**Leadership Episode**

Today’s episode is personal for me, as it is an interview with the most impactful mentor and leader of my career, John Salazar, more often known as “Sal”.  He was my first supervisor, I deployed with him, and he has followed me throughout my career.  His mentorship and drive to see me succeed had monumental impact.

Sal has had a dynamic career, starting out as a Crew chief for the KC-135, Becoming Aircrew as a Boom Operator, then changing careers into Aircrew Flight Equipment, and attained the rank of chief in a superintendent position.  He is well known across the UTANG for his tenacity, service, and like-ability.

For today’s skillset challenge:

One of the things Sal talks about is: deserving what you put up with.  This can come in many forms, in our relationships we may allow someone to treat us poorly, as a leader we may tolerate inferior work, or it could be with ourselves when we allow ourselves to slip into poor habits.  Sal also talks about how opportunity doesn’t discriminate; if you are not ready it will pass you by all the same.  We must prepare ourselves and our environment with high standards to be ready for new opportunity.  This is today’s challenge.

Pick one place you may have been frustrated or complaining and find your own voice.  This doesn’t mean you have to be forceful or angry with your approach, finding ways to hold a standard in a respectful way is more likely to get the results you are looking for.  You can start with something small like making a list of all the places you are tolerating poor behavior in different categories and pick one to strategize to make better.   

When I did this, I realized that I am allowing myself to miss workouts, and then expected to still get results.  Knowing this I decided that if my day became too demanding for a full workout, I would find a way to at minimum sneak in a mini home workout before I go to bed.  If you are up to the challenge, Share with me what you are no longer going to tolerate on the TAMF website or social media sites. 

In the interview John Salazar explains:

Joining in his 30s

Leaving for basic as a parent

Deploying more than 30 times

Learning the importance of education

Positioning to become Boom Operator

Positioning to be a chief

You deserve what you put up with

Doing service work

Indomitable spirit

 

For more information and for his full bio visit www.tamfpodcast.com/sal

 Great Quotes from Sal:

"If you succeed at everything you attempt, you are attempting the wrong things."

 

"If you can accept change you will survive, if you can create change you will be successful."

 

"Opportunity will not discriminate if you are not ready it will pass you by."

 

"The regret of not trying something will wear on you forever."

 

"You deserve everything you tolerate."

 

"Whatever you do be the best at it."

***This is a war stories episode****

Some of the content is graphic and displays some of the challenges and realities of combat. 

Today’s guest has been an active duty Navy Seal for over 20 years.  He started enlisted and moved into an officer position. He has led other Seals in Thousands of combat operations.  He has a lot of great stories, and powerful skills that can help you in your life and career. 

Skillset Challenge:

In this episode Omar talks about is being a master of the basics.  Practicing the same thing over and over, becoming so powerful at a simple skill so that you outperform anyone else.  If you want to purposefully develop yourself in the same manner as I Navy Seal, your challenge is to pick one thing that you find boring but wish you were better at, and practice until it becomes second nature. 

For example, If you can’t help but push the snooze in the morning, practice laying in bed having your alarm go off every 20 Seconds and jump out of bed every time, entraining your body to respond that way every time it hears the alarm. 

Or If you always choose to eat candy when you are on your diet, purposely put candy and an apple in front of you, and say no to the candy and eat an apple slice.  Practice that simple choice over and over until it is so natural you aren’t conflicted in the moment. 

If you are one of the few who are dedicated to making valuable changes in your life, and level up to the challenge, share with me what skill you chose and how you trained yourself to make a bad habit into a second nature skill, you can comment anywhere on the TAMF website or social media sites. Where I will be posting what I did. 

In this episode Omar covers:

Choosing the Seals

Prep for BUD/S

What he tells everyone that wants to be a Seal

His experience and struggles with BUD/S

Finding your niche

Training to excellence

Split second celebrations

The experience of being shot at

Failure under fire

Why he became an officer

Leadership through Teamwork

For more information on Omar Vieira please visit www.TAMFpodcast.com/OMAR

To follow Omar @ytn_bonefrog or @youtactical_nation

To hear more of his stories and isights visit YouTube: Own the Higher Ground

“Don’t let anybody stifle any dreams that you might have”

***Leadership Episode***

Today we have Michael miller, who served a total of 30 years in the army national guard, throughout his career he worked hard and worked his way to the state senior enlisted leader of both the Utah air and army national guard.  He has a very important message on character and what it takes to find success in life and career.  He talks about:

Following in his father’s steps

Dealing with deployment

Becoming a first shirt

Learning to wake up

Being Purple- Senior enlisted for Army/Air

Being the state senior enlisted leader

His views on leadership

Implied vs. specified

The people he looked up to

What does character mean?

Cherishing your career

His views on leadership 

I hope you enjoyed this episode and found a new mindset to help you excel.  I really like how he talked about how your actions today create what your future will be.  If you want to start a better career or life, what action can you start or work on today that will put you on a better trajectory towards what you want to accomplish? 

For more information on Michael Miller or to share your thoughts on this episode visit www.TAMFpodcast.com/CSM

Some Quotes from this episode:

“Do the best you can do, the future will change to how you act today.”

 

“If you don’t like what’s going on today, just wait until tomorrow, it will change”

 

“It takes character, as long as you give 100%, good things will happen. “

 

“It takes a lifetime to build trust and a moment to loose it.”

**Spouse perspective Included***

Today’s guest,was a soldier and NCO in the Utah Army National Guard. He specialized in Human Intelligence Collection and Cryptologic Language Analysis with fluency in Mandarin Chinese. He has worked in a career as a Corporate Security Officer, He has 3 college degrees, and he is one of the owners of a Martial arts studio. With all of these demands he is also a family man, and we were lucky to have his wife, Ana present for the interview, who commented on some of the struggles of military life from a spouses perspective. He talks about: 

Challenges of Language School

Understanding motivation

Being a dad on top of everything

Time management

Compartmentalizing time

Military Wives

Chinese philosopy

Weiji principle of Danger or Opportunity

Going to basic as a 29 year old

Communication

Starting a Martial arts school

For more information on Kyle and his Martial arts school:

Tang Wei visit our website at www.tangweimaa.com, or look up Tang Wei Martial Arts Association on Facebook or look for Tang Wei Martial Arts on Instagram. 

 or visit www.tamfpodcast.com/tangwei

"Look at the beginning from the end rather than the other way, when this is over and you look back you will realize this was an opportunity you will never get the chance to do again. You’re not going to be in basic training again." 

 "Just realize it’s always chasing you, if you relax, Its going to catch you and you’re going to fall behind, and it just gets worse from there. Motivate yourself!  Time management is easy, we all know what it is. It is just all about, ‘Can you motivate yourself?’

"Most people think motivation is something you find, but its more something you create. It’s a skill."

 "When the time for war has come, the time for preparation has passed"

"Why wait? It doesn’t get any easier."

War stories - Today’s show includes stories from a war environment; some of the content is descriptive of difficult,  real war situations.  

This is a Veteran’s Stories episode.

Jim Kemp joined the Navy Seabees in 1966, The Seabees is a Naval construction Battalion, that was trained to be able to drop tools and pick up weapons if necessary, after going through training, Jim was sent to Vietnam. He was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal with 5 Battle Stars. Afterward He went on to study Asian studies with the GI bill and now is a Professor of Asian Studies at Florida State College. Jim covers:

Coming from a family of Veterans

People who avoided the draft

Shock of Basic Training

Why he chose the Navy

Getting into the Seabees

Preferring punishment duty

Serving in Vietnam

Being a leader to Vietnamese

Emergency Repair Party

Gaining confidence in school

Going back to Vietnam

Working as a Civilian

“A ship fights and dies as a unit.”

“Internal discipline is the most powerful”

Jim talked about the climate of the Vietnam era, We are lucky that because of pioneers in the military like Jim, the military member now receives more support from both the military and the general public. Wherever you find yourself in life, understand that someone has struggled and suffered and that suffering helped pave the way for improvements in the world, which have made your life better.  Likely in ways you take for granted.  

For more information on Jim please visit TAMFpodcast.com/Seabee

Riley Marx Burns has had a decorated and impressive career, starting out in security forces, moving into a K9 unit, continuing into leadership roles, making the rank of E7 and then commissioning, and at the same time, competed as a body builder and now is an IFBB Pro bodybuilder.  She has some incredible insights on the powerful art of leveraging suffering for personal growth.  She covers:

Delayed enlistment program

Hurry up and wait

The unknown of basic

The attitude to approach basic/military

Choosing security forces

Working into a K9 unit

Commissioning to an officer

Failure Madness

Leading airman

Dealing with sexual harassment

Body building

Learning to suffer

What to do when you’re interested in Body building

For more information on Riley Marx Burns please visit www.tamfpodcast.com/IFBB

If you would like to share something you learned or make suggestions for future episodes please visit the TAMF website of social media sites.

“I came in for a reason, and I was not going to let anybody decide my fate in the military. I’m not going to back down from you, and I’m not going to back down from what I want to do. “

“You have to embrace the suck to get anywhere in life. Its really all about suffering.  Who can suffer the most?  Because the person who suffers the most , you’re going to get the furthest. “

Alan was an Active duty Marine who specialized in a training unit, finding meaning in training marines to have the skillsets to come home safely, He now trains law enforcement with the same purpose, and has created a business that focuses on Firearms and emergency first aid training to reach civilians as well, in this episode he covers: 

Being a little older joining the military

Becoming a training unit

Finding what relieves stress for you

Importance of taking care of yourself

Trusting the process

Learning to enjoy the difficulty

Training others to live

Learning to be punctuality and discipline

Training in the Police Academy

If there are spaces where you are lost in question, or you have not reached your goals because you are lost in your head about it, I want to challenge you to find one place where you can refocus your own attention and discipline by just moving forward instead of asking questions before you start.

For more information on Alan Carpenter, his social media links are in the show notes, or to see pictures and read his full bio visit www.tamfpodcast.com/lonestar

@lonestar_training2018

Lonestar Training

www.lonestar-training.com

If you would like to share something you learned or make suggestions for future episodes please visit the TAMF website of social media sites.

Vallaree McArthur intended to be a Marine, but wasn’t accepted for lack of a high school deploma, later she ended up joining the Air National Guard and quickly moving up the ranks, becoming a first sergeant at the grade of E.7 when she commissioned, and is an officer in the Equal Opportunity office.  She has motivating insights about taking your career in your own hands.  She also talks about:

Not graduating from High school

The path that inspired her to change her life

Finding a Sense of Accomplishment

Thriving in the Military

The Value of Deployment

Switching from Enlisted to Officer

Taking on New Challenges

4 Lenses Temperament Assessments

Setting Big Goals

Developing self discipline and prioritization

Tying new things

Being an Equal Opportunity Officer

If you would like to read Vallaree’s full bio please visit www.tamfpodcast.com/eo

If you would like to share something you learned or make suggestions for future episodes please visit the TAMF website of social media sites.

Some motivational quotes: 

“Don’t sit back and expect anybody to take care of you or do anything for you, not because there aren’t people who won’t do that, but if you want to succeed, and you want to make the most of your career, take your career within your hands, empower yourself and make things happen, don’t wait for things to happen for you. “

 

“I think that everybody faces some kind of challenges being in the military, or just in life in general. No matter who you are you are, you are going to face some kind of adversity.  And I have never really found myself focusing on those challenges being challenges to me because I am a woman.  I’ve always seen myself as a professional and I see myself as somebody who is very competent and capable.  And if somebody believes I can’t do something because I am a woman, That’s their problem, and I’m not going to let it effect me one way or the other.”

 

“Set big Goals”

Today’s guest has been in the Army for over 30 years and he has served under all the components of the Army, starting in the reserves, going active duty, and then moving to the National Guard.  He has held 5 job specialties and is in an Airborne unit.  He has many awards including a Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medals, and Army Achievement Medals. Here’s what he covers in the interview:

Following the legacy

Dealing with deployed stress

Being in the military for September 11

Deploying to Tooele

Culture shock of basic

Dealing with other’s different personalities

His thoughts on the different Components of the Army

Going to Airborne School

Training until its second nature

Mental preparation for jumping out of an airplane

Serving over 30 years

Missing the camaraderie

Physical and Mental fitness

“You realize that your country is under attack and you realize that you wear the uniform, you’re expected to be one of those to go forward and do what the country calls you to do.”

“The more training you do, the more natural it becomes.”

"I didn’t think this is something I would do as my career,… It just became part of who I was.”

“There’s lots of challenges that are going to come, that are going to require a lot of mental strength”

 

If you would like to read more about Jason, please visit TAMFpodcast.com/jump

I’m really excited about today’s guest. She is the first female interview on the show, AND she is one of the girls that I personally went to basic training with.  Our beds were right next to each other. We started our military career together, and since then she has deployed twice, and has been working in a K-9 unit for the last 3 years. She has earned many achievement medals including “top Dog” at K9 School. In this episode she talked about:

Working her way into being in a canine unit

Missing promotion being a blessing

Mental preparation

Using her deployment to focus on self-improvement

Relying on her dog

Connecting with family to get through hard times

Why you shouldn’t cut corners

Positioning herself for MWD

Having pride in being a leader

“I learn something form everybody, if I have a negative person in my leadership, It just motivates me more to stay in to be that change… and be a better leader.”

Follow her on Instagram @boepeep01

Or get more info at www.TAMFpodcast.com/boe