Guns, Mental Health & Finding Common Ground | Mike Sodini

What happens when someone from the firearm industry decides that reducing gun-related deaths requires talking with people on the other side—not fighting them?In Episode 71 of Love, Growth & Narratives, Tiffany and Fredrick sit down with Mike Sodini, founder and CEO of Walk the Talk America (WTTA), a national nonprofit working at the intersection of mental health and responsible firearm ownership.Mike shares how his career in the firearm industry eventually led him to create WTTA and its Guns & Mental Health podcast. The organization works to bridge a divide that often seems impossible to cross—bringing gun owners, mental health professionals, researchers, and others into conversations centered on preventing suicide and reducing negative outcomes involving firearms.But this conversation goes beyond guns and mental health.Mike explains why he refuses to view people in the gun-control community as enemies. Despite major disagreements over policy, he has found that people on opposing sides often begin with the same goal: fewer people dying and fewer families experiencing tragedy. WTTA's approach is built around creating the trust and shared language necessary for those conversations to happen.We also discuss Kids to Kings, Mike's initiative bringing firearm training, mentorship, discipline, and positive role models to young people in Atlanta.It’s a conversation about firearms—but even more, it’s about what becomes possible when we stop assuming bad intentions, find the goals we share, and actually talk to one another.Learn more about Walk the Talk America.#LoveGrowthAndNarratives #MikeSodini #WalkTheTalkAmerica #GunsAndMentalHealth #MentalHealth #GunOwners #GunSafety #SuicidePrevention #ResponsibleGunOwnership #CommonGround #GoodFaith #KidsToKings #GunCulture #MentalHealthAwareness #Podcast