Real conversations and topics that inspire the pursuit of daily growth through humility, connection, and hard work.
Tue, February 25, 2025
It is such an honor to not only be recording the 200th episode of the podcast but to share the experience with 2 of my closest brothers truly made it special. Please do not miss this conversation in which Marc Maikoski, Nate "Tuna" Gardner, and I dive into authenticity and vulnerability. This was such a great conversation and one that is sure to bring inspiration and hope to anyone who listens. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, February 21, 2025
In this episode I am starting a new series titled Leadership Lessons Learned (L3). The content of this series comes from a document that I made for the purposes of sharing some of the lessons that I learned the hard way with young officers. In lesson #1 I talk about the lessons that I learned due to my lack of preparedness to lead grown men and women. I hope you take the time to listen to the mistakes that I made and the lessons that I learned the hard way so that you may not have to make the same mistakes yourself. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, February 12, 2025
I firmly believe that burnout doesn't come from what we do, it happens when we allow life to cause us to forget why we are doing it. This is something that I think is playing a huge roll in the fire service. We have to find our why and once we find it we can't let outside forces cause us to forget it. It has to be about something much larger than ourselves if we want to survive a productive, healthy, and fulfilling career. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sat, February 08, 2025
“For every minute you remain angry, you give up 60 seconds of peace.” Ralph Waldo Emerson I’m like so many of you out there, I’m angry! But anger and negativity are the last things that I want to be consumed with. So how do we fix it? How do we avoid the anger while knowing that we may not be able to remove ourselves from what the source of anger? Listen in as I try to solve this problem for myself and discover some really important things that I can turn my focus to and anchor myself on. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, February 04, 2025
So many times we waste great opportunities or are simply just not happy with results because they don’t look like what we are expecting them to look like. We have exactly what we need at any given moment, but if we don’t keep our eyes and mind open we can miss it. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, January 31, 2025
"They tried to bury me but they didn't know that I was a seed." We will never achieve the growth that we were meant to achieve without being buried a few times. Whether those who stand against you like it or not, God is just using them to get us exactly where He knows that we need to be. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, January 27, 2025
There is a big difference between having the desire to achieve something and having the discipline that is required to do what is necessary to achieve it. For the most part, we all know what we should be doing, what we should be eating, how we should be spending our time; but that's the easy part right? When it comes down to making choices and taking the actions that support what we know is where is starts getting difficult. We have to go beyond being satisfied with knowing what is right and having the best intentions; we have to start focusing on choices that support what we know to be right. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, January 22, 2025
I am excited to share this bonus episode with you all because it was a conversation that I really enjoyed and I feel like there are a lot of people out there that need to hear it. I really appreciate my friend Preston Lyons having me on as a guest to the Relentless Rejects Podcast and giving me a chance to share my heart and my message. I hope you find some value in it. Show Notes: In this episode, Jeremy Sanders discusses his journey with Crew 1st Culture, emphasizing the importance of family, mentorship, and building a supportive tribe. He shares personal experiences of vulnerability, resilience, and the challenges he faced in the fire service, including a significant demotion. Jeremy reflects on the concept of the Phoenix, symbolizing rebirth and growth through adversity, and encourages listeners to embrace their stories and support one another. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, November 26, 2024
I wanted to share some thoughts on a really good quote that comes from Georgia football coach Kirby Smart. Leadership isn't easy and it doesn't come without a cost. A lot to reflect on in this quote, join me for my thoughts. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, November 18, 2024
Lead with your life no matter where life leads you! In this episode I share an experience that I had in which I tried to correct some rumors that were being spread about me. But it only resulted in me reliving some negative feelings that were eating away at me more and more each time I did. I will share with you why I decided to quit talking and just lead with my life. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, October 25, 2024
Going back into the thought journal I share my thoughts on a very important topic, especially for those of us in public service. That is the question of where am I placing my identity? One of the most important thoughts that I have had in this area is never place your identity in something that can be taken away. Join me as I dig deeper into this thought and share my own personal stories connected to it. “No matter what or where you came from, great things can come from you!” Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, October 21, 2024
A thought that has recently come to me is how much my focus on adding to myself in order to become better is only half of the equation. It is also important that I subtract some things from my life as well. Join me today as I dig a little deeper into this thought. “No matter what or where you came from, great things can come from you!” Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, October 18, 2024
It's time to stop making excuses and start making a difference. We were not put here to be stagnant, we were created to do great things. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, October 15, 2024
Something that I’ve seen over and over again in my life and the lives of others around me is how destructive a victim mentality can be. I firmly believe that resilience will never be possible if you see yourself as a victim. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, October 07, 2024
It's been quite a while since I have been in a place to release a new episode, so I am so excited to finally be back behind the microphone. I may have been quiet, but I am still in the fight, and I am ready to continue the Crew 1st Culture mission. Join me and let's do some amazing things together! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, February 14, 2024
Jeremy Sanders has been a firefighter for the City of Edmond in Oklahoma for 21 years and currently serves at the rank of Captain. He lives near Tulsa with his wife Erika who he shares 8 kids with and 1 grandson. In 2020 Jeremy created Crew 1st Culture and the Crew 1st Culture Podcast in which he shares the importance of the pursuit of daily personal growth. This daily growth has helped him to not only become a better firefighter and officer but also a better dad and husband at home. Jeremy's Articles: https://www.fireengineering.com/leadership/waitare-we-the-problem-fire-dept-culture/#gref https://www.fireengineering.com/commentary/the-art-of-changing-and-protecting-culture/#gref Check out his Website! Crew1stCulture.Com Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, February 14, 2024
Jeremy Sanders has been a firefighter for the City of Edmond in Oklahoma for 21 years and currently serves at the rank of Captain. He lives near Tulsa with his wife Erika who he shares 8 kids with and 1 grandson. In 2020 Jeremy created Crew 1st Culture and the Crew 1st Culture Podcast in which he shares the importance of the pursuit of daily personal growth. This daily growth has helped him to not only become a better firefighter and officer but also a better dad and husband at home. Jeremy's Articles: https://www.fireengineering.com/leadership/waitare-we-the-problem-fire-dept-culture/#gref https://www.fireengineering.com/commentary/the-art-of-changing-and-protecting-culture/#gref Check out his Website! Crew1stCulture.Com Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sun, February 11, 2024
In Episode 25 Ric Jorge and I talk to Jeremy Sanders about a difficult season of life he endured and how he found strength in his weakness. Jeremy shares how his faith helped him continue to move forward and how the adversity he faced refined him into the man God needed him to be. https://open.spotify.com/episode/4m11PUtMLJeuuKpVIibVtj?si=R9O4fyWOTMC9l3GtTgntYQ Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, February 09, 2024
Today I want to share a few journal entries that I recorded while processing one of the most difficult periods of my life. This is such an important episode because I know there are a lot of people out there that need to hear this. Through journaling, meditation, and prayer I realized that when we stop seeing ourselves as victims of life’s challenges and of those who stand against us, we can finally see the truth. The truth is that those circumstances and those people are merely just a tool that God is using to guide us along the path that He has chosen for us. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, January 30, 2024
In a career that has been so richly described as the embodiment of courage and bravery, are the members of today's fire service living up to that statement or are we just hiding behind empty and hollow facades that look great on the surface and from a distance but upon any closer investigation our true identities would easily be discovered. My thoughts today dig into this question and reveal my very controversial opinion of what is missing. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, January 19, 2024
Inside all of us is a darkness, a darkness so deep and empty that we are all fearful of it. This doesn’t make us good or bad, it just makes us human. Whether we believe in its existence or not; we are constantly haunted by it. Each negative event and seemingly unsurmountable obstacle we face brings us closer to our darkness; it is always there, ever waiting for that final straw that will bring you face to face with it. There are those that have somehow lived their life avoiding their darkness (or at least it seems that way from the outside looking in) but most of us will eventually come to know the darkness well. I will never suggest visiting the darkness as a hobby or a way to pass time but if you are like me and want to make a difference in people’s lives and in the world that we live it, spending time in your darkness is unfortunately the price of admission. It is where we find ourselves. It is where we find our purpose. It is where we find our story. it is where we find our value, and it is where we discover that we are worth fighting for. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, January 12, 2024
Over the years since putting myself in a more public role I have been asked a lot of questions from people but there seems to be an overwhelming theme with the majority of them - "How do you keep moving forward when so many things around you want to hold you back?" This episode I share personal experiences and challenges that I have not only faced in the past but still currently facing. Please join me as we talk about finding inner peace through the effort that we give. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, December 28, 2023
As we approach the new year, talk of resolutions inevitably begin to take center stage. Today I just wanted to share a few thoughts on what may be a little different perspective on this. Set goals and resolutions all you want but just don’t get so focused on them that you miss something that’s placed in your life of much higher value because it doesn’t look like the goals we set for ourselves. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sat, December 23, 2023
**This is one of the most important episodes I’ve ever released, please listen and share.** Back with me again from Yoga For First Responders are Olivia and Eric to dive deep into the importance of Breath. Using a very helpful tool that they have created to help guide people through different techniques, we look at not only each technique and when they should be used but also explain why. This is an episode that every person needs to hear because our breath is obviously very critical to life. Follow the links below for a free month of their on demand platform and the link to the breath work resource as well. Link to 1 Month Free Yoga For First Responders On Demand Subscription: https://ondemand.yogaforfirstresponders.org/checkout/new?o=87788&d=CREW1ST?via=crew1st Tactical Breathwork Guide link: https://www.yogaforfirstresponders.org/product-page/tactical-breathwork-training-resource-poster Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, December 20, 2023
**Update: Sorry everyone but when I uploaded Episode 180, I apparently uploaded the wrong file, so I had to redo the process for Episode 180.** Since when does it make sense that those firefighters who stay engaged, who are constantly sharpening their skills, and who work to make others around them better are considered rogues, outliers, rebels, and misfits? It’s totally backwards, we are measuring ourselves by the same oath that the first firefighters swore to. So, it’s those who are selfish, the weak leaders, those who are ignorant, the complacent, the closed minded, and those who are arrogant that are the true outliers of the fire service. You can call us rogues, outliers, or whatever you want but we know we are doing the right thing. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sat, December 16, 2023
Since when does it make sense that those firefighters who stay engaged, who are constantly sharpening their skills, and who work to make others around them better are considered rogues, outliers, rebels, and misfits? It’s totally backwards, we are measuring ourselves by the same oath that the first firefighters swore to. So it’s those who are selfish, the weak leaders, those who are ignorant, the complacent, the closed minded, and those who are arrogant that are the true outliers of the fire service. You can call us rogues, outliers, or whatever you want but we know we are doing the right thing.
Wed, December 13, 2023
I’m so happy to have with me today one of my good friends and brothers Nathan Gardner. Known by most as Tuna, he’s a big man with an even bigger heart and one of the most entertaining guys I know. Listen in to this 3 part series as we find out a little more about Tuna and learn some great things about some topics that he’s passionate about. These topics include - morale injury, repeat exposure trauma, leadership, and caring for each other. Of course there are going to be funny stories sprinkled in throughout as well. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, December 13, 2023
I’m so happy to have with me today one of my good friends and brothers Nathan Gardner. Known by most as Tuna, he’s a big man with an even bigger heart and one of the most entertaining guys I know. Listen in to this 3 part series as we find out a little more about Tuna and learn some great things about some topics that he’s passionate about. These topics include - morale injury, repeat exposure trauma, leadership, and caring for each other. Of course there are going to be funny stories sprinkled in throughout as well. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, December 13, 2023
I’m so happy to have with me today one of my good friends and brothers Nathan Gardner. Known by most as Tuna, he’s a big man with an even bigger heart and one of the most entertaining guys I know. Listen in to this 3 part series as we find out a little more about Tuna and learn some great things about some topics that he’s passionate about. These topics include - morale injury, repeat exposure trauma, leadership, and caring for each other. Of course there are going to be funny stories sprinkled in throughout as well. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, December 07, 2023
Today I just share my thoughts on the true cost of the “rise and grind” lifestyle that you hear so much about from countless influencers and motivational speakers. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, November 29, 2023
It’s great to be back on again. Today I want to share some honest struggles that I’ve been facing and the positivity that is getting me over come them. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, October 24, 2023
Who are those people that have helped you become the person that you are today? Those are the people that have greatly impacted our lives and we owe them a tremendous debt. This is a debt however, that we can never hope to pay back, it can only be paid forward. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sun, October 15, 2023
Sharing with you some thoughts I’ve had after spending the day with a couple of our kids on a field trip through the places of my early years. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, October 13, 2023
True champions don’t just raise trophies, true champions raise future champions! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, October 04, 2023
This episode we are going to look at the reason that I wrote the article “Wait… Are We the Problem?, which Fire Engineering recently published as an online feature. We have to do better, we have to keep learning and growing. Then we have to share everything we can with those around us. Adding value to others needs to be a priority bit before you can do that you have to add value to yourself. Read the article at: https://www.fireengineering.com/leadership/waitare-we-the-problem-fire-dept-culture/ Or on our website at: https://www.crew1stculture.com/articles-1 Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, September 28, 2023
Today I wanted to share my thoughts on discipline. I’m not like the YouTube celebrity’s that do a great job of making discipline seem like something that comes really easy. Discipline is hard and it sucks but it’s so important. What kind of character are our choices and actions revealing that we have? Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, September 21, 2023
Today I want to discuss the role of discipline in the team environment. Don’t be someone who is looking to cut corners. Do your job and finish every single time.
Fri, September 15, 2023
I’ve heard it so many times, people avoid God’s calling because their idea of what a Christian looks like isn’t something that they think is attainable. You don’t have to be perfect to recover God’s love, you don’t have to have all of your “problems” fixed before he’ll accept you; God loves you as you are. Don’t wait any longer, it’s time to surrender. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, September 07, 2023
A great book that I’ve listened to recently is “Unbreakable” by Jay Glazer. It is a great book and I definitely suggest it to anyone especially those dealing with depression and/or anxiety. This episode I go over what he calls the Unbreakable Mindset. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, August 31, 2023
An area that I feel like we can really improve on in the fire service is practicing vulnerability. Vulnerability is such a powerful thing and I have seen so many great things happen because someone decided to have the courage to be vulnerable. This is where our real courage is tested, it's not easy but it is so important. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sun, August 20, 2023
Choose to overcome, not to be overcome! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, August 16, 2023
I am thankful to Chief Corley Moore for not only having me on as a guest but for also allowing me to release this on my platform as well. I enjoyed the conversation and hope you will too. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, August 15, 2023
A struggle for so many of us is placing our value and self worth in the hands of those around us. Whether someone sees the value you have or not does not diminish your worth. We can’t allow the words and actions of others determine our level of happiness, confidence, and satisfaction. There may be 100 people telling you that you have nothing to give but God will lead you to the one person that needs what you have to share. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, August 09, 2023
I have the pleasure of being in the company of a great friend and an amazing person today. Marc Maikoski joins me today and I am so excited to be able to let him share a little bit of his story with you all. Marc shares about family, mission work, his tribe, and learning the power of presence. Marc is a 24 year veteran of the fire service and serves at the rank of Captain for the Alpharetta Fire Department in Georgia as well as working as a paramedic for the last 27 years. Marc is a certified instructor with Yoga For First Responders and an instructor with the Tactical Resiliency Training cadre. He’s also a tremendous advocate for first responder mental health. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, August 07, 2023
Sharing a story from my past of times that I wasn’t really sure how I’d make it out of. Even though my situation is worlds away from what it was back then I still have struggled feeling completely used up and exhausted. But even in those times I know God is working in my life and it will eventually pass. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, August 04, 2023
Outside of time constraints I talk about what other factors come into play in keeping me from putting myself out there and sharing my message. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, August 01, 2023
"It's a great class but the ones that need to be here to hear it aren't here." It never fails that you hear this at least a few times at every conference or class that I have been to. In fact, I have said it myself lots of times in the past as well, but I now have a different opinion of that. Join me on this episode as I discuss how I now look at this statement and why I have changed my perspective on the subject. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sun, July 30, 2023
I tried releasing this on Thursday when I recorded it but wasn't able to upload it. On my trip to RFT at Lake Ozark, MO I talk a little about life lately, the struggle with consistent podcasting, and excitement for my upcoming class at the lake. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, June 20, 2023
During a time of experiencing the excitement of feeling that something big is coming it’s hard to find the balance between searching and reflecting on what’s next and being patient and understanding that it’s not going to happen on my time table. What are we missing and how can I be used to fill that gap? - That’s the question. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sun, June 18, 2023
Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing Dads out there. I guess it’s only fitting that episode 150 is is recorded and uploaded in honor of this great day. There’s nothing that I’ve ever wanted to be better at in life than a husband and a father but these also seem to be the 2 things that I’ve struggled with the most. Just a little of my story that I’ll share with those who need to hear it. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, June 12, 2023
Today I try to share a little part of my journey that is obvious needs to be shared. I have been avoiding digging in to the topic of mental health as far as the role it’s played in my life for a long time. But I have finally come to the conclusion that I can run all I want to but if this is a part of my purpose I can’t run fast or far enough to get away from it. It’s time to embrace it and see how this part of me can help others. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sun, June 11, 2023
In the final part of this 3-part series, we pick up right where we left off in my conversation with Olivia and Eric from Yoga For First Responders. If you did not listen to the last 2 episode, I would suggest you start their first so that you don't miss any of the great takeaways from the knowledge and passion that Olivia and Eric share. If someone were to tell you that 5,000 years ago a program was started in order to train the most elite warriors of that time to become calm and centered in any situation, I’m sure it would pique some interest. How about if you found out that it teaches mastery of the mind and optimal functioning of the entire body, sounds even better. Oh, and one last thing, the teaching and techniques of this program were so profound and so successful that they are still practiced today. I think it’s safe to say that most of us would be signing up for that, if that’s the case then our interest in it shouldn’t fade or vanish when we find out that this practice is yoga. Hang in there though because you just might learn something that could save your life. For more info on YFFR and to access their on-demand app visit their website: yogaforfirstresponders.org To set up live instruction email: success@yogaforfirstresponders.org To watch introductory videos and access other free content go to: ondemand.yogaforfirstresponders.org To receive the 30-page Buy-In Packet email your request to info@yogaforfirstresponders.org Also check out their new podcast "On Air by Yoga For First Responders" wherever you listen to podcasts. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sat, June 10, 2023
In this episode we pick up right where we left off in my conversation with Olivia and Eric from Yoga For First Responders. If you did not listen to the last episode, I would suggest you start there first. Look for part 3 to be released very shortly. If someone were to tell you that 5,000 years ago a program was started in order to train the most elite warriors of that time to become calm and centered in any situation, I’m sure it would pique some interest. How about if you found out that it teaches mastery of the mind and optimal functioning of the entire body, sounds even better. Oh, and one last thing, the teaching and techniques of this program were so profound and so successful that they are still practiced today. I think it’s safe to say that most of us would be signing up for that, if that’s the case then our interest in it shouldn’t fade or vanish when we find out that this practice is yoga. Hang in there though because you just might learn something that could save your life. For more info on YFFR and to access their on-demand app visit their website: yogaforfirstresponders.org To set up live instruction email: success@yogaforfirstresponders.org To watch introductory videos and access other free content go to: ondemand.yogaforfirstresponders.org To receive the 30-page Buy-In Packet email your request to info@yogaforfirstresponders.org Also check out their new podcast "On Air by Yoga For First Responders" wherever you listen to podcasts. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, June 08, 2023
If someone were to tell you that 5,000 years ago a program was started in order to train the most elite warriors of that time to become calm and centered in any situation, I’m sure it would pique some interest. How about if you found out that it teaches mastery of the mind and optimal functioning of the entire body, sounds even better. Oh, and one last thing, the teaching and techniques of this program were so profound and so successful that they are still practiced today. I think it’s safe to say that most of us would be signing up for that, if that’s the case then our interest in it shouldn’t fade or vanish when we find out that this practice is yoga. Hang in there though because you just might learn something that could save your life. I’m really excited to share this great and so very important conversation with my friends Olivia Mead and Eric Brenneman from Yoga For First Responders. Their knowledge and passion are infectious, and their organization is changing and saving lives. This episode is the first in a 3-part series so be sure to tune in to them all. For more info on YFFR and to access their on-demand app visit their website: yogaforfirstresponders.org To set up live instruction email: success@yogaforfirstresponders.org To watch introductory videos and access other free content go to: ondemand.yogaforfirstresponders.org To receive the 30-page Buy-In Packet email your request to info@yogaforfirstresponders.org Also check out their new podcast "On Air by Yoga For First Responders" wherever you listen to podcasts. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, June 02, 2023
Today's "Road Trip Reflections" I try to shed a little different perspective on "The Mission" and what "For Them" means to me. I am glad to see some movement back towards prioritizing our citizens, but I feel like we stay way too linear with our thinking when we consider who "For Them" really should be addressing. Take a little time to listen to my thoughts about how a little change of perspective could make a really big difference in many lives. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, May 31, 2023
Will Rogers is quoted to say "The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking spaces." I will go a step further and say that there are many exit ramps as well on that road. But whether it's a parking space or exit ramp there's no question that choosing them will not lead to a successful ending. Parking spaces will keep us stuck in one place, while exit ramps will lead us completely away from our goal. This seems like a no brainer but when we are on whatever path we find ourselves on and we begin to face constant challenges, trials, and hardships; the parking spots and exit ramps begin to look like a lot better option. Mental and physical exhaustion causes us to start wanting anything that will give us a break from the constant clawing and fighting our way on this path. What paths have you veered away from and what missed opportunities has that caused you? Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, May 25, 2023
Today's thoughts revolve around the serendipity of our lives and how our journeys have led us to where we are. As well as thinking of those who have seemingly turned their back on the mission and forgotten how blessed they were to be given this opportunity. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sun, May 21, 2023
A very raw Episode looking back on my journey as a brother then and now. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sat, May 13, 2023
Are you willing to sacrifice who you want to be in order to become who you were meant to be? This is a pretty deep question but before you get to a place that you can answer it there are a couple of other questions that you must answer. What is your identity and what is your purpose? These questions will require some deep and honest reflection but once you have a picture of them that is clearer everything else will begin to fall into place. Excuses are exit ramps that will take us off of the path of our purpose, don't allow them to rob any more time from the significance and impact that we were made to have on others. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sat, May 06, 2023
The fire service will beat you down in every way; add to that whatever challenges that you may be facing at home and it becomes critical to have a close support system to help you through the rough patches. Who are you surrounding yourself with. If it isn't people that truly care about you and are eager to help you improve and excel then it's time to reevaluate your circle. I discuss why it's so important to reach out and connect on deep levels with like minded people in order so that you can help each other along life's journey. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, May 02, 2023
One of the many take aways from my first trip to FDIC last week was one of opportunity. I am a firm believer that we are all given several opportunities each day to make a difference. Some of these may be big opportunities but most are probably something that may seem minor at the time. No matter how big or small they seem if we are given an opportunity to add value or make a difference in someone's life we have to take advantage of it. What are you doing with the opportunities that you are given? Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, April 20, 2023
I am sure everyone out there has weathered a few storms in their lifetime. The storms I am referring to are the storms that the circumstances of life seem to bring here and there. I have been through my share, and I think it is safe to say that my family is weathering one once again currently. The biggest difference from those storms in my past and this one is that I have a great teammate in my spouse this time. The trials of past years that I have faced without that close support left me feeling nothing short of dark and hopeless. This time has been just as exhausting, but that hopelessness has not even been a thought. Times will get hard and complicated but it's in these times that we need to reach out for help more than ever. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, April 03, 2023
Today I want to talk some about leveling up our leadership by going from being a good leader to becoming a transformational leader. That transformation has to start within us first, we can't add value to others if we don't have anything valuable to give. Once we have something valuable to share, we have to keep our eyes open for the opportunities to share it with others. "Success comes when we add value to ourselves, significance comes when we add value to others." - John Maxwell Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, March 24, 2023
This episode is part 3 of a 3 part series with Ric Jorge. If you missed the last 2 episodes go listen to them so you’re caught up as this one picks up right where we left off at the end of part 2. Without a doubt, Ric is one of my favorite people in the world and I’m so excited to share that conversation with you all. After visiting Ric and his team (Tactical Resiliency Training-TRT) at NFFX during their “Developing High Performance” class I knew that I had to get him on the show again to talk about the importance of connection. I was blown away by Ric and his team and how close they were, a true community. Please take the time to listen as Ric tells it like it is and i hope you enjoy the conversation. Learn more about Ric and his great team at https://www.tactical-resiliency.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ffsitwpb?mibextid=LQQJ4d Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, March 20, 2023
This episode is part 2 of a 3 part series with Ric Jorge. If you missed the last episode go listen to it first as this one picks up right where we left off. Without a doubt, Ric is one of my favorite people in the world and I’m so excited to share that conversation with you all. After visiting Ric and his team (Tactical Resiliency Training-TRT) at NFFX during their “Developing High Performance” class I knew that I had to get him on the show again to talk about the importance of connection. I was blown away by Ric and his team and how close they were, a true community. Please take the time to listen as Ric tells it like it is and look for part 3 coming out soon as well. Learn more about Ric and his great team at https://www.tactical-resiliency.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ffsitwpb?mibextid=LQQJ4d Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, March 17, 2023
This episode is part 1 of a 3 part series with Ric Jorge. Without a doubt, Ric is one of my favorite people in the world and I’m so excited to share that conversation with you all. After visiting Ric and his team (Tactical Resiliency Training-TRT) at NFFX during their “Developing High Performance” class I knew that I had to get him on the show again to talk about the importance of connection. I was blown away by Ric and his team and how close they were, a true community. Please take the time to listen as Ric tells it like it is and look for parts 2 & 3 coming out soon as well. Learn more about Ric and his great team at https://www.tactical-resiliency.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ffsitwpb?mibextid=LQQJ4d Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sat, March 11, 2023
Today's thoughts come me from a quote by Jean-François Millet, “We cannot force someone to listen to a message they are not ready to receive. But we must never underestimate the power of planting a seed.” What quickly stood out to me when seeing this quote was how we always like to say "I wish so-and-so was here for this class, they really need it." I'm not judging, I've said it to but just because they’re there doesn’t guarantee anything anyway. If they aren’t ready to hear it, they won’t. Don’t waste your time on wishful thinking that others will grow and change, focus that time and energy into yourself. Keep planting seeds! Planting seeds of positivity, seeds of inspiration, seeds of respect, seeds of confidence, and so on. We can’t force someone to change but we just never know when one of the seeds we’ve been planting may finally take hold and start to grow into positive change in someone’s life. It’s not our job to judge who deserves or respect, kindness, honesty, and so on; our job is to give it freely simply because it is the right thing to do. Sometimes to do the right thing you have to do it alone and that’s ok. It’s also ok to slip and fall but try to learn something while you’re down there so when you get back up you’re that much better. Do Good Today & Keep Planting! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, March 02, 2023
Kevin Housley joins me today for a conversation full of noteworthy thoughts and takeaways. Kevin is the creator of Firefighter Craftsmanship and is working on his Masters in Sports Psychology. I honestly took more notes during this conversation than I ever have while trying to host at the same time. Among other topics Kevin explains the Self Determination Theory (SDT) and gives insight on how fire service leaders can use it as a guide to keep their people motivated and engaged. Bring a pen and paper and after you finish the episode go the free resource Kevin created for the listeners to help you work through the SDT model with your crew members. Find that resource at https://firefightercraftsmanship.com/crew/ Kevin is also the creator of the Emergency Responder Academy website where you can go to get classes or if you're an instructor, you can share your classes there as well. Go check it out at Homepage | Emergency Responder Academy Website - Firefighter CraftsmanshipHome - Firefighter Craftsmanship Facebook - (20+) Firefighter Craftsmanship | Facebook Instagram - Firefighter Craftsmanship (@ffcraftsmanship) • Instagram photos and videos YouTube - (109) Firefighter Craftsmanship - YouTube Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sun, February 26, 2023
Today I would like to share one of the many invaluable lessons that I have learned through my leadership trials and errors. The lesson is that having the goal or vision that you are wanting to pursue and getting started in that general direction is way more important than having all the details of the journey figured out before we start. Sometimes we as leaders don't know all the right answers or make all the right choices but if we know where we want to get to eventually and we start pushing forward that's what makes good things happen. Don't wait until you have it all figured out before you start, get moving and the path will slowly become more clear to you as you figure things out. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, February 22, 2023
Today I am going to elaborate a little more on a recent post that I feel is very important for leadership right now. The post is adapted from a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quote in which gives us some very important questions to reflect on. For those in leadership roles and especially those who are making big decisions for crews and departments we have to ask ourselves when we are faced with choices what we will allow the deciding factor to be. We are constantly faced with overwhelming and difficult choices, even worse the most critical of these choices must be made in an instant with no time to deliberate. But the bottom line is that "what is right" has to carry the most weight when making these decisions. There comes a time when we must take a position that is neither safe, nor politically correct, nor popular, but we must take it because our character tells us that it is the right thing to do. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, February 10, 2023
I always love having conversations with people that I already consider to be good friends and for this episode I was blessed to have 2 of those people with me. Joining me for this episode are Justin Mann and Ljay Geist. Both of these guys are not only great firefighters but are outstanding human beings as well and they are doing some really great things for the fire service. In this episode we have a conversation about "our part", no longer placing blame on any and everything we can think about and just start taking responsibility for what we can control. Whether you're a formal leader of a large crew or an informal leader leading just a few younger firefighters, we can make a big difference. Approach every day with positivity, a growth mindset, and look to where you can add value to someone's life. You can reach Ljay Geist through Facebook or email at geistecfd17@yahoo.com . Justin Mann is one of the creators of the Wood's Forcible Entry Door Kit and you can find more about that great product or contact him on their website below. woodsforcibleentry.com Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, February 07, 2023
I strongly believe that one of the most important mindsets that we can adopt is a growth mindset and pursue that growth daily. However, are we really getting the full benefit of that investment? If we aren't focusing that growth where we need it most we may not be. Today we will talk about focusing in on getting the most out of our daily growth and how we can increase our effectiveness with it. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, January 30, 2023
It's always a fun time when I get to record a conversation with a friend and that's what I had the opportunity to do in today's episode with guest Mitch Huner. Mitch has used his passion and knowledge for fire service tools to create Fire Maul Tools, a company that lives out their tagline of "Innovative Solutions". I enjoyed using this opportunity to not only learn about Mitch's journey with FMT but also let him share about who he is and what made him who he is today. I am a big fan of the tools that FMT puts out but to see a great purpose driven team behind that product is what truly makes it a special company. Go check out what the Fire Maul Tools team is doing at: FIRE MAUL TOOLS - Use Discount Code "CREW1ST" Fire Maul Tools | Facebook FIRE MAUL TOOLS (@firemaultools) • Instagram photos and videos (25) Fire Maul Tools - YouTube Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, January 24, 2023
Today I am going to talk through some things I have been fighting within myself lately; things that aren't easy to admit to such as insecurity, envy, and imposter syndrome. As I looked into these issues it didn't take long to find out what was probably causing this embarrassing inner struggle that I was experiencing - I had lost focus of my purpose and mission. We have a tendency to see the accomplishments and achievements of others as if they just happened totally ignoring everything that it took for them to get where they're at. We don't see the sacrifices that were made, the struggles and challenges that they had to face and overcome, the toll that you can almost guarentee that the process took on their lives on the road to those accomplishments. By focusing so much on the blessings of others we are in turn ignoring our own and this isn't a place I want to be. I know I am here for a purpose, and I know no one can take my journey just as I will never take on anyone else's. My focus has to remain on my purpose and my mission, if that's happening then nothing that anyone else is doing is a factor to me. By focusing on what I need to, I will accomplish all that I have been sent here to accomplish. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, January 17, 2023
This is one of those podcasts that I might lose some friends over, in fact I almost guarantee it. But it needs to be said and we all need to hear it including myself. The fire service doesn’t owe us a dang thing. Reaching the minimum standards is basically saying “congratulations, you’re one step above incompetent”. One step above incompetent! Are we really ok with that? Is that who you want to depend on to save your life, is that who you want to depend on to save the lives or your loved ones? Every day we have a choice. I didn’t say “every weekday” we have a choice, EVERY DAY we have a decision to make. Are we going to try to beat our personal best for time napping or am we going to pursue excellence today? It’s only 1%, it’s not much to ask for but done consistently will change the world. Choose to honor your oath today! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, January 11, 2023
Be the one! Are you on a crew that lacks leadership, drive, passion, knowledge, ability? Then it’s time to be the one that changes it. Be the one who inspires others to do better. Be the one who cuts a new path towards excellence. Be the one to make a difference! No matter what you come from, something great can come from you! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, January 05, 2023
In my opinion connection is one of the most important tools a leader can use to affect positive cultural change in the firehouse. Without it it’s almost impossible to foster an environment of trust, respect, and open communication. A leader focused on connecting to their team is going to be much more likely to gain buy-in from their team members. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, December 30, 2022
The incompetent and complacent are not the ones that will destroy an organization, because they’ll never be in a place to have that much influence. It’s those who have achieved something in the past and yet rest on that achievement from that point on that you should be leery of because they’re closed minds and dated knowledge will forever be an impediment for future growth. Don't be afraid to learn something that you already think you know. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, November 07, 2022
I'm so excited to be joined by my friend Benjamin Martin for a conversation that I have been looking forward to having for a while. Today Benjamin digs into expectations, and definitely makes some really great points. Setting expectations has always been a cornerstone of what I thought was required of all leaders but that for me has changed. Do yourself a favor and take the time to listen to this conversation, I promise that you will at the very least leave with several takeaways and quite possibly with a completely different perspective on the role that expectations play for us as leaders and why there are more important areas to focus on to accomplish the same thing (here's a hint - it's culture). Check out more from Benjamin on Facebook at Embrace the Resistance or at his website embracetheresistance.com Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, October 21, 2022
Never fear failure, but fear succeeding at something that doesn’t matter. Lately the word Purpose has really been on my mind and heart. What is truly my purpose and how do I pursue it? How do we use our life’s journey to help others? These are the questions that I discuss in this episode. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, September 28, 2022
I'm joined today by my friend Taylor Anderson host of the Couplings Fire Podcast. Taylor talks about her journey that has brought her into the fire service and into becoming a podcast host. I enjoyed giving her the opportunity to be on the other side of the microphone this time and loved hearing her story. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, September 23, 2022
Do you have a mission, do you have a vision, & what's the difference. Just as I have finally felt like I was getting a handle on the real meaning of these words a couple of friends of mine come by to make me once again question everything that I thought I knew. You don't want to miss this conversation with 2 great fire service leaders as we discuss the difference between mission and vision but also dig into what may be the even more important term to focus of - purpose. See more from Marc Aloan on Facebook at The Fire Inside Page or at thefireinside.org . Jarrod Sergi can be found on Facebook at Trial By Fire or at trialbyfireonline.com . If you enjoy the podcast please rate and review it on whatever platform you listen to it on and let me know so I can send you some stickers to show my appreciation for your support. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, September 19, 2022
Discomfort & Pain are the price that we have to pay for growth. As much as we all wish this wasn't the truth, it truly is. Are we letting the fear of being uncomfortable or getting hurt keep from growing or from making a difference somehow? As hard as it is to see sometimes, the choices that we make to avoid this discomfort and pain will most likely lead to much more of each in the future because growth was not achieved when it should have been. We need to stay strong together and face the discomfort and pain head on because the growth that will be achieved is well worth it. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, August 22, 2022
Excuses are easy to find if we really want to. No matter what area of life we’re talking about, there is always something that we can find to blame our shortcomings on. But who or what is truly to blame. I think you know where I’m headed, join me in a little tough conversation on why it’s time to stop stepping back and start stepping up. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, July 27, 2022
Today's episode we will be looking at some of the objectives that are discussed in my class called "Impact Beyond Firehouse Wall -Going Outside Your Department's District Lines To Reach Your Full Potential". How can we each make the biggest impact on the fire service? Finding your passion and developing your voice and your message are all things that will be discussed in this episode. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, July 26, 2022
Today's episode we will be looking at some of the objectives that are discussed in my class called "Impact Beyond Firehouse Wall -Going Outside Your Department's District Lines To Reach Your Full Potential". How can we each make the biggest impact on the fire service? Finding your passion and developing your voice and your message are all things that will be discussed in this episode.
Mon, April 11, 2022
Today I want to share one of the biggest challenges of my life. Being a leader has always been something that I strived for and enjoyed but there have always been huge holes in my leadership ability. These holes resonate from my conflict avoidant personality, I have not always backed up what I've preached, and I've paid for it (and still paying for it). I have either completely turned a blind eye to things or just dealt with enough of it that it appeared like it was being addressed, but I was lying to myself. Most nights I look back on the day and think that I have no business trying to be a "leader" because you aren't strong enough to do the hard stuff. Fear and self-doubt have held me back my entire life, but I now know that I am strong enough to fight it and strong enough to win. What challenges have you been ignoring in your life that need to be faced to become a better person, leader, spouse, or parent? It's time to make a stand and fight you! Crew1stculture.com https://linktr.ee/crew1stculture Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, March 25, 2022
Mission vs. Vision - This is a topic that I have really changed my perspective on recently. First of all I didn’t truly grasp the difference between the two so that definitely doesn’t help. I’ll talk through some of the differences that I’ve learned about lately and then go into how a change in perspective has caused me to rethink my mission statement. This is a great topic for any leader to think about and hopefully I can give a little clarity to what a lot of people find to be a confusing subject. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sun, March 13, 2022
This is a special release of my guest appearance on the Coupling’s Fire Podcast. I really enjoyed my conversation with host Taylor in which we talk about a little bit of my story that I’ve never discussed publicly. I hope you enjoy it as well! ———————— How do I even begin to describe this episode? I'm joined by Jeremy Sanders from the Crew 1st Culture podcast - and we dig DEEP. Choosing what "hill to die on", doing things in your own time, finding your place, pursing daily growth, managing life as a single parent, becoming a foster parent, unique struggles of a blended family, life balance, and going over the fears we all have of opening up - this episode is a whopper. We get into amazing, deep, REAL talk. Things we don't want to admit and hard truths. The kind of conversations both of us wish we would see throughout the fire service, in the station, and in our personal lives. It's a long one, but it's exactly the conversation that deserves the extended air time. As always, I don’t claim to be an expert, I just love to talk fire and I’m not afraid to get into real & deep discussions. Everything I say is my own opinion and does not reflect the opinions of any agency or organization I am associated with. Have a topic or question you want me to cover? Know someone who would like to be a guest on the podcast? Let me know! Be sure to let me know what you thought of the podcast by leaving a rating, review, and by reaching out! couplingsfirepodcast@gmail.com Find me on Social Media! Facebook: www.facebook.com/CouplingsFirePodcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/couplingsfirepodcast YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC75ze7HT8IAlVYwV1y5Aosg Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, March 10, 2022
Anyone else ever wait on doing a good thing for whatever reason and then end up missing the opportunity or just forgetting about it completely? The answer for me is - all the time. But why, why do we waste opportunities that might help others because we are hesitant? I have realized that I just need to “Do It Now!” If I have a nice thought about someone I need to say it. If there’s something that I know I need to do or start that will be helpful to others, I need to just do it. Stop waiting for better timing or the perfect moment to do something good. Crew1stculture.com Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, March 02, 2022
To me the key to a proficient team is everyone working on their individual responsibilities independently but all focused towards a common goal. That and more about the playbook Mindset on this episode. Crew1stculture.com Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, February 11, 2022
The Fire & Iron Podcast has been one that I listen to regularly since they’ve been around. So I was excited to be asked on as a guest. Hosts Matt and Ryan have a message that I definitely connect with. Like me they not only want to make the fire service better but they also want help each and every Firefighter become better people. I hope enjoy this episode and go check them out on your favorite podcast platform or on Instagram at @fireandironpodcast . Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, February 09, 2022
What do you wanting people to think of you and what do they actually think of you? Between the answers of those 2 questions lies a gap and that gap should tell us exactly where we should focus our growth. As leaders we can also ask where should my people be and where are they right now. Today we’ll talk about these questions and some other good points of self reflection. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, January 27, 2022
Today I share a proud moment as a leader and discuss teaching the next generation. It’s on us to set them up for success and put them on the right track. Do your part! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, January 20, 2022
“Don’t think of it as leading up the chain of command but INFLUENCING up the chain of command.” This was a great nugget that I pulled from the First Responder Training this week that Echelon Front put on was this. Jason Gardner (Master Chief I think), brought this point up and it really spoke to me in a way that I needed to hear. What can we do to be better followers and how do we do it while maintaining a balance between not being a yes man and not being disrespectful? All this and more in today’s episode. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, January 20, 2022
“Don’t think of it as leading up the chain of command but INFLUENCING up the chain of command.” This was a great nugget that I pulled from the First Responder Training this week that Echelon Front put on was this. Jason Gardner (Master Chief I think), brought this point up and it really spoke to me in a way that I needed to hear. What can we do to be better followers and how do we do it while maintaining a balance between not being a yes man and not being disrespectful?
Mon, January 17, 2022
Great crews do consistently what the others do occasionally (or not at all. This is a thought that was taken from one of the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast. A pretty simple statement but so very true, like so many things in life consistency is key. Unfortunately consistency is very tough to achieve for so many of us. Let’s talk about what that really means and how it can look differently to different people. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, January 13, 2022
Today I want to talk about building crew pride and more specifically ask the question “what can I personally do to help build crew pride where I’m at?”. Most of us would love to be able to do what we wanted, if that was the case we could have endless options for building crew pride but we all have to operate under a set of rules and guidelines that often handcuff us in this area. That being said those are uncontrollable factors so we need to keep on the things we CAN do. There are things we can do, I’ll share some ideas I have and would love to hear ideas from others. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, January 04, 2022
Ready to get back into recording more I’ll looking forward to what to Come. It’s been a while since I’ve recorded a C1C episode and I am looking forward to getting things going again. Today I share a little of what’s been going on and some lessons that I have and am still working on learning. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, December 29, 2021
Today I am joined by my friends Corley Moore and Jacob Johnson to discuss how we help our people and ourselves avoid the inevitable slumps firefighters fall into occasionally during a career. Both Corley and Jacob serve as Battalion Chiefs at their respective departments and provide an incredible amount of knowledge on the subject. They're insight is definitely noteworthy and full of priceless nuggets of wisdom. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, November 15, 2021
Frustration can lead to actions that will undermine your message and your ability to impact others if we allow it to. However, frustration could also be exactly what we need to push us to explore other options leading to opportunity and inspiration. Joining me on this episode are Jarrod Sergi, Marc Aloan, and Mark VonAppen to discuss how frustration played a big part in their stories. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, September 24, 2021
Joining me today on episode 6 of the Underground Leadership Movement is Sean Duffy and Benjamin Martin. We dig into the importance of leaders stepping up to be teachers and the benefits that come from doing so. Whether you’re a new and aspire to be an informal leader to those seasoned formal leaders of rank we all need to be teaching and sharing our experience and knowledge work as many people as we can. Lead by example, share what you have learned, and do good things. Find more from Sean Duffy at Build Your Culture on Facebook and Instagram. Find more from Benjamin Martin including his upcoming conference in Virginia go to Embrace The Resistance on Facebook, Instagram, or at embracetheresistance.com . Stay Humble & Do Work! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, September 16, 2021
Today I am so thankful to be able to share a little bit of what life has brought to me lately. It's so exciting when new doors open up for us but what we might miss is that new opportunities can turn into problems if we don't reevaluate our lives in order to maintain balance. New opportunities are blessings but when new things come into our lives it probably means pushing something else to the back burner. If we aren't intentional about what we are pushing to the back burner it could end up being something very important like family or our career, so we have to really take an honest look. Keep your eyes open for those new opportunities and be ready to make the leap of faith to take advantage of them but also be prepared to step away from something else in order to maintain a healthy balance. Stay Humble and Do Work! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, July 23, 2021
I’m so thankful for those that have inspired me in this fire service rebirth that I’ve experienced over the last couple of years. I am so blessed to have great people put in my life steering me in the right direction. That being said the last 3 months have been a highly concentrated time of growth for me. The things I have done in that time have never been something I thought were even possible but it’s only because 2 things happened - I had great people give me great opportunities, and I allowed myself to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. That’s how you grow and that’s how you find your purpose. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, June 29, 2021
I was reminded this last weekend of a lesson that I’ve learned over the past year. We can’t control the amount of time that we get to spend with others but we can control the impact that we have on their lives while they’re here. Even short time periods can be opportunities to impact people’s lives. This was proven to me last Friday when I met Corey Thompson who is on the Bearer’s of the Oath cadre. I shared a conversation with Corey for about 45 minutes and that short amount of time impacted me because of who he is and because of the love and passion he displays. Let’s take advantage of opportunities to impact others, it might be exactly what they need. Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry . All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Audible, Amazon Music, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, June 04, 2021
We all have to start somewhere and the same goes for leaders as well. When you’re a new or newer leader you don’t have experience to lean on, you’re still finding your way, and you’re still trying to figure out who you are as a leader. But in the absence of that experience we can at least start by taking care of our people, that’s easy to do and requires no experience. The rest will come with time. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, May 26, 2021
This special episode is a double celebration for the 100th episode of both The Professional Brotherhood Podcast and the Crew 1st Culture Podcast. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, May 26, 2021
Humility for me is arguably the most important value you can have as a leader. Personal growth does not happen without humility. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, May 25, 2021
Humility is so vital, especially as a leader. To achieve personal growth humility must be present.
Tue, May 18, 2021
I’m so glad to be back to recording. I took some time to work through a few things which I will touch on some as well as some upcoming news. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, April 09, 2021
Jonathan Brumley joins me today to discuss his journey in both the fire service and personal life. We also touch on the importance of training and pre-planning buildings in your district. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, April 06, 2021
Recorded live from Clubhouse on Monday I am joined by Ljay Geist, Greg Barnes, and Taylor Anderson. We talk about the importance making your small circle your priority at work and at home and what happens when we lose that focus. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, April 02, 2021
Joining me today is Chief Andy Starnes. I am so excited to put out this episode because it was a blessing to be apart of this conversation with the Chief. I took away so many great nuggets from this conversation and know that it will add so much value to your life as well. Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry . Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, March 30, 2021
Building your Reputation in the fire service starts from day 1. From day 1 we are being watched and categorized. Reputation can be a fragile thing, even if you spend decades building a solid reputation you can quickly chip away at it or even destroy it by ill advised actions. On the other side of that coin for those that have got off on the wrong foot and created a bad reputation for themselves, that can change too. It’s a long hard road but you can rebuild a negative reputation. Honesty and humility are however are required for this flip. We have to be honest about what we’ve done that’s lead To this bad reputation. We also have to be humble enough to work through the process of healing that reputation. It’s ok to say “I made mistakes in the past but luckily I have realized how wrong I was and I’m ready to made it right.” We can all do better, and be better. It’s time to start. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, March 25, 2021
Mr. Engine Zero himself joins me today, Adam Maiers. Adam has been a great source of inspiration to a lot of us especially those that don’t necessarily have much support when it comes to training. I love the example he sets by not allowing the Excuses to win. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, March 24, 2021
If you aren’t proud to be a firefighter, and if you’ aren’t proud of your crew; then it’s time to do something to be proud of. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, March 18, 2021
Joining me today is Josh Chase, author of the book “Jump Seat Leadership”. This book speaks to a lot of the things I’ve been talking about lately - the need for more informal leadership. I learned a lot from this discussion and loved engaging with Josh on the topic because he obviously shares a passion for the subject. Find Josh at Joshchase.org or on Facebook at the Jump Seat Leadership page. Jump Seat Leadership can be purchased from Amazon. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, March 17, 2021
Seasons of life echo the seasons of weather. As I see more and more green everyday reminding me that Spring is on its way I also see a much greener day at my firehouse. We went through a long slump and enveloped by constant negativity for a long time and I’m so excited to see those times behind me. If you going through a Winter season at your firehouse don’t let it rob you of your passion, keep grinding forward. Sooner or later Spring will come. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sat, March 13, 2021
Our Mission Statement - Target For All Leaders If we are trying to lead without some type of mission/vision statement it's like trying to find a place that you've never been without a map to help you get there. Creating a mission statement gives us a direction that we can aim for and it helps everyone on the team to be on the same page. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, March 11, 2021
Battalion Chief Jacob Johnson joins me today for what was a great and entertaining conversation. We go back and forth getting each other fired up and enjoy some good fire service talk. I love Jacob’s passion and it’s contagious. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, March 08, 2021
It’s been a tough year for us all. Chances are, we have had to pick our battles through that time. We have to bend some but we also have be ready to stand our ground on certain things. We also need to stand together because that’s when we’re the strongest! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sat, March 06, 2021
Foundation of Trust and Respect Building relationships, respect, and trust should be a priority for us as leaders. Can you be friends and the boss? Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, March 04, 2021
Marc Davidson joins me on the show today for a great conversation about training and professional development. I feel like Marc and I are very like minded so I felt a quick connection with him on these topics and of course learned some things as well. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, March 02, 2021
We have no right to gripe about younger generations not knowing their job. If they don’t know how to do the job we’re failing as leaders. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sat, February 27, 2021
Welcome to the Movement! This series of videos is geared towards professional development for those on departments that don’t have any. It’s been eating at me for over a year so I’ve finally decided that this is what I can do about it. The content will be different from the podcast because it’ll be structured towards specific topics but will be similar. I’m excited about it because it’s been a weight on me that I want to get off. The Underground Leadership Movement is for all of us that want to be better leaders but are basically doing it on our own. We’re going to make the fire service better from the ground up. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sat, February 27, 2021
Putting Our People First At the heart of my message and basically everything I do with leadership is the statement that it's vital to put our people first. It is no accident that I ended up with the title of Crew 1st Culture. People want to feel valued and supported, that is basic human nature. Put your crew first and they will do everything they possibly can to accomplish whatever task is given to them. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, February 25, 2021
I’m blessed to be joined today for part 2 of a 2 part conversation with one of America’s favorite personalities of the fire service, Ric Jorge. In part 1 Ric went into a little bit of his story but we mainly focused on training, mindset, and of course firefighter resiliency which he is well known for. This episode he digs deeper into his story, his purpose, and the importance of finding your own purpose and mission. It was great to meet and start to get to know Ric, he is the epitome of someone using the circumstances they’ve lived through to help others and make a lasting impact in countless lives. I hope that everyone listening gains as much as I did from this conversation. Check out the book Ric co-authored Developing Firefighter Resiliency. Ric also can be found on Facebook on his Tactical Resiliency Training page. Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry . All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, pandora Audible, Amazon Music, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, February 22, 2021
Monday Mindset Check - From the outside, courage is a term that our citizens use regularly to describe those in the fire service. But are we truly embodying courage or are we imposters that hide behind a thin veil of strength and bravery but are truly crippled by fear on the inside where it counts. To gain your purpose in life Your have To face your fears, you have to get out of your comfort zone, you have to be contagious in the face of pain and grief. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, February 18, 2021
I’m blessed to be joined today for part 1 of a 2 part conversation with one of America’s favorite personalities of the fire service, Ric Jorge. In part 1 Ric goes into a little bit of his story but we mainly focus on training, mindset, and of course firefighter resiliency which he is well known for. It was great to meet and start to get to know Ric, he is the epitome of someone using the circumstances they’ve lived through to help others and make a lasting impact in countless lives. I hope that everyone listening gains as much as I did from this conversation. Next week on part 2 we dig deeper into his story, about finding your purpose, and using your story to help others. Check out the book Ric co-authored Developing Firefighter Resiliency. Ric also can be found on Facebook on his Tactical Resiliency Training page. Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry . All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, pandora Audible, Amazon Music, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, February 16, 2021
It’s so easy to create a narrative in your head about how dumb someone’s choices were, how lazy someone is because of things they didn’t get done, and so on when we look at the situation through our own perspective. And we’re always quick to jump to the opinion that they are in the wrong because of the difference. What we need to do is put ourselves in their shoes to gain a little bit different perspective. Perspective makes all the difference. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, February 11, 2021
My guest today is Jim Moss. Jim is the coauthor of Firefighter Functional Fitness and recently has released another book on his own Firefighter Success. We discuss some of the parts of Firefighter Success that were the most impactful to me and dig deeper into areas like humility, values, and mentoring. I really enjoyed the book and suggest it to anyone. See more on Jim and his book on Facebook at Firefighter Success, Instagram at @firefightersuccess , or head to his website at www.firefightersuccessbook.com Sponsored by Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kit @woodsforcibleentry Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, February 08, 2021
Some times as parents/spouses/leaders we have to make a decision between options that all suck. As we get older decision making send to get harder. We gain more responsibility, become parents, and life starts hitting us with everything that it can. Even if every choice we have to pick from carries risk and the potential for bad outcomes we still have to make a decision. Being a grown up some times sucks, don’t make it worse by avoiding the hard decisions. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, February 04, 2021
My guest today is Kyle Kondoff. Kyle is a Texas firefighter with a story to tell. Kyle talks about his fight through multiple serious injuries (one that nearly took his life), and being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes with all the challenges that have come with that. Kyle is an inspiration and a voice to a huge Diabetic community. He teaches us all that no matter what life hits us with we have to keep going. I’m honored to have Kyle on to tell his story and to hopefully be able to help give him a little bit of a platform to reach more people. Check Kyle out on Facebook under his name or Instagram at @the_t1d_firefighter . Use link below to access this and other episodes on various platforms. https://linktr.ee/crew1stculture Sponsored by @woodsforcibleentry Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, February 04, 2021
My guest today is Kyle Kondoff. Kyle is a Texas firefighter with a story to tell. Kyle talks about his fight through multiple serious injuries (one that nearly took his life), and being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes with all the challenges that have come with that. Kyle is an inspiration and a voice to a huge Diabetic community. He teaches us all that no matter what life hits us with we have to keep going.
Mon, February 01, 2021
Do the right thing even if it means breaking some rules! Those are words from an Instagram post from @firefightersuccess and that’sa decision that sooner or later we probably will have to make. The risk/benefit model doesn’t only apply to emergency scenes, we also need to be weighing the risk versus rewards in the firehouse. The mental health, morale, team work, and relationships of the crew need to carry some weight when it comes to their importance. Some decisions don’t have easy answers, sometimes you have to decide what’s the best of the bad options. But we still have to make a decision, we still have to make a move. Avoiding the hard Decisions is never an option, and sometimes to do the right thing we may have to break a few rules. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, January 28, 2021
Justin Lorenzen joins me today. Justin works for the Oklahoma City Fire Department in their training division. Justin shares his insight of what he has seen from the other side and lessons that he's learned from all the people and crews that he has trained. His bottom line that we need to be better at - Humility (and I agree). Being humble solves so many problems and lacking humility causes so many. Justin also discusses the importance of recording data from grabs and the Firefighter Rescue Survey. firefighterrescuesurvey.com Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry . All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Audible, Amazon Music, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, January 26, 2021
It’s a great day! How long has it been since you’ve heard that? Now days, we most likely don’t hear it much. But if you’rea firefighter that’s exactly what you should be saying every day you arrive at the fire house. We are so blessed to be able to do what we do and we should be so grateful for that opportunity. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, January 21, 2021
I’m joined today by a fellow podcast host that has been killing it for 4 years now. James Geering is my guest, host of the popular podcast Behind The Shield Podcast and author of the book “One More Light”. James talks about being a host and getting the opportunity to share incredible stories from the lives of amazing people. Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry . All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Audible, Amazon Music, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, January 19, 2021
No matter what your family Is like or what choices have been made for generations, or what has always been done at your department; we always get to make our own choices. So is there something that needs to stop at home or at work? Then be the one to stop it. Is there something at home out work that has never been done or that no one has accomplished? Then be the first one to do it. We all have a story and the best part is that as long as we’re alive we always have the option of making it better. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, January 14, 2021
Today I am joined by stand up comedian and inspirational YouTuber Rodney Norman. Rodney shares his story of finding a different avenue to share humor after his ability to perform in front of crowds was taken away. He also talks about the importance of humor and not taking yourself so seriously in the serious world we live in. Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry . All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Audible, Amazon Music, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, January 11, 2021
Episode 73 was my first attempt at a live show. For this Monday Mindset Check I dig into the responsibility that we take on as leaders and the weight that we should feel with that. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, January 07, 2021
Today I’m joined by who I feel is one of the biggest up and coming voices for a better fire service. Ljay Geist shares his passion, his positivity, and his humility with me in one of my favorite conversations so far. I wanted him to be my first guest of 2021 and give him a chance to help us all focus on the positive and take the best out of every situation. I hope to hear lots more from Ljay because he’sa shining light and that’s what we need. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, January 04, 2021
Even though we may not be where we want to be as a crew as long as we have a foundation of respect and built relationships we will accomplish great things. The rest will come over time with continued effort but we have to have that foundation. Team Before Self, that’s something that needs to be nonnegotiable. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, January 01, 2021
Some of the most special guests I’ve ever had join me today for this last episode of 2020, my kids. I thought it would be fun to hear what leadership looks like through the minds of our youngest generation. There’sa lot to be learned from even kids and also remind us of how important it is for us to be living the example because they are always watching us. Happy New Year! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, December 28, 2020
What a year, I take a little time to look back at the good that came from 2020 and look forward to what’s to come in 2021. Happy New Year everyone and thank you for listening. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, December 24, 2020
Jarrod Sergi joins me today. Jarrod is the author of No Nonsense Leadership and has the Trial By Fire social media pages. Jarrod has some great insight into leadership, team building, and mentoring that he’s gained from his years I’m not only the fire service but also the military. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, December 22, 2020
“Now we are not afraid, although we know there is much to fear!” Lyrics from When You Believe by Pentatonix. Such a great song and message which I try to share with those of us who are struggling with fear, pain, or whatever battle you’re fighting. I hope you all have a great holiday season! Thank you! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, December 17, 2020
It such an honor to be joined today by a mentor to so many of us, Chief Frank Viscuso. What I have come to love the most about Chief Viscuso’s message is that he always finds a way to bring it back to family. Just like I love being around people that are passionate about the fire service because that passion is contagious, I also love being around people that are passionate about their family and for the same reasons. We love our families and want nothing more than to see them succeed and reach their full potential, so let’s mirror that as fire service leaders. Treat and care for the people that you lead like your children. Read that again, I didn’t say treat them like children I said treat them like “your” children. I think that’s a powerful statement. Even though this podcast is usually fire service centered, we should all spend just as much and even more time/energy/love on our family and at being better parents and spouses. I’m so excited to share this conversation with as many people as I can. It will truly add value to your life! Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry . All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Pandora, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Audible, Amazon Music, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, December 15, 2020
With the new year approaching we can’t expect it to be any better than this one unless we do things differently than we did this year. The best opportunities for personal growth usually come from the worst circumstances that we’re faced with. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, December 10, 2020
Chief Jason Hoevelmann joins me today. The author of No Exceptions Leadership and The New Company Officer as well as lots of articles, I’ve been looking forward to talking with and learning from the Chief. As a starting point he discusses when to know if you’re ready to promote and when it may be necessary to gain some more experience first. But as all good conversations go, we go lots of other directions as well. Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry . All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Audible, Amazon Music, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, December 07, 2020
It’s so much easier to cuddle up in our comfort zones instead of stepping out and working to learn, grow, and get better. But those comfort zones are really danger zones because in them there is no growth and nothing will ever get better. Find the strength to try something new, to push yourself harder, and to make your life better. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, December 03, 2020
Joining me for the second time is Brooke Ames. Today we dig into the topic of Perception and the role it plays for those of us trying to do good things for the fire service. The Perception of others can be taken many different ways. We can use it as an excuse to quit trying because of negative perceptions of us and allow them to be a stumbling block keeping us from sharing our message. Or we can use it as a motivator and no matter how we are perceived we keep pushing forward because we know we are doing the right thing. This is a really good conversation and one that I have been looking forward to, hopefully you enjoy it as well. Look Brooke up on Instagram at @miss_fit_hosedragger and listen to her inspiring story on these other great podcasts - The Professional Brotherhood, Jumpseat Views Radio, and Enduring the Badge Podcast. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, December 01, 2020
Today’s thoughts come from a quote from Vince Lombardi, “Individual commitment to a group effort, that’s what makes a team work.” Such a simple yet awesome quote. Teams are nothing without individuals and the key to the whole statement is “commitment”. To reach the true potential of the team all the individuals have to be committed to a single goal. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Bonus · Sat, November 28, 2020
On November 22 I had the pleasure of being a guest on the Unlock Your Culture Webcast. This is hosted by 4 guys that i really respect Sean Duffy, Marc Aloan, John Hayowyk, and Pablo Gener. I really enjoyed my time on there and it was a really good conversation about Growth Through Humility. With the blessing from the 4 hosts I am releasing it on my podcast platform. So many thanks to those guys and I hope you get a lot out of the conversation. You can also find this episode on their YouTube channel by searching for Unlock Your Culture Webcast or the link below. https://youtu.be/P0pt2WS1bMM Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, November 26, 2020
Todd Edwards joins me today and I’m honored to be able to share our conversation in which we discuss the importance that consistency plays in good leadership. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, November 24, 2020
Be someone worth following! I think that’s about as simple as I can make it. Next step, you better be ready to do the work. Today I both explain what I feel like my answer to the question of how to create buy-in and also challenge you to reflect on what your answer is. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, November 19, 2020
I’m joined today by 2 big voices in the fire service social media and training world John Hayowyk and Sean Eagen. John and Sean are the hosts of The Thin Red Line Radio podcast. We dig into a discuss that I’ve been looking forward to having for quite a while and that’s Empowerment versus Micromanagement - The Builder’s and Destroyer’s of Trust in the Fire Service. I really loved where this free flowing conversation took us, we hit on everything from trust, respect, humility, pride, and ownership (pretty much the building blocks of any great culture). I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. If you haven’t checked these guys out on The Thin Red Line Radio podcast they have some great content. Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry . All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, November 16, 2020
Do we understand what impact we have when we step up and lead, when we take the time to mentor someone, when we share our knowledge/experience, and so on? I don’t think any of us truly comprehend the impact that we can have. It’s easy to see when we help those we are directly impacting because we can see it progress or the learning in person but what about the people that they share it with, and the people that those people share it with. The time that we invest into some now can be multiplied exponentially because it doesn’t end at those that we directly impacted, it will hopefully be passed on down the line. It should just show us how important it is that we all do our part, we all share our experience and knowledge, and we all spread our message. Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry . All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, November 12, 2020
Today I’m joined by the guys behind Midwest Fire Tactics and Training, Nate Furton and Mike Bernard. We get into a good discussion of the benefits of attending conferences and surrounding ourselves with like minded firefighters in order to stay inspired and keep the passion for the fire service burning. Check out all the good things Nate and Mike are doing by searching for Midwest Fire Tactics and Training on Instagram and Facebook. And don’t forget to enter their quarterly training challenge. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, November 09, 2020
The worst part of being a leader is having the Hard Conversations. The conversations to correct mistakes, bad habits, and/or areas that need to be addressed. As someone that hates conflict these are my least favorite times to be in charge but they can not be ignored. Slumps and plateaus as a crew are going to happen, there’s no avoiding that but those are just times that we need to reboot, re-energize, and recommit to the mission as a crew. And to do that requires open and honest conversation. Don’t let an opportunity pass to get back on track because you’re avoiding the tough conversations. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, November 05, 2020
Joining me today is Marc Aloan creator of The Fire Inside website and social pages. Marc is another firefighter who is passionate about culture and about making the fire service better. I’ve been looking forward to talking with Marc for a while because many of his posts and articles has really spoken and resonated with me. We talk about one of his classes, some social media posts, and some of his articles that I’ve really enjoyed. Marc also was a big part of the Unlock Your Culture Online Conference earlier this year. He is also in a group that has recently started a monthly webcast that can be found on YouTube called Unlock Your Culture Webcast. He’s had many articles published in various magazines and online sites. Look him up in any of these places for more. Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry . All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, November 02, 2020
Trust is obviously a big deal in the fire service. One of the biggest killers of trust is micromanagement. We have to get better at building trust through empowerment. This is just a brief start at digging into this topic and definitely one that I’ll be getting into with guests in the future. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, October 29, 2020
This episode I’m joined by 2 great guests, Sean Duffy and Pablo Gener. They are the founders of Build Your Culture social media and training. This is a conversation that I really looked forward to having because I’ve really been getting into all things search and these 2 guys are a tremendous resource in that area. We discuss the importance of search, the fire service’s failure to train for search and inspiration to get better at making search a priority. Sean and Pablo put out a lot of great content and teach/instruct across the nation. I highly recommend following their social media pages and soaking up anything you can find from them. Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry . All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, October 26, 2020
I think it’s safe to say that every firefighter wants to rescue someone from a burning building, to make a “grab”. In the public’s eyes that’s just what we do. But is it? Are we truly living up to the standards that our citizens set for us, are we truly living up to the big talk that our egos like to constantly spew out? We have got to put search as a bigger priority, we have to train more on searching, we have to be better at it, and we have to search every searchable space. They are closing their doors so that we have more time to find them so we better be holding up or end of the deal. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, October 22, 2020
Celebrating 50 episodes I wanted to have someone on that has been an inspiration to me in this journey so joining me today is Jeremy Donch. Jeremy is “the Jeremy” of National Fire Radio and him and the crew at NFR have done a lot to help me realize this is something that I wanted to do. We talk about fire service culture, tradition, leadership, and of course social media. These guys have paved the road for myself and so many others and are still continually raising the bar. Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry . All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, October 19, 2020
I know exactly what I want the culture of my crew to be, I’ve had a vision for how my fire house runs for years, and I’ve known I wanted to be a great husband and dad as long as I can remember but.... But all of that is wasted, empty, and useless if I am not doing the work and putting in the time to accomplish it. It’s time that I step up if those are things that I really want to accomplish, I can not sit back and expect others to be driving force for my vision and drive. It’s got to be me! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, October 15, 2020
Today I’m joined by Benjamin Marion. Benjamin has been someone that I love listening to because it seems like so much of what he says speaks to me. We talk about his Embrace the Resistance platform, Intoxicated Leadership class, followership, and learning to deal with human nature. I’m so happy to have gotten the chance to sit down and talk with Benjamin and excited to share that conversation with you all. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, October 12, 2020
Inspiration today comes from the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast. Craig always closes his episodes with this quote, “People would rather follow a leader who is always real, than a leader who is always right.” I have always loved that quote and completely agree with it. There are so many good things that can come from just being real. We can’t have the mindset that once we are leaders we can’t mess up our we can’t let people see our mistakes. We rob others of an opportunity to learn from mistakes that we’ve made before they make them theirselves, that’s a powerful opportunity. Loosen up, let others see you stepping out of your comfort zone and not being afraid to mess up so that they know it’s OK if they do. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, October 08, 2020
This week’s guests are Blake Stinnett and Drew McConnell of the Open Bale social pages. It was a fun conversation getting to know these guys. They’re sharing lots of good information and instruction on their social media pages and are gearing up for that next step which in creating their own class which is in the works. As always, I love meeting and talking to people that are fired up for the fire service and doing great things and that’s exactly what these 2 are doing. Drew runs the Fire Reviews and Blake is the founder of The Next Ring social media pages. Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, October 05, 2020
I like to say that my goal as an officer is to put my crew in the best possible position to succeed. I love looking at it like that but what does that truly mean, what is my definition for success? The inspiration this week comes from my conversation with Chief Scott Thompson when he challenged me to define what success looks like to me. Honestly I don’t think I can clearly define it and so that tells me I need to spend some time figuring that out. We want to be successful and help others around us be successful in everything we do but if we don’t know what that success looks like how do we know where to aim? How do we know if we’re headed in the right direction or not, and what will we standards are we using to measure our progress towards that goal. I believe this is a topic that many of us need to spend some time thinking about whether it’s in the role of formal leader at work, parent, spouse, or mentor. Knowing what success means to you will help you know how to get there and to get others there. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, October 01, 2020
This is a conversation that I’ve hoped for and looked forward to having for a long time. This episode I welcome Chief Scott Thompson of The Colony Fire Department in Texas. Chief Thompson is a student of fire service culture and has researched the subject extensively while writing his book The Functional Fire Company. As I am very intrigued by culture and positive cultural change, I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation. You’ll want to have a note pad ready because Chief Thompson is just full of great thought provoking information. He is someone that I’ve looked up to for a while now without ever even meeting him. Other interviews with Chief Thompson can be found on The Firehouse Vigilance Weekly Scrap, The For to Fight Fire Podcast, and an interview on YouTube on The Sons of the Flag page. And of course his book is awesome and available on Amazon and his website fireserviceleadership.com . Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, September 28, 2020
Inspiration for today’s Monday Mindset Check comes from a quote from Shannon Stone. When your boss’ expectations exceed your own, you have either a problem or an opportunity. A great thought provoking statement I think. If we have expectations placed on us that we feel are too high then maybe there’s more to it below the surface. Maybe a lot more is expected of you thank you expect of yourself because they believe in you more than you do. A lot to think about there and maybe some communication to work on as well. Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, September 24, 2020
Today’s episode I welcome fellow podcast host Matt Broom from The 24/48 Podcast. I love Matt’s angle with his podcast because he fills a niche that I just haven’t seen anywhere else involving fire service podcasts, and that’s discussing finances in the fire service. Matt is a wealth of knowledge in this area and I learned a lot from him during the conversation. We discuss the importance of budgeting, saving, having a plan, and following through. Matt is doing great things for firefighters and I encourage you to follow him on social media platforms and check out his podcasts as well. Again Matt’s podcast is The 24/48 Podcast, he can be found on instagram at @firefightin_fin_planner , and on Facebook pages at Forward Focus Financial Planning and The 24/48 Podcast. Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, September 21, 2020
Inspired by the Bearer’s of the Oath creed from my last guests comes today’s topic. Never walk past a problem that you can fix. This is a lesson that my wife and I have tried to instill in our kids and one that we all probably need to hear. It’s about taking pride in something and about doing the right thing. Are there areas that we can be doing better at this? Instead of griping at the last shift for leaving something a mess maybe the right thing to do is just fix the problem. Take pride in the things we own at home, our family, take pride in what we have at work, our firehouse, our crew fixing the problems that we can fix. Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, September 17, 2020
Today’s episode I get to talk with Shane Bentley and Lee Humphrys of Bearer’s of the Oath. These 2 guys are passionate about the fire service and even more so about making it better than it was yesterday. We discuss mentoring, networking, training, leadership, and their upcoming conference in October. I’m really glad that I have had to chance to get to know Shane and Lee, just 2 more examples of why the fire service is going to be heading in the right direction. If you have the opportunity to head to Georgia in October 2-4 please go sign up, I’ll put the link below or you can find it on the Bearer’s of the Oath Facebook page. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bearers-of-the-oath-fire-conference-tickets-119014001081?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&aff=escb&utm-source=cp&utm-term=listing Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, September 14, 2020
The fire service today is full of great people as it has always been. But at leaders there are 2 categories of people that we need to start trying to reach in order to make a huge difference in the direction that the fire service goes. The uninspired and the directionless are people with great potential just waiting to be tapped. It’s our job to find ways to draw that potential out, to inspire the uninspired and to give direction to those that are directionless. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, September 10, 2020
Today in joined by Nick Higgins the founder of The Firehouse Tribune website and social media pages. Nick shares his story and talks about the importance of sharing your personal message. We also discuss how social media can be used in a positive way. I appreciate Nick’s insight and look forward to sharing his story and knowledge with you. Please check out Nick and his contributors at The Firehouse Tribune website and social media pages. Nick is also associated with the National Fallen Firefighters Association and is an instructor with Alpha Omega Training Solution’s. Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry All episodes can be found on most places that you listen to podcasts including - Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Castbox. Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, September 07, 2020
One thing that doesn’t come so natural to some of us is showing appreciation. This is something that we really need to work on. It’s ok to say thank you, to say you appreciate someone, or respect them for something that they did. This can mean so much to those that deserve it and very easily could be the fuel that they need to keep doing good things. Those around us that take care of us and care for us deserve to be told how much we appreciate them, that goes for our family and work family. Special thanks to our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits. I’m proud to be associated with this company, it’s a great group of guys who put out a great product. Go check them out in Instagram and Facebook at @woodsforcibleentry Please subscribe, download, and share! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, September 03, 2020
Today’s guest is Mike Bernard. Mike shares his passion for training and making himself and others better every day. Mike also talks about accountability in the volunteer fire service and his story including challenges and lessons learned. Mike is a lot of fun and I really enjoyed the conversation. Mike is a Rescue Captain in Northern Wisconsin. He is an instructor with Midwest Fire Tactics and Training and also contributes to their social media pages. Mike is also on the Oathkeepers cadre and leads lectures as well. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, August 31, 2020
Monday Mindset Check - We get fired up and passionate about the fire service, about leading, and about getting better everyday. But do we bring that same mission home with us? Are we as passionate about leading at home, training our kids, and becoming a better spouse and parent everyday? Being passionate and loving the fire service isn’ta bad thing but we have to bring some of that home to give to people that are even more important, our family. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, August 27, 2020
Once again I am lucky to have a great guest on that is doing great things for the fire service, John Ford. John runs The Slow House Rules Facebook and Instagram pages. I have followed John for a while and love his message of “you don’t have to be from a huge department to be doing great things”. In this episode John goes into why he created The Slow House Rules and we dig deep into no matter what size department you are with, the citizens that you serve are expecting you to perform your job like a professional. I really enjoyed this conversation and love John’s outlook on things. Look John up on Facebook and Instagram at The Slow House Rules or @the_slow_house_rules . Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, August 24, 2020
Digging deeper into a post that I put out last week that I feel is something good to self reflect on. Nothing has a bigger impact on positive cultural change than the influence of a respected leader who leads by example. There are 3 important keys to that statement - the influence you’ve built up, the respect that you’ve earned, and if you are leading by example. Influence and Respect are the currency of leadership. That being the case, how can we build up that currency and also how do we make sure we are using that currency to the fullest. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, August 20, 2020
Once again I’m joined by a great guest for this episode, Sean Duffy. Sean shares my passion for firehouse culture and is all over social media. We dive into several different areas concerning culture including his 4 keys to culture change, being a humble leader, and having patience during the process of change. I learned a lot from Sean during this conversation. He states that not only is attitude contagious but passion is as well, and I believe that’s so true. Sean runs Build Your Culture Instagram and Facebook pages with Pablo Gener. He is also apart of a team that has just started a monthly webcast called Unlock Your Culture Webcast which can be found on Facebook and YouTube. He also is associated with The Bearers of the Oath who have pages on Instagram and Facebook as well. Both Sean and I would like to highly encourage you to check out their pages and their message. Sean also teaches all over and Is a great instructor. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, August 17, 2020
Monday Mindset Check - If you could put words to what the perfect culture at your firehouse would be what would that look like? Next step, put it in writing. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, August 13, 2020
I’m very honored to be joined by Brian Brush today to discuss a “Road Map to a Successful Fire Service Career”. This was a topic requested by a listener and I immediately thought about bringing Brian on to join me for this discussion. I’uveitis been really looking forward to releasing this episode because it is full of great takeaways and I know you’ll enjoy listening. Brian is the Chief Training Officer at the Midwest City Fire Department in Oklahoma. He also runs Fire By Trade and is a partner of our sponsor Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kit. He speaks and teaches across the nation and is one of the most humble people I’ve met. I owe a lot of where I’m at today to Brian and know that many others out there can say the same thing. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, August 10, 2020
Monday Mindset Check - We have all heard the statement that “a bad attitude is more contagious than a good one.” Honestly I don’t know that I agree completely with that statement. Although I would agree in part, I think there are other factors that contribute to the spread of attitude (good or bad). To me the personality of the person has maybe more to do with how wide they spread their attitude. Do you have a quiet, subdued, withdrawn personality? If so you won’t get the same reach as someone who is outspoken, opinionated, and personable. So the challenge this week is for those out there that have a lot to give but are quiet and keep to themselves; don’t keep those good things to yourself. There is so much loud negativity out there, it is time for us to get louder with our positivity to start overcoming it. Don’t be afraid to share what you have, your positivity, your obstacles overcome, and your passion. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, August 06, 2020
Joining me today are 2 guys that are passionate about the culture of fitness; Aaron Quinn of Live.Serve.Thrive and Ian Palmer of Thin Line Fitness. We dig into the road blocks that keep departments from fully investing in fitness and all the benefits that come to those departments that do invest in it. Even if you are just one person at your department that wants to start changing the culture you need to start and sooner or later that work will spread to others. Start where you are at and invest in your career and yourself. You can find Aaron on all social platforms by searching for Live Serve Thrive, Instagram at @live.serve.thrive . Ian can be found on Facebook at Thin Line Fitness and Instagram at @thinlinefitness . I am thankful to these guys for bringing their knowledge and passion for fitness. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, August 03, 2020
Today’s Monday Mindset Check focuses on taking a break from the world and taking time for your family and for yourself. We have so step away and spend time with our families and on ourselves sometimes especially in a time that the circumstances may make it difficult to get away from the daily grind. This can be a great time to find yourself and build better relationships within your family. Have a great week! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, July 30, 2020
I am joined by a very special guest today, Justin Mann. Justin discusses with me the idea of competency based safety. This competency is gained through regular and purposeful training. We have a very inherently dangerous job so of course we want to make it as safe as possible but the best way to make a firefighter safe is not through policy but through competency. Great conversation that I know you will get a lot out of. Justin teaches across the nation and is apart of some very knowledgeable cadres. He also is a partner of Wood’s Forcible Entry Door Kits which I am excited to say will be sponsoring the Crew 1st Culture Podcast. This is a great product and owned by 3 solid men. If you are looking for a great FE prop you need to look them up on Instagram or Facebook. Or reach Justin at woodsfedoorkit@gmail.com . Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, July 27, 2020
On this Monday Mindset Check I want us to think about the one person that we have to focus most on leading, that is ourselves. It starts with leading one. This thought was spurred on by a quote from Frank Viscuso and that is “If you can lead one, you can lead many. But if you can’t lead one, you’ll never lead any.” That quote speaks volumes to me and tells me that when I seem to be failing as a leader I First need to look at how I’m leading and what I need to do better. Enjoy your week! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, July 23, 2020
Motivation and inspiration, what do those terms mean to you? Are they the same and basically interchangeable or are there drastic differences in the 2? This discussion is one that I have begun to gain a deep interest in and feel like they are very different things. Join me in a discussion to dive deeper and to gain a better understanding of the difference between motivation and inspiration. Motivation is a good thing but to truly make a difference requires inspiration, an inward pull and drive towards great things. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, July 20, 2020
Last week I saw a post by Mark Vonappen from @fullyinvolvedofficial and it really spoke to me so I wanted to share it and a few thoughts. Changing culture isn’t something that’s just happens, it’s a long process and requires a lot of patience and hard work. Sometimes we need to take a step back and maybe even adjusts our perspective to be able to see the positive changes that our work is creating. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, July 16, 2020
Every one of you out there have something to give, something that someone else needs to hear to be inspired or to just not feel alone. With all of the negativity that we are bombarded with constantly the world needs all of you to take that first step towards helping others. That step is different for all of us and chances are that some of you aren’t even sure what that step is yet but it’s there you just have to look. Let’s be a light in the dark times, let’s share our message and our story so that others may be inspired and so they may have hope. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, July 13, 2020
It’s so easy for us to become burned out, negative, and complacent at our job. Literally as I am releasing this episode I am coming off of a night on duty consisting of 2 full arrests including one involving a pediatric, and those are exactly the days that wear on you and build up. But it’s still the best job ever. We need to keep in mind the thousands of people hoping, praying, and working their butts off just trying to get this job. Let those people inspire us and no matter what we’re going through at the firehouse, be thankful you have this job. We are truly blessed! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, July 09, 2020
John Sahatjian from Jersey Shore Emergency Training joins me today to dig in to a statement he brought to my attention a little while back. “Lions don’t lose sleep over the opinions of sheep.” This statement has really stuck in my mind and helps me to keep driving forward. I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation and know you will too. Definitely don’t miss John’s takeaway of “Do the right thing, for the right reasons, and in the right way”, which was really thought provoking for me. The more passionate you are, the more actively you pursue growth the more you are going to encounter people trying to rob you of that passion and drive. Don’t let those people keep you from doing great things. Keep going, keep pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone, keep doing great things, and keep being a LION. Check out John and the good things that he is doing at Jersey Shore Emergency Training. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sun, July 05, 2020
Your mindset is a choice, your perspective is a choice, your attitude is a choice, and whether or not you grow is a choice. So what are you choosing today? We can easily fall into the trap of blaming people, outside influences, our life’s circumstances for our bad attitude and negativity but you are the only one responsible for making the choice to be that way. I am beginning on a quest towards positivity and I know that it won’t be a smooth ride and I will have wrong turns but I am determined to take back the responsibility for my mindset, for my attitude, and for whether or not I grow each day. Take that journey with me. Thank you! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, July 03, 2020
Corley Moore join’s me today to dig into the topic of hope so we inspire and rekindle the passion for the job in those that may have lost it. This was a very eye opening conversation for me and I hope you all get as much out of it as I did. In an attempt to have a conversation on how to “fix others” I was very clearly hit with the realization that that just isn’t possible. The real answer comes from taking a look in the mirror and figuring out what you can do better yourself and hopefully that will cause a desire for others to change. Great great conversation, enjoy and share. Corley Moore is a Battalion Chief for the Moore Fire Department in Oklahoma. He runs Firehouse Vigilance Instagram, Facebook, and firehousevigilance.com . He will be releasing a new book on July 11 called “Challenge Your Leadership” and will be found on Amazon, and his website. He also released a weekly webcast/podcast called The Weekly Scrap. Check Corley out, he’s a great guy doing great things! @firehousevigilance @crew1stculture Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, June 29, 2020
No matter how busy your department and firehouse is chances are you have some downtime each day and sometimes quite a bit. What are we doing with that time? Is the time we spend growing, learning, and getting better at the job comparable to the amount we spend griping about the department, society, politics, and so on? If we are truly doing this to help others then we better start focusing on being ready when called upon to help others. Put some time and effort into the job, don’t rely on the “I can turn it on when I’m required to” mentality. That is only an excuse to mask laziness. Be intentional about controlling your time or something else will control it for you. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, June 26, 2020
Today I have a guest Aaron Quinn with me. Aaron is an 18 veteran firefighter with the Oakland Fire Department. We discuss the roles and responsibilities of the senior firefighter and the informal leader. We also touch on how we can rekindle the passion for the job that may have been lost for some. I really enjoyed this conversation and know there are a lot of people out there that will get a lot from it because I know I did. You can find Aaron on Instagram and Facebook at @live.serve.thrive Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, June 24, 2020
A little late but I wanted to give appreciation to all the Dad’s out there including mine who I love very much. I’ve never had a more exhausting, stressful, nerve racking, and irritating at times job but I love every minute of it. It’s also the most fun, rewarding, and humbling job ever. I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. Enjoy being a Dad and work hard to get better at it just like everything else. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, June 17, 2020
There can be no personal growth without humility. I experienced a little bit of a lightbulb moment in my way home from work and felt like I needed to sit down and record some of my thoughts. No one wants to fail, I hate failing so much. But it’s failure that gives us the humility to learn and grow. I’m not afraid to be the voice of those out there that feel like they fail more than they win, that’s just being real. Personal growth works in a cycle and it’s in our best interest to stay in a good balanced area if that cycle but when we do end up on the wrong end of it we have to pick ourselves up, use it for good, and keep going. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Wed, June 10, 2020
There are so many people out there just fighting to survive, I’ve been there and some days I still feel that way. Our stories are all so different yet there are always others that are fighting similar battles. We need to learn to open up to others because by doing so we not only help ourselves but potentially help others by letting them know they aren’t alone as well. We can’t just turn off the problems we have at home because we’re at work and vice versa so we need to take steps to better deal with them. I feel like there are so many people that need to hear this episode because I know there are so many struggling. If that’s you, keep fighting and allow yourself the grace of being human. It’s not feasible to expect someone to be 100% focused at work when they’re fighting battles at home. We are stronger than we ever realize but we do need help and we do need to offer help as well when the situation presents itself. Without being open and honest about what you’re truly going through you will never receive the help that you may so desperately need. If there is anyone out there that’s struggling please share this or at least share the message. Thank you! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, June 04, 2020
Today’s topic comes directly from one of the biggest growing experiences of my career. What kind of a mindset do we have towards training? For me, I have discovered that there are two ends of the spectrum; those that are there just to participate and those that are there to gain knowledge and skills that they can pass on to others. I have been at each end of this spectrum at different times of my career and everywhere in between. If we aren’t approaching training with the right mindset we won’t be able to pass that knowledge on to the next generation and that should be important for us. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, May 25, 2020
It’s amazing the spectrum of comments concerning social media. Everything from it’s an amazing tool to it’s one of the many tools of the devil 😁. We have the power to reach people around the world, are we using that power to help or to hurt? It is truly a gigantic responsibility and one we need to pay attention to. Are we using this amazing tool to bring growth and benefit to people’s lives or are we using it to tear people down? Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sat, May 23, 2020
In this show I sit down with Rob LaRocca who is the co-founder of Rapid Response Co. to discuss 360 Response. This is a program that they developed to help firefighters and is a great tool. A good conversation about the benefits of the program and how it can assist the fire service. I had a good time getting to know Rob and I hope you enjoy the show. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Tue, May 19, 2020
In this special episode I do a crossover show with Chief Brian Soller of The Professional Volunteer Podcast and guest host John Sahatjian of Jersey Shore Emergency Training. You’re not going to want to miss this conversation discussing a Frank Viscuso quote “Never push a loyal person to the point that they no longer care.” Thank you for your time! Shoutouts to both of my guests, they’re doing great things for the fire service. Check out John on Facebook and Instagram by searching Jersey Shore Emergency Training. He’s got some great classes and programs. Chief Soller has a Podcast you’ll want to check out and Facebook and Instagram pages with good content as well. Look him up by searching The Professional Volunteer. Find more from Crew 1st Culture On Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube by looking up Crew 1st Culture. Reach out to me with suggestions or questions via DM on any of those platforms or via email at crew1stculture@yahoo.com . Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Thu, May 14, 2020
It’s a constant battle to find the balance between work and home. Throughout a career in the fire service you have to be intentional about keeping the two balanced because if you aren’t one or the other may quickly take over. Especially in today’s world filled with distractions, we must work to find the balance. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Sun, May 10, 2020
On this Mother’s Day I wanted to share my appreciation for my wife and mom. Also, speak a little for those listening to maybe learn how to love their spouse in ways that will better speak to them. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, May 01, 2020
My guest for this show is Brooke Ames who goes by @miss_fit_hosedragger on Instagram. Brooke has a very inspiring story which she shares a little of along with what she’s passionate about. Brooke is an up and coming voice of the fire service and you should look her up if you haven’t heard of her. A great conversation, I hope you enjoy! Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, April 27, 2020
As a follow up to a post I put out on social media about not taking advantage of what the quarantine life has brought, I share the story of a good day. Quarantine sucks but it brings a lot of benefits, we just have to keep our eyes open and put some work into taking advantage of them. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, April 27, 2020
We all love sharing all the positive things in our lives on social media but what about the other side of the coin. It’s ok to sometimes share our weaknesses, our screw up, and our lessons learned. We all have stories that we should be sharing of times like this because there are people out there that need to hear them. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, April 27, 2020
I give a little introduction to myself and the Crew 1st Culture Podcast. I also touch on a few topics that we will be spending time discussing in the future. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Mon, April 27, 2020
I spend some time checking in on everyone and discussing mental health. I discuss my passion for challenging people to grow and where the journey that it has taken me on. Then I get into the topic of “are we taking responsibility for our part in developing tomorrow’s leaders or making excuses”. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
Fri, April 24, 2020
In order to create an environment that others are willing to be open and honest in, the leadership has to be open and honest first. Don’t fall for the misconception some have that leaders have to appear to be flawless and unaffected by anything. We need leaders who are only interested in being real not who are interested in putting up a false front to protect their authority. Thank you for listening! Click here to leave a message to let me know what you think & how this episode impacted you. No matter where or what you came from, great things can come from you!
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