Life doesn't deal a fair hand to everyone. Swanie knows that better than most — but what he did with that unfairness built a philosophy that carried him through 35 years in the fire service, a union career, and some of the hardest moments a person can face.

"I'm not a victim of life. I'm a participant in life."

That line says everything. This isn't a conversation about what went wrong — it's about what you choose to do when it does.

In this episode, Swanie — a 35-year veteran of the fire service and union rep — sits down around the BBQ to talk about the philosophy that's carried him through it all: you can't always control what happens to you. But you can always control what you do next.

In this conversation:
- Losing his father at 10 and why his family refused to be victims
- The "rock in the storm" mindset — and why worrying about the uncontrollable is a waste of energy
- "1 plus 1 equals 5" — what real teamwork actually looks like
- The invisible bucket we all carry — and why some people's fills up faster than others
- How 35 years in emergency services hardens you — and the scar it leaves on the people who love you
- "Only you have the power to stop loving the job" — staying in love with the job when the system fights back
- Why fairness isn't just a value for Swanie — it's the whole story

This one's for anyone who's been handed a hard life and had to figure out what to do with it.

Mike (Swanie) Swanson - Firefighter for 35 years, husband and father, union representative and great team player. He brings. refreshing, practical approach to life.
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Forged by the Fire is a podcast built around honest conversations that happen best around a BBQ. It’s where real people sit down, share food, and talk openly about resilience, mental health, identity, and purpose—without filters or fluff.

Hosted by a firefighter studying psychology, the show brings together frontline workers, leaders, athletes, and everyday people who’ve been tested by life. Each episode blends lived experience with practical psychological insight, turning chaos into clarity and struggle into understanding.

Pull up a seat. The BBQ is on.

*WARNING* this episode covers some raw content including traumatic deaths and suicide.

In this episode, we sit down with Bruce — Chief Fire Officer, mentor, and the man Levi calls his "fire dad." Bruce joined the fire service at 18 and hasn't looked back. What started as a bit of volunteering became a 45-year journey through leadership, loss, identity, and a complete rethink of what it means to be strong.

Whether you lead a team, serve your community, or are quietly carrying more than you let on — Bruce's story will hit home.

Bruce Nilson - Chief Fire Officer of the Tauranga Volunteer Unit, 45 years as a volunteer firefighter and a respected leader. Bruce is known for being supportive and no-nonsense.

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Forged by the Fire is a podcast built around honest conversations that happen best around a BBQ. It’s where real people sit down, share food, and talk openly about resilience, mental health, identity, and purpose—without filters or fluff.

Hosted by a firefighter studying psychology, the show brings together frontline workers, leaders, athletes, and everyday people who’ve been tested by life. Each episode blends lived experience with practical psychological insight, turning chaos into clarity and struggle into understanding.

Pull up a seat. The BBQ is on.

Ritchie doesn't lead by talking the most — he leads by listening the best.

In this episode of Forged by the Fire, we sit down with Ritchie: a station officer, peer support advocate, and a quietly empathetic leader. He's not the loudest voice in the room — but the wisdom he carries is earned, not borrowed.

We dig into what it really means to lead people through hard things: how empathy without balance burns you out, why the old school firefighter identity clashes with the modern workplace, and what happens when communication breaks down at the worst possible moment.

This one is for anyone trying to figure out how to show up for others without losing themselves in the process.

#mentalhealth #firefighters #frontline #podcast #bbq #teamwork #crewlife

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Forged by the Fire is a podcast built around honest conversations that happen best around a BBQ. It’s where real people sit down, share food, and talk openly about resilience, mental health, identity, and purpose—without filters or fluff.

Hosted by a firefighter studying psychology, the show brings together frontline workers, leaders, athletes, and everyday people who’ve been tested by life. Each episode blends lived experience with practical psychological insight, turning chaos into clarity and struggle into understanding.

Pull up a seat. The BBQ is on.

Most people think being tough means not feeling anything. KT and Dunnie spent careers as first responders — and they'll tell you that's exactly wrong.

In this episode, we sit down with Dunnie and KT — two former first responders — to talk about what it actually means to stay in control when everything around you is falling apart. This isn't theory. These are hard-won lessons from the frontline.

Suppressing what you feel doesn't make you stronger. It makes you a ticking clock. This conversation is for anyone who's ever been told to harden up — and felt something break inside when they did.

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Kevin Taylor - former police officer with extensive experience including leadership, civil defence, search and rescue, and foreign postings. He is currently deputy mayor of Taupo. Husband, dad and grandfather. He brings a wealth of experience.

Brendon Dunn (Dunnie) - firefighter in Tauranga, mental health advocate within the brigade, and always keen for a yarn.

#mentalhealth #frontline #firefighter #resilience #podcast #bbq

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Forged by the Fire is a podcast built around honest conversations that happen best around a BBQ. It’s where real people sit down, share food, and talk openly about resilience, mental health, identity, and purpose—without filters or fluff.

Hosted by a firefighter studying psychology, the show brings together frontline workers, leaders, athletes, and everyday people who’ve been tested by life. Each episode blends lived experience with practical psychological insight, turning chaos into clarity and struggle into understanding.

Pull up a seat. The BBQ is on.

Toxic workplaces don’t just ruin morale — they slowly take your power if you let them.
In this full conversation, the guys unpack how to deal with a toxic workplace without losing yourself in the noise. They talk through why people give their power away too easily, how workplace culture shapes behaviour, and what it actually looks like to stay grounded when the environment around you is negative, polarised, or draining.

If you’ve ever worked in a toxic work environment, dealt with workplace politics, or struggled to keep your peace in hard conversations, this episode is for you.

Subscribe for more real conversations on resilience, identity, leadership, and mental strength.

#ToxicWorkplace #WorkplaceCulture #MentalHealth #Leadership #Podcast

Kevin Taylor - former police officer with extensive experience including leadership, civil defence, search and rescue, and foreign postings. He is currently deputy mayor of Taupo. Husband, dad and grandfather. He brings a wealth of experience.

Brendon Dunn (Dunny) - firefighter in Tauranga, mental health advocate within the brigade, fun dad, and always keen for a yarn.

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Forged by the Fire is a podcast built around honest conversations that happen best around a BBQ. It’s where real people sit down, share food, and talk openly about resilience, mental health, identity, and purpose—without filters or fluff.

Hosted by a firefighter studying psychology, the show brings together frontline workers, leaders, athletes, and everyday people who’ve been tested by life. Each episode blends lived experience with practical psychological insight, turning chaos into clarity and struggle into understanding.

Pull up a seat. The BBQ is on.

What do you do when you're told you're too short, not good enough, not the right fit?
If you're Joe Sullivan — you go win anyway.
Joe is a World Champion rower and Olympic Gold Medalist in Double Sculls. But long before the gold medal, there was a stubborn, competitive kid who just kept getting overlooked. In Part 1 of his story, we go back to where it all started — picked up rowing in his teens, constantly told no, filling last-minute spots in races… and smashing the competition every single time.
No complaints. No excuses. Just results.
Joe's story is a masterclass in quiet resilience. The kind that doesn't announce itself — it just keeps showing up.

Joe Sullivan - Olympic gold medallist for rowing, two time America's cup winner, Joe is an elite sportsman, firefighter and rowing coach as well as a humble and caring guy.

#mentalhealth #frontline #firefighter #resilience #podcast #bbq

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Forged by the Fire is a podcast built around honest conversations that happen best around a BBQ. It’s where real people sit down, share food, and talk openly about resilience, mental health, identity, and purpose—without filters or fluff.

Hosted by a firefighter studying psychology, the show brings together frontline workers, leaders, athletes, and everyday people who’ve been tested by life. Each episode blends lived experience with practical psychological insight, turning chaos into clarity and struggle into understanding.

Pull up a seat. The BBQ is on.

Joel, Joe and Levi unpack influence.

Joel - ex-firefighter with 8 years experience on the trucks and as a trainer for recruit firefighers. Joel has had a rough journey at times with mental health and life's challenges. He is an awesome guy and an exemplary dad.

Joe Sullivan - Olympic gold medallist for rowing, two time America's cup winner, Joe is an elite sportsman, firefighter and rowing coach.

#mentalhealth #frontline #firefighter #resilience #podcast #bbq

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Forged by the Fire is a podcast built around honest conversations that happen best around a BBQ. It’s where real people sit down, share food, and talk openly about resilience, mental health, identity, and purpose—without filters or fluff.

Hosted by a firefighter studying psychology, the show brings together frontline workers, leaders, athletes, and everyday people who’ve been tested by life. Each episode blends lived experience with practical psychological insight, turning chaos into clarity and struggle into understanding.

Pull up a seat. The BBQ is on.

Joe, Joel and Levi unpack radical responsibility, blame culture, resilience, and what ownership really looks like in frontline work, family life, and everyday mistakes. From station culture to parenting, this conversation explores how taking responsibility can reduce anxiety, strengthen mental resilience, and change the way we lead ourselves and others.

Joel - ex-firefighter with 8 years experience on the trucks and as a trainer for recruit firefighers. Joel has had a rough journey at times with mental health and life's challenges. He is an awesome guy and an exemplary dad.

Joe Sullivan - Olympic gold medallist for rowing, two time America's cup winner, Joe is an elite sportsman, firefighter and rowing coach.

#mentalhealth #frontline #firefighter #resilience #podcast #bbq

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Forged by the Fire is a podcast built around honest conversations that happen best around a BBQ. It’s where real people sit down, share food, and talk openly about resilience, mental health, identity, and purpose—without filters or fluff.

Hosted by a firefighter studying psychology, the show brings together frontline workers, leaders, athletes, and everyday people who’ve been tested by life. Each episode blends lived experience with practical psychological insight, turning chaos into clarity and struggle into understanding.

Pull up a seat. The BBQ is on.