Job searches suck ... big time.

All of us at some point have experienced it. Some of us have nightmares about it. Joe is one of those people that had to learn the hard way. Even with all the technology we have - today's market is brutal and unforgiving.

Joe and a handful of others have banded together to create something that we're hoping will put the power back into the hands of the job seeker and eliminate the biases that sometimes (a lot of times) come with hiring.

Our ask is that you head over to www.zenleap.net and create a profile and let us know your feedback. We're small enough and nimble enough to actually hear what you're saying and make the changes that need to be made.

Want to connect with Joe? Head over to his LinkedIn page and tell him we sent ya!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeshepherd/

Today's episode will heal someone if they're willing to listen to the questions and the truths that Polo Tate speaks.

Growing up, Tate used her academic aptitude and athletic prowess to earn appointments to both The United States Military Academy at West Point (USMA) and the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs (USAFA). She decided to accept the challenge to attend USAFA out of high school, where she played varsity volleyball in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Tate left during her second year, and her harrowing journey at one of our nation’s most challenging institutions can now be found in her gritty, honest and dynamic debut memoir, Deep Dark Blue.

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Want to get your hands on the book, head over to:

https://polotate.com/books/

OR head over to Amazon or anywhere you like to buy your books.

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Did this episode positively impact your life in some way? We'd love to hear about it! Please head over to iTunes and give us a review. From time to time we'll pick a random review and read it outloud on our show.

As always - if you want to hear us tackle a specific issue or know someone that should be on the show, REACH OUT! We want this show to have as much impact as possible :)

Rich Cardona enlisted in the Marines because, in his words, he was a shit head. He planned on getting out at the end of 4 years but because of 9/11 ended up reenlisting and as a result stayed for a total of 17 years.

He did all the things he thought he was “supposed” to do to make himself marketable.

He got the right jobs and even tried to play the political game at one of the biggest companies on the planet. But ended up realizing that even with an amazing salary and big house (and his financial advisor telling him to just stick it out) he just couldn’t do it anymore.

So he struck out on his own, attempting to find out who he really is and what he really wants.

And just a week before this episode aired, he had a life-changing conversation with Gary Vaynerchuk about his personal truth.

Listen in because the questions and the truth that is spoken in this episode transcend far beyond just veterans. The conversation we had should be taken to heart by anyone that wants to live truly happy as who they truly are meant to be.

If you want to connect with Rich use the links below:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardcardona/

www.richcardona.net

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Want to join the Next Level Movement? Share this episode and give us a review on iTunes. Every time you do that - you join us in making a global impact!

Samuel Messenheimer is a Marine Veteran and Founder/CEO of Critical Axxis. He is also one of the most giving and compassionate people I know. He, like many veterans, went into the military because that was the only option he saw for himself. It instilled discipline, pride, and determination in himself.

But as soon as he got out - he got punched in the face with reality. He wasn't prepared for how the civilian world worked. He had to learn how to ask for help and had to learn that it's ok to be a beginner.

Once he pulled himself out of that funk he decided that he was going to help as many people and organizations as possible so that they don't have the go through the same challenges he did.

If you want to connect with him or get involved in helping veterans through Critical Axxis, reach out to Samuel using any of the links below:

Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sbmessenheimer/

Critical Axxis: https://www.linkedin.com/company/critical-axis/

Very rarely do we talk about the people at home that are holding things down while their partner is gone.

So we brought in Natalie Oliverio, Veteran and Founder of Military Talent Partners to chat about how we can help Military Spouses.

If you want to get to know more about Natalie or connect with her company you can do so through ...

www.militarytalentpartners.com

OR

https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieoliverio/

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If you want to be a part of this movement, our goal is to get to 1000 5 star reviews on iTunes. WHY? Because the higher our ranking, the greater our reach and impact.

Thank you so much for listening and if there's something you ever want us to cover reach out to any of us on LinkedIn and let us know!

Christopher Morga is a Navy Veteran with a similar story to a lot of veterans. He entered the military without a lot of direction and transitioned out with that same lack of clarity and that ended up punching him in the face.

After losing his home and breaking down in the middle of his kid's room, he eventually found his purpose out of frustration with the job search and many recruiters' lack of empathy.

Fast forward 15 years later and he is on the Forbes Coaches Council, is a published writer, keynote speaker, and is doing everything he can to empower people to find their purpose and not experience what he did in the job search.

This episode is 1 of 5 focused on helping veterans. While that is its focus and goal, much of this information can be applicable to almost anyone.

If you'd like to learn more about Christopher Morga, feel free to reach out to him on LinkedIn using the link below. Just be sure to tell him that we sent you ;)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophermorga/

If you're wanting to know how to grab someone's attention with written content, if you're wanting to learn how to discover your unique brand voice, then this is the episode you've been waiting for.

Justin Blackman is a freakin magician when it comes to this topic.

He's got 2 decades of marketing big brands like Red Bull, Puma, and 5-hour Energy where he learned the power of voice. It made him hate boring, drab, self-centered sales emails, and websites.

He quickly analyzed the good ones, studied quick hit storytelling techniques from comedians, and cannon-balled into copywriting. Now he helps B2C businesses craft messages that make you whip out your wallet and like them.

Connect with him at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinblackman/

Twitter: @PrettyFlyCopy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrettyFlyCopy

Website: https://prettyflycopy.com/

Things referenced in the episode:

Justin's Headline Project: https://prettyflycopy.com/the-headline-project/

Copyhackers article: https://copyhackers.com/2018/03/writing-headlines/

Kira Hug: http://kirahug.com/

Not a lot of people are willing or able to talk about the subject of what it's like coming to America. The visa process, the corrupt 3rd party recruitment agencies, the 90 day window you have to secure employment, the blatant racism. It's the wild west out here.

The only way to tackle ignorance is with facts.

That's why I wanted to get Gaurav (AKA Gary) on the show to shed some light on the visa process as well as what he's been able to accomplish through good ole fashion networking (which was a foreign concept to him).

Gary came to the US to get his Master's in Management of Information Systems and has since started a #LinkedInLocal in Huntsville, Alabama.

I want to challenge you to take some time to listen to just a few brief pieces from his story so that you can increase your level of empathy towards people that come to America to try to make a life for themselves.

You can connect with Gary on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaurav-choukse/

Recruiting. It's a cuss word for many people. Some people see what we do and actually want to know how to get started. It's got a low barrier to entry so pretty much anyone that can fog a mirror can get started.

But what actually makes a GOOD recruiter?

In this episode, we talk about the differences between old school and new school tactics and the absolute bare minimum foundation you have to have in order to make it in this industry with your reputation still intact.

But the most important thing is the debate between which version of the song "Africa" is better ... Toto or Weezer. Let us know what you think!

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Adam is the Founder of NHP Talent Group and specializes in recruiting for Senior-Level roles within: Digital Marketing, Media, Technology, Product and Content Creation at Start-ups, Creative Agencies and Brands.

Prior to recruiting, he spent 15 years in the ad/marketing industry, leading account management and digital strategy at American Express, SIRIUS XM and digital ad agencies like VaynerMedia in NYC.

Marrying those two things together explains exactly why Adam is able to truly understand what both sides need.

Want to connect with Adam - check him out on LinkedIn and tell him we sent you!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjposner/

Mike and I were introduced about a year ago and instantly hit it off. At the end of the conversation, we were both pissed that we didn't hit record because we knew the info was important for people to hear.

So ... fast forward to today and voila ... here's the episode.

We talk about his transition from touring with 2 metal bands to the world of CrossFit and personal training, where he's going next, and what balance actually is.

Mike is such an amazing human being and we absolutely LOVED having him on the show.

This is a super fun episode and can't wait to hear your feedback on it!

You can connect with Mike with the links below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedrop/

Instagram: @mike_casavant_