Badass in Heels

Captain Julie Rodriguez ~ Born to Lead

Captain Julie Rodriguez stands as a beacon of dedication and resilience, boasting an impressive 28 years of unwavering service with the Los Angeles Police Department. Her journey is a tapestry woven with rich experiences, spanning over two decades in pivotal supervisory roles. Beginning her illustrious career in 1996, she embraced various positions, from a vigilant police officer to an agile bicycle officer, a dedicated field training officer, and an undercover vice officer. Her relentless pursuit of excellence propelled her to the esteemed rank of Detective, where she played a crucial role in the elite Robbery Homicide Division and the Rape Special Section, tackling numerous high-profile sexual assault cases with tenacity and skill. In 2005, her exemplary performance earned her a promotion to Sergeant, where she took on the mantle of a patrol supervisor and mobile field force squad leader, navigating significant events across the vibrant landscape of Los Angeles.
In 2012, Julie's ascent continued as she embraced the role of Lieutenant Watch Commander, skillfully overseeing a formidable team of 75 officers and six sergeants. Her leadership journey has been marked by her tenure as the Officer-in-Charge of a Gang Impact Team, where she adeptly managed a uniformed gang unit, a narcotics unit, and a vice unit, demonstrating her multifaceted expertise. Furthermore, she has served as Adjutant to the Chief of Staff, working closely with the Chief of Police, and commanded the West Valley Detectives, supervising a dynamic team of 50 detectives and five professional staff, including three insightful Crime Analysts. In December 2023, Julie reached a new pinnacle in her career, being promoted to Captain and entrusted with the leadership of the Wilshire Division, where she currently oversees a robust team of 275 police officers, 30 field sergeants, and four lieutenants, embodying the spirit of service and commitment to her community.

Alicia Wadas - Past President FBI's National Citizen Academy Alumni Association

Have you ever wanted to take an inside look at the FBI, but not necessarily join the FBI as an employee? Have you ever wondered about the FBI's Citizens Academy? In this episode, Alicia Wadas, an extraordinary civilian leader and patriot, shares her story and what shaped her to become an extraordinary leader and how she went on to become  a member of the FBI's Citizens Academy. Alicia tells us all about the Citizens Academy and the impact she made as the President of the FBI's National Citizen Academy Alumni Association. Alicia talks about the importance of building bridges between communities and the FBI. In 2023, Alicia received FBI recognition for Exceptional Service in the Public Interest, the first of its kind! Alicia recently retired from the prestigious advertising agency LAVIDGE, where she continues as a consultant in her role as President Emeritus.
 

Suzanna Hasnay: A Journey to Mindfulness

Suzanna Hasnay is a retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent with over 20 years of law enforcement experience and is currently President of Fredericksburg, Virginia-based PoliceSpirit, LLC, whose purpose is training in mindfulness-based strategies for human performance, leadership and well-being primarily for law enforcement and public safety professionals. After retirement, she became the first mindfulness and yoga coach for its Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) and is a mindfulness trainer for HRT’s New Operator Training School (NOTS) and specialized FBI bomb technicians. She was co-founder of and lead instructor for PEAK, a human performance program for mission critical teams and the first of its kind in the FBI, where she trained numerous leadership and field SWAT teams in mindfulness-based practices for optimal health and performance. Suzanna gets real and shares her origin story, challenges, successes, and self-discovery journey- a journey that led her to the FBI and eventually to finding mindfulness. She also shares with us her amazing trip to Nepal and tips on how to find mindfulness at the end of your day. Tune in today! 
 
 

Doris Garcia-Smith

In this episode, Doris Garcia-Smith shares her unique journey from having a passion to ballet and the arts to joining the NYPD and the FBI. While at the NYPD she worked patrol, responded to emergency calls to include an 8-month assignment to working the 911 terrorist attacks. A New Yorker at heart, she calls the NYPD her first passion. After 12 years of service at the NYPD, she joined the FBI as a Staff Operations Specialist (SOS) where she was embedded with Counterintelligence squads in NYC and later supported the Agency as an Intelligence Analyst in Washington, D.C. Doris' passion to serve continues today as she works as a background investigator. To learn more about her, tune in today!

Sarah Draper

Ready to be inspired? The last episode of 2024 brings you an enthralling conversation with retired Supervisory Special Agent Sarah Draper, who takes us through her journey from West Point to the FBI! Sarah served in the Army for 8 years, was stationed in Germany and South Korea and served during the Kosovo war as an officer in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps. She then joined the Bureau, where she did amazing criminal, cyber-terrorism, and espionage work for 20 years. Her final assignment with the FBI was as an instructor at the FBI National Academy, where she realized the need for leaders to discuss wellness. She is now the owner of Leading Well Strategies and if you are in dire need of coaching or a wellness talk, Sarah is your gal. If you have been wondering how to be more present, Sarah shares some tips with us. 

Alexandra Montilla

Special Agent Alex Montilla has been with the FBI for almost 30 years and she is unstoppable. She has worked violent crimes against children, counterintelligence matters, and over 300 kidnappings. In this episode Alex candidly shares her personal story and some of her cases, such as the investigation into the disappearance and murder of Natalee Holloway. She has been in the Miami's extraterritorial squad for 18 years and for the longest time she was the only woman in the squad defying stereotypes. Her frequent deployments to hotspots around the globe, including Haiti, Peru, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador, and Belize, are part of her commitment to confronting injustice. Alex is a trailblazer who received the prestigious Attorney General Award and the FBI Director’s Award for excellence in casework.

Debbie Michaels

Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Debbie Michaels shares with us her 37 year journey with the Bureau. Debbie was recruited while in high school and went to do extraordinary work, from being a founding member of the FBI's first national initiative against online child exploitation to working narcotics and violent crimes. She ascended the ladder and led command posts, provided active shooter training to law enforcement officers nationwide and ended her career at Quantico as the counselor of the National Academy class session 284. For her extraordinary efforts, Debbie was recognized by WIFLE as female federal law enforcement officer in 2019! But it's not all about work--Debbie gets real and shares with us her personal story and also provides valuable advice to aspiring female Special Agents. Tune in today to listen to Debbie's badass story.

Out in the Cold with Steve Urszenyi

Canadian author Steve Urszenyi kicks off season 4 and lets us in the world of FBI Special Agent Alex Martel. Steve's second novel "Out in the Cold" comes out this November (2024) and Alex comes back as the main character. Alex is a sharpshooter, a kickass fighter, and a great investigator. More than that, she’s fiercely loyal and determined to mete out justice on her terms, even if she pushes boundaries when doing so. Out in the Cold is an enthralling, can't-put-down fiction book, full of high-energy and badasserie, but Alex is not all fiction, she embodies the skills many FBI and law enforcement women have! Get ready to embark into a world where you have to wonder "is this real or fiction!!"

30X30- Transforming The World For PoliceWOMEN

Have you heard of the 30x30 initiative? Tanya Meisenholder, Maureen McGough and Yvonne Roman, the fabulous ladies from 30x30, joined me to chat about this amazing initiative. An initiative that is making waves as it changes the world for policewomen. If you've ever wondered what the 30x30 is and what it is not, this episode is for you!  If you are a law enforcement organization and still have not signed the pledge, what are you waiting for?! Listen to this episode and join these amazing ladies and the hundreds of federal, state, and even foreign law enforcement organizations that have joined. To learn more about the 30x30, please visit their site https://30x30initiative.org. 

Katherine Boyle

Bringing a unique perspective to Badass in Blue is Katherine Boyle, the host of the podcast Beyond the Uniform. Katherine shares with us what it was like growing up in a family of police officers and being the daughter of a Lieutenant in the Special Victims Unit for the Philadelphia Police Department. She also brings to light how being a law enforcement officer might be negatively impacting the people that should matter most--family and children. Through her podcast, Katherine aims to bring law enforcement families together so they can find support on one and another. I hope this episode provides you with some insights and if you need to connect with other LEO families, visit https://www.beyondtheuniform.co/ for details.