Behind The Shield

Matthew Thomas is the Chief Deputy of Pinal County and the author of Interceptors: The Untold Fight Against the Mexican Cartels. We discuss his childhood perspective of gangs, his journey into law enforcement, the genesis of Cartel violence, human trafficking, the illicit drug trade, the war on drugs, school safety, mental health and so much more.

Michael Hicks lost his son Macoy to suicide whilst serving in the US Navy and ultimately started the non-profit Hicks Strong. We discuss Michael's own mental health journey, Macoy's journey into the military, the deadly effects of toxic leadership, Gold Star siblings, hug mugs and so much more.

Zack Garner is a former Green Beret, Protection Specialist and I would argue the walking example of resilience. We discuss his journey into the military, his work with the Special Forces, the Epilepsy and TBI that forced him out of active duty, the Ride to Valhalla, the power of plant medicine, his near fatal bicycle accident, the flesh eating bacteria that almost killed him, his powerful mental h...

Stack is a Virginia Firefighter, Rescue Technician and the man behind The Things We All Carry Podcast. We discuss his tumultuous childhood, working with special needs children, his journey into the fire service, his own mental health story, plant medicine, podcasting, sleep and so much more.

Desiree De Spong is a Holistic Medical Practitioner, Lymphatic Specialist and the Founder of Flowpresso. We discuss her childhood in New Zealand, working with the Fire Service, her journey into healing, the ripple effect of the pandemic, lymphatics, deregulation of the nervous system, cancer, sleep, her work with first responders and much more.

Helen Barnett is a retired London Metropolitan Police officer and a member of their Armed Response Unit. We discuss her journey into law enforcement, the power of mentorship, surviving a stabbing, an IRA bomb and being shot, her physical and mental health journey, the healing power of nature, breathwork and so much more.

Thomas Newman is a coach, Sports Scientist and the Chief Innovation Officer at Hawkin Dynamics. We discuss his journey into sports, the power of Sports Science data analysis, tactical athlete selection, fostering longevity, sleep and recovery, his own physical and mental recovery journey following a brain tumor, his non-profit and so much more.

Ryan Gallik is a former Florida Firefighter/Paramedic, author and co-founder of The Mental Hygiene Project. We discuss the school shooting he witnessed in middle school, his journey into the fire service, the Pulse massacre, leadership, his own powerful mental health story, transition and so much more.

Lisa Farmer is the Chief Executive of Royal British Legion Industries, one of the UK's oldest charities with it's genesis in WWI. We discuss her journey into charitable fundraising, working with special needs children, epilepsy, veteran homeless, addiction, RBLI's housing services, transitioning back into the workforce, Harry Kane and so much more.

Chad Robichaux is a former police office, Recon Marine and the Author of "Saving Aziz". Azizullah Aziz is an Afghani interpreter assigned to Chad as part of a unique JSOC Task Force team. We discuss their respective childhoods, fleeing the Taliban as a young man, Chad's career call as a police officer, some of the heroism from our Afghan allies, the travesty that was the Afghan withdrawal, how Cha...

Kevin Conley is a Wildland Firefighter, Author and extreme adventurer. We discuss his turbulent youth, working with the special needs community, his journey to becoming a Snake River Hotshot, his career near miss, his powerful mental health journey, using a cross country bicycle ride to overcome his depression, his book "Above the Ashes" and so much more.

Christine Bald is an athlete, Crossfit coach and the co-author of several books. We discuss her childhood in Ocala, Middle Eastern politics, her journey into Crossfit, mentorship under renowned coach Ben Bergeron, becoming the behind the scenes voice for the Crossfit Games, writing, Iceland, the longevity of Annie Thorisdottir and so much more.

Dr Dan Pronk is a former Special Operations Medic, physician and author. In this second conversation we discuss creating resilience by proactive self care, processing the inability to save, flow state, treating gunshot injuries, blast trauma, mental health and so much more.

Rebecca Ivory is a Doctor of Nursing Practice, a Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and the woman behind "Tactical Psychiatry". We discuss her journey into nursing, being a coxswain in elite rowing teams, her road into psychiatry, Operator Syndrome, traumatic brain injury, sleep, testosterone and so much more.

Laurianna Sargent is a veteran firefighter, former elite rower and cancer survivor. We discuss her journey into military firefighting, rowing and the Crossfit community, joining a municipal fire department, human trafficking, her physical and mental health journey, firefighter fitness and so much more.

Andrew Biggio is a Marine, law enforcement officer and the man behind "The Rifle". We discuss his journey into the military, his own combat story, his journey into policing, interviewing our WWII veterans, the power of story, the Boston bombing, mental health, addiction and so much more.

Maximillian Potter is a best-selling author and a Contributing Editor to Vanity Fair. Richard Stayskal is a Marine, Green Beret and Purple Heart recipient. We discuss the journeys into their respective careers, Richard's near fatal combat wounds, interviewing celebrities, Richard's Cancer diagnosis, how The Feres Doctrine is stopping our military members from pursuing legal action after non-combat...

Daniel DeBrocke is a chef, strength coach and the Director of Education for Kabuki Strength. We discuss his international childhood, the culinary world, his journey into the strength sports, boxing, nutrition, the importance of sleep, mental health, mentorship and so much more.

Frank Leeb is a veteran FDNY firefighter, author and the Chief of Training. We discuss his journey into the fire service, his powerful 9/11 story, responding to Hurricane Katrina, the Twin Parks NW fire, cancer, sleep deprivation, mental health, firefighter fitness and so much more.

Captain Katie Hernandez is an Army EOD Company Commander, athlete and holds the world record for the one mile run in a bomb suit. We discuss her journey into the military, the importance of strength and conditioning, diversity, recruitment, leadership, ROTC, the Human Performance Project and much more.

Tim Dietz sent a career as a firefighter/paramedic before becoming a mental health clinician. We discuss his journey into the fire service, losing his young son, grief, death notification, compassion, first responder mental health, healing retreats and so much more.

Mohammad Deen is a CRNA, humanitarian and model. In this second conversation we discuss life in Chicago over the last couple of years, Norway at the beginning of the Pandemic, his work in Kenya, working on a rescue boat off the Turkish coast and so much more.

Eddie Wineland is the Former WEC World Champion, UFC fighter and a career firefighter. We discuss his journey into the combat sports, the house fire that almost claimed his brother's life, the fighter's mindset, sleep and performance, mental health and so much more.

Bryce Hansen is a former Green Beret, artist and part of the Human Performance Project team. We discuss his journey into the military, commonalities with the world's warriors, the art of diplomacy, leadership, his powerful mental health story, the incredible healing power of plant medicine, 7x, healing through art and so much more

Dr Belisa Vranich is a clinical psychologist and renowned breath coach. Bas Rutten is a legendary MMA champion and the founder of the O2 Trainer. We discuss the importance of respiratory strength to combat disease, breath and the nervous system, the impact of protective equipment on ventilation, their latest program "Breathing for Warriors: MMA and so much more.