Episode Details

In 2018, a truck exploded just feet from firefighter Aaron Burlingame.

He came back. This one’s about leadership, culture, faith, and what the

worst days teach you about what actually matters.

Aaron Burlingame — Battalion Chief with the St. Charles Fire Department — sits down with Zach & Pat on leading vs. bossing, building a culture people choose over higher pay, first-responder mental health, raising sons who own their mistakes, surviving serious burns, and the faith he found on the other side. Real conversation, no clickbait.

▶ CHAPTERS

00:00 Meet Aaron Burlingame — St. Charles Fire

01:00 Why a fire chief fell for jiu-jitsu

06:00 The real lesson: consistency & doing hard things

11:30 Leadership isn’t being in charge — it’s responsibility

15:00 How "Discipline Equals Freedom" changed his leadership

17:00 What the worst days teach you about what matters

18:00 How the fire service finally took mental health seriously

23:00 The culture that put St. Charles on the map

31:30 The cell-phone box: rebuilding conversation

34:45 The Dungeons & Dragons leadership lesson

39:30 A leadership mistake he still learns from

46:00 Watching his son enter the fire service

51:20 The day a truck exploded feet away

57:00 Faith, "box receipts," and finding the good

1:01:00 Muddy River FOOLS & the brotherhood

1:05:00 One thing you can do tomorrow: fill your cup

1:07:00 The Tombstone Game

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▶ ABOUT THE SHOW

The Zach & Pat Show — honest conversations about manhood, fatherhood,

entrepreneurship, and a positive mental attitude. Hosted by Zach Fagas

& Pat Doyle.