The Squad Room

Lt. Richard Goerling (ret.) of Mindful Badge is our guest today. Richard has been getting a lot of national attention since our last conversation nearly two years ago. He was even featured on the Today Show and NBC Nightly News. Richard’s work is devoted to making officers more resilient, and resilience is something we can never have too much of. Eric Greitens has an amazing book on the topic, titled, appropriately, Resilience. In it, he describes resilience as: “…the virtue that enables people to move through hardship and become better. No one escapes pain, fear, and suffering. Yet from pain can come wisdom, from fear can come courage, from suffering can come strength – if we have the virtue of resilience.” For officers, we have the burdens of any other regular human being, but we also experience the traumas of other people day in and day out. What may be the most traumatic experience to a citizen might just be your Tuesday. So, in order to avoid becoming consumed by the traumas, we must be able to learn how to navigate them. One of the key ways to do this is through mindfulness training which, yes, includes meditation. To sign up for The Squad Room mailing list, text THESQUADROOM to 44222 to get signed up, or visit us at thesquadroom.net. You can also follow us @thesquadroom and join our Facebook Group! Subscribe: Apple Podcasts  |  Android  |  RSS Feed

In this short episode, I give you my personal method for how to identify my values, the things that are most important to me. Values are tricky, and we often get weird around trying to name them and identify them. However, I guarantee that if you’re able to identify the values you prioritize, it will help you come into alignment in every other area of your life. To get the FREE worksheet to help you identify your values, just text MYOATH to 44222 and we’ll send you the PDF with the top 39 values that you likely connect with, and from that list you must choose your top picks. Special thanks to our sponsor, Ranger Up Clothing. If you love sarcastic and patriotic t-shirts as much as I do, check them out at rangerup.com and use the coupon code “thesquadroom” to get 10% off your order.

Lt. Jim Glennon is the owner of Calibre Press and lead instructor for the well-known and nationally taught course “Street Survival.” Jim retired as a lieutenant for the Lompard, IL police department moving into teaching and publishing. Lt. Glennon holds a BA in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Police Management. He is the co-author of the new edition of Street Survival, and the author of the CJ textbook Arresting Communication. On this episode we talk about the history of policing and what has and has not changed since the original Street Survival book came out; how the media has impacted our ability to do our jobs; how he found himself in the middle of a national smear campaign over his class Bulletproof Warrior; and how to develop and maintain that will to survive and so much more. To sign up for The Squad Room mailing list, text THESQUADROOM to 44222 to get signed up, or visit us at thesquadroom.net. You can also follow us @thesquadroom and join our Facebook Group! Subscribe: Apple Podcasts  |  Android  |  RSS Feed

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, Tim Kennedy, Andy Stumpf, Kelly Starrett, Tony Horton…just some of the amazing guests we’ve had in the first 99 episodes. It seems like it has taken forever to get to episode 100. In fact, it’s taken almost 4 years. I’ve been inconsistent, infrequent, behind, and distracted as a producer and host. I’ve also been, at times, laser focused, motivated, and progressing. Traver Boehm, my first guest on episode 1 (and a dozen other appearances) returns live in person for a reunion of sorts. We revisit that first episode, tell some stories, and you’ll learn about how the show started and the challenges we faced. You’ll also hear me talk veeeeery openly about the struggles I continue to endure. The fact that I’m actually in worse shape now than when the show started –  and that was the whole point of the show! (seriously, wtf!?). In a lot of ways, the experience of getting a podcast to 100 episodes is no different than trying to navigate everyday life. The podcast has certainly fallen victim to callouts, extended shifts, natural disasters, and various critical incidents that have forced my focus back onto my day job. Sometimes we fail, sometimes we succeed.  The important thing is to keep moving forward. You never really fail until you quit. I’ve failed plenty in the last 4 years, not just with the podcast but with my own health and fitness. I’ve also learned a lot, and advanced my life in other areas beyond anything I could have imagined. Many of you came to this show because you were struggling and you needed to know that you weren’t alone. You’re not. The struggle is real, but the only option we have is to get back up and try again.  

Dan Jarvis is a former law enforcement officer and combat veteran. Dan came home from his deployments and struggled to adjust to life back at home, and even though he found purpose as a cop, he struggled. Hard. Dan was literally moments away from putting the gun to his head when an unexpected sound made him stop and think for a moment. What happened next was amazing and heartbreaking, all at the same time. Dan shares that story on this episode and how his own journey and struggles led him to do some real work on himself. Dan’s new mission is helping other first responders and military veterans out of the dark whole of PTSD, depression and suicidal thoughts. Dan is the founder of 22Zero.org. His mission is to reduce the 22 veteran suicides a day to zero. A powerful goal as powerful as Dan’s personal story. Learn more at 22zero.org or on Instagram @22zero.follow.me Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS Feed ********************************************************* I want to thank our sponsors for this episode, Hard Head Veterans and Blue Line Flex. Hard Head Veterans is a veteran-owned company that employs a lot of cops and works hard to deliver top tier ballistic helmets to law enforcement at the best price possible. Check them out and use the code “squadroom” for $20 of your new lid. Blue Line Flex is a fitness apparel brand owned and operated by a fellow cop who is dedicated to raising money for police charities. They have shirts, leggings, hoodies, and protein shakers. Support a LEO-owned company that supports us!

In this short episode I’m challenging you to be more self-aware about what motivates you and inspires you to go out and do the hard work that we do. There’s a well-known saying that during a critical incident, when everything is on the line, we don’t rise to the level of our expectations but instead we fall to the level of our training. The same is true for knowing our own, deeply personal, “why.” Why are we here. Why are we doing this job. Why are we acting the way we are with our family, friends, co-workers and community. It’s about awareness. It can’t be about the paycheck. This job is too dangerous and too caustic for that. There are better paying jobs that make for an easier life. So what is it then? Knowing why you’re here helps you understand what you’re willing to fight for. If you don’t know what you’re willing to fight for, then you won’t be ready to respond when the moment comes.

“The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts.” – Marcus Aurelius We all hold assumptions about ourselves. Some of them are correct, and others are completely false. An assumption can be defined as, “a thing that is accepted as true or certain to happen, without proof.” What assumptions do you make about yourself or your circumstances? Our identity is largely built around these assumptions, and the ones that are not true are getting in our way. Identifying these false assumptions is one of the most critical steps you can take towards moving forward in your career, your life, your relationships, and every other facet of your existence. We must rid ourselves of the assumptions that are false, and we must turn the ones that are true into facts supported by proof. So how do we do that? One way is to flip the assumption into an opportunity statement. Identify where you can grow from any situation, feeling, or emotion, and use that to fuel you forward. Take a listen…

These days, if you’re involved in an foot pursuit that’s covered by the media, and you wake up the next day and realize it’s gone viral, that’s not a good thing. Luckily, for Officer Greg Parker of the Baltimore Police Department, he was blasted all over the news and social media because of solid police work that was such a display of athleticism and professionalism that everyone – even the media – stopped to applaud. Parker is the epitome of the tactical athlete. However, he wasn’t always that way and in this episode, he shares how he lost 80 pounds in under a year. Like many, he left the academy fit and healthy but the shift work and stress quickly got to him (I mean, he works in frickin’ Baltimore, people!). He ballooned to a heavy weight and became a liability to himself and his partners. One day he’d had enough and he recommitted himself to his fitness and health. It’s an amazing story of how just taking one step at a time can lead to massive results, how you don’t need a guru or a strict diet to achieve your goals, and that simply starting is the biggest hurdle of all. Check him out on Facebook or on Instagram @parker.gfitness ************************************* I want to thank our sponsors for this episode, Hard Head Veterans and Blue Line Flex. Hard Head Veterans is a veteran-owned company that employs a lot of cops and works hard to deliver top tier ballistic helmets to law enforcement at the best price possible. Check them out and use the code “squadroom” for $20 of your new lid. Blue Line Flex is a fitness apparel brand owned and operated by a fellow cop who is dedicated to raising money for police charities. They have shirts, leggings, hoodies, and protein shakers. Support a LEO-owned company that supports us!

This week we discuss a way to check in with yourself and review where you’re at in relation to where you want to go. It’s actually learned in business school but have tweaked over the years to fit my use, and I think it’ll help you too. It’s called a SWAT analysis – Strengths – Weaknesses – Advantages – Threats. It’s something I do every few months to check in with myself and see if I’ve gotten of course. It’s simple and it can really help you identify where you greatest opportunities are for improvement. Strengths – Internal characteristics that bring value to your relationship with the world around you. Weaknesses – Internal characteristics that detract from your relationship with the world around you. Advantages – External conditions or factors outside your control but that you can use to leverage your position. Threats – External conditions or factors outside your control that threaten your success or opportunities for growth. Take a listen, and let me know your thoughts and comments. Reach out to me at garrett@thesquadroom.net or @thesquadroom on Instagram or Twitter.

10-20 in cop speak (in my area) means, “what’s your location?” Goals are great. They’re important. But it’s impossible to know where to go if you don’t know where you’re coming from. When you respond to a call, your route will depend on whether you’re coming from the north, south, east, or west. You can’t begin any trip without knowing where you’re starting from. In this short Briefing Topic, I explain why it’s important to take stock of where you are so that you have a better idea of how to get where you want to go, and how to use our BADGES (Beliefs, Actions, Goals, Discipline, Emotions & Service) to guide our path. Sign up for the mailing list at thesquadroom.net or text THESQUADROOM to 44222. Follow me on Instagram @thesquadroom

Dr. Diego Hernandez is a clinical psychologist and trauma expert who focuses on wellness, human performance and and health. He frequently works with Army Special Operations and their training cadre to address the trauma rehabilitation of elite warriors. He regularly treats veterans and first responders. Dr. Hernandez is also the Clinical Director of the Accelerated Resolution Therapy Center at the University of South Florida. I began attending counseling about two years ago because of some stuff that flared up in my memory. I tell about that experience in this episode. Though I’ve taken a break from it, it’s a longer break than I intended and I expect to go back for regular “check ups” just like I do with my medical doctor. In this episode we talk about the different types of treatment available and how they differ in their approach to to resolving trauma, how Dr. Hernandez sees first responders as modern samurais living by a code that requires attention to your mental health and how we need to drop the stigma attached to it. Police suicides are seemingly at an all-time high and as often is the case, more officers died at their own hands than those killed in the line of duty. Unfortunately, statistics are poorly kept because that often doesn’t include retired officers in that total.

We need leaders. Leaders at every level and in every organization. The absolute truth is that no one else is coming, and it’s up to us to step forward and fulfill our obligations. But before you lead others, you need to be able to lead yourself. In this episode, I introduce the concept of BADGES, a way of managing your self-development that I created and have been using for some time. I spent much of 2018 testing different methodologies, reading, journaling, brainstorming and speaking with experts and I think this system can help you achieve your goals, become a better public servant, and lead to more happiness in your life. The BADGES acronym stands for BELIEFS * ACTIONS * DISCIPLINE * GOALS * EMOTIONS * SERVICE. BADGES is NOT a cure or an off-the-shelf program with answers and solutions. Frankly, it’s a lot of work. BADGES is a series of questions, thoughts, ideas and challenges that help you clarify what you want and what is a priority for you. I can’t answer those questions – no one can but you! But having clarity on where you are, and where you want to go will create powerful changes in your life if you’re willing to do the work. All of the work we try to do to improve can fall into one of these 6 points. They’re certainly broad categories but they have to be. It’s intentional, because if I made them specific, say, “Physical Fitness” for example, I’d miss out on the fact that my fitness contributes to my emotional state, my beliefs about myself, the goals I have and it demonstrates my discipline. I hope this system makes you excited to approach 2019 with excitement and enthusiasm for what’s to come for you and your loved ones. In 2019, we’ll be exploring each aspect of BADGES in-depth; through podcast episodes, discussions in the Facebook group, emails, and even some live webinars. I’m excited to share this idea with all of you. To get signed up for the mailing list, visit thesquadroom.net or text THESQUADROOM to 44222 on your phone. To join the FB group, click here or search The Squad Room Podcast Group and request to join.

When Brad Thomas’ music career didn’t take off out of high school he choose the next most obvious career path. He enlisted in the Army with a Ranger contract with the goal of making it into the elite and secretive special operations force known as Delta Force. Brad spent several years in the Rangers and was heavily involved in the Battle of Moghadishu, a battle so massive and significant in modern U.S. war fighting history that the story was made into the book and movie Black Hawk Down. Brad eventually moved on to Delta Force selection and spent 12 years in “The Unit” before retiring. In this episode, I share my history working in the music industry before public service and tell a funny story about how one of Brad’s closest friends was one of the first artists I tried to sign to a record label. What impressed me about Brad, and why I wanted to have him on the show, was that he’s a great example of a few characteristics that I try to emulate. Most importantly, he never shied away from change or the fear of the unknown. In fact, he often left behind things that he loved in order to elevate his own level of excellence. He never settled for being good, he wanted to be great. Check out his new band Silence and Light on Instagram @silence_and_Light_Official

Aussie cop Shaun O’Gorman returns with some strategic actions you can take to identify, manage, and most importantly, use the traumatic experiences we all deal with. Shaun was a K9 officer who never let off the gas pedal for his entire career. It wasn’t until he stood on the ledge of a 26th floor balcony trying to build up the courage to jump that he realized what has happened. Listen to episode 64 for his story through PTSD and his recovery. Retired now, Shaun travels around Australia teaching officers about the warning signs, and how to manage this career that can be incredibly rewarding, but also incredibly corrosive. In this episode, Shaun shares his “5 Practical Keys to Long-Term Success.” Shaun has his own podcast, The Strong Life Project which I highly recommend. Learn more at thestronglifeproject.com. This is where you can get the free PDF of his presentation that he gives down under (sorry, I couldn’t help myself). Instagram @thestronglifeproject Follow me on Twitter and IG @thesquadroom Sign up for my mailing list by texting thesquadroom to 44222 from your phone, or visit thesquadroom.net. Watch my TED talk ********** Special thanks to Hard Head Veterans (@hard_head_veterans) and Blue Line Flex (@bluelineflex) for their support of the podcast. Please check them out and tell them we sent you.

Last week, Nike managed to piss off approximately 50% of the country with their new ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick. In this Briefing Topic episode, I share my opinion on the whole event and explain why you should not care about this, or waste one second of your time upset about it. Please support our sponsors. Visit HardHeadVeterans.com to check out their ballistic helmets and BlueLineFlex.com for workout apparel. Both employee and are founded by either LEOs or military personnel and both give back to LE charities. Follow me on Instagram @thesquadroom and if you have a comment about the show, post it to our Facebook group.