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Confident Risks, Spokane Valley, WA (2026)

06/11/2026

[🎬 Episode 47] Enjoy Where You Are.

When Taylor asked Rusty what position he enjoyed most in his career, the answer wasn't the highest rank. It was captain, running right seat.

That's a powerful reminder.

We all want to be better. We all want to grow, do more, and constantly move up. And there's nothing wrong with that.

But there's something to be said for enjoying the moment you're in right now.

Everybody always wants more. Better pay. The next title. The next level. We've talked about this in previous episodes.

But here's what happens to a lot of people:

They chase a promotion thinking, "This is going to fix everything." They get there and realize, "Man, I really did enjoy what I was doing before."

Then they chase another promotion. Same thing. "Gosh, I really did enjoy that."

So yes, there's something to be said for climbing the ranks. But there's also something to be said for being the person who absolutely loves what they do right now.

Before you take on that next role, ask yourself the real questions:

What am I doing now that I enjoy? What will I actually be doing in that new role? Is it because I truly want to be there, or is it just the pay?

And maybe the biggest question of all: Does my current job give me the time I want to have?

If the answer is yes, maybe you're already in the right position.

Take time. Enjoy the moments you're in right now. Enjoy where you are with your kids. Enjoy your job. Enjoy the role you have and the things you're doing.

Because sometimes the thing you're chasing is the thing you already have.

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06/10/2026

NEW EPISODE LIVE NOW

Hot Wash: KCFR Battalion Chief Rusty Kramer | CR #47

After every guest, Taylor breaks down the biggest takeaways. This is the Hot Wash on Rusty Kramer's visit.

In this recap:

How staying cool under pressure saved a life in a confined space rescue. Why reviewing your calls like game film changes everything. The truth about training being just the start. And a powerful reminder to enjoy the moment you're in instead of always chasing the next promotion.

There's a lot to unpack from this one.

Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

Stay sharp. Stay resilient.

06/09/2026

[🎬 Episode 47] The Skill That Saves Lives 🚒

When Rusty got into that confined space rescue, he did something most people can't do under extreme pressure.

He stopped himself. He cooled himself down. And he started thinking clearly: "Okay, what do I need to do in this situation to make this rescue?"

Then he fell back on his training.

That doesn't happen too often.

Think about the pressure situations you've been in. Maybe in your job. Maybe in your personal life. The pressure hits, and all you can think about is how to survive the moment.

But here's what usually happens: We make it worse.

We've all been there. You're trying to fix something, and you just keep making it worse and worse. You keep digging deeper. The panic takes over and clouds your judgment.

The skill that separates people who perform under pressure from those who fall apart? The ability to calm yourself down in the moment.

To stop. To breathe. To think clearly. To fall back on what you've trained for.

This is what allowed Rusty to work through one of the most high-pressure moments of his career and bring someone home safely.

And here's the good news: This is a skill. It can be trained.

The more you practice staying calm under pressure, the more it becomes second nature. The more you train your response, the less the panic controls you.

Whatever pressure you're facing, remember this: The first move is always to calm yourself down. Everything else follows from there.

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06/06/2026

[🎬 Episode 46] You Can't Skip the Build Up. ⬆️🪜

When you design training the right way, there's an approach to it. You don't just throw someone into an evolution and expect them to perform 10 different skills at once.

There has to be a build up. A crawl, walk, run approach.

Think about football season.

You start in spring. Then summer camp. Then fall, when it's actually game time.

You don't show up in spring in full gear running full-speed tackle drills. There's a progression. A build up to that level.

The same applies everywhere.

If you take a brand-new crew that hasn't trained much or worked together, and you throw them into a full-blown evolution right away, you're setting them up to fail.

You've added too many stressors at once. There was no build up. No foundation for success.

Failure becomes inevitable, not because they aren't capable, but because you skipped the process.

This is true for anything you're trying to master.

Learning a new skill. Building a business. Getting in shape. Developing a team.

You have to respect the progression. Build the foundation first. Add stressors gradually. Master each level before moving to the next.

Crawl. Then walk. Then run.

Skip the build up, and you set yourself up to fail. Honor the process, and you set yourself up to win.

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06/05/2026

[🎬 Episode 46] This Isn't About You...

The first question to ask anyone who wants this job: What is your why? Why do you want to do this?

It's the same question recruits get asked on day one of the academy. In the middle of PT, when those guys are smoked, you ask them: Why do you want to be here?

Because here's what you need to understand: This isn't about you.

It's not about the person to your right or left. It's about the people we serve.

If you have a strong understanding of why you want to do this job, you can push through anything.

There are going to be tough days. Days below zero when you still have to go out and train. And you do it anyway.

Why?

Because it's not for you. It's for the firefighters you're working with, and it's for the people you're serving.

The people who are 100% bought into that purpose? They thrive. Because the mission is bigger than them.

And here's something most people don't realize:

It's not all fire calls. In fact, around 95% of calls are medical. That's where the real difference gets made. Someone's worst day. Someone's life on the line. And you're there to help.

That's the why.

Find your purpose. Make it bigger than yourself. Then show up, even on the hard days, for the people who need you.

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06/04/2026

[🎬 Episode 46] Treat it Like Game Film 🎞️

In sports, after every game, you sit down and watch the film. You go back and you realize, "Shoot, I didn't even know I was doing that."

The same thing applies to the fire service. And honestly, to anything you do.

Going back and listening to your calls. Re-listening to the radio traffic from a scene. That's huge.

You get to ask yourself the real questions: "I was extremely panicked in that situation. How could I have done that differently?"

Because in the moment, you don't see it. The adrenaline is pumping. You're operating on instinct. You don't realize what you're doing or how you're reacting.

But the film doesn't lie.

When you go back and review, you catch the things you missed. The patterns you didn't notice. The habits you didn't know you had.

That's where real improvement happens.

Athletes do it. The best performers in every field do it. They study their own tape, break it down, and find ways to get better.

So whatever you do, find a way to review your own performance.

Record yourself. Listen back. Watch the film. Be honest about what you see.

Because you can't fix what you don't notice. And the review is where the growth lives.

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06/03/2026

[🎬 Episode 46] You Can't Train Character. 🏃‍♂️🚒

We hire for character. We train for skill. It's really that simple.

When you're sitting on an interview panel, you're looking for one thing above all else: character.

Because skill? Skill can be taught. You can train someone to master techniques, learn procedures, and develop expertise.

But grit? Mindset? The refusal to quit? You can't teach that. You either have it or you don't.

And here's the thing: You can't always see it in an interview.

You can't determine someone's heart just by looking at them.

There are firefighters who don't look the part. Smaller stature. Not what you'd expect.

But when it's time to work, when it's time to get after it, they have no stop. They just keep moving forward.

They push themselves in training. They push themselves in the day-to-day. They push themselves when no one is watching.

That's character. That's what separates the good from the great.

This applies to everything.

When you're building a team, hire for character. When you're choosing who to work with, look for grit. Because skills can be developed, but character is the foundation everything else is built on.

Find the people who refuse to quit. Then teach them the rest.

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06/02/2026

[🎬 Episode 46] Adapt, Overcome, Save Lives 🚒🧠

As a probationary firefighter, Rusty found himself in a confined space rescue that tested everything he'd been trained for.

A worker went unconscious inside a tank after his respirator line got cut. Fumes filled the space. Time was critical.

Rusty descended alone into that tank. No backup. Limited space. An unconscious 220-pound worker. A conscious coworker panicking.

He could have frozen. He could have doubted himself.

Instead, he kept it simple.

"Everything we do is the basics. If we're good at the basics, we can adapt and overcome to any obstacles thrown at us."

He coached the conscious worker to safety. Then figured out how to move the unconscious man in a space barely big enough to fit.

The difference between life and death wasn't fancy techniques. It was staying calm, remembering his training, and focusing on the fundamentals.

This is what happens when you trust your preparation and refuse to panic under pressure.

Whether you're a firefighter or facing your own impossible situation, the lesson is the same: Master the basics. Stay calm. Adapt. Overcome.

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06/02/2026

🎙️NEW EPISODE LIVE NOW🎙️

Episode 46: KCFR Battalion Chief Rusty Kramer - The Mindset That Saves Lives

Rusty takes us inside a confined space rescue as a probationary firefighter. Unconscious worker. Limited space. No backup. Here's how basic training and quick thinking saved a life.

This is the mindset that separates good from great.

Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.

Stay sharp. Stay resilient.

06/02/2026

[🎬 Episode 46] Control Your Controllables ⏱️

You can't control everything. But you can control the basics.

When you establish standards within your crew, you create pace. You create intended movement. You create efficiency.

Here's how it works:

If your crew standard is a 15-second mask up, you practice it hundreds of times until it's muscle memory.

Now when you're walking up to a burning building for primary search, you don't have to think about your mask up anymore. You've done it thousands of times.

Your brain is free.

Instead of focusing on the mechanics, you're now thinking about the real problem. Where's the fire? How do I enter? What's my assignment?

You just saved mental energy. You just saved time. You just freed yourself to focus on what matters most.

This applies everywhere.

In your business, establish standards for the basics. In your relationships, establish standards for communication. In your health, establish standards for your routine.

Master the controllables. Perfect the fundamentals. Then your brain is free to handle the complex stuff.

That's how you perform under pressure.

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🎙️ Watch the full episode June 2nd on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts!

Confident Risks

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