Spirits and Stories with Donald Dunn is a storytelling podcast centered on real life conversations with people shaped by experience, curiosity, and the search for meaning.
Each episode explores the human side of belief, identity, resilience, and personal transformation through honest, unfiltered conversations. Rather than offering easy answers, the show creates space for reflection, curiosity, and deeper understanding of the stories that shape how we live.
Spirits and Stories is for listeners drawn to thoughtful storytelling, meaningful conversations, and exploring life at the edge of the seen and unseen.
Publisher
Donald Dunn
Category
society & culture · society & culture · society & culture
From Baptist Pastor to FBI SWAT Operator | Inside Counterterrorism, Interrogations & High-Risk Tactics
What does it take to go from preaching sermons to leading high-risk FBI tactical operations?
In this powerful episode of Spirits and Stories, Donald Dunn sits down with Eric Robinson — former FBI Special Agent, 15-year SWAT operator, and national security investigator — to unpack what really happens behind the scenes in counterterrorism, civil rights investigations, tactical entries, and high-stakes interrogations.
Eric shares:
• His unexpected transition from Baptist pastor to FBI agent
• How FBI investigations actually work behind the curtain
• The truth about domestic vs. international terrorism threats
• What SWAT operations look like in real life (not Hollywood)
• The psychology behind interrogating violent offenders
• Why rapport-building beats torture every time
• The emotional toll of crimes against children cases
• The evolution of surround-and-call-out tactical methods
• The mindset required to operate in high-risk environments
We also dive into the story behind his upcoming book, Irreverent (working title: Preacher to Breacher) — a raw, honest look at faith, federal law enforcement, leadership, and identity.
If you’re interested in the FBI, SWAT tactics, counterterrorism, law enforcement leadership, military transition, or the psychology of interrogation, this episode will challenge what you think you know.
🎙 Hosted by Donald Dunn
📚 Book release coming Fall
Subscribe for more conversations with veterans, federal agents, entrepreneurs, and leaders shaping America.
Links referenced in this episode:
amazon.com (https://amazon.com)
weavinginfluence.com (https://weavinginfluence.com)
3 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT
Marine Veteran Creates the World’s First Energized Pain Reliever | From Combat to CEO
What happens when a United States Marine decides pain and fatigue aren’t “just part of getting older”?
In this powerful episode of Spirits and Stories, host Donald Dunn sits down with Marine veteran and entrepreneur Lee Ettinger — a former Special Operations qualified service member who transitioned from the battlefield to business.
After years of pushing through injuries, inflammation, and energy crashes, Lee refused to accept the status quo. Instead, he spent nearly a decade researching natural compounds and scientific studies to develop what he calls the world’s first energized pain reliever — Power Plus Pain Aid.
This conversation goes beyond business.
It’s about:
• Reinventing yourself after the military
• Overcoming physical breakdown at fifty
• The science behind natural pain relief
• Why most energy drinks do more harm than good
• The brutal reality of manufacturing and distribution
• COVID’s impact on small businesses
• And what resilience really looks like after service
If you’re a veteran, entrepreneur, athlete, or someone fighting fatigue and chronic pain — this episode will hit home.
Watch now and discover how one Marine turned frustration into innovation.
Learn more about Power Plus:
DrinkPowerPlus.com (DrinkPowerPlus.com)
Links referenced in this episode:
drink powerplus.com (https://drinkpowerplus.com)
Companies mentioned in this episode:
Power plus
Jocko Willick
Conundrum
3 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT
How Do You Lead a Remote Team Effectively? Practical Leadership Skills That Actually Work - The Real Leadership Brief
How do you successfully lead a remote team without losing connection, culture, or performance? In this episode of The Real Leadership Brief, Donald Dunn sits down with engineering leader Limor Bergman-Gross to break down practical leadership strategies that work in today’s remote and hybrid workforce.
From performance reviews and hiring for culture fit to giving constructive feedback using the SBI framework (Situation-Behavior-Impact), this conversation covers real-world tools leaders can apply immediately. They also explore how to ask better questions, reduce bias, manage remote employees effectively, and build high-performing teams without face-to-face interaction.
If you’re a manager, executive, transitioning veteran, or professional navigating leadership in a changing workforce, this episode will give you actionable insights to grow your influence and improve team performance.
Listen now to learn how intentional leadership drives results — even from a distance.
Inside a recent episode
From Baptist Pastor to FBI SWAT Operator | Inside Counterterrorism, Interrogations & High-Risk Tactics
Published 5 Mar 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And so we set that up. We've also been able to introduce tech. So we have drones and robots. So I was a breacher for a number of years on the SWAT team. And that could be breaching a door and falling back, breaching a door, inserting tack, holding at the threshold. And then we see what's in front of us. […]
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