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A
Good morning. This is the JP Denl podcast, episode 110. I am JP Denal, and as always, I have Lucas with me. What's up, brother?
B
What's going on, man? How's. Do you still have a bicep?
A
Yes.
B
Do you still have both biceps?
A
Yes.
B
Oh, look at it. So there is a bicep under the bandage.
A
Yep. There's a soft cat or a hard cast with soft stuff wrapped around it and then the bandage. So, yeah, it's good. Can you.
B
Can you feel the pressure when you're in an airplane on, like, the area that was operated on?
A
Nope.
B
That's awesome.
A
Yeah, didn't really. Didn't feel anything. So as we're recording this, it's one week from surgery. Had the surgery last Wednesday, and yeah, man, everything's feeling good. I. You had the surgery on Wednesday and it was. It's been awesome, man, because I think we talked about on the last episode, it's been a blur because I know I've shared this with everybody since, you know, the injury is. Happened is, you know, on Monday when it happened, I took a very healthy dose of my peptides, which I'm taking TB500. I'm taking a TB500 BPC157.157 blend, and I'm also taking AOD9604 blend with MOTs C and Tessamorelin and took a really healthy dose of that, injected it right into the bicep. Whereas Torn on Monday did the same thing Tuesday. And then when I got home from surgery Wednesday, same thing, same thing on Thursday, Friday. And I really think that that has helped reduce the inflammation drastically and help aid with, you know, the pain and the recovery. Because when I went in for surgery on, there was barely any bruising, like, almost no bruising. And he, the doctor was kind of shocked by that. And I told him what I had done with the peptides and he's like, yeah, you're smart. And so that definitely helped. And then ice, obviously, has helped as well. And then Cowie Mayoral, who I did two platoons with. We're in Ramadi. I know we've talked about Cowie before. You know, he was wounded on our deployment in Ramadi. He works with Mama Lee at America's Mighty Warriors. And part of the things that they can do for combat veterans is when they have surgeries, help them get approved for HBOT treatment to help with the recovery. And they've. They've had this for me for a while anyways, because just for like a tune up for with the TBIs. And, you know, the other stuff that I had going on was just getting. Getting back in there and getting the treatments to help just with healing. And so it worked out perfect that he. He text Amanda on Monday. I'm sorry, On Wednesday after surgery, and told her, hey, you know, we got. You know, Mama Lee and I have had these things for JP Approved for a while. He needs to take it after surgery. It'll help out. And so Thursday, I was able to go get an HBOT treatment, which helps with reduction of inflammation, speeding up the process for healing and recovery post surger. A lot of medical insurance. Insurance companies will approve HBOT treatment post surgery because it expedites the healing process and lowers the amount of time that you're having to do physical therapy for. So I did that Thursday, did that Friday, and then drove out to Amarillo Friday evening for a men's conference that I was scheduled to talk at on Saturday through Walking in Truth Ministries, who we do the pursuit events with. It was their first men's conference that they put together. And, you know, was able to, like, be off painkillers all day Friday because I knew I was probably gonna have to drive out there because looking at flight options with the weather, it wasn't looking good.
B
And then it was not.
A
A lot of them delayed and canceled the next day. It was just. It was a thing. And so, yeah, didn't take a painkiller until I got there and at night and then the next day. Spoke a few times at the conference. And, you know, it was awesome. Really good conference that they put together. And it was really cool seeing a lot of, you know, pursue brothers and guys from Double five that were out there. You know, they had some guys fly in for it as well. My buddy Jason, he's been in pursuit. He goes immersion camp firefighter. I think he's actually also come out to a Jesus and Jiu Jitsu event as well. Flew out for one, so he flew out for the conference, so it's good to see him. Him. And, you know, I was just. We could maybe dive into, like, what I talked about in a little bit, and it was just. It was cool to be able to do that and not be, like, in so much pain that I wasn't able to do it. It was an inconvenience, I'm not gonna lie. Like, Matt, Russell, Troy, they knew, like, me going out there, like, they're super appreciative. You know, we talked about it when I got there, and I'm just thankful that I was Able to like drive a five and a half hours Friday, do that, speak Saturday, and then come home and be back Saturday evening. So then I took, you know, my painkiller Saturday night and yeah, so it's, it's been good. Recovery's coming along well. And then Monday, flew down to Mexico because I had a full day workshop there Tuesday and then today flew from Mexico to Houston, dealt with the customs shenanigans there. That was crazy. The connection time that my app was telling me by time I got off my plane from the gate through customs, back through security again and then taking a, a tram to get to the other gate, it was going to be 77 minutes to be able to, to, to do that and it was, it took way longer than that. So that was, it was kind of a crazy day today dealing with all that. Funny. Not bad. Obviously, I mean these are first world problems. But I say that to like, you know, being able to speak all day yesterday and be on point and enter, interact with the client, went to a client dinner with them on Monday, talk through a bunch of stuff. Did the full day workshop yesterday, work through a lot of stuff with their company and then go to dinner with them as well and still be engaging and talking with the client and not being on painkillers was awesome. So I was able to get an HBOT treatment Monday morning as well before I flew down to Mexico and I'll be home tomorrow night. So.
B
So talk to me. What is an HBOT treatment? Like, I've heard about this, but I don't actually know what that is.
A
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy or treatments, whatever they call it. Hbot, hbot. And it's where you go in a chamber and it's pressurized oxygen and it's bringing you down to depth and you're at depth for an extended period of time breathing in that oxygen and it facilitates insane recovery and healing and everything else like that. And you know, in March of 2020, when we all thought we were gonna have like a two week break from not doing a lot of things, I reached out.
B
I remember the two week break.
A
What was that?
B
I said, I remember that two week break.
A
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And the reason why I say that, because it's comical, said ye like that. Well, Mama, Mama Lee had been trying to get me to get into treatments for a long time. But when you do your first initial treatments for real recovery and just healing and health, like you need to be doing it, you know, one, if not two times a day, five days a week for four to six weeks, And. And my schedule never allows that. So I remember when Covid first hit and those places, you know, they had to stay open because it was medical and it was, you know, an essential thing. And I reached out to her and I said, hey, man, we lost everything on the calendar for a while. Not sure. I might have two, maybe three weeks of no travel. We can do this. And she really wanted me to get down to Florida at the. This performance center that they have down there that the foundation has partnered with.
B
To.
A
To get a bunch of treat. To get a bunch of pre scans and everything, because I have a bunch of buddies that have gone through it. Like, Cowie went through, and he did all the scans at the beginning. Then you go through it, and then just the difference afterwards is unreal of just what it shows in the brain and the body. So that wasn't an option. So I just went and did those treatments, and it was unreal because at the time, I was having some health issues. I was having some adrenal gland failure and kidney. Like, I was having a lot of, like, issues that we couldn't figure out what was causing it. And, you know, the doctors were confused. They're throwing out some, you know, things that Amanda and I were like, yep, nope, we're not. We're not going down that road. We're not partnering with that. Because I really just didn't feel like, hey, this is. This is not what's going on.
B
Yeah.
A
So anyways, timing worked out great. God's timing is always great. Sometimes it doesn't make sense, but that time in Covid, and I've said this on Jocko's podcast, this time in Covid that we had down, and then Mama Lee getting me into that HBOT treatment probably saved my life because I was. I was going downhill fast. And we couldn't figure out what was going on. Like, I mean, my body was like. And we're shutting down. Like, doctors were confused. I mean, Amanda and I were just a little stressed out, obviously, and, you know, like. Like, life and Jocko and the team were pretty stressed out. Like, life. Like, to the point where I remember one time he's like, hey, man, like, you've got a good social media following. Jocko and I do as well, national on front. Like, if we need to, like, put out a post to ask for help for doctors or, you know, a GoFundMe account or whatever to get you, like, the treatment you need, like, let's do it. And I was like, no, let's not. But that was kind of like, how serious it was. And not a lot of people knew that. But, yeah, being able to have that treatment was. Was incredible. So I say that. All I say all that to say is, you know, if you're having health issues, you know, Lucas and I talked about this before when we talked about me taking ownership over my testosterone and my hormones and the blood work and knowing and advocating for myself of like, no, I know things are not right. Let's fix it. And then educating yourself and doing research and, you know, doctors are great, but don't just rely on doctors to solve your problems, because not all of them know everything. So it's just awesome to have, you know, had that opportunity to get the treatments. And I'll get another treatment Friday when I'm home, when this episode comes out, in between calls and everything. And it, you know, I was talking with my dad with all the pain that he deals with from his amputation and the phantom pains and, you know, the compartmental syndrome that he had going on his leg and all these issues, and I was like, hey, man, you gotta check this out. Like, I know I've mentioned to you to it to you before, and I'm sorry I never followed up with you enough times properly, but, like, insurance should cover it for, like, preventative things so that you're not having to go to the hospital again, because how much does it cost insurance every time you go to the hospital for a few days? Yeah. And there's a possibility of you having a surgery or you have to have a surgery. So he's doing some research on that. Danny Zim just had a pretty crazy surgery himself. I don't want to butcher what all happened, but it was so bad to the point where, like, Danny could not walk unassisted. He had, like, a walker and a cane because he was having, like, these paralyzing pains in his back and his hips. And he had to have an emergency spinal surgery. And which, you know, was really hard for him to be able to have to do that, work through that. But Cowie and Mama Lee, because he's a first responder, they also have a program through America's Mighty warriors that's not just for combat veterans, but also first responders. So they partnered with some other foundations as well, and they got him a bunch of treatments. And he said it is unreal to the point where, like, the doctors and surgeons were telling them beforehand, like, hey, man, we just want to shoot a few straight. Like, this is going to be a rough surgery, a rough recovery. There are going to be things that you probably won't be able to do again in life. Like, this could affect your quality of life. But because he's been so intentional and disciplined with his rehab and doing these dives, they call them dives because you're going down at depth. What does that mean?
B
Like, at depth? Like, they're creating the pressure. Type of pressure that you would get. Like, at. When you're saying like, at depth, are you talking like 30 meters, 100 meters? Like, what. What type of pressure are you under there?
A
I wish. I wish we had Cowie or Danny on right now because they nerd out on all that stuff. They know it. I don't remember all the details. You know, maybe later when you're talking, I could look it up on my phone and through some texts from Cowie. But you go down to depth and you're at depth for an extended period of time with that oxygen, and it just saturates your body with. With that. I mean, so that's the other thing. So in the SEAL teams, when we go through dive training, like going through buds, and then also in the seal teams, like, when you're breathing pure oxygen for exp. For extended periods of time and then you're doing it at depth, it is unreal what it does for recovery. And that's what guys would talk about. You, like, guys going through second phase are just physical phenoms because they're recovering faster than you could ever naturally recover. And then, you know, then you go into third phase and you're just at this new baseline and it's unreal. I mean, this has been around for a very long time. It just isn't well educated. Not. It's not a well known thing. That's why I really want to get. I think it'd be cool. Let's get Cowie and Danny on here to talk about it together, because they can both nerd out on it. But I also, I. I know that this treatment for veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, like, it has saved their lives. Like, legitimately saved their lives. One of my buddies from the SEAL teams, he sent me the before and after scans of his brain. Bro, it didn't even look clo. Like, it was like 180 degrees. And, you know, just when I say 180 degrees, Lucas, like, you would not believe, like, the before and after images that he had because of those treatments.
B
That's crazy, man. I'm looking up right now. This treatment in particular is so robust if it's part of a larger treatment plan, but it claims Here, it saves limbs. This is something that's been known about. The first place I heard about it was with baseball players that were trying to recover from a Tommy John surgery, which is a surgery that they have in their throwing arm that a lot of times can save their career. But very few guys recover and get back to the level that they were at previously. And normally it's like a year to recover. But the way that this, that, that this works and operates by creating super oxygenated blood and helping things move through, like, this is super fascinating. I'm gonna try not to nerd out on it too much while we're, While we're doing the podcast. I'll. I might bring this to episode 111.
A
Yeah, absolutely. Even if. Yeah, like, I'd love to get Cali on. And he's like, super apprehensive for coming on a podcast for his own reasons, which I respect. But if we just, maybe just talked just about this and not his time in the teams and what he did afterwards and had Danny as well, like, I think it would be. It would be awesome. But, yeah, so even my dad, like, is. He's looking into it, and it's. It's not as expensive as you would think it would be. And because there's more and more people doing it, it's dropping the price, which is awesome. And the foundation, they come in and they get a negotiated deal already because this, because they partner with different groups that want to help the veterans and first responders, and then they buy a package to get the pricing even lower. And so that's why the foundations are able to do that for first responders and veterans at a high rate, which is incredible. But, you know, I was talking to the clinic for my dad, and they said, well, even if, you know, we can't take the insurance, like, we offer packages and, you know, you can always negotiate it. And then the other thing that you can do is you can also negotiate like, hey, when's your slowest day of the week? Or times of the week? So it's like, oh, you don't, you don't. You're open at 7, but you don't have anybody here on Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7am Cool. Hey, could I come in during that time at a discounted price? And so my dad, I was talking to my dad about that, and he's. I didn't know that, but he, he's done that in the past for MRIs, because, like, he would just call places that he's supposed to get an MRI and say, hey, if you have any last minute cancellations or slow time, let me know. And then instead of it costing like 900 to 1500 for, for an MRI, he's been able to get MRIs for like 2, 3, $400 before.
B
Oh, wow. Yeah. So this is showing that you can go. Depending on where you're at. The, the type of pressure will be different because they don't want to change too much of what your body is used to. But it can simulate, depending on what your goals are, up to 1 mile below sea level or 1.2 miles above sea level.
A
Crazy, man.
B
Yeah. So there's the difference between, like, you know, 5,800ft and 6,100ft, something like that, you know, from a depth of below to above. Yeah, that's a, that's a huge, A huge thing. And the way that your body responds to oxygen and all of those and versus how you get out and forcing. One of the things it says it forces gas bubbles that have been created from pockets of oxygen that have dissipated from the blood moving them out. It seems like a completely bizarre and fascinating type of treatment. But you're saying you've. You've seen good results from this. It's helping you out post surgery. It's helped you out in the past, so you're taking advantage of it. And folks who are recovering from surgery, sometimes if you're in that boat, your insurance companies will pay for it. That's pretty cool.
A
Yeah. And you can also negotiate with your insurance companies and talk to them about having it set up for as soon as you get done with surgery. And I learned about that the first time I went through because another guy was in there and he had just come out of surgery for something on his foot because he had really bad diabetes, and they were doing it so that he wouldn't lose his foot.
B
Dang.
A
Yeah. Pretty crazy, man.
B
Yeah, that's. That's absolutely wild.
A
Yeah.
B
All right, so you're doing the HBOT treatments. Recovery is going well. You were able to make the trip down Mexico? Well, no, no, before Mexico. Down to this conference. Yeah. Yeah. So. So what was, what was that like? So this is the very first men's conference that walking in truth is, is putting on. You're one of a few speakers who's a couple of breakout sessions, from what I understand. You know what, what was that like? Because this is kind of a different. First off, it's a different style of event for them, but also a little bit of a different experience for you doing the speaking and the breakout Sessions and all that stuff at a, at a conference like this. What was that like?
A
Yeah, so it was awesome. It was not leadership, it was not echelon front. It was me talking about my testimony and my story and my faith. And it was cool being able to talk about my time in the military and tying my faith into my time in the military and what, you know, and how that was, you know, tested at times and the times that I got complacent with my faith, complacent with different ships in my life. And so my big thing was just really hitting on complacency and how, you know, complacency is going to creep in and, you know, tying that into, you know, the devil attacks us every single day. Just like complacency is creeping in every single day and talking about putting on the whole armor of God daily. Not just weekly, not monthly, but every single day. And so being able to talk and connect about, like, hey, when we're in Ramadi, like at Camp Corrigator, we had to put our gear on every single day. Even walking from one building to the next, you had to have your full gear on, ready for the fight, ready for battle, because we were in the middle of it. It no difference for us as men and obviously women as well, listening. But I was speaking a men's conference and so I was tying in, you know, you know, these principles from the military and my faith so that men could apply them to their own walk as husbands, as fathers, and just as men to be stronger and bolder with their faith. And so it was really cool. I really enjoyed it. First time getting to really do something like that at that level.
B
Yeah. So compare it to like the normal kind of keynote that you would give at a, at a national on front event. Like, is this. Are you able to use some of the same, like, preparation strategies or does this seem like it's such a different thing?
A
Preparation is the same for sure. It's like, hey, what. What stories do I want to tell? In what order? What are the tie ins? How do I connect the stories? Where's the arcs to the stories? You know, And I kicked it off with, what I've kicked off a lot of my keynotes with is, you know, explaining my story, like as a kid. But, you know, unlike any of my other keynotes or workshops, I was able to talk about, like, hey, as a young kid, I was saved at a very young age. I was in the church from the moment I was born. I was baptized, baptized in the Holy Spirit at a very Young age, you know, being able to. About that and what that was like as a young kid, young man growing up, what it was like going into the military, you know, and then, you know, the thing I always talk about, or not always, but most of the time is, hey, ever since I was a little kid, I want to be a Navy seal. And then just talking about how God had put that on my heart, and I felt like that was what I was designed to do at that moment in my life. You know, it was the first time doing it. As I looked back right afterwards, I was doing a debrief. I'm like, ah, I wish I would have said this, or I wish I would have said it different, or I wish I would have done that. And so one of the things that I want to do in the next week or so after everyone kind of like settles down, is get with Troy, Matt and Jared and just ask them for feedback and do a debrief. And then also Isaac Ta FA was there, Justin Anthony, and, you know, a handful of other guys from Double five and just be able to talk with them and say, you know, hey, you've heard my, my keynotes, my workshops before. Obviously this was different. What feedback do you guys have? And just kind of go from there.
B
That's pretty cool. So did they record it?
A
No.
B
Oh, that's a bummer.
A
I know. I thought about that afterwards. I'm like, man, I wish I would have had that recorded at least.
B
Yeah, for sure.
A
But, yeah, you know, our buddy Jeff Blaine was there, and I like Jeff, dude. He's such a good human and, and.
B
To be so big, he's so genuinely friendly. It's, it's, it's kind of funny. Yeah.
A
It's actually like, I don't mean scary in a bad way, but it's just like, man, he's such a big, strong, like, capable man, but he's just absolutely, every time he sees you, he's like, hey, man, it's so good to see you. And he, like, gives you a big hug and puts his big, massive grizzly bear paw hands on your shoulder and it holds him there. And I'm like, I feel like a little kid right now. You know what? You know what mean? I, I, as I was saying that I now understand, like, just that instant connection I've always had with Jeff and just how I love him like a brother.
B
Yeah.
A
You know who else used to do that to me all the time?
B
Seth Stone.
A
Yep.
B
Called it.
A
Yep.
B
I'm trying to think of, like, who are other just giant humans that were influential in your life. And Seth Stone was a really big guy from all the pictures that I've seen.
A
So his brother Alex showed our buddy Jackson from. From Jocko Fuel, a. A picture of Seth's hands. Like a post that he made on Instagram of his. His war hands. And his hands are. I mean, I'll bring it up. I'll. I'll send it to you in a second, but it's just, like, crazy. And Jackson responds and goes, bro, his fingers have biceps on them.
B
Oh, that's. That's impressive.
A
Yeah, it is. But, yeah, so great, great event there. Unfortunately, I had to cut out right after I got done speaking because I needed to make it home, just let the arm rest, and I had to take care of some stuff before Mexico and some other appointments that I needed just to square away on Sunday and Monday. But, yeah, that event went from Friday evening till Sunday afternoon right on. And again, bummed that I had to leave when I left. But I'm thankful, man, that I was able to go out there and, you know, I was a little, like, frustrated driving out there just because I was just like, everything right. Like, I'm just like. Just the timing and just, you know, there's so much.
B
Surgery sucks, the weather sucks, There's. Yeah, you gotta drive, so you can't take the pain pills. Yeah, that's a. A lot happening in. In a very short amount of time.
A
Time. Yeah. Less than 48 hours after surgery, I'm on the road, headed out. But it's all good, man. It's all good. Got some good podcast time, some praise and worship time. And one of the things I like to do sometimes is just drive with no. No music, no podcast on, and just. Just be there in my thoughts and just filter through things, think through things. Yeah, so it was. It was good.
B
So what. When you're driving, let me ask a personal question to you. What are you, like, what are you listening to? Are you listening to Jocko's podcast? Are you listening to our stuff? Because we listen to our stuff and kind of critique ourselves and figure out what things do we want to change. We also both listen to the Jesus in Jiu Jitsu podcast for similar reasons and to try and make sure that we're always improving in those areas. What. What podcasts are you listening to that aren't affiliated with those three that you have some kind of direct connection and involvement with, as well as the Lead Win podcast with. With Jamie and Leif? Like, what other ones do you listen to?
A
Yeah, I was gonna Say, well, Chocolate Podcast. Podcast. In Jiu Jitsu. Sean Ryan. Like, I filter through his.
B
Okay.
A
And I'll see. Like, I haven't listened to all of his, nor will I probably ever be able to because he has so many.
B
Yep.
A
But I love Sean Ryan's podcast. I love the guests, the topics that he has. And so I've been really trying to dive into the Sean Ryan show as much as I can.
B
He's had a really interesting faith journey that he's been really open about the last. Probably close to a year. That's been pretty interesting to follow.
A
Yeah, it's. It's been really cool to watch that. And then, you know, sometimes I'll listen to, like, an audiobook, like, you know.
B
The high fantasy novels you listen to, like, Lord of the Rings or the Stormlight Archive or. No, that's really not your. Your speed. Huh.
A
And this has been the Jpanelle podcast, episode 110.
B
Okay. If. If you're listening to. If you're listening to an audiobook, like, what are you listening to? Is it something that's kind of in the same vein of, like, leadership stuff? Is. Are you listening to. I imagine that listening to somebody's like, listening to another veteran's memoirs would be a little strange, especially, like, somebody who was in combat around the same time as you. But, you know, you guys also quote a lot from About Face and from, you know, other books of veterans or former military guys that have written things from World War II and previous to that. So are those things that are on your list as your, like, you know, traveling down the road?
A
Yeah, sometimes. And, like, mostly like. Like, different business books that I want to read, but I'm like, you know, I've got a bunch of books on the to do list, and so I'll listen to different. Just business books, leadership books. I'm looking forward to listening to Dave Burke's book, the need to Lead.
B
Is he reading it?
A
No. So I'm really looking forward to listening to.
B
No. Well. Well, yeah. Is he. Because Leif and Jocko read the chapters in their books. Dave doing. Did he do the audiobook for his. Or do you know.
A
I think so. Don't quote me on that one.
B
Yeah, I want. I'm gonna go look him up on Audible right now and see if he's the reader.
A
Also, the Jack Carr books are awesome.
B
Yeah, those are great.
A
Yeah. You know, sometimes, you know, you just need a little 90s gangster rap. No, I actually. I'm not gonna say no to that.
B
Everybody's got to.
A
But, yeah, Just some, you know, I like oldies, man. I like the Beach Boys, classic rock. And then I, I just like all different types of country music.
B
The need to lead. Let's see who is.
A
But I'll get to a point while you're looking that up, like I'll get.
B
To a point where it is narrated by Dave Burke and Jocko Willink.
A
Oh, awesome. Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah, I was about 98.7% sure on that one. But I, I think it's good to just honestly shut off all the noise. You know, that's one of the things we talk about as front at the FTX's is your ability just to shut off the noise is really important. Just turn off the outside noise, be in silence. Just think like cap, you know, take your thoughts captive, filter through things, think, work through things. Yeah, there's sometimes like all like I'll be driving and I'll be thinking through stuff and I'll open up the notes of my phone and I'll just add voice memos to it of like things that I'm thinking about and then I'll get back to them later and I'll, you know, type them up or translate them over. But man, some like, I've been able to work through some, some stuff just being in silence. And I think it's good for you to learn to be comfortable with being in silence and just being with yourself and your thoughts and you know, thinking and questioning things and working through things and you know, and then. But you got to capture those. It's like journaling, but I just do it while I'm driving. It's mental journaling.
B
This is that something that. Because you do a lot of CEO coaching and I don't think we've, we've highlighted that quite enough whenever we've, we've talked about these kind of things because you kind of got toolbox that you help CEOs or C level suites, people like executive coaching. You kind of help them assemble this toolbox of things that they need to have, whether it's in leadership, but also, you know, when it's in things like, you know, individual processing of the problems and things that you have so that you don't end up in this place. Like one where you're complacent, which we talk about a lot is fighting complacency, going to war with complacency. But this other, where you kind of get to this spot where you've over analyzed every bit of everything because you spent all of this time in your head that now you're walking into a situation where you believe you've got the ability to sort of have this. You've got this Nostradamus type layout of. You already know what's happening before you go in there, which isn't true because we're so terrible at mind reading and predicting other people's behaviors. Like, how do you help people, like, find that. That middle ground in that, that, that space between those. Those two things?
A
Well, you know, so when I do calls, whether it's monthly, bi weekly, or weekly with different people, you know, I have my, I have my notes that are just continuously running that. I'll ask some questions, we work through stuff, and then I'll say, all right, hey, for this next week or next two weeks or next month, here's what you need to be thinking about and focusing. Like, hey, you got to write these things out. You have to come up with a plan. You have to, you know, you have to track things. It's like what Jonathan and Ann efforts in nutrition teach people to do. Track your calories, track your macros so that you know what you're working off of. And as a leader, as a human, as a father, husband, wife, mother, if you're trying to progress and grow your capabilities, you have to be tracking what you're actually doing, you know, and, and that's the nice thing I like about first in nutrition is like, I know how to do all these things, like, literally everything they teach us. I've known that Jonathan and I have talked about this. Like, I was doing that as a young age, high school in the SEAL teams. But the thing I liked about first in Nutrition was the accountability of, like, hey, I need to track these things, I need to record them, I need to log them, report them. It's the same similar thing that we do with companies when we do an LDAP with them or executive coach is like, hey, what are we tracking? It's really hard to measure something if you're not tracking it. And, you know, it's, you know, I think of that also from, like, land navigation. And I've given business leaders this example before. It's like, hey, it's really good to know where you want to go. Like, hey, that's the destination. That's great. But if you don't know where you're at right now, how are you supposed to create a path to get there? In the SEAL teams, when we would do land navigation, one of the things that they taught us was to figure out where you're at. Because no matter where you get dropped off. You need to be able to figure out where you're at. Now, ideally, if you know, you. You need some sort of a map, right? I'm not going to the extremes of, like, no map, no compass, no GPS, blindfolded for 17 hours, you don't know where you're at. Find your way out, like, okay, cool. That's whatever. We could figure that out. But I'm talking about, like, the most realistic thing is like, train navigation and being put into a location. You have the terrain around you that you're able to read. And then look at a map. Look at an actual map that has the contour lines on it and figure out, like, okay, cool. That. Look at the map. Okay, this. This is a ridgeline. Okay, cool. That's a ridge line over there. Pull my compass. Boom. What's the bearing to that ridgeline? All right, cool. Market, look around. Another one. All right, cool. That's okay. That's that little valley and that peak. Okay, cool. That's, you know, this degrees. Boom. Mark it and then find another one. Market. And guess what? Where those three lines intersect or if they make, like a little, like, little triangle, you're in that area. Unless you completely screwed up.
B
Are you talking about triangulating your position?
A
Yes, it is.
B
Because I have heard that in a lot of movies.
A
Yeah. So as. As leaders, we. I believe you, as leaders, we need to be able to triangulate our LOC before we can move forward. Because if we don't know where we're at and we start moving in the wrong direction, that can be a really bad thing. Desiring capabilities are two different things. We've talked about this a lot. And so I have to understand, hey, here's where I'm at. This is where I'm trying to go. What's my capabilities? What's the route that I'm capable of taking? And then let's go. And so that's something that I do work on when I'm doing coaching calls and also, like, like half day, full day workshops if it comes up in the first initial one. I've briefly talked about this at the muster before. I think it's something I kind of want to dive a little bit deeper into in the future because I think, you know, it really ties into, like, understanding your mission and knowing your mission of, like, what you're trying to do in life. Like, you can't go do it if you don't know where you're at. And that's why honest self assessments are really important. So, yes, Long answer to your question is I do encourage people to track what they're doing so that we can review it and make adjustments as needed.
B
Yeah, and there's, there's something to that, figuring out where you are in the situation. You know, I think when as, as leaders, we have a specific situation that we're handling, we want to find the solution to the situation instead of figuring out like where we're at. But when we figure out where we're at one, we can find out what things we can take ownership of, which is probably the most important key to any of this is because we figure out whether or not we are involved in causing the problem or if from the outside looking in, like what we need to take ownership up is helping to find the solution, if it's an interpersonal thing or something like that. And then the other thing is if we figure out where we are, we spend less time trying to predict the behaviors of everyone else and having those mental battles. One of the things that a lot of people when, when I've heard you talk to them, and especially at some of the events like the muster and those kinds of things, whenever there have been role plays that have happened that people have this idea and you've talked a little bit about this before, like you're, when you listen, you have to listen intently to somebody. When you're building a relationship with them or when you have a relationship with them, you can't just be thinking about what your response is. But when we're having these kind of silent moments where we're the only narrat kind of making up and putting words into their mouth based off of the things that we know about them or that we think we know about them or that we think that they've done in this situation, whatever that is, that when we, when we really take a moment to assess where, where we are, it changes our perspective of where everything else is, where we may have been looking at the situation backwards or from a different point of view, that we didn't actually realize that, that we were coming from or that we've, you know, maybe we've been defensive in a situation where we shouldn't have been. And those types of things completely change the inner dialogues that we'll have whenever we are assessing an issue. And, and that type of thing. And this is where, you know, I want to get back to the, the talk that you gave at, at the men's conference. And when you're looking at something like not being complacent and putting on, you know, the Armor of God daily so that we can be better men or, you know, what, you know, for our audience here, you know, better husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, you know, people, individuals, humans. It's so important that we triangulate that position and figure out where we really are. So what are some things that we can do? Like, what are some practical steps that we can do to figure out, like, hey, what, where am I? So that I can make a better assessment of? Here are the one, two or three things that I need to do in order to not maybe not hit my goals, but in order to take that next step towards being a better person. How do I do an assessment and figure out where I'm at as an individual and then what's the best way for me to look at next steps so that I can be the person I want to become? Does that make sense?
A
Yeah. And so obviously, I mean, this is something we could dive really deep into, but I know we're getting ready to close it out, so I just want to give you an answer to I, what, what you said so that we.
B
Can a little bit into it and.
A
We can hit it a little bit more next time. Right. And it's just the other part is I want people to be able to figure this out on their own because then you have that ownership. And the first thing you have to do is you actually have to ask yourselves, okay, hey, what are two to three problems I have in my life right now, now personally or professionally? And this is something that Cody started doing at the FTX's and some of his workshops that I stole from him and a lot of us at Echelon Front do. It is like. Like yesterday when I started off the full day workshop with my client down in Mexico was I asked them to write down two to three personal or professional problems and then what's the root cause of those? At the end of the day, we address and we ask them, what is really the root cause of the problems that you wrote down and what did you take away from this training to apply to those problems? Well, usually people at the beginning, when they write down their problems and the root cause, it's something or someone else. And so when I'm coaching somebody and working with them, I let them do that and then we talk about it real time and I say, okay, through the lens of extreme ownership, what's the root problem? And so we as individuals have to look at this as a, hey, this is 100% on me. These problems in my life I have created or allowed to happen. And I need to create a solution. Now, are there some things that happen in your life that you physically had no control over? Something horrible happens, and it's a big problem? Yes. At that moment, we evaluate what solutions can you provide to the problems. The ownership is providing the solution, and so that's what we have to do first and then evaluate the relationships. Okay, hey, these are these problems that I have. What are some key relationships associated with these problems that I need to improve? And then do an evaluation and then ask yourself, okay, what specifically can you do to start improving that relationship or breaking down the silo? And that's. I mean, that's all. I'm gonna go with somebody originally, because that's a lot right there.
B
Yeah.
A
And throughout the next week or two or a month, like, that's what they're focused on, is the relationships associated with the problems, fixing the relationships, providing solutions to the problems, and tracking these things as they pop up. And then you also need to be tracking your wins. Like, what are you doing? Well, like, what's working? What can you duplicate? What can you now take and delegate down to your team and teach them and empower them to do the same?
B
So, yeah, dude, that's a. That's massive. Because if we can figure out how to do it with. With two or three problems that are professional or personal, then we can see pretty quickly how this applies to everything that we've got got going on in our lives, you know?
A
So I didn't talk about this at the men's conference. I talked a few guys offline about it, and it's something I want to bring up next time I am speaking in this type of an environment. But it's like, okay, hey, you've gotten complacent in your marriage. You know, it's just not what it was like. You're lacking intimacy and connection with your spouse. What's causing it? Walk me through your day. When you come home, what's your day like? Oh, you crack a beer right away, or you pour yourself, you know, a whiskey on the rocks, and you start drinking as soon as you're at home. Well, okay, there's probably a root cause to your disconnect with your wife and your kids, because you're numbing whatever pain you have, whatever burden you're carrying, whatever shame or unforgiveness you're carrying, you're numbing it with alcohol or drugs. And that's causing the disconnect.
B
Yeah.
A
Oh, you've been watching videos that you shouldn't be watching.
B
Watching corn.
A
Yeah. And you wonder why there's a lack of intimacy between you and your spouse. You're ruining your marriage. You're literally like. There's studies. You and I have talked about this, that show. Like, when you watch those types of videos, it causes damage to your brain.
B
Yeah.
A
So, okay, how do we remove that? How do we surrender that? How do we give that up? So it's just identifying problems, figuring out what the actual root cause is. How are you connected? The root cause? What do you. What habit? So here's. Here's a simple answer. What habits do you need to create to change your behaviors and tendencies for the better? And then also, what behaviors and tendencies do you have that are good and strong and how do you strengthen them?
B
Yeah. Like this. This is a whole episode in itself. But I do think, you know, for. For those who are. Are watching and listening, if you're watching on, you know, you YouTube or you're over on Spotify, if you're at a place where you can, you know, comment, leave reviews on. On specific episodes, like, what are some of the things that you guys are. Are struggling with? If you're on our Instagram page, if you're following P. Dennell or you're following me at LucasPickard, or you're following the JPNL podcast, like, these are the things, those habits that you have that you, you know, that, you know, are standing in the way. Negative habits. What are the things that you're doing well? What are the habits that you need to create? Like, these are the community that we can work together in order to. To make each other better in. In those places. You know, if it's a nutrition thing, go check out the people over at first in Nutrition. Go to first in nutrition.com jppod. They'll be able to give you four free weeks of nutrition coaching. If that's the thing, is that then, you know, we've got resources for it. If it's a.
A
You're having problems with substance abuse.
B
Yeah.
A
Like, reach out to Anthony. Like, that was an awesome episode.
B
Yeah, man.
A
Chain fitness. Like, bro, that dude is, like, changing people's lives. He's gonna give you the. The freaking roadmap.
B
Yeah.
A
I personally know of one person. Sorry to interrupt you. That reached out to me because they reached out to him.
B
Wow.
A
Because of that episode, they reached out to him, and this guy was like, hey, like, I'm gonna talk to JP about this. I just want to make sure we're on the same page. Like, I. You know, like, you're saying you need help. I want to help you. You're saying you want JP to help, but hey, we got to connect the dots. And you know, and it's cool because then that person called me and it was like, hey, man. And then we worked through some stuff. Sorry to interrupt you, but I know you're fired up about that.
B
Absolutely, man. And like all of this stuff, and this is, you know, kind of one of the things I'm, I'm drawing our attention towards, like all of the things that we're doing in the, the community building that we're doing with the JP Dental podcast and with Jesus introduced and all these things is meant to one another so that each of us is better when we come to the end of the day. Like, you got a discipline issue you're having issues with, you know, staying on, on target with, you know, your Bible study or your faith. Check out the stuff at Jesus and Jiu Jitsu, the devotionals that are there, the Jesus in Jiu Jitsu podcast that comes out every Tuesday. Check that out. Go to one of our seminars. We got one that's going on tomorrow in DFW over in Plano as this episode comes out with Carlos Henrique, who's doing the seminar, the current UFC BJJ lightweight champion, and then multiple time Grammy nominated artists, Christian rapper Tadashi is coming and sharing his testimony. Like you, if you want to get in on those types of things, you want to go to a place that gets you a little fired up and inspired so that you know you're riding a little bit of a high going into, you know, the, the holiday season so that you're ready to do those disciplines things. Go, go check out a Jesus in Jiu Jitsu event. Go to jesusinjujitsuusa.com and go check out the things that are, when it comes to the little self care things, we don't often think about how big a change that can happen with our own personal confidence and self image, with something as simple as like, hey, you know what? I'm using beef tallow from Little Calico in order to just try to keep my, my skin moisturized. Or I'm using, you know, the anti age cream or the anti sun or the, the after sun care, those kinds of things. When that it seems like really simple, like almost non sequitur things like how do these things connect? Well, you know what, I got a wicked sunburn and I know that this is going to bother me for the next five days. Well, there's stuff that you can go to. You can go check out that's that's part of that. And, and that's it.
A
And something like deeper than that. Which. Yeah, that's great. Like, like we all want to feel better, we want to look better. Like we have had I don't even know how many, many people. At first it was just women and now it's men as well who were on medication for skin issues.
B
Yeah.
A
That are now no longer on medication because they're using the little cattle co Tyler products, the skin, you know, products and they're not on their medicine. And it cleared up all of the stuff on their face and their body again. It's just, just, I know we're like closing out and we're tying in things which I like, but it's about taking ownership over these things in your life 100%. Just take ownership. Like, you know, I know you and I have talked about it before. You're getting ready to talk about, you know, Jocko Fuel and Origin and you know, just supporting Origin and Jockey Fuel for the supplement side. But you know, we've talked about this before. Like that's why working out and eating healthy was so important to my parents because they knew they would perform at a higher level with their job and as parents and as spouses and that's why health and fitness was a non negotiable for our family growing up.
B
Yeah.
A
And if you're dialed in with those things for my dad doing construction and doing dangerous jobs at times he was safer because he was healthier. And we don't even want to open the door for our first responders when it comes to that because that's the big thing right now. First responders are now being very vocal amongst themselves of hey, we need to be at a higher level level, we need to have higher standards and we will be safer and more efficient and more effective with our capabilities if we're healthier, stronger and just well balanced as humans.
B
And, and here's what we need you to do. First responders, especially our law enforcement. The joke about you guys and donuts has gone on for way too long. We need you to replace your donuts with Jocko Fuel. To go to Jocko fuel, go to jocafuel.com Order yourself a case of the RTD milk. Use code J. JP Pod 20. Save yourself 20 and take a picture, post on Instagram, tag us in it. Let's make Molk. Let's make Molk the new donuts.
A
And before it sells out, go to echelonfront.com and sign up for the muster in Orlando. In December.
B
023 is sign up Michael Jordan's number.
A
Let's go. You. You're shocked I knew that, huh?
B
I'm not shocked that you knew that. I'm shocked that I didn't think about it at any point until you just said said it. That you came up with the sports reference before me is. I appreciate that. This is one of the things I appreciates about you, Mr. JP.
A
Well, if Cody Gandy listens to our episode still, he'll be impressed that I put that connection together as well.
B
Yeah, no doubt. So get to get to the Jumpman muster in Orlando and then, you know, we've talked around and about a lot of, a lot of these things. We talked about origin, we talked about Jocko Fuel, we've talked about some of the, the folks that JP met, some of the guys he worked with in SEAL teams. If you want a custom gear package that the guys who have put this stuff into practice in the battlefield can put together for you, go check out a Bruiser Arms. They got custom gear packages, they've got customer trainings and things that they're putting together. Go check them out at Bruiser Arms and give them a shot. Let them know what you want to do and see if they can't put together something that you can use as you are doing all of these other things to get you that last line of defense, protection and security that you need. Need, man. So with all that said, jp, you got any final thoughts for us?
A
Yeah, I don't know at what level the relationship partnership is going to look like between Bruiser Arms and Vortex Optics, but it's, it's happening like it's getting official. We just outfitted all the FTX taggers for the Echelon front field training exercise that we do with Vortex Red Dots.
B
I am, again, again, I'm willing to make the sacrifice to run some prototypes.
A
Yep. Yeah.
B
If you'll just pass my information along. Just put me in a text with Mr. Vortex and.
A
Yeah, but I think that's gonna be awesome. The guys, a volunteer's tribute. I've been helping Leif build out Bruiser Arms with, you know, just the accounts and the gear and the packages and the sales and all that stuff. These guys are absolute studs. I. I know I've talked about them before. Both 20 plus years Austin PD SWAT. I mean, these guys are awesome, but yeah. So I connected them with my buddy who's the president of Vortex over there and putting together some, some pretty cool stuff, which is going to be great. So I Mean, at the end of the day, you know, if I'm going to close it out with anything is, you know, control your emotions. I know everything we talked about can be tied into your emotions, but the reason why I close it out is, yeah, I got a lot of really cool messages from people on social media and text messages and calls after I posted the injury. And like I said last week, this injury is not that big of a deal compared to, like, other things in life and what it could be. And, you know, so I, I definitely only, like, I've known that from, from when it happened. But, you know, you know, a lot of people were just, they're being very genuine with reaching out, and I was just very, very, like, just nonchalant with my response of just, yeah, everything's good. Not 100. Sure. Waiting for the MRI surgery tomorrow. Hey, surgery. And the reason why I show that is because I never fully knew what was actually going on until we got that mri, until we had surgery. I didn't know. The doctor didn't know. So why freak out? And as leaders, as humans, as parents, as spouses, as kids, when we're trying to improve who we are, don't freak out if you're not happy with where you're at. When you triangulate your location and you realize you're not where you want to be in life, freaking out will never help. Staying calm, thinking, collecting some information and data, coming up with a plan, and making a small iterative step in the proper direction is how you win in life. And you do that over and over and over. And eventually you might gain some momentum. Momentum. But even, even if you don't, you'll be progressing in the right direction. And the momentum that you want isn't always the momentum that God's going to allow in your life. So you have to have some patience with where you're at, with where the things in your life are at, and trust the process. So we appreciate you guys listening. I hope this episode has been a reminder to go do the work that's needed to put in the effort to build your legacy and to never settle. This has been the JP Denial podcast, episode 1 10.
Date: October 31, 2025
Hosts: JP Dinnell & Lucas Pinckard
In this candid and practical episode, JP Dinnell and co-host Lucas Pinckard dive deep into the lessons of recovery, personal ownership, leadership, and overcoming complacency—drawing from JP’s recent bicep surgery, experiences from the SEAL teams, and his work as an executive coach and leadership instructor. They explore the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of "coming back stronger," including practical tools for self-assessment and improvement.
JP also recounts his recent speaking engagement at a faith-based men's conference and details the impact of advanced recovery tools like peptide protocols and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). The episode is rich with actionable advice for leaders, veterans, and anyone seeking to own their obstacles and improve their lives.
“When I went in for surgery, there was barely any bruising...the doctor was shocked by that.” (JP, 02:55)
"You go in a chamber, it's pressurized oxygen...it facilitates insane recovery and healing." (JP, 06:54)
JP delivers a talk focused on faith, testimony, and fighting complacency rather than traditional leadership:
“Complacency is going to creep in… you need to put on the whole armor of God daily.” (JP, 21:26)
Practical military-faith analogy: Just as SEALs wore full gear daily in Ramadi, believers need daily spiritual preparation.
Reflection on preparation:
"Preparation is the same...What stories do I want to tell? What's the arc? But I was able to tie in my journey of faith from childhood, military, and beyond." (JP, 22:25)
“He's such a big, strong, capable man—but he's just absolutely, every time he sees you...gives you a big hug...I feel like a little kid.” (JP, 24:33)
"I think it's good to just honestly shut off all the noise...turn off the outside noise, be in silence, think, and work through things." (JP, 31:08)
"As leaders, we need to be able to triangulate our location before we can move forward." (JP, 36:37)
“We as individuals have to look at this as 100% on me. These problems in my life I have created or allowed to happen.” (JP, 41:43)
Concrete examples:
Question for change:
“What habits do you need to create to change your behaviors... and what good behaviors do you need to strengthen?” (JP, 46:44)
Call to community and resources: Encourage listeners to reach out for help (nutrition, addiction, faith, community resources like Jesus and Jiu Jitsu, First In Nutrition, etc).
“First responders now are being very vocal...we’ll be safer, more effective if we’re healthier, stronger, well-balanced as humans.” (JP, 51:48)
“Freaking out will never help. Staying calm, thinking, collecting some information and data, coming up with a plan, and making a small iterative step in the proper direction is how you win in life." (JP, 54:57)
On HBOT and Recovery:
"I know that this treatment for veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries...has saved their lives. One of my buddies from the SEAL teams, he sent me the before and after scans of his brain. Bro, it didn't even look...it was like 180 degrees." — JP (14:48)
On Fighting Complacency:
"Complacency is going to creep in...the devil attacks us every single day, just like complacency is creeping in every single day." — JP (21:26)
On Ownership:
"These problems in my life I have created, or allowed to happen, and I need to create a solution." — JP (41:43)
On Assessment & Leadership:
"As leaders, we need to be able to triangulate our location before we can move forward. If we don't know where we're at and we start moving in the wrong direction, that can be a really bad thing." — JP (36:37)
On Emotional Control:
"When you're trying to improve who you are, don't freak out if you're not happy with where you're at. When you triangulate your location and you realize you're not where you want to be in life, freaking out will never help. Staying calm...making a small step...is how you win in life." — JP (54:57)
This episode is packed with actionable ways to own your recovery—physically, mentally, and spiritually. Whether you are bouncing back from a setback, fighting complacency, or seeking to step up as a leader, JP and Lucas equip you to ask the hard questions, track your behaviors, and take concrete steps forward. Their tone is encouraging, blunt, and highly practical—reminding listeners that the path to coming back stronger always starts with taking ownership.
Resources Mentioned:
Connect:
Summary curated for those seeking the tools and mindset to come back stronger—one step, one decision, one day at a time.