PODCAST · business
Leadership Conversations @ The Kitchen Table
by Berlin Maza
Captain Berlin Maza & Deputy Fire Chief Bill Mack sit down with leaders in all professions and industries from across the country to have leadership conversations at the firehouse kitchen table! Leaders share their stories, philosophies and perspectives on leadership. They talk about their non-negotiable behaviors, actions and traits, as well as offer action items for newer employees, emerging leaders, and senior members of organizations to grow as leaders!
Episodes
-
Ep: 106: Chuck Heitz (ret.) - Own Your Training & Stay Positive
Retired Battalion Chief Chuck Heitz draws on his experience with King County Medic One to discuss personal responsibility for training and professional growth. Your department can provide opportunities, but it cannot anticipate everything you need to learn. Chuck challenges us to ask: What...
-
Ep: 105: FC Eric Saylors, BC Kyle Andersen, BC Marcus Regan - Preparing Future Leaders
In this episode, three fire chiefs discuss the Succession Project—an initiative started by one battalion chief to create an environment where current and emerging leaders can prepare for future roles. They explore how the project brings leaders together several captains across the department to...
-
Ep. 104: Anthony Kastros, Battalion Chief (ret.) - Every Problem is a Human Problem
On the 25th anniversary of September 11, Battalion Chief Anthony Kastros opens with a tribute to the lives lost and the families and communities forever affected, reminding us to “Never Forget.” He explores why all problems are ultimately human problems, how to overcome “recliner snipers,” and…
more -
Ep. 103: Dave Tait, Fire Chief - Succession Planning & Problem Solving
Fire Chief Dave Tait of the City of Bellevue Fire Department in Washington takes us inside the world of leadership, problem-solving, and succession planning. In this episode, Chief Tait unpacks what he calls the “monkey” in problem-solving—the issues we can unintentionally take on ourselves…
more -
Ep. 102: Pete Brummel, Deputy Chief (ret.) - Vulnerability Creates Credibility
Pete Brummel, retired Deputy Chief and 35-year veteran of the fire service, for a powerful conversation about authentic leadership and the personal work required to lead others well. Pete shares lessons from a career spent serving, leading, and developing people, with a focus on the importance of...
-
Ep. 101: Brooke Lundquist, PhD, LMHC - Advocating for Mental Health
Dr. Brooke Lundquist is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who has dedicated her career to supporting the people who answer the call. With more than 25 years as part of a fire service family, she brings both professional expertise and personal perspective to the unique challenges facing first...
-
Ep. 100: Berlin Maza, Captain - Diverse Perspectives
Berlin Maza, a Captain with Eastside Fire & Rescue in Washington, shares leadership lessons shaped by the mentors, colleagues, and experiences that have influenced his career in the fire service. He points out that none of these ideas are his alone—they are the result of a lifelong commitment to...
-
Ep. 99: David Brannan, CHDS NPS Program Director - Stay in the Fight
David Brannan, Program Director at the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School, joins us for a conversation on staying in the fight—both professionally and personally. He discusses the importance of mentorship, succession planning, and developing the habit of...
-
Ep. 98: Ryan McGrady, Fire Chief - Humility & Vulnerability
Fire Chief Ryan McGrady of West Pierce Fire & Rescue, one of the most powerful leadership traits isn't about having all the answers—it's about being willing to be vulnerable. Chief McGrady discusses how vulnerability accelerates growth, both for leaders and the teams they serve. By acknowledging...
-
Ep. 97: Jim Whitney, Deputy Fire Chief - Lead Where You Stand
Deputy Fire Chief Jim Whitney of the Redmond Fire Department—a leader who stood on the front lines during one of the most defining moments in modern emergency response. As the Medical Services Administrator involved in the nation’s first confirmed COVID-19 case, Chief Whitney brings a perspective...
-
Ep. 96: Trisha Wolford, Fire Chief - Perspective & Gratitude
Fire Chief Trisha L. Wolford of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department in Maryland leads one of the largest combination fire departments in the country, serving more than 600,000 residents—but her path to Fire Chief is anything but traditional. She began as a firefighter/paramedic and built a...
-
Ep. 95: Mike Dugan, Captain (ret.) - It's Your Turn
A powerful conversation with Mike Dugan, a 27-year veteran of the FDNY and retired Captain of Ladder Company 123, whose fire service journey spans nearly five decades. A recipient of the prestigious FDIC International Tommy Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award, Mike brings unmatched perspective on...
-
Ep. 94: Chuck DeSmith, Deputy Fire Chief (ret.) - Resiliency & Peer Support
Chuck DeSmith, a retired Deputy Fire Chief with 35 years of service at Renton Regional Fire Authority in Washington draws from decades of leadership experience sharing his passion for peer support and the importance of modeling resiliency within the fire service. He challenges today’s leaders to...
-
Ep. 93: Paul Conway, Assistant Chief (ret.) - A Life Full of Mistakes
With more than 40 years in the American Fire Service, Paul Conway’s journey—from firefighter to assistant chief of the Milwaukee Fire Department—is a masterclass in leadership earned the hard way. Throughout his career, he served at every level of the organization—operational, tactical, and...
-
Ep. 92: Mike Gagliano, Captain (ret.) - Remember Your Mission
Retired Seattle Fire Department Captain and 2008 FDIC International keynote speaker Mike Gagliano brings decades of fireground leadership and life-earned wisdom to the show. As president of the Firefighter Air Coalition and co-author of Air Management for the Fire Service and Challenges of the...
-
Ep. 91: Tyrral Quinn, Captain - Vulnerability & Failures
Captain Tyrall Quinn, author of The Calling: The Unseen Work of Leading Well, joins the podcast to share a powerful story of service, departure, and return. After stepping away from the fire service following 20 years on the job, Quinn reflects on what it meant to be welcomed back by his…
more -
Ep. 90: Randy Chevalier, Fire Chief - Leading thru Crisis
Fire Chief Randy Chevalier of Timber Mesa Fire and Medical District shares hard-earned lessons on leading through crisis and challenge. Having guided his department through three firefighter line-of-duty deaths, Chief Chevalier discusses the importance of building a solid support team inside and...
-
Ep. 89: Ash Shapiro, Lieutenant - Getting the Job Done
Lieutenant Ash Shapiro of Hartford Fire Department talks getting the job done, especially if no one else is. Take the job seriously but don't take yourself too seriously. A good leader keeps their eyes open and watches people. They must get to know the people they lead and have a little fun.…
more -
Ep. 88: Ryan Power, Deputy Chief - The Power of Communication
Deputy Chief Ryan Power of the Spokane County Fire in Washington talks about the lost art in the fire service, "The Human Factors of Communication." Chief dives into the 4 C's of Communication: 1) Connection, 2) Choice, 3) Competency, 4) Consistency. Chief also dives into the different styles of...
-
Ep. 87: Sionna Stallings-Ala'ilima, Fire Chief - Servant Leadership
Fire Chief Sionna Stallings-Ala'ilima of the Tacoma Fire Department talks Family & Servant Leadership! Be purposeful on how you show up every day in whatever role you are in, because pessimism and optimism are both contagious! Every leaders holds a certain amount of power. The most influential of...
-
Ep. 86: Leigh Shapiro, Deputy Chief - Mentorship & Coaching
Deputy Chief/Senior Tour Commander Leigh Shapiro (ret.) of the Hartford (CT) Fire Department and author of the book An Insiders Guide to Mentoring the Fire Officer talks Mentorship & Coaching and Succession Planning. Chief discusses the difference between being "prepared" vs being "ready" to step...
-
Ep. 85: Adrian Sheppard, Fire Chief - Succession Planning & Strategy
Fire Chief Adrien Sheppard of the Redmond Fire Department dives deep into Succession Planning & Strategy. He stresses the importance of talent acquisition, cultural fluency and providing for fail safe environments for growth and development of your people to take place. Succession planning is not...
-
Ep. 84: Jerry Wells, Battalion Chief (ret.) - Be Here Now
Retired Battalion Chief Jerry Wells of the Lewisville, Texas Fire Department discusses how the Fire Service is the Ultimate Team Sport! He stresses the importance of "Being Here Now," whether you are busy training, working out, or playing video games , make sure your mind, body and soul are all…
more -
Ep. 83: Jake Rhoades, Fire Chief - Leading People through Change
Fire Chief Jake Rhoades of the City of Buckeye Fire-Medical-Rescue Department in Arizona unpacks leading people through change. Leaders must always be leaning in: Be students of the profession, learn the job above you and teach the job below you. Build your networks early. Be intentional with the...
-
Ep. 82: Nicholas Papa, Deputy Chief - Service Above Self
Deputy Chief Nicholas Papa of the New Britain (CT) Fire Department focuses on Service above Self. Nick is a Fire Engineering best-selling author of the book Coordinating Ventilation: Supporting Extinguishment and Survivability. In one of his courses he teaches the concept of: “There are no bad…
more -
Ep. 81: Mark Niemeyer, Fire Chief - Succession Planning & Culture
Fire Chief Mark Niemeyer of the Boise Fire Department discusses Succession Planning & Culture. Understand that your leadership path does not have to be traditional. Winning breeds winning and losing breeds losing. Train your people so well that they can go anywhere, but treat them so well they...
-
Ep. 80: Shane Smith, Deputy Chief - Leading through Adversity
Deputy Chief Shane Smith of Twin Falls, Idaho talks leading through adversity and how everything starts with humility. Strong leaders have the ability to reflect, have a servant's mindset, as well as practice mindfulness. Shane also dives into the importance of fire service instructors investing...
-
Ep. 79: Tim Rogers, Battalion Chief (ret.) & Greg Elmore, Senior Master Sergeant (ret.) - Leading is your Job no Matter What your Job is
Battalion Chief Tim Rogers (ret.) of Charlotte Fire Dept. & Senior Master Sergeant of the Air Force Greg Elmore (ret.) dive deep into the topic of how "Leadership is your job no matter what your job is." It is never too early to start learning leadership. Leaders have got to start building a...
-
Ep. 78: Brian Fennessy, Fire Chief - Mission Driven Culture
Fire Chief Brian Fennessy of Orange County Fire Authority discusses the Mission Drive Culture, the Orange County Fire Way and Leader's Intent. The chief emphasizes that leadership is a journey, and that investing in leadership development matters. Even when organizations don't or can't…
more -
Ep. 77: Phil Jose, Deputy Chief (ret.) - Curiosity
Retired Deputy Chief of Seattle Fire Department Phil Jose discusses Curiosity as a required leadership trait. "Replace judgement with curiosity!" Chief Jose teaches internationally on the Art of Reading Smoke, Tactical Decision-making, and Instructional Craftsmanship: Building your Expertise and...
-
Ep. 76: Nathan Travis, Battalion Chief - Unexpected Leadership
Battalion Chief Nathan Travis of Little Rock Fire Department in Arkansas talks Unexpected Leadership. Leadership means serving everybody. Leaders should know the role above them and step up and take on roles even if you don't want them. Chief Travis suggests to grow, you should feel like 1) you...
-
Ep. 75: Scott Thompson, Fire Chief - Mentorship
FDIC 2024 Keynote Speaker & Fire Chief Scott Thompson of The Colony Fire Department in Texas goes all in discussing leadership and mentorship in the fire service. Leadership starts with looking in the mirror. 3 things every leader needs to be able to do: #1) Understand yourself, #2) Understand…
more -
Ep. 74: Justin Grimes, Fire Chief - Relationships
Fire Chief of Cocoa Beach Fire Department in Florida talks about relationships, developing them and creating them. He talks about the concept of being firefighter led, and chief fed. This will lead to trust, empowerment and collaboration. Be like a Banyan Tree of strength, interconnectedness and...
-
Ep. 73: Tim Kreis, Executive Assistant Chief & Tim Gammage Jr, Captain/Executive Vice President - Labor & Management Relationships
Labor & Management Team of the Phoenix Fire Department - Executive Assistant Chief Tim Kreis and Captain/Executive Vice President Tim Gammage Jr. team up in today's conversation to talk about the importance and successes of the Labor & Management Relationship. Discussion dives into the leadership...
-
Ep. 72: John Lovato Jr, Battalion Chief - Chase your Experience
Battalion Chief John Lovato Jr. of the City of St. Myers Fire Department in Florida talks about chasing your own experience and don't wait around for it. The author of Fix your Firehouse, founder of Brotherhoodcoaching.com, and host of the John Lovato Show, chief says you are either winning or…
more -
Ep. 71: Matthew Love, Fire Chief - The Whole Package of Leadership
Fire Chief Matthew Love of the St. Cloud Fire Department discusses the “WP" or the Whole Package of Leadership,” including Servant leadership. The whole package includes being an 1) effective leader, 2) effective manager and 3) having a servant's heart. New FFs and new Leaders must open…
more -
Ep. 70: Steve Lea, Deputy Chief - Empowerment
Operations Chief Steve Lea of Cocoa Beach Fire Department in Florida discusses the importance of empowering your people. Get outside your department, learn from everywhere and bring it back to your department. Culture change can start from the bottom. Ego is the enemy!
-
Ep. 69: Nick Langlow, Deputy Chief - Human Skills of Leadership
Operations Chief Nick Langlow of Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One talks the human skills of leadership. Not every organization has the unicorn leaders. Some have great leaders, some have great managers. Organizations need both. Prepare for the job you want, prepare for the job you have, but don't…
more -
Ep. 68: Steven Dubay, Deputy Fire Chief (ret.) - Learn from Everywhere
Deputy Fire Chief Steven Dubay (ret.). of Colorado Springs Fire Department's emphasizes to all leaders to "Never Stop Learning." Feedback is a gift. Look in the mirror and look at yourself first when trying to become your best self. Know your strengths, know your weaknesses, take advantage of...
-
Ep. 67: Michael DeStefano, Deputy Chief - Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs for Firefighters
Deputy Chief Michael DeStefano of Jupitor Fire Rescue Department dives into Maslow's Hierarchy of needs, specifically for firefighters. He talks about the inverted pyramid as leaders serving others, as well as the "How can I help you culture," striving to wow all customers, internal and external....
-
Ep. 66: John Payne, Assistant Chief - Individual Leadership Growth
Assistant Chief John Payne of Bremerton Fire Department discusses individual leadership growth and becoming the leader you are supposed to be, not the leader that someone else is. Lead "your way" and understand that there are leadership lessons everywhere around you. Find them, extract them, and...
-
Ep. 65: Chris Tubbs, Fire Chief - Delivering Public Value
Fire Chief Chris Tubbs of Southern Marin Fire District in California, dives into Delivering Public Value in a Tribalistic Culture – the Role and Responsibility of Leaders. We talk the intersection of public value and culture, as well as the 4 C's of leadership - Character, Credibility, Curiosity…
more -
Ep. 64: Jack Rives, Lieutenant General - True Leadership is More than a Title
Lieutenant General Jack Rives of the United States Air Force and Executive Director of the American Bar Association dives deep into leadership being much more than just a title. You must always hold people accountable and lead by example. There are no good leaders out there who are not good...
-
Ep. 63: Stephen Shaw, Deputy Fire Chief - The Weight of our Words
Deputy Fire Chief Stephen Shaw of the Town of Jupiter Fire Rescue Department talks about the weight of our words and how what you say is as important as anything. Your actions must match your words, you never know what you'll get unless you ask, and every leader should adopt the plus +1…
more -
Ep. 62: Spencer Davis, Captain - Credibility & Team
Captain Spencer Davis of Norfolk Fire & Rescue along with previous Kitchen Table guest Battalion Chief Jarrod Sergi join the show today to talk about forming a team, building and maintaining credibility, getting out of your comfort zone and a whole lot more. Leaders must build relationships,...
-
Ep. 61: Dan Shaw, Assistant Chief (ret.) - Command Mindset
FDIC 2022 Keynote Speaker and co-author of 25 to Survive: Reducing Residential Injury and LODD, Assistant Chief of Operations Dan Shaw (ret.) talks the "Command Mindset," and Mission First, People Always! Stuck on what to train on? Train on these 7 categories: 1) Communications, 2) Positioning…
more -
Ep. 60: Randy Bruegman, Fire Chief (ret.) - Pay it Forward & Leave it Better
Founder of the Leadership Crucible Foundation, Fire Chief Randy Bruegman emphasizes the need to "Pay it forward, leave it better, and do the right thing even if it's hard." The best leaders are change managers, they learn how to have courageous conversations, understand strategic change and…
more -
Ep. 59: Dr. Eric Saylors, Fire Chief - Positive Succession Planning
Dr. and Fire Chief Eric Saylors of El Cerrito/Kensington Fire Department talks about the fundamental principle of leadership; a positive succession plan, guiding future leaders to replace the current ones. Chief dives into the "Succession Project," his 3 traits of strong leaders: 1) Empathy, 2)...
-
Ep. 58: Heather Marques, Division Chief - Leading with Love
Division Chief Heather Marques of Alameda County Fire Department encourages leaders to lead with love. Leadership is influence! Try to default to positivity, Understanding Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs will help leaders better understand the needs of the people they lead. From her thesis paper,...
-
Ep. 57: David Stone, Division Chief - Positive Mindset & Emotional Intelligence
Division Chief David Stone of South Walton Fire District dives deep into what Emotional Intelligence is and what leaders can do to incorporate these importance characteristics into their leadership development! Chief also talks about why negativity and complaining is so easy for leaders and how a...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Captain Berlin Maza & Deputy Fire Chief Bill Mack sit down with leaders in all professions and industries from across the country to have leadership conversations at the firehouse kitchen table!
Leaders share their stories, philosophies and perspectives on leadership. They talk about their non-negotiable behaviors, actions and traits, as well as offer action items for newer employees, emerging leaders, and senior members of organizations to grow as leaders!
HOSTED BY
Berlin Maza
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Leadership Conversations @ The Kitchen Table have?
Leadership Conversations @ The Kitchen Table currently has 95 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Leadership Conversations @ The Kitchen Table about?
Captain Berlin Maza & Deputy Fire Chief Bill Mack sit down with leaders in all professions and industries from across the country to have leadership conversations at the firehouse kitchen table! Leaders share their stories, philosophies and perspectives on leadership. They talk about their...
How often does Leadership Conversations @ The Kitchen Table release new episodes?
Leadership Conversations @ The Kitchen Table has 95 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Leadership Conversations @ The Kitchen Table?
You can listen to Leadership Conversations @ The Kitchen Table on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Leadership Conversations @ The Kitchen Table?
Leadership Conversations @ The Kitchen Table is created and hosted by Berlin Maza.
URL copied to clipboard!