Shawn is the founder of 1st Responder Conferences and a retired deputy from the King County Sheriff’s Office in Seattle, WA. Shawn retired in 2022 after 25 years of service as a Wellness and Resiliency Detective and a therapy K9 handler.  During her career, Shawn worked patrol, as an undercover detective, a detective in the warrant unit, transit patrol and as an explosive K9 handler. She was also on the peer support team for 16 years and was a team leader for several years At their conferences, they are dedicated to promoting awareness surrounding the difficulties of the profession and in ..read more

On April 10, 2012, United States Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills of the 82nd Airborne was critically injured on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan by an IED (improvised explosive device) while on patrol, losing portions of both legs and both arms. He is one of only five quadruple amputees from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to survive his injuries. Travis describes himself as a recalibrated warrior and he’s also a motivational speaker, actor, author and an advocate for veterans and amputees. Travis is also the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir, Tough as They Come, and his n ..read more

Travis Gribble is a 24-year law enforcement veteran and founder of My Arena. Travis spent 11 years at a Sheriff’s Office in Michigan before lateralling to a large agency in Arizona where he worked as a patrol officer, patrol sergeant, and as a SWAT assistant team leader and SWAT sergeant.  In 2016, Travis experienced a call that would change his life forever. He shares the story of that call with us today. In 2021, Travis sought and was awarded a Post-Traumatic Stress Injury medical retirement. A short time later, he was asked to share about his experience and he hasn’t stopped sharing it ..read more

Did you know that 15% of men say they have no close friends? None. 53% of women say they feel lonely at work. 17% of the general population say they routinely experience deep loneliness. What’s scary is loneliness is linked to our longevity and health. Going through life lonely is the equivalent of smoking nearly a pack a day.  Now, that’s not specific to first responders. Add in rotating shifts, working weekends, the hypervigilance roller coaster, and our physiological reactions to job stress and I think it’s safe to say that many cops – whether they admit it or not – are very lonely.&nb ..read more

Sabrina Reich is a 19-year police leader of a large university police department in California. She’s also a wife, and mom of two, focused on sharing leadership tips and lessons learned for a better life. Sabrina is building a movement of courageous leaders through enabling strong trust and partnerships because communities deserve to be safe. In this episode, Sabrina shares her journey towards becoming anti-fragile by facing fear head on in her own personal development. It began when she was 10 years old and her home was broken into while the family slept. As the catalyst towards her career in ..read more

On October 1, 2017, Sergeant Josh Bitsko found himself on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel, about to confront the deadliest killer in U.S. history. Through a weird combination of fate and initiative, Josh found himself leading the assault team of only four officers against a heavily fortified and well-organized murderer. Only six weeks later, a suspect held a gun to his head during a fight. Soon after that, his wife told him she wanted a divorce, his brother committed suicide and he lost his dad to cancer.  But Josh’s story isn’t a sob story. It isn’t a depressing story. It isn’t ..read more

Oftentimes, it’s the minor things that can set us off and send us spiraling out of control, handing over our sovereignty to anxiety and anger. Getting cut off in traffic, waiting in long lines… A bad haircut can be one of those things.  In this episode I share the story of how a hair stylist (that’s being generous) took to my head as if storming the beaches of Normandy, and how it gave me the opportunity to practice the BADGES model of self-awareness to keep me calm, centered, and here laughing about it.  Are you struggling with losing control over something as simple as a haircut? H ..read more

In this episode, I share the story of how I realized something was really wrong with me and how the job was changing me in all the wrong ways. Plus, I share details on our men’s retreat for current, former, and retired first responders and military veterans.  Join us in the mountains outside Denver, Colorado November 9 – 12th for a special four days men’s retreat for first responders and veterans. Any current, former, or retired cop, firefighter, dispatcher, or custody professional can join us along with any current or former military personnel.  Use the coupon code SQUADROOM to get ..read more

Dave Boyd is the President of UNcivilized Inc, a men’s coach, a workshop facilitator, a husband, a father, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, an ex-MMA fighter, a CrossFit coach, and a former first responder who served as a firefighter, a 911 telecommunicator, and lastly as a local law enforcement officer with nearly 20 years of combined service. In this episode, we cover a wide variety of topics and you’ll learn: The crazy call that eventually caused him to hang up the gun belt. How we became friends years ago as a result of this podcast How Dave managed the stress of multiple ..read more

In this short episode I share the story of my chance to meet Eddie Van Halen…and how I screwed it up. But that screw up led to one of my favorite conversations ever – with a Rock God no less. If you’re looking for a little extra joy in your life, sign up for Tactical Tuesdays, a FREE weekly email where we bring you a few tactics, tips and strategies to help you succeed in the week ahead. It may be about a book I want to share, gear I’ve found useful, an inspiring quote, or anything else I think you’d like. To sign up for the Tactical Tuesdays email list, you can visit thesquadroom.net/tactical ..read more