BE ALL IN

What happens when the person who's spent years saving lives suddenly becomes the one who needs saving? For years, Kim answered emergency calls as a paramedic, helping people through the worst moments of their lives. Then one ordinary day, without warning, her own heart stopped. In this conversation, Kim shares what it's like to survive sudden cardiac arrest, the unimaginable experience of her moth...

What happens when the person everyone turns to for answers still wrestles with uncertainty? In this episode of BE ALL IN, I sit down with Dr. Heidi Abraham—Emergency Medicine physician, EMS Medical Director, and one of the most respected leaders in Texas EMS—to talk about the realities of carrying responsibility over the long term. But this conversation goes far beyond medicine. We explore the hid...

Most of us don't choose our first identity. We inherit it. From our families, our environment, our experiences, and the stories we've been told for years. Over time, those stories can become so familiar that we stop questioning them. We start treating them like facts. In this episode, I explore a simple story from Anthony de Mello about an eagle that spent its entire life believing it was a chicke...

Most people know me as a paramedic. Some know me as a husband, a father, or the guy behind BE ALL IN. But very few people know the story that shaped how I see the world. In this episode, I share the experiences that built the foundation for this podcast: • Growing up in Monterrey, Mexico • Watching my parents lose everything and start over in the United States • The friendships that changed my lif...

ost people are okay talking about failure until it happens to them. In this episode, Raul Flores explores the emotional side of failure people rarely talk about honestly: ego, identity, self-worth, overthinking, confidence, and rebuilding after life humbles you. This conversation looks at what failure actually reveals about a person and why rebuilding quietly may matter more than success itself. T...

I never thought I’d talk publicly about getting fired from San Antonio AirLife. For a long time, I thought the story was about losing a job. Looking back now, I think it was really about ego, ownership, identity, and emotional maturity under pressure. This episode is an honest reflection on failure, leadership, preparation, and rebuilding after one of the hardest professional moments of my life.

Gleidson Cutis joins the BE ALL IN Podcast for a deep conversation about discipline, pressure, identity, and the reality of rebuilding your life through struggle. This episode goes far beyond martial arts. We talk about: growing up in Brazil chasing the UFC dream failure and financial hardship cutting extreme weight for fights marriage and sacrifice faith leadership and why the real fight begins o...

After 25 years as a paramedic — ground EMS, flight, ER — I sat down and got honest. Not about the glory moments. About the things I got wrong, the lessons that came the hard way, and what I'd tell my younger self walking into this career. This one's for the new EMT figuring it out alone. The seasoned medic running on empty. And anyone in between who's ever wondered if they're doing this right. In...

In this episode of BE ALL IN, Raul sits down with Kim Pastore to talk about what happens after the worst day of your life. After losing her husband, Jorge Pastore, in the line of duty, Kim was faced with a reality most people will never fully understand—grief, identity, and the responsibility of moving forward when everything changes. This conversation is not about the moment itself. It’s about wh...

There are calls you never forget. Not because they were the worst— but because they were the quietest. In this episode, I break down two calls that stayed with me and what they reveal about how repeated exposure shapes the way we see people, responsibility, and the world around us. If you’ve ever had a moment that stuck with you for no obvious reason… this is for you.

There’s a question every first responder gets asked. “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen?” Most people don’t realize what they’re actually asking. In this episode, I break down why that question hits differently for people who carry responsibility for a living—and what it can bring back when it’s asked in the wrong moment. This isn’t about blaming anyone. It’s about understanding the weight b...

A man asked a question in a room of fifty people that stopped everything: How do you switch off ambition? He had a family. A child on the way. And a real fear that if he kept chasing success the way he always had… he might lose what mattered most. In this episode, we break down why ambition isn’t something you turn off — and why the real solution is learning to aim it correctly. This is a conversa...

In physically demanding careers like EMS, fire, law enforcement, and the military, durability matters. But many of the people who get injured in these professions aren’t weak — they’re often strong, capable professionals who simply weren’t prepared for the long-term demands of the job. In this episode of  BE ALL IN , Raul sits down with  Dr. Jonas , founder of Accelerate Sport and Spine Rehab, to...

In this episode, Raul sits down with  JD Tremblay  — former military serviceman, endurance athlete, and author of  Hunger For More in Life  — for an honest conversation about pressure, identity, and what happens when survival becomes a lifestyle. JD opens up about growing up in a difficult environment, entering the military at a young age, and how years of high-pressure environments shaped his min...

Leadership isn’t about authority. It’s about responsibility. In this episode, Raul sits down with James Monks, President of the Austin-Travis County EMS Association, to talk about what leadership actually feels like when you’re in the middle — between frontline providers and administration. They discuss: Why morale erodes when expectations outpace support The pressure of making decisions when nobo...

Most people don’t have a time problem. They have a standards problem. If you feel constantly busy — reacting, responding, grinding — yet somehow still behind, this episode breaks down why. Being busy is not the same as being effective. When your standards are unclear, everything gets access to your time. When everything gets access, you live in reaction. And reaction feels like effort — but rarely...

Most people in high-pressure roles don’t break because they’re weak. They break because they keep applying strength to problems that require clarity. In this episode, I sit down with Zack Carroll-Ramirez — former military, CrossFit Games athlete, and entrepreneur — to talk about pressure, discipline, reliability, and the quiet cost of never stepping back. This is a grounded conversation for people...

Title: The Perils of Being the Reliable One: Finding Your Balance Between Strength and Self-Care Introduction: In a world that often glorifies reliability and being the "go-to" person, it's easy to lose sight of the importance of self-care and personal boundaries. This blog post delves into the insights shared by Raul Flores in a recent podcast, exploring the dangers of being overly dependable and...

Low morale isn’t always burnout — and it’s not always about being tired. In this episode of  BE ALL IN , I sit down with  Dr. Tania Glenn , who has spent decades working closely with first responders and other high-pressure professionals. We talk about what people are often experiencing internally when their morale starts to slip — especially those who are still showing up, still capable, and stil...

ife doesn’t slow down. The problems don’t space themselves out. The waves just keep coming. In this solo episode of  BE ALL IN , I explore what resilience actually looks like when life feels relentless. Not the fake, emotionless version — but the kind rooted in reality, responsibility, and internal stability. Using the metaphor of waves crashing against a rock, and drawing from Stoic philosophy —...

Life after service isn’t always easy — especially when your identity has been shaped by the work you do. In this episode of  BE ALL IN , I sit down with  Walter Settlemyre  — retired paramedic, Army veteran, instructor, and host of  The Distinguished Savage  — for a thoughtful conversation about identity, transition, and what comes next after a career in service. We talk about: Who you are when th...

BE ALL IN — Episode One: The Moment You Decide You ever have one of those drives home where you’re exhausted, the music’s low, and a podcast is just playing in the background? That was me — driving after shift — when a line from a Modern Wisdom clip stopped me cold: “The magic you’re looking for is in the work you’re avoiding.” This episode is about that moment — The moment you realize you’ve been...