Building the Elite Podcast

May 15 2024 43

Building the Elite Podcast artwork

The Building the Elite (BTE) podcast discusses all facets of human performance - from physical training to the mental and emotional factors of resilience. Each episode looks at principles drawn from the world of special operations. These concepts help people succeed in the toughest military training courses in the world and can help anyone thrive in chaotic and challenging environments.

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Dr. Kate Pate: The Neurophysiology of Brain Injury and Burnout - Ep. 70

May 15 2024 70 mins

Dr. Kate Pate is a PhD neurophysiologist, coach, and entrepreneur with extensive experience in scientific research and practical applications in the military and SOF community. Her doctoral work focused on respiratory neurophysiology, exploring the brain-breath-body connection, and later expanded to include trauma-informed yoga and meditation for the military.Kate's postdoctora

Joel Struthers: Legionnaire - Joining the French Foreign Legion - Ep. 69

Apr 30 2024 66 mins

Joel Struthers is a former Legionnaire, or member of the French Foreign Legion, a helicopter pilot, and the author of the books Appel, about his time in the Legion and Civil, about his life as a private military contractor after the Legion. He’s now a commercial helicopter pilot and the managing partner of Ravenhill Risk Control, a Canadian risk mitigation firm that solves comple

Laura Gordon: Nervous System Regulation - Ep. 68

Apr 17 2024 77 mins

Laura is the Lead Performance Instructor at Deep End Fitness in San Diego, a trauma therapist, and a strength coach. She is about to graduate with the Master’s portion of her Ph.D. next month (May 2024) and will continue for two more years to complete her Ph.D. She previously received her Juris Doctorate degree but opted to change career trajectories toward something more fulfill

Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon: Emotional Resilience in SOF Selection - Ep. 67

Apr 03 2024 79 mins

Dr. Krista Scott-Dixon (also known as KSD) is a trained counselor specializing in the psychology of behavior change, with certifications including motivational interviewing, solution-focused, DBT, CBT, and trauma counseling.She’s the author of numerous books and accredited nutrition, sleep, stress, and recovery courses. She is our go-to performance psych and works 1-1 with many o

Aaron Epstein, MD - Global Surgical and Medical Support Group - Ep. 66

Mar 20 2024 53 mins

Dr. Aaron Epstein created the Global Surgical and Medical Support Group in 2015 to provide high-quality care to victims in Iraq of the ongoing conflict with ISIS. What started as small teams of physicians and surgeons inserting themselves in communities facing ISIS has since expanded to an organization of over 1,000 leading US licensed medical experts, covering every medical and su

Tim Richardt, DPT - How to Run and Ruck Without Getting Injured - Ep. 65

Mar 06 2024 66 mins

Tim Richardt is a Colorado-based Physical Therapist with a passion for rock climbing, trail running, and technical backcountry skiing. Professionally, he's been involved in the physical preparation of military, tactical, and law enforcement personnel since 2010. After finishing his collegiate running career in 2012, he relocated to Denver to pursue his Doctorate of Physical The

How to Regulate Your Nervous System - Ep. 64

Feb 22 2024 37 mins

You must manage your stress response before you can manage your self-talk, emotions, pain, or fatigue. The process that controls our stress response occurs automatically and outside conscious control. Even though many stress responses are automatic, we can learn to identify, manage, and shape them. To do that, we first need a mental model of the physical and mental cues accomp

Don Tran - Marine Raider and Deep End Fitness Co-Founder - Ep. 63

Feb 07 2024 56 mins

Don Tran is a former special operations Marine, and is the co-founder of Deep End Fitness. Prior to joining the MARSOC, or Marine Special Operations Command, community, Don was a water survival instructor, where he first began learning the skills that he developed over his career and brought to Deep End Fitness. Don was also a JTAC - a Joint Tactical Attack Controller, which is a s

Admiral Robert Harward - Leadership Lessons From a Lifetime as a Navy SEAL - Ep. 62

Jan 24 2024 39 mins

Admiral Robert Harward is one of history's most accomplished US Navy SEALs. After graduating from the US Naval Academy, his NSW career began when he graduated with BUD/S class 128 in 1984 and joined SEAL Team Three, where he served as a platoon commander. From there, he screened for NSW Development Group, the US Navy’s tier-one unit, known at the time as SEAL Team Six, where

Chris Klaftenegger, Pt. 2 - From Recon Corpsman/PJ to Defense Technology Business - Ep. 61

Jan 11 2024 36 mins

This is part 2 of our interview with Chris Klaftenegger. Chris was a special operations medic in two different military branches, and he has been to selection courses in the US Navy, Marines, and Air Force. He began his career as a SARC - a Special Amphibious Recon Corpsman at 1st Recon Battalion. After that, he transferred to a reserve unit of the Air Force and went through select