Subject Matter Expert

Emergency Doctor Dispels Common Medical Myths | SME 018

Emergency physician Dr. Ashely Alker joins Subject Matter Expert to unpack her new book “99 Ways to Die”—a funny yet essential guide to the risks people actually face and how to avoid them.  We cover everything from heart attacks and strokes to deadly infections and “butt stuff.” Dr. Alker offers practical advice, myth-busting first aid tips, and the early warning signs that should send you to the ER right now. We also talked about her time working in public health around the world, while Marty over-shared about all of his medical misadventures. Dr. Alker is an emergency medicine physician, medical communicator, and public-health advocate known for translating complex science into clear, actionable advice. Trained in molecular biology, public health, and emergency medicine, she has advised TV and film productions and delivered talks on how we misunderstand dying—and how to make smarter choices long before an ambulance is involved. “99 Ways to Die” distills years of experience in the ER into a practical field manual for everyday life. In this episode * Why everyone is sick right now * How declining vaccination rates are contributing to increased illness. * The importance of engaging with the public to combat misinformation. * Why preventable diseases are often overlooked in modern medicine. * How Dr. Alker’s cultural experiences shaped her medical perspectives and practices. * How medical television can effectively communicate health information. * Dispelling medical myths * Marty’s adventure with food poisoning in Mexico Buy Dr. Alker’s Book “99 Ways to Die: And How To Avoid Them” [https://a.co/d/b3Qnply⁠ ] Follow Dr. Alker on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aalkermd/⁠ ] Follow Dr. Alker on X [https://x.com/aalkermd⁠ ] Follow Dr. Alker on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@aalkermd⁠ ] New here? Welcome to Subject Matter Expert, hosted by Marty Skovlund Jr., featuring top experts across diverse and relevant fields without regard to political bias. If you're looking for an echo chamber, this isn't it!  In each episode, Marty dives deep into high-impact topics with guests who have been there, done that, offering nuanced insights and practical takeaways, while highlighting their unique stories, knowledge, and experiences. Subscribe & Follow * Subscribe to ⁠Subject Matter Expert on YouTube⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@SubjectMatterExpertShow/] * Subscribe to ⁠Subject Matter Expert Clips on YouTube⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@SubjectMatterExpertClips] * Follow ⁠Subject Matter Expert on Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/subjectmatterexpertshow/] * Follow ⁠Marty on Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/martythewriter/] Buy Marty's Books * ⁠Send Me: The True Story of a Mother at War⁠ [https://a.co/d/dYA1Odj] * ⁠Violence of Action: The True Stories of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the War on Terror⁠ [https://a.co/d/erYU4dT%E2%81%A0]

The Truth About Military Lasers (And the Biggest Myths) | SME 017

Laser Wars Jared Keller joins Subject Matter Expert to break down the world of military lasers—what works now, what’s still wishful thinking, and how these futuristic weapons fit into real counter-drone, ship defense, and air-to-air protection missions.  We get practical on the financial ramifications of directed energy weapons, magazine depth against drone swarms, and the unsexy limits that matter (power, beam control, cooling, weather). We also hit current headlines, from shipboard lasers in contested waters to how realistic railguns are—and map out what to watch in outer space. Jared Keller is the writer behind Laser Wars, an up-and-coming Substack focused on directed-energy weapons and futuristic defense tech. A longtime national-security reporter and former managing editor at Task & Purpose and Military.com, he translates defense-industry claims into plain English, pressure-testing vendor hype against physics, logistics, and real-world concepts of operation. In this episode * Lasers vs. drones: cost-per-shot and “infinite magazine” reality * Where lasers actually slot in a layered air defense (EW + kinetic + DE) * Ground, sea, and air use cases: what’s deployable vs. developmental * Power & thermal management: the boring stuff that decides winners * Law & escalation: dazzling optics, blinding bans, and gray-zone fights * 12-month forecast: what capability becomes routine—and what remains hype * Will we ever have a Star Wars-esque lightsaber?! Follow Jared Keller * Read Jared’s Substack “Laser Wars” [https://www.laserwars.net/p/one-year-of-laser-wars%E2%81%A0%C2%A0] * Follow Jared on X [https://x.com/iamjaredbkeller] New here? Welcome to Subject Matter Expert, hosted by Marty Skovlund Jr., featuring top experts across diverse and relevant fields without regard to political bias. If you're looking for an echo chamber, this isn't it!  In each episode, Marty dives deep into high-impact topics with guests who have been there, done that, offering nuanced insights and practical takeaways, while highlighting their unique stories, knowledge, and experiences. Subscribe & Follow * Subscribe to ⁠Subject Matter Expert on YouTube⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@SubjectMatterExpertShow/] * Subscribe to ⁠Subject Matter Expert Clips on YouTube⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@SubjectMatterExpertClips] * Follow ⁠Subject Matter Expert on Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/subjectmatterexpertshow/] * Follow ⁠Marty on Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/martythewriter/] Buy Marty's Books * ⁠Send Me: The True Story of a Mother at War⁠ [https://a.co/d/dYA1Odj] * ⁠Violence of Action: The True Stories of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the War on Terror⁠ [https://a.co/d/erYU4dT%E2%81%A0]

Laura Zerra on Surviving 'Naked and Afraid' & Life Off the Grid | SME 016

“Naked and Afraid” star Laura Zerra joins Subject Matter Expert to talk about what real survival looks like, far beyond the TV edits.  We dive into her most challenging moments on “Naked and Afraid” and “Naked and Afraid XL,” the mindset that carries you when calories run out, and the fieldcraft that actually keeps you alive. Laura also opens up about her early years hitchhiking and hopping freight trains, how solo travel sharpened her threat assessment and people-reading skills, and why trusting your gut is crucial to survival in the backcountry or on the road. A professional survivalist, author, and all-around outdoorswoman, Laura Zerra is known for multiple seasons of Discovery’s “Naked and Afraid” franchise, long solo stints living off the land, and teaching primitive skills from friction fire and stone tools to wild foods and shelter craft. She writes, guides, and films expeditions that blend practical fieldcraft with mental toughness and respect for the wild. In this episode * The reality of life on “Naked and Afraid” * Solo travel lessons from hitchhiking and freight hopping * The survival priorities that never change * Women in survival: myths vs reality * Living off the grid in Montana Read Laura’s Book, A Modern Guide to Knifemaking [https://a.co/d/7ktFpwA⁠ ] Follow Laura on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/laurazerra/⁠ ] New here? Welcome to Subject Matter Expert, hosted by Marty Skovlund Jr., featuring top experts across diverse and relevant fields without regard to political bias. If you're looking for an echo chamber, this isn't it!  In each episode, Marty dives deep into high-impact topics with guests who have been there, done that, offering nuanced insights and practical takeaways, while highlighting their unique stories, knowledge, and experiences. Subscribe & Follow * Subscribe to ⁠Subject Matter Expert on YouTube⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@SubjectMatterExpertShow/] * Subscribe to ⁠Subject Matter Expert Clips on YouTube⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@SubjectMatterExpertClips] * Follow ⁠Subject Matter Expert on Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/subjectmatterexpertshow/] * Follow ⁠Marty on Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/martythewriter/] Buy Marty's Books * ⁠Send Me: The True Story of a Mother at War⁠ [https://a.co/d/dYA1Odj] * ⁠Violence of Action: The True Stories of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the War on Terror⁠ [https://a.co/d/erYU4dT%E2%81%A0]

Inside the Secret World of Special Operations Intelligence | SME 015

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Charles “Charlie” Faint joins Subject Matter Expert for a wide-ranging conversation about turning intelligence into action for special operations, building leaders who perform under pressure, and reading the world’s most volatile flashpoints.  We unpack how SOF integrates intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance with decision-making at speed, what “good” leadership looks like when stakes are high, and how to read Indo-Pacific gray-zone clashes, Israel–Gaza dynamics, and Venezuela tensions without the hype. Charlie is a former Infantry and Military Intelligence officer with 27+ years of service and seven combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Charlie served with 5th Special Forces Group, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, and JSOC. He later taught at West Point (Modern War Institute), has advanced degrees, including an M.A. in International Relations, and leads veteran-focused projects such as The Havok Journal and the Second Mission Foundation. His work sits at the intersection of operations, strategy, and leader development. In this episode * How SOF actually fuses intel with combat operations * The targeting method that changed the War on Terror * Trust, standards, and moral courage in the military * Indo-Pacific alliances, gray-zone coercion, and deterrence signals * Middle East escalation indicators between Israel–Hamas–Hezbollah * Venezuela and how it may be more than meets the eye Read The Havok Journal: https://havokjournal.com/ [https://havokjournal.com/]  Follow The Havok Journal on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/havokjournal/ [https://www.instagram.com/havokjournal/]  Check out The Second Mission Foundation: https://secondmissionfoundation.org/ [https://secondmissionfoundation.org/]  New here? Welcome to Subject Matter Expert, hosted by Marty Skovlund Jr., featuring top experts across diverse and relevant fields without regard to political bias. If you're looking for an echo chamber, this isn't it!  In each episode, Marty dives deep into high-impact topics with guests who have been there, done that, offering nuanced insights and practical takeaways, while highlighting their unique stories, knowledge, and experiences. Subscribe & Follow * Subscribe to ⁠Subject Matter Expert on YouTube⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@SubjectMatterExpertShow/] * Subscribe to ⁠Subject Matter Expert Clips on YouTube⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@SubjectMatterExpertClips] * Follow ⁠Subject Matter Expert on Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/subjectmatterexpertshow/] * Follow ⁠Marty on Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/martythewriter/] Buy Marty's Books * Send Me: The True Story of a Mother at War⁠ [https://a.co/d/dYA1Odj] * ⁠Violence of Action: The True Stories of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the War on Terror [https://a.co/d/erYU4dT%E2%81%A0]

ElkShape's Dan Staton On Fitness, Hunting, and Life | SME 014

Bowhunter and fitness coach Dan Staton—founder of ElkShape—joins Subject Matter Expert to break down what it really takes to perform in the mountains, from year-round preparation to getting your mind right during a hunt.  We get into mental rehearsal, prioritizing family, and the most challenging hunts he’s ever endured. Dan also reflects on why his mantra, “separation in the preparation,” continues to win on every tough hunt. Dan is a lifelong bowhunter, performance coach, and the creator of ElkShape, where he’s trained thousands of hunters through camps, online programs, and a popular YouTube channel. He holds a master’s degree in exercise physiology, previously owned and coached at a CrossFit gym, and has competed as a CrossFit athlete. Today, he blends science-based training, disciplined fieldcraft, and faith and family priorities to help hunters prepare with purpose. * Follow ElkShape on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/elkshape/⁠ ] * Follow ElkShape on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/elkshape⁠ ]