Team Never Quit

In today’s episode, Congressman Adam Kinzinger shares with us some truly amazing personal experiences and inspiring thoughts about life and a never quit mindset. Adam’s life is devoted to helping those around him – personally and politically. He was willing to die making a stand to help a stabbing victim. He served as a pilot for the U.S. Air Force, and believes that while we don’t want to put our soldiers in harm’s way, those that volunteered to serve are there to do what the vast majority of people won’t do. As such, Adam believes we need to treat out military personnel like the fierce warriors they are. Adam has a well-grounded understanding of the purpose and function of police, the military, first responders, and the political process. Adam is willing to stand up for the powerless, beliefs, and ideals. Support the show.

Today, Bryan Offutt joins us on the show to talk about his incredible 16 years at Under Armor, where he played a key role in their product line development and marketing strategies, eventually rocketing Under Armour from a 5 million to a 5 billion dollar international clothing line powerhouse. Bryan started in the warehouse and worked his way up to becoming the face of the Under armor brand, and eventually lead the Military/Tactical Category through forging impactful relationships with US Special Forces, and founding the company’s philanthropic military initiative, UA Freedom. Under Bryan’s leadership, Under Armour was named the #1 “most admired brand” amongst hunters, anglers and shooting sportsmen. Support the show.

When the unthinkable happens to our children, how do we react? Do we believe them and fight by their side or rationalize why the horrific reality of sexual abuse can’t possibly be true? This is the story of Rachel Denhollander and how her community of support empowered her to take down her abuser, even if it meant playing the long game. She touches on the issues of how her abuser got away with his crime for many years and what she has learned about preventing this organizational dysfunction in the future. Now she works to educate and advocate on the issues of sexual abuse and organizational ethics. She has been hard at work releasing two books that aid in her efforts to spotlight the lessons of her story while reminding young girls that they are valuable and worth protecting. Support the show.

In this special episode commemorating Veteran's Day, we are honored to have the Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence, speaking one-on-one with our host Marcus and his wife Melanie Luttrell. The Vice President speaks about the importance of Veteran's Day and what it means to him remembering those that have served this great country of ours, as well as, spending time with the men and women who currently serve. Support the show.

What a compelling, emotional series of events Tiggs has endured. From a four-year old daughter with a massive brain tumor and multiple surgeries; a husband battling PTSD and falling into the darkest mental places, to having one of her best friends of her lifetime pass away, Tiggs gives a riveting account of how her friends supported her and her family, and how her relationship with God brought healing in the worst of circumstances anyone could ever imagine. Support the show.

When Clint Phillips’ daughter experiences a devastating stroke, a few days after birth, his family quickly learns how horrible, inefficient, and costly the healthcare system is. From that experience, Clint took a solution into his own hands and developed 2nd M.D., a second opinion platform, currently serving over ten million members. It gives users quick access to the world’s best doctors via video. This Veterans Day Medici will deliver concierge-level doctor access, across multiple specialties, to our Veterans this Veterans Day at no cost and without the waiting rooms. Support the show.

What does a true advocate for America’s service members look like? Look no further than Gary Sinise. What began in the early 80’s with his support of Vietnam Veterans groups and the creation of Vets Night, a program offering free dinners and performances for veterans at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, his commitment continued into working on behalf of the Disabled American Veterans organization. Since the attacks of September 11th, 2001, his dedication to our nation’s defenders, veterans and first responders has become a tireless crusade of support, service and gratitude to all those who protect our freedom by serving our country. All this was birthed by Gary’s “never think you can’t do it” attitude, which he developed at an early age. His portrayal of disabled Vietnam veteran Lt. Dan Taylor in the film Forrest Gump formed an enduring connection with servicemen and women throughout the military community. Sinise also formed the “Lt. Dan Band” in early 2004 and began entertaining troops serving at home and abroad. The band now performs close to 30 shows a year for military bases, charities and fundraisers supporting wounded heroes, Gold Star families, veterans and troops around the world. In recognition of his humanitarian work on behalf of our nation’s defenders, Sinise has earned many distinguished awards including the Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment from the Medal of Honor Society, the Spirit of the USO Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the Doughboy Award, the Sylvanus Thayer Award, and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Award from the National Defense Industrial Association. In 2008, he received the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second-highest civilian honor awarded to citizens for exemplary deeds performed in service of the nation. In 2012, Sinise was presented with the Spirit of Hope Award by the Department of Defense, was named an honorary Chief Petty Officer by the United States Navy and in 2013 was pinned as an honorary Marine by General James Amos, commandant of the United States Marine Corps. In 2011, to expand upon his individual efforts, Sinise established the Gary Sinise Foundation. Its mission is to serve and honor our nation’s defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need by creating and supporting unique programs that entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen and build communities. Of its many outreach efforts, the Gary Sinise Foundation is building custom Smart Homes for severely wounded veterans, serving hearty meals to deploying troops and hosting spirit-boosting festivals for patients, families and medical staff at military hospitals. Giving back to those who sacrifice for our nation and encouraging others to do the same has become Gary Sinise’s personal quest and what he hopes will endure as a legacy of service to others. “Freedom and security are precious gifts that we, as Americans, should never take for granted,” says Sinise. “We must do all we can to extend our hand in times of need to those who willingly sacrifice each day to provide that freedom and security. While we can never do enough to show our gratitude to our nation’s defenders, we can always do a little more.” Support the show.

What does an Army squad leader do in a battlefield situation when his platoon encounters three floors of insurgents and is pinned with rooftop snipers firing away? If you're Davis Bellavia, you lead your team into action. David single-handedly saved his entire squad, risking his own life to allow his fellow soldiers to break contact and reorganize when trapped by overwhelming insurgent fire. He then voluntarily entered and cleared an insurgent strong point, killing four and seriously wounding another. His actions stand as a testament to those who put everything on the line as they do the grim work required to keep each other safe and alive on the battlefield. David Bellavia is the only living recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Second Battle of Fallujah, Iraq. Bellavia has also received the Bronze Star Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals and the New York State Conspicuous Service Cross. Support the show.

Imagine being a normal kid for eleven years and then due to an unbelievable rare condition, spending the next four years of your life literally trapped inside your own body inside a hospital, unable to communicate with the outside world, suffering through non-stop seizures, while your condition worsens and the doctors offer no sliver of hope to your family...all the while you're still lucid in mind and spirit, desperately trying to get back to the life you once knew. At the age of eleven, Victoria Arlen developed two rare conditions known as Transverse Myelitis and Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis, which rendered her “locked” within herself. She went from being a completely healthy, normal kid to a complete vegetable in three months. She lost the ability to walk, talk, move, and function. Everything began to shut down, including all of her cognitive abilities. Victoria Arlen not only suffered and survived through this unbelievable battle but has gone far beyond the norm to thrive and has mastered the “never quit” attitude to fuel her extraordinary accomplishments. She is a current television personality for ESPN, as well as an actress, speaker, model, and World-record setting Paralympian swimmer. Hear her compelling story in this podcast interview with hosts Marcus and Morgan Lutrell. Support the show.

Joe Torillo recounts his first-hand experience as a firefighter on September 11, 2001. Joe was directly below the North Tower looking up as the second commercial airliner slammed into it. What transpired in the next few seconds, minutes, hours, and days are nothing shy of unbelievable. He was propelled in the air by the concussion of the falling debris of the North Tower and was literally buried alive under the falling debris, with his skull open, arm snapped and suffocating in darkness. He was rescued and placed in a boat to cross over the Hudson River for medical treatment. That effort was disrupted by falling building debris that covered the boat, where he was buried alive again. Joe’s story is a gripping account of a series of miracles that kept him alive, while hundreds of others suffered a different fate. You won't want to miss this interview as we remember September 11th, 2001. Support the show.