Sheepdog: Steven Grayhm on Telling the Truth and not Bending the Knee to Hollywood

In episode 167, I sit down with actor, writer, director, and producer Steven Grayhm to dig into the 14-year journey behind his new movie Sheepdog and why truthful storytelling about veterans and combat trauma cannot afford to be filtered through a political lens. From his first encounter with a struggling tow truck driver in 2011 to years embedded with veterans, families, and VA clinicians, Steven shares how listening without prejudice became the foundation of this film and why he refused to “bend the knee” to Hollywood to get it made. Sheepdog is not another war movie or PTSD cliché but a deeply human story about post-traumatic growth, fragmented families, and the way ordinary people carry extraordinary burdens.

Throughout our conversation, we challenge the idea that stories about war, veterans, and mental health should serve any party, policy, or culture-war narrative, and argue aggressively that they must exist to serve the people who actually lived them — period.  We unpack how character, craft, and performance can honor veterans and Gold Star families without turning them into propaganda pieces or pity objects, and why audiences deserve movies and podcasts that tell the truth as we see it, even when that truth is messy, uncomfortable, or unflattering to anyone’s politics.  If you care about actors doing the work, about movies that respect the veteran community, and about storytelling that refuses to be weaponized, this episode will give you a clear, uncompromising case for art that chooses honesty over agenda every single time.

Episode Sponsors:

• VM Merch
• Go Pills -- use "VM15" at checkout for 15% off your order.
• BUBS Naturals -- use "veteranmade" at checkout for 20% off your order.
• True Made Foods -- use "VET" at checkout for 15% off your order.
• Ruck Sox -- use "VETERANMADE15" at checkout for 15% off your order.
• Bravo Actual -- use "Veteran Made" at checkout for 15% off your order.

Intro Song composed and produced by Cleod9.

SOCIALS:

https://www.instagram.com/veteranmade.ck/

https://www.instagram.com/sheepdogthemovie/

https://www.instagram.com/sgrayhm/

https://www.instagram.com/teamhousestudios/

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The History of AI Explained: Crash Course Futures of AI #1

In 1965, Moore’s Law predicted how computers would become smaller, faster, and more powerful than ever before. But here in 2025, we’re on the brink of an even bigger revolution. In this episode, we explore where AI’s been, what it can do, and where it might be going. AI benchmarks and scaling laws help usContinue reading "The History of AI Explained: Crash Course Futures of AI #1"
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Crash Course Preview: What Are the Possible Futures of AI?

Welcome to Crash Course: Futures of AI! Our host Kousha Navidar is here to guide you through the ins and outs of our potential AI futures. AI is changing FAST so rather than doing a full Crash Course series of 12+ episodes, we’ve prepared a mini-series of just the basics. Crash Course will never tellContinue reading "Crash Course Preview: What Are the Possible Futures of AI?"
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Owners in Honor's Post - LinkedIn

... VetBiz #VeteranOwned #EntrepreneurshipThroughAcquisition #SmallBusiness #MainStreetEconomy #FromServiceToOwnership #Community #DAV #OwnersInHonor ...
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Nature in Latin American Literature: Crash Course Latin American Literature #3

Who is Mother Nature REALLY? In this episode of Crash Course Latin American Literature, we’ll uncover how representations of Latin American landscapes have often reflected shifting social and political concerns. Introduction: Mama Nature 00:00 The Latin American Landscape 0:43 The Landscape of Independence 2:11 “La Vorágine” 3:38 Eco-horror 5:18 Ecopoetry 7:22 Review & Credits 8:37Continue reading "Nature in Latin American Literature: Crash Course Latin American Literature #3"
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The Land Back Movement Explained: Ep 22 of Crash Course Native American History

The Land Back movement is exactly what it sounds like: Native Americans want their land … back. But it’s also a whole lot more than that. In this episode of Crash Course Native American History, we explore what the Land Back movement does, how it works, and what it means for our shared future onContinue reading "The Land Back Movement Explained: Ep 22 of Crash Course Native American History"
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Archived Events - VetBiz Portal

VetBiz logo. An official website ...
READ MORE 👁️ https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=https://vip-vems-dev.powerappsportals.us/events/events-archived/%3Forder%3Dvems_starttime%2520DESC%26%253B%253B%253B%253B%253B%253Bpage%3D3%26%253B%253B%253B%253B%253Bpage%3D6%26%253B%253B%253B%253Bpage%3D5%26%253B%253Bpage%3D6%26%253Bpage%3D9%26page%3D4&ct=ga&cd=CAIyHDMzYTM1Yjg4ZTIwMWYxYjk6Y29tOmVuOlVTOlI&usg=AOvVaw0wFy2xcsuCz-sIXrWef7NU

Full Metal Jacket: Matthew Modine on Working with Stanley Kubrick to Tell a War Story

In episode 166, I sit down with Matthew Modine who played Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, for a direct and powerful conversation about the intersection of art, memoir, and the real experiences of Veterans. Our discussion went past surface nostalgia and straight into war, trauma, and the lifelong transition veterans face after leaving service. Matthew’s journey as both an actor and memoirist — through his Full Metal Jacket Diary — demonstrates the force of honest storytelling in giving veterans a space to process and share the truth. We focused on the way art and memoir can offer authenticity and connection, which is crucial for those looking to make sense of war’s realities and the transition home.

Storytelling matters to the veteran community because it allows us to recount sensitive subjects like war and combat trauma without agenda or politics. The real power comes from telling our stories exactly as we see and remember them, openly and honestly. In our discussion, Matthew and I made it clear that sharing these narratives is critical—not just for healing, but for ensuring veterans aren’t left isolated with their experiences. By holding up a mirror to our journey, rather than a mask, we help others understand the costs and complexities of service, validating the memoir, the film, and every veteran’s art as necessary acts of truth.

Episode Sponsors:

• VM Merch
• Go Pills -- use "VM15" at checkout for 15% off your order.
• BUBS Naturals -- use "veteranmade" at checkout for 20% off your order.
• True Made Foods -- use "VET" at checkout for 15% off your order.
• Ruck Sox -- use "VETERANMADE15" at checkout for 15% off your order.
• Bravo Actual -- use "Veteran Made" at checkout for 15% off your order.

Intro Song composed and produced by Cleod9.

SOCIALS:

https://www.instagram.com/veteranmade.ck/

https://www.instagram.com/matthewmodine/

READ MORE 👁️ https://bit.ly/43pg1Gp

Full Metal Jacket: Matthew Modine on Working with Stanley Kubrick to Tell a War Story

In episode 166, I sit down with Matthew Modine who played Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, for a direct and powerful conversation about the intersection of art, memoir, and the real experiences of Veterans. Our discussion went past surface nostalgia and straight into war, trauma, and the lifelong transition veterans face after leaving service. Matthew’s journey as both an actor and memoirist — through his Full Metal Jacket Diary — demonstrates the force of honest storytelling in giving veterans a space to process and share the truth. We focused on the way art and memoir can offer authenticity and connection, which is crucial for those looking to make sense of war’s realities and the transition home.

Storytelling matters to the veteran community because it allows us to recount sensitive subjects like war and combat trauma without agenda or politics. The real power comes from telling our stories exactly as we see and remember them, openly and honestly. In our discussion, Matthew and I made it clear that sharing these narratives is critical—not just for healing, but for ensuring veterans aren’t left isolated with their experiences. By holding up a mirror to our journey, rather than a mask, we help others understand the costs and complexities of service, validating the memoir, the film, and every veteran’s art as necessary acts of truth.

Episode Sponsors:

• VM Merch
• Go Pills -- use "VM15" at checkout for 15% off your order.
• BUBS Naturals -- use "veteranmade" at checkout for 20% off your order.
• True Made Foods -- use "VET" at checkout for 15% off your order.
• Ruck Sox -- use "VETERANMADE15" at checkout for 15% off your order.
• Bravo Actual -- use "Veteran Made" at checkout for 15% off your order.

Intro Song composed and produced by Cleod9.

SOCIALS:

https://www.instagram.com/veteranmade.ck/

https://www.instagram.com/matthewmodine/

READ MORE 👁️ https://bit.ly/43pg1Gp

Veterans Entrepreneurship Initiative (VEI)'s Post - LinkedIn

... VeteranEntrepreneurs #VetBiz #VeteranNetworking #SupportVeterans #OrlandoEvents #IvanhoeParkBrewing #VeteransFlorida #IamVEI.
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