Behind The Shield

Ian has 23 years of international professional experience in health, safety and business improvement within military, mining, rail, oil and gas, utilities and elite athletes. Combining scientific research and operational leadership, he supports organisations in reducing risk, lowering cost, and optimising productivity and performance. Ian applies Lean/Six Sigma and other scientific methodologies in significant projects to drive step-change improvement in performance while ensuring sustainability through associated culture change.In the mining, oil, and gas sectors, he has worked internationally as an advisor to major companies including Rio Tinto, Woodside, BHP, Anglo Gold Ashanti, South 32, Karara Mining, Peabody and Goldcorp. Other sectors include agriculture with CBH group and rail with Metro Trains Melbourne. He has been responsible for the development of global practices, integration, and project management across multiple product groups. This has entailed the quantification, analysis, and interpretation

LT Kegan "SMURF" Gill miraculously survived the fastest ejection in Naval Aviation history. Despite severe injuries, he overcame the impossible to return to the cockpit of the F/A-18E Super Hornet, and that was just the beginning of his journey. Despite years of struggle with physical and mental health challenges, Kegan has unlocked the key to overcoming the impossible.In this second conversation, we discuss the tolls he's amassed to continue healing after a pyschedelic retreat, writing his autobiography "Phoenix Revival", hormone therapy, sleep and so much more.

Keith Hanks is a retired Firefighter and EMT that dedicated 21 years of his life to the service of others. He serviced his community as a firefighter, EMT, certified educator and training officer along with fire prevention and code enforcement. Keith worked both inner-city EMS as well as municipal fire. Like many in the first responder community the job has its cost. From childhood trauma and sexual abuse, traumatic calls, the tragic passing of his first wife, Keith has faced many trials and tragedies that resulted in self-harm, substance abuse, lies and multiple suicide attempts. After decades of damage Keith began to put the pieces of his life back together. Keith was diagnosed with Complex PTSD in 2015. The job, the service, his dedication caused this injury, and consequently his retirement. What PTS didn’t change was the love and devotion to his community and to his fellow first responders. Keith has since dedicated his life to advocating for mental illness, substance and alcohol abuse recovery, and suic

Chuck Liddell is an MMA legend, author and actor. We discuss his early life, overcoming physical challenges, his grandfather's mentorship, altruism, his journey into the martial arts, intrinsic motivation, transitioning out of professional fighting and so much more.Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell burst onto the MMA scene in 1998 during his UFC debut fight win against Noe Hernandez in UFC 17. His rise to UFC champion includes most notable TKO wins against Randy Couture (UFC 52 & 57), Tito Ortiz (UFC 47 & 66), Wanderlei Silva (UFC 79) and the KO win that catapulted him into UFC stardom at UFC 31 against Kevin Randleman. Chuck reigned as UFC World Light Heavyweight Champion for two years, defending his title five times.

Doug White is a veteran law enforcement officer whose career spans from working with the Specal Operations community to bomb disposal in Florida. We discuss his journey into the military, force protection, civlian policing, terrorism, his powerful mental health story and so much more. "I’ve spent over three decades serving in the military and in law enforcement, and I’ve seen firsthand the toll that trauma can take on a person’s brain, body, and spirit. I know how it feels to hit the absolute bottom—alone, late at night, hidden away behind a school, my hand on my pistol, contemplating a choice I could not take back.What saved me was grace, the unwavering love of my wife, and her deep faith in us, and God. I was pulled from the edge—and completely changed my course. I realized we’re not meant to keep reliving our past pain. Instead, we can find purpose and growth in moving beyond it.Today, as the founder of Tell This Story LLC, I’m committed to helping veterans, first responders, and their families navigate th

Kiran Pital and Peter Holme Jensen are the founders of Cambiotics and are developing a probiotic that will remove PFAS from the human body. We discuss their early lives in India and Denmark, Parkinson's Disease, the healing power of the microbiome, the dangers of PFAS in firefighting clothing and foam, and so much more.Kiran studied Chemical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (Mumbai, India). He moved to the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) to work with Prof. Jens Nielsen and obtained his PhD in Systems Biology. Kiran was then appointed as Assistant Professor at DTU where he worked on transcriptional regulation and metabolic engineering.In 2010, Kiran joined the Structural and Computational Biology Unit at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL-Heidelberg, Germany). He was appointed Director of Research at the MRC Toxicology Unit in 2019 and appointed as Professor of Molecular Systems Biology in October 2022.Peter Holme Jensen is the Founder & CEO of Cambiotics. He is a serial

Lee Burton has a Doctorate Degree with an emphasis in health and wellness, is a certified athletic trainer and is the co-creator of the Functional Movement Screen. He presents on numerous sports medicine topics nationally and internationally, has produced instructional videos and consults with a wide variety of organizations including NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, military/government entities, as well as the Cooper and Mayo Clinics on injury prevention and performance enhancement.

Richard Rice spent three decades in the US armed forces and was one of the founding members of what would become the revered Delta Force. We discuss his journey into the military, being hunted in Vietnam, compassion in combat, Mogadishu, transitioning into education, innovating veterans' education, GORUCK and so much more.Richard retired from the U.S. Army as a Special Forces Senior Non-Commissioned Officer in 1994 after 30 years of service. The last 25 years of which were spent in various Special Operations Forces (SOF) assignments. He was a Program Coordinator, Director and Vice President at Fayetteville Technical Community College from 1994 to 2015.He began his career in the 82nd Airborne Division before joining Special Forces and then MACV-SOG, the most elite and decorated unit to fight in the Vietnam War, where he did two combat tours to begin a long and storied career. Colonel Charlie Beckwith, a fellow Special Forces soldier who he met in Vietnam, became both friend and mentor and personally recruited

Kendra Fisher, still laughs as she remembers standing in the Kincardine arena at 4 years old, watching her big brother playing hockey, turning to her parents, and proclaiming, “I don’t want to figure skate anymore. When I grow up to be a boy, I’m going to play hockey.” And after realizing that goalies get to play the whole game and that there was always a chance to be the “hero”, she settled on her position and quickly discovered that girls can play too!And so it began, a journey towards the only dream Kendra had ever known, the dream of pulling that red and white Team Canada jersey over her head, stepping onto the Olympic stage, and becoming part of the golden tradition of Canadian Hockey.In 1999, while at try-outs for Team Canada, Kendra realized she could no longer hide that something was wrong. After a discussion with her coaches, she made the seemingly impossible decision to walk away from her dream in order to seek help, but not before being told that she had already been selected to join Team Canada

Jeffrey Engel is an Air Force Security Forces Veteran, Special Agent and a New Jersey Dectective Corporal. We discuss his journey into the military, serving in Korea, Force Protection, municipal law enforcement, some career calls, his powerful mental health journey, Boulder Crest and much more.Jeffrey Engel began his career in military law enforcement career in 2001 and later separated active duty, where he transitioned into civilian law enforcement. Over the years, he has served as a patrol officer, field training officer, training officer and is currently assigned to the Investigative Bureau. In addition to his law enforcement career, Jeff has continued to serve in the United States Air Force Reserves. He has been honored with several accolades, both military and law enforcement, including Officer of the Year, multiple PBA awards, multiple military awards and recognition from the Prosecutor’s Office with PROCOPs awards. Jeff has two deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and completed his Mast

Ben Strahan is a veteran wildland Hotshot, human performance coach and athlete. We discuss his journey into the fire service, the physical demands of wildland firefighting, the inmate crew program, staffing, mental health, why fires are getting bigger and so much more."From 2020 to present I have operated as the Superintendent of the Eldorado Hotshots, an elite Wildland Fire Handcrew for the US Forest Service. During this time, I have operated as their leader on almost every large wildfire in the western United States and have done so successfully by bringing everyone home safely. With my background in human performance my focus is on the development of the authenticity of a human being expressed. The goal is to encourage the growth of mindset and how we move through the world with passion of life. Being a survivor of suicide and an advocate for mental health, I take my stories of personal healing and growth to people who are ready to step into their truth and develop strong Self-Leadership. Over the year

Melissa Mercado is a tactical athlete strength and conditioning coach and the Tactical Manager for Teambuildr. We discuss her journey into coaching, training Marines, the Wounded Warrior Battalion, nutrition, sleep and performance, wearables, disceminating prorgamming to the first responder population, spiritual wellbeing and much more.Melissa holds a Bachelor of Science from Radford University and a Master of Science from Liberty University. Her career began with three collegiate internships at Radford University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Clemson University. She then transitioned into the tactical field as a Fitness Specialist at Marine Corps Base Quantico, where she played a key role in the Force Fitness Instructor Course, developing curriculum and instructing future FFIs and FFITs.During her time at Quantico, Melissa met her husband Matt, a United States Marine. Their journey led them to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where Melissa started out working at Wounded Warrior Battalion-East. She then

Rob Garnett is a 22 year Navy SEAL veteran, athlete and the Managing DIrector of One More Wave. We discuss surfing as a child, his journey into the military, compassion on the battlefield, veteran suicide, his perspective on reducing war, veteran suicide, the therapeutic power of surfing and much more. https://onemorewave.com/

Otto Drozd III is a seasoned leader in fire and emergency services with over 35 years of distinguished experience, dedicated to protecting communities, driving innovation, and advancing fire service excellence on a global scale. In this second conversation, we discuss the pandemic, the fire service recruitment crisis, lithium ion fires, courageous leadership and much more. Currently, Otto serves as the Executive Secretary of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association under the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), where he leads national and international collaborations to address the fire service's most urgent challenges. His leadership encompasses transformative initiatives ranging from wildfire and emerging energy technology responses to advocating for firefighter health, safety, and resilience.Otto's impact is perhaps most evident in his instrumental role in the fast-tracked development of NFPA 3000™, Standard for an Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response (ASHER) Program. Following the Pulse nightclub

Paul Collette is a former Senior Probation Officer, Navy Reservist with 30 years experience as a mental health counselor. We discuss his journey into law enforcement, the world of probation, hunting sexual predators, mental health and much more. Hi, I'm Paul! I'm a retired federal LE and an Associate Professor at Connecticut State Community College. I helped those with addiction and co-occurring disorders who are struggling with their recovery. I've built a successful career at helping high-risk clients with unique problems - either through their involvement in the criminal justice system, federal drug courts or their recovery via high-impact work. I have a three decade +history of working in the federal judiciary, non-profit and hospital-based environments with a strong addiction, military and protective services background with skills in Nonprofit Organizations, Government, Criminal Justice, Addiction and Public Speaking. Expert consultant and instructor; law enforcement and court personnel on national poli

In January 2014 I ejected from a US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet at 695 mph. The fastest survived ejection in the history of naval aviation. The violent ejection left me with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), broken neck, broken arms, broken legs, and a variety of nerve and blood vessel damage. The speed of the ejection shredded my dry suit and I plunged into the icy Atlantic Ocean. A malfunction in my survival gear left my parachute attached to me instead of disconnecting upon impact with the salt water. The parachute that had just saved my life filled with ocean currents as it sunk and began pulling me beneath the frigid water. With shattered arms I had no ability to disconnect my parachute. My tattered dry suit filled with 37 degree Fahrenheit water and became a sea anchor, further inhibiting my ability to breath. If you’ve ever been held under by a big wave surfing you know the feeling. For the next two hours I struggled to gasp for air as I intermittently would bob to the surface. While the hypothermia was sl

Based in Southfield, Michigan, Dr. Richard Veyna is not just a renowned Board Certified Neurosurgeon but also the driving force behind RSV Medical and Transcend Company. This groundbreaking initiative encompasses a dedicated team of NPs and PAs who are specialists in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and peptide therapy, licensed across all 50 states. They serve as the pivotal consultation backbone for patients at Transcend, a leading health and wellness company committed to redefining healthcare access in areas like age management, sexual wellness, and hormone therapy.Dr. Veyna's prowess in the realm of neurosurgery is evident in his specialization in complex spinal disorders, deep brain stimulation, and minimally invasive techniques. His collaborative endeavors with institutions, notably the Struthers Parkinson's Disease Center, highlight his commitment to interdisciplinary advancements.Having kickstarted his academic pursuits at Baylor University, Dr. Veyna then reached a pinnacle at The University of Texa

Craig Harrison joined the Blues and Royals, a Household Cavalry regiment, at sixteen. He has served in Bosnia, two tours of Iraq and two tours of Afghanistan. He trained to become a sniper after his first Iraq tour and holds the world record for the longest recorded sniper kills. He was mentioned in dispatches for his bravery.We discuss his childhood around horses, his journey into the military, the Balkans, his infamous sniper shot, the danger the publicity put his family in, his powerful mental health story, his school Maverick Survival and much more.https://www.themavericksurvivalschool.co.uk/

Steven Barger has dedicated 16 years to Fire and Emergency Services, demonstrating a deep commitment to public safety and community service. He currently serves as a shift commander at the Village of Bald Head Island Department of Public Safety, where he oversees operations and ensures the safety of residents and visitors. Steven holds multiple certifications, including National Registry of Paramedic Certification, North Carolina Advanced Firefighter Certification, and North Carolina Intermediate Law Enforcement Certification. Additionally, he has earned the esteemed Fire Officer designation from the Center of Public Safety Excellence and BS from Fayetteville State University. In addition to his role in public safety, Steven is an elected official on the Brunswick County Board of Education, where he serves as the chairman. His leadership on the board is marked by his commitment to enhancing educational opportunities and ensuring the well-being of students and staff. Steven has been married for 12 years and i

Dr Michael Lange is an optometrist, nutritionist and radio personality. We talk about vision, eye health, physicals, nutrition and much more.Dr. Michael Lange, optometrist has worked extremely hard at developing one of the top eye care centers in the country. Lange Eye Care and Associates was started on March 15, 1993 by Dr. Michael Lange. Ocala Florida was his very first location and the beginning of his dream to build a state of the art eye care center utilizing the latest in technology.Lange Eye Care has optometric physicians and ophthalmologists on staff to provide full coverage in some locations seven days a week. Michael Lange OD, CNS , the Ocala eye doctor, worked seven days a week, 18 hrs a day for the first ten years to build such an impressive organization of eye care specialists. Dr. Lange states, “If you work hard enough, long enough and truly have a passion for what you do, you will succeed.” He adds, “To be extremely successful it takes a lot of sacrifice as well”.Dr. Lange has been hosting his