The Silvercore Podcast with Travis Bader

• Ep. 175: The Explosives Expert Who Refuses to Live a Small Life

  Matt Barnett grew up dreaming about explosives. At fourteen he blew up his hand, looked death in the face, and kept going. Today he is one of the most fascinating figures in the world of high explosives, working with everything from avalanche control to government agencies and major media productions.This conversation goes far beyond blowing things up. Matt opens up about the accident that reshaped him, the philosophy that guides his life, the power of visualization, raising strong kids, and why danger and purpose are tied together for anyone who wants to live a real life.If you have ever wondered what drives someone to chase a childhood obsession into a career most people would never dare to try, this episode will pull you in. Explosives, chemistry, freedom, leadership, self reliance, personal growth, and the fire it takes to build something meaningful. It is all here.What you will hear in this episode:• How a kid with a chemistry set became an explosives expert• The accident that nearly took Matt’s life and what he learned from it• Why humans are wired to crave controlled danger• The mindset that separates dreamers from builders• Raising kids in a world that fears risk• What freedom, responsibility, and legacy really look like• Why modern society is starving for men who refuse to live small livesIf you love conversations about resilience, purpose, freedom, and the people who shape their own world instead of waiting for permission, this one will hit home.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattexplodesstuffWebsite / Leadership Camp: https://www.impresariocamp.com/_____Silvercore Club - https://bit.ly/2RiREb4 Online Training - https://bit.ly/3nJKx7U Other Training & Services - https://bit.ly/3vw6kSU Merchandise - https://bit.ly/3ecyvk9 Blog Page - https://bit.ly/3nEHs8W Host Instagram - @Bader.Trav https://www.instagram.com/bader.travSilvercore Instagram - @SilvercoreOutdoors https://www.instagram.com/silvercoreoutdoors____TIMESTAMPS00:00 The spark that starts a life in explosives00:41 Travis welcomes Matt Barnett01:00 Why humans are drawn to things that go boom01:51 Order, chaos, and the intoxication of controlled destruction02:42 Childhood experiments with fireworks and gunpowder04:18 Matt learns to make black powder at seven05:00 The obsession with creating without limits06:07 Chemistry, invention, and the ADHD mind07:27 Growing up with explosive hobbies08:57 Talking openly about dangerous knowledge10:41 Where the line sits between education and harm11:49 Using explosives to make the world safer13:01 Childhood accidents and lessons learned16:04 Matt’s near fatal blast at fourteen17:50 Seeing the reality of destruction up close19:14 How the accident changed his view of war and life20:00 Parents, dynamite, and early experiments22:00 Raising kids around explosives and responsibility24:00 How business in the energetics world really works25:16 The surprising truth about social media and notoriety26:00 What it is like to film explosive content27:32 The camera confidence Matt learned as a kid28:36 What Matt would tell his younger self29:00 Building a business inside a maze of regulation30:15 Travis compares the Canadian system33:00 The cultural divide in how nations regulate freedom36:00 Why local control matters38:06 The challenges of trying to build in Canada40:41 A firearms case that shaped Travis view of the system43:18 Matt’s drive through Canada and observations45:00 Understanding different legal cultures46:27 The origin of Benetti46:44 What impresario means to Matt48:00 Why Matt teaches leadership50:15 When leadership pushes people to leave the status quo51:00 The clients who can afford it, and those who truly need it52:00 What legacy really means53:16 Why his children are his real contribution54:00 Raising kids like frontier families55:56 The human experience is not meant to be safe57:00 Why some of us need risk to feel alive58:00 Matt’s time in the hospital and what it taught him59:37 The turtle that changed everything01:00:20 The power of visualization01:01:20 What Matt sees for his future01:03:00 Why the world still needs wild men01:06:00 Final thoughts on compassion, responsibility, and becoming better humans01:08:45 Closing

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• Ep. 174: Inside the CIA: A Case Officer’s Untold Stories

  Doug Patteson spent years overseas as a CIA case officer recruiting assets, running operations, and navigating a world built on secrecy and human psychology. After leaving the agency, he brought that experience into Hollywood, advising major studios on how the intelligence world actually works.In this conversation, Doug opens up about the realities of spycraft, the pressure of living a hidden life, the toll secrecy takes on families, and the lessons he carried forward into leadership, resilience, and emotional intelligence. We talk about failure, character, why good officers think differently, and how real fieldwork looks nothing like what you see on screen.This is a rare look at the human side of intelligence work from someone who lived it.https://www.instagram.com/texasspydad/ https://x.com/GrayManActualhttps://linktr.ee/Dougpatteson_____Silvercore Club - https://bit.ly/2RiREb4 Online Training - https://bit.ly/3nJKx7U Other Training & Services - https://bit.ly/3vw6kSU Merchandise - https://bit.ly/3ecyvk9 Blog Page - https://bit.ly/3nEHs8W Host Instagram - @Bader.Trav https://www.instagram.com/bader.travSilvercore Instagram - @SilvercoreOutdoors https://www.instagram.com/silvercoreoutdoors____TIMESTAMPS00:00 - CIA Case Officer Shares His Untold Story00:27 - Hollywood, Field Ethos, and Experience in the Real World01:01 - Hunting in Alberta and a Windstorm That Took Out the Camp03:27 - Jet Lag, Knee Surgery, and Still Making the Hunt Happen05:05 - Tents Collapse and a Middle of the Night Escape06:40 - Learning Elk Country and the Strength of a Good Team07:39 - Too Many Hunters in the Backcountry and Finding True Remote Ground08:51 - Blaze Orange, Local Laws, and Staying Visible in the Field10:52 - Doug’s Path Into the CIA11:47 - Analysts vs Operators and Why Doug Was an Unlikely Recruit13:34 - Thinking Differently in the Field14:24 - Living Under Cover and What It Does to Family16:34 - The Moral Weight of Secrecy18:19 - Polygraphs, Personal Choices, and Agency Tests20:53 - When Character Cracks Reveal Themselves22:07 - Why Doug and His Wife Eventually Left the Agency23:48 - How Spies Are Recruited and What That Relationship Looks Like27:43 - Is Spycraft an Art or a Science29:05 - Lessons From the Field That Still Matter Today31:51 - Emotional Intelligence and Radical Self Awareness34:31 - Failure as a Teacher and Raising Resilient Kids35:34 - Faith, Family, and Keeping a Moral Compass Straight37:07 - Losing His Wife to Early Onset Alzheimer’s39:30 - What Hard Times Reveal About Character41:28 - Choosing Love When Life Gets Hard43:50 - Stopping, Regrouping, and Choosing a Better Path45:24 - Being Human, Failing Forward, Resetting the Next Day47:52 - Letting Go of Failure and Moving Ahead Clean49:23 - Good, Better, Best and Remembering to Celebrate Wins51:16 - Burnout, Friends, and Iron Sharpening Iron55:23 - What Hollywood Misses About the CIA57:30 - Conspiracies, Secrets, and What Actually Leaks01:00:33 - Mistakes, Coverups, and How Narratives Twist01:02:12 - The Explorers Club and DefenderX01:04:35 - Amphibious Land Rovers and Journeys Nobody Has Done Before01:06:21 - How Extraordinary Teams Form01:08:03 - Leadership Lessons From a Life in the Field01:09:20 - Capacity vs Capability and Hiring for Character01:11:27 - The Hardest Thing You Have Ever Done01:13:03 - Ethical Failures and What They Reveal01:18:22 - Hiring, Firing, and Getting People on the Right Bus01:22:32 - Necessary Endings and Knowing When Paths Diverge01:24:12 - Wrapping Up and What’s Coming Next

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• Ep. 173: From the Alps to Africa: Photographer Florian Wagner on Wild Living, Helicopters, and the Meaning of Freedom

  Florian Wagner has lived a life that most people only dream about. A helicopter pilot, paragliding instructor, and celebrated adventure photographer, his work has appeared in National Geographic, Playboy, and Leica campaigns. From crossing Australia on a motorcycle to photographing Spirit Bears in Canada and flying through the Okavango Delta, Florian’s journey captures what it means to live close to nature.In this conversation, we explore how he turned risk into art, why he believes adventure is the truest teacher, and how hunting reshaped his connection with the land. Florian shares his experiences photographing for Leica, collaborating with Hornady and Savage Arms, and how self-hypnosis and mindfulness helped him rebuild after personal and physical setbacks.This episode is a window into the mind of a man who’s seen the world from above, from horseback, and through the lens of purpose.Learn more about Florian Wagner:🌍 wagnerphoto.de💧 worldwidewaters360.com🎧 Brought to you by the Silvercore PodcastHosted by Travis Bader - outdoorsman, entrepreneur, and storyteller.Silvercore Club members receive exclusive discounts, training, and access to The Outpost private podcast.🛠️ This episode is made possible in part by Armament Technology — providing world-class optics from Tangent Theta, SAI, and Tenebraex.Silvercore Club members save 10% on Tangent Theta, 15% on SAI, and 20% on Tenebraex.______Silvercore Club - https://bit.ly/2RiREb4 Online Training - https://bit.ly/3nJKx7U Other Training & Services - https://bit.ly/3vw6kSU Merchandise - https://bit.ly/3ecyvk9 Blog Page - https://bit.ly/3nEHs8W Host Instagram - @Bader.Trav https://www.instagram.com/bader.travSilvercore Instagram - @SilvercoreOutdoors https://www.instagram.com/silvercoreoutdoors____Timestamps00:00 – Intro: From the Alps to AfricaMeet Florian Wagner, helicopter pilot, paragliding instructor, and adventure photographer for National Geographic, Playboy, and Leica.01:28 – Escaping the Boarding School WallsFlorian shares how a restrictive childhood sparked his obsession with freedom and flight.02:40 – Self-Taught Paragliding and the Camera That Started It AllHow a forgotten camera and a hunger for the sky began a lifelong creative journey.04:59 – From Playboy to Pilot: Adventures Behind the LensFlorian’s unlikely path from photographer to helicopter pilot and adventure storyteller.06:29 – Wine Tasting by Helicopter — the Playboy Assignment That Changed EverythingHow one bold pitch turned into a dream project.07:56 – Freedom and Risk ManagementFlorian reflects on what boarding school taught him about independence and why adventure is his true classroom.08:10 – Riding Through Africa: Healing Through SafariA moving story of loss, recovery, and rediscovering purpose on horseback in Kenya.09:56 – The Power of Self-HypnosisHow Florian used autosuggestion to overcome adversity, rebuild confidence, and enhance creativity.13:40 – Elk Hunts and Broken Ribs: Stories From the OutbackFlorian recalls his Australian motorcycle crash and what it taught him about limits.16:29 – When the Supermarket ClosesA profound reflection on self-reliance and what it truly means to live close to nature.19:32 – Learning to Hunt: From Photographer to ProviderHow Florian went from capturing wildlife to understanding his place in the natural cycle.22:01 – Hunting as Connection, Not CompetitionWhy he never carries both a camera and rifle, and what that choice means.23:22 – Bridging Old Traditions and Modern HuntingFlorian contrasts European elitism with the hands-on North American model.24:46 – Using Every Part: The Ethics of Sustainable HuntingFrom chamois leather lederhosen to Defender seats — nothing goes to waste.26:16 – Emotional Storytelling and Authentic FailureThe Norwegian hunt that didn’t go as planned — and why that honesty matters.31:04 – Showing the Struggle: Why Failure Connects UsTravis and Florian discuss how real stories can shift perceptions around hunting and the outdoors.33:36 – Respect for Life: Trophy Hunting and ConservationA deeper conversation about ethics, balance, and how hunting can protect wildlife.36:22 – Inside Africa’s Complex RealityFrom elephants to poachers — why Florian believes perspective matters more than judgment.42:54 – Rhino Poaching and the True Cost of DemandFlorian shares what he saw firsthand in Kruger National Park and how misinformation fuels destruction.46:39 – Tourism, Trophy Hunting, and Balance in AfricaHow ethical hunting can support communities and restore ecosystems.47:05 – Horseback Safaris and Staying Alive Among LionsWhy riding through Africa is as humbling as it is exhilarating.52:30 – How to Prepare for a Horseback SafariWhat kind of training you actually need — and why honesty with your skill level matters.56:21 – The Waters Project: Capturing the World’s LifebloodFlorian’s global mission to document water through aerial photography and storytelling.59:54 – The Hidden Stories of WaterFrom sinking Venice to vanishing glaciers — how water connects us all.1:01:47 – Precision, Focus, and the Art of Helicopter PhotographyWhy preparation and discipline keep him alive and creative in the sky.1:02:40 – Inside the Explorers ClubThe legendary organization behind the first North and South Pole, and first Moon expeditions.1:04:49 – City Overload: Finding Calm Through NatureFlorian and Travis discuss overstimulation, mindfulness, and why cities can drain the soul.1:08:58 – Sharp Senses, Wild MindsFlorian’s take on ADHD, awareness, and why he sees sensitivity as a survival advantage.1:11:53 – Disconnected from NatureThe story of students who couldn’t walk in a forest — and what that says about modern life.1:13:23 – The Call of the WildWhy Africa’s rawness keeps pulling Florian back, and how adventure makes us feel alive.1:13:45 – Evolving AdventuresHow his career is shifting toward guiding and storytelling, keeping curiosity alive.1:16:23 – Stay in MotionFlorian’s philosophy for life and creative longevity — never stop learning, never stop moving.1:19:23 – Closing ThoughtsFuture collaborations, a dream of hunting in Canada, and the adventures yet to come.

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• Ep. 172: He Sold His House to Follow His Dream: Jesse Reardon’s Fishin' With Dad Story

  What happens when someone decides to stop dreaming and start doing?In this heartfelt episode, Travis reconnects with Jesse Reardon, former cameraman for Jim Shockey and now the creator of The Fishing With Dad Show. Jesse sold his house to follow his dream, traveling Canada with his son, learning from other anglers, and capturing the bond between fathers, families, and the water.Travis and Jesse talk about fear, imposter syndrome, and what it takes to pursue something meaningful even when it’s uncomfortable. ______Silvercore Club - https://bit.ly/2RiREb4 Online Training - https://bit.ly/3nJKx7U Other Training & Services - https://bit.ly/3vw6kSU Merchandise - https://bit.ly/3ecyvk9 Blog Page - https://bit.ly/3nEHs8W Host Instagram - @Bader.Trav https://www.instagram.com/bader.travSilvercore Instagram - @SilvercoreOutdoors https://www.instagram.com/silvercoreoutdoors____

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• Ep. 171: He Left Med School to Live Wild in Alaska | Rick Matney of Chrome Chasers

  When Rick Matney walked away from a medical career to build Chrome Chasers with his wife Dori, he wasn’t chasing money, he was chasing meaning.From guiding in the Alaskan wilderness to cooking world-class meals from what he catches and forages, Rick lives a life that blends science, survival, and soul. In this episode, Travis Bader travels to Wrangell, Alaska to discover what makes this place—and this guide—so special.They dive into:Rick’s drastic right turn from med-school valedictorian to bush guideWhat it takes to thrive in the Alaskan backcountryLessons from years of hunting, trapping, and foragingWorking with MeatEater and building a business rooted in conservationHow food becomes the bridge that connects people to nature👉 Subscribe for more conversations that explore the outdoors, mindset, and mastery.🎧 Listen to The Outpost—Silvercore Club’s private members-only podcast—for deeper, personal stories and tips.🎯 Silvercore Club members get discounts on top optics through Armament Technology and more: https://silvercore.caFollow Rick and Dori at Chrome Chasers Lodge:https://www.instagram.com/chromechaserslodgehttps://www.chromechasers.com/https://www.instagram.com/wildgamechefhttps://www.wildgamechef.com______Silvercore Club - https://bit.ly/2RiREb4 Online Training - https://bit.ly/3nJKx7U Other Training & Services - https://bit.ly/3vw6kSU Merchandise - https://bit.ly/3ecyvk9 Blog Page - https://bit.ly/3nEHs8W Host Instagram - @Bader.Trav https://www.instagram.com/bader.travSilvercore Instagram - @SilvercoreOutdoors https://www.instagram.com/silvercoreoutdoors____⏱️ Timestamps / Chapters00:00 – Intro & Armament Technology sponsor01:00 – Welcome to Alaska and Chrome Chasers03:00 – The reality of Wrangell and life in a temperate rainforest07:15 – From valedictorian to fishing guide: the moment everything changed10:45 – Trading med school for a life of wild purpose13:00 – Generations of hunters, trappers & foragers16:30 – Cooking as a survival skill turned artform19:55 – From field to fine dining and global recognition21:00 – Guiding style and the pursuit of perfection23:15 – Working with MeatEater and sharing the love of food26:00 – Guiding is psychology: reading people in the wild28:50 – Failure as a teacher and the importance of letting clients learn33:40 – The perfect guest and embracing discomfort36:00 – Bears, storms & real Alaskan wildlife40:20 – Growing up skiing, racing, and learning risk42:25 – Reloading, precision rifles & finding calm in focus45:30 – Why he guides today and what he’s truly chasing48:20 – Favorite fish to catch and client stories55:00 – The future of Chrome Chasers and ethical harvest1:01:00 – Final thoughts & closing

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