2022 marks the 110th anniversary of the Equitable Building Fire in New York City. On January 9, 2012, the Equitable Life Assurance Building located in Manhattan’s Financial District caught fire after a match was carelessly thrown into a trash can. Within minutes, almost the entire building was engulfed in fire. Outside, the wind was howling at nearly 40 miles per hour–with gusts of up to almost 70 miles per hour–making the already below freezing temperatures even colder. At the time, no other pr...
Jan 13, 2022•58 min•Ep. 77
In this episode, host Patti Murphy is joined by LUF Founder Jason Brezler and LUF’s Human Performance Advisor James McNamara. If you’re tuning into this podcast for the first time, you can listen to episodes no. 5 and 12 to learn more about each of them. Since this is our year in review episode, the team covers a lot in just a short amount of time. 2021 seems to have been a long, divisive year where we endured another 12 months of a global pandemic with impeding COVID-19 mandates, witnessed Amer...
Dec 30, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 76
Commander David Sears (Ret) served twenty years of active military duty as a US Navy SEAL officer. He served on multiple east coast SEAL Teams, Naval Special Warfare Development Group, various Joint Commands, and Headquarters United States Special Operations Command. Commander Sears has participated in a number of conflicts and contingency operations in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. He is a graduate of Boston University and the Naval Postgraduate School, earning a Master of Science in...
Dec 16, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 75
In this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast we welcome back to the show renowned clinical psychologist and breathing expert Dr. Belisa Vranich. Since we last featured her on the podcast in early 2019, Dr. Vranich has expanded her work with athletes and first responders and has published a new book titled Breathing for Warriors. In the previous episode, we unpacked Belisa’s groundbreaking research and daily workout that helped our bodies relearn the proper wa...
Dec 02, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 74
This episode of the Optimizing Human Performance Podcast is hosted by Leadership Under Fire Founder Jason Brezler. Our guest is Shuan Cullen, a native New Yorker who graduated from Iona College in 2001 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and International Business. He played Division 1 water polo and swam for the Gaels while attending Iona. Upon graduation, Shaun went to work for Goldman Sachs in August of 2001. He left Goldman in August of 2002 to take an EMT course and joined...
Nov 18, 2021•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 73
This is the second and final installment of our second Virtual Fireside Chat. The conversation affords seasoned leaders the opportunity to candidly reflect on leadership lessons and human performance principles resulting from the many wins and losses they’ve experienced. This conversation is hosted by LUF Senior Man Jim McNamara and features FDNY retired Deputy Chief Joseph DiBernardo and retired Captain Louis Andrade. If you haven’t listened to Part I, we strongly suggest you go back and listen...
Nov 04, 2021•50 min•Ep. 72
Leadership Under Fire Human Performance Data Analyst Timothy Clarke guest hosts this episode of the Optimizing Human Performance Podcast featuring Brad Snyder. Brad is a multi-time Paralympic Gold Medalist in swimming and triathlon. In September 2011, while serving in the US Navy, Brad stepped on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan rendering him completely blind. It wasn’t long before Brad found a new purpose and dedicated himself to competing at the 2012 London Paralympics the followi...
Oct 21, 2021•50 min•Ep. 71
This episode is part one of two, and is a recording of a live event. The “Fireside Chat” has become a staple of Leadership Under Fire leadership development and human performance resident programs. In early 2021, the LUF Team decided to launch a Virtual Fireside Chat series where LUF Senior Man Jim McNamara hosts candid conversations with seasoned leaders and human performance thought leaders. Leadership Under Fire’s second Virtual Fireside Chat featured FDNY retirees Deputy Chief Joseph DiBerna...
Oct 07, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 70
According to psychologist and emotions expert Dr. George Bonanno, all of us share a surprising ability to be resilient. The interview you will hear in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast featuring Dr. Bonanno was recorded in early 2019 at a Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Summit, in Annapolis, Maryland. The event was devoted to the concept of resilience. Other summit guests have been featured on this podcast including: the co-founders...
Sep 21, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 69
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. To mark this anniversary on the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast, we are honored to tell the valiant story of Captain Patrick J. "Paddy" Brown, compliments of the insight of his family, closest friends and fellow firefighters who were influenced by his leadership, service, and courage. He was one of 343 members of the FDNY who were killed during the attacks on U.S. soil. Captain Brown’s...
Sep 09, 2021•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 68
The original broadcast date for this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast was April 4, 2019. In 2016—after a 108-year wait—the Chicago Cubs finally won the World Series. The Cubs’ journey from being a last place team to one of the most iconic in baseball history is charged with lessons learned on effective leadership, teamwork, culture creation, sacrifice, trust, possibility and character development. So, it seems fitting that in the fall of 2018, the Cubs na...
Aug 26, 2021•44 min•Ep. 67
The original broadcast date for this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast was January 10, 2019. In 2018, Lieutenant Conboy was recognized with the FDNY’s highest annual award (James Gordon Bennett) for valor he displayed in the rescue of occupants at a fire in the South Bronx. He recently received the FDNY’s most prestigious award for valor – the Dr. Harry Archer Medal. Lieutenant Conboy has more than 35 years with the FDNY. He is presently assigned to Rescue...
Aug 12, 2021•42 min•Ep. 66
Co-founders of the Mission Critical Team Institute, Dr. Preston Cline and Coleman Ruiz, are our guests in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast. The interview you will hear was recorded in early 2019 at a Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Summit, in Annapolis, Maryland. The event was devoted to the concept of resilience - the ability to navigate adversity and absorb failure and loss in high-risk settings. The summit allowed leaders to exp...
Jul 29, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 65
This is the second and final installment of our first Virtual Fireside Chat. The conversation affords seasoned leaders the opportunity to candidly reflect on leadership lessons and human performance principles resulting from the many wins and losses they’ve experienced. This conversation is hosted by LUF Senior Man Jim McNamara and features FDNY retired lieutenants Danny Murphy and Dennis Gordon. If you haven’t listened to Part I, we strongly suggest you go back and listen to it as this conversa...
Jul 15, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 64
In this episode, we welcome back to the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast American author, journalist, and filmmaker Sebastian Junger to discuss his latest book, Freedom. In three succinct chapters, Junger takes us on a physical and philosophical journey exploring the concept of Freedom—and the disparities that exist at its core in today’s modern society. While the book is rooted in Junger’s 400-mile journey on foot across the northeastern United States, it branches out ...
Jul 01, 2021•31 min•Ep. 63
This episode is part one of two. What you’re about to hear is a recording of a live event. The "Fireside Chat" has become a staple of Leadership Under Fire leadership development and human performance resident programs. The conversation affords seasoned leaders the opportunity to candidly reflect on leadership lessons and human performance principles resulting from the many wins and losses they’ve experienced. In 2021, the LUF Team decided to launch a Virtual Fireside Chat series hosted by LUF S...
Jun 17, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 62
Our guest in this episode is Battalion Chief Thomas Smith from CAL FIRE Nevada Yuba Placer Unit and the Placer County Fire Department. Smith started his career in 2005 as a Firefighter with the North Tahoe Fire Protection District. In 2006, he was hired with CAL FIRE NEU as a Firefighter I and promoted through the ranks of FFII and Engineer working in Battalions 12, 17, and 18 as well as the Grass Valley Air Attack Base. In 2014, Smith promoted to Fire Captain B in the Lassen-Modoc Unit and was ...
Jun 03, 2021•54 min•Ep. 61
Gabe Angemi is a second-generation member of the Camden NJ Fire Department. He presently serves as a Captain and is assigned to Squad Company 7. Gabe has spent many years serving in Camden’s Special Operations companies and is a member of NJ-TF1 FEMA USAR since 2008. He completed undergraduate study in Public Safety Administration from Neumann University and holds a master’s degree in Emergency & Disaster Management from Georgetown University. Gabe serves as a tactical leadership advisor for...
May 20, 2021•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 60
Journalist Joe Flood is the founder of n2 Communications and the author of the book The Fires, which examines New York City’s 1970s fire epidemic and fiscal crisis. In The Fires, Flood provides an X-ray of the inner workings of NYC during the ‘70s using the dramatic story of a pair of mayors, an ambitious Fire Commissioner, and an even more ambitious think tank to illuminate the patterns and formulas that are now inextricably woven into the very fabric of the modern urban experience. Joe won the...
May 06, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 59
Rachel Balkovec is making history this 2021 season as the first woman hired by a major league baseball team to work as a full-time hitting coach. Balkovec currently serves as a minor league hitting coach for the New York Yankees and has worked in professional baseball for seven years. Breaking through in 2014, she was hired as the minor league strength and conditioning coordinator for the St. Louis Cardinals—the first woman to hold that position in professional baseball. A year later she became ...
Apr 22, 2021•51 min•Ep. 58
Josh Wiener is a Lieutenant in the FDNY and is currently assigned to the Rescue Battalion. His previous assignments were to Division 7 as a covering Lieutenant, Squad 252 and Ladder 133 as a firefighter. Josh also spent 20 years in the United States Marine Corps as an Infantry Unit Leader and retired at the rank of Master Sergeant. He is a combat veteran of the war in Iraq. Josh serves as a leadership and human performance advisor for Leadership Under Fire and is a LUF plank owner.
Apr 08, 2021•57 min•Ep. 57
On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Company factory in New York City burned, tragically killing 146 workers. It is remembered as one of the most infamous incidents in American industrial history. The tragedy brought widespread attention to the dangerous sweatshop conditions of factories, spurred the creation of the FDNY’s Bureau of Fire Prevention, and led to the development of a series of laws and regulations that better protected the safety of workers. But what has been curiously absent...
Mar 25, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 56
This episode features Lindsay Dare Shoop. Lindsay is a lifelong athlete turned coach, author, and speaker. She is an Olympic gold medalist, a three-time World Champion, and a National Rowing Hall of Fame inductee. With a focus on performance optimization and longevity throughout sport and life, Lindsay coaches and hosts clinics and workshops for coaches, athletes, and teams of all ages and skill levels. She is a speaker for events at major universities and corporations, presents on various topic...
Mar 11, 2021•50 min•Ep. 55
Dan Saalfrank is our guest in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast. Dan is a FDNY Lieutenant assigned to Ladder Co. 4 in Midtown Manhattan. He previously served with Ladder Companies 169 and 176, both in the borough of Brooklyn. Within the FDNY, Dan is a Battalion Delegate for the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, a member of the FDNY Pipes and Drums and serves as a Performance Leader for the FDNY’s Mental Performance Initiative (MPI). Dan served as a...
Feb 25, 2021•54 min•Ep. 54
Jon Matthews was a police officer in Greensboro, North Carolina, for more than a decade, from 2008 to 2019, before leaving the policing profession to enter ministry with a local church. After a year and a half in ministry, he returned to police work during one of the most challenging times in his department's history in late 2020. He is currently assigned to a Community Resource Team, which is a street-level crimes team tasked with reducing gun violence in the city. During his first run with pol...
Feb 11, 2021•53 min•Ep. 53
Pat Maloney is a retired 39-year member of the Chicago Fire Department, who rose through the ranks to become the Chief of Special Operations. Pat entered the ranks of the Chicago Fire Department in 1981. Prior to his promotion to Battalion Chief, Pat served as the Captain of Squad 2 for eleven years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Fire Science Management from Southern Illinois University. Pat served as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps and is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War. ...
Jan 28, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 52
Nick Kalt is our guest in this episode of the Leadership Under Fire Optimizing Human Performance Podcast. Nick serves as a Captain with the Long Beach, California Fire Department. Prior to entering the professional fire service, Nick was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. He was seriously wounded in the Battle of Fallujah in November 2004 while serving with 1st Combat Engineer Battalion and subsequently medically retired from the USMC. Nick is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at An...
Jan 14, 2021•59 min•Ep. 51
In this episode, host Patti Murphy is joined by Jason Brezler and Jim McNamara as we look back at a year that was like no other we've experienced in our lifetimes. Against the backdrop of a global Coronavirus pandemic, 2020 catapulted all of us into world-changing events. From the tragic loss of life and economic effects of the pandemic to civil unrest to ongoing wildfires, 2020 has certainly been a defining one. Those who subscribe to the podcast will surely be familiar with both Jason and Jim,...
Dec 31, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 50
Erin Cafaro is one of the most decorated female rowers in American history. Cafaro was a star rower at Cal from 2001 to 2006, helping the Golden Bears win the NCAA Championship in both 2005 and 2006. She helped the United States win the gold medal in the Eight boat in both the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Erin was also a five-time medalist at the World Rowing Championships, including three gold medals. Cafaro is a two-time honoree of the World Rowing Fe...
Dec 17, 2020•59 min•Ep. 49
Salvatore Cassano is the former Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department. He was appointed Commissioner by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in January 2010 and retired from the FDNY in 2014. Mr. Cassano became an FDNY member in 1969 and served in every uniformed rank, including the highest—Chief of Department. From 2001 to 2006, he served as Chief of Operations – a position to which he was appointed immediately after September 11, 2001. Both as Chief of Operations and Chief of Department, Cassan...
Dec 03, 2020•48 min•Ep. 48
