The Victory Podcast

060: Tom Dorl | Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel | Managing Director at Victory Strategies  

Tom is a committed and experienced servant leader with three decades of proven successes across military and business organizations. He served over 25 years in the Air Force as a command pilot, strategic planner, and commander and retired in the rank of Colonel. He’s currently a corporate pilot and the Director of Safety and Training for a private aviation company operating both fixed and rotary wing aircraft. 

Tom’s top three tips for a successful life:

1. Find a balance of work & life 

2. Don't take yourself too seriously 

3. Develop a habit of life-long learning

What advice would you give yourself 30 years ago?

“Spend more time with people, less on paperwork. Focus on the present and the future will take care of itself.”

Causes important to Tom: 

That Others May Live Foundation (TOML-F): https://www.thatothersmaylive.org/

The Milieux Project: https://themilieux.org/

Connect with Tom on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-dorl/

Download here:

Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/958345/12142165-060-tom-dorl-retired-u-s-air-force-colonel-managing-director-at-victory-strategies.mp3?download=true

Youtube link:           

Instagram: www.instagram.com/victory_podcast/

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/company/thevictorypodcast

The Victory Podcast Youtube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3VxXMsg

Check out the Victory Strategies Leadership Library: www.victory-strategies.com/podcast

059: Dave Hicks | Founder and CEO of Operation Sacred Promise | Retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General | Aviation Pilot | Managing Director at Victory Strategies  

Dave Hicks is a retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General and serves as the Founder and CEO of Operation Sacred Promise. When he’s not on the road, he’s sharing his many lessons from the tip of the spear and a lengthy military career.

Dave is dedicated to helping the next generation of leaders with sharing leadership techniques and lessons learned through his lengthy career as a pilot, leader and now an advocate for several non-profit organizations.

Dave’s top three tips for a successful life:

1.  Smile and laugh...a lot. 

2. Exercise...even if it hurts.  

3.  You will make mistakes, it's what you do after making them that will define who you are in life...never stop learning.  

Causes important to Dave: 

Operation Sacred Promise: www.opsacredpromise.org

About: To stand shoulder to shoulder with our Afghan Air Force and Special Mission Wing warriors and their families by supporting their safe evacuation from Afghanistan and helping them build new, productive lives in the United States.

Team 5: www.team-5.org 

About: Advanced Medical Care to the most overlooked, austere and remote locations. Vegas Born, Veteran Founded, Volunteer powered SOF 501c3 Non-Profit. 

Youtube link: 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/victory_podcast/

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/company/thevictorypodcast

Check out the Victory Strategies Leadership Library: www.victory-strategies.com/podcast

058: Misty Cook | Founder and CEO of Concierge on Call | Retired U.S. Marine Officer | Citadel Grad  | Protocol Expert

Meet Misty Cook, a retired U.S. Marine Officer, innovative business leader and protocol expert.

Misty retired from the U.S. Marine Corps as a “Mustang” having served previously as an enlisted Marine. She has leveraged her expertise in matters of protocol and consulting into a business helping senior military officers and enlisted transition to their next chapter in life. 

Her company is called ‘Concierge on Call’ and the mission is to position retiring military leaders as sought after consultants, leveraging the value of their years of service to obtain more lucrative opportunities that showcase that expertise. 

Misty’s top three tips for a successful life:

“Be a good human. Make sure your "WHY" is aligned with your actions. Surround yourself with people that will mention your name in a room full of opportunities.”

Learn more about ‘Concierge on Call’ here:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/concierge-on-call-coc/

“Work hard for your goals and dare to dream!”

Meet Anthony Cosby, a retired U.S. Naval officer, innovative business leader and community impact mentor.

Anthony retired from the U.S. Navy after a very successful career beginning as an enlisted Sailor in 1991 and retiring as a Lt. Cmdr.  in 2012. He’s been a veteran advocate and gaining momentum to launch something big. Now, he’s blazing a trail and taking his athletic sock business to the next level. Based in San Antonio, Texas, Anthony and his team are positioned to scale and make an impact with up and coming athletes and in their local community.

“The next big thing for me is to scale my company, STZY Socks, to be the #1 athletic sock company in America.”

He shares his three top tips for a successful life and the inspiration from his mother that still guides him today. “Give thanks every morning, work your body and work your plan. Have Trust, Faith and Obedience in your daily walk with God.”

Full interview here: 

https://www.buzzsprout.com/958345/11171228

Learn more about STZY Socks:

www.stzysocks.com

https://www.instagram.com/stzysocks

https://www.facebook.com/stzysocks

Check out the Victory Strategies Leadership Library: www.victory-strategies.com/podcast

Instagram: www.instagram.com/victory_podcast/

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/company/thevictorypodcast

Youtube: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuxKuz0KG7_DaWAj2BgmaPnag2EJS3VBz

#lifeleadershipjourney #podcast #victorystrategies #leadershiplessons #top3tips #adviceforothers #Navyveteran #STZYsocks #anthonycosby #amyforsythe 

056: David Gurfein | Founder and COO of commercial real estate | CEO of Veteran Service Non-Profit Organization | Retired Marine Infantry Officer | Harvard Business School Graduate | Girl Dad

Meet David Gurfein, a retired Marine Corps infantry officer, Harvard Business School graduate, innovative business leader and all around great friend to many. 

He’s a leadership mentor and dynamic public speaker with expertise in leadership and improving organizational and team performance.

He shares his three top tips for a successful life and the inspiration from his mother that still guides him today. “Be bold. Be audacious and take chances.”

Specialties: 

- Executive Leadership

- Strategic & Operational Planning

- Business Development

- Business Analysis

- General Management

Check out the Victory Strategies Leadership Library: www.victory-strategies.com/podcast

Instagram: www.instagram.com/victory_podcast/

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/company/thevictorypodcast

Youtube: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuxKuz0KG7_DaWAj2BgmaPnag2EJS3VBz

#lifeleadershipjourney #podcast #victorystrategies #leadershiplessons #top3tips #adviceforothers #marineveteran #amyforsythe #davidgurfein 

Tom Lacroix and I do a deep dive into leadership and emotional intelligence (EQ) and have fun in the process. Give it a listen and be open for some growth!


Tom Lacroix-
28 years of experience developing teams to provide excellent customer care. A results-driven, dynamic servant leader who provides support to optimize staff performance.

Leadership mentor and /presenter.

Dynamic public speaker with expertise in leadership and improving organizational communication.

E-marketing/multi-channel consultant with a proven track record of web-site optimization and synergy between brand, digital and interactive efforts.

Specialties: °Team Leadership, °Talent Assessment ,°Training/ Skills Development. °Multi-Channel Marketing, °Client Retention, °Process Improvement ° Creating Positive Culture, °Strategic Planning

Check out this episode of the Victory Podcast with lifetime athlete Marilyn Chychota.

From Marilyn's website- https://www.marilynchychotacoaching.com/
I work with athletes all over the USA and globally. I am an experienced professional coach and an elite performance coach.  Coaching is my passion and full-time job.

A program should develop all aspects of an athlete progressively and with consistency, training the full spectrum that goes into a complete athlete. For one athlete, this process will require a specific path. For another athlete, it’s completely different, and it changes as an athlete develops.

I believe in coaching each athlete specifically to their needs, their personal development, and to their specific goals.

My philosophy as a coach is to create an environment that enables athletes to develop confidence in their abilities, learn all skills necessary, and to have opportunities to understand their tendencies, while developing them to be their best.

I believe in quality coaching through science and the proven art of success. My athletes’ goals always come first. The athlete-coach relationship is a fundamental part of our success.

I believe in consistency over time towards reaching your goals. I want to support you to go further than you ever thought possible. My goal is not to sell you short cuts, but to provide quality that will get you results. I want to empower you through sport to be the best you can be in your life. I provide long term planning, dedicated coaching, and a commitment to making you better.

MCC’s symbol is the fern:

In the face of adversity I discovered my ability to endure through sport. I grew despite obstacles, and realized the joy in helping others achieve the same.  Our team symbol, the fern, represents my journey and the journey I share with the other members of our team:  

 AYA = “FERN” is a symbol of endurance and resourcefulness. The fern is a hardy plant that can grow in difficult places. Individuals who wear this symbol have endured many adversities and outlasted much difficulty.

Recognized as one of Most Powerful Women in Technology and a two-time author, Rhonda is an active leader — whether she’s spearheading corporate initiatives around the world, competing in another IRONMAN 70.3 mile triathlon, or mentoring students & athletes globally in STEM through sports.

Rhonda has worked across industries as a CIO, CTO, global executive, and digital transformation change agent at Herbalife Nutrition, Santander Bank, nThrive / Pamplona Capital Management, Estée Lauder Companies, AIG, HP Enterprise Services, Barclays / Lehman, Bank One / JPMorgan Chase, CompuServe, UUNET, MCI, and Worldcom.

She has lived and worked internationally – in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, London, Mumbai, and across India – and has managed teams of up to 20,000 people. Vetere is the author of Grit & Grind and co-author of an HP special edition book, Enterprise Service Management for Dummies.

With an ability to support mergers, create synergies across lines of business, and leverage her onshore/offshore experience, Rhonda is a results-oriented, client-focused executive and delivers value by driving technology improvements for cost and performance to drive the right business outcomes.

From her experience as Chief Technology Officer at Estée Lauder Companies, Rhonda has deep domain expertise in technology and data. Her role included global leadership across 162 countries and running the technology & operations team. She spearheaded the transformation of the IT capabilities foundation into a digital environment at record industry pace, without business disruption, around the world – while saving $28 million a year.

Recognition & Involvement

Rhonda has been recognized with for her leadership and influence, notably as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology by the National Diversity Council in 2019 and 2020, and Stevie Award for Excellence in Transforming Business (competing with over 1500 CIOs and CTOs) in 2017. In 2021, she was one of The Most Admired Women Leaders in Business, Top 20 Businesswomen Leading the Charge, 2021 Most Influential Businesswoman in Technology by Corporate Vision Magazine, 2021 Top CIO/CTO by the Tech Inclusion Conference, and Top 100 DEI Leaders in 2021by Mogul.

She has been featured in renowned publications, including Forbes, Huffington Post, Thrive, Moneyish, CNBC, Women of Influence, Financial Post, Triathlete Magazine, SWAAY Magazine, and more. She contributes her perspective and knowledge through serving on boards for professional, educational, and athletic institutions, including The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, VETtoCEO, African Community & Conservation Foundation (ACCF) Ambassador, Longwood University, George Mason University School of Business, SWAAY Magazine, and Xcelocloud Inc. 

Bob May has been a guide on Kodiak for over thirty years and a commercial fisherman all his life.  He’s even been featured on DIY Network show, Building Alaska and his sons are all commercial fisherman here on Kodiak. Denise May is an Afognak Native Alaskan and her family history goes back as far as its been documented on Kodiak. This family knows Kodiak and they have been providing services to hunters and fisherman for over thirty years.

Bob May – guide extraordinaire and Kodiak's legendary 'Bear Whisperer'. Bob’s a legendary outfitter – leading his guests on life-changing trips for silver salmon and 200-pound halibut, the mystical Sitka blacktail deer and in-your-face confrontations with the uber-deadly Kodiak brown bear.

Bob has retired from full time guiding, and today offers his services to a selected list of clientele that he has had a long standing relationship.  He is a fantastic story teller and his bear whispering skills are still adept as ever!

Thank you for sharing your time with us, Bob!

Jason Caldwell is a world-class athlete, a leadership and high-performance coach, and keynote speaker.  For the past nine years Jason has used the lessons learned from the sports arena to teach what it takes to be a leader in a competitive business environment.

As an endurance and adventure athlete, Jason has accumulated world records from the oceans to the Namib Desert. Upon graduating college he was invited to row for Vesper Boat Club’s elite rowing team in Philadelphia where he won two gold medals, one silver, and one bronze at the National Championships over a three year period. In 2015 Jason went on to captain and represent the United States in a rowing race 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean (taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com). Despite a dramatic and treacherous 51 day row, including the emergency evacuation of two of his team members, Jason led his remaining crew to the finish line in Antigua resulting in the American Record for the fastest US four to ever cross the Atlantic. One year later, unsatisfied with an 11th place finish, Jason recruited a new team to re-enter the race. On January 19th of 2017 Jason and his crew crossed the finish line once again, not only winning the race, but breaking the World Record as the fastest team to ever row across the Atlantic Ocean.

Today, Jason is the President and Owner of Latitude 35 Leadership, which uses experiential training to explore the finer art of leading and maintaining high performance teams. He has worked with advanced managers in over 30 Fortune 500 companies, and has taught at some of the top business schools in the country including Wharton, Darden, Emory, Columbia School of Business, and the Thayer Leadership Development Group at West Point Academy. 

Jason currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and son.

Jason's book:
Navigating the Impossible: Build Extraordinary Teams and Shatter Expectations