PICK UP THE SIX® Productions

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” - Galatians 6:9 That is the personal verse for one of our guests today, Dr. Ron Gellis from the PTSD Foundation. Dr. Gellis and Alex Yutzey join us to talk about the incredible work they are both doing through the PTSD Foundation’s Camp Hope, an intensive program for our nation’s warriors w...

Our guests today met at the Monroe Correctional Complex in Washington. Leo, a political refugee who had a mission on his heart to go into a local prison and teach incarcerated men about entrepreneurship. And Victor, a man that was on the inside, who admittedly had spent too much time around bad people doing bad things. Today, we meet these men, who formed a bond. Now, they’re on a mission together...

We first met Lt. Col. Jason Harris on episode 100 of PICK UP THE SIX Podcast. He joined us back then, to talk about his new book called Aiming Higher: A Journey Through Military Aviation Leadership. Jason, and a small group of his peers worked together to write the book, and we knew we had to dig a little deeper with him. Jason has an incredible story that starts in the inner-city of Oakland and i...

Marty Strong spent 20 years as a Navy SEAL, in the post-Vietnam pre-911 era. He traveled the globe, including missions in Panama, and he’s lead teams of SEALs along the way. We’re talking about service, leadership, and his book, Be Nimble: How the Creative Navy SEAL Mindset Wins on the Battlefield and in Business. This is PICK UP THE SIX Podcast.

Aaron Walker was living a really good life. He had started and sold a lucrative business and was in financial position to essentially retire at a very early age. But, fate stepped in one early morning, and an accident left him behind the wheel of a car that resulted in the loss of a man’s life. Coming back from that could have been impossible for some, and for Aaron it was headed in that direction...

We first met Nick Lavery on episode 20 of PICK UP THE SIX Podcast. That episode was titled BACK IN THE FIGHT. Nick shared all about the day his life changed forever in 2013, when on his second combat rotation in Afghanistan, he and his unit were attacked by an Afghan insider, ultimately resulting in the loss of his leg. Nick is back and he has a new book out called Objective Secure. He has a goal...

Eddie Penney was on the tip of the nation’s spear as a Navy SEAL actively engaged in the Global War on Terrorism. He was a warrior, who had to be ready for anything the battle field threw at him. In the middle of it all, life threw something at him he did not anticipate, becoming a single parent to three young kids. Eddie is back on PICK UP THE SIX Podcast and he’s brought author and friend Keith...

Josh Lannon grew up in nightclubs in Vegas. His family owned and operated clubs that were voted #1 in the country, five-years in a row. It was a fast paced life, and one that almost cost Josh all of it. He ended up at the bottom, but through faith and family, he has clawed his way back out, and he’s pouring his passion into Warriors Heart, healing centers for Veterans, first responders and members...

June 28, 2005. Four Navy SEALs were embedded in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan. 
It was Operation Red Wings. The story of that fateful day has been told on this podcast on a few occasions. First, the perspective of Lt. Col. Jeff "Spanky" Peterson, who flew the PAVE Hawk that rescued the Lone Survivor, Marcus Luttrell. We've also heard from Mike Murphy’s dad about his son’s final acts, ult...

The Mid-State Mile is a last man standing endurance event held in Tennessee. This yearly right of passage is more than just a race, it’s a fellowship event. Our guest today is John Grdina, and he just ran in his first Mid-State Mile, and he joins us to talk about the experience and the lessons learned. We also have a great conversation about faith and the freedom that comes with holding ourselves...

Janelle MacAulay remembers watching Top Gun as a little girl and thinking, "can women do that too?" They sure can, and she aimed to be part of it. From the Air Force Academy to over 3,000 flying hours and combat deployments, she has operated and lead in rugged and high stress environments. We’re talking about all of that and more on this episode of PICK UP THE SIX Podcast. -- This episode is broug...

We’ve all heard the saying, “random acts of kindness.” Our guest today doesn’t believe in those. Her name is Natalie Silverstein and she’s the author of a new book, "Simple Acts: The Busy Teens Guide to Making a Difference." We’re talking about being good, doing good, and creating a little more good in this world, on this episode of PICK UP THE SIX Podcast.

Today we’re talking to Mark Booher, a former infantryman and a licensed attorney who has conducted intelligence and security operations around the world. Mark has trained units from the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice, the Fortune 500, and police officers from over 60 departments from around the country. We’re talking about all of that and more on today’s episode of PICK UP THE SI...

In 2009, Judy Meikle was on the list for a heart transplant. She would get that heart that July, a heart that just days after her 70th birthday is still beating strong in her chest today. It should come as no surprise because, for Judy, she has the heart of an Army Ranger. Judy joins us for a special Memorial Day episode. When she hears the national anthem today, and places her hand on her heart,...

This episode of PICK UP THE SIX Podcast is in honor of Sergeant Steven DeLuzio, who on August 22nd, 2010, laid down his life for our nation while serving in Afghanistan. Sergeant DeLuzio was 25 years old. Our guest today, was just miles away from Steven on that fateful day. His name is Scott DeLuzio, he is Steven’s brother, as the two were called into arms after 9/11 and both were fighting in Afgh...

In 2011, Victoria McCausland returned home to find three men in uniform waiting for her. They were there to tell her that her husband had been killed in combat. She joins us today to talk about the weight of that moment, and how we can ensure heroes like her husband are never forgotten, especially with Memorial Day right around the corner. You’ll notice that we don’t get into all the details of he...

In 2015, Scott McDermott woke up in a hospital bed after a devastating bike crash during the Ultra-man World Championships. He had been unconscious for three days, and the fact that he was still alive was nothing short of a miracle. Scott joins the podcast to talk about his journey, which includes a fat to fit story, and how he battled back from that near-death experience to race again. This is PI...

The mission of the Infinite Hero Foundation is to connect our military, veterans and military family members with innovative and effective treatment programs for service related injuries. They are doing incredible work, thanks in large part to the leadership of their President and Director, Colin Baden, who through his work with sunglasses icon Oakley forged friendships with many elite military op...

This episode of PICK UP THE SIX Podcast is in memory of of the 30 American warriors killed in action on August 6, 2011, with the loss of Extortion 17. 15 of those killed were Special Operators and members of SEAL Team 6. Our guest today was a teammate and friend of those lost on that day. His name is Eddie Penney, a hard charging Navy SEAL who on many missions was the first thought the door. He’s...

In a new book, Aiming Higher: A journey through military aviation leadership, a team of combat proven senior military leaders come together in a bit of a reverse engineering way of writing a book. What started as a military mentorship mastermind has blossomed into a deeper effort to challenge one another and empower both themselves and others to achieve their true potential. We are joined by three...

The mission of WarriorWOD (https://www.warriorwod.org) is to reduce the impact of Veterans’ mental and physical wounds through fitness programs to empower our veterans to realize their full potential, confidence, and self-worth.  They aim to combat PTSD and trauma with fitness, at no cost to the warrior they support. Our guest today is Phil Palmer the Executive Director of WarriorWOD. He's a Purpl...

Our guest today was a kid in-and-out of trouble growing up in St. Louis. He had a decision, head to the Navy, or lets just say Johnny Law was coming. Needless-to-say, he made the right decision, which resulted in a 47-year career as a Navy SEAL. He was the last Vietnam SEAL on active duty, and he's still in the fight now that he's part of Saved in America (an organization dedicated to fighting hum...

Heidi Johnson found herself in a period of grief after a tragic event took a loved one from her life. In that moment, and the moments that followed, good surfaced and a spark was lit to start a non-profit that helps support families in need at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. Since then, she has kept the momentum rolling with another organization that teaches leadership to middle and high schoo...

The 100th Bomb Group was heavily involved in some of the deadliest missions of World War II, and some of the bloodies military campaigns in aviation history. There for 25 of those missions as a B-17 pilot was John "Lucky" Luckadoo. The new book (out today), authored by Kevin Maurer, is called DAMN Lucky: One Man’s Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History. Kevin joins us o...

Odds are some, or many of you, have done a WOD, a workout of the day. But, have you ever done one, say from the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, with a bunch of other hard chargers? Our guest today is running the USS Battle Series, a functional fitness competition that aims to bring a new level of awareness to health and fitness and mental wellbeing for our Military and First Responders. Cliff...