Her Brotherhood

For today’s episode, we’re talking with Jamila Bryant, who has an amazing story that includes being in the Air Force when the LGBT policy was “Don’t ask, Don’t tell”. It was the official United States policy on military service by gay men, bisexuals, and lesbians, instituted by the Clinton Administration. The policy was issued under Department of Defense Directive 1304.26 on December 21, 1993, and was in effect from February 28, 1994, until September 20, 2011. Furthermore, Jamila shares about the culture of the United States Military Air Force, her college experience prior to her enlistment, and why she thinks the Air Force is the strongest branch of the military. She also discusses her experience joining the military as a gay woman during the “Don't ask, Don't tell” era where she was able to experience that change and be herself after 2011 when the policy was abolished, thus allowing gay, lesbian, and bisexual people to serve openly in the United States Armed Forces. She has had a full career with the USAF and is still an active reserve.With over 17 years of honorable service in the Air Force and Air Force Reserves, Jamila has always been very passionate about leadership and personal development. She is now the Founder of Push FORWARD Development Ltd. A Certified Speaker, and Trainer with The John Maxwell Team. Jamila is also the author behind the inspirational quote brand, Quote Junkie Diaries. She self-published her first book, Quote Junkie Diaries Inspirational Quotes Volume I, on October 16, 2017 (quotejunkiediaries.com).“Let your excitement of a new beginning bury your fear as unknown” by Jamila BryantSupport Jamila and her mission:https://www.instagram.com/jainbry/https://www.instagram.com/pushfwddev/https://www.pushforwarddevelopment.com/Follow Her BrotHERhood:https://www.instagram.com/herbrotherhood/https://www.facebook.com/herbrotherhoodSupport the show (https://www.herbrotherhood.com)

Outdoor education is what Brett lives for! She is the program director for the Outdoor Education program at Future School of Fort Smith in Arkansas. The small school is a non-profit, public, charter school. Her program focuses on removing barriers of entry to the outdoors for 10-12th grade students from low income or otherwise unstable backgrounds. A large percentage of her students are BIPOC and/or LGBT+. Most of our her students have never set foot in a natural area despite living in the natural state. As you know, one of the largest barriers of entry is cost, so we completely remove that. Our program is completely free for our kids. They get equipment, qualified instruction, and transportation to all of our activities.Her school has a three pronged approach to Outdoor Education. They start our program off by zeroing in and developing communication and leadership skills, then blend Outdoor Recreation activities with classroom lessons about public lands, ethics, and natural resources. In the classroom they focus hard on public land management and administration, legislation going on around public lands, Leave No Trace Ethics, and stewardship. They also have a unit on how the Outdoor Industry is a driving force in economics and what kinds of jobs are available in the industry.Support the show (https://www.herbrotherhood.com)

Welcome back to another edition of Her Brotherhood. I'm your host, Abby Bolt. Today we're talking with Janiel Pierre, who has a beautiful story about how she came to be in the military. She was living in New York, and she found herself a 27 just not where she had planned to be. She wasn't successful she planned to be. She wasn't able to achieve the goals that she wanted to. And she always dreamed of the military begging her mother from the time she was 17. But Mom kept saying no. But she finally was able to push past that and get her mother's blessing to move forward into the military. And her big passion has always been financial freedom and sharing those tips and just all of her knowledge with anyone she can. And she shares that with us today. So with no further ado, please meet Janiel Pierre. So we're just gonna We're gonna jump right into this and see where in the world it goes. So right off the bat, just tell me who you mar what you're doing right now. And then we'll talk about where you came from.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/herbrotherhood)

“I worked on US Forest Service and BLM fire crews from the mid-1970s to early 1980s, until my career ended abruptly after an injury. Devastating. Forced to rebuild my life, I ended up in college and earned both an undergraduate and masters degree. Life continued to be challenging, and in 2005, I again found myself rebuilding my life. Was this easy? No way. I had to tap into a strength I didn't know I had to survive.In 2010 I decided to write a memoir about my life as a woman on a fire crew, and the subsequent events that changed my life forever. My book, Summers of Fire: A Memoir of Adventure, Love, and Courage, published with Bedazzled Ink Publishing in May 2018. When working on my book, I created a blog about my journey in the writing and publishing world and wrote posts about women who were 'firsts' in achievements, as well as those working in men's fields. How delightful to have women contact me to express their appreciation for my entering the firefighting world early on, with many of them telling me how very difficult it must have been back then--more so than now. However, once we connected, I discovered (and soon learned by reading of your challenges, too) that things are not better for women on fire crews now, but much worse! While I faced sexist comments and innuendos, outright discrimination and the holding back of career advancement, I don't remember hearing about any women who were sexually assaulted. It could be they were too scared to speak up, but to be honest, I don't think men were that brave back then. Why haven't things gotten better? I have some thoughts on that.” - Linda http://herbrotherhood.buzzsprout.com/320546/3280237-trail-blazing-wildland-firefighter-author-linda-straderSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/herbrotherhood)

In this episode we meet Ashby Anderson. An inspirational firefighter, mother and wife in Louisville Kentucky. Louisville fire department is the third fire organization she’s worked with and she is happier than ever with her professional and personal life - but it wasn’t always that way.The path she took to get here was less than smooth sailing. She learned the hard way what it meant to be the “only female” operational firefighter in an organization, how it felt to be the first female firefighter at a department to ever be expecting a child and the shocking, or not so much, response shown by leadership there. Ashby ended up in a specialty of the fire service that she never realized she’d love as much as she does. You can hear in her voice that she has a true passion for the mission, one that became clear to her as a young woman that followed her internal desire to serve others. There is a romantic twist to her journey that includes an empathetic leader and loving spouse of an adjacent department that really hit my heart. Ashby shares with us her experience and wisdom with a little bonus insight on how she feels when it comes to protecting her child who’s father she co-parents with, from Covid-19. Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/herbrotherhood)

"My name is Angel Joy Storm. Yes, that’s my real, given name! (And as it turns out, prophetic in every way.) I have a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution with a concentration in International Peace (2014), an M.A. in International Security (2010) and a B.S. in Human Development (2008). I served in the US Army for six years (2003 – 2009) as a Civil Affairs Specialist. While in the Army, I also attended the Defense Language Institute – Foreign Language Center in Monterey, California where I learned Russian. I was deployed to Iraq from 2007-2008.After leaving the military, I continued to serve as an adviser to the military as a civilian and served in multiple occupations – a linguist, an intelligence analyst and as a social scientist. I deployed and served with the US Special Forces Command from 2013 – 2014 in Afghanistan. Upon returning to the US, I then served as an adviser and social scientist to the US Central Command located in Tampa, Florida. I spent a total of 13 years in the US Department of Defense. I love cultures and their nuances and I have traveled to dozens of countries to study and advise leaders of all kinds. I grew up in an abusive, religious home and wanted nothing to do with the god I saw portrayed to me day after day. In spite of my desperate and deliberate attempts to get away from God, He came and met me in my darkest time. I walked with Jesus and my life was forever changed. In 2018 I began life coaching and I love helping people get their lives on track and grow in their purpose! (You can find out more about these services here.)"Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/herbrotherhood)

Amanda is a military spouse and veteran who served in the Air Force for six years as aCivil Engineer including a deployment to Afghanistan. She traded in her combat bootsfor a diaper bag to stay home with her two boys and follow her husband’s military career.She published her first book in 2019 titled Women of the Military, sharing the stories of28 military women. In 2019 she also launched her podcast also titled Women of theMilitary. On the podcast there has been representation from all five military branches andfeatured stories from the 23 rd Secretary of the Air Force, the Women Air Force ServicePilots to present day. You can learn more about Amanda at her blog Airman to Mom.Women of the Military Podcast: www.airmantomom.com/podcastWomen of the Military Book: http://www.airmantomom.com/women-of-the-military-ebook/Good Night Captain Mama: http://www.gracefullyglobal.com/commerce/?page_id=36&ap_id=AirmantomomGirls Guide to the Military: http://www.airmantomom.com/free-resources/a-girls-guide-to-the-military/Social Media:www.facebook.com/airmantomomwww.instagram.com/airmantomomwww.twitter.com/airmantomomhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/airmantomom/ Support Amanda's mission...www.patreon.com/womenofthemilitarySupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/herbrotherhood)

For more information or to contact podcast host Abby Bolt visit abbylbolt.comFollow Her Brotherhood:https://www.instagram.com/herbrotherhood/https://www.facebook.com/herbrotherhoodSupport the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/herbrotherhood)

Welcome to HBH Highlights that Inspire with me, Abby Bolt where I take a little time to share with you some of the most interesting and inspiring news stories around the world.If you hear of an inspiring headline feel free to send it to me at media@herbrotherhood.comFemale police sergeants take chargeLawrence Township Pennsylvania Police Sergeants Crystal Panebianco and Julie Curry have demonstrated that women can not only make a career as police officers — but flourish.A former Denver Bronco, a boxer and a “helitack” crew member join Denver Fire DepartmentThe Denver Fire Department’s newest class of firefighters will go down in history as the most diverse in the department’s history and will chip away at its goal of bringing more women into its fire houses.The graduates, who received their badges in a Friday ceremony, included a former Denver Broncos tight-end, two female military veterans, a female “helitack” firefighter, who rappelled from helicopters to battle blazes, and a professional boxer.Six of the 23 students were women, making this batch of female firefighters the largest in Denver’s history. The department now has 59 women out of 1,042 firefighters, a 5.6% rate that exceeds the national average, which is typically from 3% to 3.5%, said Capt. Greg Pixley, the department’s officer in charge of recruiting and outreach.Cassie and Taylor said they hoped their recent swearing in to the firefighting family would encourage other girls, and women, to pursue the career. Taylor even noted she graduated third overall in her class. Cassie was happy to show she could be hired on to the force at the age of 34, after a career in the military.First female K-9 officer and her partner patrolling Thomasville GeorgiaOfficer Haley Jensen joined Thomasville Police Department in December 2017 and completed K-9 handler training in October 2019.“When I joined TPD, becoming a K-9 handler was my dream job,” Officer Jensen stated. “Being able to make my dream come true while serving and protecting my community is a great feeling.” The dream didn’t come easily, though, she said. “I had to successfully complete a rigorous K-9 tryout and attend a four-week K-9 handler training course with my K-9 partner, Kaiko.”“Officer Jensen has always demonstrated the skills, ability, performance, and attitude to succeed,” said TPD Chief Troy Rich. “She is an impressive officer with the drive to be the best in everything that she does.” Jensen’s partner, Kaiko, is a two-and-a-half-year-old Dutch Shepherd who was already a certified K-9 for law enforcement prior to Jensen receiving him. He also underwent extensive training in order to serve and protect our community alongside Jensen.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/herbrotherhood)

Bobbie retired and realized the importance of capturing her stories from silly little moments to devastating fatalities. We chat about her adventures and solve the worlds problems surrounding leadership techniques along with the frustrating politics surrounding the fire service, including the Feds and the United States Forest Service. Check out her stories at BobbieOnFire.comFor more information or to contact podcast host Abby Bolt visit abbylbolt.comFollow Her Brotherhood:https://www.instagram.com/herbrotherhood/https://www.facebook.com/herbrotherhoodBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/herbrotherhood)

Jen was a misunderstood child with a kind and generous heart however she was often unjustly criticized. Becoming sensitive to her environment she became aware at a very young age of how differently people communicate. Whether it was parents, other kids or teachers, she could quickly discern if people were effective or ineffective communicators.Desperate to create a better life for herself, she enlisted in the NAVY at eighteen years of age. This was where she learned to implement structure, discipline and how to create great habits. As her career progressed, she focused intently on different types of leadership and she became aware of two highly contrasting leadership styles. The first type is Authoritative Leadership. Authoritative Leaders try to get things done by their positional rank or authority. These leaders believe respect automatically comes with their position and they tend to be ineffective communicators. This leads to a more difficult process and generally less effective outcomes. The second type is True Leadership. Regardless of their rank or position, True Leaders are role models through their actions. By effective communication they can get the desired results in a fast and efficient manner because people want to perform at their best out of respect and a desire to please their leader.Jen has honed her True Leadership skills and used her methodology to create a successful marriage for over a quarter of a century to her husband Willy. She is also the mother of two beautiful twins. Zac and Zoe are pursuing their passions while stepping into their own authentic lives. Jen has used her leadership techniques to create an independently owned multi-million dollar real estate investment company as a real estate investor and successful real estate agent. Jen’s mission is to share the same techniques she has used to build the life of her dreams in order to help her clients achieve the life they have always dreamt of. Jen is passionate about sharing this wisdom to improve marriages, relationships with children and improving corporate cultures. She is leading a movement to make this world a better place and would love for you to join!Jen@jenwilliamson.com-Jenwilliamson.com-Jen Williamson FB-The Jen Williamson IGThe Thriving Entrepreneur ShowVisit AbbyBolt.com for more.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/herbrotherhood)

Kia Baker hosts the Female Veterans Podcast. She is a mother and Navy Veteran with a passion for helping her fellow female Vets find a place to share their stories. We discuss her work with some of those women who have experienced Military Sexual Trauma and Homelessness. She is a vivid inspiration on a path of amazing things including a non profit to further her reach to even more service members in need. Visit Kia on instagram @thefemaleveteranspodcast and you can check out her show on Itunes by searching for The Female Veterans Podcast.For more information visit abbylbolt.comFollow Her Brotherhood:https://www.instagram.com/herbrotherhood/https://www.facebook.com/herbrotherhoodBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/herbrotherhood)

I had the honor of speaking with Lauren Metzger Bird from Central New Jersey and recently relocated to the greater Houston Area. Lauren shared stories of how she got into the fire service, motherhood, brotherhood, struggling with addiction and the loss of her firefighting father who died in a suspicious fire in his own home. Her most recent source of pride is what she is achieving volunteering for Team Rubicon in the wake of our nations natural disasters. Here are a few of her highlights:-Firefighter/EMT/911 Dispatcher/Logistics Specialist (throughout my years of service) -In the Emergency Services field since 1999-Www.teamrubiconusa.org (Disaster Response non profit staffed by volunteer military veterans and first responders 100,000 strong responding world wide - new applicants always welcome - free training, free airfare for response and trainings beyond 450 miles of your home - camaraderie - ability to reinvent yourself and find purpose) -Laurbird81@gmail.com 609-613-0026 for anyone wanting to reach out for sisterhood, confidence, drug or alcohol discussion or non professional advise & resources for firefighter education and mental health services or questions -www.facebook.com/lpmb81-www.instagram.com/s0ng0nfire-www.nationalfallenfirefighters.org-"Everything happens for a reason"-"Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end"-"Tell me I can't and watch me do it twice"-"You are never alone in your thoughts, in your feelings, in your emotions...Reach Out"Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/herbrotherhood)

Welcome to the first edition of HBH Highlights that Inspire with me, Abby Bolt where I take a little time to share with you some of the most interesting and inspiring news stories around the world.If you hear of an inspiring headline feel free to send it to me at media@herbrotherhood.comThis particular story has been plastered across this internet this week and it is no secret as to whyWoman becomes first female marine to pilot F-35B fighter jetMarine to pilot F-35B fighter jet A woman who attributes her success to "showing up prepared and working diligently" has become the first female Marine to pilot a F-35B fighter jet.U.S. Marine Capt. Anneliese Satz, 29, of Boise, Idaho, completed the F-35B Basic Course on June 27, the Marine Corp announced in a press release last week.Satz trained for four years, including in Corpus Christi, Texas, and Meridian, Mississippi, before arriving at Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort, South Carolina, in July 2018. She took her first flight in the F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, the first-ever supersonic short takeoff/vertical landing stealth aircraft, in October 2018.The first flight was done solo — something that Satz said she was prepared for thanks to her training, which included practice time in simulators and written exams.“The syllabus thoroughly prepares you for that first time you take off and for every flight after that, it’s an exhilarating experience,” she said in the press release.The Marines said Satz, who has more than 300 flight hours, will now join a unit called the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121, the Green Knights in Iwakuni, Japan.Before joining the Marines, Satz was a commercial pilot flying helicopters. She said her helicopter piloting and training schools helped her live up to her potential.https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/woman-becomes-first-female-marine-pilot-f-35b-fighter-jet-n1043176 Arkansas girl jump-starts campaign for female plastic toy soldiersA 6-year-old girl has provided a strong kick to a campaign to create female versions of the iconic green Army men figures after sending a powerful letter to several toy manufacturers. After getting her hands on the 2-inch-tall toy, Vivian Lord of Little Rock, Arkansas quickly realized there are no women figures — not even in the pink set.“I saw the pink ones but [those] aren’t girls and [people] in the Army don’t wear pink,” she wrote in her letter, as reported in Military Times.com.One of the recipients of the letter was Jeff Imel, an executive with Scranton, Pa.-based BMC Toys, who quickly responded with an “overdue update” of an ongoing project to fashion the female figures. “The general concept is a set of female combat toy soldier figures in the style of the plastic Army men from WW2-Cold War era that would blend in with existing figures froBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/herbrotherhood)

Abby: So it wasn't long after I met you, and I think I met you up in Sacramento, so it wasn't very long after, and I was actually at home reading a news article because there had been an incident in Las Vegas that happened, and there was a shooting, you know, everything that goes along with that. But then I'm flipping through this news article about a local fireman where I live, and I'm reading about him and his girlfriend, and as I'm reading through it, I see Trish Pollett mentioned in this article. My heart dropped, my jaw dropped, thought oh my God, why is her name in here? Tell me, why was your name in that article?Tricia: We had been at the concert in Las Vegas, the Route 91 Harvest Festival, and we're having a wonderful weekend with some friends. Bruce and I were there with another couple. He works for the fire department also and then another guy who I went through the Fire Academy with who's also with our fire department. We were watching the concert and there was this nice couple in front of us that we started talking to. It turned out he works for the fire department as well. We'd been talking to him and his girlfriend for probably about an hour. He'd gone and bought a round of beers. We're hoping the person that was passed out on the ground in front of us wouldn't throw up on our boots. Next thing you know, we were kind of holding our ground and enjoy watching Jason Aldean, and a few songs in the shooting started. The guys thought that it was firecrackers, and I looked around and I saw a group of people off to the side pull back. I was trying to convince them, I felt really strongly that it was shooting, that it wasn't firecrackers. And something I saw off to the side, everybody backed up like when there's a fight, but I thought, oh, those must be the firecrackers. There was no smoke and no smell and then it became very real. When Christina had... I didn't realize she leaned in and told Kelly she couldn't catch her breath. What I saw was Christina falling to the ground. She had been shot in the chest. Bruce, Kelly and I all got to the ground and our other friend Ed, and I sent Ed for help and not really realizing how big of a thing this was going to be. It turned out that I looked and I saw blood pouring out of the side of Christina's chest and realized she had been shot. Then our whole focus turned to, I tried putting pressure on it knowing it wasn't going to do a ton of good. But we were just trying to figure out the best way to get out of there and as quick as we could. The three of us picked up Christina, started carrying her out. Lots of detail to the story beyond that, but basically we got her out of the venue and into a truck and pushed Kelly up in the truck with her. We didn't know if weBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/herbrotherhood)

I was honored to have a chat with Fire Battalion Chief Pollette. Listen as she shares inspirational stories of her exciting career with San Diego Fire. In this episode we discuss the many positions she held with the department and the deadly incident where she found her friends and the love of her life under a shower of gunfire. For more information or to contact podcast host Abby Bolt visit abbylbolt.comFollow Her Brotherhood:https://www.instagram.com/herbrotherhood/https://www.facebook.com/herbrotherhoodBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/herbrotherhood)

A little background on Host Abby Bolt and the purpose behind Her Brotherhood. Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/herbrotherhood)

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