Ulysses Diaz: From Miami Streets to Combat Sports History

In this powerful episode of The Determined Society, Shawn French sits down with Ulysses “Uly Monster” Diaz, professional fighter, bare-knuckle boxer, father, husband, and one of the fastest knockout artists in combat sports history. Uli opens up about growing up in Miami, life in the streets, prison, faith, fatherhood, and the moment he knew he had to stop repeating the same cycle  At 35, he walked into a boxing gym, found accountability, and began building a new life through discipline, consistency, and combat sports. This conversation goes far beyond fighting. Together, we dive into: • Growing up in Miami with no male role models • Learning to fight at six years old • Street life, prison, and the consequences of bad choices • Touring with Pitbull and still trying to find his path • The moment he asked God to pull him out • Starting his fight career at 35 • The discipline and accountability of the boxing gym • One of the fastest knockouts in combat sports history • Fatherhood, marriage, faith, and family • His son’s cancer battle and what it taught him • Why consistency is the key to changing your life • Letting go of people who cannot grow with you   This episode is about redemption, faith, fatherhood, consequences, discipline, and the determination to stop repeating the past and become the man your family needs you to be. Watch the full episode now on The Determined Society  #thedeterminedsociety #shawnfrench #ulyssesdiaz #ulymonster #bareknuckleboxing #bkfc #boxing #combatsports #fightermindset #faith #fatherhood #redemption #resilience #comebackstory #inspiration Connect with Ulysses Diaz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uly_monster/ X: https://x.com/Uly_MONSTER Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Ulysses-Diaz-100063488343637/   Connect with Shawn https://link.me/shawnmf32 Subscribe to our newsletter for all updates and heavy doses of DETERMINATION: https://thedeterminedsociety.com Subscribe on Apple/Spotify: Apple- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/determined-society-with-shawn-french-adversity-mindset/id1555922064 Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/5kS9tkLGQLcVyRgB3mDznw?si=184c18d1b9d44f53 The Determined Society is hosted by Shawn French — a show for people who refuse to quit. Every episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the real stories behind resilience, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of a life built on your own terms.Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all others.. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and leave a review. It helps more than you know. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Adversity and loss can destroy families—or forge them. Susan Malzoni shares how protecting her peace, preserving family energy, and building intentional wellness habits became her path to honoring her son and late husband Victor. In this raw conversation, discover the discipline, boundaries, and purpose-driven mindset that transformed grief into a blueprint for lasting resilience and connection. This conversation explores what it means to speak kindly to yourself, move through fear, protect your energy, and choose purpose even in life’s hardest seasons. In this episode, we dive into: • Protecting your energy and keeping your circle aligned • Why connection at home matters • Women, insecurity, confidence, and support • Men’s mental health and emotional expression • Health, wellness, supplements, and biohacking culture • Speaking kindly to your body and practicing gratitude • The difference between motivation and determination • Taking fear out of decision-making • Grief, resilience, and moving forward after loss • Honoring Victor’s legacy through dogs and rescue work • Relationships, shared passions, and creating a meaningful life This episode is a powerful reminder that healing does not always mean hiding from pain. Sometimes it means choosing purpose, protecting your peace, loving what still remains, and finding the positive even in life’s hardest moments. Connect with Susan Malzoni  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanmalzoni/  Connect with Shawn  https://link.me/shawnmf32  Subscribe to our newsletter for all updates and heavy doses of DETERMINATION:  https://thedeterminedsociety.com  Subscribe on Apple/Spotify:  Apple- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/determined-society-with-shawn-french-adversity-mindset/id1555922064  Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/5kS9tkLGQLcVyRgB3mDznw?si=184c18d1b9d44f53 The Determined Society is hosted by Shawn French — a show for people who refuse to quit. Every episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the real stories behind resilience, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of a life built on your own terms.Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all others.. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and leave a review. It helps more than you know. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Eric Spofford survived five overdoses and rebuilt his entire life through discipline and spiritual growth. In this raw conversation, he reveals the moment of surrender that led to sobriety on December 7, 2006—and how the habits forged in recovery became the competitive edge that built and sold a $115 million enterprise. A masterclass in overcoming obstacles, breaking limiting beliefs, and turning adversity into actionable discipline. In this episode, we dive into: Eric's fifth overdose and the reality of late-stage addiction Getting sober on December 7, 2006 What surrender really meant for him The difference between abstinence and true recovery Losing friends to the opioid epidemic Building sober houses and treatment centers Scaling a recovery business to a $115M exit Learning business through relentless self-education The loneliness that comes with success Why money and material things do not create fulfillment Fatherhood, character, loyalty, and human connection This is a raw conversation about addiction, recovery, loss, leadership, success, money, loneliness, and the determination to rebuild a life that once felt impossible to save. Connect with Eric Spofford Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericspofford/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjv2eT-tACaCYO18wSllyNg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-spofford-grc Connect with Shawn: https://link.me/shawnmf32 Newsletter + more: https://thedeterminedsociety.com Follow The Determined Society Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/determined-society-with-shawn-french-adversity-mindset/id1555922064 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5kS9tkLGQLcVyRgB3mDznw?si=184c18d1b9d44f53 The Determined Society is hosted by Shawn French — a show for people who refuse to quit. Every episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the real stories behind resilience, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of a life built on your own terms.Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all others.. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and leave a review. It helps more than you know. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Karlton Dennis, CEO of Tax Alchemy and former athlete turned tax strategist, reveals the discipline and identity shift required to build lasting wealth. In this conversation, Shawn French and Karlton explore the mental toughness that helped him transition from sports to entrepreneurship, the tax strategies high-earners use to keep more of what they make, and how breaking norms around money shapes your financial legacy. A powerful conversation on discipline, overcoming obstacles, and the authentic conversations that change lives. Connect with Shawn:  https://link.me/shawnmf32  Subscribe to our newsletter for all updates and heavy doses of DETERMINATION: https://thedeterminedsociety.com  Subscribe on Apple/Spotify: Apple- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/determined-society-with-shawn-french-adversity-mindset/id1555922064  Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/5kS9tkLGQLcVyRgB3mDznw?si=498fc35ecc814a9e The Determined Society is hosted by Shawn French — a show for people who refuse to quit. Every episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the real stories behind resilience, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of a life built on your own terms.Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all others.. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and leave a review. It helps more than you know. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On The Determined Society, authentic conversations and hard questions separate growth from stagnation. Ben Swann—journalist, truth-seeker, and cultural disruptor—sits down with Shawn French to explore why asking difficult questions takes real discipline, how breaking norms demands determination, and what happens when you refuse to accept surface-level answers. Discover the mental strength it takes to challenge the status quo and the resilience required to stand by your convictions. Perfect for anyone tired of shallow discourse and ready to dig deeper. The Determined Society is hosted by Shawn French — a show for people who refuse to quit. Every episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the real stories behind resilience, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of a life built on your own terms.Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all others.. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and leave a review. It helps more than you know. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jake "Brutal" Bostwick's adversity turned discipline. Growing up surrounded by violence in Southeast London, he reveals how overcoming failure and hardship became his greatest assets. In this raw conversation, Jake unpacks the discipline techniques, mindset shifts, and unforgiving lessons that transformed survival instinct into elite fighting performance—and why loss was never the end. Connect with Jake Bostwick:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brutalbostw... Connect with Shawn: https://link.me/shawnmf32  Subscribe to our newsletter for all updates and heavy doses of DETERMINATION:  https://thedeterminedsociety.com The Determined Society is hosted by Shawn French — a show for people who refuse to quit. Every episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the real stories behind resilience, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of a life built on your own terms.Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all others.. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and leave a review. It helps more than you know. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When adversity strikes, most people rebuild alone. In this raw conversation, Shawn French sits with Tyrese Gibson and Cody Walker to explore how breaking norms and authentic faith transformed grief into FuelFest—a global movement celebrating car culture, music, and human connection. Discover what it really means to build something bigger than yourself when loss threatens to define you, and how overcoming obstacles through determination creates lasting legacy.  In this episode, we dive into: • The story and mission behind FuelFest  • Honoring Paul Walker’s legacy through action  • How Reach Out Worldwide continues Paul’s heart for helping people  • Why cars and music bring people together across cultures  • Building a global community through passion and purpose  • Cody Walker’s journey after losing Paul  • Tyrese Gibson on faith, determination, and doing something with your life  • Why you do not need to have everything figured out to start  • The power of showing up, failing, learning, and moving forward  • Creating experiences that impact people far beyond the event This is more than a conversation about cars, movies, or music.  It is a conversation about legacy, brotherhood, purpose, service, and the determination to create something that continues to impact the world.  • Connect with Shawn: https://link.me/shawnmf32 • Subscribe to our newsletter for all updates and heavy doses of DETERMINATION: https://thedeterminedsociety.com   The Determined Society is hosted by Shawn French — a show for people who refuse to quit. Every episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the real stories behind resilience, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of a life built on your own terms.Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all others.. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and leave a review. It helps more than you know. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this inspiring episode of The Determined Society, Shawn French sits down with Chad Willardson, founder of Pacific Capital, six-time author, husband, father of five, and one of the most respected voices in wealth management and leadership. Chad shares the courageous decision that changed his life forever, walking away from a successful career at Merrill Lynch with no safety net to build a company rooted in integrity, purpose, and people over profits. Today, Chad Willardson manages more than $1.5 billion in assets, but Chad reveals that his greatest success has never been measured by money. From overcoming fear and rejection to building elite teams, protecting company culture, prioritizing family, and turning down millions to stay true to his values, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom for entrepreneurs, leaders, and anyone determined to build a meaningful life.  • Connect with Shawn: https://link.me/shawnmf32 •Subscribe to our newsletter for all updates and heavy doses of DETERMINATION: https://thedeterminedsociety.com  • Subscribe on Apple/Spotify: — Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... — Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5kS9tkL...      The Determined Society is hosted by Shawn French — a show for people who refuse to quit. Every episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the real stories behind resilience, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of a life built on your own terms.Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all others.. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and leave a review. It helps more than you know. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Overcoming obstacles isn't just about external circumstances, it's about discipline, accountability, and choosing redemption. Michael Franzese, a former Colombo crime captain who walked away from the mob to build a life rooted in faith and family, joins Shawn French to unpack the mindset shift required to break norms, embrace adversity as growth, and redefine what true strength looks like. Discover how controlling the controllables and unwavering discipline became his path to transformation. Connect with Shawn  https://link.me/shawnmf32  Subscribe to our newsletter for all updates and heavy doses of DETERMINATION:  https://thedeterminedsociety.com The Determined Society is hosted by Shawn French — a show for people who refuse to quit. Every episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the real stories behind resilience, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of a life built on your own terms.Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all others.. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and leave a review. It helps more than you know. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bedros Keuilian—founder of Fit Body Boot Camp and creator of The Project—joins Shawn French for a raw conversation on determination, adversity, and breaking limiting beliefs. From arriving in America as an immigrant child on welfare to building a $100M+ fitness empire, Bedros shares how he reframed trauma and bullying into fuel for leadership, fatherhood, and becoming the man he needed to become. This is a masterclass in overcoming obstacles and transforming survival mode into unstoppable discipline. Connect with Shawn  https://link.me/shawnmf32  Subscribe to our newsletter for all updates and heavy doses of DETERMINATION:  https://thedeterminedsociety.com The Determined Society is hosted by Shawn French — a show for people who refuse to quit. Every episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the real stories behind resilience, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of a life built on your own terms.Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all others.. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and leave a review. It helps more than you know. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.