The Protectors® with Jason Piccolo
The original The Protectors® podcast, established in 2019, is about great conversations with interesting people, from veterans and leaders to athletes, entrepreneurs, and authors. Hosted by retired federal agent, U.S. Army veteran (OIF 2006), and author Dr. Jason Piccolo, the show explores the paths that shaped each guest and what they've learned along the way. Many episodes also go behind the scenes with writers, from debut novelists to New York Times bestsellers, on the stories behind their books. Honest, curious, and unscripted, these are the kinds of conversations you'll want to hear all the way through.
Episodes
We talk with Dirk Cussler about the real pressures behind writing adventure fiction, especially when you inherit a hero readers have loved for decades. We also dig into how history, shipwreck research, and real NUMA expeditions shape Obsidian Sky and the Dirk Pitt series.
Make sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo
We sit down with SOF veteran and author Alex Dekker to talk about his debut novel Desert Heist and why it grabs us fast with real tradecraft, real history, and a protagonist you can’t stop following.
Make sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo
We talk with the co-authors of Beyond Honor about breaking into the spy thriller world and nailing the details that readers love to fact-check. We dig into their research, their co-writing process, and the moral gray areas that drive their CIA characters past the point of easy choices.
Make sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo
We talk with Todd Fox about what tour security and executive protection really demand, from detailed advances and site surveys to building global teams that can execute under pressure. We also dig into why backstage passes and “all-access” laminates can create the very risks they’re supposed to prevent, and what a smarter credentialing system looks like. You can find Todd's book at www.tourprotection.com
We sit down with crime thriller author Peter James to talk about why research is the secret ingredient that makes a story feel real and why smart readers can spot shortcuts fast. Peter shares how a single burglary led to lifelong police friendships, the creation of Roy Grace, and the kind of access that changes how you write every scene.
Make sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo
Jason Allison is a writer and former detective who spent twenty years with the NYPD. His award-winning fiction has appeared in journals and anthologies. THE KILLING YARDS is his first novel.
Make sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo
We catch up with New York Times bestselling author Alma Katsu on her new novel, Incarnate, a modern reimagining of The Picture of Dorian Gray that explores AI, identity, beauty, and the darker side of our digital lives. We also talk about her path from a 30+ year career in intelligence at the CIA and NSA to becoming an award-winning author, and how that experience shapes the stories she tells.
Make sure t...
We catch up with Jack Stewart on the leap from Navy fighter pilot to high-output thriller author and what it takes to earn a seat in the Tom Clancy universe.
Make sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo
We catch up with indie author Eric Bishop on how he's built a growing thriller catalog — nearly 10 books deep — while working a full-time job and doing everything himself. We talk the real tipping point that got The Body Man written, why he chose the indie route over traditional publishing, the writing routine (or lack of one) that keeps him producing, and his new release, Downfall. Along the way we get into live music,...
We catch up with director William Kaufman on how he keeps his action films grounded in real tactics while still making audiences care about the people on screen. We talk New Orleans as a home base, Man Of War as his latest swing, and the teams and habits that make lower budget filmmaking hit like a bigger box office movie.
Make sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo
We sit down with our friend Garrett to talk through a real 24-year CIA career and why it looks nothing like the movie version people expect. We also unpack what happens after retirement and how intelligence tradecraft can translate into business intelligence, networking, and travel security.
Make sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo
We talk with Ward about moving from A-10 fighter pilot life to airline flying and then into a full-time career as a thriller author. We dig into what it takes to write authentic military fiction and how he handles the pressure of writing in the Tom Clancy Jack Ryan universe.
Make sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo
We catch up with Doug Brunt on the leap from cybersecurity CEO to full-time author and the surprising pressures that come with building a second-act career. We also dig into his research-driven storytelling on Emmanuel Nobel and how power can erase people from history.
Make sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo
The ticking clock. The pressure to keep sprinting like you're 30. The moment you realize your resume isn't your identity. Brad and I get into all of it — legacy as parents, discipline that shifts from external rules to internal standards, and what it actually means to build a creative career that depends on self-direction.
We also get honest about fitness after 50: staying consistent, adapting, and respecting recovery when old...
We dig into Royal Diamonds, the real mechanics of self-publishing, and what it takes to build a writing career from scratch.
Jack's a retired Army colonel who treats writing like discipline — wide reading (Clancy, Griffin, Cussler, Carr, Taylor), professional editing, repeatable process. Then we open the hood on indie publishing as a business: LLCs, cover design, Amazon, marketing. Writing the book is one part. The rest is ope...
After 536 conversations on Protectors, one thing keeps showing up: every guest has a moment where life demands a pivot. Not always a catastrophe, not always a dramatic turning point — but a real shift where career, identity, or purpose has to change direction.
We're still bringing incredible guests, still keeping it human, but we're done glossing over the most meaningful part of the story. We dig into how people recognize the ...
Make sure to check out Jason on IG @drjasonpiccolo
• The powerful impact of peer pressure in drinking culture, especially among first responders
• How alcohol addiction can become intertwined with personal identity and social connection
• The physiological effects of alcohol consumption including weight gain, poor sleep, and depression
• Nick's journey from losing his police career due to drinking to becoming a licensed mental health professional
• Frank's experience ma...
Tom Young joins the Protectors podcast to discuss his ninth novel and third World War II standalone work, "The Mapmaker," which explores the dangerous operations of the French Resistance.
• The novel follows Charlotte Deneau, a French-American woman who uses her artistic skills to create maps of German positions for the Resistance
• Charlotte becomes hunted by the Gestapo for her exceptional mapping abilities
• The sec...
We often limit ourselves by age, thinking our best contributions are behind us, but life offers multiple opportunities for reinvention regardless of your current age or stage.
• Different versions of ourselves emerge throughout life's journey – from career phases to parenthood to retirement
• Finding your "why" creates the foundation for discipline when motivation inevitably fades
• Consistency matters more than ...
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