Liberty Risk

This episode is a deep, unfiltered sit-down with Kevin Macon, a recently retired San Diego Police Department sergeant with nearly 31 years on the job, 19 of them spent working gang units, and a lifetime of stories earned the hard way. Kevin takes us from a Midwest childhood in Michigan to making a reluctant family move to San Diego, where football became his lane. From Patrick Henry High School to...

This week on Liberty Risk , we sit down with Jonathan Wayne Freeman for one of the most raw, hilarious, and unexpectedly heavy conversations we've ever recorded. What starts as jokes and side quests quickly turns into a no-shit, no-filter breakdown of a life built on big swings, spectacular failures, and a late-stage redemption nobody saw coming. Jonathan opens up about stories he's buried for ove...

This week on Liberty Risk , the crew sits down with Nik Hawks - former Navy SEAL, sailor, entrepreneur, and adventure connoisseur - for an absolutely WILD episode with story after story for almost 5 hours. From bouncing between the U.S. and England as a kid, to questionable high school decisions, to chasing the idea of becoming a SEAL thanks to a larger-than-life uncle, Nik's path was anything but...

This week on Liberty Risk , the crew sits down with long time friend and fellow entrepreneur, Peter Lemke for a wide-open conversation about business, relationships, risk, and learning things the hard way.  Peter walks through his path from Arizona to Southern California, launching a limo bus business that came with equal parts cash flow and complete insanity - one employee even stole a party bus...

This week on Liberty Risk, the crew sits down for what may be the biggest and most meaningful episode we've ever recorded - a roundtable with six guests bound by military service, Texas roots, and a deep commitment to showing up when it matters most. The episode kicks off the only way Liberty Risk knows how: inside jokes, supporter gifts, custom knives, and the kind of ritualized chaos that comes...

This week on Liberty Risk, we sit down with Mike Mihalski - founder of Sons of Liberty 🔫 Works, underground-casino alumnus, walking Texas legend, and the only man we know who partied so hard he changed state law. 🤘🏼🤠🤘🏼 Mike & Ryan have a long history, from meeting in an internet chat room 20+ years ago because of a mutual love of talking shit, to being ghost roommates, to being the best man...

This week on Liberty Risk, it's just the crew - no guests, no filters, and nothing off-limits. The guys sit down for a full-send, behind-the-scenes session that feels more like a late-night team room hang than a podcast. From the chaos inside the Patreon chat to the origins of the infamous "bat signal" 🍆🪽🔦 meme, the episode kicks off with pure Liberty Risk energy. The conversation rolls into wh...

In this episode, the Liberty Risk crew sits down with Ernest Emerson, the legendary founder of Emerson Knives, for a fascinating and wide-ranging conversation about his life, career, and the evolution of the knife industry over the years. Ernest shares how his upbringing on a Wisconsin farm and his passion for martial arts led him to create his first knives out of necessity, eventually launching a...

In this episode of Liberty Risk, we sit down with a man who's lived multiple lives in one - Vietnam Veteran, Navy Seabee, cowboy, and one of Hollywood's original stunt legends: Jim Wilkey . If you've ever watched a truck flip end-over-end in The Dark Knight , seen Stallone crash through cars in Cobra , or watched Clint Eastwood & Charlie Sheen race through  The Rookie , there's a good chance Jim W...

This week on Liberty Risk, we sit down with former SEAL BJ Welsh as he shares some WILD stories from 34 years of service - from operating with West Coast Teams to working narcotics cases for the DOJ, these are some adventures you won't want to miss! Chrome handguns, bar fights, meth chases, and the brotherhood that ties it all together… this one has everything. BJ tells the real story behind the l...

In this gripping and wide-ranging episode, the Liberty Risk crew sits down with two fascinating guests: Ed Calderon and Eddie Dennis, each bringing a unique perspective shaped by extraordinary life experiences on both sides of the US-Mexico border. Ed Calderon is a well known former Mexican law enforcement officer (3 x guest on the Joe Rogan show) who spent over a decade working in some of the mos...

In this episode, two-time Muay Thai world champion and Glory Kickboxing champ Mike LeMaire joins the Liberty Risk crew for a no holds barred conversation about fighting, family, and the kind of chaos that shapes a man. The episode kicks off with travel disasters - including Mike attempting to bring a .357 Magnum from France to the U.S. and the meltdown that followed at customs (when they messed up...

Kaj Larsen has lived many lives in one - Navy SEAL, war correspondent, Hollywood stuntman, Emmy-winning journalist, and entrepreneur - and he's just getting started.  In this episode, Kaj joins the Liberty Risk crew for a no-filter conversation about brotherhood, chaos, and carving out new paths after the Teams. From growing up in Santa Cruz to the transformation of the SEALs after 9/11, Kaj share...

Xander's story is one built from struggle, service, and second chances. A former Air Force Pararecue Operator turned entrepreneur, he's the founder of the brand Saints by Day, Sinners by Construct - leading a movement to bring suicide prevention and mental health awareness to the veteran and first responder communities. In this episode we get deep into why and how that came about. From a rough upb...

Nick Esayian has lived a dozen lives - pro racer, entrepreneur, law enforcement officer, search and rescue - but the thread that runs through all of it is loyalty to a brotherhood. From growing up tough in the Midwest to finding his place alongside legendary racers, athletes, Navy SEALs and special operations veterans, Nick's story is one of grit, reinvention, and always showing up for the people...

  Derek Janisch - From the poppy fields of Afghanistan to pro paintball arenas, Muay Thai & temptation in Thailand, and finding redemption at home - a story of love, loss, finding yourself, and second chances.  Thanks for joining us for another episode of the Liberty Risk Podcast! Today we dive into Derek's life, and the lessons learned - his early days growing up in Orange County, his obsession w...

Dan Corbett (AKA Dirty) has lived through some of the wildest life chapters anyone could think of and come out the other side stronger - his story is unlike anything you've ever heard. Navy SEAL, DevGroup Operator, mercenary, author, and somehow the only American to become a household name in Serbia without ever wanting to. From growing up in Northern California to finding his place in platoon lif...

Andrew "Bito" Arrabito has lived a life that defies categories - Adventurer, hunter, Navy SEAL, knife maker, entrepreneur, and always at the center of some of the best stories ever told.  In this unfiltered episode, Bito takes us behind the scenes into the gritty world of SEAL Team life: from performing CPR after a HUMVEE rollover on day one, to naked hot tub parties, street fights, and some of th...

This episode of the Liberty Risk Podcast pulls no punches. First up: a seasoned female law enforcement officer, military veteran, and border security expert who's spent decades on the front lines. She shares stories of combating human trafficking, drug cartels, and shifting national policies while breaking barriers as one of the few women in her field. Her candid insights reveal the dangers agents...

This week the Liberty Risk crew takes the show on the road! With the West Coast SEAL Reunion in town, we set up shop next to the iconic Teamguy bar McP's Irish Pub on Coronado and pulled some legends into our make shift studio (thank you, URT!) for a rotating lineup of unfiltered, shotgun-style conversations and old school stories. We had an incredibly fun and laughter filled evening and we're exc...

Some careers are impressive, RJ Casey's is on another level. From the front lines of special operations to the film sets of Hollywood, he's lived a life few could even imagine. In this episode of the Liberty Risk Podcast, RJ takes us inside his journey as a  U.S. Army Green Beret , Air Force Pararescueman (PJ) , OGA Operator, entrepreneur, and co-founder of veteran-led brands Brigands Co and Four...

In this episode of the Liberty Risk Podcast , the crew sits  down with David B Meadows - former Navy SEAL, actor, humorist, pugilist, and true renaissance man. David's journey of discovery spans from the coal country of Wheeling, West Virginia, to the battlefields of Afghanistan, and finally to the thespian stages of Europe. Raised by a single mother, during high school David envisioned a future t...

Ben Gallimore grew up in a quiet town of just 500 people in rural Tennessee. After getting a taste of college, he quickly realized it wasn't the right path for him and started looking for something different. When his parents suggested the military, Ben learned that his cousin (who he'd never met) had taken a similar path. That cousin was none other than Liberty Risk co-host Kevin Kent, now a Navy...

Dutch immigrant, Canadian citizen, Navy SEAL, 18 Delta Corpsman, CIA GRS Operative, widower, remote viewer, and many other things, Joost Janssen has lived a lot of life, and we dive into it. Born in Holland, Joost's parents feared Russia was going to invade their homeland so they fled to Canada when he was a child. Speaking no English, he learned the language from watching Sesame Street. As he gre...

We finally have our first female on the show! Please welcome Jennifer Tidball. Jenifer grew up in Florida and has lived through a lot of experiences that would crumble most other people, but instead of letting those experiences break her, she used them to shaped herself into a formidable force. From escaping an abusive relationship to standing up to divisive leadership, Jen has walked her own path...