Presented by Smoking Gun Creative Agency, The Blueprint is a weekly deep dive into the stories of individuals who’ve forged their own unique paths to success. From business leaders and athletes to artists and style icons, each episode is a conversation uncovering the insights, wins, and losses behind turning dreams into reality. With a blend of thoughtful conversation and a touch of humor, this is a fresh take on what it means to make something out of nothing.
The Warrior Maker: Born in Adversity, Raised in Rejection. Chris Harris | The Blueprint
Chris Harris was sleeping under bridges at 12 and eating out of dumpsters by choice - because the streets felt safer than the foster homes. Years later, he was dubbed "The Warrior Maker."
Chris spent 25 years training elite special forces. He's a keynote speaker, 14-time author, and creator of a close quarters combat system built from 6 martial arts styles he trained in across 6 different foster homes growing up in Dayton, Ohio.
In this episode, Chris walks through growing up as the son of a troubled mother to becoming the man he is today. We get into the three sparks that changed his life, how he created Roku Jutsu and went from turning wrenches at American Airlines to winning military contracts in the Middle East. Plus, we touch on the pivot in his 40s into keynote speaking, writing The Book of Mindset, and teaching the concept of "relative superiority.”
More from Chris: https://thewarriormaker.com/ (https://thewarriormaker.com/)
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Listen to the full uncut versions of all our episodes on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2FYwcQ6bj5IfrvRUP2m7AN (https://open.spotify.com/show/2FYwcQ6bj5IfrvRUP2m7AN)
https://www.nosmokenofire.com (https://www.nosmokenofire.com)
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Intro/outro music courtesy of Pierre DeJournette (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd))
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Chapters: 00:00:00 Welcome to The Blueprint
00:03:09 Growing Up With a Heroin Dealer Mom
00:12:35 Why He Chose the Streets Over Foster Homes
00:17:18 How Martial Arts Changed Everything
00:24:59 Three Sparks That Shaped His Life
00:32:14 Enlisting in the Air Force
00:39:30 Creating Roku Jutsu and Going Private
00:44:39 How to Win a Military Contract in the Middle East
00:51:06 Knowing When to Walk Away
00:54:50 Attitude vs. Mindset vs. Relative Superiority
01:04:38 Maslow's Hierarchy and Self-Actualization
01:13:16 Metacognition: Thinking About What You're Thinking
01:21:17 Writing 14 Books and Keynote Speaking
01:26:53 Running an Orphanage in Central America
01:32:51 How to Actually Change Your Past
01:36:21 The Book of Mindset
8 Jun 2026
All-American WR, NFL Draft Pick, Now Building Businesses: Mark Clayton | The Blueprint
Mark Jermaine Clayton grew up ducking family chaos in Oklahoma City - he ended up an All-American and a first-round NFL Draft pick. This is a pro athlete's post-career story that's less about what he lost and more about what he built next.
When we straight up asked him before the pod, Mark Clayton described himself to us as a “former baller turned entrepreneur” - he was a wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens and St. Louis Rams, a two-time First-Team All-American at Oklahoma, and a first-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. After football, he spent the next decade designing and developing LIVV Audio - a performance over-ear headphone brand built from the ground up for athletes, starting with a sketch he made while trying to run on an underwater treadmill with the Rams.
In this episode, Mark walks through growing up in a volatile household in Oklahoma City and using sports as his way out, his recruiting process as a "little bitty guy", what it was actually like to be drafted and play for the Ravens organization, the injuries that shortened his NFL career, and how a frustrating headphone experience turned into a business idea - LIVV Audio.
LIVV Audio: livvaudio.com (http://livvaudio.com)
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Follow us:
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https://www.facebook.com/nosmokenofire/ (https://www.facebook.com/nosmokenofire/)
https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosmokenofire/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosmokenofire/)
Listen to the full uncut versions of all our episodes on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2FYwcQ6bj5IfrvRUP2m7AN (https://open.spotify.com/show/2FYwcQ6bj5IfrvRUP2m7AN)
https://www.nosmokenofire.com (https://www.nosmokenofire.com)
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Intro/outro music courtesy of Pierre DeJournette (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd))
26 May 2026
19 Years of Pinpoint Merch, and Why "Always Be Closing" Is Wrong: Scott Graham Returns | The Blueprint
Scott Graham has been on our show 3 times - you’d think that would mean something, but the truth is he won’t stop showing up at our door.
Scott Graham is the founder of Pinpoint Merch - a DFW-based custom merchandise company he has been running for 19 years, with clients like Montana Knife Co, Black Rifle Coffee, Ghost Energy, the Grand Ole Opry and more. In between our off topic excursions, we cover how Pinpoint landed the Grand Ole Opry account despite missing the show, Scott's take on AI tools in the merch and design industry, and why he throws out the "always be closing" sales advice he was given early in his career.
Check out Pinpoint Merch at https://pinpointmerch.com/ (https://pinpointmerch.com/)
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https://www.facebook.com/nosmokenofire/ (https://www.facebook.com/nosmokenofire/)
https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosmokenofire/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/nosmokenofire/)
https://www.nosmokenofire.com (https://www.nosmokenofire.com)
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Intro/outro music courtesy of Pierre DeJournette (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd (https://www.instagram.com/beatsbypd))
Who has been a guest on The Blueprint Podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Larry Singleton Jr
Bob Lilly Jr
Philip Dodson
Aric Becker
John Alcala
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
423,353
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 58 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
51
Social presence
94
YouTube
82
Engagement
32
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