The Things We All Carry

Rob--62Romeo

Rob is one of the founders and the CEO of 62 Romeo. Rob is a former Navy seal turned entrepreneur. He served eight years in the Navy and was deployed twice as a Navy seal. His SEAL career ended in retirement due to a back injury. As with any veteran, Rob had a few hidden injuries as well to include PTSD, traumatic brain injury, obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia.In 2017, Rob lost a platoon mate to suicide. This young man had struggled for years with sleep disorders and at the time of the suicide had been awake for five days. This was the impetus to Rob's decision to dive into sleep science. He has since then dedicated himself to the endeavor of solving the bi-directional relationship between sleep and mental health. As firefighters, first responders and shift workers, we are all affected by this issue. Middle of the night calls, poor sleep habits, anticipatory sleep, irregular, sleep patterns. You name it. We have it. We also have alarming rates of mental health issues and suicide. Rob's company and research sets out to tackle this issue with science and education, and they want to do it with you. Not paying a dime. , reach out to Rob at 62 romeo.org and applied to be in a cohort today, it might just save your life.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Charlie from Ten Eight

 In the world of Instagram and social media, memes are a currency of sort. Some pages, like this week's guest TenEight_Memes, just get it and they thrive. Agree or disagree with what Charlie has to say, his memes are still going to entertain you or they're going to provoke you. And that's exactly how this medium should be used, make 'em think, or make 'em laugh. In his own words from his website, "In a time where police is a dirty word, the Ten. Eight podcast aims to shine lights on the police world to those, not in it and provide some light and humor to those who serve."To that end Ten Eight and The Things We All Carry have a very similar goal. I want people outside of our community to know the struggles and trauma we experienced as well as to inform those of us inside the community. Much respect to Charlie for his work and the goals you set for his  future.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Dr Jeni Gregory

Today's guest is Dr. Jeni Gregory. She is the mental health professional, working with the men and women of Tacoma fire. Dr. Gregory has a PhD in pediatric Traumatology and holds a master's degree in Social Work. She has a list of accomplishments, seemingly a mile long with experience in numerous war torn regions in the world. Her work has taken her across the globe from the U.S. to Mexico to Kosovo to Afghanistan to Liberia and many places in between. Dr. Gregory also runs a private practice as well as being an international relief worker. These accolades and accomplishments simply scratch the surface of her professional and personal life. Today she spent an hour out of her impossibly busy day to share about her work. Her life and her passion for helping firefighters. We spend time discussing trauma, epigenetics, hierarchy of needs, and the companion recovery model. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Dr. Gregory for her willingness to share her time and her knowledge with me.   This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Ali - PA

Welcome to episode 45 of The Things We All Carry. Roughly a week before Christmas, I had the pleasure of speaking with Ali Rothrock. Ali has roughly 17 years of experience as a volunteer firefighter. Her story is one of trauma, resilience and an amazing recovery. She's also the founder and CEO of On the Job and Off, a platform dedicated to building resilient first responders. Ali's the Executive Director of First Responders Care an organization she uses. to educate first responders on how to recognize and report signs of child abuse, neglect and trafficking. She's also the author of two books. Where Hope Lies and  After Trauma: Lessons on Overcoming From a First Responder Turned Crisis Counselor.   This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Christopher--FLA

The first episode of 2023 finds us in Florida, speaking with Christopher. He's been a deputy sheriff in central Florida for over 20 years. Christopher reached out to me via Instagram and voiced a desire to share his story. He shares his battle with childhood trauma, trauma from his 20 plus years as a deputy, and discusses the methods and routes he's used to facilitate a recovery. A huge, thanks to Christopher for stepping up and being my first guest  from the world of law enforcement. With zero experience in a fire world. His story helps prove that while we're all different. We are still very much alike This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

TJ_Re-Release

Our stories are very personal, but the lessons learned are universal. I look forward to bringing you these stories as well as a variety of voices, both inside and outside of our community. During the next few weeks, I will highlight and re-release a few previous episodes. New episodes will return January 11th, and I am beyond grateful for the response this show has received and the support each of you gave in the last six months. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Matt H Re-Release

Our stories are very personal but the lessons learned are universal. I look forward to bringing you these stories as well as a variety of voices, both inside and outside of our community. During the next few weeks, I will highlight and re-release a few previous episodes. New episodes will return January 11th, and I am beyond grateful for the response this show has received and the support each of you gave in the last six months.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Chris- Utah Re-Release

As the year draws to an end I wanted to take time to thank each of you for listening and supporting this endeavor. A simple idea born  of a local tragedy has created a community that now reaches internationally. Someone I never had the chance to meet made an impact on my life when he decided to end his. At that moment I knew someone had to create a platform to expose the traumas, the emotions, and the stories of First Responders. I also realized we all needed to hear the stories of triumph and recovery. This show has provided just that….a platform for survivors to tell their stories. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Mary - A Discussion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Today I'm joined by Mary Koval, a sociologist from the Richmond, Virginia area. I first heard of Mary from her presentation at a fire service diversity conference. That conference was centered around diversity, equality and inclusion within the fire service. Mary and I sat down and discussed issues surrounding women in the fire service, power dynamics and how stereotypical beliefs affect both the women and those dynamics. This conversation, ranges and topics yet barely scratches the surface of what needs to be discussed.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com

Ian-Virginia

Back in November. I had the chance to sit down and speak with Ian. Ian is a firefighter here in Virginia. His story begins in Temecula, California, where he lived until he joined the army after 9/11. He served in Iraq as a forward observer attached to an armor battalion out of Fort Hood Texas What this means is that he had the chance to direct fire and hear things go boom a lot. He left the army to pursue firefighting again and eventually found his way to Virginia. His story is one of combined traumas from childhood to the Army to firefighting. He discusses his time at the Center of Excellence and the Mental Mayday project he is currently working on. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thethingsweallcarry.substack.com