From Burnout to Balance — Why First Responders Benefit From CRACKYL Magazine

What happens when the person who runs into burning buildings nearly loses everything... not to flames, but to burnout?

In Episode 128 of After the Tones Drop, I sit down with Kory Pearn, firefighter, captain, and the force behind CRACKYL magazine—a wellness resource created by first responders, for first responders.

Kory’s story isn’t about giving up. It’s about waking up. After years of pushing himself past exhaustion, ignoring symptoms, and wearing “fine” like armor, his body finally called it quits. What followed was a reckoning—and a rebuild.

“You can’t do anything if you’re sitting in a hospital bed staring at the ceiling.”
— Kory Pearn

Kory calls it “the boiling frog” effect: stress builds slowly, almost invisibly, until the system can’t take it anymore. In the fire service, that pattern is all too common. But instead of letting it take him out, Kory turned his experience into a mission, that allows him to help other first responders spot the warning signs early and take charge of their well-being before crisis hits.

Boundaries Are Built, Not Found

Kory says it best: “Boundaries are premeditated—you build a fence before you get the cattle.”
For too long, firefighters have equated sacrifice with strength. But giving everything to the job doesn’t make you better, often, it makes you disappear inside it.

Cinnamon and Kory unpack what it means to set limits with intention, to protect your health before it collapses, and to normalize saying “no” without guilt. Because the truth is, resilience isn’t about how much you can carry (t’s about knowing when to put it down).

Resilience Starts with Real Talk

When Kory created CRACKYL magazine, his goal was simple: make wellness information accessible, relatable, and actually readable. “Mix the vegetables with the dessert,” he says.
That means honest stories, expert guidance, and practical tools that first responders will actually use—from health and finance to family and leadership.

CRACKYL’s tone is like a kitchen-table conversation: no jargon, no judgment, just the stuff that keeps you alive and well. It’s not just a magazine, it’s a movement toward healthier, more connected fire service culture.

Connection Is the Lifeline

Isolation is easy in public safety work—but it’s deadly. Kory and Cinnamon talk about how community, vulnerability, and real connection can change everything.Whether it’s through sharing stories, checking in with your crew, or picking up CRACKYL, the key is remembering that you’re not in this alone.

“If you want to give your entire self to the world, they will take it.”
— Kory Pearn

Your job asks for a lot. But you still get to decide what’s left when the shift ends. When it's your time make it count.

The Bottom Line

CRACKYL isn’t just about fitness or food, it’s about keeping firefighters well inside and out.
If you’re a first responder (or love someone who is), this episode will remind you that you’re not invincible—and that’s exactly what makes you worth saving.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation with Kory Pearn on After the Tones Drop: 

https://www.afterthetonesdrop.co/kory-pearn

Because sometimes, the bravest thing you can do… is slow down before you burn out.