Overcoming the Crushing Weight of Failing | Brad Koch on Mental Health and Starting a Business

Welcome to Episode 28. Toby is joined today by Brad Koch, owner of Game Masters for Part 2. Brad shares how mental health and finding support was a big part of launching his business and succeeding. Is ADHD a disability? Or a superpower? Brad has something to say about that.

“I have three boys, you know, they’re in their twenties and someday I’ll probably have grand kids. What am I doing? I’m not setting them off for success. There’s that fear. The mental health is there. When you’re constantly getting rejection and rejection and rejection, you can justify it all you want, but no matter who you are, that’s going to wear down on you.”

“ADHD has been a part of my life since 1988. It is a superpower, it’s blessing and a curse. I never would have been able to have the energy to do both the full-time job and this, but also how many things that I forget. I’m oh, we’ve got to set up this account or we’ve got to, it’s, hey, I should do the schedule. So it’s one those things of the mental health part of it is huge. I’ve been in a therapeutic journey starting when I got laid off.”

“I can’t stress enough how much that’s been for me as a person, as a man, as a husband. And honestly, as a business owner and as a leader here, I can tell you, I know many people that worked for me over the decade at GameStop, I’m still friends with them. They would not recognize me as the leader here because of the mental health part of it and learning and becoming a better person.”

“These are all hobbies and hobbies are a great way for people to come together. It’s a general common ground. We talked about mental health. I’m very neurodivergent. almost a lot of people I know. I always jokingly say the Venn diagram of neurodivergence in gamers is a perfect circle. And the reason why is regardless of where we are, we have something in common.”

Episode 028

Release Date: October 21, 2025

Host: Toby Lyles

Guest: Brad Koch (Part 2)

Get in touch with Brad

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