Episode 210 A Life of Service: From the White House to the Secret Service and Beyond with Steve Stratton (Part 2)

Previous Episode: Episode 209 A Life of Service: From the White House to the Secret Service and Beyond with Steve Stratton (Part 1)

Next Episode: Episode 211 The Dropout Multimillionaire - Brian Will (Part 1)

John continues his discussion with Steve Stratton. In Part One, Steve shared his experiences serving in the White House, Secret Service, and National Guard, and his transitions to defense contracting and writing. In this episode, they talk about Steve’s writing career and the Shadow Tier series. Steve also shares valuable lessons on relationships, leadership, and personal growth.

Listen to this episode to learn more:

[00:00] - Men tend to stop pursuing their wives after marriage

[02:31] - How Steve and his wife make time for each other

[04:45] - Prioritizing date nights

[06:08] - Getting pushback from men about dating advice

[07:57] - Relational oxygen of women

[09:32] - Learning to express emotions and feelings

[13:06] - Why some men struggle to explore their feelings

[13:22] - Taking steps toward personal growth

[16:05] - Inspiration behind the Shadow Tier

[17:16] - Plot of the first book in the Shadow Tier series

[18:23] - The second book, Shadow Sanction

[21:41] - Book three of the series

[23:21] - Steve’s plans for a series with a female protagonist

[25:51] - Steve’s connections with other military veteran authors

[30:54] - His plans for a techno-thriller series

[34:32] - Being present and supportive in relationships

[36:55] - Importance of listening and learning

[38:36] - Steve’s definition of success

[42:46] - Steve’s #1 daily habit

[45:52] - Traits of a great leader

[49:27] - Legacy Steve wants to leave behind

[51:33] - Connect with Steve

[56:03] - Book recommendations

[57:46] - Closing remarks

NOTABLE QUOTES:

“We as men know how to pursue. But there’s something that happens to us, it is like a little switch in the back of our heads that turns off as soon as we get her, i.e. the wedding day. There’s something that happened and we stop pursuing.”

“You’ve got to continue to date your wife, you have to, and you have to determine what the frequency is for you as a couple... Everything else you do is built around that. It’s that important.”

“What she cares about more than anything else is the time spent together and sharing what’s going on with us on the inside.”

“Men, those of you that are married, if you make the kids the number one priority in your life while you’re married, you’re not going to have a marriage to go back to when they’re gone.”

“It doesn’t take a lot, lot to stay connected.”

“If you want to write and take that step with your personal growth, that’s how you do it. You just take a step. It could be a half step, it could be inches, but take it and then let it grow and grow and nurture it.”

“What people are really looking for is to learn your character ... It’s really the interaction with your characters that readers are more interested in.”

“Let’s break down the walls and just make sure we’re using the right people for the right things, regardless of their challenge in one way or another.”

“The number one thing I focus on with being around with my wife is being present.”

“Leadership for me is about getting people interested, excited, aligned with the vision.”

BOOKS MENTIONED:

As a Man Thinketh by James Allen (https://a.co/d/ai1bxpt)

Books by Stephen Covey

Books by Stephen Ambrose

SERIES MENTIONED:

Band of Brothers

USEFUL RESOURCES:

https://www.stevenstrattonusa.com

https://www.instagram.com/stevestrattonusa/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ststratton/