In this episode of The Sean Trace Show, I sit down with retired US Army Special Forces officer Mark Grdovic for a powerful conversation about leadership, courage, resilience, and what it really means to step toward hard things when most people instinctively pull back.

We talk about the mindset behind volunteering for the unknown, how elite teams are built under pressure, and why real leadership is not about control but about earning trust, casting vision, and preparing people to think for themselves when things get messy. Mark also shares lessons from his years in Special Forces, his work as an instructor, and the deeper meaning behind his book Those Who Face Death.

This conversation goes far beyond the military and into the real-world struggles people face in business, family, personal growth, and everyday life. Have you ever had a moment where running toward the hard thing changed who you became?

On The Sean Trace Show, I sit down with Kyle Shepard, a Navy audiologist and resilience expert, and this conversation completely changed how I think about stress.

We break down why stress isn’t something to avoid, it’s something to train with, and how learning to function with it, recover from it, and grow because of it can reshape how you show up as a parent, leader, and human.

What if the stress you’re feeling right now is actually trying to level you up?

In this episode, I sat down with Holland Romero, a 24-year Navy SEAL veteran and founder of Legacy Forged Mindset, who coaches executives, founders, and elite athletes to lead with purpose and unlock peak performance. His origin story alone is worth the listen - at 19, with zero military background and zero physical training, he heard three sentences from a stranger at a Christmas party and signed a SEAL contract the very next day. Everyone told him he'd fail. He went anyway. The stranger, it turned out, had actually quit SEAL training himself. One lie changed everything.

Beyond the origin story, Holland breaks down what elite performance really looks like, why your "why" matters more than your physical ability, how he built unstoppable team cohesion leading 60 to 70 person cross-functional units in combat, and how great leaders protect their team's energy just as fiercely as their own. We also get into failure, ownership, and why the scariest thing isn't falling short - it's looking back and wondering if you could have done it.

What's the one thing you've been overthinking or waiting to feel ready for, and what's one step you could take on it today?

I sat down with Jen Mueller on The Sean Trace Show, a veteran sports broadcaster and sideline reporter, and this conversation completely changed how I think about communication.

What stood out to me is that great communicators don’t just react in the moment, they walk into every conversation with a clear objective and intention. From locker rooms to business settings, Jen broke down how vague communication creates friction, while being direct builds trust, clarity, and results. It made me reflect on how often we speak without really knowing what we want out of the interaction.

How often do you enter a conversation with a clear outcome in mind?

I didn’t realize how much my brain was holding me back until this conversation.

Sitting down with David Hitz, a mental performance coach using neuroscience, I unpack what it really means to train your mind like your body. From handling pressure in high-stakes moments to using visualization not just for success but for failure and recovery, this episode completely shifted how I think about resilience, confidence, and growth. We dive into neuroplasticity, breathwork, and the real tools that help you stop spiraling and start moving forward with clarity. If you’ve ever felt stuck in your own head, this is the conversation that might change everything.

So what would happen if you started training your mind as intentionally as you train everything else?

Most people think strength comes from pushing harder.

It doesn’t.

It comes from what’s underneath you.

This morning I was walking through Napa Valley, back where I grew up, surrounded by redwoods, vineyards, and memories. And it reminded me of something simple but powerful.

The trees that last aren’t the ones that grow the fastest. They’re the ones with the deepest roots.

Same goes for us.

In this episode, I talk about:

the relationships that actually hold you up when life hits
why success can pull you away from what matters most
how community, family, and real connections shape who you become
and why the strongest people aren’t unbreakable… they’re supported

Because storms are coming. That part’s guaranteed.

The question is, what’s holding you down when they do?

I sat down with Gifty Enright and this conversation completely challenged how I think about success, burnout, and what it actually means to live a fulfilling life.

We talked about how society trains us to chase constant output, wear busyness like a badge of honor, and confuse achievement with well-being, only to realize later that those things can actually pull us further away from who we really are. What hit me most was the idea that success isn’t about how much you do or how much you earn, but whether your life is aligned with your identity, your values, and the things that genuinely light you up. We got into the reality of burnout, the danger of chasing external validation, and how easy it is to wake up one day with everything “on paper” and still feel completely empty inside. This episode is really about stepping back, questioning what you’re chasing, and building a life that actually feels good to live, not just one that looks good from the outside.

So I’ll leave you with this… are you chasing what truly matters to you, or just collecting badges that were never yours to begin with?

In this episode, I sit down with Paralympic gold medalist, marathon world record holder, and disability advocate Richard Whitehead MBE for a powerful conversation about resilience, discipline, purpose, and what it really means to keep showing up.

We talk about overcoming adversity, building confidence through small wins, raising kids to find their own path, and why success is not about following someone else’s story but creating your own. Richard shares lessons from sport, disability advocacy, leadership, mindset, and community, and this conversation is packed with inspiration for anyone chasing personal growth, mental toughness, and a more meaningful life.

What is one area of your life where you need to keep showing up, even when it feels hard?