What happens when a high-speed, cyber-savvy Senior Chief finally puts it in park? CTRCS Candace Esquivel joins us fresh off two decades of doing all the things—deploying nonstop, supporting special warfare, shaping policy on the Hill, and holding it down at N17 like it’s the Pentagon’s group chat. Now she’s eyeing retirement and asking the real questions: Do I want a family? Should I adopt? Can I slow down without losing my mind? And why the hell do flowers die so fast?

We get into the deep stuff—miscarriage, fertility, career identity—and still find time to roast the Chiefs Mess, crack jokes about uniform shortages, and break news about a raccoon in Ohio caught with a meth pipe. (You read that right.)

It’s honest, layered, and just the right amount of petty. A love letter to the women holding it all down, and a reminder that you’re allowed to walk away even when you’re great at what you do.

What We Talk About:

•Life at N17 and what Sailors don’t see behind policy

•Deploying every year for 9 straight years

•Why she’s walking away at 20 years—and what comes next

•Fertility fears, freezing eggs, and making space for motherhood

•The realities of military pregnancy and miscarriage

•Chiefs Mess culture—who’s in it, and who’s missing

•What it means to “complete your mission” and still want more

•And yes… a raccoon with a meth pipe in Ohio

About CTRCS Candace Esquivel:

A Cleveland native and a member of the 9/11 generation, CTRCS Esquivel enlisted in the Navy in 2005. Her career spans deployments aboard the USS BUNKER HILL and USS BOXER, elite service with Naval Special Warfare Development Group, and cyber ops with Joint Cyber Operations Group. In 2022, she served as a DoD Congressional Fellow advising on cyber and defense policy. A graduate of the Navy and Joint Special Operations Senior Enlisted Academies, she holds a bachelor’s in Management Studies and serves as a board member of The Valkyrie Project, championing female service members across the force.

Connect With Candace & The Valkyrie Project:

•The Valkyrie Project

•YouTube: Military Women’s Symposiums

•LinkedIn: Candace Esquivel

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Additional Credits:

PTSF “Theme Music” - Produced by Lim0