Laura is the Lead Performance Instructor at Deep End Fitness in San Diego, a trauma therapist, and a strength coach. She is about to graduate with the Master’s portion of her Ph.D. next month (May 2024) and will continue for two more years to complete her Ph.D. She previously received her Juris Doctorate degree but opted to change career trajectories toward something more fulfilling and service-driven. Laura specializes in Applied Behavioral Neuroscience through a Polyvagal Theory approach and currently leads training sessions on Nervous System Resilience and Regulation for First Responders and Military Personnel in the greater San Diego area. She also probably squats more than you.  Laura's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauragordon__/Deep End Fitness San Diego: https://www.instagram.com/deependsandiego/Deep End Fitness: https://www.deependfitness.com/Timestamps:00:00:22 Intro to Laura Gordon00:01:15 Athletic and Educational Background00:03:12 Deep End Fitness00:06:11 Universal Factors 00:07:31 Nervous System Regulation and Resilience00:11:08 Leveling of Attitudes00:14:19 What Workouts Look Like at Deep End Fitness00:16:00 What Changes Mentally During Training00:18:25 How People Understand Their Body00:22:50 Body Prediction Error00:28:30 Tuning Out The Negative00:32:34 Polyvagal Theory00:34:49 Avoiding Full Immobilization 00:39:50 Ventral Vagal and Dorsal Vagal Systems00:43:09 Healthier Versions of Stress Coping00:44:28 Individual Zone of Optimal Functioning00:47:34  Controlled Stressors 00:49:40 Tools and Cues00:53:49 High Level of Trust While Coaching00:56:48 Behavior Model 00:59:00 Shifting the Course of Lives01:00:46 Managing Burnout01:03:33 Managing Your Recovery 01:08:57 CO2 Tolerance01:11:32 Finding Connection and Community 01:14:43 Best and Worst Advice01:16:58 Learn More about Laura01:17:22 Outro

Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon (also known as KSD) is a trained counselor specializing in the psychology of behavior change, with certifications including motivational interviewing, solution-focused, DBT, CBT, and trauma counseling.She’s the author of numerous books and accredited nutrition, sleep, stress, and recovery courses. She is our go-to performance psych and works 1-1 with many of our clients seeking to sharpen the mental and emotional skills needed to handle some of the toughest training courses in the world.We’ve been training people for special operations selection courses around the world for almost 15 years now, and at this point the physical side of that is a predictable process. With sufficient training time, we can reliably get just about anyone to the physical performance levels needed for a given selection course. We’ve also gotten pretty good at teaching the cognitive skills needed to do well in these kinds of high-stress situations - things like segmenting, compartmentalization, and managing self-talk.But, there’s another piece to the puzzle that is just as important, and you can’t thinky-brain your way out of it - that’s dealing with the emotional challenges of SOF selection. These courses are not just designed to break you down physically and mentally. They also test your emotional resilience. They’ll put you in situations that make you doubt your sense of belonging or whether you deserve to be there.Ultimately, many people who quit SOF selection courses do so not because they’re missing the physical performance standards but because, at some point, they are overwhelmed by an emotional sense that either they don’t belong there, or other people don’t think that they belong there, and they believe them.Many of our clients work with Krista to prepare for these emotional challenges in training and bring that resiliency into their courses, just as they do with physical training. This kind of work isn’t just important for getting through selection - it also helps people to manage the stresses of their careers in special operations so that they can have long, productive careers and healthy relationships at work and at home. To learn more about KSD or book a session with her, go to https://www.buildingtheelite.com/performance-psych-coaching/Timestamps:00:00:21 Intro to Dr. Krista Scott Dixon00:03:43 Key Themes With Prospective Special Operators00:07:57 The "Everyone Else Problem"00:11:14 Entry Stakes00:16.20 How the Skills for Success Can Bring Struggle00:20:49 Bridging the Gap Between Knowing and Training00:27:10 Replicating Environmental Stressors00:33:41 Staying Mindful 00:40:50 Dealing With Depression After Success00:49:16 Ways to Practice Emotional Regulation01:02:09 Processing Rejection01:07:23 The Gift of Fear01:15:06 Concepts to Prepare for SOF Selection01:19:36 Outro

Dr. Aaron Epstein created the Global Surgical and Medical Support Group in 2015 to provide high-quality care to victims in Iraq of the ongoing conflict with ISIS. What started as small teams of physicians and surgeons inserting themselves in communities facing ISIS has since expanded to an organization of over 1,000 leading US licensed medical experts, covering every medical and surgical subspecialty from medical institutions worldwide and US Special Operations veterans.  This unique combination of medical expertise and the ability to operate in austere settings allows them to rapidly bring unparalleled services to some of the harshest environments and serve populations in dire need.To learn more about GSMSG, go to their website, GSMSG.org. You can also follow them on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/__gsmsg__/Timestamps:00:00:22 Intro 00:01:26 Global Surgical and Medical Support Group00:04:37 Roles Within 2,000 People00:06:27 Aaron Epstein’s Background00:09:35 Field Hospital in 72 Hours00:12:50 Logistical Problems00:13:48 Long-Term Strategies  00:19:33 Stateside Training and Continuity00:21:11 Levels of Training00:24:14 Refresher Training00:26:13 Health Care and Medical Training 00:29:00 Decreasing Poverty Levels 00:33:17 Innovations in Battlefield Medicine00:38:03 Moving Away from Direct Blood Transfers00:38:49 Biggest Obstacles for Point of Injury00:43:04 Mitigating FPV Drones00:44:55 Lessons Learned for Battlefield Medicine00:48:51 Interested in GSMSG00:53:40 Outro

Tim Richardt is a Colorado-based Physical Therapist with a passion for rock climbing, trail running, and technical backcountry skiing. Professionally, he's been involved in the physical preparation of military, tactical, and law enforcement personnel since 2010. After finishing his collegiate running career in 2012, he relocated to Denver to pursue his Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Regis University. Since graduating, he has made it a priority to continue to better understand the multifaceted nature of human movement and answer the ultimate question of what makes resilient, robust, and adaptable athletes capable of withstanding competition, selection courses, or whatever life has in store for them.Tim is part of our team at BTE. We’ve worked with him to develop our movement assessment app and bulletproof joint series, which our clients use to get individualized movement drills that help them move better and train harder without injury. He’s also behind our new courses on improving the technical skills of running and rucking so that our clients can handle high training loads without breaking down. Many people struggle through cycles of training hard, getting injured, taking time off, and then starting over and trying to catch up. By integrating regular movement work and some of the concepts that we’ll talk about on this call into your training, you can break this cycle and stay healthy while training consistently. To learn more about Tim or work with him for either in-person physical therapy or online coaching, you can contact him at TimRichardt.com or message him on Instagram.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tim_richardt_dpt/Timestamps:00:00:22 Intro To Tim Richardt00:01:43 SOF Selection00:04:23 Primary Reasons for Shin Splints00:08:30 Cadence 00:10:02 What Your Cadence Should Be00:11:50 Foot Strike00:13:30 Basics for Running Better00:16:03 Ankles, Knees and Hips00:17:02 Useful Running Cues00:18:53 What is ISA?00:21:01 Physiological Profile for Running and Rucking00:23:02 How Should Magnus Train00:25:37 Human Pogo Stick00:27:27 Tissue Elasticity00:31:58 What Was Thoracic Extension Training Missing 00:35:30 Why Did People Think It Worked?00:38:44 Barefoot Running00:40:47 Individual Foot Structure00:42:19 Flat Foot Type00:43:50 When Are Insoles Useful?00:45:53 Moonbounce Shoe Trend 00:48:28 Cushioning In the Floor00:50:12 Improve Foot Posture00:55:30 General Ideal Shoe Characteristics00:58:59 Insole Varieties01:01:44 ITB Syndrome01:05:22 Where Do We Learn More01:06:17 Outro

You must manage your stress response before you can manage your self-talk, emotions, pain, or fatigue. The process that controls our stress response occurs automatically and outside conscious control. Even though many stress responses are automatic, we can learn to identify, manage, and shape them. To do that, we first need a mental model of the physical and mental cues accompanying different types of stress responses and an understanding of how our autonomic nervous system works.

Don Tran is a former special operations Marine, and is the co-founder of Deep End Fitness. Prior to joining the MARSOC, or Marine Special Operations Command, community, Don was a water survival instructor, where he first began learning the skills that he developed over his career and brought to Deep End Fitness. Don was also a JTAC - a Joint Tactical Attack Controller, which is a specialty within US SOCOM that involves the coordination of combat aircraft in close support of ground operations.  He finished his time as a Marine Raider in a leadership role as a team operations chief and spent additional time at 4th Force Reconnaissance Company before leaving active duty in 2018. From there, he shifted full time into his work at Deep End Fitness, where he and his team teach physical fitness and water confidence, integrating the training methods he learned and developed as a maritime special operator. At BTE, we’re big fans of the work that Don and his crew are doing at Deep End Fitness, and we encourage our clients to train at their facilities for in-person coaching on the critical skills in the water that they’ll need to excel in their selection courses. The concepts that they’re teaching have been at the heart of maritime special operations culture for a long time, and it’s great to see those benefits becoming more mainstream and reaching not just other competitive athletes, but people from all walks of life seeking to become more fit while learning to better understand and manage their bodies and stress responses.  Deep End Fitness:www.DeepEndFitness.comhttps://www.instagram.com/deependfitness/Time Stamps:00:00:22 Intro to Don Tran00:01:58 Don's Career Overview00:02:45 Water Survival Instructor00:05:26 Marine Raider00:08:56 Advice For Someone Becoming a Raider00:10:15 Attributes Don Struggled With00:12:51 Selection Courses00:19:47 Underwater Football League00:22:51 Stresses of a Career as a Raider00:24:58 Getting out of the Military00:27:07 Deep End Fitness00:29:23 How to Explain the Concept of DEF00:32:32 MMA Fighters and NFL Players at DEF00:36:10 Training Methodology00:41:01 Manage Baseline Anxiety00:43:33 Fear Vs Anxiety00:44:45 Water: The Great Equalizer00:47:37 Basic Safety Guardrails00:50:01 In-Water Safety00:52:45 Don’t Panic Don’t Drown00:54:42 Firefighters00:55:11 Find Deep End Fitness00:55:50 Outro

Admiral Robert Harward is one of history's most accomplished US Navy SEALs. After graduating from the US Naval Academy, his NSW career began when he graduated with BUD/S class 128 in 1984 and joined SEAL Team Three, where he served as a platoon commander. From there, he screened for NSW Development Group, the US Navy’s tier-one unit, known at the time as SEAL Team Six, where he served as an assault team leader and operations officer. He earned his master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. Then he served as the task group commander during Operation Desert Thunder in Kuwait, the Joint Special Operations Task Force commander for Operation Rugged Nautilus, the deputy commander of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force in Bosnia, the Special Warfare Plans Officer for the Commander of Amphibious Forces in the U.S. Seventh Fleet; USSOCOM Aide-de-Camp to the Commander-in-Chief; then as the Executive Officer of NSW Unit ONE and as the commanding officer of SEAL Team Three.Admiral Harward assumed command of NSW Group One in August of 2001 and deployed to Afghanistan shortly after the 9/11 attacks. He commanded a multi-national task force named Task Force K-Bar and directed special reconnaissance and direct action missions throughout the country.The following year, he deployed to Iraq as the commander of Task Force 561, where he commanded NSW Task Group Central. The forces at his command there included not just all the assets in the Naval Special Warfare but also forces from the Polish GROM, the UK Royal Marines, and the Kuwaiti Navy.In 2003, he left NSW Group One and reported to the Executive Office of the President at the White House, where he served on the National Security Council as the Director of Strategy and Defense Issues.He went to the newly created National Counterterrorism Center in Washington from the White House.Then, he served as the deputy commanding general of JSOC, the Joint Special Operations Command, at Fort Bragg and did several more combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.In 2008, he assumed the role of deputy commander of the United States Joint Forces Command.Finally, in 2011, at the rank of Vice Admiral, he was assigned the role of Deputy Commander of USCENTCOM before retiring in November 2013. After his retirement, Admiral Harward became the chief executive of Lockheed Martin in the UAE.He is currently the executive vice president for International Business and Strategy for Shield AI, an AI-focused Defense Company. In this episode, we talk with Admiral Harward about his career in Naval Special Warfare, his advice for young leaders in the military, and the evolution of warfare as artificial intelligence takes a greater role on the battlefield. Timestamps:00:00:22 Intro to Admiral Bob Harward00:05:03 Younger Career00:10:30 Going Officer or Enlisted00:14:06 Becoming a Good Leader00:15:34 Advice for Aspiring Special Operators  00:21:13 Always be Prepared for War00:23:38 Well-Educated Warriors00:26:46 Comparison of SOF Units Around the World00:30:00 China and the US00:31:33 The Role of A.I.00:34:31 Half of Our Potential00:36:54 Best and Worst Advice 00:39:16 Outro

This is part 2 of our interview with Chris Klaftenegger. Chris was a special operations medic in two different military branches, and he has been to selection courses in the US Navy, Marines, and Air Force. He began his career as a SARC - a Special Amphibious Recon Corpsman at 1st Recon Battalion. After that, he transferred to a reserve unit of the Air Force and went through selection and training to become a Pararescueman, also known as a PJ. He also attended countless other schools, ranging from the Coast Guard’s Advanced Rescue Swimmer school to avalanche and tactical structural collapse search and rescue schools. Chris then worked in private security as an emergency response medic, personal security specialist, and medical instructor. Following that, he transitioned to the world of business and technology. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Onyx Industries, a company of former special operators making intelligent unmanned systems and airborne solutions for the defense industry. In this episode, we talk about Chris transitioning out of his role as a special operations medic and into entrepreneurship, developing advanced defense technology with Onyx Industries. Time Stamps:00:00:22 Clipping Tridents00:03:11 Incrementally Harder Courses00:05:03 Leadership by Example00:07:01 What is Chris Doing Now?00:14:41 PJ to Building Robots00:19:13 Tandem Barrels00:24:44 Barrel Improvements in 15 Years00:27:29 Mitigating Open Shock00:31:44 Rough Openings00:33:00 Get in Touch with Chris Klaftenegger00:35:32 Outro

Chris Klaftenegger was a special operations medic in two different military branches, and he has been to selection courses in the US Navy, Marines, and Air Force. He began his career as a SARC - a Special Amphibious Recon Corpsman at 1st Recon Battalion. After that, he transferred to a reserve unit of the Air Force and went through selection and training to become a Pararescueman, also known as a PJ. He also attended countless other schools, ranging from the Coast Guard’s Advanced Rescue Swimmer school to avalanche and tactical structural collapse search and rescue schools. Chris then worked in private security as an emergency response medic, personal security specialist, and medical instructor. Following that, he transitioned to the world of business and technology. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Onyx Industries, a company of former special operators making intelligent unmanned systems and airborne solutions for the defense industry. In this episode, we talk about Chris' career, his experiences in various selection courses, and his time as a Marine Recon instructor. We're splitting this conversation into two parts and will run the second half in a few days. Time Stamps: 00:00:22 Intro to Chris Klaftenegger00:01:26 Military Journey00:08:44 BUD/S vs BRC00:12:08 Learning to Regulate00:18:58 Recon and PJ Community Differences00:20:30 Evolution of Combat Medicine00:27:32 Recon Instructor00:36:32 Weakest Person in the Class00:40:05 Sponsor00:40:57 Common Signals of the "X Factor"00:44:01 Selection is More Than Finding the Best Exercisers00:46:50 Outro

Zack Ferguson is a former Navy SEAL Team 7 veteran with multiple deployments to Iraq, Yemen, Africa, and the UAE. He served as his platoon's Lead Sniper and Pointman and was a JTAC, Combatives Instructor, and Weapons Ordnance Specialist.He is currently a competitive 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu purple belt and an amateur MMA fighter. He is also an instructor for the Graceful Warrior Project, a non-profit organization that aims to equip in-duress women in central Africa with self-defense skills.Zack has a degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Charleston. At his day job, he is an instructor for Defense Strategies Group, an organization of special operations veterans that provides defensive training and security solutions. In this episode, we talk with Zack about his decision to join the Navy and volunteer for BUD/S, the mental preparation that he did for that, his experiences in training, and his transition out of the SEAL teams. More about Zack:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zackkferg/Personal Site: https://zackkferg.com/pages/about-zack-fergusonDefense Strategies Group: https://www.defensestrategies.us/instructorsTimestamps:00:00:23 Intro00:01:14 Zack Ferguson Introduction00:05:19 Hard Commitment to SEAL Teams00:08:01 Commitment Tested00:11:02 Reality of the Course00:14:03 Being Fit Enough Isn’t Enough00:19:19 Quick Note00:19:40 Laughing at Absurdity00:22:12 Illness is Part of the Course00:25:16 Biggest Mistakes Made00:27:32 Balancing Commitments00:29:06 Getting Out of the Navy00:35:49 Guided Psychedelic Therapy00:37:05 Seal Team to Civilian 00:39:47 MMA and SEAL Teams Similarities 00:40:56 Differences00:41:32 Defense Strategies Group00:43:15 Best and Worst Advice00:45:36 Learn More About Zack Ferguson00:46:15 Outro

This is part two of our interview with John Mackersie. If you missed the first half, we recommend starting at part one, which is episode 57, just before this one. John Mackersie is a strength and conditioning coach with over 15 years of professional coaching experience in collegiate athletics and within special operations. John began his coaching career in Division I athletics and has been working with Special Operation Forces since 2013. He’s currently the head of strength and conditioning for an Army Special Forces unit. In addition to coaching, John has spoken and lectured on numerous occasions for the National Strength and Conditioning Association at both national and regional levels, as well as preparing individuals for certification and exam preparation.In this episode, we hit John with a rapid-fire series of questions from our audience about training for or with a Special Forces unit. We also discuss his advice for other coaches coming to the SOF world from university strength and conditioning backgrounds. Time Stamps:00:00:22 Group Workouts00:04:32 Training Consistency00:07:46 Yes, and?00:09:48 Time Spent With Individuals00:12:00 Separate Entities00:14:13 What to Do and Not Do00:17:32 Data Collection00:21:40 Direct Impact00:23:30 Sponsor Note00:23:56 Lightning Round-Tips on Raising A Family-Special Operators-Basic Fitness Standard-Opt Tempo-Strong Man Training-Mental Struggle-Maintain Self Discipline-Best and Worst Advice00:31:15 Social Media Presence00:32:04 OutroSend John angry messages about Olympic lifting: https://www.instagram.com/m_stronger/

John Mackersie is a strength and conditioning coach with over 15 years of professional coaching experience in collegiate athletics and within special operations. John began his coaching career in Division I athletics and has been working with Special Operation Forces since 2013. He’s currently the head of strength and conditioning for an Army Special Forces unit. In addition to coaching, John has spoken and lectured on numerous occasions for the National Strength and Conditioning Association at both national and regional levels, as well as preparing individuals for certification and exam preparation.In this episode, we discuss what John has learned over the course of his career and how he thinks about the training process for special operators. Timestamps:00:00:22 Intro 00:01:01 John Mackersie’s Background00:03:03 Measures of Success00:07:30 Olympic Lifting Debate00:13:15 Balance of Training and Life00:17:11 Primary Teaching00:20:22 Motor Patterns and Training Effects00:23:35 Rucking00:27:42 Weights and Distances00:29:50 OutroSend John angry messages about Olympic lifting: https://www.instagram.com/m_stronger/

Over the past decade, we’ve helped prepare hundreds of clients for dozens of different SOF selection courses. Through this process, we’ve developed an extensive model of what’s required physically and cognitively to make it through almost any selection. In other words, how fit you need to be and the thinky-brain skills - things like segmenting, compartmentalization, and managing your self-talk - that you need to manage the various tasks you’ll be required to do. The specific skills and physical traits necessary to succeed vary a bit from course to course, but we have a robust and adaptable process to get people extremely well-prepared for almost any selection. However, there is one area we haven’t developed as extensively: the emotional and social components of SOF selection. These are often the limiting factors for either not getting selected - when you make it through a selection but aren’t chosen to move forward - or outright quitting. We can’t cover these broad topics in a single podcast but we will explore them over the coming months. In this podcast, we will highlight the specific skills necessary to manage the emotional and social experience of failure, setbacks, and pressure from cadre and peers that are common at SOF selection. This will include a recap of mental skills we’ve touched on before in different contexts.

This is the second half of our conversation with Dr. Alex Hutchinson. Dr. Alex Hutchinson is an author and journalist based in Toronto, Canada. His latest book, Endure: Mind, body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance, is an exploration of the science and mysteries of endurance. Alex is a contributing editor for Outside Magazine, writing a Sweat Science column. He also writes a column for The Globe and Mail and Canadian Running magazine. He’s also written award-winning articles for Popular Mechanics, has written about adventure travel for the New York Times, and was a columnist at Runner’s World for five years.Alex started out as a physicist with a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, then spent a few years as a postdoctoral researcher with the U.S. National Security Agency, working on quantum computing and nanomechanics. During that time, he competed as a middle- and long-distance runner for the Canadian national team, mostly as a miler but also dabbling in cross-country and even a bit of mountain running. He still runs most days, enjoys the rigors of hard training, and occasionally races.If you’re into human performance or have ever wondered what factors govern the limits of human athletic potential, then Alex’s book Endure is a must-read.To find more of Alex's work:www.AlexHutchinson.netOutside Magazine Sweat ScienceTimestamps:00:00:25 Altering the Perception of Effort 00:08:20 Maximum Effort00:10:49 Processing Pain 00:16:15 Pushing the Signs of Breakdown00:20:20 Finding Limits00:24:08 VO2 Max Protocol00:26:01 Altitude Training00:29:49 Learn More About Dr. Alex Hutchinson00:30:30 Outro

Dr. Alex Hutchinson is an author and journalist based in Toronto, Canada. His latest book, Endure: Mind, body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance, is an exploration of the science and mysteries of endurance. Alex is a contributing editor for Outside Magazine, writing a Sweat Science column. He also writes a column for The Globe and Mail and Canadian Running magazine. He’s also written award-winning articles for Popular Mechanics, has written about adventure travel for the New York Times, and was a columnist at Runner’s World for five years.Alex started out as a physicist with a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, then spent a few years as a postdoctoral researcher with the U.S. National Security Agency, working on quantum computing and nanomechanics. During that time, he competed as a middle- and long-distance runner for the Canadian national team, mostly as a miler but also dabbling in cross-country and even a bit of mountain running. He still runs most days, enjoys the rigors of hard training, and occasionally races.If you’re into human performance or have ever wondered what factors govern the limits of human athletic potential, then Alex’s book Endure is a must-read. To find more of Alex's work:www.AlexHutchinson.net Outside Magazine Sweat ScienceTimestamps:00:00:22 Intro00:01:50 Athletic and Academic Background00:06:07 Limits of Endurance Test00:10:50  Theoretical maximum/Tim Noakes00:15:15 Model of Fatigue00:19:12 Mental Fatigue00:20:30 Practical Application in Training00:25:17 Low Hanging Fruit In Performance00:28:35 A Note From our Sponsors00:29:00 Outro

The curse of knowledge occurs when an individual, often unknowingly, assumes that others have the background or knowledge to understand a particular topic. Once we know something, it's tough to remember what it's like not to know it and to factor that into our communication. This leads to misunderstanding, frustration, inefficient or ineffective learning environments, and mango trees with boats in them. In this episode, we discuss how the curse of knowledge works, the factors that enhance or mitigate it, and how to effectively account for it in our personal and professional lives.

This is part two of our interview with Shaun Taylor, a founding member of Canada's tier-one SOF unit, JTF2. Shaun has also managed to fit numerous other careers into his lifetime, ranging from coffee shop owner to computer systems teacher to a world championship title in 24-hour solo mountain bike racing, followed by 15 years as a professional coach. In this half of the interview, we talk about his career(s) after JTF2, his experiences as a world champion MTB racer and coach, and what eventually led him to become part of his podcast, The Collective. Shaun's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shauntaylors1/The Collective Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@the_collective_yt/streamsThe Collective Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_collective_ig/Timestamps:00:00:22 Maintaining Mental Health00:04:11 Becoming A Civilian Again00:09:04 24-Hour Mountain Bike Racing00:13:45 Mental Strategies00:22:14 What Did You Look For In Coaching Clients00:26:20 Regulating Stress Response00:30:08 Better Manage Stress Response00:31:46 Embarrass Past Selves00:34:30 MetacognitionRapid Fire Questions00:40:12 Tips On Building Positive Group Culture00:40:34 Recovery Routine00:40:45 Soft Selection Course Prep00:40:53 How Should Women Train00:41:00 Managing Egos00:41:08 Carryover Exercises00:41:19 Reset Mindset00:41:35 Optimal Balance in Training00:42:01 Preparation Training00:42:15 Training For BJJ00:42:35 Integrating

Shaun Taylor has had a dizzying array of careers and life experiences. He was one of the original members of JTF2, Canada’s tier-one special operations unit, and retired as a warrant officer. Shaun was also a Use of Force instructor for a Canadian Police college, and shortly after that, he became a computer systems engineer and was a full-time teacher in that subject. The experience he gained there led to him writing a 700-page study guide that was sold throughout North America. He followed his stint as a professional nerd by moving into a consulting role in private international security, where he eventually met his wife.This led him to the next stage of his career, where, as one would expect of a retired special operator, he settled down and opened a successful coffee shop.Shaun then discovered a passion for ultra-endurance racing, eventually leading to competitive 24-hour Solo mountain bike racing. During thirty 24-hour solo races, he competed around the world and eventually became a World Champion. People in the racing circuit began asking Shaun for help, so he created his own coaching company and worked with high-performance race athletes worldwide for the next 15 years.In 2022, after several discussions with friends within the veteran community about the concerning statistics on veteran suicide and mental health, Shaun stepped away from his coaching business. Since then, he has focused on improving things for the Veteran, LEO, and First Responder communities, which led to podcasting and the start of a new podcast platform called The Collective. His podcast has had over 200 guests, ranging from SOF members to human behavioral scientists, with a general focus on human betterment.Shaun's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shauntaylors1/The Collective Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@the_collective_yt/streamsThe Collective Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_collective_ig/Timestamps:00:00:22 Intro to Shaun Taylor00:02:20 Seven Careers00:07:17 JTF200:10:24 Problems Establishing Unit00:11:43 Team Culture00:14:41 Extreme Accountability00:19:17 Positive and Negative Competition00:23:24 Reason For Being00:26:02 Understanding Your Own Purpose00:31:22 How Do You Get Motivated00:40:26 When Did You Start Training00:44:08 What Did You Most Struggle With00:46:30 Living Two Different Lives00:51:50 How to Fit Training Plan Into Operational Schedule00:54:51 Always Ready To Get The Go Signal00:58:34 Maintaining Mental Health01:00:25 Outro

One of the most common training mistakes is the all-or-nothing trap: alternating between phases of intense effort and consistency and doing nearly nothing. The fitness industry consistently reinforces the ‘go on a diet’ or ‘get ripped in 30 days’ mentality. Unfortunately, this is also a recipe for frustration and poor results. A much better approach is to view things through the lens of sprint and maintenance phases. This is far more effective for long-term success.

This is part 2 of our 2-part episode with Dr. Christopher Lowry, a professor of Integrative Physiology, Psychology, and Neuroscience, specializing in the gut microbiome. If you haven’t listened to the first half of this interview, we recommend starting there first. His research program at CU Boulder focuses on understanding stress-related physiology and behavior, emphasizing the microbiome-gut-brain axis. His research is designed to lead to novel, microbiome-based interventions for preventing anxiety, mood, and trauma- and stressor-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this half of our interview with him, we’ll talk more about his work there, as well as practical ways to improve your gut health and the potential implications for that when it comes to better resilience under stress. More about Dr. Lowry: https://www.colorado.edu/iphy/people/faculty/christopher-lowryDr. Lowry's TedX talk: Plants, the Microbiome, and Mental HealthTimestamps:00:00:22 Who is Dr. Chris Lowry00:01:10 Gut Biome, Immune System, and Mental Health00:05:51 Mechanisms at Work00:08:06 Working With Certain Strains With Veterans00:10:38 TBI and PTSD00:12:18 Neurotransmitters in the Gut00:18:01 Mitigate Damage From Bad Eating Habits00:22:42 Ayahuasca and PTSD00:24:33 Two Hit Model of Stress Exposure00:27:55 Long Covid and Neuroinflammation00:33:38 Lower Inflammatory Response 00:34:22 Learn More About Dr. Chris Lowry’s Work00:35:15 Outro