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Warriorside

@thewarriorside

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Warriorside: Veterans Connecting with Community Through the Power of Storytelling

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Warriorside to Host 3rd Annual Year-End Storytelling Ceremony and Fundraiser at UCSD Park & Market on
December 5th, 2026. Veterans take the stage for an unforgettable celebration of conscious storytelling, connection and community in downtown San Diego...

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - December 5, 2026

Warriorside, a veteran-founded 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans and first responders reconnect with themselves, their families and their communities through conscious storytelling, will host its 3rd Annual Year-End Storytelling Ceremony and Fundraiser on Saturday, December 5th, at UC San Diego Park & Market, 1100 Market St, San Diego, in downtown San Diego.

The evening will feature six Warriorside Storytellers, graduates of the Warriorside Storytelling Training cohorts, sharing deeply personal stories of transformation, crafted and developed through the organization's intensive conscious storytelling training. Rather than teaching performative public speaking, Warriorside helps participants explore their lived experiences and develop the communication skills, confidence and empowered vulnerability necessary to reframe limiting personal narratives for growth and empowerment, ultimately sharing those experiences authentically and meaningfully.

Founded by retired Navy SEAL Diego Ugalde, Warriorside is built around this simple principle:
Connection is the Medicine. Its programs address the isolation and loss of connection and
purpose that can affect veterans and their families preceding, during and after their years of
service, creating opportunities for participants to reconnect through storytelling, community and
the experience of being genuinely heard.

#storytelling #VeteranStories #sandiego #parkandmarket #connectionisthemedicine by @thewarriorside

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9 days ago

Warriorside to Host 3rd Annual Year-End Storytelling Ceremony and Fundraiser at UCSD Park & Market on
December 5th, 2026. Veterans take the stage for an unforgettable celebration of conscious storytelling, connection and community in downtown San Diego...

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - December 5, 2026

Warriorside, a veteran-founded 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans and first responders reconnect with themselves, their families and their communities through conscious storytelling, will host its 3rd Annual Year-End Storytelling Ceremony and Fundraiser on Saturday, December 5th, at UC San Diego Park & Market, 1100 Market St, San Diego, in downtown San Diego.

The evening will feature six Warriorside Storytellers, graduates of the Warriorside Storytelling Training cohorts, sharing deeply personal stories of transformation, crafted and developed through the organization's intensive conscious storytelling training. Rather than teaching performative public speaking, Warriorside helps participants explore their lived experiences and develop the communication skills, confidence and empowered vulnerability necessary to reframe limiting personal narratives for growth and empowerment, ultimately sharing those experiences authentically and meaningfully.

Founded by retired Navy SEAL Diego Ugalde, Warriorside is built around this simple principle:
Connection is the Medicine. Its programs address the isolation and loss of connection and
purpose that can affect veterans and their families preceding, during and after their years of
service, creating opportunities for participants to reconnect through storytelling, community and
the experience of being genuinely heard.

#storytelling #VeteranStories #sandiego #parkandmarket #connectionisthemedicine by @thewarriorside

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14 days ago

Warriorside to Host 3rd Annual Year-End Storytelling Ceremony and Fundraiser at UCSD Park & Market on
December 5th, 2026. Veterans take the stage for an unforgettable celebration of conscious storytelling, connection and community in downtown San Diego...

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - December 5, 2026

Warriorside, a veteran-founded 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans and first responders reconnect with themselves, their families and their communities through conscious storytelling, will host its 3rd Annual Year-End Storytelling Ceremony and Fundraiser on Saturday, December 5th, at UC San Diego Park & Market, 1100 Market St, San Diego, in downtown San Diego.

The evening will feature six Warriorside Storytellers, graduates of the Warriorside Storytelling Training cohorts, sharing deeply personal stories of transformation, crafted and developed through the organization's intensive conscious storytelling training. Rather than teaching performative public speaking, Warriorside helps participants explore their lived experiences and develop the communication skills, confidence and empowered vulnerability necessary to reframe limiting personal narratives for growth and empowerment, ultimately sharing those experiences authentically and meaningfully.

Founded by retired Navy SEAL Diego Ugalde, Warriorside is built around this simple principle:
Connection is the Medicine. Its programs address the isolation and loss of connection and
purpose that can affect veterans and their families preceding, during and after their years of
service, creating opportunities for participants to reconnect through storytelling, community and
the experience of being genuinely heard.

#storytelling #VeteranStories #sandiego #parkandmarket #connectionisthemedicine by @thewarriorside

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19 days ago

TICKETS & DONATIONS HERE: https://givebutter.com/warriorsidegala2026

Warriorside Live. Saturday, December 5th, 2026, 6:30 p.m. at UCSD Park & Market.

This is not a show. This is not a performance. This is a celebration of the path of life itself, as told by the ones who have walked through the fire. Join Warriorside for an evening of deep presence, sacred truth, and community, as elite veterans take to the stage to share their raw, unvarnished experiences of raw vulnerability and personal transformation.

Connection, is the medicine.

#veterans #veteranstories #consciousstorytelling #connectionisthemedicine #community by @thewarriorside

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25 days ago

Re-Membering With the Unbroken Self: Transforming Life’s Toughest Battles Into Meaningful Growth
Join @thetridentapproach and @thewarriorside for real stories of healing, awareness, and the resilience that emerges through trauma.
The heart of this event is an interactive discussion following the storytelling container—an opportunity to challenge old narratives, ask hard questions, and gain a deeper awareness of self. Bring your questions, your pushbacks, and your curiosity.
Event Details:
📅 Date: Saturday, August 8, 2026
⏰ Time: 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
📍 Location: VFW Post 5431 | 411 N Highway 101, Solana Beach, CA
🔥Storyteller & Facilitator: Diego Ugalde, Retired Navy SEAL turned Psychedelic Integration & Conscious Storytelling Coach ❤️‍🔥Connection is the medicine. Come as you are and connect with us. by @thewarriorside

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3 months ago

This weekend’s shipments told a story - best sellers being ordered, custom gear made for someone’s specific mission, and a collab with @thewarriorside

Also snuck in a peek at some new hoodie designs 👀 since we’re already dreaming about cooler weather.

Every piece that goes out the door isn’t just apparel. It’s a conversation starter. It’s someone choosing to wear their story instead of hide it. It’s one more person becoming part of this community.

🔗 Shop the drop — www.mentaljoe.com
Free Shipping over $75

#MentalJoe #WearYourStory #collabovercompetition #VeteranOwned #BeTheBridge by @thewarriorside

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3 months ago

WE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE DEBUT OF THE WARRIORSIDE PODCAST!

We are thrilled and incredibly proud to announce the official premiere of Season One of the Warriorside Podcast this Wednesday, June 10th, 2026. For the past year, we’ve collected and produced the conversations that make up each episode, capturing the deep truth of our mission. We are profoundly grateful to our remarkable lineup of brave guests who stepped up to share their rawest, most vulnerable moments with the world to help end the crisis of disconnection. This podcast is a labor of love dedicated to our veteran and first responder communities, and we cannot wait for you to experience these life-changing conversations.

Here are the titles and guests for the eight episodes that make up Season One:

EP.1 Warriorside: Healing the Disconnection in the Veteran & First Responder Community with Diego Ugalde and Noah Galloway

EP.2 Why First Responders Struggle to Ask for Help with Rob Poynter

EP.3 Why Your Greatest Failure is Your Biggest Strength - The Science of Connection with John K. Bates

EP.4 The Villain Within - Transforming Vulnerability Into a New Mission with Rob Newson

EP.5 Redefining Vulnerability, Mentorship, and Healing Outside the Rig with Tim Houweling

EP.6 The Speed of Sound, the War on Mental Health, and Original Medicine with Kegan Gill

EP.7 The Armor of Afghanistan, Plywood Chalk Maps, and the Medicine of the Desert with Sam Juan

EP.8 Sweeping Blood Under the Rug, the 4x4x48 Challenge, and the Cost of Numbness with Michael Giardina

As is the typical call to action for podcasts, please give us a review wherever you listen to podcasts, like and subscribe to the channel on YouTube, and share with someone you think may benefitting from hearing/watching the show. Thank you! by @thewarriorside

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4 months ago

Today at noon PT! Conscious Leadership: Alignment, Responsibility, & the Real Work of Leading. A joint webinar between Sagatica's Eric Kaufmann, and The Trident Approach's Diego Ugalde. Join us to explore the concept of "conscious leadership" and how you may empower yourself and your efforts to become a more dynamic and effecitve leader! Register here: https://www.linkedin.com/events/consciousleadership-alignment-r7445843265544749056/ by @thewarriorside

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6 months ago

🔥 Announcing the 2026 Conscious Storytelling Training Schedule!

Most of us are living in a War Cloud of our own narratives held back by #fear, #shame, and the constant #avoidance of the thinking mind. Warriorside 501(c)(3) and @thetridentapproach exist to bring awareness to these states and go deeper to connect with who we are beyond the War Cloud.

❤️‍🔥 Our 2026 training season is officially open. These are immersive, in-person experiences designed to help you reclaim your Narrative Sovereignty.

The 2026 Schedule:

📍 April 10-12: San Diego, CA (VFW Post 5431, Solana Beach)
📍 June 26-28: Newport Beach, CA
📍 Sept 25-27: Santa Barbara, CA
📍 Nov 6-8: Los Angeles, CA

The Process:
The training doesn't end when the weekend is over. Following the workshop, our sessions go virtual where we meet weekly (group and individual sessions) to refine your architecture. One month later, we reconvene for your Graduation: a live stage event where you share your authentic, crafted story.
This is the Medicine and it is how we connect more deeply to the Self and the Community.

In all, you can expect to get 30 hours of conscious awareness and storytelling coaching from Diego Ugalde and @johnkbates.

How to Join the Mission:
🇺🇸 #Veterans & #FirstResponders:
Reach out through the Warriorside link in the bio to get slotted for training.

💫 Leaders, Entrepreneurs & Civilians:
If you want to master the art of #storytelling and #leadership through our #coaching approach, reach out via The Trident Approach link below. Your enrollment directly funds this opportunity for the veterans and first responders who serve our nation.

🫶 Help support our mission in serving our veteran and first responder community by sponsoring a show or donating funds through Warriorside's donation link in the bio.

🗺️ Need us to come to your city? Comment below or DM me directly. We are built to travel. 🛩️

We are more connected than we realize. Come through our training or come see our stories live and I'll PROVE IT TO YOU ❣️ by @thewarriorside

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8 months ago

Today is Giving Tuesday and with your help we will reach our goal of $150,000! Donate today and all month long, at Warriorside.org Together, we are making it possible to take this work to our veteran and first responder communities where they need it most. Thank you! @johnkbates @thetridentapproach #soldier #healing #storytelling by @thewarriorside

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a year ago

Navy veteran and health educator Michael Giardina shares how the Warriorside process helped him connect the fragmented pieces of his past, find meaning in the present, and gain a deeper appreciation for who he is today.

#Warriorside #ConnectionIsTheMedicine #MichaelGiardina #VeteranHealing #StorytellingForHealing #PsychedelicHealing #HealingThroughStory #VeteranVoices #MentalWellness #IntegrationWork #AuthenticConnection #HealingJourney #MilitaryToMindfulness #WarriorWisdom #SelfAwareness #HealingCommunity by @thewarriorside

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a year ago

“We can’t do this alone.” Founder and Executive Director Diego Ugalde shares how Warriorside depends on community support to continue its mission of helping veterans and first responders reconnect with themselves and each other through the power of storytelling. Whether by sponsoring a participant, donating a space, or contributing travel miles, your support helps change lives—one story at a time.

#Warriorside #ConnectionIsTheMedicine #DiegoUgalde #VeteranHealing #FirstResponderSupport #StorytellingForHealing #VeteranVoices #HealingThroughConnection #CommunitySupport #NonprofitMission #GiveBack #HealingThroughStory #MilitaryMentalHealth #TransformationThroughStory #SupportOurVeterans #WarriorWisdom by @thewarriorside

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a year ago