When the Switch Flipped: Why I Didn’t Shut It Down
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If you read our previous Mental Health post Men's Mental Health: You Aren't Alone and You Don't Have to Act Like You Are, you know we talked about how men’s mental health doesn’t get the space it deserves. How silence, pride, and pain can stack up until it all just… breaks.
This post? This one’s more personal.
Because the truth is—I almost walked away.
For those who don’t know, Man Beard Co. went quiet for a few years. Not because I stopped caring, but because I was deep in something I didn’t yet have the words for. A long, quiet battle I didn’t even realize I was fighting.
Eventually, I got help. I started working with a team through the VA—a solid crew of psychiatrists, and one damn good therapist. That’s when things started to shift. That, and Ellie—the shop dog who many of you have met—who kept me grounded in ways I didn’t expect. Sometimes the only reason I got out of the house was because she needed a walk.
But the real turning point? It came when I saw what untreated trauma can become.
Someone close to a friend of mine hurt her deeply—and then tried to pin it all on his own struggles. He weaponized his pain instead of facing it. And seeing that? That scared me. Because I could see where that path started. I didn’t want to become that man.
So I made a decision.
I didn’t want to let pain define my story. I wanted to prove to myself—and maybe to a few other guys out there—that just because your brain is being an asshole right now doesn’t mean it always will be.
I came damn close to shutting Man Beard Co. down.
But instead, I doubled down.
The Birth of Overholt Supply Co.
That’s when Overholt Supply Co. was born—not just as a store, but as a space.
I wanted to build something that gave men a place to show up. A place where you could be seen and heard, even if you didn’t have the words yet. We like to joke that the shop’s “adult daycare for guys,” but there’s some truth in it.
We’ve got a lounge where you can sit, pour a whiskey, and just be. Talk if you want. Or don’t. You’re still welcome.
We’re not therapists. But we are guys who’ve been through it. Guys who know what it’s like to feel stuck. And we’ll always make room for you.
For Anyone Reading This…
If you’re in it right now—if the fog’s heavy and your head won’t shut up—I want you to hear this:
It’s okay to not be okay. But it’s not okay to stay there.
There’s a way forward. There are tools. There are people. There are places. And there’s strength in reaching for them.
Whether you’re military or civilian, a mechanic or a CEO—it doesn’t matter. Struggle doesn’t discriminate, but healing doesn’t either.
If you need a first step, come by. Sit down. Say something. Or don’t. You’re still part of this.
We’ll be here.
– Dave
USAF Veteran | Owner, Overholt Supply Co. | Fellow Man Who Got Help
