Passing The Torch

Send us a textWhat happens when your passion for authentic and respectful conversations sparks a podcast that becomes a mentorship platform on demand? Just ask Pete and Jessica from the Unpopular Celebrities podcast. This dynamic duo has spent the last three years cultivating a platform that values authenticity, accountability, and the power of meaningful interactions. Balancing the dynamics of a five-member podcast isn't always easy, but the lessons learned and bonds formed make it all worth it.Have you ever wondered about the people behind the voices of your favorite podcast? Beyond the mic, Pete and Jessica share their journey, the challenges, and the rewarding relationships they have forged with guests such as Chief Rogers, Airman Hill, April Buford, Andy Gilbert and Todd Simmons. Through podcasting, they've connected with a diverse range of perspectives and experiences that enrich their own understanding of the world. Join us as we pull back the curtain for a behind-the-scenes look at the Unpop

Send us a textMeet Shane Pilgrim, a veteran who transformed his military experience into a successful civilian life. This episode sees us journeying through Shane's transition, unveiling the nuggets of wisdom he gathered throughout his career, and uncovering how he became a board of advisors member with Nextop Veterans. An advocate of challenging assumptions and embracing autonomy, Shane discloses the role of innovation in staying ahead across any industry.Shane's insights don't stop at transition; he further explores the realm of business and networking success. He emphasizes the power of understanding your heart's true desires and the influential principle of networking. Our conversation then shifts to leadership and personal style, discussing unique styles, patience, a growth mindset, and the awe-inspiring works of leaders like Admiral McRaven.In the final stride of our conversation, we reflect on the poignant concept of self-investment, the risks, rewards, and the potential outcomes it

Send us a textHave you ever wondered how one finds strength in vulnerability? Join us for a profound conversation with our special guest, the resilient Chad VanCleave-Goff of the United States Air Force. Chad candidly shares his personal journey, a testament to the power of authenticity in leadership, and the beautiful balance of military stripes with his true self. His story, filled with personal growth and the tragic loss of his father, is sure to inspire you. As we explore Chad's captivating journey, we also delve into the significance of self-care and genuine connections in enhancing life's quality. Drawing from Chad's experience of supporting his unit during the early days of the pandemic, we illuminate how small acts of kindness hold the power to cause a significant impact. His narrative of running towards a positive mindset while leaving behind negativity is a potent message on mental and emotional resilience.In the closing chapters of our conversation, Chad pays tribute to the influenti

Send us a textImagine kick-starting your day with a purposeful routine- one that enhances focus and intentionality and paves the way for a lasting legacy. That's precisely what Centerville High School Basketball Coach Brook Cupps shares in this enlightening episode, dwelling on morning rituals of meditating, journaling, and reciting a mantra. We also delve into the transformative impact of meditation and how he guides students in finding their unique purpose in life while ensuring they realize the best version of themselves. Show Notes: IntroStory behind the movie Patch AdamsValues along with the meanings of Foxhole and the phrase Chop ChopImportance of body language and non-verbal leadership skills Creating space to think strategicallyHow the practice of mindfulness and strategic thinking has directly impacted his success on the courtIn the past five years, a new belief or behavior that has more improved his lifeTips for setting into motion courses of action that allow people to unleash their best and m

Send us a textWhat would you do if you were thrown into the throes of depression, anxiety, and PTSD, all while pursuing a demanding career in the medical field? Our guest Rylee, a military medic and social media influencer, asked herself this very question. Her answer? Face the battles head-on, amplify emotional intelligence, and harness the power of a growth mindset. Rylee's journey, though marked with challenges, is nothing short of inspiring.Rylee's candid conversation about her invisible wounds of PTSD,  born out of an abusive relationship, resonates with many. Her love language of gift-giving and a conscious effort to make others feel significant, are her ways to make this world less lonely. Her childhood coping mechanism of running – both away from difficulties and towards personal development, make for an intriguing listen. As we walk with Rylee towards her passion for women's health, we learn what made her so committed to the cause. She offers a heartfelt story about the moment she lear

Send us a textBio - Chief Master Sergeant Roger A. Towberman is the Chief Master Sergeant of the United States Space Force (CMSSF) and  serves at the highest enlisted level of leadership, and as such, provides direction for the enlisted force and represents their interests, as appropriate, to the American public and to those in all levels of government. He acts as the personal adviser to the Chief of Space Operations and the Secretary of the Air Force on all issues regarding the welfare, readiness, morale, proper utilization and development of the U.S. Space Force. Chief Towberman is the first Chief Master Sergeant appointed to the highest noncommissioned officer position in the United States Space Force. Background – CMSSF Towberman entered the Air Force in September 1990 and his career has included various duties as a ground and airborne cryptologic language and intelligence analyst. Show Notes:IntroDescribing why life is great right nowReflecting on his career, a memory that stands out Advice for making pe

Send us a textBio - Troy Eden is the Chief Operations Officer of the Light Foundation and joined the Light Foundation in October of 2022. As the COO, he oversees the day-to-day operations at Chenoweth Trails in Ohio. He leads the team to higher impact numbers, but also makes sure the team instills the highest of leadership qualities into the young people they meet through the  hands-on, outdoor programs.Background – The mission of The Light Foundation is to take young people out of their everyday environments and provide them with unique opportunities that ignite their passion, purpose, and motivation to succeed. Prior to this, Troy served in the Air Force for over 26 years. During this time, he led thousands of people, managed budgets worth tens of millions, and served as a top advisor for multiple high ranking military officials. I first met Troy in 2014 when I was a young NCO and I am honored to have him join my podcast. Show Notes:IntroDescribing why life is great right nowThe Light FoundationThe CROSS ST

Send us a textBio: Positioning himself as an “arms dealer for the creative revolution”, Todd Henry teaches leaders and organizations how to establish practices that lead to everyday brilliance. He is the author of six books (The Accidental Creative, Die Empty, Louder Than Words, Herding Tigers, The Motivation Code, Daily Creative) which have been translated into more than a dozen languages, and he speaks and consults across dozens of industries on creativity, leadership, and passion for work.Background: With more than fifteen million downloads, his podcast The Accidental Creative offers weekly tips for how to stay prolific, brilliant, and healthy. Todd’s book Die Empty was named by Amazon.com as one of the best books of 2013. His latest book, Daily Creative, offers daily sparks of inspiration and practical advice for creative pros. Let’s GOOOO! Without further ado Passing The Torch with Todd Henry starts now.Show Notes: IntroSince his second book “Die Empty” has been out for ten years, what is one story that

Send us a textBackground: April is the Month of the Military Child. According to Defense.gov, Military families move every two to three years on average, and military children change schools an average of six to nine times from the start of kindergarten to their high school graduation. This year an estimated 30 percent of military service members will move to a new installation.Each year   , April is set aside as a military child appreciation month, officially known as the Month of the Military Child. With its creation in the mid-1980s, the Pentagon and other military support organizations and agencies use the month to recognize military kids for their sacrifice and bravery on the Homefront.There are over 1.6 million military children serving alongside our nation’s service members.The term "military brat" is a badge of pride worn by generations of kids who traveled the world with their parents, moving into adulthood with the knowledge that they have the strength to handle anything. Military children

Send us a textBio: Travis Chappell is a door to door salesman turned founder, investor, speaker, and podcaster. He is the founder and CEO of Guestio.com, the highest quality guest and show booking marketplace in the industry. He's also the co-host off the top ranked podcasts Build Your Network and Figuring It Out where he's interviewed people like Shaquille O'Neal, Rob Dyrdek, Grant Cardone, Josh Peck, Molly Bloom, Jasmine Star, John Maxwell, and hundreds of others. In addition to being a guest on top podcasts like Bigger Pockets, EOFire, and Born to Impact, Travis has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, TechCrunch, Bloomberg, and dozens of other media outlets. When he's not working on his dreams, Travis can be found at the golf course, or playing pick-up basketball, and at his home in Las Vegas with his high school sweetheart and two kids.Background: Travis Chappell is a podcast consultant and professional connector. He is the creator and host of Build Your Network, a Top 25 Business p

Send us a textBio – Ben Seekell is an active-duty Chief Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force and recipient of the Purple Heart, which is the oldest Military Decoration and given to those who are wounded or killed while fighting the nation’s wars. The Purple Heart is a solemn distinction and means a service member has greatly sacrificed themselves, or paid the ultimate price, while in the line of duty.Show NotesLife BalanceLife before the military and where he was during 9/11 Fateful day of May 8, 2011 and recalling the entire day prior to the mission View of the word perspective Childhood memory that helped him persevere during this time What society can do to help heal invisible wounds Perseverance being taught Where a Purple Heart Recipient gets his mental toughness from Words of wisdom to share with other people that lost limbs and advice to families Unexpected sources of help that kept him going  Life Starting over after May 8, 2011 Turning personal tragedy into triumph  Naming chapters in a boo

Send us a textBackground: Brenden Kumarasamy is the founder of MasterTalk, a popular YouTube channel and coaching practice he started to help the world master the art of public speaking & effective communication. As an experienced speaker and facilitator, Brenden understands that audience members need to walk away captivated, and above all, inspired to master the art of communication. It should be seen as something to look forward to rather than a burden that must be overcome.Show Notes:IntroMastering the art of public speakingAdvice to people seeking the ability to deeply connect with others through public speakingPractical Public Speaking Tips & Tricks Someone Can Apply IMMEDIATELY and ADVANCED Public Speaking Tips People Can’t Get Anywhere ElseHow Brenden organizes his speechesOn public speaking magnifying one’s ability to do almost everything elsePre-speech rituals utilized to prepare for speaking engagements Personal story about doing presentations in a language he did not know Example when bad c

Send us a textBio: Mary Polanco is a retired Air Force Veteran, Author, experienced leadership trainer and curriculum developer. Her expertise in leadership and personal growth is evident through her hands-on approach through individualized workshops and personal one-on-one instruction. Mary served 23 years in the United States Air Force. Her final assignment was as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Air Force Resilience Directorate, at Headquarters Air Force, located at the Pentagon. She continues her passion for resilience as an Adjunct Trainer for the Resilience Building Leadership Program and also holds a position with Small Business Consulting Corporation, where she serves the Air Force Global Strike Community as a Leadership Development Instructor for first-time supervisors.  Mary draws from her two decades of experience leading multicultural teams, as well as her personal experiences in adversity, to share her message of prioritizing self-health, well-being and resilience. She has helped countless peop

Send us a textLacey Alexander, is a 21-year veteran of the United States Air Force. After retirement, Lacey spent 6 months of intentional work to transition from SMSgt Alexander to Lacey Alexander. Through coaching, self-reflection, and continuous learning she was able to define her values and vision to launch her own business and refine her focus to live in her purpose. In this episode, Lacey discusses trends from military personnel as they transition from uniform to the civilian sector. Additionally, Lacey highlights how she reinvented herself and brought different parts of her experience to the business side. Lastly, Lacey shares the knowledge passed to her from people she encountered during this journey and how a past failure benefitted her today. Biography:She now operates her Coaching, Consulting and Leadership Development business, Creative Solutions A2Z, focused on helping individuals and organizations succeed. Lacey also holds a number of roles in executive coaching, writing curriculum, doing instruc

Send us a textSummary - Black Then A history podcast from Passing The Torch Podcast Network.Join Martin Foster and a rotation of guest hosts to celebrate and uplift the talents of African Americans throughout military history. Tune in to hear a quick synopsis of heralded and unheralded patriots.A world-famous flier before World War II, Chief Anderson became the first African American to earn a commercial pilot license. In 1940 the Tuskegee Institute hired him as its chief flight instructor to develop its pilot training program. The U.S. Army Air Corps awarded Tuskegee the contract to provide primary flight training in February 1941.Charles Alfred Anderson, often called the “Father of Black Aviation” was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia suburb, on February 9, 1907.  His parents were Janie and Iverson Anderson. Charles Anderson earned the name “Chief” because he was the most experienced African American pilot before coming to Tuskegee Army Air Field in 1940.  He had amassed 3,500 hours of flight

Send us a textSummary - Black Then A history podcast from Passing The Torch Podcast Network.Join Martin Foster and a rotation of guest hosts to celebrate and uplift the talents of African Americans throughout military history. Tune in to hear a quick synopsis of heralded and unheralded patriots.What has been pieced together paints a picture of a young man who showed an early skill for buying and trading goods. He seemed unafraid of the consequences of escaping the bonds of slavery. Historians have theorized that Attucks was the focus of an advertisement in a 1750 edition of the Boston Gazette in which a white landowner offered to pay 10 pounds for the return of a young runaway enslaved person.Attucks, however, managed to escape for good, spending the next two decades on trading ships and whaling vessels coming in and out of Boston. He also found work as a rope maker.Fast forwarding, As British control over the colonies tightened, tensions escalated between the colonists and British soldiers. Attucks was one o

Send us a textAndrew Bustamante is a former covert CIA intelligence officer, decorated military combat veteran, and successful Fortune 10 corporate advisor. After 20 years leading human and technical intelligence operations for corporate and government clients, Andrew founded EverydaySpy.com - the first-ever online platform designed to teach elite spy skills to everyday people. Featured in both US and International media, Andrew’s training content has been praised for its innovative, authentic, and life-changing impact. When he isn’t giving interviews, running spy exercises, or supporting private intelligence contracts around the world, Andrew lives with his wife (also an ex-CIA Officer) and two children in Florida.In this episode, we discuss TOP SECRET: Mental optimization hacks reserved for the intellectual elite to control any situation.  Additionally, we cover DECLASSIFIED: ways to solve everyday problems like a spy would in life OR in a life or death situation. ELITE TRAINING: Unpacking the routines, exe

Send us a textAbout the guest Trevor Blake: Trevor G Blake, a serial entrepreneur and New York times best- selling author, who over the last ten years has gone from starting his first business with just a few hundred dollars to creating and successfully selling and exiting three separate companies for over $300 million, all while never hiring a single employee and does this all working only 5 hours a day.Trevor grew up extremely poor and made the shift from humble beginnings to now achieving great success with balance. He joins Passing The Torch to help listeners accomplish a balanced and successful life with financial independenceTrevor has been featured in major media outlets such as Business Insider, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Inc. & more. Trevor is also the author of Secrets to a Successful Startup: A Recession-Proof Guide to Starting, Surviving & Thriving in Your Own Venture & Three Simple Steps: A Map to Success in Business and Life.Show NotesAccomplishing working five hours a day

Send us a textEach year, April is set aside as a military child appreciation month, officially known as the Month of the Military Child. With its creation in the mid-1980s, the Pentagon and other military support organizations and agencies use the month to recognize military kids for their sacrifice and bravery on the homefront.The term "military brat" is a badge of pride worn by generations of kids who traveled the world with their parents, moving into adulthood with the knowledge that they have the strength to handle anything. Military children deal with separations, deployments, frequent moves and even their parents' injuries as part of the life they were born into or entered with their families.Because purple is a color used to represent all military services, the theme "Purple Up" is used over the course of the month.Enjoy!Connect with Passing The Torch: Facebook and IG: @torchmartin More Amazing Stories: Episode 28: Purple Heart Recipient CMSgt Ben Seekell – Your Capacity is Lim

Send us a textSHOW NOTESPassing the Torch with Martin FosterGuest: Retired Chief Master Sergeant Susan MaceSummary:Susan Mace served 25 years in the United States Air Force and is a retired Chief Master Sergeant. She held a position that represents the highest enlisted rank in the Air Force.Susan is an experienced leader with an accomplished record of operations management success in teambuilding, continuous improvement, intelligence operations, project management, and quality control. In addition, she is a skilled communicator and an expert at building high performing teams, key relationships, and improved operational results. As if that were not enough, Susan has a proven track record as an experienced manager adept at leading and implementing innovative initiatives by leveraging cross-functional teams within a complex organization to achieve operational goals. Throughout her decorated career, Susan has excelled with strengthening individuals, teams, and organizations to achieve increased results and effect