The Wild Chaos Podcast

<p>Father. Husband. Marine. Host. </p><p>Everyone has a story and I want to hear it. The first thing people say to me is, "I'm not cool enough", "I haven't done anything cool in life", etc. </p><p>I have heard it all but I know there is more. More of you with incredible stories.</p><p>From drug addict to author, professional athlete to military hero, immigrant to special forces... I dive into the stories that shape lives. </p><p>I am here to share the extraordinary stories of remarkable people, because I believe that in the midst of your chaos, these stories can inspire, empower, and resonate with us all. </p><p>Thanks for listening. </p><p>-Bam</p>

#78 The Shot Seen Around The World: A Photographer's Account of Charlie Kirk's Final Moments w/Andrew Feraci

In this raw and emotional conversation, Andrew Feraci shares his harrowing firsthand account of witnessing Charlie Kirk's assassination while working as a photographer at the event, September 10, 2025. Standing just feet away when the shot rang out, Andrew takes us through those fateful moments with remarkable clarity – from the electric atmosphere beforehand to the split-second chaos that followed. What makes this testimony extraordinary isn't just the proximity to tragedy, but Andrew's dee...

09-22
01:54:08

#77 - Behind Bars: The Raw Reality of Maximum Security Prison w/Austin Legg

Step inside the razor-wire perimeter of maximum security prison life through the eyes of a former correctional officer whose four-year career transformed him in ways he never anticipated. This conversation pulls no punches, revealing the brutal reality of a world where violence is currency and survival requires speaking a language most of us will never understand. From his first day witnessing a bloody inmate assault to eventually becoming the "hammer" the prison administration called when s...

09-15
03:53:55

#76 - Feminism Lies | The Most Radical Act of Destroying Women w/January Donovan

What if we've been lied to about feminism? What if the most radical act in today's world isn't joining a movement that is meant to destroy women? January Donovan, founder of The Woman School and mother of eight, challenges everything we think we know about modern femininity in this profoundly honest conversation. January shares her journey from insecure Filipino immigrant to becoming a mentor for women worldwide. After experiencing two abortions as a lost teenager, she found a mentor who gav...

09-08
03:04:36

#75 - Building Wealth is Like Going to War: You Can't Quit When It Gets Hard w/Austin Hancock

In this raw and riveting conversation, Marine Corps veteran Austin Hancock takes us on an extraordinary journey from rock bottom to remarkable success. Proving it can be done. Starting with a shocking confession about assaulting someone with a tire iron as a troubled teen, Austin reveals how this pivotal moment led to his military service and ultimately transformed his life. Austin doesn't hold back as he recounts the psychological warfare of boot camp at Paris Island, serving in Iraq's dang...

09-01
02:58:42

#74 - What Lies Behind School Walls: Child Abuse, Cover-Ups, And The Cost w/Laura Boulton

In this explosive conversation, former School District teacher Laura Boulton reveals the disturbing pattern of institutional failure that she uncovered during her 23-year teaching career. What began as standard mandatory reporting of student disclosures about sexual assault evolved into something far more sinister—a suspected pedo ring within the district with connections potentially dating back to the 1980s. Boulton, an immigrant from Malaysia who built her American dream through education,...

08-25
03:36:32

#73 - Catching A Ride With Drug Smugglers to Ex-Cons: The Truth About Hitchhiking America w/Luke Whyte

What happens when you put your thumb out and trust America? Luke Whyte is finding out as he hitchhikes across the country, documenting conversations with strangers in an ambitious project to bridge our growing cultural divides. With years of hitchhiking experience spanning multiple continents, Luke brings a unique perspective to understanding human connection. His current journey is motivated by a troubling observation: Americans increasingly live in digital bubbles that amplify our differen...

08-18
02:45:16

#72 - Beyond the Edge: How One Man Defied Death Multiple Times and Lived to Tell About It w/Jonathan Daige

When JD answered the call to serve his country after 9/11, he couldn't have imagined the battles that lay ahead, not just in Iraq's dangerous terrain but within his own body. This extraordinary conversation takes us through his journey as an Army soldier driving fuel trucks through the early chaos of the Iraq War, his transition to law enforcement where he dangled off a six-story building to save a suicidal man, and his most personal fight: battling stage 4 cancer that attacked his testicle, ...

08-11
03:09:14

#71 - Mold, Mice, & Retaliation in Boise School District - Fighting For The Kids Pt.2 w/Michelle Chung

When culinary arts teacher Michelle Chung first reported mice in her classroom, she never imagined it would lead to a parasite infection, major surgery, and a battle against a school district determined to silence her at all costs. In this powerful follow-up episode, Michelle reveals shocking new developments in her fight for classroom safety and accountability. The situation has escalated dramatically since her first appearance. After paying her own money for a professional inspection that ...

08-04
02:13:50

#70 - Three Shots Fired. One Brotherhood Shattered: Surviving The Unthinkable w/Ruben Delvalle

From the moment a suspect fired three shots at him in a Chicago alley, Ruben's life transformed forever. In this powerful conversation, Ruben takes us through his journey from Marine infantryman to Chicago police officer, building to the harrowing day when he and his partner Jeff were both shot while on duty. With remarkable candor, Ruben describes his upbringing in Chicago, his time in the Marine Corps including deployment to Iraq, and his transition to law enforcement. The conversation bui...

07-28
03:59:31

#69 - Stabbings, Cartels, & Trophy Hunts: The Wildest Guide You’ve Never Heard Of w/Hagan Ekker

From the remote plains of South Central Utah to the cartel-controlled territories of Mexico, Hagan's journey as a hunting guide reads like an adventure novel that couldn't possibly be true, except every word of it is. Growing up in a town of barely 120 people shaped his self-reliance in ways that modern suburban life simply cannot replicate. When the orthodontist arrives in a mobile bus once a month and the nearest gas station is 20 miles away, you learn to plan ahead and make do. The contra...

07-21
02:31:23

#68 - What Burns Beneath: The Untold Story of Firefighter Life w/Rafael Gordon

From life-or-death decisions to navigating departmental politics, Rafael pulls back the curtain on his 27-year career as a San Francisco firefighter paramedic in this captivating conversation about service, sacrifice, and survival. Rafael's journey began in 1990 as a paramedic with no intention of joining the fire department. When the city merged emergency services in 1997, he found himself thrust into a hostile environment where paramedics were viewed with suspicion and resentment by tradit...

07-14
02:38:32

#67 - Behind the Velvet Rope: The Ugly Truth About Wealth, Safety & Strength w/Logan Flynn

What does real security look like? Former Marine turned executive protection expert Logan Flynn has spent 15 years guarding the ultra-wealthy—and what he’s learned will challenge everything you think about success, safety, and parenting. The conversation shifts from professional insights to perhaps Flynn's most important mission – raising four sons and a newborn daughter. His approach combines seemingly contradictory elements: teaching children hard skills like marksmanship and self-defense w...

07-07
02:42:46

#66 - They’re Hunting Our Kids Online — And We’re Handing Them the Weapon! w/Ben Gillenwater

What if your kid’s screen time is more dangerous than you think? In this must-hear episode, 30-year cybersecurity expert Ben exposes how social media is engineered like a digital drug—fueling addiction, mental health crises, and skyrocketing teen suicide rates. He shares real dangers happening right now, and what parents must do to protect their kids—before it’s too late. This conversation will make you never look at your childs "safe and regulated" devices the same again... To follow along...

07-02
02:20:01

#65 - "I Am the Product of Veterans Who Never Got Help"- Breaking Generational Trauma w/Breane Lindvall

What happens when a 9-year-old girl witnesses her mother’s death—and no one talks about it? This week’s guest, Breane, grew up in rural Montana where silence was survival. After watching her epileptic mother die and being told to “move on,” Brianna buried her pain for years. But trauma has a way of demanding to be felt. From oil fields in North Dakota to raising three boys in the mountains, anxiety and emotional numbness shadowed every chapter—until she broke the cycle. Today, Brianna is the ...

06-25
02:35:23

#64 - Refusing to Surrender: One Man's Journey After Spinal Injury w/ Boone Bartlome

What if everything that defined you—your body, your talent, your future—was taken away in a single moment? At 16, Boone was a rising multi-sport star with college scouts watching his every move. But one routine football play changed everything. A C4 spinal cord injury left him a quadriplegic. No feeling. No movement. No future as he knew it. For three years, Boone battled suicidal thoughts in silence. To the world, he smiled. Behind closed doors, he was crumbling. His breakthrough? Not a mira...

06-18
01:48:10

#63 - Shot Twice. Abused. 10 Years in Prison. What Redemption Really Looks Like w/ Victor Villarreal

What happens when a 13-year-old boy, sexually abused and desperate for protection, turns to gang life—and survives a decade behind bars, two gunshot wounds, and addiction? In this week’s episode, Victor pulls back the curtain on a life shaped by trauma, violence, and ultimately, redemption. This isn’t just a story about survival—it’s about transformation. Victor doesn’t hold back as he shares the darkest corners of his past: the fear, the prison corruption, the emotional numbness. But it’s hi...

06-11
02:39:49

#62 - Chasing Dreams: Leaving Multi-Million Dollar Career to Landscape Photographer w/ Marlon Holden

What if the life you’ve built isn’t the life you want? Marlon traded comfort for purpose—walking away from corporate success to chase his dream as a landscape photographer. From sailing around the world as a child to commanding tens of thousands for his art today, Marlon shares raw insights on risk, discipline, masculinity, and the courage it takes to burn the ships and start again. Marlon's path took unexpected turns—from tournament-winning fishing boat captain to corporate sales succe...

06-04
02:39:56

#61 - What They Don't Tell You When You Put On The Uniform: Behind The Badge w/Rob Woodworth

"I stood in intersections at midnight hoping to get hit by a car." Former police officer Robert Woodworth shares the untold cost of wearing the badge—from handling bodies and witnessing tragedy to protesters tracking down his home, the department's failure to provide meaningful support when he reached out for help, and his descent into dangerous coping mechanisms. "I stood in intersections at midnight hoping to get hit by a car," he confesses. "It was easier than getting hit by a car than adm...

05-28
02:48:23

#60 - "Fighting For The Kids!!" - Rodent Infestation In The Classroom Pt.1 w/Michelle Chung

What if your classroom was infested with disease-carrying mice — and no one believed you? In this shocking episode, a Boise culinary teacher shares her battle against a rodent-infested classroom, a failing school system, and devastating health consequences after contracting tick-borne illnesses from mouse exposure. From contaminated student aprons to retaliatory school politics, this is a raw conversation about courage, corruption, and what happens when speaking the truth puts everything on t...

05-21
02:14:27

#59 - From Jail, to NAVY Seal, Back to Jail, to French Foreign Legionnaire w/Taylor Cavanaugh

What happens when you lose everything that once defined you? Former Navy SEAL Taylor Cavanaugh shares his raw, powerful journey from military elite to rock bottom — addiction, homelessness, and nearly ending his own life — before finding redemption in the most unexpected place: the French Foreign Legion. With nothing but a backpack and a broken spirit, Taylor rebuilt his life from scratch, shedding titles, ego, and identity to rediscover purpose. Today, he's a coach, father, and man of faith ...

05-14
02:41:06

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