How do you make the right choice when the stakes are highest? We are joined by Commander William C. Spears (U.S. Navy), author of Stoicism as a Warrior Philosophy: Insights on the Morality of Military Service.
This is an essential discussion on applied ethics, proving Stoicism is not passive, but an active, disciplined choice.
Commander Spears connects the framework of Wisdom, Justice, Courage, and Temperance to high-consequence decision-making—whether you are in uniform, on the front lines of business, or at home.
Learn how to train your mind for the fight and embody the podcast's mantra: Navigate. Endure. Succeed. Repeat.
In this profound milestone episode (#30), host Myles Levin sits down with Champion Cyclist and Biochemist Alison Tetrick to explore the meaning of resilience after catastrophe.
Alison shares her raw, unscripted journey following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that forced her to redefine success, identity, and self-worth. This is not a sports story; this conversation goes far beyond the champion cyclist, the bicycle, and endurance athletics, diving into the core of human struggle, purpose, and recovery.
Key Takeaways You Will Hear:
Life is a fight for signal: How to find clarity when your whole system is in chaos.
The profound impact of trauma on personal identity and the beauty of embracing change.
Navigating the complexities of success, shame, and why high performance can feel empty without emotional fulfillment.
Understanding the brain's "fight, flight, or fawn" response to adversity.
Alison Tetrick embodies the FIGHT-or-FL1GHT ethos—a journey of redemption, resurrection, and rebirth. This discussion is essential for leaders, creators, and anyone facing seemingly insurmountable odds.
Listen in for a conversation that is warm, provocative, insightful, and perfect for our 30th episode milestone.
FIGHT-OR-FL1GHT talks to Phil Freidhoff, a leader forged in ZERO-ERROR command running a Nuclear Submarine Reactor.
Now, he applies that military discipline to Human-Centered Design (HCD), solving the most COMPLEX, cross-matrixed problems for America’s Warfighting Systems.
This episode maps out Problem-Solution strategy, HCD application, and military leadership lessons under pressure: how to manage complexity, lead critical teams, and design solutions for imperfect humans when the stakes are highest.
Listen for the operational blueprint.
#Leadership #SystemsThinking #HCD #Submarine #DecisionMaking #DOD
$22$ of our heroes execute their own escape plan daily. Why? Because the system substitutes talk for surgery. This is the Cost of Inattention—an epidemic of failed humanity.
We demand Absolute Honesty. This week, we reject the status quo with Eileen Shanahan of the Warrior Ranch Foundation. She uses a 1,200-pound Thoroughbred as the ultimate lie detector. Your anxiety is high-frequency hyper-vigilance; the horse senses your "energy" instantly, forcing you to self-regulate and return to being human.
The $22$ aren't failing; the SYSTEM is. Stop turning the page.
We demand truth. We DEMAND better.
Listen to Episode 28 now.
The Cost of Comfort: Ex-Navy SEAL Kevin Seiff trades his M4 for a mixer after a corporate exit led to existential collapse. Listen to this powerful story on finding real purpose, the dangers of high salary sedation, and why comfort is the greatest threat to a meaningful life.
We dive deep with the SEAL Team Seven veteran on his trajectory to the special operator's community and his difficult transition to co-owning Crafted Coastal Bakery. Specifically, we discuss his return to a new mission that matters: Creation and Service.
This is the hard truth for every leader who feels the quiet decay of an easy choice.
You stop running only when the consequence finally outruns you." In Episode #26 of Fight-or-Fl1ght, we sit down with contemporary artist Louis Carreon. His life was a global chase, fueled by licentiousness and false idols. The crash led totwo years of federal time, and the hardest lesson: The Surrender. Louis details the system purge that began in prison. He abandoned addiction and channeled the severelight of Caravaggio and the raw fury of Basquiat to rebuild his mind and art. This is the seminal moment when regret gives birth to something violently BTR™ (Better Than Regret). This conversation is an essential guide for the leader whose past choices haunt the present. Stop fearing the silence. Listen to the purge.
Episode #25: Ryan Monopolus—Martial Artist, Filmmaker, Mystic
Fifth-degree black belt. World champion. Stunt performer and action choreographer on Spider-Man: No Way Home, Cobra Kai, Stranger Things, The Walking Dead. Director across 10+ countries. Started training at four. Never stopped moving.
Ryan Monolopolus turned martial arts discipline into Hollywood currency—designing the violence you see on screen while exploring the philosophy behind every punch. This conversation goes hard: how fighting shaped filmmaking, why optimism is non-negotiable, the intersection of technology and spirituality, and what it takes to build a life that refuses boredom.
From Buffalo dojos to blockbuster sets. From yoga mats to motion control rigs. From world championships to metaphysical rabbit holes.
This is the space where warrior meets artist. Where discipline meets imagination. Where the work never stops and the adventure never ends.
Topics: Martial arts philosophy, stunt choreography, international filmmaking, extended reality, creative leadership, spiritual optimism, and why coming home to train still matters.
Marine Officer. Federal Agent. Waterfowl hunter. Father. Husband. Ty Yount doesn't do surface-level conversations — and this episode proves it.
Ty is the Director of Communication for Valor & Honor Outdoors, a 501(c)(3) that provides all-expense-paid outdoor experiences for active-duty military, veterans, first responders, and their families. No cost to participants. No glory hunts. Just real people finding real healing in wild places.
In this conversation, we go deep:
• What it takes to build a mission-driven organization that actually delivers
• Why the outdoors aren't "nice to have" for veterans — they're life-saving
• The standard of leaving every person, every place, better than you found it
• How warriors transition from protecting in uniform to protecting through purpose
14 states covered in 2024. Hundreds of lives touched. 100% volunteer-driven by people who understand what it means to carry weight.
This isn't content. This is conviction.
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ABOUT VALOR & HONOR OUTDOORS: Valor & Honor Outdoors honors military service members, veterans, first responders, and their families by providing transformative outdoor experiences that promote healing, camaraderie, and renewal. Learn more: https://valorandhonoroutdoors.com/
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CONNECT WITH US:
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ZeDZf8ofdJ0g6tgTOX4Cg
🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fight-or-fl1ght/id1840181942
📱Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fightorfl1ght/
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#Veterans #FirstResponders #Military #Leadership #OutdoorTherapy #Service #ValorAndHonorOutdoors #FightOrFl1ghtPodcast
Fortune 500 sent lawyers, not deals. Bear Handlon—Navy SEAL, Yale football, CrossFit Games athlete—built Born Primitive in a garage on active duty. No investors. No permission. Then erased $2.5M in veteran medical debt. This is operational rigor for purpose over profits. He built BTR™.
Tune in if you believe retail should mean something again.
Dive deep with Erik Oksala as he reveals how Grammy-winning creatives and Oscar-level thinkers partner with the Pentagon to tackle national security challenges, pushing innovation far beyond the battlefield. From the studio to the front lines, discover the powerful fusion of entertainment and defense shaping tomorrow’s solutions. Whether you’re in sports, fashion, art, or strategy, this episode unlocks the future of creative collaboration.
Finding Purpose in the Fight:--When doctors told Trevor Maxwell he was dying, he built a wolf pack of thousands of men with cancer — because no one should face the fight alone.
What happens when survival is just the beginning?In this episode of Fight or Flight, I sit down with Alex Langa — a former Black Hawk pilot who faced life-or-death decisions in war zones... and an even harder battle once he came home.Alex opens up about the unseen toll of combat, the brutal transition to civilian life, and the moments that tested his grit, passion, and identity.This is not a story of dramatized pain — it’s a raw, unfiltered conversation about fear, failure, resilience, and what it really takes to rebuild yourself from the wreckage.If you’ve ever been knocked down, doubted yourself, or wondered what’s left when your mission ends — this conversation is for you.➔ Prepare to rethink what you believe about strength, success, and second chances.
How does a 4th-degree Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt go from combat competition; to bodyguarding Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson; to fighting for the legalization of MMA in Maryland?This episode dives deep with John Rallo—a philanthropist, teacher, mentor, pugilist, and advisor to law enforcement—whose journey proves that purpose isn’t found… It’s forged.We talk about: Betting it all on a dream with no safety netBuilding fighters and better humans.Navigating politics, business, and brutal honesty with self-determination and God-given talent!Advocating for pet welfare and protecting the vulnerable.This is about standing up for your people, your passion, and your purpose.
Delivering Better™.For community, family, friends, and team.
He helped launch BIKE Magazine—then watched it get sabotaged from within. So he built again. First Sock Guy, now Beaker Concepts. From endurance sports to bespoke products, Andrew Block breaks down what it takes to stay in motion when everything stops. 🎧 Episode #13 is live now.
Independent retail is dead. Erick DeLeon didn't get the memo.Everyone said brick-and-mortar was finished. Algorithms won. Curation was over. Community was dead.Eric DeLeon said watch this.He walked away from retail royalty at MartinPatrick 3 and wholesale leadership to open Of the Lion—a store that breaks every rule. Brands you can't find anywhere else. Running clubs that start in his shop. Vendors who text him directly.Eric's not chasing scale. He's building community on one corner in Minneapolis.This is what creative resistance looks like when a merchant decides to celebrate people, culture, fashion, and function.Fight or Fl1ght: People doing impossible things when everything's on the line.Tune in → This widens the lens. Changes how you think about building anything real.
What does it mean to live on the edge of painand still reach for peak human performance?
In this uncomfortable episode Myles sits down with pain specialist Dr. Jonathan Edwards to explore the realities of chronic pain, suicide, and the cutting-edge science of ketamine therapy.
Together, they tackle:
⚡ How pain reshapes the brain and identity
⚡ Ketamine’s clinical value and its doorway to alternate realities
⚡ The tension between atheism, meaning, and human resilience
⚡ The pursuit of strength and self-discovery when life feels unbearable.
If you or someone you love is searching for answers ,this conversation goes beyond medicine—it is about survival, purpose, and what it means to be human.
🔗 Listen, question, and rethink what’s possible.
Need Help?
If you are in crisis, you are not alone. In the U.S., dial 988 for immediate support. For international helplines, visit:https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines ----
#Ketamine #MentalHealth #ChronicPain#SuicidePrevention #PeakPerformance #Atheism #AlternativeTherapy #PainManagement#Neuroscience #PsychedelicTherapy #Podcast #Healing #Recovery #Mindset #HumanResilience
We live in a commercial world built on misdirection. Algorithms and dashboards promise certainty, but the only constant is human nature. Ignore that truth, and your brand won’t survive.Philip Otto understands this better than anyone. A cultural anthropologist and Executive Design Director, and, Chief Creative Officer he has spent over 30 years shaping the future of retail for brands like Anthropologie, Coca-Cola, Nike, REI, and Urban Outfitters.His secret? Exquisite design rooted in human connection.By fusing cultural research with creative leadership, Otto reimagines retail spaces — from community plazas to flagship malls — that not only sell, but also resonate.In this episode of Fight-Or-Fl1ght, we explore:- Why anthropology is the antidote to brand misdirection.- How malls are mutating into culture labs.- Why REI’s flagship shifted the future of store design.- And how great design turns uncertainty into opportunity.👉 Watch now: Phil Otto — Human Nature is the Only Constant in a Commercial World Built on Misdirection.
General John E. Whistler shares insights from his 39-year career in the Marine Corps, focusing on authentic leadership, legacy, and culture. He discusses the importance of competence, compassion, and courage, and how true leadership is about service, sacrifice, and empowering others. Drawing on personal experiences and historical examples, General Whistler explores building resilient teams, managing ego, and balancing short-term demands with long-term vision. He emphasizes the importance of humility, continuous learning, and fostering environments where every member feels valued, offering practical advice for leaders in any field.
Episode 1 x Jonny KraljevichIn this episode, Myles Levin interviews Johnny K, a designer and entrepreneur, about his journey in the cutthroat world of design. They discuss the balance between being conventional and unconventional, the importance of not being understood too quickly, and the challenges of creating products that are both creative and commercial. They also delve into Johnny's experience starting his own brand and the lessons he learned from that venture. In this conversation, Johnny discusses the challenges of building a brand and the importance of staying focused on the long-term vision. He emphasizes the need for clear decision-making and the ability to navigate different opinions and directions. Johnny also shares his experience running his design agency, Genre Design Group, and the importance of balancing design and commercial aspects in the industry.