Ever wondered how to transition out of corporate or military life and build a profitable e-commerce business? In this powerful interview, Adam Peters connects with Neil Twa, CEO and co-founder of Voltage Holdings, who reveals how he went from corporate tech jobs to running 8-figure Amazon FBA brands. Neil dives into how physical product businesses scale, how AI is reshaping Amazon, and why now is the time for veterans and civilians alike to start producing instead of just consuming.

🎖️🇺🇸 While Neil Twa is not a military veteran himself, his father served two tours in Vietnam aboard a destroyer, and Neil has made it a mission to support veterans’ transition to entrepreneurship. He’s built pathways for veterans to own and operate acquired companies through Patriot Growth Capital, a veteran-backed initiative.

Neil discusses business lessons learned from early corporate stints at Sprint PCS and IBM, to high-stakes failures and painful bankruptcies that paved the way for his Amazon empire. If you’re looking to break free from 9-to-5 drudgery and build a lifestyle-driven business, this is your roadmap.

Chapters:

0:00 – Intro: From Military Purpose to Business Mission

2:01 – Neil Twa’s Upbringing and Missed Fighter Pilot Dreams

6:28 – From Sprint & IBM to Entrepreneurship

11:45 – How Failure and Bankruptcy Led to FBA

15:10 – Why Amazon FBA Works for Veterans

19:36 – The Evolution of the Entrepreneur: Owner vs Investor

24:55 – Amazon FBA: How Neil Built Multi-Million Dollar Brands

35:21 – Dealing with Chinese Competition and Tariffs

41:50 – How Veterans Can Acquire Companies in 5 Years

50:33 – What to Sell on Amazon: Data-Driven Selling

1:08:20 – Revenue, Profit, and Long-Term Brand Value

1:16:50 – Why Neil Is Bullish on America and Amazon in 2024

1:27:14 – How to Get Started with Neil and Contact Info

Key Discussion Points:

• How Amazon FBA enables lifestyle and financial freedom

• Veteran path from purpose to entrepreneurship

• Data-driven product selection for e-commerce success

• How to survive and win against Amazon’s AI competition

• Exclusive ownership-to-investor business model roadmap

• Building sellable assets and avoiding startup failure

Military Experience Highlights:

• Guest Neil Twa is not a veteran

• His father served two tours in Vietnam on a Navy destroyer 🎖️🇺🇸

• Deep appreciation and a purposeful business model designed to assist veterans

• Supports veteran business operators via ownership, training, and exit plans

Expertise/Civilian Success:

• CEO/co-founder of Voltage Holdings

• Co-author of “Almost Automated Income with FBA”

• Created 8-figure product brands and launched 30M+ in Amazon FBA sales

• Strategic partner at Patriot Growth Capital, backing veteran business operations

• Created pathways for veteran-operated business acquisitions via SBA

#VeteranEntrepreneur #AmazonFBA #MilitaryToBusiness #EcommerceStrategy #PatriotGrowth

Cybersecurity after military service: Air Force veteran-turned-tech-entrepreneur Matthew Burch shares his journey from drone operations to founding Loggerhead Dynamics. In this inspiring episode, we delve into the concept of ruthless adaptability, the process of transitioning identities, and why mastering reinvention is crucial for veterans.

🎖️🇺🇸 Guest Introduction:

Matthew Burch served 23+ years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a Master Sergeant. His roles ranged from aircraft mechanic to medical admin and MQ-9 Reaper drone sensor operator. With deployments across Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa, and the Pacific, Matthew developed unmatched adaptability and a firm belief: the military is a contract, not an identity. Post-service, he broke into tech, drove innovation in mission software development, and is now the founder of Loggerhead Dynamics.

He joins host Adam Peters to discuss:

• Adapting across military careers

• Launching a cybersecurity business

• Why detaching your identity from your job is essential

• Viewing military service as a contract, not a calling

• High-demand tech paths for veterans

📌 Chapter Breakdown:

0:00 - Intro & Matthew Burch’s Background

2:05 - Growing up in Michigan & Joining the Air Force

6:28 - First Role as Aircraft Mechanic

8:57 - Retraining into Medical Admin

11:48 - Evolving into Sensor Operator on MQ-9 Reaper

14:45 - Flying for JSOC and Special Ops

18:20 - Realizing the Military is Only a Contract

22:12 - Early Childhood Trauma & Mentors

27:48 - OSS Lessons & Skill Extraction

31:05 - Preparing for Post-Military Career Early

35:38 - Transition to CIA-targeting Software Development

40:45 - Moving into Tech Entrepreneurship

44:12 - Business Shift to Cybersecurity

49:10 - Why Cybersecurity is Exploding Now

53:05 - Government IT Lags Behind

57:22 - AI, Automation, and Veteran Value

1:02:08 - The Cost of Moral Injury from Deployment

1:12:14 - Manifestation, Delusion & Owning Your Future

1:16:00 - Final Messages for Veterans

1:18:00 - Where to Find Matthew Birch

🔑 Key Discussion Points:

• Leveraging 3 major retrainings in the Air Force to prime for transition

• Insights from high-stakes drone operations with JSOC

• How personal loss shaped Matthew’s anti-fragile mindset

• Affirming that military training equips you for any civilian future

• The rise of cybersecurity as a viable, scalable career for veterans

• Taking ownership post-transition: mindset, entrepreneurship, and accountability

🎖️ Military Experience Highlights:

- Branch: U.S. Air Force

- Final Rank: Master Sergeant

- Roles: Aircraft Mechanic, Medical Admin, MQ-9 Reaper Sensor Operator

- Special Assignments: Instructor for Reaper Drones, JSOC Operations

- Deployments: Afghanistan, Iraq, Pacific, Africa, Bosnia

💼 Civilian Impact & Expertise:

- Founder, Loggerhead Dynamics (Cybersecurity & Managed Tech Firm)

- Former developer for Department of Defense targeting software

- Proven track record in client-side cybersecurity and IT roles

- Community: Offers free cybersecurity education for seniors in Florida

#VeteranEntrepreneur #CybersecurityCareers #MilitaryTransition #AdaptAndOvercome #AIandTech

Army veteran turned CEO, wildlife removal expert, and 2024 Veteranpreneur of the Year Brian Moss shares powerful military transition advice, entrepreneurship insights, and franchise success tips.

🎙️ In this compelling episode of the Strategic Veteran, host Adam Peters sits down with 🎖️🇺🇸 Brian Moss, a retired First Sergeant with 22+ years of U.S. Army service, Cavalry Scout (19D), and now President & Co-owner of AAAAC Wildlife Removal. Brian’s transition from uniform to CEO is a masterclass in resilience, adaptability, and following your passion—especially for veterans exploring post-military entrepreneurship.

From earning his spurs in the Army, to launching and owning one of the leading veteran-run wildlife removal franchises spanning 13 states, Brian unpacks:

• The emotional and tactical shift of leaving the military

• How his love for hunting and nature became a profitable mission

• The structure and support that made franchising a perfect fit for veterans

• Scaling from single shop ownership to national Franchise President

• Veteran employment, leadership, and transitioning with purpose

📍 CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Introduction to Brian Moss and his Army career

1:35 - Growing up in Louisiana and joining the Army

5:54 - Why becoming a Cavalry Scout (19D) was the perfect fit

11:12 - Leadership in the Army and fast-tracking promotions

18:47 - Cultural shifts: pre- and post-9/11 Army dynamics

23:33 - Impact of seeing a soldier gain U.S. citizenship

28:59 - Emotional realities of leaving the military

35:22 - Finding a new purpose: Starting in wildlife

41:18 - Building & scaling his wildlife franchise

47:36 - Franchising for veterans and ideal ownership profiles

55:00 - Wildlife removal explained: rats, gators, and everything in between

1:07:33 - Freedom and purpose as a veteran entrepreneur

1:13:28 - How to get involved with AAAAC Wildlife Removal

1:15:06 - Final insights and community resources for veterans

🔍 KEY DISCUSSION POINTS:

• Transitioning from First Sergeant to franchise owner

• Why AAAAC Wildlife Removal fits post-military life

• The structure and camaraderie of franchise ownership

• The emotional toll of separation and rebuilding purpose

• Real-world leadership lessons from Army service

• Turning passion into a sustainable business model

👨‍✈️ MILITARY EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Branch: U.S. Army 🇺🇸

• MOS: 19D Cavalry Scout

• Roles: Platoon Sergeant, First Sergeant, Spur Master

• Deployments: Desert Storm, Iraq, Korea (DMZ), Germany

• Leadership: Mentored junior soldiers, coordinated soldier citizenship

💼 EXPERTISE / CIVILIAN SUCCESS:

• Business: President & Co-Owner, AAAAC Wildlife Removal

• Achievement: 2024 Veteranpreneur of the Year

• Operations: 21 franchisees, 13 states

• Focus: Wildlife removal, pest control, veteran franchise development

• Community: Grows veteran entrepreneurship, peer mentorship

📣 Join The Stronghold: A free, veteran-led space to navigate transition + business ownership.

#Veterans #FranchiseOpportunity #MilitaryTransition #ArmyVeteran #BusinessOwnership

Veteran transition, Air Force leadership, mental health, entrepreneurship, and personal growth take center stage in this powerful episode featuring retired Chief Master Sergeant Mary Polanco 🇺🇸🎖️. After 23 years in the U.S. Air Force, Mary discusses the challenges of identity, purpose, and rebuilding life post-service. Hear how her struggles with depression led to a mission of helping others through Live and Lead Well LLC.

📌 CHAPTERS:

0:00 – Intro: Transition is More Than a Career Shift

1:26 – Meet Chief Mary Polanco 🇺🇸🎖️

4:27 – Growing Up and the Decision to Join the Air Force

10:32 – Mental Health Crisis at the Top of Her Career

18:16 – Deconditioning From Military Mindsets

27:53 – Loss of Purpose and Rebuilding Identity

40:20 – Entrepreneurship and Building Live and Lead Well LLC

45:10 – Fixing the Transition Assistance Program (TAP)

1:09:00 – Final Advice on Transition and Reconnection

1:12:45 – Contact Info & Closing Remarks

🎙️ EPISODE OVERVIEW:

In this episode of The Strategic Veteran Podcast, host Adam Peters has an authentic and vulnerable conversation with Mary Polanco, retired Chief Master Sergeant of the U.S. Air Force. Mary served 23 years at the highest enlisted levels, including as Senior Enlisted Advisor for the Air Force Resilience Directorate. But at the apex of her military career, she faced crippling clinical depression and anxiety. Her experience served as a catalyst for change—personally and professionally.

From rediscovering her values to launching a successful business and pursuing a doctorate in leadership psychology, Mary shares how veterans can successfully navigate their military-to-civilian transition. This episode is a masterclass in emotional intelligence, post-service healing, and redefining purpose outside the uniform.

✨ KEY DISCUSSION POINTS:

• What deconditioning from military life truly looks like

• Mary's journey battling depression while in leadership

• The unspoken emotional toll of leaving the service

• The limitations and needed reforms of TAP programs

• How entrepreneurship has helped reclaim identity

• Building a supportive veteran community through service

🎖️ MILITARY EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Branch of Service: U.S. Air Force 🇺🇸

• Retired Rank: Chief Master Sergeant

• Key Role: Senior Enlisted Adviser, Air Force Resilience Directorate

• Career Span: 23 Years

• Additional Roles: Security Forces, Optometry, PME Instructor

💼 EXPERTISE / CIVILIAN SUCCESS:

• Founder & CEO, Live and Lead Well LLC

• 2x Business Owner

• Doctoral Student in Leadership Psychology

• EQ Certified Coach (360 and 2.0 assessments)

• Speaker, Author (“Your Final Debrief”)

• Supports leaders, veterans, and organizations with emotional intelligence, leadership development, and transition coaching

#VeteranTransition #AirForceVeteran #MentalHealthMatters #MilitaryToCivilian #Entrepreneurship

🎯 Transitioning from the military to civilian life? In this powerful episode, we explore veteran transition challenges, Navy officer career paths, and career success after service through the firsthand story of Natalie Schiebel — former Navy Environmental Health Officer and now VP of Market Strategy Communication at Ateon. 🇺🇸🎖️

0:00 - Introduction to Natalie Schiebel

3:10 - Childhood, swimming, and early patriotism

6:15 - ROTC, Naval Academy rejection, and finding her path

10:50 - Discovering Environmental Health in the Navy

14:20 - First duty station experiences, barracks inspections

18:15 - Lessons in leadership and service

21:30 - The hard truth about transition

27:45 - From rejection to success: Finding purpose after service

34:50 - Recruiting tour, mentorship, and founding Mission to Commission

41:05 - Challenges with TAP, SkillBridge, and career alignment

47:40 - Civilian employment struggles and the networking gap

54:25 - Solution: Mentorship, purpose, and lifelong learning

1:00:55 - Final thoughts, AI for transition, and contact info

Natalie Schiebel 🇺🇸🎖️ served 12 years in the U.S. Navy as an Environmental Health Officer. Her military journey included a transformative active duty tour at Naval Branch Health Clinic Groton, overseeing public health for over 30,000 personnel. She led inspections, managed public health crises, and developed leadership skills through service and community impact. Despite her dedication, her post-military transition was filled with roadblocks, rejection letters, and personal setbacks — until she redefined her purpose.

Today, Natalie is Vice President of Market Strategy Communication at Ateon, driving innovation in healthcare through real-world data. She is also the founder of Mission to Commission, a nonprofit that equips veterans and transitioning service members with mentorship, coaching, and professional development resources.

📌 KEY DISCUSSION POINTS:

• Why military transition feels like starting over — even with top credentials

• What the military doesn't teach you about corporate careers and identity

• How Natalie turned recruiting duty into a marketing, mentorship, and leadership bootcamp

• The truth about TAP, SkillBridge, and post-service disenchantment

• Building Mission to Commission to offer veterans long-term mentorship

• How AI and education can empower your next career

🔍 MILITARY EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Branch: U.S. Navy 🎖️

• Role: Environmental Health Officer

• Notable Tours: Naval Branch Health Clinic Groton; Navy Recruiting District New York; Commander, Navy Recruiting Command (Millington)

• Specialty: Public health programs, inspections, mentorship, and recruiting

• Service Length: 12 years, primarily reserve with active tours

💼 EXPERTISE/CIVILIAN SUCCESS:

• Position: VP of Market Strategy Communication @ Ateon

• Impact: Leads healthcare strategy using real-world data

• Nonprofit: Founder & President of Mission to Commission

• Mission: Mentors future and transitioning military officers

#VeteranTransition #NavyOfficer #MissionToCommission #MilitaryToCivilian #StrategicVeteran

Mentorship for veterans, identity after military life, and navigating transition are core topics in this profound and inspiring episode featuring Dr. Deborah Heiser. Discover how mentorship—particularly lateral mentorship—can transform the way veterans re-enter civilian life, reclaim identity, and build new purpose.

🎙️ In this robust conversation, host Adam Peters dives deep into the emotional and practical aspects of separating from the military. Whether you’re in SkillBridge, facing an MEB, or a recently transitioned service member, this episode provides the mentorship roadmap you didn’t know you needed.

Dr. Deborah Heiser, an award-winning psychologist and founder of The Mentor Project, shares transformational insights about identity, resilience, and human connection. With a global-scale impact of over 3 million mentorship hours, she explains how mentorship occurs all around us—and how you are likely a mentor already!

Chapters:

0:00 - Opening: Identity Crisis After Transition

2:11 - Introducing Dr. Deborah Heiser & The Mentor Project

4:40 - Reframing Identity Beyond the Uniform

7:55 - Losing Military Structure & Finding Accountability

12:30 - The Role of Connection in Self-Discovery

16:15 - Why Veterans Struggle With Mentorship & Isolation

21:00 - Defining Mentorship: Intrinsic, Not Transactional

28:33 - Mentorship Happens Laterally, Not Hierarchically

33:50 - Personal Lessons in Lateral Mentorship

39:12 - Real-Life Example of Mentorship Saving Lives (NASA)

46:48 - The Power of Intuition and Multiple Mentors

49:55 - The Mentor Project: Global Reach & Call to Action

55:01 - Inspiring Stories from The Mentor Project

1:02:00 - How to Get Involved: Mentee or Mentor

1:04:20 - Closing Thoughts, Contact Info & Final Wrap-Up

🔶 KEY DISCUSSION POINTS:

• Understanding Identity Crisis After Leaving the Military

• High-Leverage Skills From Service That Apply to Civilian Life

• The Difference Between Coaching, Advising, and True Mentorship

• How Lateral Mentorship Can Help Vets In Real-Time

• Building Lifelong Networks for Growth and Purpose

• Unlocking Global Mentorship Opportunities Through The Mentor Project

🎖️ MILITARY EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS:

• 🎖️ Host: Adam Peters – U.S. Army Infantry, medically retired via MEB

• 13 years served, enlisted at age 17, transitioned at 30

• Speaks from firsthand experience navigating identity loss, reintegration, accountability, and mentorship gaps

💼 EXPERTISE / CIVILIAN SUCCESS:

• Dr. Deborah Heiser – Award-winning psychologist, author, CEO

• Founder of The Mentor Project – 3 M+ mentorship hours globally

• Focus: Identity, aging, intergenerational connection, and purpose-building

• TEDx Speaker, Psychology Today contributor, Amazon author (“The Mentorship Edge”)

• Advocate for veterans finding meaning post-service

📣 GET INVOLVED

→ Become a mentee (students of all ages): https://www.mentorproject.org

→ Contact to become a mentor: Click “Contact Us” on the site

#VeteranTransition #MilitaryToCivilian #MentorshipMatters #TheMentorProject #StrategicVeteran

From Marine combat training to corporate leadership at Microsoft, Chad Cooper shares resilience tools, transition advice, and the mindset behind living a legendary life. In this inspiring episode of The Strategic Veteran Podcast, former Marine 🎖️🇺🇸 Chad Cooper joins us to share his compelling story of mental toughness, navigating military-to-civilian life, early corporate retirement, and building global impact through service.

Whether you're a transitioning veteran looking for purpose, or an entrepreneur seeking meaningful leadership insight, Chad’s journey is packed with valuable strategies.

🟠 CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Intro: Meet Chad Cooper, Former Marine and Global Leader

2:59 - Why Chad Joined the Marines—and The Crayon Joke 🍊🤣

5:35 - Facing Racism & Choosing the Hardest Path: The Marine Corps

10:55 - From Counterintel to Infantry: Marine Life-Learning Moments

16:30 - Life Lessons from Carrying 165 lbs & Pushing Through Pain

23:01 - 3 Key Principles That Transformed Chad’s Life After Service

41:18 - Overcoming Trauma & The Truth About MDMA Therapy

55:40 - Building Global Foundations and Serving the World 🌍💪

1:05:28 - Mentorship, Networking, and Learning from Bill Gates 🧠

1:15:17 - Final Words & How to Connect with Chad Cooper

🔹 Episode Overview:

Host Adam welcomes Chad Cooper, a man whose life defies expectations. Raised in a small, rural town, Chad joined the Marine Corps to face the toughest challenges possible. From watching a captain pick up a live grenade to enduring missions with hypothermia and flat feet, Chad reveals the tests that shaped his mental fortitude.

🎖️🇺🇸 Chad’s Marine service taught him critical lessons about resilience, diversity, and brotherhood—lessons that would later drive him to retire from Microsoft as an executive at just 35. He went on to become an Ironman triathlete, philanthropist, foundation founder, and author of the book “Time Isn’t the Problem, You Are.”

In this episode, Chad offers real, actionable advice about: • Understanding how to transform pain into power • Why veterans must unlearn and relearn post-military • Finding mentors and building a non-transactional network • Using discomfort as a launchpad for greatness • Healing trauma through clinical MDMA therapy

This episode dives deep into leadership, transition, legacy building, and the importance of embracing discomfort to create real impact.

🔹 Key Discussion Points:

• The importance of redefining personal worth after service • How Chad used mental toughness developed in the Marines to excel in corporate life • Three transformational lessons for transitioning service members • How he built lasting global impact through his foundations • Why veterans must seek community, mentorship, and healing • The truth about trauma, recovery, and MDMA therapy

🔸 Military Experience Highlights:

• Branch: United States Marine Corps 🇺🇸

• Roles: Initially Intel/Counterintel, shifted to Infantry Mortars due to security clearance issues

• Notable Experience: Cold weather training, near-combat transfers, enduring physical hardship (flat feet, hypothermia, injury)

• Leadership: Displayed principled leadership by contacting a congressman over unsafe conditions, demonstrating accountability and strategic thinking

🔸 Civilian Success & Expertise:

• Former executive at Microsoft, retired at age 35 💼

• Ironman Triathlete and high-performance endurance athlete 🏃‍♂️

• Author: “Time Isn’t the Problem, You Are” 📘

• Global Foundation Leader: Founder of three humanitarian organizations—working in Central America, New Zealand (Waitaha tribe), and expanding to Africa 🌍

• Mentor, Speaker, and Personal Development Coach

#VeteranSuccess #MarineCorps #MicrosoftExecutive #ChadCooper #MilitaryTransition #VeteranLeadership #MentalFortitude #PersonalDevelopment #TimeIsntTheProblem

Military transition, trauma recovery, and healing after service — former Air Force 🎖️🇺🇸 Force Support Officer Lauren Frazier shares her courageous story, from surviving MST to becoming a therapist. This powerful episode explores the psychological cost of service, the failures of the military justice system, and how Lauren rebuilt her identity after being forced out of the Air Force. She now helps others heal through Life Rich Coaching and Christian Counseling Services.

🎙️ Timestamped Chapters:

0:00 - Introduction to Lauren Frazier & Identity After Service

2:18 - Growing Up Between Hawaii and Mississippi

4:10 - Choosing the Air Force Over Other Services

7:45 - ROTC Experience and Early Military Career

13:32 - What a Force Support Officer Does

16:18 - Impact of Military Sexual Trauma (MST)

24:12 - Repercussions, Retaliation, and Command Failure

33:01 - Attempting to Heal Amid Systemic Abuse

41:15 - Suicidal Ideation, Breakdown, and Recovery

51:26 - Healing Year and Civilian Reinvention

59:12 - Founding Life Rich Coaching and Helping Others Heal

1:02:40 - Final Reflections & Contact Info

📘 Episode Overview:

Adam welcomes former Air Force 🎖️🇺🇸 officer Lauren Frazier, an eight-and-a-half-year Force Support Officer whose military career spanned reorganization strategy, HR, mortuary affairs, and dining leadership. But beneath her high-level service is a powerful and raw story of trauma, resilience, and transformation.

Lauren opens up about experiencing military sexual trauma (MST) early in her career, a brutal court-martial experience, systemic retaliation from leadership, and ultimately being forced out of the Air Force. She faced the destruction of her identity, extreme personal and professional loss, and deep emotional wounds — yet found strength in faith, family, and purpose.

Instead of letting the military define or defeat her, Lauren rebuilt her life from the ground up. Teaching yoga, cleaning houses, taking care of her kids, and completing a social work degree were all part of her transformation. Today she is the founder of Life Rich Coaching and Christian Counseling Services, helping others statewide work through trauma, distress, and life transition using trauma-informed techniques, counseling, and coaching tools that span body, mind, and soul.

💬 Key Discussion Points:

• What it really means to lose your identity after leaving the military

• Military sexual trauma (MST): the unfiltered truth and failures in justice

• Command retaliation, legal gaslighting, and the path to being forced out

• Suicidal ideation and what healing looks like after trauma

• Transitioning from uniformed identity to therapist and coach

• Creating a business that helps others heal after crisis

🪖 Military Experience Highlights:

• Branch: U.S. Air Force 🇺🇸

• Role: Force Support Officer

• Years Served: 8.5 years

• Key Areas: HR, services, dining facilities, mortuary affairs

• Notable Experience: Six-month deployment to Dover Port Mortuary

• Leadership Notes: Routinely changed positions to prepare for squadron command

🌱 Civilian Expertise & Achievements:

• Founder, Life Rich Coaching & Christian Counseling Services

• Certified yoga instructor, birth & postpartum doula experience

• Licensed clinical social worker & trauma therapist

• Works with individuals post-transition, trauma survivors, and women

• Uses holistic, faith-based, and evidence-informed approaches

#MilitaryTransition #MSTSurvivor #VeteranMentalHealth #FemaleVeterans #LifeAfterService

Veteran career transition tips, Air Force leadership experience, executive hiring secrets, and mastering the civilian job market—all from Steve Sapko, former USAF enlisted member turned executive coach. In this episode, we dive into how to optimize your post-service journey, avoid the traps of lowball job offers, and unlock real career success.

🎖️🇺🇸 Guest Introduction:

Steve Sapko served as a Contracting Officer (E-5) in the U.S. Air Force from 1987 to 1997. With top test scores and a strong Civil Air Patrol background, his journey began following the economic collapse of Florida’s Space Coast after the Challenger disaster. Stationed in the UK, he became the only uniformed contracting officer west of London — an opportunity that shaped his understanding of leadership and civilian interfacing. After transitioning from military service, Steve grew his career at Dell and Oracle and recently exited a successful startup in 2024. He now coaches veterans and corporate professionals as they redefine purpose and negotiate value.

In this episode, Steve shares:

• How resume-based hiring is outdated post-COVID

• Real reasons why veterans are hired into low-paying jobs

• The difference between leadership and management in the private sector

• Why translating military experience often triggers corporate BS detectors

• How to build the right network and get insider info before applying

🎯 CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Intro: Reliability Over Cleverness

2:18 - Steve Sapko’s Backstory & Space Coast Roots

7:39 - Joining the Air Force After Challenger Disaster

12:55 - Assignments, AFSC, and Choosing Contracting

17:52 - Corporate Transition & Discovering Networking Power

23:28 - Veteran Resume Myths & Hiring Manager Secrets

30:47 - Visionary vs. Integrator: Knowing Your Role

35:43 - Why First Civilian Jobs Often Fail Vets

41:25 - Breaking Free From Military Job Code Mindset

47:36 - Avoiding the Trap of Defense Contractor Offers

54:01 - Final Advice for Mid-Career Veteran Transitioners

1:01:22 - How to Connect With Steve & Closing Remarks

🔑 KEY DISCUSSION POINTS:

• Civilian hiring disconnect: why veterans face barriers

• Resumes are dead: new ways companies evaluate talent

• The truth about first jobs after military service

• Leveraging contracting and networking post-AF service

• Are you a visionary or an integrator entrepreneur?

• How corporations undervalue accountability and leadership

🪖 MILITARY EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS:

Branch: United States Air Force 🇺🇸

Service Years: 1987–1997

Rank: E-5 (Enlisted Contracting Officer)

Notable Roles:

- Only uniformed contracting officer west of London (UK assignment)

- Involved in federal procurement across multiple sectors

- Integral in “profit-center” thinking inside military operations

🏢 EXPERTISE / CIVILIAN SUCCESS:

Current Roles:

- Executive Coach (focus: mid-level corporate + veterans)

- CRO of a commercial space startup (2024)

- Co-founder of a now-exited management consulting firm

- Industry analyst with Hyper Frame Research

Key Impact Areas:

- Empowering service members to build purpose-driven post-military paths

- Coaching Fortune 100 executives and startup founders

- Helping veterans reframe experience into real market value

#VeteranTransition #ExecutiveCoach #AirForceVeteran #MilitaryToCivilian #PostMilitarySuccess

Veteran podcast stories, Army officer insights, and military to civilian transition: Hear from Tracer Burnout hosts Roger Vogel 🇺🇸🎖️ (Lt. Colonel, Civil Affairs) and Dan Baker 🇺🇸🎖️ (Staff Sergeant, Infantry) as they unpack career milestones, lifelong friendship, and how their transition out of the Army led to the creation of a podcast helping fellow veterans find connection and purpose.

🎙️ In this episode of The Strategic Veteran, host Adam Peters brings on Roger and Dan — best friends since childhood and co-hosts of the Tracer Burnout podcast. With decades of Army experience between them, they recount their military beginnings, deployments, leadership lessons, and ultimately, their transition journeys post-active duty. This deeply personal and humorous episode uncovers the emotions behind getting out, adjusting to civilian life, and finding new purpose by amplifying veteran voices on their own platform.

🎖️🇺🇸 GUEST SPOTLIGHT:

Dan Baker:

• U.S. Army Staff Sergeant

• Infantry, 1998–2021

• 4 Deployments (3 Afghanistan, 1 Balkans)

• Served as Drill Sergeant and Master Fitness Instructor at Fort Benning

Roger Vogel:

• U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.)

• Field Artillery & Civil Affairs

• 2 Iraq Deployments with the 82nd Airborne

• PACOM & Indo-PACOM CA assignments with deep language/cultural focus

Dan and Roger now co-host Tracer Burnout, a veteran-led podcast preserving stories of service and promoting healing through shared experience and humor.

⏱️ CHAPTERS:

0:00 – Intro and Guest Welcome

2:16 – Army Brat Origins & Military Legacy

8:43 – Early Career Paths: Enlistment vs. ROTC

17:32 – Combat Deployments: Iraq & Afghanistan

24:01 – Civil Affairs Explained by Roger

32:45 – Fitness, Injury & Retirement Challenges

41:58 – Transition Realities During COVID for Dan

51:12 – Finding Purpose After Service

58:40 – Origin of Tracer Burnout Podcast

1:07:10 – The Value of Storytelling & Ending Stigma

1:14:13 – Final Thoughts & Contact Info

📌 KEY DISCUSSION POINTS:

• Dual perspectives: Officer vs. Enlisted experience and friendship

• Civil Affairs explained: small teams, cultural mapping & human terrain

• What went wrong—and right—in their military transition

• Back injuries, surgeries & finding new purpose afterward

• Launching Tracer Burnout to fill the veteran storytelling void

• Veteran podcasting as a path to healing and community

🔰 MILITARY EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Dan Baker served 23 years in the U.S. Army as an Infantry Staff Sergeant with deployments to the Balkans and Afghanistan. He retired after working as a drill sergeant and rehab program coordinator at Fort Benning.

• Roger Vogel served 20+ years, beginning in Field Artillery and later transitioning to Civil Affairs. He deployed with the 82nd Airborne to Iraq and later worked in Indo-PACOM as part of Army Special Operations.

💼 EXPERTISE / CIVILIAN SUCCESS:

• Dan & Roger co-founded "Tracer Burnout," a podcast focused on real veteran stories

• Utilized Home Base and The Honor Foundation programs to assist transition

• Advocates for better awareness of transition resources outside the traditional TAP track

#VeteranTransition #TracerBurnout #ArmyVeteran #CivilAffairs #MilitaryPodcast #VeteranVoices #PostMilitaryLife