Helping The Brave Podcast

Hosted by Ed Parcaut

Business Education

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Episodes

252

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

"Helping the Brave" is a weekly podcast dedicated to supporting veterans as they transition into civilian life and beyond. New episodes are uploaded every Tuesday, offering insights, guidance, and real-world advice to help veterans navigate new opportunities. Our mission is simple: veterans helping veterans succeed after service. We also strive to raise awareness about the importance of accessing the VA benefits you've earned. Tune in as we share valuable resources and empowering stories to help those who have served thrive in their next chapter.

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60 recent

October 27, 202640 min

Air Force Lab Tech's Journey: Injury, VA Struggle & Victory

In this episode of Helping The Brave Podcast , Ed Parcaut sits down with Mark Barlet , an Air Force veteran and CEO of AccessForge , for a practical and honest conversation about service-connected disability, VA claims, invisible injuries, community care, and accessibility as a business advantage. Mark shares why he chose the Air Force, how he became a lab tech focused on clinical microbiology, and how a fall down the stairs while working night shift changed the rest of his life. After breaking his spine and undergoing emergency surgery at Bethesda Naval Hospital, Mark found himself in a frustrating position: too disabled to stay in service, but not medically retired. Like many veterans, he had to learn how to navigate the VA after getting out. Ed and Mark talk openly about VA disability ratings, why veterans underreport symptoms, the value of medical records, nexus letters, DBQs, out-processing physicals, and why veterans should not feel guilty for filing claims. Mark also shares how his own records later helped connect narcolepsy and sleep issues to service, including medication that would otherwise cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. The second half of the conversation shifts into Mark's current work with AccessForge , where he helps businesses understand accessibility, invisible disability, customer experience, and the spending power of people with disabilities. He explains why one in five people lives with a disability, why most disabilities are not visible, and why businesses that treat disabled people as real customers can create better experiences and stronger revenue. This is an episode about advocacy, access, documentation, disability, and helping veterans and businesses stop overlooking the people who need to be seen. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** - 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com) - 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com) For more resources and support, visit HelpingTheBrave.com. #HelpingTheBrave #EdParcaut #MarkBarlet #AccessForge #VADisability #VeteranBenefits #InvisibleDisability #Accessibility #Section508 #CommunityCare #VeteransHelpingVeterans #DisabilityInclusion #AirForceVeteran #VeteranAdvocacy #LifeAfterService Got a story worth hearing? Join Ed for Launch Your Podcast in 30 Days, a free live PodVeteran workshop on Thursday, October 29 at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET. Learn the MIC Protocol (Mission, Identity, Content) and leave with your show's mission, your listener, a title and your first 3 episodes planned. Save your seat (replay included if you can't make it live): https://podveteran.com

October 20, 202646 min

Army Medic Patrick Thibeault: Survival Skills For Everyday Life

In this episode of Helping The Brave Podcast , Ed Parcaut sits down with Patrick Thibeault for a wide-ranging conversation about Army service, airborne life, combat medicine, survival training, veteran healthcare, and writing through the weight of war. Patrick shares why he chose the Army after growing up around Fort Bragg and watching paratroopers jump from aircraft. He talks about joining while still in high school, graduating in Korea while his father was stationed there, training at Fort Bliss, and becoming an Army medic, paratrooper, and later a flight medic. His path eventually took him into the 160th Special Operations Aviation community, where medics supported unique missions including search and rescue, casualty evacuation, helicopter refueling support, and recovery operations. Ed and Patrick also discuss Desert Storm, Afghanistan, National Guard service, SERE School, and how survival training became a lifelong interest. Patrick explains how that experience helped shape his work as The TPP Suburban Prepper , where he teaches medical readiness, urban survival, city-specific preparedness, and practical survival skills for regular people living in suburban environments. The conversation also gets personal. Patrick talks about becoming an RN, then a nurse practitioner, working at the VA, helping fellow veterans, and writing about his journey as a combat medic. He and Ed discuss PTSD, mental health access, community care, the importance of talking to somebody, and why veterans should not carry everything alone. This is an episode about service, survival, medicine, memory, and continuing to help veterans long after the battlefield. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** - 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com) - 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com) For more resources and support, visit HelpingTheBrave.com. #HelpingTheBrave #EdParcaut #PatrickThibeault #CombatMedic #ArmyVeteran #AirborneMedic #160thSOAR #DesertStorm #AfghanistanVeteran #VeteranMentalHealth #PTSDAwareness #SurvivalTraining #SuburbanPrepper #VeteranHealthcare #VeteransHelpingVeterans Got a story worth hearing? Join Ed for Launch Your Podcast in 30 Days, a free live PodVeteran workshop on Thursday, October 29 at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET. Learn the MIC Protocol (Mission, Identity, Content) and leave with your show's mission, your listener, a title and your first 3 episodes planned. Save your seat (replay included if you can't make it live): https://podveteran.com

October 13, 202635 min

Air Force Veteran: Heather McLean's 20-Year Journey

In this episode of Helping The Brave Podcast , Ed Parcaut sits down with Heather McLean for a conversation about Air Force service, veteran transition, technology leadership, AI, and building a company after military and corporate life. Heather shares how she joined Air Force ROTC while trying to figure out how to pay for college, started as a supply officer, and built a twenty-year career that moved through logistics, recruiting, reserves, IT portfolio management, and communications work with U.S. Transportation Command. She explains what it was like managing large legacy systems, working around siloed technology, and helping determine which systems should be modernized, retired, or improved. The conversation also covers Heather's transition into the commercial software world, where she helped lead agile software teams and eventually ran a large engineering organization building custom solutions for Fortune 500 companies. After eleven years in corporate technology, burnout and the desire to keep learning pushed her to start McLean Forrester , a company focused on AI and custom technology solutions. Ed and Heather dig into AI, vibe coding, software development, data quality, guardrails, human oversight, and why companies should not mistake a chatbot or quick automation for a real strategy. They also discuss how veterans can bring leadership, systems thinking, and mission focus into technology and entrepreneurship. This episode is about service, transition, growth, and using hard-earned experience to help businesses build smarter in a rapidly changing world. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** - 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com) - 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com) For more resources and support, visit HelpingTheBrave.com. #HelpingTheBrave #EdParcaut #HeatherMcLean #AirForceVeteran #VeteranTransition #AIForBusiness #VeteranEntrepreneur #WomenVeterans #AgileSoftware #McLeanForrester #TechnologyLeadership #MilitaryTransition #CustomSoftware #BusinessInnovation #VeteransInTech

October 6, 202649 min

Veterans Spill: Aussie Special Forces Direct Recruiting Secrets

In this episode of Helping The Brave Podcast , Ed Parcaut welcomes back Tim Thomas , an Australian Army commando and veteran of Afghanistan and East Timor, for a deep conversation about breathwork, sleep, isolation, healing, and the long road back after service. Tim shares how he entered Australia's direct recruiting pathway into special forces, how deployment and transition shaped his life afterward, and how a simple breathing practice became one of the first tools that helped him rebuild energy, awareness, and a sense of possibility. He and Ed talk about the painful reality many veterans face after service: feeling isolated, exhausted, sleepless, and surrounded by advice that may be more marketing than healing. The conversation explores breathwork, cold exposure, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, pharmaceuticals, plant medicine, therapy, peer support, and why there is no single path that works for everyone. Tim argues that before veterans try to fix everything downstream, they often need to address two fundamentals first: sleep and social connection. Ed and Tim also talk about AI, veteran tools, Operation Firewalk, the danger of relying on machines for healing advice, and the importance of finding real people who have walked the path and are living the kind of life you want to build. This episode is about breath, sleep, trust, connection, and choosing to move forward even when you cannot yet see the full road ahead. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** - 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com) - 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com) For more resources and support, visit HelpingTheBrave.com. #HelpingTheBrave #EdParcaut #TimThomas #VeteranBreathwork #BreathworkInBed #PTSDRecovery #VeteranSleep #VeteranHealing #AustralianVeteran #MilitaryTransition #VeteranMentalHealth #SocialConnection #ColdExposure #HealingAfterService #VeteransHelpingVeterans

September 29, 202647 min

Military to Civilian Transition: Inspiring Help

In this episode of Helping The Brave Podcast , Ed Parcaut sits down with Dr. Chrisanne Gordon for a passionate and eye-opening conversation about traumatic brain injury, PTSD, veteran transition, and the urgent need to rethink how America cares for those who served. Dr. Gordon explains why she believes PTSD should be understood through the lens of brain trauma, survival response, and rewired fight-or-flight pathways rather than shame or weakness. She shares how her work with traumatic brain injury screenings, Global War on Terror veterans, and the Resurrecting Lives Foundation opened her eyes to the disconnect between what veterans need and what the current system often provides. Ed and Dr. Gordon also talk about the difficult transition from military to civilian life, the need for a "boot camp out," better medical record documentation, faster access to care, and a shift from a disability-focused system to an ability-focused system. The episode also highlights Guarding Our Guardians , a call-to-action book and mission focused on improving veteran services, healthcare, employment, education, and support after service. This is a powerful conversation for veterans, families, clinicians, advocates, and anyone who believes those who served deserve better than red tape and delayed care. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** - 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com) - 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com) For more resources and support, visit HelpingTheBrave.com. #HelpingTheBrave #EdParcaut #ChrisanneGordon #TBI #PTSDAwareness #VeteranTransition #VeteranAdvocacy #BrainHealth #TraumaticBrainInjury #GuardingOurGuardians #ResurrectingLives #VAMentalHealth #VeteransHelpingVeterans #MilitaryTransition #DeploymentToEmployment

September 22, 202636 min

Air Force Veteran Ken Mellott: A Life of Service

In this episode of Helping The Brave Podcast , Ed Parcaut sits down with Ken Mellott for a powerful conversation about Air Force service, survival, PTSD, identity, and rebuilding life after a near-fatal aircraft accident. Ken shares how his father's Air Force service inspired him from a young age, why he attended the Air Force Academy, and how his career took him through pilot training, Beale Air Force Base, Berlin during the Cold War, RC-135 reconnaissance, and later the Air Force Reserve. One of the defining moments of his life came in 1979, when he survived a T-38 ejection after losing engines and dropping thousands of feet per minute. Ed and Ken talk openly about what that kind of trauma does to a person, especially in a military culture where pilots are expected to be tough, invincible, and silent about fear. Ken explains how the accident changed his relationship with flying, how PTSD symptoms followed him for years, and why he eventually had to accept that being a pilot did not have to be the only identity he carried for the rest of his life. The conversation also covers VA disability benefits, older veterans who never filed because they were told not to, sleep problems, memory, therapy, resilience programs, writing a book, vulnerability, and the unexpected support Ken received from other pilots after sharing his story. This is an honest episode about survival, service, fear, healing, and the freedom that can come from letting go of an identity that no longer serves you. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** - 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com) - 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com) For more resources and support, visit HelpingTheBrave.com. #HelpingTheBrave #EdParcaut #KenMellott #AirForceVeteran #VeteranPTSD #VeteranTransition #T38Ejection #AirForceAcademy #PTSDRecovery #LifeAfterService #MilitaryTrauma #VeteranBenefits #AirForcePilot #VeteransHelpingVeterans #NextMission

September 15, 202655 min

Navy Nuclear Vet's Journey To Mortgage Broker

In this episode of Helping The Brave Podcast , Ed Parcaut sits down with Jason Sharon for a practical conversation about Navy service, veteran transition, mortgage brokerage, and helping veterans use their VA loan benefit the right way. Jason shares how he joined the Navy in 1993, went through the nuclear program, served twenty years, and spent time on the USS Nimitz, USS Enterprise, and USS Anzio. After retiring, he was ready to leave engineering behind and do something different. A short-duty real estate license eventually led him into mortgages, where he learned VA loans, worked under another mortgage professional, and later opened his own brokerage. Ed and Jason dig deep into VA lending, including why veterans should work with local experts, why debt-to-income rules are misunderstood, how residual income really matters on VA loans, why credit history can matter more than a headline score, and how online lenders can create problems for purchases. They also talk about mortgage brokers, wholesale lenders, self-employed borrowers, manufactured homes, VA one-time construction loans, and how veterans can build homeownership the right way. This is a strong episode for veterans, active-duty service members, military families, real estate agents, and anyone who wants a clearer understanding of VA loans beyond the usual myths. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** - 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com) - 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com) For more resources and support, visit HelpingTheBrave.com. #HelpingTheBrave #EdParcaut #JasonSharon #VALoans #VeteranHomeownership #NavyVeteran #MortgageBroker #VALoanExpert #MilitaryTransition #HomeLoansForVeterans #VAOTC #VeteranMortgage #NavyNuke #VeteransHelpingVeterans #HomeBuying

September 8, 202646 min

From Navy To RCAF Pilot: Top Gun Dreams and 33 Years of Service

In this episode of Helping The Brave Podcast , Ed Parcaut sits down with Jonathan Knaul for a thoughtful conversation about military service, operational stress, combat deployments, test piloting, and the hidden weight of caring for loved ones. Jonathan shares how he joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1986, first serving in the Navy after Top Gun inspired him to pursue aviation. After four years, he transitioned into pilot training and went on to serve more than three decades full-time, mostly within the Royal Canadian Air Force. His career included time at Royal Military College, a PhD in chemical and materials engineering, helicopter operations, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and command of a Chinook helicopter fleet in combat. But the most personal part of the conversation comes when Jonathan talks about caregiver burnout. After leaving and returning to his role as a test pilot instructor in Mojave, he gave up his career for a season to care for his aging mother through dementia and mobility decline. That experience brought him to his knees in a way combat and first responder work had not, and it became the heart of his book, Final Approach: A Test Pilot's Story of Caring for Loved Ones . Ed and Jonathan also discuss PTSD, operational stress, vulnerability, military pride, the importance of professional help, and why community matters for veterans and caregivers alike. This is an episode about service, family, humility, and learning that strength sometimes means admitting you cannot do it alone. #HelpingTheBrave #EdParcaut #JonathanKnaul #VeteranCaregiver #CaregiverBurnout #RoyalCanadianAirForce #CanadianVeteran #MilitaryMentalHealth #PTSDRecovery #OperationalStress #VeteranSupport #DementiaCare #TestPilot #ChinookPilot #FinalApproach

September 1, 202632 min

Veterans Share Real Army Stories: Iraq And Afghanistan War

In this episode of Helping The Brave Podcast , Ed Parcaut sits down with Jared Maxwell for a raw conversation about Army service, combat deployments, PTSD, law enforcement, and writing as a way to process the aftermath of war. Jared shares why he joined the Army after 9/11, how he became an Airborne infantryman, and what it was like deploying with the 82nd Airborne to Iraq in the early days of the war. He talks about serving in Fallujah before most Americans knew the name, conducting raids, and experiencing the confusion of fighting an enemy that did not wear a uniform. The conversation then moves into Afghanistan, where Jared served in Kunar Province, the Korengal Valley, and other highly contested areas. He explains what it was like living in small outposts, climbing mountains under fire, taking constant contact, and eventually developing PTSD after repeated combat exposure. By the end of his Army career, Jared had served nine years and spent roughly thirty-five months in combat. After the military, Jared moved into college, then law enforcement, where he served as a police officer and deputy sheriff for eleven years. Eventually, he leaned into the storytelling roots he grew up around and began writing books, including The Last Gunfighter , Wolfhound Dawn , and Code of Vengeance . This is an episode about war, transition, trauma, creativity, and how veterans can turn lived experience into meaningful work. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** - 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com) - 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com) For more resources and support, visit HelpingTheBrave.com. #HelpingTheBrave #EdParcaut #JaredMaxwell #ArmyVeteran #AirborneInfantry #82ndAirborne #VeteranTransition #PTSDAwareness #CombatVeteran #VeteranAuthor #MilitaryThriller #KorengalValley #Fallujah #LifeAfterService #VeteransHelpingVeterans

August 25, 202644 min

Trauma to Triumph: Navy's Vet's Divine Calling

In this episode of Helping The Brave Podcast , Ed Parcaut sits down with Fenix Shepard for a powerful and deeply honest conversation about Navy service, military sexual trauma, PTSD, addiction, faith, forgiveness, and healing. Fenix shares why she joined the Navy after 9/11, how she served aboard the USS Vella Gulf and USS Preble, and how her life changed after being assaulted during service. She talks openly about the impact of military sexual trauma, the years of addiction and instability that followed, and the moment she finally reached out to the VA for help. The conversation also explores what recovery looked like over time. Fenix became what she calls a "yes person" to healing, saying yes to therapy, DBT, CBT, military sexual trauma groups, VA support, fitness, sobriety, spirituality, and the companionship of her PTSD service dog, Marley. She also shares how her memoir, Love Unconditional , came from her conversations with Christ and her long journey back to purpose. Ed and Fenix talk about trauma, forgiveness, military culture, women in service, VA mental health care, community care, service dogs, and the tools Fenix now uses to help others, including Havening techniques, neuro linguistic programming, and hypnotherapy. This episode is about surviving what should have broken you, choosing help, and using your healing to become a light for someone else. *Contact Ed Parcaut:** - 🌍 Website: [edparcaut.com](http://edparcaut.com) - 📱 Twitter: [@edparcaut](https://twitter.com) For more resources and support, visit HelpingTheBrave.com. #HelpingTheBrave #EdParcaut #FenixShepard #NavyVeteran #PTSDRecovery #MilitarySexualTrauma #MSTSurvivor #VeteranMentalHealth #TraumaHealing #VeteranRecovery #ServiceDog #FaithAndHealing #SobrietyJourney #VeteransHelpingVeterans #LoveUnconditional

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