We throw the word professional around a lot in the fire service. But are we truly approaching the job with a professional mindset? In this episode, we explore the transition from amateur to professional—what it takes, what it really means, and how to apply those lessons on and off the job. Inspired by The Way of the Champion by Paul Rabil, we break down the mindset shifts that separate those who show up from those who excel . What You’ll Learn: 🔥 The difference between getting paid and thinking...
Feb 05, 2025•10 min
What happens when we stop focusing just on the job and start taking care of the person behind the gear? This week’s podcast answers that question in a big way. I sat down with Kory Pearn , firefighter and founder of Crackyl Magazine , to talk about building resilient firefighters and tackling the challenges that impact us beyond the calls. Kory’s got an incredible story—one shaped by health scares, years in the fire service, and a mission to put firefighters first. 🔥 Here’s what we dive into: T...
Dec 18, 2024•53 min
Join us as we dive into the world of training, leadership, and resilience with Captain Danielle Landholm of the Omaha Fire Department. Dani brings a wealth of experience, from her beginnings as a volunteer firefighter to leading innovative changes in fire academies. She’s a trailblazer in cultivating meaningful training experiences that focus not just on skill but also on building resilient, well-rounded firefighters. 🔥 Here’s what we cover in this episode: The Journey of Leadership: Dani’s sto...
Dec 11, 2024•59 min
How do you revolutionize wellness in the fire service? You listen, you lead, and you start small but think big. In this episode, we sit down with Christian Macklin, Health and Wellbeing Officer at South Metro Fire Department. Christian’s journey from a light-duty assignment to leading one of the most innovative wellness programs in the country is nothing short of inspiring. Whether you're a line firefighter, officer, or chief, there’s something in this episode for you. Here’s what we dive into: ...
Dec 04, 2024•1 hr 2 min
In this powerful episode of the Firefighter Craftsmanship Podcast , we sit down with Jay Bettencourt, company officer from Asheville, North Carolina, instructor, and founder of the Resilient Mind Program. Jay shares how a life-altering line-of-duty death early in his career shaped his approach to training, resilience, and mindfulness. Together, we explore the psychology of high performance in the fire service and how firefighters can thrive under pressure. From Survival to Thriving: Jay recounts...
Nov 27, 2024•1 hr 12 min
It's our one year anniversary of the Firefighter Craftsmanship Podcast and to celebrate we have a very special topic and guest to share with you. This week we speak with former professional baseball pitcher and retired firefighter Doug McGraw on how to show up strong, serve well, and finish strong. Doug has been an instrumental part of my human performance journey and without his guidance, ecouragement, and mentorship over the years, Firefighter Craftsmanship would not be a thing. In this episod...
Nov 20, 2024•1 hr 29 min
In this episode of the Firefighter Craftsmanship Podcast , we dive into how creativity can transform the fire service by building a culture rooted in high performance and genuine engagement. Creativity is often seen as an afterthought in a field focused on discipline, protocols, and safety. But what if tapping into our creative potential could enhance individual and team performance, job satisfaction, and overall well-being? We explore the following key topics: 1. Self-Determination Theory and M...
Nov 13, 2024•20 min
How good are you at actually choosing your response? Is it an intentional choice or is it more of a reaction that you just kind of muddle through? This week on the Firefighter Craftsmanship Podcast we continue our deep dive in how to build your firefighter resilience through intentional training. Division Chief Dave Gillespie helps us connect some dots and gives us some great and simple to implement techniques and processes to help make our response an attainable thing. In this episode we cover:...
Nov 06, 2024•1 hr 14 min
We hear a lot about how we get to choose our mindsets and how we should see the good in everything and every situation we're involved in. That's all great but is it reality? This week on the Firefighter Craftsmanship Podcast we have the honor of speaking with Jeremy Sanders of Crew 1st Culture and we dive deep into how things like the growth mindset and separating from the negativity actually work. This is a conversation you aren't going to want to miss. In this episode we cover: Why having foun...
Oct 30, 2024•1 hr 11 min
Want a free resource that you already have harnessed and built into you physiology, psychology and biology? One that can amp you up or slow you down and can absolutely help you CRUSH your goals, expand your mental toughness, and grow your resilience? This week on the Firefighter Craftsmanship Podcast we have the honor of speaking with Matteo Pistono and expand on his recent book "Breathe How You Want to Feel" and learn some actionable tools that you have access to right at this exact moment. Thi...
Oct 23, 2024•1 hr 20 min
We gain a lot of value when you search for resources and information from outside of your sphere of influence and outside of your industry. One great and relevant resource for us in emergency services is the world of business and specifically entrepreneurship. One of our favorite books here at Firefighter Craftsmanship is by Seth Godin titled Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? This week on the Firefighter Craftsmanship Podcast we dive into some highlights from this fantastic resource and learn fro...
Oct 16, 2024•17 min
We in emergency services want to solve problems. This applies on way more than just 911 calls and sometimes we have to try and solve problems with ourselves or a member of our crew. At times we can notice something is "off" with ourselves or one of our crew members and maybe we chalk it up to disengagement, sleep deprivation, or just having a bad day. What happens if this bad day turns into a bad week, month or a bad few years? This week on the Firefighter Craftsmanship Podcast we have the honor...
Oct 09, 2024•1 hr 9 min
There is a lot of great conversations happening about mental health in emergency services. Unfortunately some of these conversations are ignoring that the 911 calls might not be the root cause of our current challenges and fail to acknowledge that organizations play a massive part in their employee's overall wellness. This week on the Firefighter Craftsmanship Podcast we have the honor of speaking with Battalion Chief Dena Ali and dive deep into some of the lived realities that we need to addres...
Oct 02, 2024•1 hr 8 min
Nitric Oxide (NO) is a super power gas that we actually produce on our own through normal respiration. This cool gas was initially though of as a toxin but in 1998 won a Nobel Prize for its role in cardiovascular health. This week on the Firefighter Craftsmanship Podcast we dive into how nitric oxide can calm you down, help you do more work on the emergency scene, help you reintegrate into your off-job life easier and even help you to eliminate a runny nose! In this episode we cover: What is nit...
Sep 25, 2024•12 min
Did you know you can actually get tougher by humming a song? It's true and hilariously enough there's actually quite a bit of research to support my claim. This week on the Firefighter Craftsmanship Podcast we dive into how humming can increase your vagal tone (aka make you tougher), help you have higher quality days off with your family, and how this technique is commonly taught in fire academies across the country. In this episode we cover: What is vagal tone and why do we want to increase it?...
Sep 18, 2024•17 min
Today marks the 23rd anniversary since the attacks on the United States of America on 9/11. It also marks the greatest rescue in the history of emergency service with over 20,000 people saved. For some of us this event was the catalyst to get into emergency services. For others of us we might have been too young to remember that fateful day. This week on the Firefighter Craftsmanship Podcast we pause to reflect on the sacrifice and the lives lost on 9/11/2001 and to pay homage to them and celebr...
Sep 11, 2024•6 min
Most of us got into emergency services for a reason. Do you remember what your's was? If I was to guess it was probably grounded in some version of "I want to help people" as the foundational element. Do you still feel this way? Has the purpose for you changed over time? Has it gotten stronger or maybe morphed into some other version? This week on the Firefighter Craftsmanship we dive into a psychological concept of high performers that looks at how can we sustain the "passion" and build helathy...
Sep 04, 2024•16 min
Creating relevant training in emergency services is paramount to success on an actual call. But are we actually doing a good job of replicating the real world environment? How do we balance safety standards with prepping ourselves and our people to actually be ready? Are we overloading ourselves and our students and therefore missing the mark when it comes to training? This week on the Firefighter Craftsmanship we speak with Captain Ian Bennett of Seattle Fire Department & West Coast Fire Tr...
Aug 28, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Is Wellness the new buzzword that sounds cool but is so watered down its losing its punch? We all know it's important but what are the actual parts and pieces that make up wellness and how do we work towards them both personally and organizationally? This week on the Firefighter Craftsmanship we speak with Captain Jesse Clark of Boise Fire Department who has worked through some significant challenges and has chosen to thrive vs just survive with a career in emergency services and off the job. In...
Aug 21, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Operations is a term that all of us in emergency services are very familiar with. But have you ever heard of an operational psychologist? This special group of highly trained individuals might be the key for you personally and for your organization to take all aspects of what you do to a whole new level. This week on the Firefighter Craftsmanship we speak with Dr. Barb Thompson and dive into some really important parts and pieces as we all try and get a little bit better every single day. In thi...
Aug 14, 2024•55 min
Mental toughness is always a focus for emergency responders. How do you build more of it? How can you be more resilient in response to the demands of the job? What are the principles that lead to healthy, happy and strong people both on and off the job? This week's Firefighter Craftsmanship podcast dives into the psychological theory of self efficacy and how you can use it to catapult not only your mental resilience but also build high performing teams using its frameworks. In this episode we co...
Aug 07, 2024•21 min
There's a lot of information out there about sleep! As an emergency responder it is tough to figure out how it all applies to you and your specific situation. Especially if you work shifts. This week's Firefighter Craftsmanship podcast features Dr. Mark Petrun a longtime pulmonologist with a specialty in sleep medicine who's been involved in the sleep conversation since the early 1980's! Along with having many shift working emergency responder patients over the years, Dr. Petrun's son is an engi...
Jul 31, 2024•52 min
We hear a lot about how technology negatively impacts our performance and sleep. Especially blue light from screens before bedtime. Is there a way that we can we use technology to tap into our biology, physiology and psychology to help us become ultimate performers? This week's Firefighter Craftsmanship podcast features Jason Suntych from XTI and he and his team are doing some tremendous work using PAWS (Pulse Alternating Wavelength System) technology to help you as a first responder get healthy...
Jul 24, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Are you aware of the foundational basics of sleep and how a simple understanding of things like the 4 sleep cycles can impact your overall human performance as an emergency responder? This week's Firefighter Craftsmanship podcast talks dives into an easy to digest foundation of the basics! In this episode we cover: the 4 Sleep cycles and Why it's important we understand them How does alcohol play into sleep and does it actually help you sleep better? Why becoming aware of your routines related t...
Jul 17, 2024•24 min
Are you sleeping a full 7-9 hours a night (probably when you’re not on shift if you’re a firefighter) but still waking up feeling less than refreshed? Do you toss and turn at night, or wake up with a dry mouth every time? Have you ever gotten smacked because you snore? This week's Firefighter Craftsmanship podcast talks about a possible intervention using a small piece of tape that might be a game changer for your rest and recovery both on and off the job In this episode we cover: Mouth tape? Ar...
Jul 10, 2024•27 min
Ever have a hard time winding down and falling asleep when at home? How about when you're at work and run a late night call or calls and just can't fall back asleep? Yea...Me too! But I have found a practice that has really helped not only my sleep but literally hundreds of other emergency responders. And the best part is it costs $0. Resources mentioned in this episode: Episode 16: Reframing Performance, Neuro Nidra, and Connection for Success with Emily Hightower Episode 31: Resilience...
Jul 03, 2024•16 min
Resilience to the stressors of the job as a first responder can be tough. But so can the stressors of just being a human. Some of this stress is good and our reactions to it are a completely natural and appropriate response from our autonomic nervous system. Other stressors can be a detriment to our overall performance both at work and off duty. This week's Firefighter Craftsmanship podcast features Olivia Mead from Yoga For First Responders and she brings a unique approach to that thing called ...
Jun 26, 2024•1 hr 18 min
Firefighters work in environments that require the use of a finite air supply through their SCBA. Being efficient, conditioned, and resilient to all kinds of factors is extremely important for a host of reasons but one is due to this limited air supply. This is one reason why CO2 tolerance is so important but it's certainly not exclusive to firefighters! CO2 tolerance is equated to tolerance to stress overall. Check out this weeks Firefighter Craftsmanship Podcast episode that dives into a worki...
Jun 19, 2024•17 min
Planning firefighter training can be really tough. Keeping the crew and yourself engaged is sometimes a struggle and it’s easier at times just to wing it. However, winging it usually leads to unfocused actions and just doing the same thing over an over. Is there a concept out there that we can use to develop and plan relevant, useful and fun training?! In this episode we cover: What is Periodization and how can we apply it to basic skills training? The three main components of periodization and ...
Jun 12, 2024•15 min
Have you ever felt completely overextended in work or your personal life? How much of this was because of choices or opportunities that were presented to you that may seem great at the beginning but in time proved to not meet your intended goals or outcomes? This week's Firefighter Craftsmanship podcast we dive back into the fantastic Jim Collins book titled Good to Great and specifically look a the Hedgehog concept. In this episode we cover: What is the Hedgehog concept and why is it filled wit...
Jun 05, 2024•23 min
