Welcome to the next episode of the Dragon's Den podcast. Today's guest is Preston Lyons. Preston is a firefighter in Colorado and runs the Relentless Rejects podcast. He first hit my radar when he was on the Weekly Scrap with Corley Moore. I had no idea who he was, but his story and message really resonated with me. It seems we shared a similar journey, mindset, and struggles in trying to make change within our own departments. It was a pleasure to be able to spend about an hour picking Preston's brain and talking about some of the more recent things he's doing. And for any Vigilantes listening. Apple is garbage and Android is supreme. Hope you enjoy listening.

Preston Lyons is a 10-year Navy combat veteran and a seasoned firefighter with North Metro Fire Rescue District in Colorado, where he has served for the past decade. Drawing on his extensive military and firefighting experience, Preston is a passionate writer and influential voice in the areas of culture, leadership, and personal development. His message resonates with those who serve and lead under pressure, inspiring others to cultivate resilience, authenticity, and purpose both on and off the job. Whether in uniform or on stage, Preston brings a grounded, relatable perspective shaped by real-world challenges and a deep commitment to growth and service.Please like, subscribe and ring the bell for notifications.

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Welcome to the next episode of the Dragon's Den podcast. Today we have on Jacob McVey and Marcos Chacon. This episode was very last minute. Myself and Chief Sparacello went over to Bay St Louis to teach for the Coastal Magnolia FOOLS first ever training. Once I found out that the presidents for both the Coastal Magnolia FOOLS and the Old South FOOLS would be together, I thought it was the perfect chance to bring both of these guys together, along with Chief Sparacello, and talk about the formations of the chapters, the brotherhood, how the first training event went and what's the plans for the future. I did not say it on the podcast, but Jacob McVey's wife, Kayla McVey came with Jacob and took all of the photos for the event. They have 2 young children at home, so just leaving can be difficult, but we also appreciate her efforts in documenting the event. It was really enjoyable to talk to all of these guys at the same time.

Jacob McVey

President of the Old South F.O.O.L.S.

Jacob currently serves as an Engine Driver and EMT for the Lafayette County Fire Department in Mississippi. He assists with the Alcorn County Special Operations Response Team and works part-time across state lines in Tennessee, as well as in his hometown of Booneville, Mississippi, where he first joined the fire service in 2018.

Outside the job, Jacob is a husband and proud girl dad, balancing family life with his passion for building up the fire service through training, tradition, and philanthropy efforts.

Lieutenant Marcos Chacon

President of the Coastal Magnolia FOOLS

Lieutenant Marcos Chacon is a dedicated and passionate member of the fire service, having embarked on his career in 2022. With a natural leadership ability and a commitment to community service, Marcos quickly distinguished himself and earned a promotion to Lieutenant, where he now plays a pivotal role in guiding and mentoring fellow firefighters.

In 2024, after participating in a small-town training event, Marcos recognized the need for camaraderie and professional development among firefighters. Inspired by this vision, he initiated the formation of the Coastal Magnolia Fools chapter, a group dedicated to fostering a spirit of fun, learning, and support within the firefighting community. Under his leadership, the chapter has grown into a vibrant network that emphasizes training, mentorship, and the importance of a strong brotherhood and sisterhood among firefighters.

Marcos is known for his unwavering dedication to his team and community, always striving to improve the fire service and make a positive impact. His innovative ideas and commitment to excellence continue to inspire those around him, making him a respected leader in the fire service.

Welcome to another episode of the Dragon's Den Podcast. Today we have on Justin Spanka and Caleb Shetler. I first met Spanka when he came to teach at the Central Acadiana Fire Symposium with Sean Ryan and the Animal House cadre. I tried to get him onto the podcast pretty early and he kept saying no, but I was finally able to convince him after he and Shetler completed the Oklahoma Smoke Diver program. They are the first individuals in Virginia to complete either the Georgia, Indiana or Oklahoma program. I knew that they both had good experiences and something to offer, with both being unsuccessful the first attempt and then completing it the second attempt. I was absolutely correct. There was so much in this episode that resonated with me that I bit my tongue on many occasions so that they could get there thoughts out. I hope you enjoy the episode as much as I enjoyed recording it. Thanks for listening.

Spanka Bio:

Grew up in Virginia Beach. Went to college in central VA to play volleyball and ended up getting a bachelors degree in kinesiology. Found the fire service due to interest in medicine and realized the fire side was way cooler. Self proclaimed exercise and wellness nerd. First VA Smoke Divers to complete OSD, GSD, or ISD (Shetler as well).

Shetler Bio:

Raised in central Virginia and found the fire service as a volunteer at an early age. Left for the midwest and attended Union University where he received a Bachelor of Science in International Rescue & Relief with an emphasis in paramedicine. Worked briefly in Washington, the state where his beautiful wife Jennifer is from, before deciding to start their family back home in Virginia. Currently assigned to the training division as a FF/Paramedic. Graduate of Oklahoma Smoke Diver Class #5

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Welcome back to another episode of the Dragon's Den Podcast. Today it is my absolute pleasure to have on both of the Stone Brothers. Chief DJ Stone and Chief Shannon Stone. DJ currently serves as the Training Chief with South Walton and Shannon currently serves as the Fire Chief for Midway fire. They both have very extensive bios, so I'll leave those in the show notes if you want to read them. While making an impromptu stop in the Pensacola area, I was lucky enough to get both of the brothers over to our rental house and have conversation about fire stuff. We talked about many topics, including why they started the 850 fireman, PTSD, the importance of training, their experiences with teaching on the circuit, both of their recent position changes, mentorship and much more. We recorded this on the patio, at night, so the lighting wasn't great, but the audio is good and you can tell who is talking if you do watch the video. This was an extremely easy conversation because all I had to do was get the ball rolling and they took over. There's so much in both of their minds that we didn't struggle for conversation at all. Once again, it was my honor to be able to record this conversation. I hope you enjoy it.

Welcome to another Episode of the Dragon's Den Podcast. Today's guest is Chief Dennis Reilly. I'll probably say this until I shut this podcast down, but I'm honored to have such a distinguished guest spend his time talking to me about the job. Chief Reilly has a very extensive bio, but the highlights are this. He's got over 50 years of experience, deployed combat veteran, responded to 9/11, has been the Fire Chief of multiple departments, has a masters degree from Penn State and has taught all over the country, including at FDIC this year. He's seen a lot and done a lot and I'm so glad that he drove over from his home in Navarre to hang out at the pool, eat some crawfish etouffee, and talk about the job. I hope you enjoy.

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Our next guest is Engineer Chris Watson. I met Chris at the Small Town Job Town conference in Hammond Louisiana and immediately knew that he was a dialed in fireman. Not only did I notice it, but the other students also commented on it. It was so shocked by how good he was that I said “I’ve gotta talk to this guy”, so I texted him after the conference and invited him on. Our schedules lined up and we made it happen. He’s done a little bit of everything, but here’s his short bio.

· Husband & Father of 2

· 13-year Veteran in the fire service

· Engineer for Crestview Fire Department

· Spent 8 years in the Navy as an Aviation Rescue Swimmer.

· Come from a family of firefighters: Miami/Dade, Gainesville Fire Rescue, Alachua Fire Rescue.

President of the Crestview Professional Firefighters Association. L2680 (They’re a 4 digit, but I won’t hold it against him.)

Welcome to another episode of the Dragon's Den Podcast. Today's guest is Lt. Jimmy Gregory from Cobb County Fire. He's a loving husband and father of 6. He's got about 17 years of fire service experience, served in the Army and currently still serves with the Air Force. He's taught at multiple conferences, including FDIC. He's a Georgia Smoke Diver and one the main reasons that I reached out to him was that he is the current Lead Instructor for the Cobb County Recruit Search School.

In all honesty, I was looking forward to this conversation for MANY months and it was genuinely one of the best conversations I've had to this point. The Cobb recruit search program holds a special place in my career development and I owe a lot to it and the people that developed it and maintain it. I hope you enjoy the episode.

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Welcome to the next episode of the Dragon's Den Podcast. On today's episode we have Chief David Pruitt. Chief currently holds the position of Chief of Emergency Management and Innovations for the City of Hillsboro Texas. He's been there for 23 years and is clearly passionate about the fire service. He was gracious enough to give me a couple of hours of his time, right before teaching at the LIFT conference. Although he really enjoys talking about acquired structures and training, he's also a master of rabbit holes and we got side tracked pretty often. I'm not sure we ever fully talked about what I thought he would talk about. Regardless, I love his passion. Side note: You will see me look to my left pretty often. I'm making sure my PC or the audio mixer didn't crash. Skippy wasn't able to make it to LIFT to run the boards, so I was nervous we would lose the it. Thank you for listening.

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