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

When can we get over our missteps and mistakes, and in many ways get out of our own way?  When do leadership skills take hold to help us realize our opportunities?  Will we only have our one shot- and will we be ready? Ray Polk Jr. is an active police lieutenant for the Arlington Police Dept.  In this episode, we talk about leadership- official rank and promotion- as well as leadership in general...

Across the nation for years, we have seen headlines of lowered (or removed!) fitness standards.  Many able and effective police recruits are disillusioned with the check box standards or academy exercise regimens.   One can see why agency leaders across the nation have appealed and asked to reduce or remove standards, citing a lack of candidates.. but it doesn't mean it makes any sense whatso...

Culture, Culture, Culture. It is a driving conversation on Blue Grit Radio- how do we address, fix, mend, elevate, curb, improve police industry culture?  Culture gets past the "what" we do, into the critical "why" and perhaps more importantly- the "HOW." In this new segment, Bits of Grit, I highlight key takeaways from prior interviews, to get your brains primed so y...

Every great new officer (or hopeful) always asks what they should work on.  Fitness, hitting the legal books. Geography? Learning radio codes? Beyond values, (probably worth another episode!) it’s all about skills and skill development. What your training provides you, and how you delve into it with your own resolve through training and experience.  These are crucial things to think about for rook...

This episode highlights an article from Calibre Press, listing 19 items that affect our decision-making abilities in critical incident stress situations.  There is much value not only in identifying those items, but detailing what it means for cops today, as well as providing personal anecdote and industry insights. What better guest to help me break it down than returning guest (3rd time now!), S...

In this episode, I invite an hard-hitting panel on the real talk we need for policing culture.  We tackle a range of issues facing law enforcement- from over-investment and identity, to waning purpose, victim mentality, and when the job is enough.  We discuss the difficult nature of these topics, and how officers should evaluate themselves and their circumstances to determine considerations to nav...

Returning guest Joey (Nor Cal SWAT cop) and I discuss topics much needed in police (and societal) culture today- staying grounded.  We do a job that’s heavy at times- it’s hard to keep balanced and stress at bay.  Ultimately we have a job to do, but how do it makes all the difference.  I appreciate Joey’s stoic and graceful outlook on how we can police- being mindful, patience, service-driven, and...

Cops are handicapped.  Cops are scared to do their jobs.  Rather than fixate on these narratives, the most critical and constructive thing cops can do is to TRAIN.  This goes from physical fitness, to tactics, to mental fortitude, and legal knowledge.  Knowledge is power, and articulation and awareness are game changers.  Enter our guest on this episode: It is my pleasure to share an absolute trai...

It is my pleasure not just to feature a selfless, busy AF first responder, veteran, serviceman, and caretaker of others: Greg Grogan.  We chat about the grind of “doing it all” and personal struggles with boundaries and balance. Greg shares about the genesis of The Overwatch Collective- a non-profit focused on providing critical, anonymous mental health services to first responders, military perso...

By now you all know that I'm a ginormous proponent of Peer Support, not just in policy but in actualized culture.  Today, I am joined by a personal colleague and friend who I have known through my existence at my PD- and more so in my increased peer support involvement in the last several years.  Pat Ellis is my department's (and our local fire dept's) chaplain and crisis interventi...

I’m excited to feature this expert panel on so many aspects of first responder fitness and nutrition. It is often times dizzying to figure out where and how to start. Beyond that, we tackle functional movement, injury-prevention and optimized considerations from novice to intermediate to advanced! Listen in for prime tips, practices, and strategies to be the best version of yourself! — Dr. Evan sp...

You asked, and WE responded!  I’ve been asked about the high incidence of divorce, cheating, and risk-seeking behavior in law enforcement. Heavy topics indeed. I immediately recognized that while I can offer my thoughts, to dive full-bore into this topic would require some legitimate experts!  Dr. Mynda and Ther (Esther) join the show and offer their clinical insights to the dynamics as well as Dr...

The longer I do this job (and this thing I call life), I realize that although I learn more and more, I also learn that there is more and more that I don’t know.  My guest in this episode is someone I’m excited to highlight due to his open-minded humility. Deputy Chief Bobby Hollis is a leader and personal mentor of mine.  Way back when, we were officers at the same time in “our” agency, and throu...

For part 1, check out Ep. 145- where we talk about Sam's background, start in policing and his worst day with lessons learned- you don't wanna miss it!   In the conclusion of our discussion, we talk about the importance of modeling behavior: for rookies, peers, and using that mentality to lead up with positivity.  Sam shares insight on how to be "proactive" and considerations f...

William Harry McRaven is a retired United States Navy four-star admiral who served as the ninth commander of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM).   Wisdom of the Bullfrog is  “a short, inspirational book of advice and leadership lessons that Admiral McRaven collected over his four decades as a Navy SEAL.  The title ‘Bullfrog’ is given to the Navy SEAL who has served the longest on...

It is my pleasure to share with you the first part of my conversation with a veteran cop's cop, Sam Steiner.  Not only is he one of the biggest hard-chargers you will find, but he multiplies his effectiveness in law enforcement, community-building and organizational cohesion through not only his drive and commitment, but to his positive outlook and willingness to support the mission.   Sam an...

In this episode, I am joined by Brian Manley.  Brian is a retired Chief of Austin PD, and currently the president of Off Duty Management.  We talk about his career from investigating child abuse, rising up the ranks, and reflecting on leadership at all levels- something I believe we need to keep fostering! We talk about school safety, schools being soft targets that ultimately need law enforcement...

I connected with Dr. Gino Collura after being on a shared panel on The Collective (s/o to Shaun and Chance!)  I knew when discussing mindset, leadership of self and family, Dr. G BROUGHT it. Throw in the fact that he's a behavioral scientist focusing on brain optimization, I knew more discussion was something not only my brain craved, but something our Grit Nation community would resonate wit...

Cold therapy... ice plunges... breathwork.  There is a lot of info and content continuing to grow in these fields, but what are the REAL benefits and real potential drawbacks or dangers the IG reels aren't showing?  These are worthy modalities to discuss in our quest to keep refining our knowledge and practice to decompress our stress and build our optimal careers and lives! Enter Adam Boyd,...

This episode is dedicated to my buddy, Diego Moreno (aka 2K56). In recent discussions, including Ep. 136 where I'm interviewed by Mark Bouchard, and several social media posts, I continue the well-received topic of near-misses, almost shootings and the like. It is truly not just the big incidents that trigger admin and outside investigative response. It's not just the events where we are...

This job can be unrelenting at times, and what’s more is when our system, culture and bossed make it that much harder. In this episode, I chat with Monica about her experiences and insights, which she has detailed in her book, Thriving Inside the Thin Blue Line.  We discuss not only adversity she faced, but how fitness and health practice can help us develop resilience as police officers and first...

I recently spoke on a panel focused on recruiting and hiring practices for first responder jobs, Public Safety Testing, and civil service groups.  In that, a video was brought up where a news outlet was featuring how "influencers" were sharing why young people should NOT pursue so-called "Hero Jobs" which included first responder work and front-line work like nursing and medica...

In this episode, I am pleased to introduce you to former LEO, SWAT cop, and author Joshua Hood.  We talk about his entry into the policing career after his military service  and the experiences therein. We connect on the toll and strain he felt in his career, and how he started writing more regularly. There are parallels we experienced and saw in police around us- that absolutely became overarchin...

In this episode, I riff off of a prompt where I and many of you on the socials discuss three pillars we talk about often: Wellness, Culture, and Leadership. All are crucial for our personal and organizational health and success- so what’s MOST important? Listen in and let me know what you think!   Questions, topic ideas and feedback? Send a line! To stay connected with the latest and exclusive con...

I've gotten comfortable sharing my story on different occasions and platforms.  It's all been in the effort of helping others reduce stigmas, self-judgement in themselves and others in first responder careers ripe with a multitude of stressors.  My story is unique, and it's also not.  So many of us may not experience the exact same circumstances, but the overlap is often huge. I was...