S5:E136🎙️ LIVE with COL Brian Cook, USA (Ret.) (MULTI TRACKS AUDIO)

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Welcome to the Leadership Success Podcast with your host, Coach BZ, where we help you lead with purpose and succeed with impact. If you're ready to grow into the kind of leader others want to follow, this podcast is for you. If you're determined to elevate your success and leave a lasting legacy, this podcast for you. As my mentor, Dr. John C. Maxwell, reminds us, everything rises and falls on leadership. Our goal is simple: to inspire you, challenge you, and equip you with insights that can transform the trajectory of your leadership journey. Welcome aboard to another episode of the Leadership and Success Podcast with Coach BZ.

The Resonant School, we talk about Clausewitz and Jomini, and they both say you have to have this genius of a guy that intertwines art and knowledge and science to, to win at war, right? So, and when I read that as a young officer, I, I was overwhelmed that I would never be that person, right? But if you take these tools that we, you know, we teach here, one of them is operational art, you probably figure out, wait, you know, you don't really need to be a genius, right? You got to get all the smartest people Hi, my name is Brian Cook, and I'm the author of a book about reclaiming your life in our crazy, always-on world. This book explores the intersection between military strategic thinking and personal life mastery. And how the same framework that transforms disorganized military teams into effective fighting forces can revolutionize how you approach every challenge in your life. The universe inspired me to write this book after 33 years of serving our nation across 3 continents and surviving multiple combat tours. A pacemaker surgery forced me to confront a hard—

What everyone do, we have a treat for you today. Before I bring in our illustrious guest, we are going to do, uh, what we do, what is our custom here. This moment we call moment of gratitude. This is where we take just a moment every single time we meet to be grateful. And part of the reason why we do this, as you know, is because in the military, it's about 22 people who commit suicide every single day. And we believe it's not possible to be suicidal and be grateful at the very, very same time. So, If you would, as you know, how is our custom here, maybe close your eyes and put yourself in your happy place and think about one thing that you are grateful for today. Of course, July 4th is coming pretty quickly, and I am so grateful for independence, for freedom, right? Like our founding document says, all men are created equal. Equal, all men. And I believe that includes women and that includes African-Americans, that includes every single citizen in this country. And freedom is not free. And I know the price of freedom for having served in the U.S. Navy for more than 20 years now. Somebody had to pay the price for your freedom. And I am so, so grateful for freedom today. So let us know in the chat where you are joining us from, what city, what state, and if outside of the U.S. Since we are now a global podcast, which country, and let us also know what you are grateful for today. And if you have a question for my guest, type it in the comments. We will be answering your question live. All right, without any further ado, let me see if I can properly introduce our guest today. I am going to be talking about Setting Your Table: Leadership, Authenticity, and Reclaiming Your Life. So Thanks for joining us for a very powerful conversation with Colonel Brian Cook, US Army retired. He's a soldier, a strategist, and author— bestselling author, I should say— educator, and transformational coach whose remarkable journey spans more than 33 years of military service, 5 combat deployments, the Pentagon, Army Futures Command, the US Army War College, and now a mission to help others reclaim ownership of their lives. And that's you. And Colonel Brian Cook is a West Point graduate, a former armor and cavalry officer, strategic thinker, author, and leadership coach. Throughout his distinguished military career, Colonel Cook has commanded soldiers from platoon to battalion level, deployed across the Middle East and Afghanistan, taught theater strategy at the U.S. Army War College, and helped lead Army Futures Command's first-ever campaign planning effort. And today, Colonel Cook is the founder of Allons LLC, a national security strategist, speaker, and author of a bestselling book, Set Your Table, Reclaim Your Life. We will definitely talk about this book today. His work challenges leaders everywhere to stop living according to other people's expectation and start intentionally creating the condition for success, fulfillment, and authentic leadership. As the Colonel says, the question isn't whether you are successful, The question is whether you are successful at being yourself. Part of what you're gonna be learning today is leadership lesson from 33 years of military service and 5 combat tours, but also why the Colonel wrote his widely discussed open letter to President Trump and what it teaches us about courage, leadership, citizenship, and speaking with conviction. So without any further ado, please help me welcome to the Leadership and Success Podcast, the one and only Colonel Ryan Cook. Good morning, Colonel.

Thank you so much, brother.

How are you? Great. Such a great honor and privilege to be speaking to you today, sir. Maybe to get started, what is one thing you are grateful for today?

I am grateful for the ecosystem in Austin, Texas. It is one that treasures relationships, and I just I got so lucky to bounce into here late in my career.

Yeah, I live in the true Silicon Valley, but it looks like Austin is becoming Silicon Valley in Texas over there, isn't it? Right.

So far.

Yeah, I know one of my mentees, she was working for Oracle. She moved to Austin during the pandemic. I don't think she's going to come back. So it's so beautiful over there. The same house that costs about $5, $6 million a year is only about, what, $1,800,000 over there. It's just— amazing how it's affordable compared to California anyway. Yeah. Is there something about you, sir, that most people may not know when they meet you for the first time, like a superpower or something unique?

Oh, I have a superpower to learn foreign languages.

Wow.

The Army discovered it very young. I was actually— my degree from the academy is in French, so I parlez-vous. But yeah, I was a captain, I was put into the Defense Language Institute and learned Turkish, so Türkiye Konuşabilirim.— as a person.

Actually, French is my native language, and I did work for DLI and NPS for a couple of years. It's really cool.

Oh, very cool.

Très, très bien. All right, so you've spent more than 3 decades, like I said in the introduction, serving our nation in uniform as an Army officer, a strategist, educator, and a leader. So you served in 5 combat deployments, commanded that every level from platoon to battalion.

Wow.

You taught theater strategy at the Army War College, helped shape Army Future Command, and now you've become an author, a best-selling author, a coach helping people reclaim ownership of their lives. So I guess the first question I have for you, sir, who are you before West Point?

I'm a kid that needed something in his life. I grew up in Southern California where we were, you know, transactional and facade-ical like most Californians are, although I love a lot of California. But I knew I needed something else. And those two things are tribe and a mission. And I didn't know those words back then, but that's what happened. Right. And I was fortunate enough to get an appointment to West Point.

Hmm. So who are you, sir, beyond all of your accolades and achievement? When you are not the Colonel, who is Brian Cook?

I'm an authentic leader. I believe authenticity is the core of being a great human. And so I am a heroic leader. I lead with discipline. I am a flow master. I know how to get into flow like few people know, and that's why I have a book. And then lastly, I'm efforting to be a great man. I know the great man theory is debated, My version of the great man is one that if you read my book, you'll find out the ripple you create keeps going even though you fade off in the distance. And that's the power of great men. They leave legacy. And women. You were beautiful in the start there, BC, so I won't take that away from anybody. That's what we all, we all deserve to be. The universe gave us that, so let's go.

Legacy. That is, that is quite Quite a world. I feel like many people, they live their life only for today, but they don't even think about the future, what they would leave behind. And isn't that really critical, especially when you get a certain age? It looks like you really need to think about that, right?

Right. So, I mean, when you talk strategy, that's exactly what you're trying to do. If you take it to a very personal level, which you should before you try any of this other stuff, Find out what that, that audacious person that you would love to be. And instead of having resume values about, you know, what I did today, the contract I won, or, you know, how many push-ups I did, think about what are they going to say that day when you pass away at your eulogy. Wow. And work towards that and with intentionality. And if you think about it, it's not that hard. We just— wow, we tend not to set our table, right?

Definitely. And put things in perspective. So looking back over your 33 years of service, what leadership lesson did a young Lieutenant Brian Cook learn that you think is still relevant today, that still guides you today?

The first lesson I learned tactically was that calm, cool, and collected will get you through any challenge.

Hmm. I like that.

And soldiers don't rise to your speeches and your rank. Soldiers execute at the level of their training, to include me. When all chaos is ringing, you're just going to do what you're great at. And at that time, I was a tank platoon leader and a tank commander. Dang, was I good at it, BZ. I was top shelf, right? And so those two things combined, then you ask the question, why? What does it do for you if you're ready when the time comes and you can be calm because you have set conditions, right?

Wow, that is, that is quite powerful. Like they say in the South, that would preach. Because you've served in 5 combat deployments from Desert Storm through Afghanistan. How did combat change your perspective on leadership?

It made it more inclusive. So each time I went, I was exposed to another, another country, another person, another entity. Um, I never forget, we were trying to figure out how to actually put a road all the way around Afghanistan as one of the large goals. It misses up in the far Iranian corner of the country. And we were working with State Department. And they just kept on living for this next mission. And they couldn't strategize. But boy, were they good at like, on-the-ground diplomacy at the point of the spear. Boy. So I had to have both. And I had to have them on the table so I could combine it for a plan that would work. Those are all— I mean, each— my first tour, um, geez Louise, like, how do you go to Desert Storm as a 23-year-old and meet Egyptians on the ground? An Egyptian soldier drove to my tank.

Wow.

And I'm like, I can't understand this guy, I don't speak Arabic, what the heck. And, uh, it was, it was a nice, you know, when it ended up, he just really wanted to know where our edge was and where his edge was so we didn't have a gap. Wow, imagine that, right? We're in combat, man.

What does it take? No, especially, uh, when you have to deploy, you, you just take, uh, leadership over a unit or a command. I guess the question is, how do you build trust quickly? You don't really have that, that much time. How do you get your soldiers, your men and women, to trust you? How, how do you make it happen?

I I think it's natural, right? If you are a leader, you understand what is important. Showing up on time is important. Yes. Being ready.

Actually, if you're on time, you are late, right? 15 minutes.

That's right. 10 minutes early, right? I still have that. Everybody goes, what's the one thing you know about all veterans? They all have an apprehension against time. If you say to a veteran you're late, I mean, I just got it, you know, but, um, I think there's some like undefinable or heavily definable pieces of being a great man, a great woman, that you could just say, right? Be clean and well polished, right? Look like you mean it. Wear the right uniform. Be in there. Be in the right place at the right time. And look, know your stuff and then do it well. That's it. It's like, it's the old Army be, know, do, right? But, um, a lot of, a lot of people, me included, you get too, uh, in love with the, the chaos of the current moment and what it gives you and dopamine hits, and you don't do that step that's going to get you ready to do those things well in the morning. Be, know, do.

Yes.

And for me That's what's led me to this book and how to do it well. 'Cause I think I had a, it's figureoutable. Let's just put it that way.

Wow. That is really something. Because you taught theater strategy at the Army War College, how do you define strategy for leaders who are not in the military?

This often comes up. This is a great question 'cause people are scared of strategy. Yeah.

I think President Bush called this strategery. Yes, sir.

Like, it's, it's not that hard. Look, the strategy is not a long to-do list. It is figuring out what you want in the long term, and you describe what's a long term. It could be a strategy for the end of the week, I don't care.

Yes, right.

And then looking backwards from that and building the pieces, hmm, that make it inevitable that you will reach that goal. The way you do that is a beautiful Clausewitzian piece. I have to give back to Like, I couldn't even do like 10 minutes without talking about Dead Carl. But Clausewitz said clarity is the essence of leadership. If you don't know, you can't grow. So let's go, let's get into the clarity of what's going wrong and right, right? Put the gas on the pedal of the right things, put the brakes on the bad things, and then over time you'll shape this environment where, one, people know you mean it, Yes. Two, you can gather more than just you to conquer that problem and get to that end state.

Powerful. And how then do you believe, sir, that leaders should balance long-term vision with short-term execution? That's where the tension seems to be for most leaders.

I like to say, I'm not the battle, I'm the war. Wow.

Yeah. So good.

If you, if you do not know the long-term strategic implications or even just the thoughts of what you're going to create out of what you're battling for today, you're not in the right war.

Wow.

Right? So it is— I, I want my day-to-day and win after win to not just win that one fight but get me closer to my goal. So most people are like just winning that war right now. That's the hustle factory, right? Win that next war and you will win— or win that next battle and you will win the war. Not true. Not true. And I've proven it. I personally have been in this place. So win the battle and win the war. Work backwards from the future state and know the conditions that make it inevitable that you win the war. It's actually where our government's right now, actually. Scary enough.

Yeah, that is quite fascinating. So what you're saying is not just to focus on what's here and there, but at the same time have an intention for the future.

Right.

Wow. That doesn't sound too complicated, but I guess it's when the rubber meets the road, right? It's really in the execution. Right, absolutely.

It, um, it's mindful execution.

Mindful execution.

Without you, without, without you understanding that long-term effect you're trying to achieve, you're just executing. Now that, hmm, that may be what's necessary for right now, Bizzy.

Wow, what a concept, long-term effect, knowing exactly what your goals and your priorities are.

Well, and look I will be the first to admit, nothing ever, nothing ever becomes the outcome you dreamed of. The book, for instance, I started with a concept and wrote a book and it changed over 17 chapters. But it was beautiful by the end, you see. Wow. Yeah.

That is really fascinating. So you have also helped Army Future Command, like I said in the intro, you helped with the very first campaign plan. What leadership lesson can business executives learn from military modernization efforts, you think, sir?

A good friend of mine, now Major General retired, Jay Galavan, he was a one-star at the time, he said, we're really just wrestling with this thing. It's a $47 billion addressable market. A year each year BC.

Wow.

There are 29,000 people, I think, in Army Futures Command. It's not an easy— not to just start a Futures Command.

Yes.

We're really wrestling with that clarity, right? And he said, stop planning for systems, and start planning for soldiers. And he specifically talked about those soldiers of the future. Hmm, what would they be like? They'll be natives, right? They'll be AI natives. They're not going to be like, how do you use Claude GPT? No, these guys are going to come out of high school having written papers with ChatGPT and done science and designed robots. You know, incredible. Um, I like to say modernization is just a people problem dressed up in a technology costume.

I like that.

Yeah, because people get all enthralled by the technology. We Really, really, really anything well done is done by people. Amazing people.

We definitely are on the same page because I also believe in cybersecurity. It's really a leadership challenge.

Yeah, I saw the CISSPs in your background.

And actually, this is a great segue to ask, you know, with this artificial intelligence, which is pretty much changing every industry, living in this AI-enabled world, how do leaders prepare themselves and their organization for uncertainty and rapid change as a strategist?

So I think AI in and of itself, although it's called artificial, I think it should be like additive intelligence, additional intelligence. Yes, because every great man, woman that I know knows how to employ a tool to, to elevate their skills. That's what you need to do. Don't ask ChatGPT— don't ask Claude— don't ask ChatGPT anything because it's going to the Chinese. Don't ask Claude to write your first draft. Write your first draft, wrestle with the imposter, and then put it into Claude and say, Claude, how could this be better? Show me, you know, obvious errors, contradictions, corrections, and he'll just come right back to you. And then you're in this scientific endeavor. Right? And then the other part, authenticity is super valuable in this. The one thing that AI will, will not do, and when it does do it, we're in trouble, is gonna imply— is gonna give you trust. A lot of people will say they trust what the AI says. I'm talking about human trust.

Yes.

That 2 o'clock in the morning, you're in trouble, who do you pick up the phone and call? You know that guy? Yeah, right. AI is never going to be that. And so if you can lead with authenticity and build trust, you're the leader of the 21st century. In my view, I mean, of course, mine's an N of 1.

So powerful. Once again, we are aligned, because I also believe cybersecurity, really technology in general, is really about trust, isn't it? Because you are, whether in the Army or in Silicon Valley where I am now, it's about your customer trusting the company to do the right thing with their personal data, or the trust from your partner, or your stakeholder, the employees to the leadership. It's really always revolve around trust, and once you lose that, you really are no longer a business in my— wow. So for the people who are listening, especially the junior officer, if you were to mentor them, sir, what would be what would be one of the first strategic habits you would teach them?

I'd go to foundations. Almost everybody who comes to me, and I could see it, right, the bags under the eyes or the, the very, uh, present coffee or energy drink, I go, how are you sleeping? Hmm. And if they say they're not tracking their sleep, I'm immediately alerted. I would tell everybody who isn't tracking your sleep, get one more hour of sleep tonight. Just make it so. I know you can do it. Not a hard goal. And tell me tomorrow morning if you don't feel more ready to conquer the world. Just sleep. And that builds upon itself. I do 5 foundations: sleep, move, eat, focus, breathe. I love your breathing up front with your gratitude, right? It's a natural way to put yourself in a state of confidence. Flip the switch, you know, it's just big chest belly breath and get it out every time. Every time I go to one of these events, I'm breathing before, right? But sleep would be my number one. And then, oh, let's just keep going. I think you're going to ask me this question later, but I got one more that's kind of the one and for all.

But, uh, talking about sleep, do— is there a minimum amount of sleep you recommend?

Well, the science says— so the science says, um, even if you go to the meta-analysis, it's 6.5 sleep.

Okay, okay.

Now, uh, I was gonna say, I have a pacemaker, so my pacemaker, when I get too low of a heart rate, it brings my heart up. So I don't get I don't, I don't do well on the percentage of sleep. I'm about a 72-73% sleep. I play sleep like a sport. Yeah, that's put my middle finger up, but that's my Oura ring. And so if you want to get 6.5 hours of sleep and you're like Brian Cook, a 70-percenter, or somebody ingests a lot of caffeine, you're going to get 70 to 75%. That means you got to be in bed for 8.5 to 9 hours every night.

Wow.

And don't trust me, trust Shaq, LeBron James.

Yes, yes.

Um, who's the quarterback of the Patriots? What's that guy's name? You know me. All those guys are sleeping at distance, minimum 9, normally 10 hours of sleep in bed a night. Wow.

Yeah, that is, that is something, because prior to joining the Navy, I used to sleep about 8 hours, but after boot camp, I usually sleep about 6 to 7. But, uh, yeah, more More and more for you.

I want you to show up in the best version of yourself.

But the strange thing too is since boot camp, like, I wake up at 5:30 AM regardless of the time zone, regardless of where I am in the world. I just wake up. It's crazy. Wow. Okay. So now I think it's time to talk about your bestselling book. But before we do, we do have our first question from the audience. We have Daniel from LinkedIn watching from Midland, Florida. He says, Colonel Cook, You speak about reclaiming ownership and setting your own table, which resonates deeply with the need for behavioral infrastructure in an AI-driven, high-velocity world. How do you advise leaders to design a strategic protocol, a recurring system that ensures they are not just setting their table once, but protecting that environment from the daily motion of the modern workplace? That's his question.

I just want to pull the book up. The book is going to tell you not just how to do that, but why to do it, just like we just did with sleep. Here's the bottom line, um, setting your table starts with your foundations, right? We just talked about that. Let's go past the foundations. What I believe is Work-life balance is a joke. That balance means there's trade-off.

Yes.

I want you to have work-life integration in a dynamic setting where your life in the four domains, personal, relational, community, and profession, you are balancing yourself consistently. So, it's integrated. And it gives a value like you'll never have. So, the protocol is this. Get— start getting your foundations in order. Sleep, move, eat, focus, breathe, write. You can get that in the book. You can study that on the internet. You can ask, you know, your AI. Second, go to, go to, uh, via.org, Virtues in Action, and find your 5 top values.

Hmm.

That'll slow you down. When you know what your soul treasures most, you're gonna be captured. And I'll give you 3 of mine, uh, uh, sorry, presence, persistence, honor, creativity. Those are Brian's. So when you start efforting in alignment to your values, you'll be fulfilled every day. Those, those leaders that get to the pinnacle like I did, I get to the O-6 in the United States Army, and you feel empty, that's because you're not aligned to your values. You're not feeding your soul. That's the protocol. And then what I ask you to do is expand. Once you're good, not great, good, yes, make a ripple. Teach other people how to do it because it's a consistent approach.

Wow. That is something. So it's viacharacter.org, right?

Oh yeah, I forgot the character. You're right.

Wow. Perfect. I'm going to make sure to add that to the caption here. So thanks so much for giving us this resource again.

I got a hat tip to Travis Manion Foundation, great foundation for veterans.

Wow.

Who first introduced me to Virtues in Action. Along with my good friends at Heroic Corporation.

That is quite amazing. And then also, sir, when you talk about not the balance, but the integration, life-work integration, that means that at times, for example, a soldier, you're about to deploy, you're going to spend a lot more time focused on work, but then other times you want to spend that time focused on your family or whatever else, right?

Right. Exactly right. I remember General Bear, Pete Bear, my boss at the time, my biggest deployment was I was the operations officer for a regiment. And we pulled out of the National Training Center and went to Mosul, Iraq and several other places. And he pulled me and he said, I was doing my master's degree at the time. And he pulled me and he said, "By the time we deploy this regiment, you're going to be choosing between your family and sleep. This master's degree is not going to be even in the conversation. So, why don't you just take it out of the conversation?" And I was like, wow. And so I went to class the next time and I said, I got to put it on hold.

But depending on the deployment, sometimes you do have a lot of free time at night and stuff like that.

Oh, yes. Not as a G3 of a cavalry regiment, but I've been there too, right?

Because that's the number one question I get from the JOs I mentor, because they're like, how do I find time? How do I balance this thing? Military family, some of them have to go to school and others, they probably join the reserve where they have the, or the National Guard or they have a full-time job. So how do I balance all of that? So it's kind of like, how does it work? Wow, that's very, very insightful. So talking about your book then, sir, why did this book have to be written? Set Your Table, Reclaim Your Life.

One, well, one, I had to sleep. You ever have something on your mind and you just can't?

Yes. And so that was—

but the— look, I just— I started seeing failures in the ripples, uh, caused by dangerous activities, uh, both in combat and non-combat, in the Pentagon, even at the War College. Like, people are just— they just keep on hustling and bumping into walls and not paying attention to one that could be a pretty short little adventure into clarity and start to have a strategy. And I just— gosh, it just kept going and going. I left IBM in, uh, late 2023, and, um, it was there too. And I was like, I gotta get this out, because if you hold it all in, then nobody else gets the, you know, benefit from your scar tissue, right? And so that was, that was the big reason. And then I got a hat tip again, Heroic. I'm a Heroic coach. I had gone through Heroic and one of the things says, why don't you show up as your best version of yourself? Because that's what the world needs. And so that best version of myself, going back to my values, right, is one that will share his creativity with the world.

Hmm, man. So you're really doing this with intentionality. Wow.

That's maybe the one word that covers the book best, intentionality.

Because in your book, you do argue that many people spend their lives sitting at tables designed by someone else. What does that mean in practicality?

So, look, I mean, you intentionally do it in your integration, in your growth, because like your family set your table, your faith set your table. Your, your profession. The Army set my table, right? There are— you will eat what they serve. But at some point in time, you've got to decide, and it could be very young. I have two sons, right? You have to decide that you need to align yourself to best provide the gifts that the universe gave you, right? And that's the moment where you set your own table.

Hmm.

And you can grow— I'm not saying you can't grow at other people's tables, but if you don't set your table and know what those things on the table— like, you choose that the army is going to be your way.

Yes.

Which I did, obviously. Um, you, you will come up empty. That lack of fulfillment is either because you ate some stuff you didn't want to, or you didn't get enough to eat. One or the other.

Yes.

It just doesn't work. So that's what I'm trying to set your table, right?

And something that you say quite a bit is people don't have a hustle problem, they have a strategy problem. Can you explain that philosophy, sir?

I mean, hustle is winning the battle. Hustle is waking up early just to wake up early. What are you trying to get to? If you don't know that future state that you're trying to achieve— and look, uh, six-pack abs and being rich probably isn't it. For some people, maybe it is. But you have to know what you're hustling for. And I've seen too many people— a matter of fact, one of the companies I work for, I devised a strategy for them, and I asked the CEO, I said, What is your company about? And he said one word, hustle. And I said, boy, we're, we're in, yes, we're in a lot of trouble. That gets you places where you bid too low on contracts because all you want is the win. Yeah, right. It's, look, understand value. You are a value to this world, and that value needs to be expressed. Just hustling will break you down, especially if you do it without strategy.

Yes. Wow. And you also, also, uh, talk in the book about the importance of sequence. Why does sequence matter so much in life and leadership?

Sequence matters because all things thing in the universe are dependent on another thing. You could study in physics, you can study in science, there's dependencies.

Yes.

I used to tell my battalion, I used to— guys, tell guys, look, think about a bowl of cereal. If you throw the milk on the counter, put the bowl on top, and throw the cereal into it, what do you got? You got a good bill— bowl of cereal? No, you don't. Think about What, you know, and in my world, clarity, positioning, execution. You don't just execute. If you just execute without clarity, you make mistakes. And oftentimes, if you're egotistical especially, you'll make a mistake, and then because you're so full of yourself, you'll say, that wasn't a mistake, uh, that pool's green because I meant to do it.

Yes.

You know, and so you gotta wait, watch, watch that step. And so that's why sequencing, I think, is most important. The dependencies are clear as long as you take that step to look with clarity to start your strategy. Wow.

It really takes, I guess, courage and humility to do that too, right?

Yes.

Yes. So you, I think you already mentioned those earlier, but it's in your book, The Four Domains of Life. What are they?

Yeah, yeah, 4 domains: personal, relational, professional, community. Those are the 4 domains. So I say set your personal table, set your relational table, set your professional table, set your community table.

So you have to be intentional in managing those 4 domains.

And again, there's a sequence there that matters. And by the way, it's not always in that order.

Yes. Right. Wow. Because you also mentioned that briefly, but you also talk in the book about clarity, then positioning, and then execution. Can you walk us through those concepts?

This is— I have to tell you, I cheat. I married way up. I'm married to a PhD of cognitive science. And Sarah introduced me to the scientific method. And this is just— look, so if you apply the scientific method to the way that I live my life, this is what you get, right? Clarity is the hypothesis. What is going on? What matters and why? And then positioning is the test, arranging the conditions. So what is going on and how could I put the gas on it or put the brake on it. And then lastly, execution is a refinement, the daily practice and getting the answers from the scientific endeavor.

Yeah.

And that becomes your life in all four domains, which is like, I mean, a bit, you get this really very large chessboard and 3D chessboard going on, but it doesn't have to be that difficult. Does that make sense?

Yes, sir. And also from, from your book, it seems like, um, When someone reads it, you get the idea it's very possible, right, for high performers to achieve success but still feel unfulfilled in life. Why does that happen and how can your book help?

Yeah, so we as a culture, specifically in American culture, we have fallen in love with the quick hit, right? The quick hit of dopamine. The quick hit of the post on LinkedIn. I just, you know, whatever it is. And that's— those aren't bad, don't get me wrong, but that's just validation. Validation is not the same as values alignment. It's a trap done for the wrong reason. It gets you stuck. And the gap between them is where— between validation and values is where that freedom exists. You should be doing things that feed your soul.

Yes.

So maybe it is a moment like, uh, I recently got my first sales at Barnes Noble. That was big, right? Yeah, when the big, you know, big box place like that sells your book, that's— I was fired up. So of course I posted that in a couple of places, um, but that's also value to me because I created something of value to the world that meant something to me, and now it's going to lead to a future that I really want to be in.

That is really something because it makes me think— I think you were on another podcast, you talked openly about how the armor that helped you succeed professionally eventually became a barrier to authenticity. Can you expand on that, sir?

Yeah. So, at every season in life, especially when faced with difficulty, you will build up armor in order to do, to show up as the best version of yourself. As you go to a new season, you've got to enable yourself to drop that off. I like to point out, like, I'm a Stoic. I love Marcus Aurelius. Yeah, it's just the way, okay, it's, it's the way, right. And so it's okay, Stoicism, let me be brutally honest with myself and keep going in combat.

Right?

And, you know, the standoffishness that most of us have when leading in combat because we're all expendable. And that might happen.

Yes.

And so you don't want to know someone too deeply because deepness hurts when it leaves this earth, right? So those types of things. And then when I transitioned into into civilian life, and I was a big man at IBM, I found out none of that really helped.

It didn't.

So I, you know, I like to tell people, take the skills that the Army gave you, but leave the armor. But here's the problem that I encountered. You could see the armor, you can even see it deeply, but dropping the armor is very hard. Not kind of hard, very hard. And I did it over and over and over again with, um, some very trained professionals on how to drop that armor. I mean, maybe somebody with strong, strong minds can do it, but I couldn't just see, you know, that stoicism and drop it because it was my story, right? That I got through 4 cardiac arrests and came out at like, you know, a month after I had my pacemaker put in, I was delivering a brief to a 4-star general about the campaign plan of the Army. Wow. You know, how does that happen?

No.

And so I'd be like, oh yeah, look at this great story. See how that is? You just said wow to me and you just gave me a dopamine hit. No, it's okay. I'm still worthy even without that. Stoicism. I'm still a worthy person. I'm allowed to be on this earth with gifts.

I think this is really key, especially for those listening now who are about to transition into civilian life. So what advice would you give military veterans transitioning or thinking about transitioning into civilian leadership?

It's like my favorite question. It just is. First of all, that word I just used, you are worthy. You could come out here and do anything you desire. You can. Second, veterans are really good at transitions. BZ, how many times did you PCS?

Yeah, yeah.

How many jobs did you have in the military, right? You're good at transitioning. Yeah, like one day I'm in Kansas, the next day I've been Riyadh getting new tanks. Of course. Feel those feels and apply them when you transition. And by the way, bury that imposter syndrome. Give them a name. My name— my name for my imposter is Invictus, and I tell them to shut up all the time. You're— look, you're allowed to have doubts. Everybody does. Just find a place to put them because you are worthy out here. And by the way, We need you. Do not sit back. I need people that make impact every day, that are good, great men and women that want to make impact. If there's any time in this world's existence, we need them right now.

I like that. You just mentioned doubt, sir. So many of us, we do face fear, uncertainty, and doubt, right? Fear. And I love this card. One of my speakers gave it to me. One side says success, the other side says failure. Of course, we always talk about all of our successes, especially in the US. We love that. But it seems like one thing we forget is sometimes you have to go through failure in order to achieve your success. I guess a question for you, sir, is how has failure shaped your life?

Without even knowing it, failure brought me to places where I would learn. I say in my book, in Chapter 16, where's God in this story? My God provides me lessons, not in the pews, but in the battlefields, the conference rooms, the tough places where I need to be present and powerful.

Wow.

And so you have to come to the agreement that failures are— you are the— they're the portals for growth. You will— it will hurt. Acknowledge that someone took advantage of you, somebody put you under a bus. I just recently got fired, by the way, you know. Okay. And instead of victimizing it, accept it like our Stoic brothers would tell us. The Stoic gods would say what? Thank you for the gift, Stoic gods. Let me see how I can put my gifts to practice in this failure and then use it as energy. Stop. You gotta— so it's not just the failures that have given me that, BZ, man. It's the ability to look backwards at failures and go, each failure has led to making Brian better, or somebody else too. I mean, I once knew a very egotistical leader at Army Futures Command, and I handed him that book. You probably know the book, Ego Is the Enemy. You know, it's like, go read this, let's have coffee next week about it. You know what I mean?

That is, that is so insightful because I guess it kind of explains why two people, similar background, go through very similar challenging things. And one of them just crumbles and pretty much dies, and then the other one actually thrives and gets better. So that's really a way of thinking. It's a mindset, isn't it, sir?

Yes. And, you know, it's the firework— it's the firewood analogy here. What do you want to fire up, right? Everybody's got sparks. But if you fuel the anger, the hate, the— take any negative word. Like, it doesn't do anyone favor. And by the way, it does you less than anybody else. And so why don't you use that heat, that firewood, and put it on something good?

Yes.

And maybe it's just getting past that, whatever that is, whatever that 3-foot wall is, step over it and then celebrate for a second and get on to the next one. Wow. Yeah.

All right, ladies and gentlemen, we are talking about the best-selling book. Everybody needs to get a copy, Set Your Table and Reclaim Your Life. Okay, last question I'm going to ask you, Colonel, about this wonderful book is if there was only one lesson that you wanted the reader to get from this book, one and only one, which lesson would that be?

Whose table am I sitting at? Most never— most people will never stop to ask, whose table am I sitting at?

Wow.

And there's an honest answer there. And even if you're grinding at somebody else's, you can begin to work on your table and make that thing a solid thing. Start with your foundations and be just a badass.

Wow. And I am watching the clock there. It looks like we have about 10 minutes left. So let me talk about character, authenticity, and courage, especially character. One of my favorite statements from your work is, "Strategy without character is manipulation." What do you mean by that, sir? I love it.

I love this, right? And it so applies to our day-to-day right now in America. Look, strategy is just the ability to set conditions and shape outcomes, but you have to point that at your own values and leadership. It's leadership that wins the day. The strategy— you can make strategies that do really terrible things. Yes, but if you pointed at people for your own gains, it's manipulation.

Hmm.

And so when character gets you in the back of your mind, like, I shouldn't be doing this— yes, that's when we can put strategy together with character and have impressive wins in this world.

Wow, that is powerful. I believe it was Aristotle who said character is one of the most important core values because without it, all of the other values are completely meaningless.

I think Ryan Holiday would agree with us.

Yes. Wow. So has your definition then of success changed from the time you were a young officer to now? What does success mean to you these days?

I write this in the book. So look, so you grow up, you get into the warrior tribe. And you figure out this is show up, learn how to do your job really well, teach another person how to do it. Next rank, next mission, next. And look, that's battling. Remember, I'm not just the battle, I'm the war. So that's what's happened to me. It's the external scoreboard means far less to me. Matter of fact, do you see Colonel retired on my, on my, on the, on the COVID of my book?

No, no, sir.

It's just Brian Cook because that's who I am. Yes, I was a colonel. I don't need to be something in the past to be great in the future. I'm just Brian. So now it's not about external validation, it's about integration, bringing that warrior and that teacher together. Yes. To help more hero journeys become reality. Because that's what I mean. It's so powerful out there. It just, it isn't like you're not trying— I'm not trying to conquer others. That's what it used to be about. It's about connecting them.

Wow. Okay, I think this is a great segue to go to the next segment, because you wrote a letter to the Commander-in-Chief. President Donald J. Trump, which you publish on your Substack. Let me see if— I think I have a picture of you and then to him.

I love that AI picture.

Link, LinkedIn as well. I guess one question is, what motivated you, sir, to write the letter to the president?

I'm super concerned about where our country is. And I have learned to apply curiosity when I get angry, just genuine curiosity. And I just really wanted— I, I took that oath, the same oath you took, Bizzy, the Constitution of the United States. Yes, right. And I just wanted to ask him, why would a leader weaken the very institutions that make this democracy work? That's it. Like, like the very principles that I write about and ask people to live by.

Yes.

Um, don't let me stay silent when something important, as important as this, is at the forefront, right? It's at stake here.

Yes.

And so I just wrote to ask the question out loud. And by the way, give other people the courage to do it too. Yes, set the example.

Because I, I went from E-1 to O-5, and when I became an officer as an ensign, um, 2000, September 2007, um, Bush was our commander-in-chief at the time. I noticed when I took the office, it was to support and to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. It was kind of weird because when I was enlisted, it was to really obey the orders of those appointed over me, including the President of the United States. But that was not in my oath of office, and I was wondering why in the world is that line not here. So it was very weird at first. Why is it important, especially for officers? I guess we are supposed to be leaders. Why should we be faithful to the Constitution of the United States and not really even an institution, not even the Navy, and definitely not a human being, a in men, but that Constitution. Why, why is that so critical?

Um, because evil exists. Evil exists where you least expect it. And our fathers, our forefathers, knew that to be true from whence they came, and they wrote the Constitution for that case. And so instead of being loyal to a king, you are loyal to a Constitution because Constitution represents the people of this nation.

Yes.

Which is the power. And we have forgotten for a moment, several moments in recent history, that it is about the people of the United States of America, by the way. Wow. Not just citizens. And I, I hate to say it, uh, citizens are, you know, a very important piece of the Constitution, but it says all were created equal. Yes, not just American citizens created equal, all.

Wow, powerful. Because I am a naturalized U.S. citizen and I had to read the Constitution before I became a citizen. And many people I meet have an idea what the Constitution says, but they have actually never read it, which is very amazing. And also, it's the same Constitution that every elected official and selected within the uniform or in the government, they take an oath just like the officers do. So I guess a question I have for you too is the way you wrote the letter, sir, respectfully, you really positioned the letter as a retired Army colonel. That's only one pay grade below general, a Christian and a citizen. And I think citizenship really means a lot. Uh, why was it important for you to frame the letter that way, sir?

Okay, so, uh, three loyalties I have, right? The, the, the colonel speaks to that oath.

Yes.

My Christian speaks to my conscience, right? My connection to something higher than me. And then the citizen speaks to the country we share.

Wow.

Naming them all gives a mosaic of who I am.

Yes.

When I'm worthy. Right. Which is nearly always. But yeah, that's it. So look, oath, conscious, country. Boom.

Yes.

You know, it's— they're all there.

I remember retired captain— he's always going to be a captain to me— but Senator John McCann, when he went for office, he always said, "Country before party." And that really, really touched me.

That's exactly right. Wow.

Wow. Yes, super powerful. That is quite powerful because I think many leaders, they do avoid difficult conversation, especially when it's not trendy. But so what responsibility do leaders have to speak candidly when they believe important issues are at stake?

Yeah, what I was taught, and I'm an armor leader, so you'll find this in a lot of armor leaders, um, we have to move fast and, uh, break things deliberately and put them back together. Look, uh, candor is a duty, it is not a luxury. And by the way, standing up for what is right is setting the example, especially with those trusted with responsibility, right? The president has been trusted with our responsibility. Yes, I don't agree with that. So if you disagree without contempt, which you should, right, have general curiosity about why, use the word why. And I just don't— I don't know why you— I don't know how I could stay silent if I'm true to my values.

Wow, because I guess, you know, my kids, I guess they really grew up, you know, in the age of President Donald Trump. Both of my daughters, they started to vote, they became 18 years old when he was one of the people running for office. It's a different era than before, and I guess I am quite concerned too, you know, just the The way we interact and just the courtesy and the respect is pretty much nonexistent. I think for the first time in our history, we had a commander-in-chief actually curse on public TV. And I don't know what that says to the little kids who are growing up, because usually you want to have that man or that woman to really be a role model for your children and your grandchildren. I guess the question I have for each of you is, how can people engage in civic civic discourse without demonizing those who disagree with them and all of the insult and all of this nonsense? How can we go back to just being civil?

Well, take a cue from academics, right? We do this all the time in academia. Attack the idea, not the person, right?

Exactly.

You can go, I mean, go to Oxford or MIT, any of these places, you have high-end debates about big tough issues. And what you do is you— if you can logically have a conversation about the idea, then you win. My uncle taught me this, right? You can, you can believe in anything you want, but if you can't argue about it logically, it might not be something that you would rest your spurs on, right?

Look, I like that, right? You—

if you believe in something, learn it deeply and be able to present it in a logical argument. And by the way, your other party needs to be able to do the same thing. You know, it's just the moment you decide somebody else is evil, you've, um, gotten to a point where your words are going to be mistaken.

Yeah.

So set an invitation table. I call them in a book, right? If, uh, go to the chapter of Building Your Community Table, set an invitation table. Get people to come out to talk about the hard stuff. Because if not, if you never have the conversation, you will never fix the problem, right?

Yes, yes.

But yeah, that's the big thing. Don't go, I hate that guy. Go, I don't understand why XYZ, you know.

Yeah, because, uh, I, I don't know, I'm, I'm like, again, when, when I, I read the, uh, uh, founding document, right? Our motto is E pluribus unum, out of many, one. So there is that sense of inclusion, right? Everybody is not just monolithic and look exactly the same. And to me, it really adds a lot of strength, right? Because when you look at our country, I believe part of the reason why we are so great and so powerful and so strong is because it is really a mixture of ideas, culture, and even in our music. I mean, Everything that we do, we are always the best at it. I guess my question for you, sir, is what does patriotism mean to you today in 2026? What does it mean to be a patriot?

So I, whenever I'm confused about the present, I pick up an old book and I like Aristotle here, right? Grateful for the institutions that have given you power.

Wow.

And made you feel worthy. So if you look at me as a person, my power is built upon this great nation and its Constitution and being able to serve it well and command our sons and daughters and comp— I mean, wow, geez, please, is it terrific? So that's where I come from. Gratitude carries an obligation to give back. So if you're really grateful about something, you've gotta benefit that. Nourish great ideas in those who have patriotism. Isn't agreement with whoever's in charge, it's the loyalty of the country in the principles, right?

Yes.

What, what is it that gave— like, if you go, why I'm grateful for that, and then second, second why is like, why does it have that, you're going to talk about what made this country great, its institutions. It's people. It's ability to go help people worldwide. What the State Department used to be.

Amazing.

USAID, are you kidding me? Those are terrific people. Not the best planners, but I, I've always loved working USAID. Look, you, you can, you can be upset but it requires you telling the truth of where that comes from. Love of country, yes, includes one thing: the courage to be held accountable. And that's what we're missing right now. If you can say, I made a mistake— and by the way, you're going to learn from that if you're as good as you and me, right? You can lead this country. I don't see that right now.

Yes. Wow, that, that is really, really powerful. Gives us a lot to think about. What leadership lesson can we learn then from engaging respectfully across political and ideological differences?

Um, um, you— as soon as you start leading across that divide, you're gonna get in these discussions about, um, it's going to become stuck. Take Eisenhower, for instance, right? If you ever— if you've seen Pressure, it's a Trevor movie. Um, most people, uh, just keep fighting against the anger. You got to fight to bring it together for a purpose. Eisenhower had a world war to help him out, right?

Yes.

But I could— you could see the divisions in the conversations, um, when he led. So again, it's not attack It's not attack the people or their belief systems. Attack the idea of what you're doing that's not right, and then bring it together. And then, by the way, applaud it. Like, if you do not believe— this is one thing I really disagree with Hegseth about, that, uh, uh, diversity is our power in the military. Absolutely. I mean, duh, like no-brainer. And he says the exact opposite. And I want to ask him, have you ever been led by an amazing woman? Hmm. I was once. I had a driver who was a Muslim and chose the Army over jail. He led me all the time.

Wow.

And if you're not, if you're not accountable to yourself to say I am empowered by people who are not like me. Where are you? I mean, where is your ego in this power pack?

Wow, powerful. Well, went a little deeper than I should have there. No, this is great. So I guess last question I'm going to ask in this segment, and we do need to take this plane down. I'm sorry, I'm already 5 minutes over. Yeah, it's all right.

I'm all right.

Okay, thank you. So if you had the opportunity to sit down with any president, you did mention Eisenhower earlier. Past, present, future. Yeah. What leadership conversation would you most want to have?

I want Lincoln.

Lincoln, absolutely.

And I want, how, how did he keep going? I want that question. One question: how did you keep going? Highly divided country.

Yes.

And, you know, just, I mean, and look at the time we were in. There was no email. I mean, even letters took like 3 years to get somewhere else.

That's right.

The weight of every decision costing lives either way, and he stuck to the cause, man.

Yeah, super powerful. Amazing. Wow. All right, we are coming to the end, and thanks so much for your time, sir. How can we add value back to you?

All right, so we are— well, the book, right, is in multiple places. I am up on LinkedIn as usual, right?

I'm including everywhere. Barnes Noble has the book as well, which is amazing.

Yeah, so the book is, uh, everywhere you could buy a book— Barnes Noble, Amazon, uh, IngramSpark if you're a publisher, um, you can go grab it. Um, check me out at setyourtable.kit.com. That's my, my, uh, like my newsletter site. Jump on my newsletter. Soon the setyourtable.com newsletter is going to go to, um, cost a little bit of money, not a lot of money. I'm talking about like $2. Um, go to my Substack. There's a free version and there's a paid version. Get the paid version because I'm going to start doing 2 or 3 a week. And like that open letter to the president, that doesn't— not going to be in the free version. Um, and then I have a couple places where I'm trying to make an impact right here in Austin, Texas. Um, one of them is Leading to Win. I actually came up with the name Leading to Win way back when we created it. It is now a very powerful 501 that's trying to bridge the gap for wider veterans between the powerful commercial industries in Central Texas. Yes, defense, dual use, and success. And we have lots of gap in talent here. Like, you got cyber gap, you've got a quantum gap, you've got an AI gap. There's all kinds of gaps out here. What I need people to do is be fired up and worthy to come and be part of that cause. Leading to Win is one of those ways. There's several ways you can reach out to me personally and I'll get you connected to the right people, but we'd love to have you at Leading to Win on—

that's going to be September 11th, right?

Yeah, 9/11, uh, at the Capital Factory, formerly Capital Factory Station, Austin. Um, we're going to be doing an unconference, as we call it, but you'll be connected with other veterans, you'll be connected with ways to be better. You'll be connect— shoot, I'll be there for sure. You know me. We're going to try to do an author's panel so that we can have, you know, show people how veterans can be authors without being guilty, which I think I'm a case of one of those.

And also you do have a book signing in Austin this Saturday.

Yes, Saturday down at Port Aranis, Texas, which is down by Corpus Christi. I'm signing books at Sea Shelves. What a cool name. Sea Shelves Coffee Bookstore. In Coffee Waves Coffee Shop. So come have a coffee, say hi to me, I'll sign your book for free, and, uh, yep, then we can go jump in the waves.

Awesome. So as we get to the end of the podcast, so before I do the rapid-fire round, is there a question I should have asked you I didn't get a chance to ask? Anything else you'd like to share?

Yeah, what's the one table most people forget to set?

Hmm. I would think, yeah, yeah. And I guess you do have to prioritize yourself and your family also.

That's right, you're absolutely right. This is where I find mostly is people are in like— they're even— their relationships are better than they personally are.

Yes.

And how— how— look, how much better will you show up if you're the best version of BZ?

That's what I want you to be. Yes.

Though you're pretty good, Bizzy, I gotta tell you, you're top shelf.

Thank you, sir. All right, so toward the end, so first thing that comes out of your mind, don't take too long to think, just first idea, I want to hear it. Best leadership book of all time?

Ego Is the Enemy.

Ego Is the Enemy, and I believe this is it, and everybody needs to read this by Ryan Holiday. It's written like a storybook, but one of the best books I read I was trying to look for it. It's here somewhere. It was about stoicism. I think every junior officer in the Navy is required to read that. There is another book I saw, sir, we love reading here. Let me see, where did I put it? This one. Can you tell us, why should we read it, by Brian Johnson? I believe he's one of your friends.

Oh, Brian Johnson is the reason. Look, that's the reason I have a book. I read— I have been around Brian Johnson for like 5 years now. The guy is the absolute spark of life. He's trying to do something bigger than himself. 51% of the world positive by 2051. And Arnate is this big old book. Look at this thing.

Wow.

He does micro chapters, but I love it. It's something for everybody and it brings a community together. He's got a great humor community. So, uh, yeah, look Arté is, it is a winner. It's on my bookshelf. I have like 5 copies of this thing.

Awesome. I will definitely add that to my bookshelf. I think part of the reason why I do this podcast is a little bit selfish. I need to know what I need to read next. So thank you.

One more, not a book about leadership, Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. You'll never get that right. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote about how you achieve Flow, F-L-O-W. And it's a tough read, uh, but if you want the short form, go to Heroic. He does philosopher's notes and you can do it in 15 minutes or less.

Got it. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Important. Illuminate the Way of Happiness. Got it. Wow. Because really, when you, when you get into the flow, you are able to really be extremely productive, right?

Right. Well, and I want you to bring your, your gifts to life, and either to get that creative sense where you can do that, whether that's creating a marketing scheme, a business plan, a book, a piece of art. You have to get here. You know what it is. I mean, you— I was sure, I'm absolutely sure last night were in flow state when you were writing the LinkedIn post, right? You're creating. It is essential to be in the flow state when you're creating.

Powerful, powerful. Because one thing I've had to do in the past is to really get in my schedule and get like maybe an hour and a half to 2 hours where I will absolutely not get disturbed. No email, no phone call, nothing. And just be— try to get in the flow. This is the book. It's a nice— Yes, love it.

Yeah, I do it 5 ways to do it by your 5 senses. I smell something, I light a candle. Taste something, I have an energy drink. Hear something, I have a playlist I play. I stand in the exact same spot every day. Wow. Before I get in one of these things, I cold plunge. And look, if you don't think I'm on, then I want to hear about it. But I think I'm on, right?

Talking about the playlist, I do play the piano. We love music here. I had a playlist of a podcast too, by the way. Which— what is one of the songs that gets you in the flow, sir?

Oh, they have— there's an album by Bring Me the Horizon, it's called Low Files, and it's all their songs without words brought to a bass beat and really cool music.

Wow.

And I wrote most of this book to that.

Outstanding. I just found them on YouTube, I'm gonna add them, their music, to our list. Okay, back to the, uh, Sorry, I said this was supposed to be rapid fire, but we are taking our time. But yeah, what you're saying, uh, what is one leadership trait, sir, that you will never ever compromise on? You are going to do no matter what?

Curiosity.

Okay. And, um, one daily habit that changed your life?

Winning the morning the night before.

Wow.

Winning the morning.

Okay.

Win the morning the night before.

So you do a lot of your planning?

Yeah, I stop working at 5:15. I do a shutdown complete, and then my— I have the rest of my curfews for the rest of the day. So I stopped working, I had already stopped caffeine, I stopped my eating at 7:30, and I stopped screens at 8:30, and I'm in bed at 9:17-ish. And, uh, calm down.

What, what time do you normally wake up? 5:45. Okay, yeah, I think almost all the very successful people wake up before 6 AM, I have heard.

Yeah, I have the other version, I have the vampire, my wife, who stays up until 2 in the morning.

Okay, and what is the morning routine?

Oh, this is awesome. So, wake Meditate, pray, make my bed, feed my pets, stretch and move a little bit, jump in the cold plunge every morning.

That's me, Admiral McRaven. Make your bed. Number one.

Make your bed. One of the best pieces of advice.

Yes. Ah, okay. And the last one I have for you here is what gives you hope about the future?

I am meeting people all over the world that are hungry to drop the armor. And I am telling you, uh, whatever that armor is, that just spreads. I mean, when you— when they— when you get as fulfilled as you are, BZ, and people are, it brings goodness to this world. That excites me.

Wow. All right, and the last question, sir, for you today, and thanks so much for giving us extra time: what legacy do you hope to leave for your children, grandchildren, and future leaders.

I, as a matter of fact, it's this book, a way to keep ourselves flourishing through all this chaos. Hmm. Regardless of whether you get it from the book, hear it in the book.

Yes.

The universe gave you gifts. Become the best person so you can provide them to the world.

I love that. Yeah.

Thank you, dude.

Powerful, powerful. All right, this is it for today, sir. Thank you so much for your time. The last question I ask every single person I interview is one word, sir, one word that characterize our time on the podcast today.

Authenticity.

I love that.

Super authentic.

I think you've been very inspiring and I'm gonna be listening to this over and over again and making sure all of my mentees listen to this. Thank you for sharing your wisdom in the book. I think every senior officer has to write a book before they retire. It needs to become a requirement. Thank you for sharing.

It's also a great journey. Do it just for the journey. You'll learn so much, you know.

Thanks again for your time, Colonel. We appreciate it.

Nice seeing you.

Bye. All right, everybody, this is one for the book. Really, really grateful to the Colonel. And like you have heard, please follow him on LinkedIn and also on Substack. Substack, right? setyourtable.substack.com and become a paid subscriber. Actually, I'm talking to myself. I use Substack now. It's becoming more and more popular, but I haven't paid for anything yet. And also think about joining leadingtowin.org. We have 2026 Summit on 9/11 in Texas. All right, and get a copy of the book. I think it has the potential to change your life. Set Your Table, Reclaim Your Life. Now, as we end, we celebrate Black History Month here on the podcast because I felt like 28 days is just too short for Black History Month. I want to leave you— actually, since I have another podcast coming up, I will play the video there. But I just want you to know the very first Black Navy SEAL. We are honoring him today. And his name was Master Chief William Goyne. He was born in 1936. He just passed away. A couple of years ago in 2024. Master Chief William Gons became the very first African-American US Navy SEAL, not because he set out to break barriers, but because he refused to let barriers define him. Just an extraordinary man. Again, I'm going to play a short video for the next podcast coming up. I'm going to be talking— let me get a picture of that really, really quick. I should have already had it here. I'm going to be talking to a retired major US Army in about an hour. I really, really look forward to it. Let me find Sean Lanier. He's going to be here, and I really love the work he does. He has created a nonprofit and he really helps to diversify all of the branches of the military. We're gonna learn all about it. So we are talking about Major Sean Lanier, U.S. Army retired. We're going to be talking from Black Hawk pilot to leadership builder. You do not want to miss it. I think I'm going to be talking to him in about an hour. And when I talk to him, since it's going to be my last interview for today, I will play a short video about the very first African-American Navy SEAL. Okay. Thank you so much for watching today. I hope this has been a blessing to you. Please follow us, subscribe, and love and like the video on YouTube and LinkedIn and let us know what you think. Thanks again for watching. See you in about an hour. Bye for now. Thank you for tuning in to the Leadership and Success Podcast with your host, Coach BZ. If today's episode added value to your leadership journey, be sure to subscribe, share, and join us again for more wisdom nuggets on how to lead better and achieve greater success. Remember, Leadership is the most critical skill of our time. The world will always need leaders to inspire others, drive innovation, and execute meaningful strategy. So why not count yourself among the bold leaders shaping the 21st century? Until next time, stay inspired, stay committed, and keep leading with excellence.