Keynote speaker · Author of I’m Fine · Veteran
Lead. Serve.Show up.
Cody Mackall talks to students, service members, leaders and teams about mental health, leadership and getting through the chapters nobody plans for. Real stories. No sugarcoating. You walk out with something you can use Monday.
What Cody stands for
Three things.Every room.
01 / Mental health
It’s okay to not be okay
Strength and struggle live in the same person. Cody says it out loud so the person in the back row doesn’t have to carry it alone.
02 / Leadership
Rank is issued. Leadership is earned.
Titles open doors. How you treat people when it costs you something decides whether anyone follows you through them.
03 / Service
Programs don’t save lives. People do.
Show up for the one person sitting alone tonight. That’s the whole job, in uniform or out of it.
About Cody
He’s been the onesaying “I’m fine.”
Cody grew up in Norwalk, Ohio, a small town where everybody knew everybody and the pool was where the noise stopped. He spent 15 years in uniform, from a 19-year-old on his first deployment to drill sergeant to the 8th Department of the Army BOSS Representative, the voice for single soldiers across the Army.
He also learned what it costs to carry everything quietly. He has lost 28 close friends to suicide, and for years he hid his own battles behind two words. In 2023 he told his story publicly for the first time. The messages that came back, from soldiers, students and strangers, are why he keeps speaking.
Today he’s the Director of Virtual Services at Soldiers’ Angels, the founder of Veteran Vision Media, a Texas A&M MBA candidate, a USA Swimming and water polo official, and the Safe Sport Chair for South Texas Swimming. He talks to a room of 18-year-olds the same way he talks to a room of senior leaders: straight, warm, and with every ounce of support behind it.
Signature talks
Three talks.Built for your room.
Each one runs as a keynote or a hands-on workshop, and gets shaped to your audience before Cody ever walks on stage.
Keynote / Mental health
I’m Fine: The Two Words We All Hide Behind
The story behind the book. How the strongest person in the room is often the one hurting most, and how to be the friend, teammate or leader who notices.
- Spot the “I’m fine” in the people around you
- Say it out loud without it costing you
- Know exactly where to send someone who needs help
Best for: high schools, colleges, military units, teams
Keynote / Leadership
Rank Is Issued. Leadership Is Earned.
What 15 years of military experience taught Cody about the difference between people who lead and people who just outrank you, and how to be the first kind in any job.
- Take care of people when it costs you something
- Lead through a transition without losing who you are
- Build a team that tells you the truth
Best for: leaders, nonprofits, veteran groups, companies
Workshop / Teams and coaches
Two Kinds of Leaders
From the barracks to the pool deck, you’ll meet leaders and you’ll meet “leaders.” A working session on deciding which one you’ll be, then practicing it.
- Name the habits that separate the two
- Coach the athlete or soldier in front of you, not the stat sheet
- Leave with one change to make this week
Best for: coaches, captains, student leaders, staff teams
The message under every talk
It’s okay to not be okay. You don’t have to face it alone.
You don’t outrun pain. You outgrow it.
Stay.
FineCody Mackall
The book
I’m Fine.The story he spent years not telling.
Sometimes when somebody says “I’m fine,” it isn’t a statement. It’s a shield. Cody’s memoir walks from small-town Ohio through two deployments, the BOSS program, the drill sergeant trail, grief, faith and the long climb back. No five steps. No quick fixes. Just the truth, told by someone who decided to stay.
Written for veterans, coaches, parents, leaders, and anyone carrying something they haven’t said out loud yet.
If you’re hurting right now, you don’t have to wait for a book. Call or text 988, any time. Veterans and service members, dial 988 and press 1.
Impact
Where Codyshows up.
Serving now
- NonprofitDirector of Virtual Services, Soldiers’ Angels, supporting service members, veterans and military families
- Safe SportSafe Sport Chair, South Texas Swimming
- OfficiatingUSA Swimming official since 2016, and a water polo official
- BusinessFounder, Veteran Vision Media, a veteran-owned marketing studio in San Antonio
- SchoolMBA candidate, Texas A&M University, class of 2027
Along the way
- Army8th Department of the Army BOSS Representative, the voice for single soldiers Army-wide
- ServiceMore than 30,000 volunteer hours through BOSS
- 2018All-Army Alpha Warrior champion
- MediaFeatured in Authority Magazine and a 120+ station radio tour on loneliness and mental health
- FilmPart of the Army basic training documentary Ten Weeks
Book Cody
Bring thisto your people.
Schools, units, conferences, teams and companies. In person across Texas, and anywhere virtually. Tell Cody about your event and he’ll get back to you within two business days.
- Emailinfo@veteranvisionmedia.com
- Based inSan Antonio, Texas
- FormatsKeynote, workshop, panel, podcast or interview