Words from the Wise Podcast

Send us Fan Mail The best leaders don’t start with perfect test scores or spotless plans—they start with a clear why. Gary sits down with Chelsea James, a first-generation student at Florida State, to unpack how a COVID-era freshman became a campus leader anchored by discipline, mentoring, and relentless self-advocacy. She shares the real tools that moved the needle: a paper planner, firm boundari...

Send us Fan Mail The difference between a fragile follower and a future leader often comes down to one habit: perseverance built on safe, real-world reps. We dig into how parents, mentors, and teens can trade helicopter control for a clear framework that creates strength, not dependence. From setting boundaries around effort and rest to knowing when to step in and when to let natural consequences...

Send us Fan Mail The story starts in Norwalk and lands on a steam frigate in Pearl Harbor—then it never really slows down. Brian Ortega charts how an Operations Specialist grows into a Command Master Chief by choosing hard jobs, chasing qualifications, and holding the line on standards even when the culture tries to slide. We talk early WestPacs, plane guard and shotgun tasking around carriers, an...

Send us Fan Mail What if the most honest growth you had all year came from the mistake you’d rather hide? Gary pulls back the curtain on a year that mixed big wins with hard lessons: publishing Own Your Journey for students and families, launching Ocala Inspired to spotlight local leaders, and building a cross-platform community that crossed 1.7 million views—all while teaching full-time, parentin...

Send us Fan Mail A small moment can reroute an entire life. Gary shares how a background of constant moves, a Boy Scout love for structure, and a rough detour into street life set the stage for a Navy career he once resisted—and later learned to master. The turning point arrives during a quiet lunch with Oprah playing in the background, where the language of visualization meets an old foundation o...

Send us Fan Mail A pivot only matters if it serves people. That’s the throughline as we look back on a year of testing formats, learning from missteps, and finding the work that actually changes lives—especially for the students we see every weekday. What started as leadership certification coaching and casual leadership talk became a more honest creative journey: quitting alcohol, committing to c...

Send us Fan Mail The heart of this conversation is simple and fierce: people matter more than the machine. We sit down with Dave Robinson, a Navy cook turned Command Master Chief who led on carriers, a cruiser, a minesweeper, and at Great Lakes before launching a church and home care agency in Tampa. He tells the candid story of a life built on presence—showing up in the galley at 0400, standing o...

Send us Fan Mail A career isn’t a straight line—it’s a wake, and sometimes the seas are rougher than the chart suggests. Gary sits down with Master Chief Mike “Kaz” Kaszubowski to trace three decades of Navy life from Chicago sidewalks to Seventh Fleet, from learning damage control on Treasure Island to stabilizing a crew after the FITZ collision. What emerges is a rare, unvarnished look at mentor...

Send us Fan Mail A creative kid from Memphis taught himself to record raps in a closet, signed an indie deal in high school, and then made a decision everyone told him was unlikely: he joined the Navy to buy time, structure, and a ticket to the wider world. We sit down with Marteverick “Shears” to trace how standing watch in a windowless CIC in Japan sharpened his grit, why leadership choices like...

Send us Fan Mail Orders said “Guam,” and Ashley’s world changed overnight. What followed was a whirlwind of a temporary hotel room, a toddler, a pregnancy, and a husband who left again within a week for a year-and-a-half stretch tied to submarine maintenance in San Diego. Instead of folding, she found a way forward—thanks to an ombudsman with a welcome bag, a community that shows up at the airport...

Send us Fan Mail Navy Senior Chief (Ret.) Mike Savant spent 23 years turning weather into warfare — from forecasting off Iraqi oil platforms to keeping a three-star calm while the flagship’s comms melted down on the flight deck. He made Chief at 11 years, Senior Chief at 14, consistently ranked #1 EP, and helped stand up new commands… only to watch the advancement goalposts move — twice. In this e...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to go from a San Diego kid sleeping on potential to a Master Chief ET shaping ship readiness across Seventh Fleet? Dom Taylor joins us to unpack a career built on grit, clear standards, and the kind of leadership that keeps gear up and teams together. From a Subway job behind bulletproof glass to freezing mornings in Great Lakes, Dom learned to troubleshoot deepe...

Send us Fan Mail A Bay Area kid keeps a promise to his mother and steps into a Navy that will test everything—grit, heart, and the courage to say “no” when “make it happen” would be easier. From recommissioning the battleship Wisconsin and learning the hard truths of old powder in big turrets, to swapping coasts, choosing Boatswain’s Mate, and owning the deck with shiny boots and higher standards,...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to turn a restless teenager into a leader who can steady a room in a crisis and still laugh with his team after? Gary opens up about ten reasons he’s deeply grateful for the Navy, starting with faith and flowing through family, community, and craft. From two sons born at naval medical centers—without the crush of medical bills—to a marriage that found its footing...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to turn a “dirty ship” into the crew everyone else calls when things get tough? We sit down with Master Chief Jeffrey “JB” Brooks—raised in Fort Payne, Alabama by his grandparents, recruited by accident, forged on deckplates after 9/11—to unpack the real mechanics of culture change, readiness, and trust. JB planned on law school. Instead, he learned craft at the...

Send us Fan Mail A single decision can redraw an entire life. Danielle Wiley walked into a recruiter’s office with a toddler at home and chose purpose over certainty. That step led from DCFN on USS Comstock to Chief Warrant Officer, from ER09 tag-outs and Halon head checks to carrier fire marshal authority, and finally to AIRPAC N7 where she now shapes how carriers train, certify, and fight. This...

Send us Fan Mail A senior chief once looked a captain in the eye and saved a young sailor’s career. That moment—anchored in truth and courage—sits at the heart of this conversation with Tony Cook, a Chicago kid turned Navy chief whose life was forged by failure, faith, and the fire of real work. We walk through the knucklehead years, the undesignated grind, and a near-disastrous DUI with an unregi...

Send us Fan Mail A mechanic from Wyoming walks into a recruiter’s office and walks out on a path that leads to P-3 flight engineer, deployments over Bahrain and Diego Garcia, Chief in Hawaii, instructor in Jacksonville, test and research at Pax River, and ultimately the command seat in Guam during one of the toughest stretches the Navy’s seen. That arc belongs to retired Master Chief Mike Marler,...

Send us Fan Mail Gary Wise and his guest retired US Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Harn sit down and trade a lifetime of lessons—funny, raw, and precise. We start in Honeywell, Missouri, where a town shrinks to a post office and a kid takes his first flight to boot camp. From there, the story punches straight through 9/11: a young yeoman lands on the Abraham Lincoln, rides an 11-month deploy...

Send us Fan Mail When Gary Wise and Matt Klipfel served together aboard the USS George Washington forward-deployed in Japan, they faced what both describe as the most challenging tour of their military careers. Now, years later, they reconnect to share sea stories, leadership lessons, and the remarkable journey from military service to civilian success. Matt's story begins with joining the Na...

Send us Fan Mail From working the frigid loading docks to commanding a warship, Captain Steve Wasson's 26-year naval journey showcases the power of persistence and authentic leadership. In this candid conversation, he opens up about his unconventional path through college, his unexpected entry into naval service, and the defining moments that shaped his leadership philosophy. Wasson shares th...

Send us Fan Mail Leadership isn't a position—it's the ability to transform challenges into opportunities and inspire others through authentic action. Dan Martin embodies this truth, tracing his extraordinary evolution from a self-described teenage troublemaker to an accomplished EOD Master Chief whose leadership was tested in the most dangerous environments imaginable. This deeply person...

Send us Fan Mail Leadership at sea demands resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to grow through adversity. Senior Chief Petty Officer PJ Ernst's 26-year Navy journey showcases this evolution perfectly, from his spontaneous enlistment in 1991 to his retirement as a respected leader in 2017. PJ takes us through the transformative experiences that shaped his leadership philosophy—from the...

Send us Fan Mail What would happen if we stripped away the religious context from Jesus' parables and viewed them purely as leadership lessons? Gary and Chris take us on a fascinating journey through four powerful biblical stories that reveal timeless leadership principles still relevant in today's complex world. Starting with the Good Samaritan, they unpack how this ancient tale challen...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to transform adversity into opportunity? Alex Wright's journey from Coast Guard rescue swimmer to Navy deep sea diver reveals the remarkable resilience needed to navigate life's unexpected turns. In this powerful conversation, Wright candidly shares his military odyssey – from his stubborn persistence to join the Coast Guard despite recruiter resistance...