From Service to Trauma to Triumph. In this week’s Team Never Quit Podcast, Marcus brings to the table Mack Alexander, who persevered through a traumatic brain injury while serving in Special Operations as a Navy SEAL. He was medically retired after an injury while deployed in Africa. Mack initially turned to leather crafting as a therapeutic activity following his injury. His creations started with repurposing old belts from the Salvation Army into dog collars. However, his trajectory changed when a former teammate requested a belt for an upcoming deployment. Drawing from his military experience, Mack designed a belt he knew could meet the demands of an operator's life. The quality and durability of his belts gained widespread popularity, setting the stage for the inception of Mack Belts. His commitment to quality and patriotism he sourced his materials exclusively from the United States and started Mack Belts.  At the core of every handmade Mack Belt are vintage American-made machines, some of which date back to 1940 like this Brown & Sharpe automatic screw machine below. These resilient machines, with their sturdy steel frames and timeless designs, are more than historic; they embody a time when meticulous craftsmanship was the norm, and these vintage marvels are the machines that guard the legacy of Mack Belts. Mack embarked on a mission to become the new leader of the American belt industry. In a world dominated by mass production and dwindling quality, Mack Belts emerges as a beacon of American craftsmanship, blending heritage with innovation under the visionary leadership of Mack Alexander. Join us this week as we delve into Mack's inspiring journey from Navy SEAL to founder of a burgeoning belt company, rooted in patriotism and dedication to quality. In this episode you will hear: • If I was gonna give my brother something, it had to be perfect, because with a charge, if it’s not built correctly, somebody gets hurt or it doesn’t work. (1:16) • The attraction of the SEAL Teams – Did you have what it takes to make it through that training. To be in a group of men like that doing what we do, was like a dream. (13:06) • No matter where you are in life, grab a mentor, and then when you get to that place where you think you can give back, be that mentor. (17:35) • In a [one] year time frame, I had 3 pretty bad TBIs (Traumatic Brain Injuries). (28:54) • [Due to] post concussive Syndrome, I kinda lost my mind. (29:25) • I got to a point where I didn’t want to live anymore because my purpose – I wasn’t ever gonna find it out there. (32:55) • The first time you see an American service member who’s give his life for freedom, with an American flag covering his body coming home – and you’re standing watch over him – that American flag means something completely different after you’ve experienced that. (33:18) • You gotta be grateful. I have a second chance at life, and I need to make the most of it. (34:31) • I went from hero to zero. I went from this dude with a title and status, and here I was living in the back of my truck. (37:44) • I try to love everybody and anybody that I can, and try to be that good example and be the change I wanna see. (38:31) • Leathercraft felt good to me. I’m a Breacher, and high RPM machinery gets me jacked up, there’s no peace there for me. (44:50) • I created a lot of my own problems because I was just a mess, on a bunch of pills and kinda off my rocker. (45:23) • With $41, and I’ve hit a million dollars in revenue. (58:11) • Everything bad I had to go through, led me to where I am right now, which is sitting in a chair in front of Markus Luttrell. (60:51) • When I buried my old self and put on this new way, and rebuilt on the word, everything fell into place. (61:25) • I put John 3:16 on every box. (62:37) • God has a plan for my life. He’s put this passion in my heart & given me this skill. (66:24) • I was redeemed by putting my faith in Christ. (66:54) Socials:   - https://macksbelts.com/   - macks_belts   - https://www.youtube.com/@macksbelts?app=desktop   - team_neverquit , marcusluttrell , melanieluttrell , huntero13   - https://www.patreon.com/teamneverquit Sponsors:   - Navyfederal.org          - Aura.com/TNQ   - Moink.com/TNQ   - PXG.com/TNQ   - Mackweldon.com [TNQ]   - ghostbed.com/TNQ [TNQ]   - Robinhood.com   - TAKELEAN.com [TNQ]   - usejoymode.com [TNQ]   - Shopify.com/TNQ   - Shhtape.com [TNQ]   - Policygenius.com