Those who know me understand that I haven't had the smoothest ride. Those who really know me understand that a lot of things happened beyond my control at a young age—things that shaped me, influenced my choices, and played a part in many of the struggles I carried into adulthood.

For a long time, I thought strength meant keeping it together. Keeping my head down. Pushing through. I didn't yet understand the beauty of impermanence, the peace that comes with acceptance, or the power of forgiveness. I didn't understand that sometimes the strongest thing a person can say is, “I'm not okay.”

To some, I may look like a big burly fella who is tougher than nails. I served 8 years in the Marine Corps. I work a blue collar job. I've worked hard, fought hard, and spent a good portion of my life believing I was supposed to be tough enough to handle everything on my own. But somewhere along the way, I learned that being strong doesn't mean you don't hurt. It means you're willing to be honest about the pain.

There is strength in crying on someone's shoulder. There is courage in asking for help. There is humility in admitting you don't have all the answers. And there is something incredibly human about simply saying, I’m struggling.

I've made great strides, but I still struggle. I still have hard days. We all do.

That's a big part of what I hope to share through my music. I'm an advocate for men's mental health, but more than that, I'm an advocate for people being honest about what they're carrying. I want my music to be a place where you don't have to pretend. Where the hard stuff can be spoken about. Where vulnerability isn't weakness and authenticity matters more than appearances.

If you've ever felt alone in your struggles, I want you to know something:

You are not alone.

Even the men who look the strongest feel deeply. Even the people who seem to have it all together have their battles. We all carry things. We all break. We all heal.

I'm not here because I've figured it all out.

I'm here because I'm still figuring it out too.