Blah, blah, blah...Something Wellness Podcast

Tami Sharp
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Mental Health

Let’s be real. If you’re a first responder—or love one—then you already know what happens when the word “wellness” comes up: You tune it out. Because it usually sounds like blah blah blah…That’s exactly why we created this podcast. The Blah, Blah, Blah…Something Wellness Podcast is where first responders, military families, and high-stress professionals get raw, real conversations about what it actually takes to stay well—mentally, physically, and emotionally. Hosted by Law Enforcement Coaching Founder, Tami Sharp, each month we tackle one theme that matters.  Every week, we bring in a variety of voices together in a roundtable discussion format. What to Expect: One powerful theme per month Weekly roundtable episodes with rotating expert guests Real stories, actionable insights, and zero sugarcoating Monthly Topics: June 2025– Prioritizing Self-Care July – Navigating Toxic Work Environments August – Let’s Talk Failure September – Money Mindset October – Retirement Realities November – Navigating Holiday Stressors December – Addiction and Alcohol 2026: January – Reframing Resolutions for Success February – Balancing Relationship Dynamics March – Fitness and Nutrition April – Spring Clean Your Energy & Mindset May – Injury Prevention and Recovery (Light Duty Shouldn’t Feel Heavy) June -- Connecting with Community July -- Culture & Spirituality for First Responders August -- What Makes a Great Leader Season 2 - Bonus Halloween Spooky Episodes Setting Standards for Wellness Duty Driven Deterioration Culture and Spirituality

  1. 21h ago

    Season 2 - Ep. 46 - Cutting through the Noise of Wellness for First Responders

    Officers train for everything from foot chases to crime scenes. What changes when “how to go home” becomes part of the training too? In the Season 2 premiere, Tami Sharp, Chris Zamora, and Greg Nottingham sit down with retired Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant and author of Hiding in Plain Sight - Doug White to cut through the noise in the wellness space and talk about the standards that help law enforcement and first responder careers last 20+ years. This episode is sponsored by the National Federal Police Credit Union and is part of the National Police Podcast Network. WHAT YOU’LL TAKE AWAY ✔ Why mental wellness belongs right next to physical fitness in your agency’s standards ✔ How to stay reliable and set boundaries (the “R-word”) ✔ Why retention is the real recruiting strategy ✔ How to choose a wellness resource that fits your people when your inbox is full of options ✔ Why wellness training pays off at the academy level ✔ How leaders open the door: show up at roll call, grab a coffee, ask “tell me more” ✔ A family tool: the heart emoji system for the drive home ✔ Four mic drop takeaways to carry into your next shift ALSO IN THIS EPISODE Doug’s High-Allostatic-Load Responder Adaptation (HAL-RA) framework, built on Dr. Chris Frueh’s Operator Syndrome. Duty Driven Deterioration and how self-awareness gives officers tools to course-correct. Personal accountability and agency culture working together. Stories of becoming the “go-to guy” and rediscovering identity beyond the badge. GUESTS AND HOSTS Doug White: retired Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant, former bomb squad member, and author Tami Sharp, PhD: founder and CEO, Law Enforcement Coaching Chris Zamora: co-founder, Law Enforcement Coaching, and retired Gilbert (AZ) Police detective Greg Nottingham: chief of staff and coach, Law Enforcement Coaching, and retired deputy RESOURCES MENTIONED Hiding in Plain Sight: The Truth About Trauma, Service, and the Way Forward by Doug White and Michelle White: https://link.amazon/B04Km0ycc Operator Syndrome by Dr. Chris Frueh: https://link.amazon/B0izmDH10 Doug’s HAL-RA article (Calibre Press): https://calibrepress.com/2026/05/your-officers-arent-broken-theyre-adapted-heres-what-that-means/ Duty Driven Deterioration (Police1): https://www.police1.com/police-training/duty-driven-deterioration-what-it-is-and-how-to-stop-it The Wounded Blue: https://thewoundedblue.org Law Enforcement Coaching training: https://lawenforcementcoaching.com Doug’s next book, Leading in Plain Sight, is with the publisher and headed toward pre-sale. LISTEN ON ANY PLATFORM https://podcast.show/somethingwellnesspodcast/follow/ Part of the National Police Podcast Network: https://nppn.live Which wellness standards are working in your agency or your home? Share them in the comments or send us your Season 2 topic ideas. Like, subscribe, and pass this episode to a leader, a partner, or a colleague who would enjoy it. One person at a time. One Police Department at a time. One City at a time. #LawEnforcementWellness #FirstResponderWellness #PoliceLeadership #OfficerWellness #DutyDrivenDeterioration #OperatorSyndrome #LawEnforcementCoaching #NationalPolicePodcastNetwork

  2. 6d ago

    Bonus Episode: Understanding Psychic Gifts & Energies

    Ghost Stories, Psychic Gifts & the Unexplained: First Responders Open Up It’s our Halloween episode, kicking off Season 2 of The Blah, Blah, Blah…Something Wellness Podcast. Tami Sharp, PhD, and Chris Zamora welcome back retired Arizona officers Marianne Robb and Dave Rich, founders of UAP-PD (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Police Department). They’re joined by Tracy Olsen, a London-trained evidential medium and intuitive investigator who works pro bono with law enforcement on missing persons cases, with a focus on missing and murdered Indigenous persons (MMIP). Every first responder has a story they don’t tell. This conversation makes space for those stories, swapping fear for curiosity and showing how intuition, energy, and the unexplained connect to wellness on and off the job. In This Episode: Why Tami stopped downplaying her intuitive work and came “out of the woo closet”How Chris went from mocking yoga, Reiki, and hypnotherapy to practicing them and translating them into cop talkHow Tracy’s dream journal led her to remote viewing training and to helping find a missing woman aliveWhy first responders often have heightened intuition, and how that gut feeling keeps them aliveHow UAP-PD gives officers a judgment-free place to share encounters without risking their careers or pensionsPractical boundaries for sensitive people, including Tracy’s “office hours” for spirit and Tami’s question: “Is this even mine?”Why the sponge-vs-rock mindset matters for empathic first responders and their spousesRemarkable stories: a homicide sergeant who could sense whether a family already knew, and a search-and-rescue deputy whose dreams led to missing personsA mysterious knocking hotel room story to close out the night ????Resources: Tracy Olsen: https://tracyolsen.com/homeUAP-PD: https://www.uap-pd.comMutual UFO Network (MUFON): https://mufon.comPam Coronado, psychic detective and remote viewing trainer: https://substack.com/@pamcoronadoLaw Enforcement Coaching: https://lawenforcementcoaching.comNational Police Podcast Network: https://nppn.liveSeen something on the job you can’t explain? You don’t have to carry it alone. Subscribe, share this episode with someone who needs it, and follow us @somethingwellnesspodcast. #FirstResponderWellness #LawEnforcement #PoliceWellness #Intuition #Paranormal #UAP #GhostStories #Halloween #Mediumship #EmpathCare #SomethingWellnessPodcast #NPPN

  3. 6d ago

    Bonus Episode: Paranormal Ghost Stories

    Ghost Stories, Spirit Protection & the Unexplained: Cops Who Investigate the Paranormal What happens when a cop’s investigative mind meets something that can’t be explained? Tami Sharp and Chris Zamora sit down with Chief Chad Martin, a Navy veteran leading a small department in Northern Kentucky, and Mike Stanaland, a Marine Corps veteran, 20+ year officer, and paranormal investigator with more than 200 investigations behind him. Chief of Staff Greg Nottingham joins the circle for a candid, faith-filled, and surprisingly hopeful conversation about the stories first responders rarely say out loud. Chad never gave the paranormal a second thought until his family moved into an 1867 farmhouse that once served as a Civil War–era inn. When his young daughter began waking from naps frightened by “a man” in her room, a prayer-filled blessing from their pastor brought the house lasting peace. That experience reshaped how Chad sees spiritual warfare and faith. Mike set out to debunk electronic voice phenomena (EVPs) and ended up proving himself wrong. He shares why he built a respectful, evidence-based investigation team that never provokes, what he learned from the 1-in-200 case that kept coming back, and why a cleansed space needs to be filled with something positive. ???? What You’ll Hear: - How young children perceive more, and how to empower them with simple protective prayers instead of brushing them off - Why law enforcement brings a rare level of professionalism to paranormal investigation: debunk first, document everything, respect the homeowner - The difference between a stuck human spirit, a protective attachment, and something darker, and why not everything is demonic - What spirit releasement looks like in clinical hypnotherapy - How alcohol, sleep aids, and anesthesia can lower your energetic defenses, and why that matters for officers - Stories from Bobby Mackey’s Music World in Northern Kentucky and the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield - Why Ouija boards and careless “door opening” can leave others to deal with the aftermath Scripture, intuition, and protection practices you can use regardless of your belief system ???? Mic-Drop Moments: Chad: “For as many scary stories as you hear, I think we’ve got just as many good stories.” Greg: “You’re not alone. Just reach out to somebody and talk.” Chris: “Whatever you do for protection, utilize it, and believe in your intuition.” Tami: “You’re in control.” ???? The Panel: Tami Sharp, PhD — Host | Founder & CEO, Law Enforcement Coaching Chris Zamora — Retired Detective | Co-Founder, LEC | Clinical Hypnotherapist Chief Chad Martin — Police Chief, Northern Kentucky | U.S. Navy Veteran Mike Stanaland — Police Officer | Paranormal Investigator | U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Greg Nottingham — Chief of Staff, Law Enforcement Coaching ???? Resources Mentioned: John Holland, psychic medium: https://www.johnholland.com Lisa Williams, psychic medium: https://www.lisawilliams.com Colette Baron-Reid: https://www.colettebaronreid.com Denise Linn: https://www.deniselinn.com Sylvia Browne: https://www.sylviabrowne.com Ohio State Reformatory paranormal programs: https://mrps.org/paranormal ???? Join the Conversation: Have you had an experience on the job you couldn’t explain? Drop it in the comments ???? Connect With Us: Law Enforcement Coaching: https://lawenforcementcoaching.com National Police Podcast Network: https://nppn.live Instagram & TikTok: @somethingwellnesspodcast

  4. Oct 31

    Bonus Episode: UAP's, Aliens, Ghosts and More...

    What happens when a cop investigates a 911 call and the caller can’t be explained? In this Halloween special, Tami Sharp and Chris Zamora of Law Enforcement Coaching sit down with retired Arizona police officers Marianne Robb and Dave Rich, founders of UAP-PD (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon Police Department), for an evidence-based conversation about the encounters first responders rarely talk about. Dave walks through the case that changed everything for him. A 911 call came from an empty high school on a Saturday morning, with a voice on the line and an open receiver waiting for officers. Two responding officers felt something unseen brush past them in the nurse’s office. Dave investigated it the way he would any case, pulling phone records, security footage, and audio analysis, and every logical explanation came up empty. Marianne shares a fellow investigator’s late-night encounter with a wolf-like creature on State Route 89 on the Navajo Nation. Tami and Chris add stories from a Maui dive bar and a homicide investigation. At the heart of this episode is a message every officer, firefighter, and first responder deserves to hear: you are not alone, and there is a safe place to share what you’ve experienced. Marianne and Dave explain why many officers stay quiet, how cultures that openly accept the unexplained make it easier to talk, and how UAP-PD gives first responders a judgment-free space to share their stories, anonymously if they choose. Tami closes with practical tips for protecting and clearing your energy after heavy calls. Spooky, credible, and full of heart, this one is perfect for Halloween season. Resources mentioned: UAP-PD: https://uap-pd.com/ The Practical Psychic Self-Defense Handbook: A Survival Guide by Robert Bruce: https://link.amazon/B06iaITX6 Brought to you by the National Police Podcast Network and the National Police Federal Credit Union. National Police Podcast Network: https://nppn.live National Police Federal Credit Union: https://www.nationalpolicefcu.com

  5. Aug 18

    Ep. 45 - Community Connection Is Deeper Than Coffee with a Cop

    Maybe you know the feeling: you did something small — bought lemonade from a kid's stand, shot hoops for ten minutes with neighborhood kids, gave a scared kid in the back seat of a car a sticker instead of a lecture — and it felt like it barely counted. Like it disappeared the second you drove away. Retired police chief Neil Cervenka and current Blaine, Washington Police Chief Rodger Funk know it counted more than almost anything else they did in their careers. In this episode of The Blah, Blah, Blah…Something Wellness Podcast, Tami Sharp and Chris Zamora sit down with Neil (32 years in uniform, from Air Force Police to Central Valley, California, to commanding the Mendocino Coast department in Northern California) and Rodger (30 years, 28 of them with the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office before becoming chief in Blaine) to talk about what actually rebuilds trust between police and the people they serve. It isn't the press conference. It isn't the planned event. It's the two-minute conversation nobody was watching. Rodger tells the story of the rural Washington deputy who trained him — Tami's own late father — who covered a 72-mile radius of mountain pass alone, and who once let a carload of speeding parents off the hook on one condition: drive straight to the only store in town and buy their kids anything they wanted. Neil talks about the moment a twelve-year-old, mid-brawl, turned a hostile crowd around with one sentence: "No, he's cool, he plays basketball with us." In this episode, you'll learn: ➡️ Why the community you invest in before you need them is the one that shows up when you do ➡️ The real difference between "coffee with a cop" and the interactions that actually build trust ➡️ Where LEC's "Cross the Line" exercise came from — an MTV Challenge Day experience that still brings Tami to tears ➡️ Why departments removing D.A.R.E. and school resource officers got the criticism backwards ➡️ What to say to a high performer before burnout catches up with them, not after ➡️ Why "there is no routine traffic stop" — and what that means for how officers and community members should treat each other on the side of the road We spend a lot of energy trying to fix community trust with programs, task forces, and photo ops. This conversation is a reminder that it's actually rebuilt in the ten seconds nobody's filming for social media — one traffic stop, one lemonade stand, one honest conversation at a time. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 — Intro & Meet the Chiefs 2:56 — Rodger's Story: Riding with Tami's Dad 7:47 — What Proactive Policing Actually Means 11:38 — The Danger Behind "Routine" Traffic Stops 13:04 — Chris & Ernie: The Old Salty Cop Who Taught Community Policing 19:57 — Why "Coffee With a Cop" Isn't Enough 25:40 — The Basketball Hoop That Stopped a Fight 27:54 — The DARE Program Debate 35:20 — Gun Safety & Teaching Kids Younger 39:36 — Cross the Line: The MTV Challenge Day Origin Story 44:53 — Dealing With Toxic Departments & the "Robocop" Persona 47:35 — Burnout Self-Awareness & Peer Accountability 49:12 — Why High Performers Burn Out Fastest 55:40 — "Thank You for Your Service": What It Really Means 59:46 — Tami's Speeding Ticket Story 1:02:29 — Tami's Dad's Newhalem Traffic Stop Trade 1:11:10 — Teaching Compliance: The MMA Gym Scenario 1:15:12 — Rodger's "Army of Advocates" Story 1:17:54 — Final Mic-Drop Takeaways Ready to bring wellness training or community-trust coaching to your department? Learn more or connect with a coach at https://lawenforcementcoaching.com ???? SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN New episodes on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts and the National Police Podcast Network (https://nppn.live). Subscribe so you never miss a conversation that meets you where you are. ???? JOIN THE CONVERSATION What's one small interaction — a lemonade stand, a traffic stop, a two-minute conversation — that changed how you see your community, or how they see you? Share it in the comments. #CommunityPolicing #LawEnforcementCoaching #PoliceWellness #FirstResponders #ProactivePolicing #BlahBlahBlahWellness #PoliceLeadership #DutyDrivenDeterioration #TrustBuilding

  6. Jul 22

    Ep. 44 - Be the Cop that has Something to Give — Not Something to Take

    Two of the most recognized voices in law enforcement and community relations walk into a podcast recorded from Maui — and what comes out is the conversation both sides of the badge have been waiting for. In this episode, Tami Sharp and Chris Zamora sit down with retired LBPD Sergeant Jason Lehman (founder of Why'd You Stop Me?, 40,000+ leaders trained) and Chino PD Officer Ryan Tillman (founder of Breaking Barriers United, 100M+ views across platforms) to talk about what connecting with community actually looks like — on scene, on social media, and inside the culture of law enforcement itself. This isn't a theory conversation. Jason went viral racing a woman to his car key during a call. Ryan built Switch — a YouTube series that put Terry Crews through real law enforcement scenarios and nearly hit a million views in 24 hours. These guys live this work every day, and they bring all of it here. ???? WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Why the camera on scene is protecting you — not threatening you The Lion vs. the Chihuahua: why meekness (strength under control) is the most powerful command presence you can carry What Jason's prison research on tactical cussing revealed — and why it should change how officers think about communication How Switch is creating informed community members instead of impulsive ones — and why it works Why positive law enforcement content gets shadow-banned and what you can do about it The real difference between a checkbox program and community policing that actually moves people Chess vs. Checkers: Ryan's closing framework every officer and community member needs to hear If you've ever felt the gap between law enforcement and the community widen and wondered what actually closes it — this episode is your answer. ???? RESOURCES & LINKS Jason Lehman · wysm.org · @JasonLehman64 Ryan Tillman · breakingbarriersunited.com · @breaking_barriers_united · YouTube Law Enforcement Coaching · lawenforcementcoaching.com Full Podcast Library · nppn.live Subscribe, share this with someone on the job or in your community, and drop your thoughts below.

  7. Jul 15

    Ep. 43 - Keep Your Ego Out of It: Two Police Chiefs on What It Actually Takes to Lead

    Tami Sharp and Chris Zamora sit down with two veteran police chiefs — Chief Earl Morrison (32 years in law enforcement, author of Leading Without Ego) and Shawn Boyle, Chief of the Yakima Police Department — for an unfiltered conversation on what actually makes a leader worth following. This episode digs into the real stuff: how toxic leaders unintentionally create great ones, why money isn't what keeps the next generation in law enforcement, and how leading from the front (literally working alongside your officers) builds the kind of culture people don't want to leave. Earl and Shawn share how they're tackling retention without lowering standards, why "hours away from family" matters more than overtime dollars, and how mandating mental health check-ins — not just offering them — removes the stigma and the ego from asking for help. The conversation connects directly to Chris's Duty Driven Deterioration framework, unpacking how overinvested high performers quietly slide into burnout, and why checking in on your "go-to" people matters just as much as checking in on the ones who are struggling out loud. Expect real talk on: - Mentorship that actually develops people instead of threatening to be replaced by them - Why "retired on duty" isn't a punchline — it's a warning sign - Mandatory wellness check-ins and why removing the choice removes the shame - Leading with humility, admitting mistakes, and hiring for fit over experience - Why the next generation isn't chasing a 20-year career — and how to make room for that This one is packed with gold for command staff, first-line supervisors, and anyone trying to build a department people are proud to stay in. ???? Listen on the National Police Podcast Network (https://nppn.live) and across all major streaming platforms.

  8. Jun 23

    Ep. 42 - Correct Me: The Two Words That Make You a Better Leader

    What if the most powerful thing a leader could say to their team is, "Correct me"? In this episode, Tami Sharp and Chris Zamora sit down with retired law enforcement lieutenant, TEDx speaker, and bestselling author Justin — who spent 20 years in the trenches, from the Texas prison system to SWAT, before finding his voice as a leadership coach and the author of How to Get to the Damn Point. This conversation goes deep on what it actually takes to lead well, why toxic leadership can produce the best leaders, how to tell when ego is running the show, and why cops are terrible at celebrating themselves — and what it costs them. What You'll Learn: • Why giving your team explicit permission to correct you is a game-changer — and why it goes against everything the paramilitary structure teaches • How toxic leaders can be more instructive than great ones (and how to use that fuel without becoming them) • The Walt Disney dreamer/realist/critic framework — and why the dreamer and the critic should never be in the same room • What it actually looks like when a leader surrounds themselves with yes men — and why it ends in lawsuits or termination • How parenting and leadership use the exact same skill set, just in different contexts • Why cops don't celebrate wins, what that costs them long-term, and how to start changing it • The first indicator that you're leading with ego — and it's not what most people think • What Eckhart Tolle's work has to do with checking your defensive reactions in a leadership role • How to deliver hard feedback up the chain without blowing up your career Key Takeaways: — The most dangerous thing in a command staff is an echo chamber. If no one challenges you, you are the biggest liability in the room. — Learning what not to do from a toxic leader is just as valuable — sometimes more valuable — than learning from a great one. Don't waste the lesson. — You can't let the dreamer meet the critic. If you're building something, protect the idea until it's solid enough to survive scrutiny. — Celebrating your wins is not vanity. It is a wellness practice. If cops treated their wins the way they treat their worst calls, the math would look completely different. — Direct communication is a skill set you have to develop on purpose. It doesn't happen by default. Resources Mentioned: • How to Get to the Damn Point by Justin — available on Amazon • The Suspect Within — Justin's TEDx Talk- https://www.tedxsouthlake.com/2024-speakers/justin-atherton • A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle • The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle --- Ready to bring this kind of leadership development to your department? Law Enforcement Coaching offers IADLEST-certified training, one-on-one coaching, department assessments, and retreats built specifically for the law enforcement community. Learn more at lawenforcementcoaching.com --- If this episode hit home, don't keep it to yourself. Share it with a sergeant, a lieutenant, a chief — whoever in your world needs to hear it. Leave us a comment below and tell us: what's one thing you learned from a toxic leader that made you better? We read every single one. Like and subscribe so you never miss an episode of The Blah, Blah, Blah...Something Wellness Podcast, proudly partnered with the National Police Podcast Network at https://nppn.live

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About

Let’s be real. If you’re a first responder—or love one—then you already know what happens when the word “wellness” comes up: You tune it out. Because it usually sounds like blah blah blah…That’s exactly why we created this podcast. The Blah, Blah, Blah…Something Wellness Podcast is where first responders, military families, and high-stress professionals get raw, real conversations about what it actually takes to stay well—mentally, physically, and emotionally. Hosted by Law Enforcement Coaching Founder, Tami Sharp, each month we tackle one theme that matters.  Every week, we bring in a variety of voices together in a roundtable discussion format. What to Expect: One powerful theme per month Weekly roundtable episodes with rotating expert guests Real stories, actionable insights, and zero sugarcoating Monthly Topics: June 2025– Prioritizing Self-Care July – Navigating Toxic Work Environments August – Let’s Talk Failure September – Money Mindset October – Retirement Realities November – Navigating Holiday Stressors December – Addiction and Alcohol 2026: January – Reframing Resolutions for Success February – Balancing Relationship Dynamics March – Fitness and Nutrition April – Spring Clean Your Energy & Mindset May – Injury Prevention and Recovery (Light Duty Shouldn’t Feel Heavy) June -- Connecting with Community July -- Culture & Spirituality for First Responders August -- What Makes a Great Leader Season 2 - Bonus Halloween Spooky Episodes Setting Standards for Wellness Duty Driven Deterioration Culture and Spirituality

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