NOT YOUR AVERAGE OPERATOR

This week, the boys are doing some Q&A for the listeners. What do you want your legacy to be? More pointedly, what impact do you think your existence will have after you’ve physically passed on. All three responses were unique in their emergence, yet they shared fundamental threads in their finale. Melon gave a philosophical response that centered on the current and future wellbeing of his family. Every day, the actions he takes are to some degree, mirrored off the health of his family, and the current state they’re in, both collectively and individually. Mike idiosyncratically focuses his attributes to build a legacy that he has refined down to 4 pillars he wants to be moored to. That is, he wants to be remembered as Authentic, a Warrior, Humble, and a Beacon of Resiliency. Finally, Raf hopes that his legacy will be his ability to validate  that unique drive of the human spirit to achieve what you dream, regardless of where you are in life and its infinite number of obstacles that will stand in your way. He hopes his story will inspire others with similar crossroads to exhaust every effort to reach their dreams, as well as, help those around you reach theirs.

Please share your thoughts about this episode and more importantly, we hope this encourages our listeners to spend some time thinking about what works best for them when they have to reignite their passion. We encourage all of our listeners to reach out to us with your own stories. We love reading your insights, feedback, and how we can add more value to your day.

Paul “Melon” McFadden

[email protected]

Raf “Tio” Espinosa

[email protected]

Mike

[email protected]

LISTEN IN ON:

SPOTIFY:

https://open.spotify.com/show/6cQyL6nPDxPNFz4p8RN5PQ?si=Pm-chuufQGSYdcflJ5Xq0Q

This week, the boys were fortunate enough to sit down with Elliot’s wife, April (from Episode 78 – The Legacy of Adam) and talk about the most unspoken tenant in the life cycle of the battle with P.T.S.D.; the sojourn of the spouse in this palpable fight of mental illness. You’ll quickly understand the strength and  grace that April brings is forged in the rawness of her experience in standing by Adam through his darkest moments. Many times, having a very direct impact on her own mental health.

April does the rest of us a massive favor in being candid about her close proximity with the fallouts of undiagnosed P.T.S.D and exposing the fractures it brought into her home. She navigates this tender topic of the injured spouse with such candor and strength, to hopefully shed light for the rest of us, of what it’s like and what to expect when it’s our turn. The boys agreed that this  episode will be one of the most popular in our series, because April leaves everyone a roadmap.  A step by step list of faith based  axioms and approaches to push through the chaos into higher ground. For her and Adam both, it started with their faith in God.

April’s Recommended Resources & Organizations:

1.“Why is Dadso Mad”, book by Seth Kastle. Helps explain PTSD to kids.

2. Giveanhour.org; free counseling/therapy/chiropractic and other care for veterans and their families.

3. Mighty Oaks Warrior Program; Faith based retreat for veterans and spouses in California and Ohio, no residency requirements & travel expenses may be covered.

4. Boulder Crest Retreat; free family/individual retreat opportunities. Warrior PATH program for PTSD.

5. Elizabeth Dole Hidden Heroes; retreats, caregiver resources & support.

6. Reboot Combat Recovery; 12 week faith based course for veterans, first responders, and their families.

7. Operation Homefront; support for military families.

8. Project Sanctuary; free family retreats.

9. Semper Fi Fund; financial assistance if qualified.

10. Wounded Warrior Project; support, activities, individual & family retreats, help with disability claims.

11. Vet Center; counseling, help with claims, other resources.

Please share your thoughts about this episode and more importantly, we hope this encourages our listeners to spend some time thinking about what works best for them when they have to reignite their passion. We encourage all of our listeners to reach out to us with your own stories. We love reading your insights, feedback, and how we can add more value to your day.

Paul “Melon” McFadden

[email protected]

Raf “Tio” Espinosa

[email protected]

Mike

[email protected]

LISTEN IN ON:

SPOTIFY:

https://open.spotify.com/show/6cQyL6nPDxPNFz4p8RN5PQ?si=Pm-chuufQGSYdcflJ5Xq0Q

APPLE PODCASTS:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-your-average-operator/id1522297477

What a way to start off 2022!  In our first episode of the new year, we welcome our special guest, friend and fellow Marine Corp veteran, Adam Elliott to the show.

With many people stating that the new year is an opportunity to become a better version of themselves or to reach their goals, we must first acknowledge our past and revisit our journey to extract the required lessons throughout hardships that assist in guiding us to our future self. Adam takes this opportunity alongside the team to share his journey through his military service as a Marine and post military life as a father and husband.

His courage and openness to discuss the topics around his experiences with PTSD, alcohol and drug addiction, and relationship issues that are shared in this episode is a master class example on how to navigate through hard times. His acknowledgment of the need to maintain a positive legacy within his family reminds him that everything in life, both good and bad, are all part of of the journey.

If you would like to reach out to Adam or share your own similar story, please reach out to us:

Paul “Melon” McFadden

[email protected]

Raf “Tio” Espinosa

[email protected]

Mike

[email protected]

LISTEN IN ON:

SPOTIFY:

https://open.spotify.com/show/6cQyL6nPDxPNFz4p8RN5PQ?si=Pm-chuufQGSYdcflJ5Xq0Q

APPLE PODCASTS:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-your-average-operator/id1522297477

Happy New Year!!!

(Already?! -Or- “About time?!”)

In our final show of the year, the team takes the time to discuss, assess, and remember 2021 for what it meant to each of them. From personal triumphs and career changes, to hardship and the effects of what we could not control ultimately brought to who we are as we stand here on the last day of the year.

-What were our 2021 goals?

-Did we reach them? Why or why not?

-What was our significance and who did we affect?

-What are we looking forward to most in 2022?

-Are we ready for what is ahead?

Join us in our final episode of the year as we invite you into the conversation as we share some great stories and some of our favorite memories!

Cheers and Happy New Year to all of you around the world!

If you would like to share some new Years photos, please send them to our FB or IG page and we will post them on January 1! Thank you to all of our supporters and listeners for a wonderful year!

Paul “Melon” McFadden

[email protected]

Raf “Tio” Espinosa

[email protected]

Mike

[email protected]

LISTEN IN ON:

SPOTIFY:

https://open.spotify.com/show/6cQyL6nPDxPNFz4p8RN5PQ?si=Pm-chuufQGSYdcflJ5Xq0Q

APPLE PODCASTS:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-your-average-operator/id1522297477

Merry Christmas everyone! We at NYAO wish you all the best for a season filled with love, caring, gratefulness, and memory making with those who we truly care about and the strangers we encounter along the way.

This week, the team decided to have some adult Christmas fun with the one and only Irish Jolly man, Mark McCarthy AKA “Slainte’ Claus.” Listen in as Slainte’ Claus (after a few frothies) reviews his naughty and nice list and reminds us that he knows if we’ve been bad or good…mostly bad! But hey! We’ll see you next tuesday Slainte’ Claus!

Please feel free to share your holiday messages and thoughts with us as we would like to hear from you all out there!

We hope you all made the nice list!

Paul “Melon” McFadden

[email protected]

Raf “Tio” Espinosa

[email protected]

Mike

[email protected]

LISTEN IN ON:

SPOTIFY:

https://open.spotify.com/show/6cQyL6nPDxPNFz4p8RN5PQ?si=Pm-chuufQGSYdcflJ5Xq0Q

APPLE PODCASTS:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-your-average-operator/id1522297477

HEREOS MEDIA GROUP

https://www.heroesmediagroup.com/

It’s daunting. It can be intimidating. It can mean the first step of a dream or the first setback along your journey. Either way, job interviews can be labeled many things, but the primary goal should never be to ignore your preparation for them.

Since we like to keep things relevant here at NYAO, Mike, Melon, and Raf decided to breach the topic on how we have prepared for our own job interviews.

Recently, Melon was promoted this previous year and shares some of his suggestions and techniques to prepare, including his STAR method.

Currently, Raf was hired to a major airline after going through extensive processes and in-depth interviews, sharing the importance of interviewing as yourself and not as a position or title.

In the near future, Mike will be interviewing for a coveted childhood dream type position within his community and share some of his own guidance and insights on how to be the right kind of person that leaders with the right characteristics want.

Do you have a story about interviews? Any suggestions for our fellow veterans? We’d love to hear from you and share both the challenges and successful stories that have transpired within our circles.

Paul “Melon” McFadden

[email protected]

Raf “Tio” Espinosa

[email protected]

Mike

[email protected]

LISTEN IN ON:

SPOTIFY:

https://open.spotify.com/show/6cQyL6nPDxPNFz4p8RN5PQ?si=Pm-chuufQGSYdcflJ5Xq0Q

APPLE PODCASTS:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-your-average-operator/id1522297477

HEROES MEDIA GROUP

https://www.heroesmediagroup.com/

This week we are special guests on The Decision Hour Podcast with our friend Mr. Adam Bird to discuss The Importance of Mindset. (TheDecisionHour.com)

We are forced to make Decisions in our lives every day.  We are faced with situations that we have no control over, however we can control our reactions to those situations.  Before you can do that, you must be in the right mindset.  Mindset is a conscious decision that requires a choice: positive or negative.

In this episode, I was lucky enough to sit down with the guys from Not Your Average Operator, a podcast that dives into some of life’s hardest questions, challenges, and situations as they open up their lives and personal experiences and dissect them in a way that can bring out the best version of ourselves, and help leave the negative in the rearview mirror.

After some much-needed banter and some really good laughs, we dive into the topic of mindset.

We discuss the importance of mindset and provide some examples of our own personal experiences regarding positivity, being grateful, asking for help and how to turn a bad situation around.

We had a lot fun recording this episode as you will hear.  That said, this is a topic we don’t take lightly, we understand the importance, we have all been there.  We hope that you enjoy this episode.  Should you find yourself letting your mindset wonder into places it doesn’t need to be, call on us… We are here to help.

Email:

Paul “Melon” McFadden

[email protected]

Raf “Tio” Espinosa

[email protected]

Mike

[email protected]

Have you ever considered using a technique or framework to solve a critical task a lot more effectively? The boys discussed a famed technique called the OODA Loop invented by a legendary United States Airforce fighter pilot John Boyd. OODA is an acronym for Observe, Orient, Decide, Act! The boys have a quick discussion on how they’ve implemented this process throughout their professions as well as in their personal life. They dissect each step and share the varying methods that they commonly implement. More importantly, the biggest gains in using this process is the ability to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations, increasing your rate of execution, and thriving in total unpredictability.

Please share your thoughts about this episode and more importantly, we hope this encourages our listeners to spend some time thinking about what works best for them when they have to reignite their passion. We encourage all of our listeners to reach out to us with your own stories. We love reading your insights, feedback, and how we can add more value to your day.

Paul “Melon” McFadden

[email protected]

Raf “Tio” Espinosa

[email protected]

Mike

[email protected]

LISTEN IN ON:

SPOTIFY:

https://open.spotify.com/show/6cQyL6nPDxPNFz4p8RN5PQ?si=Pm-chuufQGSYdcflJ5Xq0Q

APPLE PODCASTS:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-your-average-operator/id1522297477

Have you ever had an instance where you know you are fundamentally right, but every one around you is trying to convince you otherwise? They make you question everything in that moment, but you still can reference back to some sort of solid pillars, maybe even a feeling, that can give you justification?

This week, the team address some of their own struggles when it comes to sports, military objectives, and aviation. They supply the context, identify the friction points, and discuss their approaches that ultimately led to their overall successful end states.

Listen in as the team offers up some framework for these situations and also cover the four zones of growth that can assist in the development of a confident person or leader:

-Comfort Zone

-Fear Zone

-Learning Zone

-Growth Zone

Paul “Melon” McFadden

[email protected]

Raf “Tio” Espinosa

[email protected]

Mike

[email protected]

LISTEN IN ON:

SPOTIFY:

https://open.spotify.com/show/6cQyL6nPDxPNFz4p8RN5PQ?si=Pm-chuufQGSYdcflJ5Xq0Q

APPLE PODCASTS:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-your-average-operator/id1522297477

“Thank you for your Service”

What do you want it to mean?

“I’m appreciative of you being a volunteer and sacrificing yourself for our country”?

What does it possibly mean to a veteran that has:

-Immense stress

-Experienced worst of humanity at a young age

-PTSD

-Struggles with depression

-Grieving

-Survivors guilt

-Lost time/missed life occurrences

-Relationship strains/divorce

-Physiological or physical wounds

-Social reintegration (distances themselves)

-Relatability to society

In Leu of Veterans Day, the team tackles this topic to help bring together civilians and veterans on a more human level. As a society, both should strive to reconnect as common people, instead of civilian vs veteran. Taking the time and getting to know and understand what veterans have been through can have amazing results on the common perceptions about military service and possibly help those veterans who are struggling with post military service.

Challenges:

What can you do different the next time you approach a veteran?

To the best of your ability, attempt to imagine being in their shoes and ask yourself how would you want to be approached?

Paul “Melon” McFadden

[email protected]

Raf “Tio” Espinosa

[email protected]

Mike

[email protected]

LISTEN IN ON:

SPOTIFY:

https://open.spotify.com/show/6cQyL6nPDxPNFz4p8RN5PQ?si=Pm-chuufQGSYdcflJ5Xq0Q

APPLE PODCASTS:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-your-average-operator/id1522297477