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Permission To Speak Freely: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Damon Leggins and Andamo McCullough
Damon and Damo (active duty Command Master Chiefs) share sea stories and have unfiltered conversations about current events, policies, and everyday life as a service member.
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The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- Today2h 49m
Episode 202 | "Standing in the Gap" (Feat. Captain Marcus A. Canady, USCG)
Captain Marcus A. Canady joins Damon and Damo for a conversation about leadership, connection, trust, and what it means to truly know the people you lead. The conversation centers on Canady’s concept of “Intrusive Leadership,” a leadership style built around intentional engagement with people beyond their professional responsibilities. Canady explains why leaders should understand what is happening in the lives of their people, how trust has to be earned before those conversations can happen, and why being intrusive does not mean ignoring personal boundaries. As he explains during the conversation, leaders can put themselves “on the porch,” but the other person still has to invite them inside. The group discusses emotional intelligence, listening, accountability, mentorship, family, parenthood, diversity, mental health, suicide prevention, and the responsibility leaders have to understand perspectives different from their own. Canady shares stories from throughout his career, including leaders who intentionally invested in him, the impact his wife and family have had on his development, and a conversation with Gen. C.Q. Brown Jr. about a leader who considered Brown’s family while helping map out his career. Damo reflects on his own leadership experiences and how his approach has changed over time, including learning more about the interests of younger Sailors at his command and finding ways to meet them where they are. Canady also challenges military organizations to think more deliberately about how they develop leaders of people, not simply leaders capable of accomplishing the mission. About CAPT Marcus A. Canady: Marcus Canady is a U.S. Coast Guard captain, aviator, author, leadership educator, and founder and CEO of Canady Leadership Group. A 2000 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, Canady completed Naval Aviation Flight Training and spent much of his career flying MH-65 helicopters. His operational experience includes search and rescue, hurricane response, and counter-narcotics missions. He later served as commanding officer of Coast Guard Air Station Houston and as the Coast Guard Chair and a military instructor at the National Defense University’s Eisenhower School. Canady holds graduate degrees from Duquesne University, Syracuse University, and the National War College. He is the author of Intrusive Leadership: How to Become THAT Leader. The second edition was released in 2025 and expands his examination of leadership built around trust, emotional intelligence, listening, intentional engagement, and making people feel seen and valued. Get the book: Intrusive Leadership, 2nd Edition — Curry Brothers Publishing Intrusive Leadership, Edition 2 — Apple Books Intrusive Leadership, 2nd Edition Military Version — Google Books Learn more about Marcus Canady: Canady Leadership Group Do you have “Do Better” that you want us to review on a future episode? Reach out at ptstpodcast@gmail.com Stay connected with us: https://linktr.ee/Ptsfpodcast PTSF Theme music: Produced by Lim0
- 2 weeks ago1h 47m
Episode 201 | "Drink the Kool-Aid?" (Feat. NC1 Corey Brennen)
This week on Permission to Speak Freely, Damon and Damo sit down with NC1 Corey Brennan for a conversation that starts with Navy recruiting and ends up going way beyond it. Corey breaks down what life is really like on recruiting duty, from competing for contracts and managing Future Sailors to MEPS, waivers, Genesis, recruiting ethics, and the things recruiters deal with that the Fleet rarely sees. He also opens up about his transition from QM to career recruiter, his aspirations to make Chief, and the uncertainty surrounding his future in the Navy as he navigates the service’s beard and PFB policies. But somewhere along the way, the conversation leaves recruiting behind. The crew gets into social media, burnout, learning to take care of yourself when everyone depends on you, marriage, fatherhood, separation, and the challenge of finding space for yourself when life never seems to stop. Corey also turns the tables on Damo and Damon with a few questions of his own, leading to conversations about what the anchors actually give a Chief, leadership as access and influence, and what people really mean when they tell Sailors to “drink the Kool-Aid.” Plus: recruiting house calls gone wrong, a 47-pound applicant, Equinox refusing to leave Damo alone, expensive one-year-old birthday parties, and Damon reveals the veteran husband strategy of simply standing up when your wife starts cleaning. Another conversation that went exactly where it was supposed to go. Do you have “Do Better” that you want us to review on a future episode? Reach out at ptstpodcast@gmail.com Stay connected with us: https://linktr.ee/Ptsfpodcast PTSF Theme music: Produced by Lim0
- 3 weeks ago1h 55m
Episode 200 | "It's Episode 200"
200 episodes. Damn. Damo, Damon, and Aaron are all together for a milestone episode of Permission To Speak Freely. There’s no big guest and no attempt to turn Episode 200 into another Navy news show. This one is about the podcast. The guys look back at the road from recording in the house to 200 episodes, revisiting some of the guests, conversations, arguments, ridiculous moments, and people who helped PTSF become what it is today. They talk about how the show has evolved without ever boxing itself into one type of conversation, covering everything from Navy policy and leadership to mental health, life after service, music, movies, relationships, and sometimes just three friends talking shit. Damo also breaks down the growth of the podcast over the years, gives flowers to some of the people who helped along the way, and reflects on what it means to reach a number that most podcasts never see. But more than anything, Episode 200 is about the people behind the microphones. Damo, Damon, and Aaron talk about their chemistry, their friendship, how much life has changed since the beginning, and why after all these years they can still turn the mics on and somehow make an episode out of damn near anything. No big celebration. No victory lap. Just the fellas appreciating the fact that somehow, some way, we made it to 200. It’s Episode 200. Do you have “Do Better” that you want us to review on a future episode? Reach out at ptstpodcast@gmail.com Stay connected with us: https://linktr.ee/Ptsfpodcast PTSF Theme music: Produced by Lim0
- 3 weeks ago2h 45m
Episode 199.5 | "This Should Be an Episode"
Damo and Aaron are back for a guest-free episode covering Navy leadership, quality of life, money, artificial intelligence, and everything that happens when the conversation goes completely off script. The episode begins with a discussion about the latest CNO and MCPON town hall, including Sailor concerns about advancement exams, retention, housing, childcare, financial literacy, grooming standards, and whether Navy leadership is hearing what Sailors actually need. Damo and Aaron debate personal responsibility versus the Navy’s responsibility to provide resources and support. The conversation shifts to artificial intelligence and the growing capabilities of AI agents before taking a more personal turn when Aaron shares how he used AI to imagine a conversation with his late mother. From there, the guys get into movies, television, music, hip-hop, and the usual PTSF randomness. The episode closes with a powerful leadership lesson inspired by the voice of Optimus Prime and the importance of being “strong enough to be gentle,” before Damo’s Do Better challenges Sailors to invest in their own careers. Do you have “Do Better” that you want us to review on a future episode? Reach out at ptstpodcast@gmail.com Pick of the Week: Driving While Black (Gretchen Sorin) - https://wwnorton.com/books/9781631495694 Batman: Knightfall Part 1 (Jeff Wamester) - https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/batman-knightfall-part-1-knightfall Stay connected with us: https://linktr.ee/Ptsfpodcast PTSF Theme music: Produced by Lim0
- 4 weeks ago2h 2m
Episode 199 | "Stepping Out on Faith" (Feat. LCDR Kris Hodge & Coby Turner)
Damo and Aaron are joined by retired YNCS Coby Turner and Lieutenant Commander Kris Hodge for a conversation about Navy leadership, career development, family, identity, and life beyond the uniform. Kris shares her journey from enlisted Sailor to Navy officer and discusses mentorship, race, gender, raising four children, and pursuing professional goals without allowing the military to become her entire identity. Aaron opens up about his decision to reenlist, while Coby reflects on retirement and finding purpose after active-duty service. The conversation also explores the realities of geo-bachelor life and the sacrifices military families make when career opportunities require separation. Damo, Kris, and Coby share their experiences and question whether the Navy should provide more support for Sailors navigating geo-baching. The episode closes with a leadership discussion about demanding excellence, avoiding career comparisons, sharing knowledge, and why gatekeeping creates weaker teams and burned-out Sailors. Damo also recommends Questlove’s Hip Hop Is History during Pick of the Week. Do you have “Do Better” that you want us to review on a future episode? Reach out at ptstpodcast@gmail.com Pick of the Week: Hip Hop is History (Questlove) - https://questlove.com/hip-hop-is-history/ Stay connected with us: https://linktr.ee/Ptsfpodcast PTSF Theme music: Produced by Lim0
- Aug 31, 20262h 58m
Episode 198 | "It's Unfortunate" (Feat. ITC Raven Douglass & HMC Josh Mackey
In this episode of Permission To Speak Freely, Damo and Aaron are joined by ITC Raven Douglass and HMC Josh Mackey for a wide-ranging conversation about Chief Season, leadership, Navy culture, and the policies shaping today’s Sailors. The crew starts with Chief initiation and debates whether the process has become too dependent on location, personalities, and individual Messes, or whether a more standardized approach would create a better experience for Chief Selects. From there, they get into package reviews, selection-board feedback, physical readiness expectations, and what Sailors are actually supposed to do with the advice they receive after not being selected. The conversation expands into military social media and the responsibility that comes with having a platform, including where the line should be drawn when Sailors create content in uniform or while at work. The group also discusses accountability, leadership after mistakes, barracks conditions, uniform standards, and some of the everyday issues that continue to frustrate Sailors across the fleet. Later, things get heated when the conversation turns to how the Navy handled COVID, vaccine mandates and separations, and whether lessons from those decisions have anything in common with the Navy’s current approach to beards. Damo and Aaron strongly disagree, Raven weighs in, and Doc brings another perspective to a debate that becomes one of the episode’s most spirited exchanges. Somewhere along the way, the crew also manages to argue about AI-generated content, influencers, back pockets on khakis, engineers stuffing everything imaginable into their uniforms, and whether people can still recognize what’s real on the internet. Four voices. Plenty of disagreement. No shortage of jokes. And nearly three hours of Permission To Speak Freely. Do you have “Do Better” that you want us to review on a future episode? Reach out at ptstpodcast@gmail.com Stay connected with us: https://linktr.ee/Ptsfpodcast PTSF Theme music: Produced by Lim0
- Aug 17, 20261h 22m
Bonus | "The Green Ribbon Program" (Feat. Capt Stacy Wuthier)
Captain Stacy Wuthier, Commanding Officer of Naval Station Everett, joins Damo for a conversation about the Green Ribbon Program and how commands can create stronger support networks for Sailors. Captain Wuthier shares her journey from enlisting in the Navy and entering the nuclear power pipeline to earning her commission, serving aboard ships, commanding USS Jackson Blue Crew, and eventually taking command of Naval Station Everett. She and Damo discuss installation leadership, relying on subject matter experts, verifying information, and maintaining standards while leading organizations with multiple programs and responsibilities. The conversation shifts to the Green Ribbon Program, why Captain Wuthier brought it to Naval Station Everett, and the problems it is designed to address. She explains how Green Ribbon representatives are selected and trained, the role of the command chaplain, why junior Sailors and civilians can be valuable participants, and why representatives must genuinely want to help people rather than participate for recognition or evaluation purposes. Damo and Captain Wuthier discuss the Navy's tendency to tell Sailors to ask for help while placing most of the responsibility on the Sailor to initiate the conversation. They talk about recognizing when someone may be struggling, creating additional avenues for Sailors to seek support, confidentiality, knowing when a problem requires professional assistance, and why Green Ribbon representatives are connectors to resources rather than counselors. They also discuss how Green Ribbon complements deckplate leadership, what success looks like when measuring prevention and connectedness, taking care of those who consistently help others, and why Captain Wuthier believes commands should never mandate participation in the program. The discussion expands into the difference between creating another Navy program and building something that becomes part of a command's culture. Later, Captain Wuthier shares some of the books that have influenced her leadership and discusses imposter syndrome, confidence, and lifelong learning. For the Do Better segment, she talks about becoming a better listener and being more present during conversations. Damo shares a recent experience that reminded him that solving a Sailor's problem and making sure the Sailor feels heard are not always the same thing. Before closing, Captain Wuthier reflects on her approaching retirement and answers what Navy memory she would keep if she could only keep one. Do you have “Do Better” that you want us to review on a future episode? Reach out at ptstpodcast@gmail.com Stay connected with us: https://linktr.ee/Ptsfpodcast PTSF Theme music: Produced by Lim0
- Aug 16, 20261h 1m
Saturday Night Live (Feat. OSCS William Morris and Alquin Parker)
What happens on a Saturday night when we’re bored with nothing to do? We go live. Damo and Aaron are joined on IG Live by recent guest OSCS William Morris and one of the show’s OG guests, ABCM (Ret.) Alquin Parker, host of the “Legendary Moments” podcast. The conversation goes everywhere. Mo checks Damo for allegedly faking being sick to get out of recording a podcast, and the guys talk about the daily grind of a Sailor in the United States Navy Ceremonial Guard. Alquin Parker pops in and asks about the recruiting process for the Ceremonial Guard, while the crew reflects on Mo’s recent episode of PTSF and whether he plans to stay in Japan after retirement. Damo questions social media “stitch culture” and the dangers of publicly airing people out online, giving listeners a preview of a conversation coming on a future episode. AP tells the story of correcting someone’s uniform in the supermarket. Damo somehow ends up having to talk to one of his Sailors about using his picture as their profile photo. The guys also discuss how COVID changed communication, connection, and fellowship. Those conversations, plenty of randomness, and much more happened during this live edition of “Permission To Speak Freely.” Check out 'AP' on "Legendary Moments podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify and more... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legendary-moments/id1881213522 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2IsY1P0MZKfqCoYSRmUal1DUQOqk1dRE https://open.spotify.com/show/1p2XOMIbxKT00wAHRf1EMi?si=cN9BY7-oRHS0WojEfGv2tw&nd=1&dlsi=7ff5bac2812e41be https://www.instagram.com/legendarymomentspod/ Do you have “Do Better” that you want us to review on a future episode? Reach out at ptstpodcast@gmail.com Stay connected with us: https://linktr.ee/Ptsfpodcast PTSF Theme music: Produced by Lim0
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About Permission To Speak Freely
Damon and Damo (active duty Command Master Chiefs) share sea stories and have unfiltered conversations about current events, policies, and everyday life as a service member.
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