Lacrosse is a sport built on passion, precision, and community. It’s also a sport that defines service. Live from the Stars and Stripes Classic, Fran Racioppi sat down with Mike Rabil, co-founder and CEO of the Premier Lacrosse League, to highlight the PLL’s partnership with the Green Beret Foundation and explore how the sport of lacrosse is intertwined with American Special Operators. 

A remarkable number of America’s Special Operators come from a lacrosse background. The sport builds toughness, discipline, teamwork, and the ability to perform under pressure. The same qualities that define an elite operator and a key reason why so many lacrosse players serve in the military.

Mike shares his vision for building the PLL into the world’s only professional lacrosse organization. Now in its seventh season, the PLL is deeper, faster, and more competitive than ever, supported by partners who believe in the mission and the athletes who make it possible.

Together, the PLL and the Green Beret Foundation are proving that sport can be a force for impact. This partnership honors the athletes, the warriors, and the families who give so much, and it strengthens the connection between two communities built on grit, excellence, and service.

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:21 Welcome to the Stars & Stripes Classic
• 2:50 PLL Progression
• 4:51 College to Pro
• 8:32 Leading up to the Second S&S Game
• 11:14 Lacrosse Discipline in Special Ops

Quotes

• “50% of our games have been decided by just one goal this year.”
• “Now the pressure’s on us to make it worthwhile.”
• “These are the best lacrosse players in the world but some of the best athletes.”
• “To incorporate endurance, strength, physicality, and the hand eye, those are things as a tier one operator you need.”
• “Practice is the payoff for the eventual game.”
• “The community is actually bigger than we think, the game means something to people and it's actually been misbranded.”
• “They’re people of character.”
• “I think athletics in general will teach you a certain level of discipline, resiliency, and adaptability that become critical to your ability to succeed.”

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Romania is one of America’s key allies in the fight for Eastern Europe. Romanian Special Forces are critical to the success of that mission; and the partnership between United States Special Operations and our Romanian counterparts sits at the center of that strategy.

From the Global Special Operations Symposium in Athens, Greece, Fran Racioppi sat down with Major General Claudiu Dobocan, Commander of the Romanian Special Operations Forces, to discuss how Romanian Special Operations are combatting Russian aggression and holding the line in Europe.

General Dobocan shared his perspective on strengthening SOF partnerships, advancing interoperability, and building modern capabilities that allow allied forces to operate seamlessly together. He spoke about Romania’s place within NATO, the importance of trust and shared mission across borders, and the need for Special Operations units to remain agile and prepared for the full spectrum of emerging threats.

From combating hybrid threats to maintaining readiness alongside allied SOF elements, General Dobocan emphasized that success today depends on relationships, shared understanding, and the willingness to stand together in the face of uncertainty.

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:26 Welcome to GSOF Europe 2025
• 3:21 Mission of Romanian Special Operations Forces
• 8:45 Evolution of technology in SOF
• 10:45 Eliminating Human-in-the-Loop?
• 13:35 Changes in military tactics
• 16:57 Romanian Special Forces Mission
• 18:44 Why Join the Romanian Army?
• 20:06 NATO Alliance Importance
• 25:24 Leading against a Global Threat

Quotes

• “We were created by cooperation between Romanian Ministry of Defense and US SOCEUR.” 
• “Interoperability, no one really talks about what that really means.” 
• “Words carrying value carry meaning.”
• “Industry defines the speed of technological development.”
• “The strategic game changer is generative AI.”
• “I’m scared of the moment when everything is passed to AI.”
• “I don’t think swarming is going to be the next way of doing battle.”
• “Our mission is to be a strategic level instrument that helps with reaction to crisis and building partnerships and capabilities in the region.”
• “10th Group and 20th Group came around and showed us what right looks like so I signed up.”
• “It’s a tool that kind of prevents conflict.”
• “NATO is the umbrella under which we share a lot of things that otherwise we cannot discuss about.”
• “When you talk about the good work NATO has done, you have to talk about the standards.”
• “We have to be deterrent on our part, but capable to move from military assistance type of missions into a very kinetic one.”

Special thanks to the Global Special Operations Foundation for hosting us in Athens. 

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Supporting the Special Forces Regiment isn’t just a job, it’s a lifestyle. For over 15 years Green Beret Foundation has placed empowering Green Berets of every generation at the forefront. Creating opportunities from the unique needs of our Special Operators is the mission.  

Charlie Iacono is the President and CEO of Green Beret Foundation; a role to which he brought seemingly endless new opportunities for our Green Berets. From SOF Week 2025 in Tampa, FL, Fran Racioppi sat down with Charlie to discuss his priorities for the year, how the organization has grown over 44% and what it means to lead in the tasks you excel at. 

At the top of Charlie’s list is preparing for victory in this year’s 2nd Annual Stars and Stripes Classic; the newest Labor Day tradition pitting America’s Green Berets against their Navy SEAL rivals on the lacrosse field. Hosted by the PLL, this year’s game is set to be even more physical, faster and sharper as the teams take the field in Philadelphia. 

Charlie and Fran also discussed how Task Force Tatonka is balancing mental, physical and spiritual health, why inducting President John F. Kennedy was a pivotal moment in Special Forces history, the growth of the Warrior Sportsmen program and new partnerships that are lighting the course for the remainder of the year.

This episode is about giving back, creating opportunities for Green Berets to thrive, and laying a good stick on your rivals. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:42 Welcome to SOF Week
• 5:38 The 2nd Annual Stars & Stripes Classic
• 12:08 Inducting JFK into the Special Forces Regiment
• 16:55 Task Force Tatanka
• 25:51 Warriors Sportsmen Program
• 32:57 New GBF partners
• 36:48 Looking forward

Quotes

“We really live that first SOF truth, people are more important than hardware.”

“In year two, the interest level of playing is through the roof.”

“We are looking to help the Special Forces Regiment and the NSW Community to recruit the best athletes.”  

“If we can win one recruit at a time, we’ll be totally fine.”

“Everything in that evening that we experienced had a connection to the 35th President of the United States of America.”

“If you run from the issues, they’ll eventually catch up with you.”

“I look at needs as well as opportunities.”

“My goal for this foundation is to be the preeminent leader in the things we can do exceptionally well.”

“A big problem that we have is we just don’t get outside enough.”

“It’s the camaraderie that’s built in those quiet moments.”

“We need the support of the American people and industry to ensure that our mission can continuously be fueled.”

“We really have to get ready for that next conflict.”

“We don’t want anybody to buckle under pressure.”

“The American people’s resolve to win has always been there since day one.”

Our SOF Week 2025 Series is made possible in part by Accrete.ai; solving business’s most complex challenges today through the technology of tomorrow.

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world-class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

Over 10% of the US population is in some way affected by Alzheimer’s Disease. For the second episode of our San Diego Series, and our 99th long form conversation, Fran Racioppi visits Alzheimer's San Diego to discuss Alzheimer's disease, a progressive brain disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. 

Fran is joined by CEO Eugenia Welch and Clinical Care Specialist Preston Stocking to explore what Alzheimer's disease is, what the symptoms are, and how it impacts both patients and their families. They also cover Alzheimer’s San Diego’s pillars of support including a unique program training law enforcement officers on the signs of dementia and how to best handle affected citizens. 

Fran, Eugenia and Preston share their personal stories of coping with loved ones affected by Alzheimer’s. Whether you are someone with a personal connection to Alzheimer's disease or just interested in learning more about this topic, this conversation will provide valuable insights and information that can help all of us in the fight against this dark disease.

Learn more about Alzheimer’s San Diego on alzsd.org and on social media at @alzheimerssd.

Special thanks to the San Diego Military Advisory Council for their support in producing this episode.  

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Highlights:

• 0:00 Welcome to Alzheimer’s San Diego
• 2:10 Alzheimer’s by the numbers
• 5:53 The progression and stages of Alzheimer’s
• 8:54 The causes of Alzheimer’s
• 12:57 The importance of caregiver respite
• 15:30 Identifying the symptoms of Alzheimers
• 17:32 Alzheimer’s San Diego Educational Programs
• 18:56 Training first responders to handle dementia patients
• 21:42 ASD’s Social Work Programs
• 24:38 The financial burden of Alzheimer’s
• 28:50 Patient Care at ASD
• 33:54 Preparing for the “The Silver Tsunami”
• 39:48 Eugenia & Preston’s Three Daily Foundations

Quotes: 

• “3% suffer from Alzheimer’s. 10% of people are in some way affected by Alzheimer’s.” (2:56)
• “If you can have a healthy heart along the way, that's going to improve your chances of living a longer time.” (8:07)
• “Alzheimer’s can get very dark.” (10:07)
• “The younger you are when you are diagnosed the quicker you’re going to progress through the stages.” (10:55)
• “It’s not that you can’t find your keys…It’s when you have your keys in your hand and you don’t know what they do.’” (15:49)
• “Somebody with dementia could present as under the influence of drugs or alcohol.” (19:12)
• “The system is not prepared for the wave of older adults who are going to continue to have this disease.” (26:21)
• “It’s really important to kind of separate what is the disease and what is still your person.” (31:00)

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s & Compass Workforce Solutions

For 247 years the United States Marine Corps has fought and won America’s wars. The Marines carry a history, a tradition and a brand focused on winning…no matter the challenge. 

Sergeant Major Troy Black, the 19th Sergeant Major Of The Marine Corps joins Fran Racioppi from the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot San Diego Museum for a Jedburgh Podcast exclusive look at what it means to be a Marine past, present and future. 

They cover Sergeant Major Black’s 35-year career leading Marines, Talent Management 2030, Force Design 2030, the lessons of the Global War on Terror, and the Marines’ most important mission; returning high-caliber Veterans to America’s civilian workforce. 

Whether you were a Marine, want to become a Marine, or never considered the Marines, you will be ready to join after this conversation!

Special thanks to the San Diego Military Advisory Council for their support in producing this episode. 

Learn more about SMMC Troy Black at marines.mil and on social media at @19thsmmc.

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Highlights:

• 0:00 Welcome to Marine Corps Recruiting Depot San Diego Museum
• 2:30 Joining the Marine Corps after Vietnam
• 4:17 The mission of the United States Marine Corps
• 6:55 Talent Management 2030
• 14:35 The relationship between noncommissioned officers and commissioned officers
• 21:12 Integration of females into the Marine Corps
• 23:52 The lessons of The Global War on Terror
• 27:27 Force Design 2030
• 32:53 Protecting the mental health of our Marines
• 41:18 Returning Veterans to the civilian workforce
• 45:20 The next generation of Marine
• 52:54 Are you ready to be a United States Marine?
• 55:49 SMMC Black’s Foundations to Success

Quotes: 

• “Send the Marine Corps. We come with our own logistics, our own aviation, our own artillery, our own ground forces and components to do things now.” (5:17)
• “You have to have a competent force that when it has to be called upon, can win…period.” (9:14)
• “The private that graduated today is not taught to follow. They’re taught to lead.” (11:37)
• “Don’t ever deny me an opportunity. You don’t get to determine if I can do it or not.” (23:17)
• “There are only three organizations in any weapons engagement zone in the littorals; it’s Marines, it’s submarines, and it’s SOF.” (32:04)
• “Mental fitness. Social fitness. Behavioral fitness. Spiritual fitness…You can’t have one without the other.” (35:58)
• “We have to focus more on how to tell people how to be in a team right now.” (49:29)
• “We’re looking for something. It’s someone who wants to win…only.” (54:21)

SMMC Troy Black’s Three Daily Foundations to Success:

• Eat to keep the body fit
• Workout to stay strong and create time to think
• Read to learn from the past, think and grow

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s & Compass Workforce Solutions

Abrams tanks, landmines, human trafficking, war crimes and economic collapse. This is the state of the Ukraine-Russia war 14+ months since it started. 

Fran Racioppi sits down with Mitzi Perdue, a renowned author, speaker, and philanthropist, who shares her experiences of visiting Ukraine to see firsthand the devastation landmines have brought to the country and its citizens. 

Mitzi Perdue, also joined Fran on Episode 19 to share her entrepreneurial spirit garnered from her father, the founder of Sheraton Hotels, and her late husband, Frank Perdue, founder of Perdue Farms.  

Mitzi most recently traveled to Ukraine to donate 18 vehicles to the police, tour Chernobyl, and raise awareness, and money, to support Ukrainians as they fight for their existence. She also explains how human trafficking is responsible for the abduction of thousands of Ukrainian children, as she believes Russia continues to suffer from population decline. 

Learn more about Mitzi Perdue at https://mitziperdue.com/. Visit DonorSee.com/ukraine to donate and support her mission to free Ukraine of landmines. Mitzi is matching the first $100,000 donated. 

Check out The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Highlights:

0:00 Welcome back to The Jedburgh Podcast & getting involved in Ukraine

4:41 Why the police are critical to the war in Ukraine

7:29 America’s contribution to Ukraine is greater than the rest of the world combined

10:11 Why America needs to provide Abrams tanks to Ukraine 

12:20 Landmines and cluster bombs litter the farmland of Ukraine

14:35 Why human trafficking is widespread in Ukraine

17:45 Supporting The HALO Trust

22:36 How does the war end? 

Quotes:

- “They do this because it magnifies the demoralization of the local populace.” (5:30)

- “The US’s involvement is double all of the EU countries combined.” (8:52)

- “Ukraine right now is the most heavily mined country in the world or in history.” (10:00)

- “40% of the land can’t be farmed because of the mines.” (13:49)

- “Russia is in terminal decline; there just aren’t enough babies being born.” (15:48)

- “The goal is $300,000 to go to the HALO Trust, which is the oldest and largest land mine clearing organization in the world.” (19:29)

- “I think that Russia’s gonna fall apart economically.” (26:20) 

- “If we negotiate an end, the 56,000 war crimes that we’re aware of would probably be negotiated away. I want defeat.” (27:45)

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s & Compass Workforce Solutions.

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s & Compass Workforce Solutions

Nutrition is said to be the number one ingredient in performance. It’s also the hardest to achieve, maintain and too often get excited about. Performance Nutrition Coach Jenn Ryan is changing the way we think about what we consume. 

In this final TYR Wodapalooza 2023 episode, Fran Racioppi and Jessie Graff sit down with Jenn live from the Modballs booth, to recap the weekend and dig deep into all aspects of what…and how…we eat. 

Plus they dig into some Modballs sharing how these nutrient-packed 20-gram energy balls are replacing conventional energy drinks full of the words you can’t pronounce. 

Follow Jenn Ryan on Instagram at jenn_ryan. Get involved with CrossFit at crossfit.com.

Follow Jessie Graff on Instagram and Facebook @jessiegraffpwr. 

Click here or use code JED for $10 off your first order of Modballs.

Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

• 0:00 Welcome to Wodapalooza Day 4 & the Modballs booth
• 4:45 Why CrossFit is for everyone
• 9:39 Jenn’s transition from an ER nurse to nutrition coaching
• 16:20 Silencing the inner critic
• 20:58 Celebrating the small victories
• 24:05 Nutrition or fad diets
• 29:25 The importance of fat
• 34:20 Structured vs unstructured eating
• 38:11 The dangers of under-eating
• 46:38 Training with Modballs
• 51:53 Jenn’s Three Foundations For Success

Quotes: 

• “You feel like you’re at a nightclub just fitnessing.” (3:30)
• “CrossFit has taught me…is what my body can do.” (6:18)
• “Teaching people to be strong, and to feel strong; is just awesome.” (8:10)
• “Are you purposeful moving from one thing to the next?” (22:11)
• “When people do very very low fat, they also end up being low calorie.” (27:43)
• “When things are unstructured, it’s like the rest of life, it’s very chaotic.” (35:43)
• “This is how I would make an energy bar at home. I would want to add all these things.” (47:36)

Jenn’s Three Daily Foundations For Success

• Get outside and walk the dogs first 
• Start my morning with chocolate greens powder
• Eat the exact same breakfast

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s,  Rhone, Modballs, 18A Fitness & Compass Workforce Solutions

Constantly varied, functional movements executed at high intensity. That’s CrossFit. Simple in definition. Complex in the way it’s changed the fitness industry. CrossFit’s not a sport. It’s a lifestyle that has dominated the way elite athletes train, all the while crowning the Fittest on Earth. 

Don Faul became the CEO of CrossFit last fall and at the tail end of his 120-day assessment, he sat down with Fran Racioppi and Jessie Graff for a conversation live from the TYR Wodapalooza stage. Don shares his transition from Recon Marine to tech, to wearables, to fitness. 

They cover the fundamentals of the sport, how it has advanced the way we think about our health, how to become CrossFit certified, and Don’s vision for the CrossFit brand in 2023 and beyond. 

Follow Don Faul on Instagram at donfaul. Get involved with CrossFit at crossfit.com.

Follow Jessie Graff on Instagram and Facebook @jessiegraffpwr. 

Click here or use code JED for $10 off your first order of Modballs.

Read the full episode transcription on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

• 0:00 Welcome to Wodapalooza day 4
• 3:55 Lessons learned as a US Marine
• 7:40 Building careers at Google, Pinterest & Athos
• 10:22 Becoming the CrossFit CEO
• 13:50 CrossFit is for everyone
• 15:36 Qualifying as a CrossFit coach
• 17:54 CrossFit Fundamentals and scaling
• 21:35 CrossFit’s vision for 2023 and beyond
• 26:34 Building a strong and vibrant culture at CrossFit HQ
• 28:04 Achieving CrossFit Certifications
• 36:29 Don’s Three Daily Foundations For Success

Quotes: 

• “There are so many moments of inspiration that you get to see and feel first hand.” (3:07)
• “As a leader your job is actually to work for and support your people.” (6:04)
• “I walked into that workout and got absolutely humbled. I came in dead last in the workout.” (11:45)
• “Constantly varied, functional movements executed at high intensity. That is CrossFit.” (17:16)
• “Any CrossFit workout can be adjusted to be performed by any athlete independent of their level of fitness or maybe mobility restrictions.” (19:15)
• “We can do more to strengthen that partnership and support our affiliate owners.” (24:24)
• “I think the higher level goal that we are all working in service of, is changing more lives.” (27:40)
• “In five years CrossFit is the largest force for health and performance globally.” (31:17)
• “There’s nothing that builds human connection than shared adversity and support through hard circumstances.” (33:30)

Don’s Three Daily Foundations For Success

• Set intention for the day
• Pack my gym bag for the next morning
• Sit down for dinner with my family

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s,  Rhone, Modballs, 18A Fitness & Compass Workforce Solutions

How do you become the CrossFit Games Rookie of the Year? For Coach Nick Mathew it took setting a goal, maintaining a high standard and loving the burn! Nick joins Fran Racioppi and Jessie Graff live from the Modballs booth at TYR Wodaplooza for a conversation on transitioning from olympic lifting to CrossFit. 

Today Nick’s a CrossFit affiliate owner where he trains not only himself, but all those looking to push themselves mentally and physically. He shares his tips for training to compete with the world’s best and how his daily dedication to training, even when he didn’t want to, has given him a real shot at the podium in the 2023 CrossFit Games. 

Follow Nick Mathew on Instagram at coachnmathew.

Follow Jessie Graff on Instagram and Facebook @jessiegraffpwr. 

Click here or use code JED for $10 off your first order of Modballs.

Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

• 0:00 Welcome to the Modballs booth
• 1:50 Getting into CrossFit
• 4:05 Nick’s standards to achieve Rookie of the Year
• 7:20 TYR Wodapalooza vs CrossFit Games
• 8:35 How to love the burn
• 10:33 Nick’s 2023 goals
• 11:32 Becoming a CrossFit affiliate owner
• 15:01 Rocking the crop top
• 16:22 Nick’s three foundations

Quotes: 

• “It took seven years before I was able to make it to the CrossFit Games; and it’s been a grind ever since.” (2:48)
• “It’s really kind of what’s in between the ears and the story you tell yourself every day when you get to the gym.” (4:25)
• “You always build it up in your head that it’s gonna be worse than it actually is.” (8:58)
• “I want to podium at the games this year.” (10:36)

Nick’s Three Daily Foundations For Success

• Hold myself to a higher standard
• Discipline in my routine
• Be a good person

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s,  Rhone, Modballs, 18A Fitness & Compass Workforce Solutions

Is the banking system in America collapsing? The recent closure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, combined with the loss of confidence and sale of Credit Suisse has sent shockwaves through the global financial system. 

Fran Racioppi brings back Episode 91 guest and former Chief Innovation Officer at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Sultan Meghji, to answer the questions we are all asking: why are banks failing? Should we be concerned about our money? Are taxpayers footing the bill? When should we worry? 

Learn more about Sultan Meghji on LinkedIn and Twitter @sultanmeghji.

Check out The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Highlights:

-0:00 Welcome back to The Jedburgh Podcast 

-1:51 Don’t worry about your checking account

-4:26 The banking crisis interest rates explained

-6:37 Mortgage backed securities and the changes since the 2008 financial crisis

-8:14 The failure at Credit Suisse

-9:48 The role of the FDIC

-14:10 Are taxpayers footing the bill?

-15:32 What will cause a run on the banking system?

-17:45 Why Sultan only fears defaulting on the debt ceiling

Quotes:

-”Don’t worry about your checking account….Don’t stress about it. It doesn’t matter if it has $1 in it or a billion dollars in it.” (2:02)

-”Having the single largest increase in federal reserve interest rates in human history has caused a tremendous imbalance in a subset of the banks in the United States.” (3:15)

-”We don’t have a banking crisis. We have a psychological issue right now.” (3:43) 

-”You can trace the balance sheet problems for Silicon Valley Bank directly back to the increase in Federal Reserve interest rate hikes.” (6:27)

-”When the US Government took it over, it just took them a few days to reboot the computer.”   (11:42)

-”You should have money in one of the big systemically important banks. You should have money in a credit union. And you should have money in a midsize regional or community bank.” (12:57)

-”Literally the only thing that I would ever worry about…is if somehow the US defaulted on the debt ceiling.” (17:45)

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, Compass Workforce Solutions, 18A Fitness

Whole health requires a balance of physical, mental, and emotional strength; but which of these buckets do we focus on the most? In this Saturday sunset conversation live from TYR Wodapalooza,  Fran Racioppi and Jessie Graff sit down with 2-time NFL Pro Bowl Tight End Julius Thomas to talk about his journey from the football field to entrepreneurship to a PhD in Psychology.

Julius shares his three buckets of wellness along with his Five Keys to Success: Commitment, Discipline, Guidance, Quality of Support and Resilience. He shares the importance of training your brain just like we train our bodies for elite performance; and how his new app NESTRE Health and Performance is improving the cognitive capability of leaders at every age. Julius also discusses his journey in building Mastery Development where he coaches others to follow their dreams and take action no matter the challenge.

Follow Julius Thomas on Instagram at Julius_Thomas and on LinkedIn.

Follow Jessie Graff on Instagram and Facebook @jessiegraffpwr. 

Click here or use code JED for $10 off your first order of Modballs.

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

• 0:00 Welcome to Wodapalooza
• 4:06 Why elite performers seek “mastery” of their craft
• 10:10 Working hard to go from college basketball to the NFL
• 17:45 Transitioning from elite performance to being a novice
• 20:25 Balancing physical, mental and emotional strength
• 25:48 Training the brain at NESTRE
• 36:03 Five keys to success
• 41:18 Julius’s three daily foundations 

Quotes: 

• “That’s what a lot of high performing people have in common. They’re trying to master what they do.” (5:40)
• “I just don’t like to fail.” (6:35)
• “Sometimes you gotta get laughed at to get to where you’re going.” (12:18)
• “The better you get at one thing, the harder it is to be a beginner at another thing.” (17:02) 
• “The climb from novice to master; you’ve got to pay the dues all over again.” (18:39)
• “If we don’t have whole health we’re not showing up as the best version we can possibly be.” (23:44)
• “We want to give people access to tools that are gonna help them better understand the way their mind works.” (29:55)
• “Give your miracles a chance to happen.” (45:15)

Julius’s Three Daily Foundations For Success

• Dream big in the morning
• Never make excuses
• Don’t procrastinate

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s,  Rhone, Modballs, 18A Fitness & Compass Workforce Solutions

What does it take to become the World’s Fittest law Enforcement Officer…twice? What about the World’s Fittest Veteran? An FBI Agent? Or the first female to win the Honor Graduate award at the US Army Infantry Officer Basic Course under a single standard for men and women. 

Fran Racioppi and Jessie Graff sit down with Shaylin Laure for a Wodapalooza 2023 conversation on overcoming stereotypes and resistance from superiors who didn’t believe women could keep up with men. In this Day 2 conversation Shaylin also lays out her plans for the CrossFit Games and explains how she intended to win the Women’s Rx…which she did! 

Follow Shaylin on IG at Shaylin_Laure.

Follow Jessie on Instagram and FB @jessiegraffpwr. 

Click here or use code JED for $10 off your first order of Modballs.

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media.

Highlights:

• 0:00 Competing in Women’s Rx at Wodapalooza 2023
• 6:13 Gaining perspective on training and winning
• 9:18 Why start CrossFit
• 11:01 Joining the Infantry as a woman
• 14:33 Bridging the gender divide in the US Army Infantry
• 22:23 Jessie Graff on overcoming the gender gap in sports
• 24:32 Finding the balance between training, nutrition and law enforcement
• 28:30 Using Modballs in training

Quotes: 

• “My job puts into perspective competing.” (6:13)
• “Making it to the games is not the win this year. Winning the games is the win.” (8:54)
• “You want to have a purpose when you’re in the gym because it’s gonna make your workout so much more productive.” (10:39)
• “When I said Infantry he just laughed. There were no words.” (15:42)
• “No one cares if you’re a male or a female. You either meet that standard or you don’t.” (18:59)
• “I just have to be more disciplined, and dedicated and scientific about all of my training.” (23:07)
• “Modballs are a Godsend. They are clean fuel. They have phenomenal ingredients but it tastes like a candybar.” (28:30)

Shaylin’s Three Daily Foundations For Success

• Have  fun
• Tell people you love them
• Love what your doing

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s,  Rhone, Modballs, 18A Fitness & Compass Workforce Solutions

Entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes and from every background. Some of them are even ninjas! Fran Racioppi & Jessie Graff sit down with Christina Gambino, collegiate gymnast, turned ninja warrior, turned Founder and CEO of Jumptwist Ninja. 12x Ninja Warrior Flip Rodriguez and Jumptwist coach joins in too!

Christina shares the vision behind building an industry-leading ninja gym from the lessons in hard work, commitment, grind and willingness to get her hands dirty she learned as a ninja warrior. She started the gym by criss-crossing the country in a RV visiting the best ninja gyms to figure out her business model. In this conversation she tells Fran and Jessie (and the world) about her plan to franchise Jumptwist for the very first time. 

Christina lives her motto “Be Strong and Courageous”  every day. Listen to our conversation with Christina and Flip from the mats at Jumptwist Ninja in Boca Raton on your favorite podcast platforms. Watch the full video version with the newest obstacles in full effect on YouTube. 

Watch Fran make it up the ninja wall while Jessie and Christina show him the gymnast championship pose. 

Follow Christina on IG at christinagambino72 and learn more about her at christinagambino.com. Get involved with Jumptwist Ninja and train with the sport’s best at jumptwistninja.com and @jumptwistninja on IG. 

Follow Jessie on Instagram and FB @jessiegraffpwr. 

Click here or use code JED for $10 off your first order of Modballs.

Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

• 0:00 Welcome to Jumptwist Ninja
• 4:47 Christina becomes a Ninja Warrior
• 13:19 Transitioning from elite athlete to entrepreneur
• 14:48 Building a culture at Jumptwist
• 18:08 Franchising Jumptwist Ninja
• 23:58 Launching the “Levels” program

Quotes: 

• “I bought an RV. I drove around the country. Went to every gym.” (6:46)
•  “Building this gym was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.” (13:56)
• “What we’re really trying to do is create character, discipline, and where things get hard you push forward no matter what.” (15:27)
• “Being courageous is not having fear; but it’s having the fear and doing it anyway.” (16:20)
• “It’s been two years and I am going to be launching my franchise.” (18:22)

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s,  Rhone, Modballs, 18A Fitness & Compass Workforce Solutions

For over three decades, retired Colonel Stu Bradin served on the front lines of some of America’s most critical Special Operations missions from Central America and the Balkans to Northern Africa and Afghanistan. He led Special Forces teams under fire, built NATO’s Special Operations Headquarters from the ground up, and ran multi-national, interagency fusion cells in the heart of combat zones.

But in 2014, Stu Bradin saw a different kind of threat emerging: disconnected allies, stovepiped intelligence, and fragmented Special Operations communities. He knew the next fight against cyberattacks, transnational crime, and terrorist networks would require something we didn’t yet have: a global SOF network. That’s why he created the Global Special Operations Forces Foundation (GSOF); the first nonprofit dedicated to uniting Special Operations military, government, and commercial partners across the world.

Fran Racioppi sat down with Stu during this year’s SOF Week to talk about why he founded GSOF, what it takes to bring together over 60 nations and 85 industry partners, and how his experiences building NATO SOF HQ and leading interagency teams shaped the Foundation’s mission. They explored what elite leadership really looks like at the global level, the danger of operating in silos, and why SOF must evolve its mindset as rapidly as its technology.

Stu also broke down how GSOF accelerates innovation, helps SOF units and partners connect in real time, and creates space for public-private collaboration that can meet the speed and complexity of modern threats to answer the hardest question of today; what must Special Operations become to win the next fight?

This episode is about global leadership, unity of effort, and how one Green Beret’s post-military mission is helping shape the future of Special Operations across the world.

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:02 Welcome to SOF Week
• 3:17 Significance of Global SOF Foundation
• 7:38 Prioritizing Small Businesses
• 11:02 Defining the Next Battlefield
• 19:00 NATO SOF
• 23:05 American’s Propensity to Serve
• 27:33 Winning the Next Fight
• 30:55 Getting Equipment to Warfighters
• 35:35 What it means to be a Green Beret

Quotes

• “What makes us different is we’re international and we’re joint and nobody else is that way.”
• “Part of what you have to do as a SOF commander in the joint environment is unite your tribes.”
• “The innovation comes from small businesses.”
• “Most small businesses fail because of catastrophic success not catastrophic failure.”
• “If you’re wrapped in metal, you have zero probability of survival.”
• “You can’t just assume that your enemy is ignorant because they’re not.”
• “I wouldn’t want to be on the modern battlefield.”
• “Our deterrent is having the best partners we can.”
• “We back into wars, we don’t run to them.”
• “They’re going to be our future whether we like it or not, so we’ve got to make sure that they are armed to do the right thing.”
• “I think we need to give the NCO corps a lot more latitude.”
• “If people know you can get to them quickly, they have to calculate for that.”
• “At the end of the day, most of the stuff we’re fielding right now is not going to survive first contact.” 
• “Ultimately, you have a less trained force.” 
• “SOF, cyber, intel, information and economics. That’s how you’re going to win the competition fight.”
• “I just think this is the Special Ops time.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world-class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs.

Our SOF Week 2025 Series is made possible in part by Accrete.ai; solving business’s most complex challenges today through technology of tomorrow.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Ninja Warrior Flip Rodriguez was The Man Behind the Mask, until he chose to face his past and flip the script on his life. Fran Racioppi and Jessie Graff sit down with Flip to talk all things American Ninja Warrior, how to compete on the sport’s biggest obstacles and what it takes to win when you know little about the course of your competition. 

They also share Flip’s story of childhood sexual abuse, the difficulty of accepting what’s happening, the dangers of normalization, and how he eventually took a stand and walked out. Flip shows us how to take charge of our own lives even when it seems we are all alone in our fight.

Listen to our conversation with Flip Rodriguez from Jumptwist Ninja in Boca Raton on your favorite podcast platform. Watch the full video version as Jessie trains Fran how to become a ninja on YouTube. 

Learn more about Flip on Instagram @youngflip7. Read his book The Man Behind The Mask and flip the script on your life. Get involved in the fight against child abuse at fightchildabuse.org and support Flip’s partnership with the Barbara Sinatra Children Center Foundation. 

Follow Jessie on Instagram and FB @jessiegraffpwr. 

Click here or use code JED for $10 off your first order of Modballs.

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

• 0:00 Welcome to Jumptwist Ninja
• 7:01 Preparing for a Ninja Warrior competition
• 11:53 Flip finds the mask
• 15:43 Flip takes off the mask 
• 23:41 Flip’s battle with child sexual abuse
• 31:48 How Flip took action to end his abuse
• 42:40 Flip describes why consistency is the key to performance
• 47:55 “Absolute Best” must be the standard
• 54:04 Educating for child protection
• 58:30 Flip’s three daily foundations to success

Quotes: 

• “Life doesn’t care what age you are. Life is going to teach you a lesson. A valuable lesson. It’s gonna knock you down on the ground. You have to learn to get back up.” (6:28)
• “Having a mask is like Peter Parker and Spiderman. Everyone loves Spiderman but nobody really cares about Peter Parker.” (13:02)
• “It made me feel powerful, confident and feel like I could literally take on the world.” (14:24)
• “I felt so alone the entire time growing up…I had to be a man, not say anything.” (22:52)
• “Once you make a decision on who you want to be, what you want to do and how you want to do, life just gets out of your way.” (29:33)
• “Every moment that I spend depressed is a moment that I’ll never get back.” (38:18)

Flip’s Three Daily Foundations to Success:

• Lead by example
• Be real with who I am in the mirror
• Lay down at night with a clear conscious

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s,  Rhone, Modballs, 18A Fitness & Compass Workforce Solutions

TYR Wodapalooza brings the best of the fitness world to downtown Miami for four days of competition, sun, and neon lights. Ninja Warrior & Stuntwoman Jessie Graff joins Fran Racioppi for eight episodes with some of the most elite athletes on the stage today. 

In this series launch, they cover US Army Recruiting with Brigade Commander Colonel Stephen Battle and Major Allison Brager, the chief science officer at US Army JFK Special Warfare Center.

Allison shares the importance of sleep in building elite performance and is the author of Meathead: Unraveling the Athletic Brain. Steve explains why fitness is a critical component of leadership and building high functioning teams, and how the Army is developing thought leaders; not just people who standby waiting to be told what to do. 

Take a listen to the conversation, then tune into our YouTube channel to watch as Jessie and Fran workout with the US Army Warrior Fitness Team.

Learn more about Allison Brager @docjockzzz.

Find out how you can become one of our nation’s most important assets and impact the world at goarmy.com/wza. 

Follow Jessie on Instagram and FB @jessiegraffpwr. 

Click here or use code JED for $10 off your first order of Modballs.

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

• 0:00 Welcome to TYR Wodapalooza!
• 5:30 Why fitness is important to the US Army
• 10:27 The Army’s focus on developing thought leaders
• 15:39 What COL Battle and MAJ Brager look for in their leaders
• 18:38 Using sleep to chase excellence
• 22:12 The Peak Alert App
• 22:45 The difference between the athletic brain and the normal brain
• 25:18 Using our Circadian Rhythm to maximize performance
• 34:08 The effects of sleep deprivation & high operational tempo
• 40:00 Three Daily Foundations

Quotes: 

• “We have to engage with American youth at their level, at areas and places that they congregate.” (8:40)
• “You don’t have to be an elite fitness athlete to join the military.” (8:23)
• “We’re not here to break you down, or embarrass you, or scold you. We’re here to build you up.” (9:22) 
• “We’re looking for fit, resilient soldiers of character.” (16:19)
• “Sleep is the performance enhancing drug.” (18:54)
• “If the soldiers are getting about 30% less sleep, they’re only 50% combat effective. It’s an exponential relationship.” (19:32)
• “They don’t have to think about the complex movements that they have to do. They just act.” (24:05)
• “Shift Work takes anywhere from 10 to 15 years off your life.” (34:41)

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s,  Rhone, Modballs, 18A Fitness & Compass Workforce Solutions

Tech seems to drive our lives these days. We can't do anything without some sort of device in our hand, at our fingertips, and even on our faces. But what does the tech industry actually do? 

Fran Racioppi asks Sultan Meghji for his opinion on all things tech. Sultan was the first Chief Innovation Officer at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, he's a Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Fellow at the George Mason National Security Institute, a Member of the Bretton Woods Committee, and currently a Professor in the graduate programs at Duke University's Pratt Engineering School teaching AI, Web3 & Cybersecurity.

They cover how FINTECH changed the banking industry and why Sultan’s four innovation themes of Inclusion, Resilience, Amplification and Future are critical to implementing sustainable technology solutions in any business. Plus they cover how technology is being used in America’s peer-to-peer competition with China. 

Learn more about him on LinkedIn and Twitter @sultanmeghji.

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Highlights:

• 0:00 Welcome to Washington, DC
• 5:00 What is tech and the technology revolution
• 10:19 Leading technology at FDIC
• 21:51 How FINTECH has advanced the banking industry
• 27:53 Sultan’s Four Innovation Themes: #1 Inclusion
• 30:38 #2 Resilience
• 35:13 #3 Amplification
• 37:32 #4 Future
• 40:27 How technology will enable competition with China 
• 56:11 The status of cybersecurity in America
• 1:01:07 Banking competition
• 1:04:53 The next big tech innovation
• 1:06:49 Three Foundations

Quotes: 

• “We use tech and technology as a placeholder relative to how the caveman first had tools.” (5:24) 
• “I fundamentally believe that humans plus technology are a different species than humans without technology.” (5:49)
• “We’ve started removing people from the processes of our civilization.” (5:32)
• “Starbucks would be a multi-hundred billion dollar bank if you just thought about the app as a bank.” (13:06)
• “Anybody who says they can predict the future has no idea what they’re doing.” (37:36)
• “I want the United States to continue to be the backbone of the global financial system.” (39:10)
• “By the time we get to 2040-2050, all the telecommunications infrastructure globally will be Chinese.” (45:08)
• “It’s always in cyber going to be easier to be an offensive actor than a defensive actor.” (58:11)

Sultan’s Three Daily Foundations to Success:

• Get really good sleep
• Learn something new and meaningful
• Do something to get tired

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s,  18A Fitness & Compass Workforce Solutions

Call Your Mother! Probably one of the most common phrases many of us have heard or thought about sometime in our lives. It's also one of the fast-growing delis in America and one of Bon Appetit's 50 Best New Restaurants In America.

Fran Racioppi sits down with Founder Andrew Dana to discuss his journey from community banking and window sales to purchasing a pizza oven and a truck on Ebay. Today, Timber Pizza is Andrew's other Bon Appetit ranked restaurant. 

They cover the ups and downs of what it feels like to follow your dreams and forge your own path. They talk about the risks entrepreneurs take to develop their product, their team and their value. And they also share how that one event, the one customer, the one meeting can be the single point in time that launches our whole plan and puts us on the map. 

Visit Call Your Mother Deli and Timber Pizza the next time you're in DC. Find them both on Instagram at callyourmotherdeli and timberpizzaco. Learn more about their story at callyourmotherdeli.com and timberpizza.com. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Highlights:

• 0:00 Welcome to prep time at Timber Pizza 
• 5:50 Eating pizza for market research
• 7:15 What makes a great pizza?
• 8:17 From community banking to buying a pizza truck
• 16:23 Dani joins the team
• 19:30 Call Your Mother and marketing a bagel deli
• 26:44 Buying local
• 28:23 Taking the bank account to $0
• 32:07 Why split tips
• 33:22 Scaling to Denver and the Keys to Future Success
• 37:31 Andrew’s Three Daily Foundations to Success

Quotes: 

• “I at least had this moment where I was like, ok I don’t have to go to culinary school to figure out how to make pizza. It’s not rocket science.” (7:00)
• “Let’s just buy a pizza oven and we’ll figure it out.” (9:39) 
• “We were just relentless in showing up. I truly believe if you show up enough, good things start to happen. You make your own luck.”  (11:30)
• “Don’t have failure to launch. Start. And then just run through every fricken wall that there is.” (13:17)
• “Either the food and the service is good enough to come back, or it’s not.” (24:32)
• “We’re gonna pay you all as much as we can until the bank account goes to zero.” (29:34)
• “In 2022, when you can get anything delivered to your couch, people are coming to us because it’s an experience.” 
• “Never forget who your road dogs are. Who’s helped you get to this place.” (37:13)

Andrew’s Three Daily Foundations to Success:

• Meditate aggressively
• Exercise aggressively
• Eat healthy…but save room for pizza and bagels in moderation! 

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s,  18A Fitness & Compass Workforce Solutions

The CIA, and any organization for that matter, needs dynamic and impactful leaders that drive results, take care of people and accomplish the mission, when failure is never an option.  

Fran Racioppi is joined by one of the CIA's most impactful leaders. Marc Polymeropoulos served 26 years in the CIA leading operations across Europe, Eurasia, Afghanistan, Iraq and many of the world's most dangerous places. Marc recently released his book Clarity In Crisis: Leadership Lessons From The CIA in which he lays out what it takes to inspire and get the best from others; even when asked to do the seemingly impossible.  

Fran challenges Marc to show us how to implement his nine strategies for leading when we don't always have all the answers but we have to take action. 

Today Marc also fights the biggest challenge of his life after he was attacked by Pulsed Electromagnetic Energy in a Russian hotel in 2017. Known as Havana Syndrome, these attacks have been reported all over the world against American diplomatic personnel, with years of investigation but no consensus as to the reason for the onset of victims' medical conditions.

Learn more aboutMarc Polymeropoulos at marcpolymeropoulos.com and on Twitter @mpolymer. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Highlights:

• 0:00 The CIA, Jedburghs, Boston Red Sox and the mission of the CIA
• 10:58 Marc decides to join the CIA and defines leadership
• 15:50 Developing a values system is the start of leadership
• 18:10 The Glue Guys
• 21:45 The difference between failure, mistakes and quitting
• 26:24 The Process Monkey
• 31:37 Humility is best served warm
• 35:05 Why leaders have to win an Oscar
• 39:00 Leaders create a family within their teams
• 42:23 Leaders are teachers first
• 47:55 Employ the Dagger to recognize others
• 50:12 Bringing Clarity to Crisis
• 52:24 Havana Syndrome
• 1:00:24 Marc’s Three Daily Foundations to Success

Quotes: 

• “When we talk about the mission it’s providing information to policymakers, but you do it in such a way where honesty and integrity is the foundation.” (10:24)
• “There is a huge distinction between failing, that’s gonna happen; but failure is quitting.” (22:45)
• “People remember three things. They can’t remember nine.” (26:49)
• “If you think too highly of yourself, I think you’re gonna make mistakes.” (34:02)
•  “I was crapping my pants. I thought I was going to die that day. I was terrified.” (36:17)
• “I woke up in the middle of the night with the room spinning, splitting migraine, tinnitus, which is ringing in my ears, Vertigo…" (53:48)

Marc’s Three Daily Foundations to Success: The Combat Leadership Chassis-focus on what you can control

• Coffee
• Hydrate
• Nutrition
• Sleep
• Exercise

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s,  18A Fitness & Compass Workforce Solutions

About 200 Americans are taken hostage or wrongfully detained each year across the globe. Fran Racioppi traveled to Old Town Alexandria for a conversation on keeping America's promise to its citizens with former hostage Jessica Buchanan and Hostage US Executive Director Liz Cathcart.

Jessica shares her story of being kidnapped by some of the very children she went to Somalia to educate. She explains how she coped with detention and complete loss of control over her life, including her last night in captivity that went from a surreal quiet, to gunfire, to rescue by Navy SEAL Team 6.

Liz shares the four pillars of support Hostage US provides. She describes the difficulty reintegration brings and how Hostage US supplies the necessary resources to help all involved cope with redefining their lives after captivity. 

Pick up a copy of Jessica's book, Impossible Odds and her new book Deserts to Mountaintops. Follow her on social media @jessicabuchanan and on the web at jessicabuchanan.com. 

Go to hostageus.org to support American hostages, detainees, and their families, as they cope with captivity and reintegration. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Highlights:

• 0:00 Welcome to Old Town Alexandria
• 4:44 The mission of Hostage US
• 8:55 Africa Jess
• 13:20 The first hours of captivity
• 21:50 What gave captives and families strength
• 28:28 Rescued by SEAL Team 6
• 37:19 The challenges of reintegration
• 44:04 Hostage US 2023 goals
• 45:27 Deserts to Mountaintops
• 47:11 Liz and Jess share their three daily foundations

Quotes: 

• “Hostage US is a NGO. We support families of Americans taken hostage abroad or wrongfully detained by state actors.” (5:50)
• “The cases that are particularly impactful and challenging to manage are those terrorist and wrongful detention cases that last for a long time.” (8:08)
• “Our car was overtaken by armed men…and that moment, it changed the rest of my life.” (13:13) 
• “Somewhere I remembered that if I lived through the first 48 hours then they probably weren’t going to kill me. (15:06)
• “I knew I needed IV’s. I needed antibiotics. I needed a doctor.” (30:39)
•  “For many of us we feel like we have to come back and we have to start all over.” (39:44)
• “I’m really committed to supporting and empowering women to reclaim their voices.” (46:20)

Jessica’s Three Daily Foundations to Success

• Maintain a Sacred Start
• Prayer, journal and visualize
• Display gratitude

Liz’s Three Daily Foundations to Success

• Hydrate
• Know your limitations and bring in experts
• Over-communicate

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s,  18A Fitness & Compass Workforce Solutions

Leadership requires the perfect balance of strength, compassion and unity. For this episode Fran Racioppi traveled to Capitol Hill to sit down with Congressman Mike Waltz; the first Green Beret ever elected to Congress. He represents Florida's 6th District and is the author of Warrior Diplomat: A Green Beret's Battles From Washington To Afghanistan. 

The Congressman and Fran define the term Warrior Diplomat and what it means to balance raw power with statesmanship. They break down the division surrounding the 2022 election cycle and provide a first look into America's 188th Congress; a Congress which will contain over 90 Veterans - the most since the post-Vietnam era. 

Learn more about Congressman Mike Waltz at waltz.house.gov and on social media @repmichaelgwaltz. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Highlights:

• 0:00 Welcome to Capitol Hill
• 5:27 Defining Warrior Diplomat and building coalitions
• 9:51 Building a long term national defense strategy to win
• 15:36 The strategic impact of Green Berets in business
• 22:32 Becoming the first Green Beret in Congress
• 25:56 How we reduce hostility in Congress and between parties
• 28:36 The top priorities of the new Congress and the threat of China
• 36:17 Lightning Round on domestic policy 

Quotes: 

• “It’s about building coalitions. It’s about having a high emotional IQ. It’s about influencing others. It's about aligning your interests.” (9:14)
• “In societies where women are accepted and thriving in businesses and politics, in civil society, you don’t tend to have an overwhelming extremism problem. (12:19)  
• “We like to find our friends who take care of our enemies for us.” (15:28)
• “In the 1970’s…3/4 of the Congress had all served. The number has gone from 75% to 15% today.” (23:05)
• “It is a record low number of Veterans in Congress and I think that explains a lot of the record amount of disfunction.” (23:21)
• “Being a politician isn’t the most important thing we’ve ever done. Taking men and women to combat, leading, is. And bringing them home.” (26:37)
• “If you were willing to sacrifice yourself at 18 years old I think you’d be able to sacrifice some grief for taking a vote that may be controversial or may move the country in the right direction.”  (28:25)
• "The thing with the CCP is they have the ability to defeat us economically way before it comes to any kind of military conflict.”  (35:45)
• “You cannot have a sovereign nation without borders.” (38:07)

Congressman Waltz’s Three Daily Foundations to Success

• Read to be proficient on the issues
• Display humility
• Be worthy of those who have sacrificed 
• And…always look cool!

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s,  18A Fitness & Compass Workforce Solutions

Here we are in a world without a recognized American conflict. And there we were, on the red carpet of the NYC Veterans Day Parade in the back of the Dodge WC-51, when Fran Racioppi and Sarah Apgar and were joined by two of our nation’s most important organizations in the transition of our Veterans to civilian life. 

In this third of three episodes covering the NYC Veterans Day Parade, Fran and Sarah talk to Wounded Warrior Project CEO LTG Mike Linnington and Commissioner James Hendon who is leading NYC Department of Veterans Services. 

They cover the resources their respective organizations are bringing to our Veterans through programs focused on recruitment, entrepreneurship, mental health, and medical care. Both Wounded Warrior Project and NYC Department of Veterans’ Services set the example for how non-profits and our communities are embracing our Veteran population and the skills they bring to our civilian workforce.

For more Veterans Day coverage find our two previous episodes  with CBS’s SEAL Team lead actor David Boreanaz, Grand Marshall of the parade Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Vince Patton, and NYC’s most famous entertainer the Naked Cowboy!

Highlights:

-0:00 Welcome to the WC-51 LTG(R) Mike Linnington

-4:00 Everyday is Veterans Day for Wounded Warrior Project

-5:22 What our nation needs in it’s military leaders

-7:44 Bringing Veterans together 

-8:55 Welcome Commissioner James Hendon

-10:27 The priorities of NYC Department of Veterans Services

-14:40 Creating opportunities for our Veterans

-17:36 Infantalizing our Veterans 

Quotes:

- “Everyday for us is Veterans Day.” (4:06)

- ‘We have incredible technology but leadership at the end of the day is the force multiplier that others don’t have.” (6:30)

- “Folks won’t show up for a mental health appointment but they will show up to regain that sense of cohesion and camaraderie they had in the military.” (7:49)

- “New York City is the only city in the country with its own Veterans Services agency.” (10:54)

- “Our women Veterans is the fastest growing demographic of Veterans.” (14:09)

- “It’s important that we not infantalize our Veterans.” (17:36)

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, GORUCK, Retro Fitness, Just Ice Tea, Rhone, Compass Workforce Solutions, 18A Fitness, & Analytix Solutions

Here we are, or there we were, in the final few minutes of setting up the 1944 Dodge WC-51 before the start of the NYC Veterans Day Parade when the Naked Cowboy Jumped In for a quick chat with Fran Racioppi and Sarah Apgar. He’s been a staple of Times Square and NYC biggest events for decades. A true patriot at heart, he rocks his guitar playing your favorite tune to basically whatever comes to his mind. 

Naked Cowboy shared his story from modeling on the beach in LA to posing with tourists in Times Square rain, snow or shine; and always in nothing more than a clean set of tighty whities and a cowboy hat.

Take a listen to our conversation on your favorite podcast platform, and check out the video version of this conversation and all our episodes on YouTube. 

This is the second of three episodes recorded live from the red carpet at the NYC Veterans Day Parade, so make sure you check out our others episodes    with CBS’s SEAL Team lead actor David Boreanaz, Grand Marshall of the parade Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Vince Patton, Wounded Warrior Project CEO LTG Mike Linnington and Commissioner James Hendon who is leading NYC Department of Veterans Services. 

Highlights:

-0:00 Welcome to the parade Naked Cowboy

-3:55 The Naked Cowboy’s family history of military service

-4:53 Naked Cowboy’s advice to the kids

-6:01 How Robert Burck became the Naked Cowboy

-8:49 Arrested in 35 other cities before getting to NYC

-9:19 Naked Cowboy’s Three Foundations to Success

Quotes:

- “I want to do the right thing at all time.” (4:15)

- “Get a pair of underwear. Take the easy way out like me!.” (5:08) 

- “Two days ago was the 24th anniversary in Times Square. Every single day, winter, spring, summer, fall.” (5:37)

- “I literally go out all day searching for an opportunity to make a big splash.” (6:42)

-”My whole life is wrapped around being here every single day and it’s a 24-hour a day job.” (8:33)

-”I was arrested in 35 other cities before I got here.” (8:49)

Naked Cowboy’s Three Foundations to Success

-Stay focused

-Train

-Live the experience and execute well

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, GORUCK, Retro Fitness, Just Ice Tea, Rhone, Compass Workforce Solutions, 18A Fitness, & Analytix Solutions

Here We Are….or there we were…front and center of the NYC Veterans Day Parade. Fran Racioppi is joined by fellow Army Veteran, Founder of FitFighter and guest from Episode 51, Sarah Apgar in the back of our 1944 Dodge WC-51 to call it all live and spend some time with the parade’s most influential attendees. 

They kick off the parade with David Boreanaz, star of TV’s SEAL Team on CBS. David shares the respect he’s gained for our Special Operators, the training he’s gone through to accurately portray their mission, the mental health struggles our nation’s finest endure, and what he’s learned about himself through the process.

Next they spoke to the Parade’s Grand Marshall Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Vince Patton. Vince served as the 8th senior-most enlisted leader of the Coast Guard and the first African American to hold the post. He shares the importance of the Coast Guard’s mission to protect $8.7 billion of trade daily,  how the military teaches you to value change and his 3V’s for leading organizations. 

Take a listen to this episode on your favorite podcast platforms but take a minute to check out our YouTube version for full video coverage of the parade from the red carpet.

Don’t miss our other parade episodes with Wounded Warrior Project CEO retired LTG Mike Linnington and the Commissioner of the NYC Department of Veterans’ Services James Hendon. Plus one of NYC’s most iconic entertainers, The Naked Cowboy!   

Special thanks to parade host United War Veterans Council for another great parade!

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

- 0:00 Welcome to the red carpet David Boreanaz

- 11:29 David talks CBS’s Seal Team

- 16:22 The bravery of the first responders of FDNY and NYPD

- 24:58 Welcome to the red carpet MCPO of the Coast Guard Vince Patton 

- 29:40 Why join the United States Coast Guard?

-36:30 What exactly HOOAH means!

-41:10 Vince’s defining leadership lessons

-49:08 What we didn’t know about Vince

-52:43  Here We Are!

Quotes: 

- “As an actor you have to use what you’re also struggling on in your life. It's really not about chemistry. It’s about developing some sense of a connection.” (13:28)

- “It’s not about the awards and the accolades. It’s when you have an episode and you get a message from somebody that says ‘Thank you for saving my life’.” (21:32)

- “You think this happens in middle America. No, this is happening in our largest city in this country.” (29:08)

- “On an average day the Coast Guard is responsible for the assurance that 8.7 billion dollars of goods are trainsitted through our country” (35:06)

- “With change is the common word of adaptability.” (41:54)

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, GORUCK, Retro Fitness, Just Ice Tea, Rhone, Compass Workforce Solutions, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions

Memorial Day isn’t about a long weekend and BBQs. It’s about honoring those who gave their lives in defense of America…and it’s about supporting the families they left behind. Across US Army Special Operations Command remembering the legacy and impact of the fallen is a daily duty. 

This Memorial Day, Fran Racioppi sat down with Major General Gil Ferguson and Dalia Munoz to share the story of the day that changed, and intertwined, their lives forever. The day SFC Pedro Munoz, Dalia’s dad, was killed in action. General Ferguson was the officer charged with informing her and her family of his death. Delivering a message no one wants to receive and no one wants to give. Dalia, her mother and her grandmother have never been the same.

In this emotional tribute, Dalia and General Ferguson recount that grief-stricken January morning; the planning and preparation behind the casualty affairs process; and the shock, disbelief and sadness that suddenly overcomes a family. 

Regulation says the casualty officer and the family shall never meet again; which was the case until General Ferguson became the USASOC Chief of Staff, a role that put him in charge of the Protocol office, the office in which Dalia worked. Confronted with the biggest leadership challenge of his career, General Ferguson had to decide if, and how, to tell Dalia about their encounter years earlier. 

This episode is about service. It’s about leadership when it matters most. And it’s about what it means to live a life shaped by loss, and still find purpose on the other side. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s one to never forget.

Special thanks to General Ferguson and Dalia for their openness and willingness to share the rare bond they hold. Thanks to the USASOC Historian’s office for hosting us. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:02 Welcome to USASOC
• 4:01 The Importance of Memorial Day
• 7:26 January 1st, 2005
• 11:31 Constructing a plan
• 28:25 SFC Pedro Munoz
• 32:30 Navigating Grief
• 35:45 Dealing with loss of a Green Beret
• 40:45 Reconnecting
• 52:31 Gold Star Families
• 56:25 Remaining a part of the Regiment
• 59:59 Resources for Mental Health
• 1:02:50 Memorial Day Message

Quotes

• “Memorial Day is an opportunity for us to stop, honor the fallen and take a moment to remember.”
• “It takes a deliberate effort to remember folks once there’s no one else in the formation who personally knew them.”
• “The Army does such a good job of preparing people for what they tell you is going to be a task for which it is impossible to actually really prepare.”
• “You don’t want somebody who’s an early riser waking up and turning on the news and finding out there’s a casualty, and then the next thing you know there’s people calling around and speculation.”
• “That’s the system. You deliver the message as the notification officer and then get off the X.”
• “Doesn’t matter how much you prepare, you’re not prepared.”
• “Everything you think you’ve known is completely shattered.”
• “You kind of only get one shot at things that you’re doing and so you have to do them well.” 
• “The leadership has to be able to understand how to give the formation the room and the space to grieve, but also how to channel that grief into the next step, which is the requirement to potentially go out the door the next day.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world-class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs.

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

Freedom isn’t free. This December 17th thousands of volunteers across all 50 states will lay over 2.65 million wreaths on the graves of our fallen soldiers. Remember. Honor. Teach. That's the mission of Wreaths Across America. It's a tradition that started in 1992 when Morrill Worcester looked for a meaningful way to distribute a few hundred excess holiday wreaths. Today convoys of wreaths leave northern Maine for a trek across the country to over 3600 cemeteries.  

Wreaths Across America's Executive Director Karen Worcester joins Fran Racioppi for a conversation on how a 2005 snow covered picture from a forgotten part of Arlington National Cemetery changed their lives. She shares the "stem to stone" process and why our generation must remember our fallen, honor those serving, and most importantly teach our children the value of freedom. 

The Wreaths Across America convoy will make its way from Maine to Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, DC this week. Go to wreathsacrossamerica.org to see the route, get involved and meet the convoy along the way. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

-0:00 Welcome to The Jedburgh Podcast

-4:10 Morrill Worcester’s childhood trip to Arlington National Cemetery

-6:54 The 2005 picture

-10:02 Stem-to-Stone for 2.65 million wreaths

-14:54 Remember, Honor, Teach

-23:46 Wreaths Across America Day 2022

-24:40 The museum, bed and breakfast 

-27:28 The characteristics of a wreath

-30:12 Karen’s three Foundations to Success

Quotes: 

-”You couldn’t lay a wreath without reading the name and wondering.”  (6:18)

-”The Worcester family didn’t have this major plan. We were doing something that mattered to us .” (8:34)

-”The North Pole…Santa’s workshop…got nothing on us.” (12:45)

-“We weren’t just given a gift of freedom. We were entrusted with freedom. We are responsible for freedom.” (16:37)

-”It’s life that they sacrificed so that we can be fat, dumb and happy.” (20:55)

-”Patriotism begins at home and spreads to community and spreads to country.” (32:38)

Karen’s Three Daily Foundations to Success:

-Pray

-Show gratitude

-Don’t sweat the small stuff 

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, Compass Workforce Solutions, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions

Do you cook At Home? What do you cook at home? How do you cook at home? Why do you cook at home? These are the questions Chef Gavin Kaysen gets asked. Chef Kaysen is the recipient of 2x James Beard Awards. He was named the Rising Star Chef of the Year 2008 and Best Chef in the Midwest 2018. He is the executive Culinary Producer for the reboot of Iron Chef on Netflix and the owner of Spoon and Stable & Demi - two award winning restaurants in Minneapolis; as well as Bellecour Bakery, Mara and Soca Cafe. 

For this episode Fran Racioppi sat down with Chef in one of the most iconic, and delicious, restaurants in NYC; Boulud Sud; owned and operated by legendary Chef Daniel Boulud. 

Chef Kaysen and Fran answered these questions in a conversation about his new book At Home. Chef talks about creating majestic moments in hospitality and in business; why we need recipes that are simple, yet authentic; why it’s important not to talk down to home chefs; and what essentials make an impact on your daily meals - or holiday feasts. 

Pick up a copy of At Home and learn more about Chef Kaysen at gavinkaysen.com and on social media @gavinkaysen. 

Special thanks to Chef Daniel Boulud and the entire Boulud Sud staff for hosting Chef Kaysen and our Jedburgh Team. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

-0:00 Welcome to Boulud Sud

-6:39 Why do you cook at home?

-11:25 From Subway to a chef

-14:50 What do you cook at home: selecting the recipes for At Home

-21:19 How do you cook at home: the essentials

-28:08 Majestic Moments, Clean Slates, First & Last Impressions

-33:34 Why do you cook at home?

-36:20 Gavin’s Commandments for Shopping Lightning Round

-45:59 Three Foundations to Success

Quotes: 

-”I realized seven ingredients is what brought everyone together at a table.” (7:05)

-”Food’s food. It’s to bring people together. If we burn something, throw it away and do it again.” (10:29)

-”This business is not a business where you’re gonna work 30 or 40 hours a week and you’re gonna have nights and weekends off.” (14:03)

-”I genuinely want people to use this book. I want to see it dirty. I want to see the pages ripped open.” (16:01)

-”Why should I trust you, or anybody, with a $50 piece of steak if you can’t take care of arugula salad.” (27:26)

-”If we tell you what the menu is ahead of time you will judge it prior to getting there and you will already create an expectation of what you will like and what you will dislike before you even see the food.” (30:19)

-”When anybody critiques what you’re doing it feels very personal.” (32:35)

Chef Kaysen’s Three Daily Foundations to Success:

-Create a routine

-Keep an open and curious mind

-Spend some time in nature

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, Compass Workforce Solutions, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions

Fran Racioppi travels back to the home of US Army Special Operations, Fort Bragg, NC, to meet with retired LTG(R) Ken Tovo, former commander of US Army Special Operations Command. From the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School’s Special Forces Museum, Fran and Ken discuss how Special Operations has changed over the 80 years since its inception, the strategic importance of the Special Forces Regiment and what it means to be a Green Beret in the peer-to-peer competition we haven't seen since the Cold War. 

Today, General Tovo serves as the Chairman of the Green Beret Foundation where he continues his service to our special operators and their families. LTG(R) Tovo recently received a lifetime achievement award for his service. 

Learn more about LTG(R) Tovo on LinkedIn. Get involved with Green Beret Foundation and follow them on social media @greenberetfoundation. Become one of our nation’s most elite warriors at soc.mil.

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

-0:00 Welcome home to Fort Bragg, NC

-6:30 Starting in the 82nd Airborne

-16:32 What is a Green Beret?

-22:03 Psyops, Civil Affairs and the 160th SOAR

-36:26 Commanding US Army Special Operations through Afghanistan & Iraq

-51:46 GWOT: What we got right & what we got wrong

-1:05:09 “The Why”

-1:09:12 The character of a Green Beret

-1:16:00 Peer-to-Peer conflict with Russia and China & the World Order

-1:32:15 Green Beret Foundation

-1:46:05 Three Daily Foundations

Quotes: 

-”Green Berets are almost unique in that they are focused by and large on changing something in the human domain.” (17:55)

-”A perfect Green Beret mission looks like going to a complex environment…developing some ways to solve it through an indigenous partner.” (21:34)

-”The quiet work we do outside the combat zone pays as many or more dividends as what we do when we get employed.” (52:21)

-”War is a national effort…not a military effort. It takes a nation to commit to a future.” (1:01:30)

-”Being a Green Beret is to live a life of gravitas. You do things that make a real difference.” (1:07:35)

-”We’re trying to assess and select a complex problem solver.” (1:10:28)

-”We are really in an existential struggle with two powers, for sure, that want to order the world in a way that disadvantages us.” (1:15:46) 

-””All our power as a democracy springs from the people.” (1:29:40)

-”Part of this mission of the Green Beret Foundation is to take care of Green Berets and their family past and present.” (1:35:21)

LTG(R) Tovo’s Three Daily Foundations to Success:

-Know your why

-Stay focused on your goals

-Be a lifetime learner 

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, GORUCK, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions

The world is seemingly ripe with disasters in every corner of the globe. They also seem to be getting worse. Fran Racioppi down with Dr. Samantha Montano; a self-proclaimed Disasterologist and the author of Disasterology: Dispatches From The Front Lines of The Climate Crisis. Samantha holds a PhD in Emergency Management and is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Management at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. 

Fran and Samantha break down the Hazard Event Scale explaining what takes an event from an emergency, to a disaster, to a catastrophe. They talk about the driving factors behind the increase in catastrophic events and the effects of our socio-economic policy, decaying infrastructure, lack of policy, and population movement.  

Samantha also defines preparedness and shares what it takes to be a successful emergency manager, which government organizations are getting it right, and where we need more leadership with the courage to take action.

Learn more about Samantha at disaster-ology.com and on Twitter and Instagram @samLmontano. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

-0:00 Welcome to The Jedburgh Podcast

-4:59 Becoming a Disterologist

-6:50 The Hazard Event Scale

-11:01 The impact of our decisions on climate change

-17:21 Climate change as a threat multiplier

-25:07 Preparedness and emergencies bring people together

-30:48 Training Emergency Managers

-33:53 The role of FEMA, the Red Cross and non-profits

-42:26 Disaster Justice and the courage to act

-48:00 Disaster Lightning Round

-53:39 Samantha’s 3 Daily Foundations

Quotes: 

-”A Disasterologist is anyone who studies disasters. I’m working within the discipline of emergency management.” (5:05)

-”The way you plan for an emergency is going to look very different than the way you plan for a disaster, which is going to look different than the way you plan for catastrophes.” (9:12)

-”We have for decades, and in some cases for centuries, made decisions, written policies and made decisions…without thinking about the future.” (13:33) 

-“When you have multiple parts of the country that are all simultaneously in need, resources are strained.” (19:20)

-“I don’t need a survival kit because I have a purse.” (26:31.5)

-”You need someone who has a vision and who isn’t just checking boxes.” (31:21)

-”Respect is really at the core and the foundation of building trust with a community.” (32:17)

-”That is Emergency Management 101…you want as little bureaucracy as possible between you and the resources that you need.” (35:43) 

-”We are creating an emergency management system that does not only distribute aid equally to everybody, but actually disperses aid in an equitable way.” (43:02) 

Samantha’s Three Daily Foundations to Success:

-Start the day with coffee

-Live by the ‘to do’ list

-Be near the water to clear the soul

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions

Veterans Day is here…and “Here We Are”. Present, in the moment, living our potential…and for this episode…live and guerilla-style from a picnic table on 5th Ave and Broadway! 

This Veterans Day, The Jedburgh Podcast is covering the parade from the back of our 1944 Dodge WC-51 podcast studio live from the red carpet. So to kick it off, Fran Racioppi traveled down to Madison Square Park to meet with the parade organizers Mark Otto and Ryan Hegg from the United War Veterans Council. 

UWVC has been the steward of the parade for decades and continues to honor the service of our Veterans past, present and future. Mark and Ryan cover the history of the parade, the meaning of the route up 5th Avenue, and what we have to look forward to this year.

Fran’s guest co-host for the Veterans Day Series is Army Veteran, Founder of FitFighter and Shark Tank winner Sarah Apgar. Sarah was Fran’s guest on Episode 51 and is joining him in the back of the truck on the red carpet to interview all the prominent parade guests, volunteers and participants.

The parade’s only a couple of days away so you still have time to make the trip to NYC to be part of the action. Join Sarah and Fran bright and early at the Eternal Light Flagstaff for Chad1000X and stay for the parade. 

Register here to join us for Chad 1000X 11/11/22 in Madison Square Park at 6am. Learn more at Chad1000x.com and on the Sandlot App. Learn more about UWVC and get involved in the parade here.

Highlights:

-0:00 Welcome to NYC’s 5th & Broadway

-5:26 History of the NYC Veterans Day Parade 

-7:11 “Here We Are” & United War Veterans Council

-10:08 Who’s in the parade?

-12:15 The Route

-13:50 Eternal Light Flagstaff & Wreath Laying

-15:10 Coast Guard as the featured service

-17:03 What to expect on parade day 

Quotes:

-”Our team is four people…and we move 25,000 people every year.” (5:52)

-”There have been Veterans marching on this route since Armistice Day.” (6:12)

-”Our job is not just stewards of the parade but to keep Veterans in the conversation.” (8:57)

-”It really will be a snapshot of the mosaic of the Veterans community here in New York.” (11:54)

-”5th Avenue is the heart of New York City…this is the place you do things in New York City.” (13:10)

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, Analytix Solutions, GORUCK, Retro Fitness & Rhone.

To kick off The Jedburgh Podcast coverage of the 2022 New York City Veterans Day Parade Fran Racioppi asks one of his favorite Jedburghs, Founder of FitFighter and his guest from Episode 51, Sarah Apgar to join him from the back of the 1944 Dodge WC-51. 

Fran and Sarah drop the theme of this year’s Veterans Day, “Here We Are,” and discuss why Veterans Day is about honoring our past and celebrating those still serving. 

As the first episode in this series, they are joined by another of our most popular Jedburghs, and Fran’s guest from Episode 55 and Episode 59, Sara Wilkinson. This year The Jedburgh Podcast is proud to support Sara and the Step Up Foundation in Chad1000X , the Hero WOD named in honor of Sara’s husband Navy SEAL Chad Wilkinson. Sara shares the pain Chad1000X brings, but the opportunity it presents to be one with yourself, present and “Here We Are.”

Join Fran and Sarah live at New York City’s Madison Square Park at 6am on 11/11 to feel the pain of Chad. Then stay for the parade and don’t miss us next to the grandstands in the WC-51. Stay tuned to our socials for updates and more information.

Register here to join us for Chad 1000X 11/11/22 in Madison Square Park at 6am. Learn more at Chad1000x.com and on the Sandlot App. Step up the fight against Veteran suicide with The Step-up Foundation.

Find more episodes on The Jedburgh Podcast Website and check out our video versions of all episodes on YouTube. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Start training with FitFighter and the Steel Hose at fitfighter.com and join the action on social media @fitfighter. 

Highlights:

-0:00 Welcome to Veterans Day & Chad1000X Hero WOD

-7:15 “Here We Are” - 2022 Veterans Day Theme

-10:30 How to “Live Big”

-12:30 Chad 1000X on Veterans Day in NYC

-17:53 The meaning of Veterans Day

Quotes:

-”Here we are…show up…stick together…appreciate the opportunity.” (7:35)

-”Focus on the right things for right now and what we really need.” (9:49)

-”The two rules I would say to live big is just invest in yourself and invest in others.” (11:38)

-”The workout is this poetic representation of the mental struggle that our Veterans have.” (14:37)

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, Analytix Solutions, GORUCK, Retro Fitness & Rhone.

There's a lot of noise in leadership circles around themes like get comfortable being uncomfortable, bring calm to chaos, control the uncontrollable. But how do we know when we're actually uncomfortable? Or in chaos? Are we supposed to be scared by these times...or do they offer an opportunity to excel and demonstrate our best at a time when everything says we should be at our worst? 

To answer these questions Alice Bromage joins Fran Racioppi from London to discuss how we actually know when we're not acting our best and how we first define what our best really looks like.  Alice founded a leadership development program focused on what she calls Resilient Leadership - or the ability to determine what's your best, when you are not acting your best, and how to get back to your best. 

As an officer in the British Royal Army, Alice served under Queen Elizabeth II, so Fran took the opportunity to ask Alice all about the Queen, her leadership, and how the queen set the example for world leadership for over 70 years. 

Learn more about Alice and Empowering Success at www.empowering-success.co.uk and on social media @empoweringsuccessuk. 

Read the full episode transcription and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

-0:00 Welcome to The Jedburgh Podcast from London

-5:12 Difference between pressure and stress

-10:17 Operating along the Resilience Spectrum

-19:30 Three Self Assessment Engines (Strength, Challenge, Feedback)

-33:54 Alice joins the British Army

-41:00 Helping people become themselves

-44:05 The diplomacy of Queen Elizabeth II

-52:29 How Queen Elizabeth controlled the narrative

-57:29 Queen Elizabeth’s impact on the military

-1:01:09 Economic changes under Queen Elizabeth

-1:07:06 Lightning round on Alice’s leadership rules and mantras 

Quotes: 

-”Pressure is where you are in  the flow, you’re producing the goods, you’re actually kind of thriving on that high tempo piece.” (7:59)

-”Stress is where you’ve gone off the other end. You’re starting to run unnaturally on adrenaline…Your decision making starts to drop. Your ability to communicate well will often start to drop.” (8:08)

-”The business will never outgrow your personality.” (17:07)

-”The biggest way in which you are going to start to provide stress rather than pressure is also if you break someone’s value chain.” (29:34)

-”When you get that incongruence between what you think you should be and how you actually are…that’s where you often see leaders being inconsistent.” (41:30)

-”If you’re scared of losing your power, you don’t really hold the power in the first place.” (50:04)

-”If you’re in leadership, you can be strong without being noisy.” (1:06:47)

Alice’s Three Daily Foundations to Success:

-Build a great team to fill your weaknesses & say thank you

-Clear the inbox early to stay present throughout the day

-Manage your energy and take a moment away from the noise

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions

Head coach of the Premier Lacrosse League’s Chaos Lacrosse Club Andy Towers joins Fran Racioppi for the third time to talk about winning against all odds as he took the Chaos to the PLL Championship for the third straight year with a less than 3% chance of making it. 

They cover the challenges the team faced as they started the season without many of their top players due to a schedule conflict between the PLL and the National Lacrosse League Indoor Box season. Andy explains how he had to motivate both himself and his team as they struggled to find their chemistry and play together mid-season while the rest of the league continued to improve at the same pace. 

Leadership is about inspiring others towards a common goal. Leadership is about knowing what your true capability is and relentlessly pursuing your path,  against all odds.

Learn more about Andy Towers on Twitter at @andytowersPLL and follow the Chaos Lacrosse Club at @PLLCHAOS on all social media. 

Find more episodes on The Jedburgh Podcast Website and check out our video versions of all episodes on YouTube. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

-0:00 Welcome back to the Jedburgh Podcast (for the third time!)

-5:05 The personnel shortage Chaos faced to start the season

-8:08 The difference between the NLL and the PLL

-9:37 Andy Towers’ process to keep the team focused on making the playoffs

-14:06 Becoming a dangerous team in the playoffs

-18:50 The Chaos makes the 2022 PLL Championship Game

-24:33 Debriefing 2022 and turning to 2023

Quotes:

-”Our team faced obstacles that no other team in any professional sport has ever had to face.”  (5:22)

-”We didn’t even start to get connected until we got our players back.” (8:01)

-”Our challenge was keeping these guys locked in and seeing with a broader lens where we needed to be.” (9:37)

-”I have zero doubt that our team is the best team in the world.” (10:21)

-”We have one goal; and that’s to make the PLL Championships.” (10:57)

-“If we could make the playoffs we were going to be a problem. I was saying it after every game.” (13:13)

-“They gave you a 2.8% chance…a probability of winning the championship.” (14:48)

-”We became a dangerous team because we had nothing to lose.” (14:47)

-”Take the blame yourself for things that go wrong and deflect the credit to the team when they do things well.” (18:37)

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, & Analytix Solutions.

What would you say if someone asked you to write a song about your life? A song about you. Your story. Who you are and what defines you. Music’s a powerful influence in our emotions and our feelings.  But usually, it’s another person’s story. Another person’s journey that we identify with. What if the song was your story? What if the song was about your life?

Fran Racioppi travels to Cleveland for Project D.R.E.W; a program bringing Veterans and Songwriters together and named in honor of Captain Drew Ferguson. Fran first sits down with the founders of Project D.R.E.W. Marilyn Zeidner, Drew’s Cousin Mike Winnen and Drew’ s brother Brian Ferguson to discuss Drew’s life, why we should tell our story through music, and how a barn turned music hall is changing the lives of our Veterans.

Fran also brings back Boston Firefighter Tony McDonagh to sit down with their songwriters, J Scott Franklin and Bill Kraker, to share their experience, the process for turning a full song in 24 hours, and what defines each of us in our path from Boston to the Army to civilian life. 

Learn more and get involved with Project D.R.E.W. at projectdrew.org. Listen to our songs throughout this episode and watch the concert and full video version of our conversations on YouTube. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

-0:00 Welcome to Barnegie Hall

-5:59 Captain Drew Ferguson

-13:20 The power of music and songwriting

-22:13 How Project D.R.E.W. works

-29:30 Attending Project D.R.E.W

-34:16 “I Know a Place” Mike Winnen, Drew Ferguson & Friends

-39:17 The Veteran and Songwriter experience

-47:04 Only 24 hours to write a song

-59:32 “I Press On” Fran Racioppi & Bill Kraker

-1:06:23 “10,000 Holes” Tony McDonagh & J Scott Franklin 

-1:17:00 “First World Problems” Tim Driscoll & Ray Flanagan

-1:21:10 “One Choice” Corey Webeck & Bethany Svoboda

-1:26:28 “The Blur Between The Lights” Alejandro Aguirre & Tim Blake

Quotes: 

-”I’m going to call it Delivering Restorative Energy to our Warriors and name it after your cousin Drew.” (13:03)

-”I think everyone who comes here, they tell the story they’re ready to tell.” (14:50)

-”I view life as these series of chapters…and how do we position ourselves to achieve our goals and our vision in these different chapters?” (17:24)

-”I think it is part of a multi-part solution to getting people to not even heal, but to feel.” (32:26)

-”When you see something that’s this powerful you just got to dive right in and try to be as open and honest as possible.” (45:06)

-”This is the first time that I haven’t written the song about just your military experience.” (49:49)

-“That’s what Marilyn’s trying to do here. Is really get to the root of it and try to understand why we lose soldiers after the war and what as society are we going to do about it.” (58:00)

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions

Security is one of our basic, most fundamental needs. To keep up on the latest trends in security Fran Racioppi traveled to the Global Security Exchange in Atlanta to sit down with retired Chief Security Officers Rich Davis of United Airlines and Steve Bernard of Sony Pictures.

Rich oversaw United's response to the 9/11 attacks involving two of United airplanes. Steve led Sony through the North Korean cyber attack after the premier of The Interview starring Seth Rogan and James Franco. 

They cover the evolution of the industry, the threats we face in both the physical and cyber domains, how thought leaders are needed in senior security positions, and how we build a security culture in our organizations. 

The world is a complex place and today's companies require dedicated support for the protection of their number one asset - their people. International SOS is the industry leader in travel risk management, medical support, evacuations, mental health, crisis management and workforce resilience.  On the ground in over 90 countries and 1000 locations, International SOS is there 24/7 no matter the challenge. 

Learn more at InternationalSOS.com and @intlsos. Steve Bernard is the Founder of Bernard Global and Rich Davis is the founder of Rich Davis Security Consulting. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Watch the full video version of Fran’s conversation with Steve and Rich on YouTube. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

-0:00 Welcome to the International SOS booth, GSX and ASIS International

-6:29 The chief security officer as a thought leader

-15:01 Rich’s career at United Airlines  from the kitchen to chief security officer

-19:27 Steve’s transition from Vietnam Veteran to Corporate Security

-23:30 The evolution of the security industry

-26:00 Prioritizing security at United Airlines and Sony Pictures 

-33:47 North Korea’s hack of Sony Pictures

-37:37 The impact of 9/11 on United and the hack on cyber

-45:14 The next generation of security leadership and the remote workforce

-53:05 The role of International SOS

-59:55 Three Daily Foundations

Quotes: 

-”We’re all about assessing risk, assessing threats and how to counter those threats, because the most important thing we do is protect people and assets.” (10:08) 

-”Crisis management begins long before the crisis has arrived.” (12:26)

-”I worked for United Airlines for 40 years. I actually started in the kitchen.” (16:22)

-”A CSO doesn’t have to be the expert in all this. They have to figure out how do they add the greatest value and to set the strategy, lead the team.” (21:28)

-”Everything's a priority, that was my mindset.” (29:39)

-”When you connected, the meltdown on your hard drive started. ” (35:22)

-”They're in 27 different call centers around the world.” (55:10)

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions

Green Berets are America’s best problem solvers. There’s no challenge too great and no solution that cannot be found. This mentality exists in service and beyond. 

Ben Harrow solved complex challenges as a West Point Lacrosse star, leading soldiers in Iraq, and as he joined Special Forces to be a Green Beret in the Army. Today he’s the President of PAM Jets solving aviation’s largest logistical problems. But the biggest challenge Ben ever faced was when he stepped on a land mine. 

Ben is a double amputee who nearly lost his life in Afghanistan. From the sidelines of the 2024 Stars and Stripes Classic, the first ever lacrosse battle between Green Berets and Navy SEALs, Ben joined Fran Racioppi to share his story. After months of surgery and being told he would never walk again, he took his recovery into his own hands. 

Ben explains the meticulous research he conducted, the doctors he challenged and the method he developed to ensure he would walk and move on with life. He explains his resiliency mindset, how he applied it to becoming a Green Beret, solving his recovery challenge and how it drives him in entrepreneurship today.

Most importantly, Ben shows us that there’s nothing special about being Special Forces, you just have to want it more than anyone else. 

Watch, listen or read our conversation from Gillette Stadium and don’t forget to check out the rest of our series from the inaugural Stars and Stripes Classic as we gear up for the round two on September 1, 2025.

Highlights

• 00:00 Introduction
• 1:42 Welcome to Gillette Stadium
• 2:42 We Met In Iraq
• 7:40 Joining Special Forces
• 9:25 What Separates a Green Beret
• 12:27 Stepping on a Landmine
• 17:23 The Rehabilitation Process
• 21:05 Learning how to walk again
• 27:55 The Most Challenging Part
• 29:34 SF Guys Building a Business
• 38:30 What’s Next

Quotes

• “As an athlete and competitive person, I’ve always wanted to be on the best teams.”
• “That special mindshift puts that special in front of forces.”
• “Special Operations in combat, if there was a board game, we’re like chess masters and everyone else is checkers masters.”
• “My first thought when I stepped on that bomb was I got hit by a car.”
• “Part of the reason I think I was able to get out and start the process of figuring out how to walk again was I took myself off the pain meds so quick.” 
• “I got injured as a 215 lb tactical athlete to waking up in the hospital bed weighing only like 130.”
• “The most challenging part was learning to have patience.”
• “As an entrepreneur, you try everything.”
• “That’s the biggest thing as an entrepreneur, being able to solve ambiguous problems.”
• “It’s better to execute an 80% plan at 100% than waiting to create a 100% plan and executing at 80%.”
• “My guidance to my team is consistently we don’t do everything, but we can do anything.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs. Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

What matters more? Where we start? Where we finish? Or how fast we drive the course we set for ourselves? NASCAR Driver, US Navy Officer and entrepreneur Jesse Iwuji joins Fran Racioppi to show how hard work and focus will close any gap on the open track of life. 

Fran and Jesse cover growing up un-athletic in Texas the son of Nigerian immigrants, earning a spot on the US Naval Academy Football Team, deploying multiple times on ships, pursuing his dream to race cars, and his recent partnership with NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith to launch his own NASCAR team; Jesse Iwuji Motorsports.

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Watch the full video version of Fran’s conversation with Jesse on YouTube. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Learn more about Jesse at jesseiuwji.com and follow Jesse on social media @jesse_iwuji.

Highlights:

-0:00 Welcome to The Jedburgh Podcast

-3:28 Why your starting point in life shapes 

-7:48 Leadership lessons from the US Navy and getting to know your people

-10:48 Jesse seizes his dream of becoming a race car driver

-15:25 Partnership with Emmitt Smith and Jesse Iwuji Motorsports

-19:27 Confronting and overcoming fear 

-21:32 Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series

-23:03 Jesse’s Three Daily Foundations 

Quotes: 

-”That’s the difference between desire and ambition…desire is just dreaming it up the whole day…ambition is actually coupling action with that desire and trying to execute.” (4:14) 

-”Let’s say you are dealt a bad hand; take a drink of water, sit back down and play again.” (4:58)

-”When you are leading this very versatile group of people, you got to understand your people.” (9:05)

-”Effective leaders have to know when to lead and when to get involved.” (10:19) 

-”There’s just no limit. You do whatever is necessary to get there.“ (14:31)

-”You have to insanely and obsessively believe that the goal will come true.” (15:08)

-”You can tell the people who are doers…those are the people you want to bet on.” (18:16)

-”Setbacks are setups for phenomenal comebacks as long as you are willing to continue to put action and be creative.” (21:18)

Jesse Iwuji’s 3 Daily Foundations to Success

-Pray and have faith

-Put action and energy into moving forward

-Stay focused on physical health

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions

A year ago the United States withdrew from Afghanistan officially ending the 20 year Global War on Terror. We may never find agreement on whether we failed or succeeded in Afghanistan. 

For this episode, Fran Racioppi returned to the place where the Global War on Terror began on the blue sky day of September 11th, 2001 in lower Manhattan. He asked retired LTC Scott Mann to join him on a balcony overlooking the Freedom Tower and the 9/11 Memorial for a conversation on the withdrawal from Afghanistan and his new book, Operation Pineapple Express. 

Operation Pineapple Express pulled hundreds to freedom through a hole in a gate in the final days on the ground in Afghanistan. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Watch the full video version of Fran’s conversation with Scott overlooking the Freedom Tower and the 9/11 Memorial on YouTube. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Learn more about Scott at rooftopleadership.com and scottmann.com. Get a copy and read Operation Pineapple Express where ever you get your favorite books. And follow Scott on social media @rooftop_leadership.

Highlights:

-0:00 Intro & welcome to Ground Zero

-6:10 Scott’s 9/11 story & the evolution of the Afghanistan Mission

-16:35 The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan

-22:55 Scott decides to get involved & his two questions

-30:00 The hole in the fence and the decision to leave

-40:49 Abby Gate explosion

-43:08 What it all means

-59:04 Recommendations to step up and lead from the front

-1:06:30 Last Out, The Hero’s Journey & Rooftop Leadership

-1:20:54 Scott’s three daily foundations to success

Quotes: 

-”It started by working by, with and through true indigenous clans and tribes.” (7:47)

-”I think it’s a real shame that we left that force abandoned because I think they could have held the line.” (10:30)

-”I don’t understand that our partner force is getting left behind.” (15:17)

-”Why didn’t someone just throw their stars on the table and say ‘not on my watch.’” (22:01)

-”Everything about my time in Afghanistan hinged on whether he lived or died.” (24:49)

-”What does a promise mean to you? And how far would you go to honor it.” (27:20)

-”They were gonna pull people in until the very end.” (41:47)

-”There are people who are trying to fall this tower.” (46:30)

-”To leave them…in the way that we left them…I don’t know how you can live with that.” (56:11)

Scott Mann’s 3 Daily Foundations to Success

-Prepare for every engagement

-Connect with people where they are

-Recover between engagements

This is episode is in honor of all those who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom in the Global War on Terror…and their families. De Oppresso Liber.

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions

Most family businesses fail in the third generation. Stephanie Stuckey is determined to make sure Stuckey’s not only survives, but scales. Fran Racioppi Jumped In with Stephanie to catch up on their Episode 28 conversation from last September and to discuss just how she continues to rebuild the Stuckey’s brand taking their candy products from 1000 to 5000 stores. 

She bought her grandfather’s roadside stop and candy business out of near bankruptcy in 2019 because she knew only a Stuckey could save the iconic foundation of the American road trip. Stuckey’s was a fond memory for many of us growing up in the backseat of our parent’s cars. Stephanie’s making sure our kids have the same experience.  

Learn more about Stephanie and Stuckey’s at stuckeys.com and follow them on social media @stuckeystop.

Find more episodes on The Jedburgh Podcast Website and check out our video versions of all episodes on YouTube. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

-0:00 Welcome to Atlanta

-6:40 Not the start-up, the scale-up 

-9:10 Reinventing the road trip

-12:05 From tree to table business model

-15:45 The best  Stuckey’s products 

-19:22 Branding is about creating an emotional connection 

-24:17 The A.I.R method for successful social media posts

Quotes:

-“We’ve had to reinvent the brand.” (6:58)

-”I had to come up with a way to make money when we don’t own or operate any of the stores.” (7:30)

-”In order to move the brand forward I have to be almost brutally honest and realistic about where the brand is today.” (9:43) 

-”The more you control the supply chain the better.” (14:05)

-”My favorite is a flavor that we don’t have out yet..and that’s the teriyaki pecan.” (15:53)

-”People don’t like to be sold to. People are more interested in emotion.” (20:32) 

-”I’m not in the business of simply making a profit.” (21:15)

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, & Analytix Solutions.

Fake news is everywhere. Fran Racioppi traveled to Minneapolis to meet the pioneer of all things false, the founder of The Onion Scott Dikkers. Scott and Fran cover his book, Outrageous Marketing, where he challenges conventional wisdom on building brand loyalty, making your own rules and connecting with consumers. 

An introvert by nature, Scott spent decades leading a team of creatives without an organizational chart, no corporate policies, giving no credit, and getting quality from quantity. Scott and Fran discuss the evolution of the media industry, the rise of commentary over objectivity, top Onion headlines and 13 tips to being OUTRAGEOUS!

Learn more about Scott at scottdikkers.com and @itsscottdikkers. And get your fill of fake news at TheOnion.com and @theonion on social media.

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Check out the full video version on YouTube.

Highlights: 

-0:00 Welcome to Minneapolis and Scott’s house

-5:30 Outrageous marketing is being the most extreme version of yourself

-12:48 Humor is the thing that animals can’t do

-15:08 The 11 things that make it funny

-18:35 The five themes of Outrageous Marketing

-32:02 Attention economy vs love economy

-39:45 The importance of brand character

-43:41 The factions of the media industry

-58:30 Curiosity keeps us ahead of the competition

-1:03:21 Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable

-1:10:12 Top Onion headlines

-1:17:45 Scott's 13 Tips to becoming Outrageous

-1:28:40 What’s next & Daily Foundations

Quotes: 

-”The Onion was just a format for the comedy. It was kind of an accident of history that it was fake news. That it was in the format of a newspaper.” (9:07) 

-”We were obsessed with doing the best comedy we possibly could.” (10:55) 

-”Humor is the highest functioning thing our brains can do…it’s the thing that animals can’t do.” (13:19)

-”There are 11 different kinds of jokes. That’s the only kind of jokes there are.” (15:41)

-”My compulsion to do comedy…It’s literally the only way I knew how to relate to other people.” (22:31)

-”In comedy, quantity really is the path to quality.” (25:00)

-”My goal at The Onion was to make the reader and the advertiser…feel absolutely unconditionally loved.” (35:33)

-”Anything I watch; especially on TV…like in the mainstream media…I just don’t believe any of it.” (48:06)

-”I think what the repeal of the fairness doctrine has really done is basically unleash the worst of humanity.” (48:32)

-”Do you honestly think things will never get better? No, a better idea is gonna come along.” (59:03)

-”Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” (1:03:45)

Scott’s 3 Daily Foundations to Success

-Write comedy every day

-Help someone else get better at comedy

-Enjoy some comedy as an audience member

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions

For over 344 years the Boston fire department has led America and set the example for excellence, standards and service to others. Boston's firefighters are supported and empowered by Local 718, the Boston firefighter's union. For this 9/11 special edition episode, Fran Racioppi goes home to Boston to sit down with a group who know no other mission than to preserve and protect life.

Fran spends part one of the episode with newly elected President of Local 718 Sam Dillon discussing his service in the US Marines, why his three pillars of Solidarity, Advocacy, and Respect are essential to the next generation of firefighter and the mental health of first responders. 

In the post 9/11 world, the Boston Fire Department maintains one of the strongest Veteran communities in the country. In part two Fran and Sam are joined by fellow Veterans turned Boston firefighters Greg Kelly, Tony McDonagh and Josh Stuart-Shor on what it means to serve their country and their city, no matter the challenge. 

Learn more about the Local 718 and the Boston Fire Department www.bostonfirelocal718.org and follow them on social media @bostonfirefighters.

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Check out the full video version on YouTube.

Highlights: 

-0:00 Welcome to Egleston Square Firehouse

-6:44 Local 718 advocates for the firefighters of Boston 

-7:45 Sam answers the call to run for Local 718 Union President 

-9:35 History of Boston Fire Department

-12:51 The mission and standards of a Boston Firefighter

-21:30 The leadership of the fire department has been passed to the post 9/11 generation

-23:39 Sam’s career in the Marine Corps & being awarded the Purple Heart

-28:47 First responder mental health and transition 

-30:11 The impact of COVID on the Boston Fire Department

-34:40 Sam’s Three pillars of Solidarity, Advocacy & Respect

-38:41 A tribute to first responders

-47:00 Crisis leadership in Boston

-51:58 Greg, Tony and Josh join to discuss a lifetime of service and the impact 9/11 had on each of them

-1:10:10 The camaraderie of the fire department

Quotes: 

-”Firefighters are this city’s lifeline; and this union…it’s the lifeline for firefighters and their families.” (6:49)

-”When I came on this job I was just happy to be a Boston firefighter…my life long ambition.” (7:47)

-”You don’t always get to pick your time. Sometimes your time picks you.” (9:11)

-”Boston was at the forefront of America; and Boston firefighters are at the forefront of firefighting.” (11:39)

-“Mission, team, self…in that order.” (16:34)

-”We are willing to lose our lives for each other. We are willing to lose our lives for the city of Boston.” (17:59)

-”You cannot sit idly by when your country and your way of life is  attacked.” (25:34)

-”If you spend the rest of your life trying to erase them, those things are eventually just gonna erase you.” (29:41)

-”I don’t pray for fires, but if there’s a fire I want them to call me.” (1:18:46)

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions

The Special Olympics exists in every corner of the globe and has supported over five million athletes. Fran Racioppi travels to Minneapolis to sit down with the leaders of the 2022 and the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, Joe Dzaluk, Christine Sovereign and David Dorn. 

The 2022 USA Games in Orlando, through partnership with Jersey Mike's Subs, set a record and a new standard for financial support to the games. Jersey Mike's CEO Peter Cancro is an original member of our Jedburgh Team and committed 100% of sales during the Annual Day of Giving to the 2022 Games, this totaled $20 million. 

The group covers the history of the Special Olympics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver's call to action, the Special Olympics place as the leader of inclusion before inclusion was even a term in mainstream society, Jersey Mike's unprecedented leadership and example in giving, and what to expect for 2026. 

Learn more about Special Olympics at specialolympics.org and @specialolympics. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Check out the full video version on YouTube.

Highlights: 

-Joe, Christine and Dave share why they got involved with Special Olympics and how Special Olympics opens its doors to athletes of all backgrounds, disabilities and abilities. (9:15))

-The group explains why Special Olympics has led society in diversity, equity and inclusion over the past 50 years. (18:10)

-Jersey Mike’s gave 100% of revenue from the annual Day of Giving to Special Olympics totaling $20 million. (27:32) 

-Joe reflects back on the 2022 Games in Orlando discussing both the athletic events and the over 13,000 health exams provided to the athletes. (33:46)

-Christine and Dave share the focus for the 2026 Games and Jersey Mike’s commitment to continued support. (40:32)

Quotes: 

-”Most people think about it as just a track and field event, and now you see it is really a movement about inclusion.” (6:59)

-”Unified sports is people with and without disabilities playing on the same field, playing on the same team.” (7:45)

-”You can run the 50 yard dash in eight seconds or you can run the 50 yard dash in 8 minutes. We’re still going to take you.”  (14:10)

-”The Special Olympics oath…talks about ‘if I can’t in let me be brave in the attempt.” (20:30)

-”He looked at me. He goes, “Joe, are you listening to me? I’m giving to give.”(30:19)

-“It was just a great overall experience, a great partnership, and a great example of what corporate America can do.” (32:52) 

-”It ultimately comes down to acceptance. Inclusion has to be there to be accepted.” (44:32)

Special Olympics Three Daily Foundations to Success

-Keep the mission of acceptance in the forefront

-Surround ourselves with a dedicated team

-Remember the legacy of Special Olympics

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions

Athleisure is one the fastest growing and most competitive retail segments. The days of suits and tight jeans have passed. Fran Racioppi heads to New York City to sit down with Nate Checketts, Co-Founder and CEO of Rhone.

Built on the mantra "we aren't just selling a product, we are selling a lifestyle," Fran and Nate discuss the three pillars of Rhone, building brand loyalty, the importance of intentionality, goals, standards and holding ourselves accountable to metrics. 

Nate and Rhone are also unrelenting supporters of men's mental health and reducing the stigmas around a man's ability to be open, vulnerable and in need. Fran and Nate dig deep on the importance of being there for each other and accepting that it's ok to not be ok. Plus, Fran sticks around for Rhone’s first Mind and Muscle Event.

Learn more about Nate and Rhone at Rhone.com, @rhone and @natechecketts. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Check out the full video version on YouTube.

Highlights: 

-Fran & Nate sit down in Rhone’s flagship store on 5th Avenue in the Flatiron district of New York City. 

-Nate shares how competition drives us away from each other. (7:52)

-Intention, comfort and quality form the foundation of Rhone’s products and the culture in the company; Nate is the biggest critic and hardest on the products. (10:5)

-Nate’s time at the NFL taught him valuable lessons on branding. (15:57)

-Fran and Nate discuss the importance of quality, planned longevity of clothing, and why we always pick the same things out of our closets. (32:53)

-Fran asks Nate to provide his assessment on the Athleisure industry. (41:05) 

-Nate credits his parents for instilling in him leadership lessons, hard work and an adherence to standards. (45:10)  

-Nate shares his methods to make mental health a toolkit to be used in difficult times. (56:20)

Quotes: 

-“I don’t think my mom believed we had a real business until we opened a store on 5th Avenue.” (3:41)

-”Don’t get caught up in the past. Don’t get caught up in the future. But just keep kind of progressing.” (5:56)

-“There was a lot of thought and intention behind everything that we do.” (11:40)

-”We want to make things in a way that’s perfect for our customer.” (32:19)

-“If I give you one of our shorts it’s gonna be the first thing out of your closet every single time.” (34:00)

-”The lessons they taught me…I could not function as a leader without the principles that they instilled upon me.” (47:07)

-“If you are struggling…the best thing you can do is talk about it with someone.” (52:48)  

-”Mental health should be viewed as developing a toolbelt when things get hard.” (56:20)

-”Goal setting is the easy part…what’s really really hard is monitoring that.” (1:01:42)

Nate’s three daily foundations to success:

-Start the day with spirituality and gratitude

-Move the body

-Journal for mental health and reflection

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions

It’s been a year since the United States withdrew from Afghanistan. A year ago Asma Paigeer was standing outside Kabul International Airport, evading the Taliban and desperately trying to make contact with the American military to save her life. Today she is a student at Virginia Tech studying computer science and advocating for the importance of education in defining freedom.

Fran Racioppi Jumps In with Asma to discuss her escape, her new life in America and what it’s like to be a Hokie now.

America’s job isn’t done and if the last year has shown anything, it’s that the kindness and generosity of the American people will never be defeated. Take a listen to Fran’s conversation with Asma and support her Go Fund Me to pay for her education here.

Learn more about Asma on LinkedIn and on Twitter @asma_paigeer. 

Listen to more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website and check out our video versions of all episodes on YouTube. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

-Asma shares the emotional account of evading the Taliban and making contact with US Military forces at the Hamid Karzai International Airport. (3:06)

-Asma’s father served in the Afghan Army, missing much of her childhood to defend their country; something she is incredibly proud of. (4:37)

-Fran asks Asma to describe the situation in Afghanistan today and what she is hearing from her family still there. (6:23)

-The generosity and kindness of the American people has been essential to the integration of the Afghan people into the United States. (10:04)

-Asma now attends college at Virginia Tech where she is studying computer science, looking for an internship and planning her return to lead Afghanistan into the next chapter. (14:40)

-Asma explains how education is the key to freedom and how her victory over the Taliban comes down to her ability to complete her education. (19:00)

Quotes:

 -”It was really rapid the way the government collapsed and the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. It became a shocking reality to all of us. (3:36)

-”They threatened to shoot us. To kill us. They beat our driver to create fear.” (4:11) 

-“It’s more horrible than you can see on the news.” (7:09)

-”No one has the right to speak against the government of the Taliban.” (7:58)

-”When I entered the United States I had only one dress…that I was wearing. I had nothing else with me.” (9:30)

-”It’s such a great thing to save a human being’s life…I’m grateful for all of them.” (14:00)

-”Education is not a privilege. It’s a basic human  right.” (19:55)

-”I just don’t want to survive, I want to live.” (20:53)

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, & Analytix Solutions.

Liza Huber is the founder and CEO of Sage Spoonfuls, a healthy and simple solution to making your own baby food. Fran Racioppi travels home to suburban Boston to meet Liza to discuss creative financing to retain equity, transition from acting to manufacturing and how an order from Buy Buy Baby launched the brand to a new level. 

Liza also discusses her son's diagnosis with Cerebral Palsy and what it taught her family about finding solutions when you won't take no for an answer. 

Liza starred on NBC's hit daytime television show Passions. Today Sage Spoonfuls is available in Buy Buy Baby, Pottery Barn, Target, Walmart, Bed, Bath & Beyond and on Amazon. Liza is one of Forbes “Female Entrepreneurs Rocking The World." Learn more about Liza at sagespoonfuls.com and @sagespoonfuls and @lizahuber. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Check out our video versions on YouTube.

Highlights: 

-Why as parents we research the best of everything until it comes to solid food. (5:51)

-Liza shares her emotional story of giving birth to her son Brendan, who was born premature and with Cerebral Palsy. (9:07)

-Sage Spoonfuls started as a cookbook and storage jars; Liza’s launch plan very quickly put them in Buy Buy Baby propelling the brand into the market. (15:25)

-Fran challenges Liza to break down her process for scaling Sage Spoonfuls across people, process and technology. (19:31)

-Liza shares her lessons in accountability and how not focusing on verifying the details resulted in cost overruns and lost productivity. (22:02)

-Creative financing is imperative for entrepreneurs to raise capital without giving up equity; Liza shares methods she has leveraged to fund the business. (33:43)

-Liza discusses the importance of fear, failure and how to make your mistakes early and inexpensively. (42:30)

-Liza shares her favorite memories of daytime TV, her four lessons for starting your own business and her assessment of current economic policy on small businesses. (48:25)

Quotes: 

-“There really must be a better way for busy parents to provide the healthiest food possible for our children.” (7:19)

-”The point was just to keep him alive.” (9:22)

-”I am the epitome of the true entrepreneur who just builds the plane as she flies it.” (15:58)

-”Right from the get go I knew that I wanted to remain 100% owner.” (20:11)

-”Don’t ever take your finger off the pulse of every single level of your business.” (23.21)

-”Try to keep your mistakes as inexpensive as possible.” (42:57)

-”You have to fall in love with failure, because failure is how we learn.” (46:03)

-”There’s never gonna be a day without problems. And there’s never gonna be a day without a little success.” (47:23)

-”Keep it to yourself…launch, land and expand as fast as you can.” (55:54)

-”There is no one solution when every single link in the chain is broken.” (1:02:18)

Liza’s three daily foundations to success:

-Commit to the critical task list

-Do the thing you would do if you had 20 seconds of wild courage

-Put away the phone and spend time with the kids

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions

There’s solace in being on the water. met. Sailahead is a Veteran Service Organization that’s changing lives. For this episode Fran Racioppi traveled to Centerport Yacht Club for Sailahead’s annual event of over 150 people, almost 40 boats and Veterans spanning every conflict from WWII to today. 

Fran sat down with Kilian, Sean and Jenny Duclay who started Sailahead to bring Veterans the healing power of the water, bring awareness to PTS and Veteran Suicide, and to honor our mates.

He also shared a moment with the The Day Family, who’s son Ryan served as an Army Ranger, deployed multiple times to Afghanistan, and died by suicide as he struggled with the emotional toll endless conflict takes on us. 

Finally, Fran talked the oath we have to each other with a group of Army Rangers who never sailed before joining Sailahead.

It’s time to stop Veteran suicide. It’s time to accept and acknowledge that it's ok to not be ok. 

Learn more about Sailahead at sailahead.org and on social media @sailahead. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Check out our video versions on YouTube.

Highlights:

-Sailahead was started by 16 year-old Kilian and 14 year-old Sean after taking a Vietnam veteran sailing in the winter. (5:30)

-Sailahead operates under three pillars: using the ocean as a healing power, raising awareness for Veterans’ Mental Health, and to honoring Our Mates. (8:30)

-Sailing provides Veterans an outlet to build and work on a team, learn new skills, and regain some of the competitive atmosphere lost when they leave service. (29:30)  

-Fran and Jim, Linda & Justin Day share their memories of Ryan, his legacy and why Veterans struggle with being able to turn off. (31:23)

-Jim shares the importance of the phrase “we live with it” and how we must accept what has happened to be able to move forward. (40:26)

-Linda explains how the concept of “it’s ok to not be ok” allows for respect and perspective in finding and accepting help. (42:25)

-Fran sits down with Ron, James and Mike; three former Army Rangers, to discuss the importance of community both in the military and post-service. (50:46)

Quotes:

-”For 20 years he’d been going to therapy to treat his PTSD and that was the best therapy that he’d ever had.” (7:06)

-”If 22 lives are lost a day, there’s not just 22 people who are suffering.” (10:36)

-”An immediate goal is spreading that awareness and making sure people understand that they are not alone.” (25:35) 

-”We don’t just want to take someone for a boat ride. We want them to gain a new perspective on life.” (28:15) 

-”To see this happen because of some part of his being, not being satisfied, and not be able to turn off the energy that was put into him by the military is a travesty,” (34:00)

-”This never ends…as time goes on what you have to do is learn to live with it. There Is no other choice.” (40:35)

-”It’s easy to fall into the pit of emotion that comes with loss. It’s what you do with it after it happens.” (41:30)

-”It’s ok not to be ok…but it’s not ok to keep it to yourself.” (1:05:32) 

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions

America maintains a promise to its citizens. A promise to never leave them behind and stop at nothing to return them to American soil. Over 200 Americans are wrongfully detained or taken hostage each year across the globe. The Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs is responsible for bringing them home. 

Ambassador Roger Carstens served as the SPEHA from 2020-2025. A West Point Graduate, Green Beret, Army Ranger, and seasoned security leader, Roger and his team brought home close to 70 Americans during his tenure; including high profile cases such as WNBA star Brittney Griner and Wall Street Journal Reporter Evan Gerskovich. 

Roger joined Fran Racioppi from the McCain Institute in Washington, DC for a conversation on the role of the SPEHA, why countries take Americans for leverage, and just how America negotiates with terrorists. 

We explore the effects of wrongful detention and hostage taking on America’s national power, how families are turned completely upside down, and why only a Warrior Diplomat has the character required to make deals with America’s adversaries.

Roger and Fran also share the mission of Hostage US; a non-profit instrumental in supporting hostages and wrongful detainees - and their families - through captivity, return and reintegration.

Watch, listen or read our conversation. Special thanks to the McCain Institute for hosting us and sharing their mission to defend and enhance human rights across the globe. 

Highlights

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:42 Welcome to the McCain Institute
• 5:23 What is the SPEHA?
• 8:53 Terrorists vs nation states
• 12:59 Deciding which cases
• 21:38 Negotiating with terrorists
• 24:38 Drawing the line
• 27:14 No negotiation approach
• 34:20 Family impact
• 41:00 Why Serve In The Army
• 50:05 Challenges In Transition
• 57:32 Hostage US Impact
• 1:00:47 Future of hostage security

Quotes

• “A hostage is someone held by a terrorist group. A wrongful detainee is someone held by a nation state.” 
• “Every case is different. There is no cookie cutter approach.”
• “It doesn’t matter if it’s a nation state or terrorist group, if they take you, you’re held hostage.”
• “You can never hand a bag of money to a terrorist group and say ‘we want our citizen back.’”
• “The United States does not negotiate with terrorists and yet I have.”
• “No one comes back when you call for their unconditional release.”
• “If we did not negotiate with Russia, they would just take Americans and you would see them stay 14, 15, 16 years there or they’d die in prison.”
• “We have to create new tools to be used to compel these countries to not take our citizens.”
• “If you want to stop evil. If you want to crush the next Adolf Hitler. Dial 1-800-USARMY.”
• “Every Green Beret will leave the service one day.”
• “If there’s not that higher mission where you’re allowed to serve and you don’t have that camaraderie, you’re going to have a hard time.”
• “If you have a mission you have to approach your next few steps differently than those who just want to be a thing or to have a job.” 
• “The hardest negotiation I ever did was with the US Government.”

The Jedburgh Podcast is brought to you by University of Health & Performance, providing our Veterans world class education and training as fitness and nutrition entrepreneurs. 

Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

The opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of my guests and myself. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Green Beret Foundation and the Green Beret.

Seth Goldman spent 24 years building Honest Tea from an idea to a leading global beverage. But on May 23 Coca-Cola announced they were discontinuing the brand citing supply chain and COVID-19 impacts. 

Over the last few years he launched Eat the Change and PLNT Burger, extending a career that has been spent providing us with a healthy - and environmentally friendly - choice in what we consume.  

For this episode Fran Racioppi asked Seth to Jump In to discuss Coke’s decision, what he learned from building a brand that changed the way we drink, the rapid growth of PLNT Burger and which mushroom jerky and carrot chews to try first. 

Seth’s not done with tea yet. He’s fighting back to refill the hole the loss of Honest Tea will create in the market as he just announced the launch of Just Ice Tea - coming soon to a store near you. 

Learn more about Eat the Change and PLNT Burger at eatthechange.com and PLNTburger.com - and on social media @eatthechange & @plntburger. 

Find more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website and check out our video YouTube versions of all episodes here. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

-PLNT Burger is now in 12 locations; 10 located in Whole Foods and two new stand alone locations in New York City. (4:30)

-Seth explains the importance of democratizing healthy eating options and making it available to all consumers. (6:45) 

-Coca-Cola has decided to discontinue Honest Tea (the brand Seth built from scratch) citing supply chain issues and further investment in Gold Peak. (8:19)

-Seth explains how the market opportunity, producers and consumers still exist for a brand like Honest Tea. (9:03)

-Seth is launching Just Ice Tea to fill the gap being left by the closure of Honest Tea and explains the theory behind the name. (10:50)

-Fran asks Seth to share the lesson from Honest Tea. (15:01)

Quotes:

-”I love healthy and wealthy consumers; but that’s not the goal of the businesses I run.” (6:03) 

-”We’ve got to make these products taste great, be price accessible and fun.” (6:32)

-”A small group of business people decided that shouldn’t be around anymore. It doesn’t mean the market opportunity disappeared.” (9:03)

-”That’s how we have to respond; because we know the market opportunity is there.” (10:31)

-“All the core ingredients…the tea and the sweeteners…will be fair trade certified.” (11:26)

-”There’s no downside to acting on the things that you believe in.” (15:25) 

-”There is such a thing as Karma in business.” (16:36)

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, & Analytix Solutions.

For an update on the war in Ukraine, Fran Racioppi Jumped In with Daniel Elkins, CEO of Special Operations Association of America and our guest from Episode 33,  where we covered SOAA’s mission, his career as a Green Beret in the Special Forces, SOAA’s commitment legislative advocacy and their work supporting Afghan refugees. 

SOAA just signed an agreement with the Ukrainian government to train their soldiers in basic combat fundamentals. They are one of the first non-profits to be authorized to officially train the Ukrainians and they’re working on US government approval right now. Daniel and Fran talk Ukraine, SOAA’s efforts in the region and the toll the war is taking on the people. We also circle back on Afghanistan, SOAA’s calls for a full investigation and what they are doing to continue to support Afghan refugees. 

Learn more about SOAA and get involved at SOAA.org. Follow them on social media @soaaorg. 

Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website and check out our video YouTube versions of all episodes here. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. 

Highlights:

-Daniel credits his time serving at the US embassy in Ukraine for his dedication to the Ukrainian people and their fight (5:02)

-To meet the demand for soldiers, Ukraine was forced to reduce its basic training time to under a week for new soldiers. (7:37)

-SOAA is following a deliberate certification process to ensure they are fully authorized by the US government to conduct training of the Ukrainian forces. (9:40)

-SOAA is calling for a full investigation into the Afghanistan withdrawal and the lasting affects on the Afghan refugees. (14:41) 

Quotes:

-“When everything kicked off I knew we were going to be a part of it.” (5:53)

-”That’s really what SOAA’s all about, it’s about being able to bring the ground truth back to the halls of congress.” (6:45)

-”The fighting force that’s now going to the front is well equipped…but they’re lacking trainers to teach them basic soldiering skills.” (8:34)

-”We have the ability to move the needle now and that’s what we’re going to do.” (13:55)

“We were successful from August to the end of January in helping rescue about 7000 of our Afghan allies and American citizens and their families.” (15:27)

-”How did it happen and now is the time to ask that question.” (16:14)

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, & Analytix Solutions.

Crisis will strike and we as leaders will have prepared ourselves and our organizations or we will fail in our response. 

In this Boston-based episode, Fran Racioppi sits down with Eric McNulty, Co-Author of “You're It: Crisis, Change and How to Lead When it Matters Most” and Associate Director of the National Preparedness Leadership Institute, to explain how success in crisis comes down to Meta-Leadership and our ability to lead down, up, across and beyond. Fran and Eric also discuss strategies to make sense of complexity, the perspective of the cone in the cube, knowns, forces, and a lightning round of crisis leadership do’s and don'ts.

Read Eric's book, "You're It: Crisis, Change and How To Lead When It Matters Most." 

Find him on Twitter @richerearth & LinkedIn. Learn more about the National Preparedness Leadership Institute at Harvard at npli.sph.harvard.edu and on Twitter @harvardnpli. 

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Check out our video versions on YouTube.

Highlights:

-Meta-Leadership requires a broad view of the crisis at hand and connections up, down, across & beyond. (5:57)

-People find themselves as “it” by position, default or appointment. Fran asks Eric to describe the type of leaders who rise to the challenge vs those that falter from the start. (8:47)

-Eric breaks down the difference between the four types of knowns and how we separate what is known from what can be known. (18:01)

-Fran and Eric discuss how “Swarm Leadership” defined the response to the Boston Marathon bombing, yet no one was clearly in charge. (23:45) 

-Leading in a crisis requires an understanding of systems, complexity and adaptation. (33:30)

-Eric explains why chaos is natural and important; but how it must be balanced with order. (38:58)

-The POP-DOC Loop (a descendant of the OODA Loop) allows leaders to separate the complex from the complicated. (59:35)

-Fran challenges Eric to a quick-hit session on crisis leadership. (1:14:08)

Quotes:

-”You can’t always prevent the initial incident…You can always prevent the secondary crisis of a fumbled response.” (7:02)

-”Failure is always an option. It may not be your preferred option…but things can go wrong.” (12:33)

-“You always want to know who you’re going to call upon to be on your team.” (15:38) 

-”Simplicity is an antidote to complication…get the complication out of the system.” (35:32)

-”When you try and control everything you often actually create more chaos.” (40:08)

-”Whenever someone is yelling at you, there’s a lot to learn.” (43:45)

-“We humans make sense of the world through pattern making.” (1:01:12)

-”No complex crisis is solved by one person acting alone.” (1:05:30)

Eric’s 3 Foundations to Success

-Hydrate

-Conduct a horizon scan of the day’s news and events

-Walk the dog without a phone to be present and find calm 

This episode is brought to you by Jersey Mike’s, 18A Fitness, and Analytix Solutions