The FourBlock Podcast

This week, we welcome Navy veteran and longtime travel industry executive Chris Vasiliou, who reflects on his experience mentoring severely injured veterans at Walter Reed National Military Hospital; examines what makes a good mentor and the importance of trust in relationship building; and shares actionable advice for veterans on how to find the right mentor. Chris was a senior executive in the travel industry for 30 years, serving as Managing Director for Europe for American Airlines; Senior Vice President for Asia Pacific for Sabre Holdings; the Chief Operating Officer for Travelocity; and President and CEO for Radius Travel. While CEO of Radius, Chris volunteered as a mentor at Walter Reed National Military Hospital, where he helped support the transition of over 150 severely injured Marines and Sailors. Chris also served on the faculty of Georgetown University; was the Vice Chair and Executive Director of FourBlock; and he has mentored and continues to mentor our own Mike Abrams. Chris is a Navy veteran, and his son is a Marine who served in Iraq.

ABOUT US

Welcome to the FourBlock Podcast, a show that examines veteran career transition and the military-civilian divide in the workplace.

General Charles Krulak coined the term "Three Block War" to describe the nature of 21st-century military service defined by peace-keeping, humanitarian aid, and full combat.

But what happens next? Veterans are often unprepared to return home and begin new careers. We call this the Fourth Block.

FourBlock is a national non-profit that has supported thousands of transitioning service members across the nation in beginning new and meaningful careers.

Mike Abrams (@fourblock) is an Afghanistan veteran, FourBlock founder, director of the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration, and author of two military transition books. He'll be representing the military transition perspective.

Lindsey Pollak (@lindsaypollak) is a career and workplace expert and New York Times bestselling author of three career advice books. Lindsey will be representing the civilian perspective of this issue.

Veterans, explore new industries and make the right connections. Find a career that fits your calling. Join us at fourblock.org/

Over 77% of FourBlock alumni stay at their first jobs over 12 months. Sponsor our program or host a class to equip more of our veterans at fourblock.org/donate.

Follow FourBlock on Social Media

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This week, we welcome Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Marsh & McLennan Companies, Laurie Ledford, who joins hosts Lindsey Pollak and Mike Abrams to provide insight into the decision-making process behind a global organization's response to the global pandemic; discuss the future of work; share advice for veterans and civilian professionals alike who are seeking employment during this time; and discuss how Marsh & McLennan responded to the attacks on September 11, 2001, in NY City and the loss of more than 300 of their colleagues that day.

Marsh & McLennan Companies is the leading professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy, and people. In this role, Laurie is responsible for the company's overall human capital and talent strategy, and the delivery of human resource services to all of her colleagues worldwide. Laurie, Lindsey, and Mike also discuss the story behind Marsh & McLennan being described as the secret service of the business community.

ABOUT US

Welcome to the FourBlock Podcast, a show that examines veteran career transition and the military-civilian divide in the workplace.

General Charles Krulak coined the term "Three Block War" to describe the nature of 21st-century military service defined by peace-keeping, humanitarian aid, and full combat.

But what happens next? Veterans are often unprepared to return home and begin new careers. We call this the Fourth Block.

FourBlock is a national non-profit that has supported thousands of transitioning service members across the nation in beginning new and meaningful careers.

Mike Abrams (@fourblock) is an Afghanistan veteran, FourBlock founder, director of the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration, and author of two military transition books. He'll be representing the military transition perspective.

Lindsey Pollak (@lindsaypollak) is a career and workplace expert and New York Times bestselling author of three career advice books. Lindsey will be representing the civilian perspective of this issue.

Veterans, explore new industries and make the right connections. Find a career that fits your calling. Join us at fourblock.org/

Over 77% of FourBlock alumni stay at their first jobs over 12 months. Sponsor our program or host a class to equip more of our veterans at fourblock.org/donate.

Follow FourBlock on Social Media

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

We're going to do something a little different this week, given the protests and the civil unrest across the country. Now more than ever is a time when many of us need to listen and try to understand what's being expressed by members of our community. On November 4th, 2019, we conducted an interview with Darren Sumter, former Army Pilot, executive at LinkedIn, and a FourBlock Board member.

In this interview, Darren describes his experiences growing up, serving in the Army, and transitioning into the civilian workforce. We encourage you to take the time to listen to Darren's story; consider the challenges that he faced throughout his life, service, and career; and get expert recommendations on how to seize opportunity in your career and market yourself as a veteran.

For over 20 years, Darren has worked as a management consultant and a business development strategist specializing in providing companies with business to business software solutions to drive innovation and improve profitability. Currently, Darren works as a Global Accounts Manager at LinkedIn where he manages responsibilities for several strategic customers in North America across several sectors.

Prior to LinkedIn, Darren was a member of several big data B2B software strategic consulting companies where he held responsibilities for new market and new customer business development. Prior to his software career, Darren was a strategy consultant in the US and Europe. He attended Harvard Business School (HBS), where he earned his MBA.

Prior to HBS, Darren attended the US Military Academy at West Point where he earned a B.S. in mechanical and aerospace engineering and served in the U.S. Army's aviation branch. He is a veteran of the first Gulf War, where he served in Saudi Arabia and Iraq for Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield.

Resources:

LinkedIn Resources for Military Spouses

LinkedIn Resources for Veterans

ABOUT US

Welcome to the FourBlock Podcast, a show that examines veteran career transition and the military-civilian divide in the workplace.

General Charles Krulak coined the term "Three Block War" to describe the nature of 21st-century military service defined by peace-keeping, humanitarian aid, and full combat.

But what happens next? Veterans are often unprepared to return home and begin new careers. We call this the Fourth Block.

FourBlock is a national non-profit that has supported thousands of transitioning service members across the nation in beginning new and meaningful careers.

Mike Abrams (@fourblock) is an Afghanistan veteran, FourBlock founder, director of the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration, and author of two military transition books. He'll be representing the military transition perspective.

Lindsey Pollak (@lindsaypollak) is a career and workplace expert and New York Times bestselling author of three career advice books. Lindsey will be representing the civilian perspective of this issue.

Veterans, explore new industries and make the right connections. Find a career that fits your calling. Join us at fourblock.org/

Over 77% of FourBlock alumni stay at their first jobs over 12 months. Sponsor our program or host a class to equip more of our veterans at fourblock.org/donate.

Follow FourBlock on Social Media

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

This week, Colonel Ted Studdard joins host Mike Abrams to talk about his personal transition experience after serving 29 years in the Marine Corps; share the three elements that should form the foundation of your job search; and discuss actionable advice for making intentional decisions about your life and career after the military.

Ted began his service as a Private and would go on to retire 29 years later as a Colonel. His Marine service included leading an artillery platoon in combat, teaching tactics and leadership at the Marine Corps University, and planning and directing combat operations for a 20,000-person multi-national force. He participated in international negotiations and worked on national security strategy in the Pentagon.

After suffering a heart attack, Ted faced new challenges—retiring and charting a new path. Post retirement, he transitioned to his second career with The Home Depot, a company whose values aligned with his own. Ted has held positions of increasing responsibility in field operations, corporate leadership training, talent acquisition and staffing, and business to business operations. These roles have given him a unique perspective on optimizing human capital in Corporate America.

Ted has appeared as a featured guest on national TV, radio, and podcasts. He is a published author; his book, Depot to Depot, hit shelves in the Fall of 2019.

As a complement to his book, Ted wrote a free military transition workbook called, "Take Time to Think" in order to help as many transitioning veterans as possible. The free workbook is available to download here.

Ted speaks to a variety of audiences about individual and organizational leadership ranging from junior leaders to executives. Ted also educates business leaders and their HR partners about the value veterans bring to the civilian workforce and how to best incorporate them into Corporate America.

ABOUT US

Welcome to the FourBlock Podcast, a show that examines veteran career transition and the military-civilian divide in the workplace.

General Charles Krulak coined the term "Three Block War" to describe the nature of 21st-century military service defined by peace-keeping, humanitarian aid, and full combat.

But what happens next? Veterans are often unprepared to return home and begin new careers. We call this the Fourth Block.

FourBlock is a national non-profit that has supported thousands of transitioning service members across the nation in beginning new and meaningful careers.

Mike Abrams (@fourblock) is an Afghanistan veteran, FourBlock founder, director of the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration, and author of two military transition books. He'll be representing the military transition perspective.

Lindsey Pollak (@lindsaypollak) is a career and workplace expert and New York Times bestselling author of three career advice books. Lindsey will be representing the civilian perspective of this issue.

Veterans, explore new industries and make the right connections. Find a career that fits your calling. Join us at fourblock.org/

Over 77% of FourBlock alumni stay at their first jobs over 12 months. Sponsor our program or host a class to equip more of our veterans at fourblock.org/donate.

Follow FourBlock on Social Media

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

How do you learn to become a successful fundraiser on behalf of a nonprofit organization or cause? Is philanthropy going up or down in response to COVID-19? Is it harder to raise money during this time? President of Averill Fundraising Solutions Robert C. Happy, Jr. joins host Mike Abrams to discuss strategies and tactics for successful fundraising amid COVID-19 and what skills and attributes make for an effective fundraiser and salesperson.

Bob Happy has 35 years of experience providing expert leadership and direction to clients across the not-for-profit sector. During his career, Bob has served more than 2,000 clients and has guided them to raise more than $3,250,000,000.

Before forming Averill Solutions, Bob served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the nation's largest fundraising firm. He a recognized industry leader, sought after speaker, and trainer and instructor. He has mentored hundreds of professional fundraising practitioners and many have joined him at Averill Fundraising Solutions. Bob graduated from Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT.

ABOUT US

Welcome to the FourBlock Podcast, a show that examines veteran career transition and the military-civilian divide in the workplace.

General Charles Krulak coined the term "Three Block War" to describe the nature of 21st-century military service defined by peace-keeping, humanitarian aid, and full combat.

But what happens next? Veterans are often unprepared to return home and begin new careers. We call this the Fourth Block.

FourBlock is a national non-profit that has supported thousands of transitioning service members across the nation in beginning new and meaningful careers.

Mike Abrams (@fourblock) is an Afghanistan veteran, FourBlock founder, director of the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration, and author of two military transition books. He'll be representing the military transition perspective.

Lindsey Pollak (@lindsaypollak) is a career and workplace expert and New York Times bestselling author of three career advice books. Lindsey will be representing the civilian perspective of this issue.

Veterans, explore new industries and make the right connections. Find a career that fits your calling. Join us at fourblock.org/

Over 77% of FourBlock alumni stay at their first jobs over 12 months. Sponsor our program or host a class to equip more of our veterans at fourblock.org/donate.

Follow FourBlock on Social Media

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

This week, we welcome back Pat Hubbell and Peter Sukits, the co-founders of Candorful, a non-profit organization that connects transitioning service members with experienced interview coaches for live personal job interview practice sessions. The final episode in a four-part series is a must-listen for interviewers, hiring managers, HR staff, and business owners. Pat and Peter join hosts Lindsey Pollak and Mike Abrams to discuss what veterans wish employers knew before interviewing them.

Over the course of the series, Pat and Peter discuss what they've learned working with hundreds of veterans and employers; the biggest mistake veterans make going into an interview; how veterans can best prepare for a job interview; and what veterans wish employers knew before interviewing them.

Pat is the executive director of Candorful and has over 17 years of experience coaching soldiers, veterans, and young professionals with career transitions at Cornell, PRTM (which is now PwC), and Keystone Strategy. She has an SM/MBA from MIT Sloan and a BSME from the University of Rhode Island.

Peter is president of Candorful and a former Army Captain who served five years on active duty with service in the 82ndAirborne Division and with a deployment to Afghanistan. He is currently a commercial financial risk manager with GE Aviation. Peter has an MBA from Cornell, an MS in Business Analytics from Indiana University, and a BS in Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon.

ABOUT US

Welcome to the FourBlock Podcast, a show that examines veteran career transition and the military-civilian divide in the workplace.

General Charles Krulak coined the term "Three Block War" to describe the nature of 21st-century military service defined by peace-keeping, humanitarian aid, and full combat.

But what happens next? Veterans are often unprepared to return home and begin new careers. We call this the Fourth Block.

FourBlock is a national non-profit that has supported thousands of transitioning service members across the nation in beginning new and meaningful careers.

Mike Abrams (@fourblock) is an Afghanistan veteran, FourBlock founder, director of the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration, and author of two military transition books. He'll be representing the military transition perspective.

Lindsey Pollak (@lindsaypollak) is a career and workplace expert and New York Times bestselling author of three career advice books. Lindsey will be representing the civilian perspective of this issue.

Veterans, explore new industries and make the right connections. Find a career that fits your calling. Join us at fourblock.org/

Over 77% of FourBlock alumni stay at their first jobs over 12 months. Sponsor our program or host a class to equip more of our veterans at fourblock.org/donate.

Follow FourBlock on Social Media

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

"Do not wait and worry that now is not a good time – if you need a job now or suspect that you are going to need a job, you have to take action."

If you're looking for employment right now, where do you even begin? What do you do in this type of environment? In these unprecedented times, hosts Lindsey Pollak and Mike Abrams share actionable tips and strategies for conducting a job search during the coronavirus pandemic.

ABOUT US

Welcome to the FourBlock Podcast, a show that examines veteran career transition and the military-civilian divide in the workplace.

General Charles Krulak coined the term "Three Block War" to describe the nature of 21st-century military service defined by peace-keeping, humanitarian aid, and full combat.

But what happens next? Veterans are often unprepared to return home and begin new careers. We call this the Fourth Block.

FourBlock is a national non-profit that has supported thousands of transitioning service members across the nation in beginning new and meaningful careers.

Mike Abrams (@fourblock) is an Afghanistan veteran, FourBlock founder, director of the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration, and author of two military transition books. He'll be representing the military transition perspective.

Lindsey Pollak (@lindsaypollak) is a career and workplace expert and New York Times bestselling author of three career advice books. Lindsey will be representing the civilian perspective of this issue.

Veterans, explore new industries and make the right connections. Find a career that fits your calling. Join us at fourblock.org/

Over 77% of FourBlock alumni stay at their first jobs over 12 months. Sponsor our program or host a class to equip more of our veterans at fourblock.org/donate.

Follow FourBlock on Social Media

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

This week, we welcome back Pat Hubbell and Peter Sukits, the co-founders of Candorful, a non-profit organization that connects transitioning service members with experienced interview coaches for live personal job interview practice sessions.

In this episode, Pat and Peter discuss the biggest interview mistakes that veterans make and share their advice for overcoming those missteps.

This is the third episode in a four-part, bi-weekly series where we explore and take a deep dive into the job interview, an area that many transitioning service members, veterans, and employers find challenging. Over the course of the series, Pat and Peter join hosts Lindsey Pollak and Mike Abrams to discuss what they've learned working with hundreds of veterans and employers; the biggest mistake veterans make going into an interview; how veterans can best prepare for a job interview; and what veterans wish employers knew before interviewing them.

Pat is the executive director of Candorful and has over 17 years of experience coaching soldiers, veterans, and young professionals with career transitions at Cornell, PRTM (which is now PwC), and Keystone Strategy. She has an SM/MBA from MIT Sloan and a BSME from the University of Rhode Island.

Peter is president of Candorful and a former Army Captain who served five years on active duty with service in the 82ndAirborne Division and with a deployment to Afghanistan. He is currently a commercial financial risk manager with GE Aviation. Peter has an MBA from Cornell, an MS in Business Analytics from Indiana University, and a BS in Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon.

ABOUT US

Welcome to the FourBlock Podcast, a show that examines veteran career transition and the military-civilian divide in the workplace.

General Charles Krulak coined the term "Three Block War" to describe the nature of 21st-century military service defined by peace-keeping, humanitarian aid, and full combat.

But what happens next? Veterans are often unprepared to return home and begin new careers. We call this the Fourth Block.

FourBlock is a national non-profit that has supported thousands of transitioning service members across the nation in beginning new and meaningful careers.

Mike Abrams (@fourblock) is an Afghanistan veteran, FourBlock founder, director of the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration, and author of two military transition books. He'll be representing the military transition perspective.

Lindsey Pollak (@lindsaypollak) is a career and workplace expert and New York Times bestselling author of three career advice books. Lindsey will be representing the civilian perspective of this issue.

Veterans, explore new industries and make the right connections. Find a career that fits your calling. Join us at fourblock.org/

Over 77% of FourBlock alumni stay at their first jobs over 12 months. Sponsor our program or host a class to equip more of our veterans at fourblock.org/donate.

Follow FourBlock on Social Media

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

This week, leadership and human resources consultant Mike Dunford joins host Mike Abrams to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the current business environment and how the nature of work will change; share behind-the-scenes insights into the corporate hiring and recruiting process; and provide actionable advice for veterans seeking employment.

Mike is a retired Marine Corps Reserve Officer and veteran of the Multinational Peacekeeping Force in Beirut, Lebanon in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In addition to his role as a veteran advocate, Mike is currently a leadership and human resources consultant who served as the Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Covidien, an $11-billion global medical device company with 38,000 employees operating in more than 70 countries. Following the acquisition of Covidien in 2015, he founded the Dunford Consulting Group, focused on leadership development, executive coaching, and the development and execution of talent strategies.

Mike serves as an advisor and member on several boards, including Mercy Health in Cincinnati, Edge4Vets, the Human Resources Leadership Forum, Year Up Providence, and the Cape and Islands Veterans Outreach Center in Massachusetts. He is a Career Readiness Instructor for FourBlock in Boston and co-chairs FourBlock's National Leadership Council. He also serves on the Steering Committee of the Greater Boston Veterans Collaborative and leads the Employment work group.

ABOUT US

Welcome to the FourBlock Podcast, a show that examines veteran career transition and the military-civilian divide in the workplace.

General Charles Krulak coined the term "Three Block War" to describe the nature of 21st-century military service defined by peace-keeping, humanitarian aid, and full combat.

But what happens next? Veterans are often unprepared to return home and begin new careers. We call this the Fourth Block.

FourBlock is a national non-profit that has supported thousands of transitioning service members across the nation in beginning new and meaningful careers.

Mike Abrams (@fourblock) is an Afghanistan veteran, FourBlock founder, director of the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration, and author of two military transition books. He'll be representing the military transition perspective.

Lindsey Pollak (@lindsaypollak) is a career and workplace expert and New York Times bestselling author of three career advice books. Lindsey will be representing the civilian perspective of this issue.

Veterans, explore new industries and make the right connections. Find a career that fits your calling. Join us at fourblock.org/

Over 77% of FourBlock alumni stay at their first jobs over 12 months. Sponsor our program or host a class to equip more of our veterans at fourblock.org/donate.

Follow FourBlock on Social Media

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

This week, we welcome back Pat Hubbell and Peter Sukits, the co-founders of Candorful, a non-profit organization that connects transitioning service members with experienced interview coaches for live personal job interview practice sessions.

This is the second episode in a four-part bi-weekly series where we explore and take a deep dive into the job interview, an area that many transitioning service members, veterans, and employers find challenging. Over the course of the series, Pat and Peter join host Mike Abrams to discuss what they've learned working with hundreds of veterans and employers; the biggest mistake veterans make going into an interview; how veterans can best prepare for a job interview; and what veterans wish employers knew before interviewing them.

In this second episode, Pat and Peter join hosts Lindsey Pollak and Mike Abrams to discuss why 'leadership' is not a career path and how to apply your military leadership to find your path in the civilian workforce.

Pat is the executive director of Candorful and has over 17 years of experience coaching soldiers, veterans, and young professionals with career transitions at Cornell, PRTM (which is now PwC), and Keystone Strategy. She has an SM/MBA from MIT Sloan and a BSME from the University of Rhode Island.

Peter is president of Candorful and a former Army Captain who served five years on active duty with service in the 82ndAirborne Division and with a deployment to Afghanistan. He is currently a commercial financial risk manager with GE Aviation. Peter has an MBA from Cornell, an MS in Business Analytics from Indiana University, and a BS in Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon.

ABOUT US

Welcome to the FourBlock Podcast, a show that examines veteran career transition and the military-civilian divide in the workplace.

General Charles Krulak coined the term "Three Block War" to describe the nature of 21st-century military service defined by peace-keeping, humanitarian aid, and full combat.

But what happens next? Veterans are often unprepared to return home and begin new careers. We call this the Fourth Block.

FourBlock is a national non-profit that has supported thousands of transitioning service members across the nation in beginning new and meaningful careers.

Mike Abrams (@fourblock) is an Afghanistan veteran, FourBlock founder, director of the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration, and author of two military transition books. He'll be representing the military transition perspective.

Lindsey Pollak (@lindsaypollak) is a career and workplace expert and New York Times bestselling author of three career advice books. Lindsey will be representing the civilian perspective of this issue.

Veterans, explore new industries and make the right connections. Find a career that fits your calling. Join us at fourblock.org/

Over 77% of FourBlock alumni stay at their first jobs over 12 months. Sponsor our program or host a class to equip more of our veterans at fourblock.org/donate.

Follow FourBlock on Social Media

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter