Kevin and Nole reunite on The Fire You Carry. They kick things off with paramedic shifts under a full moon and memories from the station, before diving deep into the raw realities of leadership, pride, and marriage.

Kevin reflects on the power and community of the 6th Annual 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at the LA County Firefighter Museum, while Nole shares a transparent look into a recent marital argument where pride nearly won out over prayer. Together, they break down the concept of "surrendering to win," realigning inverted priorities (Faith, Family, Fitness, Career, Service), and learning when to delegate and slow down at work and home.

Big thank you to My Epic and Facedown Records for the use of their song "Hail" in our podcast!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz2RZThURTU&ab_channel=FacedownRecords

Get tickets to The Battle For Mental Health Boxing Event!

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-battle-for-mental-health

The Fire You Carry on YouTube.

Sign up for a class at The Fire Up Program!

https://www.fireupprogram.com/programs

The Fire Up Progam video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I__ErPW46Ec&t=12s&ab_channel=FireUpProgram

The Fire You Carry Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/thefireyoucarry/

Donate to The Fire Up Program.

https://www.fireupprogram.com/donate

The Fire Up Program Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/fireup_program/

Kevin's Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/kevinpwelsh/?hl=en

In this episode of The Fire You Carry Podcast, Nole sits down with LA County Fire Captain Nate Denver. From bizarre childhood encounters with runaway chimpanzees wearing silver chains to touring in hardcore/death metal bands, writing for iconic publications like Thrasher and Slap, and navigating life as an LA County firefighter, Captain Denver shares a uniquely creative, disciplined, and eclectic life story.

They dive into the transition from hands-on engineer work to command-level leadership, the emotional and cathartic power of aggressive music, maintaining lifelong fitness routines (including cartwheels and seven-minute abs), and how an unexpected phone call from Limp Bizkit’s Wes Borland brought Nate to Southern California.

Big thank you to My Epic and Facedown Records for the use of their song "Hail" in our podcast!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz2RZThURTU&ab_channel=FacedownRecords

Get tickets to The Battle For Mental Health Boxing Event!

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-battle-for-mental-health

The Fire You Carry on YouTube.

Sign up for a class at The Fire Up Program!

https://www.fireupprogram.com/programs

The Fire Up Progam video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I__ErPW46Ec&t=12s&ab_channel=FireUpProgram

The Fire You Carry Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/thefireyoucarry/

Donate to The Fire Up Program.

https://www.fireupprogram.com/donate

The Fire Up Program Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/fireup_program/

Kevin's Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/kevinpwelsh/?hl=en

On this episode of The Fire You Carry, Nole sits down with his former youth pastor and longtime friend, Cliff Carey (Executive Pastor at Sunrise Community Church and host of The Backshed Bible Study).

Cliff and Nole take a trip down memory lane, reminiscing about growing up rugged at Hume Lake, hitting dirt berms in a Suburban, and the lessons learned along the way. But the heart of this conversation dives deep into the intentional calling of fatherhood: how to guide boys through their teenage years and launch them into Godly, capable men.

They break down the dangers of "snowplow parenting," the importance of letting kids face hard tasks and failure, practical frameworks for teaching life skills, and why our children need to see the real, uncompartmentalized version of who we are.

Key Takeaways & Episode Highlights

• The Hume Lake Days: Nole’s youth, the freedom of growing up in the mountains, and memories of crazy road trips with Cliff.
• Success vs. Significance: Shifting focus in your 50s toward leaving a lasting legacy in your children.
• Feedback from an Older Son: What Cliff learned when his college-age son told him what he wished he had learned at home.
• Intentional Breakfasts & Practical Roadmaps: Cliff’s strategy with his 15-year-old, focusing on knowing Jesus, knowing yourself, and becoming self-sufficient.
• Resisting "Snowplow Parenting": Why stepping back and letting boys struggle through physical chores and problem-solving builds true character.
• Modeling Over Lecturing: Why showing emotional honesty, healthy conflict resolution in marriage, and spiritual consistency matters far more than just talking about it.
• Dropping the Compartments: Why fathers, especially first responders and leaders, need to bring their genuine selves home rather than shutting down.

The Back Shed Bible Study

https://open.spotify.com/show/4u8xYpEipoeZl60bgRa6Q1?si=1592350a8f914140

• Big thank you to My Epic and Facedown Records for the use of their song "Hail" in our podcast!
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz2RZThURTU&ab_channel=FacedownRecords
• Get tickets to The Battle For Mental Health Boxing Event!
  https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-battle-for-mental-health
  
  
• The Fire You Carry on YouTube.
  
  
• Sign up for a class at The Fire Up Program!
  https://www.fireupprogram.com/programs
  
  The Fire Up Progam video.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I__ErPW46Ec&t=12s&ab_channel=FireUpProgram
  
  The Fire You Carry Instagram.
  https://www.instagram.com/thefireyoucarry/
  
  Donate to The Fire Up Program.
  https://www.fireupprogram.com/donate
  
  The Fire Up Program Instagram.
  https://www.instagram.com/fireup_program/
  
  Kevin's Instagram.
  https://www.instagram.com/kevinpwelsh/?hl=en