The FourBlock Podcast

Earlier this month, FourBlock Founder Mike Abrams joined Orion Talent on their podcast, From the Battlefield to the Boardroom, a series dedicated to supporting military job seekers throughout their transition process by providing valuable insight and guidance from other veterans and business leaders.

This week, we're sharing that conversation here on The FourBlock Podcast. Tune in as Mike discusses his own transition, career, and his motivation for founding FourBlock; provides details about our flagship Veteran Career Readiness Program and its alumni success; and shares his advice for transitioning service members.

Orion Talent is a customer-centric company focused on helping people discover meaningful careers and businesses grow by finding, delivering, and engaging the best talent around the world. They provide best-in-class military hiring and talent solutions which include RPO, Military Talent Solutions, Candidate Search, Talent Attraction, and Total Talent Solutions. Orion helps experienced, skilled and committed military veterans find new careers with companies looking to expand their workforce, enhance their productivity and improve their bottom line.

Find more episodes of the From the Battlefield to the Boardroom Podcast at https://www.oriontalent.com/podcasts/.

Visit https://www.oriontalent.com/military-job-seekers/ to learn more about Orion Talent and find additional resources.

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/

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

Podcast episodes are produced and edited by the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.

This week, we welcome United States Air Force veteran, Construction Manager at SpaceX, and FourBlock Career Readiness Instructor Kyle Dedmon to the podcast.

In this episode, Kyle discusses what he learned from his own military transition and civilian career, sharing expert insights and advice along the way. He explains why he recommends that his FourBlock students think of the military as a corporation, and shares what he believes to be one of the most important steps for a veteran in transition to take.

Kyle started his career as an active-duty engineering officer in the United States Air Force after completing the ROTC program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. He was initially stationed at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia, followed by McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, with two deployments in between totaling a five-year military career.

After separating from the military, he took a position in Houston with Exxon Mobile supporting mega-capital projects (above $1B), focused on improving downstream operations at the second-largest refinery in the United States.

Kyle currently lives in Los Angeles and manages a team focused on construction and real estate operations for SpaceX. He also serves as a FourBlock Career Readiness Instructor for the Los Angeles cohort of our Career Readiness Program.

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/

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

Podcast episodes are produced and edited by the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.

"There's nobody who doesn't want to live a life of significance."

This week, we complete our look back at the top five most-downloaded episodes of the FourBlock Podcast with the #1 most-downloaded episode, "How to Live a Life of Significance" with retired General and the 31st Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, General Charles C. Krulak.

In this episode, General Krulak discusses his own military transition and shares the three things you need to be successful in life and the workplace.

General Krulak started his career commanding a rifle platoon and two rifle companies during the Vietnam War. Throughout his 36 years of service, he held just about every single command and staff position that an infantry officer could hold. His awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster, Silver Star, Bronze Star with Valor device and two gold stars, and the Purple Heart with Gold Star. General Krulak also rewrote the Marine Corps' basic combat study text, MCDP 1: Warfighting, incorporating his theories on operations in the modern battlefield. After retiring from the Marine Corps, General Krulak joined MBNA America as the chief administrative officer and went on to serve as the Senior Vice Chairman and CEO of MBNA Europe. He then went on to be the 13th president of Birmingham Southern College and continues to serve on the board of several companies including as the honorary chairman of FourBlock.

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/

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

Podcast episodes are produced and edited by the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.

This week, we continue our look back at the top five most-downloaded episodes of the FourBlock Podcast with the #2 most-downloaded episode, "A First-Generation American's Obligation and Privilege to Serve," with Citigroup Managing Director and retired Army Colonel John Tien.

In this episode, John discusses his incredible service, the impact of his time in the Army on his family, and the similarities and differences between leading troops in combat and teammates at Citigroup. If you are a civilian seeking to better understand military service or a veteran trying to learn how to most effectively transition military leadership principles to a corporate environment – this is a must-listen episode!

John is a first-generation American who felt a duty and obligation to serve the country that provided so much for his family. He ended up serving for 24 years, which included three combat tours to Iraq and three tours in the White House serving Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama.

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/

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

Podcast episodes are produced and edited by the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.

This week, we continue our look back at the top five most-downloaded episodes of the FourBlock Podcast with the #3 most-downloaded episode, "How to Seize Opportunity in Your Career and Market Yourself as a Veteran" with former Army Pilot, Global Account Manager at LinkedIn, and FourBlock Board Member Darren Sumter.

In this interview, Darren describes his experiences growing up, serving in the Army, and transitioning into the civilian workforce shares expert recommendations for veterans on how to market yourself and your experience, and seize opportunity in your post-military careers.

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 Account 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/

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

Podcast episodes are produced and edited by the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.

"Are you done serving or are you ready to assume the mantle of citizen?"

This week, we continue our look back at the top five most-downloaded episodes of the FourBlock Podcast with the #4 most-downloaded episode, "Check Your Privilege: Military-to-Civilian Career Transition Research Findings." In this episode, former U.S Army officer and author Jason Dempsey, PhD, discusses his own transition, explores the meaning of service, and shares insights from his research on the military to civilian career transition.

Jason served for over twenty years in the Army as an infantry officer, deploying twice to Afghanistan and once to Iraq. He last served as Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In that capacity he oversaw the Chairman's strategic priority of Keeping Faith with the Military Community and led the development and launch of the Call to Continued Service, an initiative endorsed by all of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which encourages members of the military to continue their public service after they take off the uniform.

Jason is the co-founder of MILLIE, a company that seeks to empower the community of veteran and military spouse real estate agents and to help military families through the moving process. He is also a Senior Adviser to the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration and an Adjunct Senior Fellow of the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security. Jason has written extensively on Army efforts toward gender integration, the experiences of Hispanics in the military, and our counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan. His book, Our Army: Soldiers, Politics and Civil-Military Relations was published by Princeton University Press and was the first major work to delve into the social and political attitudes of the active-duty military.

Jason is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and holds a PhD in political science from Columbia University.

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/

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

Podcast episodes are produced and edited by the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.

For the next five weeks, we're looking back at the top five most-downloaded episodes of the FourBlock Podcast since it first launched in the fall of 2019.

This week, we're sharing the #5 most-downloaded episode to date, The Most Powerful Moves You Can Make in Your Career Search with guest Rick Miners, an entrepreneur, writer, coach, and expert on transition and retirement life planning.

Rick was the co-founder and president of FlexCorp systems, a business process outsourcing company. Shortly after Inc. Magazine named FlexCorp as one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the United States, he unexpectedly sold the company and quickly realized he didn't have a plan for what he was going to do next.

Rick co-authored the books, Don't Retire, REWIRE!: 5 Steps to Fulfilling Work That Fuels Your Passion, Suits Your Personality, and Fills Your Pockets and On Target: Enhance Your Life and Ensure Your Success

Rick has made appearances on The Today Show, CNN, and PBS about the rewiring process and is frequently quoted in the press on the changing face of retirement.

He is a graduate of Wake Forest University and an Army Veteran. He is also a FourBlock Board Member and currently serves as its treasurer.

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/

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

Podcast episodes are produced and edited by the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.

This week, FourBlock Founder Mike Abrams discusses pietas – defined as duty, loyalty, and devotion – and explores how veterans embody the virtues of pietas and citizenship through military service. He argues that when veterans return home, they can continue to embody the virtue of pietas through small acts of citizenship and service and encourages all to try to find some small but meaningful ways to positively impact the lives of the people in your 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/

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

Podcast episodes are produced and edited by the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.

This week, FourBlock Founder Mike Abrams shares a quick story and exercise inspired by Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor and stoic philosopher, and encourages us all to take a moment this Thanksgiving to reflect on the people who have developed and shaped us and formed the foundation of who we are today.

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/

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

Podcast episodes are produced and edited by the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.

"Culture is not what you say it is. It's how you act, live, and work every single day." This week, FourBlock Founder Mike Abrams explores a common question that we get from listeners: how can you accurately assess a company's culture and decide whether you would be a good fit? Acknowledging that the actual culture of a company may be different from what their external branding says it is, Mike shares several tips for how to get a true sense of a company or team's culture and determine whether it's right for you.

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/

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

Podcast episodes are produced and edited by the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.