On Episode 171 of the Check Your Six podcast, I had the absolute pleasure of talking with 20 year veteran Mitch Vazquez from Southern Colorado about his business Rugged Mountain Outfitters and more importantly his non-profit, Heroes Harvest. Always love talking with fellow veterans, especially those that are doing work like Mitch and helping those veterans that are having issues and struggles, cope with their circumstances. We talked about the conversation he had with a fellow service member before he retired that basically called him out on being a father and husband. That led to a 30+ day walk about in the mountains that changed the trajectory of his life and his family. What they do at Heroes Harviest is not sit with a bunch of others veterans in a meeting talking about your issues, it is getting out and facing those challenges in the wilderness. I did ask if Air Force veterans would be able to handles something like this with no room service or comfortable beds but he seems to think maybe they could handle it! He shared a story of a vet that was ready to become a "22 Per Day Statistic" when he received the call from Heroes Harvest that he had been accepted to the program and passed along some great advice...don't let the last 20 years of service define what you are going to do for the next 20 years. You can find out more at https://www.heroesharvests.org/

Email us at tim@grpstudios.com

Adrian was back for his last episode on the Check Your Six podcast and giving some insight into the why behind his business, Proficiency Background Service. Community is a huge part of Adrian's why, partially from his upbringing and The Affinity Program that he initiated at the Seminole Chamber, with the help of Rebecca Arthur, is juste one proof of that. They providing support from a financial and or services standpoint for non-profits from the proceeds of their screening services. He talked about his time with Leadership Orlando and the information that is provided in so many areas that we are just not aware of. His time with Up Orlando and his chance to give back to help in what they are doing, our connection with Sean Esler and what he does in the community, just so many reason to love what this man does and how he gives back. Can't wait to see what happens in the rest of 2026 and his business!!

Email us at tim@grpstudios.com

The 3rd in a short series with Adrian Thacker with Proficiency Background Services brought him back in to GRP Studios to talk about the levels of background checks that they complete. What a Level 1, Level 2 checks and beyond consist of and how certain industries use those types of checks. Talked about the Healthcare industry either in the facilities themselves or in the schools/training centers that may require different checks at different times for compliance. Clear to Care is one of the background check services that allow for longer times between background checks as opposed to nearly yearly check being done. Also talked about the trucking industry and some of the challenges with the current news of drivers that are not even citizens and are not being subject to those checks, We also talked about some of here industries that they are not in, including what we do as part of the film or broadcast media as well as the banking industry which has it own set of compliance for banking as well as the securities and exchange industry. Always enjoy having him in the studio and get to do it one more time on the next episode!!

Email us at tim@grpstudios.com

Part II of Adrian Thacker and Proficiency Backgrounds is on the schedule today, a little late in the drop zone because of the schedule for GRP Studios, but it is finally up and running. Adrian talked a little bit deeper on what they do, moving from just a screening/background checks to a whole back end support for businesses to make sure they are only paying for what they need and being totally compliant in whatever industry they operate in. We talked about how some companies only care about the money they are making and not the impact they are making on the community and how Proficiency Backgrounds can perhaps change that narrative. Also the impact of AI was discussed and how cost "savings" with AI are not always being seen by the consumer as well as the loss of customer service and a disconnect with the community that the business serves!! You can find out more about what they do at https://proficiencybackground.com/about/

Email us at tim@grpstudios.com

Episode 167 of the Check Your Six podcast brought a great guest back into GRP Studios, Adrian Thacker of Proficiency Background Services. This is Part 1 of 4 where we start start to build on creating a podcast for Adrian about his industry. It has been a little over 4 years since he was in the first time and things have changed quite a bit for him, his business and the industry. We talked about why he decided to move into the arena and not the engineering that he loved, but an experience that he had in an employment process really changed the course of his life. He determined that what he went through is a struggle that more people that we realize face and especially those from lower income backgrounds, may not have the ability to fight. I thoroughly enjoyed having Adrian in the studio for these sessions and I can't wait to hear what he has coming in 2026. You can find out more about him on his website, https://proficiencybackground.com/, this isn't your daddy's old style background checks, this is cutting edge.

Email us at tim@grpstudios.com

Long time friend Staci Talley stopped by GRP Studios for Episode 166 of the Check Your Six Podcast. Staci and I met probably close to 15 years ago or more when we were both involved with Marty Jean-Louis and the My Christian Films studio here in Orlando. We have watched her go from someone that was looking to pursue an acting career to a producer for national accounts working with ad agencies. Her decision to be a part of a Jordan Brady workshop/seminar helped her begin to understand what is available and to not be afraid of stepping out into the unknown. We talked about her realizing that we can't do everything, get a good accountant if you want to start your business and NETWORKING, NETWORKING, NETWORKING, especially when you are trying to get into this industry. Also talked a lot about her work with WIFT Florida, her involvement now as VP of the Florida WIFT and the value there is in being a part of that group as well as the Film Florida and your local film commissions throughout Florida. Always a great time when we can meet and every once in a while actually call on her to help with projects!!

Email us at tim@grpstudios.com

Episode 165 is somewhat different from first 164 episode that I have done and it comes after a bit of a hiatus. We have been pretty busy and had some issues with the A/C unit in the recording studio but thanks to Shaw Air, they wrangled the problem and got us back up and running. This episode actually focuses on something that I have not talked about much at all on the podcast, that is my faith and being a Christ follower in the wake of Charlie Kirks death. It has made me realize that I have not lived the faith that I have proclaimed for so long and have not been vocal about my hope of eternity in Christ. The political climate seems to have created the inability of people to have differences of opinion/belief/view without becoming offended and the the circumstances around Charlies death are proof of that. I know some will be offended at the topic but as I say in the podcast, you have to choose to be offended. Not trying to hammer anyone over the head, just saying what I believe and not concerned anymore with the results of speaking truth.

Email us at tim@grpstudios.com

Tony Boni and Sean Esler stopped by the GRP Studios with some Seminole County H.S Interns that are working with them and the Be The Change Today Foundation. Tony and Sean have both been on the podcast before in different capacities but today was all about Be The Change Today Foundation and what they are doing to change our community. It started with poker tournaments that raised money for specific charities, which was tremendously successful but the direction has evolved and developed to include future pickleball tournaments, domino tournaments and other options to raise money for charities that can't always do it themselves. A lot of help came from the AFP - Association of Fundraising Professionals but we also talked about how they are adapting the original idea into a much larger scale for putting the "Fun" back in FUNdraising. Talked about charity marketing, the Seminole County Schools Intern Program, how the donation dollars are used and what the BTCTF operational costs are, how charities will be vetted that will be receiving the donations and some other topics that help tell their story. Looking forward to what they will be doing going forward and how much of an impact they can make! You can find out more about them here at https://bethechangetodayfoundation.org/?fbclid=IwY2xjawMDSKBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETEwdFZ3aUdUd1ROc0pOOUp0AR7MqJ_RYyuWUg8NrsGLX3TZk3iLysUw9btdUfa2lDRVC5xgXLzJOs3Exhnx_Q_aem_g0vCym5iM6DENcD_dslszA

Email us at tim@grpstudios.com