Jergen “CoachCam” Campbell was tired of seeing friends he served with die by suicide. So, he decided to do something about it. Make people laugh. More importantly, open, honest, raw, emotional and thoughtful dialogue around the mental health issues some veterans face. Campbell, a Marine Corps veteran who served for 23 years, calls it “heart work,” building connection, belonging and resilience through storytelling, conversation, writing, comedy and artistic expression. In Jergen’s podcast “Real Resilience Talk,” the veteran turned stand-up comedian talks to veterans, current service members, first responders, artists, fellow comedians, authors, mental health advocates and everyday people about resilience, purpose, belonging and overcoming adversity. “The goal of the show is simple: help people understand that they may feel alone, but they don’t have to stay alone,” Campbell told Military.com. “And we inform them of helpful resources and tangible ways to ‘stay left of bang.’” Staying left of bang means trying to stay ahead of downward spirals that people often slip into, causing emotional, physical and mental stress. It’s also about making life worth living. “We don’t know what we don’t know. No one is born a bowler, or a fisherman, or a knitter, or a comedian. Some of us have interests and maybe even talent, but until we’re exposed to something like a healthy outlet and shown ‘how’ to do it, we do not ever know that it can be an outlet for us to channel our energies, our pain and our joy,” Campbell said. “(It’s about) exposing people to healthy outlets to channel things I think is vital to saving lives and making lives worth living.” Campbell also shares his insights in his books “All Things Considered, 33 Gems of Resilience” and “Thank You Warriors: Gems of Leadership, Resilience, and Empathy.”