Ep 12: Surviving a mob in East Timor with Brett Miller

A riot, a locked gate, and a split-second decision that could have meant life or death.In this episode of Risky Routes, Brett Miller shares the story of being 23 years old and running the largest security operation in East Timor when a routine day turned into chaos. Called into a UN compound where his own guards had sparked a riot, Brett finds himself surrounded by an angry mob, weapons in hand, with no clear way out.What follows is a raw, high-stakes moment of fear, instinct, and survival. As panic sets in, Brett leans on a simple but powerful question to shift the dynamic, uncover the real issue, and ultimately defuse a situation that could have ended very differently.This episode goes beyond the adrenaline. It’s about perspective, communication, and the ability to step into someone else’s reality, even when everything in your body is telling you to run. Because sometimes, the difference between escalation and resolution comes down to whether you choose to react… or to understand.