Episode 244

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Published on:

16th Oct 2025

Be the Weight Behind the Spear: Dr. Josh McConkie on Leadership, Mental Health, and Service

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Josh McConkie — emergency physician, Air Force Reserve commander, Pulitzer Prize nominee, and 2025 Telly Award winner — shares how two decades of service in medicine and the military shaped his mission to change how we think about leadership, resilience, and mental health.


From leading lifesaving missions in war zones to founding the Weight Behind the Spear Foundation, Dr. McConkie’s story is one of purpose, sacrifice, and action. We discuss the mental health crisis in America, the critical need for pre-trauma training for soldiers, how social media and parenting are shaping a generation, and why community engagement — not government — is the key to solving our biggest problems.


We also explore his deeply personal journey: turning down a multimillion-dollar bribe, overcoming betrayal and loss, and using his lottery winnings to give back. This episode is a must-watch for veterans, first responders, parents, leaders, and anyone who believes in building a stronger, more resilient future.


📘 Order Dr. McConkie’s Book: https://weightbehindthespear.com


💡 Support the Foundation: https://weightbehindthespear.com/foundation

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About the Podcast

Spirits and Stories With Donald Dunn
Exploring meaning, faith, and the unseen through honest conversations shaped by lived experience and reflection.
Spirits and Stories with Donald Dunn is a storytelling podcast centered on real life conversations with people shaped by experience, curiosity, and the search for meaning.

Each episode explores the human side of belief, identity, resilience, and personal transformation through honest, unfiltered conversations. Rather than offering easy answers, the show creates space for reflection, curiosity, and deeper understanding of the stories that shape how we live.

Spirits and Stories is for listeners drawn to thoughtful storytelling, meaningful conversations, and exploring life at the edge of the seen and unseen.

About your host

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Donald Dunn