Beyond the Uniform

Steve here from BTU. I live in Huntsville, AL and I’m trying to help the Chamber of Commerce connect with E-6 and below service members that are within 18-24 months of their transition window; that can be either be pre or post transition. The Huntsville Chamber of Commerce is looking to connect via Zoom with soon to transition or recently transitioned junior/mid enlisted service members to pick their brains about transition, what jobs transitioning service members are looking for, what's important to them, what marketing material lands with them, etc. Basically, there's a huge manufacturing labor shortage in the US and Huntsville has a lot of that manufacturing. The chamber is trying to figure out how to attract enlisted military talent that could step into high paying manufacturing jobs right out of transition after a little bit of training. For example, its entirely within the realm of possibility for an E5 to be starting a manufacturing job here making $100k; the problem is service members don’t know about the opportunities and local companies with manufacturing openings are struggling to connect with the ideal E-6 and below service member workforce. My ask: do you know of anyone in your network who is an E-6 or below within 18-24 months of their transition window (either be pre or post-transition)? If so and they’re interested, feel free to email me at steve@beyondtheuniform.org.

Rob is the Co-Founder and COO of ZeroEyes, an AI weapons detection platform that helps identify threats at first sight. In this interview we talk about: >> WHY Rob has made it his mission to end mass shootings >> How Rob has built a team that is ~60% military Veterans >> How entrepreneurship is an alternating feeling of hiding under your desk, or jumping on top of your desk >> What it's like to be COO of a quickly growing company

This is part two of a book review of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. I've read a lot of books on productivity, and this is by far one of the best I've read. Because it takes a completely different approach to our view of time and how to get things done.

I recently read a book that I love: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. I've read a lot of books on productivity, and this is by far one of the best I've read. Because it takes a completely different approach to our view of time and how to get things done. In this episode, I go through a tactical list he includes in the book about 10 Tools for Embracing Your Finitude. I hope this helps you as much as it helped me.

I've interviewed 510+ top performers. Here are five characteristics I've seen them share: 1. Readers 2. Mentors 3. BIG goals 4. Get out of doing 5. Active

Ryan is a case study in being proactive, intentional, and open to feedback. He shares some crazy stories about how his side hustles (6+) led to his eventual founding of Gridwise, which has raised over $20M in funding to date. Whether or not you're interested in entrepreneurship, you'll benefit from Ryan's story.

2 years after our initial conversation, Herb Thompson is back on Beyond the Uniform. In this conversation, we talk about topics including: What LinkedIn is and isn't How companies leveraging Veterans are improving their bottom line, not doing charity How to own your journey Why Herb chose to stand in front of 60,000 people, even though it made him uncomfortable Why it's important to not do anything alone

I found the modern incarnation of Alexander Hamilton. This must be what Dr. Dre felt like when he discovered Eminem. He’ll be interviewed by Tim Ferriss one day, but know that his warm-up was with @Beyond the Uniform. Michael Muir and I connected via a LinkedIn post. We chatted for 20 minutes, and I knew I had to interview him. Here’s what you should know about Michael: - He spent much of his childhood homeless or in foster homes - He left a full ride to the University of Wisconsin to follow his intuition - He joined the Marines - He went to Brown - He joined Bain & Company - He works at SVB - He’s interned at places including HBO, Google, and Deloitte If I had this story, you couldn’t get me to shut up about it. But despite his incredible accomplishments, Michael is humble, introspective, and honest. Had I been dealt the same set of cards as Michael, I’m not sure where it would have ended up. But I have a strong suspicion it wouldn’t be Brown, Bain, or SVB. I hope you enjoy this interview with Michael Muir.

I've been MIA... I'm sorry! Here's a quick update on what's going on behind-the-scenes, and what's in store for Beyond the Uniform.

Someone in our community sent me a message requesting a few thoughts on their military career transition. I wanted to take the opportunity to share four things that have been on my mind lately.

Gordon Logan is the Founder & CEO at Sport Clips Haircuts, a company that he started back in 1993 and now has over 1,700 locations in the US & Canada. Logan started out at MIT, after which he served as an Aircraft Commander in the U.S. Air Force for seven years. After his military service, he worked as a financial planning and control consultant with Price Waterhouse & Co. in Houston, Texas. He holds an MBA with Honors from The Wharton School of Business. Why to Listen: In the past I've interviewed veterans involved in Franchises. Gordon started a company that has become a franchise with over 1,700 locations, and many of their franchise owners are veterans. He gives an incredibly vivid look at what it is like to start and grow a company, how to remain fresh and grow with your business, and how failures are never final.

Why to Listen: For those that listened to Episode #129 with John Francis, you know that I’ve been thinking about how veterans that are interested in entrepreneurship should really consider a franchise. It seems to be a business with training wheels. It helps bridge the gap between someone’s military strengths and what’s necessary to grow and run a successful company. My guest today is Marlon Terrell, who went straight from the Navy into owning a Chick-Fil-A franchise. I really enjoyed this conversation. Marlon provides just the right amount of detail. I walked away feeling like I understood what it’s like to be in a franchise owner’s shoes in terms of pay, career progression, and hours. He really painted a vivid picture of what life in a franchise looks like. I also think it’s helpful because Marlon was really articulate in discussing exactly how what he learned in the military was applicable to his work as a franchise owner as well as how he went about selecting a franchise. He also talks about why a franchise may or may not be suited for you as a veteran.

John W Francis runs Next Level Franchise, Inc in Minnesota, where he helps franchisors, franchisees and supplier companies with their business issues by offering perspective, experience, advice and connections to help move them forward. He started back in 1980's helping in his family business, The Barber’s Inc, which was the franchisor of Cost Cutters, City Looks, and We Care Hair Salon. Over the next 15+ years he helped to grow the business internationally, eventually selling to the Regis Corporation in 1999. Since then he has directly worked with franchises, as well as served as an advisor, board member, consultant, and speaker to many people and companies in the franchise world. He is known as “Johnny Franchise” and is a Franchise Expert.

We've had over a month since our last episode, and we've got a string of five episodes coming your way. Here's what to expect.

Why Listen:This is an inspirational episode. Jesse is a case study in pursuing one’s dream - figuring out what unique aspirations you have, finding others to hold you accountable, and not letting the opinions or doubts of others get in your way. Jesse talks about how he used a kickstarter campaign, credit cards, and his personal savings to inch his way closer - one race at a time - to becoming a NASCAR driver. We talk about advocating for yourself, how to run a crowdfunding campaign, and how to train day in and day out to make your dreams come true. The topics we cover in this episode are relevant to every single career path - whether you too want to become a NASCAR driver, or want to start your own business, or write a book, or whatever your personal goals may be. If you like this episode check out our show notes at BeyondTheUniform.io, where, in addition to the resources we discuss in this episode, I also list 3 other episodes very similar to this one. About Jesse:Jesse Iwuji is the first active duty US Naval Officer to compete in NASCAR. He is also the Founder of The Red List Group which is an auto racing event company bringing drag racers together from the West to compete for trophies and cash prizes at track events. He started out at the Naval Academy, after which he served as a Surface Warfare Officer for 7 years before transitioning to the Navy Reserves.

Why Listen: Valerie left active duty after 15 years of service, and has gone on to found a company designed to help people thrive at work. In addition to discussing her own journey, we talk about how to find out if a culture is right for you, how to shift your mindset to be happier at work, how to make sure you are living a life of alignment, and more. About Valerie: Valerie Rivera is the Founder & CEO of Take Back WOrk, who’s mission is to partner with organizations of all stripes to create workplace cultures where people thrive. She served for over six years in the AIr Force, most recently as Team Leader for Tradecraft Deelopment and Capability Integration. She earned her MBA at Stanford Business School.