Welcome back to the Two Promises podcast. Let's dive right into another exciting adventure with BD and crew as he pursues his new passion of one day finding the most epic bourbon. The Two Promises teams send their special thanks to Hobie and the Huckleberries for their masterful theme music. So grab a glass, relax, and enjoy responsibly. Welcome back everybody. It's great to have you here.
I know we like to have fun and have a good time here at the Two Promises podcast, but we also like to engage in productive social discourse as well. Currently, insurance has been quite the hot topic in the news and in the media and the public mind. Last December, there was a tragic assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO, Thompson. And these events have really put a major public concern to the forefront of social policies.
There's concerns regarding systemic issues within the healthcare system in the United States, insurance concern, access to mental health care, and as a result of the tragedy, security concerns have gone up. There's a lot more posturing going on for security in multiple industries. Yes, some of those major changes that have occurred is companies not just in the insurance industry, but across the domain, they're increasing their security systems, their security measures and policies.
It's also brought a lot more advocacy aiming to improve access, affordability and transparency in health insurance practices. And I personally have gone through some issues getting access to healthcare and I know that many other people have as well. So it's a very important issue to me.
And part of what I'd like to do today is introduce an industry expert who can help people who are struggling with getting coverages for the right concerns that they have, help them understand the system a little bit better and hopefully help them get them the care that they need and deserve. So today I would like to introduce our special guest speaker. She is a powerful woman of many talents. She has doctorate degrees in computer science and electrical engineering.
She is an author, a ghostwriter, an entrepreneur, and a health insurance industry expert. So I would like to introduce Dr. Amelie Barry. Welcome to the show. That's to be here. I appreciate it. Thank you for fighting me. Excellent. Yeah, if you'd like to go ahead and introduce yourself to the listeners, they'd be happy to hear from you. name is Amelie and as Brent and I discussed, you know, I've been in the health insurance industry for the last several years.
I actually had a business in Florida dealing with health insurance that I recently sold. I saw the writing on the wall that there was going to be problems with Medicare and Medicaid and a lot of people getting niles. And a lot of my clients actually really suffering from the health insurance industry. I couldn't think good contents keep going in that industry and making money from it, knowing that other people are suffering. Absolutely, yeah, I understand the draw there.
So yeah, Dr. Amelie and I, met almost a decade ago. We were working on some joint business ventures and got through a great circle of friends. And whenever I first met her, it was not just the entrepreneur drive and her passion and her intelligence, but she also shared another big passion of mine. I have been interested in writing for a long time. I've written a book years ago. I never really did anything with it.
and I'm working on one right now, but she's also an author and a ghostwriter and she's worked on a lot of projects. Some of them, hey, they made it, they went through. And then others, as you know, like any major endeavor, it can be difficult to maintain the momentum and go through all the way, have the follow through. So I did want to touch on that and just see what kind of thoughts you had in that realm. Any major projects you're working on that you're interested in or?
I mean, right now, I think I'm just helping a couple of friends with their books. I like to be sort of motivating them and just be a cheerleader. For me, I love to write and I love to do my own stuff, but I just post a lot of it anonymously on the internet. And I'm always kind of, if I go and try to get myself published, right, that I'll receive the feedback and some of it I might not want. So for me, it's always easier to just hold everyone else's hands. That's totally understandable.
And you've done a great job with that. You've even introduced me to some of the other authors you've helped to write books for. And it was really phenomenal. They had really great feedback, great sales. So you've done some really great work there. And I know everybody does appreciate that.
And I love seeing style and go through the entire process and whether they just have 500 sales or it's a lot more, like in the 5 million range that they've got that experience behind them and then they can move on and hopefully they keep writing too. That's great. Is there any particular project that you'd like to highlight that you can speak to as either a really great success or some place that you even learned a lot from? One of the people that I work with, his name is Bym Sierowski.
He's written a couple of very neat books and people can find them on Amazon. One is called to bear the sword, a warrior's guide to a bulletproof face system. And that was interesting to me because, know, as a former SEAL and a former policeman and he did private military contracting stuff, you know, he's seen a lot of very bad things in the world, but he maintained his faith through it all.
He has his whole little guidebook for it using references from the Bible and explaining them in a very sort of matter of fact way. I call it the Jim way because he's just, very sort of plain spoken man. And I think that that was great. And I really enjoyed that because I learned a lot from his book. And then he wrote another book about personal security, which I think is something that is really prevalent in today's world, right?
That we need to think about personal security, our family security, how to move through the world. And he relates that all back to biblical teaching. That is absolutely fantastic. I'll make sure that I get the information for both of those books so that we can put it as a part of the show notes. And I think that both of those topics are extremely valuable.
Again, one of the emphasis on this show today is talking about that security, talking about our personal security, industry security, corporate security, all of these topics. And it is very important for us to be aware of the threats around us and what we can do. to improve our safety and security. My hope is for each and every person that they live a safe life, that bad things don't happen to them, that they don't have to deal with a lot of these things.
That is the core passion heartbeat of why I joined the military myself, was I felt that I was capable of doing it, of stepping into that role as a protector, and I wanted to create as much of a buffer zone for the safety and security of other individuals. I believed that. If I did the job, someone else wouldn't have to have their security at risk. So that was a goal of mine.
And of course I can't protect and keep everybody safe, but in doing so and then stepping out into that space, I do know that I had an impact. So while that is my desire is that everyone stays safe, they stay protected and insulated. But I also know that the reality of the situation is the world is a dangerous place. Everywhere you go, not just overseas, but even here in America.
So being aware of the threats around you and how you can posture yourself and react to them to keep yourself safe is very, very important. That's a good point, but it's not just in terms of personal security, because now we have to think in terms of cybersecurity and watching our personal data and things like that. I mean, we've seen so many people that were doxed on the internet.
You know, there's women that have posted on ex-formal aid Twitter and they've been found and, you know, have received rape threats to their children and that sort of thing.
And in a digital world, our personal security becomes much more sort of of those things where we have to be aware of, not just, you know, when we step outside of our door, but what we're doing within our homes, you know, and all these applications and social media things just allow people to invade our lives if we're not careful. That is a fantastic point. You're absolutely right. The cyber threat right now is at an all time high.
There's so many ways that hackers or anyone can get access to your data, to what you're doing and like you said, your location and cause very legitimate privacy and safety concerns. So there is a lot going on in the world and thank you for bringing that point to the forefront as well. It's not just your physical security outside, but also how you navigate the internet and online.
Did you have any- As a security computer science expert, is there anything that you wanted to share here in that vein on things to look out for or any practical tips for the listeners to kind of plug into and help keep them a little safer? One of the things to remember is if you're on a social media account, unless you absolutely have to, obviously don't use your real name, don't use your real picture, don't post pictures of your children. Those are all very dangerous things.
And the other aspect is that there are websites that you can go to that will scrub your personal information on the internet. And a lot of people don't realize this, but you can actually pay these companies, and some of them are about 15 bucks a month, right? You know, those sort of things, like if you Google somebody's name and it comes up with People Search and Spokeo and all these different companies, and then you can find out where people live. You can find out their phone number.
You can find out their email addresses. You can find out their family member names, whether they've lived in a particular place or not. And that's really dangerous. So, you know, sometimes it's worth it just to pay for that service, even if it's just for a year for you and your family members, just to have that peace of mind. Data brokers. can go and sell that data again after a period of two years. So even if you have it scrubbed three years later, your information is back on the internet.
And that's a really scary thing. Absolutely. That's great thing to bring to everyone's attention. So maybe that's just one of the things that you put into place that, okay, if it's every two years on an every two year timeline or whatever you do, a year and a half, you reactivate and engage in those services. And then maybe you can turn those subscriptions off if you're trying to save a little bit of money, costs, concerns.
Obviously, I think that cost is a major concern for a lot of individuals throughout the world, not just here in America. So. that might be a way that you can have a big impact on your own security by just doing it intermittently without having to do it full time. And that will still boost your protection and your coverage quite a bit. So yeah, that two year cutoff is a great piece of information for us to pay attention, for me to pay attention to.
And I mean, people can go to the data brokers themselves and submit and say, hey, you know, I want you to remove my information. there are thousands of data brokers out there globally. So companies that have these consolidated platforms will do it automatically for you versus you having to go through and find every single data broker that has your information. I mean, and the scary thought is right now that, you know, the government has our information and that information isn't even secure.
And then every time I think people get noticed in the mail or something or an email, you know, there's been a data breach of your private health information. And that's a scary thing too, because now people are selling that information. They know what medications you're on. They know what health conditions you have, all sorts of things. I mean, they know if you've had an STD and they're going to sell that and then you're going to get ads on your phone for treatments or condoms or whatever.
But that's the information that's out there. It's absolutely wild and I've seen it just kind of increase and increase over the years. And I know that some of those were some of the big concerns that I had whenever I kind of went through my health episode and it was quite a lot to take in, quite a lot to experience, knowing some of the other things that I know and have been exposed to myself. So it is a very real concern.
And these are some of the things that I do like to talk about on the show is because these are real problems that we face every day, real scenarios and real situations and helping to give people peace of mind, practical techniques and tips to protect themselves, avoid bad situations are all things that I really, really do want to encourage and my listeners being able to provide that with them.
I also, of course, like to have some levity and have some fun and stuff like that too, but it's all about balance, you know, there's got to be a feeling confident in your Security and your protective posture helps you feel relaxed enough to have fun and to be able to enjoy those laughs and to be able to relax and socialize with people without always feeling like you're under attack. Absolutely, and I agree with you.
I do think that it's a bit different for women than it is for men because women are constantly doing threat assessments every day that they're stepping outside of their home and even inside their own home, right? So they have a different level of situational awareness than men do, right? Because a woman's going out with her friends to meet them for coffee or something like that. I mean, she's checking to see if somebody's following her. She's checking to see who's in the coffee shop.
She's seeing if somebody's following her home. who's around her, all sorts of things, because you just never know when that one crazy person is gonna do something, or if you accidentally cut somebody off in traffic. These days, you don't know if you're gonna get shot for it. That's very true. Very true. It's very interesting that you brought that up. One of the things that I haven't really talked about it yet.
It's something I'm just kind of doing on the side, but I'm working with my martial arts instructor. We started training together, man, when I was in high school, but we recently reconnected after I moved back to my local area and his cousin is working on setting up a self-defense course for individuals who have concerns in the St. Louis area.
So we're actually working on designing a curriculum right now on how we can help individuals learn those defensive techniques that they can use in the moment, actually in person. So yeah, we're focusing on like non-weapon, non-weapon defense. So we are going to cover, obviously like we're going to cover those as like an informational piece.
Your sprays, mace sprays, any types of things you can carry in your purse, things like that that can be used as defensive weapons, your keys, using those in between your knuckles to kind of fight somebody off, just to get away and get to safety where you can call for help and you're no longer in the high area of threat. But then we're also developing a curriculum for breaking holds, breaking grasps, all kinds of things like that.
So what you're saying, just, I didn't really expect to kind of get into this kind of dialogue today. but I really am glad that we did. You're bringing up a lot of very legitimate concerns. is directed towards women. It is a women's self-defense class. So yeah, wild. Like I said, I didn't expect we'd be going down that route, but we did. So that's really cool that that's an area that you're passionate about too. if there's anything else you want to share there.
Years ago, even just breaking out of defensive holds, defending yourself in a knife attack, disarming somebody if they've got a gun, that sort of thing. And one of the things I can suggest to people is there, I got a key on there. So it looks like a normal house key, but it flips out, it has a little blade and it's very sharp, but it's less than two inches long. So it's one of those things that if you need it to just like, if it's a dark parking lot at night, you don't feel safe.
and just pull it out and have it there in your hand so you don't have to carry like a huge weapon or anything like that. But most ordinances say that, you know, as long as your blade is less than two and a half inches, I think is the standard that it's not considered a weapon so you can't be charged. The other important aspect of self-defense these days is that some places don't recognize stand your ground.
So if you do defend yourself, there's a possibility that you can be charged, which is unfortunate, but reality. Right, yeah. I totally hear you there. There's a lot of threats. There's a lot of danger out there. And like you said, it's not just you defending yourself from an actual threat. I think that that's very unjust. I think each person should have their own inherent right to self-defense.
And if they do cause harm to someone as they're defending themselves, I don't think that they should be prosecuted. But that's not the nature of all the policies and legislation. throughout the world, so it is something very much to be aware of.
I do highly recommend going to some type of personal defense course or any type of defense course, whether that's concealed carry or anything, because part of the curriculum does teach you about these laws that you might not be aware of that could, instead of causing you personal harm, might cause you financial harm or reputational harm or anything like that. Otherwise, if for whatever reason you do get prosecuted for defending yourself. It's a very great point. I'm so glad you brought that up.
The one thing that I want to bring up, and I know that this isn't a popular topic, there's a lot of people that are very anti-gun. As a woman, I've got two children in my home and we're on our own. I have a personal firearm that I keep in the house, right? I've been fully trained on it. I go down to the range on a regular basis because it is the only thing that will level the playing field for me if someone breaks into my home. Because there's a home invasion and men are stronger.
are gonna be able to overpower me, but men are not faster than 1,400 feet per second, right? So that's one of the things that I really want women to think about and that I advocate for because women are all about equality. Do you really want to call a man to come and rest because that's eight to 11 minutes for a 911 response. And that's eight to 11 minutes that someone is in your home, that's eight to 11 minutes that can be very bad for you or for your children. Right?
And if you just put a timer on your phone and set it for eight minutes and sit there and watch it, you'd see how long that eight minutes can be. But if you have something that will level the playing field for you, either act as a deterrent or either run away or you have to defend yourself. But at least you know that you'll be protecting yourself and your children. That is such a great point. I totally advocate for say firearms practices and handling as well. Everybody knows my background.
So I imagine you do. So you know that I am obviously pro gun myself. So I'm glad that you put that in perspective into how much of a, like you said, it levels the playing field. It is a great equalizer. If you are trained, competent, skilled, and confident, confident, confident in your firearms handling. then yes, that is a super effective thing that you can use. like you said, buy a weapon you're comfortable with.
Buy a weapon that you are familiar with, that you know how to use, and if you don't, make sure you get trained on it. It should be a weapon that's everyone's like, big, you know, .45 caliber, nine millimeter. Everybody kind of debates on things like that, but it's really what you can be effective with. Even a little 22 is gonna play ping pong in somebody's chest, right? A 22 caliber gun can do a lot more damage than people realize.
And to women, as usually there is a place like a firing range near them, sometimes they have a ladies night. If they have ladies night, go down there. You'll see other women that are confident with firearms. Usually the RSO, the Rain Safety Officer, is more than willing to let you try out a couple of different firearms so that you can find something that you're familiar with that's. comfortable for your grip, that the recoil is going to be okay for you.
And all of those sorts of things come into play, especially in the heat of the moment, because it doesn't matter if you have, you know, seven bullet magazine and one in the chamber, or you've got 17 bullet magazine and one in the chamber. If you're not going to be accurate, it doesn't matter how many bullets you have, right? So the competency, and being very comfortable and confident is important. But just also making sure that you know that there are options out there too.
And I don't recommend that anybody actually buy a gun. until they've gone through a couple of times at the range and they've become comfortable with one. Because I know for myself, I'm just even teaching my children to shoot. My 19 year old is really good with a rifle, but just doesn't care for the pistol so much. mean, that's just what it is. But for women especially, have that comfort.
Because if you're not willing to point and shoot, then there's no point in having a gun because it can be taken off of you and used against you or your. Absolutely. Such phenomenal points. I'm so glad that you're sharing that. Being able to train so that, you know, it is comfortable, it is confident. We did it so much, it was second nature. You know, we did it where it was a reaction that we'd be able to switch weapons and all of those things that go into combat shooting.
But that's not the reality for each and every individual. But what can and should be a reality is, like you said, going there, getting comfortable with it enough so that you know what you're doing. And then you can also dry fire. You can practice all of these techniques, not at a range safely without even shooting any ammunition. And I would highly advocate for that too.
Training in a group, training with an instructor that's an expert, and then also taking the time to practice on your own to really build that muscle memory and get that driven deeply into your subconscious so that whenever there is an emergency, your body naturally responds in the way that keeps you safe and protects you. So, you know, I've seen women, they have the thigh holster and I always question how many times they've practiced trying to pull that weapon with that thigh holster.
like, excuse me, I've got to lift my dress now in order to pull my weapon out. You know what I mean? Well, you've got to stop and think about those things. And that's why sometimes a hip carry might be wiser than a thigh carry and that sort of thing. And working that out on the range is, in the training environment, is the place you want to do it.
You don't want to be having to figure that out in the heat of the moment because as the trope says is, whenever the threat happens and bad things happen, you don't rise up to the occasion, you fall back on your training. Right. So whatever that training level is, that's where you're going to be baselined at. So stay prepared, stay vigilant, take these things seriously and do the work. get yourself up to a level of competency so that you are confident whenever the time comes.
Wow, that's freaking awesome. Cobb McGraw is like, that's the pinnacle of self-defense stuff. They have some fantastic programs, super incredible that you were involved in that. Is there anything else that you'd like to share on this? just think that people should be intimidated. know where I live in Florida, CRAV classes are extremely expensive, but sometimes you can get an instructor for a group class, so it's less cost per person. And sometimes that might be better.
But I think out of all the martial arts that I've done and trained and that CRAV was probably the simplest and easiest and most effective for me to learn in the shortest amount of time. And that's the one that I would advocate for the most because you're gonna learn how to break chokeholds and things like that that a lot of the other martial arts don't really get into. more worried about your form and doing other things, right? And not the self-defense aspect.
And as a woman, you know, my thought is if I've got a threat, somebody's come up behind me in a parking lot, I wanna get out of that chokehold. I wanna get away from that person as quickly as possible. And that's what Krav is gonna teach you. Awesome. I love it. Thank you so much for sharing on that. All right. We will take a break right there. Thank you for tuning in. Please like, follow, share, leave your feedback in the comments and join us in our community groups.
Also, don't forget to push play on our next episode. In the next episode, Dr. Amelie Berry is going to be doing a deep dive into her experience. working as a business owner in the insurance industry, medical insurance, and tips and techniques that you can use to maximize your coverage and ensure you are advocating and getting the treatment that you deserve. Thanks for tuning in and look forward to seeing you in the next episode.
Thank you for joining us today on this curious roller coaster of life. If this is your stop, please exit peacefully, enjoy the rest of your day. If you're ready for another one, just push play. Just a final note before you go, thank you, and thank you for feeling. The distillation and aging process is different for everyone. I'm not quite sure what you're ready for. Sip slowly and enjoy responsibly. you