The VetsConnection Podcast

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We sit down with Susan Combs, founder of Pancakes for Roger, to trace how one caregiving moment and a pancake photo turned into a fast-growing veteran nonprofit. We also dig into her new book, Wonder Women, and what female veterans want civilians to understand about service, trauma, family, and resilience. 
• how Pancakes for Roger turns pancake photos into donations that support veterans 
• housing support and home improvement grants and what they can cover 
• the origin story behind “pancakes for breakfast” and grief after loss 
• why Susan pivots from a sequel to writing Wonder Women 
• why many female veterans are invisible in daily life 
• how the book protects contributors through recorded interviews and full chapter sign-off 
• themes from the stories: belonging, discrimination, sexual trauma, family strain, rank dynamics, deployments 
• why acronyms and context matter for civilian readers and listeners 
If you're interested, go to onemail1mikefoundation.org. It's a spelled out one, not the number one. 

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We talk with Navy veteran Michael Carter about how one air traffic control near miss shattered his confidence, pushed him into a mental health crisis, and forced him to fight for real help. We also trace how music, community, and his service dog Frankie helped him rebuild, then inspired him to create Stage for Change and the Carolina VetFest fundraiser. 
• joining the Navy after 9/11 and choosing a path with purpose 
• air traffic control stress and the one-detail mistake that changed everything 
• losing confidence, stepping away from the seat, and refusing to risk lives 
• stigma, dismissal, and the moment leadership finally takes it seriously 
• suicidal ideation, survival, and the difference one song can make 
• returning to North Carolina and finding therapy in live shows and photography 
• building Stage for Change to support nonprofits through music festivals 
• planning VetFest as a free, family-friendly event with donations and raffles 
• using outreach tables and veteran-owned vendors to reach people who need help 
• Frankie’s service dog match and what a true support animal changes 
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We talk with Navy veteran and combat photographer Paula Kemp about how a career she loved collided with military sexual trauma and how silence can shape everything that comes after. We also dig into what real healing looks like, from VA care and post traumatic growth to storytelling, claims support, and policy change through the Bears Act. 
• joining the Navy Reserves as a mother of three and finding a path into combat photography 
• what the camera changes about how you see risk, people, and memory 
• the Fleet Week assault, the fear of reporting, and why many survivors stay quiet 
• anger, nightmares, drinking, and the delayed surfacing of trauma after service 
• early VA experiences, co-ed treatment pitfalls, and the need for trauma-informed care 
• helping veterans navigate VA disability claims with an impactful personal statement 
• building Unjustly Served and why telling the story can support healing 
• the Bears Act concept for tracking harmful behavior across commands 
Go read the book, visit the website, and reach out, please. Reach out.

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We talk with Marine veteran Freddie Mendez about why veteran mental health care breaks down after treatment and how better behavioral health software can give clinicians time back to actually listen. We dig into outcomes data, privacy, and aftercare systems that spot relapse risk early without turning veterans into numbers. 
• Freddie’s Marine background and what he learned overseas about culture and hard choices 
• The “void” of transition and why adrenaline chasing can slide into addiction 
• Why he walked away from pharma and toward behavioral health and addiction recovery work 
• How Sunwave aims to cut clinician charting time and reduce burnout 
• Outcomes measurement for PTSD, addiction, and depression using structured data points 
• Alumni aftercare check-ins that trigger early outreach before relapse 
• Data security concerns and avoiding third-party PHI leakage 
• Partnering with nonprofits through conversations about pain points and workflows 
• Why listening and cultural competence matter more than perfect scripts 
My email is Freddie at sunwavehealth.com.

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We talk with two veteran professionals from Berry Law about what it takes to move a VA disability claim forward when denials, confusion, and misinformation stack up. We break down how VA accreditation, deadlines, evidence, and clear expectations can turn a frustrating process into an organized plan. 
• why veterans are skeptical of law firms and how trust gets built 
• what VA accreditation means and why it protects veterans 
• how a case moves from intake to legal strategy to written appeals 
• common VA appeals process pitfalls like missed deadlines and incomplete forms 
• why PTSD claims often hinge on verifying a stressor 
• how nexus letters buddy statements and record details strengthen service connection 
• how increases work when symptoms get worse after a prior decision 
• the difference between temporary 100% Permanent and Total and TDIU 
• how spouses parents and kids can help start the process 
Go hit up the website. If you're a new veteran, if you're new to the veteran world and you're trying to file your claim and you're getting frustrated, give it a shot. You know, talk to them. It can't hurt. 

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We reconnect with my friend and fellow veteran Delton Walker and talk about the road from military life and hard memories to healing through connection, therapy, and music. He shares how a saxophone became his church, his career, and his way to give peace back to other veterans. 
• meeting through the Herd Foundation Freedom Patch program and why it changes lives 
• using humor to cover pain and calling out the “trauma Olympics” mindset 
• life on the flightline, fighter jets, noise exposure, and what service feels like 
• choosing the Air Force, going overseas, and growing up fast away from home 
• dealing with racism on base and the long tail of hypervigilance 
• culture shock returning stateside and why trust can disappear overnight 
• the rough edges of transition out of the military and why support matters 
• picking up sax later, practicing relentlessly, and finding a real voice 
• getting endorsed, working with Walter Beasley, and hearing his music went to space 
• playing at the VA hospital to give other veterans a break from the noise 
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I talk with Rick Chirac from Exokinetics about ZEEN, a lift-assist mobility device that blends a walker and wheelchair to help people stand, move, and transfer with more safety. We connect the origin story to Steadicam inventor Garrett Brown, then get practical about fit, training, fall prevention, and how veterans can get ZEEN through the VA. 

• Garrett Brown’s Steadicam history and how it inspires ZEEN 
• What ZEEN is and who it helps: balance, strength, endurance issues 
• How the gas-spring lift works and why the seat and strap improve safety 
• Real-world use: ramps, turning radius, terrain, restaurants, storage 
• Fitting and customization: spring levels, height setup, Zoom training 
• Transfers and daily living tasks, including bathroom and bed height changes 
• VA access: Federal Supply Schedule, physical therapy clinic workflow, medical necessity 
• Why naming fear of falling matters and how pride can block care 
• Warranty, repairs, and simple maintenance expectations 
• Financial help for civilians through Project Elevate Mobility grants 

Go to the website and check it out. Go to the VA when you see this product and you say, I want it, I need it. Talk to your physical therapist. “I have a fear of falling. I don’t want to fall. Put that in my medical record.” 

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We talk with Andrea Sok about what a nonprofit fractional CMO actually does, how she prices and scopes the work, and why boards often need a reality check grounded in data and comparable benchmarks. Then Blake Allison walks us through Lifecents and Vetcents, a free, veteran-focused financial wellness toolkit built for trust, privacy, and real outcomes without selling anything to users. 
• fractional CMO work as executive-level nonprofit marketing leadership without full-time cost 
• smooth transitions during leave coverage through overlap and clear handoffs 
• pricing based on time, deliverables, team structure, and budget realities 
• board dynamics and how proof and peer examples reset expectations 
• blurred line between marketing and development for fundraising events and sponsorship materials 
• warning signs of broken nonprofit marketing, including doing nothing or repeating stale tactics 
• founder-led growth challenges, especially letting go and prioritizing highest ROI actions 
• storytelling as a core marketing lever, shaped by audience and delivery channel 
• LifeSense as a digital financial coach focused on outcomes, not “butts in seats” education 
• VetSense tailored guidance for veterans, with trusted resources and no monetization of participants 
• partnerships that add credibility, including VA-connected pathways and veteran-serving nonprofits 
• success story of delaying a home purchase to improve credit and save tens of thousands 
• web-based access at vetsense.org, quick intake, personalized coach report, and crisis resources 
Check them out once again, Vetcents.org 
For the nonprofits, soakinfluencerpr.com. 
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I sit down with lifelong friends from Clark Air Base and tell the stories that shaped our bonds, from culture shock and terror threats to moments that still hit decades later. We also talk about what happens when young troops face trauma with no real support, and how friendship, recovery, and purpose can finally fill that gap. 
• arriving at Clark Air Base as teenagers and feeling instant culture shock 
• a fellow airman assassinated off base and the operational ripple effect 
• the night escaped horses hit razor wire and the long tail of that memory 
• “kids taking care of kids” and the habit of going right back to work 
• K9 patrol life on a dark jungle perimeter with intruders and wildlife threats 
• earthquake response at a collapsed school and the weight of seeing children lost 
• Mount Pinatubo, lahar, ash, looting, evacuation choices, and coming home 
• post-military transitions into law enforcement, corrections, sobriety, and the VA 
• traumatic brain injury, delayed diagnosis, and what clarity looks like later 
• therapy through building things, podcasting, and blacksmithing 
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We go back to Clark Air Base in the late 1980s and talk honestly about why that overseas tour still sits in our bones. The stories land on one point we can all prove 30 years later: the people you leaned on back then can still show up for you now. 
• why Clark Air Base felt different from stateside duty 
• arriving in the Philippines and the culture shock of Manila and Angeles City 
• Security Police and canine work on a huge perimeter with constant pressure 
• how the assassinations and threat level changed daily life and schedules 
• why reunions turn old coworkers into brothers over time 
• the hard parts of transitioning out and starting over as a civilian 
• what it means to call a friend first when life falls apart 
• a real example of veterans helping veterans on short notice 
• living closeted in the 1980s military and the fear of being found out 
• how acceptance and friendship outlast time, distance, and loss 

If you like vintage collectibles, give Paul's Picker Palace.

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Like, Subscribe and Share. If you have comments or suggestions email us at: [email protected]. You can also find the video of this podcast on our YouTube Channel - Vetsconnection Podcast