Joshua Salgado (Part 1): The Absolutely Cosmic Hierarchy – Sharpening the Axe and the Nerd-to-Operator Pipeline
Release Date: 03/23/2026
Rob Sweetman (Part 1): The Operator Syndrome, Sleep Science, and the Legacy of Navy SEAL Ryan Larkin
The Two-Promises Podcast
"They say SEAL training is the hardest training in the world... but the truth is, we're not robots." In the Season 3 premiere of this 3-part series, retired Navy SEAL Rob Sweetman joins host BD to debrief the inaugural Ryan Larkin Invitational Adventure Race (RLIAR)—a grueling 62-mile military simulation through the rugged Colorado Backcountry. Rob pulls back the curtain on the inspiration behind the race: the life, service, and tragic loss of his platoon mentor, Navy SEAL SO1 Ryan Francis Larkin. We explore how Ryan's death nearly a decade ago catalyzed Rob's life mission into Sleep Science...
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No Zero Days Team (Part 3): Hallucinations, 16-Pound Packs, and the "Desert Shuffle" – The RLIAR Final Debrief
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"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
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"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
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"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
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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
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"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
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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)
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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
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"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...
info_outline"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. Josh also reveals his personal struggle with mental health post-deployment and the step-by-step "Absolutely Cosmic Hierarchy of Needs" he developed to rebuild his life, rewire his neural pathways, and transition from a victim mindset to mission-ready resilience.
🔍 Key Topics & SEO Insights
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The Horn of Africa Missions: What it’s like supporting Tier 2 operators, kicking out cargo in contested airfields, and the adrenaline of medevac missions.
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Aviation as a Lifeblood: Why tactical units are "dead in the water" without the logistical backbone of air resupply and transport.
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The Special Ops Nerd Pipeline: Why Dungeons & Dragons, anime, and comic books are prevalent in elite units as a subconscious processing tool for trauma.
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The Lumberjack Metaphor: A lesson in sustainment—why "taking a knee" to decompress is a sign of human strength, not weakness.
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Rewiring Neural Pathways: The science of self-talk and how to physically change your brain's response to heartbreak, stress, and failure.
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Victim vs. Victor: Moving past the "rubble" of life by aligning with truth, purpose, and the example of the biblical Job.
⏱️ Episode Timestamps
02:29 Horn of Africa Ops: Flying in Somalia and Kenya with Tier 2 operators and Green Berets. C-130 Loadmaster Missions
04:46 The Adrenaline Comedown: Why the "slower" pace of home life requires intentional relaxation. Deployment Transition Tips
06:51 Strategic Resupply: The critical importance of air drops for isolated outposts in Afghanistan. Military Aviation Logistics
08:59 Nerd Culture in Special Ops: Why "superheroes" embody the morals of sacrifice for country. Psychology of Elite Soldiers
13:31 The Body Keeps the Score: Understanding how high-performance stress manifests in the body. Trauma and Performance
14:50 Sharpening the Axe: The lumberjack story that proves rest is a productivity multiplier. Burnout Prevention Strategy
16:25 The Fitness Foundation: Moving "angry energy" in the gym to cure anxiety and depression. Exercise for Mental Health
18:48 Winning the Small Stuff: How making your bed creates a snowball effect of confidence. Building Discipline Habits
21:12 The Spiritual Tip of the Spear: Finding rest in a relationship with a higher power. Faith and Military Service
23:30 The Job of Rebuilding: Using the story of Job to find perspective in the midst of "rubble." Overcoming Victim Mindset
26:42 Neural Pathways: How intentional self-talk acts like muscle memory for the mind. Neuroplasticity for Success
The Absolutely Cosmic Hierarchy of Needs
Josh breaks down his "pyramid" system for rebuilding the self after a period of intense output or mental fatigue:
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Foundation (Fitness & Nutrition): Use the gym to move "stagnant" energy. Men are built to be machines—move the body to clear the mind.
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Sensory Input (Information): Audit what you consume. Are you listening to podcasts that build you up or "dark" music that keeps you in a lower state?
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Small Victories (The To-Do List): Win the morning by making the bed or doing the dishes. These small dopamine hits build a foundation of confidence for the "mountain" goals.
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The Peak (Spirituality & Meditation): Reaching a state of rest through a relationship with the Creator or disciplined meditation to bridge the gap between human effort and divine peace.
About the Guest
Joshua Salgado is an active-duty Air Force Loadmaster and the creator of the Absolutely Cosmic Podcast. He is a polymath entrepreneur involved in fitness coaching, triathlon training, and the development of independent comic books and trading card games. He focuses on helping others "spiral up" through discipline and holistic self-development.
▶️ What's Next?
This is Part 1 of 3. In Part 2, Josh discusses the transition from active duty to entrepreneurship and how he balances launching a comic book line with training for triathlons. Subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss the next evolution of this conversation!
#JoshuaSalgado #Loadmaster #AbsolutelyCosmic #SpecialOperations #VeteranEntrepreneur #ResilienceTraining #MilitaryAviation #NerdCulture #MentalHealth #HighPerformance #HierarchyOfNeeds #TwoPromisesPodcast #SharpenTheAxe #Neuroplasticity #OvercomingFailure