Blue Grit Radio: the Police Performance Podcast: Mindset, Wellness, Leadership

You asked - so I answered!  I recently went through a tear on a handful of books and among them was Mel Robbins' Let Them.  As I posted it in my story with some pages/quotes, many of you wanted to know my thoughts. Some of you were fans, some of which had read it, others not so much. Some of you were NOT fans of her or her writing, with some commentary. In this episode, I share about how I le...

This topic and question came from a listener/follower like YOU!  The question was what tips should the applicant keep in mind going from a small, slower agency to a big, fast-paced department?  The tips actually translate to anyone changing roles, ranks, or assignments! The themes range with regards to environment, but I break down the main things anyone should bear in mind, how they prep their mi...

In the second half of this special 2-part interview, we focus on a lot of "what to do" and how to go about the info we learned in part 1.  Dr. Leah Kaylor (FBI's sleep expert) and I go down some rabbit holes on sleep hacks and I even learn some myths and hacks exposed about blue light, melatonin, and how to approach "sleep hygiene."   If you missed it, you're not goin...

In this first half of a fantastic 2-part interview, we focus on SLEEP (and the lack thereof!)  When chatting and polling first responders, it is usually the biggest challenge and deficit that people want more of.  I am joined by the FBI's resident sleep psychologist, Dr. Leah Kaylor.  I share about my own struggles and hacks, some decent and others misguided and misinterpreted. Dr. Leah helps...

This is part 2 of the interview, make sure you listen to part 1, Ep. 254 first! Police applicants!  So much of my goal since working in hiring and recruiting was to remove the mystery of our hiring process.  Many of us succeeded because we knew police officers and get some context to this unique process, including interviews and oral boards. Others of us had to learn through trial by fire, which i...

Often, to know where we need to go, you need to know where you've been.  Chief Jeff Spivey (ret) shares about police wellness culture - which is easier to talk about but harder to implement effectively.  He details not only how he saw it grow in his department, but in the industry.  We talk about different game-changers and necessities in modern police agencies, and how some are missing from...

Police applicants!  So much of my goal since working in hiring and recruiting was to remove the mystery of our hiring process.  Many of us succeeded because we knew police officers and get some context to this unique process, including interviews and oral boards. Others of us had to learn through trial by fire, which is a huge waste of time, and frankly, can hurt your chances as you repeat testing...

Standards. Hiring requirements.  Headlines popping up with education requirements being proposed - a college degree - whereas other departments are dropping such items. In this episode, I am joined by Bill Fraass, who helps break down the pros and cons of educational requirements, but what we may be missing.  We discuss what police agencies and the public want in officers, what makes successful of...

Great trainers will recognize that every significant action police take, or don't take, gets reviewed and evaluated in the eyes of the court.  We do a lot, risk a lot, and have to write a lot of our experience, insight, evidence, and perceptions... to make sure our arrests get prosecutable, and/or our actions don't get us sued.. or worse.   Back in the day we heard about the "red pe...

Police have a range of challenges.  They are short-staffed and many issues compete for their attention.  Tools and technology can be force-multipliers, not only helping officers deploy effectively (to specific areas) for gunfire, but also vet the likelihood that the illegal discharge call that came in was not just fireworks or a car backfire.   Joining me in this dynamic topic is former police off...

Who gets to decide who a leader is?  (Clue: it's not the leader).   In this episode, I feature a conversation with a local executive police leader, who got the best compliment from another regional police leader.  I asked on my socials who I needed to have on that exhibited genuine leadership.. who did it humbly for their people. (You could not self-nominate).  I had a local sarge say I NEEDE...

In a rut?  Feel like you're going through the motions?  If it's more than 3 years til your retirement, it's too early to be counting down the days! Even those with strong sense of purpose and drive can find themselves in moments or periods of lost momentum or creeping cynicism.  Trust me, I've been there SEVERAL times, and so have so many leaders and mentors who have shared wit...

FDR said "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."  Relevant in this conversation, as Fear itself is not the enemy, it's not bad, it's just a thing.  However, making sure that THING doesn't paralyze us, prevent and stall us, or get us hurt or killed is very much critical. Tony Blauer an internationally renowned expert on all things defensive tactics, martial arts, a...

Positivity in Policing.. but not that toxic force-a-smile, everything is sunshine and rainbows.  I loved connecting with Matthew and Austin, two active cops who blend constructive energy, playful banter, and recognition of this critical purpose we share in first responder work.  We talk brass tacks of patrol work, career advice, prevailing negativity, gossip culture, training, what new generations...

There are hardly words for the loss of a loved one. Hardly words for the tragedy of a line of duty death of a partner - a friend.  For the catastrophe and heart-break of an accidental "Blue on Blue" OIS.  What about all those things combined... where an officer responds and finds her own fiancee as the gunshot victim in such an incident, and is there by his side as he passes? I can barel...

Relationships. Does that word make you go.. "Oh!" (endearing tone and heart eyes) or "Oh.." (cautious tone with pause) or "Ugh.." (you know...) Unfortunately, all responses are valid as relationships and marriages are complex, difficult, and often catabolic and draining. But is it relationships themselves - or not having the right guardrails, systems, lessons, and tip...

Good leadership concepts aren't difficult to identify, but it's hard to find them in practice due to a host of issues.  Culture, egos, habits..  In this conversation, I'm proud to feature the author of multiple impactful Police 1 articles, Chief Michael Assad.  Reading his thoughts and hearing his tone will resonate with leaders of all levels, as he shares his experience going from...

Wellness and Leadership are major pillars that Blue Grit is built to explore, and in this episode, they intersect in significant ways.  Steve Strachan (retired top cop for King County Sheriff’s Office, Bremerton, and Kent Police) is the executive director of WASPC (Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs).  He helps us explore what didn’t work in police wellness in the past, where we...

Our police profession has come a long way in the realms of wellness and support, but we have a long way to go.  Still, many officers are not given appropriate care, time, resources, or even a means to recover from the emotional, mental, and physical gut punches we get dealt. Some, with categorical on-duty injuries are cast out by agencies and L&I.   In this episode, ret. Lt. Randy Sutton and r...

All things Blue Grit talk about how to show up your best - day to day.  Much of the origin of the podcast was to help applicants prep and elevate, but what about active law enforcement and first responders?  The original idea for this episode was to talk about SWAT selection, but the themes developed much more high-level and adaptable for anyone who wants to be their best. This conversation with c...

Recorded after the anniversary of Officer Diego Moreno's death, 7 years later, I reflect on his mentorship, the range of emotions we face in loss, and a recall and discussion of purpose and morale in police work.   I explored what we can do about morale following the hardship of 2020, sharing 5 things we can do to promote positive morale in ourselves and our teams.  Lastly, in a nod to the de...

A career in policing can bring you your highest highs (epic arrests, life-shifting moments, hilarious hijinks) and your lowest loss (tragedy, trauma, death and devastation).  In this episode, I connect with veteran and former officer, Eric Tansey.  Eric and I connected on social media due to his work with the Failure to Stop podcast.   We talk about LIFE: his military experience, ups and downs and...

First responder work isn't just work... it's a way of life.  It is demanding, it is challenging.  It goes long and pops up unexpectedly.  Add in a marriage, family with kids, household duties, and now we are in a full-fledged circus.  What about an additional vocation or business?  Are things coming off the rails? Enter my guests, Matt Porter and Tim Fasnacht.  These are two dudes in the...

We talk about the stress, the real talk: how do we combat the bad stuff with wellness, training, and leadership mindset.. but what about the REAL GOOD stuff?  Prompted from a listener question, I assembled this positivity panel with help from YOU, with the goal of solely focusing on the positive, good attitude and mentality that we can CHOOSE to foster daily. Easier said than done, but my guests w...

Retreat. Rejuvenate. Reflect. Refresh. Reorient. Rebirth. There are many RE words that focus on positive shifts we can do as individuals and couples.  Often, we get stuck in the swirl of routines, stressors, obligations - from work to kids... where we don't make much time for ourselves and each other. In this episode, I connect with profoundly insightful doctors and spouses Jim and Lisa.  The...