The First Responder Playbook: Insights on Leadership and Training

Welcome to another episode of The First Responder Playbook! In today’s conversation, host Brent sits down with Derrick Van Mell, founder and principal of the Center for Management Terms and Practices. Derrick’s mission is simple yet powerful: building a global community of caring leaders who set the bar high when it comes to ethics and competence. Together, Brent and Derrick dive into the ongoing challenges facing first responders—...

Welcome back to another episode of The First Responder Playbook! In this episode, host Brent is joined once again by the insightful Sergeant V, who brings his experience and wisdom from the field to discuss one of the cornerstones of effective leadership: servant leadership. Together, they explore what it truly means to put the needs of your team and community first, rather than seeking recognition or personal advancement.

Brent an...

Welcome back to The First Responder Playbook! In this episode, host Brent sits down with Tony Schmaltz, a seasoned leadership and peak performance coach who’s made a name for himself teaching at industry giants like Amazon. Tony shares powerful stories from his journey, starting as an “arrogant” young worker transformed by mentorship into a genuine leader driven to help others upgrade their lives. Together, they tackle some of the ...

Welcome to another episode of The First Responder Playbook! This week, host Brent sits down with Rodney Carpentier, an active law enforcement officer with nearly 20 years of experience in New York State. Rodney’s career has taken him from state corrections to patrol and investigations, and recently he climbed the ranks to lieutenant. But that’s not all—Rodney is also a published mystery writer, weaving his first responder experienc...

On today’s episode of The First Responder Playbook, I sat down with Monica Crawford—former police officer, entrepreneur, and author of "Thriving Inside the Thin Blue Line." Monica shared her inspiring journey from law enforcement into entrepreneurship, why she founded Five-0 Fierce and Fit to empower trailblazing women in male-dominated fields, and the lessons she learned about leadership, resilience, and being true to yourself. If...

On this episode of The First Responder Playbook, I sat down with Joshua Daniel—20-year Army veteran, retired special operator, and founder of Hero Games charity and Counterculture Solutions. We dove into his incredible journey from small-town Virginia to leading elite teams in combat, the power of leadership without titles, and turning hardship into empowering others. Josh’s story is packed with hard-won lessons on resilience, buil...

On this episode of The First Responder Playbook, we flipped the script as Sergeant V interviewed me about my journey into law enforcement, why I started this podcast, and the ups and downs of my career. From humble beginnings as a dispatcher, through leadership roles, detours, and hard lessons learned, we dove into the importance of owning your mistakes, embracing growth, and mentoring the next generation. Whether you’re a first re...

On today’s episode of The First Responder Playbook, I sat down with retired Secret Service agent Brad Beeler. We unpacked the real-world lessons from his 25-year career, covering everything from effective communication and the power of active listening, to the critical role of polygraphs, and building trust in high-stakes situations. Brad also shared leadership wisdom around never stopping your personal growth, learning from mentor...

Today on The First Responder Playbook, I sat down with Pradeepa Narayanaswamy—TEDx speaker, author, and executive coach—to dive deep into the heart of leadership. From overcoming the fear of criticism to finding your unique voice, Pradeepa shared her journey from writing her first blog to publishing three impactful books. We explored practical ways first responders can make confident decisions under pressure, avoid compassion fatig...

On this episode of The First Responder Playbook, I sat down with Phil Whitebloom—legendary sales leader and coach with over 40 years of experience driving innovation at companies like Sony. We explored how groundbreaking technology shapes industries, why adaptability is the secret to staying relevant, and how Phil’s hands-on coaching helps leaders and teams build real sales confidence, not just theory. If you want actionable takeaw...

On this episode of The First Responder Playbook, I sat down with Yogi Mueller—leadership coach, speaker, and author of The Great Slapping. We dove into the real power of mentorship, the importance of honest feedback, and why grit is more valuable than polish. Yogi shared lessons from his time with Disney and broke down how his Grit Index helps leaders get truly honest about growth. Whether you’re in business or on the frontlines, t...

Welcome back to The First Responder Playbook! In this episode, host Brent sits down with John Guaspari, a seasoned leadership expert, consultant, and author of eight books—including the newly released "If Engagement is the What, Then Respect is the How." John’s journey is anything but typical: from aerospace engineer, to a Swiss army knife writer at Honeywell, to an in-demand consultant helping Fortune 500 companies transform the w...

Welcome to another episode of The First Responder Playbook! Today, host Brent sits down with Dan Fraser, an accomplished police officer, instructor, and author, whose passion for empowering others has driven his impressive career. Dan takes us on a journey from his early days as a military reservist in Canada to his two-decade career with the Calgary Police Service, where he quickly traded SWAT aspirations for a calling in training...

Welcome to another episode of The First Responder Playbook! In this episode, we sit down with Jeff Johnsgaard—a recently retired Canadian law enforcement officer whose passion for training, growth, and optimizing law enforcement performance has taken him across four continents and into the heart of elite and entry-level organizations alike. Jeff shares his unique journey: from chasing purpose inspired by Viktor Frankl’s "Man’s Sear...

On this episode of The First Responder Playbook, I sat down with Marianne Rob and Dave Rich—veteran police officers and founders of UAP-PD—to dive into why so many first responders keep quiet about paranormal encounters on the job. We explored the stigma, the real risks to credibility and careers, and how their organization is giving officers and first responders a judgement-free zone to share their stories. From unexplainable 911 ...

Are you ready to level up your performance and take control of your health? In this episode of The First Responder Playbook, I sat down with Brandon Day—former college athlete, Sports Illustrated cover star, and creator of the Neuroflow Method. Brandon shares how overcoming chronic pain and mental burnout led him to applied neurology and the science of flow states. We dive into how first responders and athletes alike can harness n...

On this episode of The First Responder Playbook, I sat down with Dr. Grant Kruhly—a world-class martial specialist turned quantum healer. Dr. G shares his elite journey training police, military, and SWAT teams, emphasizing the critical importance of mastering both physical and mental skills in high-stakes environments. We dive into his groundbreaking work using morphic field physics to boost team performance and rapidly heal traum...

Welcome to another episode of The First Responder Playbook. In today’s show, host Brent sits down with Erik Holt, a former fire chief from Colorado whose story goes far beyond fighting fires. Erik takes us deep into a wild tale of small-town politics, election fraud, and personal sacrifice—sharing how he stood up against corruption and paid the price for doing the right thing. From building a struggling volunteer department into a ...

On this deeply moving episode of The First Responder Playbook, host Brent sits down with Susan Snow—trauma resiliency coach, speaker, and author. Susan opens up about the life-altering night she lost her father, a Los Angeles police detective, in the line of duty when she was just 17. She shares her raw, emotional journey through grief, trauma, and survival, highlighting the lack of mental health resources for law enforcement famil...