Varg Freeborn is a world-renowned self-defense and gunfight instructor, as well as a lethal force educator, and fitness coach. Varg is also the author of the book Violence of Mind: Training and Preparation for Extreme Violence. Varg's insight into the topic of violence, preparing for it, understanding it, and defending against it, is informed by having been immersed in violent crime for half of his life. Varg grew up in a household where members of his immediate family were murdered or sent to prison. 17 years ago, at age 19, Varg was convicted in a self-defense case for stabbing his attacker dozens of times, and sentenced to 5 years in prison. After Varg’s release, he went on to become an expert in gunfighting, CQB, breaching, close protection, boxing, BJJ, and today, he provides professional training to civilians, law enforcement, and organizations such as the Ohio Tactical Officer’s Association and the Alliance, OH Police Training Facility (Alliance, OH). Varg’s experience wit...
Michael Kurcina is the Founder of Spotter Up, a tactical gear website that doubles as an immense resource of information, reviews, articles, and podcasts featuring former or active-duty members of the Special Operations community, master-level shooters, special agents, case officers, athletes, and outdoor enthusiasts who share their knowledge on everything from guns and ammo, to prepping and Survival, martial arts, Fitness, Nutrition, and Health. Michael is also the author of "We Fight Monsters: Wisdom And Inspiration That Speak To The Warrior's Soul." In this episode of The Alpha Human Podcast, Lawrence Rosenberg and Michael Kurcina discuss his journey as the son of a brilliant engineer who worked with the CIA during the Vietnam War and a Vietnamese woman from a small village who left the country before the fall of Saigon to grow up in San Jose immersed in books and fighting as a kid searching for meaning. As Michael grew into a young man, he became a warrior looking for a war, fue...
Jen Satterly spent a decade as a filmmaker and photographer, 3 years of which saw her embedded with the Navy SEALS and U.S. Army Special Forces where she filmed highly realistic training missions. During this time, Jen witnessed a serious lack of resources to aid the struggles that many special operators faced with respect to Post Traumatic Stress. While working to capture the intense environments created to simulate real SpecOps missions, Jen met and married Tom Satterly, a retired Delta Force Command Sgt. Major and become a Certified Health Coach in her determination to help Tom in his battle with PTS and TBI. In doing so she found her passion for helping other Special Operators and their families with similar challenges, and together Jen and Tom founded the All Secure Foundation, to help Special Operations Combat Warriors and their families heal from the invisible wounds of war. Jen is also the author of the book, "Arsenal of Hope: Tactics for Taking on PTSD Together." In this ep...
Jeremiah JP Dinnell is a former Navy SEAL Sniper who spent nearly a decade in the SEAL Teams with three combat deployments. J.P. served as Point Man, Machine Gunner, and Lead Sniper for SEAL Team 3, Task Unit Bruiser, Delta Platoon where he worked closely with Task Unit Commander Jocko Wilink, and Leif Babin during the Battle of Ramadi, and was the driving force on many of the combat operations Jocko and Babin wrote about in Extreme Ownership, their groundbreaking book on leadership. JP was also a training instructor at Naval Special Warfare, Group One Training Detachment, where he ran Special Operations Urban Combat, and Close-Quarters Combat Training to better prepare SEAL units for the battlefield. JP is now a leadership instructor and speaker with Echelon Front, where he serves as Director of Tactical Training Programs. In this episode of The Alpha Human Podcast, JP Dinell and Lawrence Rosenberg discuss how, from an early age the die was cast on JP's destiny to become an elite N...
Brent Gleeson, is a Navy SEAL combat veteran, entrepreneur, and the founder of TakingPoint Leadership, a management consulting firm where Brent speaks and coaches on topics ranging from leadership development, building high-performance teams, and elite cultures through to organizational transformation. He is also an award-winning business leader and was named a “Top 10 CEO” by Entrepreneur Magazine. Brent writes weekly columns for Inc.com and Forbes.com, and he’s also the bestselling author of "TakingPoint: A Navy SEAL’s 10 Fail-Safe Principles for Leading Through Change," and his new book "Embrace the Suck: The Navy SEAL Way to an Extraordinary Life." In this episode of The Alpha Human Podcast, Brent Gleeson and Lawrence Rosenberg discuss what led him to make a radical career change and leave a high paying job as a financial analyst with a global real estate development company and become a Navy SEAL. We also talk about how changing the narrative in his mind from being driven t...
Pat McNamara served 22 years in U.S. Army Special Operations, 13 of those years were with 1st SFOD-D. Pat has extensive experience in combat zones in Eastern Europe and the Middle East and during his time in Special Operations, he became an elite marksman and would later serve as his Unit's Marksmanship NCO eventually retiring from the Army’s premier hostage rescue unit as a Sergeant Major. Pat is now the CEO of TMACS a Performance-Based Training company that teaches individuals how to excel in everything from Tactics and Marksmanship through to Security. He is also the author of the two books, "T.A.P.S Tactical Application of Practical Shooting" as well as "Sentinel: Become the Agent in Charge of Your Own Protection Detail," a book that teaches survival techniques for protecting your family. In this episode of The Alpha Human Podcast, Pat and I discuss the unique ethos of SFOD-D, the Army's Tier One Special Operations unit, and the time he spent in Eastern Europe during the Cold W...
Eric Maddox is a former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant, 82nd Airborne Infantry Paratrooper, Jumpmaster, and Qualified Ranger, who went on to become an interrogator and Chinese Mandarin linguist with the Defense Intelligence Agency. In 2003, Eric was assigned by the DIA to a Delta Force Special Operations team in Iraq, where he conducted over 300 interrogations and collected the intelligence which directly led to the capture of Saddam Hussein. As a result, he was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Director’s Award, and the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement. He was later hired to work w/ the Department of Defense conducting over 2,700 interrogations while deploying eight times in support of the Global War on Terrorism including multiple tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, South America, Southeast Asia, and Europe. Eric retired from service in 2014 and is now a private consultant and negotiator where he helps corporations, universities, sports teams, and CEOs m...
Rich Diviney is a Navy SEAL commander who served over twenty years in the Teams and deployed eleven times to Iraq and Afghanistan. He was also the officer in charge of training for one of the world's premier special-operations units where he spearheaded the creation of a directorate where the best of the best SOF soldiers practiced the physical, mental, and emotional disciplines of flow states and peak performance. Rich also led a team that designed the “Mind Gym,” a cutting edge facility that helped special operators strengthen and enhance their mind to perform faster, longer, and more effectively, especially in high-pressure environments. Since retiring from the NAVY, Rich has worked as a speaker and consultant with the Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute and Simon Sinek Inc. Rich is also the author of a new book, due for release on January 26th, 2021 entitled, "The Attributes, 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance." In this episode, Rich and I discuss his role in selecting th...
Thom Shea served 23 years as a Navy SEAL. During his military career, he served in three wars, ultimately leading a team of Navy SEALs into Afghanistan in 2009 where he earned a Silver Star, Bronze Star with Valor, Army Commendation with Valor, and his second Combat Action Medal. Thom was also a SEAL Instructor in BUD/S and was hand-selected to be the Officer in Charge of the famed SEAL Sniper course. After retiring from the Navy, Thom went on to found Unbreakable Leadership, a learning and development company that helps people lead during chaos and achieve new levels of performance. He and he is the author of the bestselling books "Unbreakable: A Navy Seal’s Way of Life” and, his latest release, “Three Simple Things: Leading During Chaos.” In this episode, Thom and I discuss what drove his desire for war and his yearning for combat, and the mindset that led him to overcome four failed attempts to make it through SEAL training and graduate BUD/S Class 207. We also talk about his...
Jason Redman served 21 years as a Navy SEAL and SEAL Officer. During a mission to capture an Al Qaeda High-Value Target, Jason and his Team came under heavy machine-gun fire, although he was mortally wounded, having been shot twice in the arm and once in the face, he and his team triumphed and brought everyone home alive. For his service, Jason was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor, the Purple Heart, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and two Combat Action Ribbons. However, Jason’s road to recovering from the devastating injuries he sustained during the ambush was an enormous challenge requiring dozens of reconstructive surgeries, but he overcame the physical and psychological toll to his body and mind, and after retiring from the Navy he started Wounded Wear, a Non-Profit organization which supported wounded combat veterans and their families. Jason then founded SOF Spoken, a speaking company that focuses on leadership, teamwork, and overcoming adversity for businesses,...