Military Bottom Line

This week on the show I have Mike Grooms! Mike enlisted in the Marine Corps at the ripe age of 17 years old and left for bootcamp quickly after high school graduation. Mike tells his story of getting in legal trouble on two separate occasions and what it took to come back from that. Mike offers encouragement to those who are in their own tough spots with their career and the law and speaks from experience as to how everyone can come back from their mistakes.

Despite being turned away and denied for his mistakes on many occasions, Mike's grit enabled him to continue service and direct his career where it worked for him. I hope you enjoy the show!

Captain Talia Bastien has always pushed herself. While most people graduate college at the age of 22, Talia did it at 19 and became one of the youngest female officers in the Marine Corps at age 20!

In this episode we discusses the hurdles of being such a young officer and compare them with the additional trials that she faced as a woman in the military. Talia discusses the huge culture shock that took place for her as she graduate a life of homeschooling and took the plunge into the Marines. We also discuss her thoughts on why people might be doing the military "the wrong way" and her tips for success. I hope you enjoy the show!

Thanks for tuning in! Are you interested in changing branches to better direct your military career? Better yet, are you interested in being a pilot bt don't want to go to school for four years before being eligible? If so, this episode is for you! Josh Zeek spent 5 years in the Marine Corps as a V22 crew chief. He just recently transitioned into the Army to pursue flying. He did this all without a break in service and without a college degree. 

I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did!

Check out this episode with Adam Brown! Adam was in the Marines for five years in the intelligence field. He was fortunate enough to be sent to language school and deploy twice in his first and only enlistment. Adam has since moved on and become an accountant. Hear how Adam strategized his transition, made the most out of his GI Bill benefits and was able to graduate from a private school in Southern California debt free. 

Adam also provides insight on what younger people still in the military should be doing with their finances and investing in preparation for transitioning out.

In this weeks episode I meet with John Thompson. John has been in the US Coast Guard for nine years and continues to love his job and excel in his work. We discuss differences between the Coast Guard and other branches, how to succeed in the Coast Guard and what it's like to be at a school during COVID-19. John also shares stories of some career highlights. Don't miss the opportunity to learn from his experience.

Find out what happened to Ali Thompson when she left college to join the Air Force, only to end up in the middle of a massive recruiter error! Despite what had been agreed upon, a 6 year contract was sent to the Air Force for her enlistment and not a 4 year contract as they had discussed. Listen to hear how the Air Force handled and the options they gave her to continue her career. Listen to the end and you'll see how she ultimately was able to use military benefits to get 3 different college diplomas despite the rocky start!

Thanks for joining!

In today's episode I speak with my good friend Matt Sorensen. Matt joined the Army as a machine gunner as a result of 9/11 and ultimately spent over 2 years in Iraq during his enlistment. Matt talks about his experience with Stop Loss and what that means. We also discuss the strategy he used to get a Bachelor's and Master's degree out of his Post 9/11 GI Bill.

Matt has experienced a lot and holds a unique perspective to share from, including how he would do things differently if he were to do it all over again.

Are you struggling to find a way to pay for college? This episode is for you! 

In this episode, I speak with Gus Yohner, a USC alumni who used the Navy ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) program to pay for his undergraduate degree. Gus was raised in a blue-collar household, but that didn't stop him from pursuing his dream and accomplishing his goal of going to a four-year college. Find out how Gus learned of these opportunities, pursued options, and ultimately got over $100,000 of education paid for by the US Navy.

Gus shares his strategies and provides tips for accomplishing any goal we may have in life. He speaks from experience and has a lot of wisdom we can all benefit from!

In this episode, I talk with my good friend, Sam Brandt (Sgt. USMC), aka Sammy B! Sam is one of the most optimistic dudes I know! He runs ultra marathons and is always ready to find the positives in every situation. He has a ton of good information to share from his time in the Marine Corps, including finding himself in Afghanistan within his first year of his enlistment. 

If you are new to the military or considering joining, Sam has a lot of insight to share on attitude and the impact it has on your time in the military. Don't miss out on his wisdom, make sure you listen all the way through!