Veteran Made with Carey Kight

Carey Kight
  • 5.0 (13)
  • BOOKS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Veteran Made with Carey Kight is where military grit meets the heart of arts, entertainment, and culture. Hosted by filmmaker and veteran storyteller Carey Kight, this podcast delivers unfiltered conversations with guests at the top of their fields — Hollywood directors, acclaimed actors, visionary producers, and best-selling authors who are redefining how American culture bridges the military-civilian divide. This isn’t polite small talk — it’s bold, revealing, and relentless. Veteran Made fuses the intensity of military discipline with the creative pulse of media and storytelling. Carey’s sharp, cinematic interviewing style cuts past surface talk to expose how creativity, courage, and conviction collide behind the scenes of today’s biggest cultural moments. Listen to Veteran Made with Carey Kight for the conversations other shows won’t touch.

  1. The Fourth Option: How Jack Carr Navigated Collaboration and Control to Build a New Universe

    3D AGO

    The Fourth Option: How Jack Carr Navigated Collaboration and Control to Build a New Universe

    Jack Carr is back on episode 176 to talk about The Fourth Option — his first thriller outside of the James Reece and Terminal List universe. This one still has all the flavor: authenticity, action, and the kind of detail that only comes from lived experience. But it also introduces a new character, Chris Walker, who brings a very different energy — part warfighter, part searcher, part philosopher, and very much his own man. Jack and I talk about building a new universe, collaborating with co-author M.P. Woodward, the challenge of letting someone else into your creative process, and why Jack still feels responsible for making every book better than the last. We also get into what it means to write honestly about the Afghanistan withdrawal, suicide in the veteran community, and the weight veterans carry when the right decisions still lead to painful outcomes. It’s a conversation about craft, responsibility, service, storytelling, and the pursuit of doing the work better every single time. Episode Sponsors: VM Merch Go Pills -- use "VM15" at checkout for 15% off your order. BUBS Naturals -- use "veteranmade" at checkout for 20% off your order. True Made Foods -- use "VET" at checkout for 15% off your order. Ruck Sox -- use "VETERANMADE15" at checkout for 15% off your order. Bravo Actual -- use "Veteran Made" at checkout for 15% off your order. Intro Song composed and produced by Cleod9. SOCIALS: https://www.instagram.com/veteranmade.ck/ https://www.instagram.com/jackcarrusa/

    33 min
  2. No Heroic Measures: Jessica Danger on Telling the Truth About Grief, Addiction, and Shared Humanity

    MAY 4

    No Heroic Measures: Jessica Danger on Telling the Truth About Grief, Addiction, and Shared Humanity

    On episode 175, I’m joined by writer, educator, and friend Jessica Danger to talk about her memoir, No Heroic Measures. This conversation is about grief, addiction, caregiving, estrangement, sobriety, and the responsibility that comes with telling the truth on the page. Jessica and I talk about how she shaped an incredibly personal story into a memoir, what it means to tell the truth, and why specificity really is generosity. We also get into the writing process itself — the messy drafts, the revisions, the details you keep, the details you cut, and how sometimes the story you think you’re writing is not the story at all. This one is personal, thoughtful, and deeply human. Episode Sponsors: VM Merch Go Pills -- use "VM15" at checkout for 15% off your order. BUBS Naturals -- use "veteranmade" at checkout for 20% off your order. True Made Foods -- use "VET" at checkout for 15% off your order. Ruck Sox -- use "VETERANMADE15" at checkout for 15% off your order. Bravo Actual -- use "Veteran Made" at checkout for 15% off your order. Intro Song composed and produced by Cleod9. SOCIALS: https://www.instagram.com/veteranmade.ck/ https://www.instagram.com/mamadanger/

    1h 2m
  3. Crafting Humanity: How Luke Tennie Worked with Shrinking's Writers to Create a Whole Character

    APR 27

    Crafting Humanity: How Luke Tennie Worked with Shrinking's Writers to Create a Whole Character

    Responsible storytelling + creative collaboration = veteran characters who have depth, purpose, and a future. In episode 174, I sit down with Luke Tennie to talk about his role as Sean on Apple TV's Shrinking and why the character has resonated so deeply. Luke shares how he approached playing Sean with care, how he and one of the writers on the show, Bill Posley, crafted him Sean as a full human being instead of just a stereotype, and why humor, pain, community, and accountability all matter in telling this kind of story. We also dig into the deeper themes behind Sean’s arc: PTSD, self-harm, isolation, entrepreneurship, group therapy, and the hard work of full reintegration after service. Episode Sponsors: VM Merch Go Pills -- use "VM15" at checkout for 15% off your order. BUBS Naturals -- use "veteranmade" at checkout for 20% off your order. True Made Foods -- use "VET" at checkout for 15% off your order. Ruck Sox -- use "VETERANMADE15" at checkout for 15% off your order. Bravo Actual -- use "Veteran Made" at checkout for 15% off your order. Intro Song composed and produced by Cleod9. SOCIALS: https://www.instagram.com/veteranmade.ck/ https://www.instagram.com/luke.tennie

    32 min
  4. Authenticity Isn't Optional: How Rudy Reyes Brings All of Himself to his Roles in Film, Television, and Advertising

    MAR 31

    Authenticity Isn't Optional: How Rudy Reyes Brings All of Himself to his Roles in Film, Television, and Advertising

    We must be the ones telling these stories. Not just consulting. Not just advising. Leading. Creating. Producing. Representing ourselves with precision and truth across every level and in every facet of the industry. If we don’t step up, culture will continue to get it wrong. In episode 173, I sit down with the wild man himself, Rudy Reyes — Marine Corps veteran, actor, stunt coordinator, producer, the driving force behind FOX’s Special Forces. Our conversation cuts straight to the core of what authentic storytelling  demands. Rudy doesn’t just play roles — he lives them, bringing hard-earned truths from the battlefield to film, television, and commercial advertising. We dive into his latest work as the lead in the VA’s Face Your Dragon campaign, a powerful PSA focused on securing firearms in the home to prevent veteran suicide. This is more than representation, it’s responsibility. Rudy breaks down how his experience as a warfighter directly informs his work as an actor, stunt coordinator, and producer, and why that level of authenticity cannot be faked or outsourced. Episode Sponsors: VM Merch Go Pills -- use "VM15" at checkout for 15% off your order. BUBS Naturals -- use "veteranmade" at checkout for 20% off your order. True Made Foods -- use "VET" at checkout for 15% off your order. Ruck Sox -- use "VETERANMADE15" at checkout for 15% off your order. Bravo Actual -- use "Veteran Made" at checkout for 15% off your order. Intro Song composed and produced by Cleod9. SOCIALS: https://www.instagram.com/veteranmade.ck/ https://www.instagram.com/realrudyreyes/ https://www.instagram.com/newwarproductions/

    57 min
  5. Tell Your Own Story: How Mark Harper Built a Powerhouse Team of Veterans to Produce the VA's Most-Ever Viewed PSA Campaign

    MAR 9

    Tell Your Own Story: How Mark Harper Built a Powerhouse Team of Veterans to Produce the VA's Most-Ever Viewed PSA Campaign

    On episode 172, I sit down with my friend Mark Harper — Air Force veteran, executive producer, and founder of GigLine Media — to unpack how a group of military storytellers pulled off one of the most ambitious PSA campaigns the VA has ever attempted. Mark’s journey runs from combat camera documenting the wars in Iraq and Africa to helping build We Are The Mighty into one of the most influential online media platforms for veterans before launching his own advertising agency. In this conversation, we dig into the real mechanics of representation in media — why veteran stories should be written, produced, and directed by the people who actually lived them — and how that philosophy shaped the VA’s bold “Face Your Dragon” campaign. Mark and I break down how he partnered with director Ryan Curtis, producer Chase Milsap, and star Rudy Reyes to build a piece of storytelling that’s unapologetically cinematic, deeply creative, and unmistakably direct. We talk about the risks of pitching a VFX dragon for a government campaign, the realities of producing high-end visual effects on a shoestring budget, and why veterans working as writers, producers, and creators matters more than ever. Episode Sponsors: VM Merch Go Pills -- use "VM15" at checkout for 15% off your order. BUBS Naturals -- use "veteranmade" at checkout for 20% off your order. True Made Foods -- use "VET" at checkout for 15% off your order. Ruck Sox -- use "VETERANMADE15" at checkout for 15% off your order. Bravo Actual -- use "Veteran Made" at checkout for 15% off your order. Intro Song composed and produced by Cleod9. SOCIALS: https://www.instagram.com/veteranmade.ck/ https://www.instagram.com/markharper147/

    56 min
  6. Face Your Dragon: How Ryan Curtis Convinced the VA to Meet Veterans Where They Are

    MAR 4

    Face Your Dragon: How Ryan Curtis Convinced the VA to Meet Veterans Where They Are

    Does it matter who’s telling the story? In episode 171, I sit down with my friend, Ryan Curtis — an accomplished director, filmmaker, and producer — to unpack the creative and emotional mission behind the powerful new PSA campaign for the VA and DoW, “Face Your Dragon.” This campaign tackles one of the hardest conversations in the veteran and military community: suicide prevention. Ryan walks me through how he approached concepting a message that had to be both responsible and deeply human, and we talk about the role of storytelling in public service campaigns that carry real-life consequences. From concept to execution, Ryan shares what it means to direct a national message for the veteran community while balancing authenticity, trust, and impact. We also dig into the bigger picture of representation and storytelling in media targeted to the veteran community. Ryan breaks down the creative choices behind Face Your Dragon, the challenges of producing meaningful PSA content, and what filmmakers and producers can learn from working on campaigns that aim to save lives. Episode Sponsors: VM Merch Go Pills -- use "VM15" at checkout for 15% off your order. BUBS Naturals -- use "veteranmade" at checkout for 20% off your order. True Made Foods -- use "VET" at checkout for 15% off your order. Ruck Sox -- use "VETERANMADE15" at checkout for 15% off your order. Bravo Actual -- use "Veteran Made" at checkout for 15% off your order. Intro Song composed and produced by Cleod9. SOCIALS: https://www.instagram.com/veteranmade.ck/ https://www.instagram.com/ryan32curtis/

    1h 8m
  7. BattleLab: Where Modern Warfare Meets Modern Media with Ethan Nagel

    FEB 17

    BattleLab: Where Modern Warfare Meets Modern Media with Ethan Nagel

    Can we build a blueprint for how the right content can pressure institutions to evolve? In episode 170, I sat down with my buddy Ethan Nagel — veteran infantryman and lethal filmmaker who lives at the intersection of modern warfare and modern media. He breaks down exactly what he and the team at VET TV are building with BattleLab, a new live action show that drops two teams of elite operators into high pressure missions that push new military technology to its limits.  This episode is a straight shot of reality: FPV attack drones are the new IEDs, and the next war is going to punish anyone clinging to comfort. Ethan explains how BattleLab fuses real-world lessons from Ukraine with hands-on experimentation — pitting elite, Tier One operators against emerging drone tactics to expose what works, what fails, and what gets people killed. He also gets brutally specific on storytelling and craft because BattleLab isn’t “tactical content,” it’s a serious training-adjacent series built by people who actually understand the battlefield and how audiences learn. Ethan walks through the production reality: why the first “sports broadcast” approach didn’t hold attention, how they rebuilt the format around after-action breakdowns, and how he balances cinematic filmmaking with capturing honest, usable footage that infantry leaders can actually apply. Episode Sponsors: VM Merch Go Pills -- use "VM15" at checkout for 15% off your order. BUBS Naturals -- use "veteranmade" at checkout for 20% off your order. True Made Foods -- use "VET" at checkout for 15% off your order. Ruck Sox -- use "VETERANMADE15" at checkout for 15% off your order. Bravo Actual -- use "Veteran Made" at checkout for 15% off your order. Intro Song composed and produced by Cleod9. SOCIALS: https://www.instagram.com/veteranmade.ck/ https://www.instagram.com/ethan.nagel.films/ https://www.instagram.com/vet_tv/ https://www.instagram.com/battlelabhq/ https://www.instagram.com/jeddoc_labs/

    49 min
  8. Cold Zero: Brad Thor & Ward Larsen on Cinematic Storytelling Through Thriller Novels

    FEB 10

    Cold Zero: Brad Thor & Ward Larsen on Cinematic Storytelling Through Thriller Novels

    What really makes great storytelling work in the modern thriller genre? In episode 169, I sit down with two powerhouse thriller authors — Brad Thor and Ward Larsen in a conversation about COLD ZERO, their latest thriller. Centered on shared experience, military service, discipline, and a relentless respect for the craft, our conversation explores why authenticity matters in thrillers and how deep genre knowledge — from tradecraft to aviation — creates books that feel cinematic without losing emotional weight. What really stood out to me is how aggressively Brad and Ward lean into collaboration as a competitive advantage. These are two seasoned writers who didn’t just co-author a novel, they merged similar work ethics, complementary skills, and a shared belief that the best stories come from trust, humility, and putting in the work. Episode Sponsors: VM Merch Go Pills -- use "VM15" at checkout for 15% off your order. BUBS Naturals -- use "veteranmade" at checkout for 20% off your order. True Made Foods -- use "VET" at checkout for 15% off your order. Ruck Sox -- use "VETERANMADE15" at checkout for 15% off your order. Bravo Actual -- use "Veteran Made" at checkout for 15% off your order. Intro Song composed and produced by Cleod9. SOCIALS: https://www.instagram.com/veteranmade.ck/ https://www.instagram.com/realbradthor/ https://www.instagram.com/wardlarsenbooks/

    47 min
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5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Veteran Made with Carey Kight is where military grit meets the heart of arts, entertainment, and culture. Hosted by filmmaker and veteran storyteller Carey Kight, this podcast delivers unfiltered conversations with guests at the top of their fields — Hollywood directors, acclaimed actors, visionary producers, and best-selling authors who are redefining how American culture bridges the military-civilian divide. This isn’t polite small talk — it’s bold, revealing, and relentless. Veteran Made fuses the intensity of military discipline with the creative pulse of media and storytelling. Carey’s sharp, cinematic interviewing style cuts past surface talk to expose how creativity, courage, and conviction collide behind the scenes of today’s biggest cultural moments. Listen to Veteran Made with Carey Kight for the conversations other shows won’t touch.

Information

  • Creator
    Carey Kight
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    176
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2021 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Veteran Made with Carey Kight

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