On this episode of the VinnyRoc Podcast, I sit down with actor, writer, and advocate Lisa Regina—founder of A Write To Heal and creator of the veteran-driven TV project Heroic Episodes (EP: Joe Mantegna). Lisa opens up about surviving domestic violence, healing through writing, and how working with veterans reshaped her mission to employ vets on set, mentor at-risk youth, and tell authentic stories about trauma, resilience, and community.

We get into:

• Lisa's assault in 2005 and the road back through therapy, faith, and the page
• How a blind Army captain and amputee crushed an acting workshop and sparked A Write To Heal
• Why Heroic Episodes will hire veterans, bring teens in as apprentices, and spotlight VFWs/Legions and veteran-owned brands
• Funding realities, distribution hurdles, and a simple ask: "five bucks" from the community to move the series forward
• Practical pathways for veterans: Part 107 drone training, set work, writing rooms, and authentic consulting

If you've lived through trauma, support veterans and first responders, or care about rebuilding community with real mentorship, this conversation is for you.

Support & Learn More
A Write To Heal (nonprofit): https://awritetoheal.com/
Heroic Episodes (series + donate): heroicepisodes.org/donate

About Lisa Regina

• NYU-trained actor/screenwriter; former faculty at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
• Founder of A Write to Heal (writing as a pathway to recovery)
• Creator of Heroic Episodes, an ensemble drama that employs veterans and mentors at-risk teens

About the Host
VinnyRoc Podcast—real conversations with veterans, creators, first responders, and leaders building things that matter.

Timestamps

00:00 — Opening: Lisa's story and speaking publicly about domestic violence
01:18 — How we likely first met (Range 15 era) and the Hollywood dominoes
04:59 — Lisa's path to film: NYU, coaching, and early breaks
07:02 — The veteran connection begins: Capt. Leslie Nicole Smith enters the class
09:50 — Set life with veterans: camaraderie, competence, and healing
12:31 — The assault: April 2, 2005—what happened and what followed
15:47 — Aftermath, shock, the stranger who stayed, and the long week missing
21:28 — PTSD common ground: civilian survivor meets combat vets
24:42 — A Write to Heal: why writing works when nothing else does
30:05 — "Heroic Episodes": premise, Joe Mantegna, and employing veterans
42:17 — The five-dollar campaign, VFWs/Legions, and sustaining the mission

In this episode of the VinnyRoc Podcast, Vinny sits down with friend and author Zeke Stout to unpack a heavy week in America, the way media narratives get weaponized, and what it takes to keep your head and heart steady when the internet won't let you look away. Zeke also unveils his new fiction novel "Exit to Now", why he self-published, and how he used AI in the writing process.

They dig into:

• The aftermath and discourse around the Charlie Kirk assassination and why celebrating violence is a societal dead end
• How both political sides exploit social media, attention, and emotion—and what "psyops" looks like in civilian life
• Raising kids with room to choose their own beliefs, while modeling civil disagreement
• Simple ways to protect your mental health when the feed turns toxic
• The creative grind, self-publishing on Amazon, and making art under pressure
• MGS Trade School's distance-learning approach to gunsmithing and GI Bill support

If you value real talk over outrage and want practical ways to decompress, think clearly, and contribute better, this one's for you.

Guest: Zeke Stout — author of Exit to Now
Sponsor: MGS Trade School (MGS.edu) — distance gunsmithing education, GI Bill approved

Subscribe for more conversations on culture, mindset, resilience, faith, and free speech. Drop a comment with your takeaways or questions for a follow-up episode.

On this episode of the VinnyRoc Podcast, Vincent Vargas sits down with John Ramsey, Senior R&D Manager at Diversified Botanics, to dive into a powerful conversation about natural medicine, CBD, kratom, and the dangers of 7-hydroxy mitragynine (7-OH).

John, a veteran and former Army medic, shares his journey from the military to the hemp and CBD industry, explaining how natural remedies like CBD and kratom helped him avoid the destructive cycle of pharmaceutical painkillers. Together, Vince and John explore:

• The truth about CBD isolate and why it became a breakthrough in non-psychoactive relief.
• How the endocannabinoid system works and why our bodies are designed to receive cannabinoids.
• What kratom really is, its traditional uses, and how it differs from synthetic and dangerous 7-hydroxy extracts.
• The opioid epidemic in the military and how kratom may help support recovery.
• Why Diversified Botanics is fighting to eliminate 7-OH and create safe, transparent, third-party tested products.

This episode is about cutting through the noise, misinformation, and stigma to give you a clearer picture of CBD, kratom, and the fight to keep natural remedies safe.

If you want to support the petition to regulate and restrict 7-hydroxy, check the link here: https://www.change.org/p/protect-our-heroes-stop-the-deception-destroying-lives