Screw the Naysayers

After leaving the military Eric “Doc” Wright wandered around in the job desert for 12 years. He chased degrees, certifications, and titles, amassing handfuls of each, piles of student debt, but always hearing he had the wrong ones, or not enough experience, to do what he wanted; to do what he knew he was capable of from reviewing the job descriptions!

Then he figured it out! He wasn't framing what he had done and what he was capable of doing in the new context of what he could do for a civilian employer he entered the world of project management.

Eric quickly realized that his new career provided much more than a paycheck.  It provided what he had really been missing to his very core; a sense of purpose and identity.

In 2014 Eric co-founded Vets2PM, a company that helps Military Veterans become civilian Project Managers. In 2017 Eric founded Vet Stone (an intentional play on the Roseta Stone).  Vet Stone provides Veterans with a modern, relevant, technology-based tool to capture and convey the immense value of their obscure, informal secondary military occupation experience.

This is an honest an open discussion about the challenges Veterans face in transitioning to the civilian workforce and also a fascinating glimpse into a tech startup that is still in its inception.

You can reach Eric at:

Website(s): https://militaryvetstone.com/ and https://vets2pm.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/docwright2012/

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, and stories, or just make a connection.

This is another first for Screw the Naysayers. In 2006 today’s guest had a movie made about his life story. It was called INVINCIBLE and starred Mark Wahlberg in the role of Vince Papale. How cool is that.

Invincible packed theatres and is widely regarded as one of the most inspirational sports movies of all time.

It was 1976 Vince was a 30 year old teacher and coach at his HS Alma mater, part-time bartender and die hard Eagles fan. His life changed when he decided to act on a whim and a dare and entered the unprecedented public tryouts for his beloved Eagles.  A ten year season ticket holder and former track star who did not play a down of college football, Vince made the team!

Having now added “cancer survivor” to his bio, Vince continues to hold the record for being the oldest rookie in the National Football League (kickers excluded). He was recently honored by the Eagles and their fans and was named “Most Outstanding Special Teams Player” during a celebration of the Philadelphia Eagles 75th anniversary.

Vince is married to former US World Team Gymnast, Janet Cantwell, and they reside in Cherry Hill, NJ, with their two children Gabriella and Vincent. In this episode Vince tells us what it was like seeing his life being told on the big screen, offers insights from his upcoming book, and will melt your heart when he tells you why he wishes he was born ten years earlier. Bring a kleenex for a happy cry.

Vince Papale is the real deal folks. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I did speaking to Vince.

You can reach Vince at:

Website: http://www.vincepapale.com/  

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, and stories, or just make a connection.

I was the child with brittle bones who refused to listen when my parents advised me not to play contact sports.

My parents tried to ban me from playing sports. I just went a little further away from home to find a game of street hockey or flag football.

Eventually my parents figured it was better to give their permission. That way when I broke something, I was close by. By the time I turned 15 I had broken at least 15 limbs. It might have been more. I stopped counting.

In my mid teens I came to accept that I could no longer play the sports I loved. I didn’t like it but by then everyone else had gotten so much bigger and stronger. It was no longer a question of would I break a bone, it was a question of how many bones I would break.

That was a long time ago. I try not to think about all those broken bones, but some days it’s not easy. Turns out broken bones and osteoarthritis are regular companions later in life. The truth is  pain has been a constant companion of mine for many years now. Today I want to share with you three things that broken bones and chronic pain have taught me about Mindset.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, and stories, or just make a connection.

Scotty Schindler is the retired startup founder and CEO of ReNet. Widely recognised as a leading Aussie business identity, Scotty is also keen surfer who has won multiple Surfing Titles.

As a fan of entrepreneurial stories, this was a special treat for me. As CEO of ReNet, Scotty presided over the growth of a start up business that began in 2000 with just 1 single property listing advertised. On his retirement in 2017 ReNet managed over $1.125 Trillion Dollars ($1,125,771,059,045) in real estate across Australia and New Zealand, represented by 5,000 real estate offices and some 15,000 real estate salespeople.

In complement to his role as CEO, Scott is also a highly sought-after public speaker, trainer and thought leader within Australia, and around the world. A business mentor and sales trainer that can back up advice with proven results in his own life, Scott credits his ‘quintessentially Australian’ identity as a born optimist, and clear-cut straight talker, as key to his success in this arena.

In this episode Scotty takes us through his thought process from day one, explains that he was focused on the long term, and that he never saw his customers as sales. He saw them as partners he wanted to bring along for the journey. This is a slice of real life entrepreneurship executed with perfection. Get ready to learn because this is a good one.

You can reach Scotty at:

Website: http://www.scottyschindler.com/

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

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, and stories, or just make a connection.

Ria Story is an entrepreneur, a certified leadership trainer, public speaker, author and a podcast host.  Rita holds a Master’s degree in Business, a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management, and an Associates degree in Office Management.

What makes this remarkable is the start Rita had in life. Her father sexually abused her from age 12 – 19, forced her to play the role of his wife, beat her, raped me, and even trafficked her to other men. In her words, life was, at times, almost not worth living.

She met her husband Mack when she was 19. She left behind the father who had abused her, and a mother who blamed her for it all. When she left the house for the last time she had a couple of pillow cases stuffed with her clothes and a determination that her past wasn’t going to hold her back.

Ria started working as a waitress and earned her GED, so she could start college. She worked two jobs and attended college at night and on weekends in order to graduate.

Rita didn’t really know how to deal with what happened to her, so in her words she locked seven years of her life up behind a closed door in her  heart. And then, she threw away the key. Thirteen years after leaving home she shared her story publicly for the first time.

Through years of writing, speaking, teaching, coaching, and training, and a nearly 20 year career in leadership and management, Rita realized women often hold themselves back because they haven’t learned how to increase their influence, overcome self-limiting beliefs, increase self-confidence, develop leadership skills, and maximize their potential to do more, have more, and be more. Or, haven’t learned how to overcome a past hurt or a present obstacle constructively. Her mission in life and in business is to change that.

You can reach Ria at:

Website: https://riastory.com/

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to hear your thoughts, comments, and stories, or just make a connection.