behaviors shaped by trauma, the financial considerations unique to police work, a...

Red flag laws, also known as ERPOs, get talked about in the gun world like one sweeping “boogeyman”, but the reality is messier and state-specific.

In this episode, Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with Dr. Chris Knoepke (University of Colorado School of Medicine’s Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative) to break down how Colorado’s ERPO process actually works, who can file, what due process looks like, ...

For the first time on the WTTA podcast, we’re joined by a researcher, and not just any researcher.

Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with Kerri Raissian, Senior Research Scientist at the Yale School of Public Health’s Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative. Kerri shares her path from growing up on a cattle farm in Texas, to working in a district attorney’s office and running one of the largest domestic violence...

In this episode of the Guns & Mental Health podcast, Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with Charles Anderson, CEO in the firearms media world behind Bleeker Street Publications, Athlon Outdoors, and its family of brands.

What starts as a chance bar conversation at NASGW turns into a powerful, honest discussion about what it looks like to live with mental health struggles while building a high profile career. Charles shares...

In this special episode, Kevin Berry sits down with Kerri Raissian, Senior Research Scientist at the Yale School of Public Health, Kenny Barlow from Regal Products, and WTTA founder Mike Sodini to recap a week that moved the conversation forward in meaningful ways. The National Research Conference for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms brought together researchers, public health leaders, industry partners, clinicians, and advo...

In this episode of Walk the Talk America, Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with firearms instructor and Firearm Trainer Podcast host Rob Beckman to discuss his candidacy for the NRA Board of Directors and his vision for “NRA 2.0.” 

Rob shares how the organization is changing under new leadership, how instructors can bridge the gap between gun ownership and mental health, and why collaboration—not divisi...

Former infantry Marine and brand strategist Waco Hoover joins Michael to dig into the impact of lip service. We cover the American Legion’s “Be The One” suicide-prevention effort, Columbia Protocol training, and VA Veterans Health Venture Studio work building real tools for care. Then we preview MCON, a celebration of military culture with range day, First Shots, and a timed secure-storage retrieval competition th...

RG Stitt and Greg Harpster join us from the Scott Sippel Foundation—an organization born from tragedy that’s now raised nearly $600,000 for mental health and suicide prevention. We talk about honoring their friend Scott, why local boots-on-the-ground efforts matter, and how a community sporting clays event became a powerful engine for change.

You’ll hear:

• How the Foundation identifies smaller, volunteer-driven g...

Mike and Kevin sit down with Rob Pincus to unpack two hot buttons that get thrown around online but are rarely explored with nuance: the “firearms are the #1 cause of death in youth” stat, and ERPOs/red flag laws. 

Rob shares what he sees inside a Tufts University led  group that puts gun-rights and gun-control advocates in the same room to hammer out policy ideas for red states. We dig into how stats are frame...

Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with Kami Kay Kirschbaum, founder & CEO of CIVILIAN, a bulletproof clothing brand built to blend in. From growing up with active-shooter drills to a literal dream that sparked the idea, Kami walks us through turning a wild concept into light, breathable, and stylish bulletproof apparel.

We talk Sweden vs. U.S. safety culture, why most armor looks tactical (and why hers doesn’t), the ...

Mike and J. Hood welcome Ryan and Nate from The King of Camo, the North Georgia custom shop and YouTube duo known for turning real counter moments into laugh-out-loud shorts that still teach safety. They share how a near-fatal motorcycle crash, a hard reset on alcohol, and honest conversations reshaped their lives, their business, and their channel. The crew digs into what “welcoming gun culture” looks like in practice,...