Navy

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BTU #407 - True Made Foods (Abe Kamarck)

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BTU #407 - True Made Foods (Abe Kamarck)

Why Listen:

I enjoyed this conversation; Abe's honesty, his directness in revealing the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, as well as the many pivots that he's experienced in his own life. He started True Made Foods seven years ago when he was 38. He had four kids. It was not necessarily in line with what he did in his background. They are growing rapidly. They were named one of the top 10 most innovative food companies of 2021. In this interview, I appreciated how he talked about how most people get jobs through their network, not the front door. And when you leave the military, you're almost starting with an empty network. He talks about how big-name degrees at big schools don't solve everything. He talks about going to Bulgaria and taking over a plastics company to do turnaround work. He also talks about how his four kids were eating ketchup and he couldn't get them to stop. So he wanted to address a problem around his table. I love what he shares about saying no to growth and being honest about when you're ready to grow.

About Abe:

Abe is the CEO and Founder at True Made Foods. Prior to True Made Foods he had an eight-year career as a Naval Aviator, where he deployed around the world and for OIF. Post Navy, Abe lived and worked as an entrepreneur in emerging and frontier markets, including China, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Ghana, Uganda and Lebanon. He launched multiple businesses in difficult environments and helped raise debt and equity capital for SMEs in Africa and China.

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BTU #406 - A Well Designed Financial Plan (Imperium Capital)

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BTU #406 - A Well Designed Financial Plan (Imperium Capital)

Why Listen:

Normally on the show, I have a military veteran as my guest. We talk about what they do, how they got there, and advice to others seeking to do the same. Today I am doing that, but with three guests, two Army and West Point grads, one Naval Academy and fellow Submariner, who joined forces to found Imperium Capital. There's a lot that I love about this interview. It is a blend of talking about financial planning and tips that anyone listening can apply to their career to get themselves more financial freedom and stability, as well as a lot about entrepreneurship and building up the skill sets. Here are a couple of things that stood out to me. First of all, I love the story of how they met and decided to start this company. And you're going to get three different perspectives on what drew these people to the finance industry and also to entrepreneurship. They are three different versions with some overlap, which was cool to see. What I love, as well, is that they each had clarity and what they were wanting in their career. And that plays a role in financial planning; they talked about the clarity you need when it comes to finances. But you can also see that clarity applied in each of their career journeys. One thing that I learned in this interview was how you can take risks in your career outside of the military in a way that you might not be able to in the military, and how it's a way to get insights around what you like and dislike, and how it gives you room to explore. We talk about the advantages of working within a big company and learning a trade skill set before going on to entrepreneurship. We talked about interviewing companies rather than being interviewed by them. We talk a lot about finances, and just a lot of things that are top of mind for me, as I grow my family. And I know you will benefit from that as well.

About Imperium Capital’s team:

Christopher Rojewski started out at West Point in 2011. He served in the Army for eight years. And then he spent two and a half years between New York Life Insurance and Northwestern Mutual. Then he co-founded a company called Imperium Capital, which we're going to talk about today.

Brandon Stevenson was at West Point in 2007, ten years in the Army, and then four years at Northwestern Mutual.

Nicholas Birger was at the Naval Academy, the oddball of the group. He went to Harvard Kennedy School, close to nine years on submarines, and then at Northwestern Mutual.

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BTU #403 - Buying and Growing a Healthcare Company (Daniel Reese)

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BTU #403 - Buying and Growing a Healthcare Company (Daniel Reese)

Why Listen:

My guest today is an entrepreneur, but not the type that you usually think about. We've had a couple of guests on the show who have done what is called a search fund, which is what I thought I was doing most of my time at Business School. Rather than coming up with an idea, which many people struggle to do and starting your own company, a search fund enables you to raise money, to go out and find a company, usually a mom and pop type shops, something that's doing well that could use a new owner, new management, you purchase that company, and then grow it from there, which is what my guest today did. He purchased a company with 20 employees, and he's grown it to many more than that 20 employees. We talk a lot about that, his advice on search funds and advice on entrepreneurship, what it's like managing outside of the military versus inside of the military. Just really a lot of great advice for those of you considering entrepreneurship.

About Daniel:

Daniel Reese is the CEO of IntellaTriage, the number one provider of tailored nurse triage solutions. After graduating from the Naval Academy, he served on nuclear submarines and then attended Harvard Business School. Daniel acquired IntellaTriage through an entrepreneurial vehicle called a search fund.

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BTU #400 - Up Your Influence (Josh Elledge)

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BTU #400 - Up Your Influence (Josh Elledge)

Why Listen:

I think it's amazing this conversation I had with Josh because most of it is about adding value and - what he calls - leveraging generosity for marketing and sales. And what's crazy for me is that the way that I met Josh a couple of months ago was through a connection, and I even forget how I met him. I run a company Captivate.ai that works all in marketing, and Josh is such an expert in sales systems and marketing. I think that this is a little bit different from a typical episode. We don't talk a lot about career transition. But we talk about getting attention, using marketing and sales in a way that's authentic and genuine and doesn't feel icky, is probably the best word I can use. One thing you'll take away from this episode is just a lot of great ideas about an authentic way to get attention, to market, to do sales, to get your message across, whether that's personal or professional. Second of all, I think that Josh is an incredible entrepreneur, and I admire him. I've been doing podcasting for four years, and I often feel like an old hat at this. Josh has been doing it for 14 years, a full decade longer than I have. His thoughts on entrepreneurship, on media, PR, all of these different things; there's just a goldmine here.

About Josh:

Josh is the founder and CEO of Up My Influence, which provides step-by-step tools, coaching, and public relation hacks for entrepreneurs to dramatically increase their sales by attracting their perfect audience, all at a fraction of the cost of traditional PR services. Since serving in the Navy as a broadcast journalist, he has founded and led multiple companies including SavingsAngel, and the Josh Elledge Consulting Company. Josh has been podcasting for 14 years - most people don't even know that podcasting has been around for that long - and he has had over 2000 media appearances.

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BTU #399 - Consumer Packaged Goods (Kurt Schmidt)

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BTU #399 - Consumer Packaged Goods (Kurt Schmidt)

Why Listen:

Well, my guest today is an absolute Rockstar. There's a couple of reasons to listen. First of all, he started his career in marketing. He has been at the helm of very senior companies, including Kraft Foods, Wrigley, Novartis, Nestle, The Blue Buffalo Company. He's on the board of Campbell Soup. He took Blue Buffalo public. He was the head of Gerber when it was acquired by Nestle. He has an incredible history, and part of his advice is just focusing on the job in front of you, not having a sense of where you want to go. But not planning out every step and just knocking out of the park whatever job you're working on, tons to learn from his description of his previous jobs. His current role is at the Chronos Group, which is in the cannabis space, they do 50 million in sales, 1.2 billion in cash. It really speaks to the credibility of this as an industry, why veterans may consider it as a career path. And just hearing what it's like after decades of being at the helm of very large companies. What it's like to take a more entrepreneurial twist and be at the helm of a very, very, relatively small company.

About Kurt:

Kurt is now the CEO of the Cronos Group, which is an innovative global cannabinoid company with international production and distribution across five different continents. Since graduating from the Naval Academy, he has held senior positions at Kraft Foods, Wrigley, Novartis, Nestle, The Blue Buffalo Company, and Campbell Soup Company. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago, and Kurt spent 14 years working internationally in Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, and Australia.

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BTU #387 - Navy and DoD Civilian COOL (Michael Talley)

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BTU #387 - Navy and DoD Civilian COOL (Michael Talley)

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, Navy COOL will help pay for continuing education units to help Sailors maintain their credential once obtained.

If you’re in the Army, you can find your deep dive in Episode #383. Interviews for the Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard are in the works.

About Mike:
Mike served as a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy, retiring after 20 years of service. After transition, Mike held various customer support and managerial positions with AT&T, Gap, and Old Navy before returning to the U.S. Navy as a civilian employee. Today, Mike is the Director of Navy COOL for the Navy’s Credentialing Programs Office. He holds a Bachelor’s in Workforce Education and Development from Southern Illinois University.

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BTU #380 - Becoming Best-Selling Authors & Publishers (Andrew Watts and Jason Kasper)

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BTU #380 - Becoming Best-Selling Authors & Publishers (Andrew Watts and Jason Kasper)

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 a military veteran who became a full time author. We reconnected for today's interview and I'm adding in Jason Kasper, and there were 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 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. This is a story of the art 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 paving one's own way of taking and making a bet on oneself, of really learning a craft. And I think that's an element that will come through for listeners with both Jason and Andrew, is how much each of them have devoted themselves to perfecting their art and their craft and how much they use persistence and discipline to succeed in their chosen vocation. And so regardless of your career interest, whether or not you're interested in entrepreneurship, or writing or whatever else, I think there is an element here to learn about that discipline about that constant sharpening of one's toolkit to get better.

I do want to give a plug that there is no financial incentive for me to interview these authors, but I really just enjoyed meeting Jason. He has a new book coming out on January 15 2021, called The Enemies of My Country.

About Jason:

Jason Kasper is a former Army Special Forces officer and a USA Today bestselling author. His new book, THE ENEMIES OF MY COUNTRY, releases on January 15, 2021.

About Andrew:

Andrew Watts is the USA TODAY bestselling author and founder of Severn River Publishing. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 2003 and served as a naval officer and helicopter pilot until 2013.

Selected Resources:

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BTU #365 - Impossible Foods (Dan Greene & Ryan Fisher)

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BTU #365 - Impossible Foods (Dan Greene & Ryan Fisher)

Why Listen:
When Carlson’s School of Management came to us with an offer for financial sponsorship, Steve and I were like kids in a candy store. We had the resources to do any interview we’d like… that’s like a dream come true. As I was thinking through who I wanted to reach out to, I started thinking about purpose - purpose is something that comes up time and time again in my interviews. So, I wanted to find a company that is purpose driven. A company that is doing something pretty different. And that is how I view Impossible Foods. They are re-envisioning how we eat and driven by a deep desire to help us take better care of our planet. Not only that, but they have become a massive sensation - according to LinkedIn there are now over 500 employees at Impossible, and according to Crunchbase they have raised over $1.2B… that’s right - $1.2B… the amount of money a villain in a James Bond movie would demand to avoid destroying the world.

Here’s what I love about today’s interview. First of all, I’m joined by TWO incredible Veterans with TWO incredible career paths. We talk about innovation and sales, two very different career paths, and their perspectives on what it’s like to work at Impossible. While we do talk a lot about Impossible, we cover a lot of ground about general career advice.

If you enjoy this episode, check out the show notes for this episode, where I link to a few interviews I’ve done in the Cyrpto space - that seems to share the same purpose-driven culture that I felt in this interview.

And, of course, this interview was only made possible due to the financial support of the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management, and I want to share a little bit more about them, whether you're transitioning to a civilian career or continuing military service, an MBA from Carlson, at the University at the University of Minnesota prepares you for a high impact career in business. Carlson is committed to the veteran community and provides the benefits experiential learning and network to accelerate your career. In addition to a resident tuition waiver all admitted full time MBA military candidates receive generous scholarships and stipends to cover expenses that may not be eligible for the GI Bill. To learn more, you can visit the show notes at beyondtheuniform.org for this episode, or you can email MBA@UMN.edu.

About Ryan & Dan:
Dan Greene is a SVP of US Sales and Growth. He started out at the Naval Academy and served over 10 years as a Navy fighter pilot and director of operations for multiple aviation units. Dan served as Chief Revenue Officer for a conversational artificial intelligence startup, and served as an executive consultant with other early-stage software companies. Prior to that, Dan spent 11 years overseeing large teams and revenue-generating business units at Google and Twitter.

Ryan Fisher is the Director of New Product Introduction. He served in the US Army for over four years as an Explosive Ordinance Disposal Officer. He has worked in global supply at both Apple and Uber. He holds an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.

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BTU #364 - Veteran Tax Credits (Craig Washburn)

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BTU #364 - Veteran Tax Credits (Craig Washburn)

Why Listen
Craig is a serial entrepreneur who’s current company - Veteran Tax Credits - is relevant to all of our listeners. First of all, if you are a Veteran seeking a job, Craig talks about how the government provides tax credits for any employer who hires you. This is a financial benefit to employers that could play a deciding role in your next job offer, so it is worthy of your attention. Second, if you’re an employer, Craig talks about a tax incentive surprisingly few businesses know about. He’ll walk you through what you need to do to take full advantage of this benefit. In addition, we talk about entrepreneurship, partnerships and more. Lastly, one thing I really appreciated in this interview is the sense that when Veterans raise awareness of this sort of tax incentive, not only are they helping themselves, but they’re helping other members of the military community who may benefit from these tax incentives in the future. Many thanks to Craig for the work he is doing to help our military community, and for his sponsorship of this episode to help Beyond the Uniform further our work.

About Craig:
Craig Washburn is the Founder & CEO of VTC Veteran Tax Credits. VTC helps Veterans get pre-certified and find gainful employment through our partnerships. We help companies’ find outstanding Veteran talent and collect valuable tax credits for employing them. Craig started out in the Navy as an Administrative Supervisor, where he served for four years. His civilian career includes work at HealthCare Dimensions, PacifCare Health Systems, as well as Owner of the Pivot Management Group.

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BTU #363 - Drones & Data @ Skycatch (Christian Sanz )

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BTU #363 - Drones & Data @ Skycatch (Christian Sanz )

Why Listen
I'm so honored to have had time with Christian today. I realized a while back that we hadn't talked to anyone in the drone industry. I think it's an industry that has a lot of interest for veterans - it's growing rapidly, it's cool, it's high tech. I started looking for veterans in this industry and came across Christian. He agreed to be interviewed for Beyond the Uniform and I was so energized and inspired by our conversation.


About Christian:
Christian Sanz is the CEO and Founder of Skycatch, the leading industrial aerial data collection and analytics company, focused on indexing and extracting critical information from the physical world. He served in the Navy for 4 years, and his civilian career includes work as a software engineer for The Walt Disney Company, a Senior Software Engineer at LoopNet, the Senior Director of Engineering at Break Media, the CTO at Kin Community, the Founding CTO of Storify (acquired by Adobe), and the Founder of DroneGames. Over the last 7 years, Christian has grown Skycatch to have over 50 employees and $46M in funding.

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BTU #344 - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Admiral Michael Mullen)

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BTU #344 - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Admiral Michael Mullen)

Why Listen:

When I was in the Navy, I’m not sure how much I respected Admirals. I certainly feared them - I got that instilled in me at the Naval Academy. But I think I was caught up in this mindset of: it’s inevitable that I get promoted from O-1 to O-2, and from O-2 to O-3… so it can’t be that hard to make it to flag rank. In the ten years since I left the Navy, my respect for senior officers and flag rank officers has grown exponentially. I’ve seen how difficult it can be to reach the top of any organization - civilian, government or military. And I admire the determination, talent, and intelligence required to achieve these pinnacle leadership echelons.

Today’s interview only served to reinforce that respect. Admiral Mullen served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under both President Bush and President Obama. I was fascinated to hear what it is like to work at this level and the principles of leadership that helped Admiral Mullen achieve success. We also talked about leadership of the Beyond the Uniform audience - how we, as leaders, can look out for the men and women we served with, and how we can pay forward the benefits we’ve experienced in our careers.

About Admiral Mullen:
Admiral Michael Mullen is a retired United States Navy admiral, who served as the 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to both President Bush and President Obama. Previously, he served as the Navy's 28th Chief of Naval Operations, and was only the third officer in the Navy's history to be appointed to four different four-star assignments: Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, Commander Allied Joint Force Command Naples, and the 32nd Vice Chief of Naval Operations. He retired from the Navy after over 42 years of service.

Fast Company has called Admiral Mullen “not just a new model for military officers-and a new kind of business titan-but also a case study in 21st Century leadership.” Since retiring from the Navy, Mullen has joined the boards of General Motors, Sprint and the Bloomberg Family Foundation. He has taught at the Woodrow Wilson School of International and Public Affairs at Princeton University, and now teaches at the United States Naval Academy. He is also known for his efforts on behalf of service members, veterans and their families. He is renowned for his role in dismantling “don’t ask, don’t tell” and allowing gay service members to serve openly.

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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 #334 - Navy SEAL to College Football Coach (Jake Zweig)

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BTU #334 - Navy SEAL to College Football Coach (Jake Zweig)

Why Listen:

There are so many reasons to listen to today’s interview. First of all: Sports. Jake is the first person I’ve interviewed who has had a career in sports leadership. He is currently the Director of Player Development at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and we talk a lot about the NFL, coaching in professional football, and what this industry is like. Second: TV. Jake is a dynamic personality, and has been featured on shows such on both the Discovery Channel and Scout Media Network. This interview offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like being on TV, and about extending one’s personal brand. Lastly: motivation. I found Jake and his story very uplifting - his perspective on failure, on pushing oneself, and on pursing a personal goal with relentless, are all informative and inspirational. If you enjoy this episode, be sure to check out: BTU #74 - Nate Boyer: Army Green Beret to the NFL - https://beyondtheuniform.org/blog/btu-84-nate-boyer-army-green-beret-to-the-nfl?rq=nate%20boyer BTU #245 - Marine Corps to MMA & the UFC (Liz Carmouche) - https://beyondtheuniform.org/blog/btu-245-marine-corps-to-mma-the-ufc-liz-carmouche?rq=ufc BTU #329 - Active Duty Army to the NFL (Alejandro Villanueva) - https://beyondtheuniform.org/blog/195-active-duty-army-to-the-nfl-alejandro-villanueva-nxkba?rq=alejandro BTU #196 - Active Duty Army to UFC Contender and Discovery Channel Show Host (Tim Kennedy) - https://beyondtheuniform.org/blog/btu-196-active-duty-army-to-ufc-contender-and-discovery-channel-show-host-tim-kennedy?rq=ufc

About Jake:

Jake Zweig is the Director of Player Development at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, He started out at the Naval Academy, after which he served as a Surface Warfare Offer (qualifying in 6 months rather than the typical 18-24 months) before transferring to and becoming a Navy SEAL team officer for six years. His career has included work as a Football Coach at the University of Maryland, the Catholic University of America, the University of New Hampshire, Bryant University, the University of the Incarnate Word, and the University of Findlay. He has also worked as a TV Host for both the Discovery Channel and the Scout Media Network, with involvement with the Dude, Your Screwed program and this History Channels Hot Shot. He holds an MBA from the University of Michigan.

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BTU #333 - Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

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BTU #333 - Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

Why Listen:
In 3 years and 333 episodes, today’s conversation is the highlight of my time with Beyond the Uniform. More than anyone else I have witnessed, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin are doing the most to elevate the civilian world’s understanding of military Veterans and what they bring to the table. In this conversation we talk about what it is like for Jocko and Leif to work together now, out of uniform. We also talk about what it was like starting their company, Echelon Front… and it’s not as easy as I had thought it would be. We talk about their newest initiatives - EF Overwatch and EF Legion, incredible recruiting resources for the military community. We talk about career transition advice and mindsets to keep and tweak and more.

About Jocko:
Jocko Willink is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer, co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win, Dichotomy of Leadership, host of the top-rated Jocko Podcast, and co-founder of Echelon Front, where he serves as Chief Executive Officer, leadership instructor, speaker and strategic advisor. Jocko spent 20 years in the SEAL Teams, starting as an enlisted SEAL and rising through the ranks to become a SEAL officer. As commander of SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser during the battle of Ramadi, he orchestrated SEAL operations that helped the “Ready First” Brigade of the U.S. Army’s First Armored Division bring stability to the violent, war-torn city. Task Unit Bruiser became the most highly decorated Special Operations Unit of the Iraq War.
Jocko returned from Iraq to serve as Officer-in-Charge of training for all West Coast SEAL Teams. There, he spearheaded the development of leadership training and personally instructed and mentored the next generation of SEAL leaders who have continued to perform with great success on the battlefield. Jocko is the recipient of the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and numerous other personal and unit awards.

Upon retiring from the Navy, Jocko co-founded Echelon Front, a premier leadership consulting company, where he teaches the leadership principles he learned on the battlefield to help others lead and win. Jocko also authored the Discipline Equals Freedom Field Manual, a New York Times Bestseller, and the best selling Way of the Warrior Kid children’s book series.

About Leif:
Leif Babin is a former U.S. Navy SEAL officer, co-author of #1 New York Times bestseller Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win, and co-founder of Echelon Front, where he serves as President/Chief Operating Officer, leadership instructor, speaker, and strategic advisor. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Leif served thirteen years in the Navy, including nine in the SEAL Teams. As a SEAL platoon commander in SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser, he planned and led major combat operations in the Battle of Ramadi that helped the “Ready First” Brigade of the US Army’s 1st Armored Division achieve victory. Task Unit Bruiser became the most highly decorated special operations unit of the Iraq War.
Leif returned from combat and became the primary leadership instructor for all officers graduating from the SEAL training pipeline. There, he reshaped SEAL leadership training to better prepare the next generation of SEAL officers for the immense challenges of combat. During his last tour, Leif served as Operations Officer and Executive Officer at a SEAL Team where he again deployed to Iraq with a Special Operations Task Force. He is the recipient of the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and a Purple Heart.
Upon his departure from active duty, Leif co-founded Echelon Front, a premier leadership consulting company that helps others build their own high-performance winning teams.

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BTU #322 - Navy SEAL to Paralympic Gold Medalist (Dan Cnossen)

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BTU #322 - Navy SEAL to Paralympic Gold Medalist (Dan Cnossen)

Why Listen:

I don’t really know what to say about today’s interview. Dan is a classmate of mine from the Naval Academy. I didn’t know him really well while I was there, but I knew of him. This interview really makes me wish I would have had the chance to get to know him better while we were in school together. We recorded this interview, and there were some technical difficulties and we got started a bit late, and I had another meeting right after it. It was actually a video conference that I have with my men’s group each week. So I hung up with Dan and went straight into this men’s group meeting. And we always start off these calls with a round the room check-in - each of the seven guys in my group takes five minutes to share what’s going on in their life. And I just knew I’d be picked to go first. And I was. And I was just coming from my conversation with Dan and the whole weight of our conversation hit me. And I got pretty emotional. 

Dan made an enormous sacrifice in the service of our country. He paid a price for his choosing to keep our country safe. And he faced an incomprehensible recovery from that sacrifice - one in which he faced uncertainty, loss, and obstacles that it’s really hard for me to get my head around. And he approached this with a moment-by-moment presence that really shows the man he is. He came back from this loss to win the gold medal at the Paralympics - he made history in doing so. And through it all he maintains himself with such humility, such candor, and such honesty - it really made me feel humbled and honored to have him on the show, and to count him as a classmate. He has been hesitant to stand in the spotlight, to speak publicly about his experience. If you - like me - are touched by his story as I was, I hope that you reach out and let him know. I think he is an incredible human being with an inspiring message, and I cannot wait to see what is ahead for him.

At the end of our conversation, I ask Dan about organizations he would recommend listeners support. Each of them are listed in the show notes for this episode at BeyondTheUniform.org - I hope that you’ll check them out and consider supporting them.

About Dan:

Cnossen is currently a graduate student at Harvard University, working towards a Master of Public Administration at the John F. Kennedy School of Government as well as a Master of Theological Studies at the Divinity School. In the 2018 at the Winter Paralympics , Dan created history in his second Paralympic appearance after claiming a gold medal in the men's 7.5km sitting biathlon event. In doing so he became the first American male and the second American ever to claim a gold medal in a biathlon event in either the Olympics or Paralympics. 

Dan grew up on a fifth-generation family farm in Kansas. He attended the Naval Academy as part of the illustrious class of 2002, after which he served in the Navy as a SEAL. While serving as a platoon commander for SEAL Team One in Afghanistan in September 2009, Dan stepped on an IED (improvised explosive device) and was wounded in the explosion. The accident caused Cnossen to lose both his legs just above the knee. As you will hear in this interview, in both his recovery and achievements since then, Dan continues to be an inspiration to the military and non-military community.

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BTU #318 - Navy to Clean Tech & the DOE (Dan Misch)

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BTU #318 - Navy to Clean Tech & the DOE (Dan Misch)

Why Listen:

One aspect that I loved about my conversation with Dan is how his story exemplifies a middle road for Veterans. Often, I interview Veterans who take a wildly different career path after their military experience. I also interview many Veterans who take a career path that is directly related to their military experience. Dan found a way to split the difference. His career path utilized one piece of his military experience, while also allowing him to branch into an entirely different industry. We talk about how we made the switch from submarines into the clean energy space. We talk about the rapid growth occurring in this industry, and why mission-oriented Veterans might love this field. Dan also served during the time of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy, and shares his experience of coming out to his wardroom. This aspect of my conversation helped me build empathy and understanding for someone who had the exact same military career path that I did, yet was impacted by a policy in a way that I never had to experience.

For listeners who enjoy this episode, check out these three episodes, which I’ll link to in our show notes at Beyond the Uniform;

1. BTU #186 - Army Veteran to Blockchain and Ethereum at ConsenSys (Donnie Benjamin)

2. BTU #221 - Navy Veteran to the Cannabis Industry @ CannaCraft (Cheriene Griffith)

3. BTU #213 - Navy Veteran to Cyber Security at FireEye (Lauren Burnell)

While these three interviews are not about clean technology, they each share a commonality of covering industries that are new and rapidly growing. They are all also relatively new fields. This means that there aren’t a lot of people who have decades of experience in these fields, so a military Veteran who is a newcomer to the space doesn’t have as much ground to catch up on.

About Dan

Dan Misch is the Federal Project Director with the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center and the Founder of the Veterans Advanced Energy Summit. He started out at the Naval Academy, after which he served on Submarines for five years, including three nuclear deterrent patrols. He is a member of the Truman National Security Project Defense Council and Energy Expert Group.

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BTU #316 - Navy to Nebraska State Government (Jason Jackson)

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BTU #316 - Navy to Nebraska State Government (Jason Jackson)

Why Listen:

I’m embarrassed to say this, but my interview with Jason was an eye opening reminder of how many positions there are in public service that are not elected office. When I think of public service, I think of previous guests I’ve had on the show, like Sean Barney from episode #66, who ran for a seat in the House of Representative. However, as Jason points out in this interview - for every one of those positions, there are thousands of others, working behind the scenes, making things run efficiently, all serving their country in their own way. Jason makes some great points about why Veterans might love a career in public service. He is also an exceptional example of someone who has done the heavy lifting to uncover and identify his personal values. As you’ll learn in this interview, this has helped him keep an open mind when new and unexpected opportunities arise, and decide whether this is the right change for himself and his family. Changes such as leaving Intuit after over 8 years in the private sector to make the switch to public service.

About Jason:

Jason Jackson is the Director of Administrative Services and Chief HR Officer to the Governor for the State of Nebraska. He started out at the Naval Academy as part of the illustrious class of 2002, served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy for over five years, worked in a variety of roles at Intuit for nearly nine years, and has been working for the State of Nebraska for nearly four years. He holds an MA in Political Science from San Diego State University and a Juris Doctorate from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law.

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BTU #302 - Navy SWO to ESPN Reporter and Host (Sal Paolantonio)

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BTU #302 - Navy SWO to ESPN Reporter and Host (Sal Paolantonio)

Why Listen

Sal has had an incredible career as a journalist, from newspapers, to authoring four books, to being a Veteran of ESPN for over 25 years. With ESPN he covers the National Football League for SportsCenter, Sunday NFL Countdown, NFL Live and Fantasy Football Now. He also hosts the long-running NFL Matchup show. While Sal’s career has been in journalism and sports, he talks about curiosity, about finding information that no one else knows, about approaching one’s job with a beginner’s mindset, and a whole host of topics applicable to any career.

About Sal

Sal Paolantonio is a national correspondent for ESPN. He primarily covers the National Football League for SportsCenter, Sunday NFL Countdown, NFL Live and Fantasy Football Now. He also hosts the long-running NFL Matchup show. He has been a mainstay of ESPN’s NFL coverage since he joined ESPN in August 1995, and is a veteran of 25 Super Bowls. Prior to joining ESPN, Paolantonio was a political reporter (1985-93), as well as a beat reporter for the Philadelphia Eagles (1993-95), for the Philadelphia Inquirer. In 1994, he won the Associated Press Sports Editors Award for Reporting, and in 1995, he was named Philadelphia’s Best Sportswriter by Philadelphia Magazine. He also served as a reporter for Philadelphia’s WPHL-TV nightly newscast, Inquirer News Tonight (1994-95), and hosted Saturday Morning Sports Page, a weekly call-in show on WIP-AM all-sports radio (1993-95). Paolantonio began his journalism career as a reporter for the Albany Times Union, where he received the Associated Press Managing Editor’s Award for Enterprise Reporting (1985). He received the 2017 Jack Newfield Courage in Journalism Award from the New York Daily News.

Paolantonio is the author of four books. His most recent, Philly Special: The Inside Story of How the Philadelphia Eagles Won Their First Super Bowl Championship, will be available in September 3, 2019. His previous book, How Football Explains America, was published in 2008 and was the No. 1 selling football book in America for six straight months, according to Amazon.com.

Paolantonio served in the United States Navy (1979-83) as a surface warfare officer in the Pacific Fleet and was awarded the United Nations Meritorious Service Medal in 1981 for supervising the rescue of Vietnamese refugees in the South China Sea. He retired as a full lieutenant in 1983. Paolantonio is also a member of the board of the Cooper University Hospital Foundation in Camden, N.J.

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BTU #299 - Royal Navy to Celebrity Chef (Robert Irvine)

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BTU #299 - Royal Navy to Celebrity Chef (Robert Irvine)

About Robert Irvine:

"With more than 27 years in the culinary profession, Chef Robert Irvine has cooked his way through Europe, the Far East, the Caribbean and the Americas, in hotels and on the high seas. Robert hosts the Food Network series Restaurant: Impossible, where he saves struggling restaurants across America by assessing and overhauling their weakest spots. He also previously hosted Dinner: Impossible and Worst Cooks in America. Robert has authored two cookbooks, Mission: Cook! and Impossible to Easy, and one healthy-living book, Fit Fuel: A Chef’s Guide to Eating Well and Living Your Best Life. He tours with his interactive live show, Robert Irvine Live, and appears regularly as an expert guest on national morning and daytime talk shows.

In 2015 Robert launched Robert Irvine Foods, a company that features a nutritionally improved line of food products without compromising great taste. He recently established his eponymously named nonprofit organization, The Robert Irvine Foundation, in an effort to support military personnel and their families. In recent years he was honored with two very distinguished recognitions for his dedication to the armed services and our country’s heroes. He was first designated Honorary Chief Petty Officer by the U.S. Navy, and later that year awarded the Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment and Support of our Service Members, bestowed upon him by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Continuing his support of the military, Robert became the first celebrity chef to open a restaurant — aptly named Chef Robert Irvine’s Fresh Kitchen — at the Pentagon, in the fall of 2016. His other recent projects include the Robert Irvine Magazine in May 2016; the opening of a new Gold’s Gym in Largo, Florida, in January 2017; and the opening of a new restaurant in Las Vegas at the Tropicana in late 2017. For more information on Chef Robert Irvine, visit www.ChefIrvine.com.”

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BTU #294 - Advice from a Prisoner of War (Charlie Plumb)

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BTU #294 - Advice from a Prisoner of War (Charlie Plumb)

Why Listen

I LOVED my conversation with Charlie, and found myself partly taking notes for Beyond the Uniform, and partly taking notes just for myself. As a Prisoner of War, the lessons that Charlie shares in this episode are hard earned. We talk about mindset, finding your purpose, resilience, and more. I left our conversation inspired and uplifted and hope that you do as well.

About Charlie:

Charlie Plumb is an author and motivational speaker. He started out at the Naval Academy, and served in the Navy for over 31 years. A pilot of the F-4 Phantom Jet, Charlie flew 74 successful combat missions over North Vietnam and made over 100 carrier landings. On his 75th mission, just five days before the end of his tour, Charlie was shot down over Hanoi, taken prisoner, tortured, and spent the next 2,103 days in an 8-by-8 foot cell as a Prisoner Of War. During his nearly six years of captivity, Plumb distinguished himself as a pro in underground communications. He was a great inspiration to all the other POWs and served as chaplain for two years. Since his return home, Plumb has captivated more than 5,000 audiences in almost every industry around the world with stories that parallel his POW experience with the challenges of everyday life.