This week, we’re sharing a story that hit us right in the heart. Our guest, Joe McQueen, has lived through things most people only read about—and he’s turned every scar into a lesson in empathy, resilience, and purpose.
📅 This episode drops Tuesday, 10/14/25 at 3 AM ET - Joe’s Mental Health Reckoning: Trauma, Anxiety & Recovery
From military discipline to emotional recovery, from sleeping in his truck at 16 to helping kids break cycles of pain—Joe’s story isn’t just redemption. It’s proof that change doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s always possible.
💬 Mental Health Quote of the Week
“I promise you, it gets better. There are good people out there, and you will cross paths with them.” — Joe McQueen
🚗 What’s Up with G-Rex & Dirty Skittles
🌟 Finding Joy in the Journey Last week was a whirlwind for us. I (G-Rex) handed out 100 swag bags, made 100 new connections, and walked over 24 miles (which, for my short legs, feels like double that). The conference left me physically tired but emotionally full. Then on Saturday, Dirty Skittles and I had a full recording day—some of the most amazing guests we’ve ever had, whose stories you’ll hear in a few weeks. By Sunday, we were running on fumes, but I found my recharge driving up to Alexandria Bay to catch the fall colors. Sometimes the best medicine is just awe. 🍁
Meanwhile, Dirty Skittles is still living her best Georgia life, and though we didn’t connect much during the week, when we did, it was full of laughter—the kind that heals you from the inside out. Laughter really is therapy, even when it’s irreverent.
💌 Your Turn How are you setting your intentions to find joy each day?
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🔥 Special Shout-Out: Women Supporting Women
Light Your Story, Fuel Your Fire
Meet Amy Nubson of Nufire Collective—where brand clarity meets soul strategy. Her “Rebrand You” framework helps folks unlock their voice and own their worth. 🔗 Learn More: https://nufirecollective.com/
Why it matters: Reflection helps turn insight into action
🎧 Episode Spotlight:
There are some stories that stay with us long after the mics are off—and Joe McQueen’s is one of them. From the moment he started talking, we could feel the weight of his honesty. Joe grew up surrounded by fear and chaos, a single mom, an abusive stepfather, and a world that told him he wasn’t going to make it. By 16, he was kicked out and sleeping in his truck. By 17, he was standing before a judge who told him to either go to prison or join the military. He chose the Navy. And that choice changed everything.
When Joe talks about his past, he doesn’t glamorize it or minimize it. He calls it what it was—survival. He shares how the military gave him structure, purpose, and distance from pain, but it was in education where he found meaning. After years of working with youth in detention centers and therapeutic schools, Joe realized something that changed his life again: kids don’t need discipline first—they need connection.
In this episode, we dive deep into that philosophy. Joe explains why he refuses to hide in his office as a principal—why he spends his days in classrooms, hallways, and gyms, showing up as a real human being. He tells stories about kids who spit, yell, or fight—but what he sees underneath is hurt, fear, and survival instinct. His approach? “Talk before you punish. Connect before you correct.”
We also talk about his book, Calming Young Minds, and how it started as a handful of training slides that grew into a movement. Joe’s work blends humor, humility, and hard truths. He’s not afraid to call out systems that fail kids—or adults who think “tough love” means cruelty. His message is that empathy isn’t weakness; it’s wisdom. And damn, we felt that.
If you’ve ever been labeled a “lost cause” or if you’ve ever worked with kids who were written off—this episode will move you. Joe is living proof that healing is messy, powerful, and possible.
🧩 From the Conversation
💬 The heartbeat of this episode Joe’s story reminds us that healing isn’t about erasing the past—it’s about using it to build something better. From surviving abuse and military life to mentoring the next generation, his message is simple: kids don’t need perfection; they need connection.
🫂 A quote that stuck with us “It’s never about you—it’s about the people you’re with. Sometimes, they don’t need you to fix it. They just need you to listen.” — Joe McQueen
🎙️ Real Talk from Us “When Joe said his students remind him of who he used to be, that hit home. You can feel his heart in every story.” – G-Rex
“Joe’s honesty about his past is what makes him so powerful in the present. He proves it’s never too late to become the person you needed.” – Dirty Skittles
📓 Reflection Prompts to Sit With • What part of your past have you been judging instead of learning from? • Who in your life could use less advice and more listening? • What does ‘better’ look like for you right now?
🌱 Gentle Reminder You’re allowed to outgrow your old story. Healing doesn’t mean forgetting—it means forgiving yourself for surviving.
🎙️ Meet Our Guest — Joe McQueen
Joe McQueen is one of those rare souls who carries both fire and gentleness in equal measure. With more than two decades in education and mental health, Joe has made it his mission to reach the kids the system too often gives up on. He’s the founder of Therapeutic Perspectives LLC, where he trains educators across the country on trauma-informed de-escalation and restorative practices that actually work.
Joe’s book, Calming Young Minds, is part memoir, part field guide, and part love letter to the “bad kids” who are really just hurting. He teaches that behavior is communication, that every outburst hides a story, and that connection, not control, is what changes lives. What makes Joe’s work so powerful is that it’s personal. He’s lived what he teaches.
In our conversation, he opens up about being told he’d never amount to anything, about teachers who called him “white trash,” and about the coaches who saved him by simply showing up. He talks about the adults who saw his anger and met it with compassion instead of punishment—and how that taught him to be that kind of adult for others. He also shares how he manages his own mental health now: exercise, humor, therapy, and the occasional seltzer beer. Because sometimes, self-care just looks like balance.
Joe is the kind of guest who leaves you thinking, feeling, and wanting to do better. Not in a “self-help” way, but in a human way.
• Trauma can become your teacher if you let it. • Connection matters more than correction. • Healing takes honesty—and humor. • Kids act out what they can’t articulate. • Compassion is leadership.
✅ Actionable Takeaways
• Ask someone you love, “What do you need from me right now?” • Set one boundary that protects your peace this week. • Take a five-minute joy break—go outside, stretch, or breathe. • Listen more, fix less. • Remember: it gets better. Always.
🙌 Listener Engagement
What part of Joe’s story hit you hardest? Reply to this email or tag us on Instagram @grex_and_dirtyskittles—we’d love to hear your reflections.
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Joe’s story reminded us exactly why we started this podcast, to hold space for real conversations that remind us we’re all doing the best we can with what we’ve got. His journey from chaos to compassion cracked something open in both of us. It reminded us that the moments that nearly break us are often the same ones that build us.
As we wrapped the recording, we couldn’t stop thinking about the 17-year-old version of Joe who thought he wouldn’t make it to 30—and the man he’s become now: an educator, a mentor, a husband, a dad, a living example that it truly does get better. That contrast? It’s what hope looks like in real time.
If you’ve ever felt like your story was too messy, too painful, or too far gone, we hope Joe’s words remind you that your story still matters. You are not too late, too broken, or too far behind to start over. There’s no expiration date on healing.
Every time we sit across from guests like Joe, we’re reminded that we all have a choice, to keep running from our pain or to finally sit with it and let it teach us something. Joe chose to sit with his, and in doing so, he’s helping thousands of others heal too.
So, wherever you are in your own journey, whether you’re crawling, walking, or sprinting—just keep going. You’re allowed to fall apart and still be worthy. You’re allowed to be a work in progress and still be loved.
Thank you for being here, for listening, for showing up for yourself and this community. You are what makes this podcast more than a show, you make it a movement.
With love, gratitude, and a full heart, G-Rex & Dirty Skittles Changing the way we talk about mental health, one real convo at a time
G-Rex & Dirty Skittles
It's ok to be not ok, just make sure you're talking to someone
