In this episode of Badass in Heels, Hannah, a remarkable woman who has made her mark in the world of shooting and extreme sports shares her journey from growing up on a ranch in Colorado to becoming a professional mountain biker and breaking barriers as a female athlete. She discusses the challenges she faced in a male-dominated industry, her experiences with relationships and motherhood, and the impact of infidelity on her life. Throughout the conversation, Hannah emphasizes the importance of resilience, determination, and staying true to oneself. In this conversation, Hannah shares her transformative journey through multiple marriages, personal struggles, and the discovery of self-compassion. She discusses the challenges of being a single mother, her awakening to her passion for firearms, and how she integrates her femininity into her training. Hannah discusses her mission to empower women through firearms training and self-defense awareness; and, she emphasizes the importance of responsible gun ownership, continuous learning, and situational awareness. Hannah shares her unique approach to training, including her Mocktails and Mace events, which combine self-defense education with a fun and engaging atmosphere. Our conversation highlights the need for women to take their safety seriously and to be prepared for any situation they may encounter. **Listener discretion is advised, content includes explicit words and discussions about suicide.**

Captain Julie Rodriguez stands as a beacon of dedicationand resilience, boasting an impressive 28 years of unwavering service with the Los Angeles Police Department. Her journey is a tapestry woven with rich experiences, spanning over two decades in pivotal supervisory roles. Beginning her illustrious career in 1996, she embraced various positions, from a vigilantpolice officer to an agile bicycle officer, a dedicated field training officer, and an undercover vice officer. Her relentless pursuit of excellence propelled her to the esteemed rank of Detective, where she played a crucial role in theelite Robbery Homicide Division and the Rape Special Section, tackling numeroushigh-profile sexual assault cases with tenacity and skill. In 2005, her exemplary performance earned her a promotion to Sergeant, where she took on themantle of a patrol supervisor and mobile field force squad leader, navigating significant events across the vibrant landscape of Los Angeles.

In 2012, Julie's ascent continued as she embraced therole of Lieutenant Watch Commander, skillfully overseeing a formidable team of 75 officers and six sergeants. Her leadership journey has been marked by her tenure as the Officer-in-Charge of a Gang Impact Team, where she adeptlymanaged a uniformed gang unit, a narcotics unit, and a vice unit, demonstrating her multifaceted expertise. Furthermore, she has served as Adjutant to the Chief of Staff, working closely with the Chief of Police, and commanded the West Valley Detectives, supervising a dynamic team of 50 detectives and five professional staff, including three insightful Crime Analysts. In December 2023, Julie reached a new pinnacle in her career, being promoted to Captain and entrusted with the leadership of the Wilshire Division, where she currently oversees a robust team of 275 police officers, 30 field sergeants, and fourlieutenants, embodying the spirit of service and commitment to her community.

Hey there! Ever wondered what it's like to get an inside look at the FBI without actually becoming an employee? Meet Alicia Wadas, a remarkable civilian leader who shares her leadership journey to becoming the President of the FBI’s National Citizens Academy Alumni Association. She's all about building bridges between communities and the FBI. And guess what? In 2023, she earned a one of a kind award from the FBI director. Get inspired by her story!

Suzanna Hasnay is a retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent with over 20 years of law enforcement experience and is now the President of Fredericksburg, Virginia-based PoliceSpirit, LLC, where she trains on mindfulness-based strategies for human performance, leadership and well-being primarily for law enforcement and public safety professionals. After retiring from the Bureau, she became the first mindfulness and yoga coach for its Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) and is a mindfulness trainer for HRT’s New Operator Training School (NOTS) and specialized FBI bomb technicians. Suzanna gets real and shares her origin story, challenges, successes, and self-discovery journey- a journey that led her to the FBI and eventually to finding mindfulness. She also shares with us her amazing trip to Nepal and tips on how to find mindfulness at the end of your day. Tune in today!

In this episode, Doris Garcia-Smith shares her unique journey from having a passion to ballet and the arts to joining the NYPD and the FBI. While at the NYPD she worked patrol, responded to emergency calls, worked an 8-month assignment in support of 911, worked in the press office, and worked in a vice/undercover unit. A New Yorker at heart, she calls the NYPD her first passion. After 12 years of service at the NYPD, she joined the FBI as a Staff Operations Specialist (SOS), where she was embedded with Counterintelligence squads in NYC and later supported the Agency as an Intelligence Analyst in Washington, D.C. Doris' passion to serve continues today as she works as a background investigator. To learn more about her, tune in today or visit badassinheels.com.

Ready to be inspired? The last episode of 2024 brings you an enthralling conversation with retired Supervisory Special Agent Sarah Draper, who takes us through her journey from West Point to the FBI! Sarah served in the Army for 8 years, was stationed in Germany and South Korea and served during the Kosovo war as an officer in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps. She then joined the Bureau, where she did amazing criminal, cyber-terrorism, and espionage work for 20 years. Her final assignment with the FBI was as an instructor at the FBI National Academy, where she realized the need for leaders to discuss wellness. She is now the owner of Leading Well Strategies and if you are in dire need of coaching or a wellness talk, Sarah is your gal. If you have been wondering how to be more present, Sarah shares some tips with us.

Special Agent Alex Montilla has been with the FBI for almost 30 years and she is unstoppable. She has worked violent crimes against children, counterintelligence matters, and over 300 kidnappings. In this episode Alex candidly shares her personal story and some of her cases, such as the investigation into the disappearance and murder of Natalee Holloway. She has been in the Miami's extraterritorial squad for 18 years and for the longest time she was the only woman in the squad defying stereotypes. Her frequent deployments to hotspots around the globe, including Haiti, Peru, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador, and Belize, are part of her commitment to confronting injustice. Alex is a trailblazer who received the prestigious Attorney General Award and the FBI Director’s Award for excellence in casework.

Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Debbie Michaels shares with us her 37-year journey with the Bureau. Debbie was recruited while in high school and went to do extraordinary work, from being a founding member of the FBI's first national initiative against online child exploitation to working narcotics and violent crimes. She ascended the ladder and led command posts, provided active shooter training to law enforcement officers nationwide and ended her career at Quantico as the counselor of the National Academy class session 284. For her extraordinary efforts, Debbie was recognized by WIFLE as female federal law enforcement officer in 2019! But it's not all about work--Debbie gets real and shares with us her personal story and also provides valuable advice to aspiring female Special Agents. Tune in today to listen to Debbie's badass story.