(NOTE regarding this episode: Ben and I both live in semi-remote areas with not the best internet connectivity, and this shows here-and-there in this episode with some audio-oddities. I am very sorry about that, but nevertheless, listeners can contextually understand Ben's points when the hiccup periodically occurs.)

Dr. Ben Mattingly along with his wife, Jennifer Mattingly, PA-C, founded and own Wild Med Adventures. He is also the Founder and former Director of the Wilderness Medicine Fellowship Program at Baystate Medical Center, and former Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Department of Emergency Medicine.

Ben has a passion for the wilderness and has traveled throughout the world, including a year working in a small ER in New Zealand. With his father he's summited Mt. Ranier, Denali, and Vinson Massif in Antarctica. In 2023, he summited Everest, and completed his goal of tackling the Seven Summits.

He has taught wilderness medicine while climbing the highest mountain in Mexico, and in Guatemala, he summited the highest peak in Central America. In addition to mountaineering, Ben rock climbs, scuba dives, backpacks, and is a triathlete, skier, and off-road and extreme sports enthusiast.

He served as the Team Doctor for an American Hockey League team, and has been active in wilderness medicine and medical education throughout his career. Ben was twice awarded the Outstanding Teacher of the Year by his emergency medicine residents, and he has taught wilderness medicine in over 10 countries.

Boy, talk about living your life in full, Ben is the poster boy for doing so, and in service of others. We started things off with his origin story, what drew him to medicine, to specialize in emergency medicine, and then subspecialize in wilderness medicine. Don't miss this inspiring and engaging conversation with one of the greats.

#wildernessmedicine #emergencymedicine #medicaleducation #entrepreneurship #mountaineering #adventuretravel #alpinism

Bribe, Inc., a documentary film exposing a significant bribery scandal within the global oil industry, focusing on the Unaoil company and the Ahsani family. It highlights the collaborative efforts of an anonymous whistleblower, investigative reporter Nick McKenzie, prosecutor Tom Martin, and anti-corruption activist Alexandra Wrage to reveal the extent of the crimes. The film positions bribery not as a victimless offense but as a harmful practice with far-reaching consequences, emphasizing its connection to other illicit activities and its detrimental impact on democracy.

This film is a real-life political thriller that exposes one of the largest corporate bribery scandals in modern history. Told through the lens of whistleblowers, investigators and journalists, the film uncovers a trillion-dollar corruption network stretching from oil fields in Iraq to boardrooms in Monaco—and all the way to the halls of power in Washington. Directed by Emmy Award-winner Peter Klein and co-produced by investigative journalist Calyn Shaw, Bribe, Inc. reveals how corporations, politicians and regulators conspire to protect a global system built on secrecy and profit. Described by The Guardian as "cloak-and-dagger," and praised by Variety for its "explosive" revelations, the film challenges audiences to follow the money—and confront the cost of complicity. As global enforcement of anti-bribery laws weakens and trust in institutions collapses, Bribe, Inc. emerges as a cinematic gut-punch—an urgent demand for accountability in a world where corruption is routine. It's an incredible story (and backstory).

As one third of the legendary rap group Run-DMC, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels—aka Legendary MC, The Devastating Mic Controller, and the King of Rock—had it all: talent, money, fame, prestige. While hitting #1 on the Billboard charts was exhilarating, the group's success soon became overwhelming. A creative who enjoyed being at home alone or with his family, DMC turned to alcohol to numb himself, a retreat that became an addiction. For years, he went through the motions. But when intoxication could no longer keep the pain at bay, he plunged into severe depression and became suicidal. He wasn't alone. During the same period, suicide became the number three leading cause of death among black people—a health crisis that continues to this day.

In this episode, we explore the challenges and subsequent psychological growth, resilience, and the deeper human story behind Darryl McDaniels' public persona. We explore themes of identity, mental health, family, creativity, and personal transformation - all central to his life story and his evolution as an artist, advocate, humanitarian and community leader, and he is an inspiration to help us all to live our life in full.