The Next Shift Podcast

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode is a solo episode and full of some gut punches that have been circling in my mind lately, starting with the title of this episode.  You do NOT have to wait until life AFTER law enforcement to have a life OUTSIDE of law enforcement. In fact, I encourage you not to wait! Your career can end tomorrow and if it does, you're going to struggle significantly...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode is a chat with Chris Perry...a cop's kid, who served for 31 years himself, retired, and started at a new PD with a RENEWED sense of purpose...in a non-traditional role that is changing lives! Chris served a majority of his career with the Cincinnati Police Department and spent time on patrol, the motorcycle unit, narcotics, traffic unit, and the welln...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode is a chat with Stephanie Samuels, the Founder of COPLINE. Just an FYI...there were some technical difficulties throughout, where the Zoom dropped and there will be a few moments of silence. Stephanie is a Psychotherapist who has worked exclusively with cops since the 1990s and is part of a National research team looking into the role concussions play in th...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode is a chat with my guy, John Kelly (aka The Law Enforcement Life Coach on social media). John is a Marine Corps veteran and a retired LEO. After 30 years on the job, John turned his experience into resources for those following after him. He is now an author, trainer, podcast host, and National keynote speaker. I've been connected with John for a few y...

Send us Fan Mail We are BACK!  Thank you so much for being here, I look forward to serving YOU with this new season of the Next Shift Podcast.  We have an incredible lineup of guests who have made the transition out of law enforcement, some who've transitioned...then gone back in with fresh perspective, awareness, and purpose...and several clinicians/resources.  These stories serve as HOPE fo...

Send us Fan Mail I CANNOT believe we are wrapping up another season of the Next Shift Podcast! If you had told me in June 2023 that I'd have 3 seasons of a podcast by June 2025...I would not have believed you...but here we are!  A HUGE shoutout to all of the incredible guests who have shared their real, raw vulnerable stories on the podcast...giving hope to others, that there is indeed life a...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode is an emotional reflection of my very first Police Week.  In case you missed it, I was able to and honored to attend Police Week, as a partner with T-Priority (T-Mobile's First Responder Solution). It was an incredible week talking with survivors, sharing stories, and honoring our fallen...including my husband and I's friend, Cody...who was kille...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode is a little different, in that it is not an interview with a retired LEO, but a retired LE civilian employee, who spent over 26 years serving his department and community with pride.  Roland Clee spent over 26 years in Law Enforcement, as a Community Services Officer in Florida, is the founder of Command Staff Consulting, and Founder/Author of the American...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode is a chat with retired Patrol Captain, Chris Haynes, who served 31 years with the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office. Chris was inspired to become a cop at just 5 or 6 years old, when his uncle would stop by his grandma's house to eat while on duty. After high school, Chris went to college and at just 21 years old, joined the Rutherford County Sh...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode is a chat with Lou Forst, a retired Lieutenant from Newark PD in New Jersey.  Lou discusses being born and raised in New Jersey, then spending his entire policing career at Newark PD, in various units like patrol, Vice, Narcotics, Gang, Sergeant on Patrol, IA, and the academy.  From 2010 to 2014, Newark had NO new hires, but from 2014-2019 they hired 485 n...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode is a chat with Rob Hollingsworth, one of the very first people I sat down with on an Instagram LIVE, to chat about his transition out of Law Enforcement in March 2023. A LOT has happened since that first chat, so we sat down to record an actual podcast episode.  Rob is a Navy Veteran and prior LEO turned entrepreneur, who's also a husband and father t...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode is a chat with Katie Robert's, a LEOW who received a call no law enforcement spouse wants to receive and has spent the past few years fighting for her husband to not only get the care he deserves after a near fatal crash on duty, but for his disability to be approved. Contrary to what so many think...just because the medical retirement has gone throug...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode, I share 3 things you must have/do if you are serious about transitioning out of law enforcement and they are based on the NUMEROUS conversations I have each week, with people telling me they are looking to transition and want to know what to do. First things first...I can't answer that, ONLY you can...BUT I will have some questions for you to help...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode is a chat with John Benjamin Jones. John is a retired Senior Air Marshal and former US Navy combat veteran...as well as the author of A Higher Calling: A biblical guide for first responders, military, and veterans and co-author of the undergraduate textbook, The Fundamentals of Security Management: A Common Sense Approach. John spent almost 30 years in pub...

Send us Fan Mail The reflection every cop needs: Identity, Purpose & What’s Next Turning 40 has a way of making you reflect, and in this episode, I’m taking you through my own journey—19 years in and around law enforcement, losing my career at 10 years in due to injury, and spending two years in a dark place before finally figuring out who I was beyond the job...and still figuring it out! If y...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode is a conversation with Paul Collette, a retired US Probation Officer and Veteran Navy Reservist, who started his career at NYPD and is now an Addiction Recovery Expert. Paul is also a consultant and instructor on sensitive national policy and high risk investigations.  Paul shares what it was like to get into NYPD in the early 90s and why he decided to mov...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode is a crash course on all things Next Shift Academy.  I don't know how I JUST realized I've never broken it down, anywhere other than social media...which may not be seen by more than 10% of my network, EVER...and those on my e-mail list get occasional e-mails about it, so I figured I would break it down here.  When I first started doing market re...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode is a reminder to never forget where you come from...you might end up back there...in a NEW way! I loved this chat with Mario Tonzelli, a prior LEO turned Regional VP of Contract Security...who's also a husband and a father.  Mario's story is incredible and showcases a full circle career! As a teenager, he worked as a security guard for his curren...

Send us Fan Mail Just because you are struggling or have struggled, doesn't mean you're a failure or you're weak or something is wrong with you. Struggle is part of life and no matter how much we try to avoid it...it WILL catch up to us at some point.  Learning how to not just survive, but to THRIVE in life, even THROUGH struggle, is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. And...

Send us Fan Mail Last week was the FIRST ever DEBRIEF event for LEO spouses and it was more amazing than I ever thought it could be. Several wives of either current/former LEOs showed up in support of one another and not only shared their stories, but reassured the others that they are NOT alone. This event reinforced that this job takes a toll on more than just the officer, so I wanted to shake t...

Send us Fan Mail Addiction does not discriminate. It can take hold of anyone at anytime and this week's episode is proof of that.  This week's episode is a chat with Davin Cole, retired LEO from San Fransisco PD, who's career did not end on his terms. Davin suffered an on duty injury, was prescribed opioids for pain, eventually had surgery, functioned at work for years....but off du...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode is a chat with Valerie Hartmann, prior Chicago PD turned Threat Investigation Manager for a well known Security Company. What I love about Val's story is that she understood the transition out of law enforcement is a LONG game. Val had enough self-awareness to know that after almost six years of policing in the big city...it was not for her and neithe...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode is a conversation with Nick Daugherty, retired LEO turned President/Owner of Financial Cop, LLC. Nick is based in the Dallas/Ft Worth area and worked for the Grand Prairie Police Department, where spent 14.5 years full-time and 6 years part-time. Nick spent time as Patrol, SRO, Patrol Sergeant, Fleet Manager, and Training. As you can see from the title, Ni...

Send us Fan Mail This was a fun twist to an episode! I have been wanting to do a Q&A episode for awhile now and last week I decided to test the waters to see if there was any interest. I posted a question box in my stories and explained what I was wanting to do, asking for any and all questions my network had for me. I got multiple responses so I went ahead and recorded the episode! Don't...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode is a chat with Josh Malczak, a prior LEO turned Sales rep, who is out here sharing lessons learned and insights as to why cops make great salesmen. I "met" Josh on LinkedIn and was instantly drawn to his posts and insights. His "Lessons from the Lounge" posts are what first caught my attention, then as I dug into the content, I found my...