Fragout Podcast

Latest Episodes:

SE7 #257 DREW STOKES- Five Seconds: Shot Five Times- Road to Recovery Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

Drew Stokes Coast Guard Veterans and Retired US Customs and Border Protection Officer. On September 26, 2017, Drew Stokes was ambushed in a sudden, violent attack while walking out of a Publix grocery store just outside Jacksonville, Florida. From start to finish, the entire attack lasted approximately five seconds. Drew was shot five times once in the center of his torso, once in his right buttock, once in each hip/leg, and once in his left forearm. His injuries were catastrophic. One bullet lacerated his liver, another compromised his colon, and three bullets remain in his body today one in each hip and another near his spine. For several days, Drew wavered between life and death, crossing to the other side twice. He completely bled out and required 78 pints of blood to keep him alive. His survival was made possible by the heroic actions of bystanders, the Clay County Sheriff's Office, Clay County Fire Rescue, and the trauma staff at Orange Park Medical Center. Drew credits them with saving his life. What followed was an extraordinary road to recovery. Through relentless hard work, an incredible rehabilitation team, and tremendous support from his family, friends, coworkers, and people across the country, Drew fought his way back. On January 2, 2018, just over three months after the shooting, he returned to light duty. After undergoing eleven surgeries, Drew returned to full duty on April 9, 2018. By June 2018, he had returned to the sky.

SE7 #256 Austin L- Ares Armament- Army Veteran- Range Safety Day Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

Great Podcast with my friend Austin L. Owner of Ares Armament Austin is a proud U.S. Army veteran who served in the artillery. We sat down to talk about his military service, firearm safety, hunting, and his upcoming Range Safety Day on September 5th from 11:00 AM–5:00 PM. FREE admission no purchase required. There will be a great lineup of companies, vendors, and sponsors on-site, plus opportunities to learn from industry professionals. And yes… they're giving away 60 suppressors at the event. You read that right. Come out, learn something new, and you might just leave with a brand-new suppressor.

SE7 #255 Adam Jones- Nitro Circus- XGAMES Gold Medalist Jul 25, 2026

Show notes

Adam Jones, an FMX sensation from Warrendale, PA. Starting motocross at ten, he quickly dominated with eight IFMA event wins in his first year. Despite a setback in 2004, Jones secured a Bronze at the X Games X Los Angeles. Riding since 1995, he's an eight-time X Games medalist, globally renowned for his skills. In 2007, he earned the title of International Rider of the Year, showcasing his work ethic and commitment to perfecting new tricks. Adam will be at Appleton Nitro Circus August 14th.

SE7 #254 Jonny Baumann- Tagged and Bagged- Entrepreneurship Jul 12, 2026

Show notes

Jonny is Co-owner of Tagged and Bagged. They make and sell high quality taxidermy kits for various types of waterfowl, upland birds, turkeys, and fish. Their mission is to provide outdoor enthusiasts with the highest quality packaging products to ensure the preservation of their prized trophies. We had a great podcast about waterfowl hunting, entrepreneurship, business growth, their philanthropic ventures to help all types of nonprofits raises money. Jonny and Mitch are crushing it everyday and really excited to see where they go and watch them grow.

SE7 #253 Dean Nemecek- Army/Iraq Veteran- Author- Transition Ops Founder Jun 29, 2026

Show notes

Very informative podcast with my friend Dean Nemecek Dean served our country for 26 years 4 years on active duty and 22 years with the Wisconsin Army National Guard. Throughout his career, he held numerous leadership positions and commands, deployed to Iraq in 2005–2006, and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. Today, Dean is on the front lines of another mission: helping companies build effective veteran hiring programs and connect with exceptional veteran talent. We had an in-depth conversation about military transition, veteran employment, and the macro and micro factors that influence success after service. Whether you're a transitioning service member, a veteran, or an employer looking to hire veterans, there's something in this episode for you. Check out Dean's free resource for transitioning service members and veterans: Transition Ops https://transitionops.org/ You can also visit his business page and pre-order his upcoming book: https://vbs-veteran-hiring.netlify.app/tools

Nitro Circus 2.0 Appleton, Wisconsin August 14th Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

ALL NEW NITRO CIRCUS TOUR COMES TO APPLETON! NITRO CIRCUS 2.0 TOUR PRESENTED BY RAM TRUCKS FRIDAY, AUGUST 14 NEUROSCIENCE GROUP FIELD NEVER BEEN DONE. NEVER BEEN SEEN. ABSOLUTELY UNREAL. You gotta see it to believe it! 100+ STUNTS. 20 ATHLETES. BUILT FOR BIG AIR AND BAD IDEAS. Tickets on sale now! Visit nitrocircus.com for more info

SE7 #251 Rob Schaefer- Horse Soldier Bourbon- Green Beret Jun 15, 2026

Show notes

Rob is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret, diplomat, best-selling author, and co-owner of Horse Soldier Bourbon. With more than 35 years of leadership and service, he has been recognized with the prestigious OSS Veterans & US SOCOM Award of Excellence. Rob joined the Fragout Podcast to discuss leadership, military service, transition, entrepreneurship, and the experiences that shaped both his military and business career.

SE7 #252 Jake VandenPlus- Iraq War Veteran- Veteran Advocate Jun 15, 2026

Show notes

Jake is running for Wisconsin's 1st Senate District seat here in Northeastern Wisconsin. He served 13 years in the military and completed two deployments to Iraq. He's also the founder of DC Farm for Vets, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting veterans through agriculture, purpose, and community. We spent some time sharing plenty of funny stories from our military days, but also had a serious conversation about leadership, public service, veteran issues, economic growth, education, and what motivated him to run for office. No matter where you fall politically, it's always valuable to hear directly from the people willing to step up and serve their communities.

SE7 #250 Eric Jansen- Balanced Veteran Network- Innovative Therapies May 11, 2026

Show notes

My friend Eric Jansen Government Affairs Coordinator for Balanced Veterans Network. Eric took the time to walk me through current legislation focused on removing barriers for veterans to access Innovative Therapies. That's the term being used now but we know what we're talking about.. Psychedelics. Eric isn't just talking about it, he's in Washington doing the work. Lobbying. Networking. Advocating at a high level. Pushing to cut through the red tape that's been holding veterans back from the full spectrum of care they've earned. We shouldn't need permission to heal. This isn't theory. It's backed by top tier research and real data. The results speak for themselves. Innovative Therapies are showing real impact for veterans dealing with PTSD, TBI, depression, Parkinson's, anxiety, and more. If you're not paying attention to this space yet, you should be. Download the BVN App, available on all platforms, and see what's being built. BVN.vet

SE7 #249 Jeremy Cate- Iraq War Veteran Apr 26, 2026

Show notes

Jeremy and I go back almost 20 years. We worked private security together at the Kikkoman Soy Sauce Factory in Walworth, WI… and yeah, we probably had a little too much fun along the way. But behind that is a story of transition, resilience, and pushing through real hardship. Jeremy's journey isn't easy but it's real, and it's powerful. Proud of the man he's become. Proud to call him a friend. This one's dropping soon. Don't miss it. See you at work.

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