Shauna ‘Doc’ Springer is a licensed psychologist, frequently requested keynote speaker, award-winning podcast host, and one of the world's leading experts on psychological trauma, military transition, suicide prevention, and close relationships. A Harvard graduate who has become a trusted Doc to our nation’s military warfighters and first responders, she navigates diverse cultures with exceptional agility. She is the author of three best-selling books, WARRIOR: How to Support Those Who Protect Us, BEYOND THE MILITARY: A Leader’s Handbook for Warrior Reintegration, and RELENTLESS COURAGE: Winning the Battle Against Frontline Trauma. As the Chief Psychologist for STELLA, she advances a new model for treating psychological trauma that combines biological and psychological interventions.
Doctor Shauna Springer is an expert in all things PTSI (Post Traumatic Stress Injury) and has spent over a decade working with elite warriors and their families in healing from trauma, no matter the source of it. We are coming in hot with this first episode of 'Listen Up!'
Honorable Mentions:
Connect with Doc Spring on Linkedin
Stella | Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) & Ketamine Therapy Treatment - Stella (stellacenter.com)
Speaking - Doc Shauna Springer
WARRIOR: Doc Springer's Personal Online Guide to Her Work (shaunaspringer.com)
Eric Frohardt is a Navy SEAL combat veteran with nearly 12 years of service to our great nation. While on active duty, he served on various SEAL Teams including the highly revered Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DevGru). Over the course of his career, he deployed numerous times to hot spots around the world including Iraq and Afghanistan.
As a SEAL, Eric was trained in the use of various firearms, explosives, radio and computer communication devices, combat diving, high-altitude parachuting, battlefield medicine, wilderness survival, climbing, mountaineering, hand-to-hand combat, and tactical driving. He was also a sniper! While on active duty he also climbed El Capitan and (2) of the (7) Summits: Denali and Aconcagua.
Eric was medically retired at the beginning of 2010 as a SEAL Operator, Chief after being injured in combat. After leaving the Navy, Eric went on to start an indoor gun range and gun store in Lakewood, CO. He stepped down from the daily operations in order to become the CEO of StrongFirst, a fitness company with nearly 5,000 instructors in over 40-countries. After that, Eric served as the Director of Education and Training for the National Rifle Association where he led and served the over 110,000 NRA Certified Firearms Trainers nationwide. Now, Eric works as the COO of Defy, a performance beverage company with nationwide distribution in over 11,000 stores.
Most importantly, Eric and his wife have been happily married for 20 years and they have 4 kids ranging from 10 to 17 years old. He volunteers for the Navy SEAL Foundation and serves as a committee chair for the Denver-based, “Evening of Tribute.” He is also active in his church and local community. Most of all, he enjoys being a husband and father!
Honorable mentions:
Connect with Eric on Linkedin.
Be part of the Navy SEAL Foundation's “Evening of Tribute” in Denver
Drink Defy
StrongFirst: School of Strength
Born in Chicago and raised in St. Louis, John Stillman was a quiet boy yet found fun in teasing his younger sisters and brother. His love for the Rome plows in Vietnam led him to a career as an operating engineer, where he earned a living running the big equipment on job sites. Now retired, he busies himself helping out with nonprofit veteran’s organizations and tending to the almost one hundred acres he calls home in Missouri. John has been happily married to his wife Rita for fifty- three years and is the father of four children, two daughters and two sons. He still loves his road trips.
Unearthing fifty years of repressed memories with stunning accuracy and raw details, John also wrote a book. It is titled, Jumping from Helicopters, and is a vivid and moving Vietnam memoir that will open your eyes to the realities of what our brave young men witnessed and endured, and why they returned facing a lifetime of often unspoken unrest, persistent nightmares, and forced normalcy.
This is a very special episode with an incredible man and Warrior. Hearing these stories is often rare or told second-hand, so don't miss this episode!
Grab a copy of that book here.
Herb Thompson is a retired Special Forces Team Sergeant and award-winning author of The Transition Mission. He is the only person ever to be the Army’s Drill Sergeant of the Year and earn the Green Beret. Corrie Burton has 20 years of HR Growth Strategy experience and is deeply invested in supporting those transitioning and their spouses. In fact, that’s how she and Herb met! Together, they team up to tackle tough topics to support the military community.
In this episode, Herb and Corrie share part of their journey with all of us. They talk about their paths both individually and on their road together. Transitions (military or otherwise) can be tough, blending families can be tougher, and healing from trauma can be the ultimate test of your relationship, yet having a strong relationship with your forever battle buddy can make that road much easier and the load much lighter.
You'll hear how Herb and Corrie take care of each other and nurture each other; playing hard and loving harder. This couple knows a thing or two about strong bonds and not only how to create them but sustain them!
Subscribe and tune in today!
Honorable Mentions:
Grab a copy of Herb's award-winning book by clicking here.
Dr. Kate Pate is a Ph.D. neurophysiologist and Founder of The Way Back, a company that provides education and coaching services related to military, veteran, and first responder health, often in wilderness settings. Within these communities, she advocates for functional and non-traditional approaches to healing. She is also the Founder and CEO of Coruna Medical, a military-specific medical company that creates innovative solutions for administering medical care in austere environments. Kate serves on the Board of the Psychedelic Medicine Association and is part of the Medical Advisory and Research Team for HunterSeven Foundation as well as the Human Performance Team at SOFlete.
Kate’s doctoral research focused on respiratory neurophysiology, or the brain-breath-body connection, but her postdoctoral research was broader and involved studying the role of redox biology in inflammatory disease processes. The latter included the specific study of traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury, arthritis, and cancer and radiation biology. The topics she’s most passionate about these days include TBI, neuroinflammation, and mental health.
In this episode, you will hear her passion for serving those who serve, and that has led to many innovations in care. She is a leader in the community through her many efforts in research, and coaching, and today she shares with us the science behind Post Traumatic Stress Injury, how it can show up in your life, and ways to begin your healing journey forward, today.
Tune in and share this one with your friends, please. It will change perceptions, provide resources, and get you on the way to the life you deserve to live!
We are BACK! Season 3 is launching with an unfiltered discussion on getting your life together. We can all agree that doing so takes a certain level of honesty and accountability which can be very uncomfortable and extremely challenging. Getting your act together also demands you to be vulnerable with the connections you surround yourself with. Not only at home but within your entire community. Who better to talk about all of this than with Doug Kiesewetter? SFC Kiesewetter is a dad, an avid adventurer, and a dog lover. He’s also a Special Forces Engineer and Weapons Sergeant with the US Army National Guard 20th Special Forces Group and the Chief Content Officer at SOFLETE, a premier group of current and former SOF personnel who have collaborated with non-SOF experts in the fitness industry who have created an app and fitness-based brand surrounding combat athlete programming. Doug has served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Africa.
In this episode, we get the privilege to dive deep into Doug’s very relatable personal life. We talk about his divorce, co-parenting, alternative healing treatments through other organizations like Task Force Dagger Foundation, discussing your faults with your children, asking for forgiveness, and with that forgiveness learning from your mistakes and making sure to not let them happen again. This podcast reminds us all that no matter your rank, your job title, and even your notoriety, sharing your very human experiences with the people in your community will help strengthen the individuals in it, generationally.
You can’t miss this one! Subscribe and Tune in today.
Honorable Mentions to Check Out:
J. Matthew French is a St. Louis-based attorney with Morgan & Morgan and is a fourteen-year veteran of the U.S. Army. Matt served as a combat medic, with nearly ten years in the Special Operations community. Upon leaving the military, he attended Saint Louis University School of Law and now practices law in the areas of personal injury and medical malpractice with an emphasis on catastrophic injuries and wrongful death actions.
Matt is Chief Legal Officer and Advisory Board Member for All Secure Foundation and offers his services to those warriors who need them most. He shares with us an all-too-familiar story of how he too suffered through a hard transition from the military and offers his thoughts on how he turned things around, facilitating growth for his life and family.
Matt's Twitter
Contact Matt via email: MFrench@forthepeople.com
This episode is a little different in that we have not one, but two guests. Today we welcome Marcus and Amber Capone. Over the course of 13 years, Marcus served through multiple combat deployments as a U.S. Navy SEAL until he medically retired in 2013. He and his wife, Amber, thought that life would return to "normal," when in truth, their struggle had just begun. Marcus was experiencing an ever-growing echelon of challenges, including depression, isolation, cognitive impairment, excessive alcohol use, headaches, insomnia, intense mood swings, and impulsivity. Marcus was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress Injury (PTSI). Shocked by this discovery, Amber felt there was more to the story. After learning about the effects of blast waves, concussive, and sub-concussive brain injuries, a broader picture was painted. Marcus’ military career as an explosives expert, combined with his prior years of contact sports, had left him with the seemingly invisible wounds of traumatic brain injury (TBI), a condition that has significant overlap with PTSI, and is often not properly diagnosed. Subsequently, they cofounded Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) with a mission to end veteran suicide, providing resources, research, and advocacy for U.S. Military Veterans seeking treatment with psychedelic-assisted therapy.
To support their organization and to find out more about VETS, please click here.
Today we're sitting down with basketball Coach Chris Hollender. Coach Hollender has an excellent resume that includes coaching positions at West Point, Evansville, Mississippi State, and the University of Missouri in Kansas City. He then joined MIZZOU, where in his first season the team reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in 7 years. Tom says it best in this episode "It seems like everywhere you've gone...that team has improved," which, of course, Chris humbly disagrees with. Chris explains what coaching means to him, and why it is so important in the development of these young men's lives. Often, a coach spends more time with these men than anyone. Inevitably, this builds strong, lasting relationships in which a coach wears many other hats - mentor, counselor, friend, manager, and sometimes a parental figure. You may be surprised to learn that the stress on a coach and their family life mirrors greatly the stress of an Operator and their family. There's a lot to learn from Chris' insight in this episode, so let's dive in!
Check out Chris' Twitter.
Find out more about Just Play here.
Today's guest is retired Navy SEAL, Robert Sweetman. He joined the Navy at 28 years old specifically to become a Navy SEAL, and by 29 had already completed BUDS. He served for 8 years through 2 deployments with SEAL Team 7 and became an instructor at Advanced Training Command. After medically retiring from a back injury, Robert later found he had hidden injuries as well - PTS, TBI, sleep apnea, and insomnia. One of Robert's close friends and platoon mates, Ryan Larkin, was also struggling with PTS, TBI, and issues with sleep. On April 23rd, 2017, Ryan took his own life. In the aftermath of Ryan's death, Robert took it upon himself to understand the nuances of sleep. This ultimately led him to create 62 Romeo. 62 Romeo teaches a four-pillar system that has been incredibly successful in helping veterans and first responders cultivate a healthy and lasting relationship with their sleep. This episode is packed full of information, some of which may surprise you. Get your notepads ready as we dive into sleep with none other than our community's Sleep Scientist, Robert Sweetman.
Find out more at 62Romeo.org
Connect with Robert via email: Rob@62romeo.org
Today's guest is none other than EJ "Scull Crusher" Snyder. EJ fought in the Gulf and Iraq wars, has been a Drill Sergeant, and taught at the Florida Ranger Camp and the Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg. He was awarded 2 Bronze Stars, a Legion of Merit, and retired as a Sergeant Major. He has many military accolades, but most of you will recognize him from Naked and Afraid (with 6 completions) or Dual Survival. EJ really lets his personality shine in this episode. Not only does he share some valuable information, he is an absolute joy to listen to. So, as Tom and Jen say, let's dive right in.
EJ's website
Last episode we began the epic journey that is the story of Howard Storm. Today we continue this journey. Get ready for part two of Howard Storm.
Howard's Books - Amazon
This season of All Secure has taken us to a lot of places we didn't expect! This one certainly shocked us. Our next show is with Howard Storm. Storm is a Christian Minister, writer, painter, former Professor, and current Chairman of the Art Department at Northern Kentucky University. While awaiting a surgeon in a hospital in Paris with life-threatening injuries, Howard passed away. The events that unfolded next are shocking and awe-inducing, as he recounts his meeting with demons and how Jesus, Himself, came to his rescue, forever changing his life. When he entered this hospital room, Howard was an atheist. However, he awoke in his hospital bed an adamant Christian, which has shaped his life to this day. This story is absolutely breathtaking, so ready yourself as we dive into part one of Howard Storm.
Grab a copy of Howard Storm's Books on Amazon.
This episode's topic might be tough to listen to for some, but if you come with an open mind, you'll be glad you did. In our society and specifically our long-term relationships, we are often confronted with the question: "Why do couples stop having sex?" That's the wrong question. We should be asking, "why do couples have sex?" Today we're talking sex with Emily Nagoski. EMILY NAGOSKI is the award-winning author of the New York Times bestselling Come As You Are and The Come As You Are Workbook, and coauthor, with her sister, Amelia, of New York Times bestseller Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. She earned an M.S. in counseling and a Ph.D. in health behavior, both from Indiana University, with clinical and research training at the Kinsey Institute. Now she combines sex education and stress education to teach women to live with confidence and joy inside their bodies. She lives in Massachusetts with two dogs, a cat, and a cartoonist.
Resources from the episode:
You can find Emily's podcasts, Ted Talks, and more here.
Magnificent Sex: Lessons from Extraordinary Lovers here.
Here are the best ways to connect with Emily - Buy Come As You Are, second edition by clicking here.
Buy her latest book, Burnout, by clicking here.
Chris VanSant spent more than 20 years in the Army as an Infantryman, Ranger, Green Beret, and Operator in the unit with Tom. He has completed 11 combat deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa. Following his honorable service to our great nation, he has used his leadership skills to serve as an Executive within the tactical outdoor product industries. Today, Chris and his incredible wife, Robin, are on a mission to tackle the Seven Summits together. Chris explains why being in nature is so cathartic for him and how these experiences have forged an unbreakable bond between him and his wife.
Connect with Chris VanSant on Linkedin.
Coby Cochran is a devoted husband, doting father, a 10-year Special Operations Veteran, and co-founder of Uncanna, a popular CBD company based in Colorado. We hear a lot of stories, but this one really hit us in the gut. You don’t find people too often willing to go there, but just like a Ranger on a task (without conditions and standards), Coby put his head down and conquered this new mission: to be a really good human. His new footing and hunger to be his best is nothing short of inspiring to both of us. We hope you enjoy this episode!
Find out more about Uncanna here.
To kick off season 2 of All Secure, we are telling a different kind of story than usual. Peter Forcelli is a retired ATF Deputy Assistant Director, former NYPD Homicide Detective, and 9/11 survivor. Peter recounts the harrowing events of that day, how he almost didn't make it out alive, and how many of his friends did not. He shares how this changed him, and his family, and once he accepted help for his PTS, how he was changed once again.
Colonel Stu Farris is an Army Special Forces Officer with over 25 years of service. He has commanded Special Forces units from the operational detachment to the group level and served six tours in Afghanistan leading tactical SF units in combat. As retirement quickly approaches for Stu, he reflects on his time in the military and looks at his service, not through the lens of deployments or personal accolades, but with a human-first mentality. Listen in as he shares with us his tremendous wisdom, insight, and compassion for others in this episode of All Secure.
Today, we have the privilege of talking with retired Army Sergeant Major, former Special Operations, and USMC Veteran Erick Miyares. In this episode, Erick shares some deeply profound moments from his time in and out of the military. You might want to keep a notepad handy for this conversation because he gives real-world strategies regarding the transition to civilian life, family, physical health, mental health, and maintaining strong cognitive ability.
On our show today, we're talking with Special Operations Sergeant Major Jack Stottlemire. He is the owner of Rustick Knives, a one-man shop where he uses his military experience to forge hard-use blades. Jack also gives back with Conflict Forge, where he takes steel from our nation's battlefields (from all over the world) to make functional art. These pieces are then auctioned or sold to benefit veteran charities. He is also the founder of the Veterans Adaptive Motorcycle Program (VAMP). VAMP's mission is to restore the freedom of two wheels on the open road to as many veterans as possible. They accomplish this by facilitating mechanical modifications to motorcycles according to each wounded veteran rider’s unique needs.
Today we're talking with Dr. Alexandra Solomon. Over the last two decades, Dr. Solomon has become one of today’s most trusted voices in the world of relationships, and her work on Relational Self-Awareness has reached millions of people around the world. Dr. Solomon is a licensed clinical psychologist at The Family Institute at Northwestern University, and she is on faculty in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University where she teaches the internationally renowned course, Building Loving and Lasting Relationships: Marriage 101. In addition to writing articles and chapters for leading academic journals and books in the field of marriage and family, she is the author of two bestselling books, Loving Bravely and Taking Sexy Back. Dr. Solomon regularly presents to diverse groups that include the United States Military Academy at West Point and Microsoft, and she is frequently asked to talk about relationships with media outlets like The Today Show, O Magazine, The Atlantic, Vogue, and Scientific American.
Find out more about Dr. Solomon here.
Dr. Solomon's podcast, Reimagining Love : Ten Essential Skills for Navigating Conflict: Part 1
Today we're talking with Sergeant Major Pat McNamara, a retired Special Operator and owner of TMACS Inc. If you follow Pat, you might expect talk about working out in the driveway gym, Basic Dude Stuff, or dad jokes, but the conversation goes much deeper. In this episode, Pat shares for the first time publicly about his struggles with a chronic illness that showed up virtually overnight and how, despite the constant pain this condition has caused for over a year and half, he refuses to give in. Like Pat says, "when you're all out of motivation, you have to rely on discipline. "TMACS Inc. is a tactical training company for which Pat has developed a training methodology that is safe, effective, combat relevant, and encourages a continuous thought process.
Find out more about TMACS Inc. here.
Today we're talking with Phil Sussman, an Army Special Operations Veteran, teacher, photographer, and co-founder of American Yogi. In this episode, Phil dives deep into the mental and physical trauma of being in the military. He doesn't sugarcoat anything and gets to the root of these traumas, their consequences, as well as the steps he's taken to rebuild his life, body, and relationship with his family.American Yogi's goal is to help men and women use yoga as a vehicle for peace, breaking the stigma around men who practice yoga and spreading awareness of its benefits within the veteran community.
To find out more about American Yogi, click here.
In today's episode Tom and Jen discuss their experiences with psychedelic medicine. This has a been a multiyear process full of research, planning, self-discovery, healing and acceptance. There are no magic pills for mental health challenges, but psychedelic therapies offer a unique approach to addressing these issues. How can you safely experience these therapies, what are the risks, how can it change you after the fact, and what is the experience itself like? Today on All Secure, we dive into all of these questions and more.
Today we're talking with former Army Ranger and founder of the Heroic Hearts Project, Jesse Gould. Jesse has spearheaded the research and acceptance of ayahuasca, ibogaine, and other psychedelics as an alternative to pharmaceutical treatments. Heroic Hearts Project has connected countless veterans to psychedelic treatments, partnering with the world's leading psychedelic centers. Jesse is recognized as one of the most influential voices in psychedelics today and has spoken globally about their benefits on mental health.
Check out Heroic Hearts Project here.
Today we're talking with Rick Hogg, a 29 year U.S. Army Special Operations combat veteran with 13 deployments between Iraq and Afghanistan. He has taken this experience, along with his time as a Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat instructor, and used his skills to create a proven methodology service company, Warhogg Tactical Inc.
You can find out more about Warhogg Tactical here.
Today we're talking with SGM Jamey Caldwell, who served seven years with the 75th Ranger Regiment. He spent the next 14 years in a Special Missions Unit that maintained a high operational tempo in Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and numerous other countries. He has deployed to combat 14 times and conducted well over 500 missions. Now, Jamey is a professional angler and owner of 1 Minute Out, which offers tactical, rifle, pistol and night vision training.
Check out 1 Minute Out here.