Send a text

This week's episode is a conversation with another one of my favorite people I've met through this journey...and YES, it WAS on LinkedIn!

Caitlin (Cait) Thomas is a former Federal LEO with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), who had her career cut short due to a medical condition and is now in the financial industry...something she did prior to law enforcement. 

Cait grew up in Hawaii, her parents are/were involved with the Justice system, and her father and brother are/were involved in the military... so she always knew she wanted to make a difference, protect others, and be part of something bigger than herself. 

Cait was a finance major in college and was an Investment Specialist at a bank, prior to joining HSI. One day, she had the realization she was not fulfilled and making the kind of difference she wanted to make. She talked to her dad about it, who was an Assistant US Attorney at the time. He started introducing her to different agents he worked with and she eventually chose HSI. 

She started the academy in 2019 and once an agent worked Cyber Crimes/ICAC cases. In 2020, after putting off symptoms for over a year and pushing through pain like so many of us do...she finally scheduled an MRI after a co-worker encouraged her. The doctor called right away and informed her that her brain was herniated at the base of her skull, due to a cyst they couldn't drain, and she would need brain surgery to remove it or she could possibly be paralyzed. After surgery, other neurological issues started happening and that was the beginning of the end to her career, in April 2025.

As the writing on the wall started to appear, that her career was over...she had to decide what she wanted to do and how she could still serve. The financial industry is what her degree was in, she had prior work experience in the industry, and finance allows her to help people who don't always know how to help themselves.

Cait talked about feeling like her body betrayed her, the grief she felt for losing structure, identity, purpose, and "family," and how lonely she felt because there was no one who "got it." She also talked about realizing that none of us are actually alone, and that was something she learned because of LinkedIn and this podcast. 

Cait's advice for those facing the "Just a cop" mindset was to stop thinking you're not that interesting and your story doesn't matter (because it does), to not limit yourself, and to know your WHY.

Make sure you connect with Cait on LinkedIn, here.

If you haven't already...make sure you follow me on LinkedIn and on Instagram at @_nextshift_ AND @the_jessflores

If this podcast resonates with you or you feel like it could help someone else, please feel free to share it with them and/or on your social media platforms...but be sure to tag me so I can personally say THANK YOU!

Be sure to subscribe by clicking the + sign at the top and if you feel called to do so, I'd love to hear your thoughts in a review.

You can NOW wear the mission of The Next Shift Podcast, with merch! Check out our current designs, here.

See you Next Shift