You objectify people every day.So do we.Tall. Short. Strong. Fragile.Well-dressed. Exhausted. Confident. Dangerous.In less than a second, your brain can turn a stranger into an object. That doesn’t make you cruel—it makes you human. The real question is whether we stay there.On this episode of The Collective, we’re joined by Chris Lee, former Green Beret turned coach, and John Vargas, firefighter and paramedic. Together, we dive into the unavoidable tension between objectification, perception, and personhood.We explore how humans start as objects in our cognition—but with familiarity, exposure, and conversation, they become subjects deserving of dignity and respect. Leadership, ethics, and character are revealed in whether we move past first impressions and see a human being.This is not abstract philosophy. It’s grounded in military and emergency response experiences, where split-second assessments can save lives—or strip dignity. From strangers on the street to teammates in high-risk environments, this conversation challenges how we perceive, interact, and lead.🎙️ GuestsChris Lee – Former Green Beret, now high-performance coach John Vargas – Serving firefighter and paramedic 🧠 Key TopicsWhat objectification really means—and why it’s universalHumans as objects physically vs. subjects morallyHow we anthropomorphize objects but often fail to see peopleThe role of familiarity in moving someone from object to subjectDignity vs. deserving: the ethical floor we can’t ignoreWhy leadership is about refusing to stay blind to personhoodIf this episode challenges how you see people, subscribe, share, and comment:👉 When did a stranger stop being an object for you?

Wearables are tracking more than ever—heart rate, sleep, stress, recovery—but what do all those numbers actually mean for how you live, train, and make decisions? In this episode of The Collective, Shaun and Chance sit down with experts in biometric technology to unpack how data from your body can become real-world wisdom.​Our guests:Latha Nachiyamai – Program Manager, Biosensor Platform Technology at Garmin Canada. Latha manages the research, development, and integration of biosensors—including optical heart rate, SpO2, and ECG—into Garmin’s wearable products. Scott Burgett - Senior Director of Garmin Health Engineering since 2015. He has responsibility for managing biosensor innovation and development globally at Garmin.We dig into:What biometrics like heart rate, HRV, SpO2, and ECG can truly tell you—and what they can’t.How Garmin and other wearables turn biosensor data into usable insights for athletes and everyday users.The risks of over-focusing on metrics vs actually listening to your body.Practical ways to use biometric data to live, train, and recover better.​👉 Subscribe to The Collective for deeper conversations that turn real experience and real data into practical lessons to live, lead, and relate better.

The Collective is back. In this episode, Shaun and Chance sit down after the break to talk about what they’ve been doing off‑camera, what’s changing in 2026, and where the podcast and channel are headed next.​We dig into:How the time off shifted our own priorities and habits.The vision for The Collective: deeper conversations, sharper storytelling, and more practical takeaways.​Most importantly, we want to hear from you:What topics do you want us to explore?Who do you want to see on the show?What formats do you want more of—live chats, deep dives, story breakdowns?Drop your ideas in the comments so we can overlay your experience into future episodes.👉 Subscribe to The Collective for deeper conversations that turn real experience into practical lessons to live, lead, and relate better.