*Part 2!! * Growing up as a 90s kid would make you think Ninja would be a legit career path, between Ninja Turtles, Surf Ninjas, 3 Ninjas, and on... As it turns out, you can get pretty dang close, if you are a dedicated, hyper-focused, diligent patrol officer -  and then turn into a plain-clothes surveillance detective.

My guest in this 2-part episode is a long term teammate and true friend.  We started our careers in the region at virtually the same time but took diverging career paths, honing distinctly different skillsets in this fascinating and expansive profession.  My guest, Daniel Yagi is a tenured special investigations detective who has become a regional expert in not only tracking down violent offenders with tactics and technology, but has become the premier trainer through his company, Cypher Operations Group.

We talk about building the craft of proactive policing, what that can even mean, and investigations in patrol work- and how officer can truly hone their craft on the seemingly most basic types of calls, then in part 2, we move into more specific insight and tips for success and what Cypher can offer us as necessary skills in our pursuit of public safety and criminal justice.

-- 

With eighteen (18) years of law enforcement experience, Daniel has conducted thousands of hours of physical surveillance around the country. He has authored hundreds of warrants regarding violent crime and has directly been involved in the case development and prosecutions of homicides, robbery crew investigations, kidnappings, and high-level narcotic cases. 

He is a full time Detective with one of the largest and busiest cities in the State of Washington. For the last couple years, Daniel has been an acting Detective Sgt. in the investigations division where he is responsible for coordinating in progress call outs of high-profile cases that require detective investigations (homicides, kidnappings, etc).Daniel is the founder of Cypher Operations Group, where the company’s mission is to equip officers, investigators and tactical personnel with the most up to date case development methods in cell record analysis, physical surveillance, apprehensions and more. 

https://www.cypheropsgroup.com/

https://www.instagram.com/cypheroperationsgroup/

Questions, topic ideas and feedback? Send a line!

To stay connected with the latest and exclusive content:

Subscribe to the FREE newsletter at on bluegritwellness.com !

Don’t forget to follow and subscribe to Blue Grit Radio on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and more! Sharing the show and episodes to your friends, peers, circles and social platforms is one of the greatest compliments I can receive- which truly helps the show grow.

Please help support a healthier first responder community by giving us a 5 star rating (Spotify and Apple) and a review (on Apple) to help others find the show.

Need help with entry-level OR promotional testing? Stop spinning your wheels and prep the right mindset and awareness of all the critical hiring steps with my comprehensive hiring guide:
bluegritwellness.com/shop

Email me at [email protected] !

-------------------------------------

Want a discount on the best value high-quality supplements? I've legitimately used Nutricost products easily for a decade. Whey isolate, plant proteins, collagen, vitamins, etc...??

Promo Code: BLUEGRIT - 10% off

Affiliate link: https://nutricost.com/discount/BLUEGRIT

-----------——————————-
*the opinions expressed in all episodes of this podcast and related materials do not reflect on any departments agencies.

music credit: Drive by AShamaluevMusic

Police eyes in the sky are absolute game-changers for tracking down violent offenders on the run - or people trying to reenact GTA on high-speed hijinks.  Beyond that, our pilots in policing can help public safety in many other aspects.

Trooper and pilot Anson Statema with the Washington State Patrol joins me to share about career opportunities in flight as well as teaching on how cops on the ground can help our aerial counterparts - and vice versa.  We talk pros, cons of aircraft and discuss the limitations of UAS or drones.

__

Trooper Anson Statema has been with WSP since graduating the academy in 2007.  After 10 years of patrol work in Snohomish county, during which time he was a Drug Recognition Expert, Field Training Officer, and other specialty assignments, he transferred to Aviation.  

Trooper Statema has been a pilot since 1996 and has accumulated more than 5,000 hours of flying time.  Since 2016 he has been flying for WSP, and is a promoter of air support for law enforcement for risk management and officer safety.   He holds FAA licenses for Airline Transport Pilot and Flight Instructor.  He is also a Public Information Officer (PIO) for WSP and manages the official IG account, @wspaviation.  

Questions, topic ideas and feedback? Send a line!

To stay connected with the latest and exclusive content:

Subscribe to the FREE newsletter at on bluegritwellness.com !

Don’t forget to follow and subscribe to Blue Grit Radio on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and more! Sharing the show and episodes to your friends, peers, circles and social platforms is one of the greatest compliments I can receive- which truly helps the show grow.

Please help support a healthier first responder community by giving us a 5 star rating (Spotify and Apple) and a review (on Apple) to help others find the show.

Need help with entry-level OR promotional testing? Stop spinning your wheels and prep the right mindset and awareness of all the critical hiring steps with my comprehensive hiring guide:
bluegritwellness.com/shop

Email me at [email protected] !

-------------------------------------

Want a discount on the best value high-quality supplements? I've legitimately used Nutricost products easily for a decade. Whey isolate, plant proteins, collagen, vitamins, etc...??

Promo Code: BLUEGRIT - 10% off

Affiliate link: https://nutricost.com/discount/BLUEGRIT

-----------——————————-
*the opinions expressed in all episodes of this podcast and related materials do not reflect on any departments agencies.

music credit: Drive by AShamaluevMusic

Growing up as a 90s kid would make you think Ninja would be a legit career path, between Ninja Turtles, Surf Ninjas, 3 Ninjas, and on... As it turns out, you can get pretty dang close, if you are a dedicated, hyper-focused, diligent patrol officer -  and then turn into a plain-clothes surveillance detective.

My guest in this 2-part episode is a long term teammate and true friend.  We started our careers in the region at virtually the same time but took diverging career paths, honing distinctly different skillsets in this fascinating and expansive profession.  My guest, Daniel Yagi is a tenured special investigations detective who has become a regional expert in not only tracking down violent offenders with tactics and technology, but has become the premier trainer through his company, Cypher Operations Group.

We talk about building the craft of proactive policing, what that can even mean, and investigations in patrol work- and how officer can truly hone their craft on the seemingly most basic types of calls, then in part 2, we move into more specific insight and tips for success and what Cypher can offer us as necessary skills in our pursuit of public safety and criminal justice.

-- 

With eighteen (18) years of law enforcement experience, Daniel has conducted thousands of hours of physical surveillance around the country. He has authored hundreds of warrants regarding violent crime and has directly been involved in the case development and prosecutions of homicides, robbery crew investigations, kidnappings, and high-level narcotic cases. 

He is a full time Detective with one of the largest and busiest cities in the State of Washington. For the last couple years, Daniel has been an acting Detective Sgt. in the investigations division where he is responsible for coordinating in progress call outs of high-profile cases that require detective investigations (homicides, kidnappings, etc).Daniel is the founder of Cypher Operations Group, where the company’s mission is to equip officers, investigators and tactical personnel with the most up to date case development methods in cell record analysis, physical surveillance, apprehensions and more. 

https://www.cypheropsgroup.com/

https://www.instagram.com/cypheroperationsgroup/

Questions, topic ideas and feedback? Send a line!

To stay connected with the latest and exclusive content:

Subscribe to the FREE newsletter at on bluegritwellness.com !

Don’t forget to follow and subscribe to Blue Grit Radio on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and more! Sharing the show and episodes to your friends, peers, circles and social platforms is one of the greatest compliments I can receive- which truly helps the show grow.

Please help support a healthier first responder community by giving us a 5 star rating (Spotify and Apple) and a review (on Apple) to help others find the show.

Need help with entry-level OR promotional testing? Stop spinning your wheels and prep the right mindset and awareness of all the critical hiring steps with my comprehensive hiring guide:
bluegritwellness.com/shop

Email me at [email protected] !

-------------------------------------

Want a discount on the best value high-quality supplements? I've legitimately used Nutricost products easily for a decade. Whey isolate, plant proteins, collagen, vitamins, etc...??

Promo Code: BLUEGRIT - 10% off

Affiliate link: https://nutricost.com/discount/BLUEGRIT

-----------——————————-
*the opinions expressed in all episodes of this podcast and related materials do not reflect on any departments agencies.

music credit: Drive by AShamaluevMusic

Some listeners come for mental health topics. Others for the importance of fitness and functional training.  Then there's the deeper dives in philosophy, service, and the human condition as they affect the psyche of police and first responders.  Well, this episode hits all those realms and more.  

For probably just as long as I've been running this project, experts and colleagues in the wellness spaces have been talking about my guest, Matt Domyancic.  The accolades come from all over geographically, and all over with scope or work and field of study.  Listen in and you will quickly understand why - what you will not understand is how deep this man's intellect, acumen, and spiritual awareness goes!  The Tactical Chaplain, an absolutely athlete and scholar and I explore topic on ALL things health, effectiveness, biometrics, recovery and the parasympathetic, arterial/heart health all the way over to stress outlets and training, all the way to Jungian psychology, inner child, James Hollis and MORE!

—

Matt Domyancic has an extensive background in Wellness, Peer Support, Strength and Conditioning, Sports and Performance Psychology, as well as Spirituality with elite athletes, veterans, and first responders.  

Matt is a medically retired police officer who worked patrol, Peer Support, SWAT, and full time academy instructor for fitness and officer survival.  Matt also was a strength coach at Yale and Georgetown Universities while also leading campus ministry for athletes - all while a full time police officer.  

After being medically retired Matt was a strength coach and sport psychology consultant for Velocity Sports Performance in Redondo Beach for many years working with professional and Olympic athletes.  Matt was also a police and fire chaplain for agencies in Los Angeles, as well as being a chaplain and peer support for other nonprofits.   Matt is a one man nonprofit providing free individual support for first responders and vets, as well as free training on proactive mental health and wellness.  

There is more information about his background, mission, media and podcasts at www.tacticalchaplain.com 

IG @Thinbluelinespirituality, @TheTacticalChaplain

Questions, topic ideas and feedback? Send a line!

To stay connected with the latest and exclusive content:

Subscribe to the FREE newsletter at on bluegritwellness.com !

Don’t forget to follow and subscribe to Blue Grit Radio on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and more! Sharing the show and episodes to your friends, peers, circles and social platforms is one of the greatest compliments I can receive- which truly helps the show grow.

Please help support a healthier first responder community by giving us a 5 star rating (Spotify and Apple) and a review (on Apple) to help others find the show.

Need help with entry-level OR promotional testing? Stop spinning your wheels and prep the right mindset and awareness of all the critical hiring steps with my comprehensive hiring guide:
bluegritwellness.com/shop

Email me at [email protected] !

-------------------------------------

Want a discount on the best value high-quality supplements? I've legitimately used Nutricost products easily for a decade. Whey isolate, plant proteins, collagen, vitamins, etc...??

Promo Code: BLUEGRIT - 10% off

Affiliate link: https://nutricost.com/discount/BLUEGRIT

-----------——————————-
*the opinions expressed in all episodes of this podcast and related materials do not reflect on any departments agencies.

music credit: Drive by AShamaluevMusic

We know a full police career (or even fraction of one!) can take a toll on us.  Physically.  Mentally. Our batteries don't only get sapped, but sometimes they get fried (you know, that annoying thing where it just doesn't charge fully, and seems to drain rapidly??)

 In this episode, a true example of a FULL career of legit cop work joins me to talk about all of these dynamics.  Andrew McCormick retired as a sergeant from Tempe PD.  He spent 27 years total, with 24 of them being on their tactical team, and a robust 18 years (!) as a team leader.  

Andrew shares insights and lessons learned for his career as it comes to burnout, wellness, longevity, stressors, and identity.  He shares tangible tips and modeling wellness for your team, along with his continued purpose with SWORN.

He can be reached at:

480-241-3247 or [email protected]

Questions, topic ideas and feedback? Send a line!

To stay connected with the latest and exclusive content:

Subscribe to the FREE newsletter at on bluegritwellness.com !

Don’t forget to follow and subscribe to Blue Grit Radio on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and more! Sharing the show and episodes to your friends, peers, circles and social platforms is one of the greatest compliments I can receive- which truly helps the show grow.

Please help support a healthier first responder community by giving us a 5 star rating (Spotify and Apple) and a review (on Apple) to help others find the show.

Need help with entry-level OR promotional testing? Stop spinning your wheels and prep the right mindset and awareness of all the critical hiring steps with my comprehensive hiring guide:
bluegritwellness.com/shop

Email me at [email protected] !

-------------------------------------

Want a discount on the best value high-quality supplements? I've legitimately used Nutricost products easily for a decade. Whey isolate, plant proteins, collagen, vitamins, etc...??

Promo Code: BLUEGRIT - 10% off

Affiliate link: https://nutricost.com/discount/BLUEGRIT

-----------——————————-
*the opinions expressed in all episodes of this podcast and related materials do not reflect on any departments agencies.

music credit: Drive by AShamaluevMusic

You asked - so I answered!  I recently went through a tear on a handful of books and among them was Mel Robbins' Let Them.  As I posted it in my story with some pages/quotes, many of you wanted to know my thoughts. Some of you were fans, some of which had read it, others not so much. Some of you were NOT fans of her or her writing, with some commentary.

In this episode, I share about how I learned about her and her content, and do an overview of Let Them, the 5-Second Rule, and the High Five Habit.  This quick "bonus" episode brings in connection to other philosophy and psychology that can be absolutely relevant to cops, first responders, high-drive individuals and much of our "gen pop" as well. 

*excuse the sound quality, I recorded this before class from my glorious hotel room.  As always, let me know your thoughts and questions!

Questions, topic ideas and feedback? Send a line!

To stay connected with the latest and exclusive content:

Subscribe to the FREE newsletter at on bluegritwellness.com !

Don’t forget to follow and subscribe to Blue Grit Radio on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and more! Sharing the show and episodes to your friends, peers, circles and social platforms is one of the greatest compliments I can receive- which truly helps the show grow.

Please help support a healthier first responder community by giving us a 5 star rating (Spotify and Apple) and a review (on Apple) to help others find the show.

Need help with entry-level OR promotional testing? Stop spinning your wheels and prep the right mindset and awareness of all the critical hiring steps with my comprehensive hiring guide:
bluegritwellness.com/shop

Email me at [email protected] !

-------------------------------------

Want a discount on the best value high-quality supplements? I've legitimately used Nutricost products easily for a decade. Whey isolate, plant proteins, collagen, vitamins, etc...??

Promo Code: BLUEGRIT - 10% off

Affiliate link: https://nutricost.com/discount/BLUEGRIT

-----------——————————-
*the opinions expressed in all episodes of this podcast and related materials do not reflect on any departments agencies.

music credit: Drive by AShamaluevMusic

This topic and question came from a listener/follower like YOU!  The question was what tips should the applicant keep in mind going from a small, slower agency to a big, fast-paced department?  The tips actually translate to anyone changing roles, ranks, or assignments!

The themes range with regards to environment, but I break down the main things anyone should bear in mind, how they prep their mindset, what traits they should embody and how to navigate new people and culture.  I bring in my time as an FTO, various supervisor roles, as well as being in the seat of hiring manager and recruiting supervisor.  Sometimes you could tell EARLY on that it was a bad fit- either due to tenacity (oops) or attitude (yikes).

I also feature input and responses from followers when I posed the question outward- many answered from personal experience.  Make sure to let me know if this was helpful and share out to your lateral colleagues and hopefuls!

Questions, topic ideas and feedback? Send a line!

To stay connected with the latest and exclusive content:

Subscribe to the FREE newsletter at on bluegritwellness.com !

Don’t forget to follow and subscribe to Blue Grit Radio on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and more! Sharing the show and episodes to your friends, peers, circles and social platforms is one of the greatest compliments I can receive- which truly helps the show grow.

Please help support a healthier first responder community by giving us a 5 star rating (Spotify and Apple) and a review (on Apple) to help others find the show.

Need help with entry-level OR promotional testing? Stop spinning your wheels and prep the right mindset and awareness of all the critical hiring steps with my comprehensive hiring guide:
bluegritwellness.com/shop

Email me at [email protected] !

-------------------------------------

Want a discount on the best value high-quality supplements? I've legitimately used Nutricost products easily for a decade. Whey isolate, plant proteins, collagen, vitamins, etc...??

Promo Code: BLUEGRIT - 10% off

Affiliate link: https://nutricost.com/discount/BLUEGRIT

-----------——————————-
*the opinions expressed in all episodes of this podcast and related materials do not reflect on any departments agencies.

music credit: Drive by AShamaluevMusic

In the second half of this special 2-part interview, we focus on a lot of "what to do" and how to go about the info we learned in part 1.  Dr. Leah Kaylor (FBI's sleep expert) and I go down some rabbit holes on sleep hacks and I even learn some myths and hacks exposed about blue light, melatonin, and how to approach "sleep hygiene."  

If you missed it, you're not going to want to miss part 1 (aired ep prior) on contributors to sleep issues, how to curb them, and critical info on understand our circadian rhythms.

--

Dr. Leah Kaylor is a licensed clinical and prescribing psychologist who has served as the FBI’s sleep expert for over five years. With a passion for optimizing human performance, she’s on a mission to help others harness the transformative power of rest—because better sleep shouldn’t be Top Secret. Dr. Leah shares practical, science-backed strategies on her YouTube channel, and her upcoming book, If Sleep Were A Drug, hits shelves on October 1, 2025.

"If you can’t remember the last time you had a good night’s rest, head over to my YouTube channel. I’ll show you how to take your sleep—and your performance—to the next level. Each week, I break down the science of sleep into practical, easy-to-use strategies to help you sleep better, recover faster, and enhance your quality of life."

https://www.youtube.com/@DrLeahKaylor

Questions, topic ideas and feedback? Send a line!

To stay connected with the latest and exclusive content:

Subscribe to the FREE newsletter at on bluegritwellness.com !

Don’t forget to follow and subscribe to Blue Grit Radio on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and more! Sharing the show and episodes to your friends, peers, circles and social platforms is one of the greatest compliments I can receive- which truly helps the show grow.

Please help support a healthier first responder community by giving us a 5 star rating (Spotify and Apple) and a review (on Apple) to help others find the show.

Need help with entry-level OR promotional testing? Stop spinning your wheels and prep the right mindset and awareness of all the critical hiring steps with my comprehensive hiring guide:
bluegritwellness.com/shop

Email me at [email protected] !

-------------------------------------

Want a discount on the best value high-quality supplements? I've legitimately used Nutricost products easily for a decade. Whey isolate, plant proteins, collagen, vitamins, etc...??

Promo Code: BLUEGRIT - 10% off

Affiliate link: https://nutricost.com/discount/BLUEGRIT

-----------——————————-
*the opinions expressed in all episodes of this podcast and related materials do not reflect on any departments agencies.

music credit: Drive by AShamaluevMusic

In this first half of a fantastic 2-part interview, we focus on SLEEP (and the lack thereof!)  When chatting and polling first responders, it is usually the biggest challenge and deficit that people want more of.  I am joined by the FBI's resident sleep psychologist, Dr. Leah Kaylor.  I share about my own struggles and hacks, some decent and others misguided and misinterpreted.

Dr. Leah helps us sift through sharing her background, how she landed with "the bureau" and so much about circadian rhythms and what we need to do to support them.  We even get into career exploration and development- check it out and stay tuned next week for Part 2!

--

Dr. Leah Kaylor is a licensed clinical and prescribing psychologist who has served as the FBI’s sleep expert for over five years. With a passion for optimizing human performance, she’s on a mission to help others harness the transformative power of rest—because better sleep shouldn’t be Top Secret. Dr. Leah shares practical, science-backed strategies on her YouTube channel, and her upcoming book, If Sleep Were A Drug, hits shelves on October 1, 2025.

"If you can’t remember the last time you had a good night’s rest, head over to my YouTube channel. I’ll show you how to take your sleep—and your performance—to the next level. Each week, I break down the science of sleep into practical, easy-to-use strategies to help you sleep better, recover faster, and enhance your quality of life."

https://www.youtube.com/@DrLeahKaylor

Questions, topic ideas and feedback? Send a line!

To stay connected with the latest and exclusive content:

Subscribe to the FREE newsletter at on bluegritwellness.com !

Don’t forget to follow and subscribe to Blue Grit Radio on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and more! Sharing the show and episodes to your friends, peers, circles and social platforms is one of the greatest compliments I can receive- which truly helps the show grow.

Please help support a healthier first responder community by giving us a 5 star rating (Spotify and Apple) and a review (on Apple) to help others find the show.

Need help with entry-level OR promotional testing? Stop spinning your wheels and prep the right mindset and awareness of all the critical hiring steps with my comprehensive hiring guide:
bluegritwellness.com/shop

Email me at [email protected] !

-------------------------------------

Want a discount on the best value high-quality supplements? I've legitimately used Nutricost products easily for a decade. Whey isolate, plant proteins, collagen, vitamins, etc...??

Promo Code: BLUEGRIT - 10% off

Affiliate link: https://nutricost.com/discount/BLUEGRIT

-----------——————————-
*the opinions expressed in all episodes of this podcast and related materials do not reflect on any departments agencies.

music credit: Drive by AShamaluevMusic

This is part 2 of the interview, make sure you listen to part 1, Ep. 254 first!

Police applicants!  So much of my goal since working in hiring and recruiting was to remove the mystery of our hiring process.  Many of us succeeded because we knew police officers and get some context to this unique process, including interviews and oral boards. Others of us had to learn through trial by fire, which is a huge waste of time, and frankly, can hurt your chances as you repeat testing over and over.

This is another episode where I recorded a mock interview with a gentleman I was coaching in his prep and hiring process. He had already done one official oral board, which we discussed and debriefed, and this was his following practice after going over many tips and examples from his life that he may consider using.

As always, here to help!  I know we can gain a lot from watching, listening to others, so huge shout out to "Jay" for allowing us to learn from his experience (which he agreed to!)  I cut out some info to make it more anonymous/objective for learning.

If you need more help, check out the hiring guide on the site and if you need some coaching calls, beyond that, reach out to learn more!

Questions, topic ideas and feedback? Send a line!

To stay connected with the latest and exclusive content:

Subscribe to the FREE newsletter at on bluegritwellness.com !

Don’t forget to follow and subscribe to Blue Grit Radio on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and more! Sharing the show and episodes to your friends, peers, circles and social platforms is one of the greatest compliments I can receive- which truly helps the show grow.

Please help support a healthier first responder community by giving us a 5 star rating (Spotify and Apple) and a review (on Apple) to help others find the show.

Need help with entry-level OR promotional testing? Stop spinning your wheels and prep the right mindset and awareness of all the critical hiring steps with my comprehensive hiring guide:
bluegritwellness.com/shop

Email me at [email protected] !

-------------------------------------

Want a discount on the best value high-quality supplements? I've legitimately used Nutricost products easily for a decade. Whey isolate, plant proteins, collagen, vitamins, etc...??

Promo Code: BLUEGRIT - 10% off

Affiliate link: https://nutricost.com/discount/BLUEGRIT

-----------——————————-
*the opinions expressed in all episodes of this podcast and related materials do not reflect on any departments agencies.

music credit: Drive by AShamaluevMusic