Episode Details

Often times, we are most likely to listen to those who have been there/done that (as we should).  When it comes to lessons learned in police work, mental health, and critical incident stress, Travis Gribble is an ideal example.  He is a man who has been in the thick of it, and we as first responder (in career OR LIFE) should listen and heed his experiences, insights and lessons learned.

Travis and I discuss his career, from start through transitions and accomplishments, to the finish.  We talk about mutual connection in this unparalleled world of brotherhood, and the genesis and evolution of his work creating and operating My Arena.  Travis now travels and delivers training seminars focused on teaching and building insight and resilience with mental health professionals as we steadily and deliberately combat the stigmas of addressing mental health issues in our emergency response professions and culture.

Mentioned in the episode are his appearance on the Cleared Hot podcast with Andy Stumpf, where he details a significantly traumatic experience which I chose not to ask him to discuss with me.  You can connect with and find Travis and his work at:

my_.arena on Instagram and
https://myarenallc.com/

-- Travis Gribble's Bio from his site--

My name is Travis Gribble and I am a retired 24 year law enforcement veteran. I spent 11 years in Michigan where I worked as a deputy, deputy sergeant, and SWAT team commander. In 2008 I made a lateral move to Mesa Police Department in Arizona. Mesa is a city of 520,000 and 850 sworn police officers. In Mesa I worked as a patrol officer, patrol sergeant, SWAT assistant team leader, and SWAT sergeant team leader. 

During the course of my career I was a part of countless critical incidents and I always thought none of the calls were affecting me. In 2016 I experienced what I now know to be a life-changing call. For five years after the call I never sought appropriate help and I was slowly self-destructing within. As the years and calls went by my cup was reaching capacity and in 2021 I was brought to my knees. Thankfully I was put in touch with a therapist who specializes in first responder care and I began the journey of healing.

It was then I learned to live life in a much better way, but due to the extent of the trauma I decided I would seek retirement. In 2022 I was awarded a post-traumatic stress injury retirement and my current journey began. Only one short month after my retirement and through unplanned circumstances, I was given the opportunity to share my story with a leadership group of SWAT operators. 

The response to my raw story while sharing lessons learned by me and my agency was nothing short of amazing. From that day forward I continued sharing my story on podcasts, at law enforcement conferences, and through a social media platform. This path has now turned into creating a community and advocating for first responders mental health well-being. I have created the organization “My Arena” where we are dedicated to provide training for individual first responders, their families, and agencies. 

This community will stand for one very specific concept: you’re not alone! I am working with like-minded organizations and providers to smash the stigma of getting help while providing a landing spot for those who need to see they are not alone. I now live in the mountains of Montana with my wife Emily where we are establishing roots and chasing our dreams.

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