The Hardest Part Wasn't Becoming a Navy SEAL | Dan Luna

The Teacher Who Changed My Life | Rob Hughes

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2530310/fan_mail/new] The best teachers don't just teach subjects, they change lives. In this episode of The Not Special Show, we sit down with Rob Hughes, Herb’s high school science teacher, coach, timber framer, outdoorsman, and one of the people who had the biggest impact on who Herb became. Long before Herb became a Green Beret, Rob saw potential in him that he didn't yet see in himself. We talk about great teachers, leadership, curiosity, raising confident young people, education, parenting, technology, AI in the classroom, timber framing, resilience, and why the lessons that matter most are rarely found in a textbook. If you've ever had a teacher, coach, or mentor who changed your life, this conversation is for you. In this episode we discuss: * Why great teachers connect while others don't * Building confidence in young people * Leadership lessons outside the classroom * Curiosity, purpose, and lifelong learning * The impact of technology and AI on education * Timber framing and creating things that outlive you * Mentorship, parenting, and leaving a legacy * Why the best lessons are often never part of the curriculum * Making Maple Syrup on land and from trees that Rob’s Grandpa harvested Rob Hughes spent more than 36 years teaching science, coaching students, building timber frames, mentoring thousands of young people, and quietly changing lives, including Herb’s. ⏱️ CLICKABLE CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Why Rob is Special 01:24 How he Became a Teacher and Not a Park Ranger 04:10 You Should Stop Acting Dumb 05:49 The Secret to Making Students Love Learning 09:59 Why Great Teachers Change Lives 11:18 Has AI and Cellphones Made School Worse? 14:36 Why Kids Need More Boredom 16:21 The Confidence That Comes From Building Something 19:34 Why Some Teachers Never Connect 21:56 The Students You Never Forget 23:20 Herb is Thomas Jefferson to Rob 24:17 The Letter That Changed Everything 27:31 GOVX Saves You Money 28:02 Lessons That Aren't in Any Textbook 29:12 The "Amnesia Portfolio" (Everyone Needs This) 31:16 The Best Advice for Young People 32:09 Becoming a Better Parent Made Me a Better Teacher 33:34 How Timber Framing Changed His Life 44:56 Building Things That Will Outlive You 50:51 The Adirondacks and Leadership 55:31 Greatest Moments in His Career 57:55 A Leadership Trek in the Mountains Led to a Winning Swim Team 01:01:16 A Maple Syrup Legacy 01:10:02 A Passion Versus a Business, Passion Wins 01:11:15 Leadership Lessons from 30+ Years of Coaching 01:16:37 www.bigbeamstimberframes.com 01:18:47 What Rob Values Most in Life If you enjoy conversations about leadership, education, resilience, military transition, personal growth, and the people who shape us, subscribe for a new episode every Thursday. Learn more about Rob’s timber frame work at www.bigbeamstimberframes.com #Teacher #Education #Leadership #Mentorship #PersonalGrowth Connect with Liberty Speaks:  🌐 Website: www.libertyspeaks.com  🔗 Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/_ownyourjourney_ Support those that support us:  Checkout www.govx.com for great discounts and they give back to the community every month, the July GOVX Give Back supports Mission 22. 👉 Don’t forget to follow, like, and share if you found this conversation valuable. Your support helps us bring more stories of resilience, leadership, and freedom to light.

The Hardest Part Wasn't Becoming a Navy SEAL | Dan Luna

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2530310/fan_mail/new] Former Navy SEAL operator, leadership coach, and Doctor of Education Dan Luna joins The Not Special Show for a conversation about resilience, leadership, purpose, and the realities of life after elite military service. Yes, Dan served with the Navy SEALs and SEAL Team 6. But this episode isn't about tactics or war stories. It's about what happens after the mission. Dan shares lessons from combat, leadership under pressure, overcoming fear, transitioning from military service, processing loss, finding purpose, and helping others navigate adversity. We discuss why resilience is often misunderstood, the difference between performance and positivity, how identity shapes our lives, and what it means to continue serving long after the uniform comes off. From growing up with a single mother in Southern California to serving at the highest levels of special operations and later earning a doctorate focused on resilience and human performance, Dan's journey offers insights that apply far beyond the military. In this episode: • Lessons from Navy SEAL and SEAL Team 6 service • Leadership under pressure • Building resilience in difficult environments • Fear, performance, and personal growth • Military transition and identity • Purpose after service • Faith, loss, and navigating adversity • Supporting veterans beyond "thank you for your service" • Human performance and trauma education • What great leaders do differently ⏱️ CLICKABLE CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Why Dan Is Special 01:43 Growing Up With a Single Mom 03:01 Dan’s Secret Love For Volleyball 05:53 Being a Momma’s Boy 08:31 Joining the Navy and Becoming a Man 12:39 Navy SEAL Says Green Berts Are Cool  14:31 What BUD/S Really Teaches 19:26 Fear, Pain, and Performance Under Pressure 29:48 Naval Academy Assignment Changed His Life 34:22 The Ebb and Flow of His Faith 38:52 Educating The Mental Aspect of War 41:49 The Myth of Positive Psychology 47:49 Becoming a SEAL or Leaving the SEAL Teams Harder 51:27 The Hardest Part Wasn't Becoming a Navy SEAL 54:57 What Does Resilience Mean 1:01:01 A Civilian Mentor Meant the World to Dan 1:04:46 Building a Business In His Late 40s 1:06:31 Dan’s Recent Work in Africa 1:10:27 A Powerful Moment With a Pride of Lions 1:13:02 Charged By an Elephant 1:19:48 Has Dan Found What He Was Seeking as a Kid 1:21:48 What Dan Values Most in Life Whether you're a veteran, business leader, entrepreneur, parent, coach, or someone facing a difficult season of life, this conversation will challenge the way you think about resilience, leadership, and purpose. #Leadership #Resilience #PersonalGrowth #NavySEAL #NotSpecial  Connect with Liberty Speaks:  🌐 Website: www.libertyspeaks.com  🔗 Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/_ownyourjourney_ 👉 Don’t forget to follow, like, and share if you found this conversation valuable. Your support helps us bring more stories of resilience, leadership, and freedom to light.

Kicked Out of Delta Force And It Saved His Life | Gary Harrington

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2530310/fan_mail/new] After reaching the pinnacle of military service, former Delta Force operator Gary Harrington was unexpectedly removed from the unit he had worked his entire career to join. What followed was a battle with identity, purpose, failure, faith, and finding meaning beyond military service. In this episode of The Not Special Show, Gary shares his journey from Marine Corps officer to Green Beret, Special Forces operator, Delta Force member, and later CIA officer during the early years of the War on Terror. He discusses Afghanistan after 9/11, counterterrorism operations, leadership, resilience, life in elite military units, and the personal cost of operating at the highest levels of national security. But this conversation goes far beyond combat stories. Gary opens up about losing the identity he had built around being a Delta Force operator, the struggles many veterans face after military service, and how one of the most painful setbacks of his life ultimately became one of his greatest blessings. If you're interested in Delta Force, Special Forces, the CIA, Afghanistan, military leadership, veteran transition, personal growth, faith, purpose, and overcoming adversity, this episode offers a rare and honest perspective from someone who lived it. Sometimes the thing we believe will destroy us becomes the thing that transforms us. ⏱️ CLICKABLE CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Why Gary Is Special 01:51 - Marine Corps Office to Enlisted Green Beret 06:10 - Being a Green Beret 07:46 - Did He Like Special Forces or Delta Better 10:41 - Kicked Out of Delta Affected Him 12:47 - Difference Between Delta Force and Green Berets 17:39 - What Happened After He Got Kicked Out of Delta Force 19:59 - A Panic Attack Going to 5th Special Forces Group 26:23 - Going to Yemen Before the USS Cole Attack 31:01 - September 11th 2001 36:01 - Tora Bora and the Early Afghanistan War Days 41:09 - First Day at Special Forces, Delta Force or the CIA Stick Out 42:25 - Thank God I Was Kicked Out of Delta Force 45:00 - The Toll of a Legendary Career 49:46 - Advice Learned From Being in Rooms With the Best and Worst of Humanity 54:37 - The One Thing That Made Him Successful 56:12 - Giving Himself up to God 57:38 - Meeting the Love of His Life 01:01:51 - Being a Honest Rule Breaker 01:02:53 - How His Faith Evolved 01:07:11 - Giving Advice to Young Gary 01:08:12 - What Gary Values Most in Life #NotSpecial #DeltaForce #GreenBeret #CIA #VeteranStories Connect with Liberty Speaks:  🌐 Website: www.libertyspeaks.com  🔗 Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/_ownyourjourney_ 👉 Don’t forget to follow, like, and share if you found this conversation valuable. Your support helps us bring more stories of resilience, leadership, and freedom to light.

The Hardest Part of Being a Green Beret Was Coming Home | Magnus Johnson

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2530310/fan_mail/new] Green Beret Magnus Johnson shares his experiences in Ramadi, Army Special Forces, Mission 22, veteran mental health, military transition, purpose after service, resilience, leadership, and life after combat. Magnus joins Herb and Corrie Thompson to share his journey from the battlefields of Iraq to helping thousands of veterans find purpose after military service. He opens up about serving in Ramadi during the Iraq War, earning the Green Beret, navigating the difficult transition home, and the lessons he learned while building Mission 22 into one of the most recognized veteran organizations in America. We discuss veteran mental health, resilience, leadership, purpose, faith, physical wellness, POTS syndrome, healing through art, and why many veterans struggle after leaving the military. This is an honest conversation about what it takes to rebuild your life after service and create a mission bigger than yourself. Whether you're a veteran, first responder, military family member, or simply someone looking for greater purpose and resilience, this episode offers hard-earned wisdom and practical lessons that apply far beyond the military. ⏱️ CLICKABLE CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Why Magnus Is Special 01:34 Watching 9/11 Changed Everything 03:07 Ramadi 2006: Entering the Fight 04:03 Why He Chose the Green Beret Path 05:12 What Life on an ODA Team Was Really Like 07:30 Leaving Special Forces After Three Deployments 08:33 The Hard Reality of Coming Home 11:10 How Art Became a Lifeline 16:22 Building a Monument That Started Mission 22 21:27 What Most People Get Wrong About Veteran Mental Health 29:10 How Civilians Can Better Support Veterans 31:24 How to Help Mission 22 33:41 POTS 43:19 Learning From History 49:19 What we Eat Affects us 52:16 Writing “The Men We Make” 57:17 What Magnus Values Most in Life #GreenBeret #Mission22 #VeteranMentalHealth #SpecialForces #notspecial  Connect with Liberty Speaks:  🌐 Website: www.libertyspeaks.com  🔗 Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/_ownyourjourney_ 👉 Don’t forget to follow, like, and share if you found this conversation valuable. Your support helps us bring more stories of resilience, leadership, and freedom to light.

Green Beret & Cop Share the Reality of PTSD | Chris & Marsha Lessard

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2530310/fan_mail/new] What happens when a former Green Beret and a former police officer stop surviving and start healing? In this powerful episode we sit down with Chris and Marcia Lessard to discuss Special Forces, law enforcement trauma, PTSD, traumatic brain injury (TBI), addiction, marriage, autism recovery, hyper-vigilance, mental health, veteran healing, and the groundbreaking brain treatments changing lives for veterans, first responders, and families across America. Chris Lessard, a former Green Beret, opens up about combat trauma, alcohol abuse, prescription medication dependency, identity loss after military retirement, and the life-changing treatments that helped him reclaim his life. Marcia Lessard shares her journey as a police officer, young mother, trauma survivor, and advocate for mental health and neurological healing. Together, they reveal how brain mapping, MERT therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, neurofeedback, functional medicine, and trauma-informed care transformed not only their marriage—but their son’s severe nonverbal autism diagnosis. This episode dives deep into Special Forces culture, law enforcement stress, childhood trauma, veteran mental health, first responder burnout, emotional compartmentalization, healing relationships, addiction recovery, brain inflammation, sleep issues, toxic exposure, and finding purpose after service. If you’re a veteran, first responder, military spouse, or someone struggling with PTSD, anxiety, depression, TBI symptoms, addiction, trauma, or autism in your family—this conversation could change your perspective forever. Topics include: * Green Beret life and military transition * PTSD and traumatic brain injury recovery * Veteran addiction and alcohol abuse * Law enforcement trauma and hyper-vigilance * Autism recovery and brain treatment therapies * MERT therapy and neurofeedback * Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for veterans * Functional medicine and mental health * Marriage, trauma bonding, and healing * Childhood trauma and emotional compartmentalization * Mental health in Special Operations and policing * Veteran suicide prevention and recovery * Brain health optimization and performance ⏱️ CLICKABLE CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Why Chris & Marsha Are Special 02:21 – Marsha’s Story: Becoming a Cop at 21 as a Single Mom 04:48 – Chris Lessard: From High School Dropout to Green Beret 07:00 – How a Green Beret & Police Officer Met on Match.com 09:34 – Ride-Alongs, PTSD & The Difference Between War and Policing 12:33 – Trauma, Marriage & Learning to Be Vulnerable 14:46 – Childhood Trauma, PTSD & Emotional Compartmentalization 16:37 – Dopamine, COMT Mutation & Why High Performers Keep Chasing 21:24 – How Their Son’s Autism Diagnosis Changed Everything 25:44 – The Autism Treatment That Changed Their Son’s Life 28:28 – Green Berets Opening Up About Trauma Around the Campfire 29:22 – Alcohol, Painkillers & the “Dark Years” After Service 32:02 – VA Programs, Medications & Finally Finding Real Healing 34:48 – Sleeping Normally Again After Years of PTSD & Hypervigilance 36:51 – SGB From Dr. James Lynch 37:32 – Marriage, Masculinity & Learning How to Fight Fair 43:08 – From Johns Hopkins to Opening Brain Treatment Clinics 48:53 – Why Veterans Get Help Easier Than Police Officers 50:28 – The Difference Between Combat Trauma & Police Trauma 54:56 – Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Neurofeedback & Functional Medicine 57:47 – Toxic Exposure, Burn Pits, Lyme Disease & Brain Health 01:03:18 – The Most Rewarding Part of Helping Veterans Heal 01:10:53 – The Biggest Surprise Dealing With Clients 01:15:49 – What They Value Most in Life For more information go to the NoVa Brain Treatment Center website: https://www.braintreatmentcenterashburn.com/ Connect with Liberty Speaks:  🌐 Website: www.libertyspeaks.com  🔗 Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/_ownyourjourney_ Support those that support us:  Our great episode sponsor improving lives with SGB treatments www.drjameslynch.com