Sick Burn Podcast

Send us Fan MailJonny Mize is a US Army combat veteran who served in Afghanistan from 2006 to 2007. When he came home, he was carrying invisible wounds — PTSD, anxiety, depression, and a darkness that nearly cost him his life. At his lowest point, he attempted suicide. But Jonny survived. He found Transcendental Meditation, and it changed everything. It worked so quickly and brought him so much peace that he became a certified TM teacher in San Diego, now serving veterans and first responders through the Resilient Warrior Program at Restore VFW Solana Beach. In this conversation, we talk about coming home from combat changed, navigating addiction and suicidal ideation, why Transcendental Meditation became his key to transformation, and how his healing is now rippling through entire families. Connect with Jonny Mize: •Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonnyoptimize/ •Resilient Warrior Program : https://www.resilient-warriors.org/ •David Lynch Foundation: https://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/ Aloha and thank you for being here! Connect with The Sick Burn Podcast: •Website: https://www.sickburnpodcast.com •Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sickburnpod •TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sickburnpod •Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thomascraigviii 🎧 Mahalo for listening! If this episode connected with you, please: Subscribe to The Sick Burn Podcast so you never miss an episode. Share this conversation with someone navigating trauma, mental health struggles, or suicidal ideation. Follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Credits: Hosted & Executive Produced by Thomas Craig VIII Produced by Voice & Video — Bill Lanzarotta Audio Engineer — Mickey Dixon Edited by — Kevin Graphics by — Jeff Lee Special Thanks — Jonny MizeDisclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily represent those of The Sick Burn Podcast, its affiliates, or any organizations we are associated with. This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. #SickBurnPodcast #VeteransStory #PTSD #MentalHealth #davidlynchfoundatiom #SuicidePrevention #TranscendentalMeditation #VeteranHealth #CombatVeteran #MentalHealthMatters #VeteranSupport #ResilientWarrior #HealingJourney #SurvivalStory #BattleWithin #Hope #Recovery #MilitaryMentalHealth #VeteransFirst #Inspiration #AlohaSupport the show

Send us Fan MailAt 23, McKenna was living her best life in San Diego when her body started sending warning signals. Pain. Swelling. Fatigue. Tests revealed synovial sarcoma — a rare and aggressive soft tissue cancer that most people have never heard of. It was the kind of diagnosis that stops your world. But instead of letting cancer write her story, McKenna became the author. What got her through wasn't just medical treatment — it was her mindset, her ownership of her healing, and her refusal to be defined by what happened to her. Today, she's not just surviving — she's thriving, raising awareness, and showing people what it looks like to move through the hardest diagnosis imaginable with grace, honesty, and purpose. In this conversation, we talk about what it felt like to get that diagnosis, how she rebuilt her life after treatment, and why she's so committed to helping others recognize their own warning signs. Connect with McKenna: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenna_inbloom Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatiwishiknewcancer TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kenna_inbloom YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whatiwishiknewcancerpod Podcast "What I Wish I Knew": https://linktr.ee/whatiwishiknew?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=c0af5fce-5e2a-419a-9151-a52e338caf96 Aloha and thank you for being here! Connect with The Sick Burn Podcast: Website: https://www.sickburnpodcast.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sickburnpod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sickburnpod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thomascraigviii 🎧 Mahalo for listening! If this episode connected with you, please: Subscribe to The Sick Burn Podcast so you never miss an episode. Share this conversation with someone navigating a health crisis or uncertainty. Follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes moments and updates!Credits: Hosted & Executive Produced by Thomas Craig VIII Produced by Voice & Video — Bill Lanzarotta Audio Engineer — Mickey Dixon Edited by — Kevin Graphics by — Jeff Lee Special Thanks — McKenna Avery Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily represent those of The Sick Burn Podcast, its affiliates, or any organizations we are associated with. This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. #SickBurnPodcast #OwnershipOverCancer #RareDiagnosis #SynovialSarcoma #CancerSurvivor #CancerRecovery #HealthJourney #Resilience #Healing #PersonalGrowth #MentalHealth #CancerAwareness #AdvocacyMatters #FindingPurpose #YourStoryMatters #InspiringStories #RealConversations #HealingJourney #HopeAndHealing #StrengthSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThe Sick Burn Podcast is for people stuck between who they were and who they're becoming.After surviving a plane crash in 2019 and six months in a Burn ICU, Thomas Craig rebuilt his life one step at a time. This trailer introduces his story, the mission behind the podcast, and why honest conversations about healing matter.Every episode features real people rebuilding their lives after their hardest moments. No fake recovery stories. No toxic positivity. Just one clear step forward.Subscribe now and join a community of survivors, warriors, and everyday people who refuse to give up.Connect with The Sick Burn Podcast:Website: ⁠https://www.sickburnpodcast.com⁠YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sickburnpodInstagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/sickburnpod⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@sickburnpod⁠Threads: ⁠https://www.threads.net/@thomascraigviii⁠Take care of yourself. If you can, take care of someone else. And keep exploring the bright side to life's darkest moments.Aloha 🤙🏽ThomasSupport the show

Send us Fan MailI remember waking up in the hospital after the plane crash — unable to move, unable to speak, in more pain than I thought was possible. Every morning after that, I looked at my hands expecting my fingers to be back. They never were. For months, I was stuck in denial, fighting reality instead of accepting it. And that resistance almost cost me everything.Today we're talking about acceptance — not the kind that means giving up, but the kind that actually sets you free. We'll explore what acceptance really is (and what it isn't), why it's so hard, and why it's the prerequisite to any real change. You'll hear from Dave Evans, Stanford's design thinking expert, about why reality is the only place anything can actually happen. We'll dig into Stoic philosophy from Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. And I'll share what I've learned from my own journey — how accepting what happened to me became the only way to actually move forward. If you're stuck fighting something you can't control, this one's for you.Aloha and thank you for being here! Connect with The Sick Burn Podcast:• Website: https://www.sickburnpodcast.com• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sickburnpod• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sickburnpod• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thomascraigviii🎧 Mahalo for listening! If this episode connected with you, please:• Subscribe to The Sick Burn Podcast so you never miss an episode.• Share this conversation with someone navigating uncertainty, adversity, or healing.• Follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes moments and updates.Timestamps: 1. INTRO — 00:01:35 Welcome and episode premise: what acceptance actually is, why it's hard, and what becomes possible when you stop fighting reality. 2. WHAT ACCEPTANCE IS NOT — 00:01:53 Reframing acceptance away from "giving up" — it's about absorbing reality and figuring out how to move forward. 3. THOMAS'S PERSONAL RECKONING — 00:03:06 Going from fiercely independent to needing help for everything. The mind's instinct to protect vs. the necessity of facing reality. 4. RADICAL ACCEPTANCE & DR. MARSHA LINEHAN — 00:04:31 The anger phase and introduction of DBT founder Dr. Marsha Linehan's concept of radical acceptance: total openness to facts without throwing a tantrum. 5. HIDDEN BRAIN / STANFORD DESIGN THINKING — 00:06:30 Professor Dave Evans on his wife's terminal cancer diagnosis and her reframe: "This is sad, but it's not tragic." 6. STOICISM & PHILOSOPHY — 00:09:55 Marcus Aurelius and meaningful suffering vs. unmeaningful suffering — you can do everything right and the bad thing still happens. 7. THOMAS'S TURNING POINT — 00:13:21 The therapist question that shifted everything: "What have you gained?" — 1% better, one day at a time. 8. G. MICHAEL HOPF CALLBACK — 00:17:13 Referencing a previous guest — a marine surrendering to the lesson while lying with a broken back. The therapist question that shifted everything: "What have you gained?" The walks with his dog, the slow reframe from loss to possibility. The acknowledgment that healing isn't linear — 1% better, one day at a time. 9. EPICTETUS, PRACTICAL APPLICATION & THE INVITATION — 00:21:40 Epictetus (born into slavery) — "We are not disturbed by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happened to us." Small daily moments of appreciation (the dog, the ball, the backyard reset). The closing invitation: sit with your trauma, name it, and stop fighting yourself at the starting line. 10. OUTRO — 00:32:16 Reflection on Thomas's own transformation — from hiding indoors to building a family, a community, and this podcast. Credits:Hosted & Executive Produced by Thomas Craig VIIIProduced by Voice & Video — Bill LanzarottaAudio Engineer — Mickey DixonEdited by — Lizi BronsonGraphics by — Jeff LeeDisclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily represent those of The Sick Burn Podcast, its affiliates, or any organizations we are associated with. This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. #SickBurnPodcast #Acceptance #MentalHealth #Resilience #Healing #PersonalGrowth #Stoicism #MentalHealthMatters #TraumaRecovery #AcceptanceJourney #FindingFreedom #MindsetShift #PositiveMindset #OvercomingAdversity #HealingJourney #PodcastEpisode #InspiringStories #RealConversations #AuthenticLiving #truefreedom Support the show

Send us Fan MailDan Roth (@danrothconsulting) has spent a lifetime learning how to navigate spaces that weren't built for people like him — and turning that experience into a mission to make the world more inclusive for everyone else. Diagnosed as neurodivergent in 1989, Dan has spent decades doing the deep work of self-reflection, research, and advocacy. He's an Amazon Best Selling Author, a TEDx speaker, a Strategic People Operations Executive, and a nonprofit advisor whose work spans some of the most underrepresented areas in mental health — including eating disorders, body dysmorphia, neurodiversity, domestic violence, sexual assault, and disability rights. But in this conversation, we go beyond the résumé. Dan opens up about his personal journey with an eating disorder, what it meant to be neurodivergent before anyone had the language for it, the challenges he and his wife faced during a difficult pregnancy, and how all of it ultimately shaped his purpose as an advocate, a father, and a human being. This is a wide-ranging, honest, and deeply human conversation about what it means to redefine normal — and why the world is better when we make room for everyone in it.  Connect with Dan Roth: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danrothconsulting/ TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/CRAbVQWH_MQ?si=kFDc8Pa6tf0lDPrU Linktree: https://linktr.ee/DanRothConsulting  Connect with The Sick Burn Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sickburnpod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sickburnpod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@sickburnpod Website: https://www.sickburnpodcast.com  🎧 Mahalo for listening! If this episode connected with you, please: Subscribe to The Sick Burn Podcast so you never miss an episode. Share this conversation with someone who needs to hear it. Follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Credits: Hosted & Executive Produced by Thomas Craig VIII Produced by Voice & Video — Bill Lanzarotta Audio Engineer — Mickey Dixon Edited by Lizi Bronson Graphics by Jeff Lee Special Thanks — Dan Roth  Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily represent those of The Sick Burn Podcast, its affiliates, or any organizations we are associated with. This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. #SickBurnPodcast #DanRoth #Neurodiversity #EatingDisorderRecovery #BodyDysmorphia #MentalHealthAwareness #Advocacy #Inclusion #NeurodivergentLife #ADHDAwareness #DisabilityRights #TEDxSpeaker #RedefiningNormal #MentalHealthMatters #Resilience #HealingJourney #FindTheBrightSide #OvercomingAdversity #InspiringStories #RealConversations #PurposeDrivenLife #HopeAndHealingSupport the show

Send us Fan MailIn this Instagram Live conversation with mental health advocate Will Craig, we explore acceptance — not as giving up, but as focusing your energy on what you actually control. When a plane crash survivor and a man living with a serious medical condition sit down to talk about trauma, loss, and healing, acceptance becomes the thing that sets you free. Connect with Will at: • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mental_health_with_will/ Aloha and thank you for being here! Connect with The Sick Burn Podcast: • Website: https://www.sickburnpodcast.com • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sickburnpod • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sickburnpod • Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thomascraigviii 🎧 Mahalo for listening! If this episode connected with you, please: • Subscribe to The Sick Burn Podcast so you never miss an episode. • Share this conversation with someone navigating illness, uncertainty, or recovery. • Follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Credits: Hosted & Executive Produced by Thomas Craig VIII Produced by Voice & Video — Bill Lanzarotta Audio Engineer — Mickey Dixon Edited by — Lizi Bronson Graphics by — Jeff Lee Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily represent those of The Sick Burn Podcast, its affiliates, or any organizations we are associated with. This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. #SickBurnPodcast #Acceptance #MentalHealth #WillCraig #Resilience #Trauma #MentalHealthAdvocate #Control #Healing #PersonalGrowth #MentalHealthMatters #AuthenticConversation #FindYourPower #OnlineSupport #podcastlifeSupport the show

Send us Fan MailEveryone hits a wall. A moment where you don't know how to keep going. I asked every guest on The Sick Burn Podcast the same final question — "What's one piece of advice you'd give to somebody going through their hardest moment?" — and what came back was something I wasn't expecting. Real answers. Raw answers. The kind you only get from people who've actually been through it. If you're in a hard season right now — this one's for you. Aloha and thank you for being here! Connect with The Sick Burn Podcast: • Website: https://www.sickburnpodcast.com • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sickburnpod • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sickburnpod • Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thomascraigviii 🎧 Mahalo for listening! If this episode connected with you, please: • Subscribe to The Sick Burn Podcast so you never miss an episode. • Share this conversation with someone navigating illness, uncertainty, or recovery. • Follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Credits: Hosted & Executive Produced by Thomas Craig VIII Produced by Voice & Video — Bill Lanzarotta Audio Engineer — Mickey Dixon Edited by — Lizi Bronson Graphics by — Jeff Lee Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily represent those of The Sick Burn Podcast, its affiliates, or any organizations we are associated with. This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. #SickBurnPodcast #HardTimes #advice #resilience #MedicalResilience #AdaptiveLiving #DisabilityVisibility #HealthJourney #LivingWithHeartFailure #Resilience #OvercomingAdversity #HopeAndHealing #MentalHealthMatters #FindingTheBrightSide #KeepGoing #InspiringStories #RealConversations #HumanStrength #PodcastInterview #PurposeDrivenLife #burnsurvivorSupport the show

Send us Fan MailIt’s been a little while since our last full episode, but we’re actively working on what’s next. In the meantime, I wanted to share something special. On every episode of The Sick Burn Podcast, I ask my guests the same two questions. This is the first one: What is currently giving you the most amount of peace? The responses were honest, eye-opening, and a powerful reminder that peace often looks different than we expect. I hope it shifts your perspective the way it shifted mine. Aloha and thank you for being here! Connect with The Sick Burn Podcast: • Website: https://www.sickburnpodcast.com • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sickburnpod • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sickburnpod • Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thomascraigviii 🎧 Mahalo for listening! If this episode connected with you, please: • Subscribe to The Sick Burn Podcast so you never miss an episode. • Share this conversation with someone navigating illness, uncertainty, or recovery. • Follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Credits: Hosted & Executive Produced by Thomas Craig VIII Produced by Voice & Video — Bill Lanzarotta Audio Engineer — Mickey Dixon Edited by — Lizi Bronson Graphics by — Jeff Lee Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily represent those of The Sick Burn Podcast, its affiliates, or any organizations we are associated with. This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. #SickBurnPodcast #peace #findingpeace #resilience #MedicalResilience #AdaptiveLiving #DisabilityVisibility #HealthJourney #LivingWithHeartFailure #Resilience #OvercomingAdversity #HopeAndHealing #MentalHealthMatters #FindingTheBrightSide #KeepGoing #InspiringStories #RealConversations #HumanStrength #PodcastInterview #PurposeDrivenLife #burnsurvivorSupport the show

Send us Fan MailKody Schaffner’s life is powered by resilience — literally. Living with advanced heart failure, Kody (@justadudeonbatteries) relies on a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD), a mobile life-support system that keeps his heart pumping and his future moving forward. But Kody’s story isn’t just about survival — it’s about perspective, gratitude, and refusing to let fear define your life. In this episode, Kody opens up about what it’s really like to live with an LVAD, the realities of open-heart surgery, and how quickly life can change when your health is no longer guaranteed. We talk about vulnerability, healing, patience, and learning how to find purpose in uncertainty. Kody shares how he reframed strength, learned to accept help, and continues to show up with hope even on the hardest days. This conversation is a powerful reminder that resilience doesn’t always look loud or dramatic — sometimes it looks like waking up, adapting, and choosing to keep going. ⏱️ Chapter Timestamps 1. Intro to Kody & “Just a Dude on Batteries” – 00:01:18 2. Early Trauma: Fatal Car Accident at 18 & Losing His Girlfriend and Family Members – 00:03:20 3. Climbing Cell Towers High on Drugs & Living in Full-Blown Addiction – 00:05:05 4. Six-Figure Remodeling Business, Home Depot Collapse & First Heart Failure Diagnosis – 00:07:11 5. Rock Bottom: Living in His Truck, & Finally Going Back to the Hospital – 00:11:25 6. Turning Down the LVAD, Choosing Long-Term Life Over Short-Term Fixes – 00:15:12 7. Regaining Independence: Managing His LVAD & Walking Into the Gym – 00:17:52 8. Daily Gym Videos, Cognitive Therapy & Rewiring a Brain Stuck in Depression – 00:23:23 9. From Instant Gratification to Discipline, & Fully Owning “Just a Dude on Batteries” – 00:31:31 10. The Gym Healing His Heart (8% to 45%) and His Advice for Anyone at Rock Bottom – 00:42:15 Connect with Kody Schaffner: • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justadudeonbatteries • Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@justadudeonbatteries • Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@Justadudeonbatteries⁩ Connect with The Sick Burn Podcast: • Website: https://www.sickburnpodcast.com • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sickburnpod • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sickburnpod • Threads: https://www.threads.net/@sickburnpod 🎧 Mahalo for listening! If this episode connected with you, please: • Subscribe to The Sick Burn Podcast so you never miss an episode. • Share this conversation with someone navigating illness, uncertainty, or recovery. • Follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Credits: Hosted & Executive Produced by Thomas Craig VIII Produced by Voice & Video — Bill Lanzarotta Audio Engineer — Mickey Dixon Edited by — Lizi Bronson Graphics by — Jeff Lee Special Thanks — Kody Schaffner Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily represent those of The Sick Burn Podcast, its affiliates, or any organizations we are associated with. This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. #SickBurnPodcast #KodySchaffner #HeartFailureAwareness #LVADLife #LifeWithLVAD #HeartWarrior #ChronicIllnessAwareness #InvisibleIllness #MedicalResilience #AdaptiveLiving #DisabilityVisibility #HealthJourney #LivingWithHeartFailure #Resilience #OvercomingAdversity #HopeAndHealing #MentalHealthMatters #FindingTheBrightSupport the show

Send us Fan MailMiguel Jimenez Vergara is a competitive adaptive athlete, wheelchair racer, and one of the most unstoppable humans you’ll ever meet. From a young age, Miguel felt a deep pull toward movement, competition, and testing both his body and his mind. Over the years, that pull turned into a lifestyle built on consistency, challenge, and an unwavering commitment to becoming better every single day. In this episode, Miguel opens up about the mindset behind his training, why he chases discomfort, and how racing became both his outlet and his compass. We talk about identity, discipline, burnout, mental toughness, and the quiet battles people rarely see — the internal work that fuels true resilience. Miguel’s story isn’t about recovering from one defining moment… it’s about choosing to grow through thousands of small, intentional ones. Whether you’re an athlete, someone rebuilding your confidence, or someone searching for purpose, Miguel’s perspective will leave you fired up and rethinking what you’re capable of.1. Intro to Miguel & the Mindset of a Champion – [00:01:07]2. Why He Calls It “Wheelchair Racing” & Honoring the Sport’s History – [00:02:32]3. Born Without Legs: Early Childhood, Disability, and First Realizations – [00:06:57]4. Middle School, High School & Earning Respect Through Grit – [00:07:33]5. Discovering Philosophy, Stoicism & Reframing His Disability – [00:11:16]6. Sacrifice, Solo Travel & Doing Whatever It Takes to Compete – [00:17:04]7. From Sled Hockey to Chula Vista: Committing Fully to Track & the Paralympic Dream – [00:23:18]8. Flow State, Mind Over Body & Racing Ten Feet at a Time – [00:31:06]9. Time as the Ultimate Equalizer & Advice for Life’s Hardest Moments – [00:40:13]10. Teamwork, Killing the Ego & What’s Next for Miguel (NYC Marathon & LA 2028) – [00:44:21]Connect with Miguel here: • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miguel._.36/ Connect with us here: • Website: https://www.sickburnpodcast.com • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sickburnpod • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thomascraigviii • Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thomascraigviii 🎧 Mahalo for tuning in! If you enjoyed today’s bonus episode, please: • Subscribe to The Sick Burn Podcast so you never miss an episode. • Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes fun. • Share this episode with a fellow gamer or friend who loves the power of play. Credits: Hosted & Executive Produced by Thomas Craig VIII Produced by Voice & Video – Bill Lanzarotta Audio Engineer – Mickey Dixon Edited by – Lizi Bronson Graphics by – Jeff Lee Special Thanks – Miguel Vergara Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily represent those of The Sick Burn Podcast, its affiliates, or any organizations we are associated with. This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. #SickBurnPodcast #MiguelJimenezVergara #EnduranceAthlete #RacingMindset #Resilience #Discipline #MentalToughness #PushingLimits #FindTheBrightSide #AthleteMindset #Perseverance #KeepGoing #HumanPerformance #SickBurnPodSupport the show