Behind The Shield

Barry Bruder is the CEO and Co-Founder of the Micro Current Neurofeedback company IASIS. We discuss his early life, chidhood trauma, his powerful mental health story, neuroscience, addiction, post traumatic growth, children of the AIDS crisis, TBIs, Autism, the healing power of Micro Current Neurofeedback and so much more.

Sebastian Junger is an award winning author, journalist and filmmaker. In this fourth conversation, we discuss his upcoming book on mortality, the near death experience that spawned it, the importance of national service, rebuilding tribalism, overcoming division through community, blood donation and so much more.

Julie Lewis is a 39 year AIDS survivor, public health educator and the author of Still Positive. We discuss her journey into education, the outbreak of AIDS, the blood transfusion after childbirth where she contracted the virus, the emotional and mental impact on herself and her family, mortality, growth, the incredible medical advancements in treatment, her non profiit and so much more.

Christy Warren is a retired California firefighter, podcast host and the author of "Flash Point". We discuss her early life, her journey into Emergency Medicine, joining the fire service, some of the calls that began to haunt her, her powerful mental health story, the tools she used to heal, lessons from her guests, writing and much more.

Nick O'Kelly is a former U.S. Army Green Beret and Special Operations Blackhawk Pilot. We discuss his early life, his journey into the military, Special Forces selection, serving in South East Asia, transitioning into Aviation, Organizational Stress, returning to the SF community as a pilot, his own powerful mental health story, NuCalm and so much more.

Del Jolly is the Co- Founder and President of Umbo and Co-Founder, Director at Unlimited Sciences, a psychedelic research non-profit. We discuss his journey into entrepreneurship, the healing power of CBD, THC, psychedelics, mental health, traumatic brain injury, MMA, the health benefits of nutritional mushrooms, performance and so much more.

David Leask is a 24 year veteran of the fire service and a cancer survivor. We discuss his early life, hockey, his journey into EMS, the LA Riots, entering the fire service, career wildland fires, his cancer diagnosis, chemotherapy, mental health, returning to duty, sleep and much more.

Heather McAllister is the brand training director and lead instructor of Wolf Brigade. We discuss her journey into strength and conditioning, weightlifting myths, training the female athlete, aging, overcoming injury, mace work, art and so much more.

Sean Evangelista is a former Tier One Navy SEAL and the founder of "30 Seconds Out". We discuss his traumatic childhood, going through the "Scared Straight" program, climbing, his journey into the Navy, his perspective on war, his transition story, mountaineering, Ski Patrol, entrepreneurship, post traumatic growth and so much more.

In this special episode I welcome Rasul Rasekh, a Mujahideen fighter who has defended his native country of Afghanistan since the Soviet invasion. Rasul fought alongside the allied nations and brought diplomacy to his country's many tribes. Since the withdrawal, the Afghan people have suffered at the hands of oppressors, poverty, weather and starvation. Hundreds of children perish on a daily basis...

This episode brings together two firefighters and previous guests who had career and life altering injuries. Chief Jimm Walsh suffered a stroke just weeks before being named as Fire Chief of his department, forcing his medical retirement. Lieutenant Tony Gillan was struck by a falling halligan, shattering his cervical spine. We discuss their physical and mental rehabilitation journeys, the importa...

John Fairbanks is a University of Florida Football Alumn, educator, strength and conditioning coach and cofounder of the Gym Owner's Revolution. We discuss his early life in California, playing in UF's glory years with Tim Teboe, his perspective on education, processing grief, farming, coaching, helping gym owners navigate the business side, podcasting and so much more.

Joe Roberts is a renowned Candian entrepreneur, author, speaker, and the man known as The Skid Row CEO. We discuss his early life, his journey into addiction and homelessness, his powerful post traumatic growth story, pushing a shopping cart across Canada, drug prohibition, the world of business, the kindness he experienced along the way and so much more.

Mike Chadwick is a former Paratrooper, Special Forces Support Group Operator, Royal Army Physical Training Corps Instructor and the author of "Red On Revolution". We discuss how his early life led him into the military, his time as a paratrooper, training the military tactical athlete, his philosophy on programming, firefighter fitness, mixed martial arts, revocery, aging, mental health and much m...

Brett Sobieraski is a veteran law enforment officer, ultra endurance athlete and the author of "Gray Man". We discuss growing up as the son of a cop, his own journey into policing, SWAT, finding himself deconditioned, how running became pivitol in his physical and mental health journey, the healing power of altruism, kindness hiding in plain sight, 8 States for Maz, Wolf Brigade and so much more.

Jared Vermeulen is a firefighter and the author of "The Modern Fire Officer". We discuss his Cicilian/Dutch upbringing, surfing, his journey into the fire service, his department's progresssive work schedule, sleep deprivation, leadership, his powerful mental health story and so much more.

Craig Shoemaker is a stand up comedian, writer, actor and the man behind "Winning with Humor". We discuss Craig's early life, his journey into comedy, the impact of censorship on stand up, his own physical and mental health struggles, the tools he used for healing, the power of laughter and so much more.

Chris "Robie" Robishaw is a US Army Green Beret veteran, humanitarian and member of the Human Performance Project 7x team. We discuss his journey into the military, special forces selection, his perspective on leadership, the soldier's lens on war, building international relations with allied forces, his transition story, the Kabul evacuation, his work in the Ukraine, veteran mental health, overco...

Iain Ward is a fitness trainer and the man known as "The King of Chemo". At just 31 years old, he was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and decided to use it as purpose. He has since performed numerous endurance events to raise money for charity through social media. We discuss his initial dream of becoming a firefighter, nursing, strength and conditioning, the NHS, the incedible "awake" brain...

Rex Hamlby is a veteran wildland firefighter for the Bureau of Land Management and the man behind the "Battle of San Pasqual Staff Ride" and "The Last Chance Survival Simulation Workshop". We discuss his journey into the fire service, the importance of fitness in wildland firefighting, preparing communities for wildfires, the importance of prevention through prescribed burns, mental health, some o...

Dr James Jackson is a Neuropsychologist, professor and the author of "Clearing the Fog". We discuss his journey into psychology, sleep deprivation and mental health, PTSD, the cognitive impact of Long COVID, brain fog, traumatic brain injury, cognitive rehabilitation, post traumatic growth and so much more.

Tyson Shumway is a California Law Enforcement Officer and member of the Fieldcraft Survival team. We discuss his journey into policing, the power of mentorship, school safety, the importance of weapons training, his unique lens on road safety, training the tactical athlete, mental health, Wolf Brigade and so much more.

Philip Neame is a British Army Falklands Veteran, mountaineer, author and the founder of The Ulysses Trust. We discuss discovering climbing in his youth, his journey into the Parachute Regiment, Northern Ireland, The Falklands War, his homecoming experience, mental health, mentorship, leadership, his book "Penal Colony on the Falklands", the gensis of his non-profit and so much more.

Nic McKinley is a former Air Force Pararescueman, CIA Officer and the co-founder of DeliverFund, an organization that equips law enforcement to combat Human Trafficking. In this second conversation, we discuss the impact first responder understaffing has on trafficking, homelessness, debunking myths and revealing truths, addiction, their new app HT Safeguard to empower parents to safeguard their c...

Carly Wopat is a professional volleyball player, firefighter and one of the fittest women on earth. We discuss her early life, her journey into elite sports, losing her twin sister at 19, navigating grief, strength and condtioning for the tactical athlete, her path into the fire service, the negative impact of sleep deprivation on performance, the GORUCK Games and so much more.