Shows
Street Cop PodcastEpisode 906: Lead The Right Way with Garrett TeSlaaOn today's episode, Dennis speaks with 18+ year active duty LT and host of "The Squad Room" podcast, Garrett TeSlaa.
Garrett's bio:
My name is Garrett TeSlaa, and I am the creator and founder of The Squad Room. In 2015, I was a few years into being a sergeant for a sheriff’s office in Southern California. I was struggling with rotating shifts, poor sleep and horrible nutrition habits. I was also recovering from a mountain bike crash that should have killed me and everything, along with several duty-related injuries began to drag me down physically, mentally an...
2023-11-031h 16
Code4CouplesEp 126: Men's Work with Garret Teslaa Garrett TeSlaa, host of the Squad Room podcast and Lieutenant in Southern California, reached out to me and asked if I had done a podcast on "men's work." I had to give him a hard time about men's work versus women's work, and we joked around about it, but what he really meant was what I thought. It's easier for women to do certain things like read self -help books or talk to other women about growth and development. It's more socially acceptable to ask for help or go to therapy when something's wrong and not working. Garrett has b...
2023-10-1337 min
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership18 Lessons from 18 Years as a Cop: What I Wish I Knew, Mistakes Made, and Lessons LearnedI recently passed the 18th anniversary of the day I entered the academy. The occasion provoked some introspection and on this episode I share 18 lessons I've learned throughout my career to this point - lessons often learned the hard way. It's certainly not a comprehensive list but I incuded things that I think can help someone avoid some of the common mistakes I've made, and I've seen made by others. I'd love to hear what lessons you have for others, or things you've learned. Drop me a DM @thesquadroom or shoot me an email at ga...
2023-07-3132 min
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipNeed More Work/Life Balance? Listen to This!What is work/life balance? If you’re a cop, there’s a good chance you have no idea what it is. Rotating shifts, sleep deprivation, missed holidays, birthdays, weekend BBQs and more leave us with an unbalanced sense of what our lives are made of. In this short episode, I share 7 things you can do to create more work/life balance in your life. Do you have a technique I missed? Let us know what you do to create more balance in your life. Shoot me an email at garrett@thesquadroom.net or drop us a l...
2022-09-2724 min
Street Cop PodcastEpisode 645: We Need to Take Care of Each Other with Garrett TeSlaa "The Squad Room"On today's episode, Dennis speaks with Garrett TeSlaa from "The Squad Room about how we need to take care of each other in this profession and become better leaders.
Check out "The Squad Room" here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-squad-room/id995536948
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2022-06-021h 17
Code4CouplesEp 74: Mindset Matters with Garrett TeSlaaA shift in mindset can help officer's mental health, their relationship, and impact other officers around them. Garrett TeSlaa, from The Squad Room Podcast, talks about his struggles with his thinking and physical health, how his mindset was impacted by a community coming together during the Montecito Debris Flow, and how his mission to impact other officers to shift there mindset through BADGES.
2021-11-1939 min
The Guns & Yoga PodcastEpisode #14: The Squad Room with Garrett TeSlaa - THE PODCASTER SERIESThis week, we continue with our Podcaster Series. I speak with Garrett TeSlaa, veteran law enforcement sergeant and host of the successful podcast, The Squad Room. Garrett left a successful career in the music and film industry in 2005 to pursue a life in public service. Garrett is now an active duty 16-year law enforcement veteran and sergeant for a sheriff's office in Southern California. Garrett has held assignments in patrol, gang investigations, community relations, internal affairs, and media relations among many others; and, has been involved in numerous critical incidents that have received international media attention. Garrett holds a Ma...
2021-06-151h 02
The Black Diamond PodcastEp.55 Garrett TeSlaa: Leadership Has No RankGarrett TeSlaa is an active duty 15-year law enforcement veteran and sergeant for a sheriff's office in Southern California. Garrett has held assignments in patrol, gang investigations, community relations, internal affairs, and media relations. Garrett holds a Masters in Public Administration with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership and Management and is a graduate of the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute. Garrett hosts the successful podcast The Squad Room devoted to personal development for first responders. He is also a TEDx speaker and contributing writer for PoliceOne and Law Enforcement Today.
2021-04-2941 min
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership134: Serving Those in Service with James Geering of the Behind the Shield PodcastJames Geering is a firefighter, professional stuntman, published author and host of the Behind the Shield Podcast. James has been in the fire service on both coasts of the United States and shares his incredible story about how he was driven to become a firefighter from an early age - and it provokes some reflection in Garrett about a formative event in his childhood that he shares on the show. In this episode you’ll learn about: James’ mission to bring wellness and self-care to first responders after burying 6 of his friends due to duty-related illnesses. Why Jam...
2021-04-1359 min
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership133: Dealing with Toxic People at Work with Pete HavelPete Havel is the author of The Arsonist in the Office: Fireproofing Your Life Against Toxic Coworkers, Bosses, Employees and Cultures, was named Amazon’s #1 Hot New Release for Management Books and has reached #2 on Amazon’s bestseller list in multiple categories. Pete is a speaker, trainer, and consultant for organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to churches to nonprofits to law enforcement and first responder associations and departments. He focuses his attention on helping organizations fix “people problems”, build stronger leadership, and create or strengthen productive and healthy workplace cultures. You can check out more about Pet...
2021-03-221h 29
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership132: How to Lead Yourself First: Lessons in Self-Awareness and Leading at Any Level with Mike Doyle of Tactical TangentsMike Doyle of the Tactical Tangents Podcast joins me on this episode of The Squad Room. Mike is a K9 handler for a large urban police department in Arizona, a new father, a podcaster, and dare I say renaissance man -- whatever that means these days. In this episode you’ll learn how Mike and I have done some of the gritty work of asking for feedback from others and how early missteps in our careers negatively impacted us for sometime. Mike also tells a funny story about how a snarky comment on the radio can...
2021-02-171h 14
Patriot Leadership PodcastPatriot Leadership Podcast Episode 14 Interview with Garrett TeSlaa from Squadroom PodcastPatriot Leadership Podcast Episode 14 Interview with Tedx Speaker and Squadroom Podcast host Garrett TeSlaa.-Garrett hosts the Squadroom podcast as a resource to help fellow law enforcement officers deal with the challenges that come with the profession.-Garrett was a Tedx speaker in 2018, discussing the role of community members in helping first responders.-http://www.thesquadroom.net/ www.patriotleadershipadvisors.com
2021-02-0753 min
What’s Your EmergencyGarrett TeSlaa & 6 Tips to Improve Your Leadership SkillsThis week the guys welcome back Garrett TeSlaa, host of the Squadroom Podcast to discuss 6 key points to consider when looking to lead in the disciplines. It doesn't take a high score on the Lt's test or any brass on your collar, it takes the right attitude and application of the right tools. In this episode we discuss: Staying relevant and finding help around you Why leadership is not tied to rank or position When to call in other resources Why staying focused on the next step is as important, if not more so, than the...
2021-01-2747 min
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership131: What I've Learned: Dennis Benigno of Street Cop TrainingDennis Benigno is the founder and owner of Street Cop Training, perhaps the largest privately-held law enforcement organization in the country, and they’re growing quickly. Dennis joins us to talk about his career and how he navigated through a start in corrections, to federal law enforcement and eventually, back home working in the New Jersey town he grew up in. In 2015, Dennis was injured on the job and had to medically retire. When he was on the road, Dennis noticed he had a gift for criminal interdiction so he began teachi...
2021-01-261h 17
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership130: When Your Trauma Explodes with Nick Wilson of The Resiliency ProjectOne day not too long ago, Officer Nick Wilson was on his way to jail. But there was a problem. The problem was that despite countless trips to county before, this time he was riding in the backseat. He had just been arrested for DUI. But the problem was actually bigger than that. Nick was suffering from a dangerous combination of physical injuries from his career and emotional and mental injuries as well. Doctors prescribed Nick a cocktail of opiates, benzodiazepines and sleeping pills. Nick has done someth...
2020-12-191h 13
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership129: A Widow's Journey with Carmen EastOn October 9, 2017, Carmen East’s life changed forever. Her husband, Texas Tech University Police Officer Floyd East Jr. was shot and killed on duty. Carmen joins me on The Squad Room to tell the heart-wrenching story of losing her high-school sweetheart in the line of duty. Her story, and her relationship with Floyd is an absolute must-hear episode. Carmen shares how Floyd’s life-long dream was to become a police officer. It was a goal he worked hard to achieve later in life than most. He was so committ...
2020-11-181h 09
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership128: Creating a Winning Mindset with Brian WillisI often get asked how to build resilience quickly. You just have to answer one important question. And then you answer that question over and over and over again. On this episode, my guest Brian Willis helps us learn how to apply a simple acronym to create resilience, improve focus, and become better leaders. We also talk about how leadership is a choice, not a rank, and what you can do to create a culture of leadership within your agency, regardless of Brian is a 25-year veteran of...
2020-10-221h 08
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership127: Be Your Own First Responder with Tony BlauerTony Blauer is the founder of Blauer Tactical and the S.P.E.A.R. System of self-defense. A world-renowned self-defense expert and law enforcement trainer, Tony has studied fear and how our bodies use fear to keep us safe. In this episode, Tony and I cover a wide range of topics including: To be the best version of yourself, you need self-awareness. To make good decisions, you need to manage your fear. How fear can become fuel for growth. Why we often outsource our safety in ways that aren’t so obvious. How to be the one, you mu...
2020-10-071h 03
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership126: How to Move Forward, Lead and Win with Dakota MeyerDakota Meyer knows a thing or two about how to move forward and overcoming adversity. That’s why it was a great experience to have him on the newest episode of The Squad Room. A short review of Dakota’s life shows you some of the major obstacles he has confronted and overcome by accepting his reality: The Battle of Ganjgal where he lost four friends and earned the Medal of Honor. Feeling listless and without purpose after leaving the military. Being awarded the Medal of Honor for what he feels is his biggest failure. Accepting help after pulling t...
2020-09-041h 07
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership125: You Can't Out Train a Bad Diet with Jonathan MontgomeryJonathan Montgomery used to be fat firefighter. Before that, he was a roadie for some of the biggest pop punk bands of the 90s. Several years ago, Jonathan got his act together and lost a ton of weight and is now a ripped former firefighter who owns First In Nutrition along with his wife Anne, also a former firefighter. Jonathan loved working as a firefighter but saw his bigger calling was helping other first responders navigate weight loss and the often tricky relationship we develop with food. He used to get stopped around the firehouse and bombarded w...
2020-08-201h 08
The UNcivilized Podcast with Traver BoehmWhy police need to solve for pain more than crime with Garrett TeSlaaPerspective. Every story has more than one side, and every side should be listened to in order to figure
out a solution.
When we talk about justice the first thing that comes to mind is the police, but recent news has shown
the police as the bad guys in the story. To listen to both sides, and make your own criteria, today's guest
is Garrett TeSlaa. Garrett is a veteran cop at the police department in California. In this episode, he
shares what a day in the life of...
2020-08-1353 min
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership124: Building Resilience with JP Dinnell Our guest this week knows a thing or two about resilience. JP Dinnell is a Navy SEAL veteran of Jocko Willink's famous Task Unit Bruise. Chris Kyle was his friend and partner. JP now works with Jocko at Echelon Front teaching front-line leadership to business and public servants. This is JP's second time on the show and he delivers as well as he did on his first appearance. In this episode, we talk about building relationships up and down the chain of command, knowing when to adjust your approach and priorities, the importance o...
2020-08-061h 02
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership123: What I Wish I Knew: Mistakes, Lessons, & Hard Wins with SWAT Cop Justin Walker This episode of The Squad Room was a recent favorite. I sit down (socially distanced via Zoom of course) with Justin Walker. Justin is a full-time officer at a major metropolitan department and a full-time SWAT officer. He's also the owner of MilMak Blades and even a podcaster! (seriously, check out his show The Man Minutes, it's really good). We talk about a wide variety of topics on the show. It's like a lot of conversations that happen when two veteran cops sit down to get to know each other. We ended up t...
2020-07-141h 05
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipWhere Do We Go From Here?I've been reluctant to add my voice to the chorus of talking heads surrounding the issues we're currently facing in policing. However, I've been encouraged to do so by some people I respect greatly, and asked by many others for my input. I'll admit that I was also scared to chime in. Cancel culture has brought us to the point that the slightest misstep or poorly phrased sentence can get you fired or targeted for the wrath of a very angry public. But I realized that if I allowed that to influence me, I would ha...
2020-07-041h 58
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership121: Deliberate Discomfort: Overcoming Fear, Creating Courage, and Winning Your Battles with Jason Van CampAfter graduating from West Point, Jason Van Camp earned his Ranger tabs in 2002. Along with the 101st Airborne, Jason was part of the invasion of Iraq in 2003. In 2006, Jason went through selection and earned his green beret. Afterward, he was assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group as a Detachment Commander. In 14 years of service, Jason earned the Bronze Star with V device for Valor, and two additional Bronze Stars during multiple combat tours in the Middle East and Africa. Jason is also the author of Deliberate Discomfort: How U.S. Special Operations Forces Overcome Fear and...
2020-06-181h 16
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership120: Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement with Dr. Kevin GilmartinDr. Kevin Gilmartin is one of the preeminent police psychologists in the country. He is the author of the Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement, an absolute must read for any cop or LEO spouse. Dr. Gilmartin’s one-day seminar sells out all over the world and he is one of the best presenters I’ve ever seen. In this episode we talk about: How to activate your parasympathetic nervous system to correctly calm yourself after a shift of stress and cortisol. The effects of sleep deprivation on attitude and behavior. The depression that naturally sets in with e...
2020-06-011h 11
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership119: Leading Yourself Through Change with Aaron Lohman aka Huge Fat LoserSergeant Aaron Lohman returns for his second appearance on The Squad Room and he doesn’t disappoint with his no-holds barred style of personal growth and leadership. We last checked in with Aaron in 2017 and a lot has changed. He made sergeant, had a few transfers and now is one of the first staffers at NYPD’s new and unique Health & Wellness Unit. Aaron rose to prominence through his social media account @huge_fat_loser where he documented his amazing weight loss and attitude change. In this episode you will learn: How Aaron took control of his life...
2020-05-281h 00
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership118 Creating Calm: War, PTSD, and Healing with Tom VossTom Voss is an Infantry veteran of the Army’s Stryker Brigades having served between 2003-2006 in a scout sniper platoon. He’s also an author, yoga instructor, and meditation teacher. It wasn’t long into his deployments before Tom experienced the darkest parts of war which left him with severe PTSD that he denied for over a decade. Tom turned to drugs and alcohol to cope and spiraled into planning his suicide. The only thing that saved him was a sister who wouldn’t put up with it. Tom is the author of Where War Ends...
2020-05-061h 06
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership117: Ryan Michler on How to Win When Others Are Falling ApartRyan Michler is the host of the Order of Man Podcast and author of the book Sovereignty: The Battle for the Hearts and Minds of Men. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Ryan recommends you regain and retain sovereignty over your life. Why he wrestles with the idea of being a good follower. Why the idea of work/life balance is false. Why you need to have a “life vision.” Why you can’t talk to your significant other like you do to your partner. How Ryan sets goals and measures his success. Why you need to be as...
2020-04-271h 01
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership116: Briefing Topic: Are You Living in the Arena?In this short episode I talk about a monumental speech that was given 110 years ago today by one of the biggest personalities to ever enter the White House. In this episode, I share why this speech is so influential to me, and how you can use it to motivate and inspire those you work with. It’s also appropriate because this is the week we launched A Worthy Cause Life, our apparel and gear shop. If you’re looking for some cool t-shirts, mugs, or stickers, check out the stuff at aworthycauselife.com and you can help support...
2020-04-2410 min
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership115: Becoming Hard to Kill with The Operational AthleteMatt is a Special Forces veteran and current police officer in Los Angeles, CA. He’s known on social media as The Operational Athlete (@theoperationalathlete). Matt has multiple combat deployments and works in a high-activity city. In this episode we talk about: What he learned in Special Forces that he still uses on the streets today. Why policing was his LAST option but why it turned out to be the greatest blessing. The brotherhood of those who spend their time in service, whether in a foreign land or in our communities. His unique ideas about how to...
2020-04-1652 min
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipLeading Ourselves and Others During a Crisis with Traver BoehmThis is the first episode back after a much-needed hiatus. It was not the episode I planned to produce but one that I felt needed to be done. No ads, no music, just an honest discussion about how to manage through change, how to mitigate the stress we’re all under, and how to cultivate resilience by emptying your bucket.
2020-03-2159 min
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership113: Cardiologist and Police Lieutenant Jon Sheinberg on Heart Health for First Responders.This episode is a re-broadcast of one of my most important episodes so far. Dr. Jon Sheinberg wears many hats. One is as a full-time cardiologist and another is as a lieutenant for the Cedar Park Police Department in Texas. Jon comes on the show to walk us through all the confusing stuff about cholesterol, what diets work best, how to understand your blood work results and how to get the most of out life.
2020-03-151h 08
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipLt. Colonel Dave Grossman on Being a Modern SheepdogThis episode is a rebroadcast of a fascinating interview with Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman. If you’ve been living under a rock, Lt. Col. Grossman is the author of On Combat and On Killing and the creator of the idea of the sheepdog and the wolves. He’s a former West Point professor and all-around, one of the nicest guests I’ve had on the show.
2020-03-151h 08
Tactical BreakdownBeing the One: Into the Squad Room with Garrett TeSlaaAdam and fellow podcaster, Garret TeSlaa, take time to discuss what it means to be the ONE for your agency. What are the things that we as leaders should be sharing with the men and women under our command and what impact that can have at an individual and agency level. Garrett shares his story, his experiences, and what he does to create a positive influence within his department and with his listeners around the world.
EPISODE PAGE: https://thebreakdown.ca/017
Garrett TeSlaa is a 15-year law enforcement veteran and Sergeant for a law enforcement agency in Southern California. He...
2019-12-0550 min
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipLive from ProForce with @911Strong and @DispatcherKristenThis episode was recorded live at ProForce Law Enforcement on September 28, 2019. My guests are the dynamic duo and hosts of the 911Strong Podcast, social media star Aram Choe (@911Strong) and Kristen Jauregui (@dispatcherkristen). Both are working hard to help bridge the divide between our communities and our profession using social media as their outlet. In this episode, we talk about the dangers of putting yourself out there on social media, problems with navigating an ‘old school’ police mentality, and what they’ve learned as a result. Special thanks to ProForce for hosting the event and to Sig Sauer...
2019-12-011h 13
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership110: Shots Fired, Officer Down with Josh Comitale: Will to Survive, Winning Mindset and Warrior SpiritA foot chase with an armed carjacking suspect, a partner shot, an open gun battle with no cover or concealment, taking two rounds in the legs, a gun jam…its like every academy training scenario rolled into one nightmare. Troy PD Officer Josh Comitale’s nightmare. Josh won the U.S. Congressional Medal of Bravery for his actions that day, and after you hear his story, you’ll understand why. Here’s the surveillance camera footage that captures the entire shooting. (Josh is seen on foot in the parking lot in the upper right wi...
2019-10-271h 20
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership108: From Hard Charging to Hard Drinking: Alcoholism, Treatment and Recovery with Sgt. Joey RaffertyOver 27 years, Sgt. Joey Rafferty had every dream job that a hard charging cop would want in a county that requires hard charges. Wedged between Philadelphia and Trenton, NJ, Joey had plenty of action to keep him in the game. It wasn't until he crashed a patrol car with his kids in the backseat and got arrested for DUI that he finally admitted he had a problem. Sometimes, when you work hard you play hard too and Joey started to play hard often. In this episode you will learn: The red flags that Joey missed. Why hi...
2019-07-231h 46The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership107 Your Mindset is Everything with POW Capt. Charlie Plumb | Cultivating Resilience, Gratitude & AwarenessFive days before he was scheduled to finish his tour in Vietnam, U.S. Navy F4 Phantom pilot Capt. Charlie Plumb was shot down on his 75th combat mission over enemy territory. He spent the next 2,103 days (almost 6 years) in an 8×8 foot cell as a Prisoner of War, tortured and beaten in the infamous Hanoi Hilton. During nearly 6 years of captivity, Charlie shared cells with Sen. John McCain and worked as the right-hand to Admiral James Stockdale where he helped lead the resistance to their captors. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Charlie dev...
2019-06-171h 45The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership106 Building Your Brain and Biceps with Mark Bell.mp3Mark “Smelly” Bell is an American and world-record holder powerlifter, inventor of the Sling Shot, star of the movie Bigger, Stronger, Faster, the publisher of Power Magazine, host of the Mark Bell’s Power Project podcast, a YouTube star and much more. Mark also used to be known for being fat – like really fat. But a few years ago, Mark decided to make the changes necessary to help him step into a new reality where he is a legitimate health and fitness leaders. He did it my identifying what he could control, and then he attacked...
2019-06-031h 11
The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | Leadership105: Creating a Legacy by Serving a Purpose Bigger Than Yourself with Lt. Col. Scott MannLt. Col. Scott Mann spent 20 years in Army Special Forces (Green Berets), leading troops into some of the most hostile and deadly terrain in the world. In this episode you’ll learn: How to create your legacy and identify what’s important to you. How the Special Forces concept of the Mission Decision Line can apply to your own life. How winning “hearts and minds” in Afghanistan is no different than policing in your own area. How in order to grow, you must reach outside your comfort zone. To sign up for The Squad Room mailing list, text THE...
2019-05-041h 07The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 104: Excuses, Obstacles, and Living a Fearless Life with Miranda and Julian Alcarez of Street ParkingMiranda and Julian Alcaraz are the dynamic duo behind Street Parking. In this episode you will learn: How a CrossFit Games athlete like Julian deals with injuries and setbacks. How Miranda’s fitness saved her life in a horrific car accident. How to adapt and overcome adversity in your training and fitness. How attitude is everything. Why Julian has two identical Glock 17s. What is Street Parking? It’s an online programming subscription that gives you daily workouts that can be done with minimal equipment or a full gym at your disposal like having a garag...
2019-04-171h 06The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 103: Becoming Mindful Warriors with Lt. Richard GoerlingLt. Richard Goerling (ret.) of Mindful Badge is our guest today. Richard has been getting a lot of national attention since our last conversation nearly two years ago. He was even featured on the Today Show and NBC Nightly News. Richard’s work is devoted to making officers more resilient, and resilience is something we can never have too much of. Eric Greitens has an amazing book on the topic, titled, appropriately, Resilience. In it, he describes resilience as: “…the virtue that enables people to move through hardship and become better. No one escapes pain...
2019-03-261h 22The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 102: Briefing Topic: What's Your Oath? How to Identify Your Personal ValuesIn this short episode, I give you my personal method for how to identify my values, the things that are most important to me. Values are tricky, and we often get weird around trying to name them and identify them. However, I guarantee that if you’re able to identify the values you prioritize, it will help you come into alignment in every other area of your life.
2019-03-2217 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 101: Lt. Jim Glennon of Calibre Press on Surviving the StreetsLt. Jim Glennon is the owner of Calibre Press and lead instructor for the well-known and nationally taught course “Street Survival.” Jim retired as a lieutenant for the Lompard, IL police department moving into teaching and publishing. Lt. Glennon holds a BA in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Police Management. He is the co-author of the new edition of Street Survival, and the author of the CJ textbook Arresting Communication. On this episode we talk about the history of policing and what has and has not changed since the original Street Survival book came out...
2019-03-101h 07The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 100: Learning from Your Failures and Moving Forward with Traver BoehmLt. Col. Dave Grossman, Tim Kennedy, Andy Stumpf, Kelly Starrett, Tony Horton…just some of the amazing guests we’ve had in the first 99 episodes. It seems like it has taken forever to get to episode 100. In fact, it’s taken almost 4 years. I’ve been inconsistent, infrequent, behind, and distracted as a producer and host. I’ve also been, at times, laser focused, motivated, and progressing. Traver Boehm, my first guest on episode 1 (and a dozen other appearances) returns live in person for a reunion of sorts. We revisit that first episode, tell some stories, a...
2019-02-251h 47The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 99: Ending First Responder Suicides with Dan Jarvis f 22Zero.orgDan Jarvis is a former law enforcement officer and combat veteran. Dan came home from his deployments and struggled to adjust to life back at home, and even though he found purpose as a cop, he struggled. Hard. Dan was literally moments away from putting the gun to his head when an unexpected sound made him stop and think for a moment. What happened next was amazing and heartbreaking, all at the same time. Dan shares that story on this episode and how his own journey and struggles led him to do some real work on himself.
2019-02-121h 00The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 98: Briefing Topic: Why Are You Here ReduxIn this short episode I’m challenging you to be more self-aware about what motivates you and inspires you to go out and do the hard work that we do. There’s a well-known saying that during a critical incident, when everything is on the line, we don’t rise to the level of our expectations but instead we fall to the level of our training. The same is true for knowing our own, deeply personal, “why.” Why are we here. Why are we doing this job. Why are we acting the way we are with our f...
2019-02-0818 min
Criminal Justice EvolutionCJ Evolution Podcast: Garrett TeSlaa - LEO, Speaker & Creator of The Law Enforcement Podcast "The Squad Room"Hello everyone and welcome back to the show - Special thanks to all the brave men and women who work in the criminal justice field. We salute you all. keep up the great work. We continue to grow because of you. When you have a moment please rate and review the podcast on iTunes.
Check out the great products from Four Sigmatic - I love the Lions Mane Mushroom Coffee. You will get 15% off your purchases using the promo code CJEVO.
In this episode we welcome Garrett TeSlaa. Garrett is a veteran officer in California...
2019-02-0133 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 97: Held Assumptions vs. Opportunity Statements“The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts.” – Marcus Aurelius We all hold assumptions about ourselves. Some of them are correct, and others are completely false. An assumption can be defined as, “a thing that is accepted as true or certain to happen, without proof.” What assumptions do you make about yourself or your circumstances? Our identity is largely built around these assumptions, and the ones that are not true are getting in our way. Identifying these false assumptions is one of the mos...
2019-02-0115 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 96: Training Your Mind to Train Your Body with Officer Greg ParkerThese days, if you’re involved in an foot pursuit that’s covered by the media, and you wake up the next day and realize it’s gone viral, that’s not a good thing. Luckily, for Officer Greg Parker of the Baltimore Police Department, he was blasted all over the news and social media because of solid police work that was such a display of athleticism and professionalism that everyone – even the media – stopped to applaud. Parker is the epitome of the tactical athlete. However, he wasn’t always that way and in this episode, he shar...
2019-01-271h 00The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 95: The S.W.A.T. AnalysisThis week we discuss a way to check in with yourself and review where you’re at in relation to where you want to go. It’s actually learned in business school but have tweaked over the years to fit my use, and I think it’ll help you too. It’s called a SWAT analysis – Strengths – Weaknesses – Advantages – Threats. It’s something I do every few months to check in with myself and see if I’ve gotten of course. It’s simple and it can really help you identify where you greatest opportunities are for improvement.
2019-01-2318 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 94: Briefing Topic: What's Your 20?10-20 in cop speak (in my area) means, “what’s your location?” Goals are great. They’re important. But it’s impossible to know where to go if you don’t know where you’re coming from. When you respond to a call, your route will depend on whether you’re coming from the north, south, east, or west. You can’t begin any trip without knowing where you’re starting from. In this short Briefing Topic, I explain why it’s important to take stock of where you are so that you have a better idea of how to get where you want...
2019-01-1712 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 93: Practicing Resilience and Creating an Emotional Survival Plan with Dr. Diego HernandezDr. Diego Hernandez is a clinical psychologist and trauma expert who focuses on wellness, human performance and and health. He frequently works with Army Special Operations and their training cadre to address the trauma rehabilitation of elite warriors. He regularly treats veterans and first responders. Dr. Hernandez is also the Clinical Director of the Accelerated Resolution Therapy Center at the University of South Florida. I began attending counseling about two years ago because of some stuff that flared up in my memory. I tell about that experience in this episode. Though I’ve taken a break from it...
2019-01-131h 03The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 92: The B.A.D.G.E.S. of Your LifeWe need leaders. Leaders at every level and in every organization. The absolute truth is that no one else is coming, and it’s up to us to step forward and fulfill our obligations. But before you lead others, you need to be able to lead yourself. In this episode, I introduce the concept of BADGES, a way of managing your self-development that I created and have been using for some time. I spent much of 2018 testing different methodologies, reading, journaling, brainstorming and speaking with experts and I think this system can help you achieve your goals, be...
2019-01-0423 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 91: From Mogadishu to Music: Life Lessons from a Delta Commando with Brad ThomasWhen Brad Thomas’ music career didn’t take off out of high school he choose the next most obvious career path. He enlisted in the Army with a Ranger contract with the goal of making it into the elite and secretive special operations force known as Delta Force. Brad spent several years in the Rangers and was heavily involved in the Battle of Moghadishu, a battle so massive and significant in modern U.S. war fighting history that the story was made into the book and movie Black Hawk Down. Brad eventually moved on to Delta Force selection and spen...
2018-12-011h 23The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 90: Post-Traumatic Stress to Post-Traumatic Growth with Shaun O'GormanAussie cop Shaun O’Gorman returns with some strategic actions you can take to identify, manage, and most importantly, use the traumatic experiences we all deal with. Shaun was a K9 officer who never let off the gas pedal for his entire career. It wasn’t until he stood on the ledge of a 26th floor balcony trying to build up the courage to jump that he realized what has happened. Listen to episode 64 for his story through PTSD and his recovery. Retired now, Shaun travels around Australia teaching officers about the warning signs, a...
2018-10-221h 30The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 89: Briefing Topic: We Need a Better Marketing PlanLast week, Nike managed to piss off approximately 50% of the country with their new ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick. In this Briefing Topic episode, I share my opinion on the whole event and explain why you should not care about this, or waste one second of your time upset about it.
2018-09-1316 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 88: Nothing Happens on the Sidelines with Seal Team 3 Sniper JP DinnellJP Dinnell is a veteran of three combat deployments in the Global War on Terror. Most notably, he served with Seal Team 3 Task Unit Bruiser in the Battle of Ramadi as a sniper, working right next to the world’s most famous sniper, Chris Kyle. Kyle was in Charlie Platoon, and JP was in Delta Platoon. JP has been featured on the Jocko Podcast and he now works with Jocko Willink as the Director of Tactical Training Programs at Echelon Front, a leadership and management consulting company. In this episode: What it’s like to work for...
2018-08-2551 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 87: Be the One: Stepping Up During the Vegas Massacre with Sgt. Larry HahnSgt. Larry Hahn has done many things throughout his career with one of the largest sheriff’s department’s in the country. But it was what he did off-duty on the night of Sunday October 1, 2017 that will show you how he is the kind of leader I talk about when I ask you to be the one. Larry was enjoying the Route 91 country music festival with friends and partners, and was on the floor when the shooting started and he didn’t leave the floor until it was nearly over, protecting a group of strangers from the attack. Larry was in...
2018-07-181h 25The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 86: Building Resilience from Personal Tragedy with Eric HodgonEric Hodgdon is a resilience coach, author, and speaker. I first met Eric in October 2017 at a workshop and was immediately drawn to how him. He just exudes being a good guy. In March of 2018 I got to spend a few days with him a a leadership retreat in Florida and it was there that I learned his whole story. It’s quite a story. As first responders, we live in this bizarre world where we are voyeurs on other peoples problems and tragedies. We are often the only person in the room as someone goes through th...
2018-06-211h 14The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 85: Chasing Cartels and Congress with DEA Chief James CapraJames Capra is the retired Chief of Global Operations for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Before his retirement, James testified to congress as he had done before, but this time he went off-script and spoke from the heart. It ended up on YouTube as “DEA Official Freaks Out at Senate Hearing.” But to hear James explain it, you understand that this is a patriotic man who is committed to leading in his country and community. James, the son of an NYPD officer, started his career in the Los Angeles field office chasing kilos during the height of the c...
2018-05-301h 13The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 84: Thriving After an Officer-Involved Shooting with Chuck RylantChuck Rylant is a veteran SWAT cop from Santa Maria, CA. After being forced into a medical retirement, Chuck began looking for ways to continue in service to others. As a result, he wrote a book called “Shots Fired: The Psychology Behind Officer Involved Shootings.” Chuck interviews 12 cops who had been involved in shootings and he details the experience in terrific detail. Each cop had a different experience and there are lessons to be learned from each of their stories. Chuck comes on the show today to talk about the lessons he learned in his own car...
2018-05-051h 06The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 83: What Makes an Uncivilized Man with Traver BoehmTraver is back with more insights and strategies about how to live your best life. In this episode, we talk about Traver’s new project, Man Uncivilized, and what inspired him to launch a movement that is quickly gaining attention. Traver is a regular contributor to the show and a man I refer to as my “personal Buddha.” In the environment of #metoo and other stories, masculinity is such a highly charged and emotional topic. But Traver is here to tell you that you should embrace your masculinity, and that women should seek it in their partners. To bot...
2018-04-111h 04The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 82: Rob Shaul of Mountain Tactical Institute on Physical Training for Tactical AthletesRob Shaul is the founder of Mountain Tactical Institute. Rob trains first responders, military athletes, and tier 1 operators.He got his start in Wyoming, training mountain athletes. When members of the military got wind of his success, they started seeking him out to help them climb the mountains of Afghanistan. When first responders learned about his success with the military, they came calling asking for help to get them ready for the demands of our job. Rob and his team began developing programs devoted to SWAT school prep, academy prep, patrol operations and much more. Rob is...
2018-03-091h 28The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 81: Kelly Starrett on Lifestyle Optimization for Tactical Athletes, Sheepdogs and WarriorsKelly is a physiotherapist, speaker, coach, author and the founder of MobilityWOD. Kelly’s mission is to improve the mechanics and movement of every human to optimize physical performance and overall health. A few years ago he picked up a camera with a commitment to record one video a day for a year demonstrating important stretching and rehabilitation routines. That led to his first (he has three!) New York Times and Wall Street Journal Best Seller, “Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance” Kelly’s client list includ...
2018-02-121h 08The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 80: Andy Stumpf with Lessons from Hostile TerritoriesAndy Stumpf is many things. Boring is not one of them. He’s a retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant who served in the Navy SEALs He served in the Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) better known as SEAL Team 6 He was a BUD/s instructor. He holds two world records for jumps in the wingsuit. He has one of the most popular new podcasts called “Cleared Hot.” There’s plenty more. Andy is very pro-law enforcement and he wants to help us be better at our jobs and more successful in our careers. He is the definiti...
2018-01-251h 05The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 79: Briefing Topic: Be The OneNearly 2500 years ago, Heraclitus, a famous philosopher and one of the first Stoics, uttered a quote that changed my life here in today’s modern world. It was a quote I first heard recited by the powerful Greg Amundson, a previous guest on this show when I saw him give a presentation. Here it is: “Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn’t even be there. Eighty are just targets. Nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them for they make the battle. Ah, but the one. One is a warrio...
2018-01-1528 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 78: Q&A: How Do I Get Hired?The most frequent question I get is from people who want to enter law enforcement and they’ve hit a roadblock. Either they just don’t know where to begin, or they’ve stumbled during part of the hiring process. I get the question so often that I thought I’d delve into some of my tips and tricks that helped me get hired quickly. Disclaimer: I’m not a background investigator so this is just from experience, and sitting on a few panels and watching people crash and burn in front of me. It’s not pretty!...
2017-10-1948 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 77: Sgt. Kevin Briggs, the "Guardian of the Golden Gate" on Suicide Intervention and ResilienceSgt. Kevin Briggs of the California Highway Patrol is the subject of one of the most famous photos in law enforcement. He’s leaning over the railing of the Golden Gate Bridge talking to a suicidal man who is ready to jump. The dramatic photo only tells a small portion of Kevin’s story, a story in which Kevin has saved over 200 people from jumping. When a photographer snapped that photo, it led to a feature in a local paper that dubbed him the “Guardian of the Golden Gate.” The nickname stuck and Kevin became a sought-after expert o...
2017-09-291h 02The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 76: Developing Your Warrior Mindfulness with Lt. Richard GoerlingLt. Richard Goerling is the creator of mindfulbadge.com. Richard is an active lieutenant with the Hillsboro Police Department, a suburb of Portland, OR. A decade ago, Richard was like most of us, muddling through is career but feeling a sense of unease he couldn’t quite put a finger on. It was then that he began doing yoga to prevent some of the physical problems we experience. Slowly, Richard became introduced to the work of Jon Kabot-Zinn and his course work in mindfulness and resilience. To say that Richard went down the rabbit-hole would be accurate, and he’s no...
2017-09-141h 25The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 75: Going Undercover and Through Hell with ATF Agent and Best Selling Author Jay DobynsJay Dobyns is the author of one of my favorite cop books: “No Angel: My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels.” He didn’t just write the book, he lived the story. Jay was the primary undercover agent for the ATF during Operation Black Bisquit. Many of us remember the 2002 shotout between the Hells Angels and Mongols OMG clubs in Laughlin, Nevada. Such a brazen gun fight, in the middle of a crowded casino, caught the attention of federal law enforcement and they launched a nearly two-year operation, with Dobyns posing as a gun-ru...
2017-08-2844 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 74: Traver Boehm and 8 Steps for Overcoming Divorce and Dealing with GriefTraver Boehm returns to the show with a deeply personal story about his recent divorce. Traver has talked about aspects of it before during previous episodes, but he was still very much grieving the loss of his marriage and a miscarriage. Having spent 2016 exploring that grief – living in it, stewing in it – Traver returns to The Squad Room for an honest discussion about the worst year of his life, which also turned out to be the best year of his life. Either way, it was also the hardest. Traver wrote a hugely popular post...
2017-08-111h 16The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 73: Developing Leadership and Self-Awareness with Bernard MelekianIn 45 years of policing, Bernard Melekian has done it all. Seriously. From being the first K9 handler in California, Melekian rose through the ranks at the Santa Monica Police Department to Assistant Chief, and then spent 13 years as Chief of the Pasadena Police Department. During that time he also served as Interim City Manager for a stint, and of all things, Acting Fire Chief. While in Pasadena, Melekian championed community-oriented policing initiatives and brought about a lot of positive changes in the department that was experiencing strained relations with minority communities. So, it...
2017-07-2049 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 73: Developing Self-Awareness and Leadership with Bernard MelekianIn 45 years of policing, Bernard Melekian has done it all. Seriously. From being the first K9 handler in California, Melekian rose through the ranks at the Santa Monica Police Department to Assistant Chief, and then spent 13 years as Chief of the Pasadena Police Department. During that time he also served as Interim City Manager for a stint, and of all things, Acting Fire Chief. While in Pasadena, Melekian championed community-oriented policing initiatives and brought about a lot of positive changes in the department that was experiencing strained relations with minority communities. So, it...
2017-07-2049 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 72: Major Josh Mantz Was Shot and Killed in Iraq and He's Here to Tell the StoryU.S. Army Major (ret.) Josh Mantz, author of the new book, The Beauty of a Darker Soul: Overcoming Trauma Through the Power of Human Connection is our guest on this episode. A 2005 graduate of West Point, Josh was commissioned as an infantry officer and soon found himself fighting insurgents in Baghdad during “The Surge.” During a relatively routine patrol, Josh was shot and killed. That’s not a typo. Yes, he was killed. Josh was without a pulse for 15 minutes as medics and triage teams worked furiously to save him. After about 6 minute...
2017-07-201h 09The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 71: Shots Fired! Officer Down with Bulletproof Fitness Creator Shelby LuttrellOn December 17, 2016, Alabama police officer Shelby Luttrell was shot twice off-duty at his wife’s surprise birthday party while struggling for a suspect’s gun. Shelby almost died en route to the hospital but he had the will to survive. Only 7 months later, he comes on The Squad Room to talk about that night, his recovery, and how he was motivated to start teaching others about the importance of fitness. Shelby is the founder of Bulletproof Fitness and he is a personal trainer and coach. Find him on Instagram at @bulletproof.fitness His recovery, and transf...
2017-07-1148 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 70: Adam La Reau of O2X on Performance for Tactical AthletesAdam La Reau is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer. Adam spent 11 years in the teams before transitioning out, eventually earning a Master’s in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Adam wanted to scratch his entrepreneurial itch and along with other military veterans, he launched O2X, a human performance company devoted specifically to the needs of tactical athletes – us. Adam has a wealth of information to give and his seminar staff includes over 30 experts in areas as diverse as sleep, to nutrition, to strength and conditioning. Adam’s phil...
2017-06-2953 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 69: Building Resilience an Defeating Negative Behavior with Dr. Jay Nagdimon of the LAPDDr. Jay Nagdimon is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and is board certified in Police and Public Safety Psychology. For over the past decade, Dr. Nagdimon has been a member of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Behavioral Science Services Unit. It’s a unique idea and LAPD has invested into paying attention to the mental health of their officers. As Dr. Nagdimon says in this episode, psychological therapy for police is often more like performance enhancement and sports psychology than it is just something you have to do after a critical incident (i.e. “gotta go see...
2017-06-141h 08The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 68: Briefing Topic: Why Are You Here?It’s a simple question. Maybe one you haven’t asked yourself in a while. For some of you, maybe you’ve never asked it. So?
2017-05-3112 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 67: Ryan Michler of Order of Man on Being a Modern WarriorRyan Michler is the founder and creator of Order of Man and the Order of Man Podcast. If you’re a guy, you need to be listening to this podcast. If you love a guy, listen to this podcast. We cover a lot of ground in this episode about the idea of manliness: what it is, and how it’s different than masculinity. We talk about how law enforcement, and how we gravitate to the Warrior archetype and if there’s still a place for that in our society, or should we be transitioning to a “gentler...
2017-05-2555 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 66: Tony Horton, Creator of P90X on Living LargeTony Horton doesn’t need much of an introduction. As the creator of P90X he went from being a personal trainer to musicians like Tom Petty and Billy Idol to being a household name and face. A lot of cops, myself included, have done P90X and it’s really one of the first introductions most of us ever had to High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). I think my love of CrossFit was an extension of the success I had with P90X. P90X is still around, as well as his new program “22 Minute Hard Co...
2017-05-161h 01The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 65: Winning the Gunfight Before It Starts with LAPD SWAT's Scott ReitzScott Reitz is a retired member of LAPD’s elite Metropolitan Division or “Metro” where he served 10 years on their SWAT team. Scott is also the author of The Art of Modern Gunfighting: The Pistol Volume 1 and the owner and lead instructor for International Tactical Training Seminars. Scott was the lead firearms instructor for Metro Division and has taught courses to Tier 1 special operations teams and law enforcement agencies around the country. Scott is also a use of force expert and he spends a lot of his time in court defending officers in criminal and civil litigation. Hav...
2017-05-091h 05The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 64: My Dark Companion: PTSD, Depression, and Suicide with Shaun O'Gorman of The Strong Life ProjectShaun O’Gorman is a retired police officer from Australia. He spent 13 years in service, most of it in the K9 unit. By all accounts, Shaun became a “cop’s cop” after he followed his dad into public service. He spent years racing 100 mph (well, 160 kilometers per hour) to calls, watching and experiencing some of the worst things the job has to offer. It didn’t take long on the job before Shaun’s previous bouts with depression returned and eventually devolved into PTSD and several nights of lying in bed with his service weapon in his hands trying...
2017-05-021h 29
Go Law Enforcement007: Squad Room Host Garrett TeSlaaGarrett TeSlaa, a Sergeant with a Sheriff's Office in Southern California and host of "The Squad Room" talks about how to prepare physically and mentally for a career in law enforcement.
2017-04-2624 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 63: Instagram Sensation @PoliceFitnessNutrition Founder Sgt. Wilson on Community and Accidental LeadershipSgt. Wilson is the founder and the man behind the hugely popular Instagram page @policefitnessnutrition. His page has exploded over the last two years and has a following of 78,ooo followers as of this episode. We’ve been in touch since The Squad Room started and I’ve always wanted to have him on the show. Sgt. Wilson has always gone out of his way to promote our mutual goal of helping officers get healthy. He does it on Instagram and I do it here on the podcast. Sgt. Wilson has built a small but successful social medi...
2017-04-2455 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 62: Lt. Colonel Dave Grossman on the Bulletproof MindLt. Colonel Dave Grossman doesn’t need much of an introduction to law enforcement in the free world. The originator of the “sheepdog” mentality, Lt. Col. Grossman literally wrote the book on that theory. It’s part of his first book, “On Combat” which is a must read for LEOs. Click here for the excerpt from “On Combat” that explains the theory of Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs. Click here to buy On Combat (note: affiliate link) Grossman travels over 300 days a year speaking to law enforcement about the importance of the Bulletproof Mind, his version of resilien...
2017-04-161h 04The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 61: Briefing Topic: Can You Fight in the Shade?In this short Briefing Topic episode of The Squad Room, Garrett advocates that as professionals, we must follow the example set by an ancient warrior. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @thesquadroom. Thanks for listening.
2017-04-1406 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 61: Briefing Topic: Can You Fight in the Shade?
2017-04-1306 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 61: Briefing Topic: Can You Fight in the Shade?
2017-04-1306 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 60: Chief Steve Pitts on Resilience and Taking Care of Your OfficersSteve Pitts has over 30 years in law enforcement, retiring as the chief of Reno PD in Nevada. In Nevada, every first responder has to take an extensive physical every year that includes blood work and biomarkers. It’s mandatory. Chief Pitts saw the opportunity in this data to develop a wellness program based on science and actionable information to make his officers and his department more successful. I met Steve in January at a law enforcement wellness conference. He gave a presentation titled, “Resilience as a Path to Wellness.” In this episode, we talk about his ca...
2017-04-081h 10The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 59: Portland PD SWAT Officer Nick Frankus on Confidence: How to Get It, Keep It, and Make Sure It's RealNick Frankus has been with the Portland Police Department for 18 years – many of them on the department’s SWAT Team. Nick is a very observant and introspective guy and he’s been documenting the lessons he’s learned along the way and he’s now sharing them in his own podcast Work on the Edge, which I highly recommend. It’s actually not about law enforcement, although his topics apply directly to the profession. It’s aimed at anyone who works in a high-stakes environment. Nick wrote a book and released a series of episodes on what he calls...
2017-03-311h 14The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 58: A Passion for Helping Cops with Chief Jeff Halstead, Founder of Hope4Blue.orgJeff Halstead retired as the Chief of Police for the city of Fort Worth, Texas after a 30+ year career. Jeff rose quickly through the ranks of the Phoenix Police Department before making the jump to Texas. After retiring, Jeff didn’t set up a beach chair in the sand and order a pitcher of margaritas (my current retirement plan). Nope, it seems when Jeff retired that’s when the real work began. Jeff founded Hope4Blue.org, a non-profit organization devoted to several missions. Most importantly, taking care of officers who’ve had to medically retire and wh...
2017-03-271h 12The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 57; Tony Blauer on Violent Aggression and Managing FearTony Blauer says he is engaged in “the study of human movement as it relates to violent aggression.” Tony has been teaching self-defense tactics to cops, tier 1 special operators, and housewives for over thirty years. Blauer created the S.P.E.A.R. System, CrossFit Defense and many other self-defense courses and he’s made a career out of training people to be prepared for the first 3 seconds of the fight – it’s an important 3 seconds. Tony studies our natural evolutionary gift of fight vs flight instincts and how to utilize those instincts to begin our defense against an ambush ...
2017-03-211h 16The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 35: Cardiologist and Lieutenant Dr. Jon Sheinberg on Heart HealthThis episode is exactly the kind of episode I set out to record and bring to other LEOs when I started The Squad Room. It isn’t a fun topic (though I think you’ll certainly still find it interesting), but it’s vitally important to our survival. Dr. Jon Sheinberg is a military veteran, a board-certified cardiologist, a lieutenant with the Cedar Park Police Department (TX), a father and husband, founder of the Public Safety Cardiac Foundation, and even a U.S. Marshals Task Force Agent. So…what was that excuse you had about being too...
2016-06-061h 09The Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 34: KP from @FitCops on Creating a Social Media MovementKP is our guest on this episode. KP and her partner “DC” started the Instagram page @fitcops about two years ago with the goal of providing motivation and inspiration to other law enforcement officers in the pursuit of their own health and fitness. To say they’ve succeeded is an understatement. The Instagram account has nearly 60,000 followers at this point, and KP herself (@kpatfitcops) has turned herself – inadvertently – into the social media queen of law enforcement. They now run thefitcops.com and have their own clothing line, calendars and other merchandise. They also post week...
2016-05-2252 min
805conversationsA visit from the Squad Room - Garrett TeSlaaGarrett TeSlaa, Podcaster at the Squadroom and a Sergeant with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff, sat with host Mark to talk about his life in public service. Garrett is on a path of discovering health, wellness and personal development and is taking himself and his listeners on the journey with him.
"We did something good today.”
Topics included;
-The Squadroom Podcast - why, what, who
-What the effects of sleep deprivation, stress and lack of exercise have on the police force
-How to overcome them
-How his personal journey has put him in touch with amazing experts in his fi...
2016-03-3100 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEP 11: Finding Balance in Life and Leadership with Ed AcevesThanks for supporting the show. Please, stop what you’re doing, open another tab in your browser and give us a review on iTunes. Just search for The Squad Room and you can leave a review on our landing page. If you subscribe to the show, you won’t be able to do it from your “My Podcasts” page. I don’t know about you, but I love talking to retired LEOs. I like hearing the stories of how it used to be, and the challenges they faced that are so foreign to me. I also like to...
2015-08-3157 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEp 03: Greg Amundson: You Are A Tactical AthleteA few weeks ago I traveled up to Santa Cruz, California, the birthplace of CrossFit. I wasn’t there to interview the father of “The Sport of Fitness” Greg Glassman. Instead, I wanted an audience with one of his students; a guy that I’ve followed for years and have watched from a distance. Greg Amundson started CrossFit in 2001 at Glassman’s original gym in Santa Cruz. Greg quickly made a name for himself at the gym and he populates many of the early videos on YouTube about CrossFit. This episode is chalk full of great actionable tips. Here a...
2015-05-1656 minThe Squad Room: Police Health | Development | LeadershipEp 001 Hello, My Name Is....Today’s guest in this inaugural episode is Traver Boehm. Traver will be a frequent guest on the show and contributer to the entire project. He is my “coach” for this project. He’s not just a personal trainer, and more than a “life coach” – because I really hate that term. “Life coach” ugh. But think equal parts Tony Robbins, Tony Horton (the P90x guy) and George St.-Pierre (he even looks like him) and you’re getting close. If you found this first, here’s what you’ll learn in this episode: How pissing my pants was the inspira...
2015-05-1639 min