#68 - What Burns Beneath: The Untold Story of Firefighter Life w/Rafael Gordon
From life-or-death decisions to navigating departmental politics, Rafael pulls back the curtain on his 27-year career as a San Francisco firefighter paramedic in this captivating conversation about service, sacrifice, and survival.Rafael's journey began in 1990 as a paramedic with no intention of joining the fire department. When the city merged emergency services in 1997, he found himself thrust into a hostile environment where paramedics were viewed with suspicion and resentment by traditional firefighters. "There were fistfights," Rafael recalls, describing the decade-long tension that followed the controversial merger.The weight of responsibility in emergency services becomes starkly apparent as Rafael shares his experiences delivering death notifications and making split-second medical decisions. One particularly haunting story involves his first time telling a young woman her boyfriend had died from an overdose. "When you tell somebody their family member is dead, they'll never forget that moment," he explains, emphasizing how critical empathy becomes in these devastating circumstances.Perhaps most gripping is Rafael's account of his own brush with death during a gas explosion response. Separated from his crew in pitch darkness as his oxygen supply dwindled, he experienced a surreal moment of calm while wondering, "Is this where it ends?" His matter-of-fact recounting of the incident reveals the psychological resilience required of first responders who routinely face mortality.Beyond the emergencies themselves, Rafael offers candid insights into the politics affecting emergency services, the realities of homelessness and addiction in San Francisco, and the surprising ways social media has transformed public interactions with first responders. Now retired and pursuing a second career in scalp micropigmentation, his story stands as a powerful testament to finding purpose after decades of high-stress service.What will stay with you long after listening is Rafael's remarkable ability to maintain his humanity despite regularly witnessing tragedy. His journey reminds us that behind every emergency response is a person making difficult choices while carrying the emotional weight of a community's most devastating moments.To follow Rafael and his incredible journey: INSTAGRAM- @optimized_smpTIKTOK- @http://tiktok.com/@optimized_4_impact —Support the showFollow Wild Chaos on Social Media: Apple iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wild-chaos-podcast/id1732761860Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5KFGZ6uABb1sQlfkE2TIoc?si=8ff748aa4fc64331 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildchaospodcastBam's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bambam0069Youtube: https://youtube.com/@wildchaospodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wildchaosshowMeta (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/TheWildChaosPodcast
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#67 - Behind the Velvet Rope: The Ugly Truth About Wealth, Safety & Strength w/Logan Flynn
What does real security look like?Former Marine turned executive protection expert Logan Flynn has spent 15 years guarding the ultra-wealthy—and what he’s learned will challenge everything you think about success, safety, and parenting.The conversation shifts from professional insights to perhaps Flynn's most important mission – raising four sons and a newborn daughter. His approach combines seemingly contradictory elements: teaching children hard skills like marksmanship and self-defense while simultaneously emphasizing emotional intelligence and faith. This balanced philosophy stems from his belief that today's parents must intentionally prepare children for an increasingly challenging world.From chaos in Ferguson to private jets and billionaires, Logan shares raw, behind-the-scenes truths of the security world—and why emotional intelligence and faith matter more than firepower when raising the next generation.To follow along with Logan on Instagram: @loganflynnofficial and @decisve_action —Support the showFollow Wild Chaos on Social Media: Apple iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wild-chaos-podcast/id1732761860Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5KFGZ6uABb1sQlfkE2TIoc?si=8ff748aa4fc64331 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildchaospodcastBam's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bambam0069Youtube: https://youtube.com/@wildchaospodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wildchaosshowMeta (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/TheWildChaosPodcast
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#66 - They’re Hunting Our Kids Online — And We’re Handing Them the Weapon! w/Ben Gillenwater
What if your kid’s screen time is more dangerous than you think?In this must-hear episode, 30-year cybersecurity expert Ben exposes how social media is engineered like a digital drug—fueling addiction, mental health crises, and skyrocketing teen suicide rates. He shares real dangers happening right now, and what parents must do to protect their kids—before it’s too late.This conversation will make you never look at your childs "safe and regulated" devices the same again...To follow along and support Ben and his business visit:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@family.it.guyYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@FamilyITGuy- Here are the links from my website that we talked about:https://www.familyitguy.com/digital-danger-zone.htmlhttps://www.familyitguy.com/ai-and-your-child.htmlhttps://www.familyitguy.com/dns-filtering.htmlhttps://www.familyitguy.com/iphone-setup-guide.html —Support the showFollow Wild Chaos on Social Media: Apple iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wild-chaos-podcast/id1732761860Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5KFGZ6uABb1sQlfkE2TIoc?si=8ff748aa4fc64331 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildchaospodcastBam's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bambam0069Youtube: https://youtube.com/@wildchaospodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wildchaosshowMeta (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/TheWildChaosPodcast
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#65 - "I Am the Product of Veterans Who Never Got Help"- Breaking Generational Trauma w/Breane Lindvall
What happens when a 9-year-old girl witnesses her mother’s death—and no one talks about it?This week’s guest, Breane, grew up in rural Montana where silence was survival. After watching her epileptic mother die and being told to “move on,” Brianna buried her pain for years. But trauma has a way of demanding to be felt.From oil fields in North Dakota to raising three boys in the mountains, anxiety and emotional numbness shadowed every chapter—until she broke the cycle. Today, Brianna is the founder of Montana Grit, a one-of-a-kind program helping female veterans and first responders heal through raw, backcountry experiences. No Instagram therapy fluff—just real women, in the wild, doing the deep inner work no one talks about.Her mission was born from pain: “I am the product of veterans and first responders who never got help.” Now she’s created the thing she wished existed—off-grid resilience and recovery for those who serve, and too often suffer in silence.To help support Breane's non-profit visit: @Montana_grit_outdoors —Support the showFollow Wild Chaos on Social Media: Apple iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wild-chaos-podcast/id1732761860Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5KFGZ6uABb1sQlfkE2TIoc?si=8ff748aa4fc64331 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildchaospodcastBam's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bambam0069Youtube: https://youtube.com/@wildchaospodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wildchaosshowMeta (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/TheWildChaosPodcast
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#64 - Refusing to Surrender: One Man's Journey After Spinal Injury w/ Boone Bartlome
What if everything that defined you—your body, your talent, your future—was taken away in a single moment?At 16, Boone was a rising multi-sport star with college scouts watching his every move. But one routine football play changed everything. A C4 spinal cord injury left him a quadriplegic. No feeling. No movement. No future as he knew it.For three years, Boone battled suicidal thoughts in silence. To the world, he smiled. Behind closed doors, he was crumbling.His breakthrough? Not a miracle surgery. Not a viral video. Just a walk into a college gym with a new mindset—and a fire that changed everything."My life didn’t change. I did."In this raw and powerful episode, Boone takes us through the dark, the grit, and the climb back. From learning to put on shoes one shaky finger at a time to conquering the outdoors with adaptive gear, Boone proves that resilience isn’t about recovery—it’s about reinvention.If you've ever felt stuck, broken, or hopeless—this story is your wake-up call.🔥 How to break the loop of negativity🔥 Why your mindset is your life🔥 What it takes to spark change when everything feels impossibleThis is more than a comeback story. It’s a masterclass in choosing life when everything inside you says give up.To follow alongside Boone on Instagram: @boone_bartlome —Support the showFollow Wild Chaos on Social Media: Apple iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wild-chaos-podcast/id1732761860Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5KFGZ6uABb1sQlfkE2TIoc?si=8ff748aa4fc64331 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildchaospodcastBam's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bambam0069Youtube: https://youtube.com/@wildchaospodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wildchaosshowMeta (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/TheWildChaosPodcast
Father. Husband. Marine. Host. Everyone has a story and I want to hear it. The first thing people say to me is, "I'm not cool enough", "I haven't done anything cool in life", etc. I have heard it all but I know there is more. More of you with incredible stories.From drug addict to author, professional athlete to military hero, immigrant to special forces... I dive into the stories that shape lives. I am here to share the extraordinary stories of remarkable people, because I believe that in the midst of your chaos, these stories can inspire, empower, and resonate with us all. Thanks for listening. -Bam
USA