Behind The Shield

Behind The Shield

by James Geering

Fitness Mental Health

Tony Blauer II (How Fear Affects Trauma, Imposter Syndrome in Combat and Adrenal Fatigue) - Episode 1274

For over 45 years, Tony Blauer has been at the forefront of personal defense, fear management, and performance psychology, revolutionizing the way individuals and teams prepare for real-world violence. Since 1977, Blauer has dedicated his life to helping people become safer, sooner, bridging the gap between science, psychology, and combatives. He is the creator of the SPEAR System®, the world’s first behaviorally based self-defense method, which has redefined close-quarter tactics for military, law enforcement, and self-defense instructors worldwide. In 1985, he founded Blauer Tactical Systems Inc.® (BTS), an industry leader in scenario-based training, de-escalation, and fear management. Today, his influence spans elite government agencies, tactical teams, and personal defense instructors across the globe. Blauer’s fear management research has transformed how warriors, protectors, and civilians approach danger, intimidation, and sudden violence. His philosophy is simple: Fear isn’t the enemy. It’s the energy.™ https://blauerspear.com/

Kelly Lucas (California Firefighting, Living with Parkinson's Disease and Finding Sobriety) - Episode 1273

Kelly is an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor at Daydream MD, bringing a unique blend of clinical training and lived experience to his work as a therapist. Before beginning his career in counseling, Kelly served as a firefighter/paramedic for 22 years, where he was a peer support team leader and assisted with critical incident stress debriefings. This extensive frontline service gave him a deep understanding of trauma—both primary and vicarious—and inspired his journey into the mental health field. Through his own recovery work and transformative experiences in therapy, Kelly felt called to become a counselor who could walk alongside others on their path to wellness. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of California, San Diego, and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Concordia University, Irvine. Kelly has specialized expertise working with clients experiencing PTSD, addiction, and co-occurring mental health disorders (dual diagnosis). He is Level 1 certified in the Gottman Method for Couples Therapy and has completed training in Couples and Addiction Recovery. Additionally, he has supported veterans and first responders in psychedelic-assisted therapy integration. His therapeutic approach is client-centered, compassionate, and empathetic—honoring each individual’s unique journey, personal goals, and spiritual beliefs. Outside of his clinical work, Kelly values time with his wife, two sons, and daughter. One of his sons is internationally adopted and lives with Reactive Attachment Disorder, giving Kelly a personal understanding of complex family dynamics. He enjoys spending time outdoors with his family through traveling, hiking, fishing, mountain biking, stand-up paddle boarding, and skiing. https://www.daydreammd.com/team/kelly-lucas-apcc

Nimsdai Purja (Climbing the World's Tallest Peaks, Enviromentalism and Hunting the Taliban) - Episode 379

I'm reposting this today in memory of Nimsadi Purja, who lost his life on Pakistan's Broad Peak. Nimsdai was a former Ghurka, member of the British SBS, record breaking mountaineer and author. We discussed his powerful journey into the special forces, Project Possible, mountain rescues, his book "Beyond Possible", environmentalism, forging an indomitable spirit and so much more. Born in Nepal, Nims had a distinguished 16-year military career, of which he spent 6 years as a Ghurka and 10 years with the UK Special Forces (SBS). He has since become a truly historic mountaineer, accumulating an ever-growing list of record-breaking summits alongside many high-altitude rescue missions. Astonishingly, Nims didn’t grow up in the shadow of the Himalayas, in fact he was born in the Dhaulagiri region of Nepal and raised in Chitwan, in the country’s flatlands. He performed well at school, but at that time there was no yearning to climb mountains instead he had another focus, to become a Gurkha in the British military like his father and brothers before him. In 2003 that dream became a reality when he joined the Gurkhas in 2003, at the age of eighteen. Never shy of pushing himself to another level #alwaysalittlehigher, six years later in 2009 he became the first ever Gurkha to join the UK Special Boat Service (SBS). The unit is predominantly made up of Royal Marines Commandos, and specialises in classified undercover raids. Along with the SAS, the SBS is regarded as the most elite unit in the British military. During this time, he developed an interest in mountaineering that quickly turned into a passion. It all began in December 2012, when on leave from his Special Forces duties, he set out on a trek to Everest Base Camp. This experience fired his passion and ambition for the mountains immediately, and not content with simply returning to Kathmandu, he managed to convince his guide to teach him how to climb ‘for real’ and he successfully summited the 6119-metre Lobuche East with his guide shortly after. It was his first peak. The following year he proudly led a team of Gurkhas to their first successful Everest expedition. Immediately after, he made his way back up to the mountain this time with his sights set firmly set on a World Record. Just a few days later he achieved his goal after summiting Everest, quickly followed by Lhotse and Makalu all within a total of just 5 days. It was to be the first of many records he would claim in the mountains. At the time the record for climbing the world’s fourteen highest peaks (the 8000ers) was just under eight years. Nim’s dream was to do it in seven months, he aptly named it Project Possible. He would embark on it, as he had done for the rest of his life, through all the planning, every storm, every step on every mountain, each selfless rescue mission he answered with just one approach ‘Everything in life is possible armed only with a determined approach and positive mindset’. A little over six months later on the summit of Shishapangma and with weeks to spare, Nims proudly announced to the world ‘Mission Achieved’ delivering on his promise and what many claimed to be ‘impossible’. In March 2020 he officially announced his new enterprise ‘Nimsdai’– from the Nepalese ‘dai’, meaning ‘brother’. With a primary objective to share his knowledge and approach of big mountain climbing, he now offers mountaineers the exclusive chance to team up 1:1 with one of the most ground-breaking expedition leaders of a generation and provide commercial clients opportunities for breath-taking high-altitude special projects.

Jonathan Sheinberg (Cardiology, First Responder Health and Preventing Heart Attacks) - Episode 1272

Jonathan Sheinberg is a cardiologist, chief medical officer, police officer and Air Force veteran. He has over 30 years of experience in providing advanced cardiovascular care. He is passionate about preventing coronary disease and managing acute and chronic cardiovascular conditions. Jonathan has a strong background in non-invasive imaging and cardiac catheterization, and is nationally known in the field of preventative cardiology. He is also a sworn police officer and serves as a lieutenant at the Travis County Sheriff's Office, where he applies his medical expertise to support law enforcement operations. His goal is to improve the health and well-being of his patients and community through evidence-based practices and innovative solutions.

Ethan Suplee II (The Obesity Crisis, Overcoming Addiction and Hollywod Typecasting) - Episode 644

Ethan Suplee is an actor, athlete and the host of the "American Glutton Podcast". In this second interview we discuss the impact of lockdown on the nation's health, racism, male body dysmorphia, his own mental metamorphosis, overcoming injury, the importance of rest and so much more. Ethan has established himself over the past few decades as an actor of considerable talent and accomplishment. His diverse and eclectic resume ranges from hilarious roles in such comedies as Mallrats (1995) and My Name Is Earl (2005) to hauntingly dramatic performances in intense features such as American History X (1998), Blow (2001), Cold Mountain (2003), The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013) and Deepwater Horizon (2016). His breakthrough performance as a young football player in Disney's Remember the Titans (2000) with Denzel Washington garnered him critical acclaim and led to two other roles opposite Washington in director Nick Cassavetes' thriller, John Q (2002), and Tony Scott’s Unstoppable (2010). Suplee was most recently seen starring in 2020s The Hunt, which was released despite the bipartisan political misrepresentation of this film, as well as in two seasons of Hulu’s Chance alongside Hugh Laurie (2016-2017). Born in New York and raised in Los Angeles, Suplee is the son of actors Deborah Deeble and Bill Suplee. He landed his first role, at the age of 16, on the popular television series, Boy Meets World (1993). He had a recurring role as the reluctant bully "Frankie" for three seasons. He went on to see My Name Is Earl, Jennifer Falls, and Chance go to series. He made his feature film debut in 1995 in writer/director Kevin Smith's Mallrats (1995), where he played the memorable "Willam Black", a young man determined to crack the mystery behind the mall's magic eye poster. Smith went on to cast Suplee in Chasing Amy (1997) and as the voice of "Norman the Golgothan" in Dogma (1999). Other credits include "Without A Paddle" with Seth Green and Matthew Lillard, director Todd Phillips, Road Trip (2000), Evolution (2001) for director Ivan Reitman, Walk Of Shame (2014) for director Steve Brill, and Motherless Brooklyn (2019) for director Edward Norton. In Tony Kaye's "American History X", Suplee played a carelessly violent racist skinhead who tries to convince his friend (Edward Norton) to "come back to his roots" in their gang of white supremacists. His role of high school football lineman "Louie" in Disney's "Remember the Titans" exposed Suplee to a larger audience, and he was singled out by many critics as a fresh and welcome screen presence, with the Hollywood Reporter calling his performance "scene-stealing." With Ted Demme's 1970s drug-cartel drama "Blow," Suplee continued to raise his profile, playing "Tuna", the best friend of Johnny Depp's newly turned drug dealer "George Jung". Suplee played a pivotal role of a young soldier in Miramax and Anthony Minghella's period piece "Cold Mountain," with Jude Law and Nicole Kidman. In his spare time, Suplee enjoys arguing the ambiguities of moral “truth,” cooking, and eating on his incredibly in-depth American Glutton podcast.

Tommy Dwyer (Dilapidated Fire Stations, Mental Health and Occupational Cancer) - Episode 1271

"Burnin' Down the House" is a powerful new documentary from award-winning filmmaker Tommy Jay Dwyer that shines a light on the hidden crisis facing firefighters. Aging stations, chronic underinvestment and the growing health risks associated with the jobs they do every day. Through intimate interviews and unprecedented access inside Massachusetts firehouses, the film reveals the sacrifices firefighters make long after the flames go out. In this conversation, we discuss his own experience as the son of a firefighter, the Cold Storage Fire, the occupational illness that plagued his family, mold, mental health and so much more.

Brad Mason and Angel Santiago (The Give Team, Selma and the Power of Storytelling) - Episode 1270

Brad Mason is a professional negotiator, community leader, and firm believer that strength is built by doing hard things in service of others. He is the founder and head coach of The Give Team, a youth leadership and endurance program built on a simple belief: No matter how little you have, you always have something to give. Brad also serves on the Board of Directors of New Image Youth Center, supporting young people in Orlando’s Parramore community. A lawyer by training and a Managing Director at Cornerstone Advisors, Brad has spent his career helping financial institutions build stronger relationships and better outcomes. His work in the community is driven by the same principles that guide his leadership: strength, empathy, courage, and love. Most recently, Brad helped lead The Give Team’s 54-mile journey from Selma to Montgomery—an experience captured in the documentary 54 | Something to Give. Angel Santiago is a professional wrestler, documentary filmmaker and the man behind the production of 54 - Something to Give. https://www.thegiveteam.org/

Chris Hinshaw (Training Aerobic Capacity, Tactical Athletes and Competitive Crossfit) - Episode 263

Chris Hinshaw is the founder of aerobiccapacity.com, and is widely considered one of the top endurance coaches in the world. Chris is known internationally for his extensive knowledge and practical experience developing aerobic capacity in athletes of all experience levels using his comprehensive, cutting edge approach to training. Hinshaw is a former All American swimmer and world-class professional triathlete. His top international finishes includes a 2nd place overall finish at the Hawaiian Ironman World Championships, 2nd place overall finish at the Ironman World Championships in Canada, and a 1st place overall finish at Ironman Brazil. In 2016, CrossFit Headquarters selected Coach Chris as their Subject Matter Expert (“SME”) in Aerobic Capacity. He is also a CrossFit Level 2 Trainer (CF-L2), CrossFit Competitor Course certified, Endurance Course certified, CrossFit Mobility certified, and CrossFit Judge. He has been a CrossFit athlete since 2008. Hinshaw currently shares his coaching and endurance programming through aerobiccapacity.com and travels the world teaching his coaching & training methodology via his Aerobic Capacity Course. He is very excited about his next project to be released later this year: CrossFit Aerobic Capacity “on-line” coaches course. He is the coach to hundreds of athletes that range from the day-to-day fitness enthusiast looking to efficiently and effectively improve their aerobic fitness to professional surfers, Olympians, and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu World Champions to more than three-dozen podium athletes & teams at the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 CrossFit Games including Mat Fraser, Rich Froning, Jason Khalipa, Katrin Davidsdottir, Tia Clair Toomey, Kara Webb, Camille Leblanc-Bazinet, Kristen Holte, Sara Sigmundsdottir, and Julie Foucher.

Rob Ramirez II (The USAR Response to the Venezuela Earthquakes, Powerful Rescues and Shared Humanity) - Episode 1269

Rob Ramirez is a 24-year fire service veteran with degrees in Fire Science and Public Administration. Since 2005, Rob has been a Technical Rescue Team Manager for the Department of Homeland Security F.E.M.A. U.S.A.R. Task Force in Miami, FL., where he has served on dozens of high-profile national and international disaster deployments. In addition, Rob has been a student of psychology, physiology, and the effects of stress on human performance for over a decade. His education, training, and personal experiences have provided him with a variety of unique instructional strategies and methods that apply to Firefighters of any rank or tenure. Rob is also an international fire service speaker, FDIC instructor, and a published Fire Service author. Throughout his fire service career, he has held the ranks of Firefighter, Paramedic, Lieutenant, and Captain. Rob is the very proud father of two amazing boys and currently serves as the Division Chief of Training & Safety for the new Jupiter Fire Rescue Department in South Florida. https://www.instagram.com/robramirez1075_official/?hl=en

Mark Seelig (MDMA Assisted Psychotherapy, Sociopaths in Power and Refinding Community) - Episode 1268

Mark was born in West-Berlin, Germany, and has lived in the USA, India, and Germany. From an early age he has been fascinated with the spiritual quest of the human soul, which eventually led him to the study of indigenous traditions and native wisdom. Mark has a degree in Theology and a PhD in Clinical Psychology. He is a founding member of Ken Wilber’s Integral Institute, an Advisory board member of the Association Holotropic Breathwork International, and a Founding member of the German College for Transpersonal Psychotherapy. He has studied indigenous ceremonial traditions with Luis Eduardo Luna. He has written ‘Das Selbst als Ort der Gotteserfahrung’ (The Self as the Dimension of Spiritual Experience) and several articles about Kundalini, and Near-Death Experiences in the ‘Journal of Near-Death Studies’, the ‘Inner Door’, and ‘Religion Heute’ (Germany). Inspired by shamanic journeying he studied Asian Indian Classical Music on the Bansuri (bamboo flute) in India. He has released several award wining shamanic-ambient collaborations to induce and support shamanic states of consciousness with notable artists in the space including Byron Metcalf and Steve Roach. His recording are being used extensively in psychedelic session work. These cd’s include: ‘Wachuma’s Wave’, ‘Mantram’, ‘Nada Terma’, and ‘Nightbloom’, ‘Intention’, ‘Tree of Life’ and ‘Disciple’. Mark has 20 years of experience as a clinical psychotherapist, working with groups, couples, and individuals. He has had extensive clinical experience using the MDMA analogue Methylone in clinical settings. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-seelig-mdiv-phd-57b76720/

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