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Iron Sights

Welcome to Iron Sights podcast hosted by Scott Howell. This podcast candidly seeks to create opportunities and deliver impact by sharing the experiences and wisdom of successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders who unapologetically aim to WIN in health, fitness, business, and life. Welcome to old school meets new school, tradition meets innovation, and imperfection meets excellence. Thanks for listening and enjoy the show.

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Yesterday · 1 hr 44 min
#210 After Dark: Good Dude Concepts, Rogue Targets, and Sub Second on Building Better Cops From the Ground Up
Live on the floor of the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association conference in Round Rock, Texas, April 2026, we've got another full crew around the table: Chris Kuras of Good Dude Concepts, his partner Franco, Kevin Selent from Rogue Targets, and Tom Marchitto of Sub Second. Before a single product gets mentioned, the conversation lands exactly where Iron Sights always does: the people solving problems that their agencies were never going to solve for them, doing it on their own dime, on their own time, while still actively serving on agency teams at multiple capacities. The session digs into three specific problems and the products born out of frustration with each. Kevin Selent breaks down why every conventional paper target on the market may be presenting PID flaws in training, and how Rogue Targets' real-model, background-free, anatomy-based silhouettes force genuine processing speed under stress. Tommy Marchitto traces Sub Second from Jeff Thompson sewing belts in the barracks of 7th Group all the way to the patrol-focused Exigent Response course that exists because body cam footage kept showing the same training deficiencies over and over. And Chris Kuras walks through the full origin of the BRB, from cutting targets with a knife in a dark abandoned mall, to a year of garage prototyping, to a real-world vehicle rescue that saved two small children. Running underneath all of it is a trend that keeps pulling back to the surface: the shift happening right now in the law enforcement training space, where officers still on the job are refusing to wait for agencies to catch up, are sharing curriculum instead of hoarding it, and are building collaborative networks, not competing fiefdoms. The conversation covers processing speed, training time lost to bad setup, the politics of progressive use-of-force policies, what game film from other agencies actually teaches, and why rising tides lift all ships. In this episode: • Conventional paper targets have borders and backgrounds that let shooters see the target before fully processing PID, risk assessment, and the processing speed required for both. • Rogue Targets uses real-model casting calls to produce subjects in multiple positions, skin tones, clothing colors, and threat postures, including seated and ground-level targets, because real warrant service is three-dimensional and bad guys aren't brown cardboard standing in the center of a white wall • Sub Second originated when Jeff Thompson started sewing belts in the barracks of 7th Special Forces Group; the name came from a sub-second draw on the range that day, and the company evolved from common tactical belts to a patrol-specific belt with full MOLLE and no D-ring after agencies pushed back on the buckle • The BRB mounting solution places the bar on a rare-earth magnet behind the pistol on the belt rather than on the vest, solving two problems at once: spalling risk from solid metal against soft armor, and the practical reality that patrol officers need both hands free to breach and then immediately transition to a primary or secondary weapon • Exigent Response for Patrol course was titled deliberately to get past administration, because the phrase 'hostage rescue for patrol' got rejected outright at multiple agencies, even though the actual content is about giving patrol officers the minimum viable skill set to act in the minutes before a team arrives • A neighboring agency incident where a female was stabbed over 100 times validated the BRB in the field: an officer on a regional part-time team used the BRB to break and rake a rear window and pull two small children to safety before the suspect could reach them • The collaboration model running through Good Dude Concepts, Rogue Targets, and Sub Second is explicit: open-source problem solving, no gatekeeping of curriculum, cross-promotion on social media, and a Good Dude scholarship fund where revenue is redirected to sponsor officers to attend training classes • TTPOA stands apart from other law enforcement conferences because the vendors are also the instructors on the live training days, meaning officers are being trained on products by the same people who designed them from field experience, not by admin staff checking a procurement box Chapters: 0:01 The Capable Standard: Scott's new project 1:51 Iron Sights intro 2:34 Live at TTPOA: setting the scene 3:52 Chris Kuras and Good Dude Concepts 4:54 Franco intro: SWAT and canine handler 5:54 Kevin Selent and Rogue Targets 7:30 Tommy Marchitto and Sub Second intro 33:47 Why conventional targets may not be optimal in the shoot house 37:38 How Rogue Targets was born 55:55 Sub Second origin story 1:00:17 BRB mounting solution and spalling problem 1:41:39 Where to find everyone and closing shoutouts Mentioned: Chris Kuras — Owner of Good Dude Concepts, full-time SWAT officer and instructor in South Florida, creator of the BRB breaching tool. Franco — Police officer on SWAT and canine handler in South Florida, colleague of Chris Kuras who attended TTPOA to help with the Good Dude Concepts booth. Kevin Selent — Owner of Rogue Safety Group and creator of Rogue Targets; DHS federal SWAT team member based in Miami with over 16 years on a federal tactical team. Tom Marchitto — Patrol sergeant, K9 handler, and part-time SWAT member from Connecticut, member of the Sub Second team alongside Jeff Thompson. Jeff Thompson — Founder of Sub Second, who started sewing tactical belts in the barracks of 7th Special Forces Group. Devin — Attending TTPOA to help staff the Sub Second booth while Jeff Thompson managed a warehouse move. Kim Pastore — Founder of the Jorge Pastore Foundation, credited with pulling together the Iron Sights recording setup at TTPOA. Paul Costa — Firearms instructor at Achilles Heel Tactical, cited as an example of an instructor whose delivery of information is as instructive as the shooting content itself. Craig Douglas — Founder of ShivWorks, praised for his instructor development style and the clarity with which he delivers information. Scott Oates — Appeared alongside Craig Douglas and Brian Frias at the Combative Summit episode Scott recorded about how to deliver training information. Brian Frias — Appeared alongside Craig Douglas and Scott Oates at the Combative Summit; BJJ black belt and ShivWorks instructor. Tony — Friend and trainer in South Florida who connected Kevin Selent with Chris Kuras by suggesting Kevin Selent call Chris on the day he was testing his first targets.
August 21 · 1 hr 20 min
#209 After Dark: From SWAT Cop to Coffee and Tea Entrepreneur: Anthony of In The Black on Training Culture, Engineering Mindset, and Building Something from Nothing
Live from the 2026 TTPOA conference with the TTPOA Podcast hosts and Anthony, a nine-year law enforcement veteran, SWAT officer in the Houston area, and founder of In The Black. From getting washed out of combat controller selection at basic training, to walking mail routes, to finding his lane in USPSA competition and eventually building a coffee and tea brand out of his garage, Anthony's brutally honest story is proof that the American dream is still very much alive for guys willing to do the dumb, hard, embarrassing work it takes to figure things out. The conversation goes deep on what challenges law enforcement training, and Anthony doesn't pull punches. Teaching cops to show clear on an imaginary 50-yard line instead of building critical thinkers, spoon-feeding answers during shoot house runs, and confusing range safety with officer competence are all on the table. Anthony and the crew break down why that approach is not just inefficient but potentially dangerous, and what it looks like when a team actually commits to changing the culture. But this episode is just as much about building something outside the badge. Anthony talks through the full origin of In The Black: starting with loose-leaf tea because nobody in the tactical space was doing it, pivoting to coffee after burning batch after batch on a home roaster, and finding his name in Jeff Cooper's color code system applied as dark humor during a brutal SWAT selection process. The creative energy behind the brand, the viral video that crossed a million views, and the role his wife plays in keeping the whole operation from burning down are all fair game. If you have ever felt the pull between the job you were trained for and the thing you want to build, this one will hit home. In this episode: • Anthony explains why law enforcement departments training officers to 'show clear on the line' instead of building critical thinkers is not just inefficient but actively dangerous: when a real incident happens and officers are isolated during the investigative process, they realize they were never taught how all the pieces connect. • The speed-accuracy balance in USPSA competition directly translates to tactical work: running reloads between positions rather than standing static on a line mirrors the reality of nearly every officer-involved shooting video in existence. • Anthony's framework for teaching firearms is simple: make guys uncomfortable, show them exactly where the discomfort came from, then repeat the basic stuff far more times than anyone thinks is necessary before adding complexity. • In The Black got its name from Jeff Cooper's color code system, specifically the unofficial fifth color 'black' that Anthony's SWAT team used to describe going full chaos mode during selection, turning a symbol of failure into a brand built on humor and self-awareness. • The coffee line launched after Anthony burned every single home-roasted batch trying to listen for first and second crack while being partially deaf from years on the range, eventually outsourcing to a specialty roaster, where flavor profiles are locked into a system so he just pushes a button. • Anthony's viral million-view video was built on three things: a French competitive shooter doing something bizarre on the range, Moe in a skin-tight shirt matching the moves shot for shot, and a Roxbury song edit that made it look like ballroom dancing with zero hits on target. • The leadership problem Anthony identifies in law enforcement is a status play: people in senior positions avoid hard decisions because they are protecting their next promotion, which cascades all the way down to the individual officer who never gets pushed to think critically. • Running In The Black entirely from his house while working full-time in law enforcement means Anthony wears every hat, from packaging and heat-sealing bags on a scale like a drug dealer to using ChatGPT to code the website, with his wife as the one constant 'yes' behind every idea. Chapters: 0:01 The Capable Standard: intro and waitlist pitch 2:25 Live at TTPOA: setting the scene 3:36 Introducing Anthony and In The Black HQ 4:41 Anthony's background: military, mail routes, and law enforcement 11:19 Finding the shooting journey through TTPOA and USPSA 18:41 Training culture, critical thinkers, and what real firearms instruction looks like 28:39 Why siloed training fails officers when it matters most 38:39 Joining In Extremis Performance and developing as an instructor 45:04 The origin of In The Black: tea, coffee, and the entrepreneurial leap 53:49 The meaning behind the name: Jeff Cooper's color code and SWAT humor 56:18 The viral videos, creative process, and social media presence 1:07:05 Building a business from home, wearing every hat, and the support system behind it Mentioned: Jake Labhart — Founder of In Extremis Performance, described as a brainiac on human movement and a doctor who invited Anthony to come on as an instructor, and introduced Scott to the TTPOA community. Gabe Rivera — Instructor and active LEO who competed at the match the day of recording and was referenced for shooting 500 rounds at steel on the last day. Brandon Hernandez — Referenced as the person Jake Labhart texted when making introductions, described as wearing a sequin motorcycle helmet when Scott Howell first met him upstairs at the Kalahari. Ben Stoeger — Referenced as a competitive shooter so mechanically consistent that Anthony describes him as 'not human' and 'a robot' after watching him shoot. Jeff Cooper — Originator of the color code system of situational awareness, specifically the white, yellow, orange, and red levels that Anthony's department extended with an unofficial 'black' designation. Kim — The only American to attend tea college, located in the Houston area, who became Anthony's tea supplier and mentor for the loose-leaf side of In The Black. Dana — Anthony's wife, whose coffee preference was narrowly his number two pick in the taste test and whose unwavering support he credits as the foundation of everything he is building. Rebecca — Person in the fitness industry getting into the tactical world, mentioned walking by during the recording at the TTPOA conference. Joel — Person in the fitness industry getting into the tactical world, mentioned walking by during the recording at the TTPOA conference. Preston — A Texas LEO Anthony has long looked up to as one of the guys getting after it in the competitive space. Sal — A Texas-based LEO Anthony trains with and who appeared in an In The Black HQ viral video wearing a wig while doing a skit. Kolton — A Texas LEO Anthony looks up to, mentioned alongside Preston as someone he was surprised to be invited alongside when Jake Labhart brought him into IEP. Matt — Anthony's videographer and editor for In The Black content, referenced both in the context of the video production process and as someone Anthony texts with random creative ideas.
August 14 · 1 hr 44 min
#208 After Dark: Training In Isolation Defined: Structured Firearms Training and Why Cops Are Finally Leveling Up
This is a conversation about the gap between checking the box and being genuinely competent and confident when it counts. Bryan Williams, Chancey Pogue, Matt Pranka, and Dustin Mowery walk through the real roadmap: why the stigma against competition shooting is rooted in ego and not evidence, why the qualification score is one of the most useless metrics in law enforcement, and what training in isolation actually means when you strip away the buzzwords and get honest about the work. Dry fire is the thread running through the whole episode, and not in the vague, post-it-on-Instagram way. You'll hear what to focus on, how long to go, when to stop, how to marry it to live fire when you only have 50 rounds to your name, and why grip and vision are the only two things that matter until you have truly mastered them. The principles are simple. The work isn't. But if you understand why you are doing it, the framework and roadmap becomes clear. If you've ever said, "I can't do that at my agency" or "I'm not trying to be a GM," this episode is specifically for you. The guys lay out exactly what it looks like to start wherever you are, eliminate the excuses, and build the kind of skill that holds up when everything is moving fast and the stakes are real. In this episode: • Law enforcement qualifications are a box to check, not a measure of skill: shooting at seven yards on a line with no time pressure is not a test of your ability to run a gun under stress, and anchoring your identity to that score is actively holding you back • The stigma against competition shooting comes from ego, not evidence: the best shooters in the world are practical shooting competitors, and the 'targets don't shoot back' argument falls apart the moment you realize no targets on any LE range shoot back either • Peer pressure inside a ranked department is a more powerful culture driver than any mandate: when officers can see exactly where they rank in ability, the bottom of the stack starts climbing, and culturally the whole group shifts upward over time • Grip and vision are the foundation that everything else is built on: if those two things are not dialed in, every rep of dry fire and every round of live fire is reinforcing a flawed pattern, not building a better one • Dry fire sessions should be short, focused, and honest: when your grip pressure, visual discipline, or mechanical consistency starts to degrade, that session is over for that task, point of diminishing returns is real and ignoring it means taking steps backward • A 10 to 1 dry fire to live fire ratio maximizes limited ammo: settle grip and vision in dry fire first, then test it live, do not use your 50 rounds to figure out things that cost you nothing to figure out in your living room • Chancey's recruit class averaged 98.6 out of 100 on their qualification after eight weeks of structured dry fire with zero live rounds fired beforehand, two 30 minute sessions per week, no fancy facility required • Visual discipline and visual control are the two principles that govern the vision side: use the right aiming scheme for the distance and difficulty at hand, connect to the exact spot on the target you need to hit, and do not over confirm or under confirm, no more and no less Chapters: 0:56 Welcome to TTPOA 2026 in Round Rock 2:17 Guest introductions around the table 3:57 Setting the stage: what is wrong with LE firearms training 11:05 Breaking the stigma against practical/competition shooting 14:22 Why the qualification score is a broken measuring stick 20:55 How practical shooting culture spreads inside departments 28:36 The ego reset: your first match is supposed to hurt 40:19 Training in isolation: what it actually means 47:57 Building the dry fire habit: capturing time wherever you can 1:05:40 Chancey's recruit dry fire protocol and the 98.6 average 1:28:46 Making the most of limited ammo: the 10 to 1 rule 1:37:34 Wrapping up: grip, vision, and the two principles that never change Mentioned: Bryan Williams — Nearly 39-year law enforcement veteran, former police chief in Central Texas, one of the first five USPSA Grand Masters in the nation and the first in Texas, joins the roundtable at TTPOA 2026. Chancey Pogue — Lieutenant over the weapons range and all reality-based training at a large North Texas agency with approximately 2,000 officers, credited with implementing practical shooting and a structured recruit dry fire program. Matt Pranka — Owner of X-Ray Alpha, retired Army Special Operations background, USPSA competitor for about 13 years and GM, has spent six years working to bring practical shooting and competition-style training to law enforcement and military. Dustin Mowery — Retired Ohio police officer with 27 years of service, helped introduce practical shooting to his department's firearms unit around 2019 after connecting with Matt Pranka, now teaches classes independently and with Matt. Kim Pastore — Described as a runaway train working tirelessly through the Jorge Pastore Foundation to get the right coaches in front of law enforcement and raise money to send officers to training for free. Ben Stoeger — Referenced as having done more for the practical shooting training world than anyone, praised for his ability to reverse-engineer classifiers, self-teach to a GM level, and present foundational concepts in the simplest and most effective way. Jerry Barnhart — Legendary practical shooter Bryan Williams saw run stages at the nationals in Reno in the nineties, described as a beast whose performance was a formative, eye-opening demonstration of what is possible with a handgun. Sean Griffith — Described as a world-class shooter who teaches more cops on a day-to-day basis than almost anyone through the entity he works with, called out as a heavy lifter at the TTPOA match. Gabe Rivera — High-level shooter whose dramatic skill improvement since 2019 is highlighted as an example of the hockey-stick trajectory possible with focused training; was about to appear in the booth after the roundtable. Adrian Yun — High-level shooter praised alongside Gabe Rivera and Clay for the rapid skill development they achieved, also noted during the match for his grip awareness and in-stage self-correction. Clay B — High-level shooter nicknamed 'speed demon,' noted for shooting with the wrong hand and called out as one of the heavy lifters whose improvement since 2019 is remarkable. Jay — Person Chancey met who was highly skilled at shooting without ever having competed, described as someone whose natural drive and desire to improve explained everything about how he got that good.
August 7 · 1 hr 53 min
#207 After Dark: From "Professional Class-Taker" to Director of Training: How One Cop Is Quietly Changing Law Enforcement Firearms Culture, With Anthony Coley
In this episode of Iron Sights, Scott sits down with Anthony Coley of Aegis Consulting at the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association Conference in Round Rock, Texas to unpack one of the most detailed, honest, and actionable roadmaps for changing firearms culture at the agency level you will ever hear. Anthony walks through everything: the professional class taker problem, how competition shooting cracked open his understanding of real-world performance, and why getting bit by the PCSL bug turned into a mission to drag as many officers with him as possible. He does not pull punches about the resistance he faced from inside his own firearms unit, the admin conversations he had to be fully loaded for, and why good enough has never been good enough to him. This is the debrief you wish you could have with the guy quietly grinding in the background of every department while everyone else is doing the bare minimum. And then Kim Pastore Pastore walks in. The founder of the Jorge Pastore Foundation joins Scott and Anthony live on the floor to drop a major announcement: Anthony Coley is officially the Foundation's new Director of Training. The conversation that follows is equal parts raw and inspiring, built on a shared belief that the ripple effects of good training touch officers and families in ways you will never fully see. The legacy match, the PCSL monthly shoots at Texas Shooting Academy, the nationwide reach: it is all coming. And this episode is where it starts. In this episode: • The professional class taker trap: Anthony explains how taking course after course without deliberate instructor-mode observation turns into diminishing returns, and how flipping that lens into instructor development makes every class exponentially more valuable • Competition as a gunfight simulator: Anthony breaks down hit factor math from his first match, showing exactly why a slower shooter with cleaner hits still loses to a faster shooter with acceptable hits, and why that calculus maps directly to real threat encounters • The survey before the pitch: before approaching administration, Anthony personally talked to every officer in the agency one on one, built a spreadsheet of who had red dots, who had zero formal training on them, and compiled case law on liability before walking into the chief's office armed with an answer for every possible question • The cookie cutter problem in firearms instruction: Anthony's baking analogy makes the case that a single teaching method guarantees you will always produce students missing an arm, and that instructor development means accumulating 20 different ways to explain the same concept • Inside the Red Dot class: 400 rounds, five hard-fought hours, aggressive trigger manipulation drills starting cold with zero classroom warmup, self-diagnosis doubles, and a final volley at 25 yards where exhausted officers shoot the best groups of their lives • Building up instead of down: Anthony explains why he went to line-level officers first, then patrol shift lieutenants, then commanders, then administration, so that demand for training was already visible before he ever made a formal ask • The Legacy Match origin story: a customer service mistake on an optic plate, a single giveaway stage, 24 brands cold-called into donating prizes, and a sold-out 100-person law enforcement only PCSL match that spawned a monthly series at Texas Shooting Academy in Florence, Texas Chapters: 0:03 Episode intro and Scott's mission statement 0:59 Setting the scene: TTPOA Conference 1:26 Introducing Anthony Coley and Aegis Consulting 2:20 Anthony's background: CHP, Texas, canine, and the training gap 5:20 The professional class taker problem 9:08 Getting into competition shooting 12:25 Competition as a gunfight simulator: hit factor explained 15:35 Confidence, competency, and isolating deficiencies through competition 22:32 How the Legacy Match started by accident 26:23 Anthony's backstory: broken leg, CHP academy, and training mentality 56:07 Building the case for agency red dot training 1:28:04 Kim Pastore joins: announcing Anthony as JPF Director of Training Mentioned: Anthony Coley — Guest, law enforcement officer, canine handler, PCSL competitor, firearms instructor, and founder of Aegis Consulting, announced as the Jorge Pastore Foundation's Director of Training during this episode. Gabe Rivera — Active California LE SWAT officer and instructor at Mindset Tactical Solutions, credited with introducing Anthony to the term 'professional class taker' and referenced as an upcoming guest on Iron Sights. Rick Crawley — Founder and chief instructor of Achilles Heel Tactical, whose dinner conversation pushed Anthony to stop waiting and start shooting competitions immediately. Dave Mehulma — Instructor from Slick Training Solutions who taught the intro to competitive shooting class where Anthony was first invited to shoot a live match. Kim Pastore — Founder of the Jorge Pastore Foundation, who surprised Anthony on air to announce his appointment as Director of Training for the foundation. Jorge Pastore — Austin PD SWAT officer killed in the line of duty whose legacy inspired the foundation; Anthony had made an Instagram post honoring him that first connected him with Kim Pastore Pastore. Paul Costa — Contact who connected Anthony with Ron from Walther, helping secure demo guns for the agency demo day that eventually snowballed into the Legacy Match. Jordan — Owner and representative of Ryze manufacturer, whose accidental shipment of a wrong optic plate sparked the idea for Anthony's first competition giveaway stage. Aaron — Owner of Texas Shooting Academy, described as a big three-gun and competition shooter, who signed up for the Legacy Match and whose facility hosts the monthly PCSL matches. Eric Foss — Associated with Howitzer, running competitions and working alongside Gabe Rivera to give back to the law enforcement community in Southern California. Rafael — Prior Iron Sights guest from Northern California who competed at a Howitzer match and performed very well, helping spread competition culture in his region.
July 31 · 1 hr 27 min
#206 After Dark: Moral Injury, Identity, and the Mission That Doesn't End When You Hang Up the Badge: TTPOA + ISP Collab
On this Iron Sights episode recorded live on the vendor floor at TTPOA Conference, Scott Howell sits down for a collab with the TTPOA Podcast hosts Brandon Hernandez and Matt Smith. Their guests are Brad Ortiz, Director of Sales for the Law Enforcement Division at Silencer Shop and former officer, and Dewayne Manson, Project Manager at the American Warrior Association, to dig into the thing the Law Enforcement community has been slow to confront: the compounding weight of moral injury, and why the reactive system built to support officers is failing the people who need it most. The conversation goes deep on what moral injury actually is, how it differs from PTSD, and why the officer who has never been in a critical incident can be just as broken as the one who has. Brad and Dewayne walk through what a culturally competent clinician actually looks like, why baseline brain and blood health mapping belongs in the academy, and how the American Warrior Association's R3 program is embedding proactive resilience training directly into TTPOA's regional structure, the first partnership of its kind nationally. But this episode isn't just about mental health. It's about identity. What happens to the guy who IS the job when the job ends? Brad gets personal about his own struggles stepping away from full-time law enforcement, Dewayne shares the moment his teenage son had to pick him up after a DUI, and Scott connects it all to the broader truth that your calling and your identity are not the same thing, and that confusing the two is costing officers their health, their relationships, and sometimes their lives before and after retirement. The back half gets into the business world and how everything these men learned going through doors, managing teams, and serving their communities translates directly into relationship-based sales, leadership under pressure, and building something that outlasts the badge. If you've ever told yourself you're not capable of anything outside law enforcement, this one is going to challenge that story hard. In this episode: • Moral injury is NOT PTSD: it is the cumulative damage caused when you perpetrate something, fail to prevent something, or are ordered to act against your moral compass, and it compounds silently over an entire career without a single critical incident ever being the trigger • Culturally competent clinicians are practitioners who have lived the lifestyle or are married to someone who has: Dewayne walked out of his first VA appointment when the counselor opened with pronouns, then found a female therapist married to a 20-year infantry veteran and experienced a completely different outcome • The American Warrior Association's R3 program is building proactive resilience frameworks inside agencies, including regional resiliency coordinators, vetted clinician networks, and fully funded Warriors Refuge retreats where flights and lodging are free to eligible officers and spouses • Brad Ortiz's Sound Off program at Silencer Shop donates $2 per purchase to a vetted nonprofit fund, and every individual officer purchase routes through silencershop.com where buyers work directly with Brad and Chris • The inflection point analogy: moral injury deposits are made silently every shift, just like compounding interest, and what looks like a single critical incident blowing up is actually the hockey-stick moment on a years-long accumulation nobody was tracking • Social media pile-ons after a justified OIS caused Brad more lasting moral injury than the shooting itself, a blind spot no clinician or debrief ever addressed until he found the right cultural fit in counseling • Baseline blood panels and brain mapping done at the academy level would give officers a before-and-after reference for physiological change across a career: the greater endocrine system and brain health are being completely ignored while TRT gets all the attention • The law enforcement skill set transfers directly into business leadership: problem-solving under pressure, decision-making without perfect information, ownership of mistakes, and relationship-first sales are all things operators have already built on the job, they just don't recognize it as a resume Chapters: 0:39 Iron Sights mission statement and welcome 2:02 Introducing Brad Ortiz and Dewayne Manson 2:49 Brad's background: The Uncommon Line podcast 9:40 American Warrior Association programs overview 11:43 Resilience training inside TTPOA: the first of its kind 12:08 What moral injury actually is and why it's not PTSD 14:20 Culturally competent clinicians: Dewayne's personal story 31:52 Compounding critical incidents over a career 38:37 Social media pile-ons as a hidden source of moral injury 44:55 Identity vs. calling: challenging how officers define themselves 1:12:18 Relationship-first sales, legacy brands losing ground, and the business parallel 1:21:46 How to access AWA, R3, and SoundOff resources Mentioned: Brad Ortiz — Director of Sales for the Law Enforcement Division at Silencer Shop, former law enforcement officer and fugitive investigator, and former host of The Uncommon Line podcast, joined as a guest to discuss the SoundOff program and the AWA partnership. Dewayne Manson — Representative of the American Warrior Association, infantry veteran who served in Afghanistan and contracted there through 2020, shared his personal journey through moral injury and recovery as context for AWA's R3 program. Matt Smith — Co-host of the TTPOA podcast with 21 years on SWAT, co-hosted this live conference episode alongside Scott Howell and competed in the TTPOA shooting competition the day prior. Brandon Hernandez — Region 7 Director and Director of Training for TTPOA, co-host of the TTPOA podcast, referred to on air as the celebrity of the group when a passerby stopped to greet him. Anna Heil — Associated with the American Warrior Association, attended a TTPOA show in St. Louis and briefed other state organizations on the AWA partnership afterward. Chris — Works alongside Brad Ortiz at Silencer Shop on the SoundOff individual officer program, mentioned as a direct point of contact buyers will reach at soundsoftshop.com. Neil Noakes — Former Chief of Police of the Fort Worth Police Department, cited as an example of a career officer who, when asked how many critical incidents he had been on, simply said he had lost count. Simon Sinek — Author and speaker known for the concept of finding your 'why,' referenced when Brad Ortiz challenged every officer in the room to examine the deeper reason behind their career and identity.
July 24 · 1 hr 34 min
#205 After Dark: From Vetting Instructors to Hosting Sold-Out LEO Matches: Gabe Rivera on Building a Healthy Competition Culture Inside Law Enforcement
You know there is a gap between how your team trains and how your team performs. You've felt it. Gabe Rivera felt it too, and instead of talking about it, he built a system to close it. Full-time SWAT officer, Lead Faucet Tactical instructor, and founder of Mindset Tactical Solutions, Gabe sits down with Scott at the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association Conference in Round Rock, Texas to walk through eighteen years of hard lessons: how to vet instructors without getting burned by theory masquerading as experience, how competition shooting exposed gaps that thousands of hours of tactical courses never revealed, and how a small group of motivated cops turned a text thread into a sold-out law enforcement shooting match movement spreading from Southern California to Tennessee to TTPOA. This isn't a conversation about chasing classifications or social media clout. Gabe is relentlessly mission-focused: make the people around you better, lead by example, and build a culture where your weakest link is not weak for long. He breaks down how his agency went from a one-time thirty-two-hour active shooter block to annual refreshers, quarterly reps, and academy-level integration, and how the same forward-thinking philosophy is now driving a USPSA club, an intro-to-competition course for cops, and an intra-team quarterly competition with a plaque and serious bragging rights on the line. If you are a SWAT officer, a range sergeant, a team leader, or any cop who has ever wondered whether competition shooting is worth your time, this episode gives you the full picture, from Gabe's first humbling match experience alongside JJ Racaza to the stage-design lessons learned from rain-soaked stages at TTPOA this week. The roadmap is here. The people willing to help are already lined up. The only thing left is for you to start. Scott and Gabe also get into what it actually takes to put on a law enforcement match from scratch: finding a USPSA club willing to partner, building walls out of nothing, managing squad flow so nobody is standing around for eight hours, and leaning on sponsors like Howitzer Clothing to make the economics work. Whether you want to attend one of these matches or host one in your region, you'll leave this episode knowing exactly where to begin. In this episode: • Vetting instructors on tactics means prioritizing people whose techniques have been stress-tested for real, not just proven effective in Sims houses: one-off experiences are worth learning from, but not worth re-engineering your entire SOP around • Gabe's agency moved from a single thirty-two-hour active shooter block to academy-level integration plus annual refresher training plus quarterly reps after a post-incident debrief trip to Dallas surfaced the gap between their readiness and what actually-trained agencies were doing • Competition shooting exposed performance gaps that thousands of hours of tactical classes and certificates never did: the move to 'one match a month' then 'every match I can shoot' followed directly from realizing that class environments reward relative performance, while matches reveal absolute performance • The intra-team competition format Gabe built scores each team's top three shooters PLUS its bottom two, forcing accountability at the weakest link rather than letting high performers mask squad-wide deficiencies • The Southeast law enforcement match in Tennessee was the proof-of-concept Gabe and his crew replicated in the Southwest: copy the model, learn from their stage-flow lessons (including a full-service staff-reset format), and let the virus spread region by region • A USPSA section chair approved Gabe's agency-affiliated club to run official classifiers inside law enforcement courses, meaning cops can get their USPSA member number and classification within a course environment specifically designed around duty gear and relevant skill sets • Intro-to-competition classes for cops specifically address the three barriers Scott hears most: fear of DQ, not understanding stage planning, and not knowing how to sign up, and Gabe's model walks officers through a live match with coaching squad support their first time out • Sponsors like Howitzer Clothing (Eric Foss, Project Blue Lion) are funding JJ Racaza team courses and law enforcement match infrastructure outright, and USPSA clubs with materials and range facilities are the key first partnership to secure when replicating this model anywhere in the country Chapters: 0:39 Iron Sights intro and show mission 1:09 Welcoming Gabe Rivera and Scott's personal history with him 5:56 Gabe's background: 18 years in LEO and full-time SWAT 6:27 Origin of Mindset Tactical Solutions and active shooter training 8:15 Lead Faucet Tactical and the instructor vetting process 9:38 Dallas debrief, annual training evolution, and closing the readiness gap 24:26 What 'vet your instructors' actually means in practice 29:47 First exposure to competition shooting and Ben Stoeger's course 31:37 Training with JJ Racaza and the decision to go all-in on competition 44:03 Building a competition culture inside the agency 51:03 Launching the Southwest LEO match and learning from Tennessee 1:24:13 USPSA classification inside LEO courses and what is next Mentioned: Gabe Rivera — Owner and instructor of Mindset Tactical Solutions, full-time SWAT officer with eighteen years in Southern California law enforcement, and Lead Faucet Tactical instructor; primary guest of this episode. Dan Brokos — Founder of Lead Faucet Tactical; mentioned as someone Gabe assists as an instructor and who was teaching in Southern California during the week of the TTPOA conference. Ben Stoeger — World-class competition shooter whose Los Angeles-area private course required a USPSA B classification for entry, giving Gabe his first serious exposure to high-level practical shooting in 2015. JJ Racaza — World-class competition shooter who invited Gabe to shoot a match after training together, and who later ran private performance shooting courses for Gabe's SWAT team, funded in part by Howitzer Clothing. Cody — Referenced as a helpful contact associated with the Southeast law enforcement shooting match in Tennessee whose team provided guidance and support to the Southwest match organizers. Sean Griffith — Described as a top-ten shooter in the world who helped design stages for the TTPOA match and is cited as an example of elite-level competitors willing to invest time in helping law enforcement get into competition. Eric Foss — Associated with Howitzer Clothing and Project Blue Lion; credited with sponsoring JJ Racaza's private course for Gabe's team at no cost to the agency and with funding law enforcement match infrastructure. Anthony Coley — Mentioned as a recent Iron Sights guest whose attitude of asking for help openly was cited as a model for the law enforcement match-building community. Dustin Mowry — Named as a previous Iron Sights guest and one of the people involved in the TTPOA match effort whom Gabe has known since approximately 2015. Chancey Pogue — Named as a previous Iron Sights guest involved in the TTPOA match collaboration alongside Gabe. Bryan Williams — Named alongside Dustin Mowry and Chancey Pogue as a previous Iron Sights guest involved in the TTPOA match effort.
July 17 · 1 hr 40 min
#204 After Dark: TTPOA + Matt Pranka Live Q&A
You have heard the arguments a thousand times and every time you hear them, something in your gut says it doesn't add up. In this episode, recorded live at the TTPOA conference in Round Rock, Texas, Iron Sights collaborated with the TTPOA Podcast host Brandon Hernandez and cohost Matt Smith to sit down with Matt Pranka for an honest conversation about training. Matt pulls zero punches on the dynamic versus deliberate debate, the real definition of CQB as a tactic, why slow is NOT safe when the fight is opposed, and how foundational skills are the only real safety mitigation factor your team has. You'll walk away understanding why your shoot house training may be building bad habits, what targets are actually doing to your vision discipline, and how a predictive shooting framework built around doubles, triples, and reactive shooting should be driving your 100-round range session. The Q&A portion adds ground-level perspective of a small-agency officer who built his own live-fire shoot house from scratch just to get his community access to real training. His questions on shoot house construction, target discrimination, and bridging the gap from patrolman to operator kick off a conversation that just keeps getting deeper. And threaded throughout all of it is the culture piece: loyalty, willingness, owning your mistakes in the AAR, and why the guys who refuse to admit they were wrong are the ones who never make it. This one is a labor of love, and it shows. In this episode: • Dynamic CQB is not fast movement across the ground, it is the speed at which you go from one task to the next with zero delay, and training pace must be significantly faster than execution pace so that real-life speed feels controlled, not chaotic • Shoot houses built with bullet traps eliminate a critical processing element: when operators can see the trap, they already know where the target is, removing the visual discrimination loop of demeanor, hands, and decision that mirrors real encounters • A shoot house SOP should be a simple three-page document with graphics that standardizes corner-fed versus center-fed rooms, hallway attacks, and door procedures before any contingency or procedure documents are layered on top • Force-on-force fails most often because role players maintain vigilance for only the five minutes before the team enters, so the most realistic FoF uses opposing SWAT teams cocked for 45 to 120 minutes who are caught off guard when surprise is given up • The 100-round range session breakdown: 40% predictive doubles (always preceded by 5 to 10 dry reps per block), 30% reactive multi-target shooting, 20% movement including lateral and shooting on the move, 10% live verification of whatever you are working in dry fire • Dry fire sessions should cap at 10 to 15 minutes of full cognitive and grip intensity, because sustained focus beyond that window is where the intensity drops and bad habits are grooved, and multiple short sessions accumulate more quality volume than one long unfocused one • The triangle of CQB principles, surprise then speed then violence of action, is ordered intentionally: if surprise is never given up, speed is not required, but the moment surprise is lost, speed and violence of action must immediately fill the gap • The most important character trait in a teammate is loyalty, not to the individual but to shared values and standards, because unlike shooting skill or fitness it cannot be trained, programmed, or faked, and it is the one trait that is essentially hard-coded by the time someone joins a team Chapters: 0:10 Iron Sights intro and mission statement 0:56 Live at TTPOA: setting the scene 1:58 George Pastore Foundation and the podcast booth 11:27 Justin Torres and Battlegrounds CQB House 12:17 Building a better shoot house for law enforcement 17:40 Targets, visual discrimination, and shoot house training 29:42 Dynamic vs. deliberate: the real definitions 31:45 True CQB speed: task-to-task efficiency 40:26 Loyalty, willingness, and what makes a good teammate 1:01:50 The 100-round training session blueprint 1:09:17 When slow is justified: surprise, darkness, and standoff 1:30:38 AARs as a culture-shifting training tool Mentioned: Matt Pranka — Returning guest, practical shooting and CQB instructor, keynote speaker at the TTPOA conference, and the primary subject matter expert in the episode's CQB discussion. Justin Torres — Owner of Battlegrounds CQB House in San Antonio and a police officer with a small local agency, who built his own shoot house to bring training access to smaller departments. Kim Pastore — Runs the Jorge Pastore Foundation and partnered with the TTPOA and Iron Sights team to build and fund the conference podcast booth. Chris Palmer — Friend of Matt Pranka and prior TTPOA keynote speaker, mentioned in the context of shooting review videos where officers misremember their own actions on body cam footage. Dan Collosanto — Referenced as the person who invited Matt Pranka to be the TTPOA keynote speaker, jokingly described as someone who 'fucked up' by giving Matt the slot. Jordan — Owner of Arise Manufacturing, who direct-mills Matt Prankla's personal pistols so no optic plate is needed. Zach Harrison — Owner-operator of Ascension Training Group was seated in the audience at the podcast booth and asked the question about the value of AARs in law enforcement training culture. Hwansik Kim — Cited by Matt Pranka as an example of a shooter who achieved top national-level match finishes on approximately 2,000 total rounds by mastering dry fire methodology. Jeff Mau — From Tenicor, he appeared on a prior Iron Sights episode alongside Matt Pranka and John Valentine. Mike Pannone— Mentioned as having co-taught a course in California with Matt Pranka, after which both appeared on a previous Iron Sights episode.
July 10 · 2 hr 4 min
#203 After Dark: 20 Years of Breaching, Culture, Legal Liability, and the True Cost of Under-Training with Shane Foster
You think breaching is just kicking in a door. Shane Foster is here to tell you how wrong that is, and why that assumption is costing agencies millions of dollars, officers their careers, and in some cases, lives. Shane is the founder of Guild Solutions Group, director of training development for Pryme Infill, and one of the most quietly credentialed practitioners in the law enforcement and military training space. Over fourteen years in law enforcement across three agencies, a National Guard FAST team, deployments to Yemen and Afghanistan, time in Fortune 500 corporate leadership, and now building one of the most progressive breaching programs in the country, Shane does not fit neatly into a box. That is exactly the point. This conversation goes deep into the broken culture inside law enforcement training, the dangerous gap between experience and competence, and why ego is not just a soft problem but a hard operational one. Shane breaks down the real categories of breaching, from manual and ballistic to exothermic, hydraulic, bypass, and energetic, and explains why most agencies are leaving officers dangerously under-prepared because of liability avoidance, administrative checkbox training, and a stubborn refusal to evolve curriculum. You will also hear a frank conversation about the physical, neurological, and legal costs of doing this work incorrectly. Shane pulls no punches on TBI exposure, biomechanical failure patterns in ram technique, the litigation crisis hitting agencies nationwide, and why the solution to all of it is not more of the same. It is holistic, leveled, continually updated training paired with the documentation technology to back it up in court. If you are in law enforcement, military, or any preparedness-minded community, this episode will challenge how you think about training quality, institutional culture, and what it actually means to be ready when the door comes down. Stick with it all the way through. The back half on Pryme Infill alone is worth the full runtime. In this episode: • Ego as an operational failure point: Shane explains that culture problems in law enforcement training are rooted in ego, specifically the institutional unwillingness to admit wrong techniques, outdated case law applications, or poor curriculum, because the personal cost of admitting error feels higher than the cost of staying wrong. • Concepts over absolutes in breaching instruction: the Guild teaches that every technique has contextual conditions that determine its application, so training must build decision-making capacity rather than rote replication of a single method. • The six categories of breaching broken down: manual, ballistic, exothermic, hydraulic, bypass, and energetic access each serve distinct tactical purposes, and most patrol officers graduate from academies knowing only a ram and a halogen, which Shane calls subpar even for a one-zero-one level. • Biomechanical failure in ram technique: pendulum and FBI swings are still being taught generation to generation despite causing broken fingers, rotator cuff injuries, and over-penetration that blades the officer away from a threat inside the structure. • TBI mitigation is no longer just suck it up: cumulative blast pressure exposure during training, not operations, is the primary issue. Shane references computational fluid dynamics, AI cross-referenced brain wave tracking via Nurable headsets, daily PSI limits, and creatine and vitamin D3 protocols as part of a modern mitigation stack. • The legal dimension must be taught in real time during every course: case laws governing breaching are rarely actually discussed even when listed on course objectives, and that gap is contributing to a $3 billion-plus payout crisis in law enforcement civil litigation over the past ten years. • Pryme Infill closes the documentation gap: the platform combines a sanctioned encrypted communication app, geospatial Blue Force Tracker-style awareness, override-capable notifications, mission planning, and a PDF-builder that generates comprehensive legal-grade training records, all designed specifically to protect officers in depositions and civil discovery. • Midsize agencies are the sweet spot for developing well-rounded officers: small agencies give full-spectrum experience but limited specialization, large agencies define roles narrowly and officers can get lost, while the 200 to 400 officer range provides both operational breadth and enough structure to develop real expertise. Chapters: 0:00 Iron Sights intro and show philosophy 1:03 Guest intro: who is Shane Foster 1:42 Shane's background and the starfish career 17:55 Agency size, experience, and the midsize sweet spot 22:37 When officers realize training is failing them 30:16 What good instruction actually looks like 32:05 Law enforcement culture, ego, and the cost of not changing 50:27 Building Guild Solutions Group from the ground up 59:39 The six categories of breaching explained 1:28:03 Physical fitness, TBI, and the real cost of this work 1:40:34 How Pryme Infill was born and what it actually does 2:03:16 Where to find Guild Solutions and Pryme Infill Mentioned: Chris Kuras — Mutual friend who referred Shane Foster to the host and is associated with BRB and Good Dude Concepts. Pete Blaber — Author of The Mission, the Men, and Me, cited by Shane as one of his favorite books and as an example of common sense leadership. Ben Stoeger — Shane mentions encountering him briefly at SHOT Show and cites him as an example of a non-law enforcement, non-military practitioner who became a world-class shooter sought after by elite units. Matt Pranka — Shane credits him with the idea that instructors cannot make people process faster but can eliminate physical barriers so the student can focus on the problem. Pete Coletta — Shane's business partner in Guild Applied Solutions, the R and D arm of the Guild. Jared — Co-founder of Pryme Infill who built the platform after a high-scrutiny deposition following the 2020 Floyd riots, determined never to be caught undocumented again.
March 6 · 1 hr 30 min
#202 After Dark - Shot Show 2026: The Mind Behind VEIL Solutions | Chris Woomer
Welcome back to another After Dark episode of the Iron Sights Podcast. My guest today is Chris Woomer, founder of VEIL Solutions. Chris is a designer, builder, and instructor who has spent years developing holsters and equipment for responsibly armed citizens, law enforcement, and military professionals. He’s also a masterclass competitive shooter and martial artist who approaches his craft with the mindset of both an artist and a problem solver. I first came across Chris while searching for people presenting ideas rooted in philosophy and methodology rather than internet noise. His stoic approach, deep conviction, and willingness to challenge conventional thinking immediately stood out. We finally had the chance to sit down face-to-face at SHOT Show 2026. Chris isn’t chasing hype or headlines. He’s focused on the work—often behind the scenes—pushing the industry forward through thoughtful design, hard-earned experience, and a relentless pursuit of getting it right. Sit back and enjoy this After Dark conversation with Chris Woomer here on the Iron Sights Podcast. Timestamps: 00.00 Intro 07:54 Chris's Background 12:04 Building Veil Solutions 18:13 Focus And Rabbit Holes 25:44 Becoming An Instructor 31:05 Why Teaching Matters 36:35 Who Seeks Training 46:04 Work Ethic Mindset 53:39 Luck Vs Preparation 01:02:36 Design And Reps 01:09:27 Product Development 01:16:20 SHOT Show Reality 01:20:14 Breaching Origin Story Red Dot Fitness Train Online: http://rdftrainonline.com/ Online Membership (Full Access To All Programs & Virtual Coaching): https://www.reddotfitness.net/online-membership Virtual Coaching: https://www.reddotfitness.net/virtual-coaching Self-Guided Programs: https://www.reddotfitness.net/Self-Guided-Programs1 Connect With Us: Website - https://ironsightspodcast.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ironsightspodcast/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/
February 23 · 1 hr 6 min
#223 - Why Getting Outside Makes You Stronger, Smarter & Healthier
In this episode of the Iron Sights Podcast, Ryan and I step outside the usual gym conversation and talk about something most people overlook — getting outside and actually playing. We break down the physical performance benefits, the psychological and physiological upsides, and even the cognitive and sensory advantages of spending time outdoors. If you’re training hard inside the gym but feeling like something’s missing, this conversation might help you connect a few dots. This isn’t about abandoning structured training. It’s about enhancing it. If your goal is to look better, feel better, and perform better, you might need more fresh air than you think. Sit back and enjoy. - Red Dot Fitness Train Online: http://rdftrainonline.com/ FFA Program: https://reddotfitness.net/fitforaction Red Dot Fitness Training Programs: rdfprograms.com Online Membership (Full Access To All Programs & Virtual Coaching): https://www.reddotfitness.net/online-membership Virtual Coaching: https://www.reddotfitness.net/virtual-coaching Self-Guided Programs: https://www.reddotfitness.net/Self-Guided-Programs1 (NEW) Iron Sights Podcast Website: ironsightspodcasts.com Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 06:45 Loss Of Play 11:41 Early Specialization 19:28 Ski Trip Reality Check 21:24 Predictable Vs Random Training 25:45 Nature & Mental Health 31:05 Play > Metrics 33:55 When Lifting Gets Stale 41:47 Adding Play To Training 47:39 Gym Supports Sport 51:38 Tools & Dogma 58:58 Social & Family Play 01:02:03 Stop Chasing Perfect Programs Connect With Us: Website - https://ironsightspodcast.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ironsightspodcast/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/
February 20 · 2 hr 37 min
#200 After Dark - Shot Show 2026: Paul Costa On Mastery, Pressure & Firearms Performance
Welcome back to another After Dark episode of the Iron Sights Podcast. Recorded at SHOT Show 2026, I sit down with Paul Costa of Broken Arrow Defense and Achilles Heel Tactical. Paul’s background was built the hard way — patrol cars, high-risk warrants, working alongside a canine, and years in environments where fundamentals weren’t optional. They were survival. Today, Paul carries that same commitment into the training world, instructing law enforcement and responsible citizens in firearms tactics and performance. A Masterclass competitive shooter, Walther Pro Staff instructor, and Safariland cadre member, Paul is first and foremost a student of the craft — and it shows. We talk about building skill that holds under pressure, developing people and teams, the realities of the firearms training business, and what pursuing mastery really means in a world chasing shortcuts. This was one I’d been looking forward to for a long time. Sit back and enjoy this After Dark conversation with Paul Costa on the Iron Sights Podcast. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 03:17 In-Person Edge 07:07 LE Background 11:57 Burnout 29:10 Civilians > Cops 35:16 Injury Pivot 43:40 Going Solo 58:32 Training Business 01:14:34 Culture Shift 01:43:11 Grip Myth 02:01:49 Partnerships 02:13:08 Pistol Debate 02:21:52 What’s Next Red Dot Fitness Train Online: http://rdftrainonline.com/ Online Membership (Full Access To All Programs & Virtual Coaching): https://www.reddotfitness.net/online-membership Virtual Coaching: https://www.reddotfitness.net/virtual-coaching Self-Guided Programs: https://www.reddotfitness.net/Self-Guided-Programs1 Connect With Us: Website - https://ironsightspodcast.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ironsightspodcast/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/
February 17 · 42 min
#222 - 3 Exercises For Performance & Longevity That Actually Matter
In this episode of the Iron Sights Podcast, I’m back in the studio with Ryan and CeCe from Red Dot Fitness breaking down our top three exercise picks for performance and longevity. If your goal is to look better, feel better, and continue performing at a high level for years to come, this conversation is for you. We walk through why these movements made the list, the reasoning behind them, and how you can plug them into your own training without overcomplicating things. No gimmicks. No trendy movements. Just exercises that deliver long-term value. Sit back and enjoy this episode with the Red Dot Fitness crew. - Red Dot Fitness Train Online: http://rdftrainonline.com/ FFA Program: https://reddotfitness.net/fitforaction Red Dot Fitness Training Programs: rdfprograms.com Online Membership (Full Access To All Programs & Virtual Coaching): https://www.reddotfitness.net/online-membership Virtual Coaching: https://www.reddotfitness.net/virtual-coaching Self-Guided Programs: https://www.reddotfitness.net/Self-Guided-Programs1 (NEW) Iron Sights Podcast Website: ironsightspodcasts.com Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:33 One Lift For Life 04:23 Trap Bar Case 09:30 Real-World Strength 11:05 Power Clean Debate 17:07 Longevity Shift 18:53 Split Squat Wins 23:02 Zercher Option 24:49 Unilateral Advantage 29:52 Programming Hack 32:19 Pain & Ego 39:29 Scaling Options 42:15 Final Picks Connect With Us: Website - https://ironsightspodcast.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ironsightspodcast/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/
February 13 · 2 hr 18 min
#199 After Dark - Shot Show 2026: The Unicorn Chief On Police Culture, Accountability & Hard Truths
Welcome back to another After Dark episode of the Iron Sights Podcast. Recorded at SHOT Show 2026, I sit down with Bryan Williams — better known as the Unicorn Chief. From SWAT operator to Chief, a stint in City Hall, and back to policing, Bryan’s career has given him a perspective that most people in the profession never get. He’s seen leadership from the street, the admin side, and the political layer in between. In this conversation, we dig into police culture, mentorship, accountability, and why standards in training actually matter. As a USPSA Grandmaster, Bryan doesn’t just preach performance — he lives it. If he’s not in the office handling the administrative side of the job, he’s on the range sharpening his edge and pushing others to do the same. Brian is direct. He doesn’t sugarcoat. He’s not interested in protecting feelings — he’s interested in protecting the mission. Sit back and enjoy this After Dark episode with the Unicorn Chief, Bryan Williams. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 08:38 Bryan’s Career 18:52 Leadership Path 28:42 Public Perception 40:03 Leadership Struggles 48:16 City Management 01:04:53 Leadership Defined 01:14:07 Accountability Crisis 01:22:27 Mentorship 01:27:21 Training Challenges 01:42:57 Competition & Standards 01:55:09 Execution Mode 02:02:09 Self-Care Red Dot Fitness Train Online: http://rdftrainonline.com/ Online Membership (Full Access To All Programs & Virtual Coaching): https://www.reddotfitness.net/online-membership Virtual Coaching: https://www.reddotfitness.net/virtual-coaching Self-Guided Programs: https://www.reddotfitness.net/Self-Guided-Programs1 Connect With Us: Website - https://ironsightspodcast.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ironsightspodcast/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/
February 6 · 1 hr 53 min
#198 After Dark - Shot Show 2026: Joe Hamilton On Leadership, Culture & The CARE Movement
At SHOT Show 2026, I sat down with Joe Hamilton, CEO of Vortex Optics, for a conversation that goes way beyond optics, sales, or gear. Joe’s journey started on the floor of his family’s small retail shop in Wisconsin, long before the boardroom. That early exposure to people, service, and doing things the right way shaped what would become Vortex’s defining edge: a relentless focus on human connection. In this After Dark episode, we dig into leadership, the Care Movement, and why people-first culture beats short-term efficiency every time. We talk about building trust, leading with purpose, and creating loyalty that can’t be bought. This one’s about heart, hustle, and human performance — the kind that actually lasts. Sit back and enjoy this After Dark conversation with Joe Hamilton, CEO of Vortex Optics, here on the Iron Sides Podcast. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 04:38 Joe’s Background 11:49 Vortex Growth 24:19 Leadership 43:31 Efficiency vs People 48:58 Customer First 57:57 Hiring 01:04:45 Scaling 01:21:28 Caring Culture 01:39:42 Family Business 01:46:47 Innovation Red Dot Fitness Train Online: http://rdftrainonline.com/ Online Membership (Full Access To All Programs & Virtual Coaching): https://www.reddotfitness.net/online-membership Virtual Coaching: https://www.reddotfitness.net/virtual-coaching Self-Guided Programs: https://www.reddotfitness.net/Self-Guided-Programs1 Connect With Us: Website - https://ironsightspodcast.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ironsightspodcast/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/
January 31 · 2 hr 8 min
#197 After Dark - Shot Show 2026: Hunter Freeland On Shooting, Philosophy & Building Better Humans
In this After Dark episode of the Iron Sights Podcast, I sit down with Hunter Freeland at SHOT Show 2026. About a year in the making, this conversation covers Hunter’s journey through the military, law enforcement, contracting, and his transition into launching Hunter Freeland Shooting. We talk philosophy, methodology, mindset, and what really matters beyond just shooting performance. Hunter is known for being stoic, disciplined, and serious about the craft—but his vision goes deeper than marksmanship. He’s focused on building responsible individuals, strong advocates for the Second Amendment, and better humans overall.This one’s honest, thoughtful, and packed with perspective for shooters, instructors, and anyone trying to do things the right way. Sit back and enjoy this After Dark episode with Hunter Freeland on the Iron Sights Podcast. Check out Hunter's website here: hfshooting.com Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 09:58 Teaching & Training 14:24 Business & Image 17:42 Community & Culture 38:18 Pro vs Hobby 45:33 Sport Evolution 48:47 Responsibility 54:10 Industry Challenges 01:22:17 LE & Competition 01:38:04 Skill & Growth 02:05:31 Closing Red Dot Fitness Train Online: http://rdftrainonline.com/ Online Membership (Full Access To All Programs & Virtual Coaching): https://www.reddotfitness.net/online-membership Virtual Coaching: https://www.reddotfitness.net/virtual-coaching Self-Guided Programs: https://www.reddotfitness.net/Self-Guided-Programs1 Connect With Us: Website - https://ironsightspodcast.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ironsightspodcast/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/
January 26 · 55 min
#221 - Mobility & Flexibility Roundtable: Programming, Physiology & What Matters
In this episode of the Iron Sights Podcast, I’m back in the studio with Ryan and Cece breaking down flexibility and mobility without the hype. We talk physiology, anatomy, programming, and where mobility work actually fits into a real training week. We also hit on some of the trends floating around right now—fascial training, mobility “systems,” and why a lot of this stuff misses the point. If you’re trying to move better, train smarter, and stop wasting time on things that don’t matter, this one’s for you. Sit back and enjoy. - Red Dot Fitness Train Online: http://rdftrainonline.com/ FFA Program: https://reddotfitness.net/fitforaction Red Dot Fitness Training Programs: rdfprograms.com Online Membership (Full Access To All Programs & Virtual Coaching): https://www.reddotfitness.net/online-membership Virtual Coaching: https://www.reddotfitness.net/virtual-coaching Self-Guided Programs: https://www.reddotfitness.net/Self-Guided-Programs1 (NEW) Iron Sights Podcast Website: ironsightspodcasts.com Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:39 Flexibility Struggles 05:34 Flexibility vs Mobility 07:32 Nervous System Role 09:22 Rehab & Post-Surgery 11:02 Improving Mobility 18:33 Mobility Tools 23:08 Strength vs Mobility 29:58 Range of Motion 33:52 Hyperflexibility Issues 40:31 Fascia & Mobility 49:04 Making Mobility Stick 54:32 Training Sessions Connect With Us: Website - https://ironsightspodcast.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ironsightspodcast/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/
January 23 · 2 hr 10 min
The Good Dude Collective ft. Chris Kuras, Bruno Fallon, Blake Cook, Jack Lewis & Jon Dufresne
This is a special SHOT Show 2026 edition of the Iron Sights Podcast, recorded on the floor in collaboration with Good Dude Concepts. I’m joined by Chris Kuras (Good Dude Concepts), Bruno Fallon (Born Primitive), Jon Dufresne (Connecticut’s Consulting / See The Night), Blake Cook, and Jack Lewis (Black Tiger International). We talk about what brought us to SHOT, what stood out, and then let the conversation go where it needed to go — firearms training, health and fitness, leadership, culture, and the realities behind the industry. No scripts. No marketing pitches. Just honest conversations, new connections, and perspectives from people doing real work. If you’ve somehow missed Good Dude Concepts, they make the BRB breacher bar for real-world entry work—grab yours at good-dude.com and save on shipping with code IRON SIGHTS. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 04:06 SHOT Show 05:44 Night Ops Summit 12:50 Community Ties 26:25 Sobriety Journey 30:43 Good Dude Concepts 40:58 Mentorship 45:19 LE Training 55:28 Standards 01:12:16 Close Call 01:17:55 High Standards 01:31:07 Leadership 01:39:48 Positive Energy 01:41:48 Culture Shift 01:51:44 Final Thoughts 02:08:56 Closing Red Dot Fitness Training Programs: rdfprograms.com Online Membership (Full Access To All Programs & Virtual Coaching): https://www.reddotfitness.net/online-membership Virtual Coaching: https://www.reddotfitness.net/virtual-coaching Self-Guided Programs: https://www.reddotfitness.net/Self-Guided-Programs1 Connect With Us: Website - https://ironsightspodcast.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ironsightspodcast/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/
January 19 · 1 hr 7 min
#220 - Health & Fitness In 2026: AI, GLP-1s, Wearables And What Actually Matters
In this roundtable episode of the Iron Sights Podcast, Ryan, Cece, and I kick off the year by taking a hard look at health and fitness in 2026. We revisit what we were talking about this time last year, what’s changed, and what’s somehow gotten louder — without necessarily getting better. We break down the new food pyramid push, GLP-1s and what we’re seeing with real clients, the body positivity conversation, and how AI is reshaping coaching, wearables, and the consumer fitness market. No doom, no hype — just perspective from the studio and the trenches. Sit back and enjoy this one. - Red Dot Fitness Train Online: http://rdftrainonline.com/ FFA Program: https://reddotfitness.net/fitforaction Red Dot Fitness Training Programs: rdfprograms.com Online Membership (Full Access To All Programs & Virtual Coaching): https://www.reddotfitness.net/online-membership Virtual Coaching: https://www.reddotfitness.net/virtual-coaching Self-Guided Programs: https://www.reddotfitness.net/Self-Guided-Programs1 (NEW) Iron Sights Podcast Website: ironsightspodcasts.com Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 04:01 2025 Health Trends 06:12 GLP-1 Overview 10:28 GLP-1 Experiences 22:02 Food Pyramid Changes 36:30 Social Media Experts 37:58 AI In Fitness 42:59 Risks Of AI 55:16 Gamified Fitness Connect With Us: Website - https://ironsightspodcast.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ironsightspodcast/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/
January 12 · 1 hr 27 min
#219 - 5 Nutrition Mistakes Coaches Hate (And Clients Too)
In this episode of the Iron Sights Podcast, I’m joined by my favorite nutrition coach, Steven Brenna, to break down the five most annoying—and avoidable—things that drive both nutrition coaches and clients crazy. If you’re currently in a nutrition coaching program, thinking about hiring a coach, or you are a coach yourself, this conversation will save you time and frustration. These are the mistakes we see over and over again because, as the saying goes, we know a few things because we’ve seen a few things. This episode is about setting better expectations, improving communication, and getting more out of the nutrition process—without the nonsense. - Red Dot Fitness Train Online: http://rdftrainonline.com/ FFA Program: https://reddotfitness.net/fitforaction Red Dot Fitness Training Programs: rdfprograms.com Online Membership (Full Access To All Programs & Virtual Coaching): https://www.reddotfitness.net/online-membership Virtual Coaching: https://www.reddotfitness.net/virtual-coaching Self-Guided Programs: https://www.reddotfitness.net/Self-Guided-Programs1 (NEW) Iron Sights Podcast Website: ironsightspodcasts.com Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:21 Coaching Frustrations 03:09 Setting Expectations 10:14 Why Tracking Matters 29:01 Blame Game (Age & Hormones) 35:20 Comparison Trap 37:20 Diet Trends & Consistency 45:30 Training Vs. Nutrition 53:33 Trust & Honesty 01:06:55 Carb Myths 01:09:17 Changing Beliefs Connect With Us: Website - https://ironsightspodcast.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ironsightspodcast/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/
January 9 · 1 hr 37 min
AD #195 - Changing Law Enforcement Training From The Inside With Raphael @redhats_slowgats
In this After Dark episode of the Iron Sights Podcast, I sit down with Raphael, a 17-year law enforcement veteran and range staff member at a major Bay Area agency. A Grand Master–level shooter, Raphael has been instrumental in helping move training at his agency in a better direction. We talk about his journey, what it takes to challenge outdated training systems from the inside, and the practical steps that have actually worked for him and his partners. If you’re law enforcement, a shooter, or an instructor trying to improve training without blowing things up, this episode has real takeaways. Follow Raphael on Instagram at @redhats_slowgats and enjoy this After Dark conversation on the Iron Sights Podcast. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 04:00 Raphael’s Background 05:17 LE & Competition 09:15 Training Challenges 17:18 Red Dot Adoption 29:12 Training Standards 33:44 Fundamentals 38:08 Skill Builders 41:40 Leadership 48:39 LE Competition 55:23 Training Balance 01:07:56 Compete To Improve 01:11:12 Explore Vs Perform 01:16:39 Training Culture 01:21:25 Social Media 01:35:28 Wrap-Up Red Dot Fitness Training Programs: rdfprograms.com Online Membership (Full Access To All Programs & Virtual Coaching): https://www.reddotfitness.net/online-membership Virtual Coaching: https://www.reddotfitness.net/virtual-coaching Self-Guided Programs: https://www.reddotfitness.net/Self-Guided-Programs1 Connect With Us: Website - https://ironsightspodcast.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ironsightspodcast/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/

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