What “Embrace the Suck” Really Means–Inside the SEAL Mindset for Life & Business with Brent Gleeson
Point Of Impact With Aaron Hale
Release Date: 10/09/2025
Healing Veteran Trauma Through Service Dogs with Ryan Woodruff
Point Of Impact With Aaron Hale
Can the warrior mindset that keeps you alive in combat… …be the thing that holds you back once you’re home? In this episode of Point of Impact, Aaron Hale sits down with Ryan Woodruff, Marine Corps veteran and CEO of Clear Path for Veterans, to explore the unseen battles veterans face after the uniform comes off and what real healing actually requires. Ryan shares his journey from infantryman in Iraq to struggling civilian and how service dogs became a pathway back to empathy, connection, and humanity. Together, they unpack the human-animal bond, the ripple effects of trauma, and why...
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How to Recognize the Signs and Save a Life with Tony DeMaio
Point Of Impact With Aaron Hale
Every 11 minutes, a life is lost…and more than a hundred people are left carrying the weight of it. Today Aaron Hale sits down with Tony DeMaio, longtime advocate for veterans and first responders, and founder of Helping Heroes USA. Tony breaks down what really leads people down the path of isolation, depression, and despair–and how everyday people can step in before it’s too late. From recognizing early warning signs to learning how to start hard conversations without judgment, Tony shares a clear, practical framework for prevention. If you’ve ever wondered what to say,...
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The Framework He Used to Defy The Odds After a TBI with Nick Prefontaine
Point Of Impact With Aaron Hale
When 14-year-old Nick Prefontaine suffered a near-fatal snowboard accident, doctors told his parents he may never walk, talk, or eat on his own again. He spent three weeks in a partially induced coma, months in rehabilitation, and was expected to need 24-hour care for the rest of his life… Instead, he ran out of the hospital. Today, Nick sits down with Aaron Hale to break down the 4-step framework behind his comeback, and the mindset that carried him through the darkest moments of his life. Nick opens up about the doubt, the inner voice that told him he’d run...
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How Losing His K9 Partner Transformed Rick Hogg’s Life and Mission
Point Of Impact With Aaron Hale
When Rick Hogg looks back on nearly three decades in Special Operations, one truth stands out above the rest: The dogs weren’t just teammates…they were the reason he came home. In this conversation, Rick walks through the moments that shaped his life on and off the battlefield: the first deployment where a dog saved his team, the long nights training in the heat, the surgeries and setbacks that came with age and miles, and the day he held his K9 partner Duco for the last time. Rick also opens up about transition. The parts nobody prepares you for… The missing tribe. The...
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How Humility Keeps Leaders Alive with Fighter Pilot Dave Berke
Point Of Impact With Aaron Hale
What does a TOPGUN instructor, a Marine forward air controller in Ramadi, and the only Marine to ever fly the F-22 Raptor all have in common? One man–Dave Berke–and a lifetime of lessons on what leadership really looks like. Aaron Hale sits down with retired Marine Colonel Berke, a fighter pilot and ground combat leader who’s spent his career making hard calls in places where mistakes cost lives. From carrier decks to close air support in Ramadi, Berke learned early that complacency is deadly and humility keeps you alive. Berke shares stories from the cockpit, the streets, and the...
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When Purpose Calls, You Go. Inside the Heart of a Man Who Keeps Choosing the Hard Road (Nate Boyer)
Point Of Impact With Aaron Hale
What compels a man to fly to a refugee camp alone, endure malaria on a cot in Africa, join Special Forces, become the oldest rookie in the NFL, and still go searching for the next way to serve? For Nate Boyer, the answer is simple: purpose. service. responsibility. Today Aaron Hale sits down with a man who has spent his life moving toward the hard thing–not for glory, but because someone had to. Nate shares how a single Time Magazine article pulled him into the Darfur crisis, how illness and the Battle of Fallujah pushed him toward the military, and how living among Iraqi and Afghan...
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Jungle Warfare, Hard Lessons, and The Transformation of Navy SEAL Jeff Gonzales
Point Of Impact With Aaron Hale
How does a young man obsessed with proving himself evolve into a leader willing to give everything for the man on his left? Today Aaron Hale sits down with former Navy SEAL, author, and weapons/tactics expert Jeff Gonzales, whose career spanned the height of narco‑terrorism in Central and South America. Jeff traces his journey from a teenager searching for purpose, to meeting the SEALs who would shape his path, to learning the hard way that greatness isn’t earned alone–it’s forged in brotherhood, failure, and the brutal clarity of combat. He shares powerful stories of jungle...
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From Black Hawk Pilot to Country Music Star with Ryan Weaver
Point Of Impact With Aaron Hale
What happens when you combine patriotism, loss, grit, and great country vocals? Ryan Weaver: former U.S. Army Black Hawk pilot turned country music artist. Today he joins Aaron Hale to talk about brotherhood, loss, honoring heroes, and the pursuit of purpose–along with some inside secrets from the country music industry. After losing his brother in combat, Ryan made a choice: to live in his honor and turn pain into purpose. From flying missions in Iraq to headlining arenas with the Professional Bull Riders, he forged a path built on resilience, authenticity, and pure American grit....
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How Losing His K9 Partner Transformed Rick Hogg’s Life and Mission
Point Of Impact With Aaron Hale
When Rick Hogg looks back on nearly three decades in Special Operations, one truth stands out above the rest: The dogs weren’t just teammates…they were the reason he came home. In this conversation, Rick walks through the moments that shaped his life on and off the battlefield: the first deployment where a dog saved his team, the long nights training in the heat, the surgeries and setbacks that came with age and miles, and the day he held his K9 partner Duco for the last time. Rick also opens up about transition. The parts nobody prepares you for… The missing tribe. The...
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Finding Humor in Losing All Four Limbs with Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills
Point Of Impact With Aaron Hale
When a backpack set off a hidden IED in Afghanistan, Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills lost both arms and both legs instantly. Travis shares how he went from lying on the battlefield to becoming one of the most recognized motivational speakers, entrepreneurs, and advocates for wounded veterans. He opens up about his recovery at Walter Reed, the moment he decided to stop asking “why,” and how humor, family, and purpose became the tools that rebuilt his life. From founding the Travis Mills Foundation to redefining what it means to be a warrior, this is the story of a man who proves that you...
info_outlineWhat does it take to go from Navy SEAL operations in Iraq to building a tech company that’s transforming how leaders grow?
In this episode of Point of Impact, Aaron Hale sits down with Brent Gleeson—combat veteran, author of Embrace the Suck, and founder of EXCELR8—to explore the brutal truths and timeless principles behind leadership, resilience, and impact.
Brent shares how SEAL training taught him humility, teamwork, and emotional intelligence—and how those same lessons now drive his work helping organizations blend human leadership with AI-powered performance. From personal loss to professional reinvention, he opens up about what it means to truly go “all in” on life, love, and purpose.
If you’ve ever faced adversity and wondered how to turn it into strength, this conversation is your roadmap.
0:00 Intro
1:22 From Dallas finance guy to Navy SEAL
7:00 9/11 and the mission that changed everything
11:35 Inside SEAL culture: humility, teamwork, and the psychology of leadership
15:50 Nature vs. nurture—are leaders born or built?
18:13 Why the best leaders crave feedback and discomfort
20:11 How SEAL training forges humility and resilience
25:16 The real meaning behind Embrace the Suck
29:29 How to build mental calluses and turn pain into progress
33:10 The lessons behind his new book All In and losing his father
36:32 Breaking bad habits and designing a life that matters
41:22 Learning from Jason Redman, David Goggins, and Shackleton’s endurance
45:21 How Brent’s company, EXCELR8, uses AI to accelerate human leadership
51:02 Blending tech with the human touch: building teams that thrive
55:52 Leadership, data, and the power of human connection
1:00:11 Countdown to Impact – Brent’s books, quotes, and inspiration
1:06:39 Closing thoughts and where to find Brent
Resources Mentioned:
📚 Embrace the Suck – Brent Gleeson
📚 All In: The Pathway to Personal Growth and Professional Excellence – Brent Gleeson (coming December 2025)
📚 Atomic Habits – James Clear
📚 The 5AM Club – Robin Sharma
📚 Team of Teams – Gen. Stanley McChrystal
📚 Endurance – Alfred Lansing
📚 Overcome – Jason Redman
🌐 https://www.exlr8.ai/ - Brent’s AI-powered leadership platform
🌐 http://www.brentgleesonspeaker.com/
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