Danny Li Podcast

A 300 PFT Wasn't Enough To Earn Respect

17 views · 8h ago · 26:06

Former Marine Corps combat engineer officer Jill Schulman scored a 300 PFT, then fell behind on her first company run. She trained on hills, earned her Marines' respect, and later left the service to start a family. Another family crossroads reshaped her civilian career before she began studying the science of bravery.

Topics: Choosing Purpose And Service · Earning Respect Through Performance · Choosing Family After Deployment · Redefining Work Around Family · Making Bravery Her Mission

Land Or Eject? An A-10 Without Hydraulics

10 views · 1d ago · 21:09

Air Force A-10 pilot Kim "KC" Campbell lost all hydraulics over Baghdad while supporting troops under fire. She faced the choice to eject or attempt a landing, relying on training and a controllability check. The Danny Li Podcast features defining moments from U.S. military veterans, senior military leaders, and national security professionals.

Topics: Earning An Academy Appointment · Marriage Between Deployments · Hit Over Baghdad · Command Beyond The Cockpit · Choosing Family And Purpose

His Military Career Ended Early. His Ambition Didn't.

11 views · 2d ago · 19:52

Former Marine infantryman Blake Crutchfield faced substance abuse and family upheaval after medical issues cut his military career short. He got clean, rebuilt through steady work, and found renewed discipline in Muay Thai.

Topics: Choosing The Marines · A Career Cut Short · Rebuilding Through Muay Thai · Committing To Zero Sum · Building Beyond One Book

▶️ Mentioned videos: Zero Sum trailer

A Basketball Invitation Brought Him Back To Service

91 views · 3d ago · 21:02

Retired Army colonel Jim Tenpenny endured barracks hazing as a new paratrooper in Italy, then carried a different standard into battalion command. He told a private that driving the vehicle meant taking responsibility for everyone inside.

Topics: Joining After Family Conflict · Taking The Barracks Punishment · Giving A Private Responsibility · Rank Still Requires Accountability

Numbing The Pain Left Her Indifferent At Home

39 views · 1w ago · 28:08

Psychotherapist Patricia Timerman used numbness to manage others' pain, then realized she was becoming indifferent in her own relationship. A misunderstanding with her husband revealed the gap between intention, action, and perception.

Topics: Finding Her Voice · Expecting Him To Follow · Help Or Micromanagement · Making Space For Grief · When Numbness Reached Home

📖 Mentioned books: Why Are We Fighting · Book on Audible

Why Slowing Down After Combat Felt So Foreign

462 views · 1w ago · 24:45

Army intelligence officer Mike Erwin went from combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan to graduate school, where a slower pace felt disorienting. He founded Team Red, White and Blue to bring physical activity and camaraderie back into veterans' lives.

Topics: September 11 Changes Everything · Intelligence That Protects Lives · Earning Special Forces' Trust · Combat Pace Meets Campus · Serving Veterans Beyond Wounds · Balancing Urgency And Rest