L.I.V.E. with Courage Podcast

In this episode of Transition Tales, a LIVE with Courage Podcast, Deana shares her transition from the military to Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and Ms. Classic Texas.

We discussed:
00:45 Deana introduces herself
2:00 Deana shares her transition
2:30 Separated as a stay-at-home mom and military spouse
2:54 Involuntarily became Family Readiness Group lead
3:17 Received bad advice to go to post hospital instead of VA hospital
3:51 Expectations of military spouse caused challenges
5:10 Expectations of corporate environment caused challenges
7:20 Obtained nursing license & experienced culture challenges
7:55 Found a better fit as a vocational rehabilitation counselor
9:19 Provided peer support to individuals at Irreverent Warrior hikes
10:30 Found purpose through volunteering doing crisis intervention
11:00 Challenges of being in a relationship with a “toxic” person
11:40 Challenges of having learning disabilities
13:00 Shares some advice on how to leave an unsafe relationship
14:50 Method to maintaining positivity through challenges
17:02 Sometimes you have to try many therapists before you find the right one
17:50 Therapy game
18:48 American United Pageantry & Ms. Classic Texas
19:56 Invisible Disabilities advocating decision
22:22 Military transition resources have improved since 2004
24:15 Mental Health provider mindset challenges
25:09 Finding place in corporate America-unwritten social rules (biggest challenge)
26:31 Unsubstantiated ideas about veterans and violence (Veteran Cultural Competence)
27:20 Knife handing caused challenges at work
28:16 Sought out communication class to learn civilian social norms
29:01 Had to look at the situation objectively: military to civilian social norms
31:19 Seek out classes, groups, etc. to learn effective communication (advice)
33:03 Seek out free resources, like crisis centers, if you need assistance

Guest Bio:
Deana Cannon is a third-generation veteran, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Ms. Classic Texas, American United Ms. Classic, . She is passionate about advocating for individuals with invisible disabilities.

Resources:

• Irreverent Warriors 
• Ms. Classic Texas 
• American United Pageantry 
• National Crisis Support – Domestic Violence 

In this episode of Transition Tales, a LIVE with Courage Podcast, Michael shares his transition from Army to IT Network Security. This is Part 2.

We discussed:
00:38 Michael continues his story with deployment
00:54 Accidentally gets a second job while deployed
2:00 Returns home to Florida
2:36 Certified to teach in Florida
4:06 Landed full time teaching position
6:00 Scheduled for drill during testing
7:05 I believe everyone has an answer
7:50 When you are struggling, go back to basics
9:50 Drill exercise for a comm person
11:32 Heart to heart conversation
12:17 Decided to stop teaching and go back to IT
14:55 Convo with a fellow dad changes focus
19:06 Friend presents an opportunity
20:18 Attends security conferences
24:00 Attends CyberTexas
26:35 Learned the value of understanding worth (pay)
27:36 Interview with Rackspace-interview misstep
29:00 Takes a temporary IT position
29:45 Hurricane Michael
30:06 Receives random calls about a SharePoint position
34:44 Interview with client-interview success
37:50 Gets offered a Network Administrator position
38:27 Revisits medical challenges
40:20 Power of LinkedIn
40:54 Networking is key
41:38 Recruiters have a mission
41:52 7 years of looking and I finally got the job

Guest Bio:
Michael Martinez is an Army veteran and member of the Texas Army National Guard. He is also an experienced IT professional and has an MBA from Texas State University.

Resources:
Top Security Conferences
LinkedIn Article 

In this episode of Transition Tales, a LIVE with Courage Podcast, Michael shares his transition from Army to Texas Guard. This is a two-part episode.

We discussed:
00:47 Michael introduces himself
1:32 Challenges of starting transition a year out
2:57 Beginning of Army Career
4:32 Focused on business planning during OCS to AIT transition
6:00 National guard transition planning started on last deployment
7:11 Family discussion on where to go post active-duty service
7:54 Planned to live in San Antonio, but had to quickly pivot
8:38 Applied for MBA programs
9:10 Moved to vacant family ranch and rebuilt it
11:20 Praises spouse for being “rock” through the transition process
11:56 Living on educational resources and side work
12:27 Shares “try-one” program for National Guard & the shock of not having AD resources
13:22 Navigating healthcare process
14:38 Challenges of non-diagnostic care
16:04 Weather impacts family ranch rebuild
18:05 Blister beetle attack (I cannot make this stuff up)
21:52 Military mindset impacting healthcare choices
22:32 On top of everything, tries to start a business
24:23 Deployment saves financial troubles-causes educational and promotion challenge
27:19 Drastic career progression difference between Active Duty and National Guard
28:29 Navigated education challenge while deployed
Stay tuned for part 2

Guest Bio: Michael Martinez is an Army veteran and member of the Texas Army National Guard. He is also an experienced IT professional and has an MBA from Texas State University.

In this episode of Transition Tales, a LIVE with Courage Podcast, Brittany shares her transition from Air Force Dental Tech to the world of Project Management in the civilian sector.

We discussed:
1:36 Brittany introduces herself
2:12 Brittany shares how her military transition began and “ended”
3:19 Informational interviews
3:55 Importance of vetting references
4:33 A contractor with USAA reached out via LinkedIn
5:10 Position led to full time career with USAA
5:35 Selling yourself when you do not quite match the requirements
7:06 What is the “end” of military transition
8:37 Imposter syndrome
10:16 Mental health challenges-purpose void & stress
11:18 PTSD challenge and veteran stigmas
13:06 Resource overload
13:45 Military transition is a full-time job
14:21 back to resources-overreliance
15:19 Importance of mentorship
15:52 Importance of LinkedIn Profiles
16:40 72 applications leading to 1 interview
17:30 Importance of routine and processes
18:13 Good fit for mentorship
20:52 Importance of telling your story
21:22 Personality vs. Requirements
23:20 Importance of interviewing the company
24:44 Informational interviewing
27:57 Final words

Guest Bio:
Brittany Smith is an Air Force Veteran, Business Architect at USAA, and User Experience Manager at DOL Coach. She is also an active mentor on Veterati.

Resources:

• USAA Careers https://www.usaajobs.com/
• DOL Coach https://www.dolcoach.com/
• Veterati https://www.veterati.com/

In this episode of Transition Tales, a LIVE with Courage Podcast, Kristen shares her story of going from an activity duty Army family to Army National Guard and the career transition she is currently experiencing.

We discussed:
00:48 Kristen introduces herself
2:12 Kristen starts her transition story
3:10 A little discussion on TAP
4:40 Kristen thought the transition would be easier with extended family
7:22 Learned a valuable lesson of having multiple back up plans
7:52 Kristen and her family settled in a small town
8:23 Kristen and her family ended up on the family ranch that had been vacant for 10 years
9:27 Kristen learned valuable skills that transferred over to her new position
10:50 Kristen shares a little about her career transition she is currently in
12:15 Short discussion on the commonalities between retail and business operations
14:33 Military spouses have the ability to “roll with it”
15:50 Kristen shares some of her challenges
17:16 Challenges of not having a community post active service
20:03 Start your transition program early
20:50 Spouse ought to participate in the transition process/programs
21:41 Be prepared for things to change
22:24 Recreating community post active duty service

Guest Bio: Kristen Martinez is a military spouse of a member of the Army National Guard. She has a bachelor’s in business management and a talent for customer engagement.

Resources:

• Dynamic Advancement https://www.dynamicadvancement.com/
• Disabled American Veterans (DAV) https://www.dav.org/
• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) https://www.vfw.org/
• Boy Scouts of America https://www.scouting.org/
• Girl Scouts https://www.girlscouts.org/

In this episode Matt and Christina have a great conversation about the benefits and challenges of hiring veteran leaders

We discussed:
1:44 Matt introduces himself
5:30 Matt shares about his new business, Suiting Green
11:02 degree means education, not leadership experience
11:33 leadership is different in corporate environment
12:35 helping organizations understand veteran leadership experience & veterans understand organizations expectations
15:50 helping organization hire and retain the best fit veteran leaders
19:41 Veterans are typically hard chargers and companies are not always prepared for that
21:58 Where do the qualification requirements come from?
26:20 Education does not equal leadership, it is knowledge
29:03 The hiring manager does the hiring, not the recruiter or interviewer
29:29 How to transition from military leadership to corporate leadership
33:30 Leadership has specific components that are not communicated or understood
33:53 Service members are not just mindless followers, we are trained to be leaders
35:29 We have a veteran success crisis
36:39 Matt talks about how he challenged soldiers in training to be leaders
37:41 The organization must support the leader for them to be successful
38:30 Christina shares her first leadership experience in the military
40:10 Christina shares her experience of losing her leadership role post service
41:19 There is an expectation for service members to be insta-civilians
42:19 Christina choses her veteraness over typical success
43:25 What is available for veterans in companies to help them be successful
45:21 Discussion on diversity and inclusion vs culture fit
48:19 Are left and right limits communicated in organizations
50:35 You don’t know what you don’t know
51:00 Don’t be a hard charger right away
52:00 Corporate environments are different and unexpected
53:05 Matt talks about his future
55:34 Veteran Friendly to Veteran Ready
57:21 Discussion on PTSD and accommodations
1:02:00 Christina shares with Matt how appreciative she is of his work
1:03:00 Its all about making individuals and the organization successful
1:03:40 Final words from Matt

Guest Bio:
Matt Wood is a retired Army infantryman. He spent some time working for Disney Company post transition and is now an entrepreneur helping organizations go from veteran friendly to veteran ready.

Christina Herr is an Air Force Veteran and postcaster with the goal of empowering others to achieve the success they define for themselves.

Resources:

• DOL Coach offers training and certifications to enhance anyone’s resume. www.dolcoach.com
• Disney Careers https://jobs.disneycareers.com/
• Disney Institute https://www.disneyinstitute.com/
• Suiting Green https://www.suitinggreen.com/
• National Center for PTSD https://www.ptsd.va.gov/
• Reasonable Accommodations in the Workplace https://adata.org/factsheet/reasonable-accommodations-workplace

In this episode of Transition Tales, a LIVE with Courage Podcast, Matt shares his story of transitioning out of the Army into Disney Company.

We discussed:
1:12 Matt introduces himself
2:41 How Matt decided to work for Disney Company
7:00 Applying for Jobs
9:25 Disney recruiter reaches out
9:44 Interview process begins
11:23 Second round of interviews
12:45 Matt gets offered a position
13:35 Matt goes the extra mile to start his role
14:17 Discussion on interview process
15:19 Concerns about transitioning
16:16 Was not as successful as expected
16:40 Values misalignment
17:50 The beginning of leaving first role
20:20 Left the company for private security
20:53 New opportunity at Disney comes around
22:55 Gets offered full time position, progresses quickly
24:04 COVID impacts Disney Company and Matt’s career
25:40 Matt gets laid off
25:45 Disney is like the military
31:08 Matt is looking for his next big challenge
31:54 Matt shares what his most valuable military skills are
34:45 Discusses the importance of growth opportunities
35:45 Reach out to people that have already solidified their success
36:45 Be prepared to not stay in first position
38:30 Final words – transition is a challenge, reach out

Guest Bio: Matt Wood is a retired Army infantryman. He spent some time working for Disney Company post transition and is now an entrepreneur helping service members through their transition.

Resources:

• DOL Coach offers training and certifications to enhance anyone’s resume. www.dolcoach.com
• Disney Careers https://jobs.disneycareers.com/
• Disney Institute https://www.disneyinstitute.com/
• Disney vs the US Army, A Comparison by Matt Wood

In this episode Wayne and Christina have a great conversation about education, and veteran identity and inclusion.

We discussed:
1:32 Wayne introduces himself
1:59 Wayne starts his education journey
2:26 Challenges of experience vs knowledge in the classroom
4:30 Interesting degree choices
5:45 Christina shares her thoughts on project management
7:32 Find your why
10:25 Wayne changes direction of his doctoral journey-listen to his excitement
12:11 Christina shares her dissertation topic which focuses on suicide prevention
12:50 Veterans Counseling Veterans
13:33 Christina LOVES being on podcasts!- how Transition Tales started
14:36 Veteran identity and the impact of our service on that identity
22:17 Veteran stigma
26:52 Revisit Wayne’s educational journey-advocating for student veterans
34:26 Power of purpose
39:03 Side note: military spouse identity has a continuum, and they transition as well
39:44 WE ARE A COMMUNITY

Guest Bio:
Wayne Taylor is an Army Retiree and doctoral student at University of South Florida. He has found his purpose in advocating for student veterans in higher education.

Christina Herr is an Air Force veteran and doctoral student at Grand Canyon University. She is an active resilience and suicide prevention advocate-focusing on transitioning service members and veterans.

Resources:

• DOL Coach offers training and certifications to enhance anyone’s resume. www.dolcoach.com
• University of South Florida https://www.usf.edu/
• Find Your Why by Simon Sinek on Amazon 
• Veterans Counseling Veterans https://vetscounselingvets.org/
• Grand Canyon University https://www.gcu.edu/

In this episode of Transition Tales, a LIVE with Courage Podcast, Wayne Taylor shares his transition from by the book cookie cutter transition journey to a path of purpose.

We discussed:
1:18 Wayne introduces himself
2:53 Transition story begins
3:50 Easy transition into a lucrative corporate position
6:30 Wayne realizes he is unhappy
7:59 Looking for a new challenge, applied for doctorate program
8:35 Discovered opportunity to mentor veterans
10:10 Wayne realized he had a lot in common with the veterans he was mentoring
10:58 Importance of purpose
12:53 Company requests Wayne to step away
13:15 Standard transition expectations
15:15 Wayne was approached by the competitors
16:38 Wayne shares how his career progression moved him towards education
18:18 Being more comfortable with being a “veteran”
18:53 Purpose promotes perseverance
19:55 Finding your purpose can take time
21:11 We are always experiencing unique transitions
23:04 Identifying your challenge can be challenging
24:27 We do not always take our own advice
25:44 Taking the moment to step back
27:13 Find opportunities to speak with someone to discover your purpose
28:25 Final words

Guest Bio:
Wayne Taylor is an Army Retiree that specialized in intelligence. He was headhunted into a lucrative career with a contract company shortly after leaving the Army, but did not feel fulfilled. Several years later, Wayne finds himself as a doctoral learner and veteran advocate.

Resources:
DOL Coach offers training and certifications to enhance anyone’s resume. www.dolcoach.com
Justice for Vets, Veterans Treatment Court Volunteering https://justiceforvets.org/
Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown on Amazon
Find Your Why by Simon Sinek on Amazon
Vet Centers, Readjustment Counseling https://www.vetcenter.va.gov/
Veterati, mentorship for the military community https://www.veterati.com/

This episode contains discussions of bullying, abuse of power, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. If you experience any discomfort, reach out to a helping agency in your area or one listed in the resources section.

In this episode, Brittany and Christina share their non-combat trauma experiences while in the Air Force. They also share how those experiences impacted their transition in different ways.

We discussed:
1:37 Brittany introduces herself
3:20 Overview of trauma
8:05 Brittany shares part of her story
12:40 shaming individuals to report
19:54 Christina shares her story
26:48 Brittany discusses medical harassment
28:23 Christina continues her story
36:02 Brittany continues her story
36:27 Being targeting for being a good wingman and being knowledgeable
43:08 Non-combat trauma exists in the military
44:53 Brittany shares about being retraumatized
52:13 the fear of sharing with others
53:19 effect trauma had on Brittany’s transition
57:22 effect trauma has on Christina’s transition
59:57 Christina found her purpose through her challenges
1:01:28 Everyone’s experience is different
1:06:00 Stigma of being labeled “disabled”
1:07:40 your next chapter is YOUR choice
1:10:35 Christina’s closing thought

Guest Bio:
Brittany Smith is an Air Force veteran and military trauma survivor. She is an active mental health advocate. Brittany believes that it is a personal choice in how one moves through the aftermath of experiencing trauma.

Christina Herr is an Air Force veteran and military trauma survivor. She is an active resilience and suicide prevention advocate-focusing on transitioning service members and veterans. Christina is passionate about getting the word out that there is more to military trauma than combat experiences.

Resources:
Boys Town Crisis Line 1.800.448.3000
Sexual Assault Hotline 1.800.656.4673
Youth Crisis Line 1.800.448.4663
The Struggle Is Real eCourse https://www.livewithcouragetoday.com/the-struggle-is-real-attend