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In this episode of Transition Tales, a LIVE with Courage Podcast, Dillon shares is difficult transition from the Army which led him through a time of homelessness before he found his purpose. We discussed: 00:48 Dillon starts to share his transition story 01:02 The military has been his entire life…a calling 01:50 Dillon mentions being a young father and actor 02:09 Decides to join the military to better his life 02:31 Loved being a cop 03:00 Separated with an anger towards the military 03:24 Works closely with the VA 03:30 Was a homeless veteran and struggled with alcohol 04:16 Started helping other veterans because we never leave a fallen comrade behind 04:49 Struggling with re-enlisting or not – how to still serve 04:59 Does a lot of volunteer work 05:27 Changing hearts and minds 06:49 Loves science and facts, but also very spiritual 07:07 There is a lot of chaos in our communities right now and our communities need us 07:48 The true meaning of a politician is a person of the city, we all need to be politicians 08:40 Negative mindset at time of separation 09:01 Conflict between a soldier life and real life 10:03 Conflict between personal beliefs and mission 11:05 Knew he was going to be an actor at the age of 3 11:36 Relates with method actors like Adam Driver-tied to warrior mentality 12:37 Veterans are connected….like family 13:41 Many veterans lose the warrior mentality, and we need to remind them 14:13 We need warriors to stand up for what they believe in 14:49 Before you separate and right after, get your finances in order 15:47 Obtain and use your benefits 17:15 A lot of information is not shared with veterans when they separate 18:31 The veteran community is strong and beautiful 19:55 Christina shares some information on the science of being a veteran 20:55 Its okay to show real emotions 21:13 People ought to speak up and share experiences 21:25 Dillon shares a little about his PTSD 22:03 Service members sacrifice 23:21 The warrior mentality is connected to resilience 25:03 We are in the middle of a revolution 25:56 Dillon's final words Guest Bio: Dillon LeMaster is a former Army Military Police Officer, father, and actor. He is also a dedicated volunteer and community member who found purpose in serving others. Resources: Dillon's Website Warrior Road Warrior of the Light Book Wounded Warrior Project American Legion Invictus Poem Recording date: September 3, 2021

In this episode of Transition Tales, a LIVE with Courage Podcast, Jose shares his transition from the Army to a path of discovery. We discussed: 00:18 Welcome 00:40 Jose introduces himself 01:09 Joined the Army as infantryman and continued on as a Ranger 01:47 later transitioned into the regular Army 02:07 Served two years with the old guard 02:20 Retired at 20 years 02:38 Jose shares how his military transition transpired 03:34 Explains a bit about the med board process for retiree eligible 05:43 We think we are ready….maybe not… 06:20 Not feeling ready because it was not a personal decision 06:47 Service members have a hard time identifying if they’ve done enough 07:29 Jose realized after reflection that he did his part to prepare the next generation 08:30 Shares a bit about his MMA experience 08:51 and a bit about his other experiences post service 10:22 Jose shares how he feels about having to find a new career or purpose 11:01 He also tells us about his physical challenges and acceptance of 11:44 Acceptance of “it” not being his place to be in the military anymore 12:43 Advises junior enlisted to not give up on the Army so quickly 13:09 and take advantage of the benefits while you are in the military 14:02 have a plan in place before you transition out of the military 16:44 switch career fields to something transferable prior to separation 17:44 Jose acknowledges that retirees have more financial security than others 19:21 Final words: don’t give up and grind Guest Bio: Jose Barreiro is a retired Army Sergeant Major and former Army Ranger and MMA fighter. Since transition, Jose has explored other paths like marksmanship and gun safety trainer, tactical advising, spotlight bartending, and modeling. Recording date: August 31, 2021

In this episode of Transition Tales, a LIVE with Courage Podcast, Christina shares her transition from the Air Force with special guest host Geronimo Moreno. This is Part 2 of 2. We discussed: 00:28 Geronimo and Christina bring part 2 in 00:48 Did not transition unit Christina moved to San Antonio 01:05 How Christina’s pre-transition journey began 01:46 Christina did not work for 7 years 02:02 Why Christina did not call herself a veteran for 11 years 02:40 Mentored for 6 years helped Christina heal 03:14 Christina was suicidal during transition 03:29 The universe begins to align towards path of purpose 04:13 Started transition 11 years post discharge in San Antonio 06:16 Advice if a veteran is stuck in “limbo” during transition: 05:59 Reach in to those that are struggling through transition 06:22 Advocate for each other…it’s okay and needed 07:22 Many can relate to transition not going as expected 07:53 Arrived in San Antonio and lived with brother 08:32 Worked as DOLEW TAP Trainer for 6 weeks 08:46 Headhunted into resilience position at Fort Sam 09:15 Mental health declined immediately 10:07 Got fired from position 10:50 Made acceptance with being fired rather quickly 11:17 Brought up the importance of staying on your path of purpose 11:52 Getting fired = Getting famous 12:08 Christina wants to get famous 12:58 Christina is an entrepreneur, so Geronimo says 13:26 Hamilton the play resonated with Christina 13:50 Christina is struggling with her path of purpose due to depression 15:19 Its hard to find the right therapist, treatment, meds, etc. 15:58 Eleven is Christina’s number 16:17 Advice: There is no one size fits all transition 17:04 Advice: Take the time to discover who you are 21:51 Christina fan girls over Brené Brown 23:19 “You will not transition until you punch” 23:48 “It is not flipping a switch” 24:26 Self-Awareness, Grace, and Self-Compassion on your journey 24:55 Geronimo and Christina close out the show in a lengthy way lol Guest Bio: Christina Herr is an Air Force veteran, mom of four, doctoral student, and entrepreneur. She is passionate about advocating for veterans and empower others to achieve the success they define for themselves. Christina is also the host of the Transition Tales Podcast. Host Bio: Geronimo Moreno is an Air Force retiree and entrepreneur. He was a previous guest on Transition Tales and is the Marketing & Sales Director at Dynamic Advancement.    Resources: Brené Brown The Struggle Is Real Course This episode is dedicated to Dexter Mitchell, retired Air Force and all-around amazing guy. I appreciate every bit of support and “manipulation” you served up because it had a major impact on the person I am today. Where were you back in 2008? LOL J/K everything happens for a reason.

In this episode of Transition Tales, a LIVE with Courage Podcast, Christina shares her transition from the Air Force with special guest host Geronimo Moreno. This is Part 1 of 2. We discussed: 00:00 Geronimo brings the podcast in 00:58 Christina introduces herself 01:56 Christina reaches a crossroads & moves to San Antonio 02:45 Staying on path of purpose 03:14 This is hard telling your own story on your own podcast 03:57 Patriotic from a young age 04:29 First memory of veteran/military experience 05:22 Member of J.R.O.T.C. in five different high schools 06:24 Joined the Air Force because brother was a successful Airman 07:15 Almost did not graduate high school 08:21 Self-advocating 09:04 Conforming as a way to survive 09:54 Tells the horrible story (lol) of the day she joined the Air Force 13:42 First job in the Air Force 14:29 Force laterally retrained into Personnel career field 15:50 Experienced a lot of toxicity 17:22 Positive moments happened as well 21:13 Side notes about Orderly Rooms vs. Commander Support Staffs 23:15 Taking care of people and doing the right thing can burn you 24:46 Why Christina decided to separate at 11 years 29:16 Avoided dealing with transition Guest Bio: Christina Herr is an Air Force veteran, mom of four, doctoral student, and entrepreneur. She is passionate about advocating for veterans and empower others to achieve the success they define for themselves. Christina is also the host of the Transition Tales Podcast. Host Bio: Geronimo Moreno is an Air Force retiree and entrepreneur. He was a previous guest on Transition Tales and is the Marketing & Sales Director at Dynamic Advancement.   

In this episode of Transition Tales, a LIVE with Courage Podcast, Moe shares his transition from the Army. We discussed: 00:44 Moe introduces himself 02:02 Moe starts to tell his transition story 02:25 Went through ACAP (TAP) two years prior to 20 02:36 Moe starts networking during ACAP 03:01 Moe attributes his transition success to Networking 04:27 Moe retires in 2017 with the help of his warrant officer 05:39 Had a job before retirement date 06:00 Where is the VA disability boat? 06:35 Sadness and depression sets in 07:00 Rebelled with socks and bow ties 07:48 No one tells us about the emotional separation 08:51 The civilian world is unfamiliar and uncomfortable 09:48 “It’s okay to feel this way” 10:26 Surrounded by new tribe 11:27 Felt like body knew he retired…aches and pains, etc. 11:59 Realized there was a need to decompress after working 20+ years 12:54 “I am learning about me” 15:45 Learning how to say “no” 16:31 Reminisces about soldiers a bit…not everyone is Captain America 17:17 Relationship challenge during transition 18:56 Learning limits instead of “carrying on the mission” 21:13 Thriving vs. Surviving 23:18 “I am not your first line of defense” (emergency contact) 24:57 Do not do military transition by yourself 28:00 Moe’s final message (you do not want to miss it) Guest Bio: Mubota Watson is an Army veteran, father, and comedian. He transitioned directly into a position, but later decided to take some time off for himself.  Resources: Onward to Opportunity (O2O)LinkedIn MilCity (#linkedinmilcity on LinkedIn and Facebook)

In this episode of Transition Tales, a LIVE with Courage Podcast, Deana shares her transition from the military to Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and Ms. Classic Texas. We discussed: 00:45 Deana introduces herself 2:00 Deana shares her transition 2:30 Separated as a stay-at-home mom and military spouse 2:54 Involuntarily became Family Readiness Group lead 3:17 Received bad advice to go to post hospital instead of VA hospital 3:51 Expectations of military spouse caused challenges 5:10 Expectations of corporate environment caused challenges 7:20 Obtained nursing license & experienced culture challenges 7:55 Found a better fit as a vocational rehabilitation counselor 9:19 Provided peer support to individuals at Irreverent Warrior hikes 10:30 Found purpose through volunteering doing crisis intervention 11:00 Challenges of being in a relationship with a “toxic” person 11:40 Challenges of having learning disabilities 13:00 Shares some advice on how to leave an unsafe relationship 14:50 Method to maintaining positivity through challenges 17:02 Sometimes you have to try many therapists before you find the right one 17:50 Therapy game 18:48 American United Pageantry & Ms. Classic Texas 19:56 Invisible Disabilities advocating decision 22:22 Military transition resources have improved since 2004 24:15 Mental Health provider mindset challenges 25:09 Finding place in corporate America-unwritten social rules (biggest challenge) 26:31 Unsubstantiated ideas about veterans and violence (Veteran Cultural Competence) 27:20 Knife handing caused challenges at work 28:16 Sought out communication class to learn civilian social norms 29:01 Had to look at the situation objectively: military to civilian social norms 31:19 Seek out classes, groups, etc. to learn effective communication (advice) 33:03 Seek out free resources, like crisis centers, if you need assistance Guest Bio: Deana Cannon is a third-generation veteran, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Ms. Classic Texas, American United Ms. Classic, . She is passionate about advocating for individuals with invisible disabilities. Resources: Irreverent Warriors Ms. Classic Texas American United Pageantry National Crisis Support – Domestic Violence 

In this episode of Transition Tales, a LIVE with Courage Podcast, Michael shares his transition from Army to IT Network Security. This is Part 2. We discussed: 00:38 Michael continues his story with deployment 00:54 Accidentally gets a second job while deployed 2:00 Returns home to Florida 2:36 Certified to teach in Florida 4:06 Landed full time teaching position 6:00 Scheduled for drill during testing 7:05 I believe everyone has an answer 7:50 When you are struggling, go back to basics 9:50 Drill exercise for a comm person 11:32 Heart to heart conversation 12:17 Decided to stop teaching and go back to IT 14:55 Convo with a fellow dad changes focus 19:06 Friend presents an opportunity 20:18 Attends security conferences 24:00 Attends CyberTexas 26:35 Learned the value of understanding worth (pay) 27:36 Interview with Rackspace-interview misstep 29:00 Takes a temporary IT position 29:45 Hurricane Michael 30:06 Receives random calls about a SharePoint position 34:44 Interview with client-interview success 37:50 Gets offered a Network Administrator position 38:27 Revisits medical challenges 40:20 Power of LinkedIn 40:54 Networking is key 41:38 Recruiters have a mission 41:52 7 years of looking and I finally got the job Guest Bio: Michael Martinez is an Army veteran and member of the Texas Army National Guard. He is also an experienced IT professional and has an MBA from Texas State University. Resources: Top Security Conferences LinkedIn Article 

In this episode of Transition Tales, a LIVE with Courage Podcast, Michael shares his transition from Army to Texas Guard. This is a two-part episode. We discussed: 00:47 Michael introduces himself 1:32 Challenges of starting transition a year out 2:57 Beginning of Army Career 4:32 Focused on business planning during OCS to AIT transition 6:00 National guard transition planning started on last deployment 7:11 Family discussion on where to go post active-duty service 7:54 Planned to live in San Antonio, but had to quickly pivot 8:38 Applied for MBA programs 9:10 Moved to vacant family ranch and rebuilt it 11:20 Praises spouse for being “rock” through the transition process 11:56 Living on educational resources and side work 12:27 Shares “try-one” program for National Guard & the shock of not having AD resources 13:22 Navigating healthcare process 14:38 Challenges of non-diagnostic care 16:04 Weather impacts family ranch rebuild 18:05 Blister beetle attack (I cannot make this stuff up) 21:52 Military mindset impacting healthcare choices 22:32 On top of everything, tries to start a business 24:23 Deployment saves financial troubles-causes educational and promotion challenge 27:19 Drastic career progression difference between Active Duty and National Guard 28:29 Navigated education challenge while deployed Stay tuned for part 2 Guest Bio: Michael Martinez is an Army veteran and member of the Texas Army National Guard. He is also an experienced IT professional and has an MBA from Texas State University.

In this episode of Transition Tales, a LIVE with Courage Podcast, Brittany shares her transition from Air Force Dental Tech to the world of Project Management in the civilian sector. We discussed: 1:36 Brittany introduces herself 2:12 Brittany shares how her military transition began and “ended” 3:19 Informational interviews 3:55 Importance of vetting references 4:33 A contractor with USAA reached out via LinkedIn 5:10 Position led to full time career with USAA 5:35 Selling yourself when you do not quite match the requirements 7:06 What is the “end” of military transition 8:37 Imposter syndrome 10:16 Mental health challenges-purpose void & stress 11:18 PTSD challenge and veteran stigmas 13:06 Resource overload 13:45 Military transition is a full-time job 14:21 back to resources-overreliance 15:19 Importance of mentorship 15:52 Importance of LinkedIn Profiles 16:40 72 applications leading to 1 interview 17:30 Importance of routine and processes 18:13 Good fit for mentorship 20:52 Importance of telling your story 21:22 Personality vs. Requirements 23:20 Importance of interviewing the company 24:44 Informational interviewing 27:57 Final words Guest Bio: Brittany Smith is an Air Force Veteran, Business Architect at USAA, and User Experience Manager at DOL Coach. She is also an active mentor on Veterati. Resources: USAA Careers https://www.usaajobs.com/DOL Coach https://www.dolcoach.com/Veterati https://www.veterati.com/

In this episode of Transition Tales, a LIVE with Courage Podcast, Kristen shares her story of going from an activity duty Army family to Army National Guard and the career transition she is currently experiencing. We discussed: 00:48 Kristen introduces herself 2:12 Kristen starts her transition story 3:10 A little discussion on TAP 4:40 Kristen thought the transition would be easier with extended family 7:22 Learned a valuable lesson of having multiple back up plans 7:52 Kristen and her family settled in a small town 8:23 Kristen and her family ended up on the family ranch that had been vacant for 10 years 9:27 Kristen learned valuable skills that transferred over to her new position 10:50 Kristen shares a little about her career transition she is currently in 12:15 Short discussion on the commonalities between retail and business operations 14:33 Military spouses have the ability to “roll with it” 15:50 Kristen shares some of her challenges 17:16 Challenges of not having a community post active service 20:03 Start your transition program early 20:50 Spouse ought to participate in the transition process/programs 21:41 Be prepared for things to change 22:24 Recreating community post active duty service Guest Bio: Kristen Martinez is a military spouse of a member of the Army National Guard. She has a bachelor’s in business management and a talent for customer engagement. Resources: Dynamic Advancement https://www.dynamicadvancement.com/Disabled American Veterans (DAV) https://www.dav.org/Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) https://www.vfw.org/Boy Scouts of America https://www.scouting.org/Girl Scouts https://www.girlscouts.org/