The Prepared Mindset Podcast

As we approach the 4th of July, our Independence Day, I think it's an extremely appropriate time to have the discussion around the prepared citizen, why "staying in your lane" is a terrible idea, and the history of armed civilians and their impact. From the very inception of our great country, the capable citizen has been one of the most vital parts of our country, and our culture. In today's community, we're often looked down upon, and mostly for good reason. While we have a lot to offer, and own a tremendous piece of the battle for our independence...

CQB and the arguments around it may never truly go away. As monotonous as they may seem, many will provide fantastic learning opportunities for those eager to understand. To dive into the concepts behind structure clearance, or as you may know it, combat clearance, i'm joined by Ben Wallick. Ben is a former SEAL and Contractor, and is also the owner of Vanilla Gorilla Security, a training company based in Illinois. We absolutely dive into the subject at hand, talk about the flexibility required between both dynamic and deliberate methodologies, the importance of asking the question "why do we...

As we get older, as we all work harder on improving our health, our strength, our fitness, it seems like we get injured more and more. How to truly meet our fitness goals, and how we recover from those injuries, are where we see actual success and failure. After a couple years now, I finally catch up with Alex, and sit down to talk about his work with coach within the tactical space, recovering and coping with serious injuries, and get a healthy dose of perspective on personal fitness. As a former serviceman for over a decade, and now...

It's been a few years since Austin was last on the pod, and a handful of months since we were able to connect at SHOT show this year. We finally have a break in our schedules to sit down, and dive into everything from Radios and Communications, to Night Vision, group based planning and training, overall preparedness, and more. Austin is certainly a subject expert when it comes to communications and is an instructor with Mojave Repeater, while also running his own business in the 2A community. There's a lot to unpack in this discussion, looking at GMRS radios...

Gun violence prevention. Potentially the most over leverage political ideal in the history of modern politicking. It remains an omnipresent issue within every discussion, debate, and campaign, and certainly can be relied on for every election and midterm that rolls around. Unfortunately, as that time draws near, we here in Michigan are dealing with this once more as Governor Whitmer signed another executive order, to create another task force, to "address" the "ongoing crisis" of gun violence. There's always so much behind the scene that seems to motivate these moves and while it's hard to predict exactly why it's...

Are you really committed to living more prepared? Or is this simply something you take interest in as a hobby? While there are degress to both, I think most of us read those questions, and would like to be included among those counted as "committed" but in the back of our minds fear we are only truly interested. This is a interesting discussion, as I think it forces you to contemplate choices made, past, present, and of course, future. Our ecosystem is filled with influencers, trainers, students, all with varying backgrounds and goals. Regardless of which you are, I...

If you've seen any action movie, ever, you love explosive breaching. There's something incredible about seeing a special forces soldier or SEAL place a charge, and blow a door. While most of us don't have the means or the access to try such things, we can always learn about them and position ourselves for greater success in our futures. To dive into this conversation, I'm catching up with Steve, owner of Chimera Concepts and breaching instructor for Core Vision. We spend some time touching on the logic and rationale behind shotgun breaching, but then dive all the way in...

Are we seeing Gun-tube die before our very eyes? This has become a wildy popular topic over the past week or two, and I thought it deserved its own conversation. For better or for worse, the community has been driven by digital content creators for the past decade, and in some cases longer. Information shared, inspiration sparked, goals set, myths disproven, and all because we had the tools available to connect to each other through the various platforms. However, taking an objective look at things in 2026, we've certainly fallen from grace, and definitely morphed into something uglier, and far...

Gear. For better or worse, it drives a huge part of our community, and in many ways, are the tools that enable us for success, or failure. There's more and more options available to us every day, and while it definitely can be exhausting, it's certainly worth talking about the trends, the pitfalls, the truths, and the lies. In this episode, I catch up with Walsh, of Thin Line Defense, who has a depth of knowledge and lots of experience evaluating, testing, and reviewing gear. We dive into all sorts of stuff from the truth behind BARRY compliance, materials...

Buying NODs is probably one of the most confusing processes in our community. Understanding the new options that are available almost every month, as well as the plethora of secondhand devices, can be an almost impossible maze to navigate. To try and address what I think is the most critical part of a positive night vision purchase, intensifier tube selection, I'm sitting down once again with Shane Sharp and Ty Morgan of Terrace Unity Solutions. We get into the common myths behind the different tubes on the market and dig into why brand name alone will never be enough...

The May SITREP is here, and with it the unfortunate news and impact to consumers, of the failure of Spirit Airlines. Additionally, we have the recent attempt on the President at the White House Correspondents dinner, and a very recent surge in gas prices. As civilians in the continental United States, we have been getting absolutely hammered the last several weeks with price increases at the gas pumps, and the last several years with post-pandemic price increases and supply decreases. Things are very tough for so many of us right now, and there's simply not much that can be...

Priorities of Work. While this term/title gets applied most commonly to close quarters battle and structure clearance, I think it's a very appropriate lable for this weeks conversation. As men, as husbands, as heads of households, it is our responsbility to care for our home, our spouse, our children. The decisions we make, the positions we place our families in, are our primary responsibilities. While this isn't a new concept by any stretch, its one that's commonly forgotten. It's easily leveraged for justification for gear and training, however when it comes down to what we truly do to...

Many of us have grown up hunting. Some of us have learned it in pursuit of greater preparedness. Still, how to butcher and harvest eludes so many that it's its own industry in many parts of our country, during hunting seasons. I sit down with Jason Nauert, or "Jason the Butcher" as many of you may know him, to talk about his work with the military for combat sustainability, teaching butchering skills, and obviously, the importance of this all in the greater conversation of self sustainability. We get into the long-term effects of a M.R.E. heavy diet...

While the AR platform can be assembled easily, I think many of us know that while almost everyone can put it together, there's a different process all together, for truly building one. Matt Patruno is the owner and co-founder of Two Grunts Inc., a Michigan based rifle company. As a former Marine, and a former Police Officer, Matt knows the importance of a reliable work rifle. From material sciences, to metallurgy, to understanding what the label "mil-spec" really means, Matt and I get into a lot. There's truly a science and a detailed knowledge that he puts into every...

Lantern Rescue is a Counter Human Trafficking organization, founded in 2020, that helps fight trafficking across the globe. From providing assistance to local law enforcement, to assisting with legislative and prosecutorial practices, Lantern is able to contribute by creating sustainable change in the constant battle against trafficking. In this discussion, I sit down with Lantern's founder, Korrin, a lawyer and former Marine, to talk about the mission behind all of the work, but also to dispell some myths and misconceptions, while bringing more visibility and reality to the conversation. As the world continues to change in an increasingly electronic age...

Happy Easter everyone! With the turn of the calendar into April, comes another edition of the SITREP. For the first time in a while I have some current developments to share with Prepared Mindset and our YouTube channel, as well as obviously taking the time to get into a few political happenings. Mostly notably, the very recent dismissal of Pam Bondi as the Attorney General of the United States. This comes just a handful of weeks after the dismissal of Kristi Noem, who was another prominent cabinet member in the media, and perceived to be a key part of...

I catch up with Joe Fasanella, the owner and founder of Grayfighter Gear in this weeks conversation, to talk about the tools and solutions he produces to help modern law enforcement. Of course, as a retired federal agent, and former NYPD cop, Joe is able to speak to several of the unique needs that his gear has been able to address both here in the United States, but also around the globe. Past nylon, we also discuss the culture change that Joe is helping to bring about in New York City for private gun owners, and even got into...

I'm catching up with John Ketteman, and in this week's discussion, we're talking about something unique that I haven't truly dove in to on the pod. The realities of applied and physical violence. While this at face value seems like something that applies to every conversation we've had on the pod previously, we've certainly never taken the time to dive into what it really means. While things like an aggressive nature, and a disposition for physical violence can help in a fight, they actually can put you in a worse position to win. Additionally, when we look objectively at...

Mark Smith is the owner/founder of JBS Training Group and has been shooting for over 15 years. JBS offers training all over the country to concerned and prepared citizens, law enforcement, and military who are seeking to improve their shooting abilities. Mark and I dive into a lot in our conversation together from the pitfalls of self-validation and accepting mediocrity, to the different ways of learning, and the importance of prinicple based techniques and training. The passion that Mark has for shooting at a high level, as well as for teaching and educating, comes through in the conversation. I...

After meeting up at SHOT show just a handful of weeks ago, I finally get to catch up with Jack, the owner and founder of Guerrilla Tactical. Guerrilla was founded, like many companies, during the abundance of free time during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. Unlike many companies though, when we fast forward to 2026, they are thriving, growing, and expanding. Sitting down with Jack, we talk about the importance of a quality holster, share some experiences using sub-par gear, and hear a few first hand experiences from a customer service perspective that show us that while information on carrying is abundant...

As requested by our YouTube audience, here's a re-hashing of a very popular subject, and one that, given the climate of things, is probably of interest to many. Carbines, and how to build one or set one up in a way that will be most advantageous to the prepared end user. While there's some common themes present here, I think there's always room to make some adjustments or changes depending on your unique needs and goals. Throughout this discussion I make some recommendations, while trying them back to my use cases and my needs. When building out any solution...

Rolling into March we have a whole lot to talk about, as news breaks of the United States and partner nations launching attacks against Iran. While this has been something of much speculation over the past months, it has now become a reality, with impacts that I believe we are all to feel in more than one way. From the economic impacts, the influence to the country via media channels, and more, there is a lot that we can expect to see and experience. As always with the SITREP episodes, I do my best to try and connect the...

I catch up with Kevin in this weeks episode, and given the rather unfortunate news delivered by that ridiculous rodent Punxsutawney Phil, it seems only appropriate that we talk about the harsh winter we've been experiencing. Specifically, given the severity of the weather across the nation, we take the opportunity to dive into survival skills that specifically apply to the winter, the harsh cold, and some of the considerations that need to be at the top of your list when planning for what could happen. We talk in detail about clothing choices and layers, but more importantly Kevin get's...

Ken Decker is a former 3/75 Ranger, and the current head of Long Range Training for Core Vision Training. As a subject expert, Kenny was one of the guest instructors at a charity event I attended a couple years ago and I've been working to get him on for a conversation ever since. Sitting down together this week, we took the opportunity to of course talk about scoped carbines, but also about some of the more interesting experiences he had with military recruiters, what led Ken to joining the Army, as well as obviously the desire to train and attain...

Dogs are fantastic. They are a strong and spirited companion, and a total force multiplier in the field, whether that's Law Enforcement or Military applications. To dive into this, I finally am able to sit down with my friend Tommy Marchitto and ask many of the questions I've had about working with dogs in tactical applications. Tommy is a Law Enforcement veteran of 13 years, spending a large portion of that working SWAT, and as a K9 handler. Having great experiences with a working dog earlier in life led to a career path partnering him with "Otto", his dog. We...

John Ketteman served 11 years in the U.S. Army were he had the opportunity to train alongside many talented men and women, and attend the legendary Q course. From his experiences in the military, he's become an outstanding professional shooter, as well as educator, sharing his lessons learned in both the tactical and competitive realms. We dive into the overlapping concepts that exist between these two ideas of what shooting is, and bridge the gap, getting into things like "getting off the X", practical tools you can use to solve problems in stressful situations, discuss how to prioritize your...

January has flown by and brought with it some record setting weather, as well as a few unfortunate events in Minnesota. In this episode of The Sunday SITREP, we examine the rising tensions between ICE and protestors, and talk about two fatal incidents which could possibly have been avoided, but may possibly have been justified as well. With so much internet speculation and media input on both, it's becoming harder and harder to see the situations objectively. Further, we're witnessing our own "community" turn on itself and speak out against the very 2A rights that so many of us...

The sports, hunting, and outdoor trade show, better known as SHOT show, takes place every year in Las Vegas, and for the first time, The Prepared Mindset was able to attend. This is something that I've been working towards and very much anticipating, as many do, for a long time, and was every bit the learning and networking opportunity that I had hoped it would be. Lexy and I sit down and recap the trip, talk about what we did, who we saw, and what we learned. Truly, if you've never attended, I'm just not sure that there are...

For years, the phrase "Modern Minuteman" has been latched on to by those of us in the preparedness community as a way to self identify, and to a extent, justify our efforts. While it's a nifty idea and catchy label, I personally think that it's become one of the more detrimental ideologies in todays community. There's a certain amount of personal awareness, and accountability that is required when discussing the idea of a truly capable man, and prepared civilian. What many do seem to forget is that in the days of the original minuteman, the lack of training and...

As a follow up from our previous discussion with Irish from Almost Covert, in this week's episode I sit down with the "other half" of the founders of A/C, the man called Bully. With a conventional background, one outside of military and law enforcement, this isn't exactly the kind of individual you would expect to find coordinating counter trafficking operations and devoting his life to helping save children. Our conversation started with personal fitness, training on and off the range, mindset, and accountability, and ended diving into the work that Tether Group is doing overseas in South Africa...

With SHOT show just over a week away, it's only fitting that we have a discussion around the unique animal, which is the city of Las Vegas. More specifically, how the various impressive properties up and down the strip approach security, manage risk, and protect guests. I sit down with Gabe this week, who has had a relatively short but impressive career working in Vegas in multiple capacities, to unpack the many facets of securing some of the most well known casinos in the world. From SRT and ERT teams, to Cash Transport, to customer service and all of...

The official first episode AND first SITREP of the 2026 calendar year! While I initially didn't think there would be a whole lot to talk about when planning this a couple weeks ago, there's been a few developments as of late that really worked themselves up the list. As always, these discussions are the monthly opportunity to talk about current events both in the United States, as well as abroad, and give lots of opinion and a little context to help keep our audience informed. Certainly, getting into the new changes the NFA, diving into the fraud scandals with daycare...

The end of 2025 is here! Hard to believe as it may be, this is the last episode/discussion of the calendar, as we get ready to turn over, and dive head first into 2026. This past year been one of intense growth for me personally, and certainly for Prepared Mindset. The changes that came about this year in many cases were extremely challenging but in some ways very rewarding too. As with the other years gone by, I take this opportunity to walk through the highlights, and unfortunately some lowlights of this year, and talk about them. From the classes...

If you've been searching for information on breaching - how it's done, why one tool is used over another, considerations and constraints - this is the one guys. This week, I sit down with Steve, of Core Vision Training and dive into the topic and skillset of breaching. Steve is former Army, and currently active on what I would consider a pretty high volume SWAT team. Throughout our discussion we hit on various tools, including Rams, Halligans, Shotguns, torches and saws, we even spend time talking about the benefits that Hydraulic breaching tools bring into the discussion. From weight...

Go Take a Class! While you can certain do a lot of self study in today's day and age, with the access to articles and videos we have, instructor led courses are still the best source of information and learning available. While they alone won't magically make you better, getting the hands-on opportunity is invaluable in your personal journey of preparedness. Unfortunately, this concept is still one that is widely unadopted, leaving us with a community full of overly-empowered individuals, who parrot the opinions of strangers online, or worse, draw vast assumptions based on personal emotion. In this discussion...

Not having a personal background in military or law enforcement, I wasn't sure I would ever actually have the chance to teach in the 2A space. Sure, I have a lot of years under my belt as an educator, teaching music and marching band, but is that really relevant in the context of shooting, self defense, tactics, etc.? Well, I finally had a opportunity presented to me to give it a go, and I spend this weeks episode talking all about it. From my apprehension about the outward appearance of someone with no operational background teaching, to the excitement...

We roll through Thanksgiving, officially into the last month of the Calendar, and lots of strong economic indicators as things politically heat up across the country. In this installment of the Sunday SITREP, I talk about some crucial current events, talking about tensions across the country as religious protests increase and the friction heats up between protestors and residents in key cities across the U.S. With things become so tense, especially in the wake of the murder of two National Guardsmen in D.C., there's a lot to consider, and a lot to evaluate. Additionally, I talk about...

Fresh off Black Friday weekend, I sit down with Kevin Holland of Custom Night Vision to catch up and talk about night vision, lasers, comedy, and more. It's always interseting to me when I get to chat with industry experts, some of the surprising stories and details their able to share. Being that devices like NODs are so prohibitively expensive for many folks, my assumption would be that when people are able to purchase finally, they've done a lot of research on basic use and common experiences. Kevin and I talk about end users, and how in fact, that...

Almost Cover is a social media presence that many of us may know, and many more of us may relate with. They started as a page, or rather a pseudo "art project" sharing good photos and funny video clips. Rather quickly however, this team of former veterans has turned into something else entirely, changing the world in ways that I think few realize. In this episode, I sit with Irish, one of the team members and founders of Almost Covert. We talk about his beginnings in the Airforce, touch on his time after service working with charity organizations, and...

I finally have the opportunity to sit down with Rick of SSV Concepts, catch up, and have a great discussion. Just as the title says, we get into dogs as a low tech early warning system and the realities of dealing with them, combatting drug operations and how the landscape has changed, and general dumb ideas, that may not be so dumb. We spent time talking about utilizing data and personal outputs to track and maximize your own performance, and that of your team. We even took a moment to touch on the idiocy of public perception, and legacy...