Podcast

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BTU #263 - Business Development @ Palantir (Chris Musselman & Michael Adams)

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BTU #263 - Business Development @ Palantir (Chris Musselman & Michael Adams)

Why Listen:
In this episode I interview not one but TWO incredible Veterans who work at Palantir, both of them work in Business Development. We do a deep dive on both Palantir and the functional role of Business Development, with two different viewpoints on each. We talk about listening to your gut when you make decision; we talk about how Veterans have more tech experience than they may think; we talk about taking a step back before making career decisions; we talk about taking the time to find your own way of advocating for yourself, and much, much more.

About Chris & Michael:
Chris Musselman works in Business Development Executive at Palantir. He started out at the Naval Academy, after which he served for over 21 years with the Navy SEALs. He holds a Master’s in International Public Policy from The Johns Hopkins University.

Michael Adams is an Business Development Executive at Palantir. He started out at the Naval Academy, after which he served in the Navy for over 20 years as both a Surface Warfare Officer and a member of the Judge Advocate General corps. He holds a J.D. from Georgetown University and a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School.

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BTU #261 - A 13 Year Journey to the Perfect Post-Service Career (Robin Brown)

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BTU #261 - A 13 Year Journey to the Perfect Post-Service Career (Robin Brown)

Why Listen:
First of all, Robin Brown is one of three Veterans spotlighted in the 30-minute documentary, Adventure Not War. I watched it and consider myself a movie aficionado -it’s fantastic. Google it - it’s also free. It is inspiring, to say the least. In this interview we talk about Robin’s long and complicated transition process from the military - one that took her 13 years to find a career that she loves. And she did it - she’s a relative rarity in that - she found a career that she LOVES, and it shows in this conversation. She talks about how the attributes that made her successful in the military were a liability in the civilian world - how she had to adapt her communication and response to corporate culture in order to be successful. We talk about her job in public service and why this sort of career may be very fulfilling to other veterans.

About Robin:
Robin Brown is the Executive Director at Grand Junction Economic Partnership, a non-profit organization that is your first point of contact if you are looking to expand or relocate your company to the Grand Junction, Colorado area. She served as an Army as an Aviation Officer flying OH-58s for 8 years, where she deployed twice to Iraq- first as an AS3, then as a Company Commander of an attack helicopter company. She is also a self-proclaimed "Army brat from a family of Army brats,” and her husband served as an Army pilot as well.

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BTU #260 - Marines to Founder of Ranch Road Boots (Sarah Ford)

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BTU #260 - Marines to Founder of Ranch Road Boots (Sarah Ford)

Why Listen:
First off, Sarah has graciously provided a 15%-off coupon for Beyond the Uniform listeners for every product on her website at RanchRoadBoots.com. Just enter the code BTU at checkout and you’ll get 15% off all items, including those on clearance. This is an exceptional interview for aspiring entrepreneurs. We talk about how Sarah successfully raised $28,000 on Kickstarter, and her advice for running a crowdfunding campaign. We talk about marketing on Facebook, Google, and Amazon. We talk about getting out of your comfort zone and  being honest about where the need is for your company’s product. We talk about using freelancers to move faster. We talk about how Sarah manages to run and grow a company while also raising two kids… and it’s a beautiful look at the importance of having boundaries. We talk about making your company as self-service as possible, so that you can focus on meaningful customer interactions.and we talk about - if you have that entrepreneurial  itch - to do it now, and not wait for that MBA, experience or whatever else you think you may need. 

About Sarah:
Sarah is the Founder and Head Honcho at Ranch Road Boots, where her mission is to create leather goods with style and quality that can last forever. Ranch Road Boots donates proceeds from every purchase to the Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund and has a program making boots for amputees. She started out at the University of Texas at Austin, and served as an Officer in the Marine Corps for six years, with time in Iraq, Afghanistan and 29 Palms. She earned her MBA from Harvard Business School, and has worked as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group as well as at the startup, Local Motors. Sarah has offered BTU listeners 15% off all items on Ranch Road Boots, including clearance items, and you’ll find additional details in the show notes for this episode.

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BTU #259 - Advice about Crowdfunding (Brian Olivier)

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BTU #259 - Advice about Crowdfunding (Brian Olivier)

Why Listen:
Brian faced an unexpected departure from the military, which eventually led to his side hustle, Gluconfidence. In this interview, we go step-by-step through the crowdfunding process. We also talk about the importance of doing something you love with a startup, so that not everything is tied to a financial outcome. We also talk about what it’s like to start a company while working full time and supporting a family. This is a great interview for aspiring entrepreneurs, or anyone interested in taking their side project to the next level.

About Brian:
Brian Olivier is a Regional Business Development Manager at Medtronic, a global healthcare solutions company operating in approximately 160 countries. He started out at the Naval Academy as part of the class of 2002, and served in the Navy as a helicopter pilot for four years. After his military service, he worked in residential construction atToll Brothers as an Assistant Project Manager, and then at Procter & Gamble as a Logistics Manager. He has worked at Medtronic for over six years in Medical Device Sales and Marketing, and holds an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.  

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BTU #258 - Army Ranger to HBO and Writing & Directing Movies (Brian Hanson)

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BTU #258 - Army Ranger to HBO and Writing & Directing Movies (Brian Hanson)

Why Listen:
Brian works at HBO… enough said. As if that weren’t enough to listen to this episode, he wrote and directed the movie, The Black String, starring Frankie Muniz (from Malcom in the Middle, amongst other productions). In this interview, we talk about how Hollywood is more similar to the military than you would think. We talk about how everything is a process: it is just one step after another, and how military Veterans can accomplish anything with this approach. We talk about patience, about how Hollywood is structure surprisingly in the same way that the military is. We talk about pursuing executive education while working and much much more. 

About Brian:
Brian Hanson is a writer/director who co-wrote and directed the indie thriller, THE BLACK STRING, starring Frankie Muniz. Brian was a member of the US Army's 75th Ranger Regiment where he jumped out of airplanes and deployed to Afghanistan several times. After serving, Brian earned an MFA in Film Production from Mount St. Mary's University and also gained invaluable filmmaking experience by working as a PA on HBO shows BARRY, ROOM 104 and SILICON VALLEY. Brian holds a BA in Film Production from California State Northridge and completed the Writers Guild Foundation year long Veterans Writing Project. Brian volunteers with the non-profit organization Veterans in Media & Entertainment (VME), where he helps connect studios, agencies, and production companies with veterans entering the entertainment industry.

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BTU #257 - Air Force Veteran to NBA Trainer, Nike Innovation, & Public Speaker (Kevin Carroll)

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BTU #257 - Air Force Veteran to NBA Trainer, Nike Innovation, & Public Speaker (Kevin Carroll)

Why Listen:
I think you are really going to enjoy Kevin and his perspective, because his is a story of not just pivots, but MAJOR career pivots. This started while he was in the Air Force, where serendipity and tenacity got him into physical training. His career since then has included being an athletic trainer in the NBA, an innovation director at Nike, and now the owner of his own company, where he is a speaker, coach and more. His is a story of being told “no, you can’t do that” and then paving his own way and proving that advice wrong. He is also a published author of multiple books, including one where ESPN has purchased the rights to his material! There is something for everyone in this interview, and I’m confident you will walk away from it inspired to pursue your own career path with renewed energy. 

About Kevin:
Kevin Carroll is the Owner of Kevin Carroll Katalyst, where is a author, speaker, high performance coach and inspiration impresario. He has worked as an athletic trainer for 5 years (high school, college, NBA), as well as 7 years with Nike as a category innovation director, director of internal communications, and member special projects. He is the author of three books, most notably, Rules of the Red Rubber Ball: Find and Sustain Your Life's Work. He has given TedX talks in both Vancouver and Harlem. He served in the Air Force for 10 years as a Cryptologic Linguist.

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BTU #256 - From Army to 22 Years @ Amgen (Ben Chu)

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BTU #256 - From Army to 22 Years @ Amgen (Ben Chu)

Why Listen:
Ben’s first job out of the Army was at Amgen, and he has worked there for nearly 23 years. In this interview we talk about the variety of roles he has held at Amgen. We also talk about Ben’s extensive experience mentoring many Veterans through American Corporate Partners. Ben shares advice for listeners based on his mentorship work and common challenges he’s seen Veterans face. He talks about the importance of understanding why you are leaving the military. He shares advice about networking and how a connection with another Veteran lead to his work in Research & Development. He talks about how to explain one’s background to someone who is not familiar with the military. He shares why it’s important to be as close as possible to selling a product or making a product. And we talk about much, much more.

About Ben:
Ben Chu is a Director, Global Program Management at Amgen, the world’s largest biotechnology company.  Amgen’s mission is to serve patients by developing innovative and transformative medicines. He started out at West Point, after which he served as a Combat Engineer in the Army for over 6 years. He has worked at Amgen for nearly 23 years, starting out in Amgen’s Engineering organization, and then, with the help of the veteran’s network, landed a PM role in R&D, where he has worked in a variety of leadership roles (Pre-Clinical, Clinical, Regulatory & Safety, and now Commercialization). Ben holds an M.S. Engineering from UCLA and an M.B.A. from Pepperdine University.

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BTU #255 - Air Force JAG Officer to starting a Law Firm (Mitchell Howie)

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BTU #255 - Air Force JAG Officer to starting a Law Firm (Mitchell Howie)

Why Listen:
Mitchell went from an Air Force JAG officer to starting his own company. In this interview, we talk about starting your own business - in this case, a law practice - and how important it is to have sufficient savings (or supplemental income) in order to do so. In starting his own law practice, Mitchell had to network and sell himself a lot - he gives practical advice for Veterans on how to approach this. If you’re interested in either entrepreneurship or the legal field, this is a terrific interview for you.

About Mitchell:
Mitchell John Howie is the owner of the Law Offices of Michell J. Howie. He has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers and Top 40 under 40 by the National Trial Lawyers.  He is also ranked as One of the Top 10 under 40 in criminal law by the National Academy of Criminal Defense. He served in the U.S. Air Force on Active Duty as a Judge Advocate General for over four years, and currently serves in the Reserves. Also has worked in the Texas House of Representatives and has served as a special assistant to the US Attorney's Office.

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BTU #254 - Lessons learned from GI Jobs & VIQTORY (Darryl Williams)

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BTU #254 - Lessons learned from GI Jobs & VIQTORY (Darryl Williams)

Why Listen:
Darryl is a kindred spirit, and has an exceptional depth of knowledge about the Military Veteran transition process based on his work with VIQTORY. In this interview we talk about entitlement, which is the most dangerous challenge facing Veterans as they approach their transition to a civilian career. We talk about branding - why it’s so important, how to do it effectively, and why this may be a challenge to Veterans. We talk about expanding your job search, taking time to aim before firing on your first job search, how to network effectively and more.

About Darryl:
Darryl Williams is the Manager of Strategic Partnerships at VIQTORY, which since 2001 has been connecting the military community to civilian opportunities. VIQTORY includes G.I. Jobs, Military Spouse, and Military Friendly. Darryl served for over 20 years in the US Army, most recently as a Regional Director of Recruiting Operations in Fort Worth, TX. He holds an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management, and a BBA from the Columbia Southern University.

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Behind Beyond the Uniform - important updates

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Behind Beyond the Uniform - important updates

In this episode, I share two important career decisions I’ve made in the last 18 months, and how I approached each. My intention in doing so is to give you a real world sense of how - even 10 years after my service in the military - I continue to evaluate what the right career move is for me and my family. I also share a few upcoming changes at Beyond the Uniform.

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BTU #253 - Army Green Beret to Product Marketing @ GoPro (Jeremy Hendricks)

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BTU #253 - Army Green Beret to Product Marketing @ GoPro (Jeremy Hendricks)

Why Listen:
I LOVED my chat with Jeremy. He is a man who values authenticity in his personal and professional life, and he found a company - GoPro - that prizes that as well. In this interview we do a deep dive on both the Product Management and Product Marketing roles. We talk about Business School, and how to evaluate whether this is the right path for you. We talk about how what you did in undergrad and what you did in the military can inform what you do, but don’t have to dictate your path. And we talk about why Veterans may love working at a company with a physical product, just like GoPro.

About Jeremy:
Jeremy Hendricks is a Product Marketing Manager at GoPro. He started out at the University of Scranton, and served in the US Army for 9 years - as Army Signal Corps officer, and then with the US Army Special Forces as a Detachment Commander, where his team specialized in military free fall ops and Special Reconnaissance. After his military service he got his MBA at the Berkeley Haas School of Business, where he did an internship with GoPro. Since graduation, he has worked at GoPro for nearly four years, starting as a Product Manager.

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BTU #252 - Navy Veteran to Veteran Talent Acquisition at Amgen (Bre Cameron)

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BTU #252 - Navy Veteran to Veteran Talent Acquisition at Amgen (Bre Cameron)

Why Listen:
Bre had a rough transition from the military, which is one of the many reasons why she enjoys her current role at Amgen, where she helps military veterans. In this interview we talk about how important it is for Veterans to get face-to-face with a hiring manger, and how veterans excel in this environment. We talk about specific advice on how to improve your resume based on Bre’s seven years of experience in the talent acquisition space. We talk about a TON of resources - check out show notes - for services designed to help you. We talk about tips to improve your interviewing and much, much more.

About Bre:
Bre Cameron is the Veteran Employment Program Manager at Amgen, one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies, where their mission is to to serve patients. She started out in the U.S. Navy as a Photographer’s Mate, and has been in talent acquisition for over 7 years. She holds a Master’s degree in Engaged Humanities and The Creative Life from Pacific Graduate Institute, and a Bachelors in Liberal Studies from Bowling Green State University.

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BTU #251 - Navy Veteran to Helping Military Spouses at The Paradigm Switch (Lauren Grimshaw)

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BTU #251 - Navy Veteran to Helping Military Spouses at The Paradigm Switch (Lauren Grimshaw)

Why Listen:
All the way back in BTU #92, I interviewed Justine Evirs about her incredible work helping military Veterans in their transition to a civilian career. Well, since that time, Justine started a new company, called The Paradigm Switch, which is committed to unleashing the potential of military spouses by leveraging the power of technology and in-demand skills that resonate in our technology-driven economy. I am a BIG fan of Justine, and after interviewing today’s guest - who is the Chief Operations Officer at The Paradigm Shift - I am even more excited about this new company. Laurent is a Veteran herself, and goes into the reason why The Paradigm Shift is SO crucial - because, of the 45k organizations that help Veterans, less than 35 of those help spouses! We delve into this problem, and also go through an overview of both Program and Project Management.

About Lauren:
Lauren Grimshaw is the COO of The Paradigm Switch: an organization committed to unleashing the potential of military spouses by leveraging the power of technology and in-demand skills that resonate in our technology-driven economy.  There are over 45,000 organizations serving veterans and transitioning service members - and fewer than 35 serving spouses - yet military spouse unemployment is 3 to 5 times higher than veteran unemployment.  Lauren started out at the University of Virginia, and served as a Surface Warfare Officer for over four years with time on the USS Anzio and the USS Momsen. She herself is a Navy Spouse, and also holds an MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology. 

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BTU #250 - Navy Veteran to Congressional Candidate (Josh Welle)

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BTU #250 - Navy Veteran to Congressional Candidate (Josh Welle)

Why Listen:
Josh left Active Duty after 12 years of service, which can be a very difficult decision for people in the military. In this interview, Josh shares a great perspective about how to approach this decision. In this interview, we talk about starting a company. We talk about politics, and Josh’s own run for congress, including how he raised over $1.8 million for his campaign. We talk about viewing your life as different, distinct chapters and how to use that approach to explain your background. We talk about not having the outcome be the entirety of your focus and recognizing the things that are out of your control, while still giving your all to a cause you believe in. We talk about networking, we talk about eulogy virtues, and so much more. Needless to say - there is something for everyone in today’s interview.

About Josh:
Josh Welle is a Defense Council Member with the Truman National Security Project. Earlier this year, he ran as a Candidate for Congress in his home state of New Jersey. He started out at the Naval Academy -  as part of the illustrious class of 2002 - after which he served in the US Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer for over 12 years, to include missions in OIF and OEF. After leaving the military he founded a software company with two other veterans, raised seed capital, and delivered software to the government. He holds an MA/MBA from the University of Maryland and a Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School.

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BTU #249 - Army Veteran to Founder of Bronson Lee Partners (Chris Brusznicki)

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BTU #249 - Army Veteran to Founder of Bronson Lee Partners (Chris Brusznicki)

Why Listen:
My guest today invested in properties in undergrad and, nearly ten years later, started two different companies that built on that experience. In this interview we talk about how Chris used trusted advisors as a sounding board, and how that led him to abandon his plans of pursuing a PHD to instead pursue a completely different career path. We talk about what it’s like to pursue an MBA and Masters of Engineering Management simultaneously at a top tier grad school. We talk about what caused him to leave a very comfortable career at Goldman Sachs and, instead, jump into the wild and unpredictable world of entrepreneurship. We also have a fantastic discussion about how to evaluate whether to start a company directly from Active Duty vs gaining more experience first.

About Chris:
Chris Brusznicki is Managing Director at Bronson Lee Partners, which factors delinquent tax receivables for municipalities. The company uses proprietary software to underwrite, lend, and service thousands of receivables and their underlying assets annually. Chris started Bronson Lee nearly 10 years ago. He started out at the University of Notre Dame, served in the US Army as a Captain with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, prior to earning his MBA & Masters of Engineering Management at Northwestern University. Since Kellogg he has worked at Goldman Sachs, Manhattan Prep, as well as the Founder & Chairman of Vacation Rental Partners.