Michael Easter recently visited GORUCK HQ for a book signing and Heavy Rucking Mile party. Before the big ruck, Jason and Emily talked with Michael about the search for happiness and his new book, Scarcity Brain.

Michael is an author and journalist who wrote The Comfort Crisis and Scarcity Brain. Writing books takes him around the world to wild places to learn about physical and mental health and how we can live better. He lives on the edge of the desert in Las Vegas and rucks often with his wife and two dogs.

Links:

• Michael Easter

• Scarcity Brain

• The Heavy Rucking Mile

• 2023 Fit Talk™ - Adventure

• 2022 Fit Talk™ - Empowerment & Your Why

• Learn more about GORUCK

Jason and Rich discuss risk and leadership with Pete Blaber, former Delta Force Commander and author of the books The Mission, The Men and Me and The Common Sense Way.

Pete Blaber commanded at every level of one of the most elite counter-terrorist organizations in the world during most of recent history’s most significant military and political events (Panama, Colombia, Somalia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq). In 2006 he retired from the military and transitioned from leading elite combat teams around the globe, to leading elite corporate teams for one of the world's largest and most innovative Biotechnology Companies.

Links:

• Pete Blaber

• The Mission, The Men and Me

• The Common Sense Way

• Learn more about GORUCK

For this Memorial Day episode of Glorious Professionals, Jason & Emily are joined by Will Ostan to discuss his work as a wounded warrior advocate, the problem with the term “disabled veteran,” and how you can get involved to help better the current veteran benefits system.

William J. Ostan is a medically retired U.S. Army Major and combat veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is the Founder and President of Arc of Justice, a nonprofit organization that advocates for wounded warriors still on active duty. Will is currently spearheading the Wounded Warrior Bill of Rights (H.R. 6043) in Congress.

Links:

• Arc of Justice

• H.R.6043 - Wounded Warrior Bill of Rights Act

• Learn more about GORUCK

Jason and Emily are joined by Cadre DS and Mocha Mike to discuss the first-annual GORUCK Games that took place at the recent Sandlot JAX Fitness Festival. 

The GORUCK Games are a competition of grit worth $50K in prize money. Special Forces training tests athletes across a broad array of activities to ensure well-rounded strength, agility, and endurance. GORUCK harkens back to those roots in a 2-Day competition of grit that features an obstacle course, rucking, weighted challenges, running, sprinting, jumping, rowing and sandbag work.

Links:

• goruckgames.com
• sandlotjax.com
• goruck.com
• Glorious Professionals podcast website

Jason and Emily are joined by Cadre DS and Mocha Mike to discuss the first-annual GORUCK Games that took place at the recent Sandlot JAX Fitness Festival. 

The GORUCK Games are a competition of grit worth $50K in prize money. Special Forces training tests athletes across a broad array of activities to ensure well-rounded strength, agility, and endurance. GORUCK harkens back to those roots in a 2-Day competition of grit that features an obstacle course, rucking, weighted challenges, running, sprinting, jumping, rowing and sandbag work.

Links:

• goruckgames.com
• sandlotjax.com
• goruck.com
• Glorious Professionals podcast website

“My advice is to always find a way to take a good step forward.”

To kick off 2022, Dr. Mike Roussell joins Jason for Episode 054 focusing on nutrition. Dr. Mike consults on health, nutrition, and performance for a range of clientele from professional athletes, to celebrities, to Fortune 500 executives. “With a passion for nutrition rooted in sport,” he is a speaker, podcaster and author who breaks down complicated nutrition ideas and principles to easily digestible, immediately actionable steps. 

While he is a “diet agnostic” Dr Mike lays out early his six pillars of nutrition, and why he focuses on the “dos” instead of the “don’ts.” He talks about why making mental shifts -- and having supportive community -- are more critical to health and performance success than the perfect plan. He returns to a common Special Forces theme of “brilliance in the basics” and remembering you’re one meal (or even bite) away from being back on track towards your goals.

After covering the first steps and creating a foundation of nutritional health, Jason and Dr. Mike take it to a higher level of performance and cover a lot of ground from hydration, to eating to optimize recovery, his “calorie vibe” approach, rucking nutrition, the pitfalls of food marketing and the global problems in health literacy, and even the amazingness of Jason’s beloved PB&J. Throughout he advocates for “struggling through to make the new habit part of our lives.” 

Dr. Mike holds a degree in biochemistry from Hobart College and a doctorate in nutrition from Pennsylvania State University. He is well published both in academic circles and also has over 500 articles in places like Men’s Health and SHAPE magazines. He also walks the talk as a longtime athlete and weightlifter, and rucker since 2016.

Links:

• MikeRoussell.com
• Episode 041 - Michael Easter
• Episode 036 - Dr. Doug Kechijian
• Episode 046 - Melissa Urban
• Learn more about GORUCK and Sandlot Jax (where Dr. Mike will be a speaker)
• Glorious Professionals podcast website

“The lessons you learn at GORUCK events, they’re applicable to everything in life.”

Cadre Dan Plants returns to the podcast for episode 053 to talk with Jason about 10 years of building better Americans through GORUCK Events. Dan uses his experience as an Army Sergeant Major and multiple deployments as a Green Beret to teach servant leadership, teamwork and the mindset of pushing through adversity during his events. “I always, always, always put people first. Always.”

Starting with his introductory speech from the first Heavy at Fort Bragg, Dan shares some of the why behind GORUCK events through his first events as a participant and Cadre, the first Ascent, GORUCK Selection, Normandy and numerous other Challenges. Dan shares some of his personal challenges leading events, funny stories and the reasons he keeps coming back (hint: it is about the people). He also shares some of his lessons from years of service from his mentors at the tip of the spear. 

Whether you have done a Challenge or are thinking of signing up for your first event, this episode is motivation and reminder of the community and spirit of GORUCK over 10years -- how it has changed and grown -- and how investing in the long game and building bridges pays off. 

Links:

• GORUCK Heavy 001 Video (the intro) - Fort Bragg 2014
• “How Dan Changed GORUCK Forever”
• Battle of Shok Valley
• Glorious Professionals Episode 045 - Normandy Retrospective
• Learn more about GORUCK 
• Glorious Professionals podcast website

“Everyone wants someone to care about them right? And that is what we are trying to do.”

Sara Wilkinson is back with Jason and Emily for Episode 052 to focus on her work raising awareness of the struggles which lead to veteran suicide and the CHAD 1000x workout and events. In Episode 047, Sara told her and Chad’s story of love and life and the events leading up to his death by suicide on October 29, 2018 after 21 years of service as a Navy SEAL including numerous deployments and TBIs, blast wave injuries and PTSD. This conversation is about warning signs, reaching out, hard conversations and maybe the start of cultural change to lower the number of veteran suicides.

Sara’s message is personal and her vulnerability has inspired many to reach out to her with their own stories of struggle since the first CHAD 1000x event in 2020 in Virginia Beach, and even more after recently appearing with Jason on Episode 296 of the Jocko Podcast. To say that she has saved lives with her message is an understatement. This year’s Veterans Day CHAD 1000x workout and events aim to build even more community around supporting active service and veterans who struggle -- normalizing the conversations and care for each other. The workout is deceptively simple, not technical, the hardest part is to just “take one more step.”   

Links:

• Glorious Professionals Episode 047 with Sara
• Jocko Podcast Episode 296 with Sara and Jason
• Sara’s “Stand Down Warfighter” piece
• CHAD 1000x and 4-week Training Program
• Learn more about GORUCK 
• Glorious Professionals podcast website

“Every time I thought this might be the end, it showed up again.”

Malaika Underwood joins Jason and Emily for a very friendly Episode 051 to talk about her athletic career and the future she hopes to see in youth and professional sports. Born and raised in San Diego, playing freely with a gaggle of neighborhood kids, Malaika says baseball -- not softball -- found her and became a lifelong love. She dreamed of being a professional player, “the first,” as opportunities for girls and women in baseball were rare to nonexistent. 

She wrote to coaches to find a potential spot on a High School team -- not for special treatment, just for fair chance. Malaika talks about her competitiveness and stubbornness, along with the support of her parents, helping to deal with the weight of constantly having to prove herself -- “to be perfect” -- as the only girl on the team. Although baseball was her passion, her athleticism in volleyball earned her a place as a recruited scholarship athlete at UNC Chapel Hill. She talks about the struggle and culture shock of that transition as well as the relief of not being “the only.”

When she found the USA Baseball Team in 2006 -- having not played competitively for 7 years but staying involved in the game as coach and mentor -- the loneliness she had always felt on the diamond gave way to playing on a field of other women (an experience common to most of them). She is now the longest-tenured player on a USA Baseball National Team, male or female.  She has earned five Women’s Baseball World Cup medals, as well as two Women’s Baseball World Cup All-Tournament Team selections. 

Malaika is also wife to Chris, mother to Birdie and Kit, author, and professional in the sports arena, spending her time and talents to support college athletes as the NCAA landscape changes. She speaks about the importance of free-play for kids, carving a path for girls and women into professional baseball, and the aspirational steps needed to get there. The conversation covers a lot of ground in sports from large personalities to the history of softball, and throughout there is a love of the game and appreciation for the power of team sport.

Links:

• “Birdie Can Too!” by Malaika Underwood
• USA Baseball
• Discrepancy in NCAA Basketball Tournaments Coverage and in 2021 Tournaments Facilities
• “In Search of Greatness”
• Learn more about GORUCK 
• Glorious Professionals podcast website

“I want my Afghan friends to know you’re not forgotten and you never were.”

Episode 050 is a conversation Jason and Emily had with Jaala Shaw about Afghanistan, recorded on Friday August 20th (important context given recent events). Jaala lived outside the green zone as a State Department Fellow and Specialist teaching at Kabul Education University and working with teachers and students in the public school system in Kabul from 2010-2012. Her role was to develop relationships with an understanding of history and culture and she has maintained strong ties to the region.

Just one part of a long and storied resume from all over the world, Jaala shares her experiences living in Kabul and engaging in “public diplomacy” and cultural immersion. The stories she tells contrast starkly with the current chaotic situation as she relates from friends still there. She shares stories of engaging in typical Afghan life at the time, as well as of meeting her now-husband Larry just outside Camp Eggers where she went surreptitiously to “wear booty shorts and do CrossFit” for breaks -- although she says the journeys through the green zone made her feel the most unsafe while in Afghanistan. With a resident’s insight as well as a westerner’s perspective, she shares some Afghan and Taliban history and the sometimes dramatic shifts in culture and day-to-day reality of locals -- particularly women -- in the last few decades. Most importantly Jaala shares reasons for hope and vetted resources for information and to help (see links below).  

Some updates: her friend with family she mentioned waiting at the airport finally, thankfully made it out of country safely. Two of her husband's former Afghan colleagues escaped with their families to the US. Unfortunately many of their other friends and their families are still in hiding or fleeing -- Taliban have visited many of their relatives trying to find them. 

As of publish date, “none of the women have left their homes or returned to their jobs since the Taliban took over.” 

Links:

• Jaala’s Original Post, Articles in NYT “At War” Blog, Personal Blog, and  "Changes in Kabul Classrooms" piece she mentioned
• Women for Afghan Women
• Modesto Junior College Afghan Advocacy
• Contacting your Representative (for American Citizens who'd like to advocate)
• Task Force Pineapple
• Learn more about GORUCK and Jaala’s post “Hope Remains” 
• Glorious Professionals podcast website