Lessons Learned for Vets

Lessons Learned for Vets

Supporting veterans to achieve career success as they navigate the challenges of transitioning out of the military. Each week we will bring you a new mentor who will teach you the lessons they have learned as they traveled the military transition path before you.

Highlighting Mentorship and Entrepreneur Education with Leslie Coffey

Send us a text Leslie Coffey, Vice President of Military Engagement for American Corporate Partners (ACP), joins us to shed light on the importance of a mentor in the military transition process, whether you intend to join the corporate world or open your business. As a military spouse herself, Leslie brings firsthand knowledge and empathy to the discussion, focusing on the challenges and opportunities for veterans and their families. ACP is not just tackling underemployment but offering a pa...

02-19
43:40

From Aviation Leadership to Franchising Success with Michael Athanasakis

Send us a text Michael Athanasakis, a veteran with an impressive military career, shares his story of transitioning from active duty Army service to owning a Chick-fil-A franchise. Discover how leading helicopter attack platoons and teaching military science equipped him for the entrepreneurial world. Michael also discusses his initial steps into franchising with Great Clips, inspired by his stepdad's success, and how these experiences laid the foundation for his business acumen while he was ...

02-12
47:14

Empowering Veterans with New Career Opportunities with Mark Adams

Send us a text Mark Adams, a former active duty and reserve Air Force service member, shares his journey from military service to finding his place and an operational excellence leader in the private sector. Mark thought about retiring in 2012, but after recognizing gaps in his experience and education, he reenlisted and focused on closing those gaps. After completing his bachelor's degree and learning to better translate and market his military skills, he was much better prepared for post-...

02-05
38:21

Season 4 Episode 167: Military Transition Q&A with Marc Lopez

Send us a text Marc Lopez joined the Army 20 years ago and started his career in the intelligence field as a linguist. He transitioned over to become a warrant officer and is now a cyber warfare operator who is preparing to begin a SkillBridge program before he retires. When two of Marc’s closest friends retired three years ago, he was inspired to begin preparing for his own retirement to ensure a successful transition. Using his background in intelligence, Marc decided his first step...

06-26
45:38

Season 4 Episode 166: Seeking Alternative Methods of Healing with Eric Infanti

Send us a text We are excited to host Marine Corps veteran, Eric Infanti. By all accounts, Eric had a smooth transition into the corporate world, where he worked for 5 years. When his health began declining, Eric began a healing journey that included 2000 hours of yoga teacher and meditation training. He earned a dual master’s degree in Buddhist psychology and Ayurvedic medicine and is now a PhD candidate with the study on the role of extreme peak flow states on resilience and professional ou...

06-19
38:01

Season 4 Episode 165: Five Things Your Resume Should Contain with Lori Norris

Send us a text On this episode of the Lessons Learned for Vets podcast, we get back to the basics with best practices for crafting a resume. Certified resume writer and career coach, Lori Norris, shares 5 elements that a resume must contain as well as the role that AI can play during the job search process. 1. Focus. Every resume, from the very first line, must clearly present a focus. There is no such thing as an effective generic resume. A resume that tries to appeal to everyone appeals t...

06-12
31:47

Season 4 Episode 164: Changing Perspective over Time with Ray Jokie

Send us a text If you are a transitioning service member, it’s always helpful to hear the role that time has in the transition process. The transition process doesn’t end when you land your first job as a civilian. There is so much wisdom to gain from listening to other veterans’ journeys as they progress through various jobs and companies. On this episode of the Lessons Learned for Vets podcast, we welcome back Ray Jokie. Ray first appeared as a guest on Season 1, Episode 38 and shared his s...

06-05
45:22

Season 4 Episode 163: Navigating the Ups and Downs of Military Transition with Chris Dreisbach

Send us a text We are excited to welcome back Chris Dreisbach for his fifth appearance on the Lessons Learned for Vets podcast. Chris retired in 2020 as a Senior Master Sergeant for the United States Air Force. Now in his sixth role since his retirement, Chris continues to share the lessons he’s learned along his path. Chris reflects on his previous roles and discusses the challenges he experienced. In his first role as a maintenance manager, Chris assumed the job would be similar to ...

05-29
39:24

Season 4 Episode 162: Rate My SkillBridge with Ethan Shipp

Send us a text We welcome Ethan Shipp. Ethan began his career in the United States Air Force as an EMT but has since retrained as an information systems technician. Although he is still serving, he used his tech skills to create a resource designed to empower and inform service members about the many different SkillBridge programs. Ethan started Rate My SkillBridge after doing research for his own SkillBridge program and identifying an opportunity to help others make informed decisions during...

05-22
36:02

Season 4 Episode 161: Knowing When to Take a Break with Lori Norris

Send us a text On this solo episode of the Lessons Learned for Vets podcast, Lori shares the challenges that she and her family have been going through over the past few months. During this time, Lori has struggled with burnout, a feeling that most everyone has experienced at one time or another. Feelings of burnout are especially prevalent among job seekers. Lori shares her thoughts on when and how to take a break from the job search process. Your body communicates with you. If you a...

05-15
16:54

Season 4 Episode 160: Military Spouse and Family Transition with Sarah Bumgardner

Send us a text In celebration of Military Spouse Appreciation Day, we are pleased to host Sarah Bumgardner. Sarah is a military spouse and a certified financial education instructor who has worked with AAFMAA since 2010. She is currently the Director of Partnerships and Member Engagement and supports both AAFMAA members and the entire military community. Sarah became a military spouse when her first husband became an officer in the US Marine Corps. For 10 years, Sarah lived the mil sp...

05-08
32:01

Season 4 Episode 159: Job Interview Success with Brenda Mariah - Part 2

Send us a text On this episode of the Lessons Learned for Vets podcast, we continue our discussion on interview best practices with career strategist, Brenda Mariah. We encourage you to listen to Part 1, episode 158 before continuing with this episode. During Part 1, Brenda explained the purpose of an interview, what every employer is looking for during an interview and how to stay in control during the interview process. On this episode, we dive into the anatomy of an interview. The interv...

05-01
33:30

Season 4 Episode 158: Job Interview Success with Brenda Mariah - Part 1

Send us a text On this episode of the Lessons Learned for Vets podcast, we welcome Brenda Mariah. If you are having trouble getting others to see your value or recognizing your own value, this is where Brenda shines. Brenda Mariah, of Push Career Management, is a career-focused speaker, wordsmith, storyteller, encourager, author and strategist. She is the president of the National Resume Writers Association, the past president of the Resume Writers and Career Coaches Association and is certif...

04-24
46:24

Season 4 Episode 157: The Emotions of the Military Transition with Mary Polanco - Part 2

Send us a text We continue our discussion with Mary Polanco on Part 2 of this 2-part series. On the previous episode, Mary discusses the importance of taking time for yourself during the military transition process and the reality that separating from the military may cause grief. During this episode, we dissect content from her newly published book, Your Final Debrief, and dive deeper into healthy ways to deal with complex emotions that may arise before, during and after the military transit...

04-03
33:11

Season 4 Episode 156: Dealing with the Grief of Leaving the Military with Mary Polanco - Part 1

Send us a text After serving 23 years in the US Air Force, Mary Polanco retired from the Air Force. She is the founder and CEO of Live and Lead Well and the author of Your Final Debrief, which she describes as a must-read guide to learning how to break free from the military mindset and craft the post service life you truly desire. During Season 3, episode 128, we talked with Mary about her transition. This episode focuses on content from her newly published book. Mary retired earlier t...

03-27
43:10

Season 4 Episode 155: Learning How to Market Yourself with Clarissa Merced

Send us a text On this episode of the Lessons Learned for Vets podcast, we welcome retired US Air Force Senior Master Sergeant, Clarissa Merced. Clarissa used the SkillBridge program to upskill and land a role with the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). During her 2.5 years at the VBA, Clarissa realized she needed a job that was more stimulating and rewarding. She got serious about her job search and learned how to translate her military skills and effectively market herself. Her hard wo...

03-20
38:10

Season 4 Episode 154: Exploring SkillBridge with Dave Schantz - Part 2

Send us a text On this episode of the Lessons Learned for Vets podcast, we continue our conversation with Dave Schantz, SkillBridge expert. If you haven’t listened to Part 1, we encourage you to download Episode 153 and learn more about what the SkillBridge program is and what it isn’t. This episode focuses on the employment part of the SkillBridge program. Dave encourages service members to run weekly keyword searches on the SkillBridge locations page to learn what companies are offe...

03-13
31:24

Season 4 Episode 153: Exploring SkillBridge with Dave Schantz - Part 1

Send us a text We are excited to welcome Dave Schantz to the Lessons Learned for Vets podcast. After retiring from the US Navy in 2019, Dave built a SkillBridge opportunity at General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT). Once he learned how to navigate the SkillBridge approval process for GDIT, he took over the program to attract more transitioning service members to the organization. As the administrator for the DoD SkillBridge Community of Practice LinkedIn group for several years, he sh...

03-06
31:24

Season 4 Episode 152: Bouncing Back from Underemployment with Dr. Derek Moore

Send us a text On this episode of the Lessons Learned for Vets podcast, we welcome back Dr. Derek Moore. Derek was originally a guest in Season 1 for a Q&A episode. Since retiring in 2021 from the US Marine Corps, Derek’s journey has had highs and lows, including a period of unemployment and underemployment. Today, Derek is the Director of the Joint Military Leadership Center at the University of South Florida. One of Derek’s challenges during his military transition was relocatin...

02-28
32:53

Season 4 Episode 151: Navigating the Financial Decisions of Transition with Todd Nelson

Send us a text On this episode of the Lesson Learned for Vets podcast, we welcome Todd Nelson. Although not a veteran himself, he has dedicated his career to helping service members navigate their finances as a financial advisor for Edward Jones. There are often unique financial challenges that accompany transitioning service members into their next career. Todd is the host of Transition 30, a network that uses quarterly Zoom calls to connect service members to resources and organizations tha...

02-21
39:58

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