Part 1: Fabian Schmidt: From Europe to California Cowboys, Addiction, and the Fentanyl-Laced Drug Economy

In the inaugural episode of the Gut and Grit Podcast, host Dr. Chris Dainiak interviews Fabian Schmidt about growing up in Germany, England, Denmark, and time spent in South Africa before moving to California in 2007 due to his stepdad’s tech work. Fabian describes feeling uprooted, rebelling, and moving out at 17, when a cowboy named Travis took him in to work on a horse property, where he embraced Western values but drank heavily; later, Tony and Theresa offered stability. He became a union journeyman electrician by 23, then recounts first encountering cocaine in a nightclub and explains its effects, how alcohol can become a social crutch, and why modern cocaine is especially dangerous due to fentanyl lacing. He frames drug dealing as an intentional business driven by profit and return addiction, references overdose deaths, and introduces a later immigration detention ordeal involving ICE and fears of deportation away from his American family. 00:00 Breaking Down in the Truck01:59 Meet Fabian Schmidt02:54 Growing Up in Germany04:42 Divorce and Move to England08:05 Denmark and South Africa Detour12:33 Sharks and Culture Shock15:25 Move to Silicon Valley18:25 Housing Bubble and Hard Times19:54 Rebelling and Leaving Home29:25 Cowboy Mentors and Union Path33:45 Whiskey Mornings and Lessons36:49 Cowboy Drinking Culture38:55 Addiction vs Dependence42:20 Alcohol Risks and Myths46:33 Social Crutch of Drinking51:08 First Cocaine Encounter55:55 Cocaine High Explained01:02:34 Cocaine Dangers Today01:07:15 Fentanyl Lacing Business01:17:46 Drug Trade and Prison Reality01:21:00 Root Causes and Immigration Cliffhanger More information about Fabian’s story: https://www.themarshallproject.org/records/19113-fabian-schmidt https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2025/06/17/he-thought-a-decade-old-misdemeanor-was-behind-him-then-he-took-a-vacation-in-europe/