The book of gaberock with Gabriel Avilla

From the great and powerful Bruce Lee, “Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is essentially your own.” In this week’s episode I interview Ashley Johns, entrepreneur and owner of Fierce Forward Jewelry and host of the Fierce Forward Podcast . We talk about our origin story and shared path on helping others, how important it is to maintain one’s sense of individuality even within...

Doubt is a universal human feeling that we all encounter at some point, and I am no exception. As I sought out advice from a senior officer on my potential for promotion, I realized that my past contains repeat mistakes that may be indicative that I’m not ready. And then I punched that doubt in the throat. This week’s episode contains the one sentence that all of us need to hear so we can unlock o...

Whether you know it or not, there are some Air Force officers today who have superpowers. Like the power to move a crowd without speaking a word. In this episode, I interviewed the homie and fellow Air Force officer Lieutenant Colonel Rory Tibbals, also known around the world as DJ Tagg. We cover our origin story as young cyberspace operations officers, how his personal interests have helped him b...

“The sport of weightlifting doesn’t build character, it reveals it.” In this week’s episode, I interviewed my weightlifting coach, Marcus Ofoia-Stevens, co-founder of Iron Athletics Weightlifting Club . We cover our origin story at CrossFit 808 , how the mind of a weightlifter differs from the average athlete, and how being a coach within the sport of weightlifting has a direct correlation to bein...

Staying focused as a leader is crucial to the success of your team. It’s easy to get distracted by worrying about how your ideas could be perceived or let a small mistake hinder overall progress. It takes strength and humility to stay the course and continue to be a leader when others seek comfort in the day to day monotony with no real progression.  With the help of a throwback jam, I share my th...

Leaders are expected to deal with various amounts of pressure at any given moment, and what matters most is how you handle it at that moment. In this week’s episode, I welcome a leader I’ve seen successfully deal with pressure from small to large and everything in between. Colonel Trish Csank is the Wing Commander of 673d Air Base Wing, Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska. We talk about our or...

Social Connecting > Social Distancing. In these trying times where we must take a pause from our normal interactions with each other, Team CCF continues to stay connected and share some laughs. On this episode, I chat with fellow CCF teammates Matt Titman, Ashley Merola, and Victor Villegas on how much we miss our CCF teammates, how we are fitting these gains in but it’s just not the same, and...

Dr. Chris Stasik is first and foremost my brother-in-law. He is also a leading pathologist in Phoenix, Arizona and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area. In addition, Chris is a CF-L1 Trainer and Head Weightlifting Coach at Wildfire CrossFit . In this episode, we reminisce on our shared origin story with CrossFit, how his experience in developing as an athlete and coach has positively...

A teammate of mine recently posed this question to me: “What should a leader do when everyone knows a teammate isn’t performing at the level they should? Is firing them the right answer?” This turned into a great conversation and mentoring moment that I wanted to share on this episode. Leaders don’t go for what’s easy, they go for what’s right.

Social Distancing can be your opportunity to build a strategy to prioritize the important things in life and really understand your “Why”. My guest on this episode is Dustin Thibodeaux, owner of Tailored Flow, a holistic lifestyle coaching service based on nutrition, fitness, and so much more. We talk about our origin story at CrossFit 808, how nutrition can be foundational to living a full life,...

This episode is part 1 of 2 and features a very special guest: my son Benjamin. On this episode of Constant Elevation, we talk about how he feels about staying home from school due to COVID-19, the pros and cons of constantly moving, and how he tries to make the best out of being so far away from family. Being a military brat isn’t the easiest life, but I’m glad we can still share a laugh and look...

This episode is part 2 of 2 and features a self-nominated candidate for the best child in this family: my daughter Lana. In this episode, we talk about what she misses during COVID-19 social distancing, how moving so often gets even harder as a high school student within a military family, and the different nerd adventures we’ve experienced together. She’s a positive example of a military brat and...

This week’s guest is Captain Russell Lewis, a motivated Air Battle Manager and co-founder of Higher Level Leadership. We talk about what it means to have a tattoo as an officer in today’s workforce, a key attribute that company grade officers look for from their senior leaders, and share stories on what leaves lasting impressions on the next generation of leaders. Russell’s YouTube Channel - “Russ...

On this week’s episode I have yet another interview, this time with a fellow podcast host, coaching consultant, and most importantly, a leader seeking to improve the Air Force. I’m excited to have Jon “Big Dogg” Rhone on the show to talk about his platform Leadership as a Domain and his recent feature as a guest speaker at the 2020 Air University Leadership Education Development Experience. Check...

Fortune and fame are two currencies that many of us have different approaches to consistently make more of. But there is one resource that we can’t make more of: Time. A fulfilled life is one spent on the thing we value the most, so you need to make sure you spend your time wisely. This week’s episode covers how I blend my personal and professional priorities into one cohesive time management stra...

Challenges within an organization are constant, but how you approach them will separate you as a leader or as an observer. This episode provides insight into the challenges I have ahead of me as I take on a new job and how I will implement my plan of action to bring the team to new heights. 

Every leader should have a defined philosophy that can be quickly delivered to teammates in order to level set expectations and serve as a foundation for conversation and shared ground. Your leadership philosophy should be informed by your experiences and thoughts and be unique to YOU. My leadership philosophy continuously evolves based on what I learn and experience and I share them with you here...

I’m excited to have Colonel Jaron “JRoux” Roux on this week’s show. He currently serves as the Vice Commander, 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates. We talk about the origins of the Minority Air Force Officer group on FaceBook and how diversity within senior leader ranks can increase the development of future leaders across all ranks. JRoux’s leadership style is a...

Even in the darkest times, the sun in all of us can rise to light our hearts if only we get out of our own way. This week has been a long and heavy one, but I got through it with the help of everyone around me. This episode covers how I dealt with stress at work and how the loss of loved ones can bring us even closer together. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/constantelevation)

Love it or hate it, running is a part of military life. All of us have the responsibility to meet the physical standards of serving in the military. However, injuries due to emphasizing volume over technique and poorly designed training programs results in lowered readiness. Instead of just putting in mindless mileage, this episode shares my strategy on how to train smarter for your military runni...

Aloha ʻĀina is Hawaiian for “love of the land”, and on this episode I share the background on why I chose to clean up my neighborhood and the small tactics I employ to reduce my overall eco-footprint. II hope this episode inspires you to know that even small actions can have a large impact, and all it takes is a little bit of Aloha. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/constantelevation)

Exit Breaking Red...Enter CONSTANT ELEVATION, the show for rising military and community leaders that seek to define the future. I am your host Gabriel “gaberock” Avilla, and on our very first episode, I’ll cover why I decided to rebrand, what I’ve previously created under Project Rise and Breaking Red, and what to look forward to under the new banner of Constant Elevation. LET’S GO! Support the s...

Talent Management amongst the officer ranks is a continuous process that must evolve if we are to retain and maintain a healthy military. In this episode, I share my thoughts on the Air Force’s initiative to eliminate the Below-The-Zone program and transition towards a more merit-based program, as well as the Army’s Battalion Commander Assessment Program initiative that seeks to expand the calculu...

Happy New Year! With 2020 already started, stop wasting time and get your sh!t together. The Bullet Journal system is the method I’ve used for over a year and will continue into this decade to organize my personal and professional lives. The tagline on their website summarizes the system best: “Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future.” I cover how I use the system and the three benefi...

Self-admitted: I’m not a good career strategist. Fortunately, I’ve worked for great supervisors throughout my Air Force career and use career planning tools to keep me on track for upcoming opportunities. This episode shares my faults, lessons learned, and recommendations to help you develop an efficient Air Force career planning strategy. Don’t spend too much time worrying about the plan. Instead...