You’ve heard me talk about how we should be focused on becoming assets and purge anything that makes us a liability. This is an active and ongoing process.

Active building of yourself only happens with conscious effort and planning. It doesn’t happen by accident.

In today’s episode, I will talk about how we can actively focus on becoming assets, what that actively looks like, and a huge pitfall we should avoid.

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Own It!: Build a Fire Service Culture of Trust and Integrity Through Accountability (Book)

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We all have an idea of what we think “perfection” looks like in our minds, but our path to that so-called perfection can be exhausting. This is only compounded when we compare ourselves, our work, and our progress to other people. 

Accepting that someone will always be better than you at something helps you maintain humility, but also accept that achieving perfection isn’t a final destination, it’s an active and daily process. When it comes to closing the gap between who we are and who we want to be, the steps we take in making progress toward that goal are measurable.

In today’s episode, I will talk about how we can reframe our mindset to focus and hold more value with progress. I will provide you with structures for success, and I will show you how you can take that first step.

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Own It!: Build a Fire Service Culture of Trust and Integrity Through Accountability (Book)

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We all know how it feels to be not listened to. Whether people are half-listening, continually interrupting, or aren’t paying attention to you at all, we know how that feels. And it doesn’t feel good. 

But is it our job to force people to listen to us or is it our job to show people what it looks like to be a good listener? The answer to that question lies in the understanding that we cannot control others, only ourselves.

In today’s episode  I will let you in on a phrase that I use in my personal and professional life that has helped me build strong relationships that have depth and meaning and I will share some strategies for becoming a better listener.

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Own It!: Build a Fire Service Culture of Trust and Integrity Through Accountability (Book)

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Oftentimes we spend so much time overcomplicating things that we wind up never taking steps toward accomplishing the things we want to accomplish. Some people call this “paralysis by analysis”.

Allowing the complexity of a situation to overwhelm us can stop us in our tracks when we’re trying to set goals and take steps to achieve them. 

In today’s episode, I will talk about how complexity is the enemy of execution and share some strategies that we can do to remove complexity so we can move forward and crush it in life!

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Own It!: Build a Fire Service Culture of Trust and Integrity Through Accountability (Book)

IGNITEd Firefighter Facebook Group

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Regardless of what you do in life, whatever you’ve touched is a signature of your standard. What I mean by that is your involvement is a reflection of your principles, attitude, and the quality of work you’re putting into this world.

Whether you’re impacting things on a global scale or focused on making an impact in your community, how you’re showing up is an outward reflection of your inner principles; or your standard.

In today’s episode, I will talk about why this idea is so important, how we can keep it at the forefront of our minds, and how living this principle builds trust.

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Buy my book!

Own It!: Build a Fire Service Culture of Trust and Integrity Through Accountability (Book)

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When we hear the words “health & wellness” we might think of the umbrella that that phrase covers, or committees that are bogged down in bureaucracy. Being able to identify the elements of health and wellness and how they apply to you are crucial when it comes to staying in the infinite game that is the fire service and life in general.

Being able to not only identify the elements that you may need to shore up, but taking action in those elements could be life-saving!

In today’s episode, I talk to Matan Cohen-Citron. It’s his mission to create harmony & balance for a long, healthy, happy, peaceful, and purposeful life. We dig deep on what the difference is between harmony and balance, strategies for achieving both, and how a conscious approach is what will facilitate these elements into your life.

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Matan’s Movement

@MatansMovement 

Matan’s Movement (Facebook)

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Kindle - Paperback

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Grant-writing might not sound all that sexy, but one thing that might get you excited about it is just how much money is out there if you’re looking for it! So many agencies rely on grant money to make sure they can meet their annual operational standards. Why not approach it with a tactical perspective?

Dr. Violet Rymshaw is the CEO of INNOVATIVE WRITING. She is a former emergency dispatcher for police, fire, and EMS. She also knows what it’s like to be a military spouse and parent. Her educational background has given her unique insight into psychological wellness related to occupational identity. She is also the leading authority on securing grants for public safety agencies.

In today’s episode, we talk about some ways to strategically approach securing grants in order to get your organization the money it needs and then some!

Connect with Dr. Rymshaw!

911 Grant Writing

Dr. Violet Rymshaw (LinkedIn)

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Chief Freddie Fernandez entered the fire service in 1983 and rose to Deputy Fire chief for Miami Fire-Rescue before retiring in 2014. Chief Freddie served as a recruit instructor in 1990 and participated in dozens of officer development classes during his 32 years at MFR.

Since 1999, he has helped thousands of firefighters across the nation get promoted. He is the founder of FireAssessmentCenterPrep.com, has spoken at FDIC and Firehouse Expo, and has conducted in-person training nationwide.

Freddie's coaching passion is evident in every training product, and many of his students have been promoted multiple times using his methods.

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Fire Assessment Center Prep

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Buy my book!

Own It!: Build a Fire Service Culture of Trust and Integrity Through Accountability (Book)

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If you work as a first-responder and hear the word “energy”, you might immediately think of a cup of coffee or an energy drink. These substances seem to be the quick lifelines that we reach for in order to help us forget that we’re tired and help us push through.

But I’d like you to know that there are more productive, longer-lasting, healthier ways to find sources of energy to keep you going. Today, I’d like to introduce you to some of those methods. 

In today’s episode, I will focus on ENERGY, the fourth and final element in the (FIRE) framework that I personally use in my life to help refine myself, and I will share how using this framework can help you in all important areas of your life!

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Own It!: Build a Fire Service Culture of Trust and Integrity Through Accountability (Book)

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ARTICLES/TOOLS:

Free radicals, antioxidants and functional foods; Impact on human health

Strong and meaningful relationships are essential to our well-being as humans. Our ability to start and maintain meaningful relationships can bring meaning to our lives as well as reduce our stress, but quality relationships take work.

As firefighters and first-responders, we tend to bond over extreme situations and then keep people at bay who don’t share in those extreme situations. It’s one of the reasons why firefighters and nurses come together and do what’s called “trauma bonding”. This could be a whole episode on itself, but we’ll leave that one alone for right now.

In today’s episode, I will focus on RELATIONSHIPS, the third element in the (FIRE) framework that I personally use in my life to help refine myself, and I will share how using this framework can help you in all important areas of your life!

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Buy my book!

Own It!: Build a Fire Service Culture of Trust and Integrity Through Accountability (Book)

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