Beyond The Uniform

Thanks for your support, BTU community! I got two emails this week I wanted to share with all of you.

Today's episode is entirely different than our other 390 episodes.   A while back, Jeff Maleski and Jeff Bubulz reached out to us and asked to have me and Steve Bane on their podcast - The Agile Wire - where they discuss adventures and misadventures on their continuing journey towards Agility.   Steve and I both had a blast being on the other side of the microphone, as we both shared our perspectives on what we've learned from Beyond the Uniform, why Veterans are more flexible in the workplace than you'd think, and more.

I loved my interview with Jason Santamaria. Special thanks to Vincent Martino for making this connection. They became good friends in business school and co-authored a book. Two things you should pay attention to for this interview: 1 - alignment. There's very few people I can think of in the last 390 interviews that are as aligned as Jason is with his career. The way that he speaks, the way that he thinks, the way that he processes information... he found the right career for him. And it's so refreshing to see that. 2 - Maybe even more important is that as we unwrap his story, I think you'll realize that that was not clear to him when he was in the Marine Corps, or when he left the Marine Corps. It wasn't like he had his sights set on a career in transformational company work. And I think that that should hopefully be refreshing for all of you listening to this to see how his story unfolds to see that he found a career path that really resonates with him. But it wasn't a master plan, it was taking the next

About this Episode: After serving in the Army for 6.5 years, Christian founded an advisory and technology firm focused on helping High-Growth Technology Companies build, manage, and certify their Security, Privacy, and Compliance programs. He has quickly grown his company - risk3sixty - to over 20 employees and it seems like they are just getting started. In this interview we talk about character, we talk about being a steward of a company, we talk about the differences in leadership in and out of uniform, about long-term thinking, finding a co-founder and much more.   About Christian: Christian White is the Managing Director and Co-Founder of risk3sixty, an advisory and technology firm focused on helping High-Growth Technology Companies build, manage, and certify their Security, Privacy, and Compliance programs. He is a graduate of West Point, and a 6.5 year Army veteran, most recently serving as Company Commander in Fort Campbell. He holds an MBA from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Why Listen: This is the third installment in our series where we are taking a deep dive into each branch’s credentialing assistance program. Today we talk with Mike and Cristy from Coast Guard COOL. This is a relatively new program that was stood up in January 2020, but it already has over 1,500 credentials available for Coast Guardsmen. Here's the program in a nutshell: •CG COOL funds enlisted members only (active and selected reservists) and can help pay for exam, application, state licensing, membership and renewal fees. •The exam has to be related to service member’s rating, out-of-rate assignment, collateral duty, or academic degree. •There is no dollar amount cap on the cost of credential. •CG COOL only funds one exam attempt per credential and service members can only have one approved funding request per FY. •There is no additional duty service requirement for utilizing this resource and there is no recoupment if the service member fails exam. Mike and Cristy rattle off a plethora of resources, so

Why Listen: Today’s interview is the 2nd installment in a series where we take a deep dive into each branch’s respective credentialing service. Credentialing Assistance is a great way to leverage the transition tools and resources available to service members to accelerate their post-military careers. Certifications add professional capability and credibility and help you stand out to a hiring manager. In this conversation, we talk with Mike Talley – the Director of Navy COOL, and he breaks down all the nuances of the program. Additionally, Mike offers insight into the DoD Civilian COOL program. In short, Navy COOL covers credentialing exam fees for all Sailors, regardless of rank or compo for anywhere between 1,400 and 1,600 credentials. Navy COOL has its yearly budget and its first come, first serve. Sailors can utilize funding for as many credentialing exams as they want, but can only pursue one exam at a time on the Navy’s dime. Navy COOL will only fund one exam attempt per credential. Furthermore, Nav

Why Listen: I loved hearing John's unique approach to entrepreneurship and life. After 20 years of military service, John was drawn into starting his own business. While starting any company requires sales, John's approach to sales is to simply be curious about whoever he is speaking with, and learn about their pain points. This is such great advice for so many different career paths. I also appreciate how John has constructed his life to have a fulfilling family life, outside of work life, and professional life. About John: John Schmitt is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel who served 20+ years as an Aviator and Acquisition Corps officer. Upon leaving the Army, John started his own consulting firm with a focus on biotech, advanced manufacturing and marketing projects. Additionally, he serves as a board member for multiple local non-profits. John holds a BS in Biological Sciences from UC-Davis and an MS in Microbiology and Immunology from Vanderbilt Univ.

Why Listen: In 380 episodes, my guest today - Jess Swanson - is the strongest person I've met. I say that amidst a backdrop of Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, NFL players, UFC Champions and more. At 6 months old, Jess oldest daughter experienced epileptic seizures - usually 8 a day - and shortly after was diagnosed with autism. Rather than letting this derail her life, Jess used it to pave a new path that has helped not only her family, but countless others as well.   She pursued a graduate degree to better understand how to help others like her daughter, became an activist who influenced legislation in congress that helped others like her daughter, and started a company to help other families in her situation.   Jess' story of (1) lessons versus losses, (2) her advice about finding something to appreciate even in areas you might initially deem them a tragedy, and (3) her perspective on controlling what you can and letting go of the rest, these are all incredible lessons borne from enduring unbelievable hardships b

Why Listen: I was riding a high after my conversation with Jeff for days - I appreciate his strength, vulnerability, and authenticity in this conversation. You can view this interview in two parts - the first part we discuss his transition from the Marine Corps into law enforcement, including work in prisons, on patrol, and with the SWAT teams. In the second half, we both talk about our experience with therapy and mental health. Jeff talks candidly about PTSD and depression, and we both open up about the positive impact therapy has had on our lives. If this latter topic resonates with you, there are so many great resources out there to support you. The one that comes immediately to mind i learned about in episdoe #368 with Joe Quinn, where he talked about Headstrong - at GetHeadStrong.org - you take a 60 second survey and as a veteran get paired with a best-in-class clinician for unlimited therapy. But - as we talk about in this interview - I don't want to spin this as a - if you're contemplating suicide, g

After three years of tireless volunteering support for Beyond the Uniform, our Editor, Kathleen Dillon, is moving on to other things. THANK YOU, KATHLEEN for your unbelievable support of Beyond the Uniform.   Kathleen is wrapping up school in six months and hopes to enter the sports industry in a strategy or business analytics role . If you have any connections in these areas, drop her a note on LinkedIn - she is a rockstar worthy of support!    

Why Listen: Well, normally this show is hosted by Justin. But I came to him with an idea. I talk to a lot of transitioning service members, and its eye opening how many of them – regardless of branch – have never heard of the various credentialing programs that are offered. Today is part 1 in a series where I’ll be interviewing each branch’s credentialing program manager to get the facts on credentialing assistance in an effort to spread awareness to the servicemembers who can use them. Credentialing Assistance is a great way to leverage the transition tools and resources available to service members to accelerate their post-military careers. Certifications add professional capability and credibility and help you stand out to a hiring manager. We’ll start with the Army, so if you’re a Soldier, listen up. Today, we’ll talk with Sophia Sweeney, the Program Manager for Army Credentialing Assistance (CA) and Credentialing Opportunities On Line (COOL).

Why Listen: Special thanks to Jim Sinai for making the intro to Michael. While Michael had a full career in the Marine Corps, with over 21 years of service, he didn't let either what he did in the Marines, or how successful he was at doing it get in the way of his going on to have a truly exemplary tech career as a Chief Information Officer at some truly incredible companies. Here are a few things to look for in this interview: How Michael is always dreaming of what is next, and then working his tail off to be proactive and bridge any skill gaps in his next career move How Michael is always learning, always pushing himself forward and NEVER playing it safe How Michael uses his network - not just to find a job, but to sharpen his skills and be the best he can be in his current position How Michael "paints the target" to determine what he wants to do, and then doesn't allow himself to lose sight of the bullseye   At the end of this episode, Michael rattles off a whole host of books and frameworks. Don

Why Listen: Special thanks to Steve Bane for making this interview happen. My guest today, Justin LeHew, is many things. He earned the Navy Cross for his heroic actions in Iraq in 2003, he has an obstacle at Parris Island named after him: LeHew's Challenge, he achieved the rank of Sergeant Major in the Marine Corps. Yet its not merely these accomplishments that set him apart - it is the way that he focuses on others rather than broadcasting his significant achievements. We talk a lot about that in this interview, as well as his work at History Flight, a private MIA search and recovery organization, responsible for locating and repatriating over 365 missing American servicemen to date. In the show notes for this episode at BeyondTheUniform.org there is an incredible, one-minute YouTube video about this - I highly recommend checking that out, as well as our 380 other episodes just like this one.   About Justin LeHew Justin LeHew is the Chief Operating Officer at History Flight, the world's most successful, priv

Why Listen: I'm so excited to start off 2021 with an interview that was so much fun to do. Back in 2017, and Episode 95, I interviewed Andrew watts, who was military veteran who became a full time author. And we reconnected for today's interview, I'm adding in Jason Casper, and a couple things that I loved about this interview. So just for context, Andrew, is a writer who is still a writer, but now also started a publishing company, the Severn river river publishing company, and he publishes over 20 different authors now. So we talk about that journey since our last interview three years ago. And Jason is a another military veteran, best selling author, and now works with Andrew and Andrew publishes his books, although this is a story of maybe would call it the arts of people becoming veterans becoming published authors and extremely successful ones at that. What I really appreciated, comparing it to my own background in entrepreneurship is the number of parallels this has for any form of entrepreneurship, of

Why Listen Vincent's story is pretty much the opposite of the standard entrepreneurial success story you hear. Yes - he has experienced incredible success - his company, VisitPay, now has over 100 employees, 3 of his 7 C-Suite executives are Service Academy graduates, and he has received over $26M in funding from some of the best investors in the world, like Norwest. However, where his story differs is that this didn't happen overnight.  Vincent has been at this for nearly 12 years. His success didn't come all at once, it came through a sustained effort over a decade. What I love most about Vincent's story is how he elegantly merged two vital aspects of entrepreneurship that - to me - often seem to be complete opposite skill sets - that of rapidly iterating (building, learning, and reacting as quickly as possible to feedback from customers), and at an opposite extreme, building for scale (slowing down to build things properly so that it can sustain the load of a massive influx of customers). I learned so much

Why Listen: For today’s guest, Chris Hsu, I could have spent a full episode on six incredible positions he held since his time in the Army - his work as an Associate Principal at McKinsey & Company, as Managing Director at KKR, as Senior Vice President at HP, as CEO at Micro Focus, and as an Advisory Partner at Andreessen Horowitz - each of those blow my mind. While we touch on this briefly, we spend the bulk of our time on his current role as CEO and Co-Founder of Zibo, which blends real estate, financial services, and software. I view this interview more as a personal mentorship call, where I soaked up as much of Chris 20+ years of experience as possible. Whether you are interested in entrepreneurship, developing a side hustle into a full-time job, consulting, finance, or tech, this interview will have a wealth of knowledge for you.   About Chris: Chris Hsu is the CEO & Co-Founder of Zibo, a company he started nearly 2 years ago to radically improve financial services for independent landlords. Chri

Why Listen My conversation today is with two different Veterans senior in the tech industry. In addition to talking about their long and successful career including operations, program management, product management and more, we talk about the ideal team player (based on their experience hiring hundreds of people), the difference between a good boss and a bad boss, differences in leadership out of the military, and more. This interview brings over 20 years of hard earned experience that is a wealth of knowledge regardless of your desired career path.  About Mike Sedgwick Mr. Sedgwick is Vice President of Defense and Aerospace Products for SCI Technology, Inc. (SCI), a Sanmina company, in Huntsville, Alabama. Mike is responsible for oversight of SCI’s Aircraft and Tactical product organizations including the FireComm® and TOCNET® product lines. He has extensive expertise in wide-ranging areas including Strategic Planning, Defense & Aerospace Contract Management, P&L Accountability, Business Develo

In so many of the 375 interviews I’ve done, Veterans talk about their journey to find a new purpose in life. That’s come up in countless conversations with friends of mine who didn’t serve in the military - I think it’s a pretty fundamental part of what makes us human. That’s why - as many of you know - earlier this year I teamed up with Craig Filek to co-lead a program called Purpose Mapping - to help people in the military as well as military veterans and military family members identify their current purpose in life. That’s a pretty lofty mission, and I’m humbled to say that - two cohorts of this group later - we are delivering on that promise.    For today’s episode, I invited two people from our latest cohort onto the show to talk about their own journey to uncover their life’s purpose. I’m so grateful that they were both willing to do so - it is obviously deeply personal work, and so I admire their courage and willingness to talk about this.   I love both of today’s guests. They represent two very diffe

Normally on the show, I interview a military Veteran about their civilian career – what they do, how they got there, and advice for other Veterans seeking to do the same. This episode is a little bit different. Last week I was fortunate to be part of a panel called “Off The Page: Navigating the Military to Civilian Career Transition Webinar”. This episode is that webinar – I had a blast, and loved the insights of both the moderator and the other two guests.   Let me give you some context.   First of all, this webinar was recorded during one of Kogan Page’s Off The Page Digital Events. It was to promote a new book called Success After Service, by Lida Citreon. (Lee-duh, Sit-Trow-en) Long-time listeners will remember Lida from Episode #273 – Your Personal Brand (https://beyondtheuniform.org/blog/btu-273-personal-branding-lida-citroen?rq=lida). Pretty wild – that was literally exactly 100 episodes ago. I consider Lida a dear friend, we’ve grabbed breakfast and lunch a number of times, as she’s here in Denver. I

Why Listen: I just finished up my conversation with Alan and a couple things stand out to me. First of all, it's it's pretty surprising to me that it's taken 374 other episodes, to get to the point of interviewing someone in the aerospace and defense industry. And, you know, it's it's surprising, first of all, because so many veterans go into this space. But more importantly, I feel like Alan, in our conversation, we really flipped the script on my understanding of this industry. And what I mean by that is, nearly all of the people I've interviewed on beyond the uniform talk about purpose, and mission, after military service. And Alan kind of surprised me when I was asking him to explain what he does for a living, he immediately went to that spot of, he's continuing to support the military communities continuing to support his brothers and sisters who are still in uniform. And throughout our conversation that came through, like, wow, this is actually a really good fit for so many veterans, especially those wh