Some people spend their lives running toward what everyone else is trying to escape. Retired Fire Chief Edward Hadfield grew up surrounded by law enforcement officers, military veterans, firefighters, and public servants who shaped the way he understood duty. He came to see them as centurions, guardians who stand between ordinary people and the worst the world can produce. That belief eventually became more than something Ed admired. It became the foundation of a 39 year career in public safety and a life spent accepting responsibility when other people’s lives were on the line.But this episode of Unfinished Business | A Podcast for Veterans Pursuing New Life Missions isn’t simply the story of a retired fire chief. Edward Hadfield and I examine what nearly four decades of command taught him about leadership, earned trust, first responders, servant leadership, public safety, faith, failure, humility, and the One Team philosophy. Ed speaks candidly about the road rash behind the credentials, the danger of believing rank alone makes someone a leader, the mistakes he now understands differently, and why accumulated wisdom eventually creates a responsibility to help the people coming behind you. This is a conversation about the men and women who stand guard for society, but it is also about what happens to one of those guardians when the career ends and he has to decide what all that experience is for now. Watch the full episode and meet the man behind 39 years of service.Rush The Conversation Architect Founder | Bronze Star Veteran Prime Pitch Podcast Network Inc.#EdHadfield, #UnfinishedBusinessPodcast, #FireService, #PublicSafety, #FirstResponders, #Leadership, #ServantLeadership, #OneTeam, #FaithAndPurpose, #PublicService

Retired United States Air Force Colonel Brian “Patton” Searcy spent 23 years learning what leadership looks like when preparation, judgment, and action have real consequences. In this episode of Unfinished Business | A Podcast for Veterans Pursuing New Life Missions, Brian takes us from AWACS operations during Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait to the Combined Air Operations Center, where he learned a principle that still drives his work today: you don’t rise to the occasion, you fall to the level of your preparation. We get into servant leadership, situational awareness, why information alone doesn’t make people ready, and what it takes to develop people who can recognize what’s happening around them and actually do something about it.But the conversation gets much more personal when Brian talks about the child who looked at him and said, “Dad, you’re not really here, are you?” We explore the mistakes he had to own, what his family taught him about presence, how his faith moved from belief toward dependence, and how those experiences ultimately helped shape The Paratus Group, the Prepared Citizen mission, and his book A Nation Unaware. This is a conversation about responsibility before crisis, faith before certainty, learning from failure, and refusing to assume somebody else will notice, prepare, or act first. Watch the full episode and ask yourself one question: what responsibility in your own life have you been waiting for somebody else to carry?RushThe Conversation ArchitectFounder | Bronze Star VeteranPrime Pitch Podcast Network Inc.

There are parts of Tom Barber’s story that are easy to celebrate, and there are parts that require him to own decisions he made when he was a much younger man. I think both matter. What struck me during our conversation was how comfortable Tom has become leaning into his own humanity. He does not pretend he got everything right. He also does not allow the chapters he got wrong to become the final word on who he is. Today, he is a successful businessman, Co Owner of Guardian Design and Construction, and Vice Chair of the Veterans Business Council of Greater Arlington. But sitting across from him, I became much more interested in the man than any of the titles.There was a lot of emotion in this podcast, particularly when Tom talked about two people he loves dearly. His wife, Candy, whom he calls his best friend, his balance, and one of the strongest people in his life. And his little brother, Cody. When Tom began talking about Cody, the conversation changed. You could see what his brother still means to him. You could hear the loss, the love, and the questions Tom still carries. The same emotion showed up when he talked about being selected to serve as Vice Chair of the Veterans Business Council and admitting that he went home and cried. His words were simple: **“I still want to deserve it every day.”** That told me a lot about where Tom is today.That is what I want people to see in this episode of Unfinished Business | A Podcast for Veterans Pursuing New Life Missions. Not a perfect man. Not a man defined by the worst decision he ever made. A human being who has lived, failed, loved, lost, learned, built, and kept going. Tom Barber is still doing the work, and after spending this time with him, I believe some of the most meaningful chapters of his life are still being written. If you have ever had to reconcile who you were with who you are still becoming, this conversation will speak to you. Take the time to hear Tom Barber’s story in full. There is something in this one for anyone who believes a life can keep evolving long after the hardest chapters have been written.Rush | The Conversation ArchitectUnfinished Business | A Podcast for Veterans Pursuing New Life MissionsFounder / Prime Pitch Podcast NetworkBronze Star Veteran#TomBarber, #UnfinishedBusinessPodcast, #VeteransBusinessCouncil, #GreaterArlington, #GuardianDesignAndConstruction, #Humanity, #VeteranCommunity, #PersonalGrowth, #CommunityLeadership, #PurposeAfterService

“If you don’t do this, you’re going to regret it.” Those were the words John Harrison’s wife, Jennifer, gave him at a moment when the direction of his life was anything but certain. What followed would eventually lead John into Army aviation, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), the Night Stalkers, and 11 combat deployments, but this conversation isn’t simply about where John went. It’s about the decisions underneath it all, the people who carried those decisions with him, and the intentionality required when the life you’re building asks something from everyone you love.This was John’s first podcast, and I’m honored he trusted Unfinished Business with it. There was plenty of laughter in this conversation, but there were also moments where 20 years of memories landed differently when spoken out loud. We talked about persistence, family, faith, service, and the complicated question of knowing when to keep pushing toward something, and when the right decision may be to choose differently. I’m leaving the rest for John to tell you. Click the link below and watch my full conversation with John Harrison.RushConversation Architect | Principal Creator | Bronze Star VeteranUnfinished Business | A Podcast for Veterans Pursuing New Life Missions

What happens when you have spent most of your adult life answering the call, and eventually the next mission has to come from you?Army combat veteran James Hauke joins me on Unfinished Business | A Podcast for Veterans Pursuing New Life Missions for a conversation about service, identity, leadership, sacrifice, purpose, and the evolution of a life built around responsibility. James served as an Army paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne during Desert Shield and Desert Storm before beginning a 24 year career in law enforcement. Today, as Program Director for Trinity Oaks Outdoors, his service continues alongside veterans, first responders, Gold Star families, young people, and families carrying circumstances that have given him an entirely different perspective on what it means to show up for another human being.This conversation goes into the questions underneath the accomplishments. What happens when service becomes part of your identity? What does it mean to spend decades being needed? How does our understanding of sacrifice change when we encounter the families who carry its consequences? And what separates an assigned mission from something a man eventually recognizes as his calling?James once described himself as a young man who needed discipline, structure, and a future. Decades later, there is something profound about seeing where that journey has taken him.For veterans pursuing new life missions, this conversation asks something worth considering:When nobody else gets to choose the mission anymore, what becomes worthy of the life you still have ahead of you?Watch the full conversation, subscribe, and share this episode with a veteran who may be standing between what they have already accomplished and whatever is calling them forward next.Rush, The Conversation ArchitectUnfinished Business | A Podcast for Veterans Pursuing New Life MissionsPrime Pitch Podcast Network, Inc.Frisco’s #1 Podcaster

In this deeply moving episode of Unfinished Business, I sit down with Kristie Hughes, Gold Star Mother of Navy SEAL Nathan Gage Ingram, whose life ended while attempting to save a teammate during a mission in the Arabian Sea.But this is not simply the story of how Gage died.It is the story of how he lived.Kristie invites us into memories that only a mother can share, stories of the little boy she raised, the young man who became a Navy SEAL, and the husband, son, brother, and friend whose character was built long before he wore the Trident.Together, we explore faith that survives unimaginable loss, the unseen burden carried by Gold Star families, and the quiet courage required to honor a legacy while learning to live with grief.This conversation is about sacrifice, but even more, it is about love.If this episode moves you, please consider subscribing, sharing it with someone who needs to hear it, and helping us ensure that heroes like Nathan Gage Ingram—and the families who carry their legacy—are never forgotten.Rush,Conversation ArchitectPrincipal CreatorBronze Star VeteranUnfinished Business: A Podcast for Veterans Pursuing New Life MissionsPrime Pitch Podcast Network, Inc.www.primepitchpodcast.comFrisco's #1 Podcast Influencer Frisco's #1 Veteran Advocacy PodcastFor more information, visit www.primepitchpodcast.com

Margie Taylor is a Gold Star Mother whose life changed forever with the death of her son, Army Specialist Joey Lenz. What began as unimaginable grief became an unwavering pursuit of truth, accountability, and a commitment to protecting future service members and their families.In this deeply personal episode of Unfinished Business, Margie shares the story of Joey before he became a soldier, the bond they shared as mother and son, and the extraordinary journey that followed his passing. Together, we explore faith, resilience, advocacy, military accountability, and the enduring legacy of a son whose life continues to make a difference.This conversation also comes at a historic moment.Just days before this episode was released, the U.S. Army reversed its original Line of Duty determination regarding Specialist Joey Lenz. After reviewing additional evidence, medical documentation, regulatory standards, and the complete record, the Army concluded that it did not find conclusive evidence of intentional misconduct and changed Joey's status to "In the Line of Duty." The reversal removes the previous adverse determination and marks a significant milestone after more than four and a half years of persistence by Margie and those who stood beside her in the search for answers.While this decision represents an important chapter in Joey's story, Margie makes it clear that her mission extends beyond her own family. Her hope is that the lessons learned through Joey's life will help protect future service members and spare other families from walking the same difficult path.This is more than a conversation about grief.It is a conversation about faith when life no longer makes sense, about truth pursued with courage, and about a mother's love that continues long after loss.If this conversation resonates with you, please consider subscribing, sharing this episode, and leaving a comment. Your support helps us continue telling the stories of veterans, military families, and extraordinary individuals whose lives remind us that purpose often emerges from life's most difficult moments.Eric Rush, CEO & Podcast CuratorPrime Pitch Podcast Network Inc. www.primepitchpodcast.comFrisco's #1 Podcast Influencer Frisco's #1 Veteran Advocacy PodcastFor more information, visit www.primepitchpodcast.com

Sitting down with Pam Barragan was one of those conversations. Pam is a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, host of the 2200TAPS Podcast, and an alumni athlete and support trainer with the Adaptive Training Foundation. What struck me wasn't simply her experience, it was the way she sees people. She understands that stories aren't just something we tell; they're one of the ways we make sense of our lives. Through music, honest conversation, and genuine human connection, she's dedicated herself to creating spaces where veterans, adaptive athletes, and others can be heard with dignity. That's a rare gift, and it's one our world could use a lot more of.This episode isn't about having all the answers. It's about discovering that purpose is often found in serving others, that one conversation can leave a lasting mark, and that investing in people is still one of the most meaningful things we can do. I'm grateful to call Pam my friend, and I'm honored to share this conversation with all of you. I hope you'll take the time to watch it, share it, and pass it along to someone who might need to hear it.RushConversation ArchitectFounderBronze Star Veteran Unfinished Business - A Podcast for Veterans Pursuing New Life MissionsPrime Pitch Podcast Network Inc.#VeteranAdvocacy, #VeteranVoices, #AdaptiveTrainingFoundation, #PurposeDriven, #MilitaryCommunity, #Storytelling, #