Confident Risks

About Confident Risks

Confident Risks with Taylor Rowan is the podcast for entrepreneurs, leaders, and dreamers who are ready to stop overthinking and start taking bold action. Each week, Taylor breaks down what it really means to take risks with confidence sharing stories, strategies, and mindset shifts that help you grow your business, build resilience, and trust yourself through uncertainty. From navigating big decisions to overcoming fear of failure, you’ll discover how to transform challenges into opportunities and step fully into your potential. Whether you’re launching your first idea, scaling a business, or

Publisher

Taylor Rowan

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Jul 2025

Latest episode

15 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

62 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Sept 2026

   2nd Due Training | Giving the Next Generation a Reason to Teach

   For the first time on Confident Risks, we've got two guests at the table. Steve "Jonesy" Jones, recently promoted to Division Chief of Training at the City of Coeur d'Alene Fire Department after nearly 25 years, and Justin Capaul, KCFR Battalion Chief and 4th generation firefighter. Together they co own 2nd Due Training, and in this episode they share why it exists and who it's really for. 2nd Due started in 2014 when a group of instructors needed an LLC and insurance to teach out of state. But the mission became clear fast. Small volunteer and combination departments get the same fires as the big cities. They just show up with fewer people. Their most popular class, Shorthanded Tactics, was built to answer that exact problem, sketched out on a bar napkin with Chief Jeff Welch. Everything 2nd Due does comes back to bringing quality, affordable training to the crews that need it most. When the original instructors started retiring, 2nd Due was headed for the end. Steve stepped up to keep it going. Now, with both of them only a few years from their own retirements, they see 2nd Due as an avenue for the next generation. They already own the trailers, the tools, and the insurance, so younger instructors can step in as lead instructors while Steve and Justin handle logistics and coach from the back. It's about carrying on what mentors like Jeff Welch, Rick Clutter, Chris Sleigher, and David Rhodes poured into them. They also talk about bringing the Backstep Symposium back after COVID, with 60 students and a lineup that included Chris Sleigher, John Kwan, Jay Bonnefield, Scott Herbert, and keynote speaker David Rhodes, with every dollar of proceeds going to the Jeff Welch Memorial Foundation. And they break down the partnership with Taylor'd Systems, from the first walkthrough at District 4 to installing a prop on the island of Molokai for Maui County, and how hands on feedback from the drill ground has shaped training props now in hundreds of departments across the country. Steve also opens up about a hard season of his own. After nearly 35 years between fire and EMS, he thought he could keep pushing it all down. But you never know when your drum is going to overflow. Someone close to him saw it coming and connected him with help before it hit, and with that support, his family, and the work he put in, he got back on the line. His message is simple: if you're struggling, there's help, and it's okay to ask for it. Whether you're a firefighter, an instructor, or someone thinking about what you'll leave behind, this episode is a masterclass in mentorship, legacy, and giving the next generation a reason to carry it forward. If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential, and available 24/7. Call or text 988. Subscribe to Confident Risks for real stories from firefighters and first responders. New episodes every week.

2. 

   8 Sept 2026

   M.A. LMFT Nicole Nestor-Gray | Caring for Those Who Care for Us

   Meet Nicole Nester Gray, a licensed marriage and family therapist with 35 years in the mental health field and 20 years dedicated to working with first responders. From her office in Hayden, Idaho, she founded and leads the First Responder Clinician Support Team, and in this episode she shares the mission behind caring for the people who spend their lives caring for everyone else. Nicole explains how the First Responder Clinician Support Team came to be, and why it works. Every clinician is vetted both clinically and culturally, through a strict process that has turned away many qualified therapists who simply weren't the right fit. As Nicole puts it, you can be a great trauma therapist, but if you don't understand the culture of the first responder world, it's a whole different thing. The team now runs three clinical and mentor teams covering the top five counties in the region and into Spokane Valley. First responders are a highly specialized population. They see things most people never will, and they carry it. Nicole's team calls themselves specialists for a reason. The trust they build, the reputation they've earned, and their deep understanding of the culture are what allow first responders to finally open up and get the help they need. Nicole also speaks about being on the ground during one of the most difficult days the Idaho first responder community has faced. Because her team was already in place and the relationships were already built, they were able to go to work immediately, deploying clinicians, chaplains, and peer supporters to care for those in the middle of the crisis. It's a powerful reminder that the support systems we build in advance are the ones that carry us through the hardest moments. Whether you're a first responder or not, Nicole's work is a reminder that the people who run toward danger and carry the weight of other people's worst days deserve care too. Mental health isn't weakness. Reaching out is strength. And no one should have to carry it alone. If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential, and available 24/7. Call or text 988. Subscribe to Confident Risks for real stories from firefighters and first responders. New episodes every week.

3. 

   1 Sept 2026

   Retired CAL FIRE Captain Scott Herbert | Giving Firefighters Eyes in the Smoke

   Meet Scott Herbert, a retired CAL FIRE Captain with a 22 year career and a lifelong passion for training the next generation of firefighters. Today he works with Seek Thermal, helping departments across the country put life saving technology into the hands of firefighters. In this episode, Scott shares his journey, his philosophy on developing people, and why thermal imaging is changing the fire service. Scott started as a paid call firefighter at 18, with the fire station sitting right next to his high school. He spent seven years there, worked as a roofer, joined a wildland hotshot crew, and eventually landed a full time career with CAL FIRE out of Riverside County, where he spent the bulk of his 22 years. Some of Scott's proudest work was running a fire explorer program for roughly 14 years, training somewhere between 350 and 400 young firefighters ages 14 to 21. He says that's where he truly learned how to teach, because you can't rely on life experience with a 14 year old. You have to find what makes each person tick. His belief is simple: work ethic and confidence can beat raw talent every time. The heart of this episode is thermal imaging. Scott explains how these cameras give firefighters the ability to see through smoke, find the seat of the fire faster, locate victims, and find their way out when disoriented. As he says, we don't send our military into battle without eyes, so why send firefighters into a burning building without them? What used to be one expensive camera per battalion is now affordable enough to put on every single firefighter. In Scott's words, it's cheaper than a set of turnouts, and it saves lives. Scott is also honest that even the best technology can hinder you if you don't train with it. Like a set of irons, a thermal camera in the hands of someone who never practices won't help when it counts. His crawl, walk, run philosophy applies to everything: master the basics, then add the tools. Whether you're a firefighter or someone who leads and develops people, Scott's wisdom on mentorship, work ethic, and using the right tools the right way is one worth hearing. Subscribe to Confident Risks for real stories from firefighters and first responders. New episodes every week.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.