BTU #31 - Andreas Jones - Starting your own business and making your dream a reality

“What a lot of people do in networking is they go in with the mindset of “what can I get from it.” The important switch i made was, “what can I give to this relationship that I’m looking to start.” Stop trying to figure out what’s in it for you. Give and it’s the law of nature - if you plant seeds of good and positive vibrations all the time, it’s going to come back to you." – Andreas Jones

Andreas Jones is the CEO and Principal Business Strategist and Leadership Consultant at Combat Business Coaching. Andreas served in the US Army for over 8 years, where he was as a Logistics & Supply Chain Manager. In his civilian career he has worked as: a contributing writer to Forbes and The Huffington Post; a Project Manager work at The Home Depot; and a Vice President of Procurement and Strategy at the Financial Services Company, the Sun Trust. .

In this conversation, we cover a lot of topics, including:

• From the Army to starting his own business - what Andreas learned along the way
• Advice on how to find a co-founder or initial team
• Advice on how to learn and grow through networking
• What day-to-day life looked like while starting a company
• Advice Andreas would give to other veterans considering starting their own business
• And much, much more…

• • Listen to it on iTunes.
  • Stream by clicking here.
  • Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How can I make these episodes more valuable to active duty military personnel considering transitioning to the civilian world? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

• Andreas' interview on EO Fire: 1433: Build a meaningful business that has more profit, fans, and freedom with Andreas Jones
• Andreas' company, Combat Business Coaching
• A great way to meet others and network is with MeetUp.com
• Book Recommendations
  • The Compound Effect- taking 1-2 steps weeekly to get you to your goal
  • Andreas' book - Distinguished Men: Grow in influence, Success and Significance

Show Notes

• 1:11 - Andreas’ background
• 3:40 - How Andreas decided to leave the Army
• 4:25 - How Andreas approached is initial job search and what he learned along the way
• 7:01 - What Andreas does for a living, and what his life looks like on a day-to-day business
• 12:40 - From the Army to starting his own business - what Andreas learned along the way
• 15:10 - Advice on how to find a co-founder or initial team
• 16:10 - Advice on how to learn and grow through networking
• 24:24 - Other advice to help you start your own company
• 25:10 - What day-to-day life looked like while starting a company
• 28:24 - When Andreas started his own company, how he felt ahead of his civilian counterparts and where he felt behind
• 30:23 - Advice Andreas would give to other veterans considering starting their own business
• 31:05 - What Andreas has liked most and least about starting his own company
• 32:15 - Other resources Andreas would recommend to listeners
• 34:05 - The most surprising aspect of Andreas’ transition from the Army to civilian life
• 36:40 - Final words of wisdom for veteans

BTU #32: Brooke Jones-Chinetti: Cold emails, JPMorgan, and Startup CEO

“Really its a full time job to get a full-time job. Sometimes with veterans, we're bringing these unfathomable managerial skills to these organizations that we transition to. But we forget that stuff shouldn't just be handed to us... I'm the queen of the cold email now, and I wish that I would have had that confidence as I transitioned to try to find veterans at companies that I was interested in, and to hear what their transition was like." – Brooke Jones-Chinetti

Brooke Jones-Chinetti lives in New York, where she most recently served as the CEO of VetTechTrek - a startup that facilitates high-impact trips to leading tech companies for veterans and their spouses. She started out at West Point, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Portuguese and Environmental Engineering. She served in the US Army for over 6 years, during which she deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and to Kuwait as part of Operation Enduring Freedom - Spartan Shield. She also served as Senior Director of Human Resources and served as the executive officer for the Army's Chief of Signal, a 2-star general position. After her transition from the Army, she spent a year in the Financial Services industry with JPMorgan Chase & Co. as part of their rotational Executive Development Program. She is currently studying at Columbia Business School.

In this conversation, we cover a lot of topics, including:

• Step-by-step advice on how to write cold emails to figure out what you want to do and get your foot in the door for a job
• An over of the JP Morgan Chase rotational Executive Development Program
• Brooke’s experience as CEO of an early stage startup at VetTechTrek
• How leadership as CEO of a startup differed from leadership in the military
• And much, much more…

• • Listen to it on iTunes.
  • Stream by clicking here.
  • Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How can I make these episodes more valuable to active duty military personnel considering transitioning to the civilian world? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Show Notes

• 1:56 - Brooke’s background
• 3:04 - How Brooke and her husband both decided to leave the Army
• 6:15 - Evaluating the Reserves
• 10:40 - The most surprising aspect of Brooke’s transition from the Army to civilian life
• 13:15 - How to use cold emails to find other veterans, learn from their experience, and make connections
• 16:25- Brooke’s first job search and what she learned along the way
• 21:36 - Advice on how to manage the timing of your transition from active duty
• 27:20 - Advice for how to better understand yourself and what you’ll enjoy in a career
• 32:15 - An over of the JP Morgan Chase rotational Executive Development Program
• 34:50 - Brooke’s day-to-day life while at JP Morgan Chase
• 38:15 - Brooke’s decision to transition from JP Morgan Chase to Columbia Business School, and wy she chose an Executive Education program
• 43:02 - Brooke’s experience as CEO of an early stage startup at VetTechTrek
• 47:10 - How leadership as CEO of a startup differed from leadership in the military
• 49:01 - How Brooke felt ahead of her civilian counterparts, and where she had to work to catch up
• 51:33 - Final words of wisdom1:24 - Travis' background

BTU #30 - Travis Collier: The US Coast Guard & Using Sprints to Find Your Passion

“It's so unfortunate that veterans don't practice their new life, until they're in their new life. And really by then, you're behind the eight ball. So really any chance you get to take now while you're in uniform - look at it this way: the military is funding you as the R&D project to find the best life and the best way you can serve others. Finding those condensed opportunities to gain that experience, to gain that data. It's really traingulating - you're taking a fix on geography, income, occupation and fit. If it works it works, if it doesn't then you just keep trying something else." – Travis Collier

Travis Collier is a Journeyman Marine Inspector with the US Coast Guard, where he has served for the last 15 years. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Government and International Affairs from the US Coast Guard Academy, and a Master’s in Instructional & Performance Technology from Boise State University. He is the author of the books "Command Your Transition" & “SCALE”, and works as a coach for military members with 8-10 years of service to implement an intent and strategy to transition out the military and achieve even greater success on the outside .

In this conversation, we cover a lot of topics, including:

• Travis' advice of embracing a transition strategy really early in the transition process
• How to set aside a budget for your own personal Research & Development and use sprints and "takeover weekends" to find your passion
• An overview on coaching and how it can help veterans reach their full potential
• How important sales is to any veteran
• And much, much more…

• • Listen to it on iTunes.
  • Stream by clicking here.
  • Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How can I make these episodes more valuable to active duty military personnel considering transitioning to the civilian world? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

• Eric's article on Top Talent
• Book Recommendations:
  • Command Your Transition: Declare your Intent, Craft your Mission, Make it on the Outside,
  • SCALE: Refuse to Settle Recognize What Matters Redefine Success
  • The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business
  • The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life
• Stanford Ignite Program
• David Sedaris' essay on the Four Burer Theory

Show Notes

• 1:24 - Travis' background
• 2:38 - A few curve balls Travis has experienced while in the US Coast Guard
• 8:15 - Travis' advice of embracing a transition strategy really early in the transition process
• 12:10 - How to set aside a budget for your own personal Research & Development and use sprints and "takeover weekends" to find your passion
• 18:42 - Finding the lifestyle to live, serve, and be honored by
• 26:04 - An overview on coaching and how it can help veterans reach their full potential
• 32:42 - How important sales is to any veteran
• 36:16 - Common roadblocks Travis sees for veterans
• 38:18 - Final words of wisdom

BTU #28: Graham Plaster - Navy to Public Policy & Startups

“I think that failure is such a scary word to anyone in a large organization, because generally in a large organization - like the military or government - they train you to not discuss failure openly. But in grappling with what you want to do next in life and coming to gips with who you are you need to develop a lot more candor. And you need to develop resiliency. It helped me to really reflect on how much sacrifice will I be willing to make in order to achieve what I want to achieve; and how will i talk about my failures to other people so I can help them." – Graham Plaster

Graham Plaster a Senior Adviser at the Defense Language and National Security Education Office. He started out at the Naval Academy, where he received his Bachelors degree in English. After that, he served in the Navy for 11 years as: a Surface Warfare Officer, the Assistant Dean of Students at the Naval War College, a United Nations Liaison Officer, a Foreign Area Officer, and a Navy Staff Officer for the OPNAV Staff. Since his transition to his civilian career he has worked as a consultant, author, editor, founder and advisor in a variety of capacities in the Washington D.C. area

In this conversation, we cover a lot of topics, including:

• How to embrace failure as a way to learn about yourself
• How to find a community where you can add value and potentially start a business
• The advantages of juggling multiple projects and how you can more effectively do this
• How to use LinkedIn as a powerful tool for networking and advancing your career
• And much, much more…

• • Listen to it on iTunes.
  • Stream by clicking here.
  • Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How can I make these episodes more valuable to active duty military personnel considering transitioning to the civilian world? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

• American Corporate Partners - the "best kept secret for veterans" - pro bono organization to connect veterans with senior civilian at Fortune 500 companies
• Podcast Recommendations
  • Entrepreneur On Fire - with Army Veteran John Lee Dumas
  • This Week in Startups
  • A16Z (Andreesen Horwotiz)
  • 99% Invisible
• Book Recommendations:
  • Hacking the Job Search: How to escape the rat race of unread résumés and unanswered applications
  • Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
  • In the Shadow of Greatness: Voices of Leadership, Sacrifice, and Service from America's Longest War
• LinkedIn Free Premium Account for Veterans
• Purple Squirrel - buy time by hour of person you're wanting to interview
• 1000 true fans by Kevin Kelly - a must read for entrepreneurs

Show Notes

• 1:38 - Graham's Background
• 3:21 - How Graham approached the decision to leave the Navy
• 5:02 - How Graham considered the Reserves and remained involved
• 6:44 - An overview of American Corporate Partners - a FREE resource every veteran should consider
• 9:50 - The most surprising aspect of Graham's transition to civilian life
• 11:21 - Graham's advice on how to approach a job search
• 13:22  - Some practical tips and tools to help with increasing your self-knowledge
• 18:10 - Advice for using LinkedIn effectively for networking
• 25:27 - How Graham started TheIntelligenceCommunity.com
• 31:30 - What Graham's startup looks like on a day-to-day basis and what it's like juggling this with a fulltime job
• 38:30 - Advice for veterans considering starting their own company
• 40:10 - Advice for those seeking to juggle multiple jobs and side projects at the same time
• 46:80 - What it's like working at the Defense Language and National Security Education Office
• 49:40 - Final words of advice

BTU 26: RaeAnne Pae - Army to Facebook and Business Development

“I had been given good advice that it didn't matter the first job I did as long as I was learning from it and seeking out opportunities in the first job to be able to figure out what I wanted to do next. And so I went into it with the mindset that I would pick  everyone's brains who I worked with even if not on my team and build these relationships so i could figure out what the next step was." – RaeAnne Pae

RaeAnne Pae is a Client Solution Manager at Facebook, where she helps Financial Technology marketers grow their audience and business through Facebook. RaeAnne started out at doing ROTC at Morehead State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology. After that she served for over 7 years in the Army as an Intelligence Officer, where she was awarded the Bronze Star - the military’s fourth-highest individual military award - not once but twice: first for Combat operations in Iraq while assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division; second for combat operations in southern Afghanistan with assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. When RaeAnne transitioned to a civilian career she started out at the NYSE as an Event Marketing Specialist. She then worked as a Sales & Business Development member first at Tradecraft and then at Addy before joining Facebook.

In this conversation, we cover a lot of topics, including:

• Tradecraft and how to get an MBA equivalent experience in 3 months
• How RaeAnne's transition straight to industry compared with her husband's transition to business school
• Advice for those applying to Facebook and common veteran paths
• Two concrete examples of explaining in a veteran background to a Facebook interviewer
• And much, much more…

• • Listen to it on iTunes.
  • Stream by clicking here.
  • Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How can I make these episodes more valuable to active duty military personnel considering transitioning to the civilian world? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

• Another interview I did between a husband and wife veteran combo where one went to business school and the other directly to industry are my interviews with Jimmy & Shaunnah interview
• Tradecraft - 12 week tech immersion program. Tracts include Sales & BD, User Experience, and Growth
• Another interview that references Coding Academies and other efficient education sources is my interview with Johannes & Maggi on Career Offroading
• Other programs similar to Tradcraft - GrowthX / Growth Academy

Show Notes

• 1:31 - RaeAnne's background
• 4:58 - How RaeAnne approached her decision to leave the Army
• 8:26 - How RaeAnne and her husband approached the Reserves
• 10:23 - The most surpsing aspects of RaeAnne's transition to civilian life
• 13:45 - How RaeAnne approached her initial job search
• 25:38 - An overview of Tradecraft
• 35:00 - RaeAnne's second job search and how she improved - great advice to all veterans
• 44:40 - Advice for those applying to Facebook and common veteran paths
• 47:00 - RaeAnne explains why her background is applicable at Facebook - this is a great example of how veterans could explain their story in an interview
• 49:33 - RaeAnne explains how her background relates to sales and relationship building
• 51:45 - How RaeAnne's journey directly to industry compared with her husband's choice to go to business school

BTU #23: John Pontrello - Aviation to HBS and the Oil & Energy Industry

“A lot of stress goes into the transition and thinking about what's next. Trust in the system that being a high performer and having a positive attitude and getting things done is going to work out. You're going to hit a lot stumbling blocks along the way and face a lot of uncertainty, but if you maintain that positive attitude you're going to be fine." – John Pontrello

John Pontrello graduated from the Naval Academy and served for 9 years as a Naval Aviator in various helicopter squadrons. After getting out of the Navy, he attended Harvard Business School. After receiving his MBA from Harvard, he entered the Oil & Gas industry as part of Cameron - a publicly traded company that is now part of Schlumberger. John started as a Corporate Development Manager and then progressed to a Plant Manager. John then returned to Harvard, where he is currently earning his Master of Public Administration at the Kennedy School of Government.

In this conversation, we cover a lot of topics, including:

• Choosing to go straight to Business School at Harvard Business School rather than to industry
• Advice on using the GI Bill
• How John decided to enter the Oil & Energy Industry with Cameron
• An overview of the Corporate Development Manager
• An overview of a Plant Manager
• What career progression looks like in the Oil & Energy industry
• What it's been like at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government
• And much, much more…

• • Listen to it on iTunes.
  • Stream by clicking here.
  • Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How can I make these episodes more valuable to active duty military personnel considering transitioning to the civilian world? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

• GMAT Prep recommendations: Kaplan, Manhattan Prep courses (look for discounts for veterans)

Show Notes

• 1:19 - John’s background
• 2:06 - John’s decision to leave the Navy
• 2:58 - Choosing to not join the Reserves
• 3:32 - The most surprising aspect of John’s transition to civilian life
• 4:16 - Choosing to go straight to Business School at Harvard Business School rather than to industry
• 4:57 - Advice on applying to Business School and Harvard Business School in particular
• 9:03 - What John liked most and least about his time at Harvard Business School
• 10:30 - Advice on how a veteran might cover their weakness in advance (or as an alternative to business school)
• 12:13 - Advice on using the GI Bill
• 13:20 - How John decided to enter the Oil & Energy Industry with Cameron
• 15:44 - An overview of the Corporate Development Manager
• 19:25 - In what ways John felt behind his civilian counterparts, and in what ways he felt ahead.
• 21:50 - An overview of a Plant Manager
• 24:50 - What career progression looks like in the Oil & Energy industry
• 30:00 - What are signs that you may enjoy a career in the Oil & Energy industry... and signs that you may not like it
• 31:30 - What it's been like at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government
• 33:30 - Final words of wisdom

BTU #21: Ian Folau - Tactical advice for starting a company (even while on Active Duty)

“I was able to throw together some website and it was bringing in enough leads that we were able to fill everybody's houses and it just really took off for me. And it was my first venture, and ever since then I was hooked. The idea that I can make more money than my paycheck was exciting for me - the fact that I can provide something that someone will pay even a dollar for motivated me beyond what I could imagine." – Ian Folau

Ian Folau is the Co-Founder & CEO of the New York based startup, GitLinks. However, this wasn't Ian's first startup. Ian started founding companies while still on active duty in the Army, where he started his first of multiple startups. Ian studied Systems Engineering at West Point after which he served in the Army in multiple capacities before returning to West Point as an instructor. After departing the Army, he attended Cornell Tech to obtain his MBA, and during which he co-founded his most recent company.

In this conversation, we cover a lot of topics, including:

• Steps you can take right now to start your first company (even if you're on Active Duty)
• Resources you can use to start learning and growing as an entrepreneur
• Entrepreneurial mistakes that Ian made and what he learned from them, and the importance of failing fast
• Advice on how to tease out who might be a better Co-Founder
• What Ian's day-to-day life looked like when he first founded GitLinks
• How leadership as an entrepreneur differs from military leadership
• And much, much more…

• • Listen to it on iTunes.
  • Stream by clicking here.
  • Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How can I make these episodes more valuable to active duty military personnel considering transitioning to the civilian world? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

• Related Interviews: BTU #13 - Taylor Justice: Army to Raising $6M in Funding
• Book Recommendations:
  • Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!
  • Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth
  • The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
• Podcast Recommendations:
  • Entrepreneur On Fire
  • Smart Passive Income
  • The Tim Ferriss Show
• Tech MBA Programs referenced:
  • Cornell Tech
  • University of Washington Technology Management MBA
  • UT Austin

Show Notes

• 1:39 - Ian’s background
• 2:40 - Ian's decision to leave the Army
• 6:26 - Deciding to not pursue the Reserves
• 7:20 - The most surprising aspect of Ian's transition to civilian life
• ** 9:39 - Ian does a fantastic job of explaining his background in a way that is relevant to the listener. This comes up time and time again in interviews as a really crucial skill
• 12:45 - Advice on how to better explain a veterans history to a civilian
• 15:10 - Ian's experience starting companies while in the Army and how he got started
• 21:30 - Resources to consider to help in your own entrepreneurial journey
• 28:11 - Entrepreneurial mistakes that Ian made and what he learned from them, and the importance of failing fast
• 33:10 - Advice on how to tease out who might be a better Co-Founder
• 38:52 - Cornell Tech, and how it supports entrepreneurs
• 40:52 - Advice on applying to Cornell Tech, and other programs to consider
• 43:10 - An overview on Ian's current company, GitLinks
• 46:15 - What Ian's day-to-day life looked like when he first founded GitLinks
• 48:56 - How leadership as an entrepreneur differs from military leadership
• 51:19 - Actions you can take right now to start an entrepreneurial journey (even while on Active Duty)
• 53:19 - Final words of wisdom

BTU #20 - Tony Zamora: Electronics Technician to Human Resources

“Something that was surprising [about the transition to civilian life] is that not everything is really laid out for you. In the military a lot of things are laid out for you; you go through specific trainings and checklists, you have a criteria on how you’re going to grow your career and take the test to advance and everything is defined by points and very structured in the military. When you get out, it’s nothing like that. You’re as successful on the outside as you want to be. you have to be hungry for those opportunities and seek them, because nothing is really laid out for you." – Tony Zamora

Tony Zamora is the Director of Human Resources at Ipsos, a company with over 17,000 worldwide employees. Tony started out as an Electronics Tech in the US Navy, and also served as an Electronics Repair Technician with the Coast Guard. He has worked in Human Resources roles at the Sierra Nevada Corporation and The San Jose Group.

In this conversation, we cover a lot of topics, including:

• An overview of Human Resources and why you might find it appealing
• What it’s like to be a Director of Human Resources, and what day-to-day life looks like
• Common mistakes that veterans make in their transition and job search
• How to improve your resume
• What someone on active duty can do right now to start preparing for their transition to a civilian career
• And much, much more…

• • Listen to it on iTunes.
  • Stream by clicking here.
  • Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How can I make these episodes more valuable to active duty military personnel considering transitioning to the civilian world? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Show Notes

• 1:20 - Tony’s background
• 2:25 - Tony’s decision to leave the military and how he approached it
• 3:31 - How Tony researched what he wanted to do outside of the military
• 5:41 - An overview of Human Resources and what appealed to Tony about this career
• 7:01 - What it’s like to be a Director of Human Resources, and what day-to-day life looks like
• 11:10 - In what ways Tony felt ahead of his peers in Human Resources, and where he had to catch up based on his military service
• 13:07 - What was most surprising to Tony about his transition to civilian life
• 14:40 - Advice to veterans based on Tony’s experience in Human Resources (HR)
• 16:35 - The best advice Tony received about how to transition to a civilian career
• 17:40 - Advice on how to network
• 21:45 - Common mistakes that veterans make in their transition and job search
• 22:16 - How to improve your resume
• 23:50 - What someone on active duty can do right now to start preparing for their transition to a civilian career
• 27:35 - Final words of advice to veterans

BTU #19 - Veteran Sales Hacks (a 5 Min Video About Networking)

For the podcast, while I normally interview veterans about their civilian career, today I wanted to mix things up. One of the recurring themes of my show has been the importance of networking. Today, I take you through a 5  minute video overview of powerful - and free - tools you can use to take your networking and outreach to the next level. Video:

Related Links:

• LinkedIn for Veterans - a must have tool for everyone in the galaxy
• Rapportive - Provides social profile info for emails, and is helpful at guessing emails for cold outreach
• Boomerang - lots of helpful tools here, but the one I reference is reminding you if the person you email does not respond within a set time period
• Assistant.to - cut down on all the back and forth of scheduling with Assistant.to; it's like having a virtual assistant, but for free
• Beyondtheuniform_email_help_for_veterans - a free excel spreadsheet that will help you identify the top 9 most common email formats

BTU 17: Maggi & Johannes - Career Off-roading

This episode is a break from my normal format - rather than interview a veteran about their civilian career, I interview TWO veterans about their advice based on their work in helping other veterans. This episode is FULL of helpful hints, resources, and recommendations that would benefit any veteran.

In this interview I meet with Johannes Schonberg and Maggi Melina. Johannes enlisted in the navy as a Nuclear Machinist Mate, before attending the Naval Academy with a degree in English. He served as a Surface Warfare Officer in San Diego for five years before transitioning to civilian life. He has done work in Politics and as a consultant, helping companies like T-Mobile and Facebook hire veterans. Maggi Air Force ground radar systems journeyman, deploying to Kuwait. After her transition, she completed her bachelors degree, went to law school, and worked as a lawyer for seven years. After practicing law, she worked in politics, as an electrician, and then as a founder of a startup.

In this conversation, we cover a lot of topics, including:

• Practical tips and tools to use as a veteran to help in your networking
• Coding academies and other efficient resources to help educate you for a specific job
• What companies like Facebook and T-Mobile look for in veterans
• And much, much more...

• • Listen to it on iTunes.
  • Stream by clicking here.
  • Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

• Operation Code- mentor people to learn new tech skill set
• LinkedIn Premium Account
• Education sources to consider: EdX, Coursera (Promotion for Veterans), Salesforce for Veterans (VetForce), udemy, Khan Academy,  Udacity, Continuing education at community college
• Events to consider - Startup Weekend; Seattle Tech list serv, MeetUp.com, Lean Startup, Veterans on Wall Street, Military Conferences, Academy Conferences
• Code Schools to consider: Code Fellows, Operation Code (list of code schools that take the GI Bill)
• Glass Door - there's a lot of salary info here. I recommend you use them to see the earning potential of graduates from a program; before you invest money in an education, know the concrete numbers you can expect to make on the other side
• American Corporate Partners - connects military personnel with a senior level civilian to be your mentor
• Deliotte Core Leadership Program - helps veterans build an elevator pitch and build their personal brand
• Vet Tech Trek - go from tech companies around SF and NY and finance
• The Commit Foundation - creates tailored transition solutions for top Veteran talent and are reaching Veterans across the nation through our small touch, high impact workshops and 1-on-1 transition assistance programs.
• Upwork - freelance site; could use to build skills
  • Top skills for 2015 - what skills are most valuable that year
• To consider while on Active Duty - The Defense Innovation Initiative; the Navy Innovation Advisory; Hacking for Defense (H4D), Defense Entrepreneurs Forum,
• http://seattletechstartups.com/
• To Contact Maggi - OperationCode.Org's Slack Channel (Direct Message @Maggi)
• Johannes' work at Bunker Labs - free resource, overview of what entrepreneurship looks like, as well as the Athena Project

Show Notes

• 1:30 Intro and background info Johannes and Maggi
• 7:12 What people on active duty may not understand about civilian life.
• 12:30 What is “networking” and advice for veterans about how to get started
• 17:10 Education - taking a proactive and efficient approach to education, and specific resources to consider
• 21:00 How a veteran might approach “networking” in a way that is more authentic and natural to them
• 23:26 A few other resources to consider for education
• 25:20 Common mistakes that veterans make in their transition to civilian life
• 29:50 An overview of Code Schools and Coding Academies
• 34:58 What veterans should know about applying to companies like Facebook and T-Mobile
• 43:40 Other advice and words of wisdom for veterans

BTU #16 - John Vardaman: Construction, Project Management, and Tesla

“And I think sometimes that was hard to admit to ourselves and to others in the military: it was a little scary looking out there at the job market and trying to figure out how am I going to make this work and make this happen? It is not that bad - and I would encourage folks to be confident in themselves and their skills. You've been equipped with the skills to land pretty much any job out there." – John Vardaman

John Vardaman is a Senior Construction Manager at Tesla. He started his career in the Construction Industry at DPR Construction, where he served as a Project Manager. While at DPR Construction, he earned his Masters in Sustainable Design and Construction at Stanford University. In the military, John served as a Human Intelligence Officer in the Marine Corps, and graduated from the US Naval Academy.

In this conversation, we cover a lot of topics, including:

• How John used multiple recruiters over the course of a year to find his ideal job
• What it's like to be a Project Manager, and how the military prepares you for this role
• The benefits of pursuing advanced education once you have civilian working experience
• How to explain your background to an employer in terms that will resonate with them
• How to approach the job search with confidence and humility
• And much, much more…

• • Listen to it on iTunes.
  • Stream by clicking here.
  • Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How can I make these episodes more valuable to active duty military personnel considering transitioning to the civilian world? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

• DPR Construction
• John mentions working with three recruiting groups, one of which is the Lucas Group

Show Notes

• [2:00] John's Background
• [2:48] Making the decision to leave the Marine Corps
• [4:54] Evaluating whether or not to join the Reserves
• [6:30] Choosing his first job, and working with Recruiters (and the pros and cons of Recruiters)
• [9:18] Starting to work with Recruiters one year from separation and the advantages of more time for interviews
• [12:30] What drew John to Construction and Project Management
• ** [13:20] John does an amazing job explaining his past as it would help in a Project Management role. I thought this was a great, tangible example of how to sell your background for ones desired role
• [16:20] John explains how he would explain his military background in a Project Management role
• [19:27] Day-to-day life of a Project Manager in the Construction industry
• [22:40] Where John felt ahead of his peers based on his military service... and where he felt behind
• [25:48] The most surprising aspect of John's transition to life as a civilian
• [31:23] How leadership outside of the military differs from leadership in the military
• [34:18] Pursuing a Master's at Stanford while working, and how John benefited from having experience before pursuing advanced education
• [39:37] John's experience working at Tesla, and how great it is to work at a company aligned with your values
• [44:44] Final words of advice for military personnel and other veterans

BTU #14 - Noel Gonzalez: Starting 3 Companies While on Active Duty

"I think military people assume that when they get out the military their skills and abilities are going to put them in a job that is paying them more than when they were in the military. I think that's a misconception - once they get out they have to realize they have to prove themselves again. That could take one month or four jobs, but you have to realize that your'e starting fresh."– Noel Gonzalez

Noel Gonzalez - grew up in Cuba, emigrated to the United States, and eventually became the Commanding Officer of the USS Cheyenne (SSN 773), where he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. While on Active Duty, Noel founded three different startups. The most recent - and one we discuss most during the interview - is a company built to help Veterans in their transition to civilian life (SkillMil). In this interview we discuss:

• The mistakes Noel made and learned from in starting his first two companies
• Steps that active duty military personnel can do right now to fill in their business knowledge gaps
• What day-to-day life is like as an entrepreneur
• The importance of mentors and coaches as part of the transition process
• How leadership outside of the military differs from leadership within the military
• And much, much more…

• • Listen to it on iTunes.
  • Stream by clicking here.
  • Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How can I make these episodes more valuable to active duty military personnel considering transitioning to the civilian world? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

• Stanford Ignite - also there is a Veterans Ignite every summer
• Sloan MIT Online Courses - all online courses, easy to understand
• SkillMil - help veterans translate their experience in the military to employers in the civilian world
• SRI International - helping make lives healthier, better, and more productive
• Jimmy Sopko interview - I reference this as an example of a veteran who rolled up his sleeves, took a pay cut, and worked his way up in an organization

Show Notes

• [2:15] - From Cuba to Commanding Officer of the USS Cheyenne, Noel's background
• [4:13] - The mistakes Noel made and learned from in starting his first two companies
• [5:42] - Where Noel felt he was most behind his civilian counterparts in starting a company
• [7:02] - Advice on ways to fill in business knowledge gaps while in the military
• [10:37] - How Noel started his third company, SkillMil
• [12:28] - How SkillMil helps veterans
• [17:48] - What day-to-day life is like as an entrepreneur
• [20:55] - Common misconceptions about civilian life
• [25:00] - The importance of mentors and coaches as part of the transition process
• [27:21] - How leadership outside of the military differs from leadership within the military
• [28:24] - Final advice to those on active duty

BTU #13 - Taylor Justice: Army to Raising $6M in Funding

“As you start to make this transition, -asking for advice is the smart move. Thinking that you have everything figured out or that you're going to be bothering someone learning about what they're doing that's the fool's road. I would urge people to not be scared of reaching out to people - if you don't, you're hurting yourself." – Taylor Justice

Taylor Justice is the Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer at Unite Us, a start-up that connects citizens with local coordinated services. Based in New York, Unite Us has raised over $6M in venture funding, and over 20 employees. After attending the U.S. Military Academy and serving for over a year as an Infantry Officer in the Army, Taylor was unexpectedly medically discharged from the Army. He faced his transition to civilian life years before he expected it, with no peers or classmates from whom to seek advice. Through a meticulous approach to reaching out to others, Taylor landed his first job in the Medical Devices industry, and then transitioned to the world of tech. While attending Columbia Business School he met his co-founder, and launched Unite Us.

In this conversation, we cover a lot of topics, including:

• An unexpected departure from the Army, and navigating a career search before his peers
• Using a systematic email process to gain information and his first job
• The advantages of client support functional roles and sales roles
• What it's like to start and grow a startup
• Advice for other veterans seeking to start their own business
• Not being afraid to ask advice from anyone and everyone as a means of learning
• And much, much more…

• • Listen to it on iTunes.
  • Stream by clicking here.
  • Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How can I make these episodes more valuable to active duty military personnel considering transitioning to the civilian world? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

• Higher Echelon
• Columbia Business School
• Unite Us

Show Notes

• [1:38] Background
• [2:40] An unexpected separation from the Army
• [8:40] The most helpful resources in his initial job search
• [14:07] Advice for structuring an outreach process as part of a job search
• [15:48] How the military most prepared and least prepared him for an Account Executive and Sales role
• [18:50] The starting point of founding Unite Us
• [22:25] Advice on finding and vetting a potential co-founder
• [24:15] Whether to gain experience prior to starting a company, or do it straight out of the military
• [29:12] The day-to-day life of starting a company
• [33:30] Common misconceptions that military personnel have about starting a company
• [38:25] How military personnel can benefit from Unite Us
• [44:05] Biggest advice - don't be afraid to ask for help

BTU #11: Alex Chivers - College at Dartmouth & Investment Banking

“Being able to work with deadlines and under pressure, attention to detail...these little things add up dramatically to put you in a position to do well [in the Civilian world]." – Alex Chivers

Alex Chivers served as a Non-Commissioned Officer in the US Army, where was part of the elite Army Rangers. During his time in the Army, Alex deployed multiple times to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. After leaving the Army, Alex was accepted to Dartmouth College, routinely ranked as one of the top ten colleges in the country. While at Dartmouth, Alex held internships in the Investment Banking world with both Barclays and Perella Weinberg Partners, as well as an internship at the US House of Representatives. Alex has also worked as an Ambassador for Service to School, helping other veterans get into college.

In this conversation, we cover a lot of topics, including:

• His decision to leave the Army.
• How a conversation on Reddit helped him get into Dartmouth
• His work with Service to School, and advice on applying to college
• Common mistakes he sees veterans make in their transition to civilian life
• An overview of the Investment Banking world
• And much, much more…

• • Listen to it on iTunes.
  • Stream by clicking here.
  • Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

QUESTION OF THE DAY: How can I make these episodes more valuable to active duty military personnel considering transitioning to the civilian world? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

• Service to School - FREE coaching for any military veterans to get into your ideal undergrad or graduate institution
  • Veritas Prep Complete GMAT Course Set - 12 Books
  • Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set (Manhattan Prep GMAT Strategy Guides)
• Service to School's Undergraduate Application Guide
• Service to School's MBA Application Guide
• American Corporate Partners: free assistance to pair veterans with someone in a desired career field
• Warrior Scholar Project (WSP): WSP is essentially an academic bootcamp for transitioning enlisted veterans at top schools across the country. It is completely free for those attending, but participants usually have to cover transportation costs. It focuses heavily on academic reading and writing and is taught by professors from whatever school it is located at.

Show Notes

• [2:10] Army Rangers, Darthmouth, and Alex's background
• [3:10] Deciding to leave the Army
• [4:31] How far in advance Alex started to plan
• [6:35] Deciding between college vs. straight to industry
• [7:45] Preparing financially for the transition to civilian life
• [9:55] How Alex get into Dartmouth
• [13:10] How a Reddit forum helped him get into college
• [15:35] Advice for college applications
• [18:36] Common misconceptions Alex sees when people are applying to college and transitioning to civilian life
• [23:15] How the Army put Alex ahead... and where he felt behind his classmates
• [27:20] Additional resources to consider
• [28:31] Interning in the Investment Banking world
• [30:50] Interning at the US House of Representatives
• [32:22] What's next for Alex after Dartmouth
• [35:30] Final advice to those on Active Duty