The Squad Room

Dr. John Delony is a New York Times bestselling author, mental health and wellness expert, and host of the very popular podcast The Dr. John Delony Show. What is not as well known about this famous figure is that his father was a cop – a homicide detective in fact and John knows first hand […]

During his 29-year career, Jeff McGreevy was an early pioneer in the concept of peer support in Southern California, having been involved in officer wellness since 2004 when he was recruited to be a founding member of his department's trauma support team which later evolved into peer support. Jeff has extensive training and experience in […]

Shawn is the founder of 1st Responder Conferences and a retired deputy from the King County Sheriff's Office in Seattle, WA. Shawn retired in 2022 after 25 years of service as a Wellness and Resiliency Detective and a therapy K9 handler.  During her career, Shawn worked patrol, as an undercover detective, a detective in the […]

On April 10, 2012, United States Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills of the 82nd Airborne was critically injured on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan by an IED (improvised explosive device) while on patrol, losing portions of both legs and both arms. He is one of only five quadruple amputees from the wars in […]

Travis Gribble is a 24-year law enforcement veteran and founder of My Arena. Travis spent 11 years at a Sheriff's Office in Michigan before lateralling to a large agency in Arizona where he worked as a patrol officer, patrol sergeant, and as a SWAT assistant team leader and SWAT sergeant.  In 2016, Travis experienced a […]

Did you know that 15% of men say they have no close friends? None. 53% of women say they feel lonely at work. 17% of the general population say they routinely experience deep loneliness. What's scary is loneliness is linked to our longevity and health. Going through life lonely is the equivalent of smoking nearly […]

Sabrina Reich is a 19-year police leader of a large university police department in California. She's also a wife, and mom of two, focused on sharing leadership tips and lessons learned for a better life. Sabrina is building a movement of courageous leaders through enabling strong trust and partnerships because communities deserve to be safe. […]

On October 1, 2017, Sergeant Josh Bitsko found himself on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel, about to confront the deadliest killer in U.S. history. Through a weird combination of fate and initiative, Josh found himself leading the assault team of only four officers against a heavily fortified and well-organized murderer. Only six […]

Zac Miller served a combined eight years as a firefighter/EMT, 911 dispatcher and a police officer. Zac is currently the Director of ManPower at UNcivilized Inc, a Certified UNcivilized Coach, and a Breathwork Facilitator. Zac is also a husband, and a dad to four kids. Since leaving public service, Zac completed a certificate in Traumatic […]

Oftentimes, it's the minor things that can set us off and send us spiraling out of control, handing over our sovereignty to anxiety and anger. Getting cut off in traffic, waiting in long lines… A bad haircut can be one of those things.  In this episode I share the story of how a hair stylist […]

In this episode, I share the story of how I realized something was really wrong with me and how the job was changing me in all the wrong ways. Plus, I share details on our men's retreat for current, former, and retired first responders and military veterans.  Join us in the mountains outside Denver, Colorado […]

Dave Boyd is the President of UNcivilized Inc, a men's coach, a workshop facilitator, a husband, a father, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, an ex-MMA fighter, a CrossFit coach, and a former first responder who served as a firefighter, a 911 telecommunicator, and lastly as a local law enforcement officer with nearly […]

In this short episode I share the story of my chance to meet Eddie Van Halen…and how I screwed it up. But that screw up led to one of my favorite conversations ever – with a Rock God no less. If you're looking for a little extra joy in your life, sign up for Tactical […]

I recently passed the 18th anniversary of the day I entered the academy. The occasion provoked some introspection and on this episode I share 18 lessons I've learned throughout my career to this point – lessons often learned the hard way. It's certainly not a comprehensive list but I incuded things that I think can […]

Matthew Thomas is currently the Chief Deputy of the Pinal County Sheriff's Office in Arizona. Matthew works for one of the most famous sheriffs in the county, Mark Lamb. Matthew has a long career in undercover work and fighting the ever-encroaching influence and the Mexican drug cartels. Matthew is also the author of the book […]

Dr. Rick Hanson is a renowned psychologist, New York Times best-selling author, and meditation teacher known for his expertise in the field of neuroscience and positive psychology. With a deep understanding of the brain and its capacity for change, he has dedicated his career to helping individuals cultivate happiness, resilience, and well-being. Dr. Hanson has […]

SWAT Officer Brandon Griffith was in the best shape of his life at 26 years old when he collapsed dead in his living room from a sudden cardiac arrest.  His wife started CPR while calling 911 and he was eventually shocked back to life with a defibrillator.  In this episode you will learn:  The story […]

Micromanagers usually lack trust in their coworkers so they feel they need to obsessively watch over them. What's missing, is that the micromanagers also lack trust in themselves, and all that behavior is an outward expression of an inner turmoil.  In this episode, I share some quick insights into how you can avoid becoming the […]

Ryan Allen, a successful K9 handler for his department, didn't think much about the bee sting he got on the way home from the gym. What happened next turned this small thing into a nightmare of panic, grief, guilt and difficult decisions.  Six months later, Ryan's wife Whitney buried her young husband and was left […]

Have you just gotten promoted or looking to promote soon? This episode might save you a lot of heartache. 10 years ago this week I was promoted to sergeant. And then, just about a year ago I was promoted to lieutenant. In that time I've had some wins…and a whole lot of losses. I've also […]

In 2021 I was out on medical leave due to a back injury that had been misdiagnosed for years. What saved me from a potential career-ending surgery was a renewed practice of yoga.  Despite its long tradition in warrior communities, there are a lot of misconceptions and objections to yoga in the first responder communities […]

Jason Piccolo is a newly retired federal agent and the host of The Protectors Podcast. Jason has nearly 30 years in service to his country as an agent, a U.S. Army infantry captain and veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Jason is a frequent guest on Fox News and Court TV and he's the author of […]

As a leader, the conversations you have with the people around you will make or break your career.  Having the wrong conversations with the wrong people is the fastest way to lose the trust of your coworkers.  Conversely, having these 4 types of conversations with the people around you is the fastest way to building […]

In 2022, a popular book came out that describes how the average human only has 4000 weeks in their entire lifetime. That's it. Just 4000. For everything from birth, to your first day of school, to your first kiss, and on and on and on until death – only 4000 weeks.  So how are you […]

Kyle Stubbs is a husband, father of two, and full time police officer with the RCMP. Prior to policing, Kyle worked as a primary care paramedic and also served with a volunteer fire department. Kyle is a certified holistic lifestyle coach, breathwork facilitator, and mindset coach. His mission is to transform first responder health and […]

Errol Doebler is a former U.S. Navy SEAL and retired FBI Special Agent who now runs Leader193. Errol graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1991, first serving in the fleet before joining Seal Teams.  In this episode, we talk about 5 elements you need to consider about how you are leading yourself if you […]

Did you know people are more scared of public speaking than dying?! Yes, the idea of getting up in front of a group of people and speaking is so terrifying to so many people that they'd rather cease to exist on this Earth.  That's nuts!  Here's the good news. You don't have to be a […]

There are three things you must understand if you are a leader in your organization, or you are looking to take a leadership role in the future.  They're simple, but not always easy.  In this short episode, I tackle the 3 Universal Laws of Leadership – three things you absolutely need to know to succeed […]

Why do we suffer? Can it be avoided, or is life just really hard sometimes? How do we take control of things that are seemingly impossible to control, but have massive, sometimes lethal consequences in our lives?  In this episode, I share my experience of being diagnosed with a rare and incurable disease that forced […]

In this short episode, I share 7 things you can do to create more work/life balance in your life.  Do you have a technique I missed? Let us know what you do to create more balance in your life. Shoot me an email at garrett@thesquadroom.net or drop us a line on social media @thesquadroom and […]

In this solo episode I share 15 SECRETS about leadership that they don't tell you about. Maybe it's because it'll scare you away, or maybe they think misery loves company. Either way, we tackle 15 things about taking on a leadership role in your agency that are often overlooked, glossed over, or forgotten about.  Do […]

Charlie (last name redacted) is the meme lord behind the very popular Instagram handle @teneight_memes. Although he's known for his very funny and sarcastic sense of humor, Charlie has been put through the emotional ringer over the last year and we talk in-depth about how humor and music helped him through a very tough time. […]

It often seems that cops love nothing more than to complain. Sure, there are the normal gripes and injustices and we all have our moments but then there are those we work with who are on a whole other level of misery – cops who seem to make it their job to be negative about […]

Discipline is an often misunderstood – and misapplied – concept in leadership. Many supervisors think discipline and punishment are the same thing, and that the only way to get people to do what you need them to do is to hold the threat of punishment and negativity over them.  That's negative discipline and the uneducated […]

Nashville native and Army veteran Tyler Ashley came to Los Angeles like so many other people do, searching for his big break in acting and music. Along the was called back to service and is currently an officer with the LAPD. However, Tyler hasn't given up on his goals of being on stage and he's […]

What's the number one complaint you have about your agency? Chances are it's something to do with the lack of communication. Jeff Halstead is my guest this week as we dive into the simple yet complicated topic of communication; how to make it better, how it changes as you promote, and how new technologies can […]

Wendy Hummell, a seasoned law enforcement officer with over 24 years of experience.  Wendy started her career in 1996 as a Special Agent with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).  She retired at the rank of Detective after 21 years of service from the Wichita Police Department where she spent a majority of her career […]

As cops, the last thing we want to do is bring home the drama, stress and trauma to our families.  But it's hard, sometimes, to create some distance between who we are on the job and who we want to be when we're at home.  In this episode, I share 8 simple things you can […]

Mike McGrew is the Co-Founder, CEO and Executive Director of the 911 At Ease Foundation.  Mike spent 31 years with the Santa Barbara Police Department where he recently retired as a sergeant. Mike held positions in major crimes, traffic, and POA president among many other assignments. Those assignments took a toll on Mike who struggled […]

In this short Briefing Topic episode, we cover 7 discipline failures you might be making.  Discipline can be elusive for many of us. It's not as simple as just motivation, momentum, or commitment.  Hopefully these 7 topics give you something to think about that can help you every day.  I want to offer you something […]

Are you happy? Like, actually happy? For a lot of cops, that just seems like crazy talk. Afterall, what is happy, anyways? And why is it important to bring it back into our lives?  So many questions revolve around happiness.  Luckily, my guest today has some of the answers.  Bridget Truxillo is a former Deputy […]

In this short episode I cover six ways that you can boost your resilience starting right now.  Learn more at thesquadroom.net  I want to offer you something that I'm very excited about, and it's absolutely FREE. We have launched Tactical Tuesdays – a free weekly email where we bring you a few tactics, tips and […]

Adam Kinakin is the Managing Director and founder of the International Law Enforcement Training Network (ILET), a community-based training platform designed for creating and facilitating international Law Enforcement training.  A former Infantry Officer with the Canadian Armed Forces, he held the role of Administration Officer, Platoon Commander, Acting Company 2I/C, and was the Training Officer […]

Dustin Salomon is a former naval officer and the author of Hitting in Combat: The Brain Science of Training to Win Gunfights. Between the military and the private sector, he has conducted 20 overseas deployments.  In this episode, we talk about how you can make your firearms training more effective by considering how our brains […]

Jeff Smith spent 29 years working in law enforcement, most of it working undercover in the Narcotics Unit. Jeff has worked cases with DEA, FBI, HSI, US Customs, Maryland State Police, Delaware State Police, Virginia State Police and many other agencies all over the region. Jeff has participated in thousands of operations both as a […]

Dr. Trevor Wilkins is a former cop and current psychotherapist but if you're on social media you might know him better as The Angry Viking. Trevor is a psychotherapist in private practice at Thin Line Counseling, LLC in Lexington, KY. Dr. Wilkins served 15-years in uniformed law enforcement, and the prior three years as a […]

Scott Medlin, an active police officer and devout Catholic, was struggling with a secret. One that he felt he couldn't even share with anyone — and certainly not with anyone at work.   After years on patrol and two prior combat deployments with the United States Marine Corps, Scott's mental attitude and coping skills were starting […]

Adam Haidary is a former training sergeant for an agency in South Carolina. Adam is the founder of the hugely popular and often controversial Instagram account @policeposts and is also the creator of Effective Fitness, which offers physical training templates and coaching for law enforcement personnel. On top of that he is the creator of […]

Kim Colegrove was living a successful life as a corporate trainer looking forward to her husband's retirement from federal law enforcement. He had big plans to finally launch his business – an idea he'd been working on for years.  Three months after his last day at work, he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  In […]

Jon Macaskill (@mindfulfrogman) is a retired Navy SEAL Commander turned consultant and mindfulness and meditation teacher. Jon was a lieutenant during the famous Operation Red Wings disaster made famous by Marcus Lutrell's book and the related movie Lone Survivor.  Jon was born in South Africa but grew up in Ruston, Louisiana. After graduating high school, […]

Cyndi Doyle is a licensed professional counselor and Nationally Board Certified Counselor. She is also certified in Critical Incident Stress Management and serves the Dallas/Fort Worth area on several response teams. Cyndi is also a LEO wife so her work with cops and family members is very relevant to our talk today. She's a 3 […]