Beyond the Uniform
267 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 159 ratingsBeyond the Uniform is a show to help military veterans navigate their civilian career. Each week, I meet with different veterans to learn more about their civilian career, how they got there, and what advice they'd give to other military personnel.
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Episodes
January 2020 Sneak Peek
January 01, 2020 10:00 - 4 minutes - 4.61 MBComing to Beyond the Uniform this January… first, let’s back up a sec. Jock Willink & Leif Babbin - episode #333, our final episode of 2019… if you have not listened to that episode yet, fix yourself. It’s incredible. What a rush to not just have one of those gentlemen on the show, but both of them together! Give that one another listen, because there is so much quality information in it. in store for Beyond the Uniform this month, we have four brand new webinars. All of them are free,...
BTU #333 - Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
December 23, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 56 MBWhy 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...
Announcements - December 18, 2019
December 18, 2019 22:00 - 4 minutes - 4.51 MBThree announcements: 1 - I'll be launching a new podcast next year. As part of this, I'll be leading an online men's group. If you're interested in checking it out or learning more you can find details @https://www.worknprogress.co 2 - Jocko & Leif interview on Monday!!!! Last episode of the year and it's a good one. 3 - 4 new events for January. Check them out and claim your spot @ https://beyondtheuniform.org/events
BTU #332 - Following Your Gut (Rich Cardona)
December 16, 2019 10:00 - 59 minutes - 54.1 MBWhy Listen: Rich left what many would consider a dream job in order to pursue his own company. Even if you are not an aspiring entrepreneur, this is an exceptional and motivational interview. Rich talks about following his gut - again and again in his own career journey. He talks about not being afraid to leave a job - to be committed to finding the right opportunity for you and your family. We talk about taking risks in networking and giving to others, and how that has paid off in spades ...
BTU #331 - NASCAR to the VA Podcast Network (Tanner Iskra)
December 09, 2019 10:00 - 44 minutes - 40.7 MBWhy Listen: After serving 12 years in the Marine Corps, Tanner went on to work at NASCAR as a Producer and Senior Post Production Editor. In this interview we talk about how Tanner’s wife led him to his current career as a podcaster/video producer for the VA. We talk about what his career was like in NASCAR and now at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. We talk about life at the VA, and more importantly, how he now runs the podcast, Borne the Battle. We talk about what he’s learned in ...
BTU #329 - Active Duty Army to the NFL (Alejandro Villanueva) (Rebroadcast)
December 05, 2019 10:00 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MBWhy Listen: Alejandro went directly from Active Duty to the NFL, a feat that few have accomplished. His story is one of determination, perspective, and family-first values. About Alenjandro: Alejandro Villanueva is a Left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He started out at West Point, where he played left tackle, defensive lineman, and wide receiver. He was voted to be team captain his final year at West Point, and a feature story in the Army football program read, "Already touted a...
BTU #331 - Tech, Side Hustles, and Relationships (GS Youngblood)
December 02, 2019 12:06 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MBWhy Listen: My guest today transitioned from the Air Force into high tech in Silicon Valley, where he has worked in Product Management at Intel, Trulia, Realtor.com and other great companies. He also wrote a book about Product Management, where he takes the principles around procedures and checklists from the military, and applies them to the functional role of Product Management. However, beyond our discussion of Product Management in this interview, there are two things that I absolute...
BTU #328 - Struggle is What Gives Us Value (Micah Fink - Heroes & Horses)
November 25, 2019 10:00 - 56 minutes - 51.6 MBWhy Listen: If you listened to my conversation with Stacy Bare or my recent conversation with Dan Cnossen - if you liked the flavor of those conversations, you’ll love this episode. I shut up as much as possible during my time with Micah - he is a force to be reckoned with. He had a thriving career until 9/11, where he was in New York when the towers fell. He ran into the towers, dragging out whoever he could, and swore in that moment to kill whoever was responsible. He wanted to be an Arm...
BTU #327 - Purple- Project For Democracy (Bob Garfield)
November 21, 2019 10:00 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MBWhy Listen: No matter what your political affiliation, I’m guessing that you’re pretty upset about our countries state of affairs. In this interview, I talk with Bob Garfield - who, in addition to being one of the world’s foremost podcasters and writers, is also a co-founder for Purple: Project For Democracy. Purple: Project for Democracy is a non-partisan coalition, campaign and movement. They span the breadth of American society to rediscover and recommit to our democratic values. If you...
BTU #326 - Loving What Is (Byron Katie)
November 18, 2019 10:00 - 55 minutes - 50.6 MBWhy Listen: Byron Katie, while not a Veteran, has started a movement over the last thirty years that has helped many Veterans, myself included. She is the author of three bestselling books (and over a dozen other books mentioned in the show notes for this episode). The book of hers that I read over four years ago is Loving What Is - it is a book that still influences my life today. She has been interviewed by Oprah, praised by Eckhart Tolle and Time Magazine, and was extremely generous wit...
BTU #325 - Clark Kent-ing Your Resume (Shannon Gregory)
November 14, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 56.8 MBWhy Listen: Shannon’s military career includes time in both the Marine Corps and the National Guard, and so he has faced multiple transitions. Shannon has been a mentor at the University of Minnesota and it comes through - he has so much great advice on topics including: resumes - how he has nearly a dozen version of his resume based on to what job he is applying. being Clark Kent - not always revealing your super powers. yes, you may have dozens and dozens of crazy stories from the mil...
BTU #325 - The Happy Lawyer (Peter Vanderloo @ Verizon)
November 11, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 59.9 MBI really enjoyed my conversation with Peter. First, I want to acknowledge that this is a sponsored interview, and we’re grateful to Verizon for their support of Beyond the Uniform, as well as how they have hired over 11,000 Veterans and thousands of military spouses. However, there’s only about six minutes of this interview that are directly about Verizon in a way that may be seen as sales-e. Peter is such a fantastic speaker and storyteller. Immediately after our interview, I set up a...
Behind BTU - November 9, 2019
November 09, 2019 10:00 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBWhy Listen: In this informal episode, I go through one admin item, two professional items, and a lot of personal items. Listen to as much or as little as serves you.
BTU #323 - Conscious Leadership (Floyd Carlson)
November 07, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBWhy Listen: While Floyd has had an impressive 13-year career as a Sales Executive at Cisco and now as an Executive & Team Coach, in this interview we talk about the work that Floyd does with military marriages. Floyd has done extensive work with military and Veteran relationships, helping couples improve their marriage, as well as helping Veterans be more effective in their working relationships. We cover a lot of ground in this conversation about tactics that can help any listener improve ...
BTU #322 - Navy SEAL to Paralympic Gold Medalist (Dan Cnossen)
November 04, 2019 10:00 - 53 minutes - 48.9 MBWhy 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 tha...
Behind BTU - November 2, 2019
November 02, 2019 09:00 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBI’m recording this episode of BBTU a few days early, because as we speak I’m camping in Death Valley as part of the final weekend of the yearlong men’s program I’ve been doing with John Wineland. I’m very excited to be unplugged - to be 100% off my phone and off the internet for 5 days - that in and of itself will be incredible. But, I’m also very much looking forward to seeing this group, doing some incredible work together in the desert, and bringing this program to a conclusion. I have ...
BTU #321 - Emotional Intelligence (Kerri Meyer)
October 31, 2019 09:00 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBWhy Listen Today is a skill episode, where I meet with an expert to learn a skill that will help any military Veteran in their civilian career. Today, I talk with Kerry Meyer about emotional intelligence. And Kerri makes some incredible statements about how - if you are going to pick one skill to learn - emotional intelligence is HANDS DOWN the one to pick, with a clear and direct impact on your earning potential AND very clear ways to start to improve your EQ, no matter where it is today....
BTU #320 - Marines to Outdoor Adventure Guide (Mike Titzer)
October 28, 2019 09:00 - 36 minutes - 33.9 MBWhy Listen: Shortly after leaving the Marine Corps, Mike traveled to Cambodia, where he worked to setup a cross fit gym. He went on to business school… in Malaysia. And then he became a National Outdoor Leadership School instructor, where he teaches civilians and members of the military about wilderness survival and leadership. Which is to say - Mike is a Veteran who is forging his own way, and thinking outside of the box. If you are interested in a non-traditional career path, or just a g...
BTU #319 - The COMMIT Foundation (Anne Meree Craig) (Rebroadcast)
October 26, 2019 09:00 - 48 minutes - 44.3 MBWhy to Listen: The Commit Foundation is a fantastic and free resource to help veterans get where they want to go… just a whole lot faster. They take a very individual approach with each veteran with whom the work, and tailor their approach to help instill veterans with information, confidence, and imagination. Having worked with so many veterans over the years, Anne Meree has some fantastic advice for listeners about interviews - it’s some of the best advice this subject I’ve had on the s...
BTU #318 - Navy to Clean Tech & the DOE (Dan Misch)
October 24, 2019 09:00 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MBWhy 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 diffe...
BTU #317 - Army to EVP @ Hornets Sports & Entertainment (James Jordan)
October 21, 2019 09:00 - 51 minutes - 46.8 MBWhy Listen: If you’re interested in sports and entertainment - either as an enthusiast or as a potential career option - you’ve got to hear James’ story. He went from 31 year Army Veteran to being an Executive Vice President for Hornets Sports & Entertainment. Not only does this entail the logistics for each and every Hornets basketball game… but that is literally less than 20% of the events that occur at the Spectrum Center each year, and James oversees all of them. We talk about how much ...
Behind BTU - October 19, 2019
October 19, 2019 09:00 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBIn this informal episode, I go through two announcements, answer one listener question, and delve into more personal info than you’d ever want to know.
BTU #316 - Navy to Nebraska State Government (Jason Jackson)
October 17, 2019 09:00 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBWhy 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 thin...
BTU #315 - How to be a better storyteller (Paul Smith)
October 14, 2019 09:00 - 45 minutes - 41.9 MBWhy Listen: Well, normally on the show I interview military veterans about their civilian career, what they do, how they got there, and advice for other veterans seeking to do the same. Today, however, is a skills episode, where I meet with a world-class expert on a topic relevant to our listeners, regardless of your career path. And the topic may surprise you, because today is all about storytelling. We talk about why storytelling may make or break your success as a leader, interviewer, a...
Behind BTU - October 12, 2019
October 12, 2019 09:00 - 7 minutes - 6.78 MBA plug for our events, a request for recommendations, and a recap of an interview this week that will be broadcast in mid-November.
BTU #314 - Serial Entrepreneur in Southeast Asia (Danny Hwang)
October 10, 2019 09:00 - 58 minutes - 53.9 MBWhy Listen: Sign me up for the Danny Hwang fan club. We cover some fresh terrain for Beyond the Uniform, as we follow Danny’s story of leaving the Army - and just weeks later - traveling to Shanghai, and growing an education startup until - three years later - he and his brother successfully sold their first company. In doing so, they achieved a lifelong goal they committed to at age six, of being able to retire their parents and move them from their home in Atlanta back to Seoul, Korea. ...
BTU #313 - Mastering Sales (Tyler Johnston)
October 07, 2019 09:00 - 55 minutes - 50.7 MBWhy Listen Well, you know you're enjoying a conversation when midway through, you're already planning the next interview. Tyler is awesome. I just really appreciated so much about this interview. The thing that stands out to me most is his mastery in sales. He talks about his career, which is a variety of different experiences in the functional role of sales while also having most of that in the industry of energy. What I appreciated about his story is hearing about how throughout his caree...
Behind BTU - October 5, 2019
October 05, 2019 09:00 - 19 minutes - 17.5 MBWhy Listen: In this episode, I answer three listener questions, talk about our upcoming webinars, and review three upcoming interviews and what I learned.
BTU #312 - Wounded Warrior Project (Tom Kastner)
October 03, 2019 09:00 - 56 minutes - 52.1 MBWhy Listen: What I appreciate most about my conversation with Tom is his authenticity. After 30 years in the Army, it took Tom a while to find his new home in the civilian workforce. While he was able to land incredible opportunities - General Manager at Mercedes Benz USA, Senior Manager at Amazon, Academic Dean at St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy - each of these proved to be a poor fit for him. I respect Tom’s willingness to talk about what this process was like - the frustrations...
October Sneak Peak
October 01, 2019 09:00 - 6 minutes - 5.72 MBComing to Beyond the Uniform this October, 2019, we have three, free, live webinars - the first we’ve done in a long while, as well as brand new episodes every Monday and Thursday, including: BTU #312 - The Wounded Warrior Project (Tom Kastner) BTU #313 - Mastering Sales (Tyler Johnston) BTU #315 - How to be a better storyteller (Paul Smith) BTU #316 - Navy to Nebraska State Government (Jason Jackson) BTU #317 - Army to EVP @ Hornets Sports & Entertainment (James Jordan) BTU ...
BTU #311 - SemperK9 (with Chris Baity)
September 30, 2019 09:00 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MBWhy Listen: SemperK9.org is an incredible organization helping the Veteran community. We talk about how they are helping Veterans with both physical and emotional needs, and how you can support them. We also talk about the path to starting a non-profit. About Chris: Chris is the Co-Founder & Executive Director of Semper K9 Assistance Dogs. He served in the USMC as a 5812- Military Working Dog Handler, and Specialized Search Dog Team Leader for over 7 years, including 3 combat tours...
Behind BTU - September 28, 2019
September 28, 2019 09:00 - 22 minutes - 20.6 MBWhy Listen: In this episode, I answer two listener questions that I believe are relevant to our audience: one about following one’s passion and one about podcasts. I also share about an area in my life where I’ve felt out of integrity with Beyond the Uniform. In this episode, I reference two different podcasts I believe listeners would enjoy: The first is my interview with author, Cal Newport, who talks about how the advice “follow your passion” is B.S. You can listen to that interview he...
BTU #310 - Keto Butta (with Arron Barnes)
September 26, 2019 09:00 - 56 minutes - 51.8 MBWhy Listen: I love how Arron has formed a company that is directly aligned with his values and his personal interests. While this is a story of a Veteran who founded a company, there is something for everyone in this story. First of all, I appreciate Arron’s example of someone who is always learning - from audio books, from YouTube videos, from peer groups - and using that to get better. I also admire how Arron is constantly walking the fine line between listening to customer feedback whil...
BTU #309 - The Intersection of Passion & Talent (with Ken Coleman)
September 23, 2019 09:00 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBWhy Listen: Ken frequently hosts The Dave Ramsey Show, the third-largest nationally syndicated talk radio show. He has done thousands of hours of live career coaching on national radio, helping people find their next ideal job. In this capacity, he has also helped many Veterans, and came on the show today to share what he’s learned in this process. About Ken: Ken Coleman is a #1 national best-selling author, career expert and nationally syndicated radio host of The Ken Coleman Show...
Behind BTU - September 21, 2019
September 21, 2019 09:00 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MBWhy Listen: In this episode, I share three professional thoughts and two personal thoughts.
BTU #308 - How To Build Executive Presence (with Mike Figliulo)
September 19, 2019 09:00 - 56 minutes - 51.7 MBWhy Listen: This is a skills episode, where we dig into a specific skill set that is likely to be highly relevant to all listeners. Mike is an expert corporate instructor on many topics, and in this episode we delve into Executive Presence - what it is, why it is so important to the Veteran community, and specific actions they can take - today - to start to further build this. Mike also talks about his own career path, starting his own company, and how Executive Presence has played a role i...
BTU #307 - How to prepare for retirement (Chris Hogan)
September 16, 2019 09:00 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MBWhy Listen: In the 300+ interviews I’ve completed with military Veterans about their civilian career, one of the most often cited pieces of advice is to understand you’re finances. Many guests have talked about how one’s financial situation can provide you with more time to find your ideal career, and avoid the stress that comes with a career transition. Chris Hogan is one of the world’s foremost experts on personal finances, retirement planning and more. It’s an honor to have him on the sh...
Behind BTU - September 14, 2019
September 14, 2019 09:00 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MBWhy Listen: In this episode, I share four professional thoughts and share three personal thoughts.
BTU #305 - Lt. General to Arizona State University leadership (Benjamin Freakley)
September 12, 2019 09:00 - 49 minutes - 45.7 MBWhy Listen: Lt. General Freakley had an incredible career of over 36 years in the Army prior to his retirement. Yet, similar to nearly every guest I’ve had on the show, when he approached his own transition to a civilian career he experienced fear. In this interview, we talk about how to approach that transition, how to cultivate curiosity and learn something new, and we talk about leadership - we talk about leadership in the uniform and beyond. We talk about Ben’s work at Arizona State Un...
BTU #304 - Army to Production Supervisor (Chris Lee)
September 09, 2019 09:00 - 55 minutes - 50.6 MBWhy Listen: This is the first interview I’ve done with a Production Supervisor, and it is a fantastic way to start with this career field. Chris does perhaps the best job of any guest I’ve had on the show of breaking down what this role looks like - what it looks like across industries and different sized companies, including pay scales, as well as the specific traits from the military that will help you - and hinder you - in this career path. We also talk about differences in communicatio...
BTU#303 - Marines to Product Manager at IBM (Richard I. Porter)
September 05, 2019 09:00 - 54 minutes - 49.7 MBWhy Listen: While the bulk of this interview is about Product Manager, Richard and I cover a lot of ground that will interest you regardless of your desired career path. We talk about leadership, we talk about technology, we talk about values and how to find a career path that aligned with your personal value; we talk about how technology may be an a-moral career path, and we talk using hypothesis to confirm or deny a career move… and how either of those, the confirmation or the denial, is...
BTU #302 - Navy to ESPN (Sal Paolantonio)
September 02, 2019 09:00 - 42 minutes - 39.4 MBWhy 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 beginne...
Behind BTU - August 31, 2019
August 31, 2019 22:31 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MBWhy Listen: In this episode, I share one professional thought, share a recommendation to listen to BTU #71 - Jeff Tiegs: 25 Years of Army Counter Terrorism to the Guardian Group, and share two personal thoughts.
BTU #301 - How a Startup Can Access Billion Dollar Government Contracts (Yolanda Clarke)
August 29, 2019 09:00 - 1 hour - 55.2 MBWhy Listen: Whether or not you’re interested in entrepreneurship, you MUST listen to this episode. Yolanda has such a fascinating way of viewing and explaining the world of entrepreneurship. She also gives some of the best networking advice I’ve ever heard in over 300 episodes to date. As both a Veteran and a military spouse, she approaches the concept of entrepreneurship from a variety of angles, and I found this interview to be a real “knuckle burner” of an episode. I loved our conversat...
September Sneak Peak
August 28, 2019 09:00 - 8 minutes - 7.39 MBThis September we have interviews episodes every Monday and Thursday, with 9 brand new episodes. We also have "Behind BTU" episodes slated for every Saturday. Here's a quick look at our lineup: 9/2 BTU #302 - Navy SWO to ESPN Reporter and Host (Sal Paolantonio) 9/5 BTU #303 - Marines to Product Manager at IBM (Richard I. Porter) 9/9 BTU #304 - Army to Production Supervisor (Chris Lee) 9/12 BTU #305 - Lt. General to Arizona State University leadership (Benjamin Freakley) 9/16 BTU ...
BTU #300!!!
August 26, 2019 09:00 - 51 minutes - 46.8 MBWhy Listen: In 300 episodes completed, this is a first of a kind - a celebration, backstory, and variety show extravaganza. Thanks to all of you who have supported us in achieving this milestone!
Behind BTU - August 24, 2019
August 24, 2019 09:00 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBWhy Listen: In this episode, I share lessons learned from two interviews I did this week. These episodes will air in September & October, but there were some important professional lessons I wanted to share in advance. I also share three personal thoughts about relationship and life.
BTU #299 - Chef Robert Irvine
August 22, 2019 09:00 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MBAbout 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! an...
BTU #298 - Making Wine on Active Duty (Brian Retherford)
August 19, 2019 09:00 - 55 minutes - 50.6 MBWhy Listen: Brian co-founded a wine business while on Active Duty, which is one of several “side hustles” in his life. Regardless of your interest in wine, entrepreneurship, or side hustles, this is a FANTASTIC interview. We talk about how you can use an existing product while bringing marketing and branding to the table to make it a business. In Brian’s case, he is redistributing wines from incredible vineyards under his own label, which means he doesn’t have to worry about creating and ma...
Behind BTU - August 16, 2019
August 17, 2019 09:00 - 20 minutes - 18.4 MBIn this episode, I share lessons learned from four interviews I did this week. These episodes will air in September, but there were some important professional lessons I wanted to share in advance.