Guns and Mental Health by Walk the Talk America
The Walk the Talk America Podcast is where firearm culture and mental health meet with curiosity, not confrontation.
Each episode brings together voices from the firearm community, mental health professionals, researchers, and everyday gun owners to have honest conversations about suicide prevention, culture, and practical solutions.
We focus on education over outrage, nuance over noise, and collaboration over division, because reducing negative outcomes requires diverse perspectives.
And because this work is personal, every episode closes with a simple but powerful question: How do you stay mentally healthy?
Episodes
168 episodes
Ep 168: From the Firearms Industry to the Research Stage
Michael Sodini recaps his experience last fall at Rutgers University, where he was invited to close out a summit hosted by the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center. In this conversation, Michael and Kevin break down what happened...
Ep 167: If It Moves, You’ll Know: How Kini Helps You Monitor Firearm Access at Home
Firearm storage is not just about what you buy, it’s about what you know. In this episode, Mike and Nicky Zabetian from Kinisium join Mike to break down Kini Safe Alert, a small, discreet ...
Ep 166: Financial Freedom for First Responders
In this conversation, Seth Hendricks shares his transformative journey from a decade-long career in law enforcement to becoming a financial advisor. He discusses the impact of mental health on police officers, the importance of self-reflection,...
Ep 165: Beyond the Boogeyman, A Nuanced Talk on Colorado ERPOs With Chris Knoepke
Red flag laws, also known as ERPOs, get talked about in the gun world like one sweeping “boogeyman”, but the reality is messier and state-specific.In this episode, Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with
Ep 164: Bridging the Gap: A Yale Researcher, Gun Owners, and What Actually Reduces Harm
For the first time on the WTTA podcast, we’re joined by a researcher, and not just any researcher.Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with Kerri Raissian, Senior Research Scientist at the Yale School of Public Healt...
EP 163: Causing a Pause for the High Performers with Charles Anderson
In this episode of the Guns & Mental Health podcast, Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with Charles Anderson, CEO in the firearms media world behind Bleeker Street Publications,
Ep 162: When Worlds Come Together: ROOTS, Research, and Real Conversations at the National Research Conference
In this special episode, Kevin Berry sits down with Kerri Raissian, Senior Research Scientist at the Yale School of Public Health, Kenny Barlow from Regal Products, and WTTA founder Mike Sodini to recap a week that moved the conversation forwar...
Ep 161: Bringing Back Trust: Rob Beckman on the Future of the NRA
In this episode of Walk the Talk America, Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with firearms instructor and Firearm Trainer Podcast host Rob Beckman to discuss his...
Ep 160: Waco Hoover on American Legion and MCON
Former infantry Marine and brand strategist Waco Hoover joins Michael to dig into the impact of lip service. We cover the American Legion’s “Be The One
Ep 159: From Loss to Leadership: The Scott Sippel Foundation’s Fight for Suicide Prevention
RG Stitt and Greg Harpster join us from the Scott Sippel Foundation—an organization born from tragedy that’s now raised nearly $600,000 for mental health and suicide prevention. We talk about hon...
Ep 158: Rob Pincus on Youth Stats, ERPOs, and What Actually Saves Lives
Mike and Kevin sit down with Rob Pincus to unpack two hot buttons that get thrown around online but are rarely explored with nuance: the “firearms are the #1 cause of death in youth” stat...
Ep 157: Bulletproof Clothing with CIVILIAN’s Kami Kay Kirschbaum
Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry sit down with Kami Kay Kirschbaum, founder & CEO of CIVILIAN, a bulletproof clothing brand built to bl...
Ep 156: Skits, Stencils, and Building a Responsible 2A Culture with The King of Camo
Mike and J. Hood welcome Ryan and Nate from The King of Camo, the North Georgia custom shop and YouTube duo known for turning real counter moments into laugh-out-loud shorts that still teach ...
Ep 155: Biometric Slide Lock: How B.O.S. Lock is Evolving Firearm Safety
Join hosts Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry as they welcome Keith Bombaugh of B.O.S. Lock to the show. What began as a family-driven need for safer firearm storage has grown into a groundbreaking product...
Ep 154: The Intersection of Gun Rights and Domestic Violence with Kelly Sutliff
In this episode of Guns and Mental Health, hosts Jake Wiskerchen and Michael Sodini welcome Kelly Sutliff, a licensed professional counselor and domestic violence survivor. Kelly shares her harrowing story of surviving an abusive relationship, ...
Ep 153: GOALS, Advocacy, and More with Gun Owners of America
In this WTTA Guns and Mental Health podcast episode, hosts Michael Sodini and Kevin Berry engage with John Fahrner from Gun Owners of America (GOA). They discuss personal updates, John's journey in the firearms industry, the mission of
Ep 152: Dwayne Edwards on Changing Veteran Mental Health
What happens after the mission ends? In this episode, we sit down with Marine Corps veteran and founder of VMHA, Dwayne Edwards, for an honest conversation about life after service, the identity crisis many veterans face, and why our system sti...
Ep 151: I Was Almost a School Shooter Part 2
In this unfiltered conversation, Aaron Stark returns to continue a story: how he went from the brink of committing a school shooting to becoming a national voice for prevention and mental health reform. Host Jake Wiskerchen digs into the raw tr...
Ep 150: I Was Almost a School Shooter Part 1
Jake Wiskerchen and Michael Sodini sit down with Aaron Stark, a man who once nearly became a school shooter, to explore the roots of despair, the systemic failures that allow trauma to fester, and the moments of compassion that can save a life....
Ep 149: Why We’re Getting Suicide Prevention Wrong, and How to Fix It with Rob Bogue
Rob Bogue of Robust Futures and SuicideMyths.org joins Jake and Mike to challenge some of the most deeply ingrained beliefs in suicide prevention. From questioning the predictive power of warning signs an...
Ep 148: Meet the Pressers: A Journey Through Firearms and Mental Health
In this episode of the Walk the Talk America podcast, hosts Jake Wiskerchen and Michael Sodini are joined by Klint Macro and Matt Mallory from Meet the Pressers. They discuss their journey in the firearms industry, the importance of...
Ep 147: Grant Magers and the Rise of Smart Ammunition Kiosks
Grant Magers, founder and CEO of American Rounds—an innovative company bringing ammunition vending machines (yes, really) to retailers nationwide. In this refreshingly light-hearted but deeply insightfu...
Ep 146: Mike and Kenny Barlow Recap NRA
Michael Sodini recaps the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits live from the Regal Products booth with Kenny Barlow.
Ep 145: A Veteran’s Mental Health Crisis and the Woman Who Stood By Him
Jake Wiskerchen and Michael Sodini sit down with Tom Cruz — not that Tom Cruz — to talk about the moment that changed everything. A 26-year Army veteran, Tom shares his harrowing story of a seven-hour mental health crisis in which he t...
Ep 144: Why Doctors Need to Understand Gun Owners with Dr. James Bigham
In this episode of the Walk the Talk America podcast, host Michael Sodini talks with Dr. James Bigham, a family physician who emphasizes the importance of understanding firearm ownership within the context of mental health. The conversation exp...