⚓ Aaron Peña (Part 4): Building the FOB—Brotherhood, Invisible Wounds, and the Power of Surrender
Release Date: 12/22/2025
No Zero Days Team (Part 3): Hallucinations, 16-Pound Packs, and the "Desert Shuffle" – The RLIAR Final Debrief
The Two-Promises Podcast
"You don't conquer the mountain—you conquer the next ten feet." In this final series of our 3-part debrief on the Two Promises Podcast, Brent wraps up his roundtable with the No Zero Days race team (Sam Piccolotti, Sean Pechon, Matthew Anderson, and Jon Habert) following their performance in the Ryan Larkin Invitational Adventure Race (RLIAR) in the Colorado Backcountry. The crew gets brutally honest about the extreme physiological breakdown caused by heat, dehydration, and heavy packs in the backcountry. Jon Habert shares how physical exhaustion led to "audible mirages" and hearing...
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No Zero Days Team (Part 2): Lessons from the Canyon – Injury, Gear Reality Checks, and the Power of the Crew
The Two-Promises Podcast
"If your only focus is to finish, be careful—you might just end up with a t-shirt. If you aren't open and aware during the process, you miss the whole journey." In Part 2 of our 3-part debrief with the No Zero Days race team (Sam Piccolotti, Sean Pechon, Matthew Anderson, and Jon Habert), the crew offers an unfiltered, behind-the-scenes look at their experience during the Ryan Larkin Invitational Adventure Race (RLIAR) in the Colorado Backcountry. The team opens up about the brutal physical realities of navigating 62 miles of unforgiving alpine terrain from Montrose to Telluride....
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No Zero Days Return: Lessons from the Trail, Survival, & Brotherhood | RLIAR 2026
The Two-Promises Podcast
"This is the first event where I've ever had a 'Did Not Finish'... but looking back, we learned more about each other in the suck than anywhere else." The No Zero Days race team—Sam Piccolotti, Sean Pechon, Matthew Anderson, and Jon Habert—returns to the show following their brutal experience in the inaugural Ryan Larkin Invitational Adventure Race (RLIAR) across the rugged Colorado Backcountry. In this raw and transparent debrief, the team breaks down what really happened during their 62-mile military escape-and-evasion simulation from Montrose to Telluride. From pyrotechnic starts...
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Full Send: Hard Targets – Navy SEAL Juan "Gonzo" Gonzalez on Situational Awareness, Slow Growth, and the Business of Security
The Two-Promises Podcast
What does it mean to build a life of service that seamlessly bridges the gap between elite military execution and global corporate entrepreneurship? On this Full Send we pull together the complete, uncut conversation with retired Navy SEAL, former Army Airborne medic, and founder of Eagle Eye Protection, Juan "Gonzo" Gonzalez. Gonzo walks us through his foundational upbringing as a diplomat's son traveling throughout South and Central America, a cross-cultural immersion that inadvertently gifted him with acute situational awareness and street smarts by age 15. We track his tactical...
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No Zero Days Team: Age vs. Altitude – Experience, Endurance, and the Spirit of Ryan Larkin
The Two-Promises Podcast
"When you see us old guys out there doing the same thing the young guys are doing, just know we do it in a lot more pain." In this special roundtable episode, host BD sits down with the No Zero Days race team—Sam Piccolotti, Sean Pechon, Matthew Anderson, and Jon Habert—who are currently leading the fundraising leaderboard for the upcoming Ryan Larkin Invitational Adventure Race (RLIAR) in the Colorado Backcountry. Running from June 12–14, 2026, this extreme 3-day military simulation challenge tests 10 elite teams across 62 brutal miles of untamed wilderness from Montrose to...
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Full Send: Unbreakable – Cheyenne Zoelle on Surviving Generational Trauma and Fighting a Broken System
The Two-Promises Podcast
How do you find your footing and protect your peace when you grow up in an environment where safety simply doesn't exist? On this powerful Full Send, we feature author, advocate, and future mental health therapist Cheyenne Zoelle for a complete, raw conversation about survival, systemic failure, and the ultimate triumph of human resilience. Cheyenne opens up about the chilling realities documented in her memoir, Unbreakable. She shares her unconventional path of teaching herself to read using subtitles and product labels after being abruptly pulled out of school by an addicted parent. We...
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Full Send: The Absolute Cosmic Mindset – Defeating the Supervillain Within (Feat. Joshua Salgado)
The Two-Promises Podcast
What happens when your biggest enemy isn't the high-stress environment of a combat zone, but the reflection looking back at you in the mirror? On this special Full Send Episode, us and the crew bring you the complete, uncut conversation with active-duty military loadmaster, entrepreneur, and creator of Cosmic Absolute, Joshua Salgado. Fresh off a high-tempo deployment to the Horn of Africa, Josh drops straight into the studio to unpack the psychological shift of transitioning from elite military operations back to civilian life. We explore his incredible journey overcoming severe congenital...
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Joshua Salgado (Part 3): The Inner Villain, Side Quests, and the 250-Page Milestone
The Two-Promises Podcast
"I think the supervillain attacking Joshua Salgado is Joshua Salgado." In the final chapter of our 3-part series, Air Force Loadmaster and creator Joshua Salgado gets raw about the internal battle of self-doubt and the high stakes of independent world-building. Fresh off his second deployment, Josh discusses the "Refining Fire" of military life and how it sharpened his business strategy from a broad "machine gunner" approach to a "sniper" focus. He details the massive achievement of publishing a 256-page graphic novel for free, the upcoming launch of his limited-edition indie action figures,...
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Joshua Salgado (Part 2): The Sniper Mindset – IP World-Building, Military Waivers, and Facing the Inner Villain
The Two-Promises Podcast
How do you go from a kid born with bilateral club feet to an Air Force Loadmaster and independent comic book creator? In Part 2 of this series, Joshua Salgado, host of the Absolutely Cosmic Podcast, shares his journey of relentless persistence against administrative roadblocks and his strategic pivot from "machine gunner" to "sniper" in business. Josh discusses the origin story of his 256-page graphic novel, Tales of the Galactic Wanderer, and how he uses science fiction as an allegory to process high-level military intelligence briefs and personal trauma. We dive deep into the "radioactive...
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Joshua Salgado (Part 1): The Absolutely Cosmic Hierarchy – Sharpening the Axe and the Nerd-to-Operator Pipeline
The Two-Promises Podcast
"Taking time to sharpen the axe leads to more trees cut in the long run." In Part 1 of this 3-part series, Joshua Salgado, a C-130H Loadmaster and host of the Absolutely Cosmic Podcast, joins the show fresh off a high-op-tempo deployment to the Horn of Africa. Josh pulls back the curtain on the life of a Loadmaster—from flying medevacs in Somalia to supporting "snake eaters" (Special Forces) on the ground. We explore the fascinating intersection of "Nerd Culture" and elite military units, discussing why comic books and gaming are essential decompression tools for high-intensity operators....
info_outlineWhat does it mean to be a committed leader when the mission shifts from the battlefield to the home front? In the final chapter of this four-part series, former Navy SEAL Aaron Peña gets vulnerable about the Invisible Wounds of a 20-year career.
Aaron discusses the deep sense of loneliness that often follows a military transition and how he took purposeful action to build a Forward Operating Base (FOB) for SEALs in Northeast Florida. From managing the “rabid spider monkey” energy of community service to the harrowing story of a life-threatening spontaneous pneumothorax as a new guy, Aaron’s story is a masterclass in resilience.
He pulls back the curtain on his time in the Renew Program, an inpatient treatment for combat trauma, proving that the ultimate achievement isn’t just surviving the fight—it’s having the conviction to ask for help and lead others through their own reinvention.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Building the FOB: How Aaron grew a local network from 4 to 27 SEALs by simply asking, “Who do you know?”
The Down-Man Response: How a brotherhood shows up when one of their own is diagnosed with cancer.
The Powerhouse Spouses: Why military spouses are critical to veteran community resilience.
SOPs for Suffering: Why “suffer in silence” is a failing strategy and how structured support changes outcomes.
The Spontaneous Pneumothorax: A terrifying medical emergency and the fight to remain in the SEAL teams.
Time, Talent, and Treasure: A framework for meaningful service within local veteran communities.
⏳ Timestamps
01:13 The loneliness of transition after relocating from San Diego
02:30 Building the FOB by reaching out to the SEAL Future Foundation
03:25 The “young frogman” effect and its impact on veteran mental health
05:00 Supporting a down man after a cancer diagnosis
05:35 How military spouses lead community resource coordination
06:30 Time, talent, or treasure as a framework for giving back
07:50 Building a high-performing real estate team through cultural fluency
10:30 Missing the healing impact of being a medic and confronting life’s fragility
13:34 Invisible wounds from a child casualty in the Philippines
15:15 The Renew Program and a five-week inpatient trauma journey
15:58 Breaking the suffer-in-silence mentality through vulnerability
17:30 The dangerous cycle of physical pain and unmanaged mental health
20:16 Waking up with a collapsed lung and emergency room chaos
22:41 Needle decompression and lung surgery details
25:01 Fighting the medical board to remain in the SEAL teams
27:15 Final message on commitment, humility, and embracing the process
29:27 Debrief & Cocktail
About the Guest
Aaron Peña is a former Navy SEAL Medic, first-phase instructor, and current real estate principal agent in St. Augustine, Florida. He is a passionate advocate for the SEAL Future Foundation and a leader in building local veteran support networks. Aaron’s journey from combat trauma to community leadership reflects a lifelong commitment to service and reinvention.
Connect with Aaron Peña:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-pena73/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aaron.pena.863363/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaron_pena7/
Compass: https://www.compass.com/agents/aaron-pena/
Success isn't just about the mission; it's about the commitment you make to yourself and your community after the uniform comes off. Aaron Peña’s journey from a collapsed lung to a flourishing real estate career proves that with enough Grit and the willingness to Surrender your ego, reinvention is always possible.
If you felt the conviction in Aaron’s story today, don't keep it to yourself. The best way to support the Two Promises Podcast is to take action:
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Subscribe & Review: Help us reach more people by leaving a 5-star review on your favorite platform.
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Build Your Own FOB: Reach out to one person this week and ask, "Who do you know?" Start building the community you wish you had.
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Connect with the Foundation: Support our brothers at the SEAL Future Foundation and find your next ridge line.
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