Behind The Shield

Lieutenant Colonel Chris “Robie” Robishaw is a 33-year veteran of the U.S. Army . He recently retired and started his own consulting firm, Odyssey Special Operations Consulting, where he specializes in support to special operations exercises, military advisory roles in the film industry, and support to benevolent organizations around the world. His career began with an age waiver signed by his parents, at the age of 17 when he joined the United States Army Reserve whilst a Junior in High School. He spent three years in Reserve units in Ohio and Maine as a combat medic. After watching the invasion of Panama in 1989 on television, he decided to postpone his collegiate and ROTC endeavors and he reclassified to the Infantry by joining the Regular Army with an initial assignment to the 82d Airborne Division.He spent the next 6 years as a paratrooper where he served in every single position in a Rifle Platoon. While in the 82nd he rose from Private to Staff Seargent and eventually served as a Platoon Sergeant. His

Kellon Walch is an elite off road racer and career firefighter. We discuss his journey into extreme sports, overcoming fear, his near death experiences, the Dakar Rally, traumatic brain injury, therapeutic Ketamine, the Vegas terrror attack, the importance of sleep for performance and so much more.Kellon's Accolades:13 Time Dakar Rally participant first one being Dakar 2005 for Red Bull KTM to present 2025 with the the Red Bull M-Sport Ford Performance factory team. Over 15 Dakar rally stage wins4-time Best in the Desert Series Motorcycle Champion2-time back-to-back Best in the Desert Series Truck Champion 2009-20101- time Best in The Desert Trick Truck series Champion1 time SCORE class 1 series Champion 3-time Motorcycle Racing Association of Nevada Series Champion1-time Nevada/Utah Battle of the Borders Series Motorcycle Champion1-time W.O.R.C.S 250F Pro Series Champion1-time AMA National Hare-N-Hound Open Class National ChampionStage 16 motorcycle winner in the 2005 Dakar RallyWinner of the Red Bull KTM Da

Marc Mero was a WWE wrestler, who became a motivational speaker, touring schools around the country. We talk about his early life, career, journey through substance abuse, mental health and his transition to teaching children about bullying and suicide.Marc Mero, who found global fame as Johnny B. Badd in WCW and alongside then-wife Rena ‘Sable’ Mero in World Wrestling Entertainment, played an instrumental role during wrestling’s hottest period. Sharing the squared circle with Hall of Fame stars including Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H and Ric Flair, Mero’s fast-paced wrestling style and charismatic presentation made him a big hit with fans, en route to winning three WCW Television Titles and the coveted WWE Intercontinental Championship.Yet Marc Mero’s life after wrestling has been even more prolific than his time performing as a sports entertainer. For almost two decades, Marc has inspired young people globally through his motivation ‘Champion of Choices’ talks, changing many lives for the better.

Jonathan Wilson is a Navy SEAL veteran and the founder and CEO of INVI MindHealth, a mental health tech company whose mission is to save lives by making the invisible, visible. Prior to launching INVI, Jonathan worked at Capital Group and before that he was an equity trader at Goldman Sachs in New York City.Jonathan also co-founded and led the SEAL Future Foundation (SFF), a 501.c.3, in 2012, which has helped thousands of Navy SEALs and given millions of dollars back. The SFF’s mission is to provide Navy SEALs a foundation that supports their well-being, education and career to continue a life of service within their communities.Jonathan started his professional career in the military having served over a decade in the United States Navy SEALs, deploying to multiple combat theaters while serving on multiple SEAL Teams. He holds an MBA from the University of Oxford and graduated from the Program for Leadership Development at Harvard Business School. Jonathan is based in Denver, ColoradoEpisode Sponsor:https://

Peter Van Dorpe is a retired fire chief of the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District in Illinois. Chief Van Dorpe began his Fire Service career in April of 1980 as a Firefighter on Truck Co. #22 for the City of Chicago Fire Department; where he rose through the ranks including engineer, lieutenant, captain, battalion chief, eventually retiring in October of 2013 as a district chief for the Division of Training. Among Chief Van Dorpe's Line experience, he was also the Lead Instructor for the Chicago Fire Departments Fire Officer School from 2005 to 2010 as well as a Field Instructor for the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute where he is still actively involved in Firefighter Training. Chief Van Dorpe obtained an associate's degree in fire science from the Chicago city-wide Colleges; moving on to obtaining his bachelor's degree in fire science management from the Southern Illinois University. Chief Van Dorpe has also taught "Building Construction for the Fire Service" at Harold Washing

Spencer Thomas is a former football athlete turned stunt performer and John Cena's stunt double. We discuss growing up around athletics, moving to LA, humility on set, his journey into stunts, the mental impact of injury, his connection with the fire service, John's altruism, and so much more.

Patrick Pianezza is a paramedic, actor and the writer of the film Code 3. We discuss his journey into EMS, the volunteer fire service, some career calls, the US healthcare crisis, universal healthcare, screenwriting, bringing his story to the screen and so much more.Patrick was born in central Illinois. He has an associates degree in Biology from Lincoln Land Community College and a certificate of completion for his Paramedic license. He served as a volunteer fireman and EMT at the Sherman Volunteer Fire Department. Next, Patrick transferred to the University of South Carolina garnering a Bachelors of Arts (B.A.) in Public Relations and a Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA) while concurrently working as a Paramedic Crew Chief for Lexington County Emergency Medical Services.His graduate work took him to Baltimore to complete his externship at Johns Hopkins Hospital's Human Resources Department as well as serving on The Johns Hopkins' Critical Care Transport Team known as Lifeline. He has worked in hospi

Rob Jamieson is a 30 year law enforcement veteran, police officer, Director of the Ontario Provincial Police Association and the author of "In pursuit of Mental Wellness". We discuss his journey in to policing, organised crime, protecting the indigenous populations, the allegations of corruption that almost destroyed his union, rebuilding trust and relationships, mental health and so much more.After joining the OPP in 1995, he began his career stationed in Southwestern Ontario in uniform patrol, eventually being seconded to the Biker Enforcement Unit. Rob then transferred to Central Ontario, taking on the role of Detective in the Nottawasaga/Dufferin Crime Unit. It was in this position that Rob began to experience the first-hand effects of sanctuary trauma. He was promoted to Platoon Sergeant team leader in 2008 and was then asked to join Professional Standards (internal affairs) in 2010.Rob saw first-hand the stressors that investigations had on police officers and, by extension, their families. In 2014, Rob

Ryan Conley is a 10 year veteran of the fire service, Exercise Physiology graduate and the founder of Carna Bunker Gear. We discuss his journey into powerlifting, training the tactical athlete, firefighter fitness standards, rem0ving carcinogens from our gear, creating a safe bunker gear to train in, the work week and so much more.https://www.carnabunkergear.com/Episode Sponsor:https://www.levels.com/

Eddie Wineland is the Former WEC World Champion, UFC fighter and a career firefighter. We discuss his journey into the combat sports, the house fire that almost claimed his brother's life, the fighter's mindset, sleep and performance, mental health and so much more.

Dr. Blaine Lints is an applied physiologist, former Navy SEAL, and former professional triathlete whose research focuses on optimizing cognitive and physical performance in high-stakes operational settings. Blaine's dissertation work examined the physiological and cognitive effects of operational stressors such as thermal strain and physical exertion. His overarching goal is to generate research and communicate those findings to preserve and enhance operator performance and health.Episode Sponsor:https://www.stationwise.com/

Jeff Cool is an Air Force Veteran, FDNY Rescue Firefighter and Black Sunday Survivor. We discuss military firefighting, his journey into the FDNY, his haunting 9/11 story, the 178th Street fire, Joey DiBernardo's selfless heroism, Jeff's physical and emotional healing journey, psychedelics, lifesaving bail out systems and so much more.In January 2005, Joey DiBernardo responded to a tenement fire in the Bronx with Rescue 3. This day would come to be known as “Black Sunday” in FDNY history as three firefighters died that day in the line of duty. Due to illegal partitions and blocked fire escapes, Ladder Co. 27 and Rescue 3 became trapped on the top floor of this Bronx tenement. Surrounded by fire with no way out and running out of air, they were forced to jump out the rear windows to the yard five stories below. Tragically, two members of Ladder 27 died on impact and two others were critically injured. Jeff Cool of Rescue 3 was trapped at one window and Joey was trapped in the adjoining room.With fire blowing o

Ty Miller started his working career in the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment of the French Foreign Legion where, among other things, he used to jump out of airplanes and helicopters. Now, as a new Commercial IFR Helicopter Pilot working at Helijet International, his passion is to fly them. Previous to his flying career, Ty was an executive in the software industry with large and small analytics companies like SAP and Visier.Over his 23 year software career Ty led product management teams and advised on and implemented analytics solutions for both customers and partners. Ty holds a BS in Economics from Bentley University and dual MBA in International Business and MA in International Affairs degrees from The George Washington University. Ty lives with his wife Laura in Vancouver, BC, Canada.Episode Sponsor:https://www.stationwise.com/

Dr Stuart McGill is a world renowned authority on back health. We delve into a host of topics from removing the sit up in the Military's PT test to the correlation between sleep deprivation and musculo-skeletal injury.Dr. Stuart M. McGill is a “distinguished professor emeritus”, University of Waterloo, where he was a professor for 30 years. His laboratory and experimental research clinic investigated issues related to the causal mechanisms of back pain, how to rehabilitate back-pained people and enhance both injury resilience and performance. His advice is often sought by governments, corporations, legal experts, medical groups and elite athletes and teams from around the world.His work produced over 245 peer-reviewed scientific journal papers, several textbooks, and many international awards including the “Order of Canada” in 2020 for leadership in the back pain area. He mentored over 37 graduate students during this scientific journey.During this time he taught thousands of clinicians and practitioners in

Steve Gowin is an Army Veteran, retired SWAT operator and Crossfit coach. We discuss his journey into the military, horsemanship, fitness in law enforcement, leadership, coaching the youth athlete and so much more.Steve Gowin founded his goal-oriented counseling service, Targeted Motivational Engagement (TME), in 2015. Through TME, Steve has been able to address hundreds of children and adults on the topics of goal setting and personal improvement. Steve also works with sports teams and individual athletes to help develop the mental mindset needed to be successful in their sport.Steve spent six years in the U.S. Army in a light infantry unit as a combat engineer (Sapper). He served as a team leader and earned the rank of sergeant after two years. It was in that leadership role that Steve recognized his passion for helping individuals and groups reach their potential through action.Steve spent 24 yrs years in law enforcement, 19 of which were spent as a member of the King County Sheriff’s office SWAT team. He

Doug Orchard is a professional cinematographer, director, editor, and expert researcher with an MLS from Indiana University, Bloomington, and has excellent communication skills (BA English, BYU). He is a global thought leader on Physical Education, Fasting, Sovereign Debt, and responsible CRE Revenue Reserve strategies. In this second conversation, Doug reveals the underhand practices of private equity firms that are threatening public pensions.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 Facebook views and has received nati

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