246: Pressing Forward with Randy Rozzell.

Randy Rozzell—22-year Navy SEAL veteran, former firefighter, and tactical combatives instructor—is back on the show!

Since his last appearance on episode 219, Randy has written a powerful book called "Pressing Forward," a story of resilience that goes far beyond the battlefield. In this conversation, we dive deep into the lessons from his book and his life. Randy shares the heart behind his writing, explaining how a difficult upbringing and a demanding career forged the mindset he lives by today.

We discuss practical ways to build mental toughness, the challenge of raising resilient kids in a comfortable world, and the origin story of the elite combatives program he developed for the SEAL teams. This episode is packed with actionable advice on how to face adversity, tackle the hard things in life, and, as Randy puts it, "Don't let the weakness win."

Pressing Forward Audiobook.

Pressing Forward Book.

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Transcript

Nole (00:14.126)
You are listening to the fire. You carry podcast. This is our second episode with Randy Roselle. Randy was on episode two 19, which you should definitely go back and check out if you haven't heard before. He has a very storied and interesting career spent 22 years as a Navy seal, did some time as a firefighter paramedic down in San Diego and now teaches tactical shooting and combatives out in the glorious state of Texas.

We had Randy on for this episode because he recently wrote a book that Kevin and I both read slash listen to the audio book of the book is called pressing forward and we both really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it. So in today's episode, we talked through that book and about a lot of other experiences and things in Randy's life. Some great lessons in here. We strongly encourage you to go check out that book links to find it are in the show notes. Big thank you to Randy for coming on. Thank you for listening. Enjoy.

Kevin (01:23.906)
Well, welcome back to the fire you carry podcast. Today is a special day. We have back on the show, Randy Rizzo. Randy, we had you last. Noel said it was episode two 19 and it was a really, it was such an impressive story. think you're a Navy seal for how many years?

22 years.

22 years in the SEAL team, is, who said that quote? Beware of a man who has a long career and a career that people die. What's that quote?

Beware of the old man in a profession where men die young, something like that.

That's it. That to me is you in a nutshell. what was really cool was that you said you were writing a book and since the last time you were coming out, Pressing Forward is out and both Noel and I got a chance to dig through that and read it. I actually listened to the audiobook, which I was very impressed with that you actually dictated.

Randy (02:23.712)
Yeah, yeah, that was real fun. You know, sitting there on a stool for like five hours with my head in a box. Reading my own words, trying not to stumble over things, but I did all right. We didn't have to re-record too much. It's always so weird hearing yourself as well.

Yeah, that's that's difficult. We know a little bit about that. Before we get any further, I have to tell you right up front that your book made my mom cry. But she didn't read your book. I did.

Randy (03:00.898)
Hahaha.

So I want to come back to that and touch on why, but it's awesome. But since we, dude, since we started there, I know that Kevin really appreciates this too, because we've talked about this before with other books, but I really appreciated the fact that it was you narrating or reading your own book. And there's just, there's just something about when there's an emotional part of the story or just any kind of connection when it's actually the author reading it.

It tends to mean a bit more to me than it would be just someone who, you know, is paid to do that. Was that a decision that you made for reasons like that or was it just kind of a logistical thing?

No, I just thought it would come across better in my voice. Yeah. it was my voice. Now, Ray Porter, the guy that does all of Jack Car's books probably would sounded way better.

He's the best in the world, but that's like, you know, that guy's the best in the world.

Nole (04:05.122)
happened to have been listening to Ray Porter this morning on my way into work latest jack. Yeah.

Did you ever serve with them or anything or is that before your time?

Equatins. we were never in the same platoon. And I don't think that's his real name.

Randy (04:30.222)
The real person is and I didn't ever have the privilege of serving in platoon with him. But what a talented writer. My God.

yeah. Unbelievable. There hasn't been a whole like a series of books. It's been a long time, but I remember reading the terminalist first and I don't know who turned me on to it, but then it was just like from then on, Nolan and I were texting each other. He's got a new one out. He's got a new one out. And I was more impressed with the speed of how he was writing these. Like, how are you writing these novels? Like so fast. And yeah. And then when we die, I went back and dug into the Ray Porter audio book and I actually kind of liked the audio book better.

They're so well researched and written and yeah, that guy's got so much talent. There was actually a fellow seal who turned me on to his books. He was like, you got to listen to this. He's like, he's going to make you miss the teams. And of course he

Yeah, there's nothing wrong with that.

Well, you had this story career in the teams. then just to recap people that don't know, then you became a fireman paramedic with San Diego after your career, which is pretty impressive. one of the things that stood out to me, I thought it was really interesting, is that you never felt like a fireman. was like, you're always 22 years on the teams. I can totally see that in how you go to a fireman. It's almost like you're playing dress up. I don't know if I'm speaking your words there.

Randy (06:02.104)
Yeah, I I always felt like I was just a team guy, didn't do a ride of

That's so funny to me because it's just like there's in our world, know, guys work so hard to try to get our career and that it's everything and that becomes their identity, right? Which I don't think is always the most beneficial thing is that being a fireman is your identity, you know, but it's a, can imagine like the experiences that you had over 22 years would absolutely make you feel like this is I'm in another world away. Yeah.

Yeah, there, I mean, there are so many similarities between the fire service and the SEAL teams. But yeah, I mean, people in the military have the same problems with, you know, whatever branch they're in or group they're in. Once you do something for so long, you start to identify, like you said, is this is who I am and start to kind of forget that, hey, wait, there's more to me than just this.

And, you know, I saw that in the fire service too, just like you're talking about, like the guys that were retired would still come hang out at the station. know, else to do now. And that's all they ever, you know, that's all they ever knew. So, um, and it was the same thing like in the military. don't know if you guys remember the, uh, first survivor series that came out. They had a rooting boss in there or really.

There's stories of him hanging out at Silty one after he retired, you know, as a master chief, you know, just because he didn't know what else to do. Right. So you come up there and, you know, badger all the new guys in the team. Yeah, it happens to I think it happens to all of us.

Kevin (07:37.996)
I'm like, what are you doing,

Kevin (07:49.55)
Well, to me, pressing forward your book, it was an intimate story. And to me, the general theme was resiliency. And I think if somebody saw you, we're audio only, but if somebody saw you, you're just a chiseled jack warrior. That's who you are. not think that you might've had a rough road. And I thought that was really, it was really powerful to me to hear your background story and some of the things that you overcame to not only get, just to get to.

the SEAL teams. And then let alone, I'm not going to give it away, but I think you mentioned that in the book that you were in Hell Week four times, which is outrageous to me. And it was just this story of resiliency over and over, which is very inspiring to

or stubbornness, you know, however you like to look at it, my wife, they call it that.

Nor are we.

They can be closely related. It's not a bad trait. What was the main driver behind wanting to write this book?

Randy (08:48.078)
You know, I'll tell you, it was a fellow firefighter that talked me into it. Quick shout out, his name's Steve Beatty. He's with San Diego Fire. And we would set up at night, you know, waiting to get calls, just hanging out at the kitchen table, just telling stories back and forth. And, you know, as we got to know each other better over the years, he was like, dude, you gotta write a book.

And then I had a couple of friends, you know, through jujitsu and just other friends that, you know, I'd get to know over the year. they're like, man, you got to write a book. You got to write a book. And, you know, Steve was probably my biggest advocate there. And so I one day I sat down on my go. I'll start writing one because I've just heard it again and again and again from different people with different backgrounds. I started it and.

I walked away from it for probably a year or two and then came back and finally just decided to finish it. And that's that's how it happened.

There's a joke in the current Jack Carr book buried in there and it's back in the Vietnam era. And it's a couple of Green Berets talking to a seal and they're joking about how the Green Berets write books. Cause I guess back in the Vietnam days, there was a book called the Green Berets. And so they were joking how a seal would never write a book, which is obviously hilarious because today that's a meme in the opposite direction in the community, right? Is it seals write books? So I can't not bring that up.

But, but I do find that obviously through our previous conversation on your, on the other episode we did with you, which was a two 19, I could tell immediately that you weren't a certain type of individual, like kind of like the guy we were talking about earlier at the beginning where the job becomes his life, whether that's fireman or seal or anything. you obviously weren't in that camp, but this book clearly wasn't written as a

Nole (10:54.87)
look at me, look at what I did, look how bad ass I was. So having read it, I feel, I know what your heart was behind it, but I'd like to hear that in your words. Like what, was your heart behind writing the book and the way you structured it?

I really just thought I could could help people, you know. It's it's for everyone, but but really, I think young men right now in society just kind of. I don't want to say motivation because motivation is a feeling and it comes and goes. They just need like a story of persistence and.

You know, so many things come along in this world when we're, you know, they're somewhat a young man or young woman's try to become a firefighter or join the military, do something just worthwhile, whatever it is. And they'll get knocked out of the saddle. Right. Something will come along and then they'll think, well, I'm not meant for that. Maybe I meant to do something else. And I just wanted to kind of write a story of like, they never giving up on.

for even when things do come along and you know, like I said, knock you out of the saddle or or, you know, stop you from achieving your goal. And, you know, there's all kinds of excuses out there and we all have them. And I just kind of wanted to show or write a story about like, hey, I've I've had reasons, I've had excuses, I've had whatever. And I think

You know, you can get defeated for all kinds of of reasons, but, you know, how can you keep coming back? Because sometimes once you get defeated in something, you won't come back and try to just move on from that same and then you move on to the next thing and then you move on from that same. And before you know it, you haven't really accomplished anything. And then you start to believe lies out there like, well, maybe I'm a loser. Well, maybe I'm not meant for this or maybe I'm not meant for that.

Randy (13:09.518)
So I wanted to kind of write a story and share my story on just because you've quit something or just because it didn't work out doesn't mean that you're a quitter. Doesn't mean that you're a loser. You just have to decide to keep pressing forward and have that decided heart to do that. And you'll never know what it will mean.

to when you stick with something.

That's so powerful, man. see that. I don't know if that is a generational thing or so, but it does seem like the younger guys seem to get knocked off the path faster and quicker and not dust themselves off. I don't know what that is, but I love the fact that, you know, you have, of anybody could have made that, that victim mentality said, if you had the hand of cards that was dealt to me, then this is what I'm going to get.

And that's what I really enjoyed is that you were dealt a hand of cards and you said, regardless of all that, I'm going to press forward. Regardless of that, I'm going to, I'm going to do something. And you did. And I think that was really inspirational because too often I think you're right. Like we see people that are getting knocked off the path and then they say, well, that's it. This is who I am now. If you only knew what I went with the, would, you would be a, it's okay to be. And I don't think that victim mentality is where I think everyone's got a path.

I agree.

Nole (14:41.26)
I love the way that you structured the book where each chapter was a bit of your story. And then you broke that down into a reflection and then an action step. And I really appreciated the fact that it, each one of those turns when you're going through buds, for example, your action step isn't like, you know, I mean, you talk about your physical fitness and the things you needed to change to, to succeed, but the focus was always on the mindset and how you were choosing to look at.

each individual challenge each, each time there was a setback. And that I think is the, is the most interesting key about what, what you and Kevin are just talking about with we'll call it the current generation. And I like Kevin don't know where it's come from, but it does seem to be everywhere you look that people just don't have.

the will, the ability, the desire, whatever it is to work through something, once it becomes difficult. And it is almost like you hit that, that first difficulty, whether it's in your, in your work or something you're trying to do outside of that. And you just then move on to something else, but pointing your reader back to even amongst some really difficult situations where there's a lot of bad that you could focus on, but then pointing them back to the things that they can't focus on. They're positive.

and then making those changes and changing that mindset and focusing on the importance of that, I think is super key. And I mean, that part of the book really, it was good for me to read.

What I wanted to do is show kind of like the forging process of what happened over the years and the way that I kind of took those things and allowed them to make me into that resilient person that you were talking about. Where, like you said, I could have chosen Vickenhood. I could have called them excuses. But instead, I said, OK, I'm going to use these things.

Randy (16:42.294)
and make them a positive and let them turn me into a warrior, a protector, a husband and a father and a man that can actually be a productive member of society and, you know, serve my country at the highest capacity. And then, you know, then I became a firefighter and continue to serve. And with what I do now, I try to find ways to

continue to serve.

That's very cool. I kind of want to go back to you were talking about motivation versus drive. And like, there are things that are temporarily motivating to me, I can put on some hard metal or something, or I can read a quote, or I can watch a YouTube video or something, and I'm like temporarily motivated. But that's the difference between drive. And I always when reading your book, I think that you were driven, like it didn't matter what was going to happen, you were going to, you were going to drive and

And obviously that was successful. You went through four hell weeks, which I can't even imagine. Do you still have ways to drive yourself now? And what does that look like, like kind of your motivation versus drive?

Yeah. So, you know, I talked a little bit in the book about the monkey brain and those first night of thoughts that always pop into our heads. Right. And then actually giving that a name. Right. Most people don't give it a name. Right. They they hear a negative thought and they think that's them and they think that's who they are versus. OK, well, everybody's going to hear negative thoughts when they start anything hard. Well, there has to be physical or mental or a new job or whatever it is.

Randy (18:24.492)
But giving that a name, hey, expecting that, right? That I'm going to hear something negative, something insomniac is going to give me that posture syndrome, right? Or make me feel like I'm not up for the task. Give that a name, realize what it is, and then push past it, move forward, you know, onto that. So I think that was important, was being able to name those negative feelings.

Something I often repeat to myself, even now, when I don't feel like going to jujitsu practice, when I don't feel like doing something hard physically or just doing the everyday menial task that all of us require in life, is I always try to choose the hardest task first. So that gets out of the way. But something that I say to myself, Kevin, to answer your questions.

Don't let the weakness win.

Right? And weakness comes through us. not just a physical weakness. There's a mental weakness as well. so throughout, like right now I'm doing a fast. I've probably wanted to meet about 20 times today already.

Ha ha.

Kevin (19:45.39)
How long you in right now?

No, not that long. And this is why. So probably from, I got about six more hours to go before I hit 24.

Nice. So man, that's harder to do with dudes with muscle because it's like a skinny dude. I think I think you got to feed the machine when you carry some muscle out fast and fast. It's tough.

Well, your machine definitely wants you send lots of signals. So I'm coughing water right now, but it's like, don't let the weakness win. Don't, you know, I'm okay. Right. I'm not going to die. I still have, you know, my body will turn, you know, we'll use the fact that it has to carry me on. So, you know, I don't want, I don't want that mental weakness to come in and win. So I'm not going to let it win. And then right now I'm

almost 50 years old, I turned 50 next month. There's plenty of mornings I don't feel like going out to the garage and lifting anymore because everything hurts. But I don't feel like going out, going to Jiu Jitsu practice. And I trained at a very competitive high level gym. And the other thing I say to myself is don't let that old man end.

Kevin (21:01.336)
Don't let the old man in.

Right? So don't let the weakness win and don't let the old man

I think you can use that for a lot.

And things I could when I was 20, no. I gotta be a little smarter. But I still would do those things because once I let the old man in and I start to refer to myself as an old man, and I do the thing, I start to make excuses for that, well then I really will become like an old man. I don't want that to happen. I wanna throw the football with my grandkids.

I want to chase him around, know, still be able to work my son's butt, you know, all the way up through his toes.

Kevin (21:50.414)
Not today yet, kid, not today. It's funny when you think about those, we always recreate to the physical stuff, like no, do ice baths. mean, if there's people that know cold, it's Navy SEALs. But sometimes I don't want to do it and I do it and of course you feel better afterwards. But where I definitely have work to do, as I think it transfers over into having the tough conversation with the wife or having the thing with the kids where you know I'm going to have to discipline them when I get home or something like that.

I tend to avoid those things. I'll jump in the ice bath. Like, all right, let's hard, let's do that. But that's, I think for me, sometimes it's the harder thing is to have to deal head on with the harder thing, like in the home life, you know.

So, I mean, that's that's really just it. Letting that and when you look at that and you're like, OK, I've got to go deal with something hard. I've got to confront this issue or whatever. Avoiding it is weakness. Right. So you're just not trying to let that weakness win inside you. And that comes with, you know, like you said, not just.

physical things, right? It's easier for us as men to just get through the physical, think. The mental and the uncomfortableness of dealing with others that we tend to shy away from or put off to the last possible minute.

Yeah, I was struggling with that last night at my own house. I had to have a conversation with a certain member of the family and I didn't want to do it. So I sat on the couch for a while until my wife called me out and told me what I should be doing, which was right. And then I had to go handle it. But earlier that day, one of the first things I did in the morning after spending some time in the word and having coffee with the wife was I got up and I went, I went for a run, which I hate doing, but it was physical activity. And so I like, I gotta knock this out. I gotta go do this.

Nole (23:46.956)
It was a lot easier to go do that run, which I hate than to have the conversation, which I, I don't hate having, but it's more difficult for me to do for sure.

I like that though. I need to put that on a card and just carry it around. Don't let the weakness win. Don't let the old man in. Because like, you can't, that does, it'll dominate your thoughts. It'll dominate your day if you don't tackle that, that hard thing, right? And then all of a sudden you're just, you're pushing another rug, waiting for another day. And then of course you let the weakness win. got to, we definitely have to do that.

Yeah, I like looking at... Go ahead.

sorry, no. This is way heavier on your shoulders than it needs to be, right? Right.

Yeah. I like taking that weakness idea and taking it into the realm of the, more emotional kind of interpersonal things and looking at it that way. One of the things that I is like one of my catchphrases and this applies mostly to the workout world, but also other stuff that's kind of in the more physical realm. But I tell myself it's not going to get any easier. So if I'm in the middle of a workout and I don't want to do the next round, I just tell myself it's not going to get any easier waiting. So you just got to get it over with. If I've got

Nole (24:59.286)
five rounds of this workout to do. just have to finish them that idea, but that actually really easily translates just like what your phrases do translates into, you know, the conversation that I had to have last night. It's not going to get any easier putting it off. In fact, it's probably going to get harder. So why not just knock it out? That's a good lesson for me.

for of us, right? I mean, I still say these things to myself, right? Just because I wrote a book doesn't mean I'm perfect, right?

there.

Rainey, I want to touch base on that. You're turning 50, I'm 46. I had a couple of savage injuries and I'm sure you had a wealth of those. it's a transitional phase in my life where I'm like getting comfortable with not doing the things that I used to be able to do, if that makes sense. Like I think I used physicality and some of the things that I used to be able to do and compete in as a mental health tool. And now that I...

I physically can't do some of the things that Nolan I used to do. It sucks. And it's hard in my brain to wrap around that it is a new season of life. that, and then full disclosure, sometimes I won't go out and to the do the thing because I'm like, I just can't do nothing. You don't mean, and it's, it's a depressing thing. So I'm really working through that right now is trying to like not let the old man in, but find some sort of comfort in what I can do.

Randy (26:23.032)
Yeah, I struggle with that myself. mean, I, you know, there is a happy medium and there is reality, right? But it's not using, you you talked about your physicality and the injuries you're having, but it's not using those to do nothing. I mean, how many people do you know, they've got an injury and then never really came back from it. Right. Right. They use that to become, you know, out of shape or

Gain a lot of weight and they never really bounce back from it and they continue to use that as an excuse as to why they're overweight or why they don't do some of the things they love when all they really had to do is just modify it. Right. I go to Jiu Jitsu in the mornings and we always do six to seven six minute matches and I won't feel like going because I know it's going to be work and I know there's a lot of tough people there.

And, know, it's not like I'm going to win every match because I train at a good place. And, you know, I always want to, you know, ego always gets in the way. Right. Because and there was something I told myself to keep going is I'm like, just go and get three matches in. Just go and get three. I'm like, I can always just do three. And then I always end up staying the entire time.

Yeah, I'm sure you got a target on your back because you know, a black belt Navy SEALs somebody is going to want to put that say, yeah, I got Randy today. Somebody wants that in their belt, you know.

I work with a good group of guys. don't think anybody would be like, Oh, I was able to tap her in and then all of a you know, tougher than an 80s seal from a grappling match. I've never, never heard anybody saying anything like that. But yeah, I I worked with them. You know, it's a great gym and a great group of guys, but the things that I tell you, I mean, there's still things that I tell myself every day, you know, so I'm,

Kevin (28:07.246)
You're right.

Randy (28:26.806)
trying to live my book, right? I what a hypocrite would I be if I wrote this and they didn't try to live it? You know, and I try to be that example in front of my children all the time too. And, you know, and they're a blessing because they remind me that I have to live what I, you know, what I preach.

ain't that the truth.

Yeah, they're good. They're good for that. are always good for that. Was there anything about the writing process or the publishing of the book that made you hesitate following through?

my dad and I are very close now. And I, you know, I didn't put everything in the book that I could have. I was really worried what my dad was going to you know, putting some of those things from my childhood in there. And again, I didn't put everything and. He, when he read it, you know, I was almost like, God, I just take this chapter out.

Hmm.

Randy (29:24.8)
I didn't feel like I could because it was so much, you know, my dad was a big influence in my life. And I was so nervous and kind of scared about, you know, what he was going to say afterwards. And, you know, when, you know, he got the book and I knew he read it and I called him because I talked to him about once a week. And he goes, son, I couldn't be more proud of you.

and proud of the man that you've become. You know, I loved your book. And I, you know, I thought, you know, I didn't know how he was going to take it because it didn't paint him in the best light, you know. And he just, you know, the complete opposite of what I thought I was going to hear. So that was, that was probably.

one of the things within the book that I was like hesitant on sharing. But I think so many young men out there have, you know, not daddy issues to say it like that, but like I've had a struggle, you know, or, you know, tension with their fathers, you know, if you will. So I had to I had to put that in.

Yeah, the chapters about your mom and your dad were, were definitely, I think some of the most powerful, impactful chapters. And in fact, I got to mention it because I brought it up at the beginning. And if I don't, then people will be upset with me. But at the end of your chapter about your mom, you gave an action step, but I'm not going to give it away. I want people to go read the book and get the lessons for themselves. But I took action on that action step in that moment. I would happen to be reading out behind the fire station and

So I called my mom, as you said, to do. because my, my situation is different than what you grew up with. I told her, said, thank you. And, know, went through the steps and went through the things that you, that you recommended doing your book, which were true for me. And she cried, which I kind of knew she was going to do because she's a woman and women cry, but it was, it was pretty cool. And it was something that I would not have.

Nole (31:47.326)
ever thought of doing on my own, but that I think was really important in that moment for, for my mom, who's now, you know, more advanced in years and living on the other side of the country. And we don't get to see her very often. And I don't talk to her nearly enough. So was really cool. And so I did want to thank you for that. Like I got, I got something out of that moment that I definitely did not ever anticipate going into a book written by Randy, you know, the Navy SEAL combatives guy.

I never would have guessed that I was going to make my mom cry based on reading your book. So thank you for that. That was super rad. It was very cool.

I'm glad I could help them.

Yeah, that's cool.

You know, that's a very cool thing. My mom and my stepdad had passed away, but it was a very, it was a very powerful thing for us to have hard conversations when they got sick. It forced us to have some conversation and it wasn't always super positive about the past, right? But it was able to like, just throw that crap on the table and then throw it away. And after that, we had this, a beautiful relationship. We just saw each other as failed human beings that we are and trying to do the best we could. And I'm so glad we did.

Kevin (32:57.986)
And I'm like, look at it like we had an opportunity before they passed to squash any resentment or beef or anything that you would think. And, and have even spiritual conversations, which is pretty amazing. I, I kind of love that full circle thing that obviously that experience that you had shaped you who you are, but now as a, as a man, you can have a relationship with somebody and not hold on to some of those regrets or things because, and that to me shows pure growth that she's like, Hey, that's

That's what it's all about.

Yeah, my wife is like, she tells me she's like, it's amazing that you were actually able to do that. You know, and I was able to do that at a pretty young age. And I don't know, like one day I was just driving. I was driving into work and I was just thinking about everything. And I think I was like 21 or 22 and it had to just be the Holy Spirit. God talking to me.

And he was like, you we didn't come with an instruction book.

And, you know, if you had, I'd like to think that my parents would have read it, but I didn't, you know, and they weren't perfect people and they had their own issues. And I just write it in there. I decided to treat them as if they did the best they could with who they were at the time. And that allowed me to forgive a lot.

Nole (34:28.322)
I really like moments like that in life. haven't had too many of them, but when you have a thought like that, that feels like it's from somewhere else, right? That's like, that's not my own thought process. And you said the Holy Spirit, like I believe that. And I've had several moments like that myself where a thought comes into your head that does transform the way you're looking at something that really wouldn't make sense for you to just have thought of randomly on your own, right? It just comes to you, but then can become something that is so powerful, which is, which is really cool.

when God speaks into our lives that way. And I mean, that's a heavy, that's a heavy thing, but also very positive.

Go.

Yeah, and that's why I put that whole chapter in there on like my journey to Christ because mine was a little different as well.

Yeah. Yeah. What was the name of the book that was given to you that

Randy (35:20.846)
by my sister-in-law. That was by John Ellers, was called Wild at Heart.

That's the one. Man, I was thinking about that when listening to it. think Nolan, I have both read that. was one of them. It's one of my favorite books, but I was like, yeah, I got to reread that. I read a reread because it, it. I always had this picture. I didn't grow up Christian, but I had this picture of this, of the Christian being this like kind of like meek or soft, you know, and you read that and we're wild men, you know, it's there's a, there's a place for a guy like you who is a complete warrior, you know, that that's what he designed you to be.

Yeah, I that book, I it started my whole Christian journey because I had never heard of a version of Jesus that was a lawyer.

So it finally showed me a man that I could relate to and follow.

Yeah, that's an interesting, I mean, that's a rabbit trail we could go down for hours, but that is an interesting thing that has happened. I think really just in, well, as far as I'm aware of my own lifetime, but the difference in kind of the Jesus that you're shown in a lot of churches here in America isn't really the whole picture. And obviously we're never going to be able to really even give the full picture, right? Because

Nole (36:46.016)
it's God, well, you're not going to be able to describe and understand all of that. But yeah, that book certainly is really good for pointing to kind of the other half that for certain segments of the society is maybe a little bit more uncomfortable, but, put together those two things, then create a much fuller picture that makes a lot more sense than just one without the other. Definitely a good read if you guys haven't read it yet.

Yeah.

But start, but start with pressing forward by that's where we want you. John Eldridge will be around later on.

start.

Nole (37:25.314)
He has.

You know, in reading your book, I obviously can imagine that your kids now have a different life or perspective than you did coming up. And I always, I get struck by the fact that sometimes like, Hey, I'm, those were purposeful for you. had an edge on you that made you hard, you know, that made you go through these things that developed your character at a young age. And I struggle sometimes with knowing that that is a motivating factor to have give my kids more than what I had and a better situation than I had.

But at the same time, I'm like, where's the resiliency come in for them? Where do, if I try to take care of everything and protect them from all the things, where do they learn their lessons? I don't know if that makes any sense to you.

No, absolutely makes sense to me. I struggle with the same things as a father, right? Because my son, you know, and my daughters, they have the life that I always wanted, right? Or thought I wanted, right? But then I see, you know, like my son is nothing like me. Always thought I was going to have like a little version of me that I could just shape and make better. But he's like the complete opposite of me.

in so many ways. And it's just funny because I'm like, all right, he's he's not you. All right. But with giving him a nicer life than I had, I just find other ways to create resiliency in him. He's he's a good kid. He's very nice. I was not nice and I was very aggressive and he

Randy (39:08.814)
really doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body yet. So I'm trying to like bring this out in him. You know, he just got done. He's in eighth grade. He's got done his last football game. And it's it's starting to come out a little bit, but it was funny the things that that you know, my dad would have never had. He never had to bring out an aggressive side of me like it was always there. And I'm trying to like foster this in him and and

You know, so it's still something that that I I work on and I still listen to, you know, other people out there on how to be the best husband and father I can be. You know, I think I put a list of books at the end of my book that I read to help kind of shape me. And I want to be a lifelong student. And, you know, I don't think any of us have got this.

husband thing all figured out, this father thing all figured out, right? You this man thing all figured out, you know, and I think, I think it's the journey that shapes us. So, you know, and just the fact that we want to be better at this will help us be better at it. But I'm dealing with it too. I'm trying to, you know, how do I make my son resilient? Did I, last time we spoke,

Did I talk to you guys about the thing I did in San Marcos, California with the church?

I don't remember.

Nole (40:43.936)
I think you were gearing up to go do it. I don't think you've done it yet.

So we went and did a Rides of Passage. We did a two and a half day camping trip. And at the end of that, for all the boys that were teenagers, they had to do a Rides of Passage run, which was cool. Which was kind of like a sprint Spartan race. And so now I think with my son, think maybe we'll go do some Spartan races, you know? And started doing things like that to push him and give him responsibilities.

more responsibilities around the house, know, and give him things that he's, you know, in charge of.

That's a really cool idea. We don't really have in our society a rite of passage like a lot of cultures do around the world. But what a cool thing to have is a weekend like that to put them through a little crucible and say, hey, it's time for you to step up now.

Yeah, and that's kind of why I put that man speech at the end of the book was just because like I didn't, you know, I don't know one way my whole childhood was like a crucible. in another way, I never really got told like, son, this is this is what a man is. And in some ways, I was shown in some ways, I was shown the exact opposite.

Kevin (42:00.567)
Hmm

Kevin (42:07.678)
Right. Do the opposite.

Yeah, that's an interesting thing that our culture does really well in some areas and some segments, guess, really specifically in some families and then just completely doesn't do it all. And it's not really unique to us. I think in the, in the modern developed world, that's not something that really happens anymore, but it's so needed and finding ways to do that is difficult, right? That's what this whole conversation is. But things like Spartan races or

You know, given your son, the hard chores when maybe you or your wife doesn't think he's actually old enough to do them, you know, but leaning on them to say, Hey, no, you're actually old enough to take the trash cans out and put them on the street. Or it is your job to pick up the dog food or whatever it is, right? Go split that firewood. mean, those things are important. And if you look at certain aspects of your childhood or even mine, like some of that stuff we can't duplicate nor would we want to.

Right. But finding other little ways to do it. Some of them may seem insignificant, but I think you start stacking those together and then they do take on more of a significance. I think for me, the thing that I've tried to, kind of keep in mind is that even though I don't necessarily know a hundred percent how to instill resiliency on Indy who's only 10, that every little step I try to take in that direction is going to be positive. And that I can't just kind of

throw in the towel because, you know, I can't duplicate some of the aspects of my childhood, right, in his life.

Randy (43:49.73)
Yeah, and then, you know, they're just growing up in a different time, right?

Yeah.

is growing up at a different time that, you know, but I, you know, God, God puts us in the time we're supposed to be in.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah. You know, we, we talked, last time he told some great stories, which I implore you guys to go back and listen to, but on the start of the combatives and why that started, and you had some really intense, gnarly hand to hand combat things and realize that, what I was taught wasn't the most effective to your knowledge. Now you'd created a combatives program that is still used on the teams today, which is pretty incredible. And that I wanted to see.

Kevin (44:33.11)
your thoughts on that as like, let's say a civilian. And I know you've done things for the fire departments, which Nolan, I think are just so widely needed because we've had a couple of terrible experiences that were like, we're just unprepared for this. But that's a big task to think you would take over the combatives for the Navy SEALs. I think when you have something like that and you feel called to do something like that, do you question yourself? Like, who am I to change this thing?

Is it just this has to be done because somebody is going to die.

Well, it was kind of thrust upon me in a way. And I knew I wasn't the I didn't have all the answers. So I brought in help. I brought in pro MMA coaches and fighters. I knew I had the tactical experience. I knew I had the real world experience of being there and operating. And but that I had the best techniques.

No, I wanted to learn those techniques because I knew what I had what I had been taught in the past wasn't sufficient. mean, what what got me through those encounters was pure willpower and just not wanting to die. And I knew that, OK, there's got to be something more than just willpower and, you know, not wanting to die that we can give our nation's most elite warriors, you know, when.

You know, you can't just get back to a weapon because situations like that become very dynamic very quickly. So I brought in help to help me develop that. And so, you know, just to give a shout out or quick Charles Martinez, his name is in Virginia Beach now, but at the time he was in San Diego. And I brought in pro coaches from the arena group there to help me. And what they would do

Randy (46:29.774)
When I developed that course, now it took me a while to settle on. I went through six months of just different combatants courses all over the country, right? And trying out different people and everything else in different systems to see if there was something that was already developed that we could use. And there really just wasn't. I mean, lots of people could put things on paper that sounded amazing, but then

actually tested out and you're like, what you said and what this was in reality with two different things. Yeah. So I brought in Charles and so Charles, like I said, I think I even gave him a credit in the book. He was the seasoned in the name coach and you know, been developing fighters and I was the operator with all the tactical experience and downrange experience. So we work together and I had the unique

You

Randy (47:27.918)
amazing ability to go get guys that hadn't graduated buds yet or hadn't had fell buds. So they were in exhibition. They had fell buds. And I would send one of my guys to go pick them up. And I'd always tell him, go get the biggest, strongest, meanest looking guys. So he'd go grab like 10 or 15 of them. And, you know, they were all mad and pissed off at the world. Just like I was when I didn't.

I

Kevin (47:54.114)
Yeah, they pill balls or whatever.

so, and we're like, cool, you're going to get to help guys out today. and you're going to get the fight and we're going to put you in protective gear. And, you know, guess what? You don't have to go sweep the grinder all day today or carry boxes all day or do all these stupid Navy shores, you know, that need to be done. But, you know, it's a menial task. You're actually going to get to do something fun today and make it to feel that, you know, they left their feeling like men too, because

you anytime you scrap all day, whether you win or lose, you still feel like a man when you left. Right. And so I would put these guys in full gear, full protective gear, and I would just have them come at me. Now, me at the time, I was the oldest SEAL and I was in charge. So I'm like, OK, oldest SEAL in my department. You know, I was the chief, so not the oldest SEAL in the SEAL teams. Clarify that. So I was thirty six.

36 to no, I was a little 37 to 40 was when I was developing that. So I figured if I could do it at that age, then all the new guys, you know, and so I would just have these guys come at me as hard as they possibly could in all these different scenarios. And if a technique work, it worked. If it didn't work, it got tossed. And I didn't have any skin in the game.

as far as like a system because I didn't care. I wasn't trying to promote just Jiu Jitsu or just something, you know, Krav Maga, Karate or Taekwondo or or, you know, these different type, you know, the systems are just boxing or just that I wanted to create the best system that wasn't tied into anything. So I married all of these together with Charles' knowledge is my knowledge is

Randy (49:53.075)
And we ended up making like literally the best fighting system in all the special operations.

That's so rad. And that's what you're doing today, want to maybe see if you.

That's how a facility feels running today.

This is the pinnacle of all the special operations. And I've been verified that several times by people that say we come through the course that were in other communities and be like, why aren't we doing this? This is the best. I don't know if I told you guys last time, I had the Danish Navy SEAL secret shop us and they came over. had two other guys come to my course as a group and then

About three months later, had three of their guys come come through. And then about six months later, I got a phone call and they're like, Hey, Randy, we want to bring you and your staff to Denmark to train our entire force. I'm like, OK. I'm like, well, you know, why would you guys send in? They're like, well, actually, the guys that they sent to our course were their five main combatants instructors. And they had been going around Europe and around the US.

Randy (51:06.936)
for about two years and just going to different courses to find which one was the best. They all unanimously voted that our combattance program was the best. They didn't think they could teach it, so they flew me and my staff out there. they didn't care. They weren't trying to find, know, they didn't care that we were the US Navy SEALs. They went to all kinds of different countries and they went to different combattance programs within the US and they just came back like.

what you guys are doing or what we need to be doing. So.

those Nordic Vikings, those sneaky Nordics. That's pretty cool.

Yeah, that right there. And then I had a couple of Border Patrol four star guys come through. And what was great about them is was I would teach a young SQG guy or still something. And it may be six months before they found themselves down range. Hearing back from them was always tough, right? Because they would graduate. They graduate SQG, they go off to the team.

And then they have to go through everything else and finally end up and they had to be in some part of, you know, predicament where they had to use it. And, you know, getting the after action reports on those take time. But with the border patrol, those guys would be out in the field like the next week dealing with things. And I had one of the guys come through my program and wrote my CEO a letter being like, hey, the course that you guys let me go through saved my life.

Nole (52:40.461)
Hmm.

That's powerful.

So yeah, we're still friends today. And that was when I let him compete, 2010 years ago, and we still keep in contact today.

That's cool.

That's very cool. Yeah, and tell us what you're doing now with the American Warrior Tactical.

Randy (53:01.112)
yeah, American Warrior Combatus. That's fine. Yeah, that's the name of the company, but I'd see where you got confused because their website is awcactical.com. I didn't think people wanted to type in americanwarriorcombatus.com. would probably, you know, there's a lot of room for mistakes in that one. Typing in that. I'm still just doing the same thing. So I, a few tactical.

sorry. I missed that.

Randy (53:27.426)
Firearms training with rifle and pistol. teach a tactical medical course in there. And I teach all the self defense and that's for, you know, men, women, still law enforcement, security groups. I've got something going on with black rhino security right now, which was a big thing to get. So that's, that's good. While I'm training security guards, I've got a women's event coming up in Dallas.

I partnered with Dr. Julie DeCharme who does She Talks because she does women's empowerment talks. And we've partnered together called She Talk Warriors where now they're not only empowered, you know, mentally and through forming their own businesses, but also, you know, physically. So, you know, how do they defend themselves out there? Because there is something that

Yeah.

Randy (54:25.182)
Once you know how to defend yourself physically, it changes your mindset with the way that you carry yourself, especially for women. So it's very empowering. So it's one thing for a woman to go build a business and now be like, well, I'm a shoe boss. It's another thing for them to be able to walk through the street and be like, I know what to do if I'm attacked. So

It's kind of, you know, they just kind of work very synergistically together. And it's the same thing for men. Men just overcompensate their ability to defend themselves.

Boom.

estimate would be yeah, they overestimate.

Yeah, we all assume we're just going to win the fight because just because.

Randy (55:20.366)
You

Who was I talking to the other day? like, problem with these young guys today is that they've never been punched in the mouth. They've never had a throw down. And I think there's some truth to that.

Well, they fight a lot less because they get in trouble for it in school.

There's cameras everywhere.

And well, what happens is it makes them resolved to more violent measures, which is shooting each other.

Kevin (55:49.782)
Yeah, there's a healthy respect when you've gotten in a scrap. You know what mean? There's a healthy respect for people once you've gotten punched in the face. And I think some of that natural male aggression needs to get out and probably in a positive way. I do think there was fights all the time, but there was no cameras. There was no nothing. The guys resolved stuff in the park or the back of school or something. And you just don't hear that going down. And yeah, that's a good point. Maybe that's why we're seeing such insane violence out

Yeah, and think that's why it's important to like my son. I have him in wrestling, you know, or getting your son, you know, in wrestling and jujitsu, some type of martial art where you can get some of that, you know. Out and learn how to defend themselves and learn how to become confident that way. And then he's less likely to be like, I got to go shoot somebody because I don't know how to defend myself.

You know, one of the things that I talked to law enforcement about all the time is the more comfortable you are going hands on, the less likely you are to pull your gun. And then which one gets in more trouble.

Yeah.

Randy (57:05.998)
It's the same thing for civilians, for people that can still carry, right? Well, the more comfortable you are being able to go hands-on and defend yourself with your hands, the less likely you are to pull your gun.

Yeah, which is a big deal because that changes everything probably for the rest of your life once you go to

Especially here in Texas where we have so many people to carry and then the people to carry not all of them know how to use it properly. So and that's where I come in. I teach them how to do both. Yeah. Teach them how to teach them how to shoot tactically. And then I teach them how to defend themselves as well hand to hand. So and then you've got to even if you do conceal carry, you have to be able to get back to that weapon. So

Yeah

Kevin (57:54.114)
That was fun when Nolan and got a chance to go speak with a buddy out in Texas and walk into a couple of gunshots and he walked right out with it and we're like, what? Coming from California, like, this is awesome. You can do whatever you want. This is like whatever you want to do. Texas is the land of the free.

You

Randy (58:13.282)
Yeah, was, you know, it was an adjustment for me too when I first came back. I didn't realize I could just walk out that day. I'm like, yeah, no, your background came back good.

No.

Here's your second amendment, right? Awesome. You're not a criminal. Great. You can own a firearm and you don't have to wait 10 days. I'm like, awesome.

What a concept.

Are there I know like we run a fire up program and it's really cool to watch some of my favorite things that are watch father sons come to this thing and Hear the sons here maybe for the first time their dad get vulnerable about some of their their hard things and then their son kind of manning up and doing some hard things with them together it's like one of the cooler things but was any of the Revelations in the book new to your wife or to the kids or to anything like that

Randy (59:08.168)
yeah. Well, my son doesn't know any of those stories yet. He's 13. My daughter, my 16 year old actually wrote a report on it. So she was just like, my gosh, this explains why dad is what he is. This explains a lot about that. Some of the stuff. Yeah. And my wife didn't know.

everything. But she helped me with the book so she would read like each chapter and do the editing. but she was so my oldest I don't even know if she's read the book yet. You know, you're cool to everybody else except your own family.

For sure.

You know, I think there's a, you know, Jesus talks about that in the Bible, you know, he's a prophet everywhere except in his hometown. Right. I mean, I think about me being a kid, like a 13 year old kid and like, wow, your dad was a Navy SEAL. Wow. He was a firefighter. Wow. And, and he was a black belt in Jiu Jitsu. And he can, you know, and he formed a combat like I've been like, that'd be the coolest dad in the world. You know, like, let me learn all this stuff from him.

But, know, my son and my family think I'm the biggest dork in the world.

Kevin (01:00:31.535)
Until they something.

until they need something, and all of sudden there's something needs to be fixed or they want money or something like that. Then all of sudden, you know, I'm back to being cool, you know, briefly.

Our buddy Nessa has challenged those kids that they seem to, my kids are the same way, they seem to be very money driven, they want, but I'm like, hey, you have to get something for a buddy. He threw out a challenge to those kids that if they get 10 pull-ups, they get a hundred bucks, you know? And so, which means like for a kid that you have to like train and practice to get 10 pull-ups, you know? So I threw it out to my girls and I have bands for them so that they can like start with the heavy band and then work their way up to the light band.

There's one of them is taking the challenge on. She's like doing banded pull-ups and she's like, I'm going to get that a hundred bucks.

You

Randy (01:01:21.998)
When my son was little that I had to correct, don't have to, he's a good kid. I don't have to hardly correct him hardly ever. But when he was little, I'd be like spanking or push-ups. He'd be like push-ups.

It's easy choice, yeah.

So, which I'd rather do anyways. I'd rather do things to make them stronger.

Yeah, accomplishes the same goal with added benefits.

Right.

Kevin (01:01:51.946)
Is there anything that you avoid after going through? Like I had, we had met a buddy who was a Navy SEAL and he's like, the last thing I want to do is go in the Pacific Ocean. Like I want nothing to do with that place or the cold or your ice baths or anything. I'm like, we know cold. Is there anything you avoid after 22 years of SEALs and your experience that you're like, nah, I'm good. I did there, did that.

I still do ice baths and it's still a gut check every time, right? And I go, okay, just do the first two minutes, make it through the first two, and then after that, I do 10 to 15 minutes in the ice bath. And after the first two, I'm so numb, it doesn't matter anymore.

towards.

I'm really just counting, you know, I'm like, all right, just count to 60 and we'll probably be good, right? You'll be fine by then. But my wife would laugh about that question because she knows I don't like going to the beach. But it's not really the ocean. And for a while, I didn't like to go to the beach on the weekends, especially when I was still in the teens, because I'm like, I'm here all the time. But it's mostly out of boredom. My family loves the beach.

Hmm.

Randy (01:03:03.246)
They're all water bugs. They're all very, very comfortable in the water. And my son loves the water. In fact, we had to get a pool here in Texas at our house because he's such a water bug. But it was mostly like just sitting there, looking at the waves for 30 minutes. And then I was bored. Like, I can enjoy the view. I can enjoy this now. But can we do something? Because I...

my God.

Like, can we play volleyball, throw a fidget speed, throw a football, do something? It's weird to not just sit and just relax and then not have something to do with no purpose behind it. And my wife is like, everything you do has purpose.

Can you just sit here? Just sit here, bro.

Thank

Randy (01:03:55.298)
Just sit, just sit. And I'm like, okay, I can only just sit for so long. And then, or, you know, or not fall asleep. Because it's, I'm just gonna say it, I might as well take a nap.

That's so funny. Yeah, you gotta sleep when you can get it.

Being self-employed, you kind of get to dictate your day now versus the fireman lifestyle where we try to have routines, we try to do things, but we get interrupted often. Do you have a morning routine or a set non-negotiables that you do or an evening thing that you do that say, no matter what's going on with my job, this is what I'm going to do?

I do time blocking. try to do time blocking with my schedule. So that helps me just like from this hour to this hour, from this hour to this hour, this hour to this hour to this. I get up when I work out every morning.

What time do you normally get up at?

Randy (01:04:54.446)
It varies because I still teach private lessons. So it depends how early I have to meet a client when I teach that private lesson. Like this morning, I got up at 415. And I have to leave the house to drive into Dallas by 515 to meet him at six. And I like 45 minutes to an hour to myself every morning. And I read my devotional then I check my emails and

So that's what I do every morning when I get up. I get up, I make my coffee, I read my devotional. I like that quiet time to myself. I catch up on things and then I leave. Then throughout the day, I just try to do some time blocking to be efficient because what I hate is when I felt like I spent an entire day and I didn't accomplish much. So I still do to-do lists and I still do time blocking to make...

I feel like at the end of the day, I should go to bed tired, not tired from doing nothing, but tired from working, tired from accomplishing things tired because I'm like, man, I got a lot done today versus like, I'm just tired of being tired. Yeah. So

What does time blocking mean?

Pretty much where I take like certain hours of the day and go, this is what I'm going to do in this day. I'm going to contact these people during this time to schedule this. All right. From here to here is lunch. From here to here is workout time. From here to here is, you know, this is where I'm going to accomplish these admin things that I need to accomplish for the business. All right. And then there's even, there's, it's funny, there's even time on there that I

Randy (01:06:46.008)
blocked out to spend time with my wife and time on there blocked out to spend time with my son at night. like Dave from the, you know, and things will come along, you know, and she may not be available during that time, but at least during, for me, I know during this time, I'm going to set this time aside every day to go to connect with her, go connect with my son. And then we connect different ways, right? He likes playing Ghost Recon. So we go.

Hey, from this time and this time, I'm gonna see if Weston wants to play Ghost Recon and he runs the controller and I give him the tactics and that's how we connect, right? So it's just finding different ways, you know, to spend time with him and connect with him where I don't want there to be a you go by for anybody in the family to feel like I didn't try to do something to connect with them that day.

Hmm.

The wife, my wife hates that. I like scheduling that time. I'll be like, Oh, this is wife time or whatever. She's like, why do you have to write it down? Why can't it just be natural? I was like, cause you know what happens? You know, like it's a funny thing that they don't like that schedule. It's supposed to be, but we don't live in the notebook. It don't have all day to just run around and like make this natural thing. got, we got commitments. We've got responsibilities. have to put it in.

Yeah, it's, you know, it's not like I don't, there's not, there's freedom in the schedule, right? It's not, it's, it's suggestions and guidelines. It's not a rule book. So if I deviate, that's okay. But at least I'm still looking at something to keep me on track, you know, best I can.

Kevin (01:08:27.755)
And for anybody that's thinking of writing a book like Noel,

You have, you got the, you've heard it from enough people. What was literally day one? Did you open up a computer? Was it pen and paper? Like what was day one of writing, pressing for?

no, was definitely on Word. I knew I was going to make a lot of mistakes. It was not not pen and paper. It was really just, OK, I'm going to do this. I'm going to sit down and I'm going to start. And from there, it started to write itself. And then I got busy with life. And I think I started it. And then I decided to go back to school and get my master's degree.

So there was no working on it during that time. And then, you know, like I said, I walked away from it for like two years. And then my buddy and my sister-in-law and other people were still like, other new people on that were like, you should write a book. Well, I'm like, I got to finish this thing. So.

Has anything unexpected happened since you put the book out?

Randy (01:09:37.645)
no, not, not that I can, can think of other than the fact that I've had a lot of women read the book and tell me how much they loved it. And then a lot of them were like, I'm going to get this from my dad. I'm to this from son. Like I want my son to read this. I want my, I want my dad to read this. Like one of the ladies that I teach.

I teach her and her husband self-defense. She was like, Randy, I loved your book. I bought it from my dad. And her dad is like 70 something. And he's like, my dad loved your book. And like I said, I think if you first look at it, you think it's for kind of written for young men. But the amount of women that have been like, I loved your book.

to share this with this man in my life. know, and then how it helped them to just looking at my story has been surprising and refreshing and good to hear, you know.

Yeah, that's very cool. That's really interesting, but it makes, I mean, it really makes sense if you are, and I don't know anything about this, but I imagine if you are a woman, you know, men and seeing a resource like that, reading a resource like that and having it have an impact on you, but then seeing how it could positively have an impact on the men around you, then of course you would share it with those men. That that's very cool. That's pretty encouraging.

Yeah, I think, you know, guys are always measuring each other up. And I think if you looked at you and you looked on paper, you're like, well, I'll never be Randy Rizal. He probably, he was just probably some gifted athlete that made it through seal, but you know, and made it whatever. But that's not the case when you're reading your book. I mean, it's just a story of resiliency and you overcoming the odds over and over and over again. And I think that that speaks to any man to say like, no matter what you're, it doesn't have to be the seal teams, but it can be whatever your goal is that you just keep.

Kevin (01:11:43.714)
you just keep pressing forward, put your shoes on and do one thing at the next. I really like that. what I really like too is when you're talking about the different phases, like everyone focuses in on hell week and you were talking about the challenges like down the line in the different phases, how that's some of the harder work actually. And yet, but the mindset change was like, I've gotten this far, there's no way I'm stopping now.

Right. Yeah, I still think second phase is probably the best kept secret in Bud's. You know, I think I mentioned in the book where I'm like, yeah, I think we'd have more quitters if we started with second phase first.

That's crazy, right? But you've honed that skill of not quitting or whatever you say. You're just not gonna let the weakness in to that point where it's like you said, you're not gonna give up at this point. You're not ringing the bell by then.

Yeah, it's funny. My buddy is a he's a second degree black belt in Jiu Jitsu. He won worlds as a brown belt and he was a very high level, very good wrestler in high school. I think he wrestled in college too and extremely tough guy. And, you know, we would, you know, we would just go back and forth in Jiu Jitsu matches.

You know, I just really, really like and respect this guy is one of my best friends and but he was out cleaning his pole the other day and he had to put a mask on and go down. He was just like, how the heck did Randy do this? I'm already freaking out. He's such a tough guy. It's just it's funny. You know, you talk about the mindset and then.

Randy (01:13:31.854)
That's I mean, there's a lot of tough guys out there in special operations and the water just brings a whole nother level to it. You know, the comfort in the water and the breath holds and all that all that stuff where you have to go mentally there and just be like, hey, okay, I trust the instructors on the side of the pullback. If I fall, if I pass out, they'll say me, we're going to learn.

That's a different level. Totally.

But that's where you have to be like.

I was thinking about you. We're staying down next month at the Navy Lodge in Coronado with some, some veterans. And then we're doing that, that Goggins challenge of four by four by 48. We're running four miles every four hours for 48 hours. And I'm not a runner. I'm terrified of this thing. And, it's literally on the grounds where you guys were getting down. Right, right, right next to it. And it's the most beautiful place in the world, but I am imagining this is going to be miserable.

But I'm thinking about you because I literally think like, worst case scenario, I'm just walking and I'm putting one foot in front of the other and going to try to complete this.

Randy (01:14:43.148)
Yeah, I mean, that's that's all you can do. What's the alternative?

Yeah, Netflix and chill is basically like nothing, right? I have to do this. We've put it out there. I've told people about it. It has to be done. And I want to see, I mean, this is a challenge that I think is possibly doable, but it's also easily possibly to fail and it's just going to be a mental fight. I like that there's a challenge. always like, Noel and I talk about having something on the calendar to challenge yourself to. And this is mine for the year. Like, Hey, this is something that it's going to be a challenge.

I don't know if you ever, if you still to this day put like something on the calendar. I really like, even though like sometimes those things seem silly, like, you know, what are those, the things that you were saying, like, the Spartan race or something and people get their average civilian gets goes crazy. Cause they ran over like four coals of fire or something and jumped over a wall. they're like, that might seem silly to you or, or somebody like that, but it's still, it's still something.

doing with my son next year.

Awesome. You don't feel like, this is ridiculous. Like we've, we've done some O courses before and this is nothing.

Randy (01:15:54.892)
I think I love those things.

They're not meant for Navy SEALs. You know, they're for people to go out there and challenge themselves and better themselves. And, you know, I've seen that, you know, and they're built for camaraderie. And I want to do something, you know, like that with my son. You know, in fact, I talked to my wife and I think we're going to do it as a family, you know, because it's so crazy that, you know, my daughters can't do it, too. And, you know, at the end of the day, we're just going to do something.

together that's challenging, that's fun, that will build memories. Now, was it as hard as Bud's? No. It's not meant to be. So I don't think things like that are silly. And I'm happy for people. So I have an invention out. It's called the ImageStick. And what it is is it's a massage gun holder so you can reach your back.

Nice!

Yeah, because I do it for hardly anything. You know, with all the rotator cuff tears I had and all the pushes I've done along the way trying to get my arms behind my head are, you know, difficult until somebody puts me in a pretzel at Jiu Jitsu practice. You know, the involuntary yoga of it. But yeah, so yeah, it's called the ImageStick. People can buy it on the ImageStick.com. But I was at

Randy (01:17:29.27)
I set up a tent at a Spartan race this weekend and the one here in Dallas. And I was just like, I'm going to bring the whole family out here. But while I was out there, I there were all kinds of people, different ages, shapes, sizes and everything. And I had one woman come up to me who I looked at her and she was not in good shape. And she had all these medals on from completing these races and

You know, she had just gone from one to one to one and that was her thing now. And I'm just like, that is so cool. You're, you're part of something now. You found something and something that's going to help keep you in shape and, and, help her mentally, you know, and build a camaraderie. And I'm like, we need more things like that in society that help bring people up than we do, you know, pushing people down.

You know, so I completely support that stuff. I don't think it's silly at all. You know, I go to the gun range all the time, right? I'm teaching people tactical shooting and I'll put people through my courses and they'll look over at some of the other open bays and they'll see people shooting. And again, what we're learning to what they're doing, I mean, they look like Barney Fife out there and they go, Randy, do you ever make fun of those people? I'm like, And they're like, why not? They're, know, you can tell there's

Their stance is goofy and what they're doing is goofy and blah, blah. I'm like, you know what? They're they're Americans and they're out here learning to shoot. And if anything were to ever happen in society, those are the people they're going to, you know, defend it. So I'm glad they're out here shooting. I'm glad they're out here doing that. Maybe they don't look like I do, but that's OK. You're still out here exercising their second amendment rights and learning how to shoot. And they look over.

in my range and seeing you guys shooting the way that you are and they go, hey, I want to learn that. Perfect. Great. But, you know, I'm not going to go, know, sling mud on somebody.

Nole (01:19:37.038)
It's like you're, it's like your journey day one, when you get out of all the training and you're finally in the teams, you know, that's not the day that you're then going and rebuilding the combatives program. Like that took 18, 20 years to get to that point. So somebody you, you always have to start at the beginning and whether that's the first most basic Spartan race or just taking your gun down to the range by yourself to figure out how it works versus going and training with you, right? The.

that type of thing takes progression. And that's one of the things I think that this current generation really lacks a clear understanding of, think because they watch things on YouTube and Tik Tok where people are just immediately amazing at whatever it is, there's a feeling or a perception that, I should be able to do that too, or to master something like that as well. And they don't see all the work and practice that went into whatever that is. They only see the end result.

And it creates a bad perception where some of that stuff takes, you know, a lifetime. I'm sure that the tactical shooting that you're teaching, those are lessons that took, you know, 20 plus years to perfect for you. Right. And you're still probably learning and getting better.

No, I want to be a lifelong student, right? I still take other courses. Why? Well, I want to see what else is out there. It's not just secret shopping people, but I want to see what else is out there. every, every time I go to a course, you know, maybe somebody will put something mostly, you know, this sounds a little biased, but I am a little biased. Mostly just validates what I do and then I'm doing the right things.

But sometimes somebody will say something and they'll explain something a certain way. I'll be like, that was a good nugget. I like that. I'm going to I like the way you said that, you know, or, you know, I I'm a black belt in jujitsu and I still take private lessons from another black belt in jujitsu because he's higher level than me, even though I've been.

Randy (01:21:48.918)
paid to teach jujitsu doesn't mean I know everything about jujitsu. I'm still taking private lessons from another black belt to get my own self better. So it's, you know, again, I want to be a lifelong student. I always want to be improving, you know, to coin the book, you know, pressing forward.

That's right.

I'm so glad you wrote the book. I'm so glad you got pushed enough to write that book because I did get a lot out of it and I've been sharing it with a lot of our folks in our community and I hope anybody out there will buy the book and at least download and listen. can listen to Randy yourself. So Pressing Forward by Randy Rizzo. I definitely implore you go check it out.

Same, same. And for clarity, before we sign off, I do have to say that when Kevin says we are going to do this four by four by 48, that's not me. That's a different we. I'm not involved and I will not be participating in that. Just wanted to make that clear.

you would crush it. think you would crush me in this, even though you're not a runner.

Nole (01:22:58.978)
We'll never know.

Yeah, we might know. We're going to sign up for this one thing again, maybe down the line. Well, Randy, really, yeah, we really appreciate you coming on and thank you for your time, brother. It's always, it's always really awesome to talk to you.

Yeah, if anybody's interested, you can just buy it on Amazon, pressing forward, you know, or the audible. And thanks for having me on again, guys. It's always fun.

We love talking to you. will put links to the book in the show notes for sure. Both the audible version and Amazon. that where you would like people to buy it? Is that the best place for them to do it?

Yeah, that's the only place that I'm selling it.

Nole (01:23:36.546)
Okay, cool.

And then is the image stick is that live too is that on something? Yeah

So that's on the image stick.com.

this down because that is a thing of mine. I want to get that mid back and I can never and then you have to call in the wife to try to do it and then she's over it in three seconds. You got it. I want to get

which is exactly why I invented it.

Randy (01:24:04.27)
My universal problem.

We will link to that as well. Thanks again, Randy. good talking to you.

Let's go, alright, I'm getting a nip. Awesome.

You're the best, Randy. Thanks. This has been the fire you carry podcast.

Thank you guys.

Nole (01:24:29.688)
Make sure you check out those links in the show notes to Randy's book, pressing forward. The audio book is great. Paperback version is good too. If you're someone who actually still reads books, you are a dying breed if that's you. So keep it alive by the book, read it, let us know what you think about it. And the image stick that Randy talked about, which is a solution to using a massage gun on your back. For those of you who can't reach your back, which is every single one of you.

Links are in the show notes for that as well. So support Randy there. And if you do find a way to tell him that you heard about him through this podcast, we're a mere three weeks away from the next class of the fire up program and man, you already know what to do. So the links for that are in the show notes as well. Thank you again for being in the audience. We love you and we will see you next week.

Nole (01:25:56.824)
We are a mere three weeks away from the next class of the Fire Up program.

Nole (01:26:04.674)
You just gotta go sign up. It's time. It is time. What in the actual hell?