The Eight Relationships Every Ambitious Leader Needs

Drownproof: Eight Life Lessons to Keep Your Head Above Water

EP55: Drownproof: Eight Life Lessons to Keep Your Head Above Water You've built your whole identity around what you accomplish, and it worked, until the day it didn't. This week, host Shelly Rood sits down a fellow Veteran - a retired Navy SEAL - who says the strongest people he's ever known are the first ones to ask for help, and who's still working out what it costs when you don't. Andy Stumpf spent seventeen years as a Navy SEAL, six of those on SEAL Team Six. In February 2005, an insurgent shot him at close range on a deployment in Iraq, doctors weren't sure he'd walk the same again. He came back, and later set two world records skydiving from 36,500 feet to raise $750,000 for the Navy SEAL Foundation. His book, "Drownproof: Eight Life Lessons to Keep Your Head Above Water," is a New York Times bestseller with a foreword from Jocko Willink. In this conversation, Andy talks candidly about why asking for help gets treated as weakness in high-performance cultures when it's actually the opposite, why money is a tool to say no rather than a way to acquire things, and what his own career cost his marriage and his kids the first time around. We also get into a live, unresolved question: what happens when the label you've earned starts doing more work for your identity than you want it to. CHAPTERS 00:00 Show Intro and Teaser 01:18 Season One Finale Setup 01:52 Meet Andy Stumpf 04:08 Montana Life and Big Sky 04:54 Spirituality and Saying I Dont Know 07:23 Podcast Questions and Relationship Themes 09:50 Entrepreneurial Path and Coffee Shop 13:00 Money as a Tool to Say No 14:53 Drown Proof and Identity Beyond SEAL 17:24 Asking for Help and Alcohol Culture 21:41 Competition Social Media and Jujitsu 35:50 Final Advice and Host Closing Reflections KEY TOPICS * Why the most capable people ask for help first, not last * Reframing money as a tool to say no, not a way to acquire things * The real cost of chasing danger and delaying what matters most * Being more than the label you've earned, even one you're proud of GUEST Andy Stumpf, retired Navy SEAL (SEAL Team Six), New York Times bestselling author of Drownproof: Eight Life Lessons to Keep Your Head Above Water, host of Cleared Hot. RESOURCES * Grab Drownproof: Eight Life Lessons to Keep Your Head Above Water at your favorite bookstore * Go deeper into Andy's point of view: andystumpf.com [https://andystumpf.com] CONNECT WITH HARDCORE AND AT EASE * Join the community: join.othersoverself.com [https://join.othersoverself.com] * Take the Wildflower Assessment for Women Veterans: othersoverself.shop [https://othersoverself.shop/products/wildflower-assessment-for-women-veterans] * Be At Ease Woman Veteran gatherings: womanveteranstrong.org [https://womanveteranstrong.org] * Mission Wildflower on Substack: shellyrood.substack.com [https://shellyrood.substack.com] * Questions or booking inquiries: info@missionambition.org [info@missionambition.org] ABOUT THE HOST Shelly Rood is the host of Hardcore and At Ease, an Others Over Self® show for mission-driven leaders who want to keep their edge without going over the edge.

Don't Be Boring, Here's the Fix: Storytelling 101

Episode 54: "Don't Be Boring, Here's the Fix: Storytelling 101" Ever watched someone's eyes glaze over the second you started talking? You're not imagining it. And it's fixable. Episode Description This year, two interviews landed on Shelly's calendar that felt like a dream to book. Both guests are good people living lives of real service. Both conversations still fell flat, and not because of who they were. In this solo episode, Shelly unpacks what those two conversations had in common, and holds it up against a very different reaction from early in the show's history, a conversation with an eleven-time New York Times bestselling author that still stands as one of the best interviews on the podcast. The difference wasn't credentials. It was storytelling. You'll walk away with a new way to think about who owns your story, who doesn't, and the one shift that turns "talking about yourself" into a story people lean into instead of tune out of. Chapters 00:00 Welcome and Promise 01:22 Two Interviews Fell Flat 03:09 Donald Miller Breakthrough 05:39 Why Stories Hook Us 09:10 Zoom In on Stakes 11:43 Permission vs Craft 15:48 Interviewer Skill Gap 17:09 Three Questions to Open Up 21:21 Takeaways and Closing Key Topics * Why the most accomplished people can still tell a boring story * The difference between owning your story and earning permission to tell it * What good storytelling borrows from Save the Cat and The Seven Basic Plots * Why the interviewer's own skill matters as much as the guest's story Next Week: Episode 55 — Andy Stumpf, US Navy SEAL (ret.) Resources & Links Learn More: * Hardcore and At Ease Framework: https://www.OthersOverSelf.com [https://www.OthersOverSelf.com] * Personal Mission Statement Workshop: info@missionambition.org [info@missionambition.org] * Book a Strategy Session: info@missionambition.org [info@missionambition.org] Affiliate Disclaimer: I earn commissions when you purchase through links on this site, podcast, or social media. I only recommend products and services I genuinely use and believe will help you. These commissions come at no additional cost to you and help support the content I create. For complete details, see our full affiliate policy. Get the Gear: 📊 My Business Report: https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/biz-report [https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/biz-report] 🎯 StoryBrand.ai: https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/storybrand-ai [https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/storybrand-ai] 📚 Business Made Simple: https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/bms [https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/bms] 🚀 Flight School: https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/flight-school [https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/flight-school] 📈 My Marketing Report: https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/marketing-report [https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/marketing-report] Subscribe & Connect Listen: Apple Podcasts [https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/listen] | Spotify [https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/listen] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbwdY5eMeQlCbUmUIAmiiedzPazjuPBxG] | https://othersoverself.com Connect: LinkedIn: Mission Ambition [https://www.linkedin.com/company/missionambition/] | Instagram: @OthersOverSelf [https://www.instagram.com/othersoverself/] | Twitter/X: @OthersOverSelf Email: info@missionambition.org Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts Work with Shelly: One-on-One Coaching | Personal Mission Statement Workshop | Team Training. Book a discovery call: info@missionambition.org

What Strong Looks Like After the Hard Stuff

EPISODE 53: "WHAT STRONG LOOKS LIKE AFTER THE HARD STUFF" Strong is not the absence of hard stuff. It is what you build on the other side of it. This episode shows you what that looks like in practice. The leaders who perform at the highest level have usually been through the most. The question nobody asks out loud is how do you stay yourself through all of it — still sharp, still clear, still in the game — when the terrain has been relentless. In this conversation we explore that through the lens of someone who has lived it. From crime scenes to command, from dual military marriage to raising sons who deployed, she has been inside more of the hard stuff than most. What she found inside it, and how she came out the other side, is the conversation worth having. Daina Durham went into the Military Police Corps and came out a CID Special Agent with purview over everything at the felony level — from procurement to fraud to death to murder. She was the only female agent in an office of twenty guys. Her last position before retiring: chief executive of a law enforcement agency. Daughter of a veteran. A veteran. Married to a veteran. Mother of veterans. In this episode you'll hear how she kept a 38-year marriage alive through dual deployments and competing careers, why the strongest leaders are often the last to recognize stress injuries in themselves, what it looks like to rebuild your identity after the uniform comes off, and how she found her way to solid ground after decades inside the hardest terrain a person can walk. CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome And Big Question 03:09 Meet Dinah Durham 06:26 From Street Cop To Army CID 08:51 Marriage Under Deployment Stress 21:10 Leaving Service And Inner Work 31:01 Marriage Maintenance Mindset 33:29 Stop Comparing and Be Real 34:37 Integrity and Authentic Leadership 38:41 Female Friendship and Identity 52:11 Healing Trauma and Finding Hope In this episode you'll discover: ✓ Why the strongest performers are often carrying the most they've never named — and what changes when they finally open the file ✓ What 38 years of military marriage teaches about connection that daily communication never will ✓ The difference between perfection (a trap) and excellence (a standard you can actually build on) ✓ How to recognize the moment the rucksack needs to be inventoried before it carries you FEATURED GUEST: Daina Durham | Army CID Special Agent | Law Enforcement Executive | Counselor, Warrior Set Free Connect: warriorsetfree.org [warriorsetfree.org] NEXT WEEK: Episode 54 — A special message from Shelly on the relationships that determine how far you go. LEARN MORE: Hardcore and At Ease Framework: https://www.OthersOverSelf.com [https://www.OthersOverSelf.com] Mission Wildflower (Women Veterans): https://shellyrood.substack.com [https://shellyrood.substack.com] Wildflower Assessment for Women Veterans: https://othersoverself.shop/products/wildflower-assessment-for-women-veterans [https://othersoverself.shop/products/wildflower-assessment-for-women-veterans] | Strategy Session: info@missionambition.org Affiliate Disclaimer: I only recommend products I genuinely use. Full disclosure: https://othersoverself.com/affiliate-disclaimer/ [https://othersoverself.com/affiliate-disclaimer/] GET THE GEAR: 📊 My Business Report: https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/biz-report [https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/biz-report] 🎯 StoryBrand.ai: https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/storybrand-ai [https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/storybrand-ai] 📚 Business Made Simple: https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/bms [https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/bms] 🚀 Flight School: https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/flight-school [https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/flight-school] 📈 My Marketing Report: https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/marketing-report [https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/marketing-report] LISTEN: Apple Podcasts [https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/listen] | Spotify [https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/listen] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbwdY5eMeQlCbUmUIAmiiedzPazjuPBxG] | CONNECT: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/missionambition/] | Instagram @TheShellyRood [https://www.instagram.com/othersoverself/] | Email: info@missionambition.org [info@missionambition.org] RATE & REVIEW: Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts [https://hardcore-and-at-ease.captivate.fm/listen] WORK WITH SHELLY: One-on-One Coaching | Workshops | Team Training | info@missionambition.org [info@missionambition.org]

FISDAP Study Guide: Paramedic Exam Prep Answers (Bonus Episode)

FISDAP Study Guide: Paramedic Exam Prep Answers (Bonus Episode) What you're getting: This episode is a straight resource drop. We're going audio on the Fisdap Medical Study Guide—all the questions, all the answers, organized by medical topic so you can listen, study, and prepare without staring at a blank outline wondering where to start. The problem this solves: If you're studying for paramedic certification or teaching paramedic education, you've seen the question outlines. They tell you what to learn but not always how to answer. You're hunting through Bledsoe's Paramedic Care looking for specifics on lung sounds, toxidromes, septic shock presentations, seizure types. The studying becomes the obstacle instead of the learning. How to use this: Listen front to back if you're cramming. Jump to the chapter you need if you're targeting weak spots. Test yourself: pause the audio, answer the question in your own words, then play through the answer to see what you missed. The best study tool is the one you actually use—and this one works whether you're driving to your shift, at the gym, or at the kitchen table at midnight. Topics covered: * Respiratory & Pulmonology * Toxicology * Psychiatric * GI/GU * Neurology * Endocrinology * Nephrology * Infectious Diseases * Hematology * Miscellaneous conditions Reference: Bledsoe's Paramedic Care: Principles & Practice, Volumes 1 & 2

The Eight Relationships Every Ambitious Leader Needs

EPISODE 52: "THE EIGHT RELATIONSHIPS EVERY AMBITIOUS LEADER NEEDS" Hook: What if the people around you are the real difference between a career that's fine and a career that's legendary? Not your resume. Not your wins. The people who see your potential before you do. WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER In this episode, Shelly goes deep into Chapter 8 of Creator Capitalist by the Category Pirates to break down relationship capital—the invisible asset that compounds over time and transforms your entire trajectory. You'll learn the exact eight types of relationships you need to build a legendary career, why business is always personal (and why pretending it isn't costs you everything), and the three pillars that hold every meaningful relationship together. More importantly: you'll get a clear lens for evaluating whether the people in your life are actually moving you forward or holding you back. CHAPTERS & TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Chapter Eight Opens 05:45 Quote: "It's Just Business" / Calling BS / Relationship Capital Theme 05:57 Business Is Personal / Why It Matters / Personal Stakes in Work / Closing Takeaway KEY TOPICS ✓ The myth of "business vs. personal" and why it's costing you ✓ What relationship capital actually is (and how to measure it) ✓ The three pillars every strong relationship must have ✓ The eight types of relationships legendary careers are built on ✓ How to identify your Archimedes and your auctioneer ✓ Why unicorn investors do way more than just write checks THE EIGHT RELATIONSHIPS YOU NEED 1. Sensei with a sense of humor — The mentor who sees what others miss and isn't afraid to throw you in the deep end 2. Battlefield promotion boss — The leader willing to risk their reputation to build yours 3. Business bandmates who love to jam — Creative partners who speak your language and challenge you 4. Loved ones who won't lie to you — The people who tell you the brutal truth when everyone else is pandering 5. Mentors on a quest — Highly capable people moving forward (includes your Archimedes + auctioneer) 6. Trusted leaders who drive outcomes — People with a track record you can bet on 7. Investors looking for unicorns — People who bet on what could be, not just what is 8. Friends who walk through the fire — People who stand beside you in hard moments KEY INSIGHT "Real relationships form between people willing to serve a bigger purpose than themselves. Others Over Self. We stand on a principle when it matters, and we take meaningful risks together." THE THREE PILLARS OF RELATIONSHIP CAPITAL Every relationship worth building has: * Shared purpose — A mission that matters more than individual gain * Shared principles — Values that align and hold steady * Shared risk profile — Willingness to be vulnerable and take bold action together If you can say yes to two out of three, you're building. If you've got all three? You're doing something legendary together. RESOURCES & NEXT STEPS Get the book: Creator Capitalist: Discover Your Superpower, Design Your Dream Career, and Get Paid to Be You [https://a.co/d/08ogMghf] by Christopher Lochhead & Eddie Yoon Join the community: join.othersoverself.com [https://join.othersoverself.com] Apply the framework: Audit your current eight relationships. Who's missing? Who needs to be replaced? ABOUT SHELLY ROOD Shelly Rood is founder of Mission Ambition, LLC and host of Hardcore and At Ease, powered by Others Over Self®. A former U.S. Army Reserve Captain of Military Intelligence, Distinguished Military Graduate, and broadcast television executive, Shelly coaches mission-driven leaders on keeping their edge without going over it. Her work centers on the Hardcore and At Ease Framework (T.A.R.G.E.T.) and the Wilderness/Wildflower system for women veterans. Until next Tuesday, stay hardcore. Be at ease. And trust the process. Join us at join.othersoverself.com [https://join.othersoverself.com]