Beyond the Uniform

Thanks for your support, BTU community! I got two emails this week I wanted to share with all of you.

I loved my interview with Jason Santamaria. Special thanks to Vincent Martino for making this connection. They became good friends in business school and co-authored a book. Two things you should pay attention to for this interview:

1 - alignment. There's very few people I can think of in the last 390 interviews that are as aligned as Jason is with his career. The way that he speaks, the way that he thinks, the way that he processes information... he found the right career for him. And it's so refreshing to see that.

2 - Maybe even more important is that as we unwrap his story, I think you'll realize that that was not clear to him when he was in the Marine Corps, or when he left the Marine Corps. It wasn't like he had his sights set on a career in transformational company work. And I think that that should hopefully be refreshing for all of you listening to this to see how his story unfolds to see that he found a career path that really resonates with him. But it wasn't a master plan, it was taking the next best step every step of the way, and thinking about what he wanted.

Why Listen: This is the third installment in our series where we are taking a deep dive into each branch's credentialing assistance program. Today we talk with Mike and Cristy from Coast Guard COOL. This is a relatively new program that was stood up in January 2020, but it already has over 1,500 credentials available for Coast Guardsmen. Here's the program in a nutshell: •CG COOL funds enlisted members only (active and selected reservists) and can help pay for exam, application, state licensing, membership and renewal fees. •The exam has to be related to service member's rating, out-of-rate assignment, collateral duty, or academic degree. •There is no dollar amount cap on the cost of credential. •CG COOL only funds one exam attempt per credential and service members can only have one approved funding request per FY. •There is no additional duty service requirement for utilizing this resource and there is no recoupment if the service member fails exam. Mike and Cristy rattle off a plethora of resources, so be sure to check out our show notes where I've linked to everything mentioned. If you're in the Army, you can find your deep dive in Episode #383 and if you're in the Navy, you can find yours in episode #387. About Mike: Mike Reynolds served in the Navy Reserves for 4 years as a Seabee and then 11 years in the Army in telecommunications. Notably, he served in the Pentagon and the White House during the Clinton and Bush administrations, separating in 2002. Mike has been with the federal government since 2008, working for both the Air Force and Army in educational roles. He has been with the Coast Guard since 2019 and serves as the Coast Guard's COOL Project Manager. He holds a Masters in Education in Teaching and Learning from Liberty University. About Cristy: Since January 2020, Cristy Minshew has been a Team Lead for the Coast Guard credentialing program, managing daily operations, metrics, funding and execution. Prior to working for the Coast Guard, Cristy spent 12 years serving in a variety of roles with the Navy's Voluntary Education Program. Additionally, she's a former Army MilSpouse and holds a BS in Education from Old Dominion University.

Why Listen: Today's interview is the 2nd installment in a series where we take a deep dive into each branch's respective credentialing service. Credentialing Assistance is a great way to leverage the transition tools and resources available to service members to accelerate their post-military careers. Certifications add professional capability and credibility and help you stand out to a hiring manager. In this conversation, we talk with Mike Talley – the Director of Navy COOL, and he breaks down all the nuances of the program. Additionally, Mike offers insight into the DoD Civilian COOL program. In short, Navy COOL covers credentialing exam fees for all Sailors, regardless of rank or compo for anywhere between 1,400 and 1,600 credentials. Navy COOL has its yearly budget and its first come, first serve. Sailors can utilize funding for as many credentialing exams as they want, but can only pursue one exam at a time on the Navy's dime. Navy COOL will only fund one exam attempt per credential. Furthermore, Navy COOL will help pay for continuing education units to help Sailors maintain their credential once obtained. If you're in the Army, you can find your deep dive in Episode #383. Interviews for the Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard are in the works. About Mike: Mike served as a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy, retiring after 20 years of service. After transition, Mike held various customer support and managerial positions with AT&T, Gap, and Old Navy before returning to the U.S. Navy as a civilian employee. Today, Mike is the Director of Navy COOL for the Navy's Credentialing Programs Office. He holds a Bachelor's in Workforce Education and Development from Southern Illinois University.

Why Listen: I loved hearing John's unique approach to entrepreneurship and life. After 20 years of military service, John was drawn into starting his own business. While starting any company requires sales, John's approach to sales is to simply be curious about whoever he is speaking with, and learn about their pain points. This is such great advice for so many different career paths. I also appreciate how John has constructed his life to have a fulfilling family life, outside of work life, and professional life. About John: John Schmitt is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel who served 20+ years as an Aviator and Acquisition Corps officer. Upon leaving the Army, John started his own consulting firm with a focus on biotech, advanced manufacturing and marketing projects. Additionally, he serves as a board member for multiple local non-profits. John holds a BS in Biological Sciences from UC-Davis and an MS in Microbiology and Immunology from Vanderbilt Univ.

Why Listen: I was riding a high after my conversation with Jeff for days - I appreciate his strength, vulnerability, and authenticity in this conversation. You can view this interview in two parts - the first part we discuss his transition from the Marine Corps into law enforcement, including work in prisons, on patrol, and with the SWAT teams. In the second half, we both talk about our experience with therapy and mental health. Jeff talks candidly about PTSD and depression, and we both open up about the positive impact therapy has had on our lives. If this latter topic resonates with you, there are so many great resources out there to support you. The one that comes immediately to mind i learned about in episdoe #368 with Joe Quinn, where he talked about Headstrong - at GetHeadStrong.org - you take a 60 second survey and as a veteran get paired with a best-in-class clinician for unlimited therapy. But - as we talk about in this interview - I don't want to spin this as a - if you're contemplating suicide, get help. I'm a big believer that therapy is a preventative maintenance - that it is similar to olympic athletes working with an elite coach - it's a great way to deepen as a human being, understand yourself more, and ensure you're operating at your peak capacity. About Jeff Jeff McDonald is a Safe School Specialist at the University of Montana. His Career started in the Marine Corps, where he served for four years with two combat deployments and has included work in Law Enforcement and as a SWAT officer. Our Sponsor This episode is brought to you by PassLife. Serving in the military is inherently dangerous - are your affairs in order? The grief a service member's family feels upon learning of their passing is difficult enough, but the days, weeks, and months that follow are filled with stressful decisions. PassLife is a single solution, secure cloud-based platform where Funeral Preparations, Last Wishes, Will Information, Financial Assets, Business Continuation Information, Social Media Account info, etc., can be uploaded to recipients of the user's choosing. PassLife allows you to alleviate the stress and lift the fog for your loved ones, preeminently, by giving them a vital trove of information in multiple areas. Listeners can save 10% by using the code "BTU" at checkout. Learn more at Pass-Life.com. That's pass dash life.com. PassLife, pass your loved ones a lifeline.