Our fire crews are made up of teams of specialists; captain, engineer, firefighter, paramedic, etc.  To think that you can achieve amazing things without a specialized team is not only arrogant, but it’s incredibly myopic.

If you’re looking to level up, it’s critical to surround yourself with people who make you better every day.  Regardless of your professional and personal goals and aspirations, there are four types of people that will help you grow and get to where you want to be.

In today’s episode, I will talk about what these types are, help you identify people who can act in these roles in your own life, and I will propose a challenge to take action toward a better you.

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Getting hired on with a fire department is a dream come true!  It’s one of the reasons why we fight so hard to obtain a career in the fire service.  We are all attracted to this job for different reasons, but one thing remains true; that we are passionate about helping others.

Sometimes once we fight so hard to get hired on, we tend to let complacency creep in and we wind up letting our fitness go.  Maybe we stop working toward that degree we promised ourselves we’d earn.  Or maybe we’ve checked out when it comes to living up to the things we said we’d do and the people we said we were in our interview.

In today’s episode, I will ask the question, “what ignites you?” as a way to help you look within and perform a sort-of self evaluation so that you don’t slip into complacency, you can remember what you’re passionate about, and you can bring that passion to your crew and the people you serve.

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You’ve heard me talk a lot about organizational culture on this podcast.  One of the main reasons is that I’m incredibly fascinated by the elements that make up a company’s or fire department’s culture, good or bad.

I’m interested in learning what makes good organizations thrive and bad organizations fail.  I am always looking for the elements that contribute to each side of that coin.  So, what I did was take my own advice!  I reverse engineered things!  I took a look at what I determined to be a toxic culture and I worked back from there.  And what I came away with was an equation…

In today’s episode, I will tell you what that equation is, I will break down each element OF that equation, and I will provide you with some strategies and insight that you can take back to your own organizations to help foster the organizational culture for the better.

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In today's episode, I talk to Brady Tucker, the man behind Books Behind the Badge.  It's a really great IG page and podcast that is focused on connecting those of us in the public service arena through reading.

Brady feels that by reading books and discussing our takeaways, we bridge the gap that would otherwise separate us.

Books are a great way to learn new things, meet new people, and share ideas.  I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I had having it!

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Solving problems is at the heart of what we do in the Fire and EMS world.  In the field, we take different approaches to solving the unique problems that we are faced with at any given moment.

Some of us use a linear approach while others use more of a dynamic approach.  Personally, I like looking at a problem from all angles, then choosing the one that would work best for me AND everyone else involved.

In today’s episode, I will talk about how we can solve problems by reverse engineering them, what that actually means and what it looks like, and I will provide you with the basics that can help you implement this system into your repertoire.

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Today's episode is an informal "part 2" to my previous conversation with Ben Dubin.  We go deeper into the science behind breath work and cold therapy and how taking control of these influences can help us refine our bodies and our minds.  Ultimately, these types of practices help to make us better at what we do; staying cool under pressure.

I know you'll get a lot out of our conversation today!

Do me a favor!  Subscribe, share, and leave a rating and review wherever you're listening to this podcast!  I love having conversations like this and I get a lot out of it.  It would really help others hear the message and information that we're sharing here which could have HUGE positive ramifications for people all over the world!  Take 30 seconds and leave a rating and review, thank you!

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Connect To IT

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We all know that in order to build muscle, we need to engage in some form of resistance training.  We push or pull against some form of resistance and eventually over time, our muscles grow and as a result, we become stronger.  Ultimately, we adapt to meet the need.

This exact principle applies to every aspect of our lives, not just in the physical aspect.  We grow stronger by being met with resistance and by being persistent in the face of that resistance.

In today’s episode, I will talk about the different types of resistance we face as firefighters, how we can choose to accept that resistance as a benefit to us, and ultimately come out stronger for it.

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Spartan Race

Ben Dubin is a firefighter/paramedic with the Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department and an advocate of and practitioner of focused breath-work and the Wim Hof method.  In this episode, Ben and I talk about his passions (mental and physical health and wellness) and his journey to finding IT.  Ben's journey to discovering his "Inner Truth" and helping others find their inner truth is dynamic and touching and will inspire you.

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Breathing Practice (guided by Ben Dubin)

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You’ve heard me say it, you’ve heard numerous people in the fire service community say it, because it’s true; complacency kills.

We have a habit of working our butts off to get hired, but then we ride the wave instead of making new ones.  That’s complacency setting in.

In today’s episode, I will talk about what complacency looks like, why complacency should be looked at like a cancer, and what we can do to get off of our asses!

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Team Bad Axes

Fit4DutyCrew

Firefighter Functional Fitness

Phoenix Firehouse 25

Nate Harpster

We all perform rituals of all different kinds every day, even if we aren’t aware of it.  Some rituals can be needless or restricting, while others are purposeful and enriching.

It’s important to understand what a ritual is and how they can affect us, good or bad.

In today’s episode, I will talk about what rituals are, why we should purposefully incorporate them into our lifestyle, and I will give you steps you can take to implement some rituals into your own life so you can add more value to your own life, and ultimately, the lives of those around you.

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