Behind The Shield

Anthony Ortiz is a veteran Fire Captain, Instructor and Entrepreneur. We discuss growing up in a firefighter family, his own journey into the fire service, courage in leadership, the 24/72 workweek, fighting for a healthy marriage, firefighter fitness, the power of mentorship and so much more.Anthony Ortiz is a second-generation firefighter whose family has protected the Ocala community for more than 50 years. His father served over three decades with Ocala Fire Department, and growing up in a firefighter’s home gave Anthony an early understanding of both the pride and the price of the job long shifts, missed holidays, and the constant grind of second jobs during an era of historically low wages. That upbringing shaped his commitment to service and grounded his belief that the fire service is more than a career; it’s a calling.Anthony began his own journey in 1998 with Marion County Fire Rescue after being introduced to the fire service through a high school mentorship program designed to recruit and guide yo

Rob Jones lost both legs after an IED explosion whilst serving as an Engineer with the Marines. Refusing to let his injuries define him, Rob became an elite athlete competing as a rower in the Paralympics. Rob's latest adventure saw him completing 31 marathons in 31 days. We talk about adaptive athletics, mental trauma, his charitable ventures and much more.Rob Jones is a retired US Marine, combat leader, and now a leadership instructor and speaker with Echelon Front. He spent five years in the Marine Corps, with deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan.As a Combat Engineer, Rob specialized in finding hidden Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), the enemy’s most deadly weapons. On a mission in July of 2010, while executing an IED sweep, Rob stepped on an IED, which resulted in double above knee amputations of his legs. He spent the next year and a half in physical therapy before retiring from the Marine Corps in 2011. Upon his retirement, Rob was forced to adapt to a new way of being a leader. To do this, h

Andrew Douglas is a former firefighter/paramedic and creator of the mental health app Siento. Blake Richardson is the son of a firefighter and co-founder of the alert system EaseAlert. We discuss impriving firefighter rest and recovery, how to avoid waking crews unecessarily, using AI to help improve peer support conversations and so much more.Blake Richardson grew up around the firehouse. His dad, Brad Richardson, is a captain and paramedic for a fire department in northern Florida. Brad became the inspiration behind EaseAlert when Blake noticed the toll that firefighting was taking on his dad each day that he returned from duty. Blake wanted to come up with a way to make his dad’s job less stressful. EaseAlert is that solution. Blake and co-founder/COO, Elezar Tonev began working on EaseAlert in 2019. With its suite of tactile alerting devices, EaseAlert is redefining alerting systems and setting the bar for heart smart alerting in the fire service. Today, they have a fully functional system and their brand

Darin Kinder is a former Special Agent of the United States Secret Service, where he spent decades protecting world leaders and navigating high-stakes environments. On September 11, 2001, he was on the ground in New York City when the World Trade Center was attacked—an experience that earned him the Secret Service Medal of Valor and forever shaped his perspective on life and leadership.Beyond his federal service, Darin is a devoted husband, father to four sons, and the founder of Fierce Faith, an organization dedicated to helping people live with courage and purpose. He is passionate about inspiring and equipping the next generation to face challenges head-on and live with bold resolve. A sought-after speaker and podcast guest, Darin shares his insights on leadership, resilience, and what it means to live with clear purpose in an unpredictable world.When he’s not challenging audiences to live boldly, you’ll find him at home investing in his wife—his partner since 1998—and their four sons.​Darin is a graduate

Rick Mountcastle is a former United States Attorney and the leader of the team who prosecuted Purdue Pharma, following their deadly predatory actions with Oxycontin. We discuss his journey into law, prosecuting mobsters, the genesis of the opioid crisis, FDA corruption, the dark side of nursing homes, "Dopesick", his new documentary "No Country for Old People" and so much more.Rick Mountcastle joined Guttman Buschner LLP as Of Counsel in April 2025, after retiring from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office.An award-winning Federal criminal and civil litigator with more than 30 years of experience litigating the most complex and intricate cases, Rick was portrayed by Emmy-nominated actor Peter Sarsgaard in the 2021 award-winning Hulu miniseries “Dopesick,” which chronicles his leadership of the 2007 prosecution of notorious OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and its three top executives. He has spoken about the case and the events surroun

John Graham is a former British Army Paratrooper and member of 22 SAS. He is also known as his pen name John Geddes, the author of "Spearhead Assault" detailing his experience in the Falkland Islands War and "Highway to Hell" telling his military contracting story in Iraq.We discuss his early life in England, his journey into the military, serving in Northern Ireland, The Battle of Goose Green, war in the Middle East, contracting, close protection work, mental health, leadership and much more.John is a former British Army Warrant Officer who served in the Parachute Regiment and 22 SAS. Since Leaving the Army in 1997 he has consulted to many international security companies and has acted as an insolvency agent specialising in asset recovery.John held two directorships and has spent two years on active service in Iraq prior to taking up the post of MD Ronin Concepts Elite Ltd. He has written two novels under the pen name of John Geddes; ‘Highway to Hell' about PMC security in Iraq and ‘Spearhead Assault' about

Stephanie Waugh is a mother, firefighter, strength athlete, firefighter spouse and co-founder of the non profit Waughstrong. We discuss her journey into powerlifting and strongman, her journey into the fire service, navigating the schedule when both partners are firefighters, the impact of mandatory overtime on families, pregnancy, breastfeeding and so much more. WaughStrong: https://waughstrong.org/

Dr Nathan Jenkins has nearly two decades of experience in exercise physiology and sports nutrition, working with top athletes and high performers. We discuss his journey into the world of exercise physiology, the biology of cascular disease, the healing power of food, supplementation, comprehensive blood panels, Rapid Health Optimization and so much more. "I am passionate about advancing the scientific knowledge and practice of human performance and health. My academic expertise is in the molecular and cellular mechanisms of adaptation to exercise and nutrition. As a former associate professor at the University of Georgia, I taught and mentored undergraduate and graduate students, conducted and published nearly 100 original research studies, and secured multiple grants and awards. I have also worked extensively as a sports nutrition coach, with over 1500 unique 1:1 clients since 2018. I have strong skills in scientific writing, speaking, teaching, mentoring, and communication with clients and colleagues. In m

Marcus Edwards is the Cofounder and CEO of Stationwise, a company transforming how fire departments manage staffing, scheduling, and labor rules. Raised in a family of firefighters, his father, uncle, and grandfather all served. Marcus grew up immersed in the fire service culture, and he saw firsthand how outdated tools made a hard job even harder.Marcus began his career as a consultant at Bain & Company where he built advanced analytics platforms for Fortune 500 companies. While getting his MBA from Stanford, he founded Stationwise: a scheduling software that finally meets the needs of fire departments. Getting acting Battalion Chiefs like his dad to spend more in the field (and less behind a desk) was a big motivation.Stationwise does more than replace legacy scheduling vendors. Beyond the “butts in seats” staffing, the platform integrates with payroll to calculate fully loaded costs. Instead of waiting 2-3 weeks to pull reports, Stationwise calculates the data in seconds. Users can set alerts when a ce

Olivia Jackson is a model, muay thai fighter and professional stunt performer. We discuss growing up in South Africa, modelling, fighting, her near death experience, overcoming physical and mental trauma and much more."As an adult, my professional journey took a unique turn as I transitioned from an International Model to a Stuntwoman in films. I contributed to a number of blockbuster films such as Mad Max: Fury Road, Avengers, Cinderella, and Guardians of the Galaxy. I also stunt doubled for acclaimed actresses including Charlize Theron, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Karen Gillan, Gwyneth Paltrow and Elizabeth Olsen.However, in 2015, a life-altering incident on a film set left me in a 3 week coma with a broken, twisted & paralysed body, filled with enduring neurological & physical pain that will last for the rest of my life. With all the loss I faced, as well as the ceaseless physical pain, I endured signifiant emotional and mental suffering too. Needing to find some kind of resource, I embarked on a de

Mike was born and raised in North Bellmore, New York where he graduated from Hofstra University with a degree in accounting in 1991. After starting his accounting career, he realized that his real passion lay in Law enforcement. Mike wanted to become an FBI agent, but they were on a federal hiring freeze at the time, and coupled with the fact that he wanted to experience a different way of life,He applied to, and was accepted into the Atlanta Police Department where he began his career in August 1993. He worked in Atlanta Until he was hired by the Suffolk County Police Department, New York in October 2003 where he worked until he was medically retired in October 2022.After retiring, Mike began experiencing some depression issues, some anger issues and eventually realized that he had PTSD. Mike found healing Through plant based medicine, specifically Ayahuasca, and after journeying with that medicine, he both healed his PTSD and dedicated his life to helping other men and women military veterans/1st responders

Jimmy Sands is an FDNY veteran and survivor of the infamous Deutsche Bank Fire. We discuss his journey into the volunteer fire service, joining the FDNY, the tragedy on 9/11, the unity of 9/12, losing his brothers in 2007, the mental health impact and so much more. https://www.youtube.com/@nycfireguy/shorts

Dr Marc Bubbs ND, MSc, CISSN, CSCS is a naturopathic doctor, performance nutrition lead for Canada Basketball, and performance nutrition consultant for a portfolio of professional and Olympic athletes. Marc is the author of the best-selling book Peak: The New Science of Athletic Performance That Is Revolutionizing Sports. Marc also hosts The Performance Nutrition Podcast, connecting listeners with world-leading experts in human performance and health, and regularly speaks at health, fitness, and medical conferences across North America, the UK, and Europe. Marc practices in both Toronto, Canada, and London, England. Marc is also the co-founder of ProBio Nutrition.Da Rulk (Joseph Sakoda) is a performance coach with over 30 years of experience in functional movement and elite performance training. His clients include first responders, military units, professional athletes, and Hollywood stunt teams. His Raw Functional Training (RFT®) method is used globally to develop movement efficiency, resilience, and streng

Marcus Capone is a former Tier 1 Navy SEAL and the founder of "Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions". We discuss his journey into the Navy, TBIs and microtraumas, his powerful mental health story, the healing power of Ibogaine and so much more.When he was medically retired after 13 years. and multiple combat deployments as a U.S. Navy SEAL, Marcus Capone and his wife, Amber, thought that life would return to normal. Instead, their struggle had just begun. Marcus was experiencing an escalating myriad of challenges, including depression, isolation, cognitive impairment, excessive alcohol use, headaches, insomnia, and impulsivity. Marcus was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but, instinctively, Amber felt there was more to be discovered. After learning about the effects of blast waves, concussive, and subconcussive brain injuries, everything started to become clear. Marcus’ military career as an explosives expert, combined with his prior years of contact sports, had left him with the invisi

Josh Clemente was a lead Life Support Systems Engineer at SpaceX, but his discovery that he was metabolically unhealthy led him down a path of research into the intersection of blood glucose and health. From there, his mission became figuring out how to get that important data into the hands of more people. Josh is now the founder of Levels Health, a metabolic fitness startup that uses continuous glucose monitoring to provide users with real time data and insights into how their daily choices are impacting their health.https://www.levels.com/

Marc Coull is a Master Police Officer, Gang Detective veteran and Community Policing Instructor. In this second conversation we discuss his own jarring transition out of law enforcement, first responder fitness, combatives in law enforcement, leadership cowardice, moral courage, the ICE raids, National Guard deployments, Gaza and much more.Marc is also a Combatives Instructor, Swat, Swat Maritime Unit, Bike Officer, TSAC qualified, 13 years Uniform patrol, 1 year permanent violent crime bike patrol, 10 year gang detective, 2011 officer of the year, and all around good guy.https://www.instagram.com/tacticoull/

Dan Lennon is a U.S. Air Force veteran, Lieutenant with Orange County Fire Rescue, and the founder of The First Responder Realtor® brand. We discuss his journey into the fire service, firefighter fitness, the fiscal and mental health benefits of a second career, the world of real estate and so much more.With over 17 years in the fire service, Dan has built his career and his business around one guiding principle — “relationships before business.” After years of serving his community on the front lines, Dan turned his passion for service toward real estate. He’s a proud member of eXp Realty’s Gwilt Group, a military-led team dedicated to serving those who serve — including first responders, veterans, and their families. Dan helps buyers, sellers, and investors across Central Florida navigate the market with trust, transparency, and integrity.He’s also the co-founder of F.I.R.E. Flips, a business he runs with retired firefighter Anthony Kibler, specializing in purchasing and restoring fire-damaged homes for peo

Doug Orchard is a professional cinematographer, director, editor and an expert researcher. Doug's documentary "The Motivation Factor" shows the incredible positive ripple effect of La Sierra High School's PE program in the 1960s. We discuss his journey into film making, the personal tragedy that drove his quest for health information, the obesity epidemic, nutrition and immunity, the social impact of shared suffering, how healthcare costs are crippling our economy and much more.The Motivation Factor had its worldwide premiere in Hollywood, CA on May 5th at the Life Fest Film Festival, where it won ‘Best Documentary Feature’ and also won the prestigious ‘Audience Choice Award.’ It also won ‘Audience Choice Award’ and ‘Heart Award’ at the Intendence Film Festiveal in Denver 2017.This breakthrough documentary film, “The Motivation Factor” covers the ‘why’ we must exercise and links many of our major society’s problems to the absence of real physical education. The crowdfunding trailer received over 50 Million Fa

Thaer Ahmad, MD is a board-certified emergency medicine physician working at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Chicago. Dr. Ahmad is the assistant program director for the emergency medicine residency program. He serves as both the global health director and medical ethics director for the emergency department at Advocate Christ. Dr. Ahmad is also a clinical assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a board member of PAMA. The Palestinian American medical association.He has served in Gaza at Nasser and Al-Aqsa Hospital, as well as in Lebanon during the ongoing conflict. Prior, Dr. Ahmad has spent time in Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Kenya, and Greece working on local healthcare capacity building projects.In this fourth conversation, we discuss the National Guard deployment in Chicago, immigration, the obesity crisis, advances in medicine, the ceasefire in Gaza, what needs to happen to secure peace and so much more.

Dr Todd Otten is a board-certified family physician and co-founder of Our Quadruple Aim, a movement that challenges the status quo in healthcare and promotes patient experience, quality care, lower costs, and provider wellness. Todd has over 20 years of experience in providing quality patient care, leading teams, and managing projects in various settings, including the United States Navy, where he was honored as the naval flight surgeon of the year in 2006 for the Atlantic FleetTodd also co-authored "Ripple of Change" with Joshua J. Judy (a former patient). Their book shares Todd's unfiltered journey through burnout and Joshua's travails through the existing dysfunction in healthcare, and offers a bare bones approach to evaluate, reimagine, and inspire positive disruption in the industry and beyond. He is passionate about empowering patients and healthcare providers to become agents of change, and to turn their ripples into waves of lasting impact.https://rippleofchange.us/https://suckitupbuttercupfilm.com/