Industry Explorers Podcast

Brian Levenson and I are back to finish our conversation about his career and how he got to where he is today. Brian is now a published author and his book is all about focusing on the mindset you should have during different activities in your life. 

 

We start off discussing the different perspectives we have in relation to performance and practice. How you need to be able to see the play in your work and give yourself time to reflect and be creative. 

 

It’s important that we stop putting so much pressure on ourselves to know everything right now. LIfe is a journey with tons of twists and turns and the same applies to our careers. There is no one cookie cutter mold for us all to fit and even when we know what we want, the way it turns out may be completely different than expected. 

 

Keep learning and growing and you’ll find yourself creating more and more success in your life. 

 

This was truly a fantastic interview with amazing advice and nuggets of inspiration. Listen in to learn more about Brian’s view on what success means, how to be an effective and inspirational leader, and what he’d like all of our listeners to do once this podcast episode is done!

 

In this episode:

[00:22] Welcome to part II of my interview with Brian Levenson!

[00:43] He discusses nine shifts we focus on.

[03:04] When it comes to performance, you need arrogance.

[04:02] He believes that as adults, we forget to play.

[08:56] Approach performances from a play perspective.

[09:52] Brian shares times when he wasn’t able to impact clients how he wanted.

[13:00] He speaks about how he measures his success.

[16:51] We do a visualization exercise together.

[19:14] He believes that authenticity is elastic, it’s not rigid.

[20:30] Listen as Brian gives some advice for young professionals that put too much pressure on themselves.

[25:04] In leadership it’s not enough to be a learn it all you have to have conviction.

[28:04] There is no magic number when it comes to the hours of deliberate practice you need to become an expert.

[30:44] Brian likes to be around humble people. No one wants to be around arrogant people all the time.

[33:51] He believes that too much empathy can be a bad thing. Sometimes you have to stand up for what you believe and speak your truth.

[36:44] He shares who is considered one of the greats in his industry.

[39:48] Listen as Brian gives the listeners a call to action.

[41:06] Everyone’s journey is different. 

[42:41] Thank you for listening!

 

Links and Resources: Connect with Brian:

Strong Skills

Peace Players

Email | Twitter | Instagram

Shift Your Mind: 9 Mental Shifts to Thrive in Preparation and Performance

 

Connect with Siobhan: 

Industry ExplorersIndustry Explorers Facebook GroupIndustry Explorers on FacebookIndustry Explorers on InstagramIndustry Explorers on YouTubeIndustry Explorers on TikTokBook a Connection Call

 

Love the show and want to help support us? Donate to our Ko-Fi Account. We love providing you with these stories, tips, and recommendations, but it takes a lot of time and resources. Keep the podcast going and donate today!

You don’t have to make perfect grades to be successful. Your GPA is not indicative of your work ethic or your ability to create a thriving career. Brian Levenson and I are chatting all about this and more as he shares his journey to high performance coaching and creating Strong Skills. 

 

Brian had a very fortunate upbringing. He was able to take opportunities to explore his passions and learn about his intrinsic values early on. That was part of the reason that college was a tad difficult for him. He knew what he wanted to do but not necessarily how to translate that into a college degree. 

 

His ultimate goal has always been to help others. He wanted to help people see their potential and figure out ways that they could actually reach it. He’s always been very passionate about their being equal opportunities available to all and one of the ways to even the playing field is to help others realize that they should be in the game. 

 

Listen as we chat about his college career, why agility is so important, and when he started his company Strong Skills. This is a pretty deep conversation so be prepared to take notes and really soak in everything Brian shares. Then stay tuned for part 2. 

 

In this episode:

[00:57] Welcome to the show, Brian!

[01:30] He shares a little about some teams and people he’s been fortunate to work with.

[04:17] Listen as he discusses why he pursued a sociology class in college.

[08:46] Brian talks about speaking up and when helping kids go to college became so important.

[12:09] He took classes in college that interested him, but he really didn’t like the electives that were available.

[14:26] He shares what he did once he graduated from college.

[19:35] He talks about the appeal to him for working with a candy company.

[25:19] Brian speaks about his wife and not knowing where he’d be if he hadn’t met her.

[27:31] He discusses the application process for grad school.

[31:16] Having good grades isn’t always indicative of how you will do in your career.

[35:45] I share why I believe being a straight-A student hasn’t always served me.

[38:19] I talk about struggling through Covid.

[39:38] Brian hates the pandemic, and he believes it is a test of agility.

[41:41] A great aspect of therapy is finding out who you are.

[42:07] He shares what his internship was like in the sports psychology program.

[44:06] He discusses when he started his company, Strong Skills.

[46:13] Listen next week for part 2 of this amazing interview.

 

Links and Resources: Connect with Brian:

Strong Skills

Shift Your Mind: 9 Mental Shifts to Thrive in Preparation and Performance

  Connect with Siobhan: 

Industry ExplorersIndustry Explorers Facebook GroupIndustry Explorers on FacebookIndustry Explorers on InstagramIndustry Explorers on YouTubeIndustry Explorers on TikTokBook a Connection Call

 

Love the show and want to help support us? Donate to our Ko-Fi Account. We love providing you with these stories, tips, and recommendations, but it takes a lot of time and resources. Keep the podcast going and donate today!

It has been proven that women make some of the best leaders in almost any organization. We think differently. We consider all of the bits and pieces of a problem rather than just one area over another. So why are we still told that we are too emotional or irrational to lead? 

 

This question is the basis for Patricia Haywood’s company Master BuildHers. Not only are women amazing leaders, they’re also absolutely imperative to male-dominated fields. 

 

But we have to stop seeing other women as competition. Why are we so quick to tear one another down when we all rise as we build each other up? It all starts at an extremely early age for girls. We are conditioned to see each other as competition for everything without building up our confidence and belief in our self-worth. 

 

Listen as Patricia shares her thoughts on how teachers can help young women and girls believe in themselves and how this would positively impact the world and the workforce. Patricia is a force and she’s helping other women to see and understand that about themselves as well. 

 

Remember, just because the field is male-dominated doesn’t mean that you are not needed. 

 

In this episode:

[00:57] Patricia speaks to being told women are too emotional or irrational to be leaders.

[03:28] She explains why she believes women see other women as competition.

[07:18] I share how I have caught myself thinking competitively like thoughts toward other women on male dominated crews.

[10:32] “Why change things for one woman among twenty men?”

[14:08] Patricia shares some advice for teachers to prevent the self-eroding of confidence from happening in girls.

[16:53] I share a principle I learned as a Karate instructor.

[21:01] She discusses how her family eroded her self-confidence as she was growing up.

[22:36] Patricia gives us some resources to live by.

[24:19] Understanding your values can save your life.

[29:24] We don’t need external validation.

[31:00] She talks about becoming 20/20s top 100 women in construction.

[34:09] Patricia shares why she stays in construction.

[37:16] Thank you so much for being on the show!

Links and Resources: Connect with Patricia:

Master Buildhers

Heightened BADASSERY Podcast

Patricia on LinkedIn

Master Buildhers on Instagram

Connect with Siobhan: 

Industry ExplorersIndustry Explorers Facebook GroupIndustry Explorers on FacebookIndustry Explorers on InstagramIndustry Explorers on YouTubeIndustry Explorers on TikTokBook a Connection Call

 

Love the show and want to help support us? Donate to our Ko-Fi Account. We love providing you with these stories, tips, and recommendations, but it takes a lot of time and resources. Keep the podcast going and donate today!

I’m back with Patricia Haywood chatting about building a thriving career as a woman in a male-dominated field. Patricia has built several businesses of her own and we start this episode off discussing the most important things to consider if you’re starting your own business. 

 

So many people think of talking to a lawyer prior to starting a business or naming a business, but as a lawyer, Patricia thinks you should first talk to an accountant. There are so many moving pieces to the conception and launch of a new venture and most of them have to do with money.

Hence, talk to an accountant before anything else. 

 

We also dig into the reasons that we as a society need to focus less on higher education and more on trades. While she is using her degree, it’s not in the same way that it was necessarily intended. In fact, she even mentions that if you’re going into law, go into with another passion in mind. Hear why.

 

Most important is understanding how your experiences translate into transferable skills. Everything that you do builds skills that you can bring to the job market. You just have to drill down to the core of what you’ve done and learned. 

 

One question we both discuss and delve into is why women are leaving the workforce in droves. Patricia has several thoughts on this phenomenon and also ideas about how we can stop the leaking pipeline.

 

Patricia and I continue the conversation in part three. Keep listening to hear the finale of our discussion.

 

In this episode:

[02:10] Patricia shares some advice about talking to an accountant before starting your business.

[04:36] If you want to protect your intellectual property, then you need to talk to a lawyer.

[08:02] She talks about who she associates with on a day-to-day basis.

[11:00] I talk about having a degree in theatre but working for a company with wind turbines.

[12:24] See your time in college or at university as a time to network more than education.

[16:26] Patricia believes in transferable skills, everything you do gives you skills that you can use in life.

[20:28] She discusses how complicated things in construction are because it’s hard to compete with large companies.

[23:39] Listen as Patricia shares her new company and why she created it.

[26:19] She talks about what she has found when researching women in all industries.

[28:22] We need to fix the pipeline that is leaking and keep women from leaving the industry.

[30:42] We will create more seats for women by starting more businesses and creating opportunities for them.

[34:32] She discusses the next challenge women need to overcome once they are in the industry.

[36:16] Women need to have the same pay, same rights and responsibilities in the construction industry.

[36:54] Patricia shares some challenges she has faced and overcome in her career.

[39:31] Tune in next week for the final chapter with Patricia Haywood.

 

Links and Resources: Connect with Patricia:

Master Buildhers

Heightened BADASSERY Podcast

Patricia on LinkedIn

Master Buildhers on Instagram

 

Connect with Siobhan: 

Industry ExplorersIndustry Explorers Facebook GroupIndustry Explorers on FacebookIndustry Explorers on InstagramIndustry Explorers on YouTubeIndustry Explorers on TikTokBook a Connection Call

 

Love the show and want to help support us? Donate to our Ko-Fi Account. We love providing you with these stories, tips, and recommendations, but it takes a lot of time and resources. Keep the podcast going and donate today!

Women and construction are not two words that typically go together in the same sentence, but they certainly should. Patricia Haywood has spent the majority of her life in construction as a member of a family of entrepreneurs building businesses within the industry. 

 

She has now created her own company and is inspiring women to be unapologetically themselves, even in male-dominated fields.

 

After pursuing her law degree and practicing as an attorney, another male-dominated field, she found herself back in the field of construction as general counsel and consultant. She has worked on some of the largest construction projects and she is well-versed in the challenges women face in the field. 

 

This is part one of a three part series. We cover a lot of ground in part one discussing her post-high school education, the first company she started, and why she is so passionate about helping women to thrive in male-dominated fields.

 

If you enjoyed this episode, join us for part two! 

 

In this episode:

[03:02] Patricia shares how the education system in Jamaica and the UK differ from the United States.

[04:32] She speaks about why she pursued a law degree.

[07:11] Listen as Patricia shares her journey through post high school education.

[10:30] She talks about the first company she started.

[14:07] Walking her own path was very important to her, she wanted to do the things that lit her up.

[17:48] Patricia describes what a Fortune 500 Company is and what B2B means.

[20:26] She discusses the supply chains in construction.

[25:00] Everyone in the supply chains are partners and in the business of risk management.

[31:31] Risk management tends to focus on dollars and cents, but the focus needs to be on people.

[34:21] Patricia shares some of the tools they use in project management.

[36:47] She discusses the uniformity between contracts and law in general when doing international business.

[39:54] Stay tuned for Part II with Patricia Haywood.

 

Links and Resources: Connect with Patricia:

Master Buildhers

Heightened BADASSERY Podcast

Patricia on LinkedIn

Master Buildhers on Instagram

 

Connect with Siobhan: 

Industry ExplorersIndustry Explorers Facebook GroupIndustry Explorers on FacebookIndustry Explorers on InstagramIndustry Explorers on YouTubeIndustry Explorers on TikTokBook a Connection Call

 

Love the show and want to help support us? Donate to our Ko-Fi Account. We love providing you with these stories, tips, and recommendations, but it takes a lot of time and resources. Keep the podcast going and donate today!

In this second part of an absolutely amazing conversation with Alan Stein Jr., we dig into some far reaching topics. Everything from the role of effective communication in life and business to the need for ongoing change and growth. Listen in to hear all of Alan’s amazing advice.

 

We start the conversation off expanding on the need to go back to basics when you’re facing higher levels and challenges. This applies no matter if you’re talking about sport or business. Constant maintenance of the core skills in any profession will help elevate your overall performance.   

 

Then we started discussing communication. No matter your profession or role, effective communication is the key to success. Despite the move toward artificial intelligence, you will always have human beings to interact with. Learning how to properly communicate is essential. (This applies in any relationship. Definitely something important to keep in mind.)

 

Alan is truly a fount of knowledge. He’s taken on ever expanding roles and responsibilities and isn’t scared to make changes when appropriate. For instance, he left the role of on court performance coaching when he realized that he would soon not be able to keep up with the kids he was coaching. 

 

That willingness to pivot is one of the things he credits for his overall success in his field and in his new ventures. Again, no matter what you think your dream job is right now, listen in to hear Alan’s thoughts on how your dreams may shift and pivot as you get older. You don’t have to have everything figured out right now, but you do have to work toward something!

 

In this episode:

[00:47] Alan shares how an individual can keep from being bored with the basics.

[03:04] Even in a relationship you sometimes have to get back to basics.

[05:06] Alan believes you need a servant leader mentality.

[08:04] He describes what it means to be a director of performance.

[10:21] He believes that self care is one of the most important things that he can do.

[14:41] Too many people wear a lack of sleep as a badge, Alan believes it’s a badge of stupidity.

[16:11] Alan discusses the parallels he sees no matter what industry he works with.

[19:06] He talks about how establishing true role clarity can challenge the mindset that it's not my job.

[21:04] Leadership is doing what needs to be done for the team to be successful.

[21:51] Alan discusses some books he believes all leaders should read.

[25:42] He talks about taking advantage of the chance for repetition.

[28:34] Alan speaks about emotional maturity and fitness

[31:00] Learn how to become a spectator to your own emotions.

[35:43] He shares some common performance wedges between knowing and doing.

[39:57] Alan discusses his books.

[41:36] A message for women who are looking to break into performance sports.

[45:13] “Show up as your best self, be fully prepared but also be prepared to change and adapt.”

[46:15] Alan talks about the fact that every decision he makes right now points him to the person he will be in twenty years.

[49:13] Thank you so much for being on the show!

 

Links and Resources:

The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman

Extreme Ownership: How US Navy Seals Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

Leading With The Heart: Coach K’s Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business and Life by Mike Krzyzewski

The Success Principles by Jack Canfield

The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Don Bruns

 

Connect with Alan:

Alan Stein Jr.

For a list of the 8 books Alan recommends every leader read

Find all of Alan’s books here

Alan on Facebook

Alan on Twitter

Alan on Instagram

Alan on LinkedIn

Alan on YouTube

 

Connect with Siobhan: 

Industry ExplorersIndustry Explorers Facebook GroupIndustry Explorers on FacebookIndustry Explorers on InstagramIndustry Explorers on YouTubeIndustry Explorers on TikTokBook a Connection Call

 

Love the show and want to help support us? Donate to our Ko-Fi Account. We love providing you with these stories, tips, and recommendations, but it takes a lot of time and resources. Keep the podcast going and donate today!

From high performance coach to keynote speaker, Alan Stein Jr. has been impacting the world of sports for many years. He has spent over 15 years helping to grow and develop talented young athletes and is now helping organizations by building strong leaders.    He didn’t know that he’d be where he is today however. Coming out of high school he only knew that he wanted to be around sports. He started off completing coursework to become a teacher so that he could double as a basketball coach, but soon realized that he didn’t have the passion for teaching. 

 

What was he to do then? 

 

He went into sports management instead and learned the business of sport rather than just the mechanics of the game. He learned more about what it took to build world class athletes and teams and how various things impacted the overall business of the game. 

 

His work led him to become an influential part of building some of the biggest names in basketball that you hear today. Listen as he shares about his schooling, his early work, and why it is totally okay to shift and pivot as you learn more about yourself.

 

In this episode:

[00:52] Welcome to the show Alan!

[01:13] Alan shares some of the big names he has worked with that are now in the NBA.

[03:34] In college he found his love of performance training.

[05:29] He speaks about his journey into sports management.

[08:20] “It’s ok to make changes in life”

[10:41] Alan discusses what he would change in the performance training degree.

[13:17] It's important for younger ages to be exposed to different activities, subjects and perspectives.

[16:54] He shares what he did between college and becoming a co-owner in an elite training company.

[18:58] Alan discusses what makes an athletic training program cutting edge.

[21:46] He explains the differences in strength and conditioning training across different sports.

[25:43] He describes the structure and various roles involved in professional basketball.

[29:55] Alan shares that with the kids he trained, he could tell who could be standouts.

[35:06] “Taking care of your fitness throughout your life is very important.”

[40:01] “In my early 20s I put a lot of pressure on myself to prove myself.”

[43:10] All the greats in the NBA blend confidence with humility and recognize that there is also something more to learn.

[44:50] Alan believes that repetition is not punishment, repetition is the oldest and most effective form of learning on the planet.

[47:09] Thank you for listening to part 1, see you back here next week for part 2 with Alan Stein Jr.

 

Links and Resources:

Elon University

National Physique Committee

 

Connect with Alan:

Alan Stein Jr.

Find all of Alan’s books here

Alan on Facebook

Alan on Twitter

Alan on Instagram

Alan on LinkedIn

 

Connect with Siobhan: 

Industry ExplorersIndustry Explorers Facebook GroupIndustry Explorers on FacebookIndustry Explorers on InstagramIndustry Explorers on YouTubeIndustry Explorers on TikTokBook a Connection Call

 

Love the show and want to help support us? Donate to our Ko-Fi Account. We love providing you with these stories, tips, and recommendations, but it takes a lot of time and resources. Keep the podcast going and donate today!

Effective communication is a practice in learning how to properly listen to and engage with the person you are communicating with. That requires active listening, proper follow up, and building safety into the conversation. 

 

In Part 3 of my series with Roman Roberts, we’re discussing different written interrogation certificates and why written communication is so important both in the military and in business. The words you use and the message you’re sending should match the mission statement you’re sending out into the world.

 

The key to any great conversation is being able to validate and empower the person you are speaking with. Even if you’re not interested in the topic at hand, showing them that you’ve listened and though you may not understand, you were still there to hear them. 

That’s a very powerful thing. 

 

We then dig into the principles of communication with your kids and why it’s important to speak to young children as if they are people. Using baby talk will in fact decrease their ability to pick up on the nuances of real language and communication cues. 

 

Listen to the end to hear Roman’s challenge to all of our listeners. Will you accept it? 

 

In this episode:

[00:30] Roman discusses his Reid Interrogation Certification.

[01:13] Every interrogation and interview technique he has learned has parallels to business because everything is communication.

[05:30] He explains what a Wicklander - Zulawski Certification is and how it relates to business.

[07:24] Roman shares some writing tips as it applies to the principles of effective communication.

[13:25] He shares how he stays engaged in a conversation with someone who is uninteresting, dull, or monotonous.

[16:56] “There is no such thing as a bad or boring conversation, there’s just our own preconceived notions that make it that way.”

[19:35] Validating and empowering the person you are having a conversation with is a powerful thing.

[25:16] They never baby talked with their son and now he has a very extensive vocabulary at three years old. Kids understand much more than you think.

[27:17] He shares how he and his wife are going to have the sex talk, stranger danger talk and stuff like that. They want to have an open environment so they can answer any question he has.

[31:34] Part of growth is acknowledging those who helped you along the way.

[36:20] Roman gives the listeners a challenge.

[37:42] He shares his last words of wisdom.

[39:31] Thank you so much for being on the show!

Links and Resources:

Vincent “Rocco” Vargas - Beteran 

Six Sigma Certification

Certified ScrumMaster

Certified Project Management Director.

Reid Interrogation Certification

Certified Human Intelligence Collector

Wicklander - Zulawski Certification 

Talking Foster Care with Susan Ramirez

Jocko Podcast

Connect with Roman:

 

Real Talk with Roman

Real Talk with Roman on Facebook 

Real Talk with Roman on Instagram

Real Talk with Roman on YouTube

LinkedIn

 

Connect with Siobhan: 

Industry ExplorersIndustry Explorers Facebook GroupIndustry Explorers on FacebookIndustry Explorers on InstagramIndustry Explorers on YouTubeIndustry Explorers on TikTokBook a Connection Call

 

Love the show and want to help support us? Donate to our Ko-Fi Account. We love providing you with these stories, tips, and recommendations, but it takes a lot of time and resources. Keep the podcast going and donate today!

The conversation is really just getting started. Roman joins me in Part II of this 3-part series to take an even deeper dive into the different types of interrogation and why what you see in the movies is nothing like real life. 

 

Imagine this. You walk up to a coworker, punch them in the nose, and then start asking them questions. Do you think you’ll gain any useful information from that coworker? Probably not. The same is true in military interrogation and intelligence operations. 

 

Though he loved his time in the military, Roman couldn’t keep taking on trauma after trauma. He’d never truly dealt with the trauma from his childhood and then after years in the military in active war zones, his emotional and mental load was huge. 

 

The real catalyst for his leaving the military was the fact that his fiance could no longer deal with the separation. They’d gone more than two years without seeing each other and she saw what his time in the military was doing to him. 

 

This led to his transition out and it was not easy. Listen as he shares more about his life post-military and how he found his way out of the deep dark hole he was in. He also found his new calling in his career as a process engineer. 

 

Stay with us for the end of this fantastic conversation in Part 3!

 

In this episode:

[00:35] Roman shares why it’s easier to ramp up than it is to ramp down.

[03:18] 2020 has been the year of emotional intelligence.

[04:15] Emotional intelligence is seeking to understand the person in front of you.

[06:35] Manipulation is when you are actively seeking out the pleasure of affecting this person with a negative intent.

[07:08] A negotiation is where both people know what they want and try to find a common ground.

[09:40] He shares how old he was when he left the military and why he gave it up.

[12:41] He unleashed resentment towards his fiance because she wanted him home even though he knew he was done he didn’t want to be told he was done.

[15:03] Listen as Roman shares some advice for helping people transition with trauma from the military to civilian life.

[17:15] He quit drinking and went to a therapist and finally got to a healthy place.

[19:35] A lot of transitioning veterans struggle with communication.

[20:03] It’s not happy wife happy life, it's happy spouse happy house.

[23:43] Just because you are doing what people say you should do, are you doing it in the right way?

[24:23] Roman explains what a Process Engineer is and what they do.

[26:39] He translates his analogy into banking and finance.

[28:51] Opening his consulting firm happened because he had a friend that needed his experience to help them start their businesses.

[31:55] He explains his Six Sigma certification and the different levels.

[35:16] He explains the different color of belts for Six Sigma.

[41:43] The black belt helps him in his consulting firm.

[42:25] He talks about being a Certified ScrumMaster.

[44:48] He also has a Certified Project Management Director.

[46:57] Listen for Part III with Roman Roberts

 

Links and Resources:

Vincent “Rocco” Vargas - Beteran 

Six Sigma Certification

Certified ScrumMaster

Certified Project Management Director.

Reid Interrogation Certification

Certified Human Intelligence Collector

Wicklander - Zulawski Certification 

Talking Foster Care with Susan Ramirez

Jocko Podcast

 

Connect with Roman:

Real Talk with Roman

Real Talk with Roman on Facebook 

Real Talk with Roman on Instagram

Real Talk with Roman on YouTube

LinkedIn

 

Connect with Siobhan: 

Industry ExplorersIndustry Explorers Facebook GroupIndustry Explorers on FacebookIndustry Explorers on InstagramIndustry Explorers on YouTubeIndustry Explorers on TikTokBook a Connection Call

 

Love the show and want to help support us? Donate to our Ko-Fi Account. We love providing you with these stories, tips, and recommendations, but it takes a lot of time and resources. Keep the podcast going and donate today!

Roman Roberts is a communications expert who has been studying the topic since his earliest years. Growing up in the foster care system, he was in and out of abusive homes and experienced his first bouts with trauma. 

 

He knew at a very early age that he wanted to go into the military. It simply seemed like the best path for someone in his situation. His goal was to make it out of his home without owing anybody anything, and he did just that. 

 

Luckily for him there was a need for human intelligence collectors and he scored really well on the aptitude test for it. He ended up going into the military with a sizable bonus and set on a path that would take him very far in his life and career. 

 

In this first episode of a 3-part series, Roman and I dig into his past and then take on the topic of the military. He’s sharing an inside look at the process for joining as well as different avenues you can take within the military. 

 

Believe it or not, it’s not just those who are less fortunate or who have no other opportunities in life that join the military. Our military as a whole is a multi-billion dollar per year business and requires a huge number of people to run and operate. Even in peace times, the men and women of the military are still making moves to help build a better world. 

 

Listen in to hear it all and then stay tuned for Part II.

 

In this episode:

[00:59] Welcome to the show, Roman!

[01:35] Roman knew from a little kid that he wanted to get into the military.

[02:56] The military gave him an identity.

[05:26] He went into the military as a human intelligence collector and he shares why he took that path.

[08:09] Listen as Roman talks about the very smart individuals that were on his team in the military.

[11:20] He speaks about advancement in the military and why he didn’t go far.

[13:11] There is so much more to the military than most of us know.

[15:44] He talks about the other jobs you can have in the military and never see combat.

[17:06] Roman feels like he paid his debt and his son shouldn’t have to go into the military unless it’s something he really wants to do.

[18:00] Listen as Roman defines what the different acronyms mean, like enlisted, ROTC, OCS and explains what they expect.

[20:35] Know what you want to do in the military and always ask your recruiter questions you may have.

[23:09] Get everything in writing. It’s not policy if it isn’t written down.

[24:32] There are multiple routes to becoming an officer if you don’t go to officer school.

[27:05] You don’t have to decide right out of high school because the military isn’t going anywhere but check out the age limitations for whatever branch you want to go in.

[28:31] Roman talks about what his life was like after basic training.

[30:07] Working as an interrogator was fun, and he had many interesting conversations with people all over the world.

[32:52] He shares some ideologies he saw in the middle eastern culture versus the western culture.

[37:59] Roman discusses what it’s like to interrogate people and how unrealistically movies and tv portray them.

[39:32] He speaks about the techniques and strategies used to talk to different people and in different environments.

[42:14] Tactical interrogation is on the objective, it's when people go to a house and bust through a door and round people up and ask them questions.

[43:33] Strategic interrogation is usually a detention facility type of interrogation, long-term interrogation.

[45:45] Listen for more in Part II with Roman Roberts.

 

Links and Resources:

Vincent “Rocco” Vargas - Beteran 

Six Sigma Certification

Certified ScrumMaster

Certified Project Management Director.

Reid Interrogation Certification

Certified Human Intelligence Collector

Wicklander - Zulawski Certification 

Talking Foster Care with Susan Ramirez

Jocko Podcast

 

Connect with Roman:

Real Talk with Roman

Real Talk with Roman on Facebook 

Real Talk with Roman on Instagram

Real Talk with Roman on YouTube

LinkedIn

 

Connect with Siobhan: 

Industry ExplorersIndustry Explorers Facebook GroupIndustry Explorers on FacebookIndustry Explorers on InstagramIndustry Explorers on YouTubeIndustry Explorers on TikTokBook a Connection Call

 

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