Beyond the Stretch
Uncle Mike and Cousin Vinnie
Publishing Details
About This Podcast
Beyond the Stretch is a fire service podcast delivering real-life advice for listeners. Prepare to be entertained by co-hosts Uncle Mike and Cousin Vinnie as they discuss all aspects of the job while sharing unscripted lessons from their career's experiences.
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Recent Episodes
S5E54 BTS - Episode 54 - "Character"
What starts with a terrible podcast intro somehow turns into a conversation about character, leadership, and the choices that define us. In Episode 54, Cousin Vinnie and Uncle Mike mix humor,…
S5E53 BTS - Episode 53 - "Parental Advisory"
Quarterly newsletter time. Cousin Vinnie and Uncle Mike are finally back with Episode 53, “Parental Advisory.” From long gaps between episodes to NFPA moving faster than the podcast schedule, the…
S5E52 BTS Episode 52 - BC Adam Oleszkowicz - "Half Way"
Cousin Vinnie and Uncle Mike welcome Battalion Chief Adam Oleszkowicz to the garage for a rare guest appearance on Beyond the Stretch. With nearly 20 years in the fire service, Adam talks about good…
S5E51 BTS - Episode 51 - "Menu"
Back in El Garage for Season 5, Cousin Vinnie and Uncle Mike kick things off talking music, Olympic hype, and why Snoop Dogg somehow makes perfect sense as Team USA’s ambassador. Episode 51 brings…
S4E50 BTS - Episode 50 - "Open Mic"
Episode 50 hits different. Cousin Vinnie and Uncle Mike celebrate the milestone with family in the room, twins in the mix, and a quick reminder that Beyond the Stretch is still “family-friendly” in…
S4E49 BTS - Episode 49 - "Unwilling"
Episode 49 almost died thanks to bad whiskey, root beer, and a cursed SD card. But we’re back. Unwilling is firehouse chaos, family moments, and real talk you didn’t know you needed.
S4E48 BTS - Episode 48 - "Thermostat"
In this episode, we toe the line of one of the edgiest firehouse roles—acting company officer. Uncle Mike throws down the challenge: Are you the thermostat or the thermometer? One sets the tone, the…
S4E47 BTS - Episode 47 - "AI"
Yes, we went there. Uncle Mike was sober before the first sip of bourbon and got serious with AI. Don't worry we make sense of the technology and bring it back to firefighting - sort of.
S4E46 BTS - Episode 46 - "Coordinator"
Manager? Naw man, we prefer the title of Coordinator to describe Uncle Mike. Take a listen and we will explain.
S4E45 BTS - Episode 45 - "The Grey"
Uncle Mike and Cousin Vinnie share thoughts about the similarities between parenting and leadership in the fire service. Both of these roles require the individual to function in the trivial "grey"…
S4E44 BTS - Episode 44 "Everybody"
It is everybody's job no matter how small. That's the marching order in 2025 per Uncle Mike.
S4E43 BTS - Episode 43 "Now"
Our leaders message to the rank and file typically involves the future of the organization. But what about the now?
S4E42 BTS - Episode 42 - "The Meaning"
Number 42 finds us talking about a wide array of topics, from reputations to high performers. We also plug our whiskey, Uncle Nearest 1856.
S4E41 BTS - Episode 41 - "Ghosts Continued"
Continuing on with our ghosts content, Mike and Vinnie discuss a fire in Houston, Texas that resulted in the loss of two firefighters from Houston FD. Some good information can be learned, especially…
S4E40 BTS - Episode 40 - "Rumble Strips"
Echoing a leadership analogy used by our friend; The Company Officer, Mike and Vinnie compare company officer interactions to the rumble strips on roadways.
S4E39 BTS - Episode 39 - "Grow Up Again"
We finish a shorter episode talking about ourselves a little bit. Leading off is the question, “What would you be doing if you weren’t a firefighter?”
S4E38 BTS - Episode 38 - "Ghosts"
Kicking off Season 4 with a new concept. "Ghosts". We are going to discuss some challenges and unfortunate events firefighters experienced resulting in a LODD back in 1999. What did we learn from…
S3E37 BTS - Episode 37 - "Motussin"
The final episode of 2023 finds the two of us talking about the crazy new hiring processes departments are implementing in order to quickly fill their organization's ranks. Wrapping up 2023 talking…
S3E36 BTS - Episode 36 - "Old School"
We take on a suggestion from one of our listeners and tackle the process of "bridging the gap" between the old school and new school firefighters.
S3E35 BTS - Episode 35 - "Pumpkin Spice"
Nothing sets the the tone for a shift war like some stolen pumpkin spice coffee creamer. But how do we end the absurd behaviors? Well, maybe buffaloes have the answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beyond the Stretch has published 54 episodes since February 2022, covering topics in Business, Careers.
Beyond the Stretch is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 37m.
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