In this episode of Acta Non Verba, host Marcus Aurelius Anderson sits down with Sam Alaimo, former Navy SEAL, co-founder of ZeroEyes, writer, and host of the Nobel Podcast. Together, they explore the practical application of philosophy, the power of adversity, the transition from military to civilian life, and the importance of honest introspection. Sam shares his journey from the SEAL teams to entrepreneurship and writing, offering deep insights on leadership, resilience, and living a life of action.

Episode Highlights:
[8:58] The Power of Adversity and Stoicism
Sam and Marcus discuss how adversity shapes character, the role of stoicism, and the importance of honest self-reflection.
[29:32] Transitioning from Military to Civilian Life
Sam shares the challenges of leaving the SEAL teams, finding new purpose, and building a meaningful life after service.
[1:02:12] Leadership and Building ZeroEyes
Sam talks about founding ZeroEyes, tackling gun violence, and the importance of frontline leadership and mission-driven work.

Guest Bio & Contact Info

Sam Alaimo is a former Navy SEAL, co-founder of ZeroEyes—a company dedicated to preventing gun violence through AI-powered security solutions—writer of the "What Then" Substack, and host of the Nobel Podcast. After his military service, Sam transitioned into entrepreneurship and writing, focusing on philosophy, leadership, and resilience.
ZeroEyes:com
Substack:org
Podcast: Nobel Podcast
Find Sam: Google "Sam Alaimo What Then" or visit his Substack for more.

Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.

In this episode of Acta Non Verba, host Marcus Aurelius Anderson sits down with Sam Alaimo, former Navy SEAL, co-founder of ZeroEyes, writer, and host of the Nobel Podcast. Together, they explore the practical application of philosophy, the power of adversity, the transition from military to civilian life, and the importance of honest introspection. Sam shares his journey from the SEAL teams to entrepreneurship and writing, offering deep insights on leadership, resilience, and living a life of action.
Episode Highlights:
<ul>
<li>[8:58] The Power of Adversity and Stoicism Sam and Marcus discuss how adversity shapes character, the role of stoicism, and the importance of honest self-reflection.</li>
<li>[29:32] Transitioning from Military to Civilian Life Sam shares the challenges of leaving the SEAL teams, finding new purpose, and building a meaningful life after service.</li>
<li>[1:02:12] Leadership and Building ZeroEyes Sam talks about founding ZeroEyes, tackling gun violence, and the importance of frontline leadership and mission-driven work.</li>
</ul>
Guest Bio &amp; Contact Info
Sam Alaimo is a former Navy SEAL, co-founder of ZeroEyes&mdash;a company dedicated to preventing gun violence through AI-powered security solutions&mdash;writer of the "What Then" Substack, and host of the Nobel Podcast. After his military service, Sam transitioned into entrepreneurship and writing, focusing on philosophy, leadership, and resilience.
<ul>
<li>ZeroEyes: <a href="https://zeroeyes.com/">com</a></li>
<li>Substack: <a href="https://whatthen.org/">org</a></li>
<li>Podcast: Nobel Podcast</li>
<li>Find Sam: Google "Sam Alaimo What Then" or visit his Substack for more.</li>
</ul>
Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to <a href="http://www.marcusaureliusanderson.com/">www.marcusaureliusanderson.com</a>. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.

ACTA NON VERBA is a raw and real podcast with hard hitting interviews featuring people that live by the Ethos of “Actions, not words.”

Join TEDx speaker, Bestselling Author, Veteran, and Leadership & Mindset Coach Marcus Aurelius Anderson as he goes inside the minds and experiences of the world’s most successful Warriors, Leaders, Entrepreneurs, and Experts to give you the Philosophies, Concepts, Tactics, and Strategies they use to turn Adversity into Victory and live an EXTRAORDINARY life based on ACTIONS not words.

ACTA NON VERBA is a raw and real podcast with hard hitting interviews featuring people that live by the Ethos of &ldquo;Actions, not words.&rdquo;
Join TEDx speaker, Bestselling Author, Veteran, and Leadership &amp; Mindset Coach Marcus Aurelius Anderson as he goes inside the minds and experiences of the world&rsquo;s most successful Warriors, Leaders, Entrepreneurs, and Experts to give you the Philosophies, Concepts, Tactics, and Strategies they use to turn Adversity into Victory and live an EXTRAORDINARY life based on ACTIONS not words.

Acta Non Verba

Sam Alaimo: Former Navy SEAL on being a Warrior Philosopher, Stoicism, Why Anger is a Gift, Zero Eyes, and Sam's Writing Practice and His Substack "What Then?” (Replay)

Rick Williams, author and host of the Create the Future with Rick Williams Podcast, joins Marcus Aurelius Anderson to talk about the decisions that shape leaders and the organizations they run. Rick traces his path from physicist at Itek to Harvard Business School, Arthur D. Little, and founding The Equity Company, and explains why leadership and management are two different skill sets. He shares the Johnson & Johnson story that shows why a junior employee has to feel safe saying something is wrong, the Casablanca lunch where he sketched Create the Future on the back of a placemat, and his call to stop racing 100 miles from Bermuda after his boat lost its backstay. Rick also talks about driving donated supplies from Warsaw to Kyiv and what most Americans miss about the war in Ukraine.

 

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

6:57: Rick explains why leadership and management are two different skill sets, and why successful leaders need management skills plus the ability to set a vision and build trust.

15:01: Rick shares how a junior Johnson & Johnson employee caught mislabeled bottles before they shipped nationwide, and why that only happens in a culture where people feel safe saying something is wrong.

44:41: Rick describes the lunch in Casablanca where he turned over a placemat and wrote down the title and core idea of Create the Future, that the decisions you make today create your organization's future.

48:09: Rick walks through the Newport to Bermuda race where a failed backstay 100 miles from the finish forced him to choose between crossing the line and protecting his crew and boat.

 

Rick Williams is a keynote speaker, author, and board member who shares his experience as a scientist, management consultant, company founder, and CEO. After studying physics at the University of Pennsylvania, he worked on high-level optics and reconnaissance systems at Itek, then went on to Harvard Business School and spent more than ten years at Arthur D. Little before founding The Equity Company, an award-winning real estate investment and development company. Rick is the author of Create the Future: Powerful Decision-Making Tools for Your Company and Yourself and hosts the Create the Future with Rick Williams Podcast, a forum for leaders to share the tough decisions they have made for their organizations. He is also an offshore sailor who has raced from Newport to Bermuda, and he has helped drive donated supplies into Ukraine. Learn more at rickwilliamsleadership.com.

 

Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.

Rick Williams, author and host of the Create the Future with Rick Williams Podcast, joins Marcus Aurelius Anderson to talk about the decisions that shape leaders and the organizations they run. Rick traces his path from physicist at Itek to Harvard Business School, Arthur D. Little, and founding The Equity Company, and explains why leadership and management are two different skill sets. He shares the Johnson &amp; Johnson story that shows why a junior employee has to feel safe saying something is wrong, the Casablanca lunch where he sketched Create the Future on the back of a placemat, and his call to stop racing 100 miles from Bermuda after his boat lost its backstay. Rick also talks about driving donated supplies from Warsaw to Kyiv and what most Americans miss about the war in Ukraine.
&nbsp;
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
6:57: Rick explains why leadership and management are two different skill sets, and why successful leaders need management skills plus the ability to set a vision and build trust.
15:01: Rick shares how a junior Johnson &amp; Johnson employee caught mislabeled bottles before they shipped nationwide, and why that only happens in a culture where people feel safe saying something is wrong.
44:41: Rick describes the lunch in Casablanca where he turned over a placemat and wrote down the title and core idea of Create the Future, that the decisions you make today create your organization's future.
48:09: Rick walks through the Newport to Bermuda race where a failed backstay 100 miles from the finish forced him to choose between crossing the line and protecting his crew and boat.
&nbsp;
Rick Williams is a keynote speaker, author, and board member who shares his experience as a scientist, management consultant, company founder, and CEO. After studying physics at the University of Pennsylvania, he worked on high-level optics and reconnaissance systems at Itek, then went on to Harvard Business School and spent more than ten years at Arthur D. Little before founding The Equity Company, an award-winning real estate investment and development company. Rick is the author of Create the Future: Powerful Decision-Making Tools for Your Company and Yourself and hosts the Create the Future with Rick Williams Podcast, a forum for leaders to share the tough decisions they have made for their organizations. He is also an offshore sailor who has raced from Newport to Bermuda, and he has helped drive donated supplies into Ukraine. Learn more at <a href="http://rickwilliamsleadership.com">rickwilliamsleadership.com</a>.
&nbsp;
Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to <a href="http://www.marcusaureliusanderson.com/">www.marcusaureliusanderson.com</a>. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.

Rick Williams on Leadership vs. Management, Making Difficult Decisions, and Knowing When to Drop Out of the Race

Richard Kaufman, known as The Comeback Coach and host of the Vertical Momentum Resiliency Podcast 2.0, sits down with Marcus Aurelius Anderson to talk about what happens when the identity you built your whole life around is taken away. Richard shares how he went from being thrown out of the military for addiction to being named Soldier of the Year, and how losing his vision and his uniform in 2012 left him asking who he was without it. He opens up about the moment his six-month-old daughter pulled him back from the edge on Labor Day 2012, the lunch with Gary Vaynerchuk that launched his podcast, and the Ed Mylett lesson that everything in his life happened for him. Together they talk about why nobody is coming to save you, how success leaves clues, and why taking full responsibility for your life is where living begins.

 

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

13:50: Richard shares how a lunch with Gary Vaynerchuk led to the push to start a podcast and write a book before he had any social media following at all.

18:37: Richard explains that the biggest revelation from 14 years of therapy is that nobody is coming to save you, and how Ed Mylett taught him that nothing happened to him, it all happened for him.

22:34: Richard describes how losing his military ID and his identity as Sergeant Kaufman left him asking who he was, and why so many veterans and first responders struggle after taking off the uniform.

25:53: Richard describes how a George Strait song about a father seeing his daughter for the first time came on the radio seconds before he planned to end his life, and how thinking of his own daughter saved him.

 

Richard Kaufman, known as The Comeback Coach, is a military veteran, author, speaker and host of the Vertical Momentum Resiliency Podcast 2.0, which has passed 1,400 episodes and nearly five million downloads. After being discharged in 1988 for drug and alcohol use, he fought his way back into the Pennsylvania National Guard, was named Soldier of the Year and served more than 20 years before his medical retirement in 2012. Richard has been sober since 1989 and is the author of A Hero's Journey From Darkness to Light, a book about recovery, addiction and depression, and The Podcast Blueprint, a guide to starting and sustaining a podcast. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and three kids.

 

Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.

Richard Kaufman, known as The Comeback Coach and host of the Vertical Momentum Resiliency Podcast 2.0, sits down with Marcus Aurelius Anderson to talk about what happens when the identity you built your whole life around is taken away. Richard shares how he went from being thrown out of the military for addiction to being named Soldier of the Year, and how losing his vision and his uniform in 2012 left him asking who he was without it. He opens up about the moment his six-month-old daughter pulled him back from the edge on Labor Day 2012, the lunch with Gary Vaynerchuk that launched his podcast, and the Ed Mylett lesson that everything in his life happened for him. Together they talk about why nobody is coming to save you, how success leaves clues, and why taking full responsibility for your life is where living begins.
&nbsp;
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
13:50: Richard shares how a lunch with Gary Vaynerchuk led to the push to start a podcast and write a book before he had any social media following at all.
18:37: Richard explains that the biggest revelation from 14 years of therapy is that nobody is coming to save you, and how Ed Mylett taught him that nothing happened to him, it all happened for him.
22:34: Richard describes how losing his military ID and his identity as Sergeant Kaufman left him asking who he was, and why so many veterans and first responders struggle after taking off the uniform.
25:53: Richard describes how a George Strait song about a father seeing his daughter for the first time came on the radio seconds before he planned to end his life, and how thinking of his own daughter saved him.
&nbsp;
Richard Kaufman, known as The Comeback Coach, is a military veteran, author, speaker and host of the Vertical Momentum Resiliency Podcast 2.0, which has passed 1,400 episodes and nearly five million downloads. After being discharged in 1988 for drug and alcohol use, he fought his way back into the Pennsylvania National Guard, was named Soldier of the Year and served more than 20 years before his medical retirement in 2012. Richard has been sober since 1989 and is the author of A Hero's Journey From Darkness to Light, a book about recovery, addiction and depression, and The Podcast Blueprint, a guide to starting and sustaining a podcast. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and three kids.
&nbsp;
Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to <a href="http://www.marcusaureliusanderson.com/">www.marcusaureliusanderson.com</a>. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.

Richard Kaufman on The Power of Identity, What He Learned from Gary Vee and Ed Mylett, and How His Daughter Saved Him from Suicide

In this solo episode, Marcus Aurelius Anderson introduces his newly released book Acta Non Verba, drawing on his harrowing personal story of being paralyzed from the neck down and flatlining twice on the operating table. He reads from the book's opening section on adversity, laying out his core philosophy: that adversity is the ultimate catalyst for change, the gateway to self-awareness, and the force that strips away everything you are not to reveal who you truly are.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

1:25 — Marcus describes spending four years writing, scrapping, and rewriting the book based on his own near-death experience and recovery.

4:28 — He explains why knowledge that is acquired but never put into practice is no different from ignorance, and why reading alone can never equal mastery.

5:22 — Marcus reframes a familiar idea: "Necessity is not the mother of invention. Adversity is," arguing that adversity strips away pretense to reveal your true self.

7:15 — He connects adversity directly to self-awareness, calling it the gateway through which every great philosophy in history has been built.

Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.

In this solo episode, Marcus Aurelius Anderson introduces his newly released book Acta Non Verba, drawing on his harrowing personal story of being paralyzed from the neck down and flatlining twice on the operating table. He reads from the book's opening section on adversity, laying out his core philosophy: that adversity is the ultimate catalyst for change, the gateway to self-awareness, and the force that strips away everything you are not to reveal who you truly are.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
1:25 &mdash; Marcus describes spending four years writing, scrapping, and rewriting the book based on his own near-death experience and recovery.
4:28 &mdash; He explains why knowledge that is acquired but never put into practice is no different from ignorance, and why reading alone can never equal mastery.
5:22 &mdash; Marcus reframes a familiar idea: "Necessity is not the mother of invention. Adversity is," arguing that adversity strips away pretense to reveal your true self.
7:15 &mdash; He connects adversity directly to self-awareness, calling it the gateway through which every great philosophy in history has been built.
Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to <a href="http://www.marcusaureliusanderson.com/">www.marcusaureliusanderson.com</a>. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.

Sam Alaimo: Former Navy SEAL on being a Warrior Philosopher, Stoicism, Why Anger is a Gift, Zero Eyes, and Sam's Writing Practice and His Substack "What Then?” (Replay)

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