OUR STORY

Ben wasn’t just my best friend, he was like a brother to me. We did everything together. We even owned a business and had big dreams of building multiple companies. We talked constantly about our future, about growing something meaningful, something lasting.

But what I never saw, not once, was what Ben was fighting on the inside.

I was with him every day. He was always smiling, always making people laugh. There was no sign of pain, no hint that anything was wrong. Then one night, I called him to hang out like we always did. He told me not tonight, he had family in town, but said he’d see me tomorrow.

Less than an hour later, Ben took his own life.

I got a call later that night saying Ben had been shot. I rushed over to his house, heart racing, only to find his long driveway full of police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances. I drove around for a couple of hours after that, praying he was okay, refusing to believe what might be true.

When I finally got home, I got a call. They told me Ben had passed away.

I was crushed. I’d never lost a friend before. For days I couldn’t think straight. I kept asking myself: What was he going through? Why didn’t I see it? Why didn’t he tell me? The truth is, I’ll never know what Ben was fighting on the inside.

But I knew one thing: I couldn’t let this happen to someone else. I didn’t want another friend to feel the pain I felt. I didn’t want another person to feel as alone as Ben must have felt.

So one night, I sat at my computer and didn’t stop working. That night, INTRNL FIGHT was born.

This is more than a brand. It’s a mission. A promise. A movement to break the silence, to check in on your people, and to make sure no one has to fight alone.

For Ben. For the ones we’ve lost. For the ones still here.

– Brody Nolan
Founder, INTRNL FIGHT