Eagle Nation Podcast

If you pay close attention to some of the world’s top performers, you may notice a common thread.  Many, if not most, of them credit meditation as a key to their success.  Erik Younger is an Army Veteran of Desert Storm, a husband of 27 years, and firm believer in the power of meditation.  In fact, he believes in it so strongly, that he founded Vetitation, a nonprofit committed to helping Veterans find peace through the power of meditation.  In week’s podcast, we dive into Erik’s personal journey and discovery of the practice and discuss ways that anybody can start, and benefit from, meditation.  Over the course of the conversation, we talk about the common misperceptions about meditation, where to start, resources that can help, and how his organization can support. Erik also has a great TEDx Talk where he lays out the challenges of post-traumatic stress, Veteran suicide, and how he was about to battle both with meditation. We hope this episode will help to demystify a tool that can be of tremendous help to

Paul Bell has been helping businesses grow his entire life - as a consultant, a corporate executive, and a growth equity investor.  He’s also been heavily involved in philanthropic work, which gives him unique insight into the characteristics of successful organizations as they develop. In this episode we discuss: Some predictors of success in young businesses Common pitfalls that growing organizations face Similarities and differences between for/non profit businesses as they grow Why he’s so involved in supporting veterans, and specifically Team RWB.  

Tyler Merritt makes no small plans. The CEO of Nine Line Apparel is on a mission to put relentlessly patriotic shirts on the backs of millions. Fresh off active duty in the Army, he's opened up an amazing new facility in Savannah, Georgia and is preparing for world domination. In his former life, Tyler flew helicopters in the elite Task Force 160th, Special Operations aviation regiment. With combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan, he's taking the lessons learned to build a business that does more than make a profit.   In this week's podcast, we have a great conversation about business, leadership, family, and so much more. Tyler is a fascinating guy and we know that you'll enjoy hearing from him!

Major General Jeff Snow is the Commanding General of the United States Army Recruiting Command - the entity charged with keeping the Army full of world class volunteers, so that that we can maintain our all volunteer force.  This is an incredibly important part of having a world class military, and we dive into some interesting details - this episode will make you excited for the future of our military!   In this episode we discuss:   Why the Army is a great career option The challenges of leading a very public facing and huge distributed team Why diversity is so important to the Army What it’s like to communicate with today’s youth How societal changes are affecting the Army’s recruiting pool  

Melissa Stockwell is an Army Veteran, severely wounded in Iraq in April of 2004, that has gone on to be a Paralympian, Triathlon coach, and an inspirational speaker.  Her energy and her positive attitude are absolutely contagious.  During this week’s episode, we talk about the mindset that allowed her to not only heal, but to thrive in life beyond the military.   Our conversation spans: • Leadership • Overcoming adversity • The role of nonprofits • Raising kids • Training for competition • And much more Melissa is a shining example for us to follow and we hope that hearing her story will inspire you to chase your dreams.  

Fred Wellman is a retired Army officer having served 22-years as an aviator and public affairs officer including four combat tours. He currently is the CEO and Founder of ScoutComms, Inc., a B Corp communications and corporate social responsibility firm supporting organizations addressing the needs of veterans and military families - the only one of it’s type in the world. In this episode we discuss: Telling the story of the post-9/11 veteran What the public needs to know What we get right and wrong as a veteran community More hilarious stories than you know what to do with.

In 2010, Rob Jones walked slowly down a dirt road in Afghanistan.  Holding a metal detector, he scanned the path for IEDs and, unfortunately, he found one.  The explosion severely wounded him, taking both his legs instantly.  Since that time, Rob has been on a new mission: to recover, return stronger, and inspire people to overcome their setbacks.  He’s earned a bronze medal in the Paralympics, ridden his bike across the country, and is now running 31 marathons in 31 days…all despite the fact that he is a double, above the knee amputee. On this week’s podcast, we have a great conversation about: His mindset during recovery How he stays healthy during such brutal physical events What he’d say to Veterans who are currently struggling How you can get involved and help. You can support Rob and learn more about it at www.RobJonesJourney.com.  More importantly, you can find opportunities to come out and be a part of the journey yourself!  

Star Cathcart is an amazing lady, and a incredible leader.  She’s on the tail end of a year long fellowship with Team RWB, and we spend some time talking about her experience, and what she’s learned.    In this episode we discuss: Her service in the Marine Corps Her battle with MRSA, and how her illness forced important reflection in her life Authenticity, and why it’s so important to her Her journey as an Eagle Leader Fellow (ELF), and how it’s changed her life

Billy Hurley is a former naval officer, and currently the only military veteran who is an active golfer on the PGA tour.  In addition to being a fantastic ambassador for the military, he’s an accomplished leader and all around great guy. In this episode we discuss: His service in the Navy His road to the PGA tour How he views his responsibility as the sole veteran on the PGA Tour His views on leadership, and how is naval service has affected his golf game

David Smith is a Marine combat veteran and respected advocate in the veteran community.  After an extremely difficult deployment to Iraq, that included a friendly-fire incident, Dave found himself lacking confidence, purpose, and direction.  Eventually, his depression led to him nearly taking his own life.  An outpouring of support from friends and family convinced him to start owning his recovery and take back his life.  Since that time, he’s graduated from UC Berkeley, shared the stage with President Bush, and built a new life in Norway! Dave and I have a really in-depth conversation that covers: Why you should always push for your stretch goals. Why pursuing love (in all its forms) is the most important thing you can do. How to feel truly alive and engaged. The challenges of depression and suicide And so much more. Dave is an extremely interesting and thoughtful guy and we know you’ll enjoy this conversation.  You may want to grab a note book because this one is full of valuable take-aways!

Mycal Anders is a Marine Corps Veteran, business owner, fitness expert, dad, husband, and a lot more.  Known affectionately as ‘Coach Derz’, Mycal has become a voice for good in both the veterans and fitness spaces.     This is one of the most honest and insightful conversations we’ve had on the Eagle Nation Podcast.  We cover a ton of really interesting topics – even the prickly ones, like:   Being willing to start at the bottom and work your way up Adapting your military leadership experience to the civilian world Using your voice and platform to spark social change, or not The importance of investing in oneself And so much more!   If you don’t know Coach Derz, you need to.  He’s as smart, dedicated, and authentic as they come.  Without a doubt, you will enjoy this very engaging interview.

Matt Kress spent 22 years in the Marine Corps – enlisted and officer, active duty and reserve.  After a special operations deployment to Iraq in 2004, he left active duty to be a firefighter in Southern California. During that time, he used the Post 9/11 GI Bill to earn a master's degree from the University of Washington and an MBA from UCLA.  He’s now the Senior Manager of Veteran and Military Affairs at Starbucks.   In this episode we discuss: • Coffee and it’s connection to the military • The tremendous work that Starbucks is doing to support Veterans and their families. • What it's like to be in position to really move the needle on veterans issues in our country in a big way. • The connection between first responders and veterans and how they share some challenges.  

Michael Rodriguez is a pretty incredible guy - he’s a retired Green Beret who might be one of the most selfless people on the planet.  He’s overcome some major injuries en route to where he is today, and he spends his time giving back to his country and the veteran community.   In this episode we discuss: His military career and his “collecting” of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) Hiding his injuries, and how he finally received the care he needed Art, and the impact it’s had on his life His pioneering research related to mountaineering and the effects of pressure changes on brain injuries His drive to continue service, and the various ways that he accomplishes this

This week’s guest needs no introduction.  Team RWB’s founder, Mike Erwin, is likely the most inspirational person that you’ll ever meet.  This episode is chalked full of motivation, insight, and useful wisdom…along with some cool stories about early days of Team RWB. We manage to cover a ton in 45 minutes, including: Find the drive to do more Why Team RWB was formed The power of positive psychology How to use social media for good Finding balance in a ‘busy’ world And so much more… Mike is an incredible guy and we know you’ll enjoy our conversation.  Don’t miss it!