Permission To Speak Freely

What does it take to succeed in spaces where people believe you don't belong? In this episode of Permission to Speak Freely, Damo and Aaron welcome retired U.S. Navy Captain Dr. Barbara Bell for a conversation about perseverance, leadership, breaking barriers, and the lessons learned throughout an extraordinary career. As a member of the fourth class of women to enter the United States Naval Academy, Barbara experienced firsthand the challenges of entering an institution that was still learning to accept women. Her journey eventually took her into naval aviation, the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, and efforts to expand opportunities for women in military service. Throughout the conversation, Barbara reflects on the importance of mentorship, the responsibility of being a trailblazer, and why standing out can sometimes be more powerful than fitting in. The discussion also explores leadership development, the role of artificial intelligence in education, and the importance of ethical leadership. Drawing from her book, Flight Lessons: Navigating Through Life's Turbulence and Learning to Fly High, Barbara shares perspectives on navigating adversity, embracing opportunities, and preparing the next generation of leaders.

About the Guest

Dr. Barbara Bell is a retired U.S. Navy Captain, naval aviator, author, educator, and leadership speaker. A 1983 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, she was among the institution's earliest female graduates and later attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. Throughout her distinguished Navy career, she accumulated more than 1,600 flight hours across 35 types of U.S. and allied aircraft. She also participated in efforts to remove combat exclusion restrictions that limited opportunities for women in military aviation and other combat assignments. Dr. Bell holds a Doctor of Education from Vanderbilt University and currently serves as an adjunct instructor at the United States Naval Academy, continuing her commitment to developing future leaders. She is the author of Flight Lessons: Navigating Through Life's Turbulence and Learning to Fly High, a book that draws on her personal and professional experiences to explore resilience, courage, and leadership.

Support and Connect With Barbara Bell

Purchase Flight Lessons:

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Flight-Lessons/Barbara-Bell/9781642253603

Official Website:

https://captainbarbarabell.com/

Connect on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-bell-ed-d

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PTSF Theme music: Produced by Lim0

Captain Marcus A. Canady joins Damon and Damo for a conversation about leadership, connection, trust, and what it means to truly know the people you lead. The conversation centers on Canady’s concept of “Intrusive Leadership,” a leadership style built around intentional engagement with people beyond their professional responsibilities. Canady explains why leaders should understand what is happening in the lives of their people, how trust has to be earned before those conversations can happen, and why being intrusive does not mean ignoring personal boundaries. As he explains during the conversation, leaders can put themselves “on the porch,” but the other person still has to invite them inside. The group discusses emotional intelligence, listening, accountability, mentorship, family, parenthood, diversity, mental health, suicide prevention, and the responsibility leaders have to understand perspectives different from their own. Canady shares stories from throughout his career, including leaders who intentionally invested in him, the impact his wife and family have had on his development, and a conversation with Gen. C.Q. Brown Jr. about a leader who considered Brown’s family while helping map out his career.  Damo reflects on his own leadership experiences and how his approach has changed over time, including learning more about the interests of younger Sailors at his command and finding ways to meet them where they are. Canady also challenges military organizations to think more deliberately about how they develop leaders of people, not simply leaders capable of accomplishing the mission.

About CAPT Marcus A. Canady:

Get the book:

Learn more about Marcus Canady:

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PTSF Theme music: Produced by Lim0

This week on Permission to Speak Freely, Damon and Damo sit down with NC1 Corey Brennan for a conversation that starts with Navy recruiting and ends up going way beyond it. Corey breaks down what life is really like on recruiting duty, from competing for contracts and managing Future Sailors to MEPS, waivers, Genesis, recruiting ethics, and the things recruiters deal with that the Fleet rarely sees. He also opens up about his transition from QM to career recruiter, his aspirations to make Chief, and the uncertainty surrounding his future in the Navy as he navigates the service’s beard and PFB policies. But somewhere along the way, the conversation leaves recruiting behind. The crew gets into social media, burnout, learning to take care of yourself when everyone depends on you, marriage, fatherhood, separation, and the challenge of finding space for yourself when life never seems to stop. Corey also turns the tables on Damo and Damon with a few questions of his own, leading to conversations about what the anchors actually give a Chief, leadership as access and influence, and what people really mean when they tell Sailors to “drink the Kool-Aid.” Plus: recruiting house calls gone wrong, a 47-pound applicant, Equinox refusing to leave Damo alone, expensive one-year-old birthday parties, and Damon reveals the veteran husband strategy of simply standing up when your wife starts cleaning. Another conversation that went exactly where it was supposed to go.

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200 episodes. Damn.

Damo, Damon, and Aaron are all together for a milestone episode of Permission To Speak Freely. There’s no big guest and no attempt to turn Episode 200 into another Navy news show. This one is about the podcast.

The guys look back at the road from recording in the house to 200 episodes, revisiting some of the guests, conversations, arguments, ridiculous moments, and people who helped PTSF become what it is today. They talk about how the show has evolved without ever boxing itself into one type of conversation, covering everything from Navy policy and leadership to mental health, life after service, music, movies, relationships, and sometimes just three friends talking shit.

Damo also breaks down the growth of the podcast over the years, gives flowers to some of the people who helped along the way, and reflects on what it means to reach a number that most podcasts never see.

But more than anything, Episode 200 is about the people behind the microphones. Damo, Damon, and Aaron talk about their chemistry, their friendship, how much life has changed since the beginning, and why after all these years they can still turn the mics on and somehow make an episode out of damn near anything.

No big celebration. No victory lap. Just the fellas appreciating the fact that somehow, some way, we made it to 200.

It’s Episode 200.

Do you have “Do Better” that you want us to review on a future episode? Reach out at [email protected]

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PTSF Theme music: Produced by Lim0

Damo and Aaron are back for a guest-free episode covering Navy leadership, quality of life, money, artificial intelligence, and everything that happens when the conversation goes completely off script.

The episode begins with a discussion about the latest CNO and MCPON town hall, including Sailor concerns about advancement exams, retention, housing, childcare, financial literacy, grooming standards, and whether Navy leadership is hearing what Sailors actually need. Damo and Aaron debate personal responsibility versus the Navy’s responsibility to provide resources and support.

The conversation shifts to artificial intelligence and the growing capabilities of AI agents before taking a more personal turn when Aaron shares how he used AI to imagine a conversation with his late mother. From there, the guys get into movies, television, music, hip-hop, and the usual PTSF randomness.

The episode closes with a powerful leadership lesson inspired by the voice of Optimus Prime and the importance of being “strong enough to be gentle,” before Damo’s Do Better challenges Sailors to invest in their own careers.

Do you have “Do Better” that you want us to review on a future episode? Reach out at [email protected]

Pick of the Week:

Driving While Black (Gretchen Sorin) - https://wwnorton.com/books/9781631495694

Batman: Knightfall Part 1 (Jeff Wamester)  -  https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/batman-knightfall-part-1-knightfall

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Damo and Aaron are joined by retired YNCS Coby Turner and Lieutenant Commander Kris Hodge for a conversation about Navy leadership, career development, family, identity, and life beyond the uniform. Kris shares her journey from enlisted Sailor to Navy officer and discusses mentorship, race, gender, raising four children, and pursuing professional goals without allowing the military to become her entire identity. Aaron opens up about his decision to reenlist, while Coby reflects on retirement and finding purpose after active-duty service. The conversation also explores the realities of geo-bachelor life and the sacrifices military families make when career opportunities require separation. Damo, Kris, and Coby share their experiences and question whether the Navy should provide more support for Sailors navigating geo-baching. The episode closes with a leadership discussion about demanding excellence, avoiding career comparisons, sharing knowledge, and why gatekeeping creates weaker teams and burned-out Sailors. Damo also recommends Questlove’s Hip Hop Is History during Pick of the Week.

Do you have “Do Better” that you want us to review on a future episode? Reach out at [email protected]

Pick of the Week:

Hip Hop is History (Questlove) - https://questlove.com/hip-hop-is-history/

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PTSF Theme music: Produced by Lim0

In this episode of Permission To Speak Freely, Damo and Aaron are joined by ITC Raven Douglass and HMC Josh Mackey for a wide-ranging conversation about Chief Season, leadership, Navy culture, and the policies shaping today’s Sailors. The crew starts with Chief initiation and debates whether the process has become too dependent on location, personalities, and individual Messes, or whether a more standardized approach would create a better experience for Chief Selects. From there, they get into package reviews, selection-board feedback, physical readiness expectations, and what Sailors are actually supposed to do with the advice they receive after not being selected. The conversation expands into military social media and the responsibility that comes with having a platform, including where the line should be drawn when Sailors create content in uniform or while at work. The group also discusses accountability, leadership after mistakes, barracks conditions, uniform standards, and some of the everyday issues that continue to frustrate Sailors across the fleet. Later, things get heated when the conversation turns to how the Navy handled COVID, vaccine mandates and separations, and whether lessons from those decisions have anything in common with the Navy’s current approach to beards. Damo and Aaron strongly disagree, Raven weighs in, and Doc brings another perspective to a debate that becomes one of the episode’s most spirited exchanges. Somewhere along the way, the crew also manages to argue about AI-generated content, influencers, back pockets on khakis, engineers stuffing everything imaginable into their uniforms, and whether people can still recognize what’s real on the internet. Four voices. Plenty of disagreement. No shortage of jokes. And nearly three hours of Permission To Speak Freely.

Do you have “Do Better” that you want us to review on a future episode? Reach out at [email protected]

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PTSF Theme music: Produced by Lim0

Captain Stacy Wuthier, Commanding Officer of Naval Station Everett, joins Damo for a conversation about the Green Ribbon Program and how commands can create stronger support networks for Sailors. Captain Wuthier shares her journey from enlisting in the Navy and entering the nuclear power pipeline to earning her commission, serving aboard ships, commanding USS Jackson Blue Crew, and eventually taking command of Naval Station Everett. She and Damo discuss installation leadership, relying on subject matter experts, verifying information, and maintaining standards while leading organizations with multiple programs and responsibilities. The conversation shifts to the Green Ribbon Program, why Captain Wuthier brought it to Naval Station Everett, and the problems it is designed to address. She explains how Green Ribbon representatives are selected and trained, the role of the command chaplain, why junior Sailors and civilians can be valuable participants, and why representatives must genuinely want to help people rather than participate for recognition or evaluation purposes. Damo and Captain Wuthier discuss the Navy's tendency to tell Sailors to ask for help while placing most of the responsibility on the Sailor to initiate the conversation. They talk about recognizing when someone may be struggling, creating additional avenues for Sailors to seek support, confidentiality, knowing when a problem requires professional assistance, and why Green Ribbon representatives are connectors to resources rather than counselors. They also discuss how Green Ribbon complements deckplate leadership, what success looks like when measuring prevention and connectedness, taking care of those who consistently help others, and why Captain Wuthier believes commands should never mandate participation in the program. The discussion expands into the difference between creating another Navy program and building something that becomes part of a command's culture. Later, Captain Wuthier shares some of the books that have influenced her leadership and discusses imposter syndrome, confidence, and lifelong learning. For the Do Better segment, she talks about becoming a better listener and being more present during conversations. Damo shares a recent experience that reminded him that solving a Sailor's problem and making sure the Sailor feels heard are not always the same thing. Before closing, Captain Wuthier reflects on her approaching retirement and answers what Navy memory she would keep if she could only keep one.

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What happens on a Saturday night when we’re bored with nothing to do? We go live.

Damo and Aaron are joined on IG Live by recent guest OSCS William Morris and one of the show’s OG guests, ABCM (Ret.) Alquin Parker, host of the “Legendary Moments” podcast.

The conversation goes everywhere.

Mo checks Damo for allegedly faking being sick to get out of recording a podcast, and the guys talk about the daily grind of a Sailor in the United States Navy Ceremonial Guard. Alquin Parker pops in and asks about the recruiting process for the Ceremonial Guard, while the crew reflects on Mo’s recent episode of PTSF and whether he plans to stay in Japan after retirement.

Damo questions social media “stitch culture” and the dangers of publicly airing people out online, giving listeners a preview of a conversation coming on a future episode. AP tells the story of correcting someone’s uniform in the supermarket. Damo somehow ends up having to talk to one of his Sailors about using his picture as their profile photo. The guys also discuss how COVID changed communication, connection, and fellowship.

Those conversations, plenty of randomness, and much more happened during this live edition of “Permission To Speak Freely.”

Check out 'AP' on "Legendary Moments podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify and more...

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legendary-moments/id1881213522

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2IsY1P0MZKfqCoYSRmUal1DUQOqk1dRE

https://open.spotify.com/show/1p2XOMIbxKT00wAHRf1EMi?si=cN9BY7-oRHS0WojEfGv2tw&nd=1&dlsi=7ff5bac2812e41be

https://www.instagram.com/legendarymomentspod/

Do you have “Do Better” that you want us to review on a future episode? Reach out at [email protected]  

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PTSF Theme music: Produced by Lim0

OSCS William Morris stops by the podcast for a conversation about leadership, mentorship, and the responsibility that comes with leading Sailors. The discussion covers life in Japan, making Chief while deployed, building future leaders, the value of meaningful checkout conversations, and why leadership is about more than rank or position. The conversation also explores retention, communication across the fleet, leading through constant change, and what today's Navy can do to better support both leaders and Sailors. Later, the focus shifts to what still gives leaders hope, what the Navy continues to get right, the opportunities military service provides, work-life balance, gratitude, and the importance of genuinely caring about people. These and more topics are covered in this episode.

Do you have “Do Better” that you want us to review on a future episode? Reach out at [email protected]

Stay connected with us: https://linktr.ee/Ptsfpodcast

PTSF Theme music: Produced by Lim0