The Foundational Coaching Vault

In this episode, Fred and I reconnect after a brief pause and dig into one of life’s most universal challenges: problem solving. We unpack why perspective matters, how clarity can shift the way we view obstacles, and what it means to show up with wisdom and humility when faced with the unexpected.

From unmet expectations to relational tension, we reflect on how the best solutions start by identifying our role, aligning our mindset, and staying anchored in our purpose. Most importantly, we return to the source—seeking God’s wisdom as our guide through any challenge.

💬 Whether you're leading a team, managing a transition, or navigating personal struggles, this conversation offers a grounded, practical lens for tackling problems and honoring people.

📝 Full episode notes + bonus resource available here:

https://thefoundationalcoachingvault.substack.com/p/back-2-good-problem-solving?r=2rfylw

🔗 Stay connected here: https://www.foundational-coaching.com/the-vault

Foundational Coaching®

Empowering Culture. Engaging Curiosity. Energizing Creativity.®

Victory Through HIRT! Humility. Identity. Resilience. Teamwork.®

Chapters

00:00 Reconnecting & Life's Challenges

03:00 The Importance of Problem Solving

05:30 Clarity & Perspective in Problem Solving

08:08 The Heart of Problem Solving

11:17 The Role of Meaning-Making & Metaphors in Problems

12:40 The Layers of Knowing Your Problems

18:12 Patience & Boundaries in Not Assuming Unwarranted Problems

20:09 Integrity in Problem Solving

26:33 The Hands: Daily, Practical Problem Solving

31:40 Understanding Unmet Expectations & Stress

34:15 The Importance of Seeking Help

39:36 God's Wisdom in Problem Solving

52:03 Trusting the Process & Source

What do you do when the plan breaks, the stakes rise—and the problem is bigger than you? In this episode, I sit down with my long-time friend and fellow Marine, Gunnery Sergeant Myles Kerr.

Myles is currently training the next generation of 0369 Infantry Platoon Sergeants—and raising two young daughters. That blend of missions creates powerful lessons worth unpacking.

▶ What we cover:
• How leadership changes when the real problem isn’t tactical
• What parenting has revealed about blind spots and breakthroughs
• When reframing becomes the most strategic solution
• Why choosing the right lifelines matters under pressure
• How humility shapes high-stakes decisions

🔗 www.foundational-coaching.com/the-vault

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Problem Solving

06:41 Myles' Current Thanks, Learning, & Growth

10:03 Myles' Story

14:34 Response to Michelle | Generational Challenges

21:52 Tactical or Deeper? Discerning the Real Problem

27:50 When the Problem Is Bigger Than You

30:34 Creatively Overcoming | Junior Marines, Fist Fights, & Instagram

38:32 Reframing the Problem to Lead with Purpose

43:39 Blind Spots Under Pressure & Coaching Toward Clarity

49:43 Unexpected Solutions from Home and Abroad

54:57 Our Shared "Why" & Final Thoughts

“What do you do when your situation is unprecedented, expectations are unmet—and your problem is bigger than yourself?”

This week’s episode explores problem solving through a moment that surprised me—watching my daughter hit a wall with a simple division problem. What unfolded wasn’t just a math issue. It was a moment of frustration, vulnerability, and reflection—for both of us.

She turned to me, and I suddenly realized… I didn’t have the answer.
At least not yet.

It brought back something my dad used to say:
“If someone isn’t a part of the solution, don’t make them part of the problem.”

Only now, I hear those words differently—not as a warning, but as a call to choose the right lifelines, slow down, and meet the moment with presence.

Thank you, Aria (and dad), for reminding me that problem solving isn’t just about intellect—it’s about people, perspective, and patience.

🎙️ Problem Solving | Episode 27 | The Power of Framing


🔗 Stay connected here: https://www.foundational-coaching.com/the-vault/

#ProblemSolving #ThePowerOfFraming #TheVault #FoundationalCoaching #HeadsHandsHearts #VirtueDevelopment #PeopleTeamsCultures

Foundational Coaching®


Empowering Culture. Engaging Curiosity. Energizing Creativity.®


Victory Through HIRT! Humility. Identity. Resilience. Teamwork.®

⚠️ Content Note (Discretion Advised): This episode includes discussion of combat trauma, injury, and loss. If it feels heavy, please reach out for support. You're not alone—and you're worth the care.

🎙️ This conversation spans nearly three hours—and still only begins to scratch the surface.

It holds lived experience few have encountered, and even fewer have ever voiced aloud—revisiting some of the darkest and most sacred moments of combat and trauma care from the early 2000s.

“Empathy isn’t just one thing. It’s a toolkit. And sometimes, it’s the only thing you have left to offer. It looks a lot like just loving people well.”

Before Marines had Wounded Warrior Battalions or Regiments…there was First Lieutenant Racicot and Corporal Marano.

To this day, I’m confident there are no books or documentaries that capture the stories of our generation with the same gravity, relevance, or emotional honesty. These are real accounts—from two friends who were there, who carried the weight, and who never stopped choosing empathy in the face of both the biggest miracles and the most unimaginable loss.

This week on Off the Hinges, I sit down with someone who’s walked with me through more than just war and wounds—she’s helped mend and nurture my soul.

Michelle Peacock is my personal hero, one of my dearest friends, and the embodiment of the quiet strength empathy demands.

A combat trauma nurse whose service spans Germany, Hurricane Katrina, Iraq, and Afghanistan—Michelle doesn’t throw her expertise around. She listens. She shows up. She presses in where most would freeze or flee—and she does it all with compassion, courage, and an overflowing well of empathy.

Together, we reflect on:

🩺 What it meant to care for someone whose body was broken and whose soul was suspended between war and home.

🤝 What it felt like to hold a hand and whisper encouragement in someone's final moments.

💔 What we did when empathy was all we had left—and it still had to be enough.

🪞 And how we continue to struggle and strive to extend that same empathy toward ourselves.

If you’ve ever struggled to stay soft in a hard world…

If you’ve ever carried pain that defies explanation…

If you’ve ever needed to heal without losing your focus or purpose…

This episode is for you.

Michelle—thank you for walking back into such heavy and sacred spaces with me.You remind me what it means to love well, serve with integrity, and carry each other through the fire.

🔗 Stay connected here: www.foundational-coaching.com/the-vault/

#OffTheHinges #Empathy #FoundationalCoaching #TheVault #VirtueDevelopment #SacredWork #WithYouOnYourLeft #VictoryThroughHIRT

Foundational Coaching®

Empowering Culture. Engaging Curiosity. Energizing Creativity.®

Victory Through HIRT! Humility. Identity. Resilience. Teamwork.®

⏰ TIMESTAMPS:

00:20 Introduction to Empathy

07:10 Michelle's Current Thanks, Learning, & Growth

17:25 Michelle's Story

32:54 Response to Lynz | Choosing the Military

41:25 Response to Aria | Big Wounds & Saving Lives

44:23 Response to Alessia | What War Does to the Body

47:01 Response to Laura | Avoiding Empathy Fatigue

57:29 Landstuhl 2005–2006 | Stories Few Have Lived & None Have Heard

01:22:04 Empathy in Combat | How It Changed Me

01:39:12 Living Between Two Worlds | Caring Through Emotional Suspension

01:49:53 Wound Care | A Metaphor for Mental Health

01:57:51 Sacred Spaces | When Empathy Is All You Have

02:05:00 The Gunny: A Screaming Wife, Shell-Shocked Kids, and a Timely Hug

02:30:07 Plugging the Emotional Drain of War & Refilling the Heart's Well

02:39:10 A Gripping Reflection on Finding Your "Why" in Life

02:49:59 The Power of Developmental Prehab

02:54:05 An Overflow of Thanks, Love, and HIRT

“What helps you look beyond the surface and meet someone where they truly are?”

This week’s episode kicks off our focus on empathy—led by the insight and heart of my 6-year-old daughter.

She noticed a boy being left out.

And instead of walking past, she stepped in—bridging the language gap, helping him feel seen, and reminding us what empathy in action really looks like. 🇺🇸🇳🇴

Thank you, Alessia, for reminding us that the smallest acts—of noticing, including, and simply being present—often make the biggest difference.

🔗 Stay connected: https://www.foundational-coaching.com/the-vault/

#Empathy #ThePowerOfFraming #TheVault #FoundationalCoaching #HeadsHandsHearts #VirtueDevelopment #PeopleTeamsCultures

Foundational Coaching®


Empowering Culture. Engaging Curiosity. Energizing Creativity.®


Victory Through HIRT! Humility. Identity. Resilience. Teamwork.®

🎙️ “I’m at your service—and love and Semper Fi.”
That’s how Willy Buhl (retired USMC colonel) signed off at the end of this episode.
And honestly, that’s exactly who he is.

This week on Off the Hinges, I sit down with my dear friend and fellow Marine—a man who’s led in combat, carried the weight of command in the most storied units through some of the Corps' hardest fighting, and lived out what it means to be “no greater friend, no worse enemy.”

But this conversation isn’t about medals or missions.
It’s about meaningful relationships—the kind forged in fire, sustained through loss, and honored with a deep and endless love.

We talk about the people who shaped him and what it really means to show up for others across time, distance, and life’s hardest terrain.

💬 If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to lead with loyalty, to live with depth, or to love your brothers and sisters in the fight—you’ll find it here.

And to Willy from the entire Marano family, love and Semper Fi to you, too, my friend.

🔗 Stay connected: https://www.foundational-coaching.com/the-vault/

#InterpersonalRelationships #OffTheHinges #TheVault #FoundationalCoaching #VirtueDevelopment #SemperFi #NoGreaterFriendNoWorseEnemy #WithYouOnYourLeft

Foundational Coaching®

Empowering Culture. Engaging Curiosity. Energizing Creativity.®

Victory Through HIRT! Humility. Identity. Resilience. Teamwork.®

🪢 What effort are you really making to weave, maintain, and strengthen the relationships that matter most? This week, I’m sharing a story about something that hangs in our home—but more importantly, about the relationships that hold us together.

🧵 From a handmade macramé gift to a note that’s lived on our fridge for years, I reflect on how the most meaningful relationships in our lives aren’t built through grand gestures—but through everyday, intentional threads of connection.

💬 ⬇️ I’d love to hear the questions you want to explore this week. Drop a comment or message me directly—and join Willy and me Friday as we take The Vault Off the Hinges to talk about how real relationships are formed, sustained, and honored.

🔗 Stay connected: https://www.foundational-coaching.com/the-vault/

#InterpersonalRelationships #ThePowerOfFraming #TheVault #FoundationalCoaching #HeadsHandsHearts #VirtueDevelopment #PeopleTeamsCultures

Foundational Coaching®

Empowering Culture. Engaging Curiosity. Energizing Creativity.®

Victory Through HIRT! Humility. Identity. Resilience. Teamwork.®

⚓️ Hope is not a mood or fleeting emotion. It’s an active, present anchor—rooted in future promise, steadying the soul with courage and rest.

In a world struggling to find (let alone offer) hope, Scripture lifts it up as essential—“an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19). And behavioral science echoes the call: real hope is goal-directed, practiced daily, and formed through vision and resilience.

In this week’s Back 2 GoOD episode, Fred and I press into what it means to live out this virtue—not just holding on for a better future, but embodying the power to live meaningfully now. Through the lens of Head, Hands, and Heart, we explore how hope is shaped in our thoughts, strengthened through daily action, and sustained in heartfelt connection.

🔗 Stay connected here: https://www.foundational-coaching.com/the-vault

#Hope #Back2GoOD #TheVault #FoundationalCoaching #VirtueDevelopment #HeadsHandsHearts

Foundational Coaching®

Empowering Culture. Engaging Curiosity. Energizing Creativity.®

Victory Through HIRT! Humility. Identity. Resilience. Teamwork.®

Some conversations don't just transform your mind—they renew your spirit and fasten the heart's anchor in hope. This week’s guest did all of these things for me.

🎙️ This week on Off the Hinges, I sit down with Erica to talk about #Hope—not as abstract optimism, but as a practiced virtue that anchors our souls, directs our actions, and transforms how we show up in each present day with a confidence for each tomorrow.

Erica (a PhD, SHRP, and much more) is so much more than her impressive accomplishments and accolades. She's a grace-giver, truth-teller, and one of the most grounded voices I know on what it means to lead with clarity and conviction—especially when the path ahead feels unclear.

Our friendship and conversations run deep. And this one? It just might restore something in you that’s felt too worn to name.

💬 If you've felt adrift… if your goals feel blurry… if you’ve questioned whether it’s worth hoping again—this episode is for you. Erica offers wisdom that steadies, challenges that sharpen, and a presence that makes space for your honest questions.

🔗 Stay connected here: https://www.foundational-coaching.com/the-vault/

#Hope #OffTheHinges #TheVault #VirtueDevelopment #AnchoredLiving #FaithInMotion #WithYouOnYourLeft

Foundational Coaching®

Empowering Culture. Engaging Curiosity. Energizing Creativity.®

Victory Through HIRT! Humility. Identity. Resilience. Teamwork.®

🌱 This week, I’m joined once again by my daughter—this time to explore what it really means to hope well. From dreams of getting a puppy to thoughtful reflections on what’s realistic and what’s not, we take a closer look at the delicate balance between optimism and groundedness.

🎢 On a scale from Eeyore to Pollyanna, where does your future orientation land? Are you anchored in hopeful action or swept up by unrealistic expectations (or maybe bogged down by doubt)?

💬 ⬇️ We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts or drop your questions for us in the comments—or message me directly. Join Erica and me on Friday as we take The Vault Off the Hinges and reflect on hope as more than just a feeling... but a virtue in motion.

🔗 Stay connected: https://www.foundational-coaching.com/the-vault/

#Hope #ThePowerOfFraming #TheVault #FoundationalCoaching #VictoryThroughHIRT #HeadsHandsHearts #PeopleTeamsCultures #VirtueDevelopment

Foundational Coaching®

Empowering Culture. Engaging Curiosity. Energizing Creativity.®

Victory Through HIRT! Humility. Identity. Resilience. Teamwork.®