Navy SEAL veteran and Outsider co-founder Sam Mackey joins host Nick Woodard to share how a busted weed deal, juvenile hall, and probation turned into a 20-year SEAL career, two Hell Weeks, and combat in Afghanistan.
They break down what Hell Week is really like, who actually makes it through BUD/S, Sam’s near–record-long sniper shot, and why hunting and time outdoors now drive his life. Sam also dives into Outsider, his partnership with Jay Cutler, and the Gold Star Wives hunts that use the outdoors to help families of fallen teammates heal.
Timed Highlights
0:00 Nick’s intro and why 615 isn’t about real estate
0:42 Who Sam is: SEAL, Outsider co-founder, Take It Outside co-host
1:43 Military brat childhood and falling in love with the outdoors
7:13 Charlie Sheen’s “Navy SEALs” and the first spark
8:16 Boxing, bad crowd, and the undercover weed bust
11:41 Juvenile hall, probation, and the three‑strikes fear
13:26 “If I join the Navy, will you let me off probation?”
16:11 Inside Hell Week and why quitting wasn’t an option
20:00 Failing runs, getting dropped, and shame in rollback land
23:41 Italy as a base cop and the long road back to BUD/S
25:18 Surviving two Hell Weeks and coming back to win
27:35 Who makes it: upbringing, adversity, and wrestlers
31:14 Afghanistan op and the almost world‑record sniper shot
39:21 Why the prep of the hunt can beat the hunt itself
42:47 Gold Star Wives hunts and healing in the outdoors
48:49 What Gold Star Wives taught Sam about real resilience
50:53 The birth of Outsider and the coffee mug that sold out
52:45 How Sam linked up with Jay Cutler
55:18 Take It Outside podcast and standout guests
58:13 Always needing the next mission vs “holy interruptions” with kids
1:03:46 Why Middle Tennessee is perfect for raising a family
Filmed and Produced by: ItsYourShow.co