Behind The Shield

For the past 29 years Andrea has worked for the Department of Defense including the Marine Corps, Marine Special Operations Command, the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, and at the Marcus Institute for Brain Health at the University of Colorado.She grew up in the south of Chile and in the hills of the Andes mountains. From childhood, she learned the value of traditional medicine through observing her grandparents perform traditional healing rituals. Her knowledge is drawn from traditional educational institutions in the US as well as mentors from the Lakota community and Mexican healers.Andrea specializes in the holistic treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. As an advocate for integrated medicine and a holistic approach to healing, her experiences include trauma sensitive yoga, tai chi, meditation, mind body medicine, shamanic healing, and martial arts. She has been featured in several publications, including the National Journal, U.S. Medicine: The Voice of Federal Medicine, FIGHT magazine, and recently in the New York Times paper for her work on post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury.https://www.thesirenproject.org/

Rob Moore is a 28 year veteran of the fire service. He retired from Orange County (FL) Fire Rescue at 25 years, after serving early in his career as a volunteer for Osceola County and a firefighter for the Department of Defense - Orlando Navy Base. Throughout his career with Orange County, Rob held the ranks of firefighter, engineer and special ops truck lieutenant. He was a member of the inaugural Orlando Eye climb team, the International Drive bike patrol and was captain of the Orange County Fire Hockey Team.Raised in Central Florida since he was young, Rob had an early love for boating, surfing and fishing. He currently holds a USCG 100 ton master license and lives aboard a 50 ft. trawler with his wife, Sara and dog, Lana. Rob has always turned to the ocean as an outlet for grounding and mental refocusing. His faith as a Christian is deeply woven into his life story and is an anchor in his life that has provided him with strength, healing and purpose through the heaviness of the fire service and into retirement.

KEVIN HAZZARD is a journalist, TV writer, and former paramedic. His first book, A Thousand Naked Strangers: A Paramedic’s Wild Ride to the Edge and Back, was published in 2016. He now writes for film and TV, with work produced by Hulu, CBS, ABC, and Universal. His journalism has been published at 99% Invisible, the Atavist, Men’s Journal, Creative Loafing, Atlanta Magazine, and elsewhere. We discuss his latest book 'No One's Coming', the Ebola crisis, aviation rescues, the men of the Freedom House, medicine on television and so much more.

Wayne Smith is a 29 year veteran of corrections, law enforcement instructor and special team leader. Regina is 22 year veteran of corrections and Sergeant of Marion County Sheriff's Office and Captain for the Florida Department of Corrections. We discuss their journeys into law enforcement, reducing recidivism, gangs, addiction, strength training and so much more.

Dr Eric Goodman is the founder and creator of Foundation Training, a system of movement that facilitates the body’s natural healing ability and quickly improves degenerative movement patterns. He has published 3 books, including his latest, True To Form, which have contributed to health innovation for individuals, communities, and the Yoga world. His incessant curiosity for anatomy, movement, and healing has led him to become one of the most sought out trainers in the world, training prominent media figures and top level athletes, including Olympians as the strength and conditioning coach of the U.S.A. Men’s Water Polo Team. During the last few years he has also been directing the Foundation Training Instructor Certification Program, a four day intensive workshop for doctors and movement specialists, and he continues to treat patients and lecture around the world. Currently, Eric lives in Florida with his wife, Jen, and their daughters, Sunny and Veda.Foundation Training was born of out of necessity. In 2007 Eric Goodman was in his last year of chiropractic school gaining knowledge and skills but remaining debilitated by back pain that had followed him for years. He was advised to get spinal fusion surgery, but after deeply considering the effectiveness and physical toll it would take, declined this option. He instead worked to create a better solution. This choice became the catalyst for his life’s workDr. Goodman became the doctor he wished he had, creating innovative corrective movements as the answer to his pain. Understanding the challenge of being a patient without viable options, he started teaching the exercises to help other people help themselves. These exercises became Foundation Training and have been utilized by tens of thousands of people to get out of pain.The business of Foundation Training is committed to the common goal of helping people heal and redefining a life without pain. The team behind the scenes holds to the commitment of continually learning how to do this better. Over the years, our talented teaching staff have contributed significantly to helping us breakdown the information to make it easier to learn, including developing certifications that allow us to produce instructors who deeply understand and are skilled at teaching the material.The programs Foundation Training offers remain innovative and are continually evolving as knowledge, resources, and applications expand. The community of instructors, clients, patients, and friends whose lives have been improved remains the core of who we are.https://www.foundationtraining.com/

David Shuford is a twenty year veteran of the fire service. He is the Union President for Gainesville Fire Rescue and their Hazmat Training Captain. We discuss becoming a volunteer firefighter at 18 years old, the high level of competition to become a firefighter 10 short years ago, the recruitment and retention crisis, how they made the move to the 42 hour (24/72) work week, the health and financial benefits, the dramtic increase in recruitment and retention they've witnessed, debunking deliberate misinformation from neighbouring agencies and so much more.

Sean Glass is a former SEAL Officer. His tours include combat deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq and Eastern Africa. Sean was the Officer in Charge of the final phase of the initial SEAL selection pipeline where he helped select, train and mentor future SEALs. His last tour in the Navy he served as the Officer in Charge of all wartime training for the West Coast SEAL teams.He is a leadership instructor for Echelon Front and is the founder of Primal Beef. A Virginia based, all-natural, all-American, farm-raised beef company.He is a husband and father of five. He lives with his family on a regenerative cattle farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.https://www.primalbeef.com/

Dennis Pishock is the author of “Demons and Angels”, a book about Trauma, Peer Support and how to care for yourself while in a career in public safety. He is a 24 year veteran in Law Enforcement, Firefighting, Swift Water Rescue, EMT-I, and Peer Support. He holds a rank in multiple martial arts, defensive tactics & combatives. He holds certifications in all aspects of public safety, including SPEAR Instructor, Defensive Tactics Instructor, Peer Support Counselor, Hostage Negotiator, EMT-I, and Swift Water Technician. Dennis ran his own martial arts school for 17 years. https://pishockbooks.com/

Dr Belisa Vranich is a Clinical Psychologist who teaches breath work for both physical and mental wellness. Dr Vranich is also the founder of The Breathing Class. We discuss healthy relationships, sex myths, diaphragmatic breathing, mental health and much more.A clinical psychologist and a leading expert in mental health and fitness, Dr. Belisa Vranich is the author of Breathe: The Simple, Revolutionary 14-Day Program to Improve your Mental and Physical Health (St. Martin’s Press/Hay House). She is the founder of www.thebreathingclass.com.Dr. Belisa is a regular guest on national television; e.g., CNN, Fox News, the Today Show, Good Morning America, and Inside Edition, and has been interviewed by Anderson Cooper, Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Bill O’Reilly, and Nancy Grace. Dr. Oz has recognized her as one of the top US doctors in her field. She has appeared as a guest on Cesar Millan’s show, Cesar 911, and has been a guest on podcasts with hosts Robb Wolfe, Ben Greenfield, Joey Diaz, and Dr. Mercola. In addition, Dr. Belisa has been interviewed as an expert in numerous publications, including Crain’s magazine, GQ, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Time Magazine, and Cosmopolitan.Dr. Belisa has extensive experience working with first responders: firefighters, military and law enforcement for topics related to endurance, stress reduction, precision, pain reduction, and PTSD. A firm believer in the importance of giving back, she volunteers and supports numerous organizations related to veterans and animal rescue organizations in New York City and Los Angeles. Dr. Belisa is an outspoken advocate of organ donation and dedicated her first book to Liamslife.orgDr. Belisa was the former Director of Breathing Science at The Ash Center for Comprehensive Medicine in New York City, and has served as an advisor for the Fitness Institute for Gold’s Gym. She was previously the Health and Sex Editor at Men’s Fitness Magazine, an expert for Men’s Health, and Shape magazine, an advice columnist for the New York Daily News, and Foxnews.com. She was the Director of Public Education at the Mental Health Association of NYC; taught at New York University, was a consultant at the National Mental Health Association in Washington, DC; director of an outpatient clinic at Jacobi Hospital Center, Bronx, NY; a school psychologist in the South Bronx; and part of the Brooklyn Aids Task Force supporting parolees and their families.

Jay Morgan Hyrons is an author, bodybuilder, grief counselor and a Falklands War widow. We discuss her turbulent childhood, losing her military husband in combat, her powerful grief story, gym therapy, near death experiences, counseling and so much more. Jay was born in the War Memorial Hospital in Crickhowell, Wales in 1957 unsurprisingly leading her to a life as a War Widow and Military Family Researcher. Grammar School education in the 1960’s meant many like Jay went undiagnosed with ADHD, in short many of her qualifications were obtained during her forties when she had mastered how to study with a less than forgiving brain.She has had an unusual career path including counselling the terminally ill for the NHS, dancer, personal trainer, champion bodybuilder, podcaster, author, and public speaker. Described by many as an extraordinary woman, Jay herself feels she has had an extraordinary life journey marked by both triumph and tragedy. Her lifelong commitment to fitness enabled her to beat the odds and survive medical emergencies more than once, in 2015 she astonished doctors by making an unlikely full recovery.Eventually diagnosed with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder the prognosis was guarded. At times these life experiences have tested her spiritual beliefs until she began to understand the deeper meaning of the journey. Jay found herself on a true ‘Dark Night of the Soul’. The journey eventually led her to acceptance which after all is the last stage of grief…Jay published her first book ‘And She Danced’ in 2019, her second book ‘The Falklands Widow’ followed in 2021. In 2023 Jay began a new chapter as a Volunteer Speaker for the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation a role which continues to date. Most recently her volunteering encompasses recording the Chelsea Pensioners on the Oral History Project at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. November 2024 saw the publication of ‘The Falklands Fallen’ with Pen & Sword Military, royalties from which are donated to the Royal Hospital.https://www.jaymorganhyrons.com/