Tough Talk

Lance Captain USMCR Retired joins us for a special guest episode where we discuss faith, family, and memes.  You don't want to miss this.  Follow Lance Captain Here Follow Isaac Here Follow John Here

Today we dive into a publication that has heavily influenced both of our lives, both inside and outside the Marine Corps. We argue that the principles of warfighting transcend the battlefield and are readily applicable to succeeding in everyday life.  Have you taken inventory of your centers of gravity? Do you default to a responsive, […]

On Today’s episode, John goes solo while Isaac moves into his new home and covers the topic of adaptability. Human beings are amazingly resilient and adaptable. These skills have been developed over hundreds and thousands of years. What’s more, we are most adaptable to change initially. This ability to adapt rapidly to a new sport, […]

In today’s episode Isaac and I celebrate the second greatest birthday this nation has to offer. That is in fact, the Marine Corps Birthday. We delve into why that is a proud topic amongst Marines and the beauty of our sacred warrior fraternity. We spend the remainder of the episode covering whether or not Crypto […]

Today is election day. To celebrate, John and I dive into the importance of being deliberate with how you exercise your right to vote.  Then we go off the rails and down the rabbit hole of the Jeffrey Epstein case. We do our best at trying to stay grounded in reality while discussing such an […]

Welcome back. Glad you're here. Make yourself comfortable.  On today's episode, we talk about resolve through the lens of President Lincoln. Throughout his life, Lincoln faced overwhelming pressure to change course. To turn back. To give up. To compromise. How was he able to maintain his course, and ultimately, maintain the Union? He had a […]

Rise and shine. Time to get out of bed, dress for the day, and crush the obstacles that lay in your path. Luckily, that's sort of what this episode is about.  In this episode, John and I spend some time building on the ideas Dr. Bailey presented last week. We then move on to discuss […]

Should we return to work or continue living this “awesome” work from home lifestyle? In today’s episode, Isaac and I are joined by James R. Bailey to discuss the new work from home culture, resisters, supporters, and it’s unintended consequences. Dr. Bailey points out the impact this culture is having on our citizens and cities, […]

Today, we put on our dating coach hats. Social media has created a fast-food dating culture that leaves many people behind. Frankly, it's a very difficult world being single in 2022. John and I do our best to provide insight on what will produce the best results when navigating the treacherous waters of the dating […]

Season 2, Episode 3. We cover a slew of topics here.  -What guiding principle should you have when choosing to disconnect? -How important are the actions of fathers generations down the family tree? -What is the right level of protective parenting should you maintain to raise a strong child? There is something here for everyone. […]

After we finished recording this episode, John said it was the best we've ever done. Not to get your hopes up.  A lot going on this episode. The overarching question is “who is the leader the United States needs?” A simple question that takes into some hot topics. I take on Presidents Obama, Trump, and […]

Season 2 folks. Season 2. At least that's how we are marketing it.  Between new jobs, power surges frying equipment, and summer road trips, John and I have had some setbacks this summer. But we're back.  On this episode we talk about empathy. John and I have some disagreements about narcissism, empathy, and leadership. Let […]

It's a late Monday night for us, full of technical difficulties. But DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED. We are here putting in the work to deliver a solid discussion on the global economy, mentorship, and community engagement.  In this episode, John and I discuss the shift from a unipolar global power dynamic, to a multipolar dynamic […]

Good morning, afternoon, or evening. Today we continue our discussion of mentorship, with a special focus on mentees. How do you be a good mentee? What are the challenges facing mentees? Many potential mentees think the value of mentorship flows one way: towards them. How do you provide value as a mentee to a mentor?  […]

Crazy week. On this episode, we start by discussing the different views people hold about the Constitution. Is it a document that is frozen in time? Or should it's language be malleable to the social preferences of the time?  However, the bulk of our episode covers the importance of mentorship. Why does it seem to […]

Today we get personal. John takes the lead as I discuss the experiences that have led me to where I am at today. A truck unloader. A diner server. A substitute teacher… What are the lessons we can learn from the mundane experiences of life? And how do we shift our mindset to see these […]

On this episode, we discuss the broad topic of education. As politicians resurrect the discussion of student debt cancellation, both individuals and the public at large are asking: what did all this student loan debt buy me?  We dive into 12th Century higher ed, the watering down of educational standards, and how individuals can make […]

Happy Monday. John and I expect that you are preparing to crush the week and operating at peak performance.  On today's episode, we cover the stock market slide, the Buffalo shooter, and devote much of our time to the Supreme Court Leak. Although we both have opinions on the issue, we try not to get […]

Elon Musk is buying Twitter. Allegedly. We thought it would be a good time to look at the values and pitfalls of free speech. Is the value of free speech only as important as the scope of the First Amendment?  What is the obligation of a private company to accommodate opposing views?  Plus, John and […]

We've missed you. Great stuff for you here. In today's episode, we talk about the importance of beautifying spaces. Most people don't consciously examine how the spaces they occupy prime their attitude and behavior. John and I try to examine how the beauty of a space influences action and well-beingd. Get in touch with your […]

Integrity. We all want to believe we have it. And we all notice when others don't.  The truth is, losing integrity is often a series of events that occur almost imperceptibly over time. Small failures and deceptions that callous our conscience and lead us down a road of misalignment.  In today's episode, John and I […]

Today's episode is a great follow-up to our last episode on misinformation…Specifically, how do we screen information, people, or ideas from infecting our own thought processes?  There are no gatekeepers anymore. Decentralization of information has destroyed the centralized model of information dissemination. The gatekeepers are dead and everyone is vying for control over our thoughts […]

Misinformation is the new buzzword. It seems every time we turn on the news or read an article, we are being warned about the dangers of it. But we have to wonder, who do these warnings serve?  In this episode, John and I tackle the new informational landscape we find ourselves in. As informational gatekeepers […]

Today we talk Ukraine. We know we are late to the party, but we hope we make up for it. With everything moving so quickly, John and I try to tease out some of the trends we are seeing while also staying balanced in our analysis. What does Putin want? What is the state of […]

How many things do you rely on to live your life from day to day? How many complex systems dictate what you can and can't do? If one of them failed, how would you react? In today's episode, we tackle the Magic Boxes that we rely on, and the importance of taking the time to […]

Ladies and gentleman… First things first – If you are listening to this episode anywhere other than on the Tough Talk Podcast channel, then you are wrong. Please head over to the Tough Talk Podcast (On Apple Podcasts… or On Spotify), listen and review Today, we go to Canada where truckers are protesting vaccination mandates […]

Isaac and John kindly ask that you take one minute out of your day today to review our podcast here and/or follow us here. Both of those things will absolutely help us. Today’s podcast on mental malware will be the last podcast to appear within the Postmodern Patriot feed and will now only be found […]

Is removing Theodore Roosevelt’s Statue from the Museum of Natural History a step too far? On Today’s episode of the Podcast John and Isaac announce some exciting news about the show and dive into the discussion of the removal of statues. This discussion opens up into a question about the tension surrounding attempting to rewrite […]

This is a good one ladies and gentlemen. In this episode, we tackle the problem with the “Reply Guy”: Those who spend their free time biting at the ankles of the accomplished, believing they are serving a larger purpose. We have all been through the Reply Guy stage, but we don't all make it out. […]

Is our Modern military prepared for our next major conflict? Are our civilian leadership focusing on the appropriate things to demand of the military leadership serving this nation? Are Flag Officers appropriately responding to the requests of our legislative and executive branch. Lethality can and should always be a priority of our military personnel. Lately […]

Do we actually know what Artificial Intelligence is or are we just repeating things that we have heard other people say about it. Today’s episode touches on concepts introduced by Authors Daniel Schmidt and Henry Kissinger in their recent book, “The Age of A.I.” Isaac and John discuss the importance of different aspects of our […]

In today’s episode, Isaac and I discuss the fact that Americans have gained on average 29 pounds through the pandemic. We discuss the causes of this issue and our own weight gain during different times in our life. We spend a lot of time talking about reasons for improving your own fitness, and why it […]

At the beginning of this episode I share potentially one of the most important secrets our Government has kept quiet since the development of Radar. After that I share with you why Isaac and I chose to pull this episode from the Vault for the holidays. Links From Today's Show Peter-pan syndrome (it's a thing) […]

Mariah Carey on repeat, eggnog fueled shopping sprees… It is time to get into the Christmas spirit. Whether you are are making the pilgrimage across the country to visit your clan, or staying by the warmth of your fireplace with a warm cup of hot cocoa and marshmallows, this episode has exactly what you need. […]

Ten years in brutal warrior training followed by a deadly test… Or a leap of faith off a manmade structure, face-first into the earth… Or your hand in a bullet ant glove where any sound you make will mean failure… Today John and I discuss rites of passage for young men. Why have they existed […]

Many people sacrifice happiness in jobs and relationships, often subconsciously believing that they can't do better. How do we assess our own value? And how do we align our decisions with our value? John and I tackle this and more as we dive into the task of “knowing your worth.”  Patriot Picks Red Notice Getting to […]

Against the backdrop of racial tensions and social unrest, the Kyle Rittehouse saga has been one of the most contentious topics of the last year. As a country, it seems we are watching two different movies on the same screen. On this episode, John and I tackle the issues following Rittenhouse’s acquittal in Kenosha. We […]

On today’s episode of the podcast we discuss how incentives created by institutions, organizations, major companies, etc. drive behavior. We dive into the Folly of Rewarding A, While Hoping for B and how many organizations with the right intentions end up creating incentives for the wrong behavior. In the end we discuss real life examples […]

On Today’s episode, Isaac and I discuss an extremely popular topic, mindfulness. People all over the world are experimenting with journaling, meditation, and methods to enact mindfulness in their own lives. Isaac and I break into what mindfulness is, where things are not well supported, and where there is supporting evidence behind it. We touch […]

On Today’s episode of the podcast Isaac and I discuss the TV show most likely to ruin Halloween. We’re talking Squid Game mostly because of the real lessons it has the ability to highlight for all of us. This is a show that has had an impact on the way that I have been thinking […]

On Today’s episode of the podcast Isaac and I discuss the concept of breaking ranks through the lens of Lt. Col Stuart Scheller. Lt. Col Scheller is well known for his video that went viral the same day as the death of 13 service members in a suicide attack in Hamid Karzai airport in Afghanistan. […]

An episode about setting up future generations for success. “Thinking Generationally” has been a theme in many of our episodes and Isaac and I take the time to go through; Why we think it is important, how specifically you can begin to think generationally, and where we have seen the benefits of these actions in […]

On Today’s episode Isaac and I discuss the issue with the reframing of opinions around the origin of our nation. We talk about the fact our societies evolved from tribes based on the power of myth and the very successes we have witnessed as a nation are due to our belief in our origins and […]

On today’s episode Isaac and I expand our episode from two weeks ago where we responded to the fall of Kabul. We go in depth on the highest price paid by our service members, we discuss officers who have broken ranks and spoken out, and we call our community to begin building for future generations. […]

On Today’s Episode Isaac and I discuss the fall of Afghanistan back into Taliban Hands. We discuss where things went wrong, where we could have done better, and who should be held accountable for these actions. We also point out what positives can and should be taken from this situation. We know that you will […]

On Today’s episode, Isaac and I attack what we think is driving the actions of many people today. Fear and Insecurity. We provide strategies for dealing with fear, making it our friend. Ensuring that we can be the person who does not use Fear to drive our decision-making because we really should be allowing the […]

Division is everywhere we look. Are you a vaxer or anti-vaxer? Are you Republican or Democrat? What is your stance on the Second Amendment? In a time of division Isaac and I take a pause to focus on the tactis and strategies that form social cohesion. Today’s episode is all about how you can make […]

On Today’s Episode of the Podcast Isaac and I do what every single Veteran Podcast ever has done. We talk about the transition into the civilian world, how people are doing it wrong, and how they’re doing it right. This tough talk definitely gets difficult in areas where we discuss Veteran Suicide, VA disability claims, […]

In today’s episode Isaac and I do a post pandemic after action report, or as many business circles refer to it, a post-mortem. Isaac and I encourage others to examine their own individual actions in the pandemic, and reflect on our own. We focus specifically on the reaction of the American people as a whole […]

Isaac and I want to wish you a very happy Independence day. Thank you all for your support and for frequently interacting with us and our content. Happy 245 years of being an awesome country America.

On Today’s Episode Isaac and I discuss the concept of hard work. Society lately has become irritated with the lack of people willing to work hard for what they have. I agree with that sentiment. At the same time there are perils of hard work for the sake of hard work. In today’s episode Isaac […]