Nonprofit

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BTU #402 - Find Your Mission (Nic McKinley)

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BTU #402 - Find Your Mission (Nic McKinley)

Why Listen:

This is one of the more energizing conversations I've had on the show. In addition to serving in the Air Force, working in the State Department, serving in the CIA, and now running two different companies - one of them designed to fight human trafficking - Nic is needless to say, an amazing human being. As a founder of two companies, his biggest advice to entrepreneurs is to not start a company. We talk about how success is opportunity meeting preparation, and how oftentimes we focus on motivation when we should be focused on preparedness and the reasons why we are doing things. We talk a lot about mission and some of the best tactical advice I've heard from a guest about how to specifically and tactically uncover your next mission. We talk about the choices that we make every single day and how we have limited opportunities and being precise in what we say yes to, and better and more important, what we say no to. We talk about not just having compassion and empathy lead the tears, but having that lead to motivation. We talk about so much on this show. And I think it's one of the few episodes I would say is worthy of three or four listens.

About Nic:

Nic McKinley is the Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of VERAFĪ, a private intelligence and due diligence firm specializing in collecting, analyzing, and presenting intelligence so you can make confident decisions about key hires and investments. He is also the Founder and CEO of DeliverFund, a nonprofit private intelligence firm that disrupts human trafficking markets by providing intelligence and delivering specialized analytics about human trafficking activities to law enforcement authorities. He is a 10-year veteran of the US Air Force, where he served as both pararescuemen and as a pararescue instructor and a pararescue team leader. He has also worked for both the US Department of State as well as the Central Intelligence Agency.

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BTU #391 - Deliberate Discomfort (Jason Van Camp)

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BTU #391 - Deliberate Discomfort (Jason Van Camp)

About Jason:

Jason Van Camp is the author of the book, Deliberate Discomfort, which is both a Wall Street Journal and 2x #1 Amazon Best Selling book. For the last 10+ years, he has run the consulting firm, Mission Six Zero, which dramatically improve sales performance, reduces costs, and wins by providing their client's teams with a new way of solving organizational problems. He is also the Executive Director of the 501-3c organization, Warrior Rising. He is a graduate of West Point, as well as Brigham Young University's Business School, and is a 14-year Veteran of the US Army, where he served in the Green Beret.

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BTU #367 - Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (John Troxell)

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BTU #367 - Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (John Troxell)

Why Listen:

I just wrapped up my conversation with John and I put this in a rare category of interviews where I just started taking notes for myself during the conversation. And John, as you'll hear, is such a wealth of wisdom about career success in in any arena. I've got a half a page to a page of notes for my own career advice that I got from him about achieving what you want to achieve in your in your professional life. John, as you'll hear about worked his way up to the pinnacle of service in the military, but more impressively after 30 you know, nearly 40 years of service he just powered through to continue to find purpose to find a calling that pulled him towards it, and keeping more than busy with many different things but continuing to give back after the Military. So I appreciated John's example not only in terms of an extremely high achieving individual looks like and and what it takes to do that, but also someone who continues to redefine purpose in his life. So I imagine this interview will be extremely applicable to all of our listeners. We also at the very end, we touch on something that is so powerful about what I would call the subconscious bias that we have - for most people who serve I would imagine this bias and opinions and beliefs about officer and enlisted on both sides. And I think that our conversation at the end is really worthwhile about challenging those assumptions.

Of course, this interview was only made possible due to the financial support of the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. Back when I interviewed Matt Hesse in Episode 358, that was a similarly energizing conversation. And what I said to Matt was we were fortunate enough to receive sponsorship from the Carlson School of Management. We've got a few more interviews we can do. I'll talk to anyone you would recommend. And John is who he recommended. And so thank you to the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management for making this possible.

About John Wayne Troxell

Before his retirement in December 2019, Troxell advised the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of Defense for four years on all matters involving joint and combined total force integration, utilization, health of the force and joint development for enlisted personnel. Troxell enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1982.

By 2020, Troxell joined forces with FitOps to lead the Foundation’s strategic advisory board, working closely with Matt Hesse and the team to help prevent and end veteran suicide. Troxell’s primary focus will be helping FitOps reach service members who plan to separate from the military and equip them with training prior, so that when they hit the ground as a civilian, they are equipped to immediately serve their communities again, this time as personal trainers and coaches.

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BTU #359 - Hope Unseen with Scotty Smiley

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BTU #359 - Hope Unseen with Scotty Smiley

Why Listen:
Today’s interview is both humbling and inspiring. Scotty lost his eyesight while serving on active duty. During and after his recovery, he continued to serve on active duty even though he was blind. Today's interview is just a great shot of inspiration, one about finding one's purpose and surrounding yourself with others who can lift you up and motivate you during the darker times of your life.

About Scotty:

Scotty is a graduate of the United States Military Academy (USMA). He began his career as an active duty officer. While leading his platoon overseas, Scotty came face-to-face with a suicide car bomber. That was the last thing that Scotty has seen. He woke up in the United States at Walter Reed Hospital blind and fighting for his life. Scotty not only had to learn how to live again, he also had to learn to lead. After fully recovering, Scotty became the military’s first active duty member to continue his service as a completely blind active duty officer. Scotty went on to receive a Master’s in Business Administration from Duke University and he has taught at USMA. Scotty commanded a 250-person company. In this role, he used his skills and abilities to lead his team through dire circumstances and adapt to much change. The Army Times named Scotty “Soldier of the Year” in 2007 and in 2008 he won an ESPY as the world’s Best Outdoor Athlete. Scotty retired from active duty and now works in the financial industry at Drexel Hamilton. He's written two books: Hope Unseen and Beatfeat.

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BTU #358 - Fit Ops with Matt Hesse

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BTU #358 - Fit Ops with Matt Hesse

Why Listen:
There is so much to love about today's interview. First of all on the professional side, Matt went from the Army National Guard and an unexpected departure into opening a series of nutrition supplement franchises that built up a skill set for him to then start his own performance supplement company. He currently works for a company called Fit Ops which is doing absolutely unbelievable things in the military community training people physically, mentally, and emotionally,.

I loved so much of what Matt had to share in this interview. In this interview, we talk about things like mentorship and finding clarity in your life. And we talk about letting your gut guide you in decisions. This is a very informative interview but it's also an inspirational conversation and I think you'll really enjoy this episode.

About Matt:

Matt Hesse is the Chairman & Founder of the FitOps, the CEO of Performix, and the Founder & CEO of COrr-Jensen. He also serves as an Advisory Council Member on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. He served in the Army and National Guard for nearly five years, and was a multi unit franchise store owner for GNC.

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BTU #340 - The Power of Meditation (Jon Macaskill)

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BTU #340 - The Power of Meditation (Jon Macaskill)

Why Listen:

Jon went from 20 year Navy SEAL to a meditation instructor. In this interview we talk about Jon’s work with Veteran’s PATH, since I believe that every listener could benefit from this free program. We also talk about mindfulness, how it has helped both Jon and I, and what it is. We also talk about how Jon found his way to the non-profit space.

One note, in my introduction I use the wrong title for Jon’s role at Veteran’s PATH - it is actually Deputy Director - my apologies on the oversight… if Jon catches wind, and his SEAL training overrides his meditation training, I could be in trouble on this one.

For those who enjoy this episode, be sure to check out:
BTU #123 - The Veterans Yoga Project (Dr. Dan Libby) - https://beyondtheuniform.org/blog/btu-123-the-veterans-yoga-project-dr-dan-libby?rq=yoga%20project
BTU #150 - Silent Meditation Retreats - https://beyondtheuniform.org/blog/btu-150-silent-meditation-retreats?rq=yoga%20project

About Jon:

Jon is the Deputy Director at Veteran’s PATH, a non-profit that enables returning veterans to rediscover meaning, purpose, and joy in their lives through mindfulness, meditation, and a safe community.

He started out at the Naval Academy, and since then has served as a Navy SEAL for nearly 19 years. For those who listened to episode #336 with Marguax Lohry on Tuck’s Next Step program, Jon is a graduate of that program as well.

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BTU #312 - Wounded Warrior Project (Tom Kastner)

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BTU #312 - Wounded Warrior Project (Tom Kastner)

Why Listen:

What I appreciate most about my conversation with Tom is his authenticity. After 30 years in the Army, it took Tom a while to find his new home in the civilian workforce. While he was able to land incredible opportunities - General Manager at Mercedes Benz USA, Senior Manager at Amazon, Academic Dean at St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy - each of these proved to be a poor fit for him. I respect Tom’s willingness to talk about what this process was like - the frustrations, the disappointments, the uncertainty - these are all challenges I’ve faced in my own career, and challenges other guests have experienced as well. Yet, Tom brings an openness to this conversation that I found refreshing. More importantly, the new home that he has found is incredible. Tom’s career journey has led him to work as the Financial Wellness Vice President at Wounded Warrior Project. I have to say, I was extremely fired up about learning more about the work that Wounded Warrior Project is doing. Not only are they providing an incredible support to the military community, but they’re also supporting other organizations in a way that is broadening their impact. Every Veteran would benefit from learning about Wounded Warrior Project and their mission, and I hope you check them out.

About Tom:

Tom Kastner is the Financial Wellness Vice President at Wounded Warrior Project. He started out at West Point and served for 30 years in the Army, including serving as the Director of the Dean’s Staff at West Point. His career since the Army has included time at Mercedes Benz USA, where he worked as the General Manager for Learning and Performance, Amazon, and St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy among others. He holds a Master of Arts in National Security Studies at the Naval War College, a PhD in Industrial Engineering at Georgia Tech, an MS in statistics from Georgia Tech and an MS in applied mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

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BTU #311 - SemperK9 (with Chris Baity)

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BTU #311 - SemperK9 (with Chris Baity)

Why Listen:

SemperK9.org is an incredible organization helping the Veteran community. We talk about how they are helping Veterans with both physical and emotional needs, and how you can support them. We also talk about the path to starting a non-profit.

About Chris:

Chris is the Co-Founder & Executive Director of Semper K9 Assistance Dogs. He served in the USMC as a 5812- Military Working Dog Handler, and Specialized Search Dog Team Leader for over 7 years, including 3 combat tours in Iraq with explosive detection dogs. After his military service, he spent 1 year doing government contract work in Afghanistan and 3 years doing contract work with a detection dog in and around Washington DC. He also complete a 9 month internship with a national nonprofit to create a program training 'rescue' dogs to be service dogs.

Baity was awarded Washingtonian of the Year for 2017 by Washingtonian Magazine and selected as Evan Williams American-Made Hero

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BTU #282 - Vineyards, Wellness Centers, and More (Ken Falke & Leon Tackitt)

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BTU #282 - Vineyards, Wellness Centers, and More (Ken Falke & Leon Tackitt)

Why Listen:

Well this is the first interview I’ve done with a vineyard owner, and the first interview I’ve done with the owner of a wellness retreat for Veterans. These are both great resources and career overview for listeners, but Leon and Ken cover so much more ground. They both served in Explosive Ordinance Disposal while in the military. They have some incredible nuggets of wisdom about doing your job better rather than looking for a better job, and how work life balance doesn’t exist. Prepare to be motivated, because Ken and Leon make for an incredible combination of wisdom in this episode. 

About Ken & Leon:

Ken Falke is Chairman of Boulder Crest Retreat for Military and Veteran wellness, which is a free, first-class rural wellness retreat for America’s military members, veterans and their families to recover from visible and invisible wounds by providing rest and reconnection time, reintegration training, and world-class combat stress recovery programming. He also serves as the Chairman of the EOD Warrior Foundation. He served in the US Navy for over 21 years, retiring as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Master Chief Petty Officer. He has also served as the CEO and Founder of A-T Solutions, and the CEO and Co-Founder of Shoulder 2 Shoulder. 

Leon Tackitt Started his career in Navy Search and Rescue as a helicopter aircrewman in the Anti-Submarine Warfare field. He transitioned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal in 1985 and rose to the rank of Senior Chief before he was commissioned as a Limited Duty Officer in 1998. He retired in 2007 as a Lieutenant Commander