Alex Potter is a photojournalist, trauma nurse, former wildland firefighter, and co-founder of Global Response Medicine, a humanitarian non-profit bringing emergency medicine to low-resource and high-risk areas. 

Alex spent her early career photographing conflict in the Middle East, before spending two seasons as a wildland firefighter in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho. 

She then moved to Alaska to pursue a career as an Air Force Combat Rescue Officer and was selected in Phase 2 of the CRO pipeline in 2022. 

While a twist of fate (and knee) changed that path, she remains passionate about mountain pursuits, far-forward medicine, and the ability to help others achieve their goals. She is a current board member of the Special Operations Climbers Coalition, and recently moved to Bozeman, Montana.

More about Alex: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexkpotter/

Global Response Medicine: https://global-response.org/

Photography: https://www.alexkaypotter.com/

Support GRM: https://givebutter.com/AcuteCare

Timestamps:

00:00:22 Introduction to Alex Potter

00:01:14 Piecing Together Alex Potter's Career

00:04:48 Combat Rescue Officers VS. Pararescueman

00:06:43 Everybody Loves PJs

00:09:00 Trauma Nurse in Iraq

00:13:16 Notable Things in the Learning Curve

00:14:31 Where Did Your Food Come From

00:16:12 Being a Women in Traditional Muslim Culture

00:21:47 Ending two years in Iraq

00:24:03 Firefighter in Alaska

00:24:57 Month Long Boot Camp

00:26:13 What Makes Effective Leadership

00:27:21 Not Hoarding Knowledge

00:29:56 Becoming a Wildland Firefighter

00:33:15 Specific Boots for the Job

00:34:37 Physical Training Prior to Firefighting

00:37:10 Marriage & Nursing on the East Coast

00:40:07 The CRO Pipeline

00:45:45 Training to Maintain While Working on Weaknesses

00:50:27 Phase Two of Training

00:55:60 Qualifying for Air Force after Training

00:58:28 Pete Gets Director Position in Ukraine

01:02:35 Long Journey to Bring Pete Back Home

01:03:37 The OTS Pipeline

01:10:51 What is Alex Potter Doing Now

01:11:42 Mountain Guiding Professionals

01:13:25 Best and Worst Advice Ever Received

01:15:29 Outro

Mauri DiMeo is an Infantry officer in the US Army currently serving as an Assistant Professor of Military Science (APMS) at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). He attended Ranger, Airborne, SFAS, the SFQC, and the Austrian High Alpine School. Mauri was a platoon leader in the 4th Infantry Division and Rifle Company Commander in the 10th Mountain Division. 

His career took a turn in the final Robin Sage stage of the SF Q course, which we discuss early in our conversation. The lessons he learned there are important for any officer going through the SF qualification process. 

Outside of the military, Mauri founded Tactical Alpinism in 2022 with the mission to expand the capability of individuals to go bigger in the mountains by teaching mountain navigation and planning best practices. Enabling people to go bigger in the mountains expands the military’s capability in this environment by focusing on the expertise of the individual within mountain and arctic units. He professionally guides in the mountains in the ski, rock, and alpine disciplines.

His mountain experience includes two decades of climbing across much of the world and multiple ski-based ascents and descents, including Mount Shasta, Mount Rainier, and Denali, all by multiple routes. His civilian mountain certifications include AIARE Avalanche Professional Level 2, AIARE Avalanche Instructor, AMGA Assistant Ski Guide, and AMGA Assistant Rock Guide.

More about Mauri:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tacticalalpinism/

Timestamps:

00:00:23 Introduction to Mauri DiMeo

00:01:49 Mauri DiMeo’s Career 

00:03:20 Final Year at West Point

00:04:26 Preparing for the Course

00:05:32 Junior West Point Cadet

00:08:45 Doing Too Much

00:10:54 10th Mountain Warfare Training

00:15:56 Ready in a Month

00:18:13 Conventional Units in Cold Environments

00:21:48 The Gap Between What Soldiers Are Taught and Tying Knots 

00:26:09 Practicing Skills Where They Matter

00:28:20 Tactical Avalanche Education

00:32:13 Avalanche Bell Curve Management

00:36:20 Speed is Safety

00:42:00 Time Recommended to Build Aerobic Capacity

00:46:50 Balancing Volume Training

00:51:03 Zone 2 Running vs Rucking

00:55:34 Getting the Body to Do What It’s Meant to Do

00:58:48 Effective Mental Frameworks in the Mountains

01:02:27 Filling Gaps in Military Training

01:05:34 Tactical Core Skills for Operating in the Snowy Mountains

01:10:25 What Does Mauri DiMeo Do with Tactical Alpinism?

01:12:20 Best and Worst Advice Ever Received

01:14:44 Outro

Anthony ‘Harry’ Moffitt retired from the Australian Defence Force after almost 30 years, most of which was spent with Australia’s Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment as a Team Commander and Team Specialist. 

He completed 11 active service deployments and was wounded in action in 2008. He completed his time with the SAS as their Human Performance Manager. 

Harry is a registered psychologist and runs a human performance consultancy called Stotan Group, which works with sports teams, the military, and the industry. He is also a Director at the Mission Critical Team Institute and founded the Wanderers Education Program, a multi-million dollar not-for-profit that prepares soldiers for transition. 

He recently published his memoir Eleven Bats, a book about his military service and his love of cricket.

Harry has been married to Danielle for 27 years and has two children. He values integrity, humor, and bricolage.

More about Harry:

Stotan Group: https://stotangroup.com.au/

Eleven Bats: https://www.booktopia.com.au/eleven-bats-anthony-harry-moffitt/book/9781760877842.html

SAS Wanderer's Education Program: https://www.sasresourcesfund.org.au/about-the-fund/wanderers-education-program

LBW Trust / National Backyard Cricket: https://lbwtrust.com.au/

The Externals (Harry's band): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWSYUvRoa8Q

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harrymoffitt353/

Timestamps:

00:00:22 Introduction to Harry Moffitt

00:01:22 Career Overview

00:04:28 Human Performance and Nuance in SAS Selection

00:06:16 Success in Selection 

00:09:45 Being In Love With The Process

00:13:49 Building a Nest: The Ways We Quit

00:14:51 The Challenge Beyond Selection

00:17:56 Self Doubt: Questioning Your Sense of Belonging

00:24:55 Moving On From “You Suck. Suck Less.”

00:29:05 Accessing for Integrity

00:31:06 Leadership, Character, & Stress

00:35:04 Sponsor Note: Building The Elite 

00:35:58 Protecting Us From Ourselves

00:40:21 Special Operations in Civilian Life: Which Concepts Work? Which Don’t?

00:45:51 The Hallmarks of Camaraderie

00:50:31 Playing ‘Company’

00:53:17 The Cricket Bats

00:58:30 Harry Moffitt’s Next Book

01:01:59 Philosophy: Wonder, Intuition, & Imagination

01:05:29 Clarifying Values: Your Personal North Star

01:11:16 Best and Worst Advice Ever Received

01:11:50 Outro

Josh Bridges is a former Navy SEAL, with multiple deployments as a member of SEAL Team 3. 

He’s a competitive CrossFit athlete and has competed in the CrossFit games six times, placing second in the world in 2011. 

Josh left the Navy to spend more time with his family, and he is now a high-performance coach and entrepreneur. 

More about Josh:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bridgesj3/

Website: Josh-bridges.com

Timestamps:

00:00:22 Introduction to Josh Bridges

00:00:54 Josh Bridges’ Career

00:01:54 The Benefits of Wrestling & a Good Coach

00:05:07 BUD/S, Wrestling, & San Diego Beaches

00:06:42 The ‘Crappy Job’ Experience

00:10:54 Sponsor Note: Building the Elite

00:11:34 Who excels & What Do They Have In Common?

00:13:21 How to Look Past The Rules & Find The Principles

00:15:03 There is No One Theme in BUD/S

00:18:31 Developing Camaraderie in BUD/S 

00:19:30 Getting Into CrossFit

00:22:05 The Less Attached, The More Focused You’ll Be

00:24:08 Getting Back Into CrossFit 

00:26:29 CrossFit Worlds (The CrossFit Games)

00:29:25 Teaching Others How to Train

00:32:50 The Evolution of CrossFit

00:35:22 Common Mistakes in Preparation

00:37:31 How to Push The Pace While Remote Coaching 

00:41:09 The Physiological Limit

00:46:40 Best and Worst Advice Ever Received

00:49:25 Outro

Ryan Wilson completed a long and challenging career in the Australian Army spanning 18 years, primarily in the Special Air Service Regiment, where he gained extensive experience leading teams in highly complex and uncertain environments on multiple combat tours.   

During his time in the special forces, Ryan experienced many life-changing and challenging situations that sparked his interest in resilience, high performance, and operational management.  Following his military career, Ryan commenced his journey into the whiskey industry, starting in 2020 as Business Development Manager for Whipper Snapper Distillery, and is now the General Manager overseeing the entire operation.      

Ryan is active in the veteran support space. He is on the Board of Directors for the Veteran employment non-profit Working Spirit and is the WA manager for the veteran charity Wandering Warriors.  He has recently founded a new charity called Working Paws Australia, which aims to raise money and provide financial assistance for medical bills and other areas associated with retired military and police working dogs.  

He holds a BA in Politics and International Studies from Murdoch University and a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Western Australia.  He is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) Course.  

Ryan spent much of his career living and working throughout Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia, and is fluent in Bahasa Indonesian.   

More about Ryan:

You can learn more about Ryan and the charities he’s involved with at his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryanwilson_1984/

Timestamps:

00:00:22 Introduction to Ryan Wilson

00:01:55 Career Overview

00:04:16 SAS Selection: What makes people quit?

00:07:32 Mental Preparation: How to Keep Going and Stay Out of Your Head

00:10:40 Keeping An Internal Compass 

00:13:40 Segmenting: A Thousand Manageable Steps, One At A Time

00:15:56 Stories of Selection & Low Points

00:19:13 What Are My Odds of Making It

00:22:20 End of Selection: Three Sentences and You're On Your Way Home

00:24:08 The Sword in the Stone Mentality

00:27:21 Selection Starts When the Stress Sets In

00:28:46 Sponsor Note: Mindfulness in Training App

00:31:32 Rationale for Snapping & Trainability 

00:36:04 The Ability to Deal With Failure & Setbacks

00:39:30 How Powerful Nutrition Is & Can Be

00:43:23 Foundation for Metabolic Flexibility

00:45:32 Team Dynamics in Selection: Knowing When to Follow & When to Lead

00:47:21 Building Trust and Rapport With a New Group

00:50:32 Career Progression After Selection

00:54:06 Work/Life Balance Compared to the Army

00:58:23 Best and Worst Advice Ever Received

01:01:39 Outro

Daniel Allen is a doctor of clinical psychology and a strength and conditioning coach specializing in preparing candidates for military and special operations service in New Zealand.

He spent 6 years as a medic in the NZ Army before leaving to fulfill a dream to compete as a professional Muay Thai and MMA athlete and embark on a decade-long formal training in clinical psychology. 

He has worked with people ranging from Olympians, professional and world-class athletes, to beginners starting out for the first time to successful New Zealand SAS candidates.

Dan’s wide-ranging academic background spans undergraduate study in Health Science, Exercise Science, master’s and doctoral psychology programs, and much to his wife’s dismay, he is currently in a 2-year neuropsychology program.

Dan’s doctoral research focused on factors that reduced PTSD and increased flourishing among military personnel in the years following deployment, including nutrition, sleep, exercise, social support, and leadership support.

His psychology background is similarly wide-ranging, including working as a high-school counselor, in a drugs and addiction service and, more recently, in a private psychology service.

Dan is passionate about understanding the relationship between nutrition, psychology, and performance and how these things facilitate resilience.

You can learn more about Dan at his website, drdancoach.com/ or on Instagram at @drdancoaching



Timestamps:

00:00:22 Introduction to Daniel Allen

00:01:46 Sidequest to Be Professional Muay Thai Fighter

00:06:40 Training in High-Level Gyms Around the World

00:09:15 How Did Daniel Allen’s Training Impact How He Coaches?

00:11:39 How to Separate Pain from Suffering

00:14:02 Exercise Science and Psychology Degrees 

00:14:59 New Zealand SAS 

00:17:49 What Would Daniel Change About How He Coached in the Past?

00:21:09 How to Balance Being Good at Running and Rucking

00:24:05 Predictors of Success

00:26:58 Most Common Mistakes in Prep

00:29:31 Test Within a Training Cycle

00:31:53 Fundamental Skills to Develop People’s Abilities

00:34:04 Sponsor Note on Segmenting 

00:34:28 Questioning Your Sense of Belonging

00:41:02 Common Success Factors from Olympic Athletes to SAS Operators

00:45:21 Cognitive Flexibility and Growth Mindset

00:47:45 Operational Longevity 

00:52:33 Limiting Factors During a Course 

00:54:04 Candidates with Cushie Backgrounds

00:57:43 Gaining Awareness of the Landscape of Your Mind

00:59:43 SAS Candidates Do’s and Don’ts

01:02:31 Best and Worst Advice Ever Received 

01:05:29 Outro

One of the most common training questions we answer, particularly in the winter when people’s kids are going back to school and concocting new diseases, is about training when sick. 

While the answer is obvious if you’re bedridden or can barely feed yourself (Do not work out), how you manage yourself from when you begin to feel symptoms to when you’re back to 100% will make a big difference in your rate of recovery.

This episode covers what to do and not do when you're sick, how to transition back to full-intensity training, and factors that speed recovery and influence your propensity to illness. 

You may want to refer back to portions of this episode so we have it published in written format on our website, broken down by sections. 

You can read it here: https://www.buildingtheelite.com/training-when-sick/

Scott Ryder served for 22 years with the Australian Army, including 16 years as an operator with the 2nd Commando Regiment. He served in East Timor and multiple tours of Afghanistan and Iraq. He holds numerous commendations and a Masters of Business, and he works in veteran charities to improve the life of veterans and their families. He’s the author of the book Forged in Fire: An Australian Commando's Story of Life and Death on the Frontline, available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and almost any other major retailer.

Scott’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scott_ryder_zero79/

Scott’s Linktree

Forged In Fire on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3B9TLFG

Timestamps:

00:00:22 Introduction to Scott Ryder

00:02:01 Time in Australia and the Military

00:03:23 Commando Selection

00:04:47 Having a Smaller Build in Selection

00:07:19 How Long Should Training Be?

00:10:37 Childhood Adversity Gives You Coping Skills

00:15:19 Functional Fitness and Training

00:20:19 No Resilience to Sleep Deprivation 

00:21:32 Purpose and Performance

00:27:11 Sponsor Note: Train to Perform Well in Stressful Situations

00:30:47 Physical Fatigue Gages Where You Are Mentally and Physically

00:33:30 When You Don’t Remember Why You Signed Up

00:35:27 Scott Ryder’s Most Challenging Moments in Selection

00:37:39 Most Common Mistakes in Preparing for Selection

00:42:06 Don’t Talk to the Quitters

00:47:25 Learning Land Navigation

00:49:40 Common Threads of Successful Candidates

00:51:41 Once the Physical Playing Field is Leveled

00:54:27 Teamwork and Social Interactions

00:57:45 Scott Ryder’s Book

00:59:38 Best and Worst Advice Ever Received

01:00:18 Outro

Chris Frueh, PhD is a professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii.  He has over thirty years of professional experience working with military veterans, servicemembers, special operators, private defense contractors, and firefighters; and has conducted clinical trials, epidemiology, historical, and neuroscience research. He was previously a professor of psychiatry at Medical University of South Carolina and Baylor College of Medicine.

He has co-authored over 325 scientific publications and is the author of Operator Syndrome, which is available on Amazon.

Website: chrisfrueh.com

Operator Syndrome on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZuZfTx

Timestamps:

00:00:23 Introduction to Chris Frueh

00:00:59 Rundown of Chris Frueh’s Career

00:04:42 What is Operator Syndrome?

00:15:48 The Differences Between PTSD and Operator Syndrome

00:17:29 Types of Traumatic Brain Injury

00:22:14 TAL Proteins and Impact Trauma

00:25:56 Interventions and Treatments

00:30:13 Sponsor Note: Sleep Optimization Course

00:34:33 Nutritional Interventions

00:36:22 Fasting to Manage TBI

00:39:05 Different Stages of an Operator and TBI

00:43:56 Staying on Top of Hormones

00:48:37 Getting Treatment Outside of the VA

00:51:07 Finding Credible Help

00:54:12 Operator Syndrome Foundation

00:55:55 Best and Worst Advice Ever Received

00:58:12 Outro

Nico Seedsman spent 13 years in the Australian military, first as an electrical engineer in the Navy, then with a Recon unit in the Army, before spending his final eight years in the SAS. 

Nico left the military after suffering catastrophic multi-system health issues and eventually brought himself back to health through a combination of stem cell therapy, indigenous medicine, and an intensive focus on recovery. 

Nico is now an actor who has made appearances on Apple TV and Paramount networks, a high-performance coach, the CEO and founder of Odin Stem Cells, and the founder of a veterans philanthropy organization called Warrior Refit.

Learn more about Nico: https://www.instagram.com/niclonewolf/


How to prepare for Australian SAS/Commando Selection:

https://www.buildingtheelite.com/australian-sasr-selection-process-sfet-training/

Building the Elite Coaching App:

https://www.buildingtheelite.com/sof-training-app


Timestamps:

00:00:21 Introduction to Nico Seedsman

00:01:02 Nico Seedsman Career Overview

00:06:50 Spiraling Health

00:10:40 Regenerative Medicines

00:13:01 SASR (SAS) Selection

00:16:31 Fighting the Internal Battle In Your Head

00:26:21 Prepping for Selection

00:33:07 The Social Dynamic During Selection

00:38:40 Fitness Level vs. Mentality/Personality

00:44:14 The Way You Train & Effect On Health

00:46:38 One-Percenters

00:49:11 Sponsor Note: High Emotional Stability & High Conscientiousness

00:53:48 Best & Worst Advice You’ve Ever Gotten

00:54:41 Wrap Up