235. Robert J. O’Neill: From killing Osama Bin Laden to his ventures post-military, the unbelievable BTS of Navy SEAL training, realities behind the mental role in operations, and the financial realities of it all!
Trading Secrets
Audioboom Studios
5 • 5.5K Ratings
🗓️ 19 May 2025
⏱️ 81 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Robert is one of the most highly decorated combat veterans of our time. He served at Seal Team two, Seal Team four, and eight years at the legendary Seal Team six. Having taken part in leading over 400 combat missions around the world, he has decorated 53 times with honors. More notably, Robert took part in the rescue operation Red Wings, which extracted the lone survivor Marcus Latrell. He was the lead jumper for the rescue operation that saved Captain Richard Phillips and some from the Somali Pirates, and he was a team leader for Operation Neptune Spear, the mission to kill Osama Bin Laden.
In this powerful episode, Robert shares how mastering free throws opened his eyes to the power of muscle memory and the importance of setting both short- and long-term goals. He discusses how a breakup unexpectedly led him to enlist in the Navy, the rigorous journey to becoming a Navy SEAL—including the numbers behind selection, the grueling Hell Week, and the intense “drown-proofing” training designed to teach calm under pressure. Robert reflects on the critical need for adaptability, managing stress, and keeping things simple under extreme conditions. He opens up about the long-term emotional processing of his time on the SEAL team, takes us behind the scenes of the mission to find Osama Bin Laden, and shares the mindset that fueled that operation. Robert also discusses the aftermath of becoming publicly known as the man who killed Bin Laden, the financial realities faced by many in the military, and his efforts to support veterans through new initiatives. Finally, he explores the concept of the butterfly effect—and shares his perspective on the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
Robert reveals all this and so much more in another episode you can’t afford to miss!
Operatorcanna.com
https://vetsolutions.org/
https://sotf.org/
Host: Jason Tartick
Co-Host: David Arduin
Audio: John Gurney
Guest: Robert J O’Neill
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome back to another episode of Trading Secrets. |
| 0:16.2 | Today we are joined by former Navy SEAL, entrepreneur, New York Times, bestselling author, speaker, and podcast host, Robert J. O'Neill. |
| 0:25.2 | Robert is one of the most highly decorated combat veterans of our time. |
| 0:29.6 | He served at SEAL Team 2, SEAL Team 4 in eight years at the legendary SEAL Team 6, having taken part in leading over 400 combat missions around the world, he has decorated |
| 0:42.3 | 53 times with honors. |
| 0:44.6 | More notably, Robert took part in the rescue operation Red Wings, which extracted the lone |
| 0:50.0 | survivor Marcus Latrell. |
| 0:51.8 | He was then led jumper for the rescue operation that saved Captain |
| 0:55.4 | Richard Phillips and from the Somalii Pirates. And he was a team leader for Operation Neptune |
| 1:01.2 | Spear, the mission to kill Osama bin Laden. Today we are going to talk about his life as a Navy |
| 1:07.0 | Seal, his transition into corporate America, which includes becoming an author, |
| 1:16.3 | public speaker, podcast host, and even starting his own veteran-owned cannabis company. |
| 1:21.2 | Robert, like truly, from all the guests we have, I say it a lot, you've done it all, but like you truly have done it all. |
| 1:23.2 | Thank you for being on Trading Secrets. |
| 1:24.4 | We appreciate it. |
| 1:25.3 | I appreciate it. |
| 1:25.8 | This is exciting. |
| 1:26.6 | Yeah, this is awesome. Let's go back to the early days. So, you know, you're growing up, and it was in |
| 1:31.6 | Montana, right? View Montana. So you're growing up there, and I think about my early days growing up in Buffalo, |
| 1:36.6 | New York. I grew up with Rob Grunkowski, and we knew it the early day. Just trust me, the same guy today so many so many images just that of what you guys were |
| 1:45.3 | we had a great time he's the same guy today that he was back that nothing's changed but i say |
| 1:50.7 | that because we knew from like literally the day he was like he was four years old we're like |
... |
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