Peter Cline is an Army infantry veteran and the founder of Boots to Books, a nonprofit that helps veterans and their families attain competitive education and employment.

Peter's own transition out of the military was a bit rocky. He contacted a friend who helped him rephrase his military experience into terms civilian employers would understand. This led to the creation of Boots To Books.

Learn how Boots To Books can help you or someone you know in the transition out of the military in this episode.

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In this episode, we look at alternative therapies for PTSD, such as art therapy, equine therapy, and adventure therapy.

Outline:

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Jason Pike served 31 years in the US Army, starting as a private and working his way up to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Jason shared his story of starting from the bottom and working hard to reach his goals.

He faced a federal investigation for espionage against the US government. He was accused of selling secrets to foreign nationals but was ultimately found innocent. He talks about how he managed the stress of this situation by leaning on his family and friends and seeking professional counseling.

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This is the first of hopefully many episodes where I take time to dive deep into a particular topic. This time it's the role of the family to support veterans.

Outline:

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Paul White is a retired 21-year Air Force veteran with over 1500 hours as a tactical flight instructor. He has developed strategies to motivate people to become better versions of themselves and is here to discuss these strategies and how his 1 of 5 Project can propel people to reach their goals.

His experience as an instructor of people how to fly airplanes has helped him develop tactics and strategies for coaching people in different areas of their life. His 1 of 5 Project focuses on planning and executing your goals to succeed.

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After the military, John Henry Parker sought ways to help him become a better person. He looked to personal development and programs to help him become the person he wanted to be.

He found that going through certain life experiences changed him for the better, and he was able to transcend most of the traumatic experiences he had. He still gets triggered, experiences depression, and has the urge to numb himself, but he has become more aware of these feelings and is able to recognize and work through them more quickly, and now helps other veterans through their traumas.

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April Shprintz joins the podcast to share her journey in the Air Force and how, despite setbacks, she never quit pursuing her dreams.

April Shprintz owns Driven Outcomes and is a mentor with the nonprofit Warrior Rising, which helps veterans in business. After leaving the Air Force, April looked to change her career focus, as many veterans often do. Despite several obstacles she had to overcome, April's career flourished, and now she helps others start and scale their businesses.

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Dr. Annie White discussed her book, The Calm Code, which provides readers with a step-by-step method to help them become calmer and happier.

She notes that the more negative thoughts you have, the easier it will be to think negative thoughts, and vice versa - the more positive thoughts you have, the easier it will be to think positively.

Her research while writing the book revealed scientifically proven ways to train the mind to be calm and happy, which she included in the book.

This episode talks about how we can manage stress and anxiety, the rigors of military and veteran life, and how Dr. White's book can help.

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David Gutierrez and Stu Grazier met while attending the Naval Academy and have stayed close ever since. Stu and David were stationed apart for most of their careers in the Navy except when they were both stationed in Naples, Italy. Around this time, they started to discuss their plans for the future and decided to go into business together, focusing on real estate investments.

They emphasize the importance of choosing partners and friends wisely and also celebrating each other's successes. They were very intentional about formalizing their business partnership. They spent a lot of time discussing core values and what should be done in various situations, such as if a deal does not appraise or if either of them have an opportunity too good to pass up and the business has to dissolve. They also discussed how to separate their friendship from the business and continue to have conversations to ensure they are both bringing their best selves to their relationship.

They emphasized the importance of having these conversations before officially entering any business partnership. Comparing it to getting married, where you need to know what the other person wants and have a plan for any contingencies.

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Brian Noonan joins us to discuss the Sinclair Method, which is a method of treating alcoholism involving Naltrexone, a prescription medication, and alcohol.

The method was developed by Dr. Sinclair, who conducted studies with rodents by creating alcoholic mice and giving them Naltrexone. His findings showed that the only way to extinguish the interest in drinking was to combine the tablet with alcohol. Subsequent studies found that those who did not follow instructions and drank still saw a limit on their binge drinking and relapses. This method has become increasingly popular and is used as a way to treat alcoholism more effectively.

Brian discussed how alcohol treatment works and how it is linked to releasing endorphins or naturally-occurring opioids. He explained that when someone takes Naltrexone an hour before drinking, it blocks the release of these endorphins, and the person doesn't get the reward or buzz they would normally get when drinking. This type of behavior is known as operant conditioning and is a process that increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring if it is rewarded.

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