Life After The Military

In this week’s Pivotal Moments Media Charlie Mike Channel episode of Life After the Military, meet former Marine Tim Cochrane!

Tim discusses his life’s journey from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange as an electronics technician to American Corporate Partners (ACP), a national nonprofit organization focused on helping returning veterans find their next career through one-on-one mentoring, networking and online career advice and his current work with Tenova, LLC and Hire Military.

Howie, Lee and Tim discuss the following:

• A deep dive on the negative environmental factors surrounding veteran suicide
• Discussion of Tim’s phenomenal work with HireMilitary
• Discussion on building grit and determination through overcoming adversity
• The beginnings of the ACP

Social Media:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-cochrane977/

Facebook/Meta: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072230057762

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TimCochrane1

HireMilitary: https://hiremilitary.us/

Tenova LLC: https://www.tenovallc.com/

American Corporate Partners: https://www.acp-usa.org/

Show notes

00:00 Lee introduces Tim to the Pivotal Moments Media audience

2:38 Tim talks about his experience transitioning out of the Marines to the New York Stock Exchange as a technician in the 80’s

6:07 Howie mentions American Corporate Partners (ACP), an organization that mentors transitioning veterans for the corporate world

11:13 Tim describes his journey from the New York Stock Exchange to present

16:04 Lee quotes David Goggins, “don’t stop when you’re tired, stop when you’re done”

19:56 A discussion on grit and responsibility

25:51 Tim tells the audience how ACP started, and how the org works to help transitioning veterans

33:21 The discussion shifts to the incredible importance of finding purpose and value in daily work

37:25 Howie and Tim get real about veteran suicide

51:08 Tim talks about his business history in NYC and how he built a tailored strategic retention system for veterans within ACP

1:02:23 Howie discusses the current landscape of veteran transitions

1:07:51 Lee gives Tim the title for his book

1:10:04 Tim tells the audience how he flexes his mental fitness

Listen to this awesome new Life After the Military episode with our good friend and exceptional leader, LTC (Ret) Ken Patterson, if you want to have a low stress, high success transition to the private sector.

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Listen to this awesome new Life After the Military episode with our good friend and exceptional leader, LTC (Ret) Ken Patterson, if you want to have a low stress, high success transition to the private sector.

Ken shares some absolute gold nuggets for all transitioning veterans.

Learn how Ken did the following:

• Made his transition planning a part-time job!
• Created a plan – just like a strategic military operation – with specified and implied tasks!
• Took the time to educate himself to figure out what he wanted to do and where he want to do it!
• How he answered two really tough interview questions and absolutely nailed them to the wall!
• Conceptualized and built his own highly successful medical consulting business!

If you watch/listen to this episode and apply the lessons learned from Ken Patterson, you will be well on your way to a highly successful and very low stress transition!

Show notes

00:00 Introduction to Ken Patterson

2:38 Ken discusses his experience with transitioning to the private sector after 21 years of military service, focusing on his use of professional resume-writers

11:11 Ken details the primary tasks he focused on while preparing for this transition – updating his resume, creating a planned strategy for his transition, and educating himself

18:25 The discussion shifts to the extreme importance of doing the work to have a smooth transition

21:40 Ken and Howie respond to Lee’s question – what was the mental process behind your extreme focus and successful transition?

27:04 Howie discusses how ego can negatively influence a veteran’s mindstate when preparing for transition

33:45 Ken tells the story of how his career in the private sector began through a series of extremely memorable interviews

35:42 Ken’s gift of making strong connections leads to award-winning success within the first few years of landing the role

52:26 Ken tells the audience about his motivations for starting his company, True North Advantage, what it took to get started, and where it’s headed

1:03 Lee hilariously names Ken’s future biography

1:05 Ken explains how keeping a consistent schedule, spending time with loved ones, mentoring and journaling all contribute to how he flexes his mental fitness

1:11 Lee closes the show

Are you missing 1000 moments thinking you have 1000 more?

Are you letting your arrogance prevent a low-stress and highly successful transition from the military?

Do you like to drink a cup of coffee to relax, expand your network and develop trusted relationships with others?

Do you suffer from PTS, depression, or have suicidal thoughts?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, meet former Petty Officer Two Alfredo Torres!

In this episode of Life After the Military, Howie and Lee talk with Alfredo about the work he does with the Virginia Department of Veteran Services as a Military Transition Regional Coordinator transitioning veterans.

Alfredo transparently and courageously talks about his problematic transition and how he overcomes his depressive tendencies.

Alfredo is a fun-loving, caring, bear of a man who cares deeply about helping all veterans plan, prepare, and execute a highly successful transition. If you listen to Alfredo and heed his advice, guidance, and mentoring – you will be well on your way to that outcome!

LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfredotorres1/

Virginia Department of Veteran Services:    http://www.dvs.virginia.gov/

Alfredo’s Sunday Coffee:   Sundays from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM EDT: connect with Alfredo

Torres (alfredo.torres@dvs.virginia.gov) or Hope White (linkedin.com/in/hopefulspeaking) to get a link to join the conversation

Show notes

0:00 Lee opens the podcast

00:30 Lee introduces Alfredo Torres

03:07 Alfredo talks about his departure from the Navy, his troubled transition

experience and his arrogance

06:25 Alfredo shares how he mentors and advises men and women to transition to their life after of the military

19:40 Alfredo discusses the stressors transitioning military members face and dispels many rumors and toxic perceptions they have and listen to

26:52 Howie reinforces the value of connecting to men and women like Alfredo and other Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) for help

28:02 Lee, Howie and Alfredo talk about the high rate of veteran suicide and how problematic transitions significantly add to this problem

31:09 Lee, Howie and Alfredo tackle the challenge veterans face with losing their community, tribe and sense of purpose and the need to replace them quickly

28:44 Alfredo talks about the importance of building trusted relationships + translating their skills/experience into language that employers and recruiters understand

41:58 Alfredo describes Alfredo’s Coffee House, a networking event he holds for transitioning service members on Sunday afternoons

47:06 Lee gives Alfredo his book title

52:08 Alfredo shares transparently and courageously about his challenges with PTS, depression, and suicidal ideations and what he does to manage them

56:19 Howie and Alfredo talk about the need for transitioning veterans to be OK with asking for help

1:04:17 Lee closes out the episode

Do you want to meet a Superhero?

Are you a Military Spouse?

Meet the military spouse version of Captain America: Madeline Moulder!

In this episode of Life After the Military, Howie and Lee talk with military spouse, Madeline Moulder, the wife to former combat medic, Sergeant Jeremy Moulder.

Madeline describes the challenges of:

• being married at 19
• moving to Fort Lewis, Washington and expecting a newborn where she initially had no support structures to lean on
• preparing for her husband’s multiple combat deployments to Afghanistan
• helping Jeremy navigate through his challenges with post-traumatic stress
• helping Jeremy manage his medical separation for the Army with only 90 days of notice and preparation
• earning her higher education degrees while providing care to her dad, Jeremy, and her son, Jake
• helping Jeremy take an entrepreneurial step to create their business, USA Flagworks

Madeline transparently talks about how she and Jeremy tackled the challenge of dealing with Jeremy’s multiple combat deployments as a combat medic treating hundreds of casualties which led to his episodes of post-traumatic stress.

You will be inspired by this incredibly strong woman who so magnificently represents the incredible strength, talents and abilities of so many military spouses past and present!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashalexcooper/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madeline.moulder

USA Flagworks: https://usaflagworks.com/

Instagram: @madeline.moulder

Twitter: @madelinemoulder

Show notes

0:00   Lee opens the podcast

00:30  Lee introduces Madeline

02:40  Madeline tells the story about how she and her husband, Jeremy, met and

describes their early life together after getting married

04:58 Madeline describes her childhood experiences growing up in a military family

09:57 Madeline talks about the challenges she had as a young military spouse who was expecting a child with a husband who immediately deployed to combat

16:43 Madeline shares how she prepared for Jeremy’s first combat deployment and describes the challenges she had to overcome

22:42 Madeline transparently talks about challenges she and Jeremy had when he returned from his first deployment and showed signs of post-traumatic stress

26:21  Madeline shares how she and Jeremy tackled the challenge of dealing with Jeremy’s PTS

28:44 Madeline talks about the signs of PTS that Jeremy exhibited

33:15 Madeline describes the volunteer work she did as a Family Readiness Group leader

37:46 Madeline talks about how she found things to keep her active which enabled her to deal with Jeremy’s absence while deployed

41:02 Madeline describes the challenges of dealing with exiting the Army with only 90 days of preparation as Jeremy was medically separated from the military

49:39 Madeline talks about how she earned her higher education degrees while being a caregiver to Jeremy and Madeline’s Dad

54:40 Madeline tells how she pursued employment after her father’s passing

57:37 Madeline describes how she and Jeremy created their business, USA Flagworks

1:05:10 Lee closes out the episode

Are you a military spouse looking for meaningful work?

Are you a military spouse who wants to work from the comfort of your own home?

Are you a military spouse with great organizational and creative skills?

Are you a military spouse who can juggle many balls while building trusted relationships?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’ll want to listen to this week’s episode of Life After the Military podcast with military spouse and entrepreneurial business owner of Michelle Penczak Executive Assistants, Saavy Spouses, and Squared Away: Michelle Penczak.

Michelle, the military spouse of a Marine Aviator, shares:

• perspective about the challenges of being a military spouse seeking work

• how she created and manages three successful businesses and provides meaningful work for other military spouses

• how she uses therapy to manage and strengthen her mental fitness

Social links

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellepenczak/
• Squared Away: https://www.gosquaredaway.com/
• Twitter: semperchelle
• Email: michelle@gosquaredaway.com

Show notes

0:00 Lee opens the podcast

0:26 Lee introduces Michelle

1:41 Michelle talks about the challenge of being a military spouse

3:39 Michelle talks about not having any exposure to the military until she married

7:14 Michelle describes her role as a personal assistant and her frustrations with finding a job

13:45   Michelle talks about the three business entities she stood up

17:10   Michelle shares how she leveraged her experience at Zirtual to stand up her own businesses

20:53   Michelle describes how she scaled Squared Away to over 200 military spouse virtual personal assistants

25:00   Michelle talks about being a part of the “Spouse Force” and “Framily”

29:10   Michelle talks about juggling her myriad of responsibilities

32:16   Michelle describes how she leveraged a remote workforce and clientele

34:30   Michelle talks about how she builds trust between the personal assistant and the client 38:26 Michelle describes her personal assistant assessment and hiring process

39:49   Michelle talks about her growth plan for Squared Away

41:49   Michelle gives advice on starting your own business

44:42   Lee gives Michelle her book title

46:10   Michelle shares how she uses therapy to manage and strengthen her mental fitness

52:17   Lee closes out the episode

Are you a military veteran or spouse who needs access to free legal services?

Are you fighting legal battles with the Department of Veteran Affairs to increase your benefits and compensation?

Are you interested in working for a non-profit organization that helps veterans and military spouses?

Check out this week’s episode of Life After the Military with Captain (Retired) Steve Jordon – you will LOVE this episode!

Steve, a Navy veteran of 27 years shares:

• invaluable advice and lessons learned from his transition to the non-profit sector
• how he served transitioning veterans with the Northern Virginia Technology Council’s Veteran Employment Initiative
• how he supports the Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program which provides a range of free legal services to veterans in need with a 90% success rate

Steve also describes the incredibly meaningful and valuable work he and his wife do with the Emma Jordon Kidz Fighting Cancer Foundation that raises money to help children and families battling pediatric cancer in memoriam to his 5 ½ year old daughter, Emma.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-jordon/
• Veterans Consortium Pro Bono: https://www.vetsprobono.org/
• Northern Virginia Technology Council Veterans Initiative: https://www.nvtc.org/NVTC/About/NVTC_Foundation/NVTC/About/NVTC_Foundation

Emma Jordon Kidz Fighting Cancer Foundation: https://kidzfightingcancer.org/

Show notes

0:00 Lee opens the podcast

00:26 Lee introduces Steve

02:25 Steve talks about how his military service shaped him

10:53 Steve shares his advice and lessons learned from his military transition

17:10 Steve describes his failure and his lack of preparation for transition

19:21 Steve talks about how he had “100 cups of coffee” with others to network

22:50 Steve shares about filling the void of losing the military community

27:30 Steve describes the work he did with the Northern Virginia Technology Council’s Veteran Employment Initiative (NVTC VEI)

32:57 Steve shares that the Veterans Employment Initiative also serves military spouses

34:40 Steve describes the Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program that provides a range of free legal services to veterans in need with a 90% success rate

45:18 Steve talks about the Emma Jordon Kidz Fighting Cancer Foundation

53:40Steve shares how he managed the stress of military service, managing stress in life today, and how he strengthens his own mental fitness

1:04:35 Lee gives Steve his book titles

1:05:20 Steve reminds us of the value and strength of networking and community

1:06:42 Lee closes out the episode

In this week’s episode of Life After the Military, Lee and Howie interview Captain (Retired) Ted Digges. A GREAT listen for active duty military members, transitioning veterans and military spouses – ESPECIALLY if you are interested in a financial management/services career!

Ted, a veteran of 27 years of military service as an officer in the United States Navy, shares invaluable advice and lessons learned from his transition to the private sector. He challenges transitioning veterans to think strategically, build out their professional network, find a mentor, and be OK with asking for help.

Ted talks about being OK with “not sticking the landing” on your first try and “opening up your aperture” to the potential opportunities that a military experience gives the men and women who serve.

Ted shares great insights on the value of the financial management scholarship program offered to active military, veterans, and military spouses by the American College of Financial Services.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-digges-3059856/

American College of Financial Services on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/the-american-college-cp/

American College of Financial Services: https://www.theamericancollege.edu/

Show notes

0:00 Lee opens the podcast

00:26 Lee introduces Ted

01:47 Ted talks how his military service shaped him

05:04 Ted describes how he prepared for and executed his transition from the military and shares his advice and lessons learned

08:43 Ted reflects on the three important things to focus on: think strategically, find a mentor, and create and leverage your network

11:18 Ted dives more deeply into the value of mentorship and the need to OK with asking for help and “having a cup of coffee” with others

16:50 Ted advises transitioning veterans to “open their aperture” to opportunities and how they translate their skills and experience

20:03 Ted talks about why he chose to pursue the financial management field for post military employment

21:00 Ted describes the veteran scholarship opportunity with the American College of Financial Services and what he did to build up that program

23:38 Ted describes the American College of Financial Services and what the program offers to veterans and military spouses

27:40 Ted provides advice on how to apply for the scholarship

29:00 Lee gives Ted his book title

29:50 Lee, Howie and Ted talk about Ted’s positive spin on “not sticking the landing” if a veteran chooses to change jobs

31:50 Ted describes the transition he is going through now using the James Michener metaphor of “shocking the dying apple tree to bear fruit”

35:56 Ted talks about how managing the stresses of life today

40:19 Lee closes out the episode

In this week’s episode of Life After the Military, Lee and Howie interview Sergeant Major (Retired) Michael Quinn. An absolute MUST listen for transitioning veterans and their family members.

Michael is a 2X LinkedIn Top Voice who created HireMilitary, the Digital Networking Professional Program and Tenova, LLC to aid and bring value to transitioning military veterans and their families at no cost to the veterans they help.

HireMilitary is a veteran staffing company that provides the direct placement of veterans and military spouses and heavily leverages the DoD SkillBridge Program. The Digital Networking Professional Program trains and certifies individuals to leverage LinkedIn in support of personal or corporate branding, growing a network, engaging with content and leveraging their free tools. Tenova LLC is a service-disabled veteran owned small business that brings the unique quals of HireMilitary and the Digital Networking Professional Program, couples them with training, communications, and change management, to support government and commercial clients of all sizes.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quinnmi/

HireMilitary: https://www.hiremilitary.us/

Tenova LLC: https://www.tenovallc.com/

Show notes

0:00 Lee opens the podcast

00:26 Lee introduces Michael

02:15 Michael talks how his military service shaped him

08:15 Michael describes how he prepared for and executed his transition from the military and the value of networking

11:10 Michael reflects on the three turning points in his transition that changed things significantly

12:15 Michael talks about the value of creating a profile on LinkedIn and connecting with others for advice, guidance, and mentoring

17:18 Michael describes the challenge of being comfortable with the uncomfortable and how he dealt with the discomfort of transition

20:15 Michael reinforces the importance and value of conducting informational interviews and connecting with people who are doing what you want to do

24:00 Michael talks candidly about what employers want to know about a veteran’s capabilities and experience and how it will drive business success

28:03 Michael implores transitioning veterans to figure out what they want to do and seek out mentors to help them

29:47 Michael describes how he created the vision for Tenova LLC and HireMilitary

44:00 Michael talks about entrepreneurship, the value of building trusted relationships, and the requirement for making tough business decisions

48:49 Michael provides invaluable advice about using LinkedIn to connect with others to grow and expand your professional network

54:14 Michael shares his perspective on the value of informational interviews, the need to ask questions, and the strength of building relationships

1:04:34 Lee gives Michael his book title

1:06:00 Michael talks about how he strengthens his mental fitness, candidly talks about his challenges with his transition to the private sector, and the need to stay connected

1:16:09 Lee closes out the episode