The Determined Society with Shawn French | Adversity & Mindset
Ulysses Diaz: Breaking Norms From Prison to Knockout Power | Adversity & Discipline
Ulysses "Uly Monster" Diaz broke cycles of adversity, prison, and street life by walking into a boxing gym at 35. In this raw conversation, he opens up about breaking norms, fatherhood, faith, and the discipline that transformed his identity. One of combat sports' fastest knockout artists shares how accountability and daily discipline changed everything. 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.
Grief Into Purpose | Susan Malzoni on Determination Adversity and Meaning
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.
Addiction to Empire | How Determination & Discipline Rewired Eric Spofford's Life
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.
Tax Discipline Secrets | Determination, Mental Toughness & Long-Term Wealth
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.
The Cost of Truth-Seeking | Ben Swann on Breaking Norms
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.
Overcoming Failure | How Jake Bostwick Turned Loss Into Resilience
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.
Breaking Norms Through Grief | Discipline, Faith & Human Connection
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.
Breaking Norms in Wealth Management | Chad Willardson on Discipline & Integrity
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.
Redemption Through Adversity | Michael Franzese on Breaking Norms & Discipline
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.
Adversity to Leadership | How Bedros Keuilian Built Determination
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.
Rebuilding After Controversy | Trevor Bauer's Discipline & Resilience Blueprint
Trevor Bauer, 2020 Cy Young Award winner, opens up about discipline, adversity, and the moment public judgment changed everything. In this raw conversation, Trevor reveals how an engineering mindset, relentless work ethic, and refusal to quit shaped his rise from UCLA to the Majors—and how he's rebuilding after controversy tested his mental resilience. Discover the discipline techniques and mindset shifts that separate champions who come back from those who don't. 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.
Purpose & Elite Performance | Phil Daru on Discipline, Coaching Legends & Overcoming Obstacles
Phil Daru reveals how elite performance, discipline, and overcoming obstacles aren't separate pursuits—they're interconnected. As a coach to world-class athletes and founders, he unpacks the discipline techniques that separate legends from everyone else, how he's coached through adversity, and why breaking norms in your daily habits is the only path to building real, lasting determination. A raw conversation on purpose-driven resilience. 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.
Blaire White: Cultural Perspective on Overcoming Obstacles & Social Media Impact
Growing up with no friends and losing her father before coming out, Blaire White faced obstacles most can't imagine. By 32, she'd amassed 400 million views, toured nationally, and appeared on Fox News — all while navigating relentless judgment. In this raw conversation, Blaire reveals how she broke cultural norms to live authentically, the mental resilience required to overcome obstacles in the public eye, and what it truly costs to be misunderstood. A masterclass in overcoming adversity through unapologetic identity. IN THIS EPISODE: - Growing up in Chico — bullied, isolated, and writing her way out - Losing her father right before coming out as transgender - Dropping out of college to bet everything on honesty - The price of being rejected by the left AND the right simultaneously - Her first Fox News appearance and what mainstream visibility actually feels like - The spiritual awakening she had in 2024 — and what changed after it - How she handles public humiliation, mistakes, and being factually wrong - The quiet grief of discovering she couldn't have children - What "determined" means when no map exists for who you are ABOUT BLAIRE WHITE Blaire White is a YouTuber, political commentator, and host of The Blaire White Project podcast. With over 1.5 million subscribers and 400+ million views, she has been featured in Penthouse, profiled by The Washington Post, and was the first openly transgender woman in Penthouse's history. She is the definition of building something from nothing — on her own terms, without permission. CONNECT WITH BLAIRE WHITE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msblairewhite/?hl=en YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theblairewhiteproject Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImBlaireWhite/ CONNECT WITH SHAWN https://link.me/shawnmf32 SUBSCRIBE TO THE DETERMINED SOCIETY Newsletter: https://thedeterminedsociety.com Apple Podcasts: 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.
Overcoming Adversity | The Redcon1 Founder's Recovery Story
From Hurricane Katrina survivor to IV heroin addict to Redcon1 founder—Aaron Singerman's story isn't about one moment of change, it's about the relentless daily discipline that rebuilt his entire identity. In this raw conversation, Shawn unpacks how Aaron transformed survival instincts into a supplement empire, and what real determination actually costs when you're rebuilding from rock bottom. Breaking norms, breaking addictions, breaking into an industry with nothing but hustle and habits. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ WHAT WE COVER → Growing up in New Orleans and early lessons from his father's clothing store → Hurricane Katrina — what forced displacement and starting over really feels like → Falling into intravenous heroin and cocaine addiction and the losses that followed → How bodybuilding and fitness became the lifeline that changed everything → Breaking into bodybuilding media at RxMuscle under Dave Palumbo → Co-founding Blackstone Labs and where things went wrong → Launching REDCON1 — and the military mission behind the name → Building a global supplement empire from scratch, twice → The federal indictment, guilty plea, and what prison actually taught him → Writing his memoir behind bars and the mindset that kept him going → Fatherhood, legacy, and raising three boys while rebuilding everything → What real determination looks like when no one is watching ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ CONNECT WITH AARON SINGERMAN 📖 Memoir — RedCon Rising: And Falling. And Rising Again. 🌐 Website: https://aaronsingerman.com 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaronsingerman/ 👤 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aaron.singerman/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-singerman-b6a03a35 🏋️ REDCON1: https://www.redcon1.com ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ CONNECT WITH SHAWN FRENCH 🔗 All links: https://ln.run/AMgIt If you have ever been knocked down, counted out, or forced to start over — this episode is proof that rock bottom is not the end of the story. Leave a review, share this episode with someone who needs it, and subscribe so you never miss a conversation with someone who refused to quit. — Shawn French The Determined Society 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.
Building Champions | Skip Bertman on Discipline, Culture & Overcoming Obstacles
Skip Bertman walked into LSU with zero national championships and a culture still being built. Now, decades later, the legendary coach sits down with Shawn French alongside former Tigers Ryan Theriot and Blair Barbier to reveal how discipline, brotherhood, and unwavering character standards turned a losing program into a dynasty. In this raw conversation, Skip breaks down the non-negotiable habits that build champions—and why that same mentality applies to overcoming obstacles in business and life. Don't forget to get a copy of his book at https://www.skipbertman.net/tds 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.
Notes from the Edge
Bearing Scars
Heavyweight
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True Scary Story