Today’s episode originally aired all the way back in Oct ober of 2017. I recorded it a few weeks after episode #115 with Ray & Samantha Allen. They recommended a few books, and I read one that continues to impact my life called, The Slight Edge.

I think about this book all the time. In fact, in the last four weeks, I’ve discussed it twice with my Executive Coach, as the principles I learned in this book continue to impact the way I approach work and life. I’m also currently co-hosting Beyond the Uniform’s Purpose Mapping Seminar with Craig Filek, and I just sent a copy of this book to all of our seminar participants - it is such a great complement to any intended career path in life.

In this episode, rather than interviewing something, I play Levar Burton from Reading Rainbow and do a book review for you. While I still recommend reading the book, I hope this episode gives you some tips and tricks you can apply today in your personal and professional life.

Andy Chan works at Wake Forest as Vice President for Innovation and Career Development. He oversees The Office of Personal and Career Development (OPCD) which is creating a supportive university-wide career community designed to empower and equip students to successfully navigate their path from college to career. Previously, he was the assistant dean and director of the MBA Career Management Center at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Before joining Stanford, he served as president and CEO of eProNet, an online recruiting and career network based on exclusive relationships with university alumni associations. Earlier, he was president and CEO of MindSteps, a corporate education software start-up. He has extensive executive leadership and career coaching experience as well as business experience in venture-backed start-ups, The Learning Company, The Clorox Company and Bain & Company. He earned his BA and MBA from Stanford University.

Why Listen:

Today’s episode originally aired back in June of 2018 and I’m guessing that a lot of our newer listeners have not heard it. If that’s the case… fix yourself. If you HAVE already listened to it, this is one of a handful of episodes that i believe is worth a second or even third listening for everyone - whether you’re currently in uniform, hung it up a long time ago, or never wore a uniform.

Andy brings over 20 years of experience helping more than 11k students at both Stanford University and Wake Forest figure out their next career move. In this interview he covers ground about the most common challenges people face in a career transition, and simple actions to take to approach this change with more confidence and skill. Andy packs in so much incredible information in a very short amount of time - I hope you enjoy and benefit greatly from his advice.

Why Listen:
In this episode, I walk through why listeners should consider doing a podcast and step-by-step advice for how to make it happen.

Why Listen:
When you think of government contracting and legal regulation, you probably don’t think about entrepreneurship or an exciting opportunity. My guest today, on the other hand, does, and it’s clear that he loves what he is doing, and that’s one of the reason he’s been so successful at it. We talk about his unexpected transition from the Army due to injury, and how that led him into government contract work, and just two years later, starting his own company in the space. We talk about starting a company, we talk about the  world… the surprisingly interesting world of government contracting. We talk about having a background in the work you do at a startup and how important this is. We talk about why Veterans are well suited to both entrepreneurship and the government contract space. We also have a great conversation around work/life balance and boundaries, as well as starting a non-profit.

About Scott:
Scott Davidson is the CEO and Managing Principal of GCO, a consulting company that positions government contractors and their legal counsel for success in the federal marketplace, helping them mitigate risk in a highly complex and regulated environment. He served in the US Army for 9 years as both an Enlisted and Officer doing Signal, Air Defense Artillery, and Counter IED work. With GCO he has prepared, negotiated and awarded over 500 GSA Schedules since starting the firm in 2009.

Why Listen:
George joined me on episode BTU #222 and I enjoyed our conversation so much, I wanted to have him back on the show as soon as possible to dive deeper. In this interview we answer questions submitted by the Beyond the Uniform community. We talk about how compensation is not just about salary. We talk about a specific timeline to use in your job search. We talk about how to structure your resume and what role a cover letter should play.

About George:
George Randle is the Senior Director, Global Talent Acquisition at Forcepoint, the human-centric cybersecurity company that understands behavior and adapts security response and enforcement to risk. He started out in the Army, where he enslisted in 1984, and was commissioned via ROTC. He served in the Army for 21 years, with over 11 years on Active Duty. Since his military service, he has worked in the recruiting space at companies including BearingPoint, BoozAllen Hamilton, HP, and Millennium Management. 

Why Listen:
Today’s interview was a real privilege for me. I saw Simon Sinek’s TED Talk years ago called, Start With Why, and it has had a major impact on my professional and personal life. If you have not seen this 20 minute video, you really owe it to yourself to check it out, as well as Simon’s book, Start With Why. My guest today is Simon’s right-hand man, and works with leaders throughout the world about helping them find and pursue their purpose. Many of the guests I’ve had on the show have talked about how difficult it is to find a new purpose after the military - this interview is exactly the help you need to set you on this path.

About Peter:
Peter Docker is part of the Start With Why team, where he helps individuals and organizations harness the power of Why. The result is extraordinary cultures and sustainable high performance. Peter is the co-author of Find Your Why, a practical guide on how to discover the Why for any individual, team or organization. He's also a guide of the online Why Discovery Course.

Peter's multifaceted career has included being an international negotiator, leading an aviation training and standards organization, teaching postgraduates at the UK’s Defence College and leading multibillion dollar international procurement projects.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with the Start With Why team since 2011, Peter works with organizations around the world to help them articulate their purpose, educate their leaders and to create cultures where each individual thrives.

Brian is the Senior Vice President of Operations at Orion Talent, where he has worked in various capacities for 20 years. He started out at Penn State University, after which he served in the Marine Corps as a Infantry Officer for over 11 years. 

Why Listen: 

There are two reasons to listen to this episode. First of all, Orion Talent (and recruiters in general) are an excellent resource that members of the military should consider as they approach their career transition. Second, Brian has over 20 years of experience in the recruiting space. He talks about a range of topics like changes in the hiring landscape, how to prepare for interviews, and other topics that would benefit any Veteran. 

Meredith is a Senior Management Associate at Bridgewater Associates, where she works as part of the Core Management team working to enable excellent, principled management throughout Bridgewater. She is the author of the upcoming book Indispensable: How to Succeed at Your First Job and Beyond. She is also an Executive Coach and Facilitator with the International Coach Federation. Previously, she worked for Bain & Company for fifteen years. She holds a BA from Yale University and an MBA from the Stanford GSB. While Meredith herself is not a Veteran, her wife is a West Point graduate and former Army Officer and MedEvac Blackhawk Pilot. 

Why Listen: 

Meredith, while not a Veteran, went through a similar career transition in her own life. This caused her - over the course of 10 years - to write her first book, Indispensable. This book covers many topics relevant to career transition: preparing for interviews, evaluating your options, identifying your professional and personal values, and more.

Andy Chan works at Wake Forest as Vice President for Innovation and Career Development. He oversees The Office of Personal and Career Development (OPCD) which is creating a supportive university-wide career community designed to empower and equip students to successfully navigate their path from college to career. Previously, he was the assistant dean and director of the MBA Career Management Center at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.  Before joining Stanford, he served as president and CEO of eProNet, an online recruiting and career network based on exclusive relationships with university alumni associations.  Earlier, he was president and CEO of MindSteps, a corporate education software start-up. He has extensive executive leadership and career coaching experience as well as business experience in venture-backed start-ups, The Learning Company, The Clorox Company and Bain & Company. He earned his BA and MBA from Stanford University.

This is the second part of Episode #175, in which I give more examples of storytelling in an interview and how to translate your military experience in a civilian interview.