Episodios

  • Episode 119 - Chris McGhee

    Episode 119 - Chris McGhee
    Apr 6 2026
    I'm joined by Chris McGhee to discuss professional and leadership development in the corporate sector. We compare that development against how the military develops leadership.
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    1 h y 39 m
  • Episode 118 - Kevin Traw Buffet Episode

    Episode 118 - Kevin Traw Buffet Episode
    Mar 23 2026
    This episode is a wide-ranging conversation with Kevin Traw, starting with the role of chaplains on the flight line and how their presence, trust, and nontransactional support shape maintenance culture and professionalism. From there, we move into military discipline and how commanders approach discharge decisions, including what they consider and what they are expected to ignore. We also walk through a scenario together, modeling the kind of back-and-forth that should exist between a commander and senior enlisted leadership in a healthy unit.
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    2 h y 35 m
  • Episode 117 - Career Debrief with Elaina Kovnat

    Episode 117 - Career Debrief with Elaina Kovnat
    Feb 16 2026
    In this episode, I’m joined by Elaina Kovnat, someone I supervised about 15 years ago during my time in aircraft maintenance. She shares her experiences across multiple work centers and leaders, and what daily life in the career field actually felt like. This was a difficult conversation for me personally. I’ve known Elaina a long time, and hearing the pressure she faced reinforced how demanding maintenance already is and how that difficulty can increase for women in the workspace. Content note: This episode includes discussion of workplace harassment and predatory supervisory behavior that some listeners may find distressing.
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    2 h y 2 m
  • Episode 116 - Make Chaplains Great Again

    Episode 116 - Make Chaplains Great Again
    Feb 2 2026
    In December 2025 the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth released a video and accompanying policy to rescind the DoD’s chaplain doctrine and replace it with a more Christian-centric framework. In this episode, I’m joined by Libby Alders to examine the “Make Chaplains Great Again” theme and what it suggests about rolling back religious pluralism in the military. We discuss how the chaplaincy has evolved to serve a diverse force; and why that evolution is now under political fire. The conversation explores what this debate means for service members, institutional neutrality, and the future of faith inside the ranks.
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    1 h y 44 m
  • Episode 115 - Discharge Upgrades with Doug Smits

    Episode 115 - Discharge Upgrades with Doug Smits
    Jan 19 2026
    I'm joined by MSgt(ret) Doug Smits a 20 year Air Force veteran and current 3L law student. We discuss the factors and facets of military discharges that many people are unaware of and the long term effects that discharges below Honorable can carry.
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    1 h y 40 m
  • Episode 114 Give Directly

    Episode 114 Give Directly
    Dec 21 2025
    This week, I am joined by myself, Chris McGhee, for a personal conversation about growing up in poverty, the shame that often accompanies it, and the hidden costs of being poor that go far beyond money. I also explain why this episode is part of a fundraising effort with GiveDirectly, which provides direct cash assistance to people living in extreme poverty. givedirectly.org/Done #PodsFightPoverty #GiveDirectly
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    25 m
  • Episode 113 - Religion in the Military with Libby Alders

    Episode 113 - Religion in the Military with Libby Alders
    Dec 8 2025
    Libby Alders joins me to explore how religion operates differently within the military, including the influence of Christian nationalism both inside and outside the ranks. We discuss moral injury, why theocratic structures fail, and the broader risks created when a military force is not emotionally or psychologically developed.
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    1 h y 36 m
  • Episode 112 - The Effects of Federal Downsizing with John Cordle

    Episode 112 - The Effects of Federal Downsizing with John Cordle
    Nov 23 2025
    I'm joined by John Cordle, Dr. Eng., to discuss his experience with the federal downsizing in early to mid 2025. John and I do a deep dive on the highly capable federal workforce that works tirelessly, often behind the scenes, to improve the quality of processes, programs, and facilities for servicemembers; and how the 2025 downsizing may not be "right-sizing" as much as senior leaders would want people to think.
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    1 h y 10 m