WWIA Podcast

We are blessed and honored to have some remarkable partnerships that help us further our mission. One such partner of the Foundation is HotSpring Spas of Music City. Owned and operated by brothers Dennis and Kevin Croteau, they have been tremendous supporters over the years of WWIA and the Purple Heart Heroes we proudly serve. Today, WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel welcomes Kevin Croteau to the WWIA Podcast.

Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Kevin Croteau is an Army Ranger who proudly served in the U.S. Army & U.S. Army Reserves for 29 plus years. He has numerous awards from his service to our country, including the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Senior Parachute Wings, Bronze Service Star, and Ranger Tab, amongst many others. Kevin graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management, and has a Master of Arts degree from Webster University, in Health Services Management. Post military career, Kevin joined his brother Dennis in the Pool & Spa Industry.  Since 2007 to present, they have grown from a single retail store to operating five retail HotSpring Spa locations from Nashville to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Learn more about HotSpring Spas:

Music City: https://hssofmusiccity.com/

Knoxville: https://hssofmusiccity.com/about/our-showrooms/knoxville/

Murfreesboro: https://hssofmusiccity.com/about/our-showrooms/murfreesboro/

Franklin: https://hssofmusiccity.com/about/our-showrooms/franklin/

Lebanon: https://hssofmusiccity.com/about/our-showrooms/lebanon/

Crossville: https://hssofmusiccity.com/about/our-showrooms/crossville/

WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel welcomes National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame Inductee and Legendary Angler Joe Bucher to the WWIA Podcast. Joe is one of the most highly regarded multispecies fishing authorities in the outdoor business trade, having been an on-camera talent for 24 years. While his specialty is arguably muskies, Joe is equally adept at catching bass, walleyes, and other gamefish. Joe is the owner of Joe Bucher Outdoors and is also host of the popular award-winning TV series “Fishing with Joe Bucher”.

Joe has also authored six books on various aspects of fishing as well as being a regular contributing writer for many regional and national fishing publications. His articles regularly appear in the pages of Outdoor News Publications as well as Musky Hunter Magazine, which he founded. He has been a writer of fishing articles for over 35 years with his first article appearing in Fishing Facts Magazine when he was just 19 years old!

He has pioneered many of the musky fishing concepts that are now considered mainstream techniques. His innovations in big gamefish lure design spawned several brand-new lure categories as well as creating an exciting surge in the overall interest in muskies as the featured sportfish of Midwestern anglers.

Joe has also graciously participated in the annual WWIA Eagle River Muskie Chal-Lunge, which has been honoring and serving Heroes for over a decade! Joe spends time on the water with each Purple Heart Hero, teaching them some of the skills and techniques he has mastered over the years as they pursue the elusive muskie.

This is a tremendous episode that we are excited to share with you.

Most of us would agree that we live in a day and age where the pace of life is just blistering. Considering that we only have so much time and energy to give, deciding how and what we will devote our time and energy toward is all-important. In today’s episode of the WWIA Podcast, WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel, addresses this topic and provides some insight on how we can effectively bring balance to our lives through self-reflection, asking relevant questions, and by prioritizing what matters most to us. It's a timely and relevant topic that we hope will resonate with you.

Today, WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel, shares a wonderful conversation with Purple Heart Hero and WWIA Guide, Mr. Asa Barrett.

Asa has been an avid outdoorsman since a young age. He grew up in a rural town outside Tulsa, Oklahoma, hunting and fishing with his father and grandfather at the family ranch, and also worked as a guide for a Hog Hunting outfitter on weekends during high school. His love for the outdoors and hunting became a passion that has continued into adulthood.

Asa started his military career in 2009, worked as a team leader in a heavy weapons squad, and was deployed to Afghanistan, spending his deployment in the foothills of the Hindu Kush mountains, operating in daily dismounted and mounted patrols. In 2011, Asa received injuries to his back, neck, and a severe concussion during an IED attack. He bravely fought through his injuries and remarkably continued the duration of his deployment, receiving the Purple Heart medal for injuries sustained during the combat operation. He experienced many more close encounters during intense firefights and is thankful for the lifelong friendships forged by battle during his time in theater.

Asa currently works as a Project Manager on a high-security database center and conducts numerous other projects across the country. We hope you enjoy getting to know more about this outstanding American patriot.

Our WWIA events could not take place were it not for the generosity and selfless efforts of so many remarkable Hosts across North America. Today, we are honored to introduce you to one of our WWIA event Hosts that has been helping facilitate healing and recovery in the lives of our Heroes for over a decade! WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel, welcomes Mr. Dan Bevevino to the podcast. Dan and his wife Susan proudly host two different WWIA events annually, a turkey hunt in the spring and an archery deer hunt in the fall. Their events do a superb job of involving patriotic and grateful members of the local community who assist throughout the event. Their beautiful property in Pennsylvania provides an idyllic setting for our Heroes to get away from the demands of everyday life so they can relax, connect with their fellow Purple Heart recipients, and enjoy some world-class hunting and fishing in the great outdoors. Dan and Susan have both worked in the healthcare industry for over 30 years and share 3 wonderful adult children who are also heavily involved in contributing to each event. We are excited to share this episode with you and hope you enjoy getting to know more about Dan, his family, and their tremendous contributions to the mission of WWIA.

It is an honor to introduce you to some of America’s remarkable combat-wounded veterans. Sharing their stories and experiences with all of you is a high privilege. This week on the WWIA Podcast, WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel welcomes an outstanding Purple Heart Hero to the broadcast, Mr. Jason Gaudette.

Jason proudly served in the United States Army for 20 years, traveling across the globe, before retiring in 2014 while stationed in Alaska. He currently serves as an Administrative Specialist for the Naval Information Warfare Center, and also serves as a Guide for WWIA, leading his fellow Purple Heart recipients during events across North America. Jason is an avid outdoorsman whose love for hunting and fishing started at a young age. He has traveled throughout the United States hunting for moose, caribou, black bear, as well as fishing for giant halibut and salmon in Alaska. He’s always in search of his next adventure and enjoys sharing his knowledge with others along the way. Jason currently lives with his wife Julie and son Jackson in South Carolina, where they enjoy getting outside to fish and hunt as often as possible.

We have another exceptional guest on this episode of the WWIA Podcast. WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel is honored to share some time and a wonderful conversation with one of America’s tremendous Purple Heart Heroes, Mr. Greg Brazinsky. Greg recently retired from the United States Army after proudly serving for 20 years as a Combat Engineer. Greg is married, has three children, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from the University of Charleston. In his off time, he loves spending time with his family, enjoys woodworking, is an avid hunter and outdoorsman. He also serves as a Guide for WWIA on various events across North America, assisting his fellow Purple Heart brothers and sisters. This is a great episode that we know you’re going to enjoy.

This episode of the WWIA Podcast is all-important as we shine a light on the issue of veteran suicide. Veterans having faithfully served and defended our country are too often lost to suicide. It’s not only tragic, but also unacceptable. As United States citizens and supporters of our military, we have a duty to help these remarkable veterans overcome the issues that can lead to suicide. In this episode, WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel discusses the current statistics surrounding veteran suicide including some of the contributing causes and some of the preventative factors. He also delves into an important collaborative and evidenced-based study between WWIA and Cornell University that shows how the work WWIA is doing is helping prevent veteran suicide and improve the lives of our combat-wounded Purple Heart Heroes. If you’re a veteran, friend, or family member, and you’re struggling or considering suicide, we encourage you to please call 988 (then press 1) to be connected to a live person at the Veterans Crisis Line. You’re not alone. They are available 24 hours a day, it’s a confidential all, and they are ready and waiting to assist you. Again, simply dial 988 (then press 1).

WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel continues his veteran entrepreneur series as he welcomes Brett Baker to the program. Brett is a retired Army Ranger, husband, father of two, and the co-founder and visionary of VAUSA. VAUSA creates meaningful jobs and community for military families through strategically building remote teams for veteran and faith-based businesses. VAUSA prioritizes people over profits, believes in using their business as a ministry, and is passionate about using their God-given gifts to serve others. Brett's other passions include mentoring transitioning veterans, homeschooling his two children, and running a homestead just outside of Savannah, Georgia.

We have an exceptional episode for you today as WWIA Founder and CEO, John McDaniel welcomes a close friend and a true American Patriot to the podcast, General Douglas Crissman. Doug is a West Point graduate, having served more than 33 years in the Army, retiring as a Major General in 2021. Doug earned a master’s degree in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia, taught on the faculty at West Point, served two tours in the Pentagon, and was the senior U.S. Army officer assigned to the British Army.

An Eagle Scout, former Scoutmaster and avid outdoorsman, Doug enjoys hunting, hiking, and backpacking and recently completed several hundred miles on the Appalachian Trail. Since retiring from the Army, Doug divides his time and energy between helping to raise the next generation of Army leaders as an Army Senior Mentor, providing corporate leadership development to Fortune 500 companies as a Senior Advisor with Thayer Leadership, strategic advising as an independent consultant, and sharing his passion for the outdoors as an Assistant Manager for an outdoor gear store in Northern Virginia where he now resides.

Although a recent member of the WWIA Board of Directors, he has been involved with the growth and development of the Foundation since its inception in 2007 and looks forward to helping guide it’s continued progression to Honor, Connect, and Heal our Nation’s combat-wounded, Purple Heart recipients.