Warrior's Day Off Jennifer Eby

A conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Scott Grotbo, USAF, Retired, & Susan Grotbo about PTSD, the stigma surrounding mental health, a path to wellness, and finding a new chapter of service by helping others. 
Lieutenant Colonel, Scott Grotbo, USAF, Retired, is a veteran with over 27 years as an Air Force Special Warfare Operator. He served three tours of combat duty---two in Afghanistan, one in Kuwait. He became Commander of the 182nd Air Support Operations Group (ASOG) in Peoria, Illinois before retiring. 
 
Scott is now the Founder and Executive Director of Moraine View R&R Veterans' Retreat where he provides individualized stays devoted to physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual strengthening for our nation’s veterans. 
 
Susan Grotbo is an Engineering Program Manager at Google. She has worked on various global projects ranging from building Google’s first employee donation and volunteer platform to providing lifesaving information on Google Search for early detection and warning of major natural disasters with the use of AI and Machine Learning.  Susan has more than 10 years of experience working in the philanthropic and social impact space including supporting Moraine View R&R Veterans' Retreat in Central Illinois with her brother Scott. 

This Episode is a heartfelt story of resilience and hope. 

In this Episode, Christina Helena and I talk about resilience, trusting your intuition, the human experience, and how the veil of truth is lifted when forced to confront our own mortality.  We laugh and we go deep.  She is redefining and modernizing the stigma behind trauma and pain with one simple thought: Your scar is the sexiest thing about you.  She is truly an inspirational force.  
At nineteen years old, Christina became one of the youngest pancreatic cancer survivors. She was told she had 6 months to live. Four months later, she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts, and then went on to train at The London Academy of Music & Drama where she earned a Master of Fine Arts in Classical Performance. She also studied philosophy and theology earning a Master of Science in Consciousness Studies. 
With a thirteen-inch scar across her abdomen, Christina knows the physical and emotional toll that our scars have on our self-worth and ability to love ourselves. 
Her talk, “My SCAR is Sexy” was featured on Goalcast receiving over 10 million views.  

Twenty-five years ago, I read about the polar bears of Churchill, Manitoba in Departures Magazine and saved the article for nearly 15 years. Occasionally I would gently unfold the page to gaze at the mesmerizing photograph of a polar bear standing on its hind legs, leaning against a tundra rover.  I finally went. 

The best word to describe this incredible immersive experience is "awe." The vast landscape, seeing the expanding sea ice form overnight, watching polar bears in their natural habitat, the resilience of the people I met along the way, and how we are all interconnected with the universe. 
This Episode features an inspiring conversation with Krista Wright, Executive Director, Polar Bears International. 

Krista began  volunteering  with PBI in 2008 and became the Executive Director in 2013.  In the 10 years since taking the helm, Polar Bears International has grown from a small nonprofit with a budget of less than $500,000, to a global leader in polar bear conservation, and a budget of more than $4.5 million. She is a passionate conservationist who is deeply concerned about the effects of global warming on polar bears, the Arctic, and the planet. 

We discuss how polar bears are uniquely suited to survive in their environment, how communities co-exist with polar bears, climate warming,  groundbreaking research, and why protecting their future saves ours. 



 

At thirty-six years old, Mike Abrashoff was the most junior officer in the Pacific Fleet when he took command of the near-worst performing ship. Twelve months later, using the same crew,  USS Benfold was the best ship in the entire Navy. His story is legendary.

Captain Mike Abrashoff is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Prior to commanding USS Benfold, Mike served as the Military Assistant to Secretary of Defense William J. Perry. He has  authored  four books. His first,  "It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy," sold more than 1.4 million copies. 
This inspiring Episode is for every individual and organization looking for practical and usable ways to take performance to new heights. In Mike’s case, he realized that before the ship’s performance could change, he had to change his leadership style. 

A great conversation with award-winning writer and producer Bill Wrubel, known for Ted Lasso, Modern Family, Will and Grace, Ugly Betty, Sports Night and more. 

Bill has won multiple awards- at least 20 wins and 17 nominations- including 7 Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Producer from PGA, 5 WGA Awards, Hollywood Critics Association for Best Writing in a Streaming Series, and the list goes on. 

He shares his personal story and how streaming has changed writing for TV, whether comedy can be learned, social impact, character and storyline arcs,  and of course,  "football is life!" 

“Soul of the Hurricane: The Perfect Storm and an Accidental Sailor” is a true story that begins with an unexpected invitation to transport a Norwegian schooner from Brooklyn to Bermuda but ends with a Coast Guard helicopter rescue in the dead of night. 
It was October 1991 and the ship was Anne Kristine, the oldest continuously sailing vessel in the world. What awaited them was Hurricane Grace, the southern end of what came to be known as the “Perfect Storm.”

This Episode features Nelson Simon, survivor and author of the book, “Soul of the Hurricane: The Perfect Storm and an Accidental Sailor.”