Building the Elite Podcast

Exploring how to regulate the nervous system through managing stress responses, understanding the autonomic nervous system, and balancing sympathetic and parasympathetic branches. Discussing stress inoculation training, strategies for pain and fatigue management, and optimizing stress reactions for improved outcomes and resilience in high-pressure situations

Don Tran is a former special operations Marine, and is the co-founder of Deep End Fitness. Prior to joining the MARSOC, or Marine Special Operations Command, community, Don was a water survival instructor, where he first began learning the skills that he developed over his career and brought to Deep End Fitness. Don was also a JTAC - a Joint Tactical Attack Controller, which is a specialty within US SOCOM that involves the coordination of combat aircraft in close support of ground operations.  He finished his time as a Marine Raider in a leadership role as a team operations chief and spent additional time at 4th Force Reconnaissance Company before leaving active duty in 2018. From there, he shifted full time into his work at Deep End Fitness, where he and his team teach physical fitness and water confidence, integrating the training methods he learned and developed as a maritime special operator. At BTE, we’re big fans of the work that Don and his crew are doing at Deep End Fitness, and we encourage our clients to train at their facilities for in-person coaching on the critical skills in the water that they’ll need to excel in their selection courses. The concepts that they’re teaching have been at the heart of maritime special operations culture for a long time, and it’s great to see those benefits becoming more mainstream and reaching not just other competitive athletes, but people from all walks of life seeking to become more fit while learning to better understand and manage their bodies and stress responses.  Deep End Fitness:www.DeepEndFitness.comhttps://www.instagram.com/deependfitness/Time Stamps:00:00:22 Intro to Don Tran00:01:58 Don's Career Overview00:02:45 Water Survival Instructor00:05:26 Marine Raider00:08:56 Advice For Someone Becoming a Raider00:10:15 Attributes Don Struggled With00:12:51 Selection Courses00:19:47 Underwater Football League00:22:51 Stresses of a Career as a Raider00:24:58 Getting out of the Military00:27:07 Deep End Fitness00:29:23 How to Explain the Concept of DEF00:32:32 MMA Fighters and NFL Players at DEF00:36:10 Training Methodology00:41:01 Manage Baseline Anxiety00:43:33 Fear Vs Anxiety00:44:45 Water: The Great Equalizer00:47:37 Basic Safety Guardrails00:50:01 In-Water Safety00:52:45 Don’t Panic Don’t Drown00:54:42 Firefighters00:55:11 Find Deep End Fitness00:55:50 Outro

Admiral Robert Harward is one of history's most accomplished US Navy SEALs. After graduating from the US Naval Academy, his NSW career began when he graduated with BUD/S class 128 in 1984 and joined SEAL Team Three, where he served as a platoon commander. From there, he screened for NSW Development Group, the US Navy’s tier-one unit, known at the time as SEAL Team Six, where he served as an assault team leader and operations officer. He earned his master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. Then he served as the task group commander during Operation Desert Thunder in Kuwait, the Joint Special Operations Task Force commander for Operation Rugged Nautilus, the deputy commander of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force in Bosnia, the Special Warfare Plans Officer for the Commander of Amphibious Forces in the U.S. Seventh Fleet; USSOCOM Aide-de-Camp to the Commander-in-Chief; then as the Executive Officer of NSW Unit ONE and as the commanding officer of SEAL Team Three.Admiral Harward assumed command of NSW Group One in August of 2001 and deployed to Afghanistan shortly after the 9/11 attacks. He commanded a multi-national task force named Task Force K-Bar and directed special reconnaissance and direct action missions throughout the country.The following year, he deployed to Iraq as the commander of Task Force 561, where he commanded NSW Task Group Central. The forces at his command there included not just all the assets in the Naval Special Warfare but also forces from the Polish GROM, the UK Royal Marines, and the Kuwaiti Navy.In 2003, he left NSW Group One and reported to the Executive Office of the President at the White House, where he served on the National Security Council as the Director of Strategy and Defense Issues.He went to the newly created National Counterterrorism Center in Washington from the White House.Then, he served as the deputy commanding general of JSOC, the Joint Special Operations Command, at Fort Bragg and did several more combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.In 2008, he assumed the role of deputy commander of the United States Joint Forces Command.Finally, in 2011, at the rank of Vice Admiral, he was assigned the role of Deputy Commander of USCENTCOM before retiring in November 2013. After his retirement, Admiral Harward became the chief executive of Lockheed Martin in the UAE.He is currently the executive vice president for International Business and Strategy for Shield AI, an AI-focused Defense Company. In this episode, we talk with Admiral Harward about his career in Naval Special Warfare, his advice for young leaders in the military, and the evolution of warfare as artificial intelligence takes a greater role on the battlefield. Timestamps:00:00:22 Intro to Admiral Bob Harward00:05:03 Younger Career00:10:30 Going Officer or Enlisted00:14:06 Becoming a Good Leader00:15:34 Advice for Aspiring Special Operators  00:21:13 Always be Prepared for War00:23:38 Well-Educated Warriors00:26:46 Comparison of SOF Units Around the World00:30:00 China and the US00:31:33 The Role of A.I.00:34:31 Half of Our Potential00:36:54 Best and Worst Advice 00:39:16 Outro

Former special operations medic Chris Klaftenegger discusses transitioning into entrepreneurship and developing defense technology at Onyx Industries. They delve into building robots, improving defense technology over the years, and mitigating open shock. Klaftenegger shares insights on leadership, tandem barrels in parachute jumps, and advice for industry professionals on transitioning smoothly.

Guest Chris Klaftenegger discusses his journey as a special operations medic in two military branches, sharing insights on selection courses, combat medicine evolution, recon vs. PJ communities, and his time as a Marine Recon instructor. The podcast delves into resilience, mental challenges in training, and the importance of self-awareness and teamwork in specialized military programs.

Former Navy SEAL Team 7 veteran Zack Ferguson discusses his decision to join the Navy, mental preparation for BUD/S, training experiences, and transition out of the SEAL teams. Highlights include commitment challenges, balancing commitments, illness in training, and the importance of mental resilience. He also shares insights on MMA commitment, contrasting mentalities between fighters and military teams, and navigating life's advice for personal growth and fulfillment.

Strength and conditioning coach John Mackersie discusses coaching Special Forces units, emphasizing training consistency, individualized programs, and data collection. Lightning round of tips includes fitness standards, mental struggle, and maintaining self-discipline. Also explores social media presence and training resources for special operations.

Special Operations Strength & Conditioning Coach, John Mackersie, discusses optimizing special ops training by emphasizing simple metrics, balancing training methods, and mastering movement patterns. The debate on Olympic lifts, importance of rucking, and injury prevention strategies in special operations are also explored.

Exploring the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of human performance in military special operations, including preparation models, cognitive skills, emotional factors. Embracing Chaos and Personal Growth. Navigating Through Setbacks and Failures with Hardiness and Emotional Intelligence. Exploring the Role of Emotions in Decision-Making and Quitting. Embracing and Managing Emotions for Success

Dr. Alex Hutchinson discusses altering perception of effort, processing pain, pushing limits in training, and the impact of altitude training on endurance in a captivating exploration of human performance.