The VetsConnection Podcast

Ep. 25 - Connecting Through Storytelling And Podcasting: Scott McLean's Mission To Help Veterans With PTSD and TBI With The One Man One Mic Foundation

• Scott McLean • Episode 25

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Scott McLean's journey from military service to podcasting, to nonprofit founder is nothing short of inspirational. How does a 10-year Air Force veteran and former military dog handler transition to founding a nonprofit and hosting a successful podcast? Scott joins us to share his personal battle with PTSD and how equine therapy through the Herd Foundation became a transformative force in his life. He emphasizes the importance of veteran-support nonprofits and the critical role community support plays in mental health, offering insights that are both deeply personal and universally relatable.

Curious about the origins of the Vets Connection Podcast? Scott reveals how interactions with influential figures like Jonathan Oakley and Cecilia Baez shaped his vision. Through strategic networking on LinkedIn and a commitment to collaboration over competition, Scott has managed to secure compelling interviews that highlight the invaluable work of organizations supporting veterans. His approach to podcasting is not just about sharing stories but creating a network of support and understanding for veterans everywhere.

Storytelling lies at the heart of Scott’s mission, and he explains why it’s so effective in forging emotional connections. From public speaking engagements to his upcoming Story Lab event fundraiser, Scott shows how personal narratives can elicit powerful responses and foster a sense of community. We also spotlight Alex’s commendable efforts in building resources for veterans, underscoring the immense power of collective support. This episode is a testament to the impact of stories, both told and lived, in driving positive change.

Alex Briggs:

Welcome to the podcast. My name is Alex Briggs, filling in for Scott McLean. Today, my guest is Scott McLean, a 10-year Air Force veteran, founder and CEO of One man, One Mic Foundation and producer and host, except for today, of the Vets Connection podcast.

Scott McLean:

Welcome, Scott, Thank you for having me on, alex, it's a pleasure to be here at this renowned podcast. Yeah, yes, yes, it's a pleasure to be here at this renowned podcast. Yeah, yes, yes, it's a pleasure to be here. Thank you for the invitation.

Alex Briggs:

This is a long time coming. Huh, yes, it is. Yes, it is so, scott, we met through your foundation. But let's get into it. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Scott McLean:

Tell us a little bit about yourself, all right. Well, like you said, I'm a 10-year Air Force veteran. I'm a 50-50 vet. As I say, 50% Cold War, 50% Gulf War. It was interesting watching that transition.

Scott McLean:

During my 10 years I was security police, now called security forces. I was law enforcement, so I was canine military working dog handler. And well, it seems I did a couple years in the Philippines as a patrol dog handler. I did about two, two and a half years as a drug dog handler in Sacramento at Mather Air Force Base, which is now closed. Then I went to March Air Force Base in Southern California. I was a bomb dog handler, did a lot of Secret Service support missions in and around the Southern California area. That was a very interesting job to have and that base closed. Then I went to Kirkland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, new Mexico, and I worked a drug dog and at a certain point I was getting ready to get out and I got an opportunity to go down to the Mexican border and supplement US Customs in their canine units down on the border drug and addiction. So I took it, I went down there and I walked out of there with a job. So I walked right out of the Air Force and right into US Customs and Border Protection, which I worked on a anti-terrorism contraband enforcement team, which is basically anti-terrorism anti-smuggling unit Out of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. I worked all around the South Florida area. That was an interesting 22 years and I got out in 2019 and did nothing for a couple of years.

Scott McLean:

In that time, toward the end of my career, I was kind of told gee, probably should go to the VA and talk to somebody because, well, as the story goes, a bunch of us we get together. A bunch of friends of mine from the Philippines when we were all stationed together there from about 87 to 90. And as we get older, we get more, we're more honest with each other, and I think it was. It was told to me that you know, we, we tell these stories and then eventually someone said damn, you got more issues than sports illustrated.

Alex Briggs:

That's great.

Scott McLean:

I was recommended to go to the VA and then I had always put that off. I had always fought that because I didn't think I had any problems, and we'll get into that. We'll definitely get into that in this conversation. But I went there and I checked a lot of boxes that I didn't know I should be checking if that makes sense.

Alex Briggs:

Yeah makes 100% sense.

Scott McLean:

Yeah, and so they recommended me. I saw a couple of therapists and then I land with the doctor I'm with now, a psychologist, and she's amazing, and she recommended equine assisted services. Some call it equine therapy. I had heard about that through a friend of mine, suzanne. She's been doing it for years and we would talk. We grew up together and we would talk all the time. She's like you should try it, you should try it, you should try the equine therapy. And I was like, yeah, yeah, well, I did it.

Scott McLean:

I went over to Herd Foundation in Delray Beach, florida, and the first person I met was the co-founder, was Rhonda Fritchall, and she was a big part of how this changed my life. She's an amazing human being who absolutely brought me into this gently and introduced it to me, and it changed my life. It really did. At the same time, it also opened my eyes to something which is the nonprofit world that I didn't know existed. And you know this, you're, you're starting your own. Yeah, yeah, and there can't be enough.

Scott McLean:

I started helping them do outreach and Rhonda trusted me to go out there and talk to people, because this was it really worked. Their program's called Freedom Patch and it's Freedom Patch 1 and Freedom Patch 2. They're both eight week courses and it's all groundwork with the horses and connection and you learn a lot about yourself and you can use a lot of what happens in the arena in your everyday life. And so I went out and started helping them with outreach. And then I got asked to be on the board of directors and I'm the veteran ambassador for Herd Foundation. So during all these outreach events I would go to, I'd be in this room with 60, I'll just say 60 nonprofits all working with veterans.

Scott McLean:

Yeah, and I'm just going to be blunt I was like what the fuck? Like, how did I not know about this? I literally floated around out there in that ether for 20 years and didn't know that any of this existed, and that is. There's no reason for that. I had no like. It still boggles my mind that I floated around out there. Maybe I didn't know that I had a problem at the time PTSD but at least I could have said oh, I heard about that, yeah, right.

Alex Briggs:

Yeah, Do you? Do you think that going through that experience and then seeing all the nonprofits that are out there willing to help people, did that change your approach to maybe getting help yourself, realizing that there's so many people out there that do want to help?

Scott McLean:

That's a great question, my friend. Yes, you know you're never done with PTSD. As I say, I'm a recovering alcoholic and, god willing, it'll be 33 years the day after Thanksgiving as long as the day after Thanksgiving. And the same thing goes with PTSD. And the more you get involved in this nonprofit world, the more you find out, the better you. That's actually a good feeling. Yeah, that actually is an uplifting feeling, that is motivational and I think, yeah, the answer to your question is yes, I think it does help.

Alex Briggs:

Yeah. So one thing that I've seen from veterans and I want to know if this is your experience also some veterans are worried that they're going to be a burden on people, be a burden on the nonprofit that's out there. What's your experience with like that?

Scott McLean:

You're absolutely right. Again, you nailed it. That seems to be an underlying just in my experiences and talking to people, it's not 100%, but it exists that well, I don't want to bother anybody with this and well, especially when it comes to and I can only speak to this aspect of it veteran suicide, and I've talked to a few people who were kind of moving in that direction and what they said was I don't, I'm sorry to bother you, yeah, you know, and it's amazing, but that's what these nonprofits are there for. Like, we're there for you, they were there for me, but if we don't know they exist and we don't understand them, then what good is it?

Scott McLean:

That sounds terrible to say yeah, yeah, and we are there to say you're not bothering us. This is why I created One man, one, mike Foundation. This is why Rhonda created Herd Foundation, this is why you're creating yours, right, Exactly, and there's just so many out there. But that's the unfortunate side of it is, yes, the veteran feels like that. They don't want to be a burden to anybody yeah, no, I totally get what you're saying.

Alex Briggs:

So here's scott in a, in an environment where he's learning about all these non-profits. How did the podcasting start? Where did did that get its start?

Scott McLean:

Look at you. Is this your first time doing this, alex? Yes, look at you, buddy, I already have a home run for a student. This is great. That's a great question.

Scott McLean:

So in my interactions with nonprofits and doing these outreach programs, I met two people. One is Jonathan Oakley. He's the executive director of Mission United, which is the veteran branch of the United Way, and he put on a big outreach program. It was a two-day up at Palm Beach State College and the first day was all the nonprofits introduced each other, we each got up and spoke and you kind of start connections with other nonprofits, and then the next day was opening it up to the veterans. And then I met Cecilia Baez, who works for the West Palm Beach VA Hospital, and I could give you her titles, but she has a couple of them and she's an amazing person. Basically, her, her whole goal is to get nonprofits to link up together and work as coalitions is collaboration over competition and know that each other's out there and then, and so they're both doing the same thing and I and I I have a amazing amount of respect for both of them and they're both my friends now and I said well, what?

Scott McLean:

And I'm a guy that just likes to help. I just like to help people, I like to do the right thing. And I said, well, I'm a podcaster and you know why don't I start a podcast and it's the Vets Connection podcast and just interview nonprofits that that a lot of people don't know exist, unfortunately, right and I and uplift them and give them the opportunity to present themselves. And actually I got them both involved, jonathan and Cecilia and I. They gave me a lot of advice and you know they're giving me interviews to people to talk to, and so that's become great friendships on my side and that's how the podcast came about is I said I want to help them. I literally wanted to help those two because they work hard and they're great people doing great things. So if I could give anything, I'll help them, and that's how Vets Connection podcast came about.

Alex Briggs:

That's perfect. I love that story. Thank you, just speaking from personal experience. Our nonprofit is just starting. One of our board members took a screenshot of one of your LinkedIn posts and sent it to me, and that's how I reached out to you. Do you get a lot of people from these nonprofits reaching out to you in different ways? How can people help other nonprofits find you?

Scott McLean:

So I'm on LinkedIn. That's usually that's where I do almost all of my I hate to say promoting, but letting people know that the podcast is out here and it's really caught a lot of attention. And I've interviewed nonprofits from outside of Florida already and because it's for all nonprofits that work with veterans, linkedin has been an amazing platform to get the podcast out and a lot of people have reached out through LinkedIn, as did you. So I found that that's the number one way to get it out, and I connect with a lot of nonprofits. That's pretty much my whole feed is nonprofits and anybody in the veteran space, because it's not just for nonprofits. If you're helping veterans in any way, shape or form, I've interviewed for-profits, but I want to know about them. I want to know about the person that started the for-profit with veterans and why and that's usually a great story. And nonprofit, for-profit if you're helping veterans, then I'm all about it. So LinkedIn word of mouth. Jonathan Oakley has gotten me a bunch of interviews. Cecilia Byers has some interviews lined up for me.

Scott McLean:

I hustle you have to hustle as a podcaster and get people. You find people. You talk to people come on the podcast and they usually do. They usually do. I've had this one nonprofit that's kind of been delayed due to circumstances beyond their control, but they keep saying, oh, can we do it at this time. And then that gets it, and I'm all, yeah, I'm not going anywhere. Like I'm not, like, ah, you stood me up. No, no, I'm not going to interview you now. Like, who am I to do that? Right, oh, Scott.

Scott McLean:

Yeah, so that's really, it's word of mouth, linkedin, and I put it on my social media page, my social media other than isn't. I kind of keep that separate from it. You know, I don't want to be like just that guy, that that's all I talk about now.

Scott McLean:

Yeah, you know, although it's good to talk about it. So I I kind of keep that separate. I post it on there every once in a while. But I found that those methods, those personal methods, the Facebook and the Instagrams just from my experience with my other podcast if no one's interested, they're not watching. Yeah, if it's not a talk, they can be your best friend If they're not interested in the topic you're talking about, and that's perfectly fine. That is a scrolling world in there. It just scrolls, people scroll to look for videos or people scroll and they'll read three or four lines. It's very, as I call it, short attention span theater in those worlds. So I kind of stopped trying to promote it through that and found the business aspect of it lives in LinkedIn.

Alex Briggs:

Love it. You're a hustler. That's what I love about you, Scott.

Scott McLean:

Yeah. I'm a hustler baby.

Alex Briggs:

So, also, if you're listening to this and know of anyone that runs a nonprofit that helps veterans reach out to Scott, he's the man, all right. So let's get to it, scott. So Vets Connection Podcast. Where did that name come from?

Scott McLean:

Vets Connection Podcast. So finding a podcast name is well, you're naming yours after your foundation. So that was kind of yeah, that's a no brainer, just like you know my foundation. It's not going to have a podcast, but that's you want to link it to, that's what you want to do. I didn't have a foundation to link it to my link it to that's what we want to do. I didn't have a foundation to link it to.

Scott McLean:

My original goal was to go through Herd Foundation and really use it to promote them. But I learned a lot from Herd Foundation in the sense of how an organization should run and they do it properly and they're very meticulous. If you have a good board of directors, they're going to question you and they'll not challenge you. But you might walk in and say, hey, I got this great idea and I'm going to put the name out there and this it's a little deeper than that, with a good board that really pays attention and is all about, because the board of directors on a nonprofit is all about the nonprofit protect the brand, protect the name in any way, shape or form, and it's to look for those holes when someone presents something to them. And so, even though I'm on the board, I had to present it to the board and there was discussion and then there was social media presence and then this kind of it started getting a little too too deep and then it would have been.

Scott McLean:

So if I'm interviewing somebody then I'd have to probably run it through the board to make sure that they don't find any problems with it. So it became, and I was willing to do all that for my dedication to Herd Foundation, my loyalty to them. But I was pulled to the side by more than a couple of people and said you know what, you're probably better off doing Vets Connection on your own. Now, getting back to the name, the name just kind of it just kind of popped up. I wanted to connect nonprofits with that work with veterans, so Vets Connection it was originally Vets Connect at the very first, but then I see this is what I advised you, make sure the name isn't taken. A lot of people like I'm going to start a podcast and they're going to do this.

Scott McLean:

I'm going to make the name Now it wasn't taken in the podcast world, it was taken on the website world type thing. It was one of those. It was owned by. That name is kind of registered by a group, I think in Virginia, so I didn't want any of that. So I just kind of added the T-I-O-N at the end, you know, or the I-O-N at the end Vets Connection and it's changed it and it's not related to them and I didn't want to. That's their thing. You know who am. I Say oh, challenge me, there's people out there that will do that too. But so, yeah, that's how the name came up Connecting Veteran Nonprofits with veterans and other nonprofits.

Alex Briggs:

Yeah, and just thinking about the slight change from connect to connection, connection to me seems like a word that's going to help veterans. Right, I'm the connection that's going to help this veteran, where vet connect might be other veterans talking to other veterans. So I like I like the change.

Scott McLean:

Thanks, it was it was and it's. Vets connect is kind of a cool quick name and you have to look into all that stuff too in the podcasting world, like how does it flow off your tongue, how's it presented to somebody, how are they saying it? There's a lot of psychology that goes into putting together the name and structure of a good podcast, the brand of it, because that's how you move it along. Is you your brand, it becomes your brand. Yeah, and vets connect was kind of like. It came out fast and quick, but then I did think about. I said you know what connection actually is a more fuller sounding name. It has more meaning to it. There's no guessing to it. It's a connection. Yeah, so I was happy that I did it early. I did it early in the process.

Alex Briggs:

Yeah, so as I've known you, scott, you've been a fantastic storyteller. Tell me why is this all about storytelling? Well, I thought you were going to say tell me a story, I'll be. Scott, you've been a fantastic storyteller. Tell me why is this all about storytelling?

Scott McLean:

Well, I thought you were going to say tell me a story, oh sure.

Alex Briggs:

All right, which one? I got a lot of them Storytelling.

Scott McLean:

So when I was doing my outreach, when I started doing my outreach with Herd Foundation, you're asked like, hey, do you want to come to the Kiwanis Club and speak to us, or do you want to come to this place and speak to us and tell you know they want to hear your story? Again, before the nonprofit world, my story was only to people who, like you know you and me, once we became friends. It was like, oh yeah, my story's kind of fucked up. You know, when you get asked to tell your story or you tell your story to strangers and you realize that it's affecting them, it's affecting them. My story isn't the only story. You have an amazing story which, by the way, I'd like to announce. On this episode you have become the number one most downloaded episode on my podcast.

Alex Briggs:

Oh, I love it.

Scott McLean:

Well, cause, your story is amazing and it's effective and go back and listen to it, people. If you're listening to this and you haven't listened to that, this, this thing had me, I was. You're listening to this and you haven't listened to that, and this, this thing had me, I was. I was, you know, mesmerized and I'm the interviewer. So appreciate that, scott, but it's because of your story. Right, it was your story, my story would tell. I tell to people and it's a set. It's sad.

Scott McLean:

The shit that I saw. I saw more than a couple of things Dead babies and suicide, 19-year-old kid killed himself and murder and really bad domestics Like police stuff is what I saw and people don't think they don't connect that to the military. But you get the dregs of society, can make it through the cracks, slip through the cracks of the military too. So I would tell my stories and it affected people and I know I came from a, a town, a generation of storytellers, and you don't know how good of a storyteller you are because you're in the mix with a whole bunch of other good storytellers. It's just how we grew up. You're growing up in the seventies and eighties with you know in Boston. You know the Irish and the Italians, and you know it just was a way of life. You told a story after a good Friday night. There was a story to tell Saturday morning or Saturday afternoon. So I started telling my story about my experience in the military and it affected people to the point where some people would come up and made them cry or something like oh okay, that's interesting. And it was a very satisfying feeling, like it was really like, I say, a weight was lifted, like I just connected with somebody. I just helped somebody. I just they learned something that they didn't know. And so it just kind of kicked around in my head for a while and I told my story other times.

Scott McLean:

The Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce has an amazing nonprofit council and the first Tuesday of every month the nonprofit council for Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce gets together and there's a bunch of nonprofits in there and it covers all realms, not just veterans, and they do this great thing that the Chamber of Commerce does this great thing in October.

Scott McLean:

It's called Do Good Delray and they match up nonprofits with for-profits and they get together and do a fundraiser together for the nonprofit. It's an amazing program that should be repeated in every city across the country and at the end they had last year a storytelling competition and every one of the nonprofits would get up and you had five minutes to tell a story about. I think it was something on the idea of connection, like how you worked with the for-profit and I got up there and when it was my turn and evidently I just I blew them out, like I blew the doors off it, and when they went in to vote it was evidently unanimous, like we don't even we just know who won this Typical Scott. Well, this was told to me afterwards.

Alex Briggs:

I'm just messing with you, no no, I appreciate that I did.

Scott McLean:

I had them laughing, I had them crying because that's what a good story does, yeah, but that's what a good story does, yeah, but that time I went into it knowing I was going to tell a story, right. So the effectiveness of the story In the stories? Nothing in a human being's life, very few things, very, very, very few things cause a connection or create a connection better than a story. Because what stories do? They release dopamine, the feel-good chemical, oxytocin, the love hormone, endorphins, laughter and joy, emotional relief, serotonin, positive uplifting, or it can be decreased serotonin.

Scott McLean:

This is what a story does to people and they don't know it. We don't know it. Yeah, this is all scientific stuff, this is research, but this has been going on forever and so, all right, I took how can I? How can I craft this into something? And I slowly came up with the one man, one mike foundation, which is the pillar of it. The biggest pillar of the foundation is the storytelling aspect. I can teach you podcasting and you're going through this, alex, and you're going to be a great podcaster and you can tell a good story.

Alex Briggs:

I won't say great story yet right, still working on that, and you always should, and you will tell a great story.

Scott McLean:

And then you'll you won't stop telling great stories because the more you understand it, the more effective you are. And now, from the veteran aspect, when you told your story, you were, you brought yourself on the roller coaster. Every story is an has an arc, a beginning, a middle and an end. Some are arcs then drops, then arcs then drops, but every roller coaster eventually levels off. Yeah, and you told your story effectively and emotionally, to the point where at one point you were actually almost crying. Yeah, because of the emotional release. Right now, that emotional release to you, you feel it. Yeah, you feel it right. You let it out and you just got it off your fucking chest and you're like it's almost and it's almost not exhausting, but it is in a good way. That was rough, but I did it. Yeah, and you affected look at your shit jump Like I watched your downloads go because of that. And you, I'm sure you helped other people. I'm sure you did, you helped me.

Alex Briggs:

Yeah, and I love that you brought that up of like helping people, right? Yeah, One thing that I've seen and tell me about your experience with this is sometimes veterans are a little apprehensive to tell their stories because they're worried what other veterans will think of their stories.

Scott McLean:

Oh yeah, I mean there is that I can only speak from the male alpha male in an alpha male world position, in that sense of like I worked with dog handlers and there's not many more positions. Women are alpha females that work in the dog world. We'll say, in the military, military, working dog animals. You're going to be a different kind of human being to do that, right, yeah, and so it's a lot of bravado and you're around a lot of that testosterone, even as we get older. That's there and you don't want to show those cracks. But when you start getting older, you know that's when you start to let your God down a little and become vulnerable. Yeah, so all those years that me and my buddies have been getting together, this little band of brothers over the years, we would tell all these stories, but inside you're like, ah, it's kind of messed up, like we're in a bubble.

Alex Briggs:

You're in a bubble and you wonder if people will get it.

Scott McLean:

Yeah, and we don't want to get it because we didn't look at each other that way. But as we came, older men and there's women that get involved, but you're like you know what I'm done with that. It's the younger veterans that that need to really understand that. They need to address these things. And telling this story is the beginning of it, because, you don't know, it's almost like verbal journaling. You know, when you tell your story, you do kind of hear yourself sometimes and those things stick with you. They stick, they don't go anywhere. You hear yourself say something like wow, at one point. You know I told this story and this is amazing and this is also how it helps. I told the story about showing up at the scene watching a father giving CPR to his dead baby there's no other way to put it. Yeah, and standing there and you know. Then there's the do I stop CPR Cause? They say, once CPR starts, don't stop it until. And then there's that side that says, well, parents really shouldn't be doing CPR on the children. I was right, I was in that and I just rolled up to it Like you, don't prepare yourself for that. So I told this story and how I had to eventually say let me, let me give me that, give me the child. And I handed it. I waited till this kid went and got a blanket young airman, and I put it in and he puts the blanket down and I said, all right, did you call? No, yeah, they're on their way. I handed it to him and he put it down and I just went on with my story.

Scott McLean:

I was telling my story to a class of students that were going on to be therapists and I was there kind of like open book, ask away, I am your test subject, right, so to speak. And at one point I like, and, and I told the story a lot of times and all of a sudden I remembered something. I remembered that I and I I don't know why I blocked this out, but I remember looking down at this kid he was like 19. This kid am and dao. I'll never forget him. He was like 19,. This kid, amon Dow, I'll never forget him. He was an Asian kid and nice, nice kid. And I watched him as this guy is screaming in my ear, he's down to my left, 45 degrees, and he's giving little chest compressions. It was fucking horrible. Oh man, right, but I forgot that. I forgot Like I, like I had, I made it's like I did, I make this kid do this, right, but we're doing our job, yeah, police, so, but telling my story. Eventually that broke loose and came out and now I felt fucking horrible again, right, but I know it now.

Scott McLean:

Yeah, telling the story kind of opened it up eventually. My brain eventually opened up. That ptsd side of my brain moved over and that came out and that's an important part of that story. Yeah, so this is why storytelling is so important to veterans. Like you went through something. Maybe, alex, in your story there's something that you didn't, you don't remember right now. Maybe something's going to pop up, a little detail. You're like, oh shit, that helps your brain put it all together. Yeah, the more it comes together, the the the easier it would be for you to come to terms. And it's all from storytelling, it's all from telling that story you know yeah no I totally get it.

Alex Briggs:

So with with storytelling at the forefront of One man, One Mike, what's the overall vision for One man, One Mike? So?

Scott McLean:

what I really want to do with this is, well, there's a couple things I want to do. This is a program that so I'm in Boca Raton and I'm teaching this to Alex, who's in Utah, and another veteran that's in Maryland. So the beauty of this is it can reach any veteran literally across the world. This is the pod lab. I ultimately want to have other veterans teach this, because the syllabus that I put together for this put together by my wife, who's a pediatric and family nurse practitioner, phd nurse, which she's a less than 1% of that she has a PhD in nursing and still practices. She's also an associate professor, but so it's put together by a very qualified person, and the president of my board is a trauma therapist specialist, and so I ultimately want this to be taught by other veterans to other veterans, like just kind of grow it, let it go, and I am not a control freak by any means.

Scott McLean:

I would love to see other veterans put you know, take it in one man, one mic, and teach veterans this aspect. And now I'm breaking it off and I, after doing our class, I've come to the decision that storytelling has to be its own program, you know. So really get zeroed in on it because right now it's storytelling and podcasting, right. So ultimately, I'm gonna break them, breaking these two uh off, and I want other veterans to teach this class to other veterans, just like a franchise. You know, this is what you do and this is I do it, the way you do it, but this is the nucleus of it and this is the gear.

Alex Briggs:

this is the gear you need Exactly.

Scott McLean:

And then kind of create it and put it around it, or you just do it virtually. You can teach the class virtually. I want to do it that way. I have a bunch of ideas for this and I've never failed at anything I really put my mind to and this will come to fruition. That's what I love about you, scott. You got to grind man, and that's why your nonprofit is going to be successful. Yeah, because I'm going to put you on the grind buddy.

Alex Briggs:

So speaking of grinding, yeah, now that's a segue, if I ever heard one. So running a nonprofit isn't easy, right, it takes funds. Do you have any fundraisers coming up?

Scott McLean:

I do. As a matter of fact, I think I have in every. Every nonprofit says they have the best fundraiser and I've been to some of the most I've been. The most amazing fundraiser I went to was big dog ranch. I give them a big shout out. They are the largest dog rescue in the country. They're about 40 minutes north of me. Looked them up online, big Dog Ranch this guy, evan Freed, who runs the veteran aspect of it, where they teach, they train service dogs for veterans and they have veterans doing the training. It's an amazing program. They had a fundraiser that I got invited to with Jonathan Oakley from mission united and that was like that was as as big a fundraiser as as you'll ever see. There was a I mean there was just an amazing group of people there. They, they had a celebrity chef there and it was really like top level, top shelf fundraising.

Scott McLean:

And I've been to fundraisers that are very just, low key right. My fundraiser is I call it the story lab. In the story lab I'm going to have eight, maybe nine, veterans and and I have a beautiful little venue, the Boca Black Box Performing Arts Center here in Boca Raton. There's only 200 tickets available for this and I have eight veterans and Ashley, who works with veterans, that are going to come up and each tell a story Like six to maybe ten minute story, right, and it's. The theme is basically a moment in time, and you're going to get nine different stories from nine different people, delivered nine different ways. All live, unscripted, no notes, just right there, connecting with the audience, releasing that oxytocin and the serotonin and the dopamine and the cortisol, because that's what happens. I could get into the whole aspect, as you know, man, from the course, about how the brains connect to the storyteller and the listener. Literally, research has shown that they create one line on the graph because they connect, and who doesn't like a good story?

Alex Briggs:

I know. And nine of them all in one night, it's going to be fantastic.

Scott McLean:

Yeah, it's going to be and it's the coolest fundraiser I'm not doing. You know people like, oh, you need to do a silent auction. No, I don't, I don't really march to the same beat, I don't need to do it. I want people to come and say this is a great event Because eventually I want to move it to the Coral Springs Performing Arts Center. I want this to become a thing and it's a come as you are, no pomp and circumstance, no, like OK, so the tickets are $100 each, but it's a fundraiser, first of all. And so you know why you're going and I'm going to talk to you all about that for your foundation.

Scott McLean:

Some people are like, oh, it's too much money. Well, it's a fundraiser, You're giving to a foundation that's helping veterans. That's why you're going, usually, right, yeah, and they are going to be absolutely entertained. I'm guaranteeing you. Some people are going to cry, they're going to laugh, they're going to get emotional one way or another and you're going to leave there going. That was fucking great. Yeah, like I can't wait for the next one love what you're doing with that, yeah yeah, someone is good if someone is interested in going to this event.

Alex Briggs:

Do you have a website? How? How can they get in contact with you about any of these things?

Scott McLean:

so you can reach out to me, but it's on, actually, the boca black box. They are legit, uh like little performing arts center and they have a lot of comedians and a lot of bands come in and play the venue. They have a ticket office. They have a box office. You can go online to wwwbocablackboxcom and type in Story Lab or you can go on their calendar and look at November 12th, because that's when it is. It's the day after Veterans Day, which I thought was a pretty good day to do it. It's November 12th. It starts at 7 o'clock. It's probably day after Veterans Day, which I thought was a pretty good day to do it. It's November 12th. It starts at 7 o'clock. It's probably about a 90-minute show and you can get your tickets there. You get them through the Boca Black Box online or you can go to the box office itself. It's right off of Glades Road, just west of the Turnpike for the people that live here in South Florida, and, yeah, that's how you get them. Or just reach out to me, I'll set you up.

Alex Briggs:

I love it. Scott, I just got to say you are an amazing person. You personally have helped me so much. Is there anything else you want to tell the listeners about anything we've talked about so far?

Scott McLean:

Oh, I do. I want to thank some people too. I want to thank Adam Nelson from Willow and Palm, who's just that. He's one of the interviews that caught a lot of attention too. He's the donor side of it, like two nonprofits, because he's very active in the nonprofit world. He's given me great advice. He's helped me out immensely. So I want to say that, because you always want to thank the people that are helping you, because you always want to thank the people that are helping you, you know I've had a lot of help.

Scott McLean:

Shore Microphones donated equipment to me. You know, thronmax donated equipment for this. Prime Acoustic in Georgia reached out to me. They're helping me out because they believe in this, because it's so outside the box. Really nobody's doing this and they probably should be. This is not a dynamic nonprofit, as you know, and I'm not putting down any. I love all the nonprofits. There's hiking, there's camping, there's canoeing, there's gyms, there's horses, there's dogs, there's a lot of diet, but this is just let's just sit down, man Right, and let's just go right to the nucleus of it. And I am not a therapist and I know a lot of people get a little. You're like well, you know you're not a therapist and you know this but the president of my board is, and she's very involved in this.

Scott McLean:

It's not just me, I am the face of it, but I also know. So what's more important to a veteran? Let me ask you this what's more important to a veteran? And this might be a little controversial, it's not meant in any other way other than my personal experience. Let me preface this with that Is it easier to learn from a? No, I don't want to put it that way.

Scott McLean:

So let's just say, let's just say I know yeah, I'm not a therapist, but I know how to tell a good story. I understand the science and research of storytelling. I understand the effects that storytelling have. I understand the, the, the healing powers of storytelling, because I am that person. I'm both. I'm the affected and the effector. I'm the one that has. I have problems, right, so that's why I can do this. People are like well, you know, you're getting into that side, then don't listen to what I say. I am not coming as a professional therapist.

Alex Briggs:

Yeah, you know, I'm coming as a person with firsthand experience and what's more important, right, what's more, what's more relatable and, and you know, like, from my experience, I've I've been through counseling, I've done all of that and I've worked with some amazing professionals, but there's something different about a human experience. Talking from veteran to veteran, of someone that understands what you've been through, right, like I can talk to you. You've been through some crazy things, right, yeah, you know, and we have that instant connection where we get each other Like I don't know how to explain it other than that.

Scott McLean:

It was an instant connection. As soon as you and I talked and I do this with every veteran I meet it's like all of a sudden I have this instant connection with them and we become friends. And I've met more new friends through the nonprofit world than I would if I was just staying at home and going out and just kind of hanging out. And they're all veterans and they all understand because they're all going through what we go through, just kind of hanging out, and they're all veterans and they all understand because they're all going through what we go through. So one man, one mic yeah, it's dealing with, with those issues of PTSD and traumatic brain injury, but I'm not here to give them an answer. I'm here to give them an outlet. I love that and I'm a really good podcaster. So there's that, there's that I. So that's that side of it that nobody can question. Yeah, you know.

Alex Briggs:

I love it, Scott.

Scott McLean:

Yeah, that's what the foundation is all about and that's what I really want to help people with. I have the saying is a veteran's strength is their story. You can't be any stronger. You could lift 500. You could deadlift 500 pounds, but when you tell a good story, a good, effective story, your story, you'll change the world in thousands.

Alex Briggs:

Yeah, yeah. You're going to change a life right, yeah, anything else you want to talk about. Look at you, you're going to be a good podcaster Alex.

Scott McLean:

Yeah, you did a great job, buddy, thank you. You might be filling in for me in the future. Hey, I'm going on vacation. Alex, Can you take this interview?

Alex Briggs:

I'd be happy to help. Do you have like a closing that you want to do or anything like that?

Scott McLean:

No, just basically, you know, go to wwwonemanonemikefoundationorg and look at what we're doing there, and I just want to tell people, go there. If you're a nonprofit or a veteran with a good story, reach me at the Vets Connection Podcast. It's vetsconnectionpodcast at gmailcom, not the vetsconnectionpodcast at gmailcom, not that vetsconnectionpodcast at gmailcom. If you want to be on the podcast, if you want to listen to the podcasts on all the platforms, vetsconnectionpodcast. So I'm kind of I'm doing a lot with all of this stuff, but I love it and I know there's more to do, so I'm going to do so. I'm gonna do it and we're gonna get you up and running, buddy. I love it. I'm on your team now, buddy.

Alex Briggs:

I'm on your team and and well, I want to pain in the ass too, I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to host fill in for the best you did. Great buddy, this has been a great opportunity, and the great scott mclean. Thank you so much.

Scott McLean:

That's the thing that you just screwed me up there. Why, they're great, I'll take it, buddy.

Alex Briggs:

How's that? I'll take it.

Scott McLean:

I'm used to giving, I'm not used to taking the compliments. So, alex, yeah, thank you. All right, you know what? Let me do the rollout, since you know. All right, let's do it. Yeah, I want to thank everyone for listening. Alex, you did a fantastic job. You're going to have a great podcast once you get that up and running. You're going to have a great nonprofit once that gets up and running. You're in the mix now, buddy, if you can listen to the very end of this podcast. This is a great public service announcement that covers a lot of bases for veterans, families of veterans, families of veterans, friends of veterans and just people in general. Well, we built another bridge today, or Alex built another bridge today. I was glad to have him on. He will be doing more in the future, whether he knows it or not. He'll be doing more episodes and with that, like I always say, you'll hear me and another episode next Monday.

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