The VetsConnection Podcast

Scott McLean
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Non-Profit
  • Updated Daily

Join host Scott McLean, a veteran and also a passionate advocate for veterans' well-being. Each week Scott will bring you an episode that will feature insightful conversations with representatives from non-profit organizations dedicated to supporting veterans, as well as experts discussing programs within the Veterans Affairs (V.A.) aimed at assisting veterans with their needs. From discussing innovative therapies to highlighting community resources, this podcast sheds light on the myriad of ways veterans can find support and healing thru nonprofit organizations and also to connect nonprofits with each other in hopes of creating a network that will be beneficial to all.

  1. 4d ago

    Ep. 91 - Joseph Randall ll - Marine Veteran, Author, Chef, Entrepreneur

    Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Marine veteran, chef, entrepreneur, and author Joseph Randall and follow the road from WestPac and Desert Storm to a life shaped by trauma, responsibility, and hard-won healing. Along the way, we dig into why telling the truth out loud can lighten the load for veterans and the families who carry it with them.  • One Man One Mic Foundation mission to teach veterans podcasting and storytelling  • Growing up in St. Louis and joining the Marine Corps at 17  • Being assigned as a cook and learning what “WestPac” really means  • Near-death storm at sea and the lesson that ends curiosity fast  • Desert Storm preparation, reassignment to a new unit, anxiety in the unknown  • Daily life in the sand: bunkers, moving forward, delivering meals as morale  • Why cooks, admin, and docs keep the force alive  • Coming home to “forget it” debriefing and the long shadow of unprocessed stress  • Alcohol, a catastrophic crash, and choosing responsibility over excuses  • How insomnia, sleep apnea, and VA battles push the memoir into motion  • From chef to author: Forged In Heat and the start of a four-book series  • Building a future around writing, public speaking, and veteran-focused spaces  go to onemanonemicfoundation.org  www.orioncopper.com  Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

  2. Sep 9

    Ep. 90 - Talking With Lisa Archer from H.O.W. Foundation (Helping Our Wounded) Offering Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Gives Veterans A Path Back

    Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Lisa Archer from Howe Foundation USA to talk about how hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps veterans reclaim sleep, clarity, and day to day life after PTS and TBI. We also unpack what it takes to fund 40 consecutive treatments nationwide when insurance and FDA approval still lag behind the results.  • our mission at One Man One Mic Foundation to help veterans publish podcasts and tell their stories  • Lisa’s path into nonprofit development and why relationship building drives funding  • how Howe Foundation USA starts and why PTS went unnamed for decades  • what hyperbaric oxygen therapy is and why medical grade oxygen matters  • the cost reality of HBOT and why insurance often will not cover it  • sleep improvement and cognitive testing as early proof points  • expanding from local support to a national network of vetted facilities  • who can apply beyond veterans including first responders and student athletes  • concussion risk in youth sports and why repeat hits change grades and sleep  • why some trauma is harder to treat when the images will not leave  • keeping aftercare human through ongoing contact and the new How Hub  Go to howfoundationusa.org and give them your money.  Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

  3. Sep 2

    Ep. 89 - Sonia Phillip, The Fire Watch, South Florida. Training To Prevent Veteran Suicide Through Knowledge & Awareness

    Send us Fan Mail We talk with Sonia Phillip about her journey from Trinidad to the U.S. Navy, and how tough transitions, discrimination, and loss can turn into purpose-driven service. We also break down how The Firewatch trains everyday people to respond to suicide risk with calm steps that can keep a veteran alive long enough to get real help.  • immigrating from Trinidad and Tobago and adapting to New York life  • joining the Navy with an identical twin through the buddy program  • serving on USS Essex in Japan and growing up fast at sea  • navigating a male-dominated engineering space and earning respect through performance  • leaving active duty in 2015 and the mental shift into veteran status  • using VSOs, the GI Bill, and school benefits to build a new plan  • working a frontline nonprofit role with homeless veterans and severe mental health needs  • learning the cost of carrying other people’s crises and why breaks matter  • joining The Firewatch and defining suicide prevention as a community skill  • why 988 then press 1 matters when the call comes  If you're interested and you want to learn how to podcast, you can go on the website and sign up at one man1mike foundation.org  Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

  4. Aug 24

    Ep. 88 - How Two U.S. Veterans Living In Columbia Mobilize Earthquake Relief In Colombia

    Send us Fan Mail We talk with Jennifer Puentes and Brandon Hants, two U.S. veterans in Colombia, about what earthquake relief looks like when hospitals collapse, water runs out, and communications fail. We share the uncomfortable truths about safety, logistics, bureaucracy, and how to help in ways that actually reach the families who are being missed.  • what Jennifer and Brandon experience during and after the quake  • why veterans shift quickly into action and coordination  • water, communications, and shelter as the real early priorities  • security risks people do not want to discuss, including looting and assaults  • why aid gets oversupplied downtown while outskirts go without  • how bureaucracy and politics slow down international relief  • medical response in tents, training gaps, and the need for triage  • protecting children and supporting pregnant women amid disruption  • how influencers and media can drown out legitimate information  • practical ways to donate safely and demand transparency  If you do what you can, or if you know somebody that can help out, help out.  Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

  5. Aug 17

    Ep. 87 - Barbara Diaz, Founder of Living Garden Framework. A Veteran’s Road From PTSD To A Trauma Informed Curriculum

    Send us Fan Mail We talk with Army veteran Barbara Diaz about how bullying, stigma, and unaddressed trauma can follow you from childhood into the military and into adulthood. We also break down attachment styles, nervous system healing, and how her Living Garden Framework turns hard psychology into practical emotional skills for veterans, parents, and kids.  • growing up between Puerto Rico roots and North Philly survival  • joining the Army young and learning adulthood fast in Korea  • being bullied by peers and leaders and how chain of command can trap you  • coping through emotional eating, shame, and staying quiet to stay safe  • noticing PTSD later in life and understanding trauma stored in the body  • living multiple military transitions as soldier, reservist, spouse, and federal employee  • why programs like SHARP matter and what changes when systems finally listen  • leaving a toxic marriage, naming domestic violence, and doing deep self-work  • understanding attachment styles and the zero to two imprint on trust  • using no contact, boundaries, and repair to heal intergenerational trauma  • building the Living Garden Framework with somatic tools and trauma-informed education  • teaching emotional literacy with simple, usable vocabulary for teens and adults  If you like this, share it. Go to oneman one mic foundation.org.  Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

  6. Aug 9

    Ep. 86 - Author Susan L. Combs Talks About her Book Wonder Women: The Untold Stories of Female Veterans

    Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Susan Combs, founder of Pancakes for Roger, to trace how one caregiving moment and a pancake photo turned into a fast-growing veteran nonprofit. We also dig into her new book, Wonder Women, and what female veterans want civilians to understand about service, trauma, family, and resilience.  • how Pancakes for Roger turns pancake photos into donations that support veterans  • housing support and home improvement grants and what they can cover  • the origin story behind “pancakes for breakfast” and grief after loss  • why Susan pivots from a sequel to writing Wonder Women  • why many female veterans are invisible in daily life  • how the book protects contributors through recorded interviews and full chapter sign-off  • themes from the stories: belonging, discrimination, sexual trauma, family strain, rank dynamics, deployments  • why acronyms and context matter for civilian readers and listeners  If you're interested, go to onemail1mikefoundation.org. It's a spelled out one, not the number one.  Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

  7. Aug 3

    Ep. 85 - Michael Carter - From Navy Air Traffic Control To A Veteran Music Festival Founder

    Send us Fan Mail We talk with Navy veteran Michael Carter about how one air traffic control near miss shattered his confidence, pushed him into a mental health crisis, and forced him to fight for real help. We also trace how music, community, and his service dog Frankie helped him rebuild, then inspired him to create Stage for Change and the Carolina VetFest fundraiser.  • joining the Navy after 9/11 and choosing a path with purpose  • air traffic control stress and the one-detail mistake that changed everything  • losing confidence, stepping away from the seat, and refusing to risk lives  • stigma, dismissal, and the moment leadership finally takes it seriously  • suicidal ideation, survival, and the difference one song can make  • returning to North Carolina and finding therapy in live shows and photography  • building Stage for Change to support nonprofits through music festivals  • planning VetFest as a free, family-friendly event with donations and raffles  • using outreach tables and veteran-owned vendors to reach people who need help  • Frankie’s service dog match and what a true support animal changes  If you like it, share it  Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

  8. Jun 22

    Ep. 84 - A Navy Veteran Rebuilds After Military Sexual Trauma. Talking With Author and Survivor, Paula Kemp

    Send us Fan Mail We talk with Navy veteran and combat photographer Paula Kemp about how a career she loved collided with military sexual trauma and how silence can shape everything that comes after. We also dig into what real healing looks like, from VA care and post traumatic growth to storytelling, claims support, and policy change through the Bears Act.  • joining the Navy Reserves as a mother of three and finding a path into combat photography  • what the camera changes about how you see risk, people, and memory  • the Fleet Week assault, the fear of reporting, and why many survivors stay quiet  • anger, nightmares, drinking, and the delayed surfacing of trauma after service  • early VA experiences, co-ed treatment pitfalls, and the need for trauma-informed care  • helping veterans navigate VA disability claims with an impactful personal statement  • building Unjustly Served and why telling the story can support healing  • the Bears Act concept for tracking harmful behavior across commands  Go read the book, visit the website, and reach out, please. Reach out. Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: vetsconnectionpodcast@gmail.com. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Join host Scott McLean, a veteran and also a passionate advocate for veterans' well-being. Each week Scott will bring you an episode that will feature insightful conversations with representatives from non-profit organizations dedicated to supporting veterans, as well as experts discussing programs within the Veterans Affairs (V.A.) aimed at assisting veterans with their needs. From discussing innovative therapies to highlighting community resources, this podcast sheds light on the myriad of ways veterans can find support and healing thru nonprofit organizations and also to connect nonprofits with each other in hopes of creating a network that will be beneficial to all.

Information

  • Creator
    Scott McLean
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    87
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Vets Connection Podcast
  • Show Website
    The VetsConnection Podcast