Episodes

Send a text Background: Brenden Kumarasamy is the founder of MasterTalk, a popular YouTube channel and coaching practice he started to help the world master the art of public speaking & effective communication. As an experienced speaker and facilitator, Brenden understands that audience members need to walk away captivated, and above all, inspired to master the art of communication. It should be seen as something to look forward to rather than a burden that must be overcome. Show N...

Send a text Bio: Mary Polanco is a retired Air Force Veteran, Author, experienced leadership trainer and curriculum developer. Her expertise in leadership and personal growth is evident through her hands-on approach through individualized workshops and personal one-on-one instruction. Mary served 23 years in the United States Air Force. Her final assignment was as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Air Force Resilience Directorate, at Headquarters Air Force, located at the Pentagon. She c...

Send a text Lacey Alexander, is a 21-year veteran of the United States Air Force. After retirement, Lacey spent 6 months of intentional work to transition from SMSgt Alexander to Lacey Alexander. Through coaching, self-reflection, and continuous learning she was able to define her values and vision to launch her own business and refine her focus to live in her purpose. In this episode, Lacey discusses trends from military personnel as they transition from uniform to the civilian sector. Add...

Send a text Summary - Black Then A history podcast from Passing The Torch Podcast Network. Join Martin Foster and a rotation of guest hosts to celebrate and uplift the talents of African Americans throughout military history. Tune in to hear a quick synopsis of heralded and unheralded patriots. A world-famous flier before World War II, Chief Anderson became the first African American to earn a commercial pilot license. In 1940 the Tuskegee Institute hired him as its chief flight instru...

Send a text Summary - Black Then A history podcast from Passing The Torch Podcast Network. Join Martin Foster and a rotation of guest hosts to celebrate and uplift the talents of African Americans throughout military history. Tune in to hear a quick synopsis of heralded and unheralded patriots. What has been pieced together paints a picture of a young man who showed an early skill for buying and trading goods. He seemed unafraid of the consequences of escaping the bonds of slavery. His...

Send a text Andrew Bustamante is a former covert CIA intelligence officer, decorated military combat veteran, and successful Fortune 10 corporate advisor. After 20 years leading human and technical intelligence operations for corporate and government clients, Andrew founded EverydaySpy.com - the first-ever online platform designed to teach elite spy skills to everyday people. Featured in both US and International media, Andrew’s training content has been praised for its innovative, authentic,...

Send a text About the guest Trevor Blake: Trevor G Blake, a serial entrepreneur and New York times best- selling author, who over the last ten years has gone from starting his first business with just a few hundred dollars to creating and successfully selling and exiting three separate companies for over $300 million, all while never hiring a single employee and does this all working only 5 hours a day. Trevor grew up extremely poor and made the shift from humble beginnings to now achieving...

Send a text Each year, April is set aside as a military child appreciation month, officially known as the Month of the Military Child. With its creation in the mid-1980s, the Pentagon and other military support organizations and agencies use the month to recognize military kids for their sacrifice and bravery on the homefront. The term "military brat" is a badge of pride worn by generations of kids who traveled the world with their parents, moving into adulthood with the knowledge that they h...

Send a text SHOW NOTES Passing the Torch with Martin Foster Guest: Retired Chief Master Sergeant Susan Mace Summary: Susan Mace served 25 years in the United States Air Force and is a retired Chief Master Sergeant. She held a position that represents the highest enlisted rank in the Air Force. Susan is an experienced leader with an accomplished record of operations management success in teambuilding, continuous improvement, intelligence operations, project management, and quality control. In ...

Send a text Summary: A deeper dive into exactly why past struggles are so important to progressing through life and growing as a person. Amy Wade is a dear friend and someone I came up with in the military. She currently serves in a leadership role that gives her the opportunity to guide those attending professional military education (PME). Show Notes: Intro (0:00) Thoughts on reconnecting after 11 plus years and nostalgia (01:30) Meeting different versions of the same person and gro...

Send a text Summary: On this episode of Passing the Torch, Host Martin Foster introduces someone who understands deeply that we ignore history at our peril - Matt Ziemann, which is why the conversation in this episode of Passing the Torch is so robust. A love of history cultivated early in his life has been a guiding light throughout a remarkable career. The discussion touches on the many ways in which history gives context and how understanding decision-making from an experiential point...

Send a text Jon is a Navy SEAL Commander turned mindfulness and meditation teacher. He’s a Naval Academy graduate and has his masters in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School. Jon has served in Iraq, Afghanistan, off the coast of Somalia, and in Panama. Jon brings mindfulness and meditation to high-performing teams to aid in dealing with stress, anxiety, and depression all while increasing focus, creativity, and productivity. Since ending his 24-year military career in...

Send a text Andrew Fingall is known by many things to many people: Father, Husband, Brother, Son, Friend, Leader, Mentor, Coach...the list could go on. For anyone that ever crosses paths with Andrew, one common term that everyone comes away with is Amazing! From working in the New York/New Jersey area during 9/11, to playing professional basketball overseas, Andrew has had an amazing journey thus far. As a result, the trial and tribulations have shaped who is he today. Links: Connect with ...

Send a text BIO: Shannon Corbeil is a writer and actor most recently known for her work as ‘Officer Sheff’ on ABC’s The Rookie and ‘Ensign Tripp’ on CBS’s SEAL Team. A U.S. Air Force veteran, she served as an Intelligence Officer in South Korea and the National Security Agency. She has extensive experience writing and producing military stories. She has written and hosted hundreds of informational videos about military trivia with bylines on We Are The Mighty, Business Insider, and M...

Send a text As the Captain of a nuclear submarine, David Marquet created Intent-based Leadership. He is a nationally recognized speaker and authored the Amazon bestseller Turn the Ship Around. Overcoming the obstacle that restricts leaders from admitting that they don’t know something can be very difficult. David attributes this to leaders often thinking that leadership is a theoretical skill and provides a comparison that simplifies the type of skill that it really is. People learn m...

Send a text Thomas Case is a TWO-time recipient of the Silver Star. This award is the third-highest military combat decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Armed Forces. It is awarded for gallantry in action. SOURCE: https://valor.defense.gov/Description-of-Awards/ More about guest can be found here: https://www.stripes.com/news/air-controller-becomes-just-3rd-airman-to-earn-2nd-silver-star-1.314233 https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Dis...

Send a text Bio: Warren Triche is a Senior Enlisted military leader who manages a large organization. In this episode he shares lessons learned from past experiences throughout his career and how to move forward. Show Notes: Opening 0:00 Podcasting as form of mentorship 1:07 Leadership mindset and techniques that have changed since 1995 2:45 Struggle of being a leader and facing challenges today versus the past 5:40 Leaders leveraging social media 8:48 Effective leadership tec...

Send a text In this impromptu episode, I speak with Mr. B.J. Lange, actor, comedian, acting teacher, and comedy coach for the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program. Here’s some of the wisdom BJ Lange shared; His journey as a temporarily medically retired Air Force Reservist...after joining the Air Force Reserve at the age of 35What he’s learned after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer for the second cityHow he is using improv to take a different perspective on cancerThe physical and mental s...

Send a text Heath Trepanier- Resilience is making mistakes and coming back from them In January of 2017, US Air Force Technical Sergeant Heath Trepanier (“Trep”) was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer when a cantaloupe-sized tumor was found in his abdomen. He continues to exceed the doctors’ expectations and was recently able to travel to Hawaii for an Air Force Wounded Warrior event. Trep has a very realistic, but optimistic outlook on his life. His illness has provided him with a new per...

Send a text Celeste Headlee-How to have a good conversation One of the many advantages of social media is that it connects the world. However, in a world where everyone is accessible, why are people so isolated and afraid to talk? Communication and Human Nature Expert, Award-winning journalist, and Author Celeste Headlee is an award-winning journalist, professional speaker and author of Heard Mentality and We Need To Talk: How To Have Conversations That Matter. In her 20-year career in ...

Send a text Melissa Stockwell-Choose Your Own Story Freedom comes at a price. War is known to cause physical wounds. Something that might be slightly overlooked are other wounds. For example, emotional, mental and other forms of invisible wounds. In 2004, Melissa lost her left leg to a roadside bomb in Iraq, and her life was forever changed. After being medically retired from the Army in April 2005 with a Purple Heart and bronze star, all the hard work began. She found...

Send a text Lior Arussy - Change, drive it or be driven by it One of the world’s leading authorities on customer experience, Lior Arussy is an experienced change practitioner, success accelerator, corporate culture expert, and founder of design and transformation firm Strativity Group. Called “a triple threat of transformation” by co-founder and founding editor of Fast Company William Taylor, Arussy is a unique, critical, global voice helping people worldwide achieve ultimate success. In hi...

Send a text ****DISCLAIMER**** The views and comments made by host and guest do not represent the views nor are they in association with the United States military.**** Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force-Attitude Reflects Leadership Chief Master Sergeant of the US Air Force (CMSAF), Kaleth Wright, is the 18th and current CMSAF. Though Chief Wright’s judgment in football teams may be unfortunate, the loyalty he shows to the Dallas Cowboys echoes his commitment to the Airmen under his command...

Send a text Benjamin Hardy is Medium.com’s number one writer, a PhD candidate at Clemson University and the author of Willpower Doesn’t Work: Discover the Hidden Keys to Success. In his book, Benjamin addresses the concept willpower is nothing more than a dangerous fad that is bound to lead to failure. He focuses on self-improvement, motivation and entrepreneurship. Benjamin has been featured on Forbes, Huffington Post and Business Insider, just to name a few. In this podcast Benjamin discuss...