We catch up with director William Kaufman on how he keeps his action films grounded in real tactics while still making audiences care about the people on screen. We talk New Orleans as a home base, Man Of War as his latest swing, and the teams and habits that make lower budget filmmaking hit like a bigger box office movie. 

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We sit down with our friend Garrett to talk through a real 24-year CIA career and why it looks nothing like the movie version people expect. We also unpack what happens after retirement and how intelligence tradecraft can translate into business intelligence, networking, and travel security. 

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We sit down in person with our friend Garrett to unpack what a 24-year CIA career actually looks like when you strip away Hollywood myths. We talk through his move from imagery analysis to case officer, the realities of secrecy and marriage overseas, and how intelligence tradecraft can translate into business and everyday life. 
• discovering an “old school” office environment with world-class capability 
• staying in the CIA by changing roles often across analysis and operations 
• understanding HUMINT recruitment as a slow, high-stakes assessment cycle 
• spotting red flags and motivations that can break an operation 
• navigating marriage and family life when both partners live the lifestyle 
• facing the retirement cliff and why many struggle with transition 
• applying the HUMINT cycle to business development for better ROI 
• building a university-style course on OSINT, AI, rapport, and practice 
• preparing for international travel when technology fails 

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We talk with Ward about moving from A-10 fighter pilot life to airline flying and then into a full-time career as a thriller author. We dig into what it takes to write authentic military fiction and how he handles the pressure of writing in the Tom Clancy Jack Ryan universe.

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We catch up with Doug Brunt on the leap from cybersecurity CEO to full-time author and the surprising pressures that come with building a second-act career. We also dig into his research-driven storytelling on Emmanuel Nobel and how power can erase people from history.

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The ticking clock. The pressure to keep sprinting like you're 30. The moment you realize your resume isn't your identity. Brad and I get into all of it — legacy as parents, discipline that shifts from external rules to internal standards, and what it actually means to build a creative career that depends on self-direction.

We also get honest about fitness after 50: staying consistent, adapting, and respecting recovery when old injuries stop bouncing back overnight.

Plus — what younger people are chasing that deserves a warning label, the hardest parts of raising kids when you've seen what the world can do, and a practical reset for anyone who feels stuck but not broken: protect time for something that's only yours, no audience required.

We wrap with Japan travel picks for teenagers and a deep tease of Brad's new Pike Logan thriller, Shadow Strike.

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We dig into Royal Diamonds, the real mechanics of self-publishing, and what it takes to build a writing career from scratch.

Jack's a retired Army colonel who treats writing like discipline — wide reading (Clancy, Griffin, Cussler, Carr, Taylor), professional editing, repeatable process. Then we open the hood on indie publishing as a business: LLCs, cover design, Amazon, marketing. Writing the book is one part. The rest is operations.

The story: Jake Steed, former Marine with an Oxford PhD, chasing a family piracy legend across the Caribbean. A British royal hunting a blood diamond. Enemies everywhere. Pure action-adventure — with an audiobook narrated by Tucker Smith on the way.

Building a second career or planning life after the uniform? This one's for you.

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After 536 conversations on Protectors, one thing keeps showing up: every guest has a moment where life demands a pivot. Not always a catastrophe, not always a dramatic turning point — but a real shift where career, identity, or purpose has to change direction.

We're still bringing incredible guests, still keeping it human, but we're done glossing over the most meaningful part of the story. We dig into how people recognize the moment, what they do when certainty disappears, and how they build the next chapter — whether that's a military-to-civilian shift, a leadership change, a mental health struggle, or a recovery journey. No politics. Just practical lessons and real-world resilience.

You'll also keep hearing from authors who've pivoted into writing — shorter, straight-to-the-point conversations covering who they are, the book, and how they got there.

Main guest conversations drop bi-weekly. We want your input on who to bring on and what to ask — follow @DrJasonPiccolo on IG and send suggestions. Then subscribe, share, and leave a review so these pivot stories reach the people who need them most.

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Make sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo

Support the show

Make sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo

• The powerful impact of peer pressure in drinking culture, especially among first responders
• How alcohol addiction can become intertwined with personal identity and social connection
• The physiological effects of alcohol consumption including weight gain, poor sleep, and depression
• Nick's journey from losing his police career due to drinking to becoming a licensed mental health professional
• Frank's experience maintaining sobriety while still serving as an active NYPD officer
• The challenges of red flag laws and how seeking help can sometimes create professional consequences
• Different paths to recovery including AA, therapy, fitness, and personalized approaches
• The transformative benefits of sobriety including improved physical health, better relationships, and being present as fathers

If you're struggling with alcohol or substance use, remember you're not alone. Reach out to Reps for Responders or visit a local AA meeting. There are multiple pathways to recovery, and finding the right support system can change your life.

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Make sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo