Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon is a trained counselor specializing in the psychology of behavior change, with certifications in motivational interviewing, solution-focused therapy, DBT, CBT, and trauma counseling. She’s the author of numerous books and accredited nutrition, sleep, stress, and recovery courses. She is our go-to performance psych, working one-on-one with many of our clients to sharpen the mental and emotional skills needed to handle some of the toughest training courses in the world. I...
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Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon is a trained counselor specializing in the psychology of behavior change, with certifications in motivational interviewing, solution-focused therapy, DBT, CBT, and trauma counseling. She’s the author of numerous books and accredited nutrition, sleep, stress, and recovery courses. She is our go-to performance psych, working one-on-one with many of our clients to sharpen the mental and emotional skills needed to handle some of the toughest training courses in the world. I...
Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon is a trained counselor specializing in the psychology of behavior change, with certifications in motivational interviewing, solution-focused therapy, DBT, CBT, and trauma counseling. She’s the author of numerous books and accredited nutrition, sleep, stress, and recovery courses. She is our go-to performance psych, working one-on-one with many of our clients to sharpen the mental and emotional skills needed to handle some of the toughest training courses in the world. I...
SOF selection is a proving ground, where your physical, mental, and emotional raw material will be laid bare, with nothing to hide behind. It's a place where you voluntarily walk into a brutal challenge to find out if who you think you are matches who you are. It's a way of answering a question that few people are willing to ask. Mo Anthoine, a British mountaineer, referred to this as "feeding the rat." Think of the "rat" as that gnawing part of you that needs challenge, ris...
Dr. Daniel Cooper is a human performance and behaviour specialist who focuses on improving individual and team performance in high-pressure, high-consequence environments. He provides a unique perspective that sits at the intersection of real-world experience, academic research, and high-performance development. His experience encompasses over 18 years of service within the Australian Special Operations community, as well as academic studies in physiology, PhD research on performi...
Elias Kfoury was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and immigrated to the United States at an early age in search of a brighter, safer future. After college, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving 21½ years before his medical retirement. Beginning as a Hospital Corpsman supporting the U.S. Marine Corps, he soon entered the Special Operations community as a Deep Sea Diving Medical Technician and completed advanced medical training to support Naval Special Warfare units. Following his service in Little Cr...
If your selection will be held in a hot environment, it’s important to acclimate to the heat before heading out. Any SOF selection will push you to your physical limits, and not being acclimated to the heat can significantly increase your risk of failure. Heat injuries in SOF selection are fairly common, and they can be sneaky. The workload is so intense that even moderately warm, humid days can produce conditions that encourage heat injuries, particularly for people who are coming from...
Matt Stevens transitioned from the U.S. Navy in 2017 after serving for 26 years as a SEAL. Transitioning from the SEAL teams to civilian life brought him to The Honor Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to supporting U.S. Special Operations Forces as they transition from elite military careers into impactful civilian roles. Matt attended The Honor Foundation’s (THF) inaugural East Coast class in the spring of 2016, joined their SOF Advisory Board in the spring of 2017, and then j...
Rima is a medic in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a tactical medicine instructor originally from the United States. She came to Ukraine as an NGO volunteer in 2022 and began medical studies in 2023 before enlisting in 2024. Now, she works on medical evacuations of soldiers from the frontlines and works in stabilization points where they receive casualties and stabilize their injuries for transport to the nearest hospital. Before enlisting, she taught tactical medicine per TCCC standard...
Chris Brennan served for 15 years in the Australian Army, 11 of which were as an operator within the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR). He fulfilled multiple team specialist roles, including as a JTAC and Tandem Bundle Master within a Freefall Assault Team, before progressing into leadership roles as a team 2IC and culminating his career as an SASR Team Leader. Chris deployed on multiple occasions and spent two years as a specialist trainer and assessor in the SASR's selection and training...
Philip Andrew Armstrong is a decorated combat veteran, elite-level medic, program manager, and resilience-driven father of four. Raised in the woods by hippies and unable to read until the age of 14, his early life was unconventional, marked by hardship, self-reliance, and grit. Those experiences became the bedrock for a path of resilience that carried him through combat, service on some of the world’s most elite special operations teams, and ultimately, earning a master’s degree from Harvard...
Ben Strahan is a Hotshot Superintendent and wildland firefighter with over 25 years of operational leadership on the fireline. Ben has spent decades in high-risk environments where clarity, discipline, and trust mean survival. His journey through fire has shaped a deeper calling—one that now centers around helping others cultivate resilience, emotional strength, and self-awareness. Through consulting, mentorship, and public speaking, Ben bridges the gap between tactical readiness and inner le...
What makes a hero? It’s easy to point to the dramatic moments in history: the burning tanks and bullet-swept battlefields. This form of heroism is important, but it's not the only form. Heroism also manifests in other ways that impact lives, strengthen our communities, and shape our culture. In this episode, we look beyond the headlines to the everyday acts of heroism that rarely make the news. Through stories of soldiers, first responders, teachers, and ordinary people, we explor...
Alex Potter is a photojournalist, trauma nurse, former wildland firefighter, and co-founder of Global Response Medicine, a humanitarian non-profit bringing emergency medicine to low-resource and high-risk areas. Alex spent her early career photographing conflict in the Middle East, before spending two seasons as a wildland firefighter in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho. She then moved to Alaska to pursue a career as an Air Force Combat Rescue Officer and was selected in Phase 2 of...
Mauri DiMeo is an Infantry officer in the US Army currently serving as an Assistant Professor of Military Science (APMS) at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). He attended Ranger, Airborne, SFAS, the SFQC, and the Austrian High Alpine School. Mauri was a platoon leader in the 4th Infantry Division and Rifle Company Commander in the 10th Mountain Division. His career took a turn in the final Robin Sage stage of the SF Q course, which we discuss early in our conversation. The lessons he...
Anthony ‘Harry’ Moffitt retired from the Australian Defence Force after almost 30 years, most of which was spent with Australia’s Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment as a Team Commander and Team Specialist. He completed 11 active service deployments and was wounded in action in 2008. He completed his time with the SAS as their Human Performance Manager. Harry is a registered psychologist and runs a human performance consultancy called Stotan Group, which works with sports teams, th...
Josh Bridges is a former Navy SEAL, with multiple deployments as a member of SEAL Team 3. He’s a competitive CrossFit athlete and has competed in the CrossFit games six times, placing second in the world in 2011. Josh left the Navy to spend more time with his family, and he is now a high-performance coach and entrepreneur. More about Josh: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bridgesj3/ Website: Josh-bridges.com Timestamps: 00:00:22 Introduction to Josh Bridges 00:00:54 Jos...
Ryan Wilson completed a long and challenging career in the Australian Army spanning 18 years, primarily in the Special Air Service Regiment, where he gained extensive experience leading teams in highly complex and uncertain environments on multiple combat tours. During his time in the special forces, Ryan experienced many life-changing and challenging situations that sparked his interest in resilience, high performance, and operational management. Following his military car...
Daniel Allen is a doctor of clinical psychology and a strength and conditioning coach specializing in preparing candidates for military and special operations service in New Zealand. He spent 6 years as a medic in the NZ Army before leaving to fulfill a dream to compete as a professional Muay Thai and MMA athlete and embark on a decade-long formal training in clinical psychology. He has worked with people ranging from Olympians, professional and world-class athletes, to beginners starti...
One of the most common training questions we answer, particularly in the winter when people’s kids are going back to school and concocting new diseases, is about training when sick. While the answer is obvious if you’re bedridden or can barely feed yourself (Do not work out), how you manage yourself from when you begin to feel symptoms to when you’re back to 100% will make a big difference in your rate of recovery.This episode covers what to do and not do when you're sick, how to transit...
Scott Ryder served for 22 years with the Australian Army, including 16 years as an operator with the 2nd Commando Regiment. He served in East Timor and multiple tours of Afghanistan and Iraq. He holds numerous commendations and a Masters of Business, and he works in veteran charities to improve the life of veterans and their families. He’s the author of the book Forged in Fire: An Australian Commando's Story of Life and Death on the Frontline, available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and almost...
Chris Frueh, PhD is a professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii. He has over thirty years of professional experience working with military veterans, servicemembers, special operators, private defense contractors, and firefighters; and has conducted clinical trials, epidemiology, historical, and neuroscience research. He was previously a professor of psychiatry at Medical University of South Carolina and Baylor College of Medicine. He has co-authored over 325 scientific publica...
Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon is a trained counselor specializing in the psychology of behavior change, with certifications in motivational interviewing, solution-focused therapy, DBT, CBT, and trauma counseling. She’s the author of numerous books and accredited nutrition, sleep, stress, and recovery courses. She is our go-to performance psych, working one-on-one with many of our clients to sharpen the mental and emotional skills needed to handle some of the toughest training courses in the world. I...
