Service Above Self: A Memorial Day Tribute to the Heroes Who Defended Our Freedom

Episode of Mick Unplugged · May 25, 2026 · 59 min

Mick Hunt's Memorial Day compilation revisits interviews with Robert Irvine, JoAnne Bass, Rob O'Neill, CZ Colón-López and Michelle Curran on service, purpose and leadership.

Summary

This Memorial Day episode of Mick Unplugged compiled excerpts from host Mick Hunt's earlier interviews with five figures connected to military service, each asked for their "because", the motivation Hunt considers deeper than a person's why. Chef Robert Irvine said his drive was helping people who need him, noting that many retired service members and first responders lose their sense of purpose. He described learning to listen more over his television career and outlined four leadership principles from his book Overcoming Impossible: empathetic leadership, trust, ego management and authenticity, while rejecting micromanagement.

Retired Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass recounted enlisting for the GI Bill and re-enlisting to pay off a Honda Civic before committing to a career. She stressed that only 1% of Americans serve, argued that the other 99% must help solve recruiting challenges, and called for updated personnel policies and a talent-focused, "Ocean's Eleven"-style future military. Former Navy SEAL Robert J. O'Neill named family as his motivation, discussed PTSD and depression coping habits, and recounted saying goodbye to his three-year-old daughter before the Osama bin Laden raid and the tense 90-minute flight back to Afghanistan. He emphasized mastering the basics as the core of preparation.

CZ Colón-López said his motivation was that human life is temporary, and described how early disciplinary trouble and failing pararescue training the first time taught him to treat failure as fuel; he identified humility as his greatest leadership lesson, warning against surrounding oneself with yes men. Former Thunderbirds pilot Michelle Curran described building a legacy as a solo entrepreneur and speaker, her path from a Wisconsin childhood and an ROTC scholarship to fighter aviation, and the impostor syndrome she felt about identifying as a leader.

Chapters

0:03
Robert Irvine's because
Irvine said helping people in need drives him and described veterans losing purpose after retirement.
2:12
Tough love and self-reflection
Irvine described his hard upbringing and how he learned to listen more on television and in business.
5:48
Overcoming Impossible and leadership principles
Irvine laid out four leadership principles from his book and explained why he does not micromanage.
10:51
JoAnne Bass's path into the Air Force
Bass described enlisting for the GI Bill and coming to value the 1% of Americans who serve.
17:02
Bass's because and recruiting the next generation
Bass tied her motivation to a free nation for her children and called for modernized personnel policies to attract young talent.
22:43
Rob O'Neill on family and mental health
O'Neill named family as his motivation and discussed stepping away from phones and coping with PTSD and depression.
25:28
The bin Laden raid and the 90-minute flight
O'Neill recounted leaving his daughter before the raid and counting down the flight out of Pakistan.
31:45
Preparation and mastering the basics
O'Neill argued that preparation starts with mastering simple fundamentals.
33:25
CZ Colón-López on purpose and misfortunes
Colón-López described his motivation, early disciplinary setbacks and failing then passing pararescue training.
40:48
Humility as a leadership lesson
Colón-López warned that rising leaders who believe their own hype become victims of their own success.
43:17
Michelle Curran's legacy as an entrepreneur
Curran described her motivation of building a legacy through speaking and her book after military service.
47:15
From Wisconsin to fighter jets
Curran recounted her grandfather's World War II trunk, her ROTC scholarship and the moment she chose to fly fighters.
51:18
Accepting the role of leader
Curran discussed impostor syndrome about identifying as a leader despite leading as a flight lead and Thunderbirds lead solo.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Robert Irvine
Irvine observes that many service members and first responders lose their sense of purpose after retiring.
“And I find that happening a lot to service members, firefighters, police officers, all those that have been in service that when they retire, have lost that sense of purpose”
Listen from 0:46 · Veterans' transition to civilian life
Robert Irvine
Irvine says money has never motivated him and that his aim is to make a difference for people who are lost.
“Money does not drive me. It never has. It never will. It's about how do we make a difference in people's lives that are lost”
Listen from 1:33
Robert Irvine
Irvine says self-reflection taught him to listen more rather than impose fixes, changing how he approached his shows in recent years.
“But what I've learned over the years is after self-reflection is, listen more”
Listen from 2:44 · Restaurant Impossible
Robert Irvine
Irvine claims he has done 350 Restaurant Impossible makeovers with a 93% success rate in the years since COVID.
“350 on Restaurant Impossible, 93% success after the last three years after COVID”
Listen from 6:50 · Restaurant Impossible
Robert Irvine
Irvine says he rejects micromanagement, instead setting goals, tools and expectations and then following up.
“But I don't believe in micromanaging. As a leader, here's my goal. Here are the tools. Here are my expectations”
Listen from 9:01 · Micromanagement
JoAnne Bass
Bass stresses that only 1% of Americans serve in the military, yet the nation's freedom and prosperity depend on them.
“Only 1% of the United States population serves our military. Yet we are a free and prosperous nation because of that 1%”
Listen from 11:31 · United States Air Force
JoAnne Bass
Bass describes service members as a major source of talent for employers and the nation.
“I do call our service members America's greatest competitive advantage”
Listen from 14:42 · Veterans' transition to civilian life
JoAnne Bass
Bass argues that military recruiting challenges cannot be solved by the 1% who serve alone and require the rest of America.
“we can't count on just the 1% serving to figure out our recruiting challenges”
Listen from 15:04 · Military recruitment in the United States
JoAnne Bass
Bass argues the future military should prioritize talent and potential over rank, resembling an Ocean's Eleven-style team.
“when I think about the military that we're going to need in the future, it looks more like Ocean's Eleven than it does”
Listen from 21:14 · Military recruitment in the United States
Robert J. O'Neill
O'Neill says he prefers spending time with neighbors over social media, which he believes promotes unreality and division.
“I think we're getting sucked into a place where we're looking at things that aren't real. And a lot of the forces out there want to try to divide people”
Listen from 23:00
Linked moment · 25:28Skip to 25:28 using a listen link in the info box.
Robert J. O'Neill
O'Neill describes coping with PTSD and depression by getting out of bed and going into the sunshine.
“if I'm having a bad day, I'll take my shirt off, force a smile, and go stand in the sunshine, even if there's clouds”
Listen from 25:10 · Post-traumatic stress disorder
Robert J. O'Neill
O'Neill says the bin Laden raid felt worth the risk of death because of the families affected by 9/11.
“because so many families were affected by 9-11, and we might die, this is worth it”
Listen from 27:30 · Killing of Osama bin Laden
Robert J. O'Neill
O'Neill recounts advising himself during the flight out not to waste energy worrying about things he could not affect.
“if you're worried about something right now that your worry will not affect, you're wasting your energy”
Listen from 28:32 · Killing of Osama bin Laden
Robert J. O'Neill
O'Neill says the team had to move quickly in Abbottabad partly to avoid confrontations with Pakistani police.
“And the last thing I wanted to do was kill a policeman doing his job”
Listen from 28:58 · Killing of Osama bin Laden
Robert J. O'Neill
O'Neill says the SEALs cleared bin Laden's compound by relying on simple, mastered basics.
“The guy in front of me went left. I went right. And we did that over and over”
Listen from 33:11 · Killing of Osama bin Laden
Ramón "CZ" Colón-López
Colón-López says his motivation is the finite nature of life, which demands making every moment count.
“My because is simply because we're temporary. Our existence is numbered”
Listen from 33:48
Ramón "CZ" Colón-López
Colón-López says after failing pararescue training he rebuilt his strength by cycling everywhere and swimming five days a week.
“I went ahead and parked my car. I started riding my bicycle everywhere to go ahead and get that leg strength that I needed”
Listen from 37:27 · United States Air Force Pararescue
Ramón "CZ" Colón-López
Colón-López recounts receiving nonjudicial punishment and a demotion early in his Air Force career.
“Got an article 15 that is a nonjudicial punishment for adverse behavior. And I got demoted”
Listen from 38:27 · United States Air Force
Ramón "CZ" Colón-López
Colón-López warns that senior leaders surrounded by yes men risk believing their own hype and losing credibility.
“You start getting a lot of yes men around you. And that is very dangerous because if you start believing that hype”
Listen from 42:40
Michelle "Mace" Curran
Curran describes moving from active-duty military structure to solo entrepreneurship as a major shift.
“being an entrepreneur post active duty military, quite the shift, quite the change in just structure”
Listen from 43:53 · Veterans' transition to civilian life
Michelle "Mace" Curran
Curran says seeing fighter jets take off on a base visit made her abandon her plan to join the FBI.
“We end up visiting an Air Force base and I see two fighter jets take off in full afterburner”
Listen from 50:55 · United States Air Force
Michelle "Mace" Curran
Curran says she felt impostor syndrome about the title of leader because she left the Air Force before becoming a squadron commander.
“that's one of those titles that I always felt a lot of imposter syndrome around”
Listen from 51:51 · Impostor syndrome

People

In the conversation

Mick HuntHost of the Mick Unplugged podcast
Robert IrvineBritish-born celebrity chef, Restaurant Impossible host, military veteran and veterans' advocate
JoAnne BassRetired Chief Master Sergeant of the U.S. Air Force
Robert J. O'NeillFormer U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six member who took part in the Osama bin Laden raid
Ramón "CZ" Colón-LópezRetired Air Force pararescueman and former Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; author of Carnivore Leadership
Michelle "Mace" CurranFormer U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and Thunderbirds lead solo, now keynote speaker and author

Discussed

Osama bin LadenAl-Qaeda leader hunted by U.S. forces after 9/11
Al MichaelsAmerican sportscaster who called the 1980 Miracle on Ice

Topics

From the publisher

You don't rise to the occasion, you rise or fall to your level of preparation. This Memorial Day episode features reflections from figures like Chef Robert Irvine and Michelle Mace-Curren on military service and leadership. Delve into the deep driving forces behind dedication and self-sacrifice, exploring the critical role of preparation in overcoming impossible challenges. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN - Chef Robert Irvine's mission to help those lost - The reason behind a 30-year Air Force veteran's call for help - Why micromanaging doesn't constitute leadership - 4 principles for building strong, loyal teams - The significance of 1% of the US population serving in the military QUOTES THAT HIT "Because there are people out there that need my help." - Memorial Day "If you're worried about something right now that your worry will not affect, you're wasting your energy." - Memorial Day "My because is simply because we're temporary." - Memorial Day CHAPTERS 00:03 Mick Unplugged: Your Because 00:46 Chef Irvine's Because: Helping Others 02:12 Tough Love and Relatability 05:48 Overcoming Impossible: Start with Chapter One 07:29 Empathetic Leadership: Beyond Micromanagement 10:51 Military Service: A Daughter-in-Law's Journey 17:03 My Because: A Free Nation 22:43 Robert J. Ono's Because: Family 28:02 Bin Laden Raid: The 90-Minute Flight 32:31 Preparation: Master the Basics 33:23 CZ Lopez: Purpose and Misfortunes 43:17 Michelle Mace-Curren: Legacy and Leadership QUESTIONS THIS EPISODE ANSWERS Q: What does Chef Robert Irvine consider his "because"? A: Chef Robert Irvine says his "because" is that there are people out there who need his help, and he uses his platform for the betterment of others who are less fortunate. Q: How does Michelle Mace-Curren define her "because" as an entrepreneur after military service? A: Michelle Mace-Curren finds her "because" in creating her legacy now, seeing the tangible inspiration in front of her eyes when she gives keynote speeches, and knowing that…

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 28, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Management·Society & Culture·Self-Improvement