Crew 1st Culture Podcast

Today I am going to talk through some things I have been fighting within myself lately; things that aren't easy to admit to such as insecurity, envy, and imposter syndrome. As I looked into these issues it didn't take long to find out what was probably causing this embarrassing inner struggle that I was experiencing - I had lost focus of my purpose and mission.  We have a tendency to see...

This is one of those podcasts that I might lose some friends over, in fact I almost guarantee it. But it needs to be said and we all need to hear it including myself. The fire service doesn’t owe us a dang thing. Reaching the minimum standards is basically saying “congratulations, you’re one step above incompetent”. One step above incompetent! Are we really ok with that? Is that who you want to de...

Be the one! Are you on a crew that lacks leadership, drive, passion, knowledge, ability? Then it’s time to be the one that changes it. Be the one who inspires others to do better. Be the one who cuts a new path towards excellence. Be the one to make a difference! No matter what you come from, something great can come from you! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know w...

In my opinion connection is one of the most important tools a leader can use to affect positive cultural change in the firehouse. Without it it’s almost impossible to foster an environment of trust, respect, and open communication. A  leader focused on connecting to their team is going to be much more likely to gain buy-in from their team members. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a mes...

The incompetent and complacent are not the ones that will destroy an organization, because they’ll never be in a place to have that much influence. It’s those who have achieved something in the past and yet rest on that achievement from that point on that you should be leery of because they’re closed minds and dated knowledge will forever be an impediment for future growth. Don't be afraid to...

I'm so excited to be joined by my friend Benjamin Martin for a conversation that I have been looking forward to having for a while. Today Benjamin digs into expectations, and definitely makes some really great points. Setting expectations has always been a cornerstone of what I thought was required of all leaders but that for me has changed. Do yourself a favor and take the time to listen to...

Never fear failure, but fear succeeding at something that doesn’t matter. Lately the word Purpose has really been on my mind and heart.  What is truly my purpose and how do I pursue it? How do we use our life’s journey to help others?  These are the questions that I discuss in this episode. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode...

I'm joined today by my friend Taylor Anderson host of the Couplings Fire Podcast. Taylor talks about her journey that has brought her into the fire service and into becoming a podcast host. I enjoyed giving her the opportunity to be on the other side of the microphone this time and loved hearing her story. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think &a...

Do you have a mission, do you have a vision, & what's the difference. Just as I have finally felt like I was getting a handle on the real meaning of these words a couple of friends of mine come by to make me once again question everything that I thought I knew. You don't want to miss this conversation with 2 great fire service leaders as we discuss the difference between mission and...

Discomfort & Pain are the price that we have to pay for growth. As much as we all wish this wasn't the truth, it truly is. Are we letting the fear of being uncomfortable or getting hurt keep from growing or from making a difference somehow? As hard as it is to see sometimes, the choices that we make to avoid this discomfort and pain will most likely lead to much more of each in the future...

Excuses are easy to find if we really want to. No matter what area of life we’re talking about, there is always something that we can find to blame our shortcomings on. But who or what is truly to blame. I think you know where I’m headed, join me in a little tough conversation on why it’s time to stop stepping back and start stepping up. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to le...

Today's episode we will be looking at some of the objectives that are discussed in my class called "Impact Beyond Firehouse Wall -Going Outside Your Department's District Lines To Reach Your Full Potential". How can we each make the biggest impact on the fire service? Finding your passion and developing your voice and your message are all things that will be discussed in this e...

Today I want to share one of the biggest challenges of my life. Being a leader has always been something that I strived for and enjoyed but there have always been huge holes in my leadership ability. These holes resonate from my conflict avoidant personality, I have not always backed up what I've preached, and I've paid for it (and still paying for it). I have either completely turned a...

Mission vs. Vision - This is a topic that I have really changed my perspective on recently. First of all I didn’t truly grasp the difference between the two so that definitely doesn’t help.  I’ll talk through some of the differences that I’ve learned about lately and then go into how a change in perspective has caused me to rethink my mission statement. This is a great topic for any leader to thin...

This is a special release of my guest appearance on the Coupling’s Fire Podcast. I really enjoyed my conversation with host Taylor in which we talk about a little bit of my story that I’ve never discussed publicly. I hope you enjoy it as well! ———————— How do I even begin to describe this episode? I'm joined by Jeremy Sanders from the Crew 1st Culture podcast - and we dig DEEP.  Choosing what...

Anyone else ever wait on doing a good thing for whatever reason and then end up missing the opportunity or just forgetting  about it completely? The answer for me is - all the time. But why, why do we waste opportunities that might help others because we are hesitant? I have realized that I just need to “Do It Now!” If I have a nice thought about someone I need to say it. If there’s something  tha...

To me the key to a proficient team is everyone working on their individual responsibilities independently but all focused towards a common goal. That and more about the playbook Mindset on this episode. Crew1stculture.com Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can...

The Fire & Iron Podcast has been one that I listen to regularly since they’ve been around. So I was excited  to be asked on as a guest. Hosts Matt and Ryan have a message that I definitely connect with. Like me they not only want to make the fire service better but they also want help each and every Firefighter become better people. I hope enjoy this episode and go check them out on your favor...

What do you wanting people to think of you and what do they actually think of you? Between the answers of those 2 questions lies a gap and that gap should tell us exactly where we should focus our growth. As leaders we can also ask where should my people be and where are they right now. Today we’ll talk about these questions and some other good points of self reflection. Thank you for listening! C...

Today I share a proud moment as a leader and discuss teaching the next generation. It’s on us to set them up for success and put them on the right track. Do your part! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!

“Don’t think of it as leading up the chain of command but INFLUENCING up the chain of command.” This was a great nugget that I pulled from the First Responder Training this week that Echelon Front put on was this. Jason Gardner (Master Chief I think), brought this point up and it really spoke to me in a way that I needed to hear.  What can we do to be better followers and how do we do it while mai...

Great crews do consistently what the others do occasionally (or not at all.  This is a thought that was taken from one of the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast. A pretty simple statement but so very true, like so many things in life consistency is key. Unfortunately consistency is very tough to achieve for so many of us. Let’s talk about what that really means and how it can look differently to d...

Today I want to talk about building crew pride and more specifically ask the question “what can I personally do to help build crew pride where I’m at?”. Most of us would love to be able to do what we wanted, if that was the case we could have endless options for building crew pride but we all have to operate under a set of rules and guidelines that often handcuff us in this area. That being said t...

Ready to get back into recording more I’ll looking forward to what to Come. It’s been a while since I’ve recorded a C1C episode and I am looking forward to getting things going again. Today I share a little of what’s been going on and some lessons that I have and am still working on learning. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episod...

Today I am joined by my friends Corley Moore and Jacob Johnson to discuss how we help our people and ourselves avoid the inevitable slumps firefighters fall into occasionally during a career. Both Corley and Jacob serve as Battalion Chiefs at their respective departments and provide an incredible amount of knowledge on the subject. They're insight is definitely noteworthy and full of priceles...