Uploaded July 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
In this week’s Team Never Quit episode, Marcus and Melanie welcome Sean Glass, a former U.S. Navy SEAL officer and seasoned leadership instructor with Echelon Front. With over 13 years of experience in the SEAL Teams and combat deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Eastern Africa, Sean shares his insights on leadership in both military and business settings.
Sean led 5 SEAL platoons in Iraq against Islamic State forces, and was the Officer-in-Charge of training for all West Coast SEAL Teams.
In his transition to the business world, Sean became the Chief Operating Officer at a venture-backed construction tech startup, and is currently the Leadership Instructor at Echelon Front, where he is building a decentralized, team-first culture in a rapidly growing company.
Join us for an inspiring conversation with Sean Glass as he shares invaluable lessons on leadership that can be applied in any high-pressure environment. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights from a true leader who has navigated the challenges of both the battlefield and the boardroom.
In This Episode You Will Hear:
• [Growing up] we had Emus at one time for some reason. (7:46)
• I read that book, and something inside me was alive, like “This is what I wanna do” Everything I did after that was asking myself that question: Is this next move gonna help me get into the Navy? and if it’s not, then I didn’t do it. (17:25)
• [Marcus] I feel like our saving grace is the fact that we did it for God and country. If you’re a wild child and you wanna have the most fun of your entire life, go into the SEAL teams. (19:36)
• Given a boat crew, If you don’t perform – if you screw up, your boat crew get beats for you. Sorry – remediated – gets remediated for you. (24:51)
• The less you think about yourself, especially when you’re miserable, the better off you are. (25:18)
• [Marcus] If you want to teach your son or yourself to be a great barterer or negotiator, go over there [Afghanistan]. (41:24)
• Gift giving is a big thing to them [Afghans]. (41:54)
• Getting to be on the other side of the BUDS equation was a great experience, because you get to see all the workings that go into it – all the things you don’t see and appreciate as a student obviously because you’re just trying to survive. (44:21)
• I don’t have a good poker face. (45:33)
• No one puts a premium on training like the SEAL teams do. It’s everything for us. (54:26)
• I closed out my career at the training command which was just the best place you could possibly be. (55:21)
• Our goal there [Echelon Front] is to arm their leaders with the tools they need to be better leaders. (65:42)
• Jocko started Primal Beef, and our goal was to bring the same farm-raised all natural, Black Angus American beef that we had the opportunity to eat every night to as many Americans as we possibly could. (70:03)
• Our whole goal was basically to make things the best experience you could possibly have ordering beef from somebody. (74:49)
• Well above 80% of all beef produced in America comes from 4 different massive companies, and at least one of them is a foreign owned company. (77:55)
• The average age of a farmer right now is 63 years old, because families just aren’t taking over the family business. (78:06)
Socials:
– IG: primalbeef_co
– IG: seanglassactual
– primalbeef.com
– IG: team_neverquit , marcusluttrell , melanieluttrell , huntero13
– patreon.com/teamneverquit
Sponsors:
– Navyfederal.org
– Policygenius.com
– GoodRX.com/TNQ
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– Moink.com/TNQ
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– Shhtape.com [TNQ]
In this week’s Team Never Quit episode, Marcus and Melanie welcome Sean Glass, a former U.S. Navy SEAL officer and seasoned leadership instructor with Echelon Front. With over 13 years of experience in the SEAL Teams and combat deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Eastern Africa, Sean shares his insights on leadership in both military and business settings.
Sean led 5 SEAL platoons in Iraq against Islamic State forces, and was the Officer-in-Charge of training for all West Coast SEAL Teams.
In his transition to the business world, Sean became the Chief Operating Officer at a venture-backed construction tech startup, and is currently the Leadership Instructor at Echelon Front, where he is building a decentralized, team-first culture in a rapidly growing company.
Join us for an inspiring conversation with Sean Glass as he shares invaluable lessons on leadership that can be applied in any high-pressure environment. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights from a true leader who has navigated the challenges of both the battlefield and the boardroom.
In This Episode You Will Hear:
• [Growing up] we had Emus at one time for some reason. (7:46)
• I read that book, and something inside me was alive, like “This is what I wanna do” Everything I did after that was asking myself that question: Is this next move gonna help me get into the Navy? and if it’s not, then I didn’t do it. (17:25)
• [Marcus] I feel like our saving grace is the fact that we did it for God and country. If you’re a wild child and you wanna have the most fun of your entire life, go into the SEAL teams. (19:36)
• Given a boat crew, If you don’t perform – if you screw up, your boat crew get beats for you. Sorry – remediated – gets remediated for you. (24:51)
• The less you think about yourself, especially when you’re miserable, the better off you are. (25:18)
• [Marcus] If you want to teach your son or yourself to be a great barterer or negotiator, go over there [Afghanistan]. (41:24)
• Gift giving is a big thing to them [Afghans]. (41:54)
• Getting to be on the other side of the BUDS equation was a great experience, because you get to see all the workings that go into it – all the things you don’t see and appreciate as a student obviously because you’re just trying to survive. (44:21)
• I don’t have a good poker face. (45:33)
• No one puts a premium on training like the SEAL teams do. It’s everything for us. (54:26)
• I closed out my career at the training command which was just the best place you could possibly be. (55:21)
• Our goal there [Echelon Front] is to arm their leaders with the tools they need to be better leaders. (65:42)
• Jocko started Primal Beef, and our goal was to bring the same farm-raised all natural, Black Angus American beef that we had the opportunity to eat every night to as many Americans as we possibly could. (70:03)
• Our whole goal was basically to make things the best experience you could possibly have ordering beef from somebody. (74:49)
• Well above 80% of all beef produced in America comes from 4 different massive companies, and at least one of them is a foreign owned company. (77:55)
• The average age of a farmer right now is 63 years old, because families just aren’t taking over the family business. (78:06)
Socials:
– IG: primalbeef_co
– IG: seanglassactual
– primalbeef.com
– IG: team_neverquit , marcusluttrell , melanieluttrell , huntero13
– patreon.com/teamneverquit
Sponsors:
– Navyfederal.org
– Policygenius.com
– GoodRX.com/TNQ
– ghostbed.com/TNQ [TNQ]
– Shadyrays.com [TNQ]
– Hims.com/TNQ
– Shopify.com/TNQ
– mackweldon.com/utm_source=streaming&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcastlaunch&utm_content=TNQutm_term=TNQ
– drinkAG1.com/TNQ
– PXG.com/TNQ
– Aura.com/TNQ
– Moink.com/TNQ
– TAKELEAN.com [TNQ]
– usejoymode.com [TNQ]
– Shhtape.com [TNQ]



![APRIL CHEEK-MESSIER: CEO of The National D-Day Memorial Foundation On The Upcoming 80th Anniversary
In this week’s episode, Marcus and Melanie are honored to host April Cheek-Messier, a key figure in preserving the legacy and lessons of one of the most pivotal moments in history: D-Day.
April is the President of the National D-Day Memorial Foundation, an organization dedicated to upholding the memory of the Allied Forces’ valor, fidelity, and sacrifice on June 6, 1944. As the President of the Foundation, she plays a critical role in ensuring the integrity and security of the National D-Day Memorial while advancing its educational mission.
During our conversation, April sheds light on the Foundation’s multifaceted approach to fulfilling its mission. We delve into how the Foundation maintains and operates the National D-Day Memorial, providing a solemn and educational space for visitors to honor and learn about the events of D-Day.
Through various programs, projects, and exhibitions, the Foundation strives to cultivate an appreciation for the historical and residual significance of D-Day.
Join Marcus and Melanie us as we gain insights into the tireless work of April Cheek-Messier and the National D-Day Memorial Foundation in preserving the legacy of D-Day and ensuring that future generations understand the profound impact of this historic event.
In this episode you will hear:
• I grew up in Bedford, Virginia, which was a community impacted heavily by World War II. (3:50)
• Bedford sustained the highest per capita loss on D-Day. (4:28)
• 16 million served in World War II, and we have less than 1% living today. (7:32)
• Like so many veterans, they didn’t talk about it. They tried to forget about it. (10:47)
• It became [Bob Slaughter’s] goal to make sure there was something to commemorate those who gave their life on D-Day. (11:48)
• In 1996, congress decided there should be a National D-Day Memorial. (12:45)
• We are not federally funded. It was a grass roots efforts by veterans. (13:03)
• What joy it brought Bob Slaughter and his veteran friends to know that they did it. (13:46)
• Over 400,000 families during World War II lost a loved one. (17:16)
• There were 3 sets of brothers who served on D-Day. (18:41)
• It’s when you’re able to tell the individual stories that young people can understand the tragedy of war and what was accomplished that day was so very critical. (24:29)
• Believe it or not, there was nowhere – not even in Normandy – a list of who died on June 6, 1944. (25:21)
• The more we can work together to make sure these stories are told is incredibly important. (32:23)
• D-Day was critical. It was going to be the turning point of the war in Western Europe. It was Operation Overlord, which was to invade German-occupied France. (33:25)
• The consequences were dire. This had to happen. They had to succeed. (35:56)
• 5,000 ships, 11,000 aircraft, just on D-Day alone. 160,000 troops and over 150,000 landing on June 6th alone. (36:50)
—
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—
Support the Show
http://patreon.com/teamneverquit
—
Special Thanks / Credits
Executive Producer & Artwork - Hunter Luttrell
Audio Engineer - Joey Garza
Video Editor - John Fritzsching
—
About TNQ Podcast:
Each week join Retired Navy SEAL and Lone Survivor Marcus Luttrell, Morgan Luttrell, and Producer Andrew Brockenbush as they’ll take you into the “briefing room” to chat with incredible guests who share their greatest never quit stories. This humorous, heartfelt, and entertaining podcast is changing lives and has become a beacon of hope and resilience to those who are facing the impossible. One of the best ways we can support our community is to share their stories so that we might inspire others to Never Quit.
We’re bringing you real-life stories of men and women who took life’s toughest challenges and met them head-on, radically changing their own lives and inspiring others to do the same. APRIL CHEEK-MESSIER: CEO of The National D-Day Memorial Foundation On The Upcoming 80th Anniversary](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GpeTxPTdGXw/mqdefault.jpg)



![BRADLEY GEARY & JD DONALDSON: Talking BUD/s & Team Guy Chaos - A Tribute To Danny Dietz
From the Mountains to the Mission: Commander J.D. Donaldson & Captain Bradley Geary’s Journey of Service and Sacrifice
This week, Marcus and Melanie welcome Commander Jed “J.D.” Donaldson, and Captain Bradley Geary to the Team Never Quit Podcast. J.D Donaldson, a West Virginia native whose journey from small-town athlete to elite Navy SEAL leader is nothing short of remarkable. Raised in Hedgesville and shaped by strong family values and athletic discipline, J.D. earned a U.S. Naval Academy appointment and went on to win two national boxing championships before graduating with a degree in Physics (Oceanography).
Selected for SEAL training alongside a small group of peers, J.D. would go on to serve in multiple SEAL Teams across global deployments, holding command positions at SEAL Team Eight and SEAL Team Four, and leading strategic operations in Africa with Special Operations Command. His time at the elite Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) marks the pinnacle of a career defined by leadership, courage, and brotherhood.
Now, as Vice President of Operations at GBRS Group, J.D. continues to serve the veteran and first responder community, equipping them with the tools and training to thrive. In this episode, we explore how his experiences shaped his approach to leadership, resilience, family, and life after service.
Captain Bradley Geary is a retired Navy SEAL officer with 24 years of distinguished service in Naval Special Warfare. A 2000 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and SEAL Qualification Training Class 234, he led elite teams across the globe—from SEAL Team Four to commanding SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One. He most recently served as Commanding Officer of Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command. Captain Geary holds a master’s in Defense Analysis and has spent his career training, leading, and mentoring some of the most elite warriors in the world.
In This Episode You Will Hear:
• I was first chair trumpet in high school. Muscular lips. (22:38)
• One of the psych’s did a study of all the attributes access the teams to find out what’s consistent across all the force. The only attribute he could find consistent with 100% of us the sense of levity – humor. (32:12)
• In the darkest moments of our careers, you’ll find the funniest things (33:20)
• There’s this one young officer standing there, smiling ear to ear. I said “Yo dude, I just cancelled your Christmas break, they got you wet and sandy. Why are you smiling? [His response was] “This is everything I was waiting for, and everything I hoped it would be.” (35:59)
• Press into the suffering. All of a sudden, it’s not enjoyable, but it changes your mindset. (36:47)
• [Marcus] McGraw had more fractures than he had legs. No quit in this dude. (47:18)
• The guy next to me, Greg Klein, a huge Green Beret and Marine Force Recon. The instructor says “Klein, what’re you doing here? You’re Army Green Beret; you’re Marine Force Recon. He’s like “I thought I’d take a break.” (48:07)
• Danny [Dietz] was probably the best pilot I’ve ever seen. He was amazing. (68:31)
• We were in Chesapeake Bay, and I’m looking at the bearings. All of a sudden, I’m like “Hey! Danny! We’re like 90 degrees off course. What are you doing? Next thing I know, we bounce off the bottom. He had fallen asleep driving the STD. We had been out there so long that night. (68:52)
• It comes back to Who’s under the boat? Who’s carrying their weight? Who’s sacrificing for their teammates? And Danny [Dietz] was always that guy. (79:32)
• [Danny Dietz is the] most selfless dude I’ve ever met. (79:58)
• Whatever he [Danny Dietz] did, he did with excellence. He just owned it. (80:25)
• It was the first time that I’d lost anybody close, and I walked out to the gravel, looked up to the heavens and I got to thinking. He was probably one of the key elements of my success in my entire career. I looked up to the stars and thought: “Alright Lord, If I was up there and Mike was down here, what would I say to him?” I’d say: “Think well of me and get back to work.” 120:54)
• I hadn’t brushed my teeth in like 84 hours. (121:53)
• Leonidus didn’t choose the 300 [Spartans] because they were the best warriors. He chose them because they had the best women. (139:21)
• Suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces hope. All the answers are right in this book. (143:18)
dannydietzmemorial.com
Support TNQ
– IG: team_neverquit , marcusluttrell , melanieluttrell , huntero13
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![TRAVIS OSBORNAirborne Ranger and Green Beret Medic who treated Marcus Luttrell in ORW Rescue Mission
This week, the Team Never Quit Podcast presents an extraordinary man with an extraordinary military resume. Travis Osborn served as both an Airborne Ranger and a Green Beret in 17 tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, and was awarded the Bronze Star for heroic and meritorious service 15 times.
Travis played an integral part in the rescue of Navy SEAL “Lone Survivor” Marcus Luttrell. As an 18Delta Special Forces Medic, he treated Marcus while awaiting extraction from an Afghan village.
Listen in as Travis chronicles Marcus’ rescue, and the horrific conditions they had to endure to achieve it.
In this episode you will hear:
• When we got the call, we knew it was abnormal, and something was up – out of the norm.
• In the briefing, we were told that we had four SEALs on the run, a helicopter down, and we’re going in.
• We decided to put boots on the ground – whatever it takes. So our guys came up with a plan, and we stole some trucks from the marines.
• By the time we left, we had 120 people and 50 donkeys headed up the side of the mountain.
• None of us had ever worked together before.
• [Marcus]: “That’s what showed up to get me out of there.”
• We walked almost straight up a mountain for the next 3 days.
• We climbed 5,000 feet the first day and only walked a distance of 2 kilometers.
• It’s the most ass kick I’ve had in a long time.
• It was walking straight up shale, and every type of boots were cut.
• There’s a lot of ridiculousness in these situations.
• About halfway thru the village and from within a crowd of people, I looked and saw a really tall Afghani and saw that he he had tattoos.
• “You must be Marcus.” “Fuck yes, I am…”
• “We’re here to get you home.” And he said “Yeah, I’m just ready to go home.”
• [Marcus] “When they showed up, the literally looked like death.”
• We just recued a fuckin’ American. We walked in with a bunch of donkeys on foot, & found this guy in the middle of nowhere.
• To treat him, I threw him into the first thing I could find – it turned out to be a donkey pen with 10,000 years of donkey shit in it.
• The next time I see you is gonna be on Oprah.
• When you’re in mission mode, you don’t mentally unpack. You put all that shit in the deep freeze, then it takes a while to unpack it because it’s all at the bottom of the freezer.
—
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—
Support the Show
http://patreon.com/teamneverquit
—
Special Thanks / Credits
Executive Producer & Artwork - Andrew Brockenbush
Audio Engineer - Joey Garza
Video Editor - John Fritzsching
—
About TNQ Podcast:
Each week join Retired Navy SEAL and Lone Survivor Marcus Luttrell, Morgan Luttrell, and Producer Andrew Brockenbush as they’ll take you into the “briefing room” to chat with incredible guests who share their greatest never quit stories. This humorous, heartfelt, and entertaining podcast is changing lives and has become a beacon of hope and resilience to those who are facing the impossible. One of the best ways we can support our community is to share their stories so that we might inspire others to Never Quit.
We’re bringing you real-life stories of men and women who took life’s toughest challenges and met them head-on, radically changing their own lives and inspiring others to do the same. TRAVIS OSBORNAirborne Ranger and Green Beret Medic who treated Marcus Luttrell in ORW Rescue Mission](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HYMnpXOI8Cg/mqdefault.jpg)

![Mike Gabler On Winning Survivor & Donating $1M Prize To Charity
While there have been veterans who have competed in the reality show: Survivor: Season 43, never has there been a non-veteran winner who gave away the entirety of the $1,000,000 prize to veteran organizations. Until now. In this week’s Team Never Quit Podcast, meet Mike Gabler who did just that. What an engaging conversation Mike and Marcus have, as Mike shares some of the behind the scenes stories related to the program. Mike, a Texas native, comes from a family of veterans, but he serves his country in a significantly different way. He is a heart valve specialist, working with top surgeons and cardiologists – a multicultural group of people with a common focus – to take care of the patient.
At age 43, Mike was the oldest contestant of the season, and the second oldest competitor in the history of Survivor. The lack of food and nourishment was really getting to him, yet he excelled in individual competition. He explained that he gained strength by thinking about the military members who are currently fighting, as well as those who’ve passed, and who’ve sacrificed so much for our nation.
“I’m gonna donate the entire prize – the entire million dollars – in my father’s name, Robert Gabler, who’s a Green Beret, to Veterans in need who are struggling from psychiatric problems, PTSD, and to curb the suicide epidemic.” “Lot of heroes served in our military. We do this for fun; they do this for real.”
Thumbnail Image:
– CBS via Getty Images
In this episode you will hear:
• Everybody on Survivor likes Type 2 fun, because that’s what it was. (6:33)
• We all became really close. We’re friends to this day. (6:38)
• I went into the game at 200 pounds, and came out at 176. (8:41)
• One day Ryan came back with a 2 foot clam. There were 2 pieces as big as 12oz filet mignons, and tasted just like scallops. (10:29)
• [At first] it’s a punch in the face, but after about a week you start assimilating. (19:43)
• [Growing up] whatever your dad yells at the TV or cheers for is what you cheer for, so we became Steelers fans. (24:23)
• In Arab culture, when you like something, they’re inclined to give it to you. (26:40)
• It was really an amazing experience as a child to traverse the world. (30:40)
• I stood on the great wall [of China] when I was in middle school. (30:50)
• When you travel around the world, you realize what a small place it is, and how similar people are at their core. (32:01)
• Crocodiles can strike half the length of their body. (41:23)
• The harder you work, the luckier you get. (49:56)
• In 2011, this brand new technology called TAVR (Trans Aortic Valve Replacement) came out. (51:01)
• I would look to the next bend in the road and I’d tell myself to get there. (54:12)
• I was on an endurance challenge where I had to hold on tight. The record for it in 22 seasons was 25 minutes. My spirit exploded, and we broke the all-time record for that at over 45 minutes. (56:15)
• Man can survive (and woman) if you can find meaning in your suffering. (58:41)
• “Doing something bigger than yourself” drove me to persevere. (65:32)
• When you go deep into yourself, big things can happen. (81:33)
—
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Team Never Quit
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcusluttrell/
Morgan Luttrell:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mojoluttrell/
Andrew Brockenbush:
https://www.instagram.com/andrewbrockenbush/
—
Support the Show
http://patreon.com/teamneverquit
—
About TNQ Podcast:
Each week join Retired Navy SEAL and Lone Survivor Marcus Luttrell, Morgan Luttrell, and Producer Andrew Brockenbush as they’ll take you into the “briefing room” to chat with incredible guests who share their greatest never quit stories. This humorous, heartfelt, and entertaining podcast is changing lives and has become a beacon of hope and resilience to those who are facing the impossible. One of the best ways we can support our community is to share their stories so that we might inspire others to Never Quit.
We’re bringing you real-life stories of men and women who took life’s toughest challenges and met them head-on, radically changing their own lives and inspiring others to do the same. Mike Gabler On Winning Survivor & Donating $1M Prize To Charity](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HponQT7Dmuc/mqdefault.jpg)