In this insightful episode of the EZ Conversations podcast, Andy Brown, a former Scottish police officer with 30 years of service, mostly in the Highlands and Islands, delves into the intricacies of negotiation and crisis management. Sharing valuable lessons from his extensive career, 15 years of which he served as a crisis and hostage negotiator, Andy discusses the importance of a negotiation mindset, active listening, honesty, and trust. He recounts tense moments from his career, including negotiating with terrorists and facilitating evacuations during the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Andy also highlights the significance of maintaining Mental Health and shares personal practices such as Meditation, walking in nature, and family support that have helped him stay grounded in highly stressful situations. Finally, Andy offers Wisdom for young professionals entering first responder roles, emphasizing humility, empathy, and learning from experienced colleagues.

Former Commander, Chief Inspector (retd.) Andrew B Brown is an internationally renowned negotiator with specialist knowledge and experience in dealing with kidnap for ransom and hostage/crisis incidents, particularly in humanitarian environments; in designing conflict de-escalation skills for field operations and acting as an expert witness to judicial inquiries on the response to hostage-taking.

A Fellow of the Chartered Management and Security Institutes, he has developed advanced negotiation and crisis leadership skills for major corporations, public bodies, and Olympic sports coaches. His doctoral studies and experience in Afghan and African kidnappings have led him to research, critique, and advise INGOs on how to prepare, prevent, and respond to the threat of international kidnapping. 

As a Fulbright Alumnus, he continues to teach advanced negotiation tactics to many law enforcement agencies, including NYPD, USMS and the FBI. Published in his field, he remains an Advisor to the Editorial Board of the Crisis Response Journal.

00:00 Welcome and Introduction

01:15 Andy’s Background in Policing

04:15 The Art of Negotiation

08:34 Hostage Negotiation Insights

11:57 Managing Stress and Mental Health

17:40 Challenging Negotiations and Emotional Impact

37:27 Advice for Young First Responders

43:31 Closing Thoughts and Contact Information

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• BetterHelp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://betterhelp.com/ez10⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for 10% off your first month of Therapy
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• Aura: https://aura.com/ez10 for a free two-week trial
• Plunge: https://plunge.com/ez
• Mint Mobile: ⁠https://trymintmobile.com/ez10⁠ for 15$ for an unlimited cell phone plan
• Mental: ⁠https://getmental.com/ez

If you would like to support EZ Conversations, here are all the ways you can do that:

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Or find Furkhan’s Book, Pursuit of Self Love: 30 Uplifting Messages and Reflections. The Kindle version is available on Amazon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.amazon.ca/Pursuit-Self-Love-Uplifting-Messages-Reflections-ebook/dp/B0C4D1XYL1⁠⁠⁠

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Furkhan Dandia Therapist and Coach

I am a men's coach, therapist, group facilitator, podcaster and author. My journey began five years ago when I was going through a separation. I found myself alone and in a shame spiral that our culture and society covertly exert on people due to the perceived "failure" of a marriage. Unfortunately, I personalized that message which led me to fall deeper into a hole, causing me to surround myself with people that did not serve me and engage in substance abuse. While seeking therapy, I was not making the wholesale changes I needed.

As part of my experience with therapy, I realized that I am not alone in the challenges men my age experience (I separated at the age of 34/35). I realized I could be a voice for men like myself and offer support in this space. In the middle of the pandemic, I applied for a Master's degree in Psychology to become a therapist. This change was a significant shift for me as I worked in the corporate world as an engineer. Once I leaned into the space of supporting other men, I also started a podcast to normalize these difficult conversations and started a men's group a year later with the support of a friend.

I thought I was giving something back when I started the men's group. However, I quickly realized I was getting substantially more from the connections I built than I initially anticipated. It was also something I needed because I was going through another breakup.

At that point, I also realized that I had not taken the time to heal, and I was outsourcing my healing through romantic relationships, substances, material acquisitions and superficial relationships. I decided to step away from the outgoing lifestyle and started to focus on my healing which was another phase of evolution for me on my journey. Over the last year and a half, I have become mindful of the people I spend my time with. I have cleaned my lifestyle of substances, toxic environments and behaviours. I have focused on my sleep, my health and my knowledge. I have improved my spiritual relationship with myself, which was lacking the most over the past five years. This is the best I have felt.

As part of my solitude journey and to find myself again, I also released a book encapsulating my journey, which I hope to share with others. My book is titled: The Pursuit of Self-Love.