In this episode of The Resiliency Method® Podcast, Dr. Erika Schultz is joined by Josh Koepp, founder of Valor Men's Coaching, who helps men navigate fear, anxiety, and relationships. Josh shares his personal health journey and his experience as a client of The Resiliency Method®.
Josh grew up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in a health-conscious household - whole foods, no processed sugar long before "clean eating" was trendy. In his early 20s, he entered a five-year period of debilitating fear and anxiety so severe he couldn't ride in an elevator, get on an airplane, or sit in a car unless he was driving. Rather than reach for a medication to mask the symptoms, he chose to look for the root cause, a decision that ultimately shaped both his healing and the coaching work he now does with other men.
Dr. Erika and Josh discuss how his work together addressed toxic load, vagus nerve function, and thymus/immune health patterns that clinically show up as anxiety and OCD-type overthinking. Over time, the work progressed into deeper "phase three" territory, targeting brain and nervous system function at a level most clinicians never reach.
Josh describes The Resiliency Method® as a personalized, evolving process rather than a one-size-fits-all protocol - comparing it to a land developer mapping out a master plan, or the difference between buying a spec home versus building custom. Preparation, education, and clear communication at every stage made the journey feel empowering rather than frustrating, even as new layers of healing surfaced along the way.
One of Josh's biggest wins was resolving persistent brain fog a sluggish, foggy mental state that undercut his sharpness and productivity. Restoring that clarity gave him the agility to manage his multifaceted coaching business and frequent travel schedule. Dr. Erika connects this to a broader pattern she sees in high-performing, entrepreneurial men: sharp cognitive strengths paired with symptom patterns like brain fog, anxiety, or ADHD-type focus issues that require tailored brain optimization.
The two also contrast this root-cause approach with the trendy "biohacking" world. Josh favors common-sense, proactive health strategies over the latest tool or gadget, emphasizing that addressing why the body is out of balance matters more than chasing the newest fix. He credits prioritizing a trusted practitioner as one of the most important decisions he's made a priority he maintained even as he moved from Michigan to Colorado to Arizona, continuing his work with Dr. Erika remotely.
The episode closes with Josh's challenge to listeners: shift from a reactive to a proactive mindset, and ask what you'd be willing to change now to avoid a dire health outcome later.
Three Key Takeaways
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Symptom Management Isn't Healing. Josh spent 5 years unable to ride in an elevator, fly, or sit in someone else's car due to debilitating anxiety. Instead of reaching for a topical fix or medication, he chose to dig for the root cause a decision that shaped both his own recovery and the coaching work he does with men today.
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Healing Is a Personalized, Evolving Process Not a One-Size-Fits-All Protocol. Josh compares The Resiliency Method® to a custom home build rather than a spec house: the plan is mapped out in phases, communicated clearly in advance, and adjusted as the body's needs change a sharp contrast to the "take this medication and stay on it" model.
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Brain Fog and Focus Are Often the Hidden Cost of High Performance. As a busy entrepreneur, Josh dealt with a persistent mental fog that limited his sharpness and productivity. Addressing the root physiological drivers not just the stress itself restored his clarity and gave him the agility to run a multifaceted coaching business while traveling extensively.
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