Fight-or-Fl1ght

13 million Americans suffer from PTSD. 45% numb the pain with alcohol. Zach Maddox was one of them. A firefighter for seven years, Zach reached a point where he knew how he'd end it—he just hadn't set a date. Then he chose a different path. Now he runs Healing Heroes Guide Company, helping first responders find healing through movement, outdoors, and conversation. This episode covers traum...

JJ Parma (BUD/S Class 214) spent 21 years as a Navy SEAL with 11 combat deployments. But the hardest battle wasn't in combat—it was coming home. In this raw conversation, JJ reveals the truth most veterans won't admit: reintegrating into civilian life was harder than anything he faced downrange. Abandoned by his father at four, he built a career protecting others while never fully processing his o...

Design saved her life. Then she used it to save others. Tom Ford. MoMA. The Olympics. The White House. Now: Able Made—soccer style with soul. Myles Levin sits down with Suzanne McKenzie—award-winning designer, 2024 AIGA Fellow, and founder of Able Made. They explore tragedy, purpose-driven design, and creativity as a tool for change. #FightOrFl1ght #AbleMade #SuzanneMcKenzie #DesignLeadership #Pod...

Join us as Miesha Tate, a two-time world champion and former UFC Bantamweight Champion, shares the unexpected grace found in surrender. Her legendary 2016 comeback and pivotal role in elevating women's MMA signal a journey of strength and transformation. Welcome to Season 2, where resilience and rebirth take center stage. Our podcast is a beacon of clarity, illuminating paths of spirituality,...

How do you make the right choice when the stakes are highest? We are joined by Commander William C. Spears (U.S. Navy) , author of Stoicism as a Warrior Philosophy: Insights on the Morality of Military Service . This is an essential discussion on applied ethics, proving Stoicism is not passive, but an active, disciplined choice . Commander Spears connects the framework of Wisdom, Justice, Courage,...

In this profound milestone episode (#30), host Myles Levin sits down with Champion Cyclist and Biochemist Alison Tetrick to explore the meaning of resilience after catastrophe. Alison shares her raw, unscripted journey following a traumatic brain injury ( TBI ) that forced her to redefine success, identity, and self-worth. This is not a sports story; this conversation goes far beyond the champion...

FIGHT-OR-FL1GHT talks to Phil Freidhoff , a leader forged in ZERO-ERROR command running a Nuclear Submarine Reactor. Now, he applies that military discipline to Human-Centered Design (HCD) , solving the most COMPLEX, cross-matrixed problems for America’s Warfighting Systems. This episode maps out Problem-Solution strategy, HCD application , and military leadership lessons under pressure: how to ma...

$22$ of our heroes execute their own escape plan daily. Why? Because the system substitutes talk for surgery. This is the Cost of Inattention —an epidemic of failed humanity. We demand Absolute Honesty. This week, we reject the status quo with Eileen Shanahan of the Warrior Ranch Foundation. She uses a 1,200-pound Thoroughbred as the ultimate lie detector. Your anxiety is high-frequency hyper-vigi...

The Cost of Comfort: Ex-Navy SEAL Kevin Seiff trades his M4 for a mixer after a corporate exit led to existential collapse. Listen to this powerful story on finding real purpose, the dangers of high salary sedation, and why comfort is the greatest threat to a meaningful life. We dive deep with the SEAL Team Seven veteran on his trajectory to the special operator's community and his difficult trans...

You stop running only when the consequence finally outruns you." In Episode #26 of Fight-or-Fl1ght, we sit down with contemporary artist Louis Carreon. His life was a global chase, fueled by licentiousness and false idols. The crash led totwo years of federal time, and the hardest lesson: The Surrender . Louis details the system purge that began in prison. He abandoned addiction and channeled the...

​ Episode #25: Ryan Monopolus—Martial Artist, Filmmaker, Mystic Fifth-degree black belt. World champion. Stunt performer and action choreographer on Spider-Man: No Way Home, Cobra Kai, Stranger Things, The Walking Dead. Director across 10+ countries. Started training at four. Never stopped moving. Ryan Monolopolus turned martial arts discipline into Hollywood currency—designing the violence you se...

Marine Officer. Federal Agent. Waterfowl hunter. Father. Husband. Ty Yount doesn't do surface-level conversations — and this episode proves it. Ty is the Director of Communication for Valor & Honor Outdoors, a 501(c)(3) that provides all-expense-paid outdoor experiences for active-duty military, veterans, first responders, and their families. No cost to participants. No glory hunts. Just r...

Fortune 500 sent lawyers, not deals. Bear Handlon—Navy SEAL, Yale football, CrossFit Games athlete—built Born Primitive in a garage on active duty. No investors. No permission. Then erased $2.5M in veteran medical debt. This is operational rigor for purpose over profits. He built BTR™.

Tune in if you believe retail should mean something again.

Dive deep with Erik Oksala as he reveals how Grammy-winning creatives and Oscar-level thinkers partner with the Pentagon to tackle national security challenges, pushing innovation far beyond the battlefield. From the studio to the front lines, discover the powerful fusion of entertainment and defense shaping tomorrow’s solutions. Whether you’re in sports, fashion, art, or strategy, this episode un...

Finding Purpose in the Fight:--When doctors told Trevor Maxwell he was dying, he built a wolf pack of thousands of men with cancer — because no one should face the fight alone.

What happens when survival is just the beginning? In this episode of Fight or Flight, I sit down with Alex Langa — a former Black Hawk pilot who faced life-or-death decisions in war zones... and an even harder battle once he came home. Alex opens up about the unseen toll of combat, the brutal transition to civilian life, and the moments that tested his grit, passion, and identity. This is not a st...

How does a 4th-degree Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt go from combat competition; to bodyguarding Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson; to fighting for the legalization of MMA in Maryland? This episode dives deep with John Rallo—a philanthropist, teacher, mentor, pugilist, and advisor to law enforcement—whose journey proves that purpose isn’t found… It’s forged. We talk about: Betting it all on a d...

He helped launch BIKE Magazine—then watched it get sabotaged from within. So he built again. First Sock Guy, now Beaker Concepts. From endurance sports to bespoke products, Andrew Block breaks down what it takes to stay in motion when everything stops. 🎧 Episode #13 is live now.

Independent retail is dead. Erick DeLeon didn't get the memo. Everyone said brick-and-mortar was finished. Algorithms won. Curation was over. Community was dead. Eric DeLeon said watch this. He walked away from retail royalty at MartinPatrick 3 and wholesale leadership to open Of the Lion—a store that breaks every rule. Brands you can't find anywhere else. Running clubs that start in his shop. Ven...

What does it mean to live on the edge of painand still reach for peak human performance? In this uncomfortable episode Myles sits down with pain specialist Dr. Jonathan Edwards to explore the realities of chronic pain, suicide, and the cutting-edge science of ketamine therapy. Together, they tackle: ⚡ How pain reshapes the brain and identity ⚡ Ketamine’s clinical value and its doorway to alterna...

We live in a commercial world built on misdirection. Algorithms and dashboards promise certainty, but the only constant is human nature. Ignore that truth, and your brand won’t survive. Philip Otto understands this better than anyone. A cultural anthropologist and Executive Design Director, and, Chief Creative Officer he has spent over 30 years shaping the future of retail for brands like Anthropo...

General John E. Whistler shares insights from his 39-year career in the Marine Corps, focusing on authentic leadership, legacy, and culture. He discusses the importance of competence, compassion, and courage, and how true leadership is about service, sacrifice, and empowering others. Drawing on personal experiences and historical examples, General Whistler explores building resilient teams, managi...

Episode 1 x Jonny KraljevichIn this episode, Myles Levin interviews Johnny K, a designer and entrepreneur, about his journey in the cutthroat world of design. They discuss the balance between being conventional and unconventional, the importance of not being understood too quickly, and the challenges of creating products that are both creative and commercial. They also delve into Johnny's experien...

Andrew Shinskie, founder of Oxbow—a pioneering consulting group specializing in government transformation and cybersecurity—shares his gripping story of resilience, leadership, and innovation. Drawing from his rich background as a Marine Corps officer, Andrew delves into the critical role of nature and nurture in personal development, the profound impact of his family and role models, and the unwa...