Blah, blah, blah...Something Wellness Podcast

Ep. 3 – 'The Culture of You, Becomes the Culture of Us'


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Episode 3 – 'The Culture of You, Becomes the Culture of Us'

🚔 CHIEFS GET REAL: The Brutal Truth About What's Working in Law Enforcement Wellness
Welcome to the brutally honest conversation every department needs to hear. Host Tami Sharp brings together progressive police chiefs and wellness experts from across the country to expose what's actually moving the needle - and what's just expensive window dressing. This isn't corporate PR speak; this is real talk from leaders in the trenches.

🎯 What You'll Learn:

Why $75 million training facilities aren't enough (and what actually works)
The mandating vs. voluntary debate - and why one chief is taking a hard line
How one small-town chief got fully staffed with a waiting list (his secret formula)
Why "I want more resources" is often a red flag, not a solution
The grant money sitting on the table that departments refuse to take
Why sergeants make or break your entire wellness program

👥 Power Panel:

Mike Lawson (24 years San Diego Sheriff's, Current Wellness Coordinator Chula Vista PD)
Ken Koch (35+ years LE, Former Chief of Police, Training Center Manager)
John Kelly (30 years South Florida LE, Wellness-Leadership Program Founder)
Todd Stockburger (Active Police Chief, Cherry Valley IL - the guy who's doing it right)

🔥 Controversial Takes:
✅ "Leadership - heavy lies the crown. If you're 100 pounds overweight, those are empty words"
✅ "We're the worst - rank and file want, want, want, then complain about what they got"
✅ Sheriff mandates gym time for ALL command staff - or you lose your job
✅ Why California literally gave every agency wellness money (and some departments said no)
✅ The brutal truth: "You can't afford NOT to invest in wellness"

💡 Game-Changing Strategies:

The kiosk system tracking who's actually using the gym
Why mandatory check-ins work (and how to implement them)
Grant writing secrets from a chief who got everything he asked for
The "culture of you becomes culture of us" philosophy
Why fire departments get wellness right (and we don't)

⏰ Key Moments:
0:00 Introduction: Blah Blah Blah Something Wellness Explained
8:30 Self-Care vs. Self-Leadership: Reframing the Conversation
18:45 The Mandating Debate: When to Force vs. When to Invite
32:20 Grant Money Secrets: How One Chief Got Everything
45:15 Sergeant Power: The Make-or-Break Rank for Wellness
58:40 Chief Stockburger's Secret: Fully Staffed with a Waiting List
1:12:30 Final Mic Drop Moments

🎯 Reality Check Stats:

California gave EVERY agency wellness money based on sworn personnel
Broward County built a $75M training facility with mandatory participation
Small departments can get fully staffed using innovative wellness approaches
Grant money is available but what keeps departments from applying

💬 For Chiefs and Leaders:
This episode will either inspire you or make you uncomfortable - probably both. These leaders aren't holding back about what works, what doesn't, and why most wellness programs fail.

📱 Take Action:

Apply for grants (seriously, stop saying "we can't afford it")
Implement mandatory wellness standards
Train your sergeants in emotional intelligence, not just test scores
Get a dedicated wellness person on your budget, not as a collateral duty

📱 Connect With Us:

Law Enforcement Coaching: lawenforcementcoaching.com
John Kelly - Law Enforcement Life Coach: lawenforcementlifecoach.com

🎧 Coming Up:
Next month: "Navigating Toxic Work Environments" - because sometimes the problem isn't the community, it's us.
🏷️ Tags:
#PoliceChiefs #LawEnforcementLeadership #PoliceWellness #LawEnforcementTraining #PoliceGrants

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Blah, blah, blah...Something Wellness PodcastBy Tami Sharp