Today we’d like to introduce you to Walt Settlemyre.
Hi Walt, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
It’s a bit of a round about way to tell it but I have always had this romanticized view of life since I was a kid and also this fascination with having at least a little bit of knowledge about everything I could! Sort of a jack of all trades and master of maybe a few truly important ones!
Growing up in semi-rural Western North Carolina, I quickly learned to love the outdoors and through my parents and my surroundings, I developed both self-reliance and a curiosity about pretty much anything that seemed interesting. After high school, I didn’t have much interest in college so much as I had in joining the Army. In fact, my Mom once joked that I grew up playing Army till I joined the Army!
After the military, I worked in high ends men’s retail while in college, as well as starting several other careers including restaurant manager, and a brief stint as a stockbroker in the lates 80s, until I finally realized these careers didn’t give me any fulfillment. When I was turning 30, I was living in Los Angeles and felt lost and unfulfilled! I decided to move back to my hometown in NC and set about figuring out what ignited my passion in life! This move would ultimately lead me to first Fire Service and firefighting and then to EMS as a Paramedic. Those professions indulged my want to be of service! To help people, and if I’m being completely honest, exciting career fields!
Both my parents played a huge role in my life growing up. My Mom moved into an executive position in healthcare from being an RN but she always believed in both being a leader and a strong patient advocate. She was always there to support the underdog and advocate for those couldn’t for themselves! And she always supported my curiosities and my many crazy ideas. She also emphasized the need to communicate, to present myself in the best possible light, and to follow my passions.
My father was a bit more conservative though this made him an excellent yang to my mother’s yin! He is a Master Barber by trade so he was always impeccably groomed. Both my parents understood that dressing well whether it be formal, casual, or for a specific task, one should dress the part. So much of that upbringing is what would ultimately inspire my podcast, The Distinguished Savage.
The podcast has a very simplistic ideology. Dress like you mean business. No matter what that business may be! I wanted to learn more about those people who carry themselves as a breed apart from a both a male and female perspective in regards to how they dress, their everyday carry of gear, and their views on self-defense as well as their story!
The name Distinguished Savage I felt conveyed what the podcast embodied. The ability to be both distinguished in manner and dress no matter the circumstance and savage in one’s ability to protect themselves. There are a couple of tag lines I feel explain what the podcast is about. The first is Define, Defend, Defy. I’ve always sought to define myself and never allowed anyone else to define me or my abilities. The Defend aspect refers to having the training, skillset, and knowledge to protect that which I hold dear. And Defy is my thought process of defying the norm and convention. Setting my own path and staying true to myself! The second tag line is the one I sign off with at the end of every podcast. Clothes may make the man or woman. Accessories make the gentleman or lady, but critical thinking skills and a lethal skill set make the savage distinguished.
I started the podcast two years ago now and it’s grown steadily ever since! It’s a passion project for sure and in many ways, it’s been a saving grace for me!. Working in Fire and EMS now for nearly 30 years it’s been a way for start the next chapter of my life and an incredibly positive transition to a life after Public Service.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has absolutely not been smooth! I talked about starting a podcast for about four years before actually getting the courage to put something out in the world! But the lessons I’ve gained along the way have been truly priceless in building both my courage to put myself out there and following my passions unabashedly!
I remember when I first decided to buy the equipment and put out a podcast! I was so self-assured that how hard could it be!? I figured I was good at talking to people so what’s the problem? Then I realized that I was not only interviewing people but I needed the technical knowledge to do it all! Suddenly I was the interviewer, the sound engineer, the editor, and the scheduling assistant among all the other things that go into putting out a podcast I would want to listen to! Those first five episodes or so are hard to listen to! I still cringe when I go back and listen to them!
I learned quickly that I needed much better interview skills and most importantly when to simply listen and when to dig a little deeper! I also very quickly learned my verbal ticks and habits that if they were annoying to me, they’re absolutely annoying to other people!
Though a few of those ticks I have not only kept but owned! I tend to say “Right” a lot! So rather than trying to change who I was, I embraced that phrase and hashtagged it! I’ve even joked that one could do a drinking game with how many times I say “right” in an episode! I also ended up doing a giveaway once with custom shot glasses with the podcast logo and #Right on them!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Though I’m finishing up my career in EMS as a paramedic, in that time I’ve spent the vast majority in Special Operations as both a Tactical Medic and Rescue Specialist. I’ve been fortunate enough to get some incredibly specialized training in providing medical care in both tactical and austere environments!
Also in EMS, I’ve been able to parlay another passion, martial arts and defensive tactics in to creating the current Defensive Tactics Program for Austin Travis Co. EMS. I wanted to make my fellow medics and first responders who want the training safer! I was able to successfully pitch the idea to our Employee Union and they have graciously provided funding for myself and several others to attend formalized training in both the SPEAR System and Gracie Survival Tactics, [GST] I have been asked to provide parts of this program to several other departments in the area as well possibly providing training to other medical personnel!
As I said, my EMS career is winding down but the podcast along with me teaching Tactical Med classes to civilians and law enforcement through several training companies in the Austin are such as Texas Tactical Training Institute and Apostles Firearms Academy, have been my main focus. I get to help people benefit from my years of experience in emergency medicine and hopefully get them as excited about medical skills as they are about shooting and defensive tactics! Medical skills such as stopping the bleed and general first aid in an emergency is an often overlooked and undertrained skill that is in my opinion, one of the most important!
I think what I am most known for though is the podcast! I’m often humbled and amazed that this little passion project that simply allowed me to talk to really interesting people has resonated with so many! And I’m more amazed at some of the incredible people that I’ve reached out to come on that said yes!
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I have some huge shifts coming in the next 1 to 2 years! I’m very close to retirement with Austin Travis Co. EMS. I’ve been working hard to grow the podcast and expand my teaching of both tactical medicine and defensive tactics!
I’ll be launching a website for the podcast and working on having more merchandise to represent my brand! The website will become a one stop shop for the podcast, a blog, and a storefront, as well as upcoming training opportunities.
The podcast, though it has a specific niche, has taken the occasional side road with guests far outside my usual comfort zone and that has really been both a learning experience and a lot of fun to explore new genres and other people’s journeys! I do always come back to my original demographic though! Following that formula has introduced me to some amazing people and allowed me incredible training opportunities that truly expanded not only my knowledge base but my personal readiness and abilities!
Contact Info:
- Email: walt@thedistingusihedsavage.com
- Instagram: @distinguishedsavage
- Twitter: @TDSATX
- Other: https://traffic.libsyn.com/forcedn/thedistinguishedsavage
Image Credits
Photos, MADImagesATX
