Catalyst Comms: Anything & Everything

What does it take to be the first? To be the woman in the room—or on the submarine, or "outside the wire" in Afghanistan—when the room wasn’t even built for you? In this powerhouse episode, we sit down with Salena Parent, a true "Alpha" leader who has navigated the most restricted corners of the military world. From her early days as an Electronics Technician to serving as a Warrant Officer, Salen...

Every great story needs a moment where the trajectory shifts. In this episode, we’re taking a deep breath and looking back at the archives to dissect the lessons, the laughs, and the growth from our previous chapters. But "The Pivot" isn't just about where we’ve been, it’s about where we’re headed. We’re opening up about the massive changes currently unfolding in our personal lives a...

The mics are officially turned over! In this special episode of Catalyst Comms, we aren’t the ones telling the stories, we’re the ones answering for them. We’ve brought our kids into the studio to get the unfiltered, "from the upstairs hallway" perspective on growing up with two Navy dads who might have been a little too loud, a little too "happy" downstairs, and definitely a l...

What happens when a Bio-Medical Sciences graduate with zero military background accidentally commissions into the Adjutant General Corps? You get the fascinating, high-speed career of Kevin Hedges. In this episode, Dan and Phil sit down with Kevin to trace his unconventional path from a Michigan childhood to the front lines of global strategy. We dive into the "what the f***" moment of h...

In this episode of Catalyst Comms, we dive deep into the lived experience of the "American Dream" through the lens of Danny Willis an Army Reserve Officer, consultant, and a leading conservative voice in Delaware. Danny’s journey didn’t start in a boardroom; it began with the transformative "first opportunity" of adoption. We explore how his upbringing redefined his view of ind...

From the deckplates of the U.S. Navy to the high-stakes boardrooms of Microsoft, this episode of Catalyst Comms dives deep into the philosophy of execution with Don Hinton. Join us as Don breaks down how a career as a Navy Warrant Officer, the bridge between leadership and execution, shaped his current role as a tech VP. We pull back the curtain on the legendary "Salt and Peppa" partners...

In this deeply moving and vulnerable episode, we sit down with Kim Neureiter who has navigated the most extreme landscapes of the human experience—from the darker side of PTSD to the literal mending of a broken heart. We explore the "invisible wounds" left by a father lost to Vietnam-era PTSD and the harrowing journey of surviving an aortic embolism and open-heart surgery. But as our gue...

We sit down with a man whose life story reads like a masterclass in resilience and reinvention. From the heat of the Arizona desert to joining the US Navy, and finally to the pristine greens of the golf course, Chico Sotomayor has navigated every transition with grit—including his toughest one yet. We explore his journey growing up in Tucson, his service in the U.S. Navy, and how he turned a passi...

We’ve officially survived our first six episodes! To celebrate, we’re stepping away from the interview mic for a moment to pull back the curtain on this wild experiment. Join us for a special retrospective as we look back on the steep learning curve of becoming podcasters and reflect on the guests that drive our content. From the early days of fumbling with gain settings and awkward silences to fi...

In this episode, we’re stepping off the half-pipe and into the living room. Joining the show is a lifelong friend, Logan Pace, who has navigated a path few parents ever travel: raising a professional athlete in one of the most unpredictable industries on the planet. We’re talking about the man behind the phenom, the guy who saw Liam Pace go from wobbling on a "Walmart special" to signing...

Joined by Mahmoud Elhag for an exploration into the thing we’ve all joked about doing after a bad Tuesday at the office. He has packed it all up and committed to a one-way ticket to live out a six-month global odyssey. This isn't just about the Instagram sunsets and the street food tours. We’re diving into the real cost of starting over, the anxiety of hitting 'post' from a hostel in f...

In this episode, we’re stripping off the dress whites and getting into the grit of what it’s actually like to climb the ranks while raising a human alone. We’re sitting down with a retired Senior Chief who spent two decades navigating the relentless tide of the U.S. Navy and the even more unpredictable waters of single motherhood. From the "bridge" between the pier and the nursery to the...

A look into the world of a retired Army Master Sergeant, Mike Dalton. From the discipline of leadership to the joys of being a husband, father, and grandfather. However, it is the story of his fight for his life against Antisynthetase Syndrome (MDA5) and coming out the other side stronger that you don't want to miss. Got a killer story, a wild recommendation, or think you belong in the hot sea...

In this deeply personal episode, we sit down with a veteran and friend Dave Martin, whose journey from the quiet roads of rural Virginia to the high-stakes world of Naval "black ops" has been defined by one constant: Brotherhood. The title "I Got Your Six" isn't just a military phrase; it's a life philosophy. We explore what it truly means to have—and be—that unwavering support system through the...

After decades of navigating the high seas and the complex hierarchies of the U.S. Navy, two retired officers are trading their gold stripes for studio headphones. But why now? In this episode, Dan Clark and Phil Petersen break down the "what" and the "why" behind their transition from the wardroom to the airwaves. This isn’t just another military history show; it’s a bridge bet...