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Born into a military family, Mick attended 14 schools over his childhood. His dream of being a professional footballer came to an end after an unsuccessful trial with Lincoln City and he visited the careers office aged 16 to join the 1975 junior paras course. An ankle injury left him unable to perform any jumps, and Mick briefly left the army before rejoining 29 Commando. Passing SAS Selection on the second attempt, Mick went on to serve 14 years in B Squadron, and received his QCB for efforts in Northern Ireland. Mick was deployed to the UAE for the first Gulf War, and then posted to Bosnia, where he was taken prisoner. After leaving the regiment, Mick moved into corporate security, where he would carve out a 22 year career in locations like Kazakhstan and Nigeria. Mick and his daughter now run Hawkes And Co, and deliver security training for a number of sectors, including agriculture and rural crime prevention. Mick is releasing a book in the near future, dedicated to his co-writer Nicole Johnston, who has recently passed away. Micks Socials & Links: Instagram: @mhawkes40 Website: https://www.hawkesandco.uk/mick-hawkes-cv 

Jack Donovan has been writing and speaking about masculinity, masculine philosophy and spirituality for over a decade. His foundational book, The Way of Men, has sold over 100,000 copies worldwide and has been translated into French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Polish.

Shaun Taylors is a Canadian Special Operation Forces veteran, Pathfinder and one of the founding members of the Tier One unit JTF-2.

Erick Miyares — a retired Special Operations soldier who began his journey in the U.S. Marine Corps and went on to serve in the Army’s 7th Special Forces Group and an Army Special Missions Unit under U.S. SOCOM.Dr. Erick Miyares is a Doctoral Chair and Dissertation Committee Member in Cyberpsychology and Forensic Cyberpsychology at Capitol Technology University. He is a Cyber Behavior Scientist and Cyberpsychology Researcher with a distinguished background spanning national security, intelligence, and applied behavioral science. He serves as a Doctoral Chair and Dissertation Committee Member in the Cyberpsychology program at Capitol Technology University, where he mentors Ph.D. candidates in Cyberpsychology and Forensic Cyberpsychology and supports interdisciplinary doctoral research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and digital behavior.Dr. Miyares holds a Ph.D. in Cyberpsychology from Capitol Technology University. His doctoral research, Operational Cyberpsychology: Support to Cyberspace Operations, examined the cognitive and psychological impacts of sustained engagement in high-consequence cyber environments. His work introduced original constructs, including Cyberspace Operator Syndrome and Cognitive Cyberpresence, contributing to the emerging field of Operational Cyberpsychology. His research was supported by the highly competitive National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship, and he is a Pat Tillman Scholar, reflecting a commitment to leadership, service, and academic excellence.Professionally, Dr. Miyares serves as a Senior Cyber Threat Subject Matter Expert supporting the Department of Defense Insider Threat Management & Analysis Center’s Behavioral Threat Analysis Center (BTAC). His applied work focuses on cyber behavior analysis, insider threat risk, and human–AI interaction, with particular attention to the national security implications of AI companions and emotionally responsive artificial agents. He integrates cyberpsychology, cybersecurity, and intelligence tradecraft to assess behavioral risk across complex socio-technical systems.Dr. Miyares brings 29 years of service in the United States Marine Corps and U.S. Army, including extensive experience supporting special operations and intelligence missions across cyberspace operations, signals intelligence, open-source intelligence, and human intelligence environments. This operational background informs his approach to cyberpsychology as both a scientific discipline and a practical capability.In addition to his academic and operational roles, Dr. Miyares serves on the Editorial Board of Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking and is a featured contributor to the forthcoming academic volume Building a Career in Cyberpsychology. He is actively engaged with international cyberpsychology research groups and remains a regular participant in the annual Cyberpsychology, Cybertherapy, and Social Networking conferences, where he presented his doctoral research at the 28th international conference in Australia.Dr. Miyares is a member of the International Association of CyberPsychology, Training & Rehabilitation (iACToR), the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP), and the Military Cyber Professionals Association. Grounded in the Tillman Scholar ethos of service beyond self, he is committed to advancing rigorous, ethical, and evidence-based cyberpsychology research while mentoring the next generation of scholars and practitioners.Dr. Miyares brings 29 years of combined service in the United States Marine Corps and U.S. Army, including 23 years supporting special operations and intelligence missions. His experience spans tactical-to-strategic environments and multiple intelligence disciplines, including signals intelligence (SIGINT), computer network operations (CNO), open-source intelligence (OSINT), and human intelligence (HUMINT). Across his career, he led sensitive, high-risk mission planning and execution; developed and integrated advanced technical capabilities; and served in senior advisory roles focused on innovation, operational planning, and workforce readiness.He also held senior leadership positions within U.S. Army Special Operations Command supporting capability development and modernization, overseeing specialized portfolios across ISR, SIGINT, HUMINT, CNO, GEOINT, and special communications, including management of significant RDT&E and procurement resources. His service was recognized with numerous awards, including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and the LTC Arthur D. Nicholson Award for intelligence excellence.

I get to geek out over one of my favorite actors, the great Max Martini! Follow Max here:  Maximilian Carlo Martini was born in New York to an Italian father and an American mother. He is a citizen of the United States, Canada, and Italy and speaks Italian fluently. His Roman father was a sculptor and Doctor of Philosophy and Phenomenology and instilled in him an appreciation for all things creative. His mother was a Texas law enforcement officer. After moving around a bit as a child, Martini made his way back to New York City and began to study acting. He started out at the Neighborhood Playhouse intensive, but did the majority of his training privately with Michael Howard in Manhattan. After launching Theater North Collaborative, New York City and staging new works from both the United States and Canada, Martini took a break from the stage to focus on his early love of fine art. He attended the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan where he received his B F A in painting and sculpture.Martini starred in George Clooney's feature The Tender Bar for Amazon Studios as well as the recently aired USA network television series The Purge. In 2019 he completed directing his second feature film The Manson Brothers Midnight Zombie Massacre. His directorial debut; Sgt. Will Gardner he starred in along with Omari Hardwick, Lily Rabe, Robert Patrick, Dermot Mulroney, Elisabeth Röhm and Gary Sinise. Martini starred in season one of the Netflix series The Order. Additionally, he starred in Bigger, Michael Bay's 13 Hours, Del Toro's Pacific Rim and Paul Greengrass' Captain Phillips. Martini is recognized from such films as Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, David Mamet's Red Belt, David Ayer's Sabotage and the Legendary/Universal feature Spectral. Max Martini also starred in the television series The Unit which ran for four years on CBS. Max Martini has over 32 film titles and 200 segments of television.

Purchase the book, The Common Sense Way: https://amzn.to/3exvCtAThe Mission, The Men, and Me: Lessons from a Former Delta Force Commander https://amzn.to/3smxQmBI speak with Peter Blaber. We discuss his new book titled, The Common Sense Way, A New Way to Think About Leading and Organizing. The book discusses some of the key lessons that Blaber learned as a leader in the military, and how he’s incorporated this method into his time as a businessman in recent years.Peter will also focus on is his armored vehicle business, AddArmor. AddArmor uses groundbreaking lightweight armoring technology to protect vehicles of all makes and models, with different armoring levels and amenities available based on customer need. As a commander of Delta Force-the most elite counter—terrorist organization in the world—Pete Blaber took part in some of the most dangerous, controversial, and significant military and political events of our time. Now he takes his intimate knowledge of warfare—and the heart, mind, and spirit it takes to win—and moves his focus from the combat zone to civilian life.Additonal: Pete Blaber commanded at every level of one of the most elite counter-terrorist organizations in the world during most of recent history’s most significant military and political events (Panama, Colombia, Somalia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq).In 2006 he retired from the military and transitioned from leading elite combat teams around the globe, to leading elite corporate teams for one of the world’s largest and most innovative Biotechnology Companies.“After 21 years of using the term ‘common sense’ to describe the way I lived and led in the military, this was the first time I actually paused to ponder what ‘common sense’ actually is and why people seem to recognize, respond to, and appreciate ‘common sense leadership’ whenever they experience it. I didn’t have to look far to find the answer. The answer is both all around and inside us. It’s not political, or religious, or philosophic. It’s biologic. Biology reveals that life always finds a way. It’s the “Common Sense Way.” In 2015 I left my job as a Biotechnology executive to write this book.“In 2018, while still working on this book, I decided it was time to pressure test the “Common Sense Way” in the living laboratory of real-world experience, so I started an international company that adds armor protection to any type of vehicle (e.g. cars, trucks, vans, buses, etc.). The idea behind Adding Armor is to create a “Mobile Safe-Room” that protects the vehicle’s passengers from would be attackers (criminals, terrorists, active shooters, and anarchists) while also providing “peace of mind” that cannot be attained in an unarmored vehicle. In today’s world, adding armor to protect your family, friends, and colleagues is common sense. It’s the ‘Common Sense Way’”.Pete was born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois. He has an MBA and an MS in National Security and Strategic Affairs.

We discuss Taylor's career, struggles with life post Navy separation, his journey into becoming a Navy SEAL and his transition to civilian life. Follow Taylor here: https://www.instagram.com/tcavofficial/https://www.taylorcavanaugh.com/Support the show

Death Waits in the Dark: Six Guns Don't Miss! https://amzn.to/3G22kCiCW4 (R) Greg Coker served 22 years in the U.S. Army, 15 years as an AH-6 “Little Bird” attack helicopter instructor pilot who was specially recruited, assessed, and selected in the Army’s only Special Operations Helicopter unit, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. He was one of the senior Lead Instructor Pilots and planner responsible for planning and executing special operations missions in support of our nation’s most elite special operations units, 75th Ranger Regiment and 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta. Achieved 7400 hours of accident free flying, over 6200 hours of Night Vision Goggles and 1500 hours of Combat time.  Supervised and directed teams of up to 300 soldiers in the planning and execution of numerous complex combat operations at the Joint Task Force level. Responsible for leading and planning scores of real-world combat missions with significant tactical, operational, and strategic value during Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom with 100% success in support of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) conducting 11 combat tours 2001-2008. Greg and his wife Edie, live in Graham and they are very active in the community. Greg owns Shield 91, he provides all aspects of firearms training, leadership development, executive team building, emergency response operations, security assessments, tactical planning, and helicopter operations. He developed a school safety and security program “Not on My Watch” that ensures safety of our children and faculty, this program has been implemented in Texas and other states.“Gravy” recently finished writing a book, Death Waits in the Dark — Six Guns Don’t Miss, the story of a special operations attack helicopter pilot who flew with the renowned 160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne), and the incredible friendships Greg Coker and his fellow compatriots forged in the heat of combat.

I speak with Sean Patrick Flanery. Sean Patrick Flanery (born October 11, 1965) is an American actor, author and martial artist. He is known for playing Connor MacManus in The Boondock Saints (1999) and its sequel The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009), Greg Stillson in the USA Network television series The Dead Zone, Jeremy "Powder" Reed in Powder (1995), Indiana Jones in the ABC television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, as well as Bobby Dagen in Saw: The Final Chapter (2010). He is also known for his role as Sam Gibson on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless in 2011. He starred in Devil's Carnival, a short film which was screened on tour beginning in April, 2012. In 2016, he published his first novel, Jane Two, a coming-of-age story drawing inspiration from his own childhood and early experiences.

Robert "Edgar" Mills is retired out of 10th Special Forces Group. He served in the United States Army for 25 years, nine years as an Infantryman with the 82nd Airborne Division and from 2003 to 2020 with Special Forces as a Candidate, Weapons Sergeant, Intelligence Sergeant and Operations Sergeant. He, like his Infantry and SF brethren, has multiple combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as well as multiple non-combat deployments to several African and European partner nations. While stationed in Tampa, Edgar was the program lead for the SOCOM Marksmanship Program. There he led the development and execution of weekly and quarterly Combat Marksmanship courses tailored to suit a wide range of skill and experience levels. Under masterful mentorship he was able to sharpen his own marksmanship skill as well as his instruction methods helping to make the SOCOM Marksmanship Program highly respected within the Command. He and the team also organized and executed two notable annual events; the “D-Day Shootout” and the “Mogadishu Mile 5K Run and Shoot” to honor the fallen comrades of those two harrowing and heroic events in our nation’s history. Edgar has trained tactical and practical applications of marksmanship at all skill levels, from civilians with little to no firearms experience to special operators and police SWAT officers. His understanding of nuances and significant differences in shooting disciplines makes his method of instruction applicable to all shooters. Edgar uses training methodology that is safe, effective, relevant and encourages a continuous thought process. This methodology teaches how to maintain safety without sacrificing realistic and practical training as well as how to choose scoring, drills and scenarios that force accountability. He defines the differences between principles and techniques and emphasizes the importance of knowing those differences. Edgar provides courses covering several disciplines ranging from new shooter safety to collective team tasks for military and law enforcement with emphasis on individual accountability and mastery the fundamentals. Like many of his contemporaries, Edgar is passionate about sharing his experience. Through quality training he seeks to promote confidence and competence as well as individual responsibility and accountability. It’s his belief that all gun owners should be as safe and effective in their own defense as the most seasoned military and law enforcement operators.