The Decision Hour

Ep: 250 - Irreverent Warriors with Andrew Farrer

Join me in this episode as I have friend Andrew Farrer on with me. It’s been a long time coming, we’ve known each other for a few years and still trying to figure out how we haven’t met in person yet.  Set back and enjoy as we discuss bringing people together and how we can all support each other.  Andrew shares his story and his Decision Hour. About Andrew…
Andrew was born in Nashville, TN at Baptist Memorial Hospital in 1977 and grew up in Exeter, NH. He attended The Brooks School from 1992-1996 and after graduation, he enrolled at Rollins College (Winter Park, FL) where he earned a BA in Classical Studies in 2001. After college, Andrew enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where he graduated from the School of Infantry. He had three deployments with 3/8 India Co as an infantry machine gunner. Andrew’s military awards earned during service include Purple Heart Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Humanitarian Assistance Medal, Navy Unit Citation Ribbon, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (2 stars). He was honorably discharged in 2008. Post service, Andrew was a chef for 10 years at various restaurants and joined the nonprofit organization, Irreverent Warriors in 2019. He currently serves as their Tennessee Regional Coordinator to organize fund raising hikes for Veterans. Andrew also serves as the Senior Vice Commandant MCL#1158, Stones River Detachment in Murfreesboro, TN. He is a lifetime member of the VFW. Andrew holds an MBA in Healthcare Administration from Ashford University and is currently seeking an MA in Addiction Counseling from Liberty University. R. A. Farrer, USMC
 
Irreverent Warriors – Nashville
 

Ep: 249 - The Comeback Coach - Mr. Richard Kaufman

We have a very special guest on this week’s episode, U.S. Army Veteran, Mr. Richard Kaufman a.k.a. The Comeback Coach!
Take a listen as we get to know more about Richard.  We discuss his upbringing, how a he overcame his addiction to alcohol and what pushed him to joining the military a second time. We then talk about how meeting a man named Gary help push Richard in the direction of helping others who struggle with addiction, homelessness or PTSD.  Richard has a big heart and loves helping others, He has a podcast called “Success Your Why, Powers Your How” and can be heard on all the popular podcasting platforms.
Take a listen to this “Comeback” story as ‘The Comeback Coach’, Richard Kaufman talks about some of his Decision Hours.

Ep: 248 - Competitive Shooting – Kisa Libby

Kisa Libby is a Navy Vet, a sponsored competitive shooter and an accountant for a well known business supplying law enforcement officers. By far, her toughest job is as a single mom to 2 boys. 
 
We had a great discussion with Kisa about why she started in the shooting sports and how she’s working to raise her boys to be strong, positive men. Like many veterans, Kisa found herself missing the camaraderie of serving with others for a common mission (and in often less than favorable conditions). She tried many things to find that spirit of brotherhood, but is it wasn’t until she was introduced to competitive shooting that she felt she finally found a suitable replacement. 
 
As Kisa’s boys grew up, she started thinking about how she (as a woman) could best ensure she was providing her sons with the tools to think critically and be the kind of men she felt the world needed. We have an open honest discussion about the challenges of parenthood in general and how single parenting presents unique circumstances. 
 
Follow Kisa’s adventures on the Instagram she shares with her oldest son. 

Ep: 247 – Utility or Self-Protection with Nick LaRosa

Whether it’s for utility or self-protection, we see a lot of people walking around carrying knives. How many of those people who choose to carry for self-protection have ever trained for such an event? The answer is, not many. 
 
Adam Bird and Heather Dopson took the time to sit down with Nick LaRosa to talk about whether or not we should be carrying, the best way to carry, and why training is an absolute must.
 
Nick is impressive in his own right. At 24, he’s a black belt in Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, a black belt in Judo, a personal trainer, an MMA instructor, a Stop the Bleed® trainer, and a few other things that remain classified. And that’s barely scratching the surface! His real-world experience along with his mindset and training style is what lead Heather to seek him out to take edged weapon training from. She was so impressed by his knowledge and skill she knew he’d be an excellent guest for the listeners of The Decision Hour.
 
Sit back, take a listen, and learn something new today. 
You can find Nick on YouTube and Instagram.

Ep: 246 - Radom Acts of Kindness with Gold Star Mother Debbie Lee

The Founder of Americas Mighty Warriors and Gold Star Mother, Debbie Lee joins us this week!
Debbie Lee lost her son Marc in Iraq in 2006.  Marc Alan Lee was the first Navy SEAL killed in Ramadi, Iraq 8-2-06. A member of SEAL Team 3, Charlie platoon, Marc made the ultimate sacrifice defending his teammates. Marc was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star w Valor, and the Purple Heart for his heroic actions. Marc’s name means “Mighty Warrior.”
Debbie talks about Marc’s letter home and doing more Random acts of kindness
“he said once the last time you paid for a stranger's cup of coffee, or a meal or a tank of gas. Or imagine when you go to pay for the meal and you find out it's been paid for, he said, When's the last time you help somebody with their groceries in or out of their car?”
She talk s about how she stays in the fight “So when I can be out there support you guys, loving you guys taking care of you and the other families, you know, that have lost a loved one.”
 We also discuss a program she has called Helping Heroes Heal and what they are doing to help our veterans.  We get on the topic of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatments and go into detail as to how the treatment works and the benefits it provides. This treatment is really helping veterans that have been diagnosed with PTSD and TBI.
Debbie continues her sons Marc’s mission by helping others with her kindness.  She has a big heart. She has, and continues to help our nations heroes and their families.  Please check out her website and follow on social media.
 
Donate:  https://americasmightywarriors.org/donate/
Instagram:  @AmericasMightyWarriors
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/americasmightywarriors/ 
 
 

Ep: 245 - The Game of Self Domination with Natsune Oki

Natsune Oki is an Author, Host, Speaker and Entrepreneur.  She came to the United States and Studied Business and Economics. As she attended school she worked for several tech startups where she found her passion for entrepreneurship and her life mission in adding value in the progress of humanity.
All the way from Tokyo Japan, my friend Natsune Oki joins us this week and we discuss her book ‘The Game of Self Domination’ (Order here:https://bit.ly/39Ptexj) Take a listen as she explains why she felt she needed to write this book.
“I came to the conclusion that there is no purpose in life, right? And the purpose of life is what you give it. And for me, the purpose of life personally, is to live it totally. And what does that mean? For me to live a total life, it means that I, I can create contribution to the world, to the humanity to the progress of humanity, I want to help humanity to make progress in the into the next generation, right, as a humanity as a whole.” ~Natsune~
We also touch on her other business ventures a bit, she tells us about her show LifeupEducationTV (https://www.lifeupeducationtv.com) and how the content of the show is to make people feel loved, inspired and happy and how it all ties in with everything she does.
Natsune is a powerhouse of positivity who empowers people to be their best, to believe in themselves and to know that that anything is possible!
 
Follow Natsune on Social Media:
IG: https://bit.ly/2MXnMLZ
FB:https://bit.ly/37Cr8xC
TikTok: https://bit.ly/2YzgqUl
YB: https://bit.ly/32gM24C

Ep: 244 - TacMobility - Resiliency Training That Doesn’t Suck

“𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐤” is the slogan for Erica Chadwick’s company, TacMobility. In this episode, we learn that TacMobility is a company that exists to reduce police officer suicide, increase police officer morale, provide mental and physical health support for cops and so much more. We talk with Erica about how being a person of color influenced her ideas about cops early on in her life, but after years of working in an industry supporting law enforcement, she realized there was a bigger picture.
 
Eric created TacMobility to provide methods to control the mind and the machine by providing a slew of physical and psychological services to individual cops and entire departments. Erica has gained the trust of police officers nationwide using her knowledge of trauma and stress coupled with her straight forward approach and ability to understand law enforcement culture. 
Recently, Erica has taken brave, bold action to facilitate productive conversation between the Black Lives Matter and Back the Blue movements. She literally crosses the line and works to find the common ground. 
 
Listen in as we talk about what inspires her and how the services she provides builds better cops in ways you’ve never thought about before.
Find TacMobility at tacmobility.net and instagram.com/tacmobility.

Ep: 243 - Fortis Et Fidelis - Reden Dionisio

Reden Dionisio is the CEO "Chief of Everything Officer" of Fortis Et Fidelis. He is an active duty Navy Corpsman with 17 years of military experience. Currently, he is the Division Surgeon's Office (DSO) Senior Enlisted Medical Advisor at 2nd Marine Division II Marine Expeditionary Force; Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
In search of ways to further contribute to the military community, Reden founded Fortis Et Fidelis in 2016 to highlight our service members through the brand. He also wanted to honor and remember the ultimate sacrifice of our fallen and their families. In doing so, he created memorial coins, each engraved with the individual service members' name, to honor their sacrifice and ensure that the free will never forget! 
“You know, if you're a veteran, or if you're an active duty, active duty member that's listening out there, just basically what we talked about, start thinking about the future, start thinking about finding your second call and your second service, whatever that may be, and start planning now. Don't wait until it's too late” ~ Reden Dioniso ~
 
https://www.fortis-fidelis.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frtsfdlsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/frts_fdls
 

Ep: 242 - The Fetch Foundation with Marie Peck

Marie Peck started The Fetch Foundation about 10 years ago when she realized there were so many unwanted dogs with the drive and skills to become working dogs. She’s worked hard with a small army of volunteers to create the Homeless 2 Heroes program. They rescue dogs from shelters, identify their abilities and place them in the jobs best suited for them. Hundreds of dogs have been put to work as service and therapy dogs, search and rescue and other important roles. 
 
Fetch also provides Fido Bags to fire stations across the country. Their motto is “Every station in the nation!” These important kits are used to administer oxygen and other lifesaving measures to family pets that get caught in house fires. A Fido Bag was even used to rescue an unusual animal who’d been attacked by bees!
 
The Fetch Foundation is 100% volunteer and operates solely off donations. It’s a great cause and Marie is doing wonderful work.
 
We also had the opportunity to talk with Marie on the recent loss of her son, Austin Peck.  She shares how Austin fought cancer and a city healthcare system who cast him aside. BEfore his death, Austin said, “The battle against cancer is nothing compared to the fight over industrial health coverage.” Marie and family have led the charge, with lots of support, to bring awareness and enact change when it comes to how firefighters who’ve been diagnosed with cancer are cared for by their departments and cities.  
 
Grab some tissues and listen in. Marie is truly a remarkable person. 

Ep: 241 - Sheriff Mark Cage

Mark Cage first swore to uphold the US Constitution when he enlisted in the Navy and continues his commitment as Sheriff of Eddy County New Mexico. Sheriff Cage retired from the Navy as a Chief Petty Officer and has a wide swath of knowledge from his 37 years in law enforcement.
 
In the past few years, Sheriff Cage has emerged as a well respected staunch advocate of the Second Amendment and an outspoken critic of Red Flag laws. He was one of the 29 out of 33 New Mexico sheriffs who declared their county a 2A sanctuary county, vowing to not enforce state gun laws.
 
We had the opportunity to sit down with Sheriff Cage to talk about the current state of politics in New Mexico and how that impacts us all. His commentary was equally enlightening and frightening as we focused on the second amendment and the upcoming election.
 
If you’re a 2A supporter, this episode will enrage you while giving you some hope that great law enforcement officials like Sheriff Cage are on the front lines protecting our rights.