Podcasts about subject matter experts

Some of the best content ideas in your company are probably stuck inside the heads of people who have absolutely no interest in writing a blog post. Jesse Harris shares how marketers can earn the trust of subject matter experts, draw out what they know, and turn highly technical expertise into clear, compelling content without watering it down. https://www.theagentsofchange.com/639 Need help with your branding, website, or digital marketing? Reach out to me (Rich Brooks!) today at https://www.takeflyte.com/contact

Kelley is the mom of two kids, one with autism. When not podcasting, Kelley is the marketing director of Brain Performance Technologies, a clinic that provides brain stimulation treatment for people ages 3 and up with diagnoses including autism spectrum disorder.She is an autism advocate, podcast host, mother and veteran advocate whose journey began with her own son. After her 22-year-old autistic son developed severe anxiety, OCD, depression and compulsive behaviours, Kelly began relentlessly investigating options beyond the medications he was already taking. That search led her to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and, specifically, EEG-guided MeRT treatment. What followed were changes she could see in everyday life—from reduced compulsions and better sleep to eating foods he previously refused, abandoning long-standing routines and eventually having his first meaningful conversation with a neighbour. Those experiences ultimately changed Kelly's mission from simply helping her own son to helping other families and veterans access brain-health solutions.In this conversation, Kelley explains the history behind her podcast Refrigerator Moms, a name reclaiming the cruel “refrigerator mother” theory once used to blame mothers for their children's autism. We discuss autism diagnosis, changing diagnostic criteria, misinformation, the importance of parents investigating the evidence for themselves, and why Kelly believes there is unlikely to be one simple cause or one magic treatment for autism. We move into veteran brain health, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, depression, sleep disruption and the transition from military service back to civilian life. Kelly explains how TMS works, what EEG-guided treatment involves, why sleep can be such a critical first step in recovery, and why she believes brain stimulation should be considered alongside—not necessarily instead of—medication, therapy and the work required to rebuild your life.Today, Kelley is the driving force behind Brain Performance Technologies, helping expand access to TMS and other neuromodulation treatments while advocating particularly for veterans, active-duty military personnel and families affected by autism. Her message is ultimately about looking beyond the obvious answer, understanding the connection between biology and psychology, and giving people more tools when conventional approaches haven't been enough. This is a fascinating conversation about autism, the brain, veterans, mental health, sleep, treatment and one mother's determination to find a better path for her son—and then make that path available to others.

In this episode of The Long Game Podcast, Alex Birkett sits down with Benji Hyam and Devesh Khanal, co-founders of Grow and Convert, to separate what's real from what's noise in AI search optimization. Drawing on their work with 100+ brands and their own AI visibility tracking data, they challenge popular narratives around listicle penalties, Reddit citations, and one-size-fits-all GEO tactics.They discuss how personalization and context-rich prompts make AI search fundamentally different from Google, why long-form content is losing its role in the buyer's journey, and the rise of cold inbound leads who arrive with no prior connection to the brand. The conversation also covers why positioning, reputation, and on-site source material matter more than mass third-party mentions, why attribution is getting harder as marketing becomes multi-channel, and how brands need to rethink where they earn attention.Key TakeawaysSelf-promotional listicles are not penalized by default; the widely cited examples involved thousands of AI-generated pages with misleading claims, while human-written, category-relevant comparison content has stayed stable through Google updates.Aggregate citation studies overweight Reddit and Wikipedia because their datasets skew toward high-volume consumer queries, whereas Grow and Convert found 86% of citations for B2B buying prompts came from industry-specific sites.YouTube shows up in citations across B2B clients far more often than the industry discusses, making video a real opportunity for reaching buyers.Roughly 80% of sources cited by LLMs in Grow and Convert's research ranked in Google for ordinary keywords with search volume, which suggests SEO fundamentals still drive much of AI visibility.AI summaries strip out the differentiated arguments that used to win readers over, producing cold inbound leads who compare several vendors on deliverables and need to be educated on your point of view during the sales process.Personalization means the same prompt can return entirely different recommendations for different users, so prompt-tracking tools cannot capture many of the moments where a brand actually wins a lead.Positioning and voice-of-customer research are now root-level requirements, because content on topics outside your core category can weaken the brand associations LLMs form about you.Hyper-specific, pain-point content lets smaller brands beat incumbents in AI search, and there is no 301 redirect for LLMs, which makes rebrands, pivots, and reputation fixes much harder than in traditional SEO.Holding a defined experimentation budget with expected-value thinking keeps low-cost tests like FAQs separate from expensive bets like newsletter sponsorships that rarely justify their cost.Third-party mention strategies work best when they back into the specific topics and sites that influence your category, while strong on-site source material is both more persuasive and more defensible against inaccurate claims.Show LinksVisit Grow and ConvertConnect with Benji Hyam on LinkedInConnect with Devesh Khanal on LinkedInConnect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and TwitterConnect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or TwitterDescriptionPast guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Ryan McReady (Reforge), and many more.Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEOShould You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?How Do Growth and Content Overlap?Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:Twitter: @beomniscientLinkedIn: Be OmniscientListen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan Maclean are three brothers who have turned an extraordinary appetite for adventure into a mission with a purpose far beyond themselves. After rowing across the Atlantic in a record 35 days, they reunited six years later.They rowed 9,750 miles- First team ever to row this route unsupported and non-stop and raised over £1 million to bring safe, clean water to more than 40,000 people in Madagascar by spending 139 days rowing, by themselves, across the Pacific Ocean from South America to Australia.In this conversation, we get into the physical and mental demands of spending four and a half months at sea, including preparation, nutrition, hydration, sleep deprivation and dealing with setbacks that suddenly added hundreds of miles to their journey. We also talk about brotherhood, resilience, purpose and what happens when you finally return to normal life after an experience that completely consumes you. I hope you enjoy this show as much as I did — an incredible story of three brothers pushing themselves beyond their limits while pursuing a purpose bigger than themselves.

In this Kitchen Side episode, Alex Birkett and David Khim unpack the volatility of AI search, from citation drift and the sudden Reddit citation drop to why chasing every new AEO tactic is both exhausting and, often, a losing game.They explore how to build durable brand visibility upstream of any single citation source, the difference between expertise and tools in the age of AI, and a decision philosophy rooted in capping downside risk, preserving optionality, and making intelligent bets with asymmetric upside.Key TakeawaysCreating a perception of ubiquity through repeated exposure is the same underlying play across SEO, AEO, and PR, essentially the mere exposure effect applied to search surfaces.Citation sources turn over fast, roughly 50 percent month over month in their own analysis, so optimizing only for currently cited URLs means chasing a moving target.Rather than targeting individual citation sources, brands should optimize for the probability of adding more of their own marbles to the urn, a path-dependent advantage that compounds over time.For brands with near-zero AI visibility, almost any mention on an influential surface compounds, so early-stage effort should focus on tactics and outreach.As brands mature, the leverage shifts upstream to things that make citation sources irrelevant, like great customer experience, original research, and shipping products worth talking about.Original research does not need to be a 30-page report; quick surveys and single-chart studies can spark conversation and earn citations with far less effort.The Reddit citation drop matters less than whether a brand's ICP is genuinely active there, since Reddit stays valuable as training data and a decision-influencing surface regardless of citation metrics.Chasing whatever is trending on LinkedIn is a paper-hands strategy; durable growth requires a long-term hypothesis and a genuine point of view that daily data should not override.The real value of an experienced partner over AI plus a content team is judgment, knowing what to ignore, spotting risk, and debating a client out of detrimental moves.People systematically overweight improbable, low-impact downside and miss asymmetric upside; capping the downside through experiments and expected-value thinking lets you take high-upside bets without risking everything.Show LinksConnect with David Khim on LinkedIn and TwitterConnect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and TwitterConnect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or TwitterWhat is Kitchen Side?One big benefit of running an agency or working at one is you get to see the "kitchen side" of many different businesses; their revenue, their operations, their automations, and their culture.You understand how things look from the inside and how that differs from the outside.You understand how the sausage is made.As an agency ourselves, we're working both on growing our clients' businesses as well as our own. This podcast is one project, but we also blog, make videos, do sales, and have quite a robust portfolio of automations and hacks to run our business.We want to take you behind the curtain, to the kitchen side of our business, to witness our brainstorms, discussions, and internal dialogues behind the public works that we ship.Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Ryan McReady (Reforge), and many more. Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEOShould You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?How Do Growth and Content Overlap?Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:Twitter: @beomniscientLinkedIn: Be OmniscientListen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

Anne Desjardins is a Lyme disease survivor, educator, podcaster and holistic health practitioner.She is also the creator of The Silver Lyming, a podcast and educational resource focused on Lyme disease and tick-borne illness, providing information, hope and practical guidance for people navigating their own health journeys. Her life was dramatically changed by a tick-borne illness that left her battling crippling fatigue, neurological symptoms, insomnia, cognitive problems and a loss of normal physical function. This became a seven-year search for answers, during which she was repeatedly told that nothing was wrong, eventually reaching a point where she feared she was dying. After finally receiving a Lyme diagnosis and beginning treatment, Anne began the long process of rebuilding her health and understanding the relationship between infection, the nervous system, stress, lifestyle and mental wellbeing. What emerged from that experience was a new purpose: using what she had learned to help others who find themselves facing the same uncertainty and isolation.Anne opens up about the darkest and most confronting parts of her journey, including the financial and emotional cost of years of treatment, the hypervigilance that followed repeated tick exposure, and the point where she seriously considered taking her own life. We discuss resilience, faith, intuition, personal responsibility and the importance of listening to yourself when conventional answers don't explain what you are experiencing. Anne explains how supportive communities and connecting with people who had walked similar paths helped her regain hope, and how she ultimately transformed her own struggle into an opportunity to educate and support others.Her story is ultimately about refusing to give up when the answers aren't obvious, finding the strength to keep searching, and recognising that sometimes the experience that nearly breaks you can become the foundation for your next mission.Today, Anne works with individuals through personalised programmes focused on rebuilding the nervous system, gut health and healthier relationships with themselves. I hope you enjoy this show as much as I did- Anne shares not only what she learned from surviving Lyme disease, but what she discovered about resilience, purpose and rebuilding a life after believing she might never get her health back.

Rochana Golani, VP of Enablement at Databricks, is one of the most innovative and business-focused learning executives I've met. In this action-packed conversation Rochana shares the secrets of the company's AI-powered dynamic training, learning, and enablement system, and how she runs internal and customer learning like a fast-growing business. Databricks is one of the world's fastest-growing enterprise software companies and a central player in the convergence of data infrastructure, analytics, machine learning, and generative AI. Founded in 2013 by the UC Berkeley researchers who created Apache Spark, Databricks pioneered the “lakehouse”—an architecture designed to combine the scalability of a data lake with the management, reliability, and analytical capabilities of a data warehouse. Its platform now supports data engineering, business intelligence, AI development, governance, databases, and enterprise AI agents across AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. Databricks company overview This amazing private company reports: More than 20,000 customers Approximately 70% of the Fortune 500 More than 10,000 employees More than 8,000 cloud, software, and consulting partners. As of August 2026, Databricks says it has exceeded a $7 billion annualized revenue run rate, growing by more than 80% year over year during its second quarter. Additional Information Corporate Learning: From Static Training to Dynamic Enablement Galileo Learn: Experience Dynamic Learning Yourself The Josh Bersin Institute: Masterclass in HR Excellence Chapters (00:00:00) - Interview With Databricks's Roshana Golani(00:00:24) - Databricks CEO on the Disruptive Technology(00:01:36) - How to Get Empowerment at Databricks(00:03:16) - WSJD Live: Data & Machine Learning Lead the Way(00:08:09) - Teaching and Enablement: The New Paradigm(00:11:01) - How to Build a Better Solution with Databricks(00:14:52) - WSJD Live: The Skills Taxonomy(00:15:22) - What do you think happens to course content?(00:17:13) - The source of content in the Learning Infrastructure(00:22:52) - Databricks: The go-to training solution for business users(00:24:25) - In the Era of AI, Who Will Lead the Transformation?(00:26:57) - Subject Matter Experts and the Learning Infrastructure(00:28:20) - A Day in the Life of Leadership Development

Sean Hagerty is a retired Special Operations Soldier with more than 25 years of military experience, beginning with the 1st of the 75th Ranger Regiment before being selected in 2005 for a Special Operations unit at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.He spent 16 years there and retired as a Sergeant Major, receiving numerous awards including three Bronze Stars. After several years at the Pentagon, Sean resigned as the Senior Advisor for the Department of Defense Science Board to pursue his passion for writing, storytelling, and publishing.His first novel, Jones Point, introduced the Dane Cooper series, followed by Cabal, the second book, with a third novel now completed and expected in 2027.What makes Sean's transition from Special Operations to fiction particularly interesting is that these aren't simply military novels—they are stories informed by decades of operational experience, historical research and an understanding of what happens when the mindset of a Special Operations soldier is applied to problems outside the battlefield.In this conversation, we go well beyond Sean's military résumé. We discuss perseverance, critical thinking, problem-solving and knowing when to step back and re-attack, and how those qualities have continued to shape his life after the military. Sean explains how he deliberately separated his military identity from his family life, why finding purpose can be one of the hardest challenges of leaving a long military career, and how writing gave him a new mission and an outlet that could continue for the rest of his life.We also explore parenting, maintaining relationships and connection after service, the importance of finding your tribe, and why veterans should take advantage of every transition programme and opportunity available to them. Sean takes us inside the thinking behind the Dane Cooper novels, including how his Special Operations experience, historical research, technology and the psychology of a father protecting his child have been woven into the stories.Along the way, we discuss critical thinking in an age of misinformation, the dangers of blindly accepting what we are told, and why being able to say "I don't know—I don't have all the facts" may be one of the most important skills a person can develop.

In this Kitchen Side episode, Alex Birkett and Allie Decker unpack what actually makes content valuable in the age of AI, moving past the tired debate over human versus AI-produced content to the deeper question of how companies should measure quality at all. Drawing on decision theory and the idea that almost anything can be measured, they argue that production method matters far less than whether a piece teaches something new and lands with the people it is meant for. They explore AI visibility as a kind of digital brand recall, why sentiment and context matter more than raw share of voice, and how incumbents and startups face very different battles in shaping their narrative across the web. The conversation also digs into why brands no longer own their own story, the compounding risk of building exposure in the wrong category, and why a human QA layer grounded in real customer understanding is the one part of the content system that should never be automated. Key Takeaways The debate over AI-produced versus human-produced content misses the deeper question of how to define and measure content quality in the first place. Almost anything can be measured if a decision carries uncertainty and risk, including fuzzy concepts like brand affinity or customer experience, by breaking them into concrete, quantifiable components. Measurement is only worth doing when the cost of collecting it is lower than the value of reducing uncertainty, and when you will actually act on the result. AI visibility works like a digital brand recall survey, but raw visibility is meaningless without understanding the context and sentiment in which a brand is mentioned. Segmenting prompts by ICP and buying stage reveals visibility gaps that aggregate scores hide, such as a brand appearing at 40 percent overall but only 4 percent for enterprise queries. Brands no longer own their own narrative, because if the rest of the web contradicts a company's website, LLMs treat the external consensus as the truth. Incumbents with high domain authority have an SEO advantage but face a harder AEO battle, since years of press, mentions, and third-party content are slow and expensive to re-steer. Startups can win by getting specific for narrow prompts and buying-journey stages, but building heavy exposure around one positioning creates risk if they later pivot. AI content programs fail because of weak systems, not the AI itself, so the durable model is human strategy up front, AI in the middle, and a human QA layer at the end. Customer understanding is the last defensible advantage, and the one part of the content system that should stay human is the empathy to judge whether a piece will actually land. Show Links Connect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Allie Decker on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter What is Kitchen Side? One big benefit of running an agency or working at one is you get to see the "kitchen side" of many different businesses; their revenue, their operations, their automations, and their culture. You understand how things look from the inside and how that differs from the outside. You understand how the sausage is made. As an agency ourselves, we're working both on growing our clients' businesses as well as our own. This podcast is one project, but we also blog, make videos, do sales, and have quite a robust portfolio of automations and hacks to run our business. We want to take you behind the curtain, to the kitchen side of our business, to witness our brainstorms, discussions, and internal dialogues behind the public works that we ship. Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Ryan McReady (Reforge), and many more. Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from: Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO) Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo) How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard) Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social) Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath) Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency: Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts? How Do Growth and Content Overlap? Connect with Omniscient Digital on social: Twitter: @beomniscient LinkedIn: Be Omniscient Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-sixty-ninth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.' Hosted by MAJ David Pfaltzgraff, the Brigade Executive Officer Observer – Coach – Trainer and MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection OCT for the Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ), on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today's guests are subject matter experts for operational planning: MAJ Brandon Kilthau, the outgoing DIV G-3 Planner for Plans / Exercise Maneuver Control and MAJ Mike Stewart, the BDE S-3 Ops OIC OCT for BDE Command & Control (BDE HQ).   This episode explores why an effective battle rhythm is the backbone of successful command and control in large-scale combat operations. Rather than treating meetings as routine calendar events, the discussion emphasizes that a disciplined battle rhythm synchronizes planning, current operations, future operations, targeting, sustainment, intelligence, and command decision-making into a continuous cycle. The hosts examine how recurring events such as CUBs, BUBs, targeting working groups, logistics synchronization meetings, and rehearsals create shared understanding across the staff, allowing commanders to make timely decisions while ensuring information flows efficiently between higher, adjacent, and subordinate headquarters.   The conversation also highlights that a battle rhythm is only effective when it is deliberate, protected, and tied directly to the commander's priorities. The panel discusses common pitfalls, including meeting overload, poor sequencing, unclear outputs, and allowing battle rhythm events to become information briefings rather than decision-making forums. Practical recommendations focus on building predictable reporting cycles, enforcing disciplined running estimates, integrating all warfighting functions, and ensuring every recurring event produces actionable decisions that enable faster planning, synchronized execution, and a more agile formation capable of maintaining operational tempo against a peer adversary.           Part of S13 “Hip Pocket Training” series.   For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast   Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.   Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.   Again, we'd like to thank our guests for participating. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.   “The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.

   We often treat macroeconomics and B2B marketing as two completely separate ecosystems that function on entirely different levels and scale. However, if you look closer at the underlying factors such as silos, transactional friction, supply chain bottlenecks, and trust gaps, you'll realise how striking the parallels are. Have you ever considered how high-level macroeconomic policies actually mirror the daily execution battles fought within B2B marketing departments? How can B2B leaders extract these macro-level insights to solve operational challenges, streamline campaign execution, build market authority, and generate better results?In this solo episode, Christian Klepp (Host of the B2B Marketers on a Mission Podcast) shared his core strategic takeaways from the Rebuilding Alliances / Reconstruire des alliances event in Toronto. He translated complex macroeconomic frameworks into actionable strategies for B2B marketing teams. Christian talked about the importance of removing internal silos to drive cross-functional collaboration, eliminating buyer friction throughout the sales funnel, and create strategic co-marketing partnerships. He also elaborated on treating data like an organisation's “critical minerals” and how to leverage internal subject matter experts (SMEs) to establish greater industry credibility. Finally, Christian stressed the value of employer branding in talent acquisition, and why building organisational trust while defending the marketing mandate is critical.This episode was sponsored by the Economic Club of Canada. 

Stephen Powell is an Air Force veteran, former law enforcement officer, entrepreneur, and nationally recognised firearms instructor with more than 25 years of experience training military personnel, police officers, and responsibly armed citizens. As the founder of The GunLife Coach, Stephen has trained more than 250,000 people while building a reputation for teaching far more than marksmanship. His philosophy is simple: the firearm is only a tool—the real weapon is the mind.In this episode, Stephen shares the experiences that shaped that philosophy, from growing up determined never to be a victim, through military service, law enforcement, and decades spent teaching others how to survive violence. We discuss why situational awareness is the greatest self-defence skill, the critical differences between civilian self-defence and policing, and why avoiding conflict will always beat winning one.Stephen recounts the unforgettable moment he almost shot a deaf man holding an Airsoft pistol, explaining how experience, restraint, and judgment prevented a tragedy. He also shares the remarkable story of one of his students, a young mother who survived a violent home invasion because years of realistic training prepared her to think under extreme stress—not simply pull the trigger.Throughout our conversation, we explore the legal, psychological, and emotional realities that follow any use of force, reinforcing why mindset, preparation, and decision-making matter more than shooting ability alone.Beyond the range, Stephen discusses building successful businesses, mentoring others, and his latest projects, including Patriotic Brand Clothing with its message "Express Your Freedom," and his upcoming book, The Five Key Elements of Success, built around the principles of Lead, Build, Fight, Conquer, and Explore. Whether you're a military veteran, police officer, competitive shooter, or someone who simply wants to better protect yourself and your family, this conversation is packed with practical lessons on responsibility, resilience, leadership, and becoming capable before you ever need to be dangerous.Connect with Stephen:Website: https://thegunlifecoach.comPatriot Outdoors: https://www.patriotoutdoors.comPatriotic Brand Clothing: https://patrioticbrand.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegunlifecoachI am Damian Porter , Former NZ Special Forces Operator, Subject Matter Expert from www.hownottodieguy.com and www.saferthanyouarenow.comAnd you are listening to my STRAIGHT TALK MIND AND MUSCLE PODCAST sponsored by www.mystait.com- the ultimate daily formula for optimum hormone health, stress management, energy and performance. 100% natural and clinically proven ingredients, it provides everything you need to raise your game, in a convenient gut-friendly capsule. Links for my former shows are here- WATCH on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpt-Zy1jciVn7cWB0B-y5WATyzrzfwucZLISTEN on: spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1rlAGRXCwLIJfQCQ5B3PYB?si=UmgsMBFkRfelCAm1E4Pd3QItunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/straight-talk-mind-and-muscle-podcast/id1315986446?mt=2Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5bce2d31-a171-4e83-bada-d1384c877e76Subscribe for more amazing tips, interviews and wisdom from phenomenal guests ------- And get your ** FREE Video Workshop here- https://www.hownottodieguy.com/

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-sixty-eighth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.' Hosted by MAJ David Pfaltzgraff, the Brigade Executive Officer Observer – Coach – Trainer and MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection OCT for the Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ), on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today's guests are subject matter experts from within JRTC's Brigade Command & Control Task Force (BDE HQ): MAJ Mike Stewart is the BDE S-3 Ops OIC OCT. MAJ Steve Yates is the BDE S-6 Signal OIC OCT. CW2 Chris Puthoff is the BDE S-6 Signal Network OCT. And SFC Aaron Breitbach is the BDE Fires OCT.   This episode examines the importance of digital fires in accelerating and improving the sensor-to-shooter kill chain. The discussion traces how fire missions move from forward observers using Precision Fires-Dismounted and the Joint Effects Targeting System through company and battalion fire-support elements, AFATDS, and ultimately the firing unit. Digital transmission reduces transcription errors, incorporates automated safety checks, improves target accuracy, and can cut mission processing from more than 20 minutes over voice to only a few minutes. The episode emphasizes that this speed is essential for delivering responsive fires, maintaining valid triggers, and supporting Soldiers in close contact before the tactical situation changes.   The conversation also addresses why digital fires frequently struggle despite their advantages. Effective employment requires fires and signal personnel to jointly design, resource, test, and sustain the architecture rather than treating it as the responsibility of a single warfighting function. Topics include limited network profiles, radios tied to specific IP addresses and mission plans, equipment compatibility, redundant digital pathways, PACE planning, and the consequences of late changes to the maneuver plan. The episode recommends making digital sustainment training and technical rehearsals recurring battle-rhythm events, beginning at home station and extending from the forward observer through the entire fires enterprise. Ultimately, reliable digital fires depend on disciplined repetitions, stable planning timelines, tested equipment, cross-functional integration, and an architecture proven before the formation enters the fight.            Part of S13 “Hip Pocket Training” series.   For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast   Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.   Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.   Again, we'd like to thank our guests for participating. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.   “The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.

Brendan is the founder of Low Back Ability and Creator of the Long Game Approach. He is an educator and coach who has become one of the leading voices in helping people overcome chronic low back pain through progressive strength training. After years of living with debilitating back injuries, failed rehabilitation, and being told to avoid certain movements, Brendan set out to challenge conventional thinking by rebuilding his own body through carefully progressed loading, mobility, and consistency. That personal journey became the foundation of the Low Back Ability philosophy, centred on developing resilient, capable backs rather than simply managing pain.What makes Brendan's story so compelling is that his mission was born from personal adversity. As a young man, chronic pain affected every aspect of his life, forcing him to leave college, live through periods of homelessness, and battle years of physical and emotional struggles while searching for answers. Rather than accepting that pain would define his future, he immersed himself in exercise science, sought out mentors, questioned conventional rehabilitation, and eventually developed a practical, progressive system that has helped thousands of people regain confidence in their bodies.Throughout this conversation, Brendan explains that healing isn't simply about finding the perfect exercise or quick fix. Instead, he shares why rebuilding trust in your body, progressively strengthening the tissues that support the spine, and embracing what he calls the "Long Game" are the keys to lasting recovery. His compassionate approach, combined with an ability to explain complex concepts in simple, practical terms, has inspired a global community of people determined to move beyond chronic pain and return to the lives they thought they had lost.Connect with Brendan:Website: https://www.lowbackability.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lowbackability/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LowBackAbilityI am Damian Porter , Former NZ Special Forces Operator, Subject Matter Expert from www.hownottodieguy.com and www.saferthanyouarenow.comAnd you are listening to my STRAIGHT TALK MIND AND MUSCLE PODCAST sponsored by www.mystait.com - the ultimate daily formula for optimum hormone health, stress management, energy and performance.  100% natural and clinically proven ingredients, it provides everything you need to raise your game, in a convenient gut-friendly capsule. 

And the Mason Survival Protocol - https://www.carnivoreretreat.com/post/masonsurvival-protocol-carnivore-retreat

Links for my former shows are here-


WATCH on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpt-Zy1jciVn7cWB0B-y5WATyzrzfwucZLISTEN on: spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1rlAGRXCwLIJfQCQ5B3PYB?si=UmgsMBFkRfelCAm1E4Pd3QItunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/straight-talk-mind-and-muscle-podcast/id1315986446?mt=2


 
Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5bce2d31-a171-4e83-bada-d1384c877e76Subscribe for more amazing tips, interviews and wisdom from phenomenal guests ------- And get your ** FREE Video Workshop here- https://www.hownottodieguy.com/

In this episode of The Long Game Podcast, Alex Birkett sits down with Sofia Sulikowski, founder of Solera Strategies and former product marketer at dbt Labs, Tableau, and Atlan, to explore why standing out in a saturated content landscape has become a core product marketing problem. Sofia breaks down what "basic marketing" really requires, why internal narratives so often drift from how customers actually describe a product, and how pulling voice of customer language directly from calls and interviews can anchor messaging that actually resonates. They discuss the erosion of trust in marketing, from products being marketed ahead of their real capabilities to the flattening effect of AI generated content, and why human authored, technical, practitioner led voices are becoming a premium differentiator. The conversation also digs into how case studies are evolving from static logo and metrics templates into technical, narrative driven assets, and why the real measure of a successful customer story is whether the featured customer feels proud enough to share it themselves. Key Takeaways Product marketing is fundamentally "basic marketing": identifying what value a product provides, for whom, and how, then aligning every channel and message to that core. Internal assumptions about a product's value often diverge from real customer usage, which is why product marketing has to synthesize input from product, sales, and customer success teams. Pulling the exact language customers use, by sitting in on beta calls or QBRs, is an underused but effective way to anchor messaging customers already recognize. Not every customer quote deserves equal weight; separating signal from noise means understanding who gave a quote, how invested they are, and what their actual outcomes look like. Companies are increasingly marketing products ahead of their real capabilities, widening the gap between what's promised and what a customer experiences on first use. AI generated content compresses everything toward the same "average" output, flooding channels with low value content and burying pieces that offer something distinct. Technical, practitioner authored content, written by the people who did the work and lightly polished by marketing, is outperforming generic thought leadership because it carries real expertise. Case studies are shifting from a template of company background, pain points, and results tables toward a hybrid with technical blog posts that shows the actual "how," including architecture and implementation decisions. A mature case study program should be organized by goal: heavy hitter logos for credibility, gap fillers for common but underrepresented use cases, and hero stories that make the customer look good. The clearest signal that a case study succeeded isn't traffic or downloads, it's whether the featured customer is proud enough to organically share their own story with their network. Show Links Connect with Sofia Sulikowski on LinkedIn Connect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Ryan McReady (Reforge), and many more. Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from: Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO) Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo) How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard) Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social) Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath) Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency: Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts? How Do Growth and Content Overlap? Connect with Omniscient Digital on social: Twitter: @beomniscient LinkedIn: Be Omniscient Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

In this Kitchen Side episode, Alex Birkett, Allie Decker, and David Ly Khim unpack how brands should actually measure success in AI search, and why traditional attribution models are breaking down as buyer behavior shifts from search links to AI assistants and workflows. They discuss why self-reported attribution is becoming the most reliable signal available, the different tiers of AI visibility from simple citations to category-level consensus, and why AI visibility functions more like a brand recall survey than a channel you can optimize in isolation. The conversation also covers the idea of a “post-channel marketer” who coordinates across product, customer education, and PR, and why chasing visibility tactics with no underlying business purpose rarely pays off. Key Takeaways Self-reported attribution is more reliable than clickstream data for AI search because most AI-driven visits never result in a tracked click. AI visibility behaves more like a brand recall survey than a channel, reflecting how a brand compares to competitors rather than something to optimize in isolation. Picking up a citation on a narrow, low-competition prompt is easy, but shifting broader category-level consensus, like being named among the best CRMs, is far harder and requires changing an entire conversation. Correcting outdated third-party pricing information moved AI search outputs within about a month in one client engagement, though this was a sentiment fix rather than a visibility gain. Some AI answers now include negative or qualifying recommendations, meaning a mention doesn't always translate into a positive outcome for a brand. Different AI tools serve different roles, with ChatGPT and AI Overviews functioning as quick answer engines while agentic tools like Claude Code perform deeper multi-step research, and visibility strategies should account for that difference. Whether a company should publish a markdown version of its site for easier AI retrieval depends on its audience, mattering more for technical, developer-facing products than for typical B2B SaaS buyers. Sustainable AI search performance comes from investing in product experience, customer education, and reviews, since genuine third-party validation is difficult to fake once a brand has earned it. Marketing teams need a “post-channel” role that coordinates across product, customer success, and PR to influence sentiment and visibility, rather than treating this as an SEO-only or PR-only problem. Tactics pursued only to move an AI visibility score, with no underlying business purpose, are usually not worth the effort unless they're addressing existing negative sentiment. Show Links Connect with David Khim on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Allie Decker on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter What is Kitchen Side? One big benefit of running an agency or working at one is you get to see the "kitchen side" of many different businesses; their revenue, their operations, their automations, and their culture. You understand how things look from the inside and how that differs from the outside. You understand how the sausage is made. As an agency ourselves, we're working both on growing our clients' businesses as well as our own. This podcast is one project, but we also blog, make videos, do sales, and have quite a robust portfolio of automations and hacks to run our business. We want to take you behind the curtain, to the kitchen side of our business, to witness our brainstorms, discussions, and internal dialogues behind the public works that we ship. Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Ryan McReady (Reforge), and many more. Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from: Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO) Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo) How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard) Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social) Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath) Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency: Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts? How Do Growth and Content Overlap? Connect with Omniscient Digital on social: Twitter: @beomniscient LinkedIn: Be Omniscient Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

Andrew Allshorn, a Subject Matter Expert, AMUG Dino, and  @SanjayMortimerFoundation  supporter, mentor, and advocate joins us today because he is going to be JUMPING OUT OF A PLANE to raise money for the SMF! DONATE DIRECTLY: https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/9q9K9MJcCgWith a career spanning more than 30 years in the design, engineering and additive manufacturing industries; Andrew's work has always centered around the applications of the advanced technologies available and finding ways to make them work better for the end user. With extensive in-depth knowledge of how to create the best synergy between software, machine and materials Andrew has been well-placed at every stage of his career to push the boundaries of additive manufacturing technologies. https://3d-squared.com/Want edited versions of these shows? Check out  @makingawesome  for edited down shows and clips as well! A HUGE Thank you to the Filament Sponsors of these streams,  @printedsolid  and  @3dprima481 ! Check them out: https://printedsolid.comhttps://3dprima.com Use "MakingAwesome" for 20% off on all PrimaCreator and Copymaster3D materials until April 30th 2026Want to get some of the UK's fastest, and the first REAL Bamboo printer out there or the newly launched ALLCLEAN, the first dedicated 3D printer bed cleaner? Check out  @construct3d  https://b.link/Construct3DUse the discount code : "makingawesome" for 15% off.Need HIGH END 3D Scanning ANYWHERE in the world?? Check out  @3DMusketeers !! Utilizing over $250k in scanners, projects both big and small they can easily handle! Fully portable, able to bring the gear to you, 3D Musketeers is your one stop shop for all things Physical to Digital and even Digital to Physical. Full Service Art To Part rapid prototyping, product development, and of course, 3D Printing with 3D Musketeers! https://b.link/3DM__________________________________Do you have an idea you want to get off the ground? Reach out to the Making Awesome Podcast through https://3DMusketeers.com/podcast and someone will get you set up to be a guest!

Don Mann: Leadership, Resilience, and The Navy SEAL PlaybookDon Mann is quite simply the toughest and most humble man I have ever met. A former U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six (DEVGRU) operator, endurance athlete, bestselling author, television host, and one of the world's most accomplished adventure racers, Don returns to the show to discuss his outstanding new book, The Navy SEAL Playbook—the sequel to his highly acclaimed memoir, Inside SEAL Team Six. It's not another “ look at me” war story, this new book distils decades of leadership, resilience, teamwork, and performance into practical lessons that anyone can apply, whether in business, sport, or everyday life. While serving with Devgru- he raced in and became team captain in some of the toughest endurance races on the planet, competing in events such as the Raid Gauloises, Eco Challenge, in fact- over a thousand multisport races. After this amazing chapter- he has authored many books, hosted the television series Surviving Mann, and continues to inspire others through his writing, teaching, and example.Throughout our conversation, Don shares the experiences that shaped his philosophy of relentless self-improvement and service to others. He reflects on the four daily habits he taught his grandson—becoming stronger, faster, smarter, and doing something good for someone else every day—as the foundation for building character. We discuss the leadership lessons he learned inside SEAL Team Six, the influence of Richard Marcinko in establishing the unit, and why the greatest leaders make everyone around them better. Don also recounts pushing himself beyond human limits, cheating death on at least 3 occasions, during years of triathlon and adventure racing, the dangers of overtraining, and his near-fatal battle with high altitude cerebral and pulmonary oedema while attempting Mount Everest. His story illustrates that true resilience is not simply enduring hardship, but learning where the limits lie, adapting, and continuing to move forward with purpose.Today, Don continues to mentor others through writing, public speaking, television, and leadership education, helping translate elite military principles into lessons for everyday life. We explore why communication often outweighs confrontation, how humility and self-reflection become more valuable with age, the sacrifices required during elite military service, and the responsibility experienced operators have to pass their knowledge on to the next generation. From SEAL Team Six and endurance racing to Everest, leadership, and family, Don's message remains remarkably consistent: excellence is earned through daily discipline, growth comes from stretching beyond your comfort zone, and the greatest legacy isn't what you achieve yourself—it's what you leave behind in others.

On this episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, hosts Malcolm Harris and Michael Vincent kick off July with a packed show covering some of the biggest stories shaping transportation and logistics. First, they break down the latest headlines, including the surprising rise in containers lost at sea, the dismissal of C.H. Robinson from a high-profile Florida trucking lawsuit, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' veto of legislation that would have allowed certain nonviolent inmates to receive CDL training before release. The conversation dives into liability, workforce development, public safety, and second chances in the trucking industry. Then, Brett Suma, President and Chief Operating Officer of Bot Auto, joins the show to discuss the future of autonomous trucking. Brett shares why he joined Bot Auto, the state of AI in transportation, why Texas has become the epicenter of autonomous freight operations, and how physical AI could transform the supply chain in the years ahead. He also reflects on leadership, innovation, and building the next generation of logistics companies. Later, Danny Ramon, Subject Matter Expert for Cargo Theft at Overhaul, returns to the show to analyze a massive $2.1 million cargo theft involving women's apparel in Southern California. Danny breaks down how organized cargo theft operations work, why cross-docking schemes are becoming more common, what criminals are targeting today, and how shippers can better protect their freight during one of the busiest shipping seasons of the year. Topics covered: Autonomous trucking and AI in logistics Bot Auto's vision for the future of freight Cargo theft trends and prevention strategies The $2.1 million California cargo heist C.H. Robinson's removal from a Florida lawsuit CDL training programs for inmates Supply chain and transportation industry headlines ⁠Watch on YouTube⁠ ⁠Visit our sponsor - GNOSIS FREIGHT⁠ ⁠Subscribe to the WTT newsletter⁠ ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠More FreightWaves Podcasts⁠ #WHATTHETRUCK #FreightNews #supplychain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, hosts Malcolm Harris and Michael Vincent kick off July with a packed show covering some of the biggest stories shaping transportation and logistics. First, they break down the latest headlines, including the surprising rise in containers lost at sea, the dismissal of C.H. Robinson from a high-profile Florida trucking lawsuit, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' veto of legislation that would have allowed certain nonviolent inmates to receive CDL training before release. The conversation dives into liability, workforce development, public safety, and second chances in the trucking industry. Then, Brett Suma, President and Chief Operating Officer of Bot Auto, joins the show to discuss the future of autonomous trucking. Brett shares why he joined Bot Auto, the state of AI in transportation, why Texas has become the epicenter of autonomous freight operations, and how physical AI could transform the supply chain in the years ahead. He also reflects on leadership, innovation, and building the next generation of logistics companies. Later, Danny Ramon, Subject Matter Expert for Cargo Theft at Overhaul, returns to the show to analyze a massive $2.1 million cargo theft involving women's apparel in Southern California. Danny breaks down how organized cargo theft operations work, why cross-docking schemes are becoming more common, what criminals are targeting today, and how shippers can better protect their freight during one of the busiest shipping seasons of the year. Topics covered: Autonomous trucking and AI in logistics Bot Auto's vision for the future of freight Cargo theft trends and prevention strategies The $2.1 million California cargo heist C.H. Robinson's removal from a Florida lawsuit CDL training programs for inmates Supply chain and transportation industry headlines Watch on YouTube Visit our sponsor - GNOSIS FREIGHT Subscribe to the WTT newsletter Apple Podcasts Spotify More FreightWaves Podcasts #WHATTHETRUCK #FreightNews #supplychain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people wait for opportunity. The best ones sell their way into it. Enjoyed my conversation with Fred Fisher. 50+ years in business. Still sharp. Still curious. 4 things that stuck: 1 - Opportunity is sold — not given. At 17, he talked his way into a French kitchen in Grenoble. Sales isn't a department. It's a life skill. 2 - Listening wins. Great mentors don't preach. They ask questions that flip the light switch. 3 - Technology scales. Humans close. Email is efficient. The phone builds trust. 4 - If you want to grow faster than the people around you — pick up the phone. Never stop learning.   --- Frederick Fisher, J.D., CCP, is a seasoned expert in Professional Liability with a career spanning over 50 years. Renowned for his dedication to client financial security, he advocates for providing clients with strong financial safeguards, letting competitors focus on ""selling some insurance."" Fisher serves on the Editorial Board of Agents of America, is an original faculty member at the Claims College's School of Professional Lines (sponsored by the Claims & Litigation Management Association) and has been the Senior Technical Advisor for over 30 years on a research manual titled Professional Liability Insurance published by the International Risk Management Institute. A founding member and Past President of the over 40,000-member strong Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS), he was awarded the PLUS Founders Award in 2019. In addition to his roles in education and advisory, Fisher is a prolific writer and speaker. He authored the 2024 publication "Claims Made Insurance - The Policy That Changed the Industry" (published by the Insurance Journal/Wells Publishing Co.) and has over 80 industry-related articles to his name, along with more than 150 industry-related presentations and classes. Fisher's career began with two decades as a Professional Lines Claims Adjuster, specializing in Professional Liability claims, qualitative claim audits, risk management, and loss control. Later, he founded ELM Insurance Brokers, where he led as CEO for over 20 years. Currently, he consults as a Subject Matter Expert for several PLUS RPLU courses, advises A.M. Best as a recommended expert, and provides expert witness testimony. Known for his insights into "The Gotchya's that'll Getchya ™ 1" of Executive Liability and Specialty Lines Insurance, he remains a trusted advisor to businesses navigating complex liability landscapes. Fred not only has a remarkable sense of humor, but also knows how to explain complex insurance contract language in a way that is understandable to everyone. Having grown up with an educated palate, Fred is an excellent cook. That comes as no surprise when one learns that, as a student, he spent time in France and convinced a local restaurant to teach him to cook, a hobby he still savors. In the 80s, he also published a cookbook, the Joys of Spice. Learn more at https://www.fishercg.com/ Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big! Connect with Frederick Fisher, J.D., CCP​:Website: https://www.fishercg.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frederick-fisher-j-d-ccp-46b1944 *E - explicit language may be used in this podcast.

This week on The Geoholics, we sit down with Karen Schuckman, Subject Matter Expert in Remote Sensing and Geospatial Services at RRC Companies—and someone who has had a front-row seat to the evolution of modern lidar and airborne mapping. Karen takes us back to the early days of airborne GPS, before IMUs became standard, and shares how she helped develop groundbreaking data-processing workflows following Hurricane Floyd and supported North Carolina's pioneering statewide lidar program. We also explore her work supporting major FEMA initiatives, her passion for positional accuracy and data quality, and the continued importance of understanding geodesy, datums, projections and metadata. This conversation goes well beyond lidar. Karen shares valuable lessons about: Turning emerging technology into trusted, defensible deliverables Why industry standards and ASPRS guidance matter The fundamentals professionals still cannot afford to overlook Helping engineers effectively use survey-grade geospatial data What lidar's evolution can teach us about AI, automation and digital twins The mindset required to adapt, evolve and stay relevant in a rapidly changing profession We also discuss what even experienced professionals still misunderstand about lidar, which technologies never lived up to the hype, and what continues to excite Karen after more than two decades of pushing the geospatial profession forward. Oh—and did we mention Karen was an alternate gymnast for the 1972 Olympics? This episode delivers history, technology, education and one incredible career journey. Buckle up for Episode 283 and join us as we add value, make friends and explore how accurate geospatial data gets to the right place on the ground. Music by Jethro Tull! #TheGeoholics #LiDAR #RemoteSensing #Geospatial #LandSurveying #Geomatics #Photogrammetry #Mapping #GIS #Geodesy #DataQuality #PositionalAccuracy #DigitalTwins #ArtificialIntelligence #SurveyingTechnology #ASPRS #CareerDevelopment #GeospatialLeadership #Podcast

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-sixty-fifth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.' Hosted by MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection Observer – Coach – Trainer and MSG Jared Cawthon, the BDE Fires Support NCOIC OCT for the Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ), on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today's guests are subject matter experts from within JRTC's fires support enterprise: MAJ David Nelson is the FA BN S-3 Operations Officer OCT, SFC Larry Gillispie, Jr. is the Fires Direction Center Senior OCT, and SFC Ryan Bruno is the Battery 1SG OCT for TF Fires (FA BN / DIVARTY). And MSG Austin Moss is the Senior Targeting NCOIC OCT for BC2.   This episode examines the fires technical rehearsal and why it is one of the most important, yet often overlooked, events in preparing a brigade for combat. The discussion explains how the fires technical rehearsal validates the entire sensor-to-shooter kill chain, ensuring observers, fire support personnel, fire direction centers, and gun crews can execute the plan before rounds are fired in combat. Leaders emphasize that the rehearsal is far more than a communications check—it validates fire support coordination measures, target refinement, firing data, ammunition availability, primary and alternate shooters, PACE plans, and the timing required to synchronize fires with maneuver. A recurring theme is that a simple plan supported by detailed fire support products and disciplined version control enables the brigade to identify friction early and refine tactical triggers into achievable technical triggers before execution.    The conversation also highlights common shortcomings observed during JRTC rotations, including conducting the first technical rehearsal only after arrival at the training center, poor transition from plans to current operations, inadequate battle rhythm integration, and failure to involve the entire fires enterprise in rehearsals. Leaders discuss the importance of digital sustainment training at home station, rehearsing degraded communications, validating ammunition requirements, conducting deliberate handovers between shifts, and continuously refining the fire plan as the tactical situation changes. The episode reinforces that technical rehearsals should become a routine battle rhythm event rather than a one-time exercise, allowing staffs to uncover problems before they become combat failures. Ultimately, the discussion argues that disciplined technical rehearsals build confidence, improve synchronization between maneuver and fires, and give commanders the information needed to execute timely, accurate, and lethal fire support on the modern battlefield.            Part of S13 “Hip Pocket Training” series.   For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast   Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.   Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.   Again, we'd like to thank our guests for participating. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.   “The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.  

Making the leap from high-volume personal lines to complex commercial risk is one of the hardest transitions in the insurance industry. To survive the jump, you have to completely drop your ego, embrace the discomfort of not knowing the answers, and become utterly obsessed with learning the craft.My guest, Marc Vital-Herne, Risk Management Consultant at USI, joins me to share his incredible journey from fielding 25 calls a day and selling 2,000 policies a year at GEICO to advising C-Suite executives on commercial risk. We discuss what it really means to be a "Student of the Game," why representation matters in building a personal brand, and how to successfully pivot your technical knowledge using designations like the CLCS. Mark also opens up about his deeply personal connection to Blood Cancers United and why serving your community will build more trust and credibility than any sales pitch ever could. If you want to elevate your career from transactional order-taker to trusted subject matter expert, this episode is your masterclass.▶▶ Sign Up For Your Free Discovery Callcompletegameu.com/agaTimestamped Outline(00:00) Introduction: Meet Marc Vital-Herne(01:21) Stumbling into Insurance: From Oil & Gas to Risk Advising(02:09) The GEICO Grind: Handling the Chaos of 2,000 Policies a Year(05:38) Making the Jump: Transitioning from Personal to Commercial Lines at USI(07:09) The "Student of the Game" Mindset: Why Obsession Separates Elite Producers(08:59) Representation Matters: Being the Example You Wanted to See(11:12) Building a Personal Brand: Becoming a Subject Matter Expert(15:15) Advice for Young Producers: Embrace the Discomfort of the Unknown(18:02) The Three Weekly Priorities: Why You Must Get More People to Know You(19:37) The Technical Pivot: Using Designations to Bridge the Knowledge Gap(22:23) Service Over Sales: Why Giving Back Creates Fierce Client Advocates(26:12) Blood Cancers United: Turning Personal Tragedy into a Legacy of Impact(33:11) The 2026 Visionary of the Year Nomination: Character Above Quotas(35:36) Marc's Lightning Round: Morning Reflections, The Last Dance, and Reading for SubstanceCONNECT WITH ANDY NEARY

What if educating your people so well that they could leave was exactly the point? At Your Health, that's not a risk to manage — it's the philosophy that built an entire learning ecosystem. In this episode, Jamie talks with Aubrey Wall, who came to Your Health from a background in education and now leads Your Health University, the organization's learning management system and continuous-development engine. Aubrey brings an educator's eye to a fast-evolving healthcare environment, where best practice changes by the day and meeting patients where they are demands that staff never stop learning. Here's what you'll hear: Why a healthcare company runs 12-month, Department of Labor–registered apprenticeships — including programs in management, value-based care, population health, and hospice aide preparation How gamification is being built into nurse instruction (straight from Aubrey's dissertation research) The difference between Your Health University (your classroom) and the Hub (your resource library) How LinkedIn Learning delivered roughly $4.2 million in CEUs to staff last year Meeting Leah — the new AI assistant that helps employees find exactly the right course If you've ever believed growing your people is a cost rather than the whole point, this conversation will change how you think. Press play, then go ask Leah a question. www.YourHealth.Org

One of only a handful of three-time guests on the show, Professor Nic Gill returns for another insightful conversation. After more than two decades with the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby Team, guiding one of the most successful teams in world sport through over 240 Test matches and more than 200 victories, Nic is embarking on his next chapter in elite performance:moving to the United States as Vice President of Health and Performance for the Baltimore Ravens NFL Team.From his first appearance in 2021, "Rugby Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the NZ All Blacks," through the follow-up episode, "A Week in the Life of an All Blacks Rugby Player," Nic is back to discuss his latest and perhaps greatest challenge yet. Having spent a career at the pinnacle of rugby performance, he now steps into the world of American football, embracing the uncertainty, excitement, and opportunity that come with leading performance in one of the NFL's premier organizations.At his core, Nic operates on a simple but powerful philosophy: performance is built on trust, relationships, and doing the basics exceptionally well. He rejects over-complication, emphasising that motivation isn't created by coaches—it already exists within athletes, driven by identity, purpose, and environment.Whether pushing himself through extreme challenges like 24-hour Wattbike records for charity, Ironman races or guiding elite players, he consistently chooses discomfort, using challenge as fuel for growth and purpose.That mindset underpins both his coaching and his life decisions. Leaving the All Blacks after two decades wasn't driven by necessity, but by a deliberate move toward uncertainty and challenge. For Nic, growth lives on the edge of discomfort—where fear and excitement coexist.His move to the NFL represents more than a career shift; it's a continuation of a philosophy he has lived for years: walk toward the pressure, simplify the process, and help people perform when it matters most.I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. Gilly is one of the most humble, authentic, and driven men I've ever had on the show, and I'm proud to call him a friend. Every time we sit down, I walk away having learned something. From the All Blacks to the Baltimore Ravens, this is a conversation about challenge, leadership, family, and having the courage to step into the unknown. AND hopefully a Super Bowl Win!!Another super-powerful episode—sit back and enjoy.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:In this episode, Catherine McDonald and Shayne Daughenbaugh discuss the practical realities of capturing, creating, and deploying Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in fast-growing organizations. Drawing from Shayne's experience leading SOP standardization across multiple locations, they explore how businesses can create consistency while maintaining a human-centered approach.The conversation highlights why SOPs are more than compliance documents. They serve as the foundation for customer experience, employee training, and continuous improvement. Shayne shares a step-by-step framework for identifying priority processes, working with subject matter experts, and leveraging video recordings and AI tools to simplify documentation and accelerate SOP creation.If your organization struggles with inconsistent processes, scattered documentation, or SOPs that nobody uses, this episode offers practical strategies for building documentation that is both useful and sustainable.Key Takeaways:1. SOPs should create consistency across locations to deliver a reliable customer experience.2. Video-based process capture preserves valuable expertise, context, and real-world best practices better than traditional written documentation.3. AI and transcription tools can significantly speed up SOP creation while reducing administrative effort.4. SOPs are most effective when treated as living documents that support continuous improvement, not just compliance or record-keeping.Links: Lean Solutions Summit Lean Solutions Website

Tayla Cannon is an Australian physiotherapist, rehabilitation coach, athlete, and tech entrepreneur who has built her career around challenging conventional thinking in health and performance. After moving to the United States at just 24 years old, she pursued opportunities that combined healthcare, innovation, and entrepreneurship, eventually creating a new model of rehabilitation that integrates injury recovery directly into athletic training.With a background in competitive sport, CrossFit, strength and conditioning, and physiotherapy, Tayla has spent years working at the intersection of performance and recovery. Alongside her clinical work, she now leads a technology company while continuing to help athletes and everyday people overcome chronic pain and return to the activities they love.What shaped Tayla's philosophy was not simply education, but her own experience with chronic back pain. Despite being highly trained and physically capable, she found herself trapped in the same cycle that affects countless people: pain, fear, inactivity, and frustration. Rather than accepting traditional approaches, she began experimenting with movement variability, progressive exposure, and alternative rehabilitation strategies on herself.This journey led her to challenge many long-held beliefs around injury, spinal health, and rehabilitation. Throughout the conversation, she explains how fear often becomes as disabling as the injury itself, why pain is not always a sign of structural damage, and how the brain plays a critical role in both creating and resolving chronic pain. Her message is simple but powerful: movement is medicine, confidence can be rebuilt, and recovery often begins by teaching the brain that movement is safe again.A major focus of Tayla's work today is bridging the gap between rehabilitation and performance. Rather than separating injury recovery from training, she integrates them into a single process that allows people to continue exercising while rebuilding strength, capacity, and confidence.We discuss the evolution of physiotherapy, the importance of load and movement over passive treatments, fascial slings, bracing, movement variability, and why many traditional rehabilitation models fail active people.She also shares insights on resilience, stepping outside comfort zones, the cultural differences between Australia and America, and why maintaining cardiovascular fitness, movement diversity, and lifelong athleticism is essential for long-term health. At its core, Tayla's work is about empowering people to move better, recover smarter, and build bodies capable of thriving well beyond injury.

So this was one of the most powerful shows that I've ever had the honor of producing in the last nine years. I did make formal show notes, but I just don't think it does it justice. First off, I want to say thank you to Don Mann, Seal Team 6 legend, star of Surviving Mann and the toughest man I have ever known.Randy Couture -Google the name TV&Movie Star alongside Sylvester Stallone in the Expendables movie series UFC hall of famer, Six time UFC champion, 14 years in the UFC but there was so much that I didn't know about Randy.Randy is former US Military and his mission now is really out there to help others. He founded the Extreme Couture GI Foundation. He's collabed with merging vets and players. We talked about what it's like to be a UFC champion, what it takes. We talked about transition from that world into movie stardom. We talked about what real self defense and real fighting is like not just the sport if cage fighting.We talked about mental health, we talked about men's health. We talked about the pros and cons of social media and we focused on male role models, we talked about veteran mental health. We talked about so much.- this was truly one of the most powerful shows I have been part of- any summary here can not do it justice. So I encourage you to listen to it and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.Randy, thank you so much for coming on. Don, thank you for connecting us. We mentioned so many former guests on the show, it was brilliant. This was one of the most surprising and humbling shows I have ever recorded in the 9 years the podcast has been going- Randy is a true gentleman and his wisdom, humility and knowledge will astound you - hopefully as much as it did me.You can connect with Randy on the show notes below. Click on those but most importantly I would suggest Randy would want you to do is click on The Xtreme Couture GI Foundation xcgif.org and the Veteran Transition support vetsandplayers.org

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-sixtieth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.' Hosted by CSM James Miller, the Command Sergeant Major of 1-509th IN (OPFOR), known as Geronimo, on behalf of the Commander of Operations Group.  Today's guests are subject matter experts on all things defense within Geronimo's Baker Company: 1SG Larson Palsis, the Baker Co First Sergeant; SFC Woodroof Musser, Platoon Sergeant for 1st PLT; and SSG Joseph DuBrul, Squad Leader for 2nd SQD, 1st PLT. This episode examines the art and science of conducting a successful defense against a peer threat, using Geronimo's defensive operations as a framework for discussing proven tactics, techniques, and procedures. The conversation centers on the doctrinal characteristics of the defense—disruption, mass and concentration, security, preparation, flexibility, maneuver, and operations in depth—and how these concepts are applied on a modern battlefield. Leaders discuss the importance of engagement area development, obstacle integration, reconnaissance, early warning systems, and synchronizing direct and indirect fires to create multiple dilemmas for attacking forces. A recurring theme is that successful defenses are not passive. Rather, they are active, intelligence-driven operations designed to disrupt enemy tempo, attrit combat power, and set the conditions for a future counterattack.  The episode also highlights common shortcomings observed among rotational units, particularly in the areas of preparation, time management, communication, and defensive planning. Leaders stress that units often rush through defensive operations after focusing heavily on offensive tasks, resulting in poorly developed engagement areas, inadequate rehearsals, and limited flexibility once contact is made. The discussion reinforces the importance of reconnaissance, reporting, and maintaining a shared understanding across all echelons so commanders can make timely decisions and properly position forces. Additional insights include the value of counterattacks, defense in depth, reserve employment, and building multiple branches and sequels into the plan. Ultimately, the episode argues that the best defensive formations are those that master the fundamentals, aggressively prepare positions, rehearse actions, and continuously adapt faster than the enemy can react.    Part of S11 “Conversations with the Enemy” series.    

In this episode, Lori Lotterman, RPh MPH, Subject Matter Expert in Pharmacy & Healthcare Management, discusses the rapid evolution of pharmacy technology, from paper processes to AI-powered systems and RFID tracking. She also shares insights on mentorship, adaptability, and how automation and compliance tools are transforming healthcare operations and pharmacy practice.

In this episode, Lori Lotterman, RPh MPH, Subject Matter Expert in Pharmacy & Healthcare Management, discusses the rapid evolution of pharmacy technology, from paper processes to AI-powered systems and RFID tracking. She also shares insights on mentorship, adaptability, and how automation and compliance tools are transforming healthcare operations and pharmacy practice.

In this episode of The Long Game Podcast, David Khim sits down with Johann Wrede, Global CMO at UserTesting, to explore how AI is reshaping brand perception, the role of the modern CMO, and why truly customer-centric marketing still comes down to diet and exercise. They discuss why AI has become the new front door to brands — compressing and abstracting how companies are perceived before a human ever visits their site — and how marketers can influence (but never fully control) that narrative. Johann also shares his philosophy on solution marketing over product marketing, the big bets he's making on in-person events, and how he's building agentic marketing workflows to give his team better first drafts without replacing their judgment. Key Takeaways: AI has become the new front door to brands, compressing and abstracting brand identity before a prospect ever reaches your website — and marketers can influence this but not control it. Semantic pre-compression — stripping fluff and using single, precise descriptors — is the most practical way to influence how LLMs represent your brand. Brand consistency across every customer touchpoint (marketing, sales, support, product) is the only durable lever marketers have in an AI-driven world. The CMO's role is not just pipeline — it's stewarding how the market understands the company across the entire customer journey, including post-sale. Solution marketing outperforms product marketing because people spend money to solve problems, not to add tools to their stack. Listening to sales calls is still the most underutilized source of messaging, positioning, and prompt-tracking insight available to marketing teams. Agentic marketing workflows — chaining copywriter, persona, humanizer, and CRO agents — can dramatically improve first-draft quality before a human ever reviews the output. The workplace is shifting from knowledge work to thought work: the value is no longer what you know but how creatively and critically you can think through problems. Show Links Visit UserTesting on Twitter Connect with Johann Wrede on LinkedIn Connect with David Khim on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from: Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO) Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo) How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard) Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social) Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath) Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency: Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts? How Do Growth and Content Overlap? Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:  Twitter: @beomniscient LinkedIn: Be Omniscient Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

Wendy Fortino is an eight-time Olympia figure competitor, former elite track athlete, media host, and fitness professional whose career bridges high-performance athletics, bodybuilding, science, and storytelling. With degrees in exercise science and a master's in exercise physiology, her background combines academic rigor with real-world experience at the highest levels of physique competition and performance media.Long before stepping onto bodybuilding stages, Wendy's identity was built through athletics. A gifted middle-distance runner with a gymnastics background, she dedicated her life to track and field and was training for the 2008 Olympic Trials in the 800 metres when a stress fracture abruptly halted her pursuit. What initially felt like devastation became a turning point. Introduced to bodybuilding through friends, she entered her first figure competition almost by accident — and won the overall title. What followed was a complete reinvention: national titles, an IFBB pro card, and eight Olympia appearances. Yet what truly drove her was not early success, but adversity. The first major loss in bodybuilding became the catalyst that hooked her deeper into the process. Her philosophy is clear: champions are forged through setbacks, challenge, and the willingness to step into difficult environments where growth is possible.Throughout the conversation, Wendy speaks openly about identity, resilience, and the psychology behind performance. She reflects on the pressures women face in physique sports, particularly the tendency to tie self-worth to appearance or stage results. Coming from an athletic background gave her a different perspective — one rooted in feedback, improvement, and resilience rather than validation. She emphasises that bodybuilding, at its best, is not simply about aesthetics, but about developing discipline, confidence, and self-respect. Health and longevity must remain the foundation. Wendy also discusses the evolution of bodybuilding itself, the balance between science and practical experience, and why true growth often comes from curiosity, creativity, and stepping outside rigid systems. Today, through her media work with Olympia TV, Muscle & Fitness, and numerous fitness brands, she focuses on telling deeper stories — revealing the person behind the public image and helping others understand what truly drives high performers.

Samantha is an Australian entrepreneur, transformation coach, and business strategist who built her first multi–eight-figure company in her early 20s. Entering the property development space at just 19 with no formal training, she scaled an underperforming project by over 1600%, driven by a relentless focus on client experience, emotional connection, and high-performance execution. Her work now centres on helping individuals and entrepreneurs scale their potential into profitable, purpose-driven businesses. Her perspective is shaped by lived adversity. Samantha speaks openly about her experiences with trauma, mental health struggles, addiction, and self-sabotage—factors that forced her to confront identity at a deep level. Her core philosophy is built around what she calls the “Illuminator”: someone who transforms darkness into leadership. Rather than trying to “get over” hardship, she teaches that pain must be acknowledged, then redirected into purpose. The defining shift is simple but powerful—stop giving power to the past, and start using it to build strength, confidence, and direction. A key insight in Samantha's work is that most people are not limited by capability, but by belief, environment, and lack of aligned action. She bridges mindset with execution—using tools like vision setting, identity-based decision making, and measurable daily metrics to eliminate procrastination and imposter syndrome. Her approach combines emotional intelligence with structured performance, emphasising that success is not motivation-driven, but built through consistent, deliberate action. At its core, Samantha's message is about ownership and self-leadership: Your past does not define you—but it can build you. Illuminate your potential. And transformation is not a moment—it is a decision made daily.

Contrasting the strict constraints of structured data with the velocity of lightweight formats, and how both prepare content for the future.  Conversation with Paul Coinaud, Senior Manager of Documentation at ANSYS (recently acquired by Synopsys). In this episode we talk about the critical need for LLM-ready content much enriched with structured metadata and discusses how standards like iiRDS and DITA's semantic tagging enable this. Paul emphasizes that true minimalism isn't just about the writing framework: it requires deep collaboration with Subject Matter Experts to translate raw knowledge into tailored content for specific audience personas.

The C.O.W.S. host Gus T. Renegade provides an in depth counter-racist analysis of the FBI files on 3rd generation physician and author of the The Isis Papers Dr. Frances Cress Welsing. The Counter Intelligence Program of the FBI was specifically dedicated to neutralizing any attempted counter-racist effort and to prevent the ascension of a "black messiah" who could constructively organize a sizable number of Victims of White Supremacy to Produce Justice. It seems some of the most powerful enforcement officials in the world thought Dr. Frances Cress Welsing was an "extreme threat" who could possibly be that "messiah." We'll examine when the FBI began monitoring Dr. Welsing - which was years before her 1975 termination from Howard University, how they observed her activity, and who in the FBI was interested in the works of a little known 3rd generation black psychiatrist in her 30s. Gus T. obtained these records via a Freedom of Information Request. The bureau agreed that based on his 31 interviews with Dr. Welsing and repeat discussions with Dr. Kenneth O'Reilly, who authored Racial Matters: The FBI's Secret Files on Black America from 1960-1972, Gus is a Subject Matter Expert, uniquely qualified to analyze these documents. #Facts Importantly, the FBI's surveillance of Dr. Welsing extends well beyond 1972. FBI documents indicate that there were "informants" present to spy on a 1973 talk given by Dr. Welsing with merely 13 people present - that's including the fink. #KeysToTheColors #TheCOWS17Years INVEST in The COWS – http://paypal.me/TheCOWS Cash App: https://cash.app/$TheCOWS CALL IN NUMBER: 720.716.7300 CODE 564943#

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-forty-eighth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.' Hosted by MAJ Amy Beatty, the Task Force Executive Officer Observer-Coach-Trainer from Task Force Sustainment (Division Sustainment Support Battalion / Light Support Battalion) on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today's guests are CPT Cody Kindle and CPT Blake Walker. CPT Kindle the S-4 Sustainment Planner for JRTC's Plans / Exercise Maneuver Control Task Force. CPT Walker is the Light Sustainment Battalion's Senior Maintenance Chief OCT from Task Force Sustainment (DSSB / LSB).   This episode focuses on maintenance operations within a brigade combat team (BCT), emphasizing that maintenance is fundamentally a planning and leadership problem, not just a technical function. The discussion breaks maintenance into two core challenges—scheduled services and unscheduled repairs—and highlights the importance of aggressively planning and forecasting both. Units that succeed treat maintenance with the same priority as training events, building detailed service schedules months in advance and integrating them with the training calendar. Leaders stress the importance of visualization tools, troop-to-task alignment, and routine synchronization through maintenance meetings to ensure effort is focused on what matters most. Ultimately, maintenance is framed as a key enabler of maneuver—units may be ready to shoot, but without disciplined maintenance, they are not ready to move.   The episode also highlights common friction points, particularly at the company and forward support company level, where competing priorities, lack of forecasting, and reactive habits degrade readiness over time. Units often arrive at training already behind due to poor home-station maintenance, compounded by challenges during RSOI such as unplanned recovery operations and lack of integration with enabler units. Best practices include planning services 6–12 months out, deliberately creating white space to absorb unscheduled maintenance, and even “scheduling the unscheduled” by forecasting parts arrival and aligning repair timelines. The importance of daily leader presence in the motor pool, effective QA/QC by NCOs, and early coordination with attached units for parts, personnel, and systems access are reinforced. Units that take ownership of maintenance as a continuous, proactive process—not a last-minute requirement—generate significantly higher combat power and readiness in the field.   Part of S05 “Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids, Batteries, Water, & Fuel” series.   For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast.   Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.   Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.   Again, we'd like to thank our guests for participating. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.   “The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.

Join the free Content Marketing Lounge Facebook Group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/contentmarketinglounge/ Join the CML Academy and learn how to build a freelance writing business, even if you're starting from zero: https://www.skool.com/the-content-marketing-lounge-8374/about Learn more about my consulting and freelance services: https://www.colliermarketing.com/ Thank you for listening!

In this Kitchen Side episode, Alex Birkett, Allie Decker, and David Khim unpack the increasingly noisy world of AI search (GEO/AEO), including spam tactics, flawed attribution models, and widespread confusion around what actually drives results. They explore why visibility without revenue is a trap, how brand sentiment and off-page signals shape AI outputs, and why trust, positioning, and human validation are becoming more important than ever in B2B buying decisions. Key Takeaways The SEO vs AEO debate is largely unproductive and distracts from creating real business value. Spammy, short-term tactics are resurging in AI search due to a “gold rush” mindset. Many teams optimize for visibility and citations without tying efforts back to revenue or pipeline. Attribution in AI search is messy, and many current tracking methods are fundamentally flawed. Large datasets in AEO research can be used to justify almost any strategy or narrative. Talking directly to customers is still more valuable than inferred data or prompt tracking. There is a growing tension between experience-based judgment and rapid experimentation with AI. AI search compresses information, making brand narrative and sentiment more influential than ever. Visibility is only the first step; positioning and how a brand is described matter more. AI search is increasingly overlapping with online reputation management (ORM). Larger brands face greater risk from sentiment manipulation and lack of narrative control. Off-page signals like reviews, PR, and community discussions heavily influence AI outputs. Review sites and categorization accuracy can significantly impact visibility and positioning. Reddit is becoming influential but requires authentic engagement rather than manipulation. AI-driven discovery is often validated through peer recommendations before purchase decisions. Show Links Connect with David Khim on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Allie Decker on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter What is Kitchen Side? One big benefit of running an agency or working at one is you get to see the “kitchen side” of many different businesses; their revenue, their operations, their automations, and their culture. You understand how things look from the inside and how that differs from the outside. You understand how the sausage is made.  As an agency ourselves, we're working both on growing our clients' businesses as well as our own. This podcast is one project, but we also blog, make videos, do sales, and have quite a robust portfolio of automations and hacks to run our business. We want to take you behind the curtain, to the kitchen side of our business, to witness our brainstorms, discussions, and internal dialogues behind the public works that we ship. Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Ryan McReady (Reforge), and many more. Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from: Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO) Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo) How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard) Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social) Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath) Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency: Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts? How Do Growth and Content Overlap? Connect with Omniscient Digital on social: Twitter: @beomniscient Linkedin: Be Omniscient Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here:   https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-forty-fifth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.' Hosted by MAJ Amy Beatty, the Task Force Executive Officer Observer-Coach-Trainer from Task Force Sustainment (Division Sustainment Support Battalion / Light Support Battalion) on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today's guests are CPT Cody Kindle and MAJ Charles Alley. CPT Kindle the S-4 Sustainment Planner for JRTC's Plans / Exercise Maneuver Control Task Force. MAJ Alley is the Senior Sustainment Operations Officer S-3 OCT from Task Force Sustainment (DSSB / LSB).   This episode focuses on the importance of logistics synchronization (LOGSYNC) meetings as the central mechanism for aligning sustainment operations with maneuver across the formation. Rather than being a routine battle rhythm event, the LOGSYNC is framed as a decision-making forum where commanders and staff integrate supply, maintenance, transportation, and medical support with the operational timeline. The discussion emphasizes that effective LOGSYNC meetings are driven by accurate and timely data—particularly LOGSTATs—and enable leaders to anticipate requirements, prioritize limited resources, and posture sustainment assets in advance of key events. When done correctly, LOGSYNC ensures sustainment is proactive rather than reactive, directly contributing to tempo and freedom of maneuver in Large-Scale Combat Operations.   The episode also highlights common friction points and best practices in executing LOGSYNC at echelon. Units often struggle with incomplete or inaccurate reporting, lack of participation from key leaders, and failure to tie sustainment planning to decision points and phases of the operation. Best practices include enforcing disciplined reporting standards, maintaining a clear and consistent battle rhythm, and using shared running estimates and visualization tools to drive discussion. The conversation reinforces that LOGSYNC is not solely a sustainment function—it requires integration across all warfighting functions to ensure protection, movement, and sustainment efforts are synchronized. Ultimately, effective LOGSYNC meetings enable commanders to make informed decisions, mitigate risk, and sustain combat power throughout the fight.   Part of S05 “Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids, Batteries, Water, & Fuel” series.   For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast.   Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.   Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.   Again, we'd like to thank our guests for participating. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.   “The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.

Mathieu Gaucheler is the Subject Matter Expert at Maltego where he works with clients on custom OSINT solutions and also runs their public CTFs and conference demonstrations. He co-wrote a whitepaper on discovering some "behind the scenes" of pig butchering scams and how they are often Scam as a Service offerings. Maltego is a Silver Sponsor of the Layer 8 Conference on June 5-6, so come see them in Boston!

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-thirty-eighth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.' Hosted by MAJ Amy Beatty, the Task Force Executive Officer Observer-Coach-Trainer from Task Force Sustainment (Division Sustainment Support Battalion / Light Support Battalion) on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today's guests are CPT Cody Kindle and CPT Christopher Ward. CPT Kindle the S-4 Sustainment Planner for JRTC's Plans / Exercise Maneuver Control Task Force. CPT Ward is the A Co CDR OCT (Distro / BSA) from Task Force Sustainment (DSSB / LSB).   This episode examines the employment of base clusters within the brigade support area (BSA) as a survivability technique in the modern battlefield. The discussion highlights how sustainment units must adapt to a highly transparent and lethal operating environment where UAS surveillance, long-range fires, and precision targeting threaten traditional large logistics footprints. Rather than concentrating sustainment elements in a single BSA, base clusters disperse key functions—such as maintenance, distribution, medical support, and command nodes—across multiple smaller positions that remain mutually supporting. This dispersion reduces the likelihood that a single enemy strike can disrupt sustainment operations while still enabling brigades to maintain logistics flow to maneuver battalions.   The conversation also emphasizes the planning and synchronization required to make base clusters effective. Leaders discuss the importance of terrain analysis, security integration, camouflage and signature management, and disciplined reporting to maintain a shared operational picture across dispersed sustainment nodes. Effective base clusters require coordinated movement control, rehearsed displacement drills, and strong communications architecture to ensure that dispersed elements can still function as a cohesive support network. Ultimately, the episode frames base clusters as a critical adaptation for sustainment survivability in large-scale combat operations, enabling brigades to continue fueling, arming, and repairing combat forces despite persistent enemy reconnaissance and precision strike threats.    Part of S05 “Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids, Batteries, Water, & Fuel” series.   For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast.   Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.   Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.   Again, we'd like to thank our guests for participating. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.   “The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-thirty-fifth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.' Hosted by MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection Observer-Coach-Trainer, and MAJ David Pfaltzgraff, BDE Executive Officer OCT, from Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ) on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today's guests are intelligence and operations subject matter experts from across JRTC: MAJ Michael Stewart is the BDE S-3 Operations Officer OCT, MAJ Edward Pecararo is the BDE S-2 Intelligence OIC OCT, and MSG Randell Conway is the BDE S-2 Intelligence NCOIC OCT from the Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ) plus the BN S-2 Intelligence OCT, CPT Nathaniel Epps from TF-5 (Brigade Engineer Battalion).   This episode dives into Mission Analysis within the MDMP process, focusing specifically on Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment (IPOE)—or as framed at JRTC, Staff Preparation of the Operational Environment (SPOE). A central theme is dispelling the myth that IPOE is solely an S2 responsibility. The panel emphasizes that effective SPOE requires a whole-of-staff effort, integrating all warfighting functions to build shared understanding of terrain, threat capabilities, and operational variables. Key outputs discussed include the modified combined obstacle overlay (MCOO), clearly defined areas of operations and interest, civil considerations, threat courses of action, and the development of event templates and event matrices. The conversation reinforces that these products are not checklist items but foundational tools that drive collection planning, targeting, decision support matrices, and ultimately course of action development.     The discussion also highlights common failure points—treating IPOE as a one-time event, failing to update PIRs as operations evolve, and neglecting to refine running estimates between phases. Leaders stress that predictive analysis suffers when staffs become plan-focused instead of threat-focused, losing sight of enemy capabilities in time and space. Effective SPOE requires continuous refinement, aggressive assessment of collection, integration with reconnaissance and fires, and disciplined maintenance of a shared intelligence picture across echelons. Ultimately, the episode frames mission analysis not as a procedural step to “get through,” but as the intellectual fight that enables commanders to anticipate enemy decisions, shape the battlefield, and close both the intelligence and targeting kill chains in LSCO.     Part of S13 “Hip Pocket Training” series.   For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast   Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.   Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.   Again, we'd like to thank our guests for participating. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.   “The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-thirty-fourth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.' Hosted by MAJ Amy Beatty, the Task Force Executive Officer Observer-Coach-Trainer from Task Force Sustainment (Division Sustainment Support Battalion / Light Support Battalion) on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today's guest is CPT Cody Kindle the S-4 Sustainment Planner for JRTC's Plans / Exercise Maneuver Control Task Force.   This episode breaks down the “5Ls of Logistics” framework, with a deep focus on the LOGSTAT as the foundational communication tool that drives the entire sustainment enterprise. The discussion emphasizes that a LOGSTAT is not just a report—it is a demand signal and a running estimate that enables anticipatory logistics. Leaders explore how inaccurate or inconsistent submissions distort the log sync, misinform commanders, and create artificial crises. Key friction points include routing confusion between battalion S4s, brigade S4, and the SPO; unclear units of measure (raw numbers vs. days of supply vs. percent of capacity); and the dangers of oversimplifying commodities like Class V or Class VIII into vague “DOS” shorthand. The panel stresses that LOGSTATs must reflect commodities on hand, projected resupply, and consumption rates over time—not simply a thumbs-up status—if they are to support real forecasting and informed decision-making.     The conversation also highlights battle rhythm discipline and parallel planning as critical enablers of effective sustainment. Twice-daily submissions feed the log sync, allowing sustainers to track 12- and 24-hour resupply windows, anticipate friction, and cross-level commodities within the brigade before shortages become emergencies. The panel underscores that sustainment math begins with accurate running estimates during MDMP and must continuously adjust based on actual consumption—not static planning factors from garrison. Ultimately, the LOGSTAT is framed as a two-way dialogue between maneuver and sustainment: maneuver communicates requirements; sustainment confirms capability. When synchronized through SOP-driven reporting, disciplined analysis, and aggressive follow-up, the LOGSTAT becomes a combat multiplier rather than administrative white noise.     Part of S05 “Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids, Batteries, Water, & Fuel” series.   For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast   Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.   Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.   Again, we'd like to thank our guests for participating. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.   “The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-thirty-third episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.' Hosted by MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection Observer-Coach-Trainer, and MAJ Michael Stewart, BDE S-3 Operations OCT, from Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ) on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today's guests are subject matter experts from the Brigade Command & Control task force: CPT Lowell Gothard is the Air Defense Support Element / Air-Ground Integration Element OCT (formerly the Air Defense Airspace Management / Brigade Aviation Element OCT), MAJ Edward Pecoraro the BDE S-2 Intelligence Officer OCT, CW2 Luis Alicea the Senior BDE Electronic Warfare Targeting Officer OCT, and CSM Bryan Jaragoske acting Command Sergeant Major of Operations Group (formerly BC2 CSM).   This episode examines how infantry brigade combat teams must reclaim reconnaissance and security as core competencies following the loss of cavalry squadrons. A central theme is that while the structure has changed, the requirement has not—brigades still must answer PIRs, develop NAIs, and shape the fight before committing combat power. Without a dedicated squadron headquarters to plan and synchronize reconnaissance, those responsibilities now sit squarely with the brigade staff. The discussion highlights friction points in intelligence architecture, reporting pathways, and the synchronization of collection assets, stressing that reconnaissance is no longer “someone else's problem.” Infantry battalions, multi-purpose companies (MPCs), and multi-functional reconnaissance companies (MFRCs) must all contribute to the reconnaissance fight, requiring commanders and staffs to deliberately task, synchronize, and integrate ground patrols, UAS, and other sensing capabilities.    The conversation also underscores the need to return to fundamentals—patrolling, reporting discipline, and combined arms integration across warfighting functions. Leaders emphasize that reconnaissance is not limited to scout formations; any element with the capability and proximity can be tasked to collect and report, provided it understands the task and purpose. Effective reconnaissance now demands tighter integration between S2, S3, aviation planners, and electronic warfare sections to sequence sensors, manage airspace, and fuse reporting into actionable intelligence. The key takeaway is clear: brigades must deliberately plan reconnaissance during MDMP, publish detailed reconnaissance guidance, and train these skills at home station. Without that discipline, formations risk fighting blind in LSCO.       Part of S13 “Hip Pocket Training” series.   For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast   Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.   Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.   Again, we'd like to thank our guests for participating. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.   “The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-thirty-second episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.' Hosted by MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection Observer-Coach-Trainer, and MAJ David Pfaltzgraff, BDE XO OCT (formerly the BDE S-3 Operations OCT), from Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ) on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today's guests are JRTC's very own Unit Ministry Team: MAJ(CH) Sean Kitchens, CPT(CH) Byron Denman, SFC Malik Carrigan, and SFC Dannell Bing.   This episode focuses on the employment of Unit Ministry Teams (UMTs) in a combat training environment, highlighting both their doctrinal responsibilities and the persistent integration challenges observed at JRTC. A central theme is that UMTs possess two primary capabilities—religious support provision and commander advisement—yet often struggle with full integration into the staff process. The discussion emphasizes that advisement, particularly on morale, ethical climate, and the intangible health of the formation, is one of the chaplain's most critical contributions. However, without deliberate participation in battle rhythm events, shift-change briefs, MDMP touchpoints, and staff synchronization forums, UMTs can lose situational awareness and inadvertently become disconnected from the fight. Leaders note that successful teams deliberately synchronize internally, align with planning decision points, and ensure shared understanding between chaplain and religious affairs specialist to balance ministry presence with staff integration.    The episode also explores the evolving role of UMTs in LSCO, particularly in high-casualty, non-linear environments where mass casualty events, temporary interment operations, and distributed maneuver demand proactive planning rather than reactive presence. The panel highlights the paradigm shift from fixed FOB-based ministry during the Global War on Terror to a more mobile, forward, and flexible posture in LSCO. Best practices include “spring-loaded” religious support to reinforce high-threat sectors, pre-assault ministry to shape morale before decisive operations, and deliberate home-station training focused on operational staff proficiency rather than solely garrison requirements. Ultimately, the conversation reinforces that UMT effectiveness depends on integration, operational awareness, and the ability to anticipate where religious support will have the greatest impact across the battlefield.        Part of S13 “Hip Pocket Training” series.   For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast   Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.   Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.   Again, we'd like to thank our guests for participating. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.   “The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-thirty-first episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.' Hosted by MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection Observer-Coach-Trainer, and MAJ David Pfaltzgraff, BDE XO OCT (formerly the BDE S-3 Operations OCT), from Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ) on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today's guests are subject matter experts from one of our infantry battalion task forces at JRTC: CPT Michael Boster is a Rifle Co Commander OCT, SFC John Corpier is an Infantry Platoon OCT, CPT Logan Wilson is the Fires Support Officer OCT for the TF, and MAJ Reed Ziegler is the Executive Officer XO from TF-1 (IN BN).   This episode examines the defense at echelon, focusing on how brigades and battalions design, build, and fight the main battle area (MBA) within the broader battlefield geometry. The panel breaks down the relationship between the security zone, the main battle area, and the brigade rear area, emphasizing that many defensive shortcomings stem from poorly defined boundaries—such as the forward edge of the battle area (FEBA), no-penetration lines, and rear area limits. Leaders discuss how units often conduct map reconnaissance without validating terrain on the ground, resulting in shallow defenses, limited depth (often only 500–1000 meters), and battle positions chosen based on where units culminate rather than where terrain is most advantageous. A recurring theme is that successful defense requires deliberate terrain analysis during planning, early reconnaissance, and continuous refinement between brigade and battalion to ensure obstacle plans, engagement areas, and maneuver graphics are coherent and mutually supportive.    The conversation also highlights common friction points across warfighting functions, particularly the integration of obstacles and fires. Units frequently fail to mass effects, synchronize mortars with field artillery, or prioritize high-payoff targets such as enemy breaching assets during defensive operations. Adjacent unit coordination is often weak, resulting in disconnected company engagement areas rather than a mutually supporting battalion fight. The panel reinforces that effective defense is not passive; it demands offensive action within the defense—shaping fires, clearly defined triggers, deliberate obstacle emplacement, and disciplined reporting. Ultimately, the episode underscores that depth, mutual support, and integration across maneuver, fires, engineers, and sustainment are what transform a static position into a resilient and lethal main battle area capable of stopping the enemy.        Part of S13 “Hip Pocket Training” series.   For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast   Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.   Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.   Again, we'd like to thank our guests for participating. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.   “The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.

Dr. David “Wally” Walton is a retired Army Special Forces officer with 25 years of experience in the SF community. His career spans service with the 7th Special Forces Group, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), and the Special Warfare Center and School.Dr. Walton's extensive operational experience includes deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and across Latin America. Since retiring in 2013, he has transitioned into academia, teaching National Security Studies and Executive Leadership. His research portfolio covers Security Strategy, Organizational Culture and Dynamics, and Human Performance. He has a deep understanding of security studies, encompassing everything from tactical operations to strategic policy discussions.Currently an instructor at JSOC, Dr. Walton is a Subject Matter Expert in Special Forces Assessment and Selection. He specializes in Land Navigation, runs a prep program designed for SFAS candidates, and is the author of multiple books about preparing for SFAS. More about Dr. Walton:Website: https://tfvoodoo.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tf_voo_doo/Timestamps:00:00:23 Introduction to Dr. David Walton00:01:42 Changes within SFSS and Coaching00:20:22 Being Trained in Land Navigation00:30:43 Better Prepared Candidates00:53:34 The Sandman Event00:59:29 Selection Rates and Working Through the Stages01:05:23 No Dependencies in the SFSS Course01:09:47 The "Awaiting Training" Phase 01:11:33 What has Dr. David Walton Changed in Coaching?01:17:08 How Many Books has Dr. Walton Written?01:21:52 Books Everyone Should Read01:26:32 Outro

The Joint Readiness Training Center is pleased to present the one-hundredth-and-twenty-ninth episode to air on ‘The Crucible - The JRTC Experience.' Hosted by MAJ Marc Howle, the Brigade Senior Engineer / Protection Observer-Coach-Trainer, and MSG Jared Cawthon, the BDE Fires Support NCOIC, from Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ) on behalf of the Commander of Ops Group (COG). Today's guests are subject matter experts from across JRTC: MSG Austin Moss is the Senior Targeting NCOIC OCT from Brigade Command & Control (BDE HQ). SFC Ryan Bruno is the Battery 1SG OCT with TF Fires (FA BN / DIVARTY). And 1SG Mark Varley is a Company First Sergeant OCT with TF-3 (IN BN).   This episode explores the practical and philosophical differences between Sergeant's Time Training (STT) and Leader's Time Training (LTT), arguing that the debate is less about terminology and more about ownership, trust, and purpose. The discussion emphasizes that STT is a critical venue for developing junior NCOs as trainers—forcing them to understand tasks to standard, plan instruction, and build confidence in leading Soldiers. When NCOs own training, they develop the skills required to train, certify, and mentor at higher echelons later in their careers. However, the episode also highlights a recurring friction point: junior NCOs often struggle when training is not clearly nested within commander intent or unit METL priorities, leading to well-intentioned but misaligned training that does not advance the formation toward its operational objectives.    The conversation further addresses best practices for balancing STT and LTT, advocating for a blended approach where commanders provide direction and protect time, while NCOs execute and innovate within that framework. Key themes include the importance of white space for creativity, competition among NCOs to improve training quality, and leader presence during training—not to take over, but to observe, coach, and provide meaningful AARs. The panel stresses that protected training time is essential, especially in high-tempo units, and that much effective training requires minimal resources if leaders are deliberate and disciplined. Ultimately, the episode reinforces that STT succeeds when leaders trust NCOs, give them clear intent, and hold them accountable—producing formations that are more competent, confident, and prepared for the demands of combat.       Part of S13 “Hip Pocket Training” series.   For additional information and insights from this episode, please check-out our Instagram page @the_jrtc_crucible_podcast   Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest warfighting TTPs learned through the crucible that is the Joint Readiness Training Center.   Follow us by going to: https://linktr.ee/jrtc and then selecting your preferred podcast format.   Again, we'd like to thank our guests for participating. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and review us wherever you listen or watch your podcasts — and be sure to stay tuned for more in the near future.   “The Crucible – The JRTC Experience” is a product of the Joint Readiness Training Center.