The Prepared Mindset Podcast

Night vision for years was considered to be one of, if not the greatest, capabilities that the modern American warfighter had at their disposal. Having the tool however, is only part of the discussion. To dive further into this, I'm joined once again by Rick Hogg of War Hogg Tactical, to talk about Operating behind the tubes. While there's certainly been leaps and bounds of technical development over the past two to three decades, in the end, the experience of the user consistently comes through in the conversation as the real differentiator. We spend time talking on training applications...

Fresh out of the two day CQB Fundamentals course here in Michigan, I share my debrief on the class, what I learned, what I liked, and why it's all so important. As civilians, we're constantly told and reinforced that we can't or shouldn't learn skillsets like structure clearance, or CQB. Either we'll never use it, other than as a singleton, or that knowledge in the hands of "folks like us" is a unnecessary danger to law enforcement. Ironically, whenever we're told we can't or shouldn't have things for almost any other part of the 2A space, we push against...

Joe Dawson is the owner/founder of Bruiser Industries, and a former Navy SEAL who has made it his life's work to teach and mentor others. Going back even to his time prior to serving in the Navy, from a young age, Joe had a interesting in counseling and helping others learned. Progressing through his military career, additional opportunities for instructing and educating others helped bring about what we all know today, as Bruiser Industries. Joe and I talked about the principles to teaching. Not only the what you're teaching, but how you do it, and why it should...

Perception. The state of being or process of becoming aware of something through the senses. In 2025, this often means, believing what you see and hear. Regardless of accuracy and fact, we as a society build "our truth" off of our perceptions. For those of us trying to build support, to correct misinformation, about our 2A community, it means fighting the colossal battle against public perception. As the adage goes, perception is reality. Whether things heard in the news or seen on social media are indeed true, they are believed by the public masses just as if they were. This...

Spring is here, and it's time for the May SITREP. This time, I actually have some PMP news to share, with the upcoming structure clearance course with Orion Training Group, here in Michigan, as well a teaching opportunity for me. Additionally, I dive into the news of the recent raid in Colorado Springs that resulted in the arrests of a hundred illegal immigrants with ties to various known criminal and terrorist organizations. As the reality of this problem continues to set in, we as prepared individuals need to stay informed and stay vigilant. The better information we have available...

Community First Project is a unique effort, created and headed by Andrew Sullivan. A former Navy SEAL, Sully brings almost two decades of military experiences and lessons with him as he carries out his mission to better train and enable law enforcement around the country. However, this isn't your average training company. C1P is actually a non-profit organization, fueled through fundraisers and grant funds, to bring training and knowledge to departments and agencies that couldn't otherwise afford it in their budget. I sit down with Sully, and dive in to how this all got started, what the goals...

In the greater pursuit of personal capability and skill, many of us get distracted by the bright, shiny new things that are constantly dangled in front of us. Our community, or more properly identified, industry, has a vast array of solutions available for any of the challenges we may face, regardless of our path of life. While this is a tremendous advantage, it also becomes the downfall of many. In the grand scheme, your ability to problem solve, the strength of your skill sets is what really carries you through the difficult situations to succeed, and complete your mission...

Hunter Freeland is a former National Guardsmen, Contractor, and Law Enforcement Officer. He's also the owner of Hunter Freeland Shooting, and is regarded by many as one of the top firearms instructors in the country. We spend our time talking about the reality and relevancy of performance based shooting, and separate out some of the community propaganda that promotes a dichotomy between competition and tactical applications. Additionally, we really spend time talking about the mindset and attitude that will take you, as a shooter, but also as a human, further in your journey. From accountability to work ethic and...

As we charge past our 300th discussion, it's time for another SITREP. As a community, we have to work harder than ever it seems, to stretch our dollars to make every purchase count, and put ourselves, and our families in the best positions we can. With some of the recent events, and decisions made by our current administration, we could potentially see some much needed relief on the horizon. To provide context, I dive into some of the recent news revolving around the DOGE effort, and yes, I get into my thoughts on what is happening with tariff's and...

As another benchmark passes, I feel it important to take a look at what's led to some successes and how the future will look. The mission here has always been to share information, and provide a common learning experience. As a concerned citizen and prepared civilian, this journey has been one of tremendous trial, and outstanding reward. To me, it's important to occasionally, stop and reflect on things. In this very important episode, I share a lot about the past, as well as the future, and what is coming next. There's a few changes coming in the immediate future...

Making better information, more consistently accessible is a huge hurdle in the training community. What's even more difficult, is having a space to practice that information, and the associated skillsets. Checkmate Group in Texas has brought a unique spin to the effort, but building their own facility, and granting access to their students to continue their training and growth. Forrest Dohrmann, one of the owners is a dedicated civilian, like many of us, and has invested in his own personal preparedness and the growth of his community. To really get into this and break down why it's important, we...

Night Vision is one of the most popular ways for those invested in their personal capability, to "level up" by simply adding a device to their gear. As civilians, this is even more true, as while it's more accessible now, perhaps more than at any other time in history, it is still very expensive and out of reach for many. To dive into the reality that many of us face in affording such tools, I sit back down with Duncan Greene. Duncan and I have gotten into a pair of previous discussions on the Night Vision market, the realities...

Sometimes, we can be our own worst enemy. We can simultaneously have a burning desire to improve ourselves and develop greater individual capability, while being the single greatest blocker on our own road to achievement. All of us, regardless of skill, regardless of experience, will find ourselves in a rut. Finding ways out of those slumps, persevering and overcoming those challenges, can be somewhat difficult as they often manifest themselves in abstract ways. In this episode, I dive in and share some stories and experiences behind how I've been able within my own training to keep things fresh, and...

Precision shooting has become a recent interest of mine, and as I get deeper and deeper into the subject matter, I'm realizing that while it's the same as all other shooting, it's also very different. More so in the precision application than most others, your rifle's makeup and construction can have tremendous impact on your relative level of success. So, to truly dissect this issue, I've invited J.T. back to sit down and talk about what a good blaster should or shouldn't include. The internet has taken quite a liking to ideas like SPR's and GPR's and so...

Rick Hogg is a 29 year Army Veteran, having spent most of that time in Special Operations. Since leaving our military, Rick has dedicated himself to sharing the lessons he learned, with those seeking to improve themselves. As owner of War Hogg Tactical, Rick has platform he's able to use to train both Law Enforcement and Civilians alike, who desire a higher level of personal capability, and accountability. In our conversation with Rick, we deep dive into training approach, mindset, and address many of the fundamental "why's" behind training methodology and how it impacts success. Using data to form complete...

March is upon us, the weather is warming up, and we have a new Director of the FBI. With all of this, and even more going on, it's obviously time for another SITREP to bring current events and awesome opinions to all of you. In this iteration, we of course take time to talk about Director Patel being confirmed as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and also as the acting Director of the ATF. Both of these carry significant importance and impact, and we take time to talk about what has led us to this...

Artificial Limitations. False Confidence. Self Imposed Barriers. These are all issues that plague many of us in the preparedness community, and too often they can be easily traced back to the quality of our mindset, and the caliber of our individual training. Being more adaptive, or perhaps even simply willing to adapt, can have exponential impacts on our individual growth and development. In this episode, I dive into the idea of moving beyond the fundamentals, past the basics, and talk about how we build beyond the core concepts in ways that will make us more capable, more effective individuals...

Garrett Neel is one of the founders and co-owners of RAS Training Group. In addition to RAS, Garrett also has a decade of experience in Law Enforcement, which is oddly, where his inspiration for higher standards and execution came from. Having a realization that his own qualifications for work didn't meet the imagined expectations he had for himself, Garrett has since dedicated himself to become not only a better, more proficient shooter, but a stronger teacher. We were able to get in to several different topics throughout our conversation including confirmation levels, predictive versus reactive shooting, and even into...

Its been years since I sat down and re-hashed the significance and execution behind building, and training with, a carbine. As the most common platform of the day, its critical that we as prepared citizens know not only to set up a proper blaster for our own success, whatever that may be, but more importantly, how to use it. Everyone's needs and use cases will likely be different, but there are some omnipresent similarities, and fundamental concepts behind this that I dig back in to, and bring back to the front of mind. From lights, to lasers, to calibers...

It's Super Bowl Sunday, and I'm back already, with an impromptu SITREP to discuss some vitally important news around President Trump's most recent Executive Order. Just a couple days ago, on February 7th, 2025, President Trump issued potentially one of his most impactful orders to date, and what you potentially lead to the largest 2A victory since the very inception of the Second Amendment itself. The order, issued directly to the Attorney General, is essentially to launch an exploratory effort to identify all infringements against the right to keep and bear arms for American citizens. While nothing has been done...

This week, I get an opportunity to sit down and talk with someone who's own journey closely parallel's my own, coming from a musical background, being now, immersed in the training community. Cam Perry is the bass guitarist for the band Attack Attack, and has become an avid shooter, training and growing his own capability. Sharing a lot of common experiences in our background, we were able to talk about the similarities we've each been able to find in our individual practice and development musically, and making connections to our growth as shooters. Cam shared some stories on his...

As we roll into February, we have our latest SITREP for you, and no shortage of interesting news and on goings to discuss. From a somewhat humorous Bill being introduced to add Trump to the Mt. Rushmore monument, to the equally laughable idea of granting a third Presidential term, there's a lot to talk about. The big item in this months report though, comes from a very recent interview with Erik Prince, formerly of Blackwater. As the Trump administration has recently declared Mexican Cartel organizations as terrorist groups, there's a interesting opportunity to leverage the centuries old practice of...

Hard to believe it's already been three months (and then some) since I first sat down with Jake, but he's back, and we're picking up where we left off. Since the first conversation we had together, Jake has migrated to a new role with Herrington Arms working in sales, marketing, and even helping in customer service. Beyond that, in his role in law enforcement, Jake is currently going through the state approved instructor course for Ohio, to allow him to teach and qualify other officers. Throughout this whole discussion, we talk about some of the in's and out's, the...

It's 2025, and after reviewing the way the year started, as well as obviously some of the lingering fears and concerns we've all formed over the past two to four years, it's well worth the time to re-evaluate ourselves. As prepared citizens, we're only as good as our level of training. We will inevitably fall back to our lowest level of individual preparation. How do we define that though? What does it look like to you? Further, how do we know, if we know enough to fairly and accurately make that definition? In this weeks discussion, Jon, Josh, and myself...

Inauguration Day is here, and with it, we hope a sweeping wave of changes for the better to the United States. While politics, regardless of country, can be confusing and frustrating to say the very least, they are the driver behind so many of the key impacts to daily life. As this change holds the potential, as well as the hope for so many of us, I felt it only appropriate to share my thoughts and my feelings on what we may expect to see as the nation transitions from one President to the next. Obviously, with historically low...

Carrying on from last weeks discussion I take away several of the points the Joe was able to make, and much of the information he provided. In the moment, when we may find ourselves in the midst of one of these "events", we truly do have to be our own first responder, and rely solely on ourselves to get through that experience. There's many misconceptions and outright poor habits that align us for failure, both as prepared individuals and as a society. I compare the New Orleans attack and skills one would potentially carry into such an occurrence, and...

Joe Fasanella returns, to sit down with me and tackle a subject that I've wanted to explore for a few months now. Terrorism. Specifically, Terrorism and it's impacts on you and I as Americans, along with how it affects our day to day lives. In the wake of the shocking attack on New Years Eve in New Orleans, this topic and its many concerns, are once again at the forefront of many minds. Having spent two decades in multiple capacities fighting terror, Joe is able to share a lot of insight around the trends we're seeing in current events...

The year 2025 has arrived, and with it, so too comes our January SITREP discussion. Unfortunately, there is sour news to dig in to, as a terror attack has rocked the heart of New Orleans on Bourbon street. We bring this forward for discussion, as it is a sobering reminder that even though we in the continental United States enjoy a relative amount of safety and security in our day-to-day lives, there is a constant threat that exists amongst us. The more information that we all have, the better prepared we can be, both as individuals and as a community...

The year 2024 is rolling to a close, and there's been a lot that's happened in these past twelve months. Josh and I sit down to talk through the calendar, and give a summary of this calendars events, as well as some behind the scenes details and stories. We, as a team, have been fortunate to experience some fantastic growth and learn some truly valuable lessons. From different training opportunities, to community experiences and deepening relationships, there's a lot to get into, and much to be thankful for. From the very beginning, the mission has been to share our learning...

As we all have our unique differences, we do all certainly have struggles that we face day in and day out. In addition to striving to improve ourselves on the flat range, in the shoot house, in the field, often the more pressing and daunting of battles is the one we all fight internally. Constantly working on yourself, and finding ways to progress further down the road of righteousness, being a better man, is the effort we should all undertake. In this community, we find ourselves surrounded by a variety of lifestyles and perspectives, but this should be something...

If you've been hanging around the Night Vision scene the past five or so years, you know the name Low Light Innovations. Over the past few years they've brought forward a small handful of unique market offerings, to provide consumers with night vision housings that meet their various needs and demands. In this weeks episode, I sit down with Claude, one of the owners of LLI, and dig into the history of the company and the development that has brought them to where they are today. We spent time talking about the challenges faced not only by LLI, but...

It's been less than ninety days since Hurricane Helene decimated the Southeastern United States. The aftermath, is no longer in the headlines, but is very much still a day to day effort for so many impacted and left without support. As a community, many of us rallied together to support those in their great need, even at times from many states away. Folks like Tyler, my guest this week, made the trek into western North Carolina to contribute to the relief efforts, in any way he could. He shares with me, his story and his experiences on his multiple...

Josh Nelson is the owner of Force Frontier, a tactical training company in southern Ohio, and also a veteran law enforcement officer, as well as SWAT team member. Josh joins me as we sit down and get into a rather philosophical conversation around the importance not only of training, but quality training, and effective learning. We discuss ideas like balance, communication, preparation, and how impactful they all can be when planning a training day or a open enrollment course. Additionally, we pivot our conversation, talk a little bit about tactics, but more to the point, the value and difficulty...

December is here, the final month of 2024, and with the start of a new sheet on the calendar, so too comes another SITREP. As we exit election season, and roll into the holidays, there's plenty to talk about. Thanksgiving has obviously come and gone, and interestingly enough, this year it brought some protests at the annual Macys parade, followed by a day of large protests in major cities. I dive into the motive behind these, why black Friday of 2024 was actually not randomly chosen as a day of mass protest, and share some history behind the significance of November 29...

After better than two years, I sit down with Jared Arceneaux of Orion Training Group, and catch up on the growth behind OTG. Now, having had the opportunity to be taught by Jared in multiple classes, I have a much better understanding of so much of what I had questions about in our original sit down. Personally, I've thoroughly enjoyed my experiences learning from Jared and have been looking forward to being able to catch up and hear about the growth that Orion has experienced over the past two years, and what lessons have been learned during that time...

Had some early audio issues in the first few minutes of the interview this week, but worked through it. If you've been running NODs for any amount of time, you know how essential having a good laser module is to being effective. As civilians though, we've been restricted to lower power devices, that make our capability and overall experience, less than desirable. Over the past few years however, we've seen the emergence and popularization of VSCEL technology on devices, that allow normal folks to access far superior performance. The Penumbra, from AMMJ Solutions, is the latest development in the...

Many of us, find ourselves making turns in our journey, that bring us to places we didn't ever think we would end up. This is exactly the case for Jeremiah August, the owner and founder of Teardown Systems. In 2020, when the world shut down for all of us, he decided to take a chance combining a childhood passion for sewing, and drive to be a more prepared, and more capable individual, and launch a nylon company, Teardown Systems. This discussion takes us into research and development work, time management and the importance of balancing yourself with family, ethical business...

Personal Security, Personal Protection, Executive Protection, we hear these terms used almost completely interchangeably, and all generally referring to the role of a bodyguard. For better or for worse, it's something we see overly glamourized by Hollywood and media, In reality however, this is a real job, a real career path, and it involves a lot of training, and a unique mindset. Jonah Norman returns, and is kind enough to sit down with me, as we tackle this subject for the first time on the pod, and get into the nuance and details behind what he has encountered working...

As we are running out of days before the 2024 Presidential Election, we have arrived at our November SITREP. It seems like this has been all we've been able to talk about for the last few months, and there have been some very serious events that have led us all to arrive at this point. Given the almost certain impacts the outcome of the polling carries with it, I find it extremely important to review some key parts of the last three and a half years, as well as talk about some of my feelings and predictions of what may...

Jake Hocevar is a former 12B in the Army National Guard, works as a part-time LEO, and also is one of the cadre at Defender Series Training Group while running his own endeavor, Redline Consulting. More specifically, Jake is a firearms trainer, who has a passion for learning, as well as teaching. While continuing to teach, he keeps a ever-present mindset of "staying a student" and striving to learn new and better ways to help train those who seek him out. We sit down for this weeks episode, and dive into everything from flaws in the law enforcement training...