SERVING ALL AGENCIES WHO SEEK TO NOT JUST CHECK THE BOX!
About Us
Don't Just Check the Box
Beyond the Badge Summits exist to advance systemic change in how health and wellness are approached within law enforcement and first responder communities. These summits are not designed to satisfy minimum training requirements or provide short-term motivation. Rather, they focus on delivering evidence-informed, actionable, and sustainable strategies that support the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of those who serve, both professionally and personally.
The Beyond the Badge: Health & Wellness Summit is a two-day immersive training experience designed to address the complex realities of public safety service while equipping first responders and leaders with the tools, insight, and courage to build healthier individuals and stronger organizations. This program moves beyond surface-level wellness initiatives and into honest, experience-driven dialogue about identity, trauma, leadership responsibility, and cultural change. It is not a motivational seminar. It is a professional development experience grounded in lived experience, leadership accountability, and real-world application.
Day One focuses on identity, connection, and organizational culture. The day opens with Opening Ceremonies and a welcome from Chief Chris Workman, setting a tone of respect, intention, and shared purpose. Participants then engage in Calming Stormy Seas: How Yoga Quieted the Storm Within, where Vance Row shares his personal journey through cumulative stress, alcohol misuse, and suicidal ideation. His story highlights the hidden cost of the job and the power of non-traditional wellness tools, such as yoga, in building resilience and saving lives. This session challenges stigma, redefines strength, and encourages participants to explore healthier ways to manage stress and trauma. Finding Your Tribe shifts the focus to self-leadership and belonging. Participants are challenged to get clear on who they are, what they value, and how they choose to show up in their lives and careers. This session emphasizes that leadership begins within and that the right relationships shape confidence, decision-making, and long-term resilience. It encourages participants to move away from fitting in and toward surrounding themselves with people who support growth, accountability, and authenticity. The afternoon centers on organizational wellness and performance. Unlocking Elite Performance explores how psychological safety, trust, and respect are the foundation of high-performing teams. Participants examine how culture directly impacts burnout, engagement, and officer well-being, and how leaders can create environments where every voice is valued and performance can thrive. Day One concludes with PTSD911 – Why Self-Care Matters, using documentary storytelling and guided discussion to explore the hidden emotional battles faced by first responders, the impact of trauma on the brain, and the importance of early support. This session reinforces that no one has to suffer in silence and that help is available.
Day Two addresses trauma, reality, and responsibility. Strong Doesn’t Mean Untouched challenges the long-standing belief that strength means hiding pain and reframes resilience as recovery, honesty, and growth. Participants explore cumulative trauma and the path toward post-traumatic growth rather than emotional suppression. Line of Duty Death: Navigating the Ultimate Sacrifice examines strategic readiness, leadership responsibility, and the realities agencies face when tragedy strikes. This session is designed to take participants out of their comfort zone and challenge their thinking about preparedness, leadership, and cultural impact. The afternoon focuses on suicide awareness and self-preservation through BYAC Crash Course – Saving Yourself. This session addresses a hard truth in public safety: we are trained extensively to save others, but rarely taught how to save ourselves. Participants explore why many first responders do not use available resources, the role of identity and anchors, and how to begin their own healing journey. The summit closes with The Seven Deadly Sins of Public Safety Wellness, an unfiltered examination of gatekeeping, ego, performative wellness, and the exploitation of lived experience within the wellness space. This session challenges agencies and leaders to confront uncomfortable truths and refocus wellness efforts on the people they are meant to serve.
The Beyond the Badge: Health & Wellness Summit is designed to strengthen self-awareness, normalize conversations around trauma, equip leaders to build psychologically safe cultures, challenge harmful traditions, and reinforce ethical leadership and accountability. Beyond the Badge is not about checking a box. It is about changing lives, changing culture, and changing the future of public safety.