The Kyle Carpenter Podcast

Kyle sits down with his grandmother, on the eve of her 85th birthday, to discuss her journey of life so far, parenting advice from raising three children and the most important lesson of all, "love each other."  

Kyle sits down with Gary to discuss his family’s journey to America in 1891, the founding of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, his iconic role as Lieutenant Dan Taylor, in the film Forrest Gump, and his lifelong mission of giving back to veterans and first responders.Gary Sinise is an award-winning actor, musician and a passionate philanthropist. In 1974, at 18 years old, he co-founded Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Today, his film and television works include Apollo 13, Ransom, Snake Eyes, The Green Mile, Mission to Mars and hit tv series Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders and nine seasons of CSI: NY. His most notable role came, in 1994, when he played Vietnam War veteran Lt. Dan Taylor, in the global film sensation Forrest Gump. His role as Lt. Dan formed a deep and enduring connection with servicemen and women throughout the military community and in 2003, after several USO tours, he formed the “Lt. Dan Band” and began entertaining troops at home and abroad. Over the years, the 13-piece cover band has performed hundreds of shows for charities and fundraisers supporting wounded heroes and troops around the world. In 2011, to expand upon his individual efforts, he established the Gary Sinise Foundation with the mission to serve and honor America’s defenders, veterans, first responders, Gold Star families and those in need. In 2019, Gary released his New York Times Bestselling autobiography, Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service.  

Kyle and Secretary Bill Cohen met in 2018 when Kyle spoke at The Cohen Group. Now, they sit down together to discuss his childhood in small town Maine, religious discrimination, leadership in politics and doing the right thing even when it’s difficult. Secretary Cohen and members of The Cohen Group have mentored and strategically supported Kyle since their friendship began.Bill Cohen served for 24 years as a Congressman and Senator from Maine from 1972-1996. In 1996, he was appointed by President Clinton to serve as the 20th Secretary of Defense from 1997-2001, the first time that a President of one party selected an elected official of another party for a Cabinet position. A published author of thirteen works of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry, Secretary Cohen is the son of a working-class Maine family who rose to the highest levels in government.He is a World Affairs Analyst for BBC News providing analysis and commentary on major domestic and international news stories, and is a member of the Board of Trustees at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). In addition to serving as Chairman of The Cohen Group, he also launched the William S. Cohen Institute for Leadership and Public Service at the University of Maine which "trains future leaders in a variety of disciplines to be ethical, visionary, innovative, civil, thoughtful and independent-minded in the service of Maine, the United States, and the world."

Kyle sits down with Chris to discuss the path to becoming a Navy SEAL, cave operations in Northern Afghanistan, the responsibilities of being a NASA Astronaut and life on the International Space Station. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, Chris Cassidy spent 11 years and four deployments operating as a Navy SEAL, before becoming a NASA Astronaut. Over the next 17 years, as an astronaut, Chris made three trips to space, completed 54 hours of spacewalk time and served as the Commander of the International Space Station for over six months. His time as an astronaut culminated with his selection as NASA’s 14th Chief Astronaut. Today, Chris serves as the President of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation. The National Medal of Honor Museum is currently being built in Arlington, Texas and will open Fall/Winter of 2024. If you would like to know more about Chris’s journey, you can follow him on Instagram @Astro_Seal or watch the incredible documentary, Among The Stars, on Disney+, which highlights his journey as an astronaut and his time as Commander of the International Space Station. 

Kyle and Lieutenant Jennifer Kerlin sit down together to discuss the unique, complex and vital jobs of first responders and the mental hardships they endure, from these jobs.Lt. Kerlin has served 22 years in Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, 16 of those as an officer. Her passion, throughout her career, has been technical rescue and her colleagues describe her as “one of the best there is.” The TRT (Technical Rescue Team) are certified emergency medical response firefighters specially trained in the treatment and removal of victims trapped in complex or confined spaces.Her training, experience and leadership culminated when her station was one of the first to arrive on the scene of the Surfside condominium collapse that occurred, at 1:22 a.m. EDT, on June 24th, 2021, in Surfside, FL. This was the biggest call her department has ever seen. After arriving on scene, she immediately took her 100 foot ladder and began rescuing people from the collapse zone and the swaying balconies that remained. Ultimately, she helped rescue all eleven people and two dogs.Today, while continuing to serve, she reminds her fellow first responders that it’s ok to struggle and, most importantly, that it’s ok to get help. 

General James Mattis, a retired Marine Corps General and the 26th U.S. Secretary of Defense, joins Kyle for a deep dive into leadership and military service. They reflect on the importance of camaraderie in the Marine Corps, the power of words in shaping policy, and the transition from military to civilian life. Mattis shares insights from his extensive career, including lessons on resilience and the ethical responsibilities of servicemen. Their conversation highlights the beauty of freedom and the commitment to serve a greater purpose.

Kyle and Bert met seven years ago in their home state of South Carolina. Now, they sit down as friends to discuss business, family, epic beards, adversity and earning a fulfilling life. Bert Sorin is the President of Sorinex Exercise Equipment, a 4-time Division 1 All-American Track and Field champion and an Olympic trials athlete. Sorinex is a successful family run business founded by his father, Richard Sorin.  Together they are the inventors of hardware and applications to make people more effective, efficient, and safe on the sports field and the battle field. Bert pushes each day to find the best in people, and to assist in the exploration of their potential and maximize their value to the cause. Sorinex has worked with numerous teams and organizations such as the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, University of South Carolina, Duke University and Army Special Forces. "Be present. Be authentic. Be legendary." -Bert Sorin

Kyle and Dr. Lauren Turza met in 2010 after he arrived at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, MD, after being injured in Afghanistan. She was one of his trauma surgeons and performed numerous operations on him, including his extensive skin grafts. Now, twelve years later, they not only remain close friends but Dr. Turza named her son after Kyle. Dr. Turza served 17 years as a combat Army General Surgeon. During that time, she served in numerous medical leadership positions, which included Chief of Trauma Surgery for a Forward Surgical Team, in Afghanistan, and Medical Director for the Breast Center at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. She is currently in a Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship at Anne Arundel Medical Center, in Annapolis, MD.