Ten days out.

August 13. M1 Concourse, Pontiac, Michigan. Dream Cruise week.

A curated room of business leaders and elite military veterans. Not a track day. Not a networking mixer. Not a charity lunch.

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The military doesn’t build leaders in a classroom. It builds them under pressure — shared risk, real stress, a team that has to trust each other when it counts, correction that happens in the moment instead of a performance review six months later. That’s not a metaphor for August 13. That’s the day.

It starts with three stories

I’ll open with my grandfather, George Hulst Jr. — fifty missions over Europe in a WWII bomber.

Paul Riedner tells the one about Corsica — a U.S. Army Deep Sea Diver on a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command mission, searching the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea for the remains of a B-17 rear gunner who never came home.

SFC Josh Kent, a decorated former Green Beret sniper with 13 combat tours, breaks down what deployment cycles and battle rhythm actually do to a person and why so many veterans come home without fully coming home.

Three different forms of earned authority. One morning.

Then it stops being a story and starts being physical

Full M1 driving experience — correction and discipline, lap after lap, under a professional’s eye.

Laser-timed autocross — public pressure, narrow margins, a leaderboard that doesn’t lie.

A ride-along in an open-cockpit Radical race car — the exact moment control turns into trust.

Racing simulators between runs — competition stays alive when you’re off track.

Private garage tour and closing dinner with a featured keynote.

Photography and approved recap content from the day.

Every guest drives. Every guest is part of the story, not a spectator in it.

Two things people don’t think about until after

The content. You leave with real photo and video from the day — trackside, on the circuit, in the room. Not stock event photos, not a logo on a step-and-repeat.

What it says about your company. Bringing a client, a partner, or your team into a room built on pressure, trust, and honest storytelling says something about what you value that a sponsorship banner never will.

Who’s already in the room

Mayco International. Saphran. Mills Pharmacy. Green Beret Foundation. Vets Returning Home.

Companies who saw what this is and got behind it early.

Ten days out

Seats and sponsorship tiers are limited. This is invitation-based, not open registration.

If you should be in that room — or you want to bring someone who should be — reply to this email. I read every one personally.

Built Under Pressure Thursday, August 13, 2026 M1 Concourse · Pontiac, Michigan

The next mission is here at home.

Keep Building
Adam House Sr.
Founder, House of Bricks | Building Brick by Brick®

You’re getting this because you’re already in it. This is a House of Bricks email — and starting now, it’s also a What The Truck email. Here’s why.

This isn’t House of Bricks becoming something else. It’s House of Bricks powering something bigger.

What The Truck connects business leaders and veterans through shared experience and storytelling, and this Substack is where that starts.

The room happens live. The relationship starts right here, in your inbox.

Why this, why now:

You’re in this community because you built something and you want it to mean more than the balance sheet — impact, legacy, the next 250 years, not just the next quarter.

That’s relationship capital. Business builds what’s worth protecting. Military protects what’s worth building. Those two worlds were never meant to be separate.

What The Truck is where House of Bricks business leaders put that instinct to work — with veterans, on purpose.

What it is:

Two things, working together. A live event series putting business leaders and veterans in the same room; launch date August 13th at M1 Concourse in Detroit.

And now, a community, right here, for everyone who isn’t ready to walk into the room yet but wants in on what’s building. Not a job fair. Not a mixer. Not a veteran sympathy campaign.

Veterans aren’t the market here; instead, they’re the standard.

What to expect going forward:

• Stories from the room; real stakes, no theater

• A running community of business leaders and veterans building relationship capital together, right here on Substack, your easy way in

• Content across three threads: origin and heritage, where boardroom and battlefield actually cross over, and the business leaders building alongside us

• Same direct, no-fluff tone this Substack has always had, now in service of a bigger room

Thank you for believing in House of Bricks. Without that belief, What The Truck? wouldn’t exist.

Brick by Brick

- Adam House Sr.

Detroit remembers what America built.

Every August, during the Woodward Dream Cruise, hundreds of thousands of people gather along Woodward Avenue to celebrate American car culture, the muscle cars, trucks, engines, garages, family stories, and machines that helped define the Motor City.

For people outside Michigan, the name does not explain much. But the Dream Cruise is one of the largest living reminders that America once built enormous, tangible, world-changing things at scale.

Cars. Trucks. Factories. Supply chains. Middle-class jobs. Industrial power. Pride.

This year, that reminder lands differently.

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, the question is not only what we built before. The question is what we are willing to build next.

That is the backdrop for what we are building on Thursday, August 13, at M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan.

We are calling it Built Under Pressure.

It is a private Motor City leadership experience for builders, operators, sponsors, veterans, and partners. A day built around high-performance driving, veteran storytelling, Motor City legacy, and one question we believe matters right now:

What would you build for the next 250 years of this country?

This is not a track day.

It is not a networking event.

It is not a charity lunch.

It is a room we are building intentionally.

The track is part of the lesson. M1 gives us a place where pressure, speed, correction, risk, trust, and discipline are not abstract ideas. They become physical. You feel them in the car. You feel them when the instructor corrects you. You feel them when the clock is running. You feel them when you stop trying to control the experience and sit beside a professional driver who sees more than you do.

That matters because those same forces show up in military service, entrepreneurship, leadership, and building anything real.

Speed without control is dangerous.

Leadership without trust is fragile.

Correction is not criticism. It is how capability gets built.

At M1, guests will drive the full circuit, compete in laser-timed autocross, experience Radical race car ride-alongs with professional drivers, and use racing simulators between runs.

The What The Truck Black Ops Ford Raptor will be trackside as our visual anchor, content backdrop, and conversation starter, a Ford in the Motor City carrying the WTT mark.

But the vehicles are not the whole story.

The day begins with legacy.

I will share the story of my grandfather, George Hulst Jr., who flew 50 missions over Europe aboard a bomber in WWII.

Paul Riedner will tell the story of his JPAC mission as a U.S. Army Deep Sea Diver, searching off the coast of Corsica for the remains of a rear gunner from a B-17 bomber that never came home.

SFC Josh Kent will translate the world of Special Forces training, deployment cycles, trust, battle rhythm, and the reality that many veterans return to the United States but do not fully come home.

The day closes with dinner, veteran partners, and a deeper conversation about the next mission at home.

That is the real work of What The Truck.

We believe veterans carry hard-earned wisdom America still needs. Not as mascots. Not as charity symbols. Not as people to be thanked politely and then ignored.

Veterans know things about pressure, trust, leadership, loss, discipline, brotherhood, danger, recovery, and mission that builders need to hear.

And builders carry responsibility too.

They build companies. Teams. Communities. Technologies. Families. Local economies. Culture. The next version of the country.

The 250th anniversary of the United States should not only be a celebration. It should be a gut check.

What are we preserving?

What are we repairing?

What are we building?

Who carries the wisdom we still need?

Who is willing to take responsibility for what comes next?

That is why veterans belong in this room. They know what it means to carry a mission, to serve something larger than themselves, and to come home with experience that should not be wasted.

That is why builders belong in this room. They are already shaping companies, communities, technologies, jobs, families, and the future of the country.

So we are bringing those worlds together in Detroit.

Not on a stage with a panel and a logo wall.

In a room.

On a track.

Around stories that still carry weight.

During a week when Detroit celebrates the machines America built, we are gathering people who are thinking seriously about what America needs built next.

America’s first 250 years were built by people who carried risk, pressure, invention, sacrifice, and responsibility.

The next 250 will be built the same way.

We are currently having direct conversations with companies, sponsors, partners, and invited guests who should be part of this.

If this belongs in your world — if your company should be in the room, if you want to bring a client or partner, if you want to stand behind the mission, or if you know someone who should be part of this conversation — reach out directly.

We are building the room now.

Built Under Pressure
Thursday, August 13, 2026
M1 Concourse · Pontiac, Michigan

The next mission is here at home.

Keep Building
Adam House Sr
Founder, House of Bricks | Building Brick by Brick®

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Last week somebody asked me what What The Truck actually is.

Fair question.

It’s not a podcast. It’s not a content brand. It’s not a networking group with a clever name.

What The Truck is what happens when four guys, a Green Beret who ran missions overseas, an operator who’s bought and built companies, a creative who’s built brands for the biggest names you know, and an Army Deep Sea Diver MBA, stop talking about honoring veterans and start building rooms where the wisdom they earned at war can actually be brought back home.

On June 22, that “something” lands at M1 Concourse in Detroit. Literally.

A Black Hawk on the ground. Track time on the M1 course. A flight over the city. Dinner with operators, builders, veterans, and leaders who don’t need another deck, they need a room where the conversation goes deeper than the LinkedIn version of themselves.

The room is filling up with the kind of people who don’t usually sit next to each other — but should.

Father’s Day weekend is the lead-in. Monday is the moment.

If your name belongs on the next chapter of what gets built in this country and if you want to spend a day with the people serious enough to build it, reply to this email.

We still have room for the right partners and the right people.

Keep Building

Adam House Sr

Founder, House of Bricks | Building Brick by Brick®

Henry Ford. Dan Gilbert. The Dodge brothers. The Fishers. The names on the buildings in Detroit didn’t get there by buying a ticket. They built something.

On June 22, we’re standing on that same ground at M1 Concourse and asking a simple question: who’s putting the next brick down?

Here’s what the day looks like.

A Blackhawk lands. SFC Josh Kent — Green Beret, founder, the guy who actually flew in one of these overseas — walks twelve operators, builders, and CEOs through what it means to lead under pressure. Track time. A flight over Detroit. A dinner where the conversation goes where most business dinners never do — purpose, legacy, the people you’re actually doing this for.

This isn’t a conference. There are no lanyards, no swag bags, no breakout rooms. Select sponsorship opportunities available. Content that will last for years.

If you want to thank veterans, donate to a charity. If you want to sit with the kind of men this country trained for war and learn what they know about leadership, pressure, trust, and mission, pull up a seat at M1 on June 22.

Reply to this email if you want in. We’ll send you the details.

For the next 250 years of this country,

Keep Building

Adam House Sr
Founder, House of Bricks | Building Brick by Brick®

P.S. Our country turns 250 this year. The builders who shaped Detroit didn’t wait for permission. Neither are we.

Last week, the fog felt nameless. This week, it has a face and a playbook.

In Episode 2 of “What The Truck?”, we sit down with operators, founders, and veterans who got tired of waiting for a plan and became the plan themselves

We cover...

- The Debrief: Last week’s fog, this week’s mission

- The Signal: Ibogaine and the treatment nobody could talk about

– The Mission: Bob Parsons, Wes Moore, and the “too late” lie

– The Foxhole: 40,000 veteran nonprofits and the support industrial complex

– The Playbook: Build your own table (step‑by‑step)

– The Rally Point: “Permission granted”

Subscribe to @WhatTheTruckTV on YouTube to watch the full show and shorts

This show is not about sympathy. It is about performance, reinvention, and building the next mission.

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Mickey breaks down how brands actually plug into these environments the right way, real examples of what works, what doesn’t, and where the real opportunity is.

We’ll be on the ground with What the Truck, bringing veterans, leaders, and real conversations into environments like this. But this is part of something bigger.

What the Truck is a platform:

• Live, in-person experiences across the country

• Direct engagement with veterans, leaders, and communities

• Content and storytelling that extends far beyond the event itself

• Strategic partnerships that align brands with something real

If you’re thinking about how your company shows up in this next phase, there are two ways to engage:

• Partner directly with the Miami Air & Sea Show

• Or sponsor What the Truck and plug into the broader platform

If you want to understand the full scope of what we’re building, review the sponsorship deck here:
What the Truck Sponsor Deck

If it makes sense, reach out to me directly. I’ll connect you with Mickey’s team where appropriate, or walk you through how to get involved with What the Truck.

Watch the full conversation above.

Keep Building,

Adam House Sr.
Founder, House of Bricks | Building Brick by Brick®

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It’s Giving Tuesday. The question is: What are you giving to? A cause? A campaign? A click?

Here’s a better question: Do you give a “truck?” Because we did. And we’re asking you to join us.

Not in words. In wheels. Not with slogans. With action.

Most people say “thank you for your service.” We handed over the keys to a fully customized Black Ops Ford Raptor. Because when it comes to Veterans, saying thanks isn’t enough.

What The Truck?

It’s not just a truck. It’s a mobile platform. A mission. A movement.

From Combat to Community. From the Battlefield to the Boardroom. From Isolation to Impact.

What The Truck (WTT) is our response to a national crisis, where Veterans are over-prescribed, under-supported, and too often left to navigate the transition alone.

Why We Built This

The VA will spend $577 million this year on suicide prevention. And still, the Veteran suicide rate continues to rise.

We’ve built systems. Launched campaigns. Formed task forces. And yet, too many Veterans wake up feeling alone.

WTT exists to change that.

This isn’t charity. It’s a vehicle of change.

WTT delivers:

• Entrepreneurial mentorship

• Mental health advocacy

• Tactical transition tools

• Capital access

• Career coaching

• Community that sticks

We take the platform to the places Veterans live, work, and struggle, from campuses and conferences to neighborhoods and national events.

This Giving Tuesday, Take Action

We’re not here for likes or optics. We’re here for the one who stopped returning calls. The one carrying it all alone. The one who needs more than “thank you.”

That’s why we Give a Truck. To show up. To say: You’re not forgotten.

Today, we’re asking you to do the same.

Donate to Fuel the Movement

We’ve launched a nonprofit to scale What The Truck into a national initiative, with a bold 2026 vision:

12 trucks deployed across the country Each one a rolling resource, serving those who served.

Click the link. Donate now. Whatever you can give today, $10, $100, or more, it drives this mission forward.

👉 Support the mission click here

Mark the Moment: July 4th

On Independence Day, we handed the keys to our first truck to Special Forces Veteran SFC Josh Kent.

This wasn’t a giveaway. It was a beginning.

We’re also inviting founding sponsors to join the movement:

• Your brand on the truck

• National press and media visibility

• Branded content, reels, and storytelling

• Placement in Substack features + Veteran org partnerships

Final Word

This Giving Tuesday, give more than a donation. Give a message. Give momentum. Give a Truck.

Because legacy doesn’t live in taglines. It lives in action.

Click the link. Make your impact.

👉 Support the mission click here

Brick by Brick®. Vet by Vet. Let’s make this Giving Tuesday count for real!

Keep Building,

Adam House Sr
Founder, House of Bricks | Building Brick by Brick®

A New Kind of Mission

If this message landed in your inbox, it’s because at some point (maybe months ago) you crossed paths with Adam House, Josh Kent, or myself.

You might’ve seen the What the Truck? Raptor, heard about the House of Bricks Veterans initiative, or just told one of us, “I’d like to support something like that.”

This is that something.

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It’s been a minute since those first conversations. Life, work, and resistance have a way of pulling focus, but we haven’t stopped. We’ve been laying bricks behind the scenes, building what you saw a glimpse of into something real.

What you’re reading now is the beginning of that next phase, a movement we call What the Truck?

It’s a platform that rolls straight into veteran communities, on a Black Ops Ford Raptor to listen, connect, and help veterans who might be out of the military, but not all the way home yet.

We’re doing this because we’ve lived it. We know what it feels like to fight invisible battles long after the uniform comes off. We’ve seen how isolation can creep in and how hard it can be to find purpose again.

And we also know what happens when people decide to show up for each other anyway.

That’s what this is about, not perfect plans, not polished messaging, but real people stepping up together to do something that matters.

From Alabama to Georgia: Our First Ride

Tomorrow, I’m flying down to Alabama to meet up with SFC Josh Kent, our first What the Truck? ambassador and the founder of Joker Tactics LLC.

He’s competing at the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park, surrounded by other service members seeking mastery in the arena where discipline and purpose meet.

After that, Josh and I will load up the Raptor and head east to Georgia, connecting with regional VFW leadership and joining the Veterans Day celebration at VFW Post 658 in Macon, GA.

We’ll be there listening, learning, and collecting stories, the kind that don’t make the news but tell the truth about what it means to serve, to transition, to lead a family, to believe again.

This drive marks the maiden voyage of the first deployed Raptor and you’ll be able to follow that journey right here on Substack as we post photos, interviews, and stories from the road.

Who is Josh Kent?

SFC Joshua Kent has spent more than two decades serving his country and community across U.S. Army Special Operations, law enforcement, and now the U.S. Army Reserves, where he is currently competing for the U.S. Army Marksmanship Team based out of Fort Knox, Kentucky.

A Special Forces Weapons Sergeant (18B) with over 72 months deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa, Josh has led and trained elite teams in sniper instruction, advanced marksmanship, and direct action missions. He’s served as a lead sniper instructor, Special Operations Target Interdiction Course (SOTIC) NCOIC, and advisor to Iraqi Special Operations Forces during multiple combat rotations.

In civilian life, Josh has built an equally distinguished career in law enforcement, serving on SWAT teams, narcotics units, and protective details for city and state dignitaries. Today, he continues that work as a law enforcement officer and founder of Joker Tactics LLC, where he trains civilians and veterans in tactical readiness, firearms safety, and mindset development. He also instructs with the Warrior Poet Society, helping everyday Americans become more capable protectors of their homes and communities.

Josh is a husband, a father, and a man of faith. He’s the kind of leader who doesn’t talk about service in the past tense, he lives it every day.

When House of Bricks handed him the keys to the first Black Ops Ford Raptor, it wasn’t about recognition, it was about entrusting the What the Truck? mission to a man whose life embodies what it means to serve long after the uniform comes off.

The Bigger Picture

What the Truck exists to reconnect veterans with the right kind of help, the kind that comes from people who understand and have earned trust.

We’re partnering with regional and national organizations that deliver real impact in:

• PTSD and TBI recovery

• Faith-based and spiritual support

• Financial readiness and credit repair

• Career development and veteran hiring

• VA home loans and lines of credit

• Entrepreneurship and mentorship

We’re also opening doors for veterans ready to start or grow businesses through StartupX, our online accelerator available right here on Substack.

Who Is Paul Riedner and the 100-Year Ripple?

I’m Paul Riedner, a former U.S. Army Deep Sea Diver turned entrepreneur and storyteller, committed to helping veterans come fully home through connection, purpose, and community.

Adam House often says the hand of God reveals itself through the people placed in our path at just the right time. I believe that, because I’ve lived it.

During my time in uniform, I deployed with the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) to locate and recover the remains of a B-17 bomber crewman, a rear gunner whose aircraft went down off the coast of Corsica, France during World War II. Seeing that wreckage resting on the seabed was humbling. It was a reminder that our nation’s promise to bring every service member home is still unfinished. There are over 83,000 Americans still missing around the world, and in a way, some of our living veterans are still out there too, unreturned from the battles they’ve fought within.

Years later, I met Adam House Sr., who shared that his grandfather, George Hulst Jr., had flown 50 missions on a bomber and was the original inspiration behind What the Truck? That connection stopped me in my tracks. Two generations later, I’d unknowingly been diving on the same type of aircraft that carried the man whose legacy would bring Adam and me together. That’s what Adam means when he talks about the hand of God.

Since leaving the military, I’ve interviewed more than 100 veterans for projects, community initiatives, and research, conversations that shaped the foundation for a program I created called Veteran Cultural Competence. Through Shadow Culture, we use these stories and roundtables to help organizations and communities understand the warrior experience and to unlock the same courage, discipline, and moral clarity that veterans once brought to the battlefield.

For me, What the Truck? is an extension of that calling: finding those who are still out there, listening deeply, and bringing them home: body, mind, and spirit.

Josh Kent and I are leading this next phase of What the Truck (WTT) under the mentorship of Adam House Sr., a serial entrepreneur and grandson of WWII veteran George Hulst Jr.

When Adam handed Josh the keys to the first Raptor, it was the continuation of a 100-year ripple of service that began when his grandfather came home from war and built a life of faith, family, and service.

Now, we’re carrying that same spirit forward from the Greatest Generation to the Global War on Terror, rebuilding bonds, Brick by Brick.

How You Can Join the Movement

This isn’t polished. It’s not corporate. It’s alive.

We’re building this in real time, testing ideas in the field, failing forward, learning fast, and growing stronger with every iteration. That’s the House of Bricks way, Test. Fail. Learn. Grow.

We’re not afraid to get it wrong, because that’s how you get it right. Every post, every trip, every conversation is part of that cycle, proving that progress beats perfection every time.

Here’s how you can build with us:

• Share your story. Record or write something honest. It doesn’t need polish just truth.

• Send feedback. Tell us what works, what doesn’t, and where you see opportunity.

• Connect us. Link us to veteran-friendly employers, service orgs, or community partners.

• Engage. Comment, like, and share so other veterans know they’re not alone.

• Support. If you’re a civilian ally, walk with us, this mission needs all of us.

• Email veterans@houseofbricks.io with your thoughts, stories, & feedback

We’ve already trained and deployed millions for combat. Now we’re redeploying that same drive, grit, and adaptability for rebuilding our communities, our families, and each other.

Failure isn’t what we fear, indifference is.
So we move forward, one test, one failure, one lesson, one brick at a time.

Closing Thoughts

This Veterans Day, we remember those we’ve lost, honor those still fighting, and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those trying to find their way home.

We don’t have all the answers. But we’re not waiting for perfect conditions to start.
We have the will, the people, and the drive.

Like the truck we ride in, this mission is built for the long haul.

Stay in the Fight,

Paul Riedner
What the Truck

ps. email us privately at veterans@houseofbricks.io or leave a public comment of support below

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That’s what I took away from my conversation with Travis McVey, a Marine veteran who turned personal heartbreak into a nationally recognized spirit brand that’s giving back to veterans with every bottle sold.

And it started with a bar napkin and a broken heart.

“We’ve been raising our glasses to warriors for centuries. It’s time we had our own brand.”

Travis didn’t come from the spirits industry. He came from service, from sacrifice, and from a string of personal losses that could’ve wrecked him.

Instead, he channeled it.

After losing two close friends, one killed in Afghanistan, the other in the line of duty as a state trooper, he knew he needed to serve again. The idea for HEROES Vodka hit him while sitting in a bar, reflecting on what kind of legacy he wanted to leave.

That kind of clarity doesn’t come from a whiteboard. It comes from pain. And it comes with responsibility.

From Quality Engineer to Beverage Founder

At the time, Travis had a stable job at Bridgestone, what he called “golden handcuffs.” But when the mission calls, comfort doesn’t stand a chance.

He sold his car. Moved in with a friend. Bought a beat-up Honda with no A/C and drove 160 miles a day to take meetings and pitch distributors.

And then came the inflection point.

His business attorney told him to reach out to Robert Lipman, the man who holds State Permit #1 for alcohol distribution in Tennessee. He also happens to be the guy whose family helped launch Jack Daniel’s.

Travis made the cold call.

Lipman told him:

“I’ve got 150 vodkas in my warehouse. But since you’re a veteran, I’ll give you 20 minutes.”

This is where most people fumble. But Travis was ready. He’d been preparing for two and a half years, permits, licensing, deck, story, initial vodka.

And more than anything else, he had passion. The kind that can’t be faked.

Lipman took the meeting. Then he took the leap. He brought in his VP, a Vietnam Veteran, and they sealed the deal. That relationship helped Travis get his vodka made at Buffalo Trace, one of the most respected distilleries in the country.

Let that sink in:
From no experience, to standing toe-to-toe with Tito’s and Grey Goose, to getting bottled at Buffalo Trace.

That’s not luck. That’s conviction backed by relentless preparation.

Lessons for Founders

Here’s what stood out to me as a founder and advisor:

• People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Travis doesn’t sell vodka. He sells remembrance. He sells pride. He sells belonging.
  

• Preparation earns you the right to be lucky. A 20-minute window can change your life. But only if you’re ready for it.
  

• Scaling too fast is one of the most common and costly mistakes. Travis tried. It nearly crushed him. He pulled back, focused on Tennessee, and is building the brand the right way, community first, legacy intact.
  

Why This Brand Matters

Today, HEROES Vodka has:

• Donated over $250,000 to veteran orgs like Team RWB, the Night Stalkers Association, and the Legion Fund for Green Berets of 5th Special Forces Group.
  

• Become the official vodka of the Nashville Veterans Day Parade After Party
  

• Rolled out its Legacy Project, inviting you to nominate a hero to be featured on next year’s bottle (along with a donation to the cause of their choice)

It’s not just marketing. It’s mission.

And it’s working.

How to Get Involved

• Nominate someone for the Legacy Project: heroesvodka.com/thelegacyproject

• Follow HEROES Vodka on Instagram and Facebook

• Ask for it at your local store, restaurant, or bar

• Help us spread the word - especially heading into Veterans Day

This is a reminder of what can happen when grief meets action, when storytelling meets structure, and when a founder builds something not just to grow, but to give.

Cheers to Travis.
Cheers to the fallen.
And cheers to building something that gives back, Brick by Brick.

Keep Building,

Adam House Sr
Founder, House of Bricks | Building Brick by Brick®

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That’s what happened when I sat down with Tim Jensen, Marine Corps veteran and Chief Brand Officer of Grunt Style, on House of Bricks Live.

What started as a conversation about post-military life, business, and leadership turned into something deeper, something I can’t unsee.

Tim laid bare a reality that too many refuse to confront:

We are funding Veteran suicide with our own tax dollars.

And we’re not just talking about failure to act, we’re talking about intentional, systemic harm.

The VA Is Repeating History — But With New Pills

Tim Jensen shared a story every American needs to hear.

When pharmaceutical companies were banned from testing opioids on incarcerated populations in Kentucky, they didn’t stop testing, they shifted focus. According to Tim:

“They were testing on... the prison population in the state of Kentucky… and when the state said no more, who did they go to next? The Veterans. The VHA opened the door for them to come in and start testing these medicines within that cohort.”

That was the start of the opioid crisis within the VA. At its peak, 68% of Veterans in the system were prescribed opioids.

Today? That number has shifted, nearly 70% are now on psychotropics.

This is not a coincidence. It’s a pattern.

And Tim is sounding the alarm.

“They’ve taken the pharmaceuticals and they’ve replaced it with psychotropics... the VA and Big Pharma... all have an unholy relationship.”

Tim calls it the “opioid crisis replayed,” but this time, the pills are different. The results are just as deadly.

$577 Million… For What?

This year alone, the VA will spend $577 million on suicide prevention.
The total budget line for Veteran mental health exceeds $3 billion.

But here’s the question Tim had the guts to ask:

Where is that money going if suicide rates are rising?

Last year:
6,300+ Veterans died by suicide.

This year:
The projection is over 6,400.

We’re spending more… and losing more lives.

And when you look closely, the picture gets even darker:

• Veterans come to the VA saying they are suicidal

• The first thing they’re given is a prescription for meds that can increase suicidal ideation

This isn’t suicide prevention.
This is suicide facilitation.

And it’s happening inside the very system meant to care for our warriors.

From the Battlefield to the Edge

Tim’s personal story drives this home in the most harrowing way:

After serving over 200 combat patrols in Iraq, he returned to civilian life carrying invisible wounds, but determined to keep going.

The VA gave him a cocktail of Trazodone, Zoloft, and Paxil.

He spiraled into depression, alcoholism, violence, and nearly took his own life.

His breaking point?

“I was trying to drive home 23 miles… and I came to 99 miles in the wrong direction. I had no idea how I got there.”

That was the day he realized the medication wasn’t helping. It was making things worse.
He turned to cannabis and finally began to heal.

Test. Fail. Learn. Grow.

Tim’s story is also one of resilience and entrepreneurial leadership.

At Grunt Style, he launched a made-in-America manufacturing division in just 59 days, a major feat.

But when cash flow collapsed, the whole operation had to be shut down.

"in my entire career, the worst part that I had to ever go through as a leader... laying off an entire division of people that I just stood up"

That experience reshaped how he leads, with accountability, humility, and relentless drive.

It’s also what makes him a kindred spirit to everyone in the House of Bricks community.

What the Truck? Just Shifted Gears

When we launched What the Truck?, it started as a symbol, a Ford Raptor gifted to a Veteran, a rolling tribute to our belief that Veterans deserve more than a day, they deserve a future.

But after this conversation with Tim?

It’s more than a symbol.

It’s a moving indictment of the system.

And it’s a call to action for every founder, investor, and Veteran in our community.

The Beginning of a New Alliance

Behind the scenes, we’ve started collaborating with and supporting Grunt Style on efforts that go far beyond apparel or storytelling:

• Exposing the pharmaceutical overreach inside the VA

• Fighting for alternative therapies (cannabis, psychedelics, HBOT)

• Bringing Veterans into entrepreneurship

• Connecting founders to purpose-driven missions that matter beyond money

This is the beginning of a new phase at House of Bricks.

And Tim Jensen’s interview wasn’t just a podcast episode.
It was a warning shot and a direction setter.

We heard him.
We’re with him.
And now we’re moving.

Watch the Interview

→ [Watch the full interview with Tim Jensen on House of Bricks Live]

We’ve All Been Misled, But We Don’t Have to Stay Silent

If you’re a Veteran…
If you love someone who’s served…
If you’ve ever stood for something bigger than yourself…

You may feel betrayed.
You may feel like no one’s telling the full truth.
You’re not wrong.

Many of us were misled, sold a system that promised to care for our warriors and instead sent them into harm's way once again, through overprescribed medications and unaccountable institutions.

But we believe in redemption.
We believe in truth.
And we believe now is the time to speak up.

As Christians, we cannot sit idly by while a tragedy of this magnitude unfolds, not when we know better. Not when we see what’s happening behind the curtain.

We stand firmly with Tim Jensen and the Grunt Style Foundation as they work to right this injustice through legislation and truth-telling.

Grunt Style Foundation Demands Investigation Into Department of Veterans Affairs’ Suicide Prevention Effectiveness

“War Cry For Change”: Veterans Launch Campaign for Consent and Safe Deprescribing at the VA

This is not about vengeance.
It’s about justice.
It’s about healing.
It’s about standing up for the people who stood up for us.

The money is still being spent.
The system is still broken.
But the community is rising.

And in this house, we speak truth, we build forward, and we do it together.

Keep Building,

Adam House Sr
Founder, House of Bricks | Building Brick by Brick® & Vet by Vet

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Happy Friday HOB Community,

Our next House of Bricks Community Call will be one of the most meaningful we’ve ever held. We’re moving the call from Tuesday, September 2nd to Thursday, September 11th at 4 PM EST to align with this solemn day of remembrance.

On this 9/11, we’ll come together to honor those we lost, and to hear directly from those who served…

Read more

Today, July 4th, 2025, we’re not just launching a truck. We’re launching a mission.

What The Truck? (WTT)

You’ve seen the acronym.
You’ve heard the name.
Now it’s real.

WTT isn’t a campaign. It’s not a project.
It’s a platform wrapped in Black Ops, driven by purpose, and built to break silence.

We hand over the keys this Independence Day.
But it’s not just a vehicle.

It’s the vehicle.

To end veteran suicide.
To drive forward mental health awareness.
To remind the ones who served: you are not forgotten. You are remembered with action.

Donate to the Movement Here

Why We Give a Truck

Because 22+ Veterans a day are still taking their own lives.
Because the VA spends $500M annually on suicide prevention… and the numbers keep climbing.
Because our system overprescribes and underdelivers.
Because proven therapies like hyperbaric treatment and psychedelics are still on the margins.

We’re not waiting for permission to care.

We’re moving with purpose.
Because one Veteran lost is one too many.

A Movement 100 Years in the Making

This didn’t start in a garage or a boardroom.
It started over a century ago when my grandfather, George Hulst Jr., was born.
A WWII Veteran who flew over 50 missions.

He didn’t chase credit.
He lived with conviction.
And his legacy built the foundation for mine.

I grew up in smoke-filled Legion halls, listening to Bingo numbers and battle stories, breathing in sacrifice and quiet strength.

Today, that legacy takes the road.

What Happens Next?

We launch the first WTT truck to a Special Forces Veteran.
We take the movement on the road, college campuses, business hubs, VA centers.
We build until we hit 12 trucks by end of 2026, each driving real change for real people.

But most of all?

We focus on the One.
The one life we can save today.
The one Veteran who needs more than words.
The one soul we refuse to forget.

Join the Movement

Subscribe to stay informed
Watch the promo video above
Make a Tax-Deductible Donation
Tag a Veteran. Send a message. Say a prayer.

This isn’t charity.
It’s a call to arms with hope as our mission.

WTT isn’t just a truck.
It’s how we move Veterans from the battlefield to the boardroom.
From silence to purpose.
From forgotten… to remembered with action.

Brick by Brick®. Vet by Vet. One mile at a time.

Let’s roll.

Keep Building,

Adam House Sr.
Founder, House of Bricks®

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After a six-month break, we just dropped one of the most meaningful episodes we’ve ever recorded.

Tim Jensen, co-founder of Grunt Style and Marine Corps veteran, joined me for a raw, unfiltered conversation about what it really takes to transition from combat to commerce.

But this episode isn’t just for veterans.

It’s for anyone who’s been through dark seasons, anyone who’s tried, failed, and crawled their way forward. Tim’s story of depression, addiction, and near suicide isn’t easy to hear, but it’s exactly what some of us need to hear right now.

Here’s what stood out:

• What it was like leading 200+ combat patrols in Iraq and what came after

• The psych med cocktail the VA prescribed that nearly killed him

• How Grunt Style grew from a garage brand to $130M+

• Why most suicide prevention funding isn’t working and what actually helps

• The kind of mindset every founder loses (and has to fight to get back)

This one left a mark on me. I hope it does the same for you. If there’s one part that hits home, forward it to someone who needs it.

Keep Building,

Adam House Sr
Founder, House of Bricks | Building Brick by Brick®

⚠️ Quick note: You'll hear I lost connection partway through the episode, turns out a tornado hit near our office and knocked out our power. Appreciate your patience with the live stream glitches. We kept the cameras rolling because this conversation was too important to stop.

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