In this episode, your host of Inspire Us, former hostage negotiator J. Paul Nadeau, chats with retired FBI agent and fellow hostage negotiator Gary Noesner. Gary reviews his role as one of the hostage negotiators involved in the tragic 1993 Waco Texas siege, that lasted 52 days involving David Koresh and members of the Branch Davidians. The outcome was tragic: 76 members of the Branch Davidians died in that crisis, and this event stresses the extreme importance of teams working together, whether within an organization or with others outside their organization. The lessons Gary shares in this episode are priceless. He also shares how this case impacted him and how he got through.


Gary has an impressive background, to say the least. He served more than 30 years as an FBI agent, and 26 of those years were served as a special agent. In his career, he’s investigated and negotiated numerous crisis incidents such as prison riots, right-wing militia standoffs, terrorist embassy takeovers, airplane high jackings, and over 120 overseas kidnapping cases involving American citizens. Gary continues to consult independently and has appeared on many television news broadcasts, documentaries, and has been featured in many publications.


His book, “Stalling for time – my life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator” is what inspired the popular TV mini-series, "Waco," now available on Netflix.


 In this episode, Gary also shares his approach on how to avoid and resolve conflict in these troubling times, as well as how to truly connect with others to develop relationships of mutual respect and trust.


To find out more about Gary, check out his website: www.garynoesner.com


His book is available online and is a must-read.