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Why Listen:

In Episode #367 I interviewed John Wayne Troxell, who talked about his transition journey after serving as Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and his nearly 40 years of military service. After our interview, he mentioned his friend Anthony, and I jumped at the opportunity to have a similar conversation. Anthony served in the Marine Corps for 35 years, serving most recently as a Senior Enlisted Leader as a Command Sergeant Major. We talk about his career journey, his work serving on multiple boards, a long list of resources he would recommend to listeners, and, most importantly, the vital role that curiosity plays in one’s life and career

About Anthony:

Anthony is a leadership consultant, strategist and Veterans advocate. He is the former Command Senior Enlisted Leader (Sergeant Major), USINDOPACOM, having served in the Marine Corps for 35 years. He serves as the Vice President and Director of Development & Special Projects at the Robert Irvine Foundation, the Vice President of Training for 5th Principle, a Consultant at BeaverFit North America, and serves on multiple boards including Emory Healthcare Veterans Program, FourBlock, Youth Impact Program, and Advisor Board Chairman for FITOPS.

Selected Resources: 

• FITOPS: https://fitops.org/

• Emory Healthcare Veterans Program: https://www.emoryhealthcare.org/centers-programs/veterans-program/index.html5th Principle: https://www.5thprinciple.net/

• Robert Irvine Foundation: https://robertirvinefoundation.org/

• FourBlock: https://fourblock.org/

• Resilience Building Leader Program: https://resiliencebuildingleader.com/

• BeaverFit: https://www.beaverfitusa.com/

• 5th Principle: https://www.5thprinciple.net

• Youth Impact Program: https://www.youthimpactprogram.org/

Books:

• The Alchemist - Paulo Coehlo

• Mans Search of Meaning: Viktor Frankl

• Legacy: James Kerr

• A Country Such as This: James Webb

• Echo in Ramadi: Scott Huesing

• When The Tempest Gathers: Andy Millburn

• Our Bodies Their Battlefield (War Through the Lives of Woman): Christina Lamb

Transcript & Time Stamps:

2:10

Joining me today from Honolulu, Hawaii is Anthony Spadero. 

Could you explain the meaning of ‘aloha’?

Aloha is a very special word amongst Hawaiians. Aloha means love, happiness and respect. Some people debate how frequently the word should be used because the word really comes from the heart. It’s more meaningful than just saying ‘hello’. 

5:34

Is there anything you’d like to amend to the biography we’ve provided? 

As veterans, we’re used to a life of constant action. Even after the military, I’ve stayed involved in many different things. There are so many programs out there that I’ve been inspired by and wanted to be a part of. 

Connections that you make while you serve will continue to serve you in your career post-military. 

8:10

You were in the military for over 30 years. What was it like transitioning out after all of that? 

Everyone asks what you miss the most about the military? For me it’s the people. But if you find organizations that are mission driven and care about their people, you’ll continue to be fulfilled in your career post-military. 

Even though I’m no longer in the military, I still feel like I’m serving the people around me in a meaningful way. 

11:00

In what ways do you think your service has continued after the military?

No one person is the same. So we can’t treat our veteran community the same. Each one has different perspectives and experiences. One of the things I do is work with human resources to appreciate the different skill sets that different veterans bring to the table. I want to do this in a smart way because I don’t want to take away the importance of service in general. Any veteran will have great skills to offer but the specifics of that will be different for each veteran. 

14:30

How did your work with FitOps come about? 

John Troxell served as an advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. We had worked together during our time in the military. We grew very close during that time. He’s made me a better person and showed me how important it is to surround yourself with good people. 

John ended up leading FitOps’ Advisory Board. He asked me to join the Board and I was happy to do it. As I learned more about FitOps, I was so impressed by the organization. 

17:20

What does it look like to sit on a board? 

When I was transitioning, I wanted to make sure I was involved in veterans organizations. I was specifically interested in veteran mental health. FitOps takes transitioning veterans and helps them earn certifications in the athletic training industry. It’s completely free for veterans to participate. The program gives these veterans a sense of purpose after they leave the military. 

I also work with the Emory Healthcare Program. It’s completely free for veterans to participate and helps veterans work through various struggles that they might be going through. FourBlock is another organization I work with. FourBlock helps veterans find jobs that fit their strengths and passions after they leave the military. 

24:40

How do you manage to take on all that you’re doing?

I just love to serve. I was privileged to serve alongside the greatest men and women on earth during my time in the military. Even after I got out, I felt that I would need to continue serving in order to live a fulfilling and full life.

Think about how you can use your skills to make the world around you better. That will be different for each person but is a good guide as you think about your career post-military. 

I live in Hawaii so I get up pretty early because I typically have a lot of phone calls with colleagues on the East Coast. In the afternoon, I’ll work on other projects and also make sure I fit in something active like paddleboarding. 

29:50

Do you think leadership inside and outside the military is different? 

In most ways leadership is leadership. It’s about treating people with respect and making good decisions. I see military and civilian leadership as very similar. If you care about the people around you, you will strive to be a good leader whether you’re inside or outside the military. 

32:30

Do you have any resources you would recommend to listeners? 

I love to read. For transitioning veterans, I’ve tried to put a book list together. I recommend The Alchemist which will help you think about the path you want to take in life. I also highly recommend Man’s Search for Meaning and A Country Such as This. A couple others I recommend are Echo in Ramadi and When the Tempest Gathers. 

37:25

What have we not talked about that you want listeners to know? 

One of my colleagues told me the other day, ‘We need more understanders in the world rather than more convincers’. I completely agree. There are two people in my mind, those that have to and those that want to. I surround myself with the ‘want to’ people. Those are people that are searching for meaning and understanding in what they’re doing. 

There’s a book called One Giant Leap that is about Americans landing on the moon. The book talks about the curiosity and hope that it took to accomplish that mission.