Emergency Management, as a phrase, usually triggers thoughts of Hurricane Katrina, flash flooding, and natural disasters. In general, it's still a relatively young discipline, with new ways of thinking and more importantly planning, being developed. To dig into this, I sit down with Chris Downs, owner of Gray Tusk Emergency Management, and jump down the rabbit hole into a number of different concerns and considerations that should be included when trying to prepare and plan for worst-case-scenar...
Mar 06, 2024•1 hr 56 min•Season 3Ep. 227
Another month, and more to unpack in the March SITREP discussion. We're currently experiencing one of the most turbulent political times in recent memory, with both the pending election this year, as well as news of Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell announcing that he will be stepping down later this year. Unfortunately, since politics and politicians so heavily influence much of our daily lives and our lifestyle, this has the volatile potential to have a tremendous impact in more ways than...
Mar 03, 2024•48 min•Season 3Ep. 226
Its 2024, and the primary election here in Michigan. It appears, that just as we were four short years ago, we're likely to be faced with a Trump v. Biden election. Looking back, 2020 was a year of outrageous violence and tremendous change in our country. Many of us were left to watch as cities burned and lives were shattered, clinging only to the fact that we weren't the ones whos lives were torn apart. In this discussion, Josh and I beg to question what we can do today, to further protect ours...
Feb 28, 2024•1 hr 33 min•Season 3Ep. 225
Content reviews and advertising are an almost integral part of our community in 2024. The latest and greatest optic, pistol, carrier, or whatever have you drops, and you're not only inundated with reviews, but you have a vast library of content to consume and compare it to, should you wish. It's how many, if not all of us, shape our purchasing decisions. In this weeks episode, I'm joined by Elliot Delp, who is a YouTube personality who's got a lot of experience in the industry, building a presen...
Feb 21, 2024•1 hr 36 min•Season 3Ep. 224
If you've been working to hone and refine your skills, push your limits and improve your performance, but have hit the plateau, this may be just the episode for you. This week, I'm joined by Rob Epifania, a USPSA Grand Master, Orion Training Group Cadre member, and owner of Systematic Performance Concepts, to talk all about getting better. As a competitive shooter as well as an athlete, Rob has a deep passion and drive for performing and excelling at high levels of competition. Throughout our ta...
Feb 14, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Season 3Ep. 223
Many of us carry a firearm when we leave our homes every day. It's as much a part of our routine as is putting on shoes. While it's great to talk about training, and proficiency, performance, and culture, there's one very vital part of the discussion that seems to constantly take the back seat. The legal impact of employing that tool, and the profound life change you may experience the day you have to reach for it. For some of us, and I pray all of us, that day may never arrive. However, hope, i...
Feb 09, 2024•1 hr 47 min•Season 3Ep. 222
As it is the beginning of February, it's time for yet another iteration of our SITREP series. In this months episode, we get into the ongoing and constantly evolving situation in Texas, as Governor Abbott works to secure the southern border while pulling in support from half the union. As the border security concern has only gotten worse over the past few years, this because a hot button issue and will likely be incredibly impactful on the outcome of the election later this year. I also share my...
Feb 04, 2024•51 min•Season 3Ep. 221
When most of us think of comm's, we think of all those scenes from movies like Navy SEALs and The Rock with dudes magically having their radio's pre configured, running throat mic's and push-to-talk devices. Behind the scenes though, is a whole world of tech wizardly and understanding that has to be well understood to culminate in that level of effectiveness and capability. To dive into some of the finer points to this. I'm joined by returning guest, Lyndsey Do of LKD communications and Orion Tr...
Jan 31, 2024•1 hr 47 min•Season 3Ep. 220
You've more than likely been told, by more than one person who claims to be an expert, that as a civilian, you shouldn't be learning C.Q.B. It's not something that the average joe will find themselves needing, and therefor learning it is a fantasy. Until the day that comes to pass where it isn't, and you find yourself needing those skills. To dig into this point, and many others, I sit down once more with Troy, of Defender Series Training Group. We chat about the importance of not only training ...
Jan 24, 2024•1 hr 56 min•Season 3Ep. 219
Its been forever and a day since the last time we had a grab bag episode, to answer or share answers to questions from all of you, our listeners. This week, Josh and I sit down to go through a handful of questions submitted to us over social media throughout the past several weeks. We get into a few different things, including clothing, cold weather advice, night vision, and more. This was honestly a ton of fun for the two of us to sit down and put together, and we're both looking forward to bei...
Jan 19, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Season 3Ep. 218
You all may know her as Amy.556 on social media, but Amy Abbott is a nineteen year law enforcement veteran with a passion for teaching. Amy joins me in this weeks episode for a fantastic discussion around law enforcement, training, standards and a bunch more. We talk living and working in Alaska, the average range session and how the climate plays a role in how you have to prepare and carry out practice. From cold weather preparedness to optic and flashlight durability, we absolutely crammed a t...
Jan 10, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Season 3Ep. 217
The first SITREP of the 2024 calendar year! We're only a handful of days into the new year, and already have a lot to discuss and talk about. It was announced Friday that Wayne LaPierre, the long sitting CEO of the National Rifle Association, is officially resigning, effective at the end of January. What makes this even more interesting, is that this comes amidst the civil suit against the NRA in New York. I share my thoughts and a little history around the thirty-three year tenure of LaPierre a...
Jan 07, 2024•54 min•Season 3Ep. 216
To kick off 2024 with a bang, I'm joined by Walsh, of Thin Line Defense Co. If you haven't checked out one of their many reviews, TLDC is a group of guys from various backgrounds, who review, analyze, and critique products within our 2A industry. Anything ranging from nylon gear, to optics, to lights, and more - they will put it through their comprehensive evaluation process and provide consumers like you and I with both the good and bad behind it. This was a great discussion that actually ended...
Jan 03, 2024•1 hr 44 min•Season 3Ep. 215
As the year comes to a close, it's important to take a look back, and have a moment to reflect on all that's passed in twelve months. Josh and I share some stories, thoughts, and feelings about everything we've experienced in 2023, as well as some hopes and goals for 2024. From night vision, to personal connections, to everyday carry, we get into quite a bit. Our training group found each other this year, and has thus far been some of the most impactful training, and experiences, we've ever had....
Dec 27, 2023•1 hr 58 min•Season 3Ep. 214
We talk often, but not much, about being fit, or failing. In any number of ways, our physical capability and fitness is tied directly to our survivability. However, we don't often in our community offer depth to the discussion or solutions to remedy it. I'm joined this week by Dan Minnicks, owner of Apex Performance Integration to have just that discussion and hopefully help some of you out there searching for answers, or maybe even simply a starting point in your wellness journey. Apex is a com...
Dec 22, 2023•2 hr 12 min•Season 3Ep. 213
Having been at this a while, it's not often anymore I have the opportunity to sit down and talk about completely knew subjects. In this weeks episode, I sit with J.T. and we dive into his work and experience with Urban Sniper applications, as well as Undercover rescue operations. Throughout our conversation, we talked about the challenges that have come within both of these roles, as well as sharing some success stories and also some considerations that most of us might not think of. This was a ...
Dec 15, 2023•1 hr 45 min•Season 3Ep. 212
This week, I get to grab some time with Mr. Chris Poindexter of H.R.T. Tactical Gear. H.R.T. is a tactical gear company that produces top quality plate carriers, belts and more. The company actually began back in 2007 as a training company and has transitioned into a role developing and selling gear built to suit all sorts of demands and situations. Chris and I talk about not just some of the things that H.R.T. has going, but about training opportunities and the importance of those experiences w...
Dec 06, 2023•1 hr 50 min•Season 3Ep. 211
Hard to believe we're into December, but here we are. With the arrival of the holiday season, we're on to our final SITREP of the 2023 calendar year, and there's plenty to talk about. In this installment, I share my thoughts and feelings around a number of current events, including the election in Argentina, the new ruling around the pistol brace ban, and even talk about the impact of the auto workers strike. Several different topics, and all worth your time. I think you'll find quite of bit of ...
Dec 03, 2023•46 min•Season 3Ep. 210
Hard to believe it's already been a year and a half since the last time I was able to connect with Ian Strimbeck. If any of you have been keeping up with Ian and his work with Rune Nation, you know that he's a dedicated dude, with a strong mindset and a determined attitude. That's exactly why, in this weeks discussion, he and I sit down to talk about our opinions and feelings on our community, self development, and personal accountability. We talk at length about discomfort, complacency, self-re...
Nov 29, 2023•1 hr 49 min•Season 3Ep. 209
As we're growing closer to the Thanksgiving holiday, so too are we approaching the greatest shopping day of the year. Black Friday. The opportunity every twelve months for all of us to change, upgrade, and add that one elusive and expensive piece of gear/equipment to our setup. While we certainly try to highlight how to be best take advantage of black Friday, this year I wanted to have a discussion to give some context and some detail around why, and bring in an outside perspective. Both Josh an...
Nov 22, 2023•2 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 208
With Thanksgiving around the corner, this time of year is about giving thanks, and along with that, reflection. As we look back, it's often surprising and humbling to see how our individual and unique perspectives have changed. Josh and I sit down and talk about what's brought us to where we are today, what lessons we've learned, and share major points of growth, as well as truly impactful moments in our lives. From historical events that triggered a change in mindset and demeanor, to large purc...
Nov 15, 2023•1 hr 36 min•Season 3Ep. 207
Communication. It's part of almost everything we do. Somehow though, in the tactical space, it has become one thing so many of us miss. For this weeks discussion, I sit down with Lyndsey Do, owner of LKD Communications and Cadre at Orion Training Group, to talk about just that. Lyndsey spent ten years in the Army National Guard working specifically as a radio specialist, and has a passion for brining this information to her students. We talk quite a bit about radios and the capabilities they off...
Nov 10, 2023•1 hr 41 min•Season 3Ep. 206
November's SITREP is here, and as usual, I dive into a few select pieces of current affairs, and give my thoughts and opinions. This month, as usually, unfortunately, we are talking about more suggested gun control, as well as the flaws that accompany those suggestions. I talk about responsibly armed and prepared citizens, and give a few insights around why we're seeing these steps in D.C. to try and reshape American rights. Visit our sponsors! Patreon - www.patreon.com/prepared_mindset_pod Cust...
Nov 05, 2023•49 min•Season 3Ep. 205
Fresh off several back to back night vision courses, Jon Dufresne joins me once again on the pod. This time, I have the chance to pick Duffy's brain on getting into night vision, and the learning curve that comes with these tools. While's there certainly several barriers, including price, which can make access to these kind of tools difficult, it's important we continue to make ownership and usage more normal. We get into talking about single versus dual tube setups, and if there's really a true...
Oct 31, 2023•1 hr 35 min•Season 3Ep. 204
For many of us, buying a large piece of land, with some place to shoot, is a goal and a dream. For others, potentially even the faint idea of opening our own range or training facility as a side job is a fond concept we think about in our free time. In this weeks episode, I sit with Ryan, one of the owners of Ben Franklin Range, who's brought both of those ideas together, and more to provide everyone from average citizens to law enforcement and military personnel a outstanding place to train. We...
Oct 25, 2023•1 hr 34 min•Season 3Ep. 203
Chance is back! After having the opportunity to finally meet Chance at last months HTA Range Day event, and hearing the rave reviews on his vehicle combatives class he gave, I wanted to catch up with him and hear his take on what's otherwise a very popular topic in the shooting space. We've all seen videos of dudes blasting out ports in windshields and fighting out of a vehicle to their trunk to retrieve their carbine. Chance however, offers a different take and perspective on this topic, for th...
Oct 18, 2023•1 hr 24 min•Season 3Ep. 202
With everything that is quickly developing with the conflict in Israel, I thought it important to share the facts and some of the research I conducted. As the United States has become a strong international partner with Israel, the implications of this situation could have effects on much more than just that country. I give a high level timeline of what's been going on, talk a bit about gorilla fighting and why the moves you're seeing are so effective, and go on to share ideas around what might ...
Oct 15, 2023•53 min•Season 3Ep. 201
Success is something we all strive for, and simultaneously the one thing many of us feel like we never quite achieve. With this being our two hundredth episode, I wanted to take the opportunity to share how we found our success, and how The Prepared Mindset has gotten to where it is today. I spend a good amount of time talking about how and why this project was started, but I also give a rare look into behind the scenes and what has made it work this long. There's definitely been a fair bit of a...
Oct 11, 2023•1 hr 46 min•Season 2Ep. 200
Josh is in, and we finally have the opportunity to sit down together to recap for all of you, our group trip out to Pennsylvania. The HTA Range Day is a charity event to benefit Human Trafficking Awareness by sending all the proceeds of the weekend to Deliver Fund. Aside from this being a fantastic experience, it obviously supports a tremendous cause. Josh and I share the details around how this trip came to be for us, and we get into everything that went on over the weekend. A large point of di...
Oct 05, 2023•1 hr 24 min•Season 2Ep. 199
As we jump in to October, we have a lot of news to discuss, and talk about how it impacts our community. In this SITREP installment, I talk about the passing of Senator Feinstein, and what implications it could carry with it, as well as looking into the creation of yet another anti-2A office. We also unpack the recent court ruling in California, regarding the ban of detachable magazines over ten rounds, and what this decision could mean for the future of states with similar legislation. All of t...
Oct 01, 2023•51 min•Season 2Ep. 198
