We are here to help!
Whether you served 3 years or 23 years, as you prepare to transition out of the military, a mentor to provide advice and guidance will be helpful.
This podcast series was created to give you a platform to learn from mentors. By interviewing those veterans who have already traveled the transition path before you, we give you insight and information on what worked and didn't work for them, help you prepare for potential obstacles and plan for your own transition success.
Our goal is to give you actionable ideas every single week that you can use to guide your transition out of the military, no matter which direction you choose to travel.
Prioritizing Your Mental Health to Achieve Post-military Success with Ray Jokie
Episode 38: Ray Jokie had great success in the United States Air Force and his identity was closely tied to his USAF career. Unfortunately, when he retired, he struggled so much that he was not sure if he would make it to the next day. Thankfully, he found several sources of support and refocused on his mental health in order to pull himself out of a rough period. Now, as a talent acquisition specialist, Ray shares not only his struggles, but also his advice for connecting with recruiters, building your resume and networking to achieve success.
Networking Strategically and Knowing your Recruiters with Wayne Worthington
Episode 37: USMC veteran Wayne Worthington went from his 5-year service into the executive recruiting career field. Wayne gives us his insider's perspective on the different types of recruiters, strategies to optimize your success working with recruiters and even shares a few names of veteran-focused recruiting agencies. Additionally, Wayne has a great strategy for networking strategically and building your own transition accountability and support group.
Accepting Change and Practicing Gratitude - Even in the Face of Traumatic Events with Justin Constantine
Episode 36: Wounded Warrior and USMC veteran Justin Constantine was shot in the head by a sniper in Iraq and though he has had countless reconstructive surgeries, he has gone on to build his own business, enjoy a successful career with a workforce development company and launch a non-profit called Veteran Success Resource Group. In 2020, Justin was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer, but listen in as he shares how his attitude toward life has helped him succeed, despite all the setbacks he has faced.
Getting Comfortable with being Uncomfortable to Find the Right Fit with Greg Fischer
Episode 35: Greg Fischer served 4 years and 3 combat tours in the US Marine Corps. When he separated from the military, he went to school, completed his degree and took a job in insurance and finance. On the surface his transition looked seamless. However, he was not happy in this role. In 2020, Greg and a business partner started Burn Pit BBQ teaching people how to barbecue and selling rubs and sauces. Listen as Greg discusses what helped him make this change and all the times he had to learn to embrace discomfort in order to move forward toward a fulfilling career.
Making the Connection between Military Skills and Your New Career with Dave Poole
Episode 34: 21-year USMC veteran Dave Poole served as a combat engineer who successfully landed a post-military role in software development. In this episode Dave takes us through how he made this big career change. Networking and mentorship through a new connection he met on LinkedIn played a key role in him landing this new role. He also participated in the Microsoft Software and Systems Academy (MSSA) SkillBridge program and shares some resources he developed to help other veterans interested in MSSA.
Improving Your Marketability and Enhancing Your Leadership Skills with the RBLP Certification
Episode 33: USMC veteran Mark Holman and US Navy veteran Marina Rabinek discuss the Resilience-Building Leader Program and the value of the Resilience-Building Leadership Professional certification. Listen in as Mark tells us how the certification program can improve your ability to communicate your value and Marina takes us through the program and how active duty service members can pay for their certification before they transition.
Bouncing Back from Getting Fired to Finding the Right Fit with the Federal Government with Cindy Dorfner
Episode 32: Cindy Dorfner retired from the USAF in 2013. She quickly landed a director-level role in the private sector and although she wasn't happy with the role herself, within 6 months she was fired from her first post-military job. Today, she holds a high-level leadership role in the federal government and has found that the environment is a better fit for her. She shares her insight on successfully applying with and working for the federal government, both as a job seeker and a hiring authority.
Honoring the Military Spouse in the Transition with Shelley-Rose Illig
Episode 31: In honor of Military Spouse Appreciation Day, we are hearing from Shelley-Rose Illig. Rose is the spouse of US Army active duty soldier and now US Army reservist. Rose is a business analyst and project coordinator with a financial institution. However, the transition out of the military was neither planned nor a smooth process for her and her husband. We discuss the challenges of the military transition from the spouse's perspective. Rose also has some great financial insight that you may not have considered yet in your planning process.
Pursuing Your Dreams After the Military with Chris McGhee
Episode 30: After retiring from the Air Force, Chris McGhee made the decision to pursue his lifelong dream of going to law school. Listen in as Chris talks about how his maturity and his military career has helped him get through the challenges of law school. In addition, Chris shares the lessons he has learned about networking, navigating the online application process and his own strategies for success in acing the job interview. Chris also highlights his podcast "20 Years Done" focused on aircraft maintenance.
Adapting to the High-tech Culture as a Veteran with Jerry Prochazka
Episode 29: A Navy veteran and a veteran of the gaming industry, Jerry Prochazka transitioned out of his military service as a nuclear engineer and is now the CEO and co-founder of Ganymede Games, a start-up game design company that is launching its first game later this year. Jerry shares insight into the different structure and communication style of the tech industry while also discussing the common factors he has seen among the veterans who achieved success in high-tech careers.
Negotiating the Salary You're Worth and Translating Your Skills with Mark Holman
Episode 28: Mark Holman retired from the US Marine Corps 10+ years ago. He shares the transition mistakes he made as well as valuable insight for job seekers that he has gained as an executive leader and hiring manager. Mark and Lori give advice about how to research your value and have the salary conversation with your future employer. Also, Mark gives a real-world example of how to translate military leadership into terms any private sector employer will understand.
Military Transition Q&A and a Bonus Success Story with Robert "Bob" Newlin
Episode 27: Bob Newlin asks some great job search and military transition strategy questions as he prepares to retire from the United States Air Force from an overseas location. In this episode we talk about value-add versus non-value-add job search tasks, who to connect with on LinkedIn and beating the ATS. As a bonus, Bob comes back for a follow up to share some exciting news and give you his "4 BE's" that contributed to his relatively new military transition success.
Finding Your Why, What and Where You're Going with Justin Pearson
Episode 26: Retired Army leader Justin Pearson has been a mentor and advocate in the military transition space since 2016. Justin has held senior leadership roles with companies such as AAFMAA and Wells Fargo. He discusses how he navigated the transition landscape before there were so many resources available, how he found his way to networking and mentorship and what he learned from his stumbles and struggles.
Finding out Your Dream Job is a Nightmare with Chris Dreisbach
Episode 25: On the surface, 21-year USAF veteran Chris Dreisbach had a seemingly perfect transition - from service to SkillBridge to multiple job offers and a great job above his salary goals. Within 3 months he was overworked and unhappy. He had the courage to leave his first post-military job that wasn't right for him. He shares what he learned along the way and highlights how this podcast helped him through it all.
Overcoming Early Trauma and Building Resiliency with Ericka Kelly
Episode 24: Ericka Kelly retired from the US Air Force Reserve where she was one of the top 3 Chief Enlisted Master Sergeants and from Federal Law Enforcement, working for the Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection Agency. This episode is a bit different in that it starts with stories of Ericka's earlier life that shaped her resiliency and built who she was in the military and is today.
Writing Your Military Transition Resume Part 2 with Alfredo Torres
Episode 23: In the 2nd part of the episode with US Navy veteran Alfredo Flores, he and host Lori Norris discuss the resume. They cover subjects such as should you pay for assistance with a resume and offer tips on what a good resume should include. To wrap up, Alfredo shares his lessons learned during his career as a veteran in transition, a veteran advocate and educator.
Adapting to Overcome Military Transition Barriers with Alfredo Torres
Episode 22: After suffering what he calls a "very painful transition," US Navy veteran Alfredo Torres has today settled into his role as the Virginia Transition Assistance Program Regional Coordinator. He dedicates his time and efforts to helping other veterans avoid the obstacles he faced. In part 1 of this two-part episode, Alfredo shares his thoughts on how veterans can adapt to achieve success.
Military Transition Q&A with Derek Moore
Episode 21: USMC veteran Derek Moore asks some great questions about the transition process such as the importance of SkillBridge and mentors, the best job search websites, the pros and cons of professional resumes and Lori's top 5 transition preparation action items. Additionally, he shares how he was able to prioritize his education while serving, as he will have almost finished a doctorate degree.
Following the Non-traditional Post-military Path with Amanda Huffman
Episode 20: After serving 6 years in the Air Force, Amanda Huffman traded in her combat boots for a diaper bag and focused on being a stay-at-home mom. Along the way, she discovered a passion for sharing stories of women in the military as a blog and book author and host of a podcast. In the episode, she shares some of her most important lessons she learned along the way.
Strategies to Fight Veteran Underemployment with Adam Braatz
Episode 19: After a diverse USAF career as a member of the USAF band and as a Military Training Instructor, Adam separated from the Air Force to pursue private sector employment, working for both corporations and non-profits. He learned the importance of knowing his value and networking to avoid underemployment. He gets candid about his struggle with depression and his lessons learned.
Expanding Your Post-military Career Options by Achieving Financial Stability with Patrick Weinert
Episode 18: Retired USMC officer Patrick Weinert discusses how to remove financial success road blocks in your life and how to achieve more freedom in your post-military career. He offers his advice on how to manage your finances and provides insight into how he successfully launched a financial coaching business.
Own Your Transition Part 2 with Herb Thompson
Episode 17: In the second half of my conversation with Herb Thompson, retired US Army Green Beret and Drill Instructor, he talks about how important it is to make your transition your own experience and truly take ownership of the process. Herb shares what he would do differently if he could go back and do it all over again and he closes the episode with his biggest lessons learned.
Deploying to the U.S. & Learning to Speak Civilian with Herb Thompson
Episode 16: Retired US Army Green Beret and Drill Sergeant Herb Thompson discusses his approach to planning for his military transition. This planning process was the catalyst for him to write his book "The Transition Mission." Listen in for Part 1 of the 2-part episode, as Herb discusses how he learned to "speak civilian" and translate his skills.
Landing your Next Role by Building a LinkedIn Presence with Misty Moreno
Episode 15: Misty Moreno is a LinkedIn "success story." As she was preparing to retire from the US Air Force, she followed all the steps, created a LinkedIn profile and strategically started building an online presence. She shares her LinkedIn strategy that landed her a position and many more great insights about post-military employment.
Navigating the Federal Job Search Process with Chip Lankert of FEMA
Episode 14: USMC veteran and recruiter for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Chip joins me to discuss federal employment. From the federal resume writing process to tips on how to succeed in a federal interview, Chip gives valuable insight into this process that can be daunting for many people.
Military Transition Q&A with MaryKate Soliva
Episode 13: US Army veteran MaryKate Soliva asks me some great questions about the military transition process such as how to leverage volunteer work in your transition, how to involve your spouse in the transition and networking best practices for introverts. MaryKate also practices marketing herself to potential employers.
Creating Your Long-term Transition Plan with Gregory Austin
Episode 11: As an analytical engineering manager trained in Lean Six Sigma, Greg leveraged these skills to achieve post-military success as a Process Engineer after retiring from the United States Air Force. Listen as Greg teaches you his next-level transition planning strategy.
Don't Be Afraid to Pivot and Start Over with Jennifer Foxworthy
Episode 12: After retiring from the US Navy, Jennifer decided to follow a non-traditional path of becoming a motivational speaker and launching a non-profit. The journey has not been without obstacles and Jennifer gets real about the pivots and changes she has had to make being self-employed.
The 5 Most Common Transition Obstacles with Michael Radynski
Episode 10: After retiring from the Marine Corps, Mike quickly found a job through networking. After 4 years, Mike left that job to follow his passion and live in his dream state. Mike also discovered the 5 most common obstacles of a typical military transition while researching his Master's thesis.
Transitioning Out of the Military with PTS with Kristin Scott
Episode 9: Listen as a retired Navy Chief shares insights on the SkillBridge program. She also gets candid about how she found post-military career success while dealing with Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) and opens up about a life-changing PTS treatment to manage her symptoms.
Discovering Your Legacy with Ben Killoy
Episode 8: After separating from the USMC, Ben spent 7 years in a corporate job before discovering his purpose to serve veteran dads as a podcast host, instructor and blogger. Ben shares an important lesson about focusing on your own personal legacy.
Leveraging Free Resources with Matthew Langseth
Episode 7: After serving in the Army and National Guard, Matt landed his first role after the military through the power of networking. In this episode, Matt shares his lessons learned about LinkedIn, Vets2Industry and other resources and VSOs available for veterans.
The Power of Mentorship with John Mazza
Episode 6: As a retired USAF Command Chief, John was looking for senior leadership roles. It took longer than he expected, but he landed a great job. John discusses what caused him to change jobs several times his first few post-military years.
Military Transition Q&A with Mark Gavin
Episode 5: In this bonus episode, Mark, an Army veteran in transition, asks transition questions such as resume length, interview prep, video interviews and more. Mark also gets the opportunity to practice marketing himself to potential employers.
Figuring Out Who You Are with Rob Rens
Episode 4: After separating from the USMC, Rob spent many years in corporate America before launching his own business. Rob advocates for taking the time to figure out who YOU want to be outside of the military as a priority.
Trusting Your Instincts with Wendy Brazier
Episode 3: Wendy landed an HR role a few months after she retired from the USAF and has continued to progress into higher level roles. Not only does she share how she did it, as a hiring authority, she gives great interview and job search tips.
Finding the Right Culture Fit with Keith Forte
Episode 2: After retiring from the USAF, and changing jobs 4 times in 6 years, Along the way, Keith learned the importance of finding your purpose and the best cultural fit. Keith advocates for giving your transition the time and attention it deserves.
An Introduction to Your Podcast Team
Episode 1: A quick intro to Lori Norris, your host, and Charlan Rieve, our editor and behind-the-scenes mastermind. In this introduction to us, we will tell you about the purpose of our podcast, what you can expect and why we both got involved in the podcast project.
