The Company You Keep: A Father’s Hard Truth About Reputation and the Epstein Fallout

(Photo: Flying my RV6 with my oldest son)

I spent a decade in the Navy SEALs and eventually walked away from a great career because my kids were more important to me.

Raising kids is perhaps the toughest (harder than the SEALs at times) but, most rewarding job I’ve had.

A big opportunity we can use as parents is using current events to teach our kids about life.

I’ve used the toxic wreckage left behind by Jeffrey Epstein as a reminder to my adult children that who we associate and surround ourselves with matters.

I’ve never believed in shielding my children from the storm winds of life. I believe in giving them the tools to build their own shelter.

The Epstein drama is a great teaching opportunity. Powerful people, royalty, accomplished professionals billionaires, all sinking into a swamp of their own making.

Why?

Because they forgot a basic rule.

Gravity of Association.

Who you surround yourself with defines you.

If you trade your integrity for lust or money, don’t be surprised when your foundation crumbles.

One extremely poor choice is like glass under pressure. Once it cracks, there is no putting the pieces back together.

In my book, Puddle Jumpers, my goal is to give parents a roadmap for raising kids who are resilient captains of life, equipped to handle the brutality of life.

Ten years ago I had my own crisis of reputation with my military and foreign policy news site, SOFREP.com.

My editorial team and I received concrete evidence of war crimes (really bad cringeworthy stuff) and embezzlement by Navy SEALs in Afghanistan, and Yemen.

I was shocked.

“How could this come from my own community? “, I thought.

I spoke to my friend and Editor of a large newspaper in California and asked for advice because it all felt overwhelming.

Jeff said I was too close to the SEAL community and he advised that I should just report it to the Inspector General or Special Operations Command and let them handle it.

So I emailed US SOCOM but it blew up in my face. They just got angry, and wanted to know who was talking to me.

So I filed an Inspector General report.

What happened next was brutal.

The short version is that the report I filed was forwarded un-redacted to NCIS, and the SEAL command. Then they went on the attack. My friends on the inside said there were “Official” briefs at the SEAL Command about me, Luttrell (Lone Survivor), and Chris Kyle (American Sniper) and how to “handle us.”

Then some investigative news contacts at the New York Times (working on similar stories) called to say said someone was shopping a hit piece about me. They said it had little substance but wanted to give me a courtesy heads up.

I was so stressed out.

Then my family was threatened and I was attacked on social media.

Sometimes by the very same SEALs I had kicked out the sniper course for poor performance or others who were dishonorably discharged for drug abuse.

Guess they thought this was their chance at pay back.

I hired a crisis public relations firm to help me navigate it all. They did a deep dive on me, and to my relief they said, “Brandon, we checked thoroughly and you’re fine. If the best they do try and accuse you of some embellishments in your book (The Red Circle), you’re going to be ok. Just keep on doing your thing.”

It’s true I changed some events, names, and places in my book. All which was clearly stated before chapter one. It didn’t matter, it was still used against me. I still stand by everything I wrote because fundamentally it is 100% true.

It was a relief to hear those words from that PR firm, and the drama eventually faded away like they said.

And it’s proof that if you hold true to your integrity, your values, and surround yourself with solid people, you build a strong foundation that can easily withstand a storm or two.

Do the opposite and you’re eventually f$cked like the long list of Epstein associates going down weekly.

We can use events like Epstein to talk to and teach our kids about the importance of life choices and reputation.

As parents, we should strive to raise kids to be the kind of people who look at a “friend” doing something shady and have the guts to walk away, even if that person is handing out golden tickets.

Don’t hide the ugliness of the world from your kids. Rather arm them with the discernment to see it coming.

Teach them that integrity is a daily practice.

It is something you do every hour, not just when people are watching.

Loyalty and trust are earned.

If a situation feels wrong, it probably is.

Teach them that true courage is being able to walk away.

We are raising the next generation of leaders. Let’s make sure they have the right tools to make great decisions. And that they understand the importance of who they surround themselves with really does matter.