Security Halt!
Welcome to Security Halt! Podcast, the show dedicated to Veterans, Active Duty Service Members, and First Responders. Hosted by retired Green Beret Deny Caballero, this podcast dives deep into the stories of resilience, triumph, and the unique challenges faced by those who serve.
Through powerful interviews and candid discussions, Security Halt! Podcast highlights vital resources, celebrates success stories, and offers actionable tools to navigate mental health, career transitions, and personal growth.
Join us as we stand shoulder-to-shoulder, proving that even after the mission changes, the call to serve and thrive never ends.
Security Halt!
#232 From Soldier to Comedian: Sunny’s Journey of Comedy, Creativity, and Transition
In this inspiring and lighthearted episode, Sunny shares his remarkable journey from military service to becoming a comedian and content creator. He opens up about the identity crisis many veterans face during the transition to civilian life, the challenges of building a creative career, and the healing power of humor and storytelling. Sunny reflects on how comedy helped him cope with personal struggles, navigate self-doubt, and build authentic connections in the civilian world. Alongside Deny, they explore the importance of community among veterans, the joy of creative expression, and finding fulfillment amidst societal expectations. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking inspiration, personal growth, and a good laugh.
Don’t miss this uplifting conversation—and remember to follow, like, share, and subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts for more incredible stories like this!
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Chapters
00:00 Sunny's Unconventional Journey
06:30 The Identity Crisis Post-Military
12:07 Navigating the Creative Process
17:04 Transitioning from Military to Civilian Life
22:01 The Struggles of Finding Community Post-Service
27:37 Navigating Civilian Life as a Veteran
32:12 The Journey into Comedy and Creativity
34:35 Balancing Family Expectations and Creative Pursuits
36:06 Finding Inspiration and Overcoming Self-Doubt
41:14 Building a Community of Veteran Creators
47:35 Embracing the Absurdity of Life
50:45 Connecting with the Audience and Authenticity
Instagram: @securityhalt
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LinkedIn: Deny Caballero
Connect with Sunny and check out his website today!
Website: Zuvierlifestyle.com
https://www.zuvierlifestyle.com/
Instagram: @sunny_actual
https://www.instagram.com/sunny_actual/?hl=en
Instagram: @adityasundaresan
https://www.instagram.com/adityasundaresan/
TikTok: @sunny_actual
https://www.tiktok.com/@sunny_actual
Produced by Security Halt Media
security hot podcast. Let's go. You're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best with guns, with knives, with his bare hands, a man who's been trained to ignore, ignore weather, to live off. The land job was disposed of enemy personnel to kill period with my attrition and never capture anything. Yeah, it's the worst, sunny. Welcome man. It's a pleasure to have you on the podcast. Uh, you are highlighting some of our worst behavior as veterans and when we transition in civilian place. But the other thing that it's really intriguing is you have an unconventional path in your new life, your new journey, your chapter two, so to speak. Uh, so today, my man, I just wanted to dive in and uh sort of figure out where uh sunny got his beginning yeah, sure, um, thanks for uh, thanks for reaching out, appreciate it.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I guess if people are watching this they know me from the comedy. A lot of it veteran based, or maybe based on a majority of it is based on my military experience. Uh, never planned on joining the military and that's kind of funny. Um didn't have military parents, didn't have any friends that joined.
Speaker 2:Um went to college, thought I'd be a scientist because my dad's a scientist and I was like junior or senior in college and just kind of had a a moment where I was like this is uh, this is just not for me and somehow I think I stumbled across. I just didn't know what to do if I wasn't going to do science. Um, it's another one of those uh career paths that is, uh, very identity based. Yeah, if that makes sense, so absolutely. Uh, the concept of just getting a regular corporate job or something that my classmates, uh, that were outside of science was doing, I was like that doesn't sound appealing at all. So somehow I stumbled across this book uh, that was written by a guy the CIA actually and I was like, man, this, this life, just seems awesome, yeah, and I looked at CIA jobs and it didn't seem like I was qualified for any of them and I didn't want to join the CIA and be like a staff person you know know, which is probably what most of them do, uh.
Speaker 2:But in that book he mentioned a lot of the people he served with were like prior military type people. So kind of out of curiosity, it kind of looked down that path and then applied to the officer uh, canada school program, which is kind of like the last you know path to becoming an officer outside of West Point, the academies and ROTC applied, got in, did the basically just one contract as an infantry officer and then kind of towards the end of that time I started making videos for fun, kind of just a collection of a bunch of different things Me going around in Alaska, which is where I was stationed, and then I didn't really make the skits about military stuff specifically like making fun of it, until I got out, you know, of course, and it just kind of took off from there. I've been doing that ever since.
Speaker 1:And not slowing down. No, you're dead on in a lot of your skits, man, like we, and the one thing that I take away from a lot of them is the identity, the identity piece. Like we do some cool shit in the military but it almost becomes that default mode and we just latch onto it. And I think it's very interesting to see you know a young officer come out of the military and not want to go immediately into consulting and getting a job at Deloitte.
Speaker 2:I think that's what most of my friends are doing.
Speaker 1:They're making a lot more money than me, probably, but you know, you know it has you have to ask man like what's what's your passion? Like, I think a lot of and I want to, oh, I always open it up to, like the enlisted always talking. It almost feels like I'm talking directly to the e5, the e6, you know. But our officers struggle with the same thing. I think a lot of our young officers are told like hey, you're, you're going to get out of here, you're going to go consult, you're going to go to medical sales, you're going to do all these great things and make lots of money. But I mean talking to some of my friends that got out as captains in SF. They never identified their purpose, their identity or even just what made them happy.
Speaker 2:They just went immediately and like all right, what can I make the most money? Yeah, I think I can't really speak for everyone, because I know some people are happy in those jobs. They have family, it's a lifestyle they want to. But I think it's something that I guess is pretty underrated is that you do lose that when you get out.
Speaker 2:And it's weird because when I was in, when I was on weekends or time off, it's not like I walked around with Army t-shirts, being like this is my identity. So I didn't even think I really identified with it while I was in. It wasn't until I was out, where I was like now I'm just a dude, yeah, yeah, um, and that, uh, that does suck. So, I think, people that are in cause I have some buddies that are in. They, of course, don't understand that and then, uh, people that are out. I think, especially if they go the consulting route, you can just kind of distract yourself with the work there and maybe not have to confront that you're just, uh, you know you're just on powerpoint or excel and that's yeah, that's it yeah, and it's not to talk down to anybody, or I mean like, or say anything bad about it.
Speaker 1:It's just if you follow the path, instead of asking yourself what your path is going to be later down the road it is going to have, you are going to have that moment of reckoning of like, oh shit, like I had this passion to do X, y and Z, like why didn't I do that? And I have to imagine because your your career. Like you, you didn't go all the way, you didn't become a major, you weren't doing the, the staff, you didn't become a major, you weren't doing the staff officer thing and writing that Like when you were transitioning, what were some of the things that you were doing in order to figure out what that next step was, if comedy was going to be your thing.
Speaker 2:I mean, comedy just kind of came about naturally, I think from the videos. I'd say just creating things is more of the central passion. Comedy just happens to be one of those things. It's weird, I don't really think of myself as necessarily being passionate about comedy. I guess it just turns out that some of these videos happen to be funny and I try to make them that way.
Speaker 2:But I don't really set out kind of thinking like I don't, I don't know, I guess I don't think of myself as like a comedian or anything, uh, but I just wanted to do my own thing.
Speaker 2:I knew that as I was getting out and uh, you know, it turns out it's a lot harder to immediately get out and just self fund yourself, uh, doing your own thing than it, than it looks like. But I just kind of found that while I was still in, luckily and uh just kind of kept going with that Cause, I just knew that I mean, I didn't even know what consulting or banking was when I did the MBA program as soon as I got out, just sort of a classic officer thing to do as a wealth, um, sort of you can just kind of procrastinate facing the world for another two years, yeah, and but I didn't know what consulting or banking was, and I kind of showed up, uh, you know, maybe thinking more people would be trying to do their own thing, and uh didn't really find that was the case. So that's kind of how that came about.
Speaker 1:No, it's uh, mba is like one of the big things. That is like highlighted and put in front of everybody's face like like 10 friends, that that's like the thing they went straight through, like it just almost seems like fuck, like this is a guarantee, this is a safety thing. It's like pmp scrum, master certification and get an epi right yeah, exactly, yeah.
Speaker 1:So like when you're going in this creative space, like it takes a lot of vulnerability to sit down and make this content and be willing to put yourself out there. Like how did you first start trying? Like, did you just like share some and like try them out on a few friends, or were you just openly just sending them out and putting them out there for the public?
Speaker 2:um, yeah, I just started off sharing them with the public. Now the only people that watched them, I think beginning, were my friends, and it was the easiest way to share that with them, like uh, especially with the skits. It was the easiest way to share that with them, like uh, especially with the skits. It was an easy way to send the link to all my friends or my soldiers and be like they would know who I was talking about, you know, without without naming them like oh, that's captain so-and-so or, uh, you know, tenant, colonel, so-and-so. And then I guess other people liked it as well, because I just put it out to the public and then it just kind of uh, it just kind of grew from there yeah, what most people don't realize is there's a lot of work on the back side.
Speaker 1:There is, like there is definitely an entrepreneurial spirit in doing this stuff, like if anybody's watching and they're finding themselves in the space, like how did you start putting together that framework for understanding? Like, okay, I have to put X amount of videos out, or I have to like this is this, is something, that bit, this is working. Or the ones that don't trend, the ones that don't do good, like how did you start putting together that like actual formative? Okay, like I gotta treat this like a job yeah, that's only been a recent thing actually.
Speaker 2:I think post mba I graduated last year, uh, because while I was in the mba it felt more like a hobby. Then, uh, and I did wild sort of other projects I'm doing too to take off. But it felt uh, yeah, I had the gi bill, I had some savings and stuff, so I didn't, I treated it more like a hobby, like, okay, I've got uh, a few few hours to work on this every day and, uh, it was fun. And then I think once I once you know, post mba, and it's felt more like a job. It definitely makes the creative process a lot more stressful because now, now it's uh, now it becomes harder to just put out a video and uh just say, oh well, if it doesn't do that, well, you know, you know who cares it it starts to get, it starts to get more stressful. So I definitely had to been, I definitely had like have to be a lot more kind of analytical about yeah, uh, okay, what's working, what's not working. You know what, what are, what do people, what do people like to see, and then also like, what am I having fun creating?
Speaker 2:Like, I think my more recent videos are almost uh, exclusively, uh, like a guy who's out of the military, yeah, and uh, my early stuff, even though I was out, was content that was a guy who's still in, you know, because it was fresh in my mind. And then that's also struggle, because that's what blew me up in the first place. But I don't, you know, wake up now and think about my battalion commander, or or think, you know, think about going out to the field. I might, I might throw like a fun video in there once in a while I'm talking to a friend, I don't remember a funny story, but uh, yeah, that's just another challenge, because you uh, uh, start to realize like I don't enjoy this content anymore, uh, and I want to directions, but this is what's working, so it's a tough process, man.
Speaker 1:Like how do you pivot? Yeah, that's the one thing that people don't understand. Um, there's a lot that goes into it, yeah.
Speaker 2:And and uh, what sucks. I mean I chose this. I don't want anyone watching this. I'm very grateful that people watch my videos. I know I'm very privileged that this is a problem that I have and not you know a more you know serious life-threatening problem. But um yeah, there's no like guidebook, there's no guarantee. I wouldn't say the army was was easy, you know, but there was a lot of things that they told you. Hey, if you do this, you run this fast, it's you. The structure there was structure there was a format.
Speaker 2:You do this, you do this, many push-ups. There's a, you know, there's a manual for everything. So even if you mess something up, you can say, okay, well, it followed the doctrine, or you know whatever, whatever it's called. So, uh, you know, follow the ranger handbook, all that fun stuff. So on the outside it's like you can, you know it's called. So, uh, you know, follow the Ranger handbook, all that fun stuff. So on the outside it's like you can, you know, it's like, uh, it's like playing poker or something you can, you can like, do all the right things and just still lose on a, on a video. Or, uh, you know, have a bad week and that's, I think, the tough part. Um, and then, uh, you know, you go out and it's you go from saying I was, you know, army infantry guys to just being like, hey, I make tech talk for you, yeah.
Speaker 1:Like and it's crazy, right. Like we, we struggle with the identity piece of like I was fucking somebody, I was a PL, I had dudes that frigging look up to me. I had people that like depended on me and we had, like, a family. Now I'm on the outside, now I'm making content that I want them to laugh, I want them to feel like, feel good, like, oh shit, he represents us. Like. Do you feel like your path and what you're doing right now Do you think it's helped in your transition as you're transitioning? In your videos you like you just mentioned, like you're no longer making videos if you're that army guy. Now you're the guy that's on the outside. Do you feel like that creative process helped you in your transition? Sort of like pack up the uniform yeah, I think so.
Speaker 2:I mean, most of my videos are just things that are I'm either annoyed at or, you know, frustrated with or that I find annoying. So that definitely helps that. You know, if I man this kind of sucks, sometimes it's like, oh cool, I can make a video about it and uh, if someone will relate to that, I made one that was shared quite a bit called um depressed, uh, depressed. Veteran in corporate oh yeah and uh, I don't know if you've seen that video. Yeah, yeah, it did a decent amount of views and I didn't.
Speaker 2:I mean, I didn't really think anything, I was like really, I was just like this is how I feel right now and it's like, you know, just making Excel stuff or you know, and I think a lot of people related to that, so it does help yeah.
Speaker 1:No, you're identifying things that I think are common across the board for all of us, whether you were an 88 Mike or an 18 Alpha.
Speaker 1:Like when you step out of uniform and you're no longer like even all the things you hate the PowerPoints, the sit reps, all those things that you hate At some point you get to the other side and you're asking yourself like ah, man, like this kind of sucks.
Speaker 1:I look back at all the things I used to do and now're asking yourself like ah, man, like this kind of sucks. I look back at all the things I used to do and now I'm just like there are good moments, but, man, it's not like being surrounded by the dudes and being able to like look at that overall big mission and say, yeah, identify with that. Like I know I'm making a difference. No, it's uh, it's definitely one of the videos that I know because it got sent to me and I'm like, oh, fuck, dude, like you're speaking to everybody right now, like in your, in your life, in this moment, like do you find yourself able to reach out and like give hope to other, like individuals within your own circle, kind of like reach out with that battle buddy and being like, hey man, like I'm feeling this moment.
Speaker 2:that's why I made this clip yeah, I mean a lot of the. A lot of the videos are just inspired by conversation, friends or phone calls and things like that. I'll we'll just kind of relate over something and I'm like that would make a good video, you know, if they're feeling the same way, uh, so it helps. I don't feel like I think about the army that much, which might sound weird to people that you know, uh, nobody from the army, but I'll just uh, a lot of it is just like okay, I don't want to go back in, I got out for very good reasons, don't regret that. Uh, but it's like okay, how do you, how do you find something that's even more exciting or like better overall than than that? So that's definitely drives a lot of the creative process yeah, and we gotta, I want to.
Speaker 1:You know this, uh, this podcast. We jump back and forth on so many things, but what was? Was the reason for you to decide to separate, because a lot of people tend to think that officers are like, oh, you come in, you're going to at least stay until you're a lieutenant colonel, at least make it to. Like, you get that one star Like. You know what was the big thing Like, or was it just a? You know it wasn't what you wanted to do anymore.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, that was just a big part of it. I think people think, uh, sometimes I get asked there's some dramatic reason. It was just, uh, I got, I did my platoon leader time. I did very little time at staff actually. Um, which uh was was nice, um, so I think, uh, you know I got a Kyle got a lot of comments on the uh depressed veteran video that knew I was an officer saying, didn't you do this the entire time while you're in?
Speaker 2:I was like, not really, but I know a lot of officers do do that. Uh, I, because I spent a year and a half in trade on the whole train up, like because I did officer candidate school, so I did basic training, officer candidate school, infantry officer school, ranger school um showed up that we're doing eib as soon as I showed up, so I did that. And then, like a month later, I was a platoon leader and then we were training up for ntc. So, uh, national training center for the non. I don't know if there's marines there too, it might be but yeah, uh, national training center. And then soon after don't know if there's marines there too, it might be but yeah, uh, national training center. And then soon after that, we got picked up for a deployment. And then I got a second platoon as the mortar platoon leader, um deployed.
Speaker 2:Now our deployment wasn't, you know, 2005, iraq or anything, but we got to spend some time on a cop and it was, uh, that's some of the best time I've ever had. Like, uh, we're just watching like eastbound and down working out outside in a prison gym, uh. And then that's about when I decided like this is kind of probably the end of it, like either I try out for special forces or, uh, get out, yeah, um. And I just figured, okay, I don't think there's anything left for me here that I'm motivated by.
Speaker 1:I found out about I like making videos, and then that's just kind of just kind of got out yeah, you know, having that background as a, you know, going to school for science, um, did you ever think going back, knowing that you know it's something that you loved, or at least thought you loved at one point, or was it like immediately okay, mba yeah, the mba was suggested to me by a senior officer who actually went to law school.
Speaker 2:But he suggested like, hey, because I did the officer candidate route, I still had like my full GI Bill. So he's like hey, man, if you don't have a clear idea of what you want to do, this could be a good path. So I mean I knew I wanted to do my own thing, but I didn't really know how to make that a reality as soon as I left the Army. So I figured the NBA would be a good way to kind of transition out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and where'd you go for your nba?
Speaker 2:program uh nyu in new york city oh shit, yeah, so it was um, it was nice man break that down for us, because that's uh that seems magical I've had.
Speaker 1:I've had some bum ass friends. Do some like sketchy ass mbas. I'm going to an online MBA program.
Speaker 2:That's what's wrong with that. So, no, it was good because there was a. There was a veterans club at NYU, so most of my friends from NYU are from the veterans club and what was nice about that is everyone's on the same same timeline too, like everyone, even if they got out at different times. Like some people did eight years, some people did four, some were prior enlisted, um, so, but everyone like ends up in the nba at the same spot, like for the most part, I think 90 of the veterans there had just gotten out. So, uh, you're kind of with similar, similar, similar people. Yeah, um, and that's actually one of the struggles now that I'm out of the NBA is out here in you know, the real world as they say uh, there's no like group of people who are in the same like timeline.
Speaker 2:You are, you know, like uh, that was one of the nice things in the army that actually I think uh was cool was that everyone, all your peers, are in the same like, especially with officers. There's like a year group kind of thing. So you're literally with people the same age. You're progressing, depending on what you end up doing, more or less at the same kind of like rates, so you never feel too bad about where you are, um, but then, uh, out here, it's like you know, I'm trying to make videos.
Speaker 2:You know, tick tock, you see some like 20 year old who's already a millionaire, you know, and I don't have anyone, I don't have anyone to uh, that's. You know other people my age who are like oh yeah, we also got out, we're all creating videos. You're in, you know, you're in the same group as us, it's just me. So I think that's that's a really dude, absolutely Underrated part, cause I think people, uh, when I hear about the struggles, like I didn't, I didn't see combat, took some IDF, yeah, um, and I think people, uh, and that's the struggle that I can't speak on. You know, steam combat and struggling with that and I won't speak on it because that's just not my story.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's not your lived experience, and that's okay.
Speaker 2:But I think you know I heard some statistic get a little dark for a second, but I heard some statistic that was are you familiar with PB Abate Foundation?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, yes, I am that was?
Speaker 2:uh, are you familiar with pb abate? Oh yeah, foundation, yes, yeah. So uh know a lot of the guys that uh are in that and they're talking about how the suicide rate, uh, the perception is that it would be highest among combat veterans um, and that just turns out not to be the case, and so I think what's kind of annoying is when people think that the struggle is simply oh, you saw something in the army that you uh couldn't get past. That could be it for some people, I don't know, but I think it's all these other little things, like the timeline thing no one, no one's now in your same like group progressing at the same thing. There's no like. There's no like good measuring stick anymore. It's like, uh, I have like a you know, separate clothing brand thing, and same thing. You'll see some 22 year old who, like is a millionaire. It's like, oh my God, like I like it, you know.
Speaker 1:Sonny, you're, you're, you're speaking right at my at my core.
Speaker 2:It's a lot of. It's a lot Like those kind of things that aren't talked about, that I think are actually for me, tougher than you know. Shooting machine guns was awesome, which, for those people that are like, oh, you're an officer, I shot machine guns at the time.
Speaker 1:Listen up, you nerds. Officers do work too. They get their hands dirty.
Speaker 2:The good ones do yeah. Yeah, yeah, sometimes um when it's convenient, yeah but it's like no, I don't necessarily miss that, that's cool. I can also go, and I'm out in tennessee now, so there's some cool guys out here that own, you know all sorts of things.
Speaker 2:So it's uh, it's not just that, it's like the whole, all the little stuff. That's like having a, like a group of people who are doing the exact same thing. You are showing up to an, to an office, where, where a company cough, whatever, what people are doing the same thing. It's all that stuff that you don't get when you leave, uh, when you get out.
Speaker 1:So yeah, dude, absolutely when you leave, uh, when you get out. So yeah, dude, abso-fucking-lutely, there's no, um, there's no reporting to the podcast company to sit down and bounce ideas.
Speaker 1:But you know the the beautiful thing, the beautiful thing that I found is, you know, being a uh, a green beret, you're always looking for the team room. That's something that guys always talk about, like I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't have a team room anymore. I don't have a team room anymore. I don't have fucking an 18 Bravo and 18 Delta to hang out with. I don't have a frigging warrant, like, yeah, it's true, but but when you start looking, when you start reaching out, like when you start connecting with people, you'll be surprised the friendships and brotherhoods you can like. Right now I have something cooking with an amazing seal that I just met by chance, just met my chance, and it was like your brand of autism matches with my brand of autism.
Speaker 1:I don't know what I'm doing. I know this much and you know this much. Let's combine efforts and at least two mentally challenged, freaking, hard-hitting dudes. We can get a little further. But what you just said, dude man, it speaks to the heart of everybody out there that's doing it. And again, I'll shout these guys out to the. So I'm blue in the face. Triple Nickel. These guys have built a clothing brand. Now it's a full fledged powerhouse. They're doing shit that I'm dreaming of doing. And how did it come together? Guys sticking together, coming together, coalescing as a team and saying, hey, man, I'm going to fucking do this until the wheels fucking fall off. Are you in? And they're like yeah bet, let's go. Like and that's one of the greatest things that I can tell you man, like, dude, like, keep doing your craft and reaching out and try. Like. I'm trying to do the same fucking thing and it sucks. It gets lonely, it does get. Yes.
Speaker 2:I'm doing all this stuff. I'd started this clothing brand actually with an army buddy of mine had a little falling out stuff. Uh, I'd started this uh clothing brand actually with an army buddy of mine. Uh, had a little falling out and like, yeah, when you're doing this stuff by yourself, it's uh, it's brutal. Yeah, you just don't have, you don't have a team you have to put in um, you know it's weird. I was always in an environment uh again, privileged thing to say I was always in an environment high school, college, army, mba where you didn't have to try and make friends. All my friends in the army were either my soldiers hung out with the E4s. Sometimes I can say that now.
Speaker 1:When you were invited into the E4 clique. That just shows how much of a fucking good dude you are. That is a hard friendship, which that is hard to earn.
Speaker 2:Yeah, tip my hat to you sir yeah, technically, I think a little bit out of the, out of the, out of the rules, but you know I don't think they'll get me to that now. Um, but or other, you know some other lieutenants and stuff, and now it's like you have to like, really make an effort, like you're saying, go and connect with people. And then a really tough thing too is you have this experience that's so different from, especially if you're like something infantry related, like I show up to the NBA and a lot of the. There's some awesome civilian friends, civilian, uh, friends. Anyone listening to this? I highly suggest you do make civilian friends so that you're not like yeah, you know you don't become completely mentally challenged, yeah, but there's still like a, uh, like a.
Speaker 2:I don't know what it is, I'm not not a psychologist, but I do feel like there's some psychological difference, uh, between the type of person who would want to go infantry and just yeah you know someone who just went out of college and worked uh, you know, corporate job doesn't make me better or worse or anything, but it's just different and uh, that makes it hard to relate. You have to like, yeah, put in a lot of effort. Sometimes these veteran groups can be hit or miss, like they're not the uh, the right brand of veteran for the individual. You know, like sometimes I'll hang out with guys who were like early 2000 especially through this comedy stuff I've been able to link up with some of those guys like early 2005, you know, like height of the war type, or 2010, afghanistan, and it's like, uh, sometimes I get along with them. Sometimes they just want other guys that we'll still in that time talk to and I'm like I can't can't relate, well, yeah I can't relate to this, um so yeah, that's, it's, it's tough, dude.
Speaker 1:We have to start understanding that our veteran experience shouldn't come with exceptions. So I I like talking with veterans, but only if they're like you know, they saw some real shit. Dude, your worst day is your worst day. His worst day is his worst day. Like, at the end of the day, like I want to be part of a fucking team. I want to be part of a community. I want to be able to hang out with cool fucking people, good people. It means hanging out with people that never served or never saw the combat.
Speaker 2:That's fucking awesome, because they're going to bring a different perspective yeah, I would say, uh, one of the best things recently I went to a wedding out in hawaii, actually awesome. And uh, the groom was a buddy of mine from nyu who was a like a west point guy army guy. So like all his friends, all the groom side guys were all at a west point army, uh, some way military at some point. Um, and what was awesome was just we didn't really talk about the army at all. You know, with any of them, like, there was a quick like hey, where are you stationed? And stuff like that. But then what was nice was like, oh, okay, like I know, see, like nose, I don't know something there it's like, okay, we're similar in that, in that, uh, in that way I don't really know how to explain it but uh, like that's the kind of that's the kind of like fraternity or whatever you want to call it. Yeah, um, that's just so hard to get on the outside.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it takes a lot of work. You got to be willing to put yourself and be a little vulnerable. I struggle with the same thing. I go to a gym and I don't want to interact with anybody. And who do I interact with? The one other Green Beret that happens to be here, right, because you see, you see each other and you're like, is that a group dude? Sure shit, in the middle of nowhere in alabama. Like, okay, sweet, awesome. But then after that you like have a great time and freaking, you're working out. And then you're like, wait a second, this whole thing, this whole gym is filled with other human beings. Why did I only talk to this one guys? Oh, because I'm scared of being open and just meeting regular people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yes yeah, man, it's, it's difficult but it's worth. It's worth noting that every day you wake up and then, just to anybody listening man like I understand the difficulties, I deal with it every single day be willing to engage with one new person, be willing to talk, like I did it today. Didn't want to, but I freaking did it and the guy was pretty cool. Um, because you know you don't want to live a life where you're just excluding 90 of the people around you in hopes you meet one fucking veteran, right? Yeah, dude, so what's like? What are the other endeavors that you're involved in?
Speaker 2:So really right now I'm doing comedy, which is a blessing, because I never you know, I'm not you always hear with these creative people, like since I was 10 years old I wanted to be man, I don't know, I've just always wanted to try new things. So I was never the class clown or anything like that. I just think these skits were fun to make and they took off and it's something that you know is uh, I see it potentially going somewhere fun, so I'm keeping up with it. I'm probably gonna slowly pivot out of doing more military stuff and just do plenty videos or things I think are funny. For example, one that did very well on instagram was a depressed hostage. I don't know if you saw that video no, not yet.
Speaker 2:But it's uh, you don't have to be military to understand it, it's just no. Two guys are interrogating a hostage and, uh, turns out he's depressed, so they it kind of like they're like start cheering him up, you know, yeah yeah, that's my brand of humor, yeah and then, once he's cheered up, you know they resume waterboarding him.
Speaker 2:So now that he has something to live for, you know um so you know, stuff like that I think I want to do more of. I've thought of trying stand-up. I have no idea where this comedy thing is going. I have a kind of unrelated like adventure kind of call it adventure, I don't know what. I'd call it Like fashion themes kind of mixed with like luxury adventure, if you want to call it clothing brand, dropping these sunglasses, for it will do a shameless plug. Nice, hell, yeah, dude. So based on these, uh, vintage like james bond style, I take that, yeah, so you know, it's another just thing that I also have to like keep going, um, but it it uh, something like I get excited to work on, yeah, much more than thinking of working at McKinsey or not. Again, no, I hate to tell us, yeah, I hate to anyone that works there. You know they're definitely making, definitely making more money than me, but yeah, I just don't. I just couldn't get excited to wake up and and to just grind in a corporate ladder.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So that's kind of what I have going on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I have to ask um, was there some pushback from your family when you were like? I have a very unconventional approach for how I want to take my next chapter in life.
Speaker 2:Um, I mean thankfully. Now I'm a you know big boy, an adult.
Speaker 1:They kind of left, they let me uh, they let me.
Speaker 2:Uh, yeah, they're supportive of my dreams, but definitely, like, this is probably the worst part of uh, the creative journey is when you're doing the thing but you really haven't made it big yet and so you're in this like in between world of like you're not at a super prestigious job, you're also not killing it with this thing, and you just have to tell people like, uh, yeah, I make these tech talks, I'm hoping they so you know they're supportive, but, um, you know, hopefully this will just be a funny story about the struggle later on?
Speaker 1:Yeah, what do you take inspiration from outside of lived experience? Is there something that are you following, or reading something daily in order to give those inspirations or just keep going? It's one thing that everybody has as their go-to guide, whether it's faith or stoicism, everybody has that one thing, and you know not to bash on our general officers, but everybody has their book or guide that they go through. Is there something that you lean on?
Speaker 2:Man, that's a good question. I uh, I think that's a, that's a struggle of mine, is uh, you know, the, the daily, the daily struggle is like to me is, uh, what I feel like I need is like tactical advice, you know like uh, uh, uh, okay, this video didn't do as well as I thought.
Speaker 2:You know is pivoting the right move. Are these sunglasses gonna work? Am I gonna, you know, live under a bridge and uh, you know what I would? The advice I would like is like, hey, you need to do xyz tomorrow, you know? Um, and so face definitely does help. Uh, just to you know, keep waking up. But I try to look at people, people that are uh already kind of successful doing it, that I find inspiring, and just just, really, I try not to think too down down the line, um, as much as I can anyway, and just focus on like, okay, here's a video this guy made. I think it's funny, or I think this is inspiring and I'm going to see if I can take anything from that. Um, kind of a vague answer, um, but I guess, in short, no, I don't have it like one thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if that makes sense yeah, no, it seems like, uh, we need to create the uh tactical creator's guide right, yeah, yeah, how to?
Speaker 2:how to keep waking up?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it's a it's, it's self-doubt can creep in there, but it and it's it's okay to take inspiration from you know anything that you hear from you know I put out a lot of mental health tips how to keep going, keep moving, keep forward, keep moving forward. Fail fast, and that can be used, whether it's you know, you're creating something on social media, on YouTube, or you're going through school. Like, keep your head in the game, keep moving, keep grinding, don't lose hope, man. Like it's hard to sit there and not feel like discouraged when you don't get those likes, when your videos don't do well, but at the end of the day, look at the good, look at the positive. You're still crushing it. There are people out there that would kill for one of your videos, for one of your videos views.
Speaker 1:So knowing that and putting that into perspective of like, holy shit, there's somebody out there who's just starting this journey Like you were you were, almost you were there just a few years ago and looking at how you format, how you continue to create, like there's no reason to believe that you're not going to break through. And you're going to be receiving emails from me asking for a, you know, intro to some of your friends for podcast guests yeah, well, I appreciate that it's a nice thing to say yeah, um, yeah, the stuff is tough.
Speaker 2:There's no like I mean you asking about, like, the guide thing. It's funny because that is the struggle. There is no easy, uh, you know, there is no easy guy. I do feel like finding the friend group is uh, is a big thing, but it's tough when they're not doing the same thing. Like I don't have a group of five friends who are all trying to create funny videos. You know, um, and maybe that's on me a little bit of not like, hey, I need to reach out more, find people who are uh, uh, who are doing stuff.
Speaker 1:So I think we had to create a community of of veteran creators and and I know it sounds crazy we just talked about not being exclusive and opening it up, but there is important thing about creating a community of people that transitioned, are out there doing something that's artistic, that's creative, whether it's writing a book, whether it's writing a comic book, doing sketches, doing funny videos, because I'm seeing the kids that are successful doing it. That's what they're doing. They're they're collaborating, they're coalescing around each other, forming these teams. I mean, there's there's something to be said about creating your own ODA of creatives on the outside. I think there's something to it, because you find somebody that's a specialty in, maybe doing short film, maybe that's something that I'm seeing a lot more.
Speaker 1:There's a lot more of us out there wanting to get behind the lens or wanting to write, wanting to script, wanting to create TikTok videos, and if we can all connect, if we can all support, that only gives more fuel to everybody. And I think that we also need to remember like there are people out there watching that want to get where you're at, that have seen the success. So don't lose hope and just keep creating things that are genuine and authentic to you and that's to anybody listening out there that is finding themselves in the same space. Because, just like any other career field, you can get to the point where you're wanting to give up, where you're wanting to pivot, when you're wanting to just say fuck it. And I'm here to tell you just don't. Right, like when you're in selection, when you're in rasp, you always tell yourself we'll quit tomorrow. So today, sonny and myself are telling you quit tomorrow, make it through the day, quit tomorrow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's easier said than done on the outside, I think.
Speaker 1:Grab a hold of the rucksack. We'll keep moving together.
Speaker 2:Exactly. Yeah, it's tough man, especially when you know I wouldn't say my identity is tied to ancient TikTok, but it is. Uh, you know it's part of what I want to do, so it's brutal. And when you uh, uh, you know you make something and it doesn't work out the way you do, uh, you know, I had like a bad, uh, bad field problem or something in the army. It's not like I went home and I was like I'm like I'm completely worthless as a person, completely, you know or somehow that feels more the case when you make a bomb video.
Speaker 2:Man, I'm just, I'm gonna do it today.
Speaker 1:Man, you know, like no man it's, it's being able to look at them. The flip side of it hey, I figured out what didn't work. I figured out, I figured out what content just doesn't work. Like, yeah, and continue going, continue pushing forward.
Speaker 1:The reality is like people, specifically in the veteran space, seek out this comedy because it's probably helping them get through their worst day. They had a shitty day at work. They had a shitty day going through transition briefs with people that don't give a shit about them. When they get on the outside, they open up their app and for a brief moment, they're able to laugh. And that, my friend, is fucking powerful. That is something to remember, to keep creating, to keep going, going forward.
Speaker 1:The shit that you're doing helps somebody relieve a little stress and keep fighting on, and I truly believe that. I know that I have had those moments even before I got out, and that's why, like I still to this day, I inject my podcast throughout my instagram, but I always stay with the memes. Why? Because I know, when I couldn't talk to anybody, when I was going through the absolute worst moments of my nightmare, a meme just got me to laugh. Or in a team room, guys are dealing with so much shit. They're not willing to talk about it, but they'll share memes back and forth and it keeps them, keeps them engaged.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I had to. Uh, I actually at this, uh, at this, uh at this wedding, uh ended up, uh, there was some you know, party like after party kind of thing we went to and there was uh someone not the wedding who who saw me from my videos and uh, it it's hard to know when I'm creating these videos, sometimes like what people are thinking yeah, and it's hard to know when I'm creating these videos, sometimes like what people are thinking yeah. And yeah, he said that, which was pretty amazing. Like, hey, man, I was going through a rough time, saw your videos, cheered me up.
Speaker 2:I was like, oh my God, like I didn't even know that anyone like I just make these videos from my bedroom, house, whatever, and didn't realize that people are connecting with it, which is awesome. So that's definitely something I was like man, I need to like keep that in mind, yeah, and then I think, try to remind myself like I'm supposed to have fun doing this. When you get caught up with the money thing, you can definitely lose track of that and it is important, if you're trying to make money doing it, to be a little analytical about it. But uh, I think sometimes I'm like I'm supposed to like enjoy, uh, uh, enjoy this. Funny enough, when I was in ranger school, like so, I reached spied to the extended stay, uh, writer.
Speaker 1:so did you go through the school? No, god no you couldn't pay me to go to fucking ranger school after making it through the fucking q course I was.
Speaker 2:I was adamant about that um, but what's funny is, uh, I so I recycled mountains, so I had to do it again and, uh, this wasn't the winner. And I just remember, uh, I was like the, the kind of the first half I was in ranger school. I was, uh, you know, it's highly expected as an infantry officer, you'll get a ranger tab and stuff. So all the time I was thinking like I have to get a go because, um, this'll be. You know, this is my career blah, blah, blah. That's what I was thinking of. Like, you know, I'll get a patrol that like, uh, wasn't going very well. And I get frustrated because all I can think about was this is gonna maybe give me a no-go and I'm gonna get recycled or dropped or something.
Speaker 2:And, funny enough, when I, when I did mountains second time, I didn't think about any of that. I I wouldn't say I had fun doing it. You know, yeah, at all, I was like miserable, my second mountains as well. But uh, I just stopped caring about any of that. I was. I started like thinking it was kind of funny that it was raining on us, you know, 24, 7, um, and I didn't even think about, of course, you know I was trying to do the right thing. Get a, get it. Sorry about that. Get a, uh, get a, go and whatnot. But weirdly is, when I just didn't think about any of that, I was like this this is just funny, like we're getting rained on, I've got to get 40 guys to, you know, walk up this mountain. I think I was platoon leader for one of that. I got 40 guys to stay, motivated to walk another, you know, four hours at midnight and uh, weirdly enough, when I started thinking like that, like this is kind of funny, I did better. So sometimes you kind of need.
Speaker 1:That approach, yeah.
Speaker 2:Embracing the suck as best as you can yeah I was never like delusionally motivated, where I was like one of those guys that's like, come on, guys, you got to build a terrain model today. But I was like you know I'd get up and be like, yes, you know someone's like walking over to the terrain model it's muddy and they just slipped and like took off, took out like half the terrain model, you know, because it was wet, and I just like started laughing. I was like this is absurd. Um, but weirdly that like kind of like helped me keep going. So, yeah, removes the pressure.
Speaker 1:Just yeah, I can. Yeah, it's, that's half the battle in this thing just being able to have fun with it, being able to say, you know what? Like, okay, I'm not sean ryan, I'm not gonna be sean ryan, I'm just here to spread a little bit of positivity and some poop and cum jokes, that's it.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:Dude Sonny, thank you so much for joining us today. Man, it's awesome that you're willing to share your story. Be vulnerable, um, I think when we're. People often think that when you're in front of the camera, you're this person 24, seven and often, more, more often than not like it's almost like you have to be a character. You have to portray this person that's like a hundred percent happy, always positive, motivated. It's like, at the end of the day, when you walk out of the camera like this is. You know, this isn't Denny all the time. Denny's a real human being that does more than just podcasting, and so is Sonny.
Speaker 2:He's also depressed, sad.
Speaker 1:Yes, absolutely All range of shit.
Speaker 2:man, yeah, cries at night sometimes. Obviously that's not me.
Speaker 1:Never do that, never, never. While biting down my pillow to muffle my cries, right, oh man? But yeah, dude, it's awesome that you're willing to be here and show you know the full spectrum of sunny, being able to show people that, yeah, man, like you can do whatever the hell you want to do. You just have to be brave enough and continue moving forward. That's something that a lot of people aren't comfortable doing, and that's okay. Everybody finds it in their own time, and I'm here to tell you that, hey, it's not always easy, but a life worth living has to come with discomfort, has to come with difficulty, because I've seen what it, what a life full of comfort leads you to be a fat, medicated piece of shit sitting on a couch judging everybody, and I don't want to do that. I don't want that life.
Speaker 2:Uh, and I know it's funny, all my uh, all my veteran friends, uh, one of them base jumps yeah, now, um, and I think 80 of the people he base jumps with uh, by pure accident also happened to be other like uh, former soft guys. Yeah, um, and he's joking, he's like this is what I need to do to feel alive I've literally got to jump off a bridge? Uh, with a parachute good disclaimer.
Speaker 2:thank you, yeah, um. So yeah, I think you should find crowd. I scuba dive a lot. That's a ton of fun and I think, yeah, if you force yourself to keep doing hard things or just exciting things, I think you know you'll be able to keep going, hell yeah.
Speaker 1:Dude, before we go um, please let us know how people can find you, interact with you and your latest business, please yeah, so sunny, sunny, actual on tiktok instagram.
Speaker 2:I think it's the real sunny on youtube, um. But you know something sunny we'll find, hopefully on all the platforms the brand.
Speaker 1:Don't worry, I'll put it all in the episode description.
Speaker 2:So yeah, uh, fashion brand zuvir, it's not a military brand at all. Um, although I think you know some of the adventure type uh stream sports. Maybe that I sprinkle in there could be appealing. Um, and yeah, I appreciate anyone who you know watches my stuff Means a lot, you know. Yeah, it's awesome that people are watching something that I just put out from my, like you know, my apartment.
Speaker 1:So yeah, well, it's awesome, man. People gravitate to it because it's relatable, it's funny, and you come across and you are a real, authentic human being. That, um, doesn't bullshit man, and I think in today's world, where you can't really connect with anybody, I think, uh, your audience, and certainly anybody that tunes in on the show, can see this is a real man. Uh, try to put a little bit of good out in the world through humor. So I appreciate it, I know your audience appreciates it and I can't thank you enough for coming on today, brother, and uh, yeah, yeah, thanks so much for having me on.
Speaker 2:Man, it's a pleasure talking to you absolutely to everybody listening at home.
Speaker 1:Uh, please follow sunny and uh go on youtube like, subscribe uh his stuff and my stuff too. I need it as well but uh, thank you.
Speaker 2:What, what? What did I say on youtube? Uh, comment like subscribe. I need to start putting that.
Speaker 1:My hit the notification button I fucked that up all the time. But you know what? Hey, you know, we're still, we're still learning, we'll still do it leave a hate comment to that boost.
Speaker 1:I think that boosts my views too whatever, go go to the security hall, youtube and leave the most derogatory thing you can about Panamanians. That'll help with the analytics, I'm sure of it. Awesome man. Thank you all for tuning in. We'll see you all next time. Until then, take care. If you like what we're doing and you're enjoying the show, don't forget to share us. Like us, subscribe.
