Got Your Six with Tony Nash

6ers, like many of us, Austin had his own share of past resentments. Today, he strongly advocates for counseling and learning how to deal with conflicts constructively. Through his process of idea generation and pushing people’s beliefs, which creates his content, he has helped himself and others become better leaders.

Austin von Letkemann is an active-duty US Army officer and digital content creator for the account MandatoryFunDay. He is passionate about exercise science and leadership. He posts short comical skits about military experiences, NCOs, officers, veterans, and military spouses on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Austin believes in changing lives by challenging others and themselves to get out of their comfort zones.

You will discover that leading with empathy almost never results in mistakes; you will gain humility; and by adhering to this leadership practice, you will create a work environment where everyone can feel safe to be creative and a place people enjoy coming to, something that everyone is entitled to.

As a result of applying these principles, you seek to understand people’s thoughts and emotions and how to use them for effective conflict resolution. You will have a happier and more productive workplace where your team can feel heard and valued, and you will become an approachable and effective leader.

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6ers, getting the big ideas right have the power to shape your strategy and direction. They serve as the foundation upon which everything is built but getting it right requires a process of building an environment where it is constantly refined, adopted by the people because it is inclusive, and be successfully implemented across the whole organization.

GEN (R) David Petraeus is a former CIA director, retired US Army general, professor, and business executive. GEN Petraeus was named one of America’s 25 Best Leaders by US News and World Report (2005), and a runner-up for Time magazine’s Person of the Year (2007. He served as commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), commander of the US Forces in Afghanistan, commander of the US Central Command, and commanding general of Multi-National Force – Iraq, where he oversaw all coalition forces. He earned his doctorate degree in international relations and economics from Princeton University. Throughout his career, he earned numerous honors and awards, including the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, among others.

You will know about the four tasks that strategic leaders must be great at, getting the big ideas right, communicating those ideas effectively, overseeing the implementation of ideas, and determining how to refine the big ideas.

As such, you will learn that these have a structured process. What happens is that we may get hit with an idea like Newton’s apple during moments of reflection but those are just seeds. The reality is big ideas are formed in a more structured process.

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6ers, practicing the art of networking outside of your immediate social circle throughout your life in underrated skill. Building a professional network is not just about collecting business cards or having one off conversations. It’s about genuine connections and meaningful relationships you can form that lead to mutual success.

Misty Cook is a veteran, CEO, and founder of Concierge On Call (positioning retiring military leaders as sought-after consultants), an advisory board member of Blue Star Families, and Military Protocol Consultant at the USMC Memorial Foundation. She joins Tony Nash this week to discuss her three mantras:

- Be a good human

- Make sure your WHY is aligned with your actions

- Surround yourself with people that will mention your name in a room full of opportunities

When you make an honest effort to understand the struggles of others and listen with compassion, you will find that real connections form naturally. The people you meet and connect with can provide you with invaluable opportunities, contacts, resources, and advice.

You have an effect by being a helpful resource to others, which makes them feel appreciated. It's not just about getting what you want, but also about giving back to the community. It's not a give-and-take practice, but the benefits to your success from cultivating professional relationships are massive and long-lasting.

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Resources mentioned:

12-Week Year by Brian Moran & Michael Lennington

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Badass Patches specializes in custom military PVC rubber and embroidery patches. We offer the best price and lifetime guarantee, and we are veteran owned. We’ve worked with USAF, USMC, US ARMY, and USN or Navy units to provide the best military uniform patches money can buy!

6ers, the significance of constant adjustments, or small but strategic changes to a system or process can unlock many of your hidden potentials. By identifying and resolving potential problems before they escalate and strategically making adjustments, you can drive significant improvements in output, returns, and risk management of your business operations or personal development journey.

Jerry Flanagan is a US army veteran and a co-founder and CEO of JDog Brands, one of the fastest-growing veteran brands in the US. A junk removal operation a decade ago and has since expanded into a nationwide, multi-service franchise organization. JDog now has over 200 franchise contracts and continues to expand. Over the next 10 years, JDog Brands aims to have 5,000 new franchisees nationwide.

You will learn that these small shifts in perspectives and practicing empathy in action can lead you to a more productive and positive journey where you become deeply aware of your own potential and have a jumping-off point to make better strategic adjustments. As time pass, you will realize that the cumulative effect of this has led you to achieve your desired outcomes.

Thus, implementing this in your personal development, career progression, or business journey can have the profound effect of being able to transcend your own limiting beliefs as the results of that little progress you make manifest itself in clear outcomes that you have only once dreamed of.

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Their reality TV show, Operation Hidden Treasures is also available on VET TV

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6ers, knowing the value of always pushing oneself to be better and more efficient is a skill that can be put to use everywhere, from the battlefield to the boardroom. Your company will succeed and make consistent growth if you commit to a strategy of continuous improvement, which is in line with the principles of tactical progression.

Gordon Logan is a airmen, businessman, and philanthropist who joins Tony Nash on the show this week. SportsClips, which he founded and chairs, is one of the most successful and rapidly expanding hair care franchises in the United States. It has been named by Entrepreneur as one of the Top 10 "Fastest-Growing Franchises" and by Forbes as one of the "Top Ten Best Franchises" to buy for its investment category. Help A Hero Scholarship, which he founded, aids veterans in pursuing post-military education at universities or vocational schools.

You will find out that the kaizen (or continuous improvement) mindset has the potential to teach you something new about running a company. Consistency, discipline, and the introduction of systems with defined procedures are essential when developing a long-term strategy for your company's growth and success.

Thus, you will find that adopting military concepts with the kaizen approach to business leads to a more robust and effective strategy for enhancing operations. Focusing on gradual changes and sticking to established processes may help your business grow and thrive over the long run.

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6ers, to bet on yourself is the ultimate act of self-creation and personal accountability. It means you are staking your claim in the world. It is putting yourself on the line and telling the world you are willing to pay the steep price of success, to blaze new trails and chart a new territory. Mind you, this is a daunting task, but the rewards are great because as you do, you’re not only creating a better life for yourself but also for the people around you.

This week, Tony Nash is joined by Kathy Hildreth, a US army veteran, who co-founded a Texas aviation maintenance company M1 Support Services in 2003. M1 Support, whose main client is the U.S. government, had an estimated $950 million in revenues in 2021 and specializes in maintaining military aircraft. She blazed a trail as one of the first women to graduate from West Point in 1983 and has since soared to new heights with a Master of Education from Georgia Southern University. Recognized as one of America's most successful and self-made businesswomen by Forbes since 2019, she continues to shatter glass ceilings and pave the way for future generations.

You'll discover that becoming a successful trailblazer in your field requires building your experience bolt by bolt and developing your skills and abilities. You need patience, discipline, and the willingness to face failure and rejection. But through those years, you will gain a deeper understanding of yourself, your values, and your priorities.

As a result, you’ll understand that you need to bet on yourself because it is the only way you can truly take control of your life and create the future you want. It means having confidence in your abilities and taking risks, and sometimes going against the norm. It is recognizing your own unique set of skills and experience and using them to advance and pursue your dreams.

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6ers, your transition from being an individual contributor to becoming part of the management that oversees teams and organizations is a rewarding career journey. It will teach you to create meaningful relationships and as you take on bigger and more complex projects, these relationships can positively impact your success.

This week, Tony Nash is joined by Chris Petkas, a US Navy SEAL veteran and head of the defense at Modern Intelligence; a company that builds AI for defense. He graduated with a B.S. in international relations from the US Naval Academy in 2010. He served in the Navy as a surface warfare officer until 2012 then moved to the SEALs branch and served until 2020. He was a member of the Naval Men’s Lacrosse team for 4 years. Chris obtained an MBA at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business with the class of 2020.

You'll discover that increasing your leadership capacity and performance begins with knowing your own strengths and weaknesses as an individual contributor. The deliverables for which you become responsible increasingly grow which is why navigating relationships and professional networks, and how you engage will all contribute to having strategic decisions.

As a result, you’ll understand that to get to a level where you become a leader in your own right, you must first aspire to be a true expert in your area of responsibility. Until then, you need to train yourself well in managing people, relationships, and resources before you become the person that will provide on-the-ground guidance as well as manage partnerships with different stakeholders.

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6ers, art therapy has long been studied to have the potential to assist anyone as a form of rehabilitation. The inner struggles that are often difficult to convey are, for some, more easily expressed in the form of art if you’re willing to be vulnerable and trust the process.

This week, Tony Nash is joined by Richard Casper, a retired US Marine Corp, and the co-founder and Executive Director of CreatiVets. After surviving 4 IED blasts and overcoming PTSD using art as therapy, Richard is passionate about helping veterans with PTSD as well as creating and publishing music by veterans. He was listed as Time Magazine’s Next Generation Leader in 2017.

You'll discover that while combat-related trauma is often difficult to express in words alone, art therapy offers a different approach. Creative therapy can lead and the people around you to have a better understanding of traumatic events, so you no longer have to suffer alone in silence. You can give yourself the opportunity to lead a great life.

As a result, you’ll understand that to move forward with joy and build that quality of life you deserve, you need to bridge your painful memories and truly understand and communicate your experience, sometimes in a creative way, so you can relieve yourself of the mental and emotional baggage while still honoring the memory of it all.

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6ers, you are a constant work in progress which is why on days you feel less intensity towards what you’re doing, it’s okay to simply show up. A small productive step forward is still an accomplishment if done consistently. It’s a powerful habit that will serve you and improve your quality of life.

This week, Tony Nash is joined by Aditya Sundaresan, a veteran, owner of Zuvier (Adventure x Travel Fashion Retail), and a TikTok content creator with over 4 million views. Aditya Sundaresan received a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2012. He was commissioned into the US Army in 2017 and served in the 1st Battalion 5th Infantry Regiment “Bobcats” in Alaska until his honorable discharge in 2022 as Captain.

You'll discover that showing up as a powerful habit is the key attitude you need to make a difference in your goals. It helps you be in the present moment instead of stressing out and worrying. Instead, you take things one step at a time and focus on what you can improve.

As a result, you’ll understand that showing up improves your quality of life because it helps you focus on the process over the outcome. You avoid getting paralyzed by inaction because of perfection and you’re able to move on from setbacks easily knowing that you gained lessons and you’re better prepared for the next opportunity.

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6ers, your journey of leadership is a personal development like no other. It is a continuous self-exploration, and you work hard to strike the balance between listening to others as you take the opportunity to also share things about yourself, including some of your failures, and what you learned from them.

This week, Tony Nash is joined by Michael Klemmer, a US Army veteran, founder of Aerial Resupply Coffee (Premium small-batch roasted coffee, roasted in America), and the Director, Military Affairs and Service Business at Bacharach Inc.- design, manufacture, and service of combustion gas analysis and refrigeration leak detectors, and monitoring instrumentation. He believes in enabling others by sharing life and business lessons from building Aerial Resupply Coffee with the public. He retired from the Army in 2020 at the rank of Major.

You'll discover that by changing your mindset and acknowledging you don’t know everything, you’ll be able to gain more insights. You will be humbled quickly and you will learn a lot by having the courage to ask questions and field observations. This right attitude develops a leader mindset as you share the insights you learn with your peers and team members helping them build their skills as well.

As a result, you’re building your own great team and you’ll avoid struggling as you scale your business because you have a capable team behind you. By making the purposeful choice to be transparent in your own journey, you empower the people around you and they avoid becoming the untapped potential.

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Resources mentioned:

Commit Foundation

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