The best podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for veteran transition and life after service. Helping you plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In this episode of the Transition Drill Podcast, retired Navy Commander Alan Nelson recounts his extraordinary journey from a modest upbringing in Modesto, California, to a distinguished 25-year career aboard nuclear submarines. Raised in a hardworking family, Alan developed resilience and discipline early, traits that carried him through the Navy's rigorous nuclear program. Rising to the rank of Commander, he served on both Boomers and Fast-Attack submarines, culminating in his role as Executive Officer of the USS Hampton. His career was defined by high-stakes missions and a commitment to mentoring the next generation of officers. After transitioning to civilian life, Alan faced the challenges of redefining his purpose and adapting his skills to new environments. Today, he thrives as a project manager and financial advisor with his firm, Measured Money Maneuvers, where he helps veterans and first responders navigate financial and life transitions. Alan’s story exemplifies the enduring power of leadership, adaptability, and service beyond the military.

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The best podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for veteran transition and life after service. Helping you plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In Round 52 of the Tactical Transition Tips series on the Transition Drill Podcast, advice is tailored to police officers, first responders, and military veterans at various stages of their career transition. Whether you're on the cusp of change, planning a few years down the line, or envisioning a decade ahead, this episode has you covered.

In this episode, the three transition tips addressed are:

Close Range - Focus on Personal Goals

Medium Range - Benchmark Only Against Yourself

Long Range - Focus on Core Values

Your host, Paul Pantani, leveraging personal experience, offers actionable strategies. This tips series provides invaluable insights and practical tips to help you successfully navigate the complexities of changing careers. These vital topics offer guidance and support for navigating the complexities of transition planning for life after service.

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The best podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for veteran transition and life after service. Helping you plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In this episode of the Transition Drill Podcast, After 34 years in service, starting as an L.A. County Ocean Lifeguard, and 31 years as a Firefighter with the Manhattan Beach Fire Department, Dave Shenbaum shares his journey of dedication, growth, and resilience. From his early days on the Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol to rising through the ranks as a firefighter and paramedic, Dave's career embodies commitment to public safety and the growth that comes from overcoming personal challenges, like navigating dyslexia to excel in promotions and enduring a two-level spinal fusion surgery. Eventually promoting to Captain, and acting Asst. Battalion Chief the last 2 years of his career, Dave embraced mentorship and leadership. His career, marked by community impact, personal sacrifices, and overcoming injuries, culminated amidst unexpected drama as he transitioned out of the fire service. Now focused on giving back through mentorship and planning his next chapter, including reconnecting with his family, Dave’s story is an inspiring testament to commitment, growth, and the enduring spirit of first responders. This episode is a must-listen for veterans, first responders, and anyone seeking insight into the balance of service, family, personal growth, and paying it forward.

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The best podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for veteran transition and life after service. Helping you plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In Round 51 of the Tactical Transition Tips series on the Transition Drill Podcast, advice is tailored to police officers, first responders, and military veterans at various stages of their career transition. Whether you're on the cusp of change, planning a few years down the line, or envisioning a decade ahead, this episode has you covered.

In this episode, the three transition tips addressed are:

Close Range - Seek & Destroy

Medium Range - Nothing Else Matters

Long Range - Ride the Lightning

Your host, Paul Pantani, leveraging personal experience, offers actionable strategies. This tips series provides invaluable insights and practical tips to help you successfully navigate the complexities of changing careers. These vital topics offer guidance and support for navigating the complexities of transition planning for life after service.

RESOURCES:

O*NET Online: https://www.onetonline.org/

Skillbridge: https://skillbridge.osd.mil/

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Travis Lively, on Episode 175 of the Transition Drill Podcast, grew up in a small, rural town in western Massachusetts, where accountability traveled fast, and opportunity didn’t arrive on its own. Raised by a single mother working multiple jobs, he learned early what responsibility looked like without anyone needing to explain it. His biological father left and never returned. A stepfather later adopted all three boys before marrying their mother, bringing structure without force and expectations without noise.

School didn’t come easily. Academics lagged. Football didn’t. Teachers and counselors intervened when momentum tilted the wrong way, not with sympathy but with effort. A police chief redirected him before consequences hardened into identity. College followed on probation. Work followed commitment. He graduated as the first in his family to earn a degree, returned home bigger and more confident, and quickly realized admiration didn’t equal toughness.

A Navy recruiting poster raised a question he couldn’t ignore. He didn’t know what SEALs were. He hadn’t watched the movies. He walked inside anyway.

The first attempt at BUD/S ended in failure, not because he quit, but because performance dropped in Phase Three. He refused to accept a placeholder identity afterward and nearly left the Navy entirely. Orders to Bahrain changed that path. Assigned as a Master-at-Arms, he lived hard, tested boundaries, and appeared at Captain’s Mast multiple times. What separated him from many others was intent. Leadership noticed. Respect followed.

His second chance came with cameras overhead. BUD/S Class 234 unfolded in winter under constant documentation. The pressure amplified everything. Personality. Mistakes. Effort. He graduated, earned the Trident, and joined SEAL Team Three. Deployments followed across Africa and the Middle East. Bonds formed during training never dissolved. Decades later, the class remains in constant contact.

After twelve years, he chose to leave the Navy. Not from burnout. Not from resentment. The Trident became an invitation rather than an identity. He transitioned into defense and aerospace work while developing screenwriting with the same discipline he applied to operations. Structure mattered. Rewriting mattered. Momentum mattered.

One screenplay, centered on Major Douglas Zembec and Fallujah, carries the most personal weight. Today, Travis

continues defining purpose outside uniform or title, treating life as a series of missions rather than a single career.

This conversation isn’t about reinvention. It’s about sequence. What carries forward. What doesn’t. And how transition actually works when ego steps aside.

The best podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for veteran transition and life after service. Helping you plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life.

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EPISODE BLOG PAGE AND CONNECT WITH TRAVIS:

https://www.transitiondrillpodcast.com/post/transition-drill-podcast-travis-lively-navy-seal-buds-class-234-documentary-vetrans-first-responders

The ultimate podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for life after service. As a military veteran or first responder, you need to plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In Round 50 of the Tactical Transition Tips series on the Transition Drill Podcast, advice is tailored to police officers, first responders, and military veterans at various stages of their career transition. Whether you're on the cusp of change, planning a few years down the line, or envisioning a decade ahead, this episode has you covered.

In this episode, the three transition tips addressed are:

Close Range - Sharpen Your Appearance

Medium Range - Practice Rejection Therapy

Long Range - Learn a Signature Skill

Your host, Paul Pantani, leveraging personal experience, offers actionable strategies. This tips series provides invaluable insights and practical tips to help you successfully navigate the complexities of changing careers. These vital topics offer guidance and support for navigating the complexities of transition planning for life after service.

SPONSORS:

Trident Coffee

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The ultimate podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for life after service. As a military veteran or first responder, you need to be planning and implementing strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In this episode of the Transition Drill Podcast, listen to the inspiring journey of retired Chief Warrant Officer Kathryn Warren. From her early days growing up in Ohio to her 26 years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps, Kathryn shares her unique path into the military, including the challenges and triumphs that shaped her career: a failure that led to her working in finance, the Marine Corps "bank," then her time as a drill instructor, deploying to Iraq, and her ascent to Chief Warrant Officer, where she honed leadership skills critical to her success. Post-military, Kathryn followed a professional path leading her to roles as COO, but she is also dedicated to empowering veterans, leveraging her experiences to guide others through their transitions. This episode is a compelling narrative of resilience, adaptability, and a lifelong commitment to serving the veteran community.

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LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmpwarren/

The ultimate podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for life after service. As a military veteran or first responder, you need to plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In Round 49 of the Tactical Transition Tips series on the Transition Drill Podcast, advice is tailored to police officers, first responders, and military veterans at various stages of their career transition. Whether you're on the cusp of change, planning a few years down the line, or envisioning a decade ahead, this episode has you covered.

In this episode, the three transition tips addressed are:

Close Range - Define Success Beyond Revenue

Medium Range - Shadow a Business, with Your Family

Long Range - Align Your Goals with Your Meaning of Life

Your host, Paul Pantani, leveraging personal experience, offers actionable strategies. This tips series provides invaluable insights and practical tips to help you successfully navigate the complexities of changing careers. These vital topics offer guidance and support for navigating the complexities of transition planning for life after service.

SPONSORS:

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The ultimate podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for life after service. As a military veteran or first responder, you need to be planning and implementing strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In this episode of the Transition Drill Podcast, follow the extraordinary journey of Robert Sweetman, from his demanding tenure in the military as a Navy SEAL to his impactful transition into sleep science. Robert shares his compelling story of resilience, shaped by personal struggles, including injury, depression, and financial hardship, which ultimately steered him toward his mission to improve sleep health. This is Robert's second visit, if you want to hear more of his story go back and check out Episode 69. As a passionate advocate, Rob discusses his groundbreaking work with veterans and first responders, emphasizing the critical role of quality sleep in mental health, physical performance, and recovery. Through his "62 Romeo" program and the upcoming Sleep Genius app, Robert provides practical tools and science-based strategies to empower those facing sleep deprivation and its cascading effects. This episode offers actionable insights and hope for those in high-stress careers, revealing how prioritizing sleep can be a transformative step toward well-being and sustained performance.

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CONNECT WITH ROB:

WEB: https://www.sleepgeni.us/

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertsweetman/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/sleepgeni.us/

The ultimate podcast for military veterans, police officers, firefighters, and first responders preparing for life after service. As a military veteran or first responder, you need to plan and implement strategies to prepare for your transition into civilian life. In Round 48 of the Tactical Transition Tips series on the Transition Drill Podcast, advice is tailored to police officers, first responders, and military veterans at various stages of their career transition. Whether you're on the cusp of change, planning a few years down the line, or envisioning a decade ahead, this episode has you covered.

In this episode, the three transition tips addressed are:

Close Range - Master Small Talk

Medium Range - Learn Office Politics

Long Range - Host Cross-Sector Events

Your host, Paul Pantani, leveraging personal experience, offers actionable strategies. This tips series provides invaluable insights and practical tips to help you successfully navigate the complexities of changing careers. These vital topics offer guidance and support for navigating the complexities of transition planning for life after service.

SPONSORS:

Trident Coffee

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Link: https://tridentcoffee.com/discount/TDP15

Promo Code: TDP15

HUMAN PERFORMANCE TRT

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ACCESS ALL PODCAST LINKS:

https://linktr.ee/TransitionDrillPodcast

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS:

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