Matt Ireland is a hard guy to pin down. Not only does he have a full-time job, a family and a restoration project in his garage, he also servers as a part-time EMT, member of the volunteer fire department and a Dallas County Deputy reserve officer. A man of faith and service he lives by the motto, "Give back to the community where you live, work and play."

Matt was the Incident Command for EMS the day of the Perry School shooting. Hear how his life dedicated to service, the influence of his late father, and the unfettered support of family, prepared him for that day.

We could have went on for hours. One of the best conversations I've had with another father, servant and follower of Christ. Don't miss it.

In this episode of Shift Change, we explore the dangers of pretending to be someone you're not in order to manage expectations. We discuss the importance of being authentic and honest with yourself and others, and the consequences of trying to live up to an image that is not your own.

We also talk about the importance of setting realistic expectations for yourself and others. When we set unrealistic expectations, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. It's important to be realistic about what you can and cannot achieve, and to be honest with yourself about your limitations.

I also talk about how when you believe in something that goes against conventional thinking it may come with consequences.

Better late than never. It's deer season which means I've had to shift some priorities around. During my workout today I was called to make a show about how the people I surround myself with make me better, how you don't always have to have the best ideas in the room and I reflect on one of my many personal flaws. Let me know what you think. I also recap a bit about the last episode.

Tune in to the Shift Change Podcast for a deep dive into metabolic health with Ashli Schultz, ARNP, from Vivid Wellness Center.

In this episode, we'll uncover the secrets to unlocking your body's full potential. Ashli will share her expert insights on:

Whether you're struggling with weight management, fatigue, or hormonal imbalances, this episode is for you. Join us as we explore the science behind metabolic health and empower you to take control of your well-being.

Kenny Hansen owned his own livestock trucking business before he found his place in EMS. After just a few years he found himself going 100 mph towards an unhealthy life. As a husband, father of 4 boys and the current Training Officer of a busy rural EMS system, find out how he's learned to manage his work life balance and improve himself physically and mentally. It's a pretty uplifting episode complete with a few slightly inappropriate jokes. Good fun on this weeks episode.

This week I open the discussion on what I think it means to be an "occupational athlete" and how adopting this mindset can make us more capable on the job and at home. I give you my supplement list, what I eat in a day and some simple strategies to get your momentum moving in the direction to eat and train like an athlete.

This week I give the results of my yearly wellness check. We talk lab values, why normal isn't always optimal and why I think some metrics are used to make institutions money. I didn't get around talking about my supplement regimin so we will save that for next week. I also share how I used my kid to get me out of sitting around the department store on a Saturday while my girls did some shopping. I did all this just on my phone, no microphone, no headset, just me and the speaker.

I am back this week with some retrospection to why I am so cynical, what the difference is between cynicism and pessimism, and how a little cynicism can be healthy, but like anything else, everything in moderation. Plus, we go over some basic lab values from my recent physical.