Forge Resilience Podcast

Forge Resilience Podcast

We are a podcast dedicated to helping first responders and their families build resilience!

Episodes

Don't Defund Fire: Learn the facts

July 25, 2024 • 43 mins

Unlock the secrets behind the complexities of local politics in Pflugerville, Texas. This episode of the Forge Resilience podcast reveals the critical funding challenges facing the Pflugerville Fire Department, also known as Travis County ESD  2. Discover how a vacated sales tax from Austin Transit shaped the department's growth and operations in a rapidly expanding city. We honor the pivotal contributions of former fire chief...

Mark as Played
Transcript

David Berez: Living a Life with Purpose

December 2, 2023 • 47 mins

In this episode we were honored to interview David Berez. David retired as a Police Officer on January 1, 2020. Since retirement he has formed Six 4 Consultants LLC and works as a Public Safety Consultant and Master Resiliency Trainer.

In this episode Dave shares his story tells us how one phone call from his son kept him from making the decision to end his life. Starting his work in public safety at the age of 14, as a v...

Mark as Played

Chief Joel Rivera, Ph.D.: Building Resilience & Mental Health in Law Enforcement

August 30, 2023 • 59 mins
In this episode, we explore the remarkable journey and innovative initiatives of Chief Joel Rivera who has not only achieved personal milestones like completing a Ph.D. and running marathons but has also become the Chief of Police in Weslaco, Texas. He has transformed his department by implementing a model resilience and mental health program.Episode Highlights:Personal Journey to Leadership: Chief Rivera's career trajectory, ...
Mark as Played

Joe Collins: Creating a mind-shift with a gratitude practice!

March 3, 2022 • 39 mins
In this podcast we talked to Joe Collins. Joe retired from law enforcement after 35 years of dedicated service. He served as Chief of Police in Two Rivers, Wisconsin since 2005. He has since moved to the Houston Texas area and he and his wife Colleen are enjoying the warm Texas weather! Joe is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, session 236.He currently serves as the Public Safety Liaison for Acadia Healthcare where he advo...
Mark as Played

Chief William "Bill" Lattimore: Telling our story can change first responder culture

October 10, 2021 • 52 mins
Chief Lattimore's story made us want to start podcasting again! A 27 year law enforcement veteran from a small police department near Houston, Texas that has been through multiple critical incidents walks us through his experience of dealing with trauma on his own (shoving it down) and how he made the decision to get the help he needed and deserved so he could truly LIVE. Chief Lattimore's story is both inspiring and help...
Mark as Played

#16 Chief Jessica Robledo On Leadership And Passion

June 10, 2020 • 50 mins
In this podcast we talked with Jessica Robledo, Chief of the Pflugerville Police Department. She retired from Austin Police Department after a distinguished 30 year career before her arrival in Pflugerville in 2017. In this podcast she talks about leadership and tells about her traumatic childhood and difficult experiences early in life that made her the strong and resilient leader she is today. Chief Robledo has a servant's...
Mark as Played

#15 Shawn And Jeff Thomas: 1st Responder Conferences from vision to reality

May 4, 2020 • 55 mins
In this podcast we interviewed Shawn & Jeff Thomas, a dual law enforcement couple from King County Sherriff's Department that is on a mission to help First Responders normalize mental health issues and access resources when they need them most. After going through their own personal struggles and growth they decided to fill a void and create a conference platform that not only links first responders with resources but a...
Mark as Played

#14 LTC Grossman On Sheepdogs, Sleep And Sacrifice

April 5, 2020 • 64 mins
Lt. Col Dave Grossman has been on the road for more than 200 days a year since he retired from the US Army. He relentlessly works to support the US military and first responders through speaking engagements and his books. In this podcast we were honored to have him talk to us about the sheepdog philosophy, resiliency, sleep, and the importance of spirituality. All of LTC Grossman's books can be found on Amazon through this li...
Mark as Played

#13 LTC David Grossman's thoughts on the COVID- 19 pandemic

March 29, 2020 • 12 mins
LTC Dave Grossman is a prolific author and speaker and coined the "Sheepdog" philosophy that most military and first responders are familiar with. He is one of the greatest trainers in military science and psychology of our time. LTC Grossman is an Army Ranger, paratrooper, and taught Psychology at West Point. He is a best selling author with four books and two children's books currently available. His newest book &q...
Mark as Played

#12 Bryce Wellman: Route 91 Las Vegas massacre, a story of surthrival

March 27, 2020 • 46 mins
On October 1st, 2017, Bryce Wellman went from enjoying a concert in his home-town of Las Vegas to suddenly having to take cover to as bullets ripped into the crowd. Bryce shares his story of survival- from terror to thriving and helping others. Bryce is a dispatcher at the Cedar Park Police Department and is committed to helping his community, Police Officers, and fellow dispatchers.
Mark as Played

#11 First Responder Fitness: Care about people and deadlift! featuring Vanessa Frost-Piedrahita

February 23, 2020 • 71 mins
In this episode we talked to Vanessa Frost-Piedrahita, the Fitness and Wellness Coordinator for the Pflugerville Fire Department. Vanessa came to Pflugerville from a Division 1 Strength Coaching position and has built a program that is dynamic and holistic. She has an uncanny ability to make the complex simple and to connect with people. If you want to connect with Vanessa directly here is her info:vfrost@pflugervillefire.org Insta...
Mark as Played

#10 Chronic Pain Discussion with Dr. Vincent Pham And Rachel Roselli

October 13, 2019 • 57 mins
In this episode, we had the opportunity to talk with two engaging and insightful people, Dr. Vicent Pham, a doctor who specializes in chronic pain and works at the VA hospital in Austin, Texas and his girlfriend, Rachel Roselli, who is a professional graphics designer and Star Wars expert! They are passionate about rock climbing, traveling, and helping people live a healthier life. You can follow Dr. Pham on Instagram @vincentqpha...
Mark as Played

#9 Shame Triggers: It would be a shame to not know this!

September 29, 2019 • 19 mins
In this podcast we discuss how shame can affect you and your relationships without you even knowing it. Being able to identify the things that trigger shame in you and your loved one can help build a strong and stable relationship. For more on this topic please watch Brene Brown's TED Talk on this topic: https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_listening_to_shame/transcript?language=en Also, here's a link to a great artic...
Mark as Played

#8 Joe Maranowicz And Tony Barthuly

September 15, 2019 • 30 mins
I had the great honor of co-facilitating a resilience course with these two incredible people in Rapid City, South Dakota. Joe Maranowicz and Tony Barthuly are both inspiring, honest, and committed to improving the lives of police officers through resilience training.Joe Maranowicz is a Deputy Chief with Addison Police Department, a suburb of Chicago, and has been serving within his department since January 2000. Deputy Chief Ma...
Mark as Played

#7: Family Talks Technology

August 17, 2019 • 9 mins
In this brief episode we are talking with our family about technology and communication.
Mark as Played

#6: Steve Cummings

July 13, 2019 • 58 mins
In this podcast we sat down with Steve Cummings and his fiance, Gina Shiotani. Steve talks about his experience in the 173rd Airborne Infantry including his deployment to Afghanistan. He will also discuss the resilience strategies he found to be most effective post combat and in life.
Mark as Played

#5: John Chacon

July 13, 2019 • 25 mins
Chief Master Sergeant John "JC" Chacon, and his wife Brandi, join the show to talk about how he integrates resilience in his life and Air Force career.In this episode we discuss how JC has used resilience skills to get him through his challenges post deployment and also the work he has done to promote wellness for first responders across the country. JC is the sheepdog's sheepdog!
Mark as Played

# 4: Travis Cox

May 17, 2019 • 56 mins
This week we sat down with Travis Cox, a veteran turned strength and conditioning coach for the San Antonio Spurs, turned business executive. Travis got real with us as they discussed how mentors, connections to the veteran community, his faith, and his work with non profit organizations has helped him to thrive. He served 8 years in the Reconnaissance community. If you are unfamiliar with what that means, which is an elite sp...
Mark as Played

#3 Chris & Lacy discuss the 5 Love Languages

April 6, 2019 • 14 mins
In this episode we discuss one of the strategies that we credit for our happy marriage for the past 15 years, the 5 Love Languages.
Mark as Played

#2: Greg Stevens, Part 2

March 24, 2019 • 22 mins
In part 2, Greg Stevens discusses how he dealt with 40 years of being a patrol officer, addressing trauma, and the importance of having a strong support network.
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Crime Junkie

    Crime Junkie

    Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

    24/7 News: The Latest

    24/7 News: The Latest

    The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

    Stuff You Should Know

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    The Bobby Bones Show

    The Bobby Bones Show

    Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.

    Latino USA

    Latino USA

    Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S. centering Latino stories, hosted by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Maria Hinojosa Every week, the Peabody winning team brings you revealing, in-depth stories about what’s in the hearts and minds of Latinos and their impact on the world. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts. www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

Explore

iHeart

Live Radio

Podcasts

Artist Radio

Exclusives

News

Features

Events

Contests

Photos

Information

About

Advertise

Blog

Brand Guidelines

Contest Guidelines

Subscription Offers

Jobs

Get the App

Automotive

Home

Mobile

Wearables

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.