The Kyle Carpenter Podcast

Michael Noyes was born without arms. But he has lived, and accomplished, far more than most people with all of their limbs. From his childhood of splitting wood on his family's farm in a small Maine town of 500 people to playing pitcher for his local softball team to riding snowmobiles and driving Kyle around town during his visit to Maine, Michael has adapted and overcome the challenges of life with a humble and grateful attitude. Michael's journey has also been one of service. He has committed his life to helping others through summer camps that help disabled children, veterans in need, adopting and fostering many children and 30 years of working for two U.S. Senators - all while typing with pencils held between his toes.Join Kyle and Michael for an amazing conversation as he shares his inspirational and unbelievable journey. You have probably never heard of Michael Noyes. After you listen to this episode, you will never forget him. 

Charlotte Jones is the Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer for the Dallas Cowboys. She is responsible for overseeing all of the business operations, including entertainment, community relations, cause marketing, stadium design, apparel licensing and brand marketing as it is presented to fans worldwide.Jones has worked in the Cowboy's Executive Offices since 1989, following the purchase of the team by her father, football and business legend Jerry Jones. She has played an instrumental role in propelling the organization to where it is today, the NFL's most valuable franchise. Along with her many philanthropic endeavors, she currently serves as the Chairman of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation. The National Medal of Honor Museum is currently being built in Arlington, TX and will open Spring of 2025.Charlotte Jones is a Stanford graduate, an advocate for women, especially those in business, and a loving mother of three children. https://www.dallascowboys.com/team/front-office-roster/charlotte-joneshttps://mohmuseum.org/

After being diagnosed with ALS and two and a half years left to live, Lorri Carey has, now, been living life to the fullest for 19 years. Through her profound perspective and appreciation for life, Lorri shares her inspirational journey with the complex and fatal disease of ALS.Lorri has devoted the time she has left to her podcast, I'm Dying To Tell You, where she shares the stories of people who inspire her.ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), also know as “Lou Gehrig's disease”, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that, over time, affects the nerve cells in the brain and spine. These nerves affect everything from breathing to eating to the usage of muscles and limbs. Currently, there is no cure for ALS.Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/im-dying-to-tell-you/id1500657074Website: https://imdyingtotellyoupodcast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imdyingtotellyoupodcast/?hl=en

Hamody Jasim is an Iraqi born native who grew up under the devastating oppression of Saddam Hussein's regime. He went from being beaten and tortured, at 12 years old, in Saddam's prisons to becoming one of the most lethal spies in Iraq. Known as the "Pro-American" to U.S. Intelligence Agencies, his credible, street level, intelligence quickly rose to influence those who were directly advising the President. Through his innate ability to locate terrorists and uncover their deadly plots, Hamody Jasim earned the nickname "The Terrorist Whisperer."For more on Hamody's incredible journey of courage and service check out his documentary, book and podcast.Website: http://theterroristwhisperer.com/Documentary on Amazon Prime: The Terrorist Whisperer Podcast: The Black Site Show Book: https://www.amazon.com/Terrorist-Whisperer-Story-Pro-American/dp/1508923671/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1679504397&sr=1-1

In honor of National Medal of Honor Day (March 25th) Kyle discusses the history of the award and his personal journey as the youngest living Medal of Honor recipient and only the second living Marine recipient since the Vietnam War. Out of the 41 million people who have served in the United States Military,  3516 have been awarded the Medal of Honor. Today, there are 65 living recipients.To learn more about the Medal of Honor please visit: www.cmohs.org

Wendy Finerman is a Golden Globe,  Academy Award and British Academy Award winning Producer. She has produced numerous and well known films such as Forrest Gump, P.S. I love you, Drumline, The Fan, Stepmom, One For The Money and The Devil Wears Prada. Join Kyle and his dear friend Wendy as they go behind the scenes into the magic of the movies!

Daniel Weiss is the President and CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or The Met, one of the largest and most diverse art museums in the world. Prior to this position, he served as a university professor, the 14th President of Haverford College, the 16th President of Lafayette College and the Dean of Johns Hopkins's Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Art History and Psychology from The George Washington University, a Master's Degree from Yale and a PhD from Johns Hopkins University.He is a published author of six books and currently serves as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Council on Foreign Relations. Founded in 1870, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the largest and most diverse art museums in the world. Covering over 2 million square feet of space in the heart of New York City's Central Park, The Met is home to over 1.5 million artifacts which span 5,000 years of history.

Ray Smith is the historian for the city of Oak Ridge, TN, the Y-12 National Security Complex (retired) and a subject matter expert on The Manhattan Project. He is also a Vietnam Veteran. The Manhattan Project was code name for the research and development undertaking that produced the worlds first nuclear weapons, with the goal of ending World War II. The Project was a U.S. led, allied effort, that started in response to fears that scientists working for Adolf Hitler had been working on weapons using nuclear technology and that he was eager to use them.This massive endeavor brought together the best military leaders, the most brilliant scientists and some of the greatest and well known companies in the world to accomplish something that had never been done before. Join Kyle and Ray from the "secret city" of Oak Ridge, TN as they discuss the Manhattan Project like never before. 

Kyle and Director Sams sit down together to discuss the National Park Service and the challenges of preserving and protecting 63 national parks, 84 national monuments, 5,000 bridges and 85 million acres of land. Charles "Chuck" Sams is the 19th Director of the National Park Service. He is also the first tribal citizen to be nominated to this position. Director Sams is Cayuse and Walla Walla and is an enrolled member, and former executive director, of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Northeast Oregon, where he grew up. Before being appointed as Director,  he served as the appointee for the state of Oregon to the Pacific Northwest Power and Conservation Council. Like many in his family, Sams served in the United States Military. He was an Intelligence Specialist in the U.S. Navy. 

Don Taylor is the founder and CEO of AmplifiedAg, a technology company with the mission of providing global access to safe food while not harming the planet in the process. The company manufactures indoor container farms and technologies to grow nutritious food directly at the point of consumption. AmplifiedAg's Vertical Roots brand is the largest hydroponic container farm in the world, with its leafy greens available in over 2,000 retailers in the U.S. A software industry veteran for more than 30 years, Don has developed and provided advanced software solutions to the healthcare, banking and logistics industries, and now for indoor agriculture. What was anticipated retirement in 2015 became a brief sabbatical when Don developed soaring concerns for the planet's massive environmental and ecological issues and its impacts on growing fresh, safe food across the globe. He recognized an opportunity to apply his years of technology experience toward creating agtech focused solutions to help increase the availability of sustainably grown food while decreasing the negative environmental impacts of traditionally grown food.Before his software career, Don served 4 years in the United States Navy as an electrician on a Navy surface ship. Acquired through his service, Don's expert knowledge of electricity, plumbing, mechanical architecture and closed loop systems in tight spaces was later applied to engineering AmplifiedAg indoor farms in shipping containers.Don currently serves on the Industrial Advisory Board for the College of Charleston's Engineering program. 

Kyle sits down with his grandmother, on the eve of her 85th birthday, to discuss her journey of life so far, parenting advice from raising three children and the most important lesson of all, "love each other."  

Kyle sits down with Gary to discuss his family's journey to America in 1891, the founding of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre, his iconic role as Lieutenant Dan Taylor, in the film Forrest Gump, and his lifelong mission of giving back to veterans and first responders.Gary Sinise is an award-winning actor, musician and a passionate philanthropist. In 1974, at 18 years old, he co-founded Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Today, his film and television works include Apollo 13, Ransom, Snake Eyes, The Green Mile, Mission to Mars and hit tv series Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and nine seasons of CSI: NY. His most notable role came, in 1994, when he played Vietnam War veteran Lt. Dan Taylor, in the global film sensation Forrest Gump.  His role as Lt. Dan formed a deep and enduring connection with servicemen and women throughout the military community and in 2003, after several USO handshake tours, he formed the “Lt. Dan Band” and began entertaining troops at home and abroad. Over the years, the 13-piece cover band has performed hundreds of shows for charities and fundraisers supporting wounded heroes and troops around the world. In 2011, to expand upon his individual efforts, he established the Gary Sinise Foundation with the mission to serve and honor America's defenders, veterans, first responders, Gold Star families and those in need. In 2019, Gary released his New York Times Bestselling autobiography, Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service.  

Kyle and Secretary Bill Cohen met in 2018 when Kyle spoke at The Cohen Group. Now, they sit down together to discuss his childhood in small town Maine, religious discrimination, leadership in politics and doing the right thing even when it's difficult. Secretary Cohen and members of The Cohen Group have mentored and strategically supported Kyle since their friendship began.Bill Cohen served for 24 years as a Congressman and Senator from Maine from 1972-1996. In 1996, he was appointed by President Clinton to serve as the 20th Secretary of Defense from 1997-2001, the first time that a President of one party selected an elected official of another party for a Cabinet position. A published author of thirteen works of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry, Secretary Cohen is the son of a working-class Maine family who rose to the highest levels in government.He is a World Affairs Analyst for BBC News providing analysis and commentary on major domestic and international news stories, and is a member of the Board of Trustees at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). In addition to serving as Chairman of The Cohen Group, he also launched the William S. Cohen Institute for Leadership and Public Service at the University of Maine which "trains future leaders in a variety of disciplines to be ethical, visionary, innovative, civil, thoughtful and independent-minded in the service of Maine, the United States, and the world."Recorded April, 2022

Kyle sits down with Chris to discuss the path to becoming a Navy SEAL, cave operations in Northern Afghanistan, the responsibilities of being a NASA Astronaut and life on the International Space Station. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, Chris Cassidy spent 11 years and four deployments operating as a Navy SEAL, before becoming a NASA Astronaut. Over the next 17 years, as an astronaut, Chris made three trips to space, completed 54 hours of spacewalk time and served as the Commander of the International Space Station for over six months. His time as an astronaut culminated with his selection as NASA's 14th Chief Astronaut. Today, Chris serves as the President of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation. The National Medal of Honor Museum is currently being built in Arlington, Texas and will open Fall/Winter of 2024. If you would like to know more about Chris's journey, you can follow him on Instagram @Astro_Seal or watch the incredible documentary, Among The Stars, on Disney+, which highlights his journey as an astronaut and his time as Commander of the International Space Station. 

Kyle and Lieutenant Jennifer Kerlin sit down together to discuss the unique, complex and vital jobs of first responders and the mental hardships they endure, from these jobs.Lt. Kerlin has served 22 years in Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, 16 of those as an officer. Her passion, throughout her career, has been technical rescue and her colleagues describe her as “one of the best there is.” The TRT (Technical Rescue Team) are certified emergency medical response firefighters specially trained in the treatment and removal of victims trapped in complex or confined spaces.Her training, experience and leadership culminated when her station was one of the first to arrive on the scene of the Surfside condominium collapse that occurred, at 1:22 a.m. EDT, on June 24th, 2021, in Surfside, FL. This was the biggest call her department has ever seen. After arriving on scene, she immediately took her 100 foot ladder and began rescuing people from the collapse zone and the swaying balconies that remained. Ultimately, she helped rescue all eleven people and two dogs.Today, while continuing to serve, she reminds her fellow first responders that it's ok to struggle and, most importantly, that it's ok to get help. 

Kyle and General Mattis met in 2012, while Kyle was living and recovering in Washington, DC. Since then, General Mattis has been a dear friend and mentor to Kyle. Now, they sit down together to discuss leadership, combat, the beauty of freedom, the purpose of  the U.S. Military and service greater than self. Jim Mattis is a retired four star Marine Corps General and the 26th United States Secretary of Defense. During his more than four decades of service, General Mattis led troops in combat, as an infantry platoon commander, and served in numerous leadership positions within the U.S. Military and Government, such as Commander of U.S. Central Command and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation. As Commander of U.S. Central Command, he served alongside officers from 77 nations while directing military operations of more than 200,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, Coast Guardsmen, Marines and allied forces.Today, he serves as a Distinguished Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, specializing in the study of leadership, national security, strategy and innovation. His informative and thought provoking books include:Call Sign Chaos: Learning To Lead  Warriors and Citizens: American Views of Our Military

Kyle and Bert met seven years ago in their home state of South Carolina. Now, they sit down as friends to discuss business, family, epic beards, adversity and earning a fulfilling life. Bert Sorin is the President and Co-Owner of Sorinex Exercise Equipment. Bert and his family are rooted in strength and have been entrenched in the human performance world for as far back as he can remember. Growing up with a barbell in his hand has been pivotal in charting the course of his life and leading him to become a 4-time Division 1 All-American Track and Field champion and an Olympic trials athlete. Sorinex is a successful family run business founded by his father, Richard Sorin.  Together they are the inventors of hardware and applications to make people more effective, efficient, and safe on the sports field and the battle field. Bert pushes each day to find the best in people, and to assist in the exploration of their potential and maximize their value to the cause. Sorinex has worked with numerous teams and organizations such as the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, University of South Carolina, Duke University and Army Special Forces. "Be present. Be authentic. Be legendary." -Bert Sorin

Kyle and Dr. Lauren Turza met in 2010 after he arrived at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, MD, after being injured in Afghanistan. She was one of his trauma surgeons and performed numerous operations on him, including his extensive skin grafts. Now, twelve years later, they not only remain close friends but Dr. Turza named her son after Kyle. Dr. Turza served 17 years as a combat Army General Surgeon. During that time, she served in numerous medical leadership positions, which included Chief of Trauma Surgery for a Forward Surgical Team, in Afghanistan, and Medical Director for the Breast Center at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. She is currently in a Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship at Anne Arundel Medical Center, in Annapolis, MD.