Mission Transition: A Podcast for Veterans

Mission Transition: A Podcast for Veterans

By Still Serving VeteransBusinessCareers
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Mission Transition: A Podcast for Veterans episodes

  • Using PACE to Successfully Transition

    This episode of Mission Transition has Corey talking to retired Army Colonel Trina Rice regarding her military career, her transition to civilian life, and her experiences as an entrepreneur.

     

    Key Topics and Themes:

    • Career and Leadership: After a 30-year military career with roles in human resources, recruiting, and talent management, the speaker transitioned to becoming a franchise owner of Express Employment Professionals in Virginia. She credits mentorship as the most significant contributor to her development as a leader.
    • Challenges of Transition: The speaker identified the loss of structured routine—specifically the lack of a "must-do" daily schedule—as a primary challenge when transitioning out of the military.
    • The PACE Plan: The speaker emphasized the importance of a PACE (Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency) plan for all service members. She applied this framework to her own transition, allowing her to pivot between business ventures and geographic moves when initial plans were disrupted.
    • Entrepreneurship and Service: The speaker balances two professional endeavors:
      • Express Employment Professionals: A franchise focused on workforce development that allows her to serve veterans and military families by connecting them with meaningful employment.
      • Tohi Retreat: A business focused on providing a space for women to find their "center" and replenish themselves socially and professionally.
      • Advice for Transitioning Service Members:
        • Patience: Do not rush the transition process; recognize that it is a "one-and-done" experience that requires careful, metered execution.
        • Networking: The speaker stressed that on the civilian side, "who you know" is often more critical than "what you know," and advised building a network while still serving.
        • Perspective and Humility: Veterans bring valuable traits like hard work and mission accomplishment to the workforce, but she advised against overestimating how easy the civilian world will be or how much one's military skills are automatically understood by civilians.
          • 32 min
        • Navigating Career Success with Civilian Compass

          This episode of Mission Transition between Corey and guest Langley Barth features a discussion on military transition strategies, introducing a new free tool called Civilian Compass designed to assist veterans in finding fulfilling post-military careers.

           

          Guest Background and Mission

          • The guest is a Navy veteran and product marketer who has been helping veterans navigate their transition for years.
          • Motivated by his own experience and a desire to help others avoid the uncertainty he felt, he began providing support through word-of-mouth and volunteering with organizations like ForBlock and the Veterans Beer Club.
          • He created Civilian Compass as a free, user-friendly software tool to scale his support for veterans and streamline the transition process.

            • Key Transition Advice

            • Embrace Exploration: Instead of defaulting to what they are already qualified for, veterans are encouraged to conduct a broad range of conversations to "try on" different career paths.
            • Use Data to Make Decisions: The guest suggests rating these conversations to identify which career paths provide the best energy and fit, helping veterans see the "signal through the noise".
            • Lean into Your Strengths: Veterans should utilize their "bias for action," rely on the network of veterans who have already transitioned, and maintain consistent follow-up to build lasting professional relationships.

              • The Civilian Compass Process

              • Phase 1 (Discovery): Users answer intake questions to narrow down interests and conduct informational interviews with other veterans.
              • Phase 2 (Gap Analysis): The tool helps users analyze job descriptions by "stoplight coding" their experience (green for match, yellow for related, red for gap) and determining what skills are actually necessary versus what can be learned.
              • Phase 3 (Application): The final phase focuses on the application process, leveraging the network built in earlier phases and preparing for interviews through AI-assisted story banks.

                • The guest emphasizes that it is never too late to pivot or pursue a new career, and he remains committed to keeping the platform free and unbiased to ensure veterans receive genuine, helpful guidance.

                29 min
              • From Transition to Transformation: Francine Juhlin on Self-Leadership and Finding Purpose

                On this episode of Mission Transition, Corey Hopkins sits down with Francine Juhlin, a retired Army aircraft electrician whose more than 30-year career spanned the Navy, Army, and government contracting. After a career-ending ankle injury in Iraq forced her into an unexpected transition, Francine faced the loss of her military identity, unhealthy habits, and a serious health crisis—but those challenges ultimately led her to discover a new sense of purpose.

                Francine shares the six-step process she developed to create meaningful personal change, drawing on her experience as a change management specialist. She also discusses her work as an author, children’s educator, advocate, and creator of the Clarity Starter Room. For Veterans navigating transition, Francine offers practical advice on networking, embracing setbacks as “data,” and remembering past victories as a foundation for future success.

                30 min
              • From Combat to Healing: Sam Juan’s Mission Transition

                In this powerful episode of Mission Transition, Army Veteran Sam Juan opens up about her 10 years of service, from Germany and Hawaii to becoming one of the first women selected for the Cultural Support Team program and deploying to Afghanistan with Joint Special Operations Command. She shares the challenges of transitioning out of the military, losing her sense of purpose, and the difficult road that ultimately led her to seek help and begin healing.

                Sam discusses sobriety, therapy, psychedelic therapy, art and storytelling—and how each has become a tool in her ongoing journey. Sober since July 2020, she now uses her experiences to connect with and support fellow Veterans, while working on her memoir. Named the 2026 Veteran of the Year by Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Sam offers an honest reminder that healing isn’t one-size-fits-all: be patient with yourself, keep searching for what helps, and never stop looking for what brings you joy.

                27 min
              • A Hero Gets a Home

                The Military Warriors foundation Executive Vice President, along with one of their hero recipients, talk to Corey about the program and how they helped a military hero get into a home. 

                39 min
              • From Mechanic to Sergeant Major: Miguel Hernandez on Life After the Army

                After 21 years in the U.S. Army, retired Sergeant Major Miguel Hernandez knows what it takes to rebuild life after service. From enlisting as a mechanic to leading soldiers worldwide, Miguel’s story is one of resilience, adaptability, and purpose. In this episode of Mission Transition, powered by Still Serving Veterans, host Cory Hopkins talks with Miguel about: How his Army journey began with a recruiting mix-up Lessons learned as a leader and mentor across multiple commands The emotional and practical challenges of military retirement Why networking and humility are key to a successful transition Whether you’re preparing to leave the military or already navigating civilian life, Miguel’s insights will help you plan your next mission with confidence. 🎧 Mission Transition shares real conversations with veterans about life after service — because transition isn’t the end of the mission, it’s the start of the next one. 👉 Subscribe for more inspiring veteran stories. 📩 Share your story: [email protected] #MilitaryTransition #Veterans #MissionTransition #StillServingVeterans #ArmyVeteran #LifeAfterService

                31 min
              • Recruiting Skills, Civilian Success: Preparing for Life After Service

                In this episode of Mission Transition, we sit down with retired Sergeant First Class Walter Drysdale as he reflects on his 20 years of service and the lessons learned during his journey out of the Army. Walter shares why he joined the military later in life, how recruiting duty gave him transferable skills for the civilian workforce, and the pivotal role family played in his decision to retire.

                27 min
              • Family & The Military Transition

                In this episode of Mission Transition, Corey Hopkins from Still Serving Veterans interviews retired Air Force Colonel Mark Jones. They talk about the pivotal moment that led him to retire in 2025, driven by family considerations, particularly his sons' schooling needs. Jones outlines his extensive preparation for retirement, including attending TAP classes and networking, emphasizing the importance of patience, humility, and effort in job searching. Jones also highlights the strategic process his family used to choose Huntsville, Alabama, as their new home, considering factors like cost of living, job opportunities, and school quality. The interview also touches on the importance of networking in transitioning successfully and the support provided by SSV. 

                33 min
              • Transition Truths: Humility, Hope, and New Beginnings

                In this episode of Mission Transition, host Cory Hopkins sits down with Dr. Willie Wilson to discuss the highs and lows of leaving the military. From the loss of identity and the challenges of job hunting, to the importance of education, family, and support networks, Dr. Wilson shares hard-earned lessons and practical advice for veterans at every stage of their transition. 

                 

                Conversation Points:

                Military to Civilian Transition

                Career and Education After Service

                Family and Personal Sacrifice

                Humility and Resilience

                Support Systems and Resources

                Entrepreneurship and Giving Back

                 

                 

                40 min

              About Mission Transition: A Podcast for Veterans

              From the publisher's feed

              Mission Transition: A Podcast for Veterans returns for season two - featuring everyday Veterans as they navigate the transition from military service to the civilian world. What went well? What didn’t work? What advice should be passed down so active duty service members are better prepared to succeed?