The Determined Society with Shawn French | Adversity & Mindset

In this powerful episode of The Determined Society, Shawn French sits down with Ulysses “Uly Monster” Diaz, professional fighter, bare-knuckle boxer, father, husband, and one of the fastest knockout artists in combat sports history. Uli opens up about growing up in Miami, life in the streets, prison, faith, fatherhood, and the moment he knew he had to stop repeating the same cycle

 At 35, he walked into a boxing gym, found accountability, and began building a new life through discipline, consistency, and combat sports. This conversation goes far beyond fighting. Together, we dive into:

• Growing up in Miami with no male role models

• Learning to fight at six years old

• Street life, prison, and the consequences of bad choices

• Touring with Pitbull and still trying to find his path

• The moment he asked God to pull him out

• Starting his fight career at 35

• The discipline and accountability of the boxing gym

• One of the fastest knockouts in combat sports history

• Fatherhood, marriage, faith, and family

• His son’s cancer battle and what it taught him

• Why consistency is the key to changing your life

• Letting go of people who cannot grow with you

 

This episode is about redemption, faith, fatherhood, consequences, discipline, and the determination to stop repeating the past and become the man your family needs you to be. Watch the full episode now on The Determined Society

 #thedeterminedsociety #shawnfrench #ulyssesdiaz #ulymonster #bareknuckleboxing #bkfc #boxing #combatsports #fightermindset #faith #fatherhood #redemption #resilience #comebackstory #inspiration

Connect with Ulysses Diaz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uly_monster/

X: https://x.com/Uly_MONSTER

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Ulysses-Diaz-100063488343637/

 

Connect with Shawn

https://link.me/shawnmf32

Subscribe to our newsletter for all updates and heavy doses of DETERMINATION: https://thedeterminedsociety.com

Subscribe on Apple/Spotify:

Apple- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/determined-society-with-shawn-french-adversity-mindset/id1555922064

Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/5kS9tkLGQLcVyRgB3mDznw?si=184c18d1b9d44f53

The Determined Society is hosted by Shawn French — a show for people who refuse to quit. Every episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the real stories behind resilience, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of a life built on your own terms.
Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all others.. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and leave a review. It helps more than you know.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Adversity and loss can destroy families—or forge them. Susan Malzoni shares how protecting her peace, preserving family energy, and building intentional wellness habits became her path to honoring her son and late husband Victor. In this raw conversation, discover the discipline, boundaries, and purpose-driven mindset that transformed grief into a blueprint for lasting resilience and connection.

This conversation explores what it means to speak kindly to yourself, move through fear, protect your energy, and choose purpose even in life’s hardest seasons.

In this episode, we dive into:

• Protecting your energy and keeping your circle aligned

• Why connection at home matters

• Women, insecurity, confidence, and support

• Men’s mental health and emotional expression

• Health, wellness, supplements, and biohacking culture

• Speaking kindly to your body and practicing gratitude

• The difference between motivation and determination

• Taking fear out of decision-making

• Grief, resilience, and moving forward after loss

• Honoring Victor’s legacy through dogs and rescue work

• Relationships, shared passions, and creating a meaningful life

This episode is a powerful reminder that healing does not always mean hiding from pain. Sometimes it means choosing purpose, protecting your peace, loving what still remains, and finding the positive even in life’s hardest moments.

Connect with Susan Malzoni 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanmalzoni/ 

Connect with Shawn 

https://link.me/shawnmf32 

Subscribe to our newsletter for all updates and heavy doses of DETERMINATION: 

https://thedeterminedsociety.com 

Subscribe on Apple/Spotify: 

Apple- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/determined-society-with-shawn-french-adversity-mindset/id1555922064 

Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/5kS9tkLGQLcVyRgB3mDznw?si=184c18d1b9d44f53

The Determined Society is hosted by Shawn French — a show for people who refuse to quit. Every episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the real stories behind resilience, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of a life built on your own terms.
Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all others.. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and leave a review. It helps more than you know.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Eric Spofford survived five overdoses and rebuilt his entire life through discipline and spiritual growth. In this raw conversation, he reveals the moment of surrender that led to sobriety on December 7, 2006—and how the habits forged in recovery became the competitive edge that built and sold a $115 million enterprise. A masterclass in overcoming obstacles, breaking limiting beliefs, and turning adversity into actionable discipline.

In this episode, we dive into:

Eric's fifth overdose and the reality of late-stage addiction

Getting sober on December 7, 2006

What surrender really meant for him

The difference between abstinence and true recovery

Losing friends to the opioid epidemic

Building sober houses and treatment centers

Scaling a recovery business to a $115M exit

Learning business through relentless self-education

The loneliness that comes with success

Why money and material things do not create fulfillment

Fatherhood, character, loyalty, and human connection

This is a raw conversation about addiction, recovery, loss, leadership, success, money, loneliness, and the determination to rebuild a life that once felt impossible to save.

Connect with Eric Spofford

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericspofford/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjv2eT-tACaCYO18wSllyNg

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-spofford-grc

Connect with Shawn: https://link.me/shawnmf32

Newsletter + more: https://thedeterminedsociety.com

Follow The Determined Society

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/determined-society-with-shawn-french-adversity-mindset/id1555922064

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5kS9tkLGQLcVyRgB3mDznw?si=184c18d1b9d44f53

The Determined Society is hosted by Shawn French — a show for people who refuse to quit. Every episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the real stories behind resilience, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of a life built on your own terms.
Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all others.. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and leave a review. It helps more than you know.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Karlton Dennis, CEO of Tax Alchemy and former athlete turned tax strategist, reveals the discipline and identity shift required to build lasting wealth. In this conversation, Shawn French and Karlton explore the mental toughness that helped him transition from sports to entrepreneurship, the tax strategies high-earners use to keep more of what they make, and how breaking norms around money shapes your financial legacy. A powerful conversation on discipline, overcoming obstacles, and the authentic conversations that change lives.

Connect with Shawn:

 https://link.me/shawnmf32 

Subscribe to our newsletter for all updates and heavy doses of DETERMINATION: https://thedeterminedsociety.com 

Subscribe on Apple/Spotify:

Apple- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/determined-society-with-shawn-french-adversity-mindset/id1555922064 

Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/5kS9tkLGQLcVyRgB3mDznw?si=498fc35ecc814a9e

The Determined Society is hosted by Shawn French — a show for people who refuse to quit. Every episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the real stories behind resilience, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of a life built on your own terms.
Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all others.. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and leave a review. It helps more than you know.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On The Determined Society, authentic conversations and hard questions separate growth from stagnation. Ben Swann—journalist, truth-seeker, and cultural disruptor—sits down with Shawn French to explore why asking difficult questions takes real discipline, how breaking norms demands determination, and what happens when you refuse to accept surface-level answers. Discover the mental strength it takes to challenge the status quo and the resilience required to stand by your convictions. Perfect for anyone tired of shallow discourse and ready to dig deeper.

The Determined Society is hosted by Shawn French — a show for people who refuse to quit. Every episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the real stories behind resilience, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of a life built on your own terms.
Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all others.. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and leave a review. It helps more than you know.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.